Fist 8: Blood Tie

Fist 8: Blood Tie 

Seeing Qrow leave for Vale made Jaune consider his next steps.

Qrow had to recover, be in his best condition, and resolve any pending matters he had before they would meet again and his real training would begin.

He had told him that, he had suggested that he should talk to whomever he needed to talk to, show them that video he had taken to whoever needed to see it, and resolve any matters before coming back to him.

When Qrow heard that he knew about the video, his eyes widened a bit, and maybe he would have apologized if Jaune hadn't admitted that he didn't care at all.

Recordings, photos, and any of those things were very common in his everyday life as a hero.

To whom Qrow would show that video, Jaune didn't care.

High-ranking officials, government leaders, or simply his friends or family.

It didn't matter, to Jaune any of those things were, at best, inconsequential.

In fact, it could even be somewhat useful for him if the right people knew about the impending threat. They could be more vigilant about strange Grimm, and more lives would be saved.

If Qrow was as good a Huntsman as he claimed, then the people he was in contact with should have enough influence to do something, right? At least Qrow had assured him, before leaving, that the warning about such a dangerous Grimm would be given to the right people.

He wanted to say more, but Jaune stopped him. Any discussion could be had when the time came.

So they set a date. They would meet in four weeks on Patch Island, where Qrow lived.

It was best to have a suitable and private training site, and Qrow had assured him that his home was quite secluded, at least enough to not be distracted.

Why so much time? Well, mainly because Jaune wanted Qrow to be completely free. Learning a martial art was not something you could do with interruptions.

In addition, he had to be fully recovered from his injuries.

On the other hand, Jaune didn't know how aura would affect the training speed, so he could potentially teach Qrow enough in two weeks, considering that his body was already strong enough to execute some techniques. Alternatively, it could take six months or even a year.

Fortunately, Jaune had ways to speed things up if he felt they weren't progressing fast enough.

On the other hand, Jaune also had matters to attend to before focusing on training Qrow.

At least one year, maximum two.

Nine months had passed since he gave that ultimatum, so it was time to try to find out what was happening with Mountain Glenn.

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With a crunch, his hands clenched, and the thick casts that covered them shattered into several pieces that fell to the floor, revealing perfectly healthy hands.

There were some calluses, of course, as well as faint white scar lines that extended from the fingers to the shoulders.

But they weren't too pronounced, and if you didn't focus hard enough, you'd probably miss them.

It had been 5 days since Qrow left and 7 since his fight with the Grimm.

7 days to heal all the broken bones, from the shoulders to the tips of his fingers.

Martial arts, true martial arts, could do unimaginable things.

After freeing his hands, he discarded all his clothing, what had once been a clean and new set was now nothing more than a pile of tattered fabric, stained with blood and dirt. He should have changed it before, certainly, but it was the last of the three nearly identical sets he had prepared, so he didn't have many options and preferred to wear them out completely before getting something else.

Nine months were not kind to them.

Their naked body entered the shower, the cold water droplets washing away nine months of relentless effort.

Nine months of almost constant pain, where life and death hung by a thread, and where a warm blanket and a home-cooked meal were only distant memories.

Truly, giving up so much would not be easy for anyone else.

even more so, knowing that there was a place to return to, a warm home with a loving family.

Enjoyable meals made by a caring mother, the playful games of younger sisters, and the protection of older ones, the warmth of home.

Many would kill for something like that, many would die for something like that, Jaune knew it, oh how he knew it... There was a time when he would have done anything to have something like that again, to have people to love.

But that was a long time ago, when he was just a lost child in a completely new world, when those people who seemed to love him with all their being had died under the attack of a monster to give him a chance, to let him escape.

When he ate from the trash and slept in dark alleys, searching for a place he had only heard rumors of, when he wandered through destroyed cities where misery was the daily bread.

When he lived where any other 4-year-old child lost in the streets without a family would have died.

The reality was that it took him two years to find his master's dojo.

Two years in which he dreamt of a home he no longer had and hated it so much that he locked away those painful memories that haunted him on cold and lonely nights, where rats and garbage were his only companions, and his only hope was a dream of another life.

Two years in which his determination settled like a cold fire in

slow-burning.

For others, giving up an easy life, a comfortable home, and a happy family would be very difficult.

But for Jaune, it was simple because he knew what it felt like when no one did anything, when there was nothing standing between you and the monsters, when the people you love die, and all you can do is run.

And that's why he had sought true strength, the kind of strength that could make him confront the monsters head-on, knowing that there was something worth protecting behind him, something worth dying for.

And now, there was much to protect, right? He wondered if it was worth it, but it was a foolish question because he already knew the answer.

After he had cleaned every part of his body, he stepped out of the shower and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.

His blue eyes shone with the cold determination he had forged through countless fierce battles. His gaze was penetrating and precise, as if he could pierce through any defense and analyze every piece of anything down to its core.

The eyes of a man who was willing to die for his dreams, well, now a young man, but someday a man, he hoped.

His hair, which had grown a bit in these months, gleamed with a faint golden sheen. As unruly as it was, Jaune still managed to tame it and tie it back in a simple ponytail.

He dried himself off and pulled out an outfit that Bianca had bought for him following his instructions.

It was an elegant set of semi-formal attire in dark colors with a royal blue trench coat, gray gloves, and shiny black shoes. What set it apart from any other suit was that it had been designed for combat.

In Remnant, clothing stores tended to have various sets of garments specifically designed for huntsmen.

This was convenient for him.

The suit fit perfectly on his well-built body, the result of months of hard work. It was practical where it should be, not limiting his movement as suits of this style usually would, endowing him with a visible grace.

Elegant yet casual, it gave a sense of maturity, and thanks to his height, Jaune could appear to be one or two years older than he actually was.

That was what he was aiming for, after all.

You couldn't infiltrate the underworld without dressing appropriately for it.

For now, the tough martial artist would have to hide behind the stylish young mobster. After making some final adjustments, he looked at himself one last time before leaving, with confident and firm steps and the right posture.

He might not be the world's best actor, but the experience of infiltrating dozens of criminal syndicates before destroying them had been a great teacher. He knew how to give off the air, even if it was only for the sake of the mission.

"Are you done with your shower? I swear, if you didn't wash off all that dirt, I'll drag you back in there and do it myself-!" Bianca's voice suddenly cut off, and Jaune saw her staring at him with her mouth agape and a blush rising on her cheeks.

He raised an eyebrow at her stunned look but dismissed it without thinking too much.

"I made sure to scrub every part thoroughly, thank you" he said with a hint of amusement, adjusting the gloves on his hands. He preferred using bandages.

Bianca blinked several times, still unable to believe her eyes, even if a familiar voice came from those lips.

In truth, Bianca had never seen Jaune, not once, without being covered in blood or dirt for one reason or another. She hadn't really thought about it, but seeing him now standing before her so clean and elegant, with a firm, confident, and assured posture, a tall and well-built figure, broad shoulders, a handsome, sharp face, and hypnotically intense blue eyes, all while exuding an air of maturity that highlighted everything else, made her heart inexplicably quicken, and her cheeks warm.

"A-alright" she said with a bit of shyness, and involuntarily averted her gaze.

Jaune raised another eyebrow but didn't pay too much attention. Women, in this life or his previous one, he never quite understood them entirely. The greatest mystery in the world, or something like that, his master had once said.

"I will do one final sweep within a hundred-kilometer radius of the settlement, so there shouldn't be any problems with Grimm in the short term. However, if anything comes up, get in touch with me immediately, alright? I didn't acquire this scroll for it to be useless" he said, taking out the device and shaking it slightly before putting it away again.

Bianca nodded and forced herself to compose, but her cheeks remained tinged with red, a color that stood out against her fair skin and contrasted with her white hair.

"Don't worry, I'll stay in touch. Go and do whatever you need to do" she said, although she didn't know why Jaune was leaving or where he was going. She didn't ask. Jaune hid many mysteries, and she didn't hold any illusions about uncovering them all.

The young martial artist nodded before turning to leave, but at that moment, Bianca stopped him.

"Wait! You're missing something." She quickly ran to her office, and Jaune waited as he soon saw her emerge, holding an elegant fedora hat.

"A gift to complete the look" Bianca said, carefully placing the hat on Jaune's head, who towered a few inches above her despite being younger.

The young blond smiled, straightened his trench coat, and squared his shoulders.

"How do I look?" he asked, striking a pose.

"Like a well-dressed gentleman" Bianca smiled and approached, brushing off an imaginary speck of dust from his suit.

"I would tell you to stay safe, but knowing you, you'll probably end up back here with a broken bone" she joked, and Jaune laughed along with her.

"Just one?" a light tap on his shoulder was the response to his sarcasm.

"Take care, Jaune" the young man nodded and prepared to leave, but before he could go, he felt a gentle touch on his cheek.

"For good luck" Bianca said blushing before running away.

"Hmm" Jaune felt the lingering warmth of the kiss on his cheek, and maybe he imagined it, but he felt like his luck suddenly improved.

Every time a woman kissed him, he felt that, and so far, he had never had bad luck afterward, so it must be real.

With that, he walked away with more confidence in his steps.

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"So, I told him, 'Listen, you idiot, if I see you around here again, your face will change so much that not even your mother will recognize you!' The moron thought I wasn't serious, so I beat him so bad that I couldn't even tell if it was the same guy" there was laughter, and the atmosphere at the bar table became livelier.

"You're quite daring, man" a young but clear voice resonated, and the man telling the story smiled, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Listen, Johnny, if you really want to shine in this world, you have to be decisive. You can't let any punk think they're above you. It's about authority! You'll learn it soon. You're still young, but quite perceptive. The streets of Vale will shine for you, I guarantee it"

"If you say so, I can believe it," the young man, dressed in a semi-elegant black suit with gray gloves and a wide-brimmed hat that concealed most of his blond hair, said seriousness and approval.

His blue eyes shining with "admiration"

"Hahaha, that's why I like you, Johnny! Maybe if some fools were half as smart as you, my territory would truly expand," he said, showing some reproach towards some of his men who were sitting not too far away.

"I'm sure you're more than capable of making things progress, Greg. You're a capable man," Jaune raised his beer glass, and Greg did the same, clinking them together in the air.

"You're right! I'm Greg McKren, the future owner of this city! I can make all of this work, no matter what idiots get in the way. Cheers to that!" There was arrogance but also confidence. Greg didn't notice it, but for a split second, Johnny's eyes gleamed with mockery.

The conversation continued for a little while longer before Greg and his men left, leaving Johnny alone at his table.

Once the last member walked out the door, Johnny's comfortable smile slowly faded until it settled into a small grin. His outward expression revealed nothing, but inside, he almost wanted to vomit.

"All that bullshit, and I still have nothing," he clicked his tongue in annoyance when no one was looking.

In reality, he had a lot, but within all that, there was nothing he really wanted to know.

Jaune dropped the act completely and sighed, looking at the bar where people were drinking and the music was playing loudly, discreetly scanning each table.

How many of these had he been to already?

How much information, enough to destroy at least half of the gangs in Vale, had he already gathered?

Two weeks had passed, and there was only one week left before Jaune had to meet with Qrow.

He had accomplished a lot in these two weeks, but he hadn't made any progress on his main objective.

The first thing he did was inspect the tunnels of Mountain Glenn, each and every one of them.

He checked them from top to bottom to make sure that no "bombs" had been planted beforehand.

He examined every nook and cranny, down to the tiniest speck of dust, but he found nothing. It would have been easier if they were there; he could have removed them and tracking down those who planted them would have been a piece of cake for him.

But they weren't there, leaving him with only one option.

To find out if a specific group or person had any motive for letting Mountain Glenn die completely.

The motives could be simple or complex, but they didn't really matter. What mattered was who had them, not the why.

Whether it was due to a belief, personal gain, or sheer malice.

Everything would come to an end when Jaune found them.

However, it wasn't happening as quickly as Jaune would have liked.

Annoyed, Jaune sighed. It seemed like it was too early. If the minimum timeframe was a year, then whoever was planning something would already be making preparations or at least halfway through them.

If there are no clues or indications, it means they haven't started.

So maybe it was two years, meaning he still had a year and a few months left.

That would be the best-case scenario, but it would also be a mistake on his part to assume that just because he hadn't found anything yet.

Perhaps he wasn't looking in the right place?

Although he had searched everywhere...

He took a sip of his drink, alcohol, something he never really liked.

But if you wanted to blend in with a certain type of people, you had to do certain things to avoid arousing suspicion.

There wasn't really a real problem for him in drinking since he could neutralize any effects the substance might have on his body.

He might as well be drinking water for all that matters.

"Come on! Is that all you've got?!" a voice caught Jaune's attention a few tables ahead, and he couldn't help but sigh. Youngsters, always so reckless... Somehow, thinking that made him sound old, so he decided not to dwell on it until he reached at least 20 years old.

If he was very good at gathering information, then of course, there are those who are very bad at it, or simply don't know how to do it. A vivid example of this was taking place not far from him.

"That's all there is, take it or leave it, brat" the argument at a nearby table seemed to pause for a second in a tense silence that only lasted briefly.

"You!" teeth clenched and fury could be felt even from a distance.

Jaune glanced sideways and saw a blonde girl clenching her fists tightly. He could sense her tense body and how her muscles were preparing for a fight. There was even a faint glow of her aura igniting.

He wasn't the only one who noticed. Throughout the bar, the noise suddenly diminished, and several eyes focused on the situation. He saw hands reaching for their weapons, as well as others preparing to stand up, auras starting to activate.

The blonde girl didn't seem to notice that suddenly the whole place was gearing up to kick her ass.

Sighing once again, Jaune stood up and approached with confident steps and a practiced smile.

"Hey, Raúl! I see you have a difficult customer. Why don't you let me handle it?" The man named Raúl looked at him, his angry face seemed to relax a bit before nodding and clicking his tongue.

"Tch, fine, I've wasted enough time." The man stood up clearly annoyed.

"Hey, wait! This isn't over yet!" The girl tried to stand up as well, but Jaune was faster. With a graceful movement, he placed a hand on her shoulder, applying pressure to a certain pressure point that made her stop abruptly, her body forcefully returning to a seated position.

He felt her aura glowing, but it did little to help her.

He waited until Raúl had moved away enough and the attention of others dissipated. Without releasing the pressure, he sat down next to her.

He could feel her fiery eyes focusing on him and how she struggled to try to free herself.

She was stubborn, he would give her that.

"Listen, in ten seconds, I'm going to remove my hand. You won't scream, you won't suddenly get up, and you won't start a fight. If you understand and follow my lead, maybe I can help you" he said, pointing with his finger to a photo that had been taken earlier and was lying on the table.

The lilac-colored pupils focused, losing some of their anger, and he felt the girl's body slowly relax, although that fire still burned within her eyes.

A fighter indeed eh.

Nodding, he removed his hand, and the girl suddenly seemed to take a long breath.

"What the hell was that?!" she said, furrowing her brows and touching her shoulder uncomfortably, grimacing.

"It's a little trick, useful for avoiding unnecessary fights" he responded calmly.

She looked at him, her lilac eyes shining with slight distrust and curiosity.

"And who are you, gangster boy, and why did you interrupt my business?" the girl crossed her arms, her voice gaining a touch of irritation. She was trying to act tough, but it was easy for Jaune to see through it.

"Just call me John. It's really none of my business, but I've seen you these past few days, asking for information everywhere like a lost puppy. Not very subtle, to be honest. But people notice, and the really bad ones notice twice. You should be more careful, girl, or you're going to get burned"

He gave her some well-intentioned advice. She was young, probably around his current age, and shouldn't be in these places. Although that was a bit hypocritical of him, but hey, he had lived twice. He didn't think she had done the same, and she certainly didn't seem to have that experience.

She wasn't subtle, and she clearly didn't know where to look properly if she thought she would find what she was looking for in a bar like this. He had noticed her several days ago and would have done something earlier, but he was busy searching for his own information.

Now that it seemed he wouldn't find anything and she was about to get into a fight, he had no qualms about helping her in a certain way. He could see that she was the type of person who wouldn't back down easily, so it was best to guide her and not let her stumble around like a blind person on a highway.

"Oh, believe me, I can burn quite well," the smile she gave him along with those words didn't inspire confidence in Jaune. He raised an eyebrow, letting her know that he didn't believe her at all.

This girl really didn't know what she was getting herself into, right?

"I don't think we're talking about the same thing" Jaune sighed and picked up the photo from the table, examining it.

"Hey!" the girl wanted to grab the photo back when she saw him, but she couldn't prevent him from taking it.

Jaune looked at the photo, then back at the girl, and he roughly understood what was going on.

"I'll assume that's a relative. You want to find her, right? Then you shouldn't be looking in these places" he said, returning the photo. The girl took it quickly, shooting him a harsh look, and Jaune could imagine she'd show her teeth if she had fangs.

"What do you mean? I thought these places were where they know everything" she asked, unintentionally displaying her inexperience.

"You should stop watching so many movies. While there's a lot to learn in these places, if you really want to find someone, you have to do it in other ways"

She furrowed her eyebrows at his words, clearly not pleased.

"So where am I supposed to go 'mister expert'?" she asked with a touch of sarcasm.

Jaune considered his next words.

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Yang tried to make her words not sound too urgent, thinking she did a good job without knowing that she had completely failed.

In truth, at this point, Yang was quite irritated and almost desperate.

It had been almost a week since she came to Vale as part of a training trip from Signal Academy, and time was running out. Soon the trip would end, and she would have to go back home.

She thought she could find information about her mother quickly while being in the big city of Vale, unlike Patch, which was smaller and had scarce information networks. But things had not gone well at all.

This had been the last place she thought of trying her luck, and it almost seemed like another failure.

Fed up and tired, she had almost burst into anger towards the man named Raúl, but a young and clear voice sounded at that moment, and before she could do anything, a hand on her shoulder made her body seem to lose all its strength and stay numb

She had tried to fight, but it was like trying to breathe underwater, impossible.

That scared her. She had been left completely defenseless so suddenly that she tried to fight more aggressively, but without any success.

Then she saw him. He was young, tall, and well-built, dressed quite decently, and would have been a nice sight to behold if it weren't for the fact that he was restraining her movements with just one hand.

Then he told her that maybe he could help her, and Yang calmed down, more or less. She hadn't received any help so far, and all her attempts had failed. With no other options, she had to consider his words.

She didn't know if he could really help her, but at this point, she could take the smallest of chances.

So she stopped struggling.

She looked at him more closely, a blond-haired, blue-eyed companion, and up close, he seemed much younger than she initially thought and more handsome too.

He was almost her age, perhaps a year or two older than her? With his height, she couldn't quite tell for sure and again quite handsome, but that didn't matter right now.

They talked, and although she was a bit annoyed by his judgmental attitude, Yang pressed on until the topic she was interested in came up.

"So where am I supposed to go 'mister expert'?" She tried to make it sound not too interested, but it probably didn't come out as well as she'd hoped.

He smiled, a small smile, and his eyes seemed to sparkle a bit.

"Follow me"

Hmm... follow a clearly dangerous guy to an unknown place? Her father would probably kill her if he found out. But he wasn't here, and despite the circumstances, Yang felt that the person in front of her wasn't a bad guy. It was a strange feeling, but her instincts had never failed her when it came to reading people. She hoped it would continue to be true. Plus, he was handsome, although that didn't matter...

"Alright, lead the way"

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It was a gloomy place. Normally, the city of Vale seemed quite lively, colorful, and in a way, overly cheerful. Yang had never imagined that there would be such a... dark place?

"Put this on," the voice snapped her out of her observations, and when she turned to John, she saw him offering her a gray hooded cloak. The boy himself was wearing a similar one, and Yang hadn't even noticed when he put it on.

"What?" She didn't take it right away; instead, she just looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Listen, where we're going is not a place where you want people to know who you are, especially if you're looking for someone. People have enemies who pay attention to these things, and judging by your appearance, I don't think the person you're looking for is your enemy, right?" He was right in a way. Her mother... she wasn't her friend, but to say that she was her enemy would be wrong.

In fact, she didn't know her at all, and that's why she was searching for her. She wanted to know more about her, to truly get to know her, and maybe... She shook her head, clearing those emotions, hoping they wouldn't show on the outside, but she failed.

He probably noticed this and smiled beneath that hood that concealed most of his features now.

"So, you don't want her enemies, if she has any, to find out that you're looking for her, so put this on" Yang reluctantly took the cloak and put it on.

It fit well and concealed most of her features. If it were red, it would match her sister's. She always carried something like this with her.

Once they had done that, they continued walking through dark and narrow alleyways, entering places she didn't think had entrances and navigating through them effortlessly. Soon, they arrived in front of a dark gray door with some rust in the corners and a simple LED light above it that flickered as if it were malfunctioning.

"Let me do the talking, okay?" It was a whisper, but Yang heard it and reluctantly nodded. She could sense when something was beyond her, and she didn't want to ruin this. It could be the best chance she had in years to find something about her mother.

John knocked on the door using a strange rhythm, first one knock, then three, followed by a three-second pause, and then two more knocks.

Yang made sure to remember it. You don't learn these things every day, and she didn't know if it could be useful to her in the future, after all.

A small window opened in the door that she hadn't noticed before. The door didn't seem to have it until it was opened.

"Hey! I need some dust, good quality" Jaune made a gesture with his fingers as if rubbing something. Dull gray eyes looked out from the window before a muted sound of understanding came, and the window closed.

A small slot opened, and a ticket with a printed number came out. John took it.

Then the door opened.

"Come, stay close" he whispered, and she nodded, moving closer to him. This place made her nervous. They entered a long, dark hallway, and Yang couldn't find the person who had opened the door anywhere. Had they disappeared so quickly?

Further down the hallway, there were many doors numbered with numbers written on them. Some had those numbers glowing in red, while others were in green.

"The red ones are occupied, don't go to them. The green ones are available, and the number on the ticket should lead you to one of them" as he said that, he led her to a door with a green number matching the one on the ticket.

She nodded at his words. He probably noticed that she was paying attention to the whole situation, intending to learn how to navigate these places.

They entered a small living room with a table in the center surrounded by a long sofa against the wall. On the other side, there was another door, from where Yang assumed someone else would enter.

And indeed, once they sat down, someone else entered.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant purple suit with golden details that would have looked good on him, but the smell of cigarette smoke and his unkempt beard prevented any kind of elegance from sticking to him.

"Uh, a couple, huh? I was told you were looking for quality, so here I am. What can I do for you?" The man sat down carelessly, causing Yang to raise an eyebrow, lowering her already poor impression even further.

"Valentino, the man I was expecting. Lucky to find you here" John said as if he hadn't explicitly spoken the code words that would allow him to speak specifically with the man, his "joy" evident as he leaned forward slightly.

" I heard you're quite fond of La-Cross cigars, something expensive and of high quality" as he said that, his hand pulled out a small golden box with a transparent side made of what seemed to be glass instead of any regular transparent plastic. The box contained a cigar stored so securely that it looked more like a valuable artifact than a consumable product. There were golden engravings on it that almost seemed to shimmer in some way.

Yang had never heard of a cigar brand that would go to such lengths for a single cigar.

Valentino's eyes gleamed, and a smile formed on his face. Without hesitation, he took the cigar and stored it away so quickly that it seemed as if he had obtained a treasure and didn't want anyone else to see it or snatch it away. John's smile diminished slightly upon seeing something so expensive being taken away.

"Jo, you certainly have some knowledge, kid. I'll give you that. You know how to get on my good side" the man now seemed happier than before, and John smiled in response.

Then he took out the photo that Yang had brought with her. When did he take it?! Yang checked her pocket, now empty where she had stored it, finding nothing.

"It's good to know because I need some reliable information, specifically everything you can tell me about this woman" Valentino's smile grew smaller as he looked at the photo, and his eyes narrowed with a seriousness he hadn't shown before, his relaxed posture disappearing.

"Listen, kid, what you're looking for is dangerous. Are you sure you want to know?" His words carried a warning.

"That means you know something. It's okay if it's dangerous, I'll handle it."

Yang's eyes sparkled; he knew something! She almost stood up to demand that the man tell her everything, but a hand on her arm stopped her in her tracks, and her rationality returned.

'Calm down, don't ruin this' yang taking a deep breath to control her agitation.

Valentino looked at them for a full minute before sighing.

"Well, I'm not one to tell people how to die" he clicked his tongue before becoming serious and starting to speak.

"The woman you're looking for is not someone easy to deal with. You're lucky to have found me because I'm one of the few people who knows something about her, and even that information isn't too much," he looked at the photo before taking out a briefcase he had been carrying with him, which Yang hadn't noticed until now.

He opened it and took out some papers along with a series of photos. In the first one in the stack, you could see a higher-quality image of the woman. Unlike the one Yang had brought, the woman's face in the photo was covered by a mask similar to that of the Grimm, and around her were the ruins of what was once a settlement. In her hands, a long sword covered in blood seemed to shine alongside the flames that surrounded her.

"Her name is Raven Branwen; she leads a notorious bandit tribe in the deserts of Anima, a dangerous group that has confirmedly destroyed at least a dozen settlements, and who knows how many more remain unconfirmed. A bunch of crazies, if you ask me. I really don't recommend getting involved with them."

His advice was serious and sincere, but Yang couldn't pay attention.

All the sound around her seemed to disappear, and, unable to stop herself, she took the photos with trembling hands and began to review them as if she were hypnotized by the sight.

In each photo, there was a settlement engulfed in flames, the corpses of people clearly killed by human weapons, not by Grimm.

In every photo, the figure of that woman was there, either close, far away, or in a corner, in different qualities, but it was undoubtedly that woman.

Her long, wild black hair was unmistakable, as well as the attire she wore.

Along with that blood-covered weapon and all-too-familiar red eyes.

She felt her stomach twist, and bile threatened to escape her mouth.

She felt her face grow paler the more she looked, and her blood ran cold in her veins, her body beginning to tremble.

Her eyes started to sting and blur, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

If she weren't sitting, she would have probably collapsed to the ground, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, the truth was evident to her, even if it was a truth she desperately wished to be a lie.

The woman who was her mother, the woman she dreamt of knowing.

was a monster.

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