"I think this story is reaching its conclusion," Blake rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Adam just needs to get to Vacuo, and it sounds like he's going to do that very quickly."

"Then he can prevent Operation Phoenix, whatever that is," Ruby nodded. She paused for a moment. "Who exactly was behind this conspiracy, again?"

"Wasn't it that councilman guy, Sleet, or whatever his name was?" Yang pointed out. "Strange how he's the one behind all this. He looked pretty frail, so Adam should have no problem dealing with him."

"Maybe he's got a trick up his sleeve," Weiss suggested. The lights began to dim. "We can talk about this later. Let's watch what happens next."

The episode began with Adam speeding through the vast tundra of Solitas on his HVB Rhino, snow blowing around him as dark clouds rolled in overhead. Despite the severe weather, however, the bull Faunus continued forward, reaching up to switch on his intercom.

"How are things on your side?" he asked.

"I am exiting Mantle as we speak," Pietro reported. "All is quiet."

"Good," Adam nodded. "I'll be at the launch site soon." He revved his hoverbike's engine, making it go even faster as he zoomed over the frozen ground, throwing up snow. He was forced to stop, however, when a pair of figures came into view. The bull Faunus narrowed his eyes. One of the beings before him was Blade Wolf, who was sitting on his hind haunches, studying Adam curiously with its artificial eyes. Next to him, currently scratching the mechanized Grimm between his ears, was Azure Fade.

"Oh, shoot, it's him," Nora gulped, eyes wide.

"He must be the 'roadblock,'" Ren realized.

"Are they going to fight?" Pyrrha whispered, her face pale. "Can Adam actually challenge him this time, or is that bear Faunus just going to brutalize him again?!"

"Adam," Blade Wolf greeted the bull Faunus, who scoffed.

"Having a little heart-to-heart?"

"I have analyzed his words and actions," the mechanized Grimm explained, turning to Azure. "I am unable to ascertain his motivation." The bear Faunus waved a clawed hand at Adam.

"Fancy meeting you here," he grinned.

"I should've known you'd be waiting for me," the bull Faunus growled. "I suppose I should thank you for not killing everyone at the launch site?"

"Not if you say it like that," Azure laughed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, Azure does seem to have a code of honor," Coco pointed out.

"However minimal it may be," Velvet admitted.

"For an assassin, you're not very good at your job," Adam commented.

"The war is the big payoff," Azure told him. The bull Faunus scoffed.

"Right. Big raises all around once the Atlas Titans get all those contracts..."

"I'm not talking about money, Adam," the bear Faunus shook his head. "I'm talking ideals."

"Excuse me?" Adam said flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Forget it," Azure sighed. "We've both heard enough speeches about higher causes by now. History will decide who's right. End of story." At this, the bull Faunus got up off his HVB Rhino, and headed off the side of the road into a large field filled with several large mounds of snow off to his left.

"I don't care who thinks I'm right," he growled, watching as the bear Faunus moved to follow him. "All that matters right now is you're in my way. And since I can't go around, I'll have just have to go through you."

"Heh, heh, heh, is that so?" Azure chuckled. "Well then, let's see just how strong you've become. Don't hold anything back. And do me a favor," he requested. "Pull your Grimm Trigger." Adam tilted his head, confused.

"My what?"

"Your Grimm Trigger," the bear Faunus restated. "That terrifying form you used to defeat Rust? Use it against me. I wish to fight you at your strongest." The bull Faunus considered this for a few moments.

"Very well," he decided finally. Adam closed his eyes and concentrated. His brand began to smoke, before a masquerade mask slid shut over the left side of his face. His skin darkened to a pitch black color, while his horns became stark white, before shifting to curve out in front of him, while his red hair became long and shaggy. As his fingers and toes grew long, curving claws, the bull Faunus opened his mouth to showcase his maw full of sharp teeth, which quickly curled into a menacing smile. "Now I'm motivated!" he sneered.

"Grimm Trigger..." Emerald put a finger on her lip. "That's kind of catchy, actually."

"I like it," Mercury grinned, nodding his head. "It's a fitting name for that awesome form."

"Take him down, Adam," Cinder whispered, unconsciously clasping her hands. She had a feeling this battle was going to be difficult.

"Must you really fight?" Blade Wolf asked, his voice melancholic as he watched the two Faunus warily.

"Don't interfere," Adam told the mechanized Grimm, as the snow began to fall more heavily around them.

"This is between us," Azure agreed, reaching up to pull his sword from off his back.

"And it ends here," Adam finished, pushing Wilt slightly out of Blush with his thumb.

"Okay," Azure smirked, as a black mask slammed shut in front of his upper face, as he held his sword in front of him. "Let's DANCE!"

"Here we go," Adam whispered. His newly-christened Grimm Trigger would give him a major boost in strength and speed, but Azure was no pushover. This was going to be his deadliest battle yet.

Azure immediately lunged forward, his icy blue sword raised over his head into a downward swing that Adam barely managed to block. The two Faunus then began to rapidly stab and slash at each, the sound of metal filling the air. Finally, Azure smirked, then rolled behind Adam to swipe his sword across the bull Faunus's back, which was rewarded flash of red Aura. Hissing in pain, Adam spun around to stab at his attacker, only to watch as the bear Faunus leaped over him. Azure landed and attacked again, knocking aside the bull Faunus's desperate blocks to swipe a clawed hand across his face, causing Adam's Aura to flash a second time.

"Are you kidding me?" Sun demanded, staring at the screen in shock. "Adam's turned into a Grimm, and Azure's STILL manhandling him!"

Azure backflipped away, then twirled his weapon in his hand. The bear Faunus swung his sword in large arcs, sending curving blades of ice hurtling towards Adam, who shattered the projectiles with Wilt. Before the last shards of ice had even landed, however, Azure was upon him again, his blue sword plunging into the bull Faunus's stomach, before he rapidly sliced Adam across the chest.

"Far too easy," the bear Faunus sneered, knocking Adam to the ground with a roundhouse kick. "Amateur!"

"This is ridiculous!" Ghira growled, his eyes wide. "Adam can't even touch this man!"

"How is Adam supposed to defeat him?!" Kali cried, scared for the bull Faunus's life.

Adam groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, watching the snow fall around Azure as the bear Faunus strolled towards him.

"Pathetic," Azure spat. "You have the power of a Grimm, but you still can't even touch me? Then I'll just end you right here and now!" He stabbed his sword down towards the bull Faunus's neck. At the last second, however, Adam knocked the blade away with his wrist, then shoved Blush into the bear Faunus's waist, firing off a shot. Eyes widening, Azure coughed in pain, as his blue Aura flashed, then received a gauntlet to his face. The force of the blow was enough to send him spiraling away from the bull Faunus, landing on his back with a puff of snow.

"Hey, he got him!" Tai cheered.

"Don't get so cocky!" Adam snarled, holding Wilt out in front of him, his hands now enveloped in Thorns. "You may be strong, but I'm not the same scum you fought on that train a month ago!" He pointed his red blade at the bear Faunus. "Ready to try again?" Azure leapt back up onto his feet, shook his head, then stared at the bull Faunus intently, before he grinned.

"That's the spirit, Adam!" he laughed, charging forwards. He and Adam met in the middle, and soon the two Faunus were trading sword strikes a second time, the wind screaming as it blew snow around them.

"Well, looks like those two are fighting on more equal terms, now," Qrow smirked.

"Yes, but will that be enough to defeat Azure?" Winter wondered, her face visibly worried.

Finally, Adam and Azure locked swords, bringing the two masked Faunus face to face.

"Color me impressed," Azure chuckled, staring into his opponent's yellow eyes, "Your skill with that red blade of yours really shows. You're like a living blender!"

"So are you," Adam admitted, "But let's see how you fare without that little toy of yours!" The bear Faunus stiffened, just before he felt his sword torn from his grip. As the icy blue blade spun away from them, the bull Faunus drove his foot into Azure's stomach, sending him skidding backwards over the snow. The blue-haired swordsman quickly crouched, using his metal claws to stop himself, before standing up, his arms spread at his sides, and a large grin on his face.

"Show me a good time, Adam!" the bear Faunus sneered, before rushing forward. He drove both of his hands down towards Adam's head, his metallic claws letting out an ominous hiss as the rushed through the air. The bull Faunus leapt away from the attack, then blocked a follow up kick with Wilt, watching as sparks leapt from where Azure's claws scraped against his blade. Adam quickly leapt over a sweep kick, then rolled aside as the bear Faunus drove his foot into the ground, a large burst of snow leaping up around where his heel impacted.

"Even without his sword, he's still a match for Adam!" Whitley shook his head in disbelief.

"All of the Shades of Death have been powerful, but Azure seems to be the strongest of them," Willow grimaced, nervous.

Adam dodged a sideways swipe from Azure, then leaped into the air, plunging Wilt down towards the bear Faunus's chest. At the last second, Azure stepped out of the way, and grabbed the bull Faunus by the neck as he flew past. The bear Faunus hurled Adam to the ground, then sent him rolling away with a kick to the ribs.

"Saw that one coming!" Azure sneered, dropping to all fours to charge after his opponent. The bear Faunus leapt into a tackle, which Adam managed to duck under, causing him to tumble into the snow instead. Seizing his chance, the bull Faunus charged Azure, swinging his sword down towards the bear Faunus's chest. Azure caught the red blade in his hands, and the two Faunus growled as they struggled over Adam's weapon. Finally, the bull Faunus drove his sword down forcefully, causing Wilt to drag across Azure's chest, the bear Faunus's Aura flashing heavily.

"Come on, Adam! Keep it up!" Yang called.

"Take him down, I know you can!" Ruby cheered.

"Humans... cheering for me?" Adam mused, a small smile on his face. "I never thought I'd see the day..."

Azure laughed as he backed away from Adam, making his way back to his sword. The bear Faunus took the icy blade's hilt in his clawed hand, prying it out of the ground it had embedded itself in.

"Now this is a fight!" he grinned, before charging towards the bull Faunus. Adam watched him approach, then slid backwards, his hair lighting up before unleashing a wave of red energy, which was quickly rendered inert by Azure's sword. "Sorry, pal, that trick doesn't work on me, remember?" the bear Faunus smirked, before he and Adam began to clash a third time.

"I'm aware," the bull Faunus grumbled, blocking a few stabs at his stomach, before ducking under a claw swipe. "Just testing to see if your Semblance really is what I think it is."

"Oh?" Azure smiled, spinning away from an overhead strike from Adam, countering with a thrust kick that tagged the bull Faunus's thigh. "And what do you think it is?"

"You can expertly block projectiles, no matter what they are!"

"That would actually be a fairly powerful Semblance," Ironwood admitted. "It would force opponents to get up close and personal to defeat Azure, but he's a master swordsman."

"Ha! That's a fairly crude description," the bear Faunus grunted, taking a blow to the stomach from Adam's gauntlets so that he could drive his icy blue sword across the bull Faunus's neck, causing. "Accurate, though," he admitted. "So what are you going to do about it?" In reply, Adam sheathed his sword, and closed his eye, a large red circle extending around him. Eyes widening, Azure leapt forward to attack him, hurling a few ice projectiles from his sword that shattered against his opponent's shadowy body, but the bull Faunus became a blur, and suddenly, the bear Faunus was thrown about as a series of invisible strikes assailed him, causing him to land in the snow, his Aura convulsing, before it shattered. Azure managed to push himself into a kneeling position, looking up to see Adam looming over him. Growling, the bear Faunus pushed himself up into a stab, which grazed his opponent's cheek as it was knocked aside.

"Playtime's over," the bull Faunus stated flatly. With one mighty thrust of his own, Wilt plunged through Azure's chest and out his back, causing him to freeze in place as he coughed up blood. He stumbled back, looking down at his wound, and then he smiled.

"Thanks for the fight." Azure turned his icy blade upside down, and drove it into the snow a second time, before backing away, until he disappeared into the heavy falling snow.

"He's gone..." Blade Wolf determined, sadness evident in his voice.

"Wait, it's over already?" Ms. Goodwitch tilted her head.

"That was surprisingly short," Penny nodded.

"I suppose Adam's Grimm Trigger was too much for Azure," Ozpin suggested. "The bear Faunus's arrogance turned out to be his undoing."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief, then reverted back to his Faunus form. The instant he did so, his Aura flickered, then shattered like glass.

"Holy..." Nora's eye's grew impossibly wide.

"No way..." Pyrrha gasped.

"Azure drained his Aura that fast?" Ren shook his head in disbelief. "He's more powerful than I even imagined."

"That was a close one," the bull Faunus panted. "One more hit, and he would've finished me. He didn't even have cybernetics to back him up..."

"Wait, Azure almost kills Adam twice, and he's not even a cyborg?!" Blake demanded, her ears rigid.

"Well, from the way he was dressed, it was fairly evident he was an ordinary human," Weiss pointed out, though her face was abnormally green. "It still makes me queasy thinking about just how strong that would make him, though..."

"Was this outcome necessary?" Blade Wolf lamented, his ears flattening against his head. "Evidence: Inconclusive."

"I guess even artificial intelligence doesn't know everything," Adam mused, staring at the mechanized Grimm intently.

"It is likely no single correct answer exists," Blade Wolf suggested. "Additionally, human conflict stems from opposing ideals and societal norms. I was not programmed with these guidelines."

"You're better off figuring those off for yourself," the bull Faunus assured him. Shaking his head, Adam approached Azure's sword, pulling it free from the ground. The instant he did so, however, the blade lost its icy blue glow, and the blade folded up into the hilt. "Must be ID-locked," the bull Faunus realized, dropping the weapon into the snow.

"Frostbite." At the mechanized Grimm's words, Adam looked up as Blade Wolf approached, sniffing the folded-up sword. "It's design suggests that it was created to serve in the Great War. The Dust-Infusion appears to be a more recent addition. Azure told me that he inherited the sword from his father, likely making it a family heirloom." The bull Faunus lowered his head.

"He's like Mr. Arc, in that regard," he whispered. Adam watched as the mechanized Grimm picked the compact weapon up with his teeth. "What are you doing with that?" he asked.

"I will never see Azure again," Blade Wolf sighed. "I will keep Frostbite in memory of him." The bull Faunus nodded respectfully.

"Adam, you have little over an hour! Hurry!" Sienna's voice called.

"Roger that." Adam leapt back onto his HVB Rhino, and began to speed off into the distance, Blade Wolf following behind him.

The audience was quiet. Seeing Adam and Blade Wolf's respect for Azure made it hard to celebrate the bear Faunus's defeat. In fact, his mannerisms, coupled with his sense of honor, made Adam's triumph over him feel even more melancholic. So lost were the spectators in their thoughts, that almost nobody witnessed the actual end to the episode.

Azure Fade was slowly making his way through . His blue shirt had been discarded, and his jacket had been tied around his muscular chest to stop his wound from bleeding. As the city of Mantle came into view, he turned to look behind him, showcasing his back and shoulder blades, the left of which was covered with a familiar brand: SDC.

"Maybe... just maybe..." the bear Faunus mused, a clawed hand on his chin. Shaking his head, he smiled, and continued to make his way back to Mantle. "He'll be the reclaimed of our name," Azure finished his thought. The episode ended.