Prologue

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Weiss’s eyes did not open to the familiar bed frame hanging over her head she was expecting, but instead they opened to flickering neon lights and a starless sky. Screams echoed in the distance, accompanied by maddened laughter and the staccato of gunfire. As she laid there in the cold hard ground, she wondered where she was; only for her thoughts to be cut short as she soon heard the shouting getting closer to where she was. Immediately, she bolted upright as she took stock of her situation.

No longer was she in the safety of her room, but in a dirty alley of a city. Thankfully, she was not in just her pajamas as she found herself clothed in her uniform. As she looked around, she’d also find her sword, Myrtenaster, just laying around beside her. How she got dressed and why her weapon was out of its locker she did not know, but the muzzle flashes of small arms quickly reminded her of the possible danger she might be in.

Grabbing her sword, she made a dash for the street up ahead; hoping to find a police officer or even a civilian. What she’d find on the other end both stole her breath away and made her gawk in horror. There, in front of her, was a city in the midst of chaos where the rules of society had broken down.

There was no rhyme and reason to what she saw, just pure and senseless violence as random civilians fought desperately against those who sought to steal and murder. Buildings were broken into while cars burnt on the street, illuminating the unlit buildings around her. The world had gone mad and Weiss was stuck in the middle of it.

She took a step back, her heart dropping as she found herself waking to a nightmare. “Where… Where am I?” She asked, aghast at what she saw as she stood there helpless while people gunned each other down.

As an explosion rocked the building beside her, she ran. She kept running, her stomach roiling at the sight of all the bodies in the street as she tried to find a way out of this city, trying to free herself of this nightmare, but trouble would soon find her as she stumbled upon a pack of armed hoodlums surrounding a beaten and bloodied girl who's back was up against a corner. She did not know if it was just the lighting, but she swore the girl's skin was stark white.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A pretty little angel all in her lonesome,” a voice called out, making her turn to the speaker. She immediately recoiled back in horror as a man with eight baleful red eyes more fitting for a spider stared back at her.

These brutes were heavily armed but they held simple firearms, but their disconcerting shakes and crazed look had her on edge. Her skin crawled as she gazed upon them as deep inside, she knew that standing before her were not men but machines, robots in the guise of men as flesh was stretched over their twisted form. That was all they could ever be for how could someone mutilate their form to such a grotesque degree?

“Don’t be a hero, run!” The young woman shouted before wincing as she clutched her side, her fingers stained crimson. Weiss felt her blood boil as she leveled her rapier at these thugs.

“Step away from the girl, now!” She growled out in warning, refusing to back away. How could she, a huntress in training and a scion of the Schnee family, back away when there was a person in danger. They may not be the grimm she trained to fight, but they as well have been with their actions.

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“Oh? What’s this? Do you not have any cyberware?” The man then said as he stalked forward, arms open wide even as fresh blood dripped from the claws of his right hand. “Why don’t I help you with that? Don’t worry, it’ll be free of charge,~” The man offered in a slimy, disgusting, and perverted tone. She sneered as the man licked his lips as she felt his gaze all over her body.

Again, she made her stand, giving them plenty of warning, “Stand back, I’m warning you. I will be forced to employ deadly force if you continue!” She shouted as her eyes scanned the group before her. One against six, with one particularly concerning case of a man that significantly outmassed her and stood taller than an adult Beowolf. Troublesome, but she could deal with it.

She crouched low, her sword aimed at the man’s heart as she made a small glyph beneath her feet, “Fucking hell, run you stupid bitch! You don’t even have a gun!” The girl shouted, but she wouldn’t be so easily deterred.

“Don’t worry miss, this won’t take too long,” She replied with a small smirk, making the man in front of her scowl.

“Princess, I’m not sure you know just how fucked you are,” The man replied as he reached down to his belt and pulled out a sawed off shotgun before aiming it right at her. It seemed that diplomacy had broken down as his comrades pulled out their weapons as well.

“I can say the same,” In the blink of an eye, the tip of her sword would find itself buried in the man's hand, where she’d find naught but metal and wires. She struck once more, delivering quick strikes at the man's shoulder, where her blade bit into flesh.

They had no aura, she noted, rolling to her side as they rained gunfire at her position. Pushing off another glyph, she zipped around the field; her weapon finding its mark as their guns were rendered into scrap and their arms made useless as she stabbed to disable them. As she made her way to the last man standing, the brute, she was taken aback at how fast the mountain of a man moved. However, she was far unprepared.

The mechanism in her blade twisted as it took a white sheen before she stabbed her sword into the ground. As the man was about to take a swipe at her, he found his body encased in ice, unable to even move an inch. She flicked her hair as she sauntered away from the groaning goons and stood before the wide eyed girl.

Reaching out, she smiled as she asked, “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah,” The girl answered as she grabbed hold. Pulling the girl up, she slung her arms over her shoulder as she steadied her.

“Let’s get out of here before any more of them appear,” She said as she looked around, “Do you know where the nearest hospital is?”

“Just take me to my apartment. It’s nearby, my brother can take care of me,” The girl replied with a pained wince and Weiss was about to protest when the girl insisted, “Please.” Considering the state of the city, it might indeed have been best to just find some place safe.

“Alright,” Her wounds might have looked gruesome, but it was survivable with field medicine. She just hoped the woman's brother knew what he's doing.