Meanwhile, Jaune and Pyrrha run into Cardin and Russel, who are observing a cave, thinking it might lead them to the relics. This is when Jaune, followed by Pyrrha, approaches the pair as the blonde boy asks.
Jaune: "What are you guys up to?"
Cardin look at Jaune before smirking and speaking to him.
Cardin: "We think the relics are in there. Russel and I were just thinking about splitting up until you guys show up. Why don't you go inside and see if the relics are there and tell us if it's the right place. One group to go in the cave and the other goes to protect it."
Jaune perks up a bit.
Juane: "Ah, sure. No problem."
Doubtful over Cardin's suggestion, Pyrrha turns to Jaune and asks.
Pyrrha: "You sure Jaune?"
Jaune: "Come on, Pyrrha. It's just a cave. Plus, it might have the relics."
As he said this, Jaune head inside along with Pyrrha, who stare at Cardin before following Jaune. As the two disappear into the cave, Russel goes to ask Cardin, a bit concerned.
Russel: "Uhm, what happens if they die?"
Cardin just shrugs.
Cardin: "Then we'll just move on."
And with that, Cardin and Russel waited for a long while only for Cardin to say nonchalantly.
Cardin: "Well, let's move tow-"
His words die upon seeing Ren, Nora, and the white head King Taijitu, dragging its dead black head, bursting out of the woods with Ren and Nora still riding on their bear.
Cardin: "...?!"
Russel: "...!?"
And with that, both Cardin and Russel immediately begin running in fear. The four students and bear flee between the trees with the giant snake Grimm starts to gain on them, all while Nora is laughing, having the time of her life. The chase ends, however, when those same squirrel-chimpanzee creatures temporarily crossed the King Taijitu's path and force it to change directions from its prey as it gets attacked and distracted, giving Nora, Ren, Cardin, and Russel some breathing room to head to the nearby temple.
Back with Jaune and Pyrrha, they continue to head deeper into the cave with Juane holding a short torch.
Jaune: "Think this is it?"
Pyrrha: "I'm not sure this is it. I think we're going to be lost."
Jaune: "Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?"
Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Jaune trips on the ground, and the torch flies into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two are cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.
Pyrrha: "You okay?"
Before he can answer, Jaune gets back on his feet.
Jaune: "Yeah... I guess so."
Pyrrha: "Hey... do you... feel that?"
Jaune: "Soul-crushing regret?"
Pyrrha: "No, it's... warm."
Jaune: "Warm?"
Jaune and Pyrrha continue onward through the cave until they see a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.
Jaune: "That's the relic!"
He slowly reaches out to grab it but, it moves away from him.
Juane: "Hey! Bad relic! Bad!"
He tries to get it again, then jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him above the ground.
Juane: "Gotcha!"
Pyrrha: "Uhm, Jaune...?"
Jaune's catch lowers itself, so he is dangling right in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a Deathstalker. Jaune's scream is heard all the way from the temple, where Yang turns towards the direction of its source.
Yang: "Some girl's in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?"
Y/N tries to hold on to his laughter as he knows that's Jaune screaming at the distance.
Y/N: "No, Yang. That's Jaune."
Yang: "Huh? Really?"
Blake goes quiet, staring at something in the sky.
________________________________________________________________________________
At the cave entrance, Pyrrha rushes out right before the Deathstalker crashes through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hangs from the stinger, calling from help and continuing to scream.
Jaune: "Help! Why?! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!"
He continues to cry and get shaken around. Pyrrha has her weapon in hand.
Pyrrha: "Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let-"
Before she can finish, the Grimm hurls its tail back and launches a still-screaming Jaune across the forest as she watches in dismay.
Pyrrha: "... go."
She turns back to the scorpion as it continues to snap its claws at her before Pyrrha turn and rush away in a burst of green leaves.
________________________________________________________________________________
Back with Ruby and Weiss, they are now on top of the awaken Nevermore, holding on for dear life. Weiss shout to be heard.
Weiss: "I told you this was a terrible idea!"
Ruby: "We're doing fine! Stop worrying!"
Weiss: "I am so far beyond worrying!"
Ruby: "In a good way?"
Weiss: "In a bad way! A very bad way!"
Ruby: "Well, why don't-"
Before she can finish, the Nevermore constantly thrash around, trying to throw them off, which it did for Ruby.
________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, back in the temple, Blake is still staring at something above them, but Yang is focused on the forest.
Yang: "Blake, Y/N, did you hear that? What should we do?"
Before any of them can answer, they hear the faint-but-growing-louder scream get Yang's attention.
Ruby: "Heads uuuuuuuup!"
Ruby is falling from the sky, heading straight towards them, getting Blake and Y/N's attention as well.
Y/N & Yang: "Ruby!?
Y/N then look at a different direction as Yang continues.
Yang: "Quick! We need to catch her!"
Y/N: "Yeah, I don't think we can."
Yang: "Why!?"
Y/N point at the direction he was looking at. They see Jaune comes flying through the air and crashes into the falling Ruby, knocking her off course and sending them both into a tree to the left of where Blake and Yang are standing. Now on a tree, Ruby is dazed by the rough landing with Y/N commenting.
Y/N: "Well, at least they're safe."
Ruby: "Oohhhh... What was that?"
The dizziness passes when she shakes her head.
Jaune: "Eh-hem!"
Ruby looks up to see Jaune hanging upside-down in a tree branch above her.
Jaune: "Hey, Ruby..."
Ruby: "Hey, Jaune..."
Blake looks at the tree both Ruby and Jaune are in.
Blake: "Did your sister just fall from the sky?"
Yang: "I..."
Before she can continue, several crashing noises are heard in the forest ahead of them. They ready their weapons as a brown bear comes out, claws swiping, just as a pink blast of energy hits it in the back and it crashes to the ground, depositing its rider.
Nora: "YEEEE-HAAAAW!"
She rolls off of the creature's back, then gets up and groans, saddened and pats the bear's head.
Nora: "Awwww... it's broken."
This is when Cardin and Russel come bursting out of the bushes and into the clearing with the temple as the bewildered Y/N speaks.
Y/N: "Nora?"
With a happy wave, Nora replies.
Nora: "Hi, Y/N!"
Y/N: "Wait, where's Ren?"
Right on cue, Ren appear behind the dead bear, breathing heavily and looking pale.
Y/N: "Oh..."
Ren: "Nora! Please... don't ever do that again."
He looks up again and notices by the pink dotted outline of where his partner should be that Nora has run off again and looks around frantically for her.
Ren: "Where is...?"
Y/N point to where Nora is, which is at the temple, staring at a relic before saying in a song-like tone.
Nora: "Oooohh... I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!~"
Ren: "Nora!"
Nora: "Oops. Coming, Ren!"
Upon saying that, she skips back towards Ren. In the background, Russel goes to pick up one of the relics only for Cardin to abruptly push him aside and grab the relic he prefers. Meanwhile, Blake, Yang, and Y/N stare after the skipping Nora, utterly baffled with Blake asking.
Blake: "Did that girl just ride in on a bear?"
Y/N: "Not something you see every day."
Yang: "I..."
She is interrupted once more by Ruby getting back on the ground, prompting Yang to be utterly joyful.
Yang: "Ruby!"
Ruby is excited to see her sister, raising her arms, about to give her a hug.
Ruby: "Yang!"
Only for Nora to come between the two sisters, knocking them off-balance in surprise and saying loudly.
Nora: "Nora!"
Y/N couldn't help but laugh over the shenanigans happening around him. However, the constant interruption has made Yang mad, growling and ends up erupting a small burst of fire as her eyes flash red.
Yang: "Ugh, I can't take it anymore! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"
The tick-tock of a clock counts down the two seconds of nothing before Y/N walks up to Yang.
Y/N: "Calm down, Yang. We don't need you causing a forest fire."
He goes to rub her back gently, causing her to stiffen up as her eyes turn red when she feels like her hair was touched, but she soon relaxed as her eyes turn back to their lilac color. She exhales before speaking.
Yang: "Thanks, Y/N. But please don't touch my hair so suddenly. I'm a 'little' overprotective of it."
As he hears this, Y/N back away a bit.
Y/N: "Oh. S-Sorry about that."
Yang: "It's fine. Sorry about that little outburst."
Y/N: "Don't mention it."
Ren runs over to a ditzy Nora, and Blake looking up while, Ruby goes get her relic. As she did, Ruby goes to her sister, tugging on her sleeve and points.
Ruby: "Umm... Yang?"
Up above, they all see Weiss, still hanging on to the Nevermore.
Y/N: "Oh, you got be kidding me." ("Another one!")
Weiss then calls down to Ruby from below.
Weiss: "How could you leave me?!"
Ruby: "I was thrown off!"
Blake: "She's gonna fall."
Ruby: "She'll be fine."
Ren: "She's falling."
Ruby: "Pft, no, she's not."
They then see the Nevermore screeching and thrashing around, making Weiss lose her grip and start to fall.
Weiss: "Aaaaahhh!!!"
Jaune is finally out of the tree, panting until he looks up and grins at the sight of Weiss falling through the air, giving him the opportunity to jump off the branch with arms outstretched. What he didn't expect was that he leaped too early, causing him to end up drop to the ground face first. Jaune then groan out.
Jaune: "Ow... My face."
Cardin and Russel just laugh at Jaune's attempt, still leaning against the temple. Y/N overhears this, but is more focus on the falling Weiss. Y/N is conflicted to stop her fall, thinking that she could use her semblance to stop her fall. But seeing her still falling and doing nothing to stop, he then remembers his encounter with Darius.
Y/N: "..."
After a moment of silence, Y/N takes a deep breath.
Y/N: "Fine, I'll do it."
Y/N ran up to the same tree Jaune was in and as soon he reached the very top, he leaps forward and manage to catch Weiss in his arms. Weiss was shocked to see herself in Y/N's arms, staring at his eyes. She hears him groan as he throws his sword, Grimm Slayer at the ground. The sword pierce at the ground as Y/N manage to land on top of the sword's hilt, stopping their fall. As Y/N hop off the sword's hilt, Weiss continues to stare at his eyes. It wasn't until Y/N turn his head and ask her.
Y/N: "Hey, Ice Queen. Doing, okay?"
Weiss snap back to awareness, blushing as she does.
Weiss: "What? I'm sorry. What did you say?"
Annoyed, Y/N asks once more.
Y/N: "I said, are you okay?"
Still blushing, Weiss look away.
Weiss: "I-I'm fine. B-But more importantly, how long are going to carry me?!"
Y/N: "Oops. Sorry."
He put Weiss down on the ground. She quickly stood up and brush herself off. She then goes to face Y/N, putting her arms in her hips but, the blush on her face not going away.
Weiss: "Normally, I would slap you for doing that, but... under these current circumstances, you did save me so... I'll let it slide... and thank... you..."
Y/N: "Don't mention it, Ice Queen. We may be at each other's throats, that doesn't mean I leave my comrades behind."
He gives a gentle smile which cause Weiss to look away to hide her still blushing face.
Weiss: "Oh, be quiet, you dunce."
Y/N: "Hey!"
Once the heiress sees Ruby, she marches towards her, walking past Y/N.
Weiss: "You! What on Remnant is wrong with you!? Your insane idea could've gotten us killed, you know!"
Ruby retorts back.
Ruby: "I thought it was a good idea, and it is. We did make it. See?"
She motions to the temple in front of them. Weiss just huffs as she quickly goes to get her relic. Jaune managed to slowly get up and go pick up his relic. As he did, Pyrrha comes breaking through the tree line with the Deathstalker behind her, surprising everyone at the temple. Especially Y/N as he loudly states.
Y/N: "A Deathstalker too?!"
Pyrrha: "Jaune!"
Jaune turns around to see Pyrrha getting chased by the Deathstalker, managing to jump just in time to dodge one of its claw swipes.
Jaune: "Oh no, Pyrrha!"
Slashing a tree at the edge of the clearing, Pyrrha manage to pin the Grimm down, but not before another claw swipe sends her flinging across the clearing. She lands in a heap at the group's feet. While Blake and Jaune go to help Pyrrha up, Yang comments.
Yang: "Great! The gang's all here. Now we can die together."
Ruby: "Not if I can help it!"
Yang: "Ruby, wait!"
Ruby fires Crescent Rose, doing a battle cry as she passed charges at the oncoming Deathstalker. She tries to get a leaping strike in only for the Grimm to battered Ruby away and she is knocked back. Ruby slowly gets up and talks in a panicked tone.
Ruby: "D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!"
Ruby turns back to the monster and shoots it in the skull, but the bullets skid right off its white plating. Realizing she's outmatched, Ruby runs back to the group, fleeing from the Grimm and sheathing her scythe as the Deathstalker now goes after her. All while Yang and Y/N runs forward after Ruby to assist her.
Yang: "Ruby!"
Y/N: ("Why the hell she thought that was a good idea?!")
Ruby rushes towards Yang and Y/N, but the Nevermore caws above them, flapping its wings and releasing lines of sharpened feathers with points. One of the feathers manage that catch on Ruby's cape, pinning her in place and prevent Yang from reaching her, being caught in the middle of the feathers.
Yang: "Ruby, get out of there!"
Ruby struggles to free her cloak from the sharpened feather.
Ruby: "I'm... trying!"
The Deathstalker approaches, raising its golden stinger above a scared Ruby and heading down on the helpless girl. She closes her eyes at her demise.
Yang: "Ruby!!!"
Suddenly, a white blur and a black blur races past Yang and reaches the stinger just as it's about to pierce Ruby. Yang see that it was Y/N, using his Crimson and Violet's swords form to block the stinger only for it to end up sliding off and stabbing his shoulder instead.
Y/N: "Grrgh!!"
Weiss quickly uses her rapier, Myrtenaster to freeze the Deathstalker's stinger and legs in place. Y/N manage to pull out his shoulder from the stinger, while Weiss goes on a mini rant.
Weiss: "You are so childish!"
Ruby opens her eyes to the sight of the stinger encased in ice and lowers her arms from their futile position over her head as she stares at her two saviors.
Ruby: "Weiss...? Y/N...?"
Weiss turns around to face Ruby as she removes her weapon from the ice.
Weiss: "And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style. And I suppose I can be a bit... difficult... but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. So, if you quit trying to show off, I'll be... nicer."
Ruby gets up from the ground, freeing her cape from the feather.
Ruby: "I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this."
Weiss: "You're doing fine."
Weiss quickly walks away as Ruby follow her, breathing a sigh of relief and mumbling to herself.
Ruby: "Yes, normal knees..."
She looks back at the Deathstalker as it struggles to escape with its tail trapped in the ice. Yang rushes up to Ruby and gives her a hug, which Ruby grunts at upon receiving.
Yang: "So happy you're okay!"
The two stares at each other for a moment before Yang look at Weiss and Y/N.
Yang: "Thanks for saving my sister."
Weiss: "You're welcome."
Yang and Ruby turn to look at Y/N, who has his back turn on them, more preoccupied in staring intently at the trapped Deathstalker. Not a second later, they notice his visible wound from his shoulder.
Ruby: "Y/N?!"
Yang: "Your shoulder!?"
Snapping back to awareness, Y/N turns around.
Y/N: "Huh? Oh, don't worry. It's healing up a bit though, I'm a bit tired."
He looks around them and the others.
Y/N: "I'm just glad to see we're all okay. Especially you, Ice Queen. Seems like you partner with Ruby, huh?"
Weiss then remember the deal she and Y/N made before the initiation. Embarrassed, she looks away.
Weiss: "F-F-Fine. You won the deal."
Upon hearing this, Y/N gets a cheeky smirk plastered on his face, all while leaving Ruby puzzled.
Ruby: "Huh? Deal? What-?"
Before she can finish, they all look up at the Nevermore still flying overhead and roaring. Everyone gets ready to leave and head to evac site. The only issue is that the evac site is actually back the way they came. Beyond the Deathstalker, Nevermore, and now the injured King Taijitu that just slithered out of the forest. Cardin comes out of the temple and shrugs.
Cardin: "We can just rush past them."
Weiss rolls her eyes and glares at him.
Weiss: "If you want to die, go right ahead."
Ruby and Y/N along with everyone else have their eyes trained on the approaching Grimm, while Ruby tries to come up with a plan. Beside her, Jaune is looking freely around the environment and that's when he catches sight of more ruins just beyond a hill. He quickly forms an idea as he looks at the others, drawing their attentions.
Jaune: "Guys, if we lure those Grimm to the ruins, then the eleven of us have a better chance of circumventing the Grimm and making a dash for the evac site."
Blake shrugs and replies.
Blake: "Better than anything I've come up with."
Ruby: "You're right, Jaune. Our goal is to grab an artifact and leave. There's no point in fighting these things."
As Y/N hear this, he's conflicted as he wants to deal with the Grimm, but he knows running away is the safer option.
Y/N: ("Darn it...")
The Deathstalker continues to fight its bonds, cracking the ice a little in the process as the injured King Taijitu start slithering towards them.
Ren: "It's time we left!"
Ruby: "Right. Let's go!"
Y/N: "Okay, take out your weapons guys!"
As they make a run to the ruins, weapons at hand, Yang smiles at Ruby, which Blake take notice.
Blake: "What is it?"
Yang: "Nothing... just nice to see her breaking out of her shell."
As they run to the ruins, both Juane and Ruby keep an eye on the people around them as they and the others do their best to fend off the three Grimm.
The students spread out when it passes above them, concealing themselves behind some stone blocks as they get cornered at the ruins by the Nevermore standing on top of the ruins. With their rough plan backfiring on them, Yang groans.
Yang: "Well, that just great!"
Weiss: "Okay, we need to distract that Nevermore."
This prompt Y/N to turn to Weiss with utter bafflement.
Y/N: "What!?"
Ruby, who has a clear understanding of people's abilities at this point, retorts back.
Ruby: "No, we don't."
She then contradicts Weiss and give countermanding orders to the group. This result in the two bickering with one another as Y/N tries to stop them as they're going to be killed if they don't stop. During their argument, Russel decides to listen to Weiss's set-up plan, only to get injured by the Deathstalker's claw swipes, cutting through his aura and leaving a sizeable gash on his leg. Wincing in pain, he falters as another blow comes down on him, this time, its stinger.
Russel: "...!?"
Only for Blake to manage to rescue him, using her shadow clones and her ribbon whip to pull him out of danger. Jaune looks behind at the Death Stalker and King Taijitu bursting onto the scene.
Jaune: "Ah, man, run!"
The group emerges from their hiding spots, causing the Nevermore to rise up into the air.
Ren: "Nora, distract it!"
Nora obliges, running out from her block and jumping through the feather projectiles before reaching behind her and launching several heart-topped shells from her grenade launcher, bursting into pink electricity when they hit the Nevermore and causing it to retreat. She is unaware of the Death Stalker rushing up behind her until Blake, Y/N, and Ren perform a triple-slash with their Gambol Shroud and against its shell. Weiss lands next to Nora so she can create a jumping platform beneath them and leap to safety while Blake, Y/N, and Ren are now being chased. Y/N glance back the Deathstalker with Crimson and Violet in hands as the Grimm ready its stinger to strike.
Y/N: "Not this time."
He proceeds to shoot at its face, which lead to a couple of its eyes to be shot, causing to cry out in pain.
Pyrrha: "Go, go!"
Y/N start dashing away as Pyrrha starts firing red shots alongside Ren's green blasts for a second until it reaches them and tries to swipe, prompting the group to run again. They race over the ancient stone bridge, not noticing the Nevermore closing in on them until it uses its giant wings to shatter the path right in the middle, forcing Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, and Jaune closer to the central collection of columns and leaving Y/N, Blake, Ren, Pyrrha, Russel, and Cardin on the other side with the Death Stalker and King Taijitu. Ruby fires at the retreating Nevermore while Blake is beaten back by the scorpion.
Jaune: "Man, we gotta get over there! They need help!"
Nora runs up beside him.
Nora: "Let's do this!"
Juane just looks down at the misty abyss below.
Jaune: "Yeah, but, uh... I can't make that jump."
Nora smiles diabolically at him, laughing as she knocks him back, turns her weapon to its full-length hammer form, and jumps to the edge of the bridge. Seeing about she's about to do, Juane tries to speak.
Jaune: "Oh, wait!"
Nora slams the hammer into the bridge and throws Jaune to the other side, yelling.
Juane: "No, no, no!"
Nora places one foot on the hammer and fires it off the collapsing section of bridge, launching her to slam its face right in the center of the Death Stalker's skull. She fires it just as the stinger comes down to get her, and blasts back again to avoid its reach, accidentally knocking into Blake and making her fall from the edge.
Y/N: "Blake!"
Blake sees the Nevermore above her and launches her whip, so the gun's blade sinks into the edge of the bridge, circling around and leaping onto the aerial Grimm's back. She dashes all over its body, slashing the entire time, before jumping off and landing on the ruined platform at the top of the columns next to Ruby, then going over to Yang and Weiss. Y/N is relieved that she's fine for the most part as he now focuses on the Deathstalker and King Taijitu. Only for the black head of the King Taijitu to use its head to hit Y/N, causing him to fly and get hit a tree. Not knowing that his red chess piece got launch out of his pocket and falls down on the cliffside.
J/N/P/R: ("Y/N!")
Y/N: ("Damn it, you oversized snake.")
Back with Blake, she examines the approaching Nevermore.
Blake: It's tougher than it looks!
Yang: "Then let's hit it with everything we got!"
With the flying Grimm approach, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, and Yang set their weapons to fire a barrage of blasts at the bird, which it either dodges or takes harmlessly until it crashes through the columns and platform. The girls leap from one section of falling stone to the next until they reach the higher bridge on top, just below the cliffs.
Weiss: "None of this is working!"
Ruby watches Blake whip over to another section of the area and Yang firing round after round at the Nevermore.
Ruby: "I have a plan! Cover me!"
She blasts away as Weiss raises her blade and heads into the fray.
Meanwhile, the Deathstalker is still battling Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha.
Jaune: "We gotta move!"
They all rush towards it. The Death Stalker aims a claw at Pyrrha, but she deflects it with her Akoúo shield and slashes it with her blade. The scorpion recoils and swipes at her with its other claw, but Jaune is there to deflect it with shield, knocking it back so Pyrrha can leap over and attack its face. Ren runs up firing and gets on the stinger when it tries to hit him, shooting at the base between it and the tail while Nora fires more grenades at the attacking claws. Pyrrha hurls her javelin straight into one of the monster's eyes, making it throw Ren to the side.
Nora: "Ren!"
Ren hits the side of a stone block hard and falls to the ground, not getting back up. Jaune, though, manages to stand and notice the stinger is hanging limply.
Jaune: "Pyrrha!"
Pyrrha: "Done!"
She raises the shield and hurls it like a disc, slicing the stinger off and causing it to fall into the Death Stalker's head as Pyrrha retrieves her rebounding shield.
Jaune: "Nora, nail it!"
Nora: "Heads up!"
She jumps on Akoúo, Pyrrha leaps as Nora aims her blast down to give herself a maximum lift, and Nora smiles the entire way up before twirling down until her hammer slams its head into the stinger, driving the point through the Death Stalker's head and crushing the bridge beneath it. Jaune and Pyrrha bound over the monster to the land behind it, and Nora fires up and away behind them as the monster falls to its doom. Jaune hits the ground on his back, Nora lands on her bottom, Pyrrha manages a crouched pose, and Ren simply walks over to them, panting and groaning until he just collapses.
Meanwhile, Cardin gain the attention of the heavily injured King Taijitu with the injured Russel nearby. Suddenly, a blur ran past him as he sees that it's Y/N as he quickly takes out Grimm Slayer and proceed to stab its head. The Grimm cry in pain before falling down on the ground, completely lifeless. Y/N also fall down to the ground as his aura flare up, completely tired with no major injuries.
Y/N: "One less... Grimm to deal with."
Cardin was shocked by his sudden appearance and the Grimm's death before recollecting himself, raising his mace in the air before shouting.
Cardin: "Y-Yeah, take that!"
Back with Yang, she is still burning through her ammo on the flying beast, landing a blow at its face and causing it to head right towards her, but she leaps for its open maw and forces the beak wide as she attacks, firing it at its mouth.
Yang: "I! Hope! You're! Hung-! -gry!"
She looks behind her and jumps back from its mouth onto a ruin, causing the creature to crash into the cliffs. Despite Yang's attempts, the Nevermore recovers quickly, and Yang smiles as she spots Ruby and Blake on the broken columns with Weiss rushing to the battle. Yang passes her while the Nevermore starts to fly back up, but Weiss hops over to the ruin it's lifting off of and freezes the tip of its feathery tail to the ground, leaving it stuck in the same spot despite its flapping. Weiss back-flips into a snowflake-circle jump and lands on the other side, running to the group.
Blake fires the pistol portion of Gambol Shroud over to Yang, and the two tighten it between the columns so Ruby can jump on the center with Crescent Rose and bend it back into Weiss' black glyph, right next to the caster.
Weiss: "Of course, you would come up with this idea."
Ruby: "Think you can make the shot?"
Weiss gives a smirk.
Weiss: "Hmm, can I."
A second passes and Ruby turns to Weiss.
Ruby: "Can you-?"
Weiss: "Of course, I can!"
Ruby looks forward and pumps Crescent Rose as Weiss turns the circle from black to red and releases Ruby at such a speed that the ground behind her launch cracks, rose petals flying from her ascent. With each new shot, she gets closer and closer to the trapped Grimm until her scythe catches the Nevermore's neck in its blade and causes them both to fall to the cliff wall. Weiss raises her sword and creates a series of white glyphs up the wall, which Ruby dashes through by firing the entire way up. Yang, Blake, and an exhausted Weiss watch her climb up with the winged Grimm in her grasp until, both Ruby and the Nevermore crying out, Ruby reaches the top of the cliff, circles up, fires one last shot, and rends the Nevermore's head from its shoulders in a shower of petals. She lands beside the severed head as the body of the giant Nevermore falls lifeless to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch in amazement.
Jaune: "Wow..."
Ruby, her cape and petals flowing with the wind, looks down to her friends as they peer up.
Yang: "Well... That was a thing."
Back with Y/N, he managed to get himself back up as he watched Ruby slicing the Nevermore's head off with style. He couldn't help but smile at sight of it.
Y/N: ("Hm, that's one way to kill an old Grimm.")
After that, the rest of the group goes to check on Y/N as they saw him getting launch by the King Taijitu. Y/N gets tackle by Yang.
Y/N: "Ouch! Hey, Yang."
Yang: "I was worried! I thought you-"
Y/N stop her speaking as he slowly gets up from her tackle.
Y/N: "It's okay, Yang. I'm fine. See?"
He motions to the large skeleton of the King Taijitu. Yang tires to wipe the tear out of her eyes.
Yang: "Promise you won't be that reckless. Got it!?"
Y/N just smiles at this before responding.
Y/N: "Okay, I won't."
As they get up from the ground, Yang gives him a warm smile, causing Y/N to blush a bit.
Weiss: "Ah-hem!"
The two looks at Weiss, pretending to cough to get their attention.
Weiss: "Apologize for ruining the moment, but we need to go to evac site."
Yang begins to mumble.
Yang: "You already did, Ice Queen."
Weiss: "What was that?"
Yang: "Oh! Nothing!"
Weiss then turn her head to Y/N. Y/N was ready to retort anything Weiss might say to him only for her to say.
Weiss: "I'm glad to see you're okay."
Y/N was surprise by this as he gives her a small smile.
Y/N: "Thanks, Weiss."
The heiress quickly walks away with a huff, not wanting Y/N to see her blushing face.
Blake: "I'm glad that you're okay."
He turns around to see Blake behind him, giving him a small smile.
Y/N: "Eh, I've dealt with worse."
Blake notices his injuries as she now looks worry.
Blake: "You're hurt."
Y/N look at himself.
Y/N: "Oh, this? Pft, it's not that serious. It's going to take more than a horde of Grimm to kill me."
Before Blake could say anything, Y/N was quickly tackled to the ground by a red blur.
Y/N: "Ow."
Ruby: "Y/NNN!!! Are you okay!? What happened to you!? Are you hurting anywhere!? Can you show me your weapon again?! Are they hurt!?"
She then gasps once she sees some of Y/N's injuries.
Ruby: "You are hurt!!"
Y/N slowly get up on his feet with Ruby still bombarding him with questions at a fast pace. After answering all of her questions, Y/N gets hug by Jaune and Nora with Pyrrha and Ren right behind them.
Y/N: "Hey, guys."
Jaune: "Dude!! I thought you were going to die from that King Taijitu!"
Nora: "That was awesome! Did you see what we did to those Grimm!? That was amazing!"
Pyrrha: "Yes, that was very impressive."
Ren just nods in response.
Pyrrha: "Um, you two might want to hold on to Y/N."
Jaune and Nora share a look in confusion before noticing Y/N was about to fall and managed to hold and carry him.
Y/N: "Aww, shucks. You guys are making me blush."
He smiles at them, and Ruby begin to blush a bit when she sees it. She then shakes her head.
Ruby: "C-Come on, guys! We need to hurry back and meet up with Professor Goodwitch and Ozpin."
________________________________________________________________________________
Back in Beacon Cliff, Ozpin and Glynda watching the events unfold.
Ozpin: "There should not be any Grimm in the forest. The ruins should have been keeping the Grimm out."
Glynda, though upsets, remarks.
Glynda: "Well, it was only a matter of time before the ruin's ability to repel the Grimm stop working."
Ozpin, however, sees something more foreboding than just chance at play. Especially with the hooded figure that attacked Y/N. The headmaster also remembers watching Y/N losing his red chess piece from the King Taijitu's attack.
Ozpin: ("Hm...")