We open to Ruby giving her mother's monument the run down of the past two seasons and after a few reveals and lampshading the naming choice of the writers, Ruby is off. It's the first day of the 40th annual Vytal Festival Tournament and its team RWBY vs. team ABRN. But while this battle occurs, there are shadows beginning to stir under the light of this event.

In which some tea is spilled.

What is your favorite fairy tale?

In which a choice must be made.

The first episode of the new volume kicks off with a splash as Teams RWBY and JNPR take over the hall for a food fight.

Ruby has been taken hostage by Torchwick and the White Fang, but just as team WBY rescues her, Torchwick sets his plan in motion. On the train, team RWBY splits up and does battle with various enemies, while trying to stop the train and prevent it from unloading more bombs.

In which plans and schedules are made.

Trapped between two huge Grimm, eight students split up into the nascent Teams RWBY and JNPR in a fight for survival.

Team RWBY takes on Roman Torchwick in an epic urban battle, but he has an ace up his sleeve... called Neo.

As darkness falls on Brunswick Farms and the snow continues to fall, Team RWBY's morale is at an all-time low. The only thing worse than being stranded, alone in the woods... is realizing you're not alone at all.

In which old friends reunite.

While everyone enjoys the school dance, Ruby and Jaune struggle to fit in. Ruby's problem is solved when she spots a villain that is up to no good while Jaune solves his by honouring a rather unorthodox promise he made.

The fight for Haven continues, but now it's time for our heroes to turn the tides, especially now that a long lost ally has returned with an army at her back.

The best laid plans...

While the rest of Team RWBY search for the missing Blake, Blake and Sun investigate the local White Fang activities.

Grimm are attacking Vale, and it's up to team RWBY and friends to defeat them.

Ruby talks relics with Ozpin and Qrow while Raven meets with Leo. Meanwhile, the attack on the Belladonna house is still going on. Blake and Ilia fight for their ideals.

This is it. Their chance to tell the world the truth. Will their message be heard?

The clock is ticking on Jaune, Ren, and Yang's rescue mission. The Ace-Ops hold the line against against Salem's forces.

While Team RWBY prepare for the school ball, Ruby worries about Blake's state of health. Yang, however, has a plan for dealing with Blake that she is certain will succeed.

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.

RNJR and Oscar train and discuss Semblances. Meanwhile, Yang confronts her mother while Weiss prepares her own escape.

Ruby Rose and her friends have been burdened with transporting the Relic of Knowledge safely to Atlas. There's countless miles of Grimm-covered countryside between the city of Mistral and the northern coastline of Anima. Fortunately, the Argus Limited can easily make the journey... so long as nothing goes wrong.

No matter how hard you may try to bury it, the past will always claw its way back to you.

Sometimes it's worth it all to risk the fall.