Chapter 6: I'll Give Them Something to Cheer
Krev looked on in disgust from the archway to the amphitheatre, watching as his associates practically beat each other to death to a soundtrack of students whooping, hollering and crying out for the battles to go on for longer. He was also filled with dreed and hatred, emotions triggered by and simply directed towards Remnant's corrupt society…
A world where children no older than seventeen loved violence and begged for more!
Ironwood's light, self-indulgent applause every time a fight ended also infuriated Krev and made him want to punch the General, hard, in the face.
It was so tempting, but he knew it wouldn't end well considering his chance of defeating Ironwood in battle, because Valery – who was now conscious after her fight – and his other associates would try to stop him. By trying to stop him, it would lead to a fight Krev did not want in case he … accidently-on-purpose killed one of them in a fit of pure, soul distorting rage.
Remaining silent as Amber essentially dragged an unconscious Orion back into the amphitheatre's 'safe zone' to a cheering crowd, Krev thought about the reasons why he participated in sparring matches. He hated the senseless violence other students loved so much, but he always allowed himself to unleash his might and almost kill his opponent every time. He never imposed any self-restraint and always fought with unadulterated wrath. Krev knew this had garnered him the nickname 'Blood Angel' and what his own associates said about him behind his back … he knew how scared his friends were every time he fought any of them, but there was a reason for his behaviour.
Krev sparred and fought like a so called 'Blood Angel' because he was practising, preparing himself for the day he would take that final step in battle once again and end another's life.
He had killed before to protect his tribe and would do so again to avenge it.
"Will the next pair please make their way to their starting positions," ordered an elegant and hesitant woman over the theatre's speakers, but Krev didn't move.
When he heard Ironwood mention sparring matches to Ozpin back in the headmaster's office, Krev only portrayed anger because he, his team and Team NOVA weren't told they would be fighting each other during their time at Beacon Academy. Sure his friends knew what was going to happen and what order they would be fighting in, but Krev still despised what was happening and was tempted to just stand still and refuse to fight.
"Come on," Ironwood said happily. "You're up!"
But the moment the General opened his mouth, Sapphire walked past the Blood Angel and slowly stepped into the amphitheatre, drawing his giant blade, Jekla, as he entered the sparring area.
The audience cheered his arrival in excitement for the next fight.
"Is something wrong, Krev?" the General asked.
The Blood Angel glanced over his shoulder and threw Ironwood the same dirty look he gave Ozpin earlier that day, telling the General never to speak to him.
"Well go on," Ironwood smiled, not paying attention to or, more likely, caring about Krev's expression. "Now's not a time to be shy."
He didn't want to step out into the amphitheatre and battle a friend for entertainment, but then he thought of an idea to test how much these students loved violence, to test how far these students would want him to go and to see if they were completely lost.
"I'll give them something to cheer," Krev breathed in a cold, menacing tone as he turned his gaze upon Sapphire and stepped forward.
Yang had tried multiple times during the pauses between each match to act like her usual self and make a few lame jokes, but these were just an attempt to hide how she really felt. She was also trying to hide how much her mind kept phasing out from the battles taking place right in front of her and thinking about the mystery woman.
Who was that woman? Was that person even a woman?! Yes, of course that was a woman, but who are they?! Why did they save me?!
"Damn it," Yang whispered angrily.
She was beginning to get really frustrated with her own obsessing.
"Are you okay?" asked Blake, leaning in enough for their shoulders to touch.
"Yes," she replied cheerfully. "I'm fine."
Blake looked unsure for a moment and gazed directly into her eyes, but the Faunus seemed to take Yang's answer at face value – or at least pretended to for the blonde's benefit – and leaned back to continue watching whatever was happening below.
Even though she would have loved nothing more than to speak with Blake about her own obsession, Yang was scared about what her partner would tell her about the White Fang. It was a stupid worry and she knew it, but a little while ago Yang had dragged Blake into an empty lecture theatre and revealed a part of her past, so she was scared Blake would repay the favour and tell her about the things she might have done as a member of the White Fang.
It was horrible group willing to infest Vale with Grimm, so she was terrified revelations about Blake's past would change the way she felt about the Faunus.
Suddenly almost everyone in the packed amphitheatre rose to their feet again and cheered as another of the General's students made an appearance, including Ruby.
"Whooooo!" her sister yelled. "Oh my god that sword is awesome!"
Yang watched as a tall boy in blue armour drew an eight foot long, silver-coloured broadsword from the sheath on his back. It was definitely impressive even though it probably didn't transform, looking pretty amazing with its blue edging. Ruby's reaction might have been a little too much though.
"Calm down, sis!" Yang shouted over the applauding/cheering crowd.
"I'm sorry," Ruby shouted back. "It's just I'm so looking forward to this!"
Apparently everyone was, including Team JNPR, except herself, Blake and Weiss.
"Look Yang! There's his opponent!" cried Ruby, pointing at the person who entered.
Yang cast her gaze back to the sparring area below and was met with the most wonderful sight. The boy, no, the man who emerged from the archway was beautiful. He was literally tall, dark and handsome, his perfect male form tantalisingly hidden, yet complimented by his outstanding jacket – one of the coolest jackets Yang had ever seen.
Whoever he was, he carried himself with passion and purpose, which Yang found very sexy.
Even though Yang felt her jaw drop open and her eyes widen as he stalked into the sparring area, she told herself not to get so … excited by a student she'd never met before, especially when it was the guy who didn't wish anyone good luck before the matches. But she couldn't help herself. Yang didn't know if it was just her, but she felt something flowing from him, something very familiar and intoxicating.
"Do you feel that?" said Blake.
"You feel it too?" Yang was curious to see if her partner was feeling the same way about the new guy, if Blake also found him attractive.
"Yeah," said a dumbfounded Ruby, which panicked Yang for a moment. "It's like … like…"
"His Aura," added Weiss, helping everyone identify the strange feeling and unintentionally calming Yang. "We can all sense his Aura? How is that even possible?"
"I don't know," Blake said, worried by the realisation. "But it's coming off him like a field."
The amphitheatre fell silent as those who were on their feet began to sit after sensing the same thing as Team RWBY a moment earlier, the sudden change in volume acting as the man's cue to pull back his crimson jacket and detach two hilts from his hips.
"Wait, where are the blades?" asked Ruby.
It was like he heard, because shards of metal extended from each dark green hilt and formed slender, curved blades. They were certainly an interesting design, for the tips were arched outwards ever so slightly, creating a small hook on the end of each blade.
"You were saying?" teased Yang as she leaned forward in her seat, her awe plastered all over her face.
The man held his swords by his sides as he approached his opponent, never stopping, not even taking up his starting position.
Wait! Why isn't he stopping?
"Mr. Melek, will you please take up your start position as the match has not yet begun," ordered Glynda's voice, but he ignored her.
The boy in blue armour halted near the other end of the amphitheatre when he heard her voice and began to turn around, but he wasn't fast enough. Yang watched as the mysterious man gave an evil sneer before rushing his opponent, closing the gap using an incredible Semblance.
Every time he mentally prepared himself for battle, his body radiated a field of Aura he could choose for others to sense. It was a part of his Semblance and testament to the fact he possessed an above average reserve of the mythic energy. These were similarities he shared with the knight standing several feet away, for they both possessed – for the lack of a better term – 'Sembli' which manipulated an 'Aura Resonance' in different ways.
These were abilities which somehow bound Krev and Sapphire, but there was a small difference; even though Sapphire also wielded the Semblance simply known as 'Resonance', his field was small in comparison to the Blood Angel's and Krev knew this was the reason why everyone in the amphitheatre had fallen silent and focused on him.
They could sense his Aura and they were confused, yet they were also intrigued.
Feeling all eyes upon him, Krev gave everyone an evil smirk to mock and assess the crowd.
There wasn't anyone worth noting on one side of the amphitheatre, but he recognised a few on the other. This included Pyrrha Nikos, the so called 'Invincible Girl', and Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.
He almost felt honoured to be in their presence, almost being the key word, because he ultimately hated them all the same. He did not care for their celebrity status or the love they received from the general populous, to him Nikos was a figurehead for the senseless violence ravaging Remnant's society whilst Schnee, well, the Schnee Dust Company was the perfect example of corruption.
No, in actuality the only person worth noting was the awe-struck blonde sitting near them.
Krev sighed inwardly knowing full well that her awe, her fascination with him was about to turn into fear…
Time seemed to slow down as the Aura Resonance behind Krev solidified, turning itself into blood-red crystals. The jagged objects seemed to extend from his back as they aligned themselves to form a pair of blade-like wings. The span of the wings was over twice the size of Krev himself, the total span an impressive fourteen feet from pointed tip to pointed tip.
The sight was strangely angelic, yet what came next was anything but.
It shouldn't have been possible due to the centimetre thin gaps between each of the hundreds of crystals, but Krev pumped his wings with enough force to rival a bird of prey, generating more than enough air to propel himself forward.
With his feet off the ground, Krev dashed towards his opponent silently, his thin blades – the aptly named Crimson Force – held near the ground to remain as streamlined as possible.
The Blood Angel was immediately going for the kill without Glynda's approval, but no-one reacted to his sudden action considering how shocked they were. It looked as if Sapphire was to be taken by surprise and suffer a major injury from Krev's upcoming attack, however; having heard the crowd fall silent, Goodwitch's voice telling Krev to stop and having felt Krev's resonance before its concealment, Sapphire was ready.
At the last moment Sapphire turned on the spot and swung Jekla, blocking Krev's strike. The Blood Angel wore a mask of silent fury as he and the Blue Knight pushed against each other's swords in an attempt to break the other's defence, but they appeared to be equally matched.
The 'grudge match' lasted a few more seconds, then Krev erupted, pushing forward with all his might to break Sapphire's stance before unleashing a barrage of sword and wing strikes. It was stunning to watch Krev's unique style; bladed wings and brutish swords attacking in a random sequence of shining blood and glistening steel.
Krev was fast and strong, for he landed countless hits and each one pushed Sapphire back, however; they weren't successful. The Blue Knight might not have been as good as Krev, but he was able to parry, counter and deflect every strike with his gigantic broadsword.
Sapphire was losing, but still doing well. He knew that if he could last long enough, then perhaps he could exploit an error in stance or strike placement on Krev's end, but the Blood Angel never faltered in combat and today was no exception.
Krev landed a hit on Jekla which caused Sapphire to stumble back. Taking the opportunity he had created, Krev slashed downwards with his right-hand blade and connected with his opponent's weapon, wrenching the sword from its owner's grip and driving the tip (which was almost a foot in width) into the ground.
With Sapphire disarmed, the Blood Angel twisted on the spot and struck his opponent with the momentum, but he didn't send the Blue Knight hurtling away nor did he hit Sapphire with Crimson Force. Instead Krev vertically struck his opponent with an elongated wing, slashing upwards from the Blue Knight's midsection to face, sending him skyward.
The crowd watched as the Blue Knight span through the air like a ragdoll, his arms and legs flailing erratically due to an uncontrolled take-off.
His opponent was vulnerable, so Krev spread his wings and flapped to give chase. It took a millisecond for the Blood Angel to align himself with the cartwheeling Sapphire, and when he did Krev unleashed another flurry of crystal wing/sword strikes, but this time they were unblocked.
If Sapphire hadn't possessed his Guardian, then he would have been cut into tiny bite size pieces.
Members of the audience, including Yang, glanced at Sapphire's Aura gauge and expected to find it declining rapidly, but surprisingly enough it had been depleted by only a few millimetres; still in the green.
Yang knew if that had been any of Team RWBY or JNPR under such an assault then their Aura would have been in the red a few dozen strikes ago…
These second year leaders are something else.
Krev turned in mid-air with a large degree of elegance, holding his blades close together as he brought them down for a final, augmented strike. You see, Krev had manipulated the Aura around and above his weapon, transforming the resonance into a solid, foot long crystal sword which bound the two parts of Crimson Force for a powerful hit.
The audience might have gasped, but the sound of a shattering blood-red crystal sword filled the amphitheatre as Krev's finisher struck Sapphire's chest.
The Blue Knight came crashing down like a meteor as the shards dissipated, his back aching from a sudden, almighty impact which split the ground in all directions.
Sapphire tried to move, but he was pinned to the floor by the broken stonework wedged against his body. All the Blue Knight could do was watch as his opponent came in for another attack.
With Sapphire vulnerable once more, Krev flapped his wings to dive-bomb. He was holding his blades to either side of his body, making him streamlined and consequently faster as he approached his target. For a moment everyone must have believed the Blood Angel was going to augment his strike again and bring down a massive hammer or something as equally as cruel, but instead he did something new…
Krev turned in mid-air so his feet were the body part pointed towards his opponent and everyone watched in awe as crystals formed beneath him to resemble a pointed shield, but judging by its thirty degree incline from the centre, it wasn't for defence – the coned shield was another strike!
Yang's theory was proven moments later when Krev's feet came crashing down on Sapphire's chest, the shield shattering on impact.
From her perspective it looked as if the battle was suddenly frozen in time, instantly resembling a painting. She found the sight of Krev – knees bent and vicious looking wings fanned out – surrounded by a plume of glistening shards breath taking.
Yang wished the display of power could have lasted forever, but as the saying goes…
All good things must come to an end.
Time returned to normal as Krev performed a backflip, launching himself off Sapphire as he spread his wings and caught the air.
Yang could feel her heart pound faster from excitement as Krev hung in the sky over his opponent like an angel of death – his opponent's reaper.
Wonder what he's –? was all her mind could conjure before, without a single movement from Krev, the crystal shards lingering in the air flew towards Sapphire as four streams.
He might have been dazed and his chest throbbed with pain, but Sapphire still felt the crystals wrap themselves tightly around his wrists and ankles, and he most certainly felt being wrenched from the floor, flying through the air and being slammed against a wall.
The Blue Knight hoped he would have slumped down to the ground after impact, but he felt his wrists and ankles were still bound and his back being painfully pressed against a stone wall.
Sapphire shook his head to clear his mind, allowing him to take in several details at once. He saw and heard the audience whooping, saw his Aura was still in the green and the small crater his impact had created, but the fourth thing he saw frightened him…
Krev fell to the ground thirty feet away from Sapphire in a stylised crouch, his wings spread wide and swords at the ready as he straightened his back. The Blood Angel needed to act fast while his opponent was disorientated, knowing all-too-well from experience his crystals could be negated by Sapphire's own Semblance.
With victory within his reach, Krev collapsed the blades of Crimson Force into the hilts and threw the hilt in his left hand into the one within his right hand. The moment the two halves made contact they interlocked and started to crawl up Krev's arm, their components merging and changing shape until they became one entity – a dark green cannon on the Blood Angel's right forearm.
Crimson Force's second combat mode (or 'form', whatever a person preferred) looked like a weapon sported by super-soldiers in science fiction. This was an observation which made Yang's jaw drop, but what really took her aback was what happened next.
Within a split second of the cannon being formed Krev pushed out his augmented limb, causing the weapon to fire a blood-red energy beam with a spread which equalled Krev's six foot five height.
The sounds of Crimson Force firing were music to a weapon lover's ears, the sounds akin to the sultry sighs and wild gasps emitted during passionate sex. Every time the technologically advanced weapon fired it would emit a loud thoom before its blast destroyed every particle in the air, causing the initial sound to mutate into that of a powerful, angry hurricane.
It was the sound of oblivion.
Even though the transformation and firing of Crimson Force had occurred over mere seconds, the events had transpired in slow motion from Sapphire's perspective, his adrenaline slowing the passage of time. Seeing his opponent in the process of unleashing a continuous crimson beam towards him spurred Sapphire into action – he needed to react. Therefore, the Blue Knight activated his Semblance.
Every time the Blue Knight mentally prepared himself for battle his body resonated Aura like Krev's, but there was a difference. Apart from possessing a subtle form of telepathy, he could also manipulate his Aura Resonance differently to his opponent. Instead of having Krev's capability to form blood-red crystals out of thin air and combine them to create a variety of objects, using at least one of his swords as a catalyst to do so, the leader of Team NOVA was able to transform his Resonance into something which resembled threads of pure energy … and without the need for a sword also.
By concentrating on his wrists and ankles, he formed intertwined, pulsating blue strands around the four target areas like bracelets beneath Krev's crystals, weakening their hold. With a little more effort and a grunt from Sapphire, he was able to break free of his opponent's grasp, the action simultaneously destroying his threads and the crystals.
After landing firmly on his feet a split second later, Sapphire charged forward as Krev was in the final moments of pushing out his arm. There was only one thing he could do to prolong the battle. Threads of converted Aura materialised in the Blue Knight's palms and were split apart a moment later into twelve smaller threads when he flicked his hands outwards. By performing this action twelve streams of tangled threads travelled around his body and latched themselves to the disks on his armour.
Sapphire halted several feet away from Krev as the beam started to leave Crimson Force and pushed out splayed hands, an action which caused the twelve sentries of Jern Swarm to detach from his torso and, subsequently, form a circle just above the Blue Knight and fire their own slender, navy-blue beams of energy on a single point.
The individual rays and the blood-red beam collided halfway between the two leaders, the energies nullifying each other due to their similarities.
The Atlas military had made leaps-and-bounds developing energy weapons, but no energy-based firearm was yet to be as advanced as Crimson Force. It was a unique weapon, or, at least, for a time until Krev allowed Amber to study the weapon and use anything she learned to further upgrade Burning Star. Krev also allowed the same technology to be reversed engineered by Amber for Ashley's Wolf's Bane and Sapphire's own Jern Swarm as they also wished to possess energy-based weapons. This meant four students had the technology before the Atlas military. As a result of this they had been asked several times to hand over their weapons for study, but each time they all refused.
Atlas already possessed too much military power, and Ironwood certainly didn't need any advanced weapon's tech to boost his ego.
Sure the General could have called upon his power as their headmaster or as a high ranking officer, or he could have asked for Valery's assistance in retrieving at least one of the armaments, but that would have led to a conflict no-one wanted.
The audience watched in expectation as a sphere of glowing blue-red energy expanded from the point where the beams met, growing to about ten feet in size before detonating and sending out a colossal wave which dissipated after several feet, but not before it struck the two leaders.
The force of the impact didn't effect Sapphire because he conjured a circular field comprised of threads at the last second to protect himself from the blast, but Krev on the other hand was unable to react in time and failed to summon a crystal shield, therefore, the wave struck his Guardian and he was sent spiralling through the air.
Krev knew without the need to look that his Aura was still well within the green despite the annoying hit, so he formed a new pair of bladed wings without the fear of running out of the mythic energy and fanned them out; the crystal wings somehow catching the air despite their continued fractured appearance, allowing Krev to stabilise himself mid-flight and gracefully land with the base of his shoes firmly on the ground several feet of Sapphire - speaking of which…
Sapphire formed a cluster of threads in each palm and pushed the air with his open left hand, the cluster turning into a wave of interweaved strands as the attack screamed towards Krev. The Blue Knight continuously repeated this process, alternating between hands as he fired wave after wave at his opponent.
The Blood Angel was not frightened by this sight, remaining calm and expressionless as ever during a fight, but he knew that if a single wave struck his body then he would be glowing a pleasant shade of blue and thrown around the amphitheatre.
Krev found it amazing how the moment a group of Sapphire's threads struck an opponent, the Blue Knight could, with a subtle flick of the wrist, coat said opponent with the strands of converted Aura and manipulate their physical form.
The best analogy was telekinesis, but with the added, and certainly literal flare.
Krev followed his opponent's example and manipulated the Aura surrounding his blades, coating the two halves of Crimson Force in crystals as he readied himself for the barrage. When the first of Sapphire's waves were within his reach, Krev slashed forward and cut it in two, causing the threads to disintegrate a millisecond later. Krev continued his slashing, never letting a single wave past his flurry.
The Blood Angel's defence was impenetrable as always, slightly frustrating Sapphire as he saw no immediate end to their match, however; the Blue Knight suddenly formed a risky plan.
Sapphire stopped his barrage and focused as he held his left hand by his side, channelling his Resonance, allowing it to build around his forearm and hand. He was patient and waited for the ideal opportunity to strike, which was a fraction of a second later when Krev destroyed the last of the relatively small waves. Seeing this, Sapphire pushed out and unleashed a wave of interweaved threads as large as his opponent. It was an impressive attack, but he knew Krev would negate the wave at any moment, therefore, he quickly surrounded his fingertips in converted Aura and splayed his hand, firing miniature streams which travelled through the air behind Sapphire and latched onto the twelve sentries of Jern Swarm which laid over the wounded ground, having been swept away by the shockwave of combined energy beams earlier.
Once the sentries were in his grasp, Sapphire pushed out once more with open hands, causing the disks to rush towards Krev.
The Blood Angel saw the last incoming wave and dispatched it with ease, but its dissipating halfs obscured his vision momentarily as they passed by either side of him. When his vision cleared, Krev looked around and saw Jern Swarm surrounding him, the twelve sentries in a dome formation.
So the last wave was a distraction. Clever. If Sapphire keeps this up he might actually defeat me one day.
The centre of each disk glowed navy-blue and fired upon their shared target.
It was an attack that should have destroyed a person's Guardian, even Krev's, but the leader of Team KAVS reacted quickly and transformed a large amount of his Resonance into a solid dome, shielding himself from the bombardment.
Sapphire's expression turned from victorious to that of pure terror in an instant as he watched a blood-red crystal dome being pelted by his secondary weapon. For a moment he thought he'd finally beaten the Blood Angel, but that ambition was shattered.
Oh well, thought Sapphire. Maybe next time.
Jern Swarm's safety protocols cut-in and stopped the weapon from firing. The moment this occurred Krev spread his arms out in a bellow of rage, an action which destroyed his protective dome and sent what seemed to be hundreds of shards into the air. They struck the twelve sentries and broke Sapphire's hold upon them, sending the devices hurtling away in all directions as the blood-red shards froze.
Sapphire, like the audience, watched this sceptical unfold before turning his attention back to Krev.
The Blood Angel stood with his arms spread out one moment, then pushed out closed fists – his fingers still wrapped around Crimson Force – the next, sending the army of shards towards the Blue Knight.
Sapphire would have created a proactive barrier like before, but he knew if he did that, then he wouldn't have possessed enough Aura to withstand Krev's final assault, therefore, he pushed out his right hand and fired a small wave of Aura towards Jekla, which was still buried into the ground several feet away.
When the wave struck a second later and wrapped itself around the hilt, Sapphire pulled his hand back, wrenching the broadsword's tip from the ground. The moment it was back between his fingers he moved it in front of him, almost hiding his entire body from view. Sapphire then rooted his feet and laid a hand against the sword, preparing himself and the weapon.
The shards collided with Jekla's surface and shattered on impact, disintegrating moment s later in mid-air. When the barrage had ceased Sapphire began to lower his broadsword and peaked around the metal – a decision he regretted.
Krev was already upon him, his blades poised and blood-red wings unfurled. This sight, combined with the fury in Krev's crimson eyes, startled Sapphire and caused him to swing his broadsword in a horizontal arc. It was a desperate attempt to bat his opponent away and he knew it, for Krev blocked the strike and the two entered another series of attacks, parries and blocks with Krev being the aggressor.
It was a re-enactment of the beginning of their match as Sapphire began to lose his footing and stumbled back with every hit. Krev was relentless, wearing down his opponent until an opening was created seconds later … an opening he swiftly took.
The moment Jekla ricocheted off one of his strikes, Krev unleashed a series of diagonal, vertical and horizontal attacks using only Crimson Force. Every hit he landed upon Sapphire's torso chipped away at his Guardian and subsequently his Aura reserve, however; the Blue Knight possessed a vast amount of Aura like Krev, so it took the Blood Angel an additional twenty strikes in addition to the rest of the battle to even drive his opponent's Aura down to even being halfway in the green.
Seeing his opponent's Aura level drop out of the corner of his eye, Krev made his next move. The Blood Angel quickly formed crystals around his blades, merging the two halves once more, but this time into a massive hammer. With his augmented weapon in play, Krev turned on the spot and brought the hammer down on the back of Sapphire's head, driving his opponent's face into the ground and shattering the crystal weapon. As the pieces disintegrated, Krev leapt over his downed opponent and slashed as his back with his swords and wings.
It was hard for Yang and a few others to watch, but it got even harder with what happened next…
Krev brought down and smashed his right-hand wing into the Blue Knight the instant he touched the ground by Sapphire's feet, the force of the impact shattering the crystal appendage. Then, without any hesitation, Krev span around Sapphire's unconscious form and performed an uppercut with his left-hand wing, slashing his opponent's waist.
The force of the second impact destroyed Krev's wing and sent the Blue Knight sparling up several feet into the air like a ragdoll for the second time during their match.
Oh God, thought Yang. Please just let him crash to the ground – don't keep hurting him.
But Krev didn't hear her plea…
With his opponent directly overhead, Krev slammed one half of Crimson Force into the other and punched the sky, releasing another blood-red energy beam from the weapon, however; this one seemed slimmer than the last, less likely to actually kill Sapphire on impact, but it still must have hurt when it struck the Blue Knight.
Sapphire emitted a horrific cry of pain as the centre of the beam struck his sternum and pushed him higher into the air, but he fell silent when the beam stopped moments later … remaining silent as he hurtled towards the ground.
There was no gasp, no wince, no shriek or scream as Sapphire crashed and merged with the floor, only the sound of metal colliding with stone.
The Blue Knight was defeated.
Silence filled the amphitheatre as everyone stared in complete shock at what had just happened or rapidly glanced between the Sapphire and Krev. Yang was one of the latter, her eyes darting between the defeated leader of Team NOVA and Krev – the most vicious fighter she had ever seen – standing there with his back to Sapphire, having not even bothered to watch as his opponent came crashing face-first to the ground.
The silence remained for a few more seconds, but it was suddenly broken by almost every student getting to their feet and yelling at the top of their lungs as they applauded, congratulating the victor and the display of raw power.
It appeared as if only Yang, Weiss and Blake chose not to enjoy the spectacle immediately, for they had all seen Krev's maliciousness in others before: Yang had seen it in people like Torchwick's umbrella-wielding goon and less within people like Junior; Weiss had seen it in her father; and Blake had seen it within Adam and many of the White Fang – even herself for a time. Ruby had seen it before as well, but she was still young and was swept along with the crowd, so she had joined in with the applause from the start, screaming things like: "Oh my God! Whooo! More! MORE! Whooo!"
But only after a moment's hesitation, the three older members of Team RWBY stood up and joined the rest of the first year student body, cheering like there was no tomorrow.
Krev's face became a mask of sadness the instant his ears were assaulted by the applause, by the cheers … and by the requests for more violence.
For a moment it really looked like he'd been able to shock the students and actually disgust them, but now…
But. Now. They. Were. Cheering! What the Hell was wrong with these people?! Did they just enjoy seeing him almost beat his friend to death?!
Slowly Krev collapsed one half of Crimson Force into its standby form and attached the hilt to his belt, taking the time to plan his next move. He had tried to make them realise their desires were wrong, that society was wrong through an indirect approach, but it had failed … so perhaps it was time for a direct one.
Krev glanced up at the holographic flags above him and observed that Sapphire's Aura was no longer in the green, but within the lowering half of the yellow, meaning the match wasn't actually over. He smirked to himself, picturing the blonde-haired woman and Ozpin desperately wanting to call the match, but the rules were the rules after all.
As long as Sapphire's Aura levels didn't drop into the red, the contest wasn't over and would remain in progress for as long as Krev needed.
The Blood Angel turned on the spot and summoned four clusters of blood-red crystals, then, with a mere internal command, the crystals flew towards Sapphire, wrapped themselves around the Blue Knight's ankles and wrists, and finally lifted him from the ground and suspended him in mid-air. Krev could already see Sapphire starting to regain consciences by the fluttering of his eyelids, but he wasn't going to have the strength to break free this time.
By suspending his opponent, members of the audience already started to lose some of their zeal, but what he did next perplexed or simply frightened them…
Krev spread out his arms as if to embrace them all and laughed, adorning a mocking smile.
"H ha ha ha ha ha. HA HA HA HA!" But what started out as a light chuckle turned into a sinister bellow. Upon hearing his mad laughter, people started to calm and settle down one-by-one, either confused or scared … or maybe even both! Krev certainly noticed one student, a young girl in a red hood, as she sat back down like everyone else with a hurt expression upon her face.
"What?! Why stop the applause?!" Krev asked the silent audience in an aggressive tone, snarling every word through gritted teeth as he over articulated with sharp movements to try and prove his point. "I thought you were enjoying the spectacle of me beating the life out of my friend here? Come on! I was relishing the applause!" He waited for a response, but none was given. A good sign, so he continued in a more friendly, yet still angry and mocking tone.
"I really thought you were enjoying the show and wanted to see more. Do you want to see more … because I'll give you more?" Nothing. "You know what, I think I'll give you a little more entertainment, but why don't we step it up a notch? How about I, oh, you know, just kill him?"
After saying the last part with a casual shrug and a nonchalant tone, Krev conjured a singular crystal and sent it hurtling towards Sapphire, but before its tip could impale his fellow leader's throat, Krev commanded the crystal to stop.
The audience gasped and Sapphire flinched when the crystal travelled towards its target, but even after it stopped the spectators and Sapphire's terrified eyes remained transfixed on the object forged from the Blood Angel's will.
Krev gave a self-satisfied grin at the reaction, knowing there was still hope; they might not have answered nor reacted to his question, but neither had they chosen to scream colourful language in his direction, throw objects like an angry mob or attack. A good start, so taking a deep, calming breath, Krev began to speak in a smooth, professional tone…
"The name 'Remnant' is indeed apt for this world, for we stand divided – confined by the walls of four kingdoms. We are lied to, manipulated and indoctrinated into believing the current world order is right! But we live in a world where children are taught the art of war and enjoy violence. It's sick, cruel, and only perpetuated by individuals like your dear Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood."
Still no reaction, but he wasn't done yet.
"Eight decades ago a vicious, devastating conflict was fought to decide the very fate of this world, but what came out of it? Individuality? Freedom? I see neither! From day one you were told bedtime stories of those who live to kill, indoctrinating you into believing Hunters – what you are training to become – are the most heroic, noble warriors to walk this planet. Yet how is that freedom? How are you free to make your own choices? Also, how are individuals made when so many do not wish, but are simply told to be, the same thing?"
Krev did not decide, but rather got carried away to the point where he began, to use a condescending, spiteful tone.
"But the outcome of the war isn't what upsets me the most, it's the way you have all become drones who believe anything the governments tell you, puppets who blindly accept everything … including your fate. But don't you see what's wrong with this world? Don't you see what you are?
"You are not heroes destined to keep peace; you are, however, weapons to be pointed at an enemy one day so someone else can claim a petty triumph."
After growling his last statement, Krev spoke more sagely.
"I know not many of you see Remnant the same way as I do, but if any of you do and wish to change this world for the better, then please, I implore you to rise from your seat and help me unite our fractured, misguided world!"
But none of them did.
Even though Krev knew no-one would stand because their indoctrination was too great, he still felt a little disappointed.
"Huh, that's what I thought," he whispered under his breath.
And with that, Krev dissipated the crystal and the bindings, allowing Sapphire to slump onto the ground.
Krev took one last glance around and saw that students were either staring at him in disbelief or with angry expressions, so he decided to ignore them for the rest of his time in the amphitheatre.
The Blood Angel walked over to his friend, who was still struggling to even sit upright, and offered him a hand.
"Sorry about that," Krev said in his usual tone, a voice always filled with anger, sadness and, most of all, hatred. "I didn't want to hurt you so much, but I needed to prove a point and ask a very important question."
"Oh yes you did," Sapphire wheezed as he took Krev's hand. "But don't worry about it, I figured you out a long time ago and I take no offense."
When Sapphire was done talking, Krev pulled him onto his feet and supported his weight to prevent his friend from collapsing back onto the floor.
"Ha ha," the Blue Knight chuckled through gritted teeth as they began to shuffle towards the archway.
"What's so funny?"
"You," he exclaimed. "I can't believe you just tried to insight a revolution."
"Hey, what can I say? I've always thought Wednesday's needed a little pepping up."
"Ha ha – OW! Damn, my ribs," Sapphire winced.
"C'mon, let's get you to their medical facility."
Krev didn't know about the rest of the amphitheatre at that point, but the moment he came into the safe zone with Sapphire, the Blood Angel was faced with six shocked expressions and one of pure rage. Surprisingly enough the seventh expression didn't belong to Ironwood and instead belonged to Valery, the General's most loyal acolyte.
Locking eyes with Valery, Krev already knew the moment he entered their temporary dorm they were going to partake in another venomous argument.
Ironwood was taking inspiration from Krev – the student who got him into this situation – by looking out at the darkened city of Vale through his college's office window with his arms firmly crossed beneath his chest.
"Did your student actually try to insight a revolution?!" Glynda asked furiously.
After Krev's little … display, the General had opted to spend the rest of the day on one particular airship. He used the craft for sanctuary, devising intricate stratagems, contingency protocols and, of course, visited a certain criminal again during his time on the vessel. These, among other tasks, were all necessary preparations for the arrival of his fleet, but Ironwood had primarily wanted to keep his distance from Beacon for several hours.
Ironwood was initially shocked by Krev's speech because it was something no-one had ever heard before, but his disbelief quickly faded when his mind reminded itself about Krev. It was, ultimately, unsurprising that Krev would give such a speech considering his upbringing, his views and what had transpired little over a year ago, so the General wasn't embarrassed nor trying to avoid his student. In actuality he was attempting to evade Ozpin, Glynda and any awkward questions.
"Are you listening to me James?"
When it came to matters involving the White Fang he could – for the lack of a better term – 'pull rank' and be under no obligation to share any details with his colleagues, but when it came to students … well that was a different matter. As a teacher it was Ironwood's duty to discuss any student his associates deemed as potentially 'dangerous' to the wellbeing of any school's pupils and its faculty.
He didn't blame them if that was their assessment, but Ironwood knew there was nothing to fear from Krev. Sure he had what some called 'outlandish' views, but they were views which came from an honourable tribe and believed by a principled soul.
Ironwood smirked to himself, amused by his thoughts.
I should really be telling them all this.
Again, as a teacher and Krev's headmaster, he should have been, but after all their secrecy the General believed Ozpin and Glynda deserved to be kept in the dark for a little while. It was an entertaining thought, but if Krev – an undeniably valuable asset – was going to stand any chance of staying at Beacon, he was going to need to defend him…
It was the reason why he had decided to leave his ship after all.
Turning on the spot to face his inquisitors, the General saw that Ozpin was sitting on his clock-themed chair while Glynda rested the back of her legs against its edge, her arms, like his own, crossed beneath her chest as she gave him a stern glare.
"You don't need to fear him you know?" Ironwood said, meeting Glynda's gaze.
She rolled her eyes and retorted scornfully. "Now that's pretty difficult to believe."
"I know what you're thinking and I understand," the General continued, casually spreading out his arms to emphasize the truth in his words. "I know Krev's views and actions may seem a little … extreme, but you have to trust me when I say he's a good person, he's just has a misfortunate past."
"Trust you? Trust you?!" Glynda yelled, stepping forward as she pointed an accusing finger. "It's been little under a day since you stabbed your friend in the back and the first thing you do is bring that … psychopath into our school, our home, so how the Hell do you expect us to trust you?!"
"Glynda!"
Her features softened upon hearing Ozpin's voice, his firm tone drawing their – Ironwood and Glynda's – attention towards him.
"You said he has a 'misfortunate' past," Ozpin said, his fingers interlocked under his chin as his elbows rested upon the arms of his chair. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Ironwood's expression turned hesitant, unsure whether or not to divulge such personal details.
"You obviously feel such details should not be shared, so let's change the subject," his old friend said with a courteous nod and wave of a hand. "Since you were on that ship for almost ten hours, I'm assuming you spoke with Torchwick again."
"I did," the General replied indifferently.
"Well, did he tell you anything useful?"
"Oz, I –"
"General, I know you wish not to disclose these details either, but if we are to discover their plans then we must work together."
Ironwood wished to continue punishing his colleagues for their uncaring secrecy, and perhaps he would, but as much as he hated to admit it Ozpin was right. If they were going to win this war, he would need to impart certain details.
There was just one problem….
"Well hello again General," Torchwick exclaimed gleefully, sarcasm lacing every word, "it's truly good to see you again. Although, I am surprised you're here."
"Why be surprised?" said Ironwood, giving the criminal a confident smile. "After all, we have a lot to discuss."
After having dismissed the guards to the prisoner's cell, Ironwood opened the bulkhead which isolated Torchwick from the outside world. Torchwick had been stewing in his own juices for almost twenty-four hours, so it was reasonable to assume the criminal would be willing to reveal at least some details about his associates, but it was evident from the smile on his smug face and the comment he made the moment the door opened that Torchwick still had some fight left.
The smart move would have been to have walked away and allowed Torchwick to stew for longer, but since he was there and they needed to know more about their enemy, the General had decided to place down a chair he had carried with him in front of the cell's threshold and sit down.
"Oh look, you have chair. How nice. And here I was, thinking my good friend would give me the silent treatment," the criminal mocked, throwing the General an insufferable grin. "Suppose you believe nagging me is gonna work instead?"
"Why did you work for them, Roman?" the General coolly enquired.
"So that's how you're playing this?" Torchwick ridiculed further, his arrogant smile intensifying. "You're doing that whole 'first name' thing. Do you honestly believe that will work? Do you think I'll say: General, since you just called me by my first name, I'll help you because we're such good friends now. Well, if that happens, then I'll also excrete a golden egg."
"Answer the question."
A frustrated breath escaped Torchwick's lungs.
"Well there isn't a 'them', as you put it," the criminal pointed out scornfully, his sardonic expression turning positively delighted as he added: "It's just me James, all me!"
Ironwood wasn't going to scold Torchwick for the use of his first name, but it had aggravated the General.
"I highly doubt you – a common criminal – had the capability to rally the White Fang," he retorted derisory.
"'Common'? Oh, I'm offended."
"It's clear you're not the one leading the operation," Ironwood continued, ignoring Torchwick's bogus offence. "So, Roman, who did rally them? Who exactly were you working for?"
"Hasn't it occurred to you yet I'm a people person? Well, I would hardly call them 'people', but you catch my drift." The criminal paused to think, a joyful smile playing on his lips. "I'm just talented at herding animals I suppose … I think I might have been a shepherd in a previous life."
"You're stupid jokes and vulgar racism won't get you far with me," snapped Ironwood, practically snarling every word.
"And the General finally loses his cool!" the criminal exclaimed like a sports commentator, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Although, I don't think that was the first time today."
Ironwood knew exactly what he was referring to, but the General refused to give such scum the pleasure of any reaction, therefore, he forced his enraged expression to calm.
"We're getting off topic."
"But I like this topic," whined Torchwick. "How many chances am I gonna get to rub in your face the fact a student – and one of yours no less – caused such a scene."
"No such event occurred, Torchwick," Ironwood told him matter-of-factly.
"If you say so," he shrugged. "But guards talk General, so I know it happened. And, might I say, I find the things he said to be … interesting."
Ironwood glared at the criminal sitting before him, scrutinising the self-satisfied half-smile that made him want to punch Torchwick until he bled.
"There's clearly no point in me staying here any longer," Ironwood said disappointingly as he stood and grabbed the back of his chair, successfully hiding his anger like the first time he interrogated the prisoner.
"But I was enjoying our little chat."
"Perhaps you were, but you obviously need more time alone before we … chat again. Don't worry though, I'll be back."
"And I'll be waiting," he cheerfully replied, giving the General a taunting sneer.
Ironwood wore a stony expression as he isolated Torchwick for a second time, however this calm appearance disappeared as he exited the massive chamber with his chair in tow and an unpleasant desire resonating within.
I wish I could torture him….
Ironwood's attention came back to the present.
"He's being … difficult," he told his colleagues, informing them of the reason why he had failed to, thus far, gather anything useful from the prisoner.
"In what way?" Ozpin enquired.
"Bad jokes and racism," Ironwood responded. "He hasn't broken yet."
There was silence as they all thought about the situation, or, at least, as the two headmasters though about the situation…
"James?"
The General looked to his side and met Glynda's harsh, yet somewhat expectant gaze.
"What is it?" he asked gently, turning to face her.
"I know you don't want to talk about this, but it would be prudent for you to tell us everything you know about Krev Melek."
Ironwood was shocked. "I thought we had moved past this topic?"
"We had," interjected Ozpin, giving his closest associate a look of disappointment. "Glynda, why request such a thing?"
"Because if we are going to trust him, then we need to know everything about Mr. Melek," she said, never taking her eyes off Ironwood as she uttered her ambiguous statement – ambiguous, because the 'him' could have been the General or the second year student.
Ironwood suspected she was referring to them both.
"I'm not going to force him if he – " Ozpin began, but he was interrupted by the General.
"It's okay Oz," he said in a friendly tone. "If she wants to know, then I'll tell both of you."
Ironwood knew he should have refused to tell them anything as punishment for their secrecy and to protect Krev's privacy, but Glynda had refused to let it go! So, with their undivided attention the General exhaled, preparing himself to divulge a devastating past…
The story of Krev Melek.
A multitude of thoughts and emotions would rush through your mind upon seeing her, thoughts and emotions that would tell you one important fact about her personality and the power she possessed … she was a person you really didn't want to fight. But amongst these terror-filled notions would be an assumption, one which told you she was the type of person who preferred carrying out important tasks rather lounging around on top of a bed.
Well you would be right, but when it was essential to act inconspicuously, what else was Cinder Fall supposed to do?
"Should we be afraid of him?" Mercury enquired in his usual arrogant tone.
"No," she sighed, Cinder's respire somewhat erotic.
"Should we try recruiting him?" added Emerald.
"No."
"Are you sure?" her green haired associate asked disparagingly. "He could be useful, and I don't think he'd refuse."
"Perhaps, but he's an idealist."
Mercury rolled his eyes. "They're all idealists."
Cinder knew he was referring to the White Fang, which angered her. They were acting like children in a store refusing to move past the confectionary aisle until they obtained what they desired.
Knowing she would have to spell it out for them, Cinder made use of her natural sensuality and gracefully sat up on her bed, keeping a hand on the hem of her skirt as she elegantly swung her legs over the edge.
Cinder glared at her associates and was unsurprised to find Emerald sitting on the opposite bed whilst Mercury sat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed's frame.
"I agree with you in regards to the White Fang, but they're easy to control idealists," she said scornfully. "Listen to me you two and don't ignore me this time, not like when you defied my orders and killed the store owner. I've seen his type before, so believe me when I say our best move is simple: we avoid him."
"So you are afraid of him," smiled Mercury.
"No, I fear the outcome of a confrontation."
"Sounds like you're scared to me," he said smugly.
"There's a difference," snapped Cinder. "I do not fear him, in fact, I'm confident we would win any confrontation. That being said, any battle would not be easily won and everything we have worked so hard to achieve would be revealed in a matter of moments, even destroyed."
"Shouldn't we at least consult with Adam before making a decision?" Mercury said with a dismissive wave of the hand. He must have felt obligated to ask such a question, for it was obvious he didn't care for the Faunus' opinion.
"No," Cinder replied sternly. "Besides, Adam would agree with my decision."
"What makes you think we'd end up fighting him?" asked a perplexed Emerald.
"Like I said, he's an idealist you can't control," Cinder explained, continuing to give them both a contemptuous scowl, yet despite all the frustration she had felt, and was feeling, she never lost her natural seductiveness. "He believes this world is corrupt, so how do you think he would react to us?"
"But that's what makes him perfect – his beliefs, I mean."
"I know what you meant, but we're not going to be speaking to him, are we?"
Emerald looked down in disappointment. "I suppose."
"Although," Cinder pondered, "if it silences you two and saves us from a problem down the line, we will eliminate him through more … silent means."
"When?" asked Mercury, failing to hide his eagerness.
"Probably when he's alone," said Emerald.
"Oh, I think he's always alone," Cinder mused before answering properly. "We'll wait and see what transpires, so it could be awhile."
Mercury huffed like a stroppy child, which she found rather cute.
"I know you hate waiting, Mercury, but we have to handle the situation tactfully," she explained flirtatiously. "Remember, Roman's screw up put everyone on high alert, including him. Don't worry though…
"We'll clip the Blood Angel's wings eventually."
A/N: So there you have it. Team KAVS and NOVA have fought with the former claiming victory, but this isn't important to the students, teachers and enemies roaming Beacon Academy. It's Krev's battle and his speech – his views on their society – that's on everybody's minds.
You'll see how Team RWBY perceives the Blood Angel shortly, but before you do, please leave a review expressing your opinion on Krev. Nothing offensive please, I just want to see if you agree or disagree with his views. It's basically a poll (I'm curious), so if you choose to participate, please put Agree, Disagree or Undecided at the beginning of your reviews for this chapter.
If you don't agree, I understand, but your views may change before the conclusion of this tale.
Take care,
ChildOfFate16