RWBY: Team SWRZ

A fatal swipe of golden claws tore through the flesh of the last Boarbatusk Grimm. The owner of those weapons, Wei Tian, let out a resounding roar after the slain monster faded into nothingness. He swiped his claws through the air one last time, cleansing them from his prey's vile blood. The once lush and fertile forest area resembled more of a desolate wasteland. The young Faunus didn't expect the battle to last that long.

"Anyone else dead? Sound off," Wei demanded.

"I think only that girl is dead," Enali Chun revealed to his partner. Their eyes settled to the center of the field where Li Shun remained; down on his knees with his deceased partner cradled in his arms. He desperately shook her, called out her name, and used his aura to heal her wounds.

But nothing helped. No life resided in the body of Ilma Aden.

Shun wept uncontrollably.

He hadn't known the girl for long, but she was his partner nonetheless. It was his job, his duty to protect her. But he failed. His skills were lacking. That much he knew. But he didn't expect to receive such a cruel reminder so soon into his training.

"What should we do?" Enali looked to his partner for answers. "We can't stay here much longer, plus we still have a trial to complete. And it's getting dark."

"We leave him if he doesn't stop crying soon." Wei bluntly answered. Tears weren't welcome on the battlefield. They were a sign of weakness that he couldn't stand to see; especially from someone with Shun's broad and muscular frame. Wei wouldn't have it. "We're not going to become Grimm food because of him."

"I'll be fine," Shun suddenly announced. He cleared his face of tears and stood to his feet; the corpse of his partner still in his hands.

"Bringing her with me," answered Shun.

"You're not coming with us carrying the body around. It's a liability."

"Wei!" Enlai called out in disapproval.

"She's dead! Even bringing you along in your emotional state will bring us trouble!"

"I'm not leaving her here!" Shun declared. "She deserves a proper burial!"

"We deserve to finish our trial and survive through this! Bringing that dead weight will slow you down and get us killed!" Wei yelled. "Now, either you drop the body and come with us, or you carry it alone because Enlai and I won't help you."

Shun tightened his grip on Ilma's body and brushed past the Faunus without a word. He didn't give a damn if he had to proceed with the trial all by himself. He wasn't going to leave his partner behind, dead or alive. It didn't matter to him.

"Idiot," Wei spat.

"Can't help but respect him, though," Enali chided.

A bright, warm light shined from Ilma's body. It generated enough heat and forced the young man to drop her to the ground. The body suddenly burst into flames, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash that soon carried off into the wind.

"What the hell was that about?" Wei murmured. The sudden turn of events piqued his interest in the Ilma girl.

"I'm...I'm not sure..." Shun answered. It was safe to say that no one had a damn clue as to what transpired before them.

"Well, human bodies don't just burst into flames after dying. So, maybe it was a semblance?" Enali suggested the only logical explanation. The teenagers exchange glances and nod their heads in unison, accepting that as a valuable answer. However, it didn't change their situation in the slightest.

They were still nowhere near completing the trial at hand. If they didn't hurry, nightfall would come and make their task all the more difficult.

"Regardless, with the girl out of the way, we can continue with our search for the scrolls..." Wei's eyes shifted to Shun. "If you'd like to stay with us, of course."

Shun rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly cast his gaze away from the Faunus. Sure, it wasn't that long ago that they were at each other's throats. But, it wasn't like he had many options at that moment. It was either go it alone or go with the team.

"Sure. But once this trial is done, I'm going my separate way," Shun mentioned.

"Fine with me," Wei walked in a random direction with Enlai and Shun following close behind.

If they were members of his bandit tribe, he would've left them behind ages ago. Those that were too weak to keep up deserved to get left in the dust. After all, weakness was a sin. Thankfully, they weren't in too much danger in which the young man would have to do that. As soon as they reached the extraction point, the trial would be over, and he'd never have to deal with the girls again. Unfortunately, he was stuck with Watchet for the next four years of his life.

"Have we arrived yet?" Zorina complained again for perhaps the hundredth time within the last forty minutes. She was a noble girl with impressive combat experience and training. However, traveling long distances wasn't included in her set of skills.

Schwartz's arm twitched. He resisted the urge to reach for his sword and cut out the frustrating girl's tongue. He gathered what little was left of his composure and answered the girl.

"For the last time, we'll get there when we get there!"

"We've been walking for hours!" Zorina cried, wanting nothing more than to sit down and take a break. The trial proved far more brutal and intense than she initially thought.

"Fifty minutes," Watchet corrected the girl's obvious attempt at hyperbole.

"Maybe we'd get there faster if you girls picked up the pace!" Schwartz pointed out before studying the map again.

"Or, maybe we'd get there faster if you let someone take a look at the map!" Rowan confronted Schwartz and held her hand out, demanding ownership of the map. "Hand it over!"

Schwartz raised the map above his head, knowing that due to the girl's short stature, she wouldn't reach it. "No way! I know how to read this!"

"Settle down, both of you," Watchet stepped in between the two students and separated them. The last thing the group needed was to fight each other again. "Fighting amongst each other won't do us any good. Let's stay focused and keep moving forward before nightfall."

The students shifted their attention to the nearly set sun off in the distance. They had perhaps another hour before night came. Each second wasted only proved to increase the level of difficulty of the trial.

"Alright, fine," Rowan cast her doubt aside and gestured for Schwartz to continue leading the group, which the young man happily accepted.

"Let's go," Schwartz smiled and pressed onward. The team proceeded down the path until they spotted the extraction point off in the distance. They could tell it was there due to the Haven flag which was used to mark the destination.

Usually, the sight would've incited them to run off ahead. However, another view caught their attention — dozens of bodies and holes spread out across the field before them.

"Help…us…" Some of the wounded students begged, reaching out towards Schwartz and the others.

"What happened here?" Rowan asked, feeling the much necessarily need to turn and run away.

"Grimm…" Schwartz answered as he set the map aside and reached for his swords. He could sense it. The creature of destruction was nearby, waiting for them to make a rash move. Luckily, he was the right person for the job.

"What's the plan, Schwartz?" Watchet inquired.

"I'm gonna draw the bastard out and kill it when it pokes its head out," Schwartz answered and rushed ahead, moving straight for the extraction point. Just as he planned, the ground beneath began to rumble. It started easy at first but grew more ferocious.

Soon enough, a large, mole-like Grimm burst through the ground, slashing its sharp claws toward the young man.

Schwartz unsheathed his swords and crossed them in front of him. Sparks flew when the Grimm's claws clashed with his blades. The force of the strike also sent the young student flying back. However, he landed safely on the ground, skidding to a stop in front of the others.

"There you are, ugly," Schwartz scoffed at the sight of the Grimm.

"A Talpa," Watchet informed the others. "A type of Grimm that likes to burrow holes underground and tear things apart with their sharp claws. A troublesome opponent indeed."

Rowan sighed and raised her hands, using the mechanisms on her wrists to propel her pistols to her hands. "We can't just run away from this thing, can we?"

"Afraid not," Watchet drew his sword as well, more than prepared to fight the monster alongside his comrades. "It's already harmed so many of our classmates. We can't let it live."

Zorina remained unnaturally quiet in the situation. She stayed behind the others, trembling at the sight of the large Grimm. It was much larger than the Beowolf that attacked her earlier. Sure, the girl had her scythe clutched tightly in her hands. However, her usual confidence was long gone.

"Quite the dirty fighter, aren't you?" Schwartz rested one of his swords on his shoulder and casually strolled toward the Grimm, not showing an ounce of fear. "Waited for the other losers to wander in your territory and then attacked right from under them. Well, that won't work on me. So, let's see what you got!"

"It…appears so…" Watchet nodded.

"Let's do this!" Schwartz leaped into the air and brought his swords down on the Talpa. However, the Grimm defended itself with its claws. Schwartz kicked off the monster in time to evade its next swipe.

When she spotted an opening, Rowan open fired on the Grimm. She pumped the Talpa full of Fire Dust rounds. The flames consumed the monster but dispersed once it dove into one of the many holes for safety.

"No fair! That's cheating!" Rowan complained.

It didn't take long for the Talpa resurface. It jumped out from the hole closest to the students with its claws ready to tear them to shreds.

Watchet's blade lashed out and clashed with its claws instead. Meanwhile, Schwartz transformed his swords into their SMG form and unloaded on the Grimm. Since it showed the young man its back, he took it as a welcoming gesture.

The Talpa cried out in pain and turned around, glaring at Schwartz.

"Don't complain! You turned your back!" Schwartz laughed, charging the Grimm again.

"Never turn your back on your opponent," Watchet instructed the Grimm as if it would learn anything in the experience. He mercilessly sliced the creature across its back, watching it stumble and fall back into one of its holes again.

"Shit! Again!" Schwartz cursed and looked around the area, seeing if he could spot where the Talpa would show its head.

"Zorina! Behind you!" Rowan cried out once the Grimm rose from the earth behind the terrified girl.

"Huh?!" Zorina didn't have enough time to look. No matter how much she commanded her body to move, it refused to obey her dėsɨrės. She felt it, however. Another encounter with death came at her, and she was left defenseless again.

"Shit!" Rowan cursed under her breath, knowing she had no other choice but to use her Semblance. She couldn't have her partner dying on their first day together. Not on her watch.

With her ability, she slowed everything down long enough for her to reach Zorina and tackled her out of the way. Once they were safe, her powers deactivated. The Talpa drove its claws into the dirt, to the immediate surprise of Schwartz and Watchet.

"That super speed semblance must come in handy," Schwartz noted, almost jealous that there was someone possibly faster than him in the school. Regardless, with the girls out of the way, he and Watchet banded together and attacked the Grimm.

Schwartz kept to one side and unloaded multiple rounds while Watchet stayed in a relatively safe distance and slashed away at the Talpa with his sword. The Grimm proved more formidable than they anticipated. It read their movements and blocked their attacks with its claws.

The moment Schwartz ceased with his gunfire, the Grimm focused its sights on him. It showed impressive movement speed as it swiped its claws at the student. Thankfully, Schwartz matched the creature's speed and ferocity. The clashing of their attacks brought the young man a sadistic pŀėȧsurė. His blood pumped with excitement.

The thrill of battle was all he dėsɨrėd.

While Schwartz and Watchet kept the Talpa occupied, Rowan tried to snap some sense into her partner. She didn't have much confidence in the strength of Schwartz and Watchet, so she couldn't leave them to fight it alone. Well, she could.

The thought certainly crossed her mind several times throughout the trial. But, that wouldn't look good on her record. Having the title of "Desserter" would gather too much attention towards her; which defeated the purpose of her lying low. Therefore, defeating the Griim with her team would provide her at least some cover as long as she didn't put in too much effort.

"What's your deal?!" Rowan called out Zorina. "Why're you standing around?! Put that weapon to good use and help us cut it down!"

"I-I-I would...but it's not the right time to act yet..." Zorina struggled to speak. Sure, she was in a safe spot behind a set of trees, but the Grimm was far from dead. She looked around and spotted the Talpa fighting Schwartz and Watchet. The situation seemed under control with them around. All she had to do was wait it out until they killed it.

No reason for her to engage the creature of destruction in combat.

"Not the right time?!" Rowan exclaimed, not understanding the absurdness of the girl's words. To her, it was the perfect time to strike. Four Huntsmen against one monster most likely equaled victory in their case. "Quit the shit and get it together! We gotta go and help!"

Rowan grabbed Zorina's hand and tried to pull the girl to her feet. But, the silver-haired girl refused to budge. She was deadset on letting the others kill the monster for her. It was far too soon for her to encounter such dangerous monsters this early in her career as a Huntress.

"What's going on?" Watchet exclaimed, not bothering to look behind him. Taking one's eyes off an opponent during combat was a rookie mistake. One that he didn't plan to make. All he could do was hold his ground and hope the others would pull through.

"You guys getting in on the action or not?!" Schwartz called out.

"Damn girl doesn't want to get off her ȧss!" Rowan answered.

The Talpa rotated around at high speed, knocking Schwartz and Watchet into nearby trees. With the boys down, the Grimm was free to charge onward with its sights set on Rowan and Zorina.

"Shit! Get up! It's coming this way!" Rowan aimed her guns and shot at the monster. In near-death situations like that, often enough the body's instincts would take over and force people into action. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Zorina.

The girl cowered and kept her head down. It seemed that death was upon them.

Suddenly, a shield flew out from the forest and struck the back of the Talpa's head. The monster slumped forward, nearly falling on top of Zorina until Enlai rushed by and kicked it away.

"You okay?" Enlai asked the girl, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"H-Huh? Uhh…y-yeah, I think so…" Zorina nodded her head, trying to process everything that happened.

"Glad we made it in time," Shun sighed in relief once he retrieved his shield. He looked ahead and noticed the carnage left behind by the Grimm. "Did that one Grimm do all this?"

"Seems like it," Wei entered his way into the area, landing right in front of the group. He readied his claws, studying the movements of his prey before him. The White Tiger Faunus lunged at the Talpa, swiping away at the monster with his claws.

Somehow, the Talpa managed to keep up with his speed, matching his swipes blow for blow.

Wei clicked his tongue and jumped away from the Grimm, gaining some distance from it.

"It possesses some degree of skills," He informed the others.

"Perhaps for you!" Schwartz scoffed, remembering that he'd been searching for Wei. The world always found a way to make things more interesting for him. Now he'd be able to kill the Grimm and show up the Faunus at the same time. It was perfect. "Why don't you step aside and let the pros show you how it's done."

"The pros?" Wei sneered at the notion of Schwartz being one of the pros. As far as he was concerned, he was the most experienced Hunter out of everyone in the area. And he planned to prove that fact.

"I don't think this is the time for this, guys!" Enlai called out. The Talpa brought its palms on the ground, causing a slight tremor that knocked most of the students off balance. From there, it lunged at the nearest one, which turned out to be Enlai and Shun.

Both students stood their ground. Enlai redirected one of the Grimm's claws in another direction, while Shun grabbed onto the other and kept the monster in place. Rowan and Schwartz took advantage of the stilled target. They blasted the Talpa with their guns until the creature broke free and escaped into the holes again.

"Agh! Annoying son of a bitch!" Schwartz cursed, having half a mind to jump in after it.

"We won't get anywhere if it keeps running away like that!" Rowan complained.

"Are all the holes connected?" Enlai questioned.

"Most likely," Watchet answered. "Perhaps if there was a way to attack all the holes at once and draw it out."

"I can do that," Enlai smirked and looked at Rowan. "But I'll need your help."

"With what?" Rowan asked.

"We'll need a high vantage point for this," Enlai pointed to the sky. "Once we're up there, shoot your dust ammo toward one of the holes, and I'll do the rest."

"…Okay?" Rowan nodded.

The students ran up one of the nearest trees and leaped into the sky. From there, Rowan followed instructions and aimed for the hole directly beneath them. She pulled the trigger and shot Fire Dust rounds. Enlai took charge afterward. He activated his semblance and released a shockwave from his mouth after roaring. The shockwave combined with the flames and caused an explosion which resulted in a dozen towers of fire to erupt from the ground.

"Badass," Schwartz couldn't help but compliment the team attack. However, his eyes soon rested on the Talpa which got blown out from its home in the ground. "There you are! You're mine!"

Schwartz leaped into the air after the Grimm.

"No, you don't!" Wei followed.

Before the Talpa knew what hit it; the monster was sliced into mincemeat thanks to the combined efforts of Schwartz and Wei. The students landed safely on the ground, not bothering to look behind them as the remains of the Grimm fell to the dirt, evaporating into nothingness shortly afterward.

"That was my kill!" Schwartz proudly claimed ownership of the Grimm's execution.

"I see you're as stupid as you are blind. That kill was obviously mine." Wei corrected.

"What was that?" Schwartz got in the Faunus' face, more than prepared to fight against the man right there. But, their fight couldn't proceed any further since the other students got in between them, informing them about their trial. They reluctantly put their fight on hold and headed for the extraction point, thus putting the trial to an end.