We are introduced to Salem, her subordinates, and the eerie landscape in which she lives - a landscape that spawns new Grimm from pools of black ooze. Meanwhile, Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Ren are travelling through Anima by foot, fighting monsters and debating their team name as they go.

Blake travels to Menagerie on a ship, which falls under the attack of a Grimm. She defeats it with the help of Sun, who secretly followed her after Beacon was destroyed. He offers her assistance in investigating the White Fang, but Blake, however, wants to return home to rest. In Patch, Yang is given a bionic arm from Ironwood, but she is hesitant to try it on, still suffering from her memories of Adam.

Cinder trains and Tyrian loses control. Weiss attempts an escape, Blake resolves to reclaim what is hers, and Ren sees a nightmare from the past.

While Jaune moves Qrow to safety, Ren begins fighting the Nuckelavee recklessly until Nora calms him down. Team RNJR then comes up with a coordinated strategy and Ren successfully executes the Grimm. Two patrolling military airships from Mistral arrive and they take Team RNJR to Mistral. Ruby and her group plan to visit Professor Lionheart at Haven Academy once Qrow's injuries are fully healed. Unbeknownst to them, he is working for Watts. In a post-credits scene, Oscar approaches Qrow in a bar and identifies himself as Ozpin. Qrow returns his cane.

Team RNJR find the aftermath of a massacre. Weiss is cornered by her father, and Ruby discovers a sad truth.

Ozpin's soul merges with a young farmboy, Oscar Pine, whom he tries to communicate to. In Patch, Yang confides her reluctance in confronting her fears in Taiyang, as well as Port and Oobleck, who are visiting. Gaining resolve to fight, Yang attaches her arm and begins to train with Taiyang. At the nearby tavern, Qrow meets his twin sister, Raven, now the leader of the bandit tribe that raised her and Qrow. The two end up criticizing each other for abandoning their families, and Raven leaves.

Blake and Sun arrive in Kuo Kuana, the main city of Menagerie. Two representatives of the White Fang, Corsac and Fennec Albain, visit the Belladonnas, and when confronted about the White Fang's role in the Fall of Beacon, the Albains state that a splinter group under Adam's lead is responsible. After their visit, Corsac and Fennec agree to inform Adam of Blake's homecoming.

Weiss performs at the charity concert but remains critical of all the attendees and guests for their shallow and dismissive behavior towards Beacon. At the after party, she is enraged upon hearing a woman mock the Fall of Beacon and inadvertently summons a Boarbatusk. In Mistral, Team RNJR comes across an abandoned town called Oniyuri. Before they can leave, Tyrian ambushes them and is revealed to be a scorpion Faunus. He easily defeats them but is stopped in time by Qrow.

Ozpin informs Oscar that their souls and Aura have merged and they can access each other's memories. While Oscar is reluctant to accept this, Ozpin urges him to go to Mistral to carry out an important task. In Atlas, Weiss is blamed for hurting the Schnees' reputation and, as a result, is confined her to her room and disinherited. In Oniyuri, despite Qrow's warnings to stay back, Ruby joins him in battle. Tyrian grazes him with his stinger. Ruby cuts off the stinger, forcing Tyrian to retreat.

At nightfall, Qrow explains to Team RNJR that they, as Hunstmen, have the duty to protect the four relics guarded by the Huntsmen academies. By the next morning, the poison from Tyrian's stinger has gotten worse, rendering Qrow immobile. Blake mends her relationship with Ghira, who comforts her about lashing out at him and staying in the White Fang. Sun accidentally interrupts them to warn Blake about a masked White Fang member in the market. The two notice a spy outside and give chase.

Yang and Weiss complete their training and prepare to leave for Mistral. Meanwhile, Blake and Sun discover that Blake's old acquaintance Ilia Amitola, is now a white Fang member. At the same time, Team RNJR are forced to choose between taking two paths. Ren and Nora decide to take the mountain path while Ruby and Jaune carry Qrow through Kuroyuri.

Ren and Nora's past is revealed through a flashback: years ago, Kuroyuri is attacked by Grimm, led by a Nuckelavee, and Ren's parents are killed. Ren's Semblance activates when he sees Nora in danger, which calms him down and hides their presence from the Grimm. In the present, Ren and Nora realize that the Nuckelavee is headed towards Ruby, Jaune, and Qrow.