The storm shrieked over Arubi Island, waves hammering the black cliffs below as lightning shredded the clouds to pieces. Tenka's knuckles were still white from gripping her blade, adrenaline coursing like venom through her veins. She stared up into the maelstrom where The Hound's silhouette twisted against the lightning, its monstrous wings beating the air, carrying Mukuro away like some cruel trophy.
Her spirit's cry — torn and desperate — was already fading into the roar of the gale.
The keyblade lay between Tenka and Kurumi, embedded in the waterlogged earth. Its hilt gleamed faintly, the only still point in the chaos around them.
Tenka's voice cut through the wind, raw with disbelief. "It isn't over! It can fucking fly!"
Kurumi stood there, her hair plastered to her cheeks, her breathing uneven. She bit her lip until it bled, eyes locked on the vanishing speck of Mukuro and The Hound. Rain streaked down her face, but she barely noticed. Scarlet was supposed to have been the only Grimm hybrid with wings, the only terror that owned the skies — but this. This was something else.
"How did I not see this?" she murmured to herself, voice shaking more from anger at her own lapse than from fear. "Of course Salem would have another hybrid Grimm. She always has another monster hidden in the dark."
Kurumi's curled fingers dug into her palms until she felt warm blood mixing with the rain.
Tenka's glare stabbed into her like steel. She stormed forward, eyes blazing. Without warning, she drove a fist into Kurumi's gut.
Kurumi choked out a gasp, doubling over, the wind knocked clean from her.
"You could've told us this little detail!" Tenka shouted, her fury tearing through the gale. "But no. You 'forgot.' And because of that—" She gestured wildly toward the sky, toward the place where Mukuro had vanished into the clouds. "—that thing has her. And God knows where it's taking her!"
Kurumi struggled back to her feet, coughing as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I... I didn't know," she rasped. "How would I? I was in Salem's prison for months. Do you have any idea what that does to your mind? Your memories twist, fragment. You see everything through the bars. I didn't have the luxury of keeping every detail sharp."
Tenka snorted, turning sharply on her heel. "Excuses don't change the fact that Mukuro's gone." She bent to snatch up the keyblade, feeling its unnatural weight in her grip. "And now we're going to have to track her through a storm in a place crawling with Salem's pets."
The ground between them trembled faintly—whether from the thunder or from Tenka's rage, Kurumi couldn't say.
~~~
Far beneath Tengu City, the shelter under Raizen High was a cocoon of tense stillness. Dim lights flickered, throwing shadows over concrete walls. Shido paced near the entrance to the main chamber, his expression tight, while Kotori checked a worn map over and over, as if expecting it to tell her something new.
Marigold clung to Natsumi — still in her ferret form — with both arms, the young girl's wide eyes fixed on the ceiling as though she could hear the thunder rumbling miles above.
Yoshino whispered to Yoshinon under her breath, the puppet's glass eye unblinking. Kaguya and Yuzuru stood like silent statues against the far wall, watching Reine as she flipped through a series of data sheets.
"We're blind." Mana murmured leaning against the other side of the wall. "We need to know if Tohka and or Mukuro are out there with Kurumi. But we can't contact anyone, not knowing if they're dead or alive."
In the far corner, Miku hummed softly to herself, the sound barely audible but carrying an edge of unease. And Nia....well Nia had her eyes closed, focusing on her own tasks as if she was trying to figure out who would be next to be snatched up, not by a Grimm. But White Queen's tear in space and time.
Reine adjusted her glasses as she continued flipping through a series of data sheets, she was silent. Everyone was silent, no one wanted to answer or speak up to what Mana said.
Orgami sat crossed legged on the floor, head head leaned against the wall. She didn't say anything but also didn't make the attempt to move, everyone was doing what they could, to keep their mind off of things and plan what to do next.
Then Shido spoke. "These Grimm, they may be mindless creatures, but something tells me they know how to adapt.."
Miku let out a bitter and dry laugh. "Adapting? I highly doubt that, they're only listening to whatever orders are given to them by Salem."
"No, Shido's right." Kotori muttered. "Think about it, look at it from this point of view and perspective. If we all were in the world of Remnant, we would be facing challenges, the Grimm learn and adapt to their surroundings and who they hunt."
"Just like the classes Scarlet taught, the history on Grimm for those here who aren't aware of how they tick." Kaguya spoke up. "Yeah sure, some of us may or may not be alive. But we've managed to hold our own for God knows how long."
Miku crossed her arms and looked down at the floor. Then something over the flickering screen of the monitor appeared, it was Morse code....an SOS. Jumping to her feet, Origami rushed over to the monitor and plopped her bottom down into the chair. "We have an SOS."
"Where?" Mana asked. "Where is it coming from?"
Origami looked at the screen, her mind racing. She was fully focused. "It's coming from Tengu Tower."
"The tower?" Kotori mumbled and rubbed her chin. "It could be survivors...but wh-" She paused, she smirked as she crunched on the cherry flavored sucker off the lollipop stick. "It's the Vice Commander."
"You mean it's....but how? Kyouhei went down with the ship. Fraxinus plummeted into the ocean." Natsumi spoke, as she was still in her ferret form.
"Don't underestimate what he can and can't do." Reine spoke. "What else does it say?"
Origami continued to read the Morse code message. "Everyone who was onboard the Fraxinus either survived or drowned with the ship." She turned her gaze over to the group. "He says that Ai, Mai and Mii are with them as well."
Shido let out a shuddering sigh of relief. "Good, ask him if any of them saw Tohka or Mukuro?"
Origami nodded lightly as she turned her attention back to the monitor and began typing in Morse code, it didn't take long for Kyouhei to send a code back. Origami turned her head to look at Shido. "No, no one has."
Shido felt his heart drop, he took a deep breath. Kotori glanced at Shido and smacked him against the back of his head. "Don't act like that, Tohka isn't dead. The same can be said for Mukuro. You have to give those two credit, you moron."
Shido winched but rubbed his head, Kotori was right. Tohka was tough. "Right...but with no one knowing their whereabouts...."
"I have faith that granny Muku and Ms. Tohka are alive and well." Marigold spoke, her voice slightly muffed as her face was nuzzled into Natsumi's fur. "I know those two can save mama..."
~~~
Back on Arubi Island's wind-scoured cliffs, Tenka stood with her blade in hand, facing the roaring sea. Kurumi moved beside her, one hand pressed to her stomach. The rain drenched them both, though neither seemed to notice anymore.
The island felt wrong tonight — heavier, as though the storm was more than weather. Somewhere behind them, in the jagged fortress that crowned the western cliffs, Salem's forces stirred, but Tenka's instincts screamed that The Hound was not retreating to its master.
"No one's this reckless unless they're following orders." Tenka muttered, eyes narrowing against the wind. "If this was about killing us, it could've dropped Mukuro into the waves. Instead… it's taking her."
Kurumi's chest tightened. "Salem doesn't waste resources. If Mukuro's alive, she's being taken somewhere she can be… used."
Lightning tore the sky open — for a heartbeat, they saw The Hound's form in the distant clouds. And further… a faint cluster of lights, impossibly far on the horizon. It wasn't a ship.
Tenka didn't say anything, but her grip on her blade tightened. "We need to tail it, find out what it's going to do with Mukuro."
Little did they know, the exact area The Hound was taking Mukuro too, was a Grimm wasteland, another part of Arubi Island that was blocked off. There waiting was Salem, or rather her hologram via the Seer Grimm. This part of Arubi Island was not only blocked off, but the raging storm and the crashing waves caused that part of the island to be separated from the main part. Which eventually made it its own island.
Hours later, The Hound's wings beat slower as it descended toward the Grimm wasteland, the Grimm pools bubbled like black hot ink this island was indeed far removed from Arubi Island. Jagged stone jutted from the sea, a cluster of ancient ruins clinging to it like barnacles. Torches burned in the high arches — the only warmth against the howling wind.
Mukuro stirred weakly in its grip, eyes fluttering open just enough to see the towering gates below. Beyond them, shadow moved — slow, deliberate, and vast.
The gates creaked open. A shape lingered there, humanoid but impossibly tall, its eyes glowing faintly red.
The Hound dropped to a crouch, releasing Mukuro none too gently onto the wet stone. She groaned, trying to push herself up — but those glowing eyes locked on her, and every muscle in her body went rigid. "Welcome little spirit....welcome to your final....destination."
Mukuro knew that voice, a shiver went down her spine. It was Salem, Salem was glaring down at her. Her crimson red eyes glowing, she was there but also at the same time she wasn't. "What do you want with Mukuro?"
Salem chuckled darkly. "What I want with you...is something that will turn the tides of this war to my favor."
Mukuro was confused, but The Hound yanked her up in its jaws. Mukuro yelped as she punched and kicked. The Hound growled deeply as it approached a bubbling Grimm pool, Mukuro's eyes went wide. "No, you can't do this to Muku!"
"I can, and I will." Salem spoke in a cold tone. "You see, this plan was originally going to be for Kurumi. However, it seems you will make for a better....replacement..."
Time seemed to slow down, Mukuro's breath hitched in her throat as The Hound loosened its jaws. Dropping Mukuro into the bubbling black liquid. Mukuro tried to grab onto The Hound, but Grimm arms rose up from the bubbling liquid, grabbing onto Mukuro...then with a splash. Mukuro was pulled under.
Back with Tenka and Kurumi, Mukuro's key blade suddenly cracked. The sound drawing both of their attentions, Kurumi looked at the key blade seeing the crack that had suddenly appeared. A ghost of a chill kissed against her neck, sending goosebumps through her body.
"What the hell just happened?" Tenka asked looking at the cracked key blade. "What the fuck just happened?!" She threw herself at Kurumi, gripping onto her tight. "Huh?! Answer me Nightmare! What the fuck just happened to Mukuro's key blade!"
Kurumi swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. "I-I don't know...." She stuttered and stammered over her words. "But, I got a sick feeling all of a sudden."
Tenka was confused, but inside her. Tohka had felt that same ghostly chill, Tohka knew what Kurumi was talking about, but Tenka didn't seem to understand. This ghostly chill was felt not just by them, but by Shido and the others under Raizen High. Marigold's heart ached, her eyes began to water up, no one noticed at first. But someone, or rather some people took notice. Natsumi, Yoshino and Kotori.
With a shaky breath. Marigold started crying. "....G-Granny Muku....s-she...." She cried loudly as she buried her face into Natsumi's fur. "Granny Muku...why?"