บท 7: Frankenstein's Monster
Before anyone could speak again, there was a loud, sharp crack as a tree fell and crashed into another, causing it to shatter. From the shadow of the tree emerged a massive, grotesque creature, a blend of Grimm flesh and various features.
It was the size of a Goliath but walked on all fours like a Beowolf, with enormous arms like an Ursa, sharp talon-like claws, back spikes resembling those of a Major variant Beowolf, a snout like a Beowolf, and a spiked tail like a dragon.
Qrow stood up, ready to take on the beast. "What is this, some kind of Frankenstein's monster?" he scoffed.
Guts narrowed his eyes even further. "Worse," he said gravely. Qrow was about to respond when the beast let out a deafening roar that shook the entire area, causing Qrow to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Guts somehow managed to keep his footing.
Qrow looked up in shock, realizing the stomping he heard was the massive beast charging toward them. "Get up and run!" Guts shouted, pulling his sword from the ground.
"Buddy, I can help!" Qrow protested. Guts looked over at Qrow with determination in his eyes. "I said--" he was interrupted as a massive fist slammed into his face, sending him flying through the air.
Qrow watched in horror as the beast roared in victory. Determined to fight back, Qrow grit his teeth and raised his weapon, Halbringer, firing two shots at the Grimm.
However, the shots bounced off as if they were nothing more than grains of rice, barely catching the beast's attention. Qrow realized in frustration that the creature was bulletproof. "Of course it is. This damn thing is older than Remnant itself," Qrow grumbled.
Qrow looked up just in time to see a massive fist plummeting toward him, ready to crush him against the ground. "Oh shit," he breathed out. But just in time, a fierce roar sounded, and Guts flew past, slicing the arm clean off with his sword. "Thanks for the save," Qrow said, impressed as the Grimm fell to the ground, its exposed side now red with blood.
Qrow's heart raced as he watched the Grimm's arm miraculously regenerate before his eyes.
"It heals?!" he yelled out in shock.
Guts gritted his teeth; his expression was grim. "Not the only thing..." he growled. "I don't have my gear with me. My arm cannon won't do any good against it. I'll have to go for the head." He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "Unless..."
"How do you activate Dust to cause an explosion?" Guts asked urgently, turning to Qrow.
"What are you talking about?" Qrow asked, confused. "Is this some kind of science lesson?"
"Just tell me!" Guts begged frantically, keeping a wary eye on the Grimm as it regained its footing.
Qrow sighed in frustration. "If it's powdered, then a simple spray will do. If it's crystallized, you need to break the container," he explained hurriedly.
"The crystal," Guts confirmed, his eyes narrowing.
Qrow rolled his eyes. "Yes, the crystal. Now, why do you need to know this?"
The Grimm let out a deafening roar as it charged toward the two of them. "Qrow, quick!" Guts shouted.
Qrow reacted without hesitation, digging into his pockets and pulling out a red dust crystal. He thrust it into Guts' hand before running towards the cabin. Guts clutched the crystal tightly, checking to ensure he had a firm grip. "Now run!" he yelled to Qrow.
Qrow didn't need any further encouragement. He sprinted towards the cabin as Guts charged straight toward the Grimm-apostle hybrid. 'God, I hope this works,' Guts thought, holding the crystal in his teeth until he needed it. 'Wait... shit, how do I trigger it without getting caught in the blast?!' he realized, his plan suddenly seeming flawed.
'Well, I'll have to wing it. Maybe I can shove it down its throat and cut it with my sword?' he thought, dodging a massive fist as it swung towards him.
While the Grimm was distracted by Guts, Qrow didn't stop running until he reached the safety of the cabin. He looked back, amazed to see that Guts was holding his own against the monstrous creature. He had thought Guts wouldn't be able to handle another job for at least a week, but it seemed that his "special powers" made him more durable than Qrow had realized.
Qrow felt like a tiny, insignificant, weak speck in the grand scheme. He couldn't shake the feeling that his sister, Raven, had been right all along.
He clenched his fists and tried to push those thoughts aside, recalling how Raven had constantly belittled and bullied him and his sister, Summer when they were young. She had seemed to grow out of her mean streak over the years or at least pretended to.
Summer had always been the one to keep Raven in check, and eventually, that led to Raven and Tai getting together.
But then Summer died, and everything fell apart. Qrow couldn't help but feel like he had let her down.
"Why am I thinking like this?" Qrow muttered to himself as he reached for his flask.
"It's because of him," a voice whispered in the back of his head. Qrow froze, his hand hovering over the flask. "Who?" he asked.
"Don't listen to him," another voice urged. "He's the one they call the Blackswordsman - Guts. He's dangerous and will only lead you to ruin."
Despite the warning, Qrow scoffed and turned back to Guts. "Sorry, but I don't listen to the voices in my head," he said confidently.
"What are you doing? No, wait, stop!" the first voice pleaded, trying to regain control.
Qrow gritted his teeth, and determination filled his eyes as he declared, "I'm not weak." His grip on his weapon, Halbringer, shook with determination.
As Guts threw himself under the arm of the Grimm, he was swiftly swatted by its tail and stumbled to the ground.
Guts quickly regained his footing and reached out his arm towards the Grimm, only to realize that he no longer had his arm cannon.
"I WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN!" Qrow yelled, activating his aura and channeling it into his feet as he charged toward the Grimm.
The Grimm turned, curious about the noise, just in time to see Qrow appear and deliver a powerful kick to its jaw. Qrow grabbed the Grimm's muzzle with his free hand and used the momentum to swing himself onto the creature's head.
"Qrow!" Guts called out, snatching a Dust crystal and tossing it toward Qrow.
Qrow transformed into a bird, using the extra height to his advantage as he dropped back down to earth, his gun pointed at the Grimm. He fired a shot, hitting the Grimm's nose and causing it to roar, its mouth opening wide.
Qrow took advantage of the opportunity, chucking the Dust crystal into the Grimm's mouth and firing again. The apostle's head was obliterated as they destroyed and killed the crystal.
Qrow landed gracefully, rolling as he stretched out his arm to catch his weapon as it fell back into his hand.
The apostle fell to the ground as Guts looked past its remains, scoffing. "Show off," he said.
Qrow stood up, a smirk on his face. "Oh, shut up, Mr. I'm going to stick my hand out and hope it dies," he teased, pulling Guts to his feet. "You okay?"
Guts smiled, his spirits lifted. "Just knocked the rust off me," he chirped.
As Qrow made his way back to the cabin, he let out an exasperated sigh. "Kids these days," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. The two men walked in silence until they reached the cabin, where Qrow started to ascend the stairs. "So?" Guts asked, looking up at him expectantly.
Qrow paused, turning to face his companion. "I told you I believed you," he replied, a serious look in his eyes. "But my boss will want to hear it from you himself. Pack your bags and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. I'm not sure when he'll want to meet, but we must be prepared to go at a moment's notice."
Without another word, Qrow headed off to make a phone call. Within an hour, the two men were on a boat heading towards Vale.
"What's the city like?" Guts asked, his excitement palpable.
"It's peaceful," Qrow replied, a troubled expression on his face. "But it can be suffocating at times. It's not always easy to breathe in such a crowded place."
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