Inspectre Online!

I wanted to start writing this like right after I posted the last chapter but after we got off work it was like two in the morning (it happens when you work for a traveling carnival) so I pretty much wrapped up the entrance for the Giant Armor Knight and did the post story A/N then went straight to bed. However we've yet to start moving loads as of writing this A/N so I figure why not tidy up the truck and do some writing? And listen to a lot of Waterflame/Chainsaw_09 for muse-ical inspiration. Before we get to the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny let's answer some fan mail.

At Cloy552: The sad thing is I haven't even (yet) watched Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, it's just one of those things on the internet where some bits are so viral you know enough about it anyway to make references. Like Doctor Who and MLP. That said it's on my To-Watch/Read (sometimes I go for manga version, sometimes for anime version) list though. Looks pretty awesome. Glad you liked my combat scene writing~ Yeah the transformation thing was decided on so Weiss could show she's improved, though not enough. As for the speaking I share the sentiments. I think there are Grimm species or classes (once they've lived long enough) that could speak and show human levels of intelligence. After all they've already been stated to show things like caution and patience instead of charging right at humanity's walls like Titans from Attack on Titan.

At Lego Lass Dragon Ranger: Now that I think about it I shouldn't have called it a cliffhanger but instead a teaser/preview. Yeah Weiss can squash the big bad bug! ..By making her new BFF do it. She's not really in the shape to be doing any quashing but she's not out yet.. I don't think the knight thing is Farfetch'd at all either but I won't throw a Tyrantrum (what do you mean that's not a word why aren't Pokemon in the dictionary) if someone disagrees.

At Nekonyaneko: Anybody wanna try saying this name five times fast? I keed I keed. Yep! Battle epiphany! No montage though, even if Rocky had one. Yeah the transformation in this case wasn't really a 'save the day/turn the tables' evolution but more of a 'oh wow you got better time for me to get serious' thing. Then Boom. Powerup. I know what you mean though. *thinks back to one episode in the original series where his Krabby evolved into Kingler during the League matches*

Aaaaaaaaaaaaalrighty then! You know what you came for, I know what you came for, so I present to you.. The final fight! Anybody who is prone to epilepsy or sudden seizures brought on respectively by flares of Dust/rising levels of awesome should like take their meds or leave now 'cause there's about to be a throwdown. ..Quite literally.


Weiss was starstruck. She had only expected to summon the Giant Armor Knight's arm and sword again. Just that would have given her a major advantage but this.. It was no less than fifteen feet tall, above the monstrous insect by perhaps no more than two or three feet and a very imposing figure.

The large Grimm was surrounded by frigid air and seeping a white mist in contrast to the dark vapors rising from the Mantis, radiating a pale blue light from its armor. What looked like snowflakes were drifting away from the surface and with every step the icy ground underneath its sabatons reformed and thickened. It was a split second afterwards that the summoner dropped to her hands and knees, gasping for what ragged hard breaths she could take as if the wind had been completely taken out of her. While Semblances didn't require Aura or Dust by default they still taxed the energy and body of the user and this one had drained a very large amount of what spirit she had left. Though it didn't seem to be for naught..

It was actually forcing its opponent away with sheer strength, one gauntlet grasping its left claw and the longsword grinding against the other. In a burst of sparks the opposing Grimm drew back and went to slash, only for the Giant Armor Knight to spin its blade into a reverse grip and brace it against its arm to deflect the attack before quickly driving the point of its weapon into the ground. Then it let go to take a hold of the claw before it could be withdrawn again.

Weiss watched still transfixed as with one fluid motion her guardian summon performed an over the shoulder toss and slammed the Mantis onto the ice with enough power to crack it for several feet of the spot it landed. Then it reached up with both hands and raised them all the way back behind its head, fingers intertwined and locked for a hammer blow onto the exposed and vulnerable underbelly of its armored thorax. The result was a crushing attack that shattered the frozen floor for almost ten yards and sent tremors through the area. Though it was powerful the Mantis immediately went to scissor slice its head from below, barely missing as its target wisely somersaulted backwards and ripped its sword from the ground to take a stance like a certain blue haired Crimean mercenary.

A thin plate of frost had even formed on the spot where the Giant Armor Knight had struck, seeping black blood through the cracks and onto the ice below as the other Grimm hissed at it and skittered left and right. That was one problem out of the way though the heiress couldn't understand what or why until she looked at the thorax again. The wings were done in, ruined by the force that had rocked its entire body though the organs inside if it had any were relatively fine it seemed. The monster looked just a little bit absolutely livid but that was about it.

With a louder screech the Mantis then reared back, zipping forward to slice and dice at the tundran knight. Relatively quickly it was established that the former was superior in terms of speed and reaction as its foreclaws tore across the armor before the latter could even raise their guard. They were only light scratches but that didn't mean it wasn't feeling the effect on its power. That was when Weiss remembered she wasn't meant to lean on it as a crutch. No. She may be down but she was not out.

"Let's see if we can't fix that.." The Huntress finally spoke, flicking Myrtenaster as a white/gold beam shot towards the back of her barely wavering summon. A very familiar Glyph formed underneath it in the form of a clock face that rapidly began to spin adding another glow to the already radiant knight, enhancing its speed and reaction as well to put it hopefully on or at least near its opponent's.

She would swear to this day she heard it emit devilish and low chuckling before stomping its foot down, jerking forward to headbutt the Mantis through an attempted decapitation and buckle its legs before knee smashing it up. Then with a straight door-smashing kick courtesy of the same leg sent it flying backwards into a tree. Wood splinters and cracked chips came off both on its back and onto the ground as it shook its head, dazed by the impact.

"We can do this.. Hold on, I'm- Ow. Not going to sit here and let you do all the work." Weiss exclaimed as she tried to push herself up with Myrtenaster only for the rapier to slide a bit further into the ground. In a gust of cold air and a few loud steps the Giant Armor Knight was at her side, kneeling and extending a hand. Graciously she took it and rose to her feet, staggering a bit before she felt something incredibly icy on her back and eventually through her entire body. It had somehow sealed her wounds and frozen them shut to stop the bleeding. Crude but undeniably effective as it nulled the pain as well. Inexplicably the freezing sensation faded momentarily and with a smirk she sent her rapier Dust chamber spinning.

Following a ferocious hiss the Mantis was after them, actually going airborne and coming down with both claws overhead before the knight swung its blade over and across its shoulders to block the tips and push backwards. With a hard, violent backhand slice it stood and spun, the other Grimm ducking the attack and crawling back away. Rightfully so for that attack whistled through the air and created a crescent gash in the ground where it had been standing from sheer air pressure alone.

The Mantis didn't seem to care that its wings were broken for it drew them out anyway, preparing for another deadly execution attack. Thinking back on how Semblances could be enhanced with Dust as Weiss'd given Blake a cartridge of it to enhance her Shadow back on the underground railroad.. It was worth a shot. Things like her Glyphs, even if enhanced by Dust were one thing but directly imbuing the summon..? Only one way to find out she thought as she swung her rapier and fired off a red flare of Fire Dust.

It seemed to have the desired effect as red sigils appeared on its longsword accompanied by a crimson glow, understanding on a practically empathic level as it held it with both hands and at an angle straight at the Mantis. The black insect was still a blur to Weiss but to the Grimm?

A loud screech as bone met steel. A storm of sparks as scythe met sword. A shower of black and red gaseous blood as the latter slid across the former and repulsed it, making an opening for the runed blade to tear across its chest. With a hideous shrill screech the Mantis staggered and then reared back to stab at the Giant Armor Knight with its forelegs, knocking it off balance and returning the favor with a series of lightning fast attacks that chipped and chinked the chest of the armored Grimm leaving a multitude of severe gouges and missing pieces. What looked like cold air was flowing from the injuries as it fell with the Mantis pursuing.

Weiss let out a loud 'NO!' as her guardian was pinned, longsword clattering across the ground as those forelegs pierced its hands and basically nailed them to the ground so it couldn't defend itself from the ensuing picking and stabbing claw attacks. She had been watching the whole time, hardly able to do more than send a boost to it and silently cheer it on. As the knight jerked with every impalement she grit her teeth and looked down at Myrtenaster, the Dust chambers starting to spin as she prepared to intervene.

Flame. Ice. Spark. Wind. The four basic elements began to consume the Multi Action Dust Rapier as she started to load it with everything she had. This might be the last attack she could get in so she had to make it count.. It was shaking from the insane amount of energy coursing through and around it now as Weiss gripped it tightly, leaning forward and bolting towards the dueling Grimm. The one underneath was quick to draw in its legs, pushing up and slightly kneeing the Mantis in its injured underbelly. This lead to a physiological reaction as pain forced it upwards and gave enough room for it to then lash out with a double kick and rear it back on its hind legs.

The heiress was right at the mark to take advantage of it, stabbing forward with Myrtenaster and finger on the trigger but her target hopped backwards and gave a warning swing of its foreclaws to deter her. Luckily she hadn't fired her supercharged attack yet but the energy was rapidly escalating and she was starting to lose control of the elemental vortex. Her summon realized this and quickly got her attention, making short 'come here' motions with one of its now free hands. The two had a mutual understanding and the Huntress stepped on, bracing herself as she was flung into the sky. It was no or never. The Giant Armor Knight's power was fading fast and Weiss was at her absolute limit..

Looking up, the insect Creature of Grimm would see a familiar sight. Familiar for the Heiress anyway and yet not as she twisted and drew back her rapier midflight then looked down at her target. Visions of the past flashed before her eyes, back to similar positions some almost recognizable faces had been in before but as colored silhouettes.

Red like roses, silver eyes as if she were dreaming and floating among petals in the moonlight as she looked down upon a snowy field of Beowulf pups..

White, expression narrowed in wistful yearning above the silver knight in an empty hall as a bright light enveloped her blade and spectators watched from a distance..

Black the beast, angrily descending through a twisting black ribbon of shadows as she gazed down upon a four legged war machine..

Yellow beauty, a burning gold with her armored fist back and a grin on her face as she rose over a brilliantly colored dance floor and prepared to drop..

And finally, the heiress herself, a brilliant display of lights as she reached the peak before pulling Myrtenaster up and grasping it with both hands, bending her legs as a white Glyph formed right behind her. It worked against the Giant Nevermore so..

White, then black, then red. She was launched right back down as the Glyph warped a little from the force, sending down a spiraling meteor of elemental Dust with multicolored streamers as the Mantis crossed its foreclaws. Even the speedy assassin Grimm couldn't move away in time. With a loud and high pitched whistling Weiss dropped and landed, a shockwave of that 'meteor's' energy going out in a ring as Myrtenaster speared through both claws and sent cracks throughout the lengths. The air was whipping up like a hurricane as roaring flames, crackling bolts, and crunching ice all went off with a single pulse as she pulled the trigger.

If it weren't for the sudden ice shield that moved her backwards and filled the space between her and the embedded weapon the resulting elemental nova would have likely killed her. Instead it'd throw her back and send her crashing to the ground sliding to a stop several dozen feet away. When she looked back up it was to the heart-wrenching sight of a destroyed Myrtenaster. The blade had completely disintegrated, Dust chamber blown wide open like a shot soda can and the leftover chunk of rapier flying through the air to land on the ground with a few clacks.

But it was also to the incredibly satisfying sight of the severely injured Mantis, its bone scythes having been annihilated down to the stumps by the ultimate attack. It flailed and staggered back as its entire front was marked by flaming patches of black flesh, frozen patches, and electrical burns as well as a legion of incisions from the incredibly potent if haphazard combination of Dusts. The Giant Armor Knight had already jumped up and made a mad dash for its longsword before snatching it up and turning towards the now fleeing Creature of Grimm. It was actually running scared, self preservation overtaking the desire to kill. However due to the damage to its head it couldn't see clearly and was running blind.

Though stars spun in her vision and darkness was creeping on the edges Weiss' eyes met her guardian's visor and she'd nod as they had another mutual understanding. There was no way she could still fight but she didn't have to. There was someone she could rely on for that.. Retrieving a single vial of bright blue Ice Dust she popped the top and held it out, the substance disappearing as it transferred to the summon. A flash and a blinding cyan light surrounded the blade as it held it out to the side. Extremely cold wind blew around it too as the edges were encased with ice. Then with a mighty heave the wielder threw it into the air.

The spinning blade eclipsed the moon as it soared and spun directly overhead, casting a shadow over the monstrous insect. A tremendous leap boosted by a Glyph sent the Giant Armor Knight after it before grasping it in both hands. Dropping like a bomb it then performed several frontflips, crashing down to Remnant and driving the longsword right down the middle of the Grimm and into the ground. The impact of its armored body alone completely shattered the thin ice floor that had covered most of the surrounding area but the sub-zero attack sent a very long split forward from the point, a huge field of ice spikes expanding past. The earth was sundered, riddled, and trees smashed apart while freezing winds whirled all around for several seconds.

The Mantis took a few more stepsas they calmed, slowly but surely before a split formed between the left and right sides of its body. Ice then covered the surfaces between before spreading all throughout and eventually resulting in the halves becoming encased in ice. Then they exploded into snow dust and ice fragments.

"Impressive.." Came a low hissing voice as a few wisps of shadow flew from within the now busted sculpture. It was over. It was finally over. It was dead and she had won.

Relief washed over her along with a cold chill as what little energy Weiss had left simply vanished, collapsing onto the cold ground facefirst. Oh gods she had never felt so tired before.. The Huntress literally couldn't even move. Her summon turned to look towards its summoner before bowing on one knee, sword placing point first into the ground with one arm across its chest in fealty. This action caused Weiss to beam, almost letting tears spill from her eyes. Ruby was probably healing as they.. Weren't really speaking. They didn't need to. 'I will lend you my power.' 'And I to you.' That's what their looks expressed.

The Giant Armor Knight faded away into nothingness, her breathing steady. It was really cold out and the ripped and torn Snow Pea uniform wasn't covering too much anymore. She was also starting to feel a bit of the pain in her wounds and was slowly losing consciousness. Where was that medical bag..? Weiss was so weak she couldn't even reach for her Scroll. How tragic, she thought to herself. She was possibly going to die achieving her goal. At least she went out with a bang right?

Then she heard the howls. The- Oh no.

Drawn by her negative emissions from earlier and from now especially it seemed another pack of Beowulves was moving in to track them to their source. The heiress couldn't help it. Right now she was scared too. Scared that she could do nothing but await death at their claws, to be finished off like a tired and weakened animal. No matter how much she willed it to her body would neither move or respond save for simply rolling onto her back.. Her Semblance wouldn't even work.

They were getting close now. Very close. She could hear their footsteps, their low growls and claws smacking small pieces of ice around leftover from the battle. Then to her surprise she also heard the engine of a Bullhead. It couldn't be.. Could it?

It was. Her transport. He'd actually stuck around the station as ordered (bribed) and come to pick her up. Though Weiss hadn't called him there'd be absolutely no complaints. ..Except one. What was a simple pilot going to do against a large pack of Beowulves?

The aircraft stopped almost right above the downed heiress, compartment opening as she craned her neck just barely to see. Whoever was inside was wearing an advanced black and orange g-suit, a flight suit modified for pilots whose positions left them susceptible to the dangers of constant or rapid g-forces. The face was hidden thanks to the pilot's helmet and orange facemask. ..A lot of orange and mostly black constituted his uniform it seemed. He also appeared to have some weapons and equipment on his belt, and some sort of mechanical box over a sheathed and retracted straight sabre on his back. The pilots gloves bore not one but two Hunter Symbols, the left of a jack-o-lantern with crosshairs for eyes and three missiles behind it and the right of a doberman with demonic wings.

A single venturous Beowulf suddenly stepped over the Huntress, blocking the VTOL from sight before growling at her and raising its claws. Just as it was about to strike something metallic bounced from its skull, dazing it for a second. It seemed the Grimm had been largely unaware of the ship's appearance until now. The struck one looked down to the side to see what had hit it. A grappling hook? Connected to a long length of cord..

Which the pilot had tied off before tugging back with it, pulling up and embedding the hooks into the Beowulf's neck. It flailed and snarled to no avail before moments later going limp as the male came flying down on top of it via said cord, slamming it onto the grapple and driving the hooks all the way in as it was crushed between his metal plated steeltoe boots and the cold hard ground.

"Thanks for the catch there bud. You okay little lady?" He asked, crouching over her and waving his hand over her face as if oblivious or uncaring of the surrounding danger. She didn't speak but instead followed the motions with a scowl, looking over to the side as several of the Beowulves who had backed away were now daring to get closer. With a sigh the pilot reached behind him and retrieved his weapon, slinging it out to the side to its full 3.5 to 4 foot length. Upon closer inspection it looked more like a helicopter rotor blade.. Black with orange stripes, base edges curving in to the handle with a perfect half-ring for a handguard. It almost looked like the blade could actually slide along the handguard if shifted that way..

"I'm gonna take care of these puppies real quick and we'll be on our way alright?" That said he'd open the pommel, loading a vial of Dust into the handle itself before shutting it. The blade then started to crackle with electricity as the closest Beowulf charged. He didn't even use the sabre as with a snap of his fingers there was a very loud and very high pitched ping of sound around its head, enough to burst its eardrums and cause its ears to bleed. With a yelp and whine it fell over before a quick flick of the weapon silenced it and put it out of its misery.

"It's showtime."

Weiss laid there, hearing the sounds of fighting. Not that she could do much else. The mysterious stranger was no mere pilot that much was evident. He swung his sabre with as much finesse as a professional fencer, splitting Beowulves apart as if they were made of hot butter and moving in a deadly waltz. Electricity traced through the air with his swings and at some point that blade started thrumming like it as vibrating. Some sort of frequency blade..? From what she gathered his Semblance also had something to do with sound waves as he used it to repel their attacks or send them flying.

It took only a minute or so for the pack to be dispatched, blade now sheathed as the man came back to pick Weiss up bridal style. That 'box' on his back turned out to be a compact jetpack, jet-like wings flying out to a span a foot or two longer than his arms and two thrusters coming from the open bottom. Dust powered thrusters so they wouldn't melt away his lower body when they were active.

"Don't worry ma'am, you're goin' home now."

Those were the last words she heard before exhaustion put her down for the count.


Well THAT was a thing.. Holy crap Giant Armor Knight OP nerf- Wait don't nerf it.

Also SURPRISE. Two chapters in a row what. ..I had time today and the muse to keep going. Been working on this literally all day from morning to now. Took a break during the road trip but other than that..

Sorry, had a new OC of mine borrow the spotlight for a moment. Help test him for roleplay and whatnot. Originally he was just going to be a nameless character but he grew on me. Won't have any significance in this story aside though, maybe another work..

Also, dat summon. Again. Apparently it took swordfighting lessons from Ike Greil. I made two references but one might go over some peoples' heads so I'll say it was his Aether move. That might help. Though it can also kick ass unarmed, something the original GAK wasn't very good at. It's not an unstoppable monster though as the Mantis was quick to point out but it's the combination of summoner and summon that makes them deadly. Even if she's not used to calling it and takes a great deal of energy to do so.

As for the flashback sequence.. I dunno. Just a random idea in my head. I felt like writing it out.

Anyway, this marks the end of the aeon of strife! Next chapter will be some sweet White Rose and a funny epilogue worked into the end. After that.. I'm not certain what I'll do yet. But I definitely plan to and likely will have that last chapter done either tomorrow or Wednesday.