The aircraft hangar buzzed with chaos. Fear and panic spread like wildfire among the evacuees, their hurried steps and anxious voices filling the air. Families clutched one another, students from various academies stood huddled together, unsure of their next move, while soldiers scrambled to follow the orders barked by General Ironwood.
In the center of it all, the students glanced warily at the general. Their unease was palpable, their mistrust reflected in their hesitant stares. Crimson entered the hangar, Penny's sword in his hand, his sharp eyes catching the tension in their body language. His frown deepened. This was not the time for misgivings or doubts. The kingdom was at stake.
He strode past the group, his heavy boots echoing against the steel floor as he approached Ironwood. The general stood amidst a flurry of soldiers, issuing commands with the precision of a seasoned leader. His stoic demeanor barely masked the weight of the situation.
"General, How's the situation?" Crimson asked, his voice cutting through the din.
Ironwood turned to him, his expression grim. "Grimm are swarming the city," he said without preamble. "Someone's broadcasting the chaos, inciting fear. The White Fang has launched an attack on Beacon, and to make matters worse, some — vagabond has seized control of one of my ships."
Crimson's jaw tightened. "Then you need to get that ship back under control, focus on that" he said firmly. He turned to face the students, their uncertain eyes now fixed on him. His tone hardened as he addressed them. "This is what you've been training for. You can either run with your tails between your legs, or you can head back to your school and make a stand — to protect it and prove your years of training are not in vain. It's that simple. Don't waste everyone's time."
The students flinched but straightened, their resolve slowly solidifying under his sharp words. Crimson didn't linger on them long. He pivoted back to Ironwood.
"The broadcast," he said, his voice laced with certainty, "is probably being run by the rats who caused this. I'll go down into the city and hunt them down."
Ironwood's gaze lingered on Crimson for a moment, assessing him. Then, with a curt nod, he signaled his approval. Crimson turned toward Ruby, his expression softening slightly.
"Ruby," he said, "call Yang. She should be at Beacon. Meet her there and stick together with the other students."
Ruby's eyes widened, and her grip on her scroll tightened. "Wait, what? You're going into the city alone?" she asked, her voice trembling. "That's too dangerous!"
Crimson's eyes darkened, his voice calm but held a sinister edge. "It's dangerous for anything or anyone that crosses paths with me."
Before Ruby could argue further, Pyrrha stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder. Her voice was steady, her conviction unshakable. "Trust him, Ruby. He's stronger and wiser than anyone I've ever met. He'll be fine."
Ruby hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest, but Pyrrha's confidence in Crimson seemed to ease her fears. Reluctantly, she nodded, her shoulders slumping in resignation.
As Crimson turned to leave, Ironwood's gaze followed him. For a moment, the general's stoic expression softened, replaced by a glimmer of respect. Moments like these revealed a person's true character, their mettle. Crimson, despite lacking formal training and never intending to be part of this fight, stood firm, taking a stand when others faltered.
Ironwood watched as the young man disappeared into the chaos of the hangar, remembering his words about ruthlessness, he steeled his resolve to do what is needed to protect people and leave the culprits' hunt for Crimson.
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The city of Vale was in chaos. Fires burned in the distance, smoke curling into the night sky as the panicked screams of civilians echoed through the streets. Crimson moved swiftly along the rooftops, leaping from one building to the next. His sharp eyes scanned the area below, searching for any sign of Mercury, Emerald, or Cinder. The demon slayer mark appeared on his face the moment he descended upon the city.
As he darted across the building, he caught sight of Atlas robots suddenly turning on the people they were meant to protect. Their once-gleaming frames now radiated hostility as they fired mercilessly into the crowd. Adding to the mayhem, flying Grimm swarmed the air, their haunting screeches filling the sky.
With a burst of speed, Crimson descended into the chaos. His blade flashed as he dispatched the rogue robots and Grimm alike. The fight was relentless, dozens of enemies falling under his assault. By the time he cleared the immediate area, the street was littered with the remains of mechanical foes and dissipating grimm bodies. He didn't pause to catch his breath, as he continued moving.
Further ahead, in the dim distance, a small aircraft caught his eye. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the figures aboard: Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. Crimson surged forward, pushing his speed to the limit in the aircraft direction.
The aircraft began to ascend just as Crimson closed in. Despite his incredible speed, he couldn't make it in time. He skidded to a halt on the edge of the building, watching as the aircraft rose into the sky. His eyes locked with Cinder's, who stood near the open door of the aircraft. She noticed him instantly, her amber eyes narrowing before a mocking smirk curled her lips. The smirk was an unspoken taunt, a challenge.
Crimson's jaw tightened, his fists trembling with suppressed rage. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his gaze toward Beacon, the direction the aircraft was headed. Without hesitation, he resumed his sprint, the mark never disappearing from his face.
As he crossed the city, Crimson spotted an unlikely group in trouble: Qrow, Glynda, Ironwood, and Cardin were surrounded. Grimm advanced from one side, their grotesque forms hunched and snarling, while two massive paladins loomed on the other, their mechanical arms raised menacingly. The group braced for the impending fight, but before they could act, a flash descended upon the paladins.
In the next instant, the two paladins exploded, their hulking frames crashing into the ground. The flash blurred past the group, and the Grimm disintegrated in rapid succession, their bodies falling in pieces. The battle ended as suddenly as it had begun, leaving the group staring.
Crimson stood amidst the dissipating corpses, the demon slayer mark on his face gave him a threatening look. His piercing gaze swept over the group before settling on Ironwood. "The ship?" he demanded, his voice cold and firm.
Ironwood shook his head grimly. "I failed. They destroyed the aircraft I was boarding. But I'm going up again," he said, pointing toward the distant aircraft.
At that moment, a thunderous explosion rang out. All heads turned to see the ship veering wildly, flames bursting from its side as it plummeted toward the ground. Crimson scoffed, his tone edged with dry amusement. "Looks like you won't need to fly. You can walk there."
He stepped forward, his attention already shifting. "I'm chasing the Mistral group. They are heading to Beacon in an aircraft" he added before sprinting off into the distance. The group didn't even have time to respond before he disappeared from sight, leaving only a faint trail of dust in his wake.
Cardin just sighed in relief that they are not surrounded anymore, while Qrow exhaled slowly, watching the shrinking figure. "I think he's actually faster than Ruby," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Glynda adjusted her glasses, her expression a mixture of awe and concern. "And he doesn't seem to tire"
Ironwood nodded, his gaze lingering where Crimson had vanished. "Moments like this reveal the extraordinary," he said quietly. The others shared a silent agreement, their thoughts lingering on the young man who seemed to defy all limits.
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Beacon had become a battlefield. The once-pristine academy grounds were now scarred with craters and rubble, the air filled with the echoes of battle cries and the guttural roars of Grimm. The students, newly arrived from the colosseum, fought valiantly to hold their ground. Wave after wave of Grimm surged toward them, their ferocity matched only by the determination of the students. But the fight was brutal, and the odds worsened as the Atlas robots, meant to assist them, turned rogue. What had been a difficult fight now teetered on the edge of overwhelming.
Despite this, the students refused to give up. They stood shoulder to shoulder, fighting for their school. Explosions rang out as Huntsmen-in-training fired round after round at the rogue machines and Grimm, but the tide seemed unending.
A shudder rippled through the battlefield as Atlas paladins lumbered onto the scene. The towering mechanical suits moved with purpose, their powerful arms crashing down with devastating force. The students turned their firepower on the Paladins, but their weapons barely left a mark on the armored titans.
Weiss Schnee stood amidst the chaos, her breathing ragged but her resolve unshaken. She focused, her rapier shining with Glyph energy. She performed a summoning Glyph. The air shimmered as a giant knight's arm materialized, wielding a massive sword. The summoned construct swung its blade with immense force, cleaving through one of the Paladins. The massive machine toppled, sparks flying as it crashed to the ground.
On the other side of the battlefield, Velvet Scarlatina of Team CFVY stepped forward. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced with an uncharacteristic intensity. Drawing a fragment of hard-light Dust, she formed a glowing katana, mirroring the exact stance Crimson had taken against Pyrrha months earlier. For a moment, her presence seemed to shift, her form almost indistinguishable from his.
And then she moved.
Velvet blurred forward, her speed so incredible that even the sharpest-eyed students could barely follow her. In an instant, both Paladins were destroyed, their hulking forms falling to the ground in pieces. Sparks erupted, and the battlefield fell silent as the students stared in awe.
The moment of triumph was short-lived. Velvet dropped to her knees, clutching her chest. Her breaths came fast and shallow, her body trembling violently. "Velvet!" Yatsuhashi cried, rushing to her side with Coco and Fox close behind.
The sight before them was horrifying. Velvet's wide eyes were bloodshot, the whites overtaken by crimson streaks. Tears streamed down her face, but they were mixed with blood. Her hands clawed at her chest as though she were suffocating, her cries of pain cutting through the stunned silence. Veins bulged around her eyes, dark and throbbing, as if something unnatural was coursing through her.
Coco knelt beside her, her voice shaking. "Velvet, what's wrong? What's happening?" She tried to hold Velvet steady, but the rabbit Faunus was wracked with spasms.
"I… I can't… breathe," Velvet gasped, her voice barely audible over her ragged breaths. She coughed, more blood splattering onto the ground. Her teammates and the other students crowded around her, panic and helplessness etched on their faces.
"Somebody do something!" Yatsuhashi shouted, his deep voice trembling with fear.
Despite the chaos of battle still raging around them, the students' focus had shifted entirely to Velvet. They watched in terror, unable to comprehend what was happening to their friend. For all their training and determination, they were powerless in the face of whatever was consuming Velvet from within.