Chương 70: Chapter 66: The Jaws of the Trap

The sprawling campus of Haven Academy was suffocatingly quiet. Under the pale, silver glow of the fractured moon, the grand, gold-leafed pavilions and sweeping courtyards were entirely devoid of life. No students. No faculty. Just the cold, autumnal mountain wind whistling through the empty archways. Qrow Branwen and Oscar Pine walked side-by-side up the expansive front steps leading toward the Grand Hall. The silence was deafening.

Oscar gripped the straps of his suspenders, his heart hammering a frantic, terrifying rhythm against his ribs. Slung across his back, carefully wrapped in thick layers of nondescript brown canvas to obscure its brass gears and metallic framing, was The Long Memory.

"You're shaking, kid," Qrow murmured, not looking down as he kept his crimson eyes locked on the heavy, ornate wooden doors ahead. Harbinger was strapped securely to his own back, its heavy metallic weight a comforting anchor.

"I-I'm trying not to," Oscar swallowed hard, his breath pluming in the crisp night air.

"It just... feels a lot bigger now that we're actually here. Walking right into a trap."

"Take a deep breath. Remember the training," Qrow advised, his voice dropping into a low, steady gravel.

"Keep your Aura primed. And whatever happens in there, you stay behind me until the signal." Oscar offered a tight, jerky nod. Qrow pushed the heavy double doors open. The hinges groaned, echoing through the cavernous, shadowy expanse of Haven's Grand Hall. It was a massive, multi-tiered atrium supported by intricate wooden pillars, surrounded by high, shadowed balconies. The room was completely empty.

"Leonardo?" Qrow called out, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. From the shadows of the grand, sweeping staircase at the far end of the hall, a figure slowly emerged. Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart stood on the upper landing, his hands wringing together nervously. He looked exhausted, his golden mane disheveled, a thick layer of nervous sweat shining on his brow.

"Qrow," Lionheart greeted, his voice wavering with forced politeness.

"Thank you... thank you for coming." Lionheart's eyes darted past the veteran Huntsman, landing on the small, trembling farm boy. His brow furrowed in genuine, panicked confusion.

"Who... who is this? And Qrow, I explicitly asked you to leave your weapon behind. We cannot afford to cause a panic." Qrow let out a dry, humorless scoff. He casually hooked a thumb under the strap of his sword.

"A panic? Leo, there's nobody here to panic. The campus is a ghost town," Qrow stated, his eyes narrowing.

"And as for the boy, consider him an insurance policy." Qrow took a few slow steps into the center of the hall, Oscar sticking closely behind him.

"Now, let's skip the pleasantries. You said you had a breakthrough with the council. We were going to discuss the missing Huntsmen and Huntresses, and. Are we getting support from the Mistral Council or not? And what about getting together a small raiding party for the bandits?" Lionheart flinched. He opened his mouth, stammering, struggling to force the rehearsed lies past his lips.

"The... the Council is... I am trying my best, Qrow, but the political climate--" Qrow wasn't listening. His sharp, Huntsman instincts flared. Out of the corner of his eye, perched silently on the ornate wooden railing of the second-floor balcony, was a large, pitch-black corvid. A raven. In a blur of motion, Qrow drew Harbinger. He didn't even unfold it. He simply raised the heavy weapon in its compacted gun form and pulled the trigger. BANG! The gunshot deafened the hall.

The bullet tore through the space where the bird had been sitting just a microsecond prior. The raven plummeted from the railing, diving gracefully toward the floorboards behind Lionheart. As it fell, a flurry of black feathers erupted, swirling and expanding until the dark avian form twisted into a human silhouette. Raven Branwen landed smoothly on her boots, her terrifying, bone-white Grimm mask strapped securely to her face. The red, aggressive markings on the mask seemed to glow in the dim light.

Oscar gasped, stumbling back a half-step. Qrow's jaw tightened, his grip on Harbinger turning white-knuckled.

"Raven," Qrow growled, lowering his weapon just a fraction.

"What are you doing here?" Of all the operatives Salem could have sent, his own twin sister was the absolute last person he had expected to see acting as the executioner. Raven reached up, her gloved hands gripping the edges of the Grimm mask. She pulled it off her face, tossing it casually onto a nearby decorative table. She offered her brother a cold, arrogant smirk.

"I'm doing what any sane person would," Raven stated simply, beginning a slow, confident descent down the wooden staircase. Qrow's crimson eyes snapped violently toward the trembling headmaster.

"Leo! What have you done?!"

"He looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice," Raven answered for him, her boots clicking against the wood as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She stopped a few yards away, her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword.

"And it seems you have, too." Raven drew Omen with a sharp, metallic screech. She swung the long, Dust-infused blade through the empty air beside her. Her Semblance flared, tearing a massive, swirling portal of crackling red and black energy directly into the fabric of reality. From the swirling vortex of the portal, a high-heeled boot stepped onto the polished floorboards. Cinder Fall emerged from the tear, her amber eyes burning with malicious, triumphant arrogance.

She wore a sleek, dark red dress, an eyepatch covering her scarred left eye from her encounter at Beacon, and radiated an aura of oppressive, lethal heat.

"Hello, Qrow," Cinder purred, a wicked, venomous smile spreading across her lips. Right behind her, Vernal stepped through, her twin circular blades resting on her hips. She was followed instantly by Emerald Sustrai, her dual revolvers drawn, and Mercury Black, who sauntered out with a cocky, punchable grin plastered across his face. CLACK. The heavy, main double doors behind Qrow and Oscar slammed shut with absolute, terrifying finality. Qrow turned his head.

Standing in the entrance, blocking their only exit, was the towering, muscular form of Hazel Rainart. The giant man cracked his neck, his deep, gravelly voice echoing through the trapped hall.

"The White Fang is prepping the demolition charges and securing the school grounds," Hazel rumbled, his cold eyes fixing on Qrow.

"No one is getting in. And no one is getting out."

Outside, the perimeter of Haven Academy had been entirely overrun. Scores of White Fang soldiers, wearing their stark white Grimm masks, moved with silent, militaristic efficiency through the darkened courtyards. They carried heavy canvas bags, unloading highly volatile Dust explosives at the structural base of the massive CCT communications tower. Standing atop a nearby stone archway, his arms crossed over his chest, was Adam Taurus. His horned hair blew in the mountain wind.

The red glow of Wilt and Blush rested at his hip. As he watched his operatives wire the explosives to the very heart of Mistral's infrastructure, a cruel, evil smile stretched across his lips. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Once the charges are set, move back to perimeter watch," Adam commanded his lieutenant, his voice dripping with radicalized fanaticism.

"Tonight... Haven falls."

Back inside the suffocating tension of the Grand Hall. Within the confines of Oscar's mind, the ancient soul of Professor Ozpin flared with a sudden, profound wave of guilt and alarm.

"Hazel..." Ozpin's voice echoed purely in Oscar's thoughts, heavy with dread.

"What's wrong? You know him?" Oscar thought back frantically, gripping the wrapped cane tightly.

"Hazel and I have... history," Ozpin confessed softly, the memory of Gretchen Rainart rising like a ghost between them." He is a man driven entirely by a tragedy I could not prevent. Do not let him grab you, Oscar. His physical strength is monstrous." Standing back-to-back, Qrow and Oscar quickly scanned the circle of killers surrounding them. The odds were staggering. Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Vernal, Raven, Lionheart, and Hazel. Cinder's remaining amber eye trailing over the small, shaking farm boy.

"And who is this? Did you really drag a civilian child to your execution, Qrow? How remarkably pathetic." Qrow ignored the insult, keeping his eyes locked on his sister.

"Raven, tell me... how long have you been with them?"

"Aww, don't take it personally, little bird. Your sister was a recent addition," Cinder answered in a mocking, theatrical tone, taking a slow step forward.

"The Lion, on the other hand... he has been sending Salem all sorts of fascinating information for a very, very long time. Including the access codes and security blind spots into the Vytal Festival." Cinder's triumphant expression suddenly soured. A dark, bitter twist contorted her features, her hands clenching into fists as a flash of pure, infuriated humiliation crossed her mind.

"If it wasn't for that absolute freak... that baldy in the yellow suit... our glorious victory in Vale would have been absolute. He ruined months of preparation," Cinder snarled, the temperature in the room spiking as her anger flared.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. Since your precious 'Hero of Vale' has been strictly quarantined by your pathetic Atlesian military, he is entirely trapped. He won't be getting in our way here." Qrow kept his face perfectly stony. But internally, a massive, cynical chuckle bubbled up in his chest. You idiots. Qrow thought, fighting the urge to smirk. You arrogant fools really think he's in Vale.

The guy who defies gravity is probably wandering around an outdoor market three blocks away right now, looking for discount fruit. But the brief flash of internal humor vanished, replaced by a cold, leaden disappointment as Qrow looked up at the balcony.

"We knew something was wrong, Leo," Qrow said, his voice laced with absolute disgust.

"We suspected you were compromised. But finding out that you, a Headmaster who sits on the Mistral Council, had the tactical data on every single Huntsman and Huntress in this kingdom... and you just handed it all to her?" Qrow's expression darkened.

"You sold them out to be slaughtered." Lionheart didn't defend himself. He gripped the wooden railing of the stairs, looking down at his feet. His face was a mask of pathetic, crushing shame. He knew he was a monster. But the fear of Salem's wrath was a far colder, deeper abyss than his own guilt.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up about it, Leonardo," Cinder cooed with sarcastic, sickening pity.

"I'm sure Tyrian would have tracked them all down and killed them on his own eventually. He is nothing if not thorough." Qrow narrowed his eyes hearing the mentioned name, noting it as another Salem's agent. Cinder raised her hand, a flicker of superheated, glowing orange Fire Dust igniting at her fingertips. Cinder relishes the psychological torment.

"Removing Ozpin's little inner circle one by one makes our grand design so much easier. Once we take care of you, we will pay a visit to the rest. It's a shame this innocent boy got dragged into your mess, Qrow. But we can't exactly let a witness walk out that door." The killing intent in the room crystallized. Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Vernal, and Hazel all began to take slow, deliberate steps forward, drawing the circle tight. Their eyes were locked on Qrow.

They saw a solitary, exhausted Huntsman burdened by the responsibility of a helpless child. They believed the fight would be over in seconds. Qrow Branwen didn't draw his sword. He didn't tense up. He simply raised his left hand, and gave a sharp, definitive snap of his fingers. The shadows of Haven Academy came alive. From the high, overarching wooden beams, a blur of red and black plummeted to the floor.

Ruby Rose landed in a flawless crouch, Crescent Rose unfolding with a mechanical shriek into its massive scythe form, her silver eyes blazing. From behind the massive stone pillars flanking the entrance, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos stepped into the light. Pyrrha's Miló and Akoúo̱ gleamed in the moonlight, while Jaune drew Crocea Mors, the white glow of his amplified Aura humming audibly beneath his armor.

Weiss Schnee stepped from the shadows of the eastern corridor, the chamber of Myrtenaster spinning with a sharp click as she dropped into a perfect fencing stance. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren emerged from the western flank, Magnhild fully extended and StormFlower drawn, moving with absolute, synchronized lethality. And dropping heavily from the second-floor balcony, landing with a loud, resounding thud directly across from the villains, was Yang Xiao Long.

She raised her fists, Ember Celica locking into place, her violet eyes burning with unadulterated fury. The absolute shock that rippled through the villains was palpable. Emerald gasped, taking a sudden step back. Hazel's eyes widened in sheer surprise. Up on the stairs, Lionheart let out a high-pitched squeak of panic, stumbling backward as he realized the trap had been completely inverted. Yang's furious gaze swept across the room, instantly locking onto the smirking, silver-haired boy standing a few yards away.

Mercury Black. The boy who had framed her on international television. The boy whose metallic legs she had shattered in a hallucination.

"You..." Yang's fist tightened when facing him.

"Is that any way to greet your old friends?" Mercury mocked, raising his hands in a lazy, arrogant shrug. Yang ground her teeth together, her Aura flaring in a burst of golden heat. But before she could launch herself at him, her eyes drifted past Mercury and landed on the crimson eyed woman in the with a sword. Yang froze. Her breathing hitched, the raw, furious heat of her Aura stuttering as absolute, paralyzing shock washed over her.

Ruby, standing nearby, also turned her head, her silver eyes widening at the sight of Yang's mother standing among the murderers.

"Yang. It's been a while," Raven greeted coldly, her expression an impenetrable mask of indifference.

"Mom..." Yang's fists trembled. The shock rapidly boiled over into a deep, agonizing, venomous rage.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe you are actually such a pathetic coward that you joined them." Raven's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. She ignored her daughter's venom, turning her sharp gaze toward her brother.

"So you told them, Qrow?"

"They already know ever since the Breach," Qrow answered.

"Is Ozpin's faction truly this desperate?" Raven spat, genuine disgust lacing her tone.

"You are so utterly broken that you're dragging children into this war? You brought my own daughter into a bloodbath?"

"You did this to yourself," Qrow shot back, his voice an absolute, unforgiving growl.

"I knew you have the Spring Maiden, Raven. I came to you. I asked you for your help. You turned your back on your family to save your own skin." Raven let out a harsh, bitter laugh, shaking her head. She looked at the brave, defiant faces of the teenagers surrounding them. To her, they were already dead.

"You fools are completely blind," Raven yelled, her voice echoing with the profound, terrifying truth that had broken her spirit years ago.

"You have absolutely no idea what you're dealing with! There is no beating Salem!"

"You're wrong!" Ruby Rose stepped forward, planting the blade of Crescent Rose against the floorboards. She didn't shout. She spoke with a clear, ringing conviction that cut through the fear in the room.

"We've done things that most people would call impossible," Ruby said, her silver eyes locking onto the bandit leader.

"We survived the fall of our school. We crossed the world. We stood against absolute nightmares. And I know the only reason we were able to do it... is because we didn't do it alone." Ruby looked around the room, making eye contact with Weiss, Yang, and Team JNPR.

"We had people to teach us. We had people to help us. We had each other," Ruby pleaded, looking back at Raven with desperate, unwavering hope.

"Work with us! At least you know we'll have a better chance if we try together! Please!" Raven stared at the young girl with the silver eyes. The naive, unbreakable optimism radiating from Ruby struck a deep, agonizing chord in Raven's chest. The cynical bandit leader closed her eyes, letting out a long, heavy, tragic sigh.

"You sound just like your mother," Raven whispered, a profound sadness bleeding into the quiet hall. Across the room, the temperature spiked violently. Cinder Fall ignored the family drama entirely. Her single amber eye swept across the students until it locked onto the two figures standing near the entrance. Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. A cruel, twisted smile of pure, sadistic delight stretched across Cinder's scarred face.

"Well, well. The invincible champion," Cinder mocked, taking a slow step toward them, flames beginning to lick at her fingertips.

"You know, Pyrrha, you got incredibly lucky that night on the roof. If that bald freak hadn't fallen out of the sky to save you, you would be nothing but ash right now." Cinder's smile widened, her eye flashing with lethal intent.

"But the hero isn't here to save you tonight, is he?" Jaune Arc didn't flinch. He didn't shrink back in fear. He didn't stumble. The goofy, clumsy boy who had once vomited on the airship to Beacon was dead and buried. In his place stood a towering, broad-shouldered warrior. Jaune stepped directly in front of Pyrrha. He raised his heavy, steel-riveted shield, the white glow of his amplified Aura pulsing with a dense, blinding intensity.

His blue eyes locked onto Cinder, burning with a furious, unyielding, righteous wrath.

"How can you be so broken inside?" Jaune demanded, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that shook the floorboards. The memory of the burning skies over Beacon, the screams of the students, and the horrifying destruction Cinder had orchestrated flashed vividly through his mind.

"How can you take so many lives, cause so much suffering... and then stand here, rubbing it in our faces like it's something to be proud of?" Jaune asked, his grip tightening on Crocea Mors until his knuckles popped.

"All with that damn smile on your face?!" Cinder's smile faltered, replaced by a cold, offended glare at the boy's sheer audacity.

"And she is not alone!" Jaune declared, his voice ringing with absolute, unshakeable certainty.

"None of us are!" He remembered the agonizing mornings in the Beacon courtyard. He remembered Saitama standing perfectly still, absorbing their ultimate attacks. The anti-mentor's lazy, profound wisdom echoed in his heart. True strength wasn't just physical invulnerability. it was the unbreakable wall you built to protect the people standing behind you.

"Together," Jaune promised, his sword leveled directly at the Fall Maiden's heart, "we are going to make you pay for everything you did!" Cinder's expression hardened into a mask of pure, lethal hatred. The ambient heat in the room erupted, superheated flames completely engulfing both of her hands. Cinder hissed.

"So be it." With a deafening roar of fire, gunfire, and clashing steel, the shadows of the hall vanished.