The Huntsman of Red V2

Chapter 45 The Shining Beacon (4)

All things considered, Ruby knew she had to find a way to salvage the situation. It would make the difference between a dump, and a dumpster fire. After putting out the flame, she could work on turning the dump into something more manageable than well, this.

Ruby hung her head low while glancing at her current 'team,' that shouldn't have possibly formed based on the content of the Sword of Remnant.

Weiss was sticking to Pyrrha's side like jam to peanut butter, except that it was more like oil and water based on the sour expression Pyrrha was barely able to conceal. Weiss would say something, and Pyrrha would nod with a polite smile, all while increasing her pace in a silent bid to get Weiss to stop. It was unfortunate that for as frail as Weiss appeared, she was in prime athletic condition and merely matched Pyrrha's strides. Barring an attack on Weiss, Pyrrha would not be extricating herself from her current predicament, and Ruby could sympathize.

Literally.

Ruby had her own 'Weiss' getting the kicks from causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She shivered, discreetly trying to veer away, only for an invasive gaze to cause goosebumps to form over her skin.

"Will you stop that?!" Ruby whined, pouting quietly at the mute who made it a game of breathing down Ruby's neck from behind her.

Ruby would rather have Weiss or Pyrrha beside her than Neo any day. The Sword of Remnant didn't list much about Neo, but it warned that she wasn't someone to be trifled with. In fact, there were even cautionary remarks like 'very dangerous,' and 'be careful around her.' More importantly, Neo was something called a 'closet sadist,' whatever that was.

Ruby never got around to asking Yang or her father what that particular description meant, but she felt like it basically meant Neo was a bully.

'Stop what?'

The text generated from Neo's Scroll Screen was accompanied by an innocent smile. It was sickly sweet, a ten out of ten by Ruby's books, but the hint of mirth in Neo's eyes gave her facade away.

Ruby's lips pursed before she hung her head low, eye twitching incessantly when the moment she turned her back, a warm breath immediately pressed down over her neck.

She was doing it on purpose!

Ruby couldn't endure it anymore. She grimaced, back going ramrod straight as she vanished, leaving behind a swirl of red rose petals and reappearing next to Pyrrha and Weiss while sticking her tongue out at Neo. Grinning, Neo made a cutting motion over her neck, and Ruby's jeering suddenly went stone cold as a trace of bloodlust flickered across Neo's eyes.

If Emerald were around, she'd be sighing at Neo's antics. Neo was a killer of the criminal society. Freaking out naive little children with a murderous dose of reality was practically her hobby. Only Roman could really control her, the only one she was ever docile with, but Roman wasn't here.

Neo happily pulled out a parasol to shield her from the sun and falling leaves before skipping along and trailing behind Ruby, Pyrrha, and Weiss across the Emerald Forest. Their current destination was the large ruins they could see from ancient structures poking out above the forest canopy, and Ruby was keeping the utmost vigilance.

Referring back to the Sword of Remnant, Ruby had read that Beacon's initiation was crazy. Giant Grimm existed within the forest, and the ones her future self had run into during her initiation were Ursa, Beowolves, a Deathstalker, and Nevermore. If this line-up didn't serve to warn Ruby of the dangers within the Emerald Forest, she didn't know what would.

Of course, she knew Shirou would be around to protect her in an emergency, but she had something to prove to him right now. Getting caught in any more unexpected events that contradict her future prediction ability, would jeopardize his recruitment into her cause!