RWBY: Lex Talionis - Male Reader x Harem (Complete)

Part 3

The sky was laid bare with a deep canvas of stars. The location was so remote it was hardly affected by light pollution of the cities.

But along with the hundreds of shining lights were even smaller ones, those that were smoldering red from a crackling flame.

The damaged moon was nowhere to be seen in the night sky; its glow was replaced with another, an orange hue and gave off a blistering heat if one was too close to its source.

Deep in the forests of Vale was an isolated village, independent and too far from the capital for official Hunter assistance.

It was only until it was too late did they send a distress beacon to the nearest available team.

Said team was accomplished, once students in the highly prestigious academy known as Beacon, and were now official Hunters of seven whole years.

True, a Hunter with so many years under their belt was a force to be reckoned with, but they can only take so much before needing to resupply and/or recharge their auras.

Y/N's team didn't have such a chance; their supplies were diminished, their aura teetered on being outright shattered along with their weapons.

The remote village they were set to defend was gone. Its outer walls were shattered, the homes within crumbled with roaring flames.

There was a couple dozen survivors, either all children, elderly or wounded were gathered in the outskirts of town. The rest had unfortunately perished. All that was fit for a fight were him and his leader, Gretchen.

Y/N panted with a slight wheeze. He grit his bloodstained teeth as he tightened a buckle that fastened a shield to his arm. Said shield was severely damaged with a growing crack on its hardened metal.

At that moment, he felt true despair. It crawled over his very being, threatening to leave him near his breaking point.

His mind flooded with his dear wife, her beautiful smile and soothing words were all he could think of. What the man thought was his final moments were only his own with his partner.

As ever strong and courageous, Gretchen looked back to him, turning her back to an onslaught of prowling Grimm.

She smiled in all of the surrounding darkness, to him and the innocent souls behind him.

"Gretchen?" Y/N uttered her name with confusion, thinking she had finally cracked; he growled in pain as he pushed one fractured leg in front of the other to take point and what could be his final stand.

The man stopped short as Gretchen laid a hand on his shoulder; she looked down to him with an apologetic expression; her hazel green eyes showed an undying conviction.

The Grimm watched the scene with beared teeth and deep snarls, seemingly enjoying the amount of emotions their prey gave off.

Y/N watched in a realized horror as she took his damaged sword from its sheath. Her actions told him enough. Along with her pleading eyes, he pieced it together. He couldn't say no, else they all die.

He shared one final moment with her as she gave his shoulder one last squeeze. One that was both comforting and assuring.

He fought through immense pain to turn around and run. He stayed behind the pack of civilians as a last resort, but to also see off his beloved friend.

While he sprinted as fast as he could through a thicket of trees, he turned back to get some semblance of hope, happiness, or closure, only to see Gretchen facing off against the hoard of Grimm alone.