Chapter 16: The Fall
Disclaimer: I do not in any way or form own Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There or RWBY. They belong to their respective owners, Takumi Yanai and RoosterTeeth Animations respectively.
An unprecedented Grimm attack is en route to Beacon Academy and the Vytal Festival Fairgrounds. Having already overwhelmed the border defenses around Vale, thousands of Grimm swarm towards the Huntsman Academy, near which the Gate from another world is located.
A flying Grimm phoenix has been spotted making a beeline for the Gate, its sheer size making it impervious to anything that our Huntsmen can throw at it. Meanwhile, the streets and skies are filled with dozens of Grimm species, many of which have never been seen before.
Oh, and the Atlesian knights are attacking us as well now.
In short, Vale is doomed and we're all going to die. Lisa Lavender, signing out.
Salem, the immortal enemy of humanity, master of the Grimm and Ozpin's greatest foe in the shadow war, looked over the once peaceful city of Vale.
She watched as the sky darkened and erupted into violent storms, lightning, and thunder shattering the air. She watched as unnatural stormclouds and great swarms of Grimm fliers blotted out the sun. She watched as the might of the Atlesian army turned upon their creators. She watched as the Huntsmen and the soldiers fell to an endless onslaught of nightmares and robots.
As her forces relentlessly pushed forward into Beacon, Salem found her attention drawn to Beacon Tower. At its top, a very familiar presence, as ancient as she was, awaited her arrival.
The ground shifted beneath her as the Grimm Phoenix felt her will. Black flames burning with dark light, it let out an ear-piercing screech and dived. Drawfing even the General's flagship - which was now firmly under her control - the Phoenix soared uncontested towards the CCT where Ozpin had made his office. It left wisps of shadow in its wake, which slowly drifted to the ground. They took shape upon reaching solid land, transforming into Beowolves and other Grimm creatures.
Salem smiled as she rode her creation straight towards Ozpin. He would die today. Beacon Academy would fall.
The secrets of the Gate would be hers.
"Ms. Co Lada, please follow me," Winter said. Despite her previous performance, she seemed barely winded as she ushered the princess and the other Falmart girls away. Behind the group, Ariel had Heaven's Gate in her hand, now in a bow form. She was rapidly firing glowing arrows from the bow, striking down any Grimm that got too close.
"What's going on?" Pina demanded.
"We are under attack," Winter bluntly replied, "You must return to Falmart at once."
"The negotiations -" Pina was cut off by a Griffin landing next to her, both it and the golden arrow lodged in its neck disintegrating.
"Move!" Ariel bellowed.
"Too dangerous. We'll figure it out later," Winter said. Wielding Edel Blume, she created a row of glyphs, leading the group directly to a waiting Atlesian Airship.
Pina took one step into the glyphs and found herself rocketing forward, with Bozes, Tuka, and Lelei shortly behind her. Once Winter and Ariel joined them, the airship doors slammed shut and the vehicle blasted off towards the Gate.
"I would like to inform you that Rory had decided to leave on her own," Lelei told Winter.
"What? When?"
Lelei shrugged. Winter growled, but it was too late to turn back. Besides, Rory was immortal. She could take care of herself.
Pina gasped at the destruction around her. The city was in chaos, with collapsed buildings and fires everywhere. The sky was being swarmed by creatures of darkness, each terrifying in their own way. And the massive Phoenix hovered over the city, easily larger than a Flame Dragon.
If she weren't so shocked, Pina was sure that she would be cowering like Bozes was, shaking uncontrollably in fear.
A rush of air brought her attention back to the airship. Standing at the open door, Ariel said, "I will protect the ship from outside. If any of you can help, do so." With that, she stepped off the airship and flew at the Grimm, wings shining and blade slashing.
The doors closed, allowing the interior of the craft to quieten down. Pina looked back outside, watching as an angel stood against the tide of darkness.
Cracking magic surged as Lelei began muttering words of magic.
"Lelei, what are you doing?" Winter demanded.
"I am assisting you in this battle," she calmly replied, still channeling her spell. Beside her, Tuka too began to glow as she prepared magic of her own.
"Do not do anything rash. Your safety is of utmost concern," Winter warned.
"I do not plan to leave this vehicle," Lelei informed her before releasing her magic. Around the airship, balls of magic began to form, like moons orbiting a planet. With a sweep of her hands, the balls fired off into the Grimm, each exploding in a flare of light.
A moment later, the sky unleashed its wrath. With the support of Tuka's elven magic, massive bolts of lightning cut through the sky, each strike ripping apart any Grimm it touched. A hurricane began to form as well, the gale-force winds pulling the airborne Grimm - and the remains of the Atlesian Air Fleet - into it.
And still, the Grimm came. Pina watched as her companions and more nameless Huntsmen and soldiers took down Grimm after Grimm. Yet, the tide of hungry creatures never stopped. Never had she seen an enemy like this - an enemy without number. She had thought that the Empire had the greatest, largest army in the world. Now she knew better. All of the Empire's forces could hardly hope to dent the numbers of this demonic army. The Grimm must not be allowed into Falmart, or all would be lost. The Empire needed Remnant's aid, as much as it pained her to admit it.
The airship shuddered, metal groaning. The roaring wind whipped up again as something sharp tore into the vehicle. Winter acted quickly, sealing up the tear with a burst of ice, but the damage had been done. With an engine destroyed, the airship entered an uncontrolled dive.
"Hold on!" Winter called out, stabbing her rapier into the floor. Black gravity glyphs appeared before the airship on quick succession, each slowing the vehicle down as it tore through them. Tuka helped as well, generating a powerful updraft that slowed the airship's descent.
Their combined efforts turned the crashed into a controlled descent, allowing the group to walk away unharmed.
With a torrent of wind, Ariel landed beside them. At first glance, she was fine, but Pina could tell that even this apparently angelic warrior was tiring, her breaths quick, her actions slowing. "The Gate is that way," she said, without apology or introduction, "We're trying to hold it for as long as we can. Get there. I will-"
A manticore - like Winter's previous summon, except much more inclined to harm them - dived down from above, its claws grabbing onto Tuka's shoulders. With a startled cry, she was brought into the air, rapidly getting out of reach.
Winter and Ariel's eyes met for a moment before they nodded and the latter blasted into the air after Tuka.
Taken by the surprise of the sudden event, Pina, Bozes, and Lelei barely had time to react.
Winter, however, was already planning out the next move. An alpha Beowolf summon formed beside her, larger than a man. "Let Ariel retrieve Tuka. We will head to the Gate," Winter ordered, eyes narrowed, "You three, stay close to me, and slay all who dare oppose us."
Lelei's magic began to crackle between her fingers, her blue eyes glowing with power. Pina and Bozes, for the first time, unsheathed their blades in Remnant. Their fear was forgotten. Now, they had one objective, and they focused on it. Their hands were stable as they prepared to fight the Grimm.
"As for Rory... I believe that she's heading to the Gate. Hopefully, we'll meet her there."
Rory was, in fact, not heading to the Gate, away from the Grimm and towards safety. Instead, she was actively running towards the massive Grimm Phoenix headed for the tall tower in the center of Beacon Academy.
As she approached, the Apostle drew back her arm and flung her halberd with all her impressive might, sending the deadly weapon scything through the air. It struck the Phoenix under its wing with explosive force, the sheer momentum of the halberd causing it to rip through the Grimm's flaming feathers. It screeched as it fell, unbalanced, but the woman riding it didn't seem to care. She just leaped off her crashing mount, abandoning it as she floated into the top of the tower.
Rory began to leap, each jump cracking the land beneath her and taking her up what seemed to be an impossible distance. Retrieving her halberd from the collapsing Phoenix as she did, she used the rubble around her as platforms to send herself up to the top of Beacon Tower.
Rory reached the top very quickly, and, noticing the lack of an entrance, she slammed through the wall. In a shower of debris, the Apostle entered the headmaster's office, dragging her halberd into the ground to halt her momentum.
"A child?" the woman who had been riding the Grimm Phoenix mocked. At this distance - basically in her face - Rory could see that the mysterious woman's skin was a deathly pallor, and she had glowing crimson eyes. Dark purple veins that line her face and arms, and she wore a very long, short-sleeved black robe that dragged across the ground. "Are you truly so desperate, Ozpin?"
"Ms. Mercury, please-"
"Child?" Rory scoffed, "I'm older than you!"
The bold declaration gave the woman pause as she examined Rory in closer detail. "I am Salem, girl," she introduced, "And perhaps you are more than a child. Who are you?"
"That's none of your concern, Salem. Ms. Mercury, please lea-"
Once more Rory ignored Ozpin. With an elegant bow, she too introduced herself, "I am Rory Mercury. Apostle of Emroy, the God of Darkness, War, Death, Violence, and Insanity. I am immortal."
"Truly? Immortal? And a representative of a god?"
"Yup. And you, are you the one they call immortal?" Rory asked.
"Ms. Mercury, -"
Both others completely ignored Ozpin. "I have been cursed with immortality. For a crime I did not commit. And you? How did you become an immortal?"
"Chosen by Emroy."
"Enough!" Ozpin thundered, "Ms. Mercury, return to your world at once! I will handle Salem!"
With that, he lunged forward in a flash, his cane outstretched to attack. Even with his incredible speed, Salem was prepared, unleashing a volley of sharpened shadows at her foe. Without deviating from his path, Ozpin either dodged or swept the dark spikes aside, bringing himself close enough to Salem to unleash a flurry of blows.
Knocked back, Salem raised her hands into the air. A swarm of Nevermores immediately descended upon Ozpin, forcing him to destroy them. Very quickly, they fell to his skill, but they did their task of stalling him.
"Will you join me, Rory? Join your power with mine. Take revenge on the gods who have wronged us. Who forced their curse upon us," Salem asked Rory.
She laughed. "Curse?" the Apostle mocked, "This is no curse, fool. The honor of protecting not just my world, but all worlds, is mine. And you must be destroyed!"
Having said that, Rory leaped forward, halberd swinging. Growling in anger, Salem summoned black spikes once more, impaling Rory in mid-air. They pierced her body, holding her in place.
"Foolish child. Then I will take it from you!"
Salem stepped towards the trapped Rory, an arm outstretched in preparation to leech her power. She then recoiled as a powerful wave of aura centering from Rory exploded out, shattering the spikes. Rory dropped to the ground, wounds already healing. She licked her dark purple lips. Raising her halberd, she prepared to attack, only for a green blur to beat her to it.
Ozpin struck at his ancient enemy with both his cane and magic. The surprise assault sent Salem flying off the tower, although it could not kill her.
"For your own good, Ms. Mercury, leave," he advised.
Rory laughed at the recommendation, "Try to keep up, old man."
She leaped off the tower, and Ozpin followed her over the edge.
The Grimm Phoenix met them on the way, screeching. Neither made any move to escape. Rory slammed down onto its head with her full aura- and god-enhanced might, her halberd ripping a massive wound and almost cleaving the Grimm into two. Behind her, Ozpin followed up with a blast of green energy straight into the wound, and the massive creature exploded in a blast of ash.
Below, Salem awaited their arrival, unconcerned by the destruction of her great beast. As her enemies approached, the Grimm queen sent forth massive waves of dark magic, as well as more airborne Grimm.
Rory tore apart anything in her way, her weapon cutting through the chaos, completely unaffected by the evil magic. She landed on Salem, halberd first, only to have it blocked by her unnatural strength. Despite the force of the impact shattering the ground, Salem was unhurt, and she lashed out with a surge of lightning at Rory.
The attack was blocked by a translucent green bubble before Ozpin attacked with rapid stabs. Each had great elemental power behind it, enough to shatter concrete, but Salem was barely affected. Rory too jumped in as well, both the ancient Wizard and aura-boosted Apostle unleashing waves of magical power that threatened to rend the battlefield apart.
Not only did Salem simply shrug off the best that they could throw at her, but she also unleashed her own magical power. The night itself seemed to come to life, intent on suffocating the witch's enemies. Crushing waves of darkness poured onto Ozpin and Rory, fueled by Salem's fury.
Ozpin stopped the attack with a bubble of green light, holding the darkness at bay. However, his power had waned over the centuries, and Salem's strength overcame his. His barrier cracked, before shattering completely.
Ozpin gasped as the shadows sharpened and pierced both him and Rory.
Leaving her ally, the Apostle ignored her wounds and attacked Salem, halberd swinging wildly. Enhanced by her boundless aura, she darted around her foe, lashing out with rapid blows. Even with Rory's incredible speed, Salem was able to dodge the initial strike, the halberd shattering the concrete floor. Undaunted, Rory stuck, again and again, her centuries of experience and her deadly speed and strength raining heavy blows onto Salem. When Rory came in for a sweeping blow, Salem grabbed onto the halberd's blade, ignoring the wound it caused her. Using her unnatural strength, she pulled the Apostle to her using her own weapon and placed a palm onto her forehead.
The dark veins on Salem's hand pulsed, and Rory tensed up, freezing as dark magic invaded her mind. She tried to fight it, but the millennia-old witch was more powerful than her. Rory mentally screamed for help as Salem forced herself into her memories.
Lightning struck Salem from behind, disrupting her concentration. Leaving Rory to collapse at her feet, she turned to see Ozpin, kneeling on the ground. In his hand was his cane, still crackling with residual energy. He was also bleeding out from Salem's previous attack, on the verge of death.
She stalked over. Cupping Ozpin's jaw in a black-veined hand, she looked into his eyes - still defiant - and whispered, "You lose." A moment later, the headmaster was incinerated into black ash that scattered into the winds, his cane dropping to the ground.
Done with that, Salem turned back to face her other foe.
Rory had not been idle during Ozpin's sacrifice. Her body thrummed with ancient power the likes of which Remnant had seen only thousands of years before. The power of a god. And when Rory spoke again, she spoke the words of another. She spoke the words of Emory.
"Enough!"
The figure standing against Salem and her endless tide of Grimm was still that of a young female child. But her voice; her very presence was much more. Behind the slightly crouching figure of Rory Mercury, with her halberd raised, was the shade of her god. Emroy, the God of Death and War, stood with his chosen. He took the form of a man double her height, wielding a hammer of similar size. With the power of a god behind her, Rory spoke Emroy's words.
"Salem. I sense your past. I know your punishment."
"Then you know that I was wronged!" the dark queen screamed in return, unwanted memories of her past surfacing. "The gods refused to help me with such a simple request. They are at fault! They are to blame!"
"Even now you deny. You have learned nothing from the past. Accept your punishment, Salem! The laws of death apply to all!" the god of death demanded.
"You're just like them," Salem spat, "You think you can do anything you want? Then die!"
Salem lashed out once more, telekinetically slamming the ground beside Rory into her. She exploded out from the rubble, unharmed, and resumed the attack. Once more, Salem was forced to block that halberd.
But this time, Emroy was in the battle as well. His translucent avatar was spectral but very capable of causing physical damage. It slammed down onto Salem, smashing her into the ground. While she was stunned, both the god and his Apostle unleashed a flurry of devastating blows, shattering the earth itself.
When the dust cleared, Salem got to her feet. Her body had already regenerated, her immortality completely negating her opponent's attempts to destroy her.
In return, Salem fired a blast of darkness from her hands, the beam consuming not just Rory but everything around her as well. It could kill anything... except for an immortal. Rory, and by extension Emroy, was sent flying back, but she was back on her feet soon after the beam ended.
Both sides were immortal. Neither could realistically or truly achieve victory. But neither could lose and so they went at each other with magic and might that shook the earth.
"All Huntsmen and civilians, evacuate immediately. We are being overrun. Evacuate immediately."
Citizens and students alike shrieked in terror as they fled the creatures of Grimm that trampled through the grounds, the fear only serving to feed the crazed, destructive nature of the beasts. Fires burned on many of the booths, and sounds of havoc filled the air.
Ruby barely heard the looping message as she stared out into the carnage. Distressing images of the last invasion of Vale filled her head, the horrors matching up with the scene in front of her. Last time, Blake had...
"What do we do?" Blake asked. The other members of team RWBY had gathered around their leader, readying their weapons.
Ruby snapped out of the trance. Blake was here. "We stay together," she decided. There were too many to fight. As much as she hated to admit it, Vale was lost. "Fall back to the Gate. There'll be soldiers there; we can help them. And help whoever we can in the way."
Her team nodded. Then they moved.
Yang led the way, punching and blasting the Grimm out of the way. Weiss and Blake followed after her, covering her back and shooting down any that got too close. Ruby covered the rear, scythe flashing, and also took some time to snipe priority targets. Together, team RWBY blasted their way through the Grimm and the corrupted Atlesian Knights, picking up some stragglers along the way. They covered each other, watching for attacks that came from every angle.
Now shepherding a group of civilians, team RWBY soon came across a heated battle.
With Coco, Neptune, Sun, and Flynn laying down cover against the airborne Grimm, Velvet was taking on a pair of Atlesian Paladins at the same time, both far larger than she was. For the first time, her weapon's capabilities were revealed as she danced across the bulky mechs. The hard-light projection of Crescent Rose slashed across a Paladin's armor before Velvet used Magnhild to fire grenades to simultaneously knock it back and bring her into the other. Myrtenaster, Floating Array, Gianduja, and a host of other weapons all made an appearance as Velvet systematically tore the two mechs apart.
Until one unexpected broke through Gambol Shroud's ribbon - used to restrain it - and landed a blow on Velvet. It slammed her into the ground, causing a cry of pain. Without hesitation, the Paladin lifted its leg up to crush her.
"No!" Ruby cried, dashing forward in a burst of petals. She slammed into Velvet, propelling them both away from the Paladin. It stomped on nothing more than the ground, before reaming its weapons. "Stay together!" Ruby called out, "Work together. No one dies today!" She stood protectively before the injured Velvet, Crescent Rose out and ready. The Paladin threw a powerful punch at her, one that she could not block alone. Yet, Ruby refused to leave her friend's side, staring defiantly at the rouge mech. Taking the blow might hurt her... but her friend would be safe.
With Ruby and Velvet filling her vision, Weiss sent herself dashing forward. Refusing to let either of them - her leader and the faunus - get hurt any further, she pushed herself, drawing upon a skill she has capable of, but had never managed to use. The Paladin's punch met not Crescent Rose but a large, glowing blade. The blade belonged to a severed arm, summoned forth from an unfamiliar glyph. The shock in everyone's eyes was reflected in Weiss' own. She gritted her teeth and swung her rapier. In mirror of her motion, the blade too swang forward, effortlessly pushing the Paladin away. A moment later, it slashed down, cutting the mech cleanly into two.
Then a four-legged mech dropped from the sky, slamming down onto Weiss' summon and shattering it into dust. Blake looked in horror as the familiar spider droid combined its four cannons, charging up its ultimate attack. No more running. Steeling herself, Blake ran directly at the deadly robot, instead of away from it. Throwing her new Gambol Shroud at the large, combined cannon, Blake waited for it to latch on before triggering her weapon's new function. Tiny rockets flared to life, designed to give her attacks more strength. Instead, they pulled the laser cannon aside, away from the others... and straight at a yellow figure.
By the time Yang, finishing off a Creep, noticed the giant cannon aimed at her, it was too late to dodge. She was utterly consumed by the blast of light, but when it ended, Yang still stood. Her hair blazing like the sun, she charged at the spider droid. With enough strength to destroy it... enough strength to protect those she cared for... Yang broke the color spectrum once more as she utterly obliterated the mech in a single punch.
A fireball streaked over their heads, striking down a Griffin. The group turned to face the source of the blast. Cinder Fall came running out of the smoke, one hand holding a briefcase and the other a small fireball. Behind her came her teammates, Emerald and Mercury.
"Hey, Cinder! Come with us, we're going to the Gate!" Ruby called out.
Cinder smiled, blasting a Nevermore with a fireball. "We'll like that," she replied, running to team RWBY's side. Ruby noticed that she was clutching her suitcase as if her life depended on it, but gave it no second thought; it was probably something important to her.
Now with the three new additions, the group continued to the Gate. The Grimm attacks seemed to slow, perhaps because they were closing in on the Gate and their attention was drawn there. Whatever the reason, the group could recover just a little as they ran.
There was a massive explosion nearby, the power of which shook the earth. With the roar unlike any living being's, fire and brimstone were sent into the air as in a volcanic eruption. In the center of this blast, visible for all to see, was a single human figure, with white skin and black veins that struck fear into all who gazed upon her. One particular piece fell, blazing, in front of Ruby and her group. It slammed into the ground with a burst of dust, causing them to come to a halt and look at the new crater cautiously. Something moved within.
Rory grumbled as she rose out of the crater, patting out the residual flames. Before their eyes, her grievous wounds faded away. "Ow. That crazy woman is irritating," she muttered.
"What the heck was that? Who is she?" Yang demanded.
"A pain in the ass, that's what she is," Rory complained, "How am I supposed to kill her? She's as immortal as I am!"
"What?!"
Emroy's projection reappeared behind Rory. "Return to Falmart, Rory. You cannot defeat this woman, and neither can I, in this form," he ordered in his booming voice, before fading away.
"What was that?" Weiss demanded, her rapier pointed at the wisps of the evaporating figure.
"That was Emroy, my chosen god. And my Semblance," Rory replied with certainty, "Conduit. The ability for others to speak and act through me. That's how Emroy could speak so clearly here, and take a physical presence, so far away from his shrine. Now, time to leave."
The group ran for the Gate, which was less than a hundred meters away. When they reached it, the forces around it were still standing. With the combination of a large number of Huntsmen and walls of dust and bullets, the Grimm was being held at bay. Panicked civilians were being ushered in, while a steady stream of ammo and supplies were being sent to Remnant from the Atlesian base on Falmart.
"Go, go!" a soldier ushered them through, shortly before they call went out: "All forces, fall back. Fall back immediately."
The remaining Huntsmen and soldiers fell back as ordered, running to the safety of the Gate. The Grimm were hot on their heels, eager to tear them apart.
On the other side, the moment that the last man exited the Gate, the gathered forces opened fire into it. With the Gate acting as a bottleneck, they halted any Grimm that tried to enter. Exhausted, the students collapsed to the ground. Team RWBY. Pina and Bozes. Lelei. Rory. Winter. Qrow. For now, they were safe.
And there were many questions to be answered.
Salem gazed over the destruction that her forces had caused. Beacon Academy was now in ruins. Ozpin was dead, though he would return eventually. The Atlesian forces and the Huntsmen had been decimated. The dead and debris lay everywhere.
All that for one unassuming stone Gate.
Walking up to it, Salem put her hands onto the structure. Power began to surge.
A/N: If there are Grimm Wyverns, Dragons, and Whales, I'm sure Salem can make a Grimm Phoenix.
So, yes, Beacon was going to fall anyway, and Ozpin going to die. RWBY and friends are now trapped on Falmart. So, really, their punishment is irrelevant.
RWBY character development: poor. I know. Honestly, with the focus on politics and combat, I'm starting to think that including the team was completely unnecessary. Too late to change that now, so I'll see if I can give them more development later. At least Yang still has both her arms.
Also, it's surprisingly difficult to write a battle between people who are literally unkillable. No matter how hard you hit them, they just come back. Especially when their capabilities are pretty much unknown. We've barely seen Salem's abilities, and Rory's fighting style mostly involves hitting her opponent with a halberd while being immortal. So I took some liberties.