9 Chaos in Emerald Forest

Neo and Pyrrha were making their way through the forest. Currently they were both fighting off a few common Grimm such as an Ursa and a couple of Beowolves. Pyrrha was curious about her new partner's skills so she held back a bit and observed how Neo fought.

Neo was currently tripping up a Beowolf with a swing of Playboy Plunder's Halberd mode. She followed it up with a twirl of the blade part and cut off its leg before sidestepping an overreaching claw swipe from another Beowolf. Quickly, she bent over and spun on her heel, shifting it into scythe mode as she slipped past the attacking Beowolf and decapitated it with the scythe blade, finishing the fallen one with a fire dust shotgun blast to its face.

To Pyrrha it looked like she was dancing while fighting. Upon seeing her partner's showcase, she decided to finish the Ursa off by shoving her javelin through its eye socket and slamming her shield into it, breaking through its hard armored skull.

"Nice going, Pyr. That was brutal" Neo complimented as she watched Pyrrha take her weapon out of the dissolving Ursa.

"Oh! It's nothing, really. I thought you were impressive! You move and attack so gracefully but effectively! It looked like a dance to me" Pyrrha continued with Neo as they neared a rather large cave.

~That's just Neopolitan's fighting style ingrained in my head. Had to add my own flair to the style. Neopolitan likes to play with her enemies, the little savage she is..~ Neo thought before noticing the huge cave right next to them.

"Thanks, Pyr. There's a big ass cave over here. Think any chess pieces are inside? We can check it out real quick maybe?" Neo hummed and thought about how much fun fighting a giant scorpion Grimm would be during all the chaos.

"Um.. are you sure? It looks off to me. There are markings next to the cave of a scorpion" Pyrrha commented before they heard gunfire and turned around, seeing a lot of smoke rising from the forest not too far away.

"I'm gonna bet that's Ruby or Yang. Or Weiss blew up again? Heh" Neo shrugged and walked into the cave with a slightly concerned Pyrrha.

They walked in for about a minute as Neo used the light on her scroll to light the way.

"Hey.. do you.. feel that?" Pyrrha asked, stopping.

"The spirit of adventure or something?" Neo shrugged and stopped too.

"Nooo..? It feels.. warm?" Pyrrha looked at Neo, whose face lit up in recognition.

"Ah... yup. I feel it. I also see it" She pointed at the glowing stinger of a rather large Deathstalker.

"Neeeo..." Pyrrha backed up a bit.

"I understand, Pyrrha" And with that, Neo shot one of its eyes out and started to book it away from the furious Grimm with Pyrrha.

As soon as they ran outside, Neo jumped on top of its stinger as it flailed its pincers angrily. Though she laughed at its attempts and shot its face, which it covered to defend itself.

"You're crazy!" Pyrrha said as she witnessed Neo teasing the Grimm.

"Oh it'll be fine! Run after me, okay? Boy's about to launch me" Neo took a scateboard stance on its stinger.

"WHAT?" Pyrrha shouted and saw her partner flung into the air once again.

"Come on Pyrrha!" Neo yelled as she soared over the treeline.

She saw the actual relic location from up that high. Closing on it, she also saw CRDL making their way over. Cackling maniacally, she took out the .44 magnum from her inventory and shot a branch above them, successfully dropping it on Cardin's head.

"Oww!!" She heard him yell and turned forward again, seeing Ruby right in front of her, falling.

She yelped and tried to position herself better but ended up headbutting Ruby in the collision as they landed on a branch. Neo grabbed Ruby in time, tucking her legs in and swinging off the branch, landing before Blake and Yang with style if she didn't count the headbutt.

"Ugh.. Ta-daaa! Sorry about that, Ruby. Wasn't looking where I was going I guess?" Neo dusted herself off and set Ruby down.

"Yeuugh... thanks.." Ruby groaned.

"Did.. Did Neo and your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake looked uneasy.

"I-" Yang was interrupted by a series of trees crashing and angry Ursa yelling.

"Yeeeee-haaaaw!!"

Nora, the orange haired girl barged in, riding an Ursa, which she smashed to death with her weapon, Magnhild. Sliding off its large back she turned to it again, smile fading.

"Awww.. it's broken" She pouted as Ren ran over, catching his breath.

"NORA... please... don't ever do that again.." Ren spat out between his panting.

"Oooooh! I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the caaastle!"

Nora wasn't listening though, she was far too busy inspecting the Rook piece on the relic altar, prompting Neo to laugh.

~She's a fun personality~ Neo nodded and walked over to the Relic altar.

"NORAAA!" Ren yelled out in annoyance.

"Hehe.. coming Reeen!" She saluted and pranced back to her partner.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa..?" Blake asked with half lidded eyes.

Yang had her mouth agape in an astounded look and tried to talk once again.

"I-" She was cut off by a very angry Deathstalker, who was recently chasing Pyrrha but had zeroed its sights on Neo, who simply posed strangely.

"Hoh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right at me?" Neo had her arms spread in a provocative manner.

"Neo?"/"Neo?" Blake and Pyrrha were confused at her words. Was she antagonizing the giant Deathstalker?

"Even though I generously shot your eye out so you can cosplay as a pirate now?" Neo even cocked her head like an arrogant young master.

What followed was simply a livid Deathstalker's screeching. Which for some reason, she took as a real reply.

"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like!" Neo stood there, arrogantly beckoning the Grimm over.

"Did she just.. challenge a deathstalker?" Blake asked that more for her own sake, since she knew what her friend was like.

Nora's eyes were wide as saucers and gleaming as she witnessed the 4'9 girl mock the giant Grimm in front of her so confidently.

"RRRGH!! I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something CRAZY happens again!?" Yang said as her semblance activated, turning her eyes red and making her hair light up.

Ren ran over to them and stood next to the squealing Nora, watching Neo being approached by the Deathstalker and Pyrrha.

"Um.. Yang?" Ruby pointed up and they all looked to see Weiss dangling off a Nevermore.

"How could you leave me!?" Weiss screamed down at Ruby.

"I said 'jump'!" Ruby retorted.

"She's gonna fall" Blake folded her arms and stated.

"She'll be fiiine.." Ruby attempted to reassure but Ren cut in.

"Yeah she's falling" He calmly observed and saw Weiss fall into the still mocking arms of Neo. She also managed to faceplant Neo's chest as she did.

"Hey Weiss. Airbags are vital to surviving car crashes but.. do you want some advice for next time? Use. your. fuckin'. glyphs." Neo 'smiled' at her and set her down, rubbing her arms.

"Great! The gang's all here, now we can die tog-"

But the sound of a gunshot interrupted her as Neo took another of the Deathstalker's eyes with the magnum she was carrying, making it stumble forward, knocking Pyrrha into Neo's arms. Neo held the Spartan bridal style and reached out into her inventory, taking out Rivers of Blood and chopping off two of its legs with two blood projectile enhanced swings.

"-Okay! or not!" Yang whistled. Nora cheered. Ruby gasped at the new weapon. Pyrrha was awe-struck.

"Me next!" Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose and enhanced her speed with the recoil before trying to slash the Deatstalker. All she did was further anger it as it got up and swatted her back with its pincer.

"Uh! Don't worry! Totally fine!" But then the Nevermore came in too while she was running back to the group.

It launched its sharp feathers down at them. Neo flipping back repeatedly and slashing one away. Pyrrha successfully blocked and rolled back next to Neo. Ruby had her cape stuck by a feather that pinned her down.

"Ruby!!" Yang started to run after her but was beaten to the punch by Weiss, who froze the oncoming stinger of the Deathstalker. Weiss started to chastise her at first but then acknowledged her own faults.

"Aww.. that's nice, Weiss. But there is still an angry as SHIT Deathstalker behind you" Neo reminded them.

"Come on then. Grab an artifact and get back to the cliffs while its still caught in the ice that may break any second" Neo gestured to it and took the rook piece off the altar and put it in her pocket.

"It's time we left!" Ren stated as he noticed the angry Deathstalker starting to break the ice and the Nevermore making its way back over.

"He's right. Come on!" Ruby lead them as they ran towards the cliff.

They ran through some ancient-looking ruins and noticed the Nevermore ahead, blocking their path. They all took cover and Neo along with Pyrrha started firing at it. They were too far though and missed. Just then, the Deathstaker ran over, toppling trees as it tried to hit Neo. Deciding to lure it deeper, she ran forward with Pyrrha as Nora dodged giant feathers and shot the Nevermore in the face with her grenades.

The Deathstalker closed in on her and tried to grab her but Blake and Ren interrupted with slashes to its faceplate. Weiss helped Nora move ahead as they crossed a bridge. Pyrrha and Neo shooting a pillar and toppled it, making it smash into the Deathstalker's legs and staggering it so they can safely cross. As the Nevermore swooped down, Neo took out the magnum and shot it in the wing, making it falter and smack into the Deathstalker.

"Hey Ruby. You, Yang, Weiss and Blake should take Big Bird over there. Quiet guy, Loud girl, Pyrrha and I will take on the fat scorpion. They're both pissing me off and impeding us. Agreed?" Neo offered with a scowl aimed at the two Grimm.

"Deal! Come on guys!" Ruby and her team started to move around the giant stuctures as Nora hatched an idea and smiled.

"Hey, Fearless leader! I got an idea!" Nora ran over and whispered, making Neo grin once again.

"I like it. Okay team, back over the bridge. We're whooping this guy's ass. Here's what we'll do.." Neo took charge as soon as she explained the plan. Nora then started to enact it and peppered the Deathstalker with grenades.

Nora started to make it lift off the ground with multiple explosions as Ren and Neo made it back over the bridge, running along the Ruin's walls and firing at the Grimm's face, making it shield its precious remaining eyes. It turned its body back to them as soon as they got behind it. Pyrrha was waiting for this and cut off the support beams for the bridge and launched herself at the Deathstalker using the momentum of the falling bridge as a catapult. She got over the Deatstalker and slashed another eye out before landing near Neo and Ren.

The Grimm roared in pain and fury, on its last eye now, it tried to stab Neo with its stinger but she spun around it and chopped it off with a dual flourish with Pyrrha. The stinger got stuck in its cracked bone plating now as Neo whistled.

"Now!"

Neo yelled as Nora slid in and hit the Grimm with an upswing of Magnhild, flipping it on its back with the stinger going deeper in its head. She then nodded to Ren, who swiftly cut off its legs as it attempted to recover. Then Pyrrha launched Neo off her shield like a springboard and up she went.

Now diving at the flipped over Deathstalker, Neo raised Rivers of Blood and dropkicked the Deathstalker into its stinger, impaling it.

"Now for the finish! MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDAAA!" She spammed the bloody slashes and cut the Grimm up into several pieces before putting the katana away.

"WOO!! Go Leader!" Nora yelled out and cheered her on.

"Wow.. what a semblance" Ren looked impressed.

"That was amazing, Neo!" Pyrrha congratulated her but she saw Neo shake her head.

"Wasn't as stylish as that" Neo points up and they all see Ruby run up the Cliff using Weiss' glyphs, beheading the huge Nevermore.

"Woaaaah! That was so cool!" Nora yelled out.

"Damn right it was! Hoo man.. We have our work cut out for us if we wanna outstyle them" Neo and Nora started talking about new team combo moves.

Ren and Pyrrha both looked at each other with just a slight bit of worry..