Team SWRZ - Volume 1 - Chapter 13 - End of the Trial!

A fatal swipe from [Severance], a pair 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, 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.

"Luckily, none of us are," The first one to respond was his partner, Emma Asulf. The young, black-haired woman sat on the ground to catch her breath, using her spear, [Slayer], for support. Ten minutes fighting a pack of Grimm was exhausting.

"How are you feeling?" The large Bull Faunus, Sunil Ambrus, cradled his partner, Ilma Aden, in his arms. She suffered from head trauma thanks to their encounter with the Grimm horde. The attack broke her aura, leaving her defenseless for the time being. Sunil removed the sash around Ilma's waist and tied it around her head to stop the bleeding.

"Like shit," Ilma complained. While wounded, she had no qualms about continuing her lazy antics. She shamelessly snuggled against Sunil's broad chest, despite it being covered in armor. "Guess you'll hafta carry me for the rest of the trial."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Sunil heaved a sigh of relief mixed with mild annoyance. Although he suspected she meant every word, she seemed fine enough to make jokes.

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

"We get moving, obviously," Wei bluntly answered. With their fight against the Grimm now finished, they had no reason to stick around in one spot. His eyebrows raised once Sunil approached them with the wounded student in his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Bringing her with me," answered Sunil.

"You're not coming with us carrying that girl around. It's a liability."

"Wei!" Emma called out in disapproval.

"Unless you wish to slow us down, I'd advise leaving her. If not, you can carry her around by yourself. Emma and I won't help you."

"I don't recall asking for your help," Sunil walked past the White Tiger Faunus, not even giving the young man a second glance. He knew he'd come across people like Wei, who was so selfish and stubborn that they'd abandon anyone and everyone they deemed useless. He wouldn't force himself to stick around someone that toxic much longer.

It'd be hard to complete the trial while carrying Ilma, but it was better than leaving her. From that moment, he was her protector.

"Idiot," Wei spat.

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

"Whatever, let's keep looking for some scrolls while we have the chance," Wei ordered, heading further down the path.

Meanwhile, the impromptu team of Schwartz, Watchet, Rowan, and Zorina trekked through the thick forest. Although they had a map, it didn't make their journey more relaxed or comfortable. Rowan and Zorina were exhausted, often slacking behind and voicing several complaints about their situation. Watchet sympathized with the girls and kept their minds off their walk by engaging in casual conversation. On the other hand, Schwartz nearly reached his breaking point with the stragglers.

If they were members of his bandit tribe, he would've left them behind ages ago. Those too weak to keep up deserved to get left behind in the dust. After all, weakness was a sin. Thankfully, they weren't in too much danger. The trial would be over as soon as they reached the extraction point, 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 of his composure he had left and answered, "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 blatant 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 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 she wouldn't reach it due to the girl's short stature. "No way! I know how to read this!"

"I bet we're lost because of you!" Rowan yelled.

"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 will not do us any good. Let us 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 wasted second only proved to increase the trial's difficulty level.

"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 distant extraction point. They could tell it was due to the Haven flag, which the academy 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 wounded students begged, reaching out to Schwartz and the others.

"What happened here?" Rowan asked, feeling the much necessary 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 is the plan, Schwartz?" Watchet inquired.

"W-Wait a second! What are you planning?" Zorina asked.

"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, [Bark and Bite], 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. "Never seen this type of Grimm before."

"A Talpa," Watchet informed the others. "These types of Grimm like 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 twin pistols, [Double-Dealing], to her hands. "We can't just run away from this thing, can we?"

"Afraid not," Watchet drew his sword, [Serpent's Tongue], as well, more than prepared to fight the monster alongside his comrades. "It has already harmed so many of our classmates. We cannot 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, [Blood Wing], 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 for me. So, let's see what you got!"

"Is he talking to the Grimm right now?" Rowan whispered to Watchet.

"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 to 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 them 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 desires. 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 choice but to use her Semblance [Kinetic Burst]. She couldn't have her partner dying on their first day together. Not on her watch.

She slowed everything down long enough for her to reach Zorina and tackled her out of the way with her ability. Once they were safe, everything returned to normal. 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, he and Watchet banded together and attacked the Grimm with the girls out of the way.

Schwartz kept to one side and unloaded multiple rounds while Watchet stayed at 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 pleasure. His blood pumped with excitement.

The thrill of battle was all he desired.

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 Grimm with her team would provide 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 everywhere. 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 is 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. If not, then he wouldn't mind taking the Grimm himself.

"Damn, the girl doesn't want to get off her ass!" Rowan answered.

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

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

The girl crouched 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 Emma rushed by and kicked it away.

"You okay?" Emma 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," Sunil 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 simultaneously. 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!" Emma called out. The Talpa brought its palms to the ground, causing a slight tremor that knocked most students off balance. From there, it lunged at the nearest one, which turned out to be Emma and Sunil.

Both students stood their ground. Emma redirected one of the Grimm's claws in another direction with her spear, while Sunil grabbed the other and kept the monster in place. Ilma, Rowan, and Schwartz took advantage of the stilled target. They blasted the Talpa with their guns and knives 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?" Emma 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," Emma smirked and looked at Ilma and Rowan. "But I'll need your help."

"With what?" The female students asked in unison.

"Can you two use your dust and start a small fire?" Emma requested.

"Why?" Rowan asked.

"Trust me, okay?"

"Sure, whatever," Ilma showed no shame in doing as instructed. She tossed several Fire Dust knives throughout the area, watching as they combusted and started the requested fire. Rowan and the other students stood by and watched Emma work her magic.

The young Huntress in training stood near one of the holes and took a few deep breaths. The flames around her rose; on the exhale, they sank. Soon enough, Emma opened her mouth, allowing the fire around her to get sucked in as if she were a black hole. Afterward, she unleashed the absorbed flames from her mouth with a tremendous roar into one of the holes. The shockwave combined with the fire caused an explosion, resulting in a dozen flame towers erupting from the remaining holes in 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, Schwartz and Wei sliced the monster into mincemeat thanks to their combined efforts. 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 ending the test.