RWBY||Defender of Remnant

Chapter 36: Titans

Clover blinked, and a third Manticore dove at him from above, a fireball forming between its jaws... only for Saphron to step between them and ram a silver broadsword with a golden hilt through the bottom of the Grimm's jaw and into its brain, causing it to fall limp.

As dark blood slowly trailed down the blade, Saphron tore her sword free and turned to face them, revealing multiple black stains on her jeans and shirt that were leaking black fog. "You guys alright?"

Thank you, semblance, Clover thought. He nodded. "Nice save."

"Don't worry about it," Saphron assured, turning to face the next wave of Manticore Grimm. "And don't bother telling me to retreat just because I'm a 'civilian.' This is my city, and you've got another thing coming if you believe I'm not gonna fight for it." She hefted her blade for emphasis, the edge gleaming as it caught the light.

Clover, who had been about to say exactly that, just shut his mouth and nodded, turning his attention to face the oncoming wave of Grimm. As one, they charged, and the Grimm sprang to meet them. Just before impact, Maria flipped down from a rooftop and hurled her Kama like a boomerang, flipping it end over end. A flash of steel, a spray of blood, and the line of Grimm stiffened.

Landing on her feet, Maria held out her hand, and her Kama, which had embedded itself in a wall, tore itself free and spun back into her hand, hilt first.

"First rule of dealing with bull-headed idiots," she proclaimed, turning to face Clover and Saphron. "They never look up." She tapped her weapon on the ground, and the Grimm slumped, heads falling from shoulders and splattering on the ground as their bodies dissolved.

Saphron' s jaw dropped, and Clover just stared. So fast... idly, Saphron couldn't help but wonder if Jaune could eventually reach Maria's speed with enough training. He's dating Pyrrha Nikos, after all, so—

A series of low growls snapped her out of her thoughts, and the three of them whirled to find an entire pack of Manticores and several Sphinxes advancing on them, fire dripping from their jaws as their claws grated on the smooth pavement.

"Looks like we've got more company," Clover muttered, and the group raised their weapons while he put a finger to his ear. "Elm, Vine, we're gonna need backup, over."

No response.

"Elm, Vine, do you copy?"

Silence.

With a chorus of shrieks and roars, the Grimm charged... only to skid to a stop seconds later, eyeing their surroundings warily.

What? "Why are they stopping?" Saphron asked and glanced at Maria since she was the most experienced of the group. "Is that normal?"

Maria shook her head, her prosthetic eyes narrowing as she stared at the line of Grimm before them. "No. It's not." The only reason Grimm have ever been known to back down is when—

The ground shook, causing humans and Grimm alike to stumble.

...is when there's something even worse in the area.

"What was that?" Saphron wondered, her voice shaking... and that's when her gaze fell upon one of the many puddles of blood darkening the street.

A second thud, and the surface of the bloody puddle rippled. A third followed, and a massive shadow loomed over the street. A horrible mixture of water and dark, tar-like liquid spilled from above, and Saphron, Maria, and Clover slowly looked up to find the Alpha Leviathan heaving itself out of the water, its dark, malicious gaze locked on the three humans as its dorsal plates began lighting up.