The sun was disappearing, and the darkness of night began to encroach upon the sky. Mistral militia and Blood Huntsmen ran all around, deploying stationary defences where they could. Amidst them, the sentient statues took up their positions, rising out of hidden passageways built around the temple that enabled even the larger ones to join the fight. Jaune had to admit they were impressive. All Ruby had to do was ask, and they moved to support them.
"It'll be good to have them on our side." Ren nodded.
"I just hope it's enough against Salem's forces." Jaune whispered, careful to not let anyone hear the name. "We'll be surrounded from all sides when the fighting starts."
"Alright team leader, better not slouch off now!" Nora grinned as she put down a crate of Dust rounds.
"We'll have our work cut out for us, even with the General's forces serving as back-up." Ilia said.
"Even so, we can't back down now." Jaune said, stretching out his fist. "We've been in this since the start. Ready to see this till the end?"
Ren smiled as he bumped Jaune's fist with his own. "Of course." Nora did the same as they looked to Ilia.
The chameleon Faunus smiled as she mirrored their actions. "If we go down today, I'm glad to do so beside you. I'm honored to have met you all."
"We feel the same." Jaune nodded. "Except we aren't going down. Not today."
"Man, Doctor Ignis pulled out the stops huh?" Yang remarked as she saw Atelesian Paladins being lifted in via the air.
"Well, she understands the finer points of an all-in." Reigel nodded. "Whether what we are doing is enough, that's the real question. Anyways, how are we getting that crystal out?"
"Well, apparently when Exarch Sildur realised the main use of that big one, he built the treasury in such a way that it could lift the crystal toward the top of the spire. Can't imagine how much work was required." Blake said. "But I guess that works out for us, so we shouldn't think about this too much."
"Agreed." Wesley nodded. "We have enough on our hands thinking about how we are going to cover the bases here. Diana, how are the Faunus doing?"
"We've managed to equip them as much as possible with some of Ignis's inventions." Diana said. "But I doubt they'll be useful as the vanguard. At most, they'll only be able to support us from the rear."
"That's fine." Wesley said. "This kind of assault from the Grimm is a first for them. Hell, it's a first for everyone. But owing to our experience, we'll be that buffer."
"So anyways, where are we putting this thing?" Nicole gestured to the massive arachnoid tank that Reigel had brought in. "There's not a lot of room for it to move around.
"I'm stationing it at the top of the stairs." Reigel said. "It will be able to put down enough rounds to thin out the Grimm before they reach you guys. I just need someone to help me operate the weapons and maintain the status of the vehicle, along with other guys to help reload it when necessary."
"Yeah, good luck there Reigel." Yang deadpanned. "I'd pretty much do anything except getting inside a vehicle with you."
"Seconded." Blake said. "Besides, someone needs to help coordinate the Faunus volunteers."
"Alright, any other volunteers?" Reigel scowled. His teammates stared at him sullenly, indicating their refusal. Then, he heard the clanking of metal and the banter that accompanied it. He turned, frowning at what he saw.
"So all of this is for that big spider thing?" Scarlet asked.
"Wow; that is pretty cool." Neptune nodded. "I heard that it managed to take out a whole platoon of White Fang thugs on its own."
"I really want to ride in it…" Sun beamed as he examined the tank.
At this, Blake and Yang turned toward Reigel. The white tiger Faunus turned to them, back to team SSSN and back to the girls again.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me…" Reigel growled in exasperation.
Ruby watched as Qrow, General Shen and Vanessa discussed their plans. It was decided that General Shen would cover the northern approach with Nora, Ren and Ilia. The Faunus would cover the southern entrance with team WNDR leading alongside Blake and team SSSN. The Order themselves would take the main path to the temple; Qrow figured that was something Vanessa wouldn't pass up. The respective ships would hold their positions above the island to deal with aerial threats. For the final line of defense, being the massive stairs that led up to the spire, Qrow, Oobleck, team ABRN and a select few troops would be stationed there. Weiss and Jaune had volunteered to stay within the citadel courtyard to help defend and maintain Ruby's condition. Ruby breathed nervously, knowing that this plan could severely harm her.
"Nervous?" Weiss asked. "Well, I guess you would be. We don't even know what loss of that much Aura can do to you."
"I'll just have to give it all I've got." Ruby said.
"Jaune should be able to give you that boost." Weiss noted. "He helped restore mine even though it was depleted."
"True, but we will need him to help with other people who get injured." Ruby said. "Salem is bringing everything against us here. Casualties will be unavoidable, and I'm so afraid that it's going to be like what happened to Penny and Pyrrha. And… Zeren as well."
"I know." Weiss nodded, still knowing how much the loss of the Mithril Knight weighed upon her. "But Ruby, you should remember that Zeren gave his life so that you could carry on. He believed that as long as you lived, we'd beat Salem here. And right now, I'd say he was right. So that's why we are doing this I guess. If anyone's going to get us out of this, it will be you."
Ruby smiled as she took out Zeren's folding sword, handing it to Weiss. "Here. I probably can't use it whilst I'm hooked to the crystal. Take it, just in case."
"I don't think I could…" Weiss frowned.
"If Zeren was around he would have stayed by my side the entire time." Ruby nodded. "I'm sure that if anything, he would have wanted you to have it, for doing what he would have done."
Weiss gingerly took the weapon from Ruby's hands, feeling the weight of it in her palm, along with the responsibility the great warrior once had. At that point, Weiss realised that no matter what happened, she would not let anything harm her friend.
"And Weiss?" Ruby said, causing her partner to look at her. "There is one more thing I need help with."
Qrow ran through the strategy again and again in his head. No matter what they tried, he knew that casualties were unavoidable, even if they had immortal statues bolstering their numbers. He had tried his best to balance out their defenses as much as they could. Even still, this would be a near difficult fight.
"But we have no other choice." Qrow sighed. "I just hope we hold out well enough."
"Is everything okay uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked as she came up to him.
"I'd say it was, but that'd be a lie." Qrow replied. "We have only so many people here. And while the statues are impressive, the reports I'm getting say the Grimm's numbers are beyond comprehension. We'll be hard-pressed just to hold the line. And it doesn't help that our own forces have caught wind of this. I'm sure most of them see it as a losing fight."
Ruby frowned, knowing exactly how high the odds against them were. Even more distressing was how all of them would be sacrificing life and limb just to keep her safe. She breathed again, thinking about what she could do. She had already conferred this with Weiss earlier, and felt there was something that needed to be done. "Uncle Qrow, can you gather everyone? I think I need to say something before this all starts." At this, Qrow looked at her curiously, unsure of what she wanted.
"Let her do it." They turned to see Weiss coming up. "She went through it with me. It isn't much, but hopefully it will be enough."
Qrow looked toward his niece again, her silver eyes appearing to burn with some sort of fervor. He had seen those eyes before; in Summer Rose. "Aright then." He nodded. "Let's see what you've got kiddo."
Within a few minutes, they gathered everyone around the central courtyard of the citadel. Ruby watched as General Shen, Vanessa, Oobleck and the student teams came forward. The respective defence groups gathered as well, keeping to themselves or rallying behind their leaders. As per her request, Qrow had also opened up a communication line with the rest of the forces in the ships hovering above the citadel.
Ruby took a few deep breaths as her own teammates came to the front. Weiss gave her an encouraging look while Blake and Yang looked on curiously. Ruby closed her eyes, taking a few seconds to compose herself and memorize what she had gone through with Weiss. When she felt ready, she began.
"Eighty years ago, what we know as the Great War came to an end." Ruby began, capturing the attention of all. "For a time, we knew peace. We came together and put aside our differences to forge a path to create the world we know today. And our world, our homes, and our futures prospered. This was what we came to believe."
"However during these past few months, I have learned that peace can be frail." Ruby continued. "In our negligence, it can disappear at a moment's notice. And while difficult to accept, there are those who do not want it. Darkness lies in every corner of our world. We have lost much to it, and we have also been scarred by it, in many ways." At this, Yang looked toward her arm. Blake immediately held her side where Adam had stabbed her. Jaune instantly thought to Pyrrha while Ilia remembered her own parents. Even Qrow's eyes dipped as he remembered his own team. The Blood Huntsmen, Faunus volunteers and even the Mistral militia looked towards each other as they heard her words.
"Look around you." Ruby said. "There are people who live differently, who have different values from you. But we all share the same thing, we have faced the darkness in our world; a darkness that constantly threatens us. If we turn away now, then it means we give up on everything we cherish; everything we stand for!" Ruby now deployed Crescent Rose as she attempted to finish. "I know it seems impossible, but I know that as long as we depend on each other, we can win! So I ask you now, please lend me your strength and fight with me!"
For a moment, they were silent. Then…
"Well, I do feel rather motivated now." Weiss smiled.
"Don't really have much of a choice there." Blake chuckled.
"Duh!" Yang cheered. "What else are we supposed to do?"
Thus, the allied forces cheered in response, seeming to have been inspired by Ruby's speech. Ruby now breathed in relief as soon as it was over, opening her eyes as soon as Qrow touched her shoulder. "Wow kid. I gotta say, that was something."
"I thought I'd bite my tongue through it all…" Ruby sighed.
"Still, it was something I never thought I'd see." Qrow smiled. "Zeren was right about you."
Ruby smiled as tears welled in her eyes. "He always believed in me."
"And he has never been wrong." Blake said as she came up with the rest for team RWBY.
"What did I say?" Yang smiled. "You always know what to do sis."
Ruby smiled back to all of them before she adopted a serious expression. "It won't be easy. Salem won't hold back."
"Neither will we." Weiss said. "We'll show her just how much things won't always go her way."
Clunking sounded in the air. Everyone turned to see Xade walk up, the hissing of his breaths echoing through the air. "You need something?" Ruby asked. Xade looked at Ruby for a few seconds before taking one more step forward.
"My master has ordered me to ensure your defence." Xade spoke, his voice a rather menacing robotic one. "I shall join your guardians, no questions."
Ruby blinked in shock, not expecting the masked man to actually speak. "Well then, glad to have you with us." With a curt nod, Xade turned away. As Ruby watched him stand to the side, she caught a rather deep frown from Vanessa. She dismissed it, deciding that at least, it was merely something between the two of them.
"Alright." Ruby said as she looked to the night sky. "Let's get this started."
All preparations had been finished, every possibility accounted for. At the final defence line, Qrow stood alongside Oobleck, Xade, Jaune, Team ABRN and the most elite troops Shen could spare. Tagging along were among the larger statues that could emerge from the ruin. Qrow had hoped the ones near the treasury would help. Alas, they were too big to move out.
His Scroll now beeped. Quickly he answered as the howling grew louder, signalling the approach of countless Grimm monsters. "Talk to me firecracker."
"We managed to get the crystal moving." Yang replied. "It's coming up pretty fast. Blake and I will be out soon, so hang on."
"Alright. Hurry up here as fast as you can." Qrow nodded before he opened a wide communication to all. "This is Qrow. All stations report."
"This is Shen." Came the Mistral General. "My forces are prepared upon the northern entrance."
"We are here as well." Ren replied. "We won't let anyone get by us."
"This is Wesley of Team WNDR." Came the wolf Faunus. "We are all set up at the southern entrance. Nothing is going by us without a fight."
"I'll be up shortly." Blake replied. "We are going to need all the help we can get."
"And I lay claim to the primary battle line." Vanessa reported. "The Grimm shall feel our wrath first-hand!"
"Hope you don't mind me tagging along." Yang called. "I want in on the front line, so don't bother stopping me."
Qrow smiled before turning his attention to the spire, where the crystal was now appearing upon the top. There, Weiss and Ruby watched as the crystal finally emerged fully. Ruby now went and sat in the chair that had come along with it, with Weiss now helping to secure the chains upon her arms.
"You know this is dangerous right?" Weiss said.
"There is no other way." Ruby affirmed. "Let's do this."
Weiss nodded, knowing that all were now ready. "This is Weiss. We are ready up here. And Yang, you have my word that nothing will harm Ruby."
"You just watch out for yourself too Ice Queen." Yang replied as she headed up to the surface.
At the northern entrance, the rumbling of the ground caught Ren's attention. He frowned as he stared at the path ahead. "They're coming." He said to everyone around him.
"How many?" Ilia asked.
"Too many." Ren said as Stormflower's blades extended. "This will likely be the hardest fight we've ever had."
"Well…" Nora chuckled as she hefted Magnihild in its grenade launcher form. "Easy is no fun anyways."
"Though I honestly wouldn't mind." Ren responded as the rumbling grew stronger. "Whatever happens, we hold the line."
Ren's Scroll now beeped as General Shen issued an alert. "All forces, prepare to engage!"
Behind them, the Mistral militia assumed their firing positions while Huntsmen deployed their own personal weapons. High above, the Mistral airships hovered into a defensive line, their bay doors opening to reveal heavy machine guns. Everyone watched the central line as soon enough, the blackened bodies of Grimm appeared, snarls and roars reverberating through the air as they charged the line.
"Fire at will!" The General ordered. Immediately, the ships and troops blasted away, picking off their targets one by one. Nora was all too happy to oblige, lobbing a couple of grenades into the incoming horde and scattering the smaller creatures. As they closed in, the sentient statues moved to intercept, forming a deadly wall between the monsters and the defenders. While they had managed to hold off most of the Grimm, a few slipped past, continuing the charge.
Ren himself fired as two Creeps charged at him. While he took down the first, the other leaped toward him. Quickly, he crouched, pivoting on his left leg as the monster soared above him. Raising an arm, he lashed out at the Creep's underbelly, causing it to falter and leaving it open to a hail of bullets. As he stood from his latest kill, Ren now turned to see Beowolves, Ursi and a Beringel charging at them.
"Alright then." Ren nodded, readying himself for more.
"The north side is getting hit already?" Sun exclaimed. "Damn, they moved fast."
"They definitely don't want that crystal to activate." Sage noted. "I guess a silver-eyed person is something they recognize as a huge threat."
"Seems that way." Nicole said as she loaded her weapons. "But we have this entrance to lock down, so don't go getting chicken on me now kids."
"Pffft." Sun snorted. "Like we would." Then, a high-pitched screech sounded, starting him along with the rest of the Faunus who were gathered.
"Hold together!" Diana called out, attempting to rally the Faunus. "Keep your eyes trained down the path!" She then walked to the prototype tank Reigel was in, knocking on the main chassis. "Reigel? What have you got?"
"They are just a minute away based on my motion sensors." He replied from inside. "I can thin them out, but it'll be up to you all outside to make sure they don't get close. Hey! I said don't touch that shit!"
"Why're you yelling at me for!?" Scarlet moaned from inside. "Neptune is the one fiddling with all the buttons!"
"I don't care! I'm yelling at both of you!" Reigel continued. "All you need to do is hold the triggers and shoot! Hands off on anything else until I say so!"
"Well, it sounds fun in there." Wesley said dryly as specially modified Atlesian Knights moved forward, positioning themselves behind the statues. "You really think we can do this?"
"Reigel managed to outfit all our Faunus volunteers with the best gear he could get." Diana shrugged. "But it still is going to be a long-shot." At this, someone cried out. Everyone turned to see a mass of Grimm charging toward them, while Griffons and Lancers flew through the air.
"Okay…" Sage breathed. "That is a lot of them. And they have flyers in the mix too."
"They must be probing our defenses." Nicole said. "Searching for a weakness somewhere."
"So what do we do about that?" Sun asked as he hefted his staff.
The clopping of boots now reached his ears, and soon enough a mass of dark hair entered his vision. Everyone turned to see Blake now draw both her blades as she faced the incoming Grimm.
"Simple." She answered. "We show them none."
"So the battle has begun…" Yang noted as she pushed herself to the front of the Order's defensive line. Looking upward, she saw that the Order's Dreadships had arrayed themselves all over. "I hope those ships of yours can at least handle hordes of flying Grimm."
"They will." Vanessa nodded. "I have explicitly commanded that failure is not an option."
"As long as it protects Ruby." Yang said. Her attention now turned to the rumbling of the ground beneath her feet, which signaled the arrival of their enemy. "Here they come. Lots of them by the sounds of it."
Vanessa grinned as she deployed her weapon. "So… Salem attacks from all sides. Step forth then dark one! Come and face the Blood Hunt Order!"
Yang readied her fists as her gauntlet unfurled while her prosthetic hand extended the hidden gun barrel. She heard clinking to her right, turning to see Deslan step forward with his shield ready and his flail extended,Cameron trailing behind. She then recognized Hanzo and Fiora, who held a Dai-katana and a pair of bladed fans respectively. "You guys seem raring to go."
"What else is there?" Deslan grinned. "Now, I don't typically do this in such situations, but would you like to compare our kills? It would be a fair method at settling our previous bout."
"Just keep your tabs to yourself." Yang grinned. "But make no mistake, I have no intention of letting these things through to Ruby."
"A reasonable thought." Deslan nodded as he fitted his helm over his head. "I suppose we can compare score once this ends. Till then, you'd be wise to stay alive."
"Same to you." Yang nodded as the first Grimm appeared, charging down the line without pause. Immediately overhead, the airships fired their main weapons, incinerating a large number of the charging horde. However, many more were trailing behind and they soon reached the line. Vanessa immediately sprang into action, cutting through Beowolves and Creeps as they attempted to swarm her.
Yang now moved to engage, striking down any Grimm first with ranged attacks, switching to close range when needed. Deslan twirled, smashing away any Grimm that came close to him while Hanzo and Fiora danced amidst the monsters, cutting them apart. Around them the rest of the Blood Huntsmen charged in, reveling in the carnage.
Overhead, Yang now heard the cries of Nevermores and Griffons as they engaged the fleet above, their ruined bodies disintegrating before they could hit the ground. Nevertheless, the number of Grimm immensely exceeded that which they had encountered upon reaching the island. Not only that, plenty of larger Grimm were also showing up. Yang spotted a trio of Beringel charging the line, while right behind them was a Goliath. She wondered truly how long they could last like this.
"Then again…" Yang huffed. "We don't really have another choice." She finished off the Beowolf she fought before she charged at a Beringel.
Weiss watched as the battle raged all around. Standing at the top of the spire with Ruby, she had been able to see the fighting all around. Admittedly the defenses were holding, with the stone guardians taking the brunt of the attacks while the rest struck from behind. Still, she had never seen so many Grimm. The time at Mountain Glenn; the Fall of Beacon; those paled in comparison to what Salem threw at them now. Already the medical teams were busy getting people patched up to return to the fight, while they had a few close calls with airborne Grimm that made it past the fleets. Although Jaune was tempted to help treat the injured, he also knew how important his own role was.
Weiss now turned back to the massive crystal to which Ruby now served as a battery. Jaune stood close, checking her vitals using his Scroll. It was only a few minutes, but Ruby was already starting to look tired. Weiss watched as her Aura glowed, being siphoned via the chains into the massive crystal.
"How is she?" Weiss asked.
"She's fine for now." Jaune replied. "I'm doing all I can to at least ensure she isn't exhausted. But even still, I don't know how much more this crystal is going to take out of her. It's likely that I'll use all of my Aura just for this."
"Hah... Hah…" Ruby breathed, focusing on her Aura as much as she could, trying to use it as efficiently as possible. Every now and then Jaune stepped in, amplifying her Aura to prevent her from wearing out too quickly.
"How is the fighting going?" Jaune asked.
"I think it's more than what we expected." Weiss said as she looked to the central path. The Order had already decimated the second wave that had charged at them, though they had casualties as well. "Salem's really pulling out all the stops."
"She sent Tyrian after Ruby before." Jaune recounted their battle with the maniacal Faunus. "If this place worries her, I wouldn't be surprised if she called every Grimm in the world to this place."
"I think she did." Weiss said as she now looked to the skies to see a massive swarm of Lancers approaching. With their small size, they evaded the larger ships easily while their numbers brought down a few smaller vessels and fighters, allowing them to make a direct attack on the citadel. Immediately the troops guarding the stairs fired upwards, the barrage cutting down as many of them as they could. A pack now directed their stingers toward Ruby, lashing out toward her.
Weiss immediately created a gust of wind, blowing the stingers off course. She then followed with a set of smaller glyphs, creating a barrage of projectiles that punched right through the offending creatures. Right below them, Xade, Qrow and Oobleck fought the insectoid Grimm off, defeating them with well-placed shots.
"That was too close." Jaune breathed as he lowered his shield.
"Don't ease up yet!" Qrow called as he went back up to Weiss. "Talk to me."
"She's doing fine." Weiss said, gesturing to Ruby. "But the crystal is still taking time to charge up."
"Ok then." Qrow nodded. "Keep an eye on her. I'm going to check with the rest." Qrow now took out his Scroll, opening a line to the General. "How are we doing?"
"We are currently engaging a third wave Qrow." Shen replied. "The attacks are intensifying, and some of my troops have been wounded. I don't know how much more worse this can get."
Then, a massive roar echoed through the air. All of them looked to the sky to see five Feilongs approaching. "You know what Shen?" Qrow sighed. "I think I just found out."
Mistral City
The entire council chamber was in an uproar. No one could explain why this was, but it wasn't long before patrols detected massive movements of Grimm all across the continent. Immediately, Huntsmen were deployed to the more outlying villages with the mission to secure them against the threat.
Yet, despite their massive numbers, the Grimm somehow paid no mind to the vulnerable people of the kingdom. For some reason, they were all headed toward a location out in the open seas.
While no answer could be afforded, for the time it seemed, the monstrous legions were interested in something else. As to what that was, none could say. They could only sigh with relief that their lives were being spared.
Arget Citadel, 30 minutes later
"Haaa…" Ren breathed as he stood from his latest kill. He looked upward to see a Nevermore charge into one of the Mistral airships, destroying its sail and causing it to crash. He hoped at the very least the occupants had been able to make it out alive. He immediately flipped backward as a Griffon landed right where he was, screeching as it faced him. Then, it spotted a few wounded men crawling from the recently downed ship, deciding to go after easier prey.
Ren immediately used his Semblance to hide them from the Grimm's sight. The Griffon stopped abruptly, tilting its head in confusion before once more turning its eyes to Ren. As it prepared to charge, pink explosions blew its head off, its body falling into a lifeless heap.
"Hanging in there?" Nora asked as she reloaded again, firing at another group of Beowolves that had approached.
"As much as I can." Ren panted as the wounded were now being carried away, letting him release his Semblance. He looked to the frontline, where the statues were stationed. Despite their ability to reconstruct themselves, the endless waves of Grimm effectively delayed their restoration. Only the larger statues remained standing for prolonged periods, and even they were beginning to falter. Suddenly, rumbling shook the earth, causing everyone around to lose their balance. Then, a massive stinger erupted from the ground, stabbing through one of the large statues and tearing it to pieces. The Death Stalker roared as it emerged, bringing with it numerous other Grimm from underground.
"Of course." Ilia groaned as she retaliated, whipping a Creep down before finishing it off with a few rounds from the pistol she had taken from one of the injured troops.
"Nora, is Magnhild ready?" Ren asked.
"Charge is at full!" Nora grinned as she shifted it into its hammer form. Electricity ran up and down the head as Nora eyed the Death Stalker. Ren now used his Semblance, shielding Nora from the eyes of the Grimm. All around the Mistral militia covered them, knowing that till they were finished, Ren was vulnerable.
"Go!" He said. At this, Nora sprinted as fast as she could toward the scorpion monster, jumping as high as she could over it.
"NORA SMASH!" She cried as her hammer now crashed into the Death Stalker's head, cracking apart the carapace of the Grimm. The Death Stalker roared once before falling silent, its massive body now flopping over and crushing a few other Grimm around it. Immediately, Nora blasted off one round, pushing herself back to the safety of the rear lines.
"Not bad." Ilia nodded as she killed a Boarbatusk.
"Stay focused!" Ren said. "We may have finished one wave, but more will be coming soon. We have to regroup and…" He barely finished before the ear-piercing wail tore through the air, forcing everyone around them to cover their ears.
Ren now froze as he recognised the sound. It was the stuff of nightmares, enough to make even some of the staunchest Huntsmen quiver. The creature it belonged to was far more fearsome, its horrific form often spelling doom for any who met it. If Salem was evil itself, then those monsters were likely her harbingers of doom.
Ren stood as he saw it, the equine body slowly advancing upon them. Slumped over its neck was the barely humanoid shape whose long and lanky arms slithered down to the ground, its head crowned with two large horns while its back was lined with spikes. The horse now stopped, and now the upper human-looking half jerkily erected itself. Its mouth was but a gaping row of sharp teeth, and its eyes redder than blood. Ren had hoped the last one he killed was it, but he should have realised that fate was not so kind as one would hope.
The Nuckelavee hissed, its head twitching as it observed the battleground before letting out a horrific wail, causing many of the troopers to instinctively step back.
"Stand your ground!" Shen called from his ship. "Don't give in to fear!" However, Ren knew it wasn't how fearsome the beast was. It was its strength and intelligence that made one so terrible a foe.
And now Ren spotted two more coming to join it.
"Seriously!?" Sun yelled. "We barely had ten seconds after that last one!"
"Quit your yapping and keep fighting!" Reigel snarled from inside the Achilles tank as it blasted a salvo of rockets at the two Geists that had advanced upon them, blowing apart their rocky bodies and forcing out their ghostly forms. This allowed the Achilles Paladins to strike at them directly, destroying them for good.
"No rest for the weary as they say…" Blake huffed as she cut down three more Creeps before firing at a few Lancers.
"Okay, how are we doing?" Diana panted as she sent a wave of fire down the lane, burning any of the Grimm that came close.
"Well, most of our Faunus volunteers have been evacuated with injuries, we are slowly running out of ammo, Achilles droids are being blown to pieces and our lines are barely holding. Added to that, I now see three Goliaths coming for us." Wesley replied. "So pretty much the same as we usually did back when we were students."
"Could you be less optimistic?" Nicole yelled.
"What else can I do?" Wesley yelled.
"How about come up with some kind of plan that will save us?" Sage shouted back. "Those Goliaths are closing in!" Everyone watched as the stone sentinels and the Achilles Paladins attempted to hold them back, only for the elephantine Grimm to swat the aside with their trunks and tusks. As they did, a flock of Nevermore soared ahead, flinging their feathers toward them.
"Duck!" Blake cried as she took cover, the massive feathers decimating anything within the attack area. He watched as a couple now sliced into the prototype tank, cutting apart its legs. The tank sparked and smoked before finally going dead.
"The thing's bust!" Scarlet yelled as he clambered out. "Now what?"
Wesley now eyed the tank, turning to Reigel as he came out. "Hey Reigel, what's the damage of that thing like?"
"Well, the main electrical systems are fried, so even though the core is intact, I can't power it up!" He snarled as he loaded his shotgun.
"And what is the core filled with?" Wesley asked.
"Huh?" Reigel frowned as he tossed Neptune away. "What do you mean? It has the most volatile kind of Dust inside it!"
Wesley nodded as he digested this information. "Alright then. Nicole, come over for a sec!"
"What?" She asked as she jumped back to him. Wesley quickly whispered into her ear, to which she smiled. "Yeah. I can do that. But you need to cover me for a bit. After using that much power, my Semblance's recoil is going to occur."
"What are you guys planning?" Diana frowned, now genuinely concerned as Nicole went a few meters down into the courtyard of the citadel. Everyone watched as she crouched low before breaking into a sprint, charging headlong toward the broken tank.
"Wait…" Reigel said as he shot a Beowolf's head off. "Don't you dare do what I think you are going to do!" However, his protests were unheard as Nicole slammed full force into the dead body of the tank, smashing it toward the Goliaths.
"Perfect!" Wesley smiled as he aimed his weapon at the vehicle, pulling the trigger. The massive round penetrated the metal chassis of the tank, hitting the power core and rupturing it. Within seconds, the vehicle exploded, engulfing the Goliaths and the surrounding Grimm in a massive ball of volatile flame, lightning and energy that was coupled from its prototype core along with its extensive weaponry.
Reigel stared dumbfounded as Nicole fell to the ground, panting heavily as she now felt the drawback of her Semblance. He now looked to Wesley, a massive glare on his face. "Do you have any idea how expensive that was?!"
"Hey, the Grimm are gone." Wesley smirked. "I'd say it performed admirably."
"Ignis is going to kill me dammit!" Reigel snarled. "I told her I'd bring it back in one piece!"
"Look, I'll help explain that it was a necessary sacrifice to save our lives." Wesley said. "Hopefully she'll let it go."
"Yeah I'm with Wesley on this one." Sun nodded. "A super expensive prototype tank is pretty cheap compared to what we were up against." Reigel slowly craned his head to Sun, his massive glare causing the monkey Faunus to shrink away.
Blake frowned as she studied the scene before her. With the massive blast, it became hard to see what had happened. She believed that hopefully, they had gotten a slight break from the endless swarm of attacks. Already they had taken their toll on the overall defenses, with many of the Menagerie Faunus now injured and being evacuated to the central areas. As she attempted to catch her breath, her eyes widened the instant she heard hissing.
"Watch out!" She cried just as the King Taijitus lashed out from behind the smoke. She hit the floor, barely avoiding one as it struck. The rest of the standing defenders now prepared to face the serpentine Grimm; all four of them.
"This is bad…" Sun muttered. "We're going to fall apart at this rate!"
"Just hold on!" Blake cried as she fired upon a black Taijitu head. "We have to buy more time for Ruby!"
"There are too many!" Neptune cried as he fired. "I don't know how much more we can buy!"
"Any ideas Blake?" Wesley asked as he swatted away another head that tried to strike at his partner. Blake frowned as her eyes darted toward the Grimm, with no such idea coming to mind.
"Hell…" Yang grunted as she finished off a Beringel. All around her, the Blood Huntsmen fought with unparalleled fury. However, even if they were the fiercest warriors in the world, it was likely the first time they had to engage an endless swarm of Grimm. Already they had managed to deal with the Feilongs, but such a task had already cost them two Dreadships.
An explosion sounded. Yang looked up to see another of the Order's Dreadships finally go down, joining the wreckage of other ships. For now, the Absolution remained strong, but Yang spotted the damage it had taken, knowing that it wouldn't be long before it would be rendered ineffective.
"What's wrong?" Vanessa frowned. "Getting tired?"
"Me?" Yang breathed heavily. "Nah. Besides, even if I was, do I even have the option to take a break?"
"A fair assessment." Vanessa smirked. "I do believe I have come to like you Yang. The Order would definitely have a place for you."
"My place is with my sister." Yang defiantly said. "So no thanks."
"A pity." Vanessa lamented. "I suppose I'll just have to convince Ruby Rose."
"If we live through this…" Yang huffed as she now noticed a huge swarm of Lancers approaching. Among them, she spotted eight Queens, and all made a charge against them.
Weiss panted as she waved Myrtenaster, firing back shot after shot while her Arma Gigas cut down any Grimm that approached her. It was slow at first, but soon enough the Grimm were breaching the inner court of the citadel. Instead of fighting directly, they chose to squeeze past and climbing up the sides of the spire. Weiss watched as another Beowolf clambered up, intent on striking Ruby directly. With no other options, Weiss pulled out Zeren's folding blade, extending it and cutting through its head. She felt fortunate that the weapon was light to carry; she wouldn't have been confident in using both Myrtenaster and another weapon that would throw off her aim. Still, she had no time to dwell on such things.
The defense lines were slowly being overrun with the number of Grimm that had come. She looked toward the northern entrance, watching as Grimm rushed past Team JNPR and Mistral troops, who were too busy contending with the Nuckelavees to stop them. On the south side, the King Taijitus effectively backed Blake and the remaining defenders into a corner, allowing others to pass. As for the central lane, they held well against the Grimm, but even they were slowly being overpowered by the vast amounts of the monsters attacking from all sides.
"I don't know how much more we can hold off!" Jaune gasped as he removed his sword from a Beowolf's neck.
"Just keep at it Arc!" Weiss huffed as she turned to Ruby. Her partner was now sweating profusely, and her breathing was ragged. Already her Aura was starting to flicker as the crystal ate more and more of it. While the intensity of the glow was greater than before, it was apparent it wasn't enough to fully power it as of yet.
"They just keep coming!" Arslan cried as she delivered a devastating palm thrust to an Ursa, causing it to topple down and crush a few Boarbatusk charging up the stairs.
"They really don't want that crystal to go off." Reese admitted as she fired her pistols, flipping back and deploying her board the minute a Creep jumped at her and finishing it off with a few quick strikes.
"Just hold them off!" Qrow said as he swung his scythe around, decapitating a Beringel. A Beowolf now pounced at him, only to be slammed to the ground with a serrated whip around its neck. Without hesitation, Xade tugged, slicing the monster's head off. Though his face was concealed, his breathing was getting heavy. Still, there was no rest for them all. The Grimm's numbers were endless, to the point that it was ridiculous. She wondered if one of those Dragon Grimm was around, spawning these beasts from somewhere.
"Qrow, I believe that we are currently approaching the end of the rope!" Oobleck said as he burned five Creeps.
"Then hold on to that rope as much as you can!" Qrow shouted back. "We need to buy Ruby more time!"
"How about buying us more time!" Nadir cried as his gun ran out of ammo, leaving him vulnerable to a Boarbatusk.
Weiss now conjured a glyph, trying to intercept before a Creep struck her. She raised her blade, holding back its gnashing jaws. Despite everything, Oobleck was right. They weren't going to make it!
"EEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Came a pained cry. Weiss now looked up to see Ruby's eyes glowing with silver light. A second later, a bright silver flash exploded all around. The Grimm within the citadel area immediately vanished, their bodies turning to dust. Even the massive Taijitus, Goliaths, Nevermores and Nuckelavees were not spared its effects, slumping to the ground as Ruby's innate power weakened them. Completely immobilized, they were helpless against the retaliation by the allied forces, who in no time exterminated them.
Qrow panted as his eyes widened in astonishment. It seemed that for now, they had gotten a brief window. "Weiss, go check on Ruby. Everyone else, status report!"
Weiss scrambled to her feet, her summon marching down the stairs to back up the others as she ran to Ruby. She lay slumped in the chair, her hands and head sagging. Jaune was already with her, amplifying her Aura as best her could.
"I don't know how she's been able to hold out like this." Jaune said. "Her levels are almost gone. I can bring them back up, but this is the last time I can do so. Also, she looks like she's in pain."
Weiss tilted Ruby's head up, seeing the agonised expression on her face. Perhaps the crystal had already siphoned some of her life force? Weiss pushed that thought out of her head, clinging to the faint hope that Ruby was still going strong. Placing her hand on her forehead, she felt Ruby's body burning. Immediately, Weiss took a small canteen filled with water, doing what she could to cool it down before opening it. "Ruby, drink some water."
Ruby opened her eyes, staring at the canteen. Slowly, she raised her hands and tilted the nozzle to her mouth, gulping down what she could. Ruby breathed heavily as she attempted to straighten up. "This… is… haaaa… haaaa… Really tiring…" She chuckled nervously before returning to heavy breaths again.
Weiss now looked up to the crystal, whose glow was bright enough to blind her momentarily. "Well, you're doing good so far. Keep it up. I promise nothing will harm you."
"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "I'll… do that… Uhhh…"
"Please tell me she is still good." Weiss asked Jaune as he let his hands go.
"She's surviving." Jaune nodded. "But I don't know how much more that crystal will suck out of her."
"She's always been a tough girl." Weiss nodded. "For now, we need to give her the time she needs."
"Right." Jaune nodded as he stood up, unhooking his sheathed sword. Crocea Mors's sheath expanded into its bladed edge, Jaune holding it up with both hands. "How much more do you think Salem has to send at us?"
"I don't know." Weiss said as she poised herself for another fight. "But that doesn't matter. We have a job to do. Let's do it."
With the few moments of breathing room, the defenses were reorganised. It also enabled the stone guardians to reassemble themselves, rebuilding their formations. However, the distinct lack of firepower put the original plan at risk. Thus, Qrow had sent instructions to all troops to gather their final line at the courtyard, so as to prevent the Grimm from completely surrounding them. The sentinel statues complied, arranging themselves in a wall around the medical area. Above, what was left of the fleets arrayed themselves above the citadel, maintaining a tight formation surrounded upon the Absolution. It wasn't the best move, but it was all they could afford.
"Hey… Weiss?" Ruby called weakly. Weiss immediately tended to her, leaving her summon with the defense group. "I… I'm thinking that the crystal is reaching its peak…"
"Really?" Weiss exclaimed.
"It feels like the Aura absorption is going slower." Ruby nodded. "Though, maybe I'm wrong…"
"Well, we'll buy you all the time you need." Weiss replied. "Just focus on keeping yourself alive okay?"
"Roger that ma'am…" Ruby joked before letting out an exhausted groan.
Weiss sighed as she ran back to Qrow, informing him of Ruby's update. "Ok. Thanks Schnee." He nodded before turning to Shen, who had decided to join the final defence formation. "Well, this is all or nothing."
Shen nodded. "Our final desperate stand, against whatever is commanding these monsters."
Qrow frowned, turning sharply toward the General. "Shen, what did you-"
"I'm no fool Qrow." Shen nodded. "The Grimm have displayed too much intelligence for them to be acting instinctively. Someone is leading them. I'm a General you know? Things like this don't escape me."
Qrow sighed. "Look Shen-" He attempted to explain, but Shen hushed him.
"Then again, I know Ozpin has his reasons." Shen nodded. "I never knew him personally, but perhaps it's time to have a little faith. I mean, we did get this far based on it. Whatever secrets you have, you decide when it is time to tell me. Assuming we both survive this."
Qrow stared for a few seconds before his lips broke into a smile. "Then let's survive this." He readied himself just as the snarls and roars of the Grimm echoed through the air. "Alright everyone, this is it! Give it all you have!"
"Heh, don't have to tell us twice." Yang chuckled as she punched her fists together.
"Having any regrets?" Blake smiled as she questioned Sun.
"Well, I do have a few things in my personal effects that I hope will never be found by ordinary people." Sun lamely answered, causing Neptune to slap him on his head and Blake to groan.
"Dammit, there was this girl, and that girl, and that other girl…" Wesley moaned.
"And pretty much every other girl in the world." Nicole growled.
"If we live through this, let's try that new whiskey down in Vacuo." Diana sighed.
"Please don't raise death flags." Reigel grumbled.
"I really wanted pancakes…" Nora sighed.
"If we live, I'll make as many as you want." Ren answered.
"We will." Jaune said as he walked up to them. "I believe in Ruby, and everyone else here."
Vanessa twirled her weapon as her Deathblades gathered around her. "Now then, let this slaughter commence."
Within seconds, hordes of Grimm appeared. The statue guardians now moved into action, with the larger ones engaging the bigger Grimm variants. Forming a phalanx, they blockaded the bulk of the monsters while the airships above fired, thinning them out as much as possible. Any that got past were dealt with by the allied forces.
"My last rounds!" Nora cried as she loaded grenades.
"I'm out!" Nadir cried as he emptied his magazine.
"Look out!" Yang pushed Blake's head down, her robotic arm now getting caught in a Beowolf's maw. Blake retaliated with a stab through its lower jaw, Yang following up with a punch.
Vanessa launched another energy blast at a Goliath, causing it to fall over. She then redirected her attention to the Ursa that charged at the line, cleaving its face apart.
"Fall back!" Shen called as he blasted fire at a Boarbatusk. "Retreat to the stairs! Bottleneck their numbers!"
"He's right!" Qrow agreed as the number of monsters slowly increased.
"Diana! Make a flame wall!" Wesley yelled as he ran to the stairs. "We have to put down as much as we can!"
"Ok!" She nodded. "I need cover to maintain it though!"
"Let us do that!" Arslan nodded to her team, who accompanied the lizard Faunus up front.
"Let's go!" Sun said as he kicked another Creep back and ran up the stairs, with Neptune and other troops laying down cover fire. Weiss's summon now engaged, covering for them as they retreated. However, while it was powerful, it was soon overwhelmed by the vast amounts of Grimm, winking out of existence.
The defenders now arrayed themselves upon the staircase to the spire. The Blood Huntsmen remained at the front while the Mistral troops and Huntsmen stayed right behind. The student teams were the final line, with team RWBY being the closest to their leader.
"Alright." Blake nodded. "I'm out of ammo."
"And my Dust cartridges are almost gone." Weiss gasped as she hefted both blades in her hands.
"Don't quit on me yet princess…" Yang panted as she finished off another Beowolf, though the action seemed sluggish. It was obvious everyone was getting exhausted from all the fighting. Yet, the endless swarm of Grimm decided otherwise for them. Only now, it seemed they had changed their tactics. Gone where their efforts at trying to pick apart the defenses. Now, each one rushed headlong toward Ruby, clambering over the bodies of the fallen Grimm and hapless defenders while ignoring the others. It seemed they were intent upon stopping her now at all costs.
"I don't know how long more we can keep this up!" Blake said as she struck down a few more that tried to go past.
"Just try to stop them!" Weiss said as she conjured up a series of glyphs before them. The Grimm crashed into the barrier, attempting to force their way through to Ruby. Weiss pushed back as much as she could, but the pressure at maintaining the glyph barricade slowly took its toll. Her body started to ache and her arms strained against the force. Yang and Blake did their best to thin them out, but the strain was becoming too much. She watched as a Beowolf now attempted to squeeze past her. Making a gamble, she flung Zeren's blade at it. As luck would have it, it stabbed right through it's eye, causing it to collapse on the ground.
Suddenly, rumbling could be felt. Weiss looked to the side to see a large Death Stalker clamber up the side of the ruins, away from the defenders. No! She thought furiously, attempting to set a glyph and knock it off. However, it fizzled in her hands as she couldn't properly concentrate on it. C'mon… She begged as she strained against the overwhelming number of Grimm. However, no one else could help, and it seemed she couldn't do anything either.
The Death Stalker slowly crept up to Ruby, its stinger now poised to strike. It was too late.
Ruby moaned, opening her eyes. She swore she saw a Death Stalker coming for her, but her vision was too blurry to tell. She however seemed to have a gut feeling that things were looking bad. She wondered if she had enough to spare, to hopefully activate the crystal and save everyone. Yet, it felt too little, too late.
And then, she felt something rough clasp her hand. She looked up and now saw a stone statue beside her. She wondered now when one had decided to come up. She knew at there was no way it could protect her on its own.
Then, she watched as the statue's eyes glowed, the silver light blinding her vision and forcing her to shut her own eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself viewing a world of white, with not a single soul around.
Then, a figure approached from out of thin air. He appeared to be slightly older than Qrow, though his hair was blonde. He was dressed in white robe with silver boots and armour on his left hand. She studied him, unsure of who he was. And then she found his eyes; silver eyes.
"Who are you?" She asked, but he didn't answer. Then, his eyes glowed.
Weiss frowned as the statue making contact with Ruby began to shine with silver light. Immediately, the Death Stalker backed away, as if being harmed by the light. All around, the remaining statues began doing the same, forcing the Grimm to the ground. Weiss looked on as the light now seemed to spread out into tendrils that converged upon the crystal. One by one, they fell; crumbling into dust as the light from their bodies left them. With it gone, the Grimm began to recover, beginning to press their assault once more.
And then, the crystal sparked. Everyone, both people and Grimm looked upon it as the glow grew brighter and brighter. In the chair, Ruby groaned as she sent every last drop of her Aura into the crystal. Beside her, the sole statue finally broke apart, its own light now being absorbed by the crystal. Once this was done, the crystal began to glow intensely, the shine becoming almost too bright to bear.
Ruby now opened her eyes, obscured by a bright glow from within. With a final cry, she sent the last bit of her Aura, and instantly the crystal exploded with bright light that disintegrated the Grimm around them. The light began to engulf the citadel itself, erasing any trace of the Grimm. Those that had prepared to add to the assault suddenly turned away, attempting to escape. However, it was futile, for the silver flash now began to cover the island rapidly, wiping them all out. Even the airborne ones were not spared, for the light extended toward the sky, erasing them from existence.
Through it all, the allied forces covered their eyes, the shine threatening to blind them. Even through shut eyes, Weiss could feel as if the intensity of the light would sear her pupils. She ducked her head beneath her arms, trying to block as much as she could. Only when the glare ended did she open them, though it took a few seconds to adjust her vision.
All around them was nothing but their fellow warriors and the citadel itself. Huge gouges and cracks were all that remained of the battle. Scanning slowly, she found no Grimm to be seen.
"Um…" Yang frowned. "Did we just win? Because I see no more Grimm."
"We should be cautious." Blake said. "There may still be more coming from the shore."
"Actually no." Shen said as he put his Scroll away. "I confirmed with some of my scouts. No Grimm are left anywhere near the island."
"So, we're clear?" Sun asked, still coursing with adrenaline. "I don't know about you guys, but I could use a break."
Silence permeated the air first. Then, everyone began to cheer as they realized they had truly won. Mistral militia and Faunus warriors hugged each other, which the students and Huntsmen breathed sighs of relief, finally easing the tension that had gone through their bodies for the past fifty minutes.
Weiss allowed a small breath before she turned to Ruby. As she did, the colour drained from her face. Ruby's still form was slumped over in the chair, the chains being the only thing that held her off the ground. She also looked pale, deathly even and she couldn't tell if she was breathing.
"Ruby!?" Weiss cried as she walked to her, Blake and Yang following close behind. "Ruby answer us! Ruby!"
Author's Note:
Welp, that's the second last chapter done! The days I had to spend on this were massive. It was a difficult process trying to write up a big battle scene while at the same time paying attention to specific details and trying my best to include all the major characters. So kudos to anyone and everyone who has done it. Once more, please read and review and if you have any advice on such scenes, do share them with me.
Jdbl00d
