The Pale Rose of the Tides {Bloodborne X RWBY X Arknights}

Chapter 1 Land-walker Huntress

Chapter 1
Land-walker Huntress

Vale, Night time

As the last of the thugs crumpled to the ground, landing directly in front of the orange-haired man. He glanced down at the fallen figures, the unease he felt from the lingering scent of blood and petals mixing with the street air still gnawing at him. The smell had overpowered even the rich scent of his cigar, unsettling him in a way that few things did. But he shook it off, trying to maintain his usual composed demeanor.

With a flick of his wrist, he brought the still-smoking cigar to his lips one last time, inhaling deeply as he tried his best to mask the strong scent of iron.

He then shifted his gaze to the silver-haired girl who stood calmly among the remnants of the battle, her blood-red eyes watching him without a trace of fear. In one hand, he held his cane, and in the other, the cigar. The man allowed himself a disappointed sigh as he looked at the thug at his feet.

"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were," he said in a tone heavy with disappointment. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the cigar to the ground and crushed it beneath the tip of his cane, the ember snuffing out with a final hiss.

The man then turned his attention fully to the girl, who stood poised and unshaken. "Well, litte Snow Devil," he remarked with a sly grin, his tone mockingly light, "we can all say it's been an eventful evening."

With a smooth motion, he raised his cane towards her and, with a flick of his thumb, clicked a hidden button. A gun sight snapped into place, revealing the cane's true nature as a concealed weapon. "And as much as I'd like to stick around," he continued, his voice now carrying a dangerous edge, "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

The man pulled the trigger, and with a sharp report, a small artillery shot fired from the cane. The projectile sped toward the girl, trailing a streak of smoke before exploding into a thick cloud of purple. But before the projectile could hit her, the girl swiftly brought up her cloak, wrapping it around herself in a defensive motion.

As the purple smoke dissipated, Ruby scanned her surroundings, her blood-red eyes narrowing in search of the orange-haired man. But he was nowhere in sight. Her sharp pointed ears twitched, picking up a faint noise above her. Snapping her head towards the sound, she caught sight of the man climbing rapidly towards the rooftop of a nearby building.

Just then, her keen hearing also picked up another noise-a cautious shuffle from within the shop. She turned to see the store owner, unharmed but still visibly shaken by the events. Concern briefly flickered in her eyes as she addressed him, "You okay if I go after him?"

The store owner, still wary of the situation but relieved that it hadn't escalated further, nodded quickly, stammering out, "Uh huh."

With his permission, Ruby didn't waste another moment. She bolted away from the shop, her eyes focused on pursuing the man who had just fled to the rooftops. Without missing a beat, she racked her weapon's gun mechanism: the bolt, and quickly loaded a blank round into the chamber, a special cartridge filled with just enough gunpowder that she received from her great-grandmother.

Timing her movements perfectly, she dug her feet into the ground and launched herself into the air, pulling the trigger at the peak of her jump. The blast from the blank round propelled her upward, sending her soaring towards the rooftop with impressive speed. She landed gracefully, the force of her arrival barely disturbing the rooftop beneath her.