A new dawn in Remmant: Volume 4

No Save Haven

The sounds of thunder and gunfire were heard against a black screen. A wide shot of Kuroyuri showed the empty, degraded town. A billowing cloud of dust and pieces of wood rised in the distance around the top of a tree that was barely visible above the town rooftops. Jaune, Ruby, Azura, Byleth, Ren and Nora all fell back by the dead cherry tree. Qrow was still unconscious and propped against it. Azura hurried to Qrow and held him upright, putting one of his arms over her shoulders.

The Nuckelavee came into view, twitching its various body parts. It sended out a shockwave roar that causes all six friends to flinch. The Grimm looked at the teenagers and turned its head to look at Qrow and Azura and began running toward him.

Jaune sheathed his sword and makes a run for Qrow and Azura. The Nuckelavee lashed out with one of its arms, able to extend it at a far reach. Jaune avoided it and helped Azura by supporting Qrow, holding his other arm, but the Nuckelavee was heading right for them.

Ren used his Semblance to hide Jaune, Azura and Qrow from the Grimm, which stopped short and looked about in confusion. Jaune stood still, staring at the Grimm.

Ren: Just get him to safety!

Jaune and Azura walked away with Qrow while the battle resumed. They set Qrow down behind a building and narrowed thier eyes at the wounded man before turning to leave. Qrow grabbed Jaune by the hand, but fell unconscious before he could say anything. Jaune gave Qrow another look before rejoining the fight. Azura wanted to follow him, but Jaune looked back at her and gave her the gaze she shall stay with Qrow and watch over him. Azura hesitated at first but nodded and readied her lance.

As Jaune rejoined the fight, he saw Byleth getting slapped at the tree, Ruby shooting at the creature and got slapped into the ground by one of its extended hands. Nora was grabbed next. The Nuckelavee let them both go and turned around when Ren fired at it from its other side with StormFlower. It used both hands to grab both of Ren's and prevented more shots. Jaune came back and shouted:

Jaune: Guys, keep moving, go in a circle!

The team followed this plan. They circled around the Nuckelavee, Ren, Nora and Ruby kept shooting at it while Byleth and Jaune ran to the hindlegs and slashed them. The horse head looked at them and kicked at them. Byleth managed to dodge in time, but Jaune got hit and landed near Ruby. Ruby got distracted when Jaune sheathed his sword after landing a strike.

Ruby: What are you doing?

Byleth: *approaches them* Second try?

She smiled when she realized that Jaune was releasing the side-blades out of the shield, wielding Crocea Mors as a single weapon. Ruby distracted the Grimm with shooting so that Jaune attacked the hind leg again, this time with success and Byleth jumped over the beast and slashed it with his Sword of the Creator in whip form at its back in so that the horse portion of the beast roared while the torso uprighted and its head cocked to look at Jaune a bit stunned. It extended both its arms and swung them round, creating a rotary attack that knocked aside Byleth, Jaune, Ren, Nora and Ruby in that order. When it pulled back its arms, the torso curled in on itself and the spines on its back extended several inches further out. The Nuckelavee roared into the sky, causing Jaune, Byleth and Ruby to cover their ears.

Ren ran up the cherry tree and fired from one of the heavier branches. He was immediately pushed against a building wall by one of the creature's hands. Nora saw that her partner and childhood friend was in danger and looked at Ruby.

Nora: Ruby!

Ruby nodded and Nora ran toward her, jumped onto the flat side of the scythe on Crescent Rose. Ruby spinned and used the momentum and the recoil of a fired shot to send Nora outward in time for her to prevent the Nuckelavee's second hand killing Ren. Nora ended up dangling by her grip on Magnhild, which was pinned to the building above Ren. They looked at each other until Nora suddenly pulled her skirt.