Chapter 50
War. War is a horrible thing.
Forgetting honor and dignity, war was more or less just two forces fighting each other to the death for their ideals. Blood, limbs, and other various body parts spilled across the battlefield just because the higher-ups told you to fight. Assuming of course, one was forced to volunteer as desperate measures have shown. Regardless, war is a bloody thing and not even a pretty one. As if there's even such a thing as a good war.
But what was happening in Vale, at this moment, it wasn't a war.
It's a massacre.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" Roman swore if he ever saw Cinder again, and had every advantage possible, he would kill her. Because screw that fire bitch! He knew her plan would involve death, but not to the point where the entire damn city was now in flames, ruin, and a lot of blood. Seriously, he tripped over a few bodies of both people and faunus. None of which were in good condition.
As Roman ran though, he then noticed something odd. The colorful monsters and machines that were neither Ironwoods bots or Grimm suddenly paused for a moment. Then they began resuming their attacking, yet it seemed, well, less tactic. Maybe it was just his imagination, but while many still attacked people, he saw some actually began to run away or even bite into a Grimm which was soon returned back. How odd.
'Not that it actually matters,' Roman spitefully thought as he then punched away a small little creature that said Nobu. 'Because a hell bunch of them are still trying to kill me.'
He needed to get back to somewhere, anywhere, that was safe. Which might be a little tough as everywhere he looked he saw bullets being fired, people running and screaming, and dangerous monsters attacking whatever they saw. It was hell out here, and while he could ignore it for now, he knew that little voice in his head was blaming him. The worst part being, he couldn't even deny it.
"Ra!"
"Oh shi-" That was all Roman could say as a massive Alpha Beowolf then lunged at him and pinned him to the ground. Without hesitation, it began attacking him with its boney claws, assaulting his aura which he just got back after fighting off another monster awhile back. The energy field on him slowly flickering until after a few hits and poor counter-attacks from it, it faded away.
Seeing its chance, the Beowolf then stood tall with its mouth wide open. Revealing all of its sharp teeth that made Roman flinch. Years ago he made fun of idiotic Huntsmen who died by the hands of what he called mutts. Oh how cruel irony can be, as now he would be the next loser to die by this thing. With the sad acceptance that mayne, he deserved it. For not just all the crimes he done, but for his part in this mess.
As Roman closed his eyes, ready to meet his maker with at least some dignity, his mind then thought of a person. A single girl. Neo.
Wait, not just Neo, but soon others came to mind as well. Those strange Hassan he got along with. The sweet if not naïve girl, Abigail. That white haired girl Jack and her pal Nursery Rhyme. Heck, even Junior came to his mind, even though he barely saw him these days. What do you know, guess he wasn't as black hearted as he thought if he thought of them.
That was his last thought before he then felt the breath of the Grimm lunge at him…
'...Am I dead?'
"Dad!" Huh? That voice seemed familiar. Was that Abig- "Leave him alone you monsters." It was then he heard a disgusting squeal and the crunch of bones with something hitting his head. Realizing something was up, and to confirm if he wasn't dead or just in some hell, Roman opened his eyes slowly and calmly.
"What the fuck!" Then swore as he saw the Alpha Beowolf from a while ago now looking pitiful as it was in the grip of what appeared to be some kind of white tentacle of sorts. Turning his head on the ground, he saw the tentacle then end to...Abigail!?
Next to her was Jack and Nursery Rhyme. The two not looking pleased with Jack taking out two daggers and Nursery Rhyme giving off an aura with...hearts? Gah! Forget that. He needed these brats to go. "Get out of here you idiots!" Roman shouted at them. "Go and hide with Neo! Don't be out in the open with all these monsters!"
"No!" Abigail then shouted at him, making Roman surprised. I mean, she usually obeyed him and didn't argue back much. Just being obedient, and never really yelling like she is now. "I won't leave you behind here." The Grimm in that tentacle then whimpered as it was soon crushed to death, with the appendage then disappearing back to Abigail who looked at Roman.
"I won't leave you!" Abigail then said, where suddenly a bunch of Grimm and those colorful-like Grimm then ran at her. Roman's eyes widened as his hand outstretched to Abigail, never having thought he'd say this to anybody but Neo.
"No!" He screamed in horror, already thinking Abigail would be dead like others he saw around here.
Shing!
Boom!
Cruuu!
Only for that fear to turn to astoundment and shock as suddenly the three young girls he watched over instantly reacted with speeds only veteran Huntsmen should have. Jack slicing a blue Bicorn Grimm from the jugular all the way to the abdomen like an expert surgeon, Nursery Rhyme sending a blast of cutting wind into an Major Ursa, and then Abigail sending a swarm of butterflies from her sleeves which then ripped apart those robot mannequin dolls to pieces. Roman could only blink while his brain questioned if what he saw was real or maybe he was just dead.
"Nobu!" A large bellowing sound was heard and a shadow came over Roman. He turned and saw the giant foot of a golden colored unnatural chibi person then about to squish him like a bug.
"No you don't!" Only for a damn laser to come out of Abigail's forehead and hit the head of the creature which then blew up. Leaving the headless body to topple over away from Roman, soon vanishing in golden light after. Roman could only stare at what he was certain was his death, vanish away while still pondering if this was even reality. He then felt two small arms grab him and hug him tight.
"I-I don't want to lose anybody. You're...You're not the Master, but you're still someone important to me." He then heard Abigail say to him as her little arms gripped harder. The other girls, Jack and Nursery Rhyme taking care of the other monsters with frightening ease. Well, guess he was going to be fine thanks to the power of these little girls.
Ouch. Okay, he felt his pride take a huge hit from that. No doubt Neo, wherever she was, would laugh at that. But until then, he had other important things to do. Not just question how three girls can fight like veteran Huntsmen, but even more important than that.
"Gah!" Abigail then felt Roman quickly stand and grab her, while positioning her like a sack of flour on his shoulder before doing the same to Jack and Nursery Rhyme who were surprised by his intervention.
"Alright then brats," Roman shouted as he began running to Juniors bar with all his might. "Let's get the hell out of here!"
"Language!" Abigail shouted as the carnage continued.
While nobody knew it, this horrific battle between Grimm and the new monsters was slowly coming to an end. While the people had no idea of it, the arrival of the beasts from another world were only able to fight decently thanks to pre-set commands given to them by the Demon God Pillar Haagenti. Aside from of course a certain few creatures who could move with their own will like that giant mechanical boar and shapeshifting monster. Or even that gender-bend mad scientist.
Regardless, the point is numerous of the monsters now lost those orders, and went on instinct mode. Meaning while many still chose to attack, they attacked anyone. Not just people, but Grimm, the magical wands, even their own kind if they felt hungry enough. At the end of the day they only didn't attack one another because the pre-set commands made them ignore one another to kill the humans and faunus.
As such, this gave the Huntsmen and Atlas soldiers with other allies get a huge advantage. This horrific massacre started out pretty bad, and no way would it be better after. But at the very least they could save what was left and hope they can start back again from there. As such, the Grimm and strange monsters infighting was pretty much a perfect opportunity to shoot them back.
"Come on men, kill that thing!" An Atlas soldier shouted as he shot as many bullets as he could against the giant silver machine that called itself Nobu. "Show these things what teamwork is."
"Dude. I don't even work for Atlas!" A Huntsmen said annoyingly, but obeyed if only to help out.
"Same here." A lost White Fang woman agreed but also kept firing. Doing so if on hopes that when she's arrested, the higher-ups will let her off since she's kinda helping.
"Screw it." A student from Beacon yelled out. "We either work together, or die trying. I mean, you don't see those people on that pirate ship complaining." Far, very far, ahead was a pirate ship shooting at what according to some guy called Siegfried were Lahmus. Working very well together on board and moving through the streets, despite the fact it was a wooden ship with no water. But hey, these people saw a floating wand and book, so a moving ship wasn't that big of a deal to be honest at this point.
"Kids right." None other than Beacon student Cardin Winchester says as he wacks some creepy doll that looks like a failed Atlas bot says as he smashes his mace in its head. "At this point, humans, faunus, hell, even criminals! At this point, we all work together or die like losers."
"Yeah!" Beacon student Coco agrees as she shoots down a small wyvern with her empowered Dust bullets. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with him. Like hell I wanna die by whatever these things are."
"Seriously, what are they?" Flint just asks nobody in particular while looking at some kind of golden hand that burst from the ground with glowing crystals held in their palms. Or they did until all of them were then punched by a weird faunus woman in a tiger onesie and a paw on her staff. Saying she'd help them since she wasn't allowed in the White Fang. She was definitely off.
"Hey, look at that?" The White Fang member Perry pointed at the sky. "I think it's a robot."
"No, a wyvern!" Carding declares.
"Maybe a shadow person!" Flint guesses.
They were all wrong, as the thing they saw was actually eighth Servants that then fortunately landed at harsh speeds on the building size silver Nobu ending its threat while making a wicked explosion. Well that solved that problem.
"Uh. I guess that's one way to land." While a start of another for others. Particularly for Jason, who was glad he absorbed all those Dust crystals earlier. Although he was kinda ticked that Medea (Lily) made the others reinforced with her magic but not him. As he then sat up, Jason stretched a bit and looked around for a bit. "You guys good?" He asked his teammates.
"Hell yeah." Caenis declared with others in agreement. The group soon getting up as they shaked off the crash and tested their limbs to make sure nothing was missing.
"Well," Asclepius then gazed at where Amity once used to be. "Guess that's one way to deal with a Demon God Pillar. Throw it in a black hole."
"Yeah, how did that happen?" Atalanta then shook her head, patting away the dust on her hair. "Not that I'm not grateful, but where in Artemis's name did a black hole come from?" Heck, the phenomenon was odd, despite the fact she's seen stranger things in Chaldea. Then again, not like Chaldea usually made a black hole.
"Must be because of the Dust." Medea (Lily) states her thoughts as she looks up where Amity and Haagenti once were. "I don't know where it came from, but Dust holds magical energy in it. Kinda like how some Magus put a bit of their own power in containers for their spells. Like say, gems."
"Doesn't really explain the black hole though." Pollux grabs Castor and helps him up.
"True. Not everyday you see a fake black hole." Castor wipes off some dust from his clothes, with Pollux doing the same.
"I still need time to study Dust." Medea (Lily) admits to not knowing much about the substance aside from small basics. Having actually not bothered researching it as she didn't really care at the time. But after what happened just now, well, maybe she should check out just what Dust is.
Hercules, who felt his throat was on fire, pointed at Amity while making a questioning expression. Luckily, Jason already knew what he was asking. "You're wondering if Haagenti is still alive, huh." Hercules grunted. "I can't imagine that worm surviving a black hole, even a fake one...but…"
Well, they kinda needed a body to see if Haagenti really was gone. Which of course wasn't easy since the black hole consumed everything on Amity, including Haagenti. Just in case though, since luck bit Jason in the ass, he decided to just put the Demon God Pillar MIA for now. On the bright side, one less enemy to worry about.
"Hey!" Caenis then punched a ghost away. "Don't get in my personal space loser." Instead, they just had to worry about the potential hundreds of enemies now here on the ground. Although, it does seem less compared to what he imagined.
'Guess enough time has passed.' Jason thought as he saw many brave souls defending their home and the people, while seeing the occasional light from afar which were likely Noble Phantasms from Servants. In a way, even if the city was more or less destroyed, it made him kinda happy to see that in times of crisis, humanity would forget their differences and work together for a common goal. Forgoing their selfish desires for the time, with the majority working with one another to see another day.
Of course, Jason's no fool either. He was certain that there were a few of the more despicable individuals who took advantage of this chaos. Ruining others lives, and getting what they wanted. Plus, once the people won there would be a lot of mourning for all the lives lost. Their home in shambles.
'And maybe I can change that.' Jason recalled his old life, before he was a Servant. When his uncle ruled what should have been his home, where he had to fight tooth and nail to try and earn it back. Yet...he failed, and couldn't even do that. Leaving only his son to deal with his mess, where soon after he died pathetically. Those were his regrets. Leaving his child with his consequences, and unable to help his people.
But maybe, just maybe, here he can review his mistakes, and make the dream he once told Hercules a reality. Wouldn't that be nice.
"Watch out you idiot!" Atalanta then tackled Jason into the dirt as a Wyvern had nearly snatched him up in its claws as it screeched in a challenge to battle. Hercules tested that challenge and grabbed a rock and threw it so hard that the Wyvern's head bursted apart into a gory mess and thankfully vanished in golden light.
"Great. Can't even enjoy a pleasant mood for one minute." Jason complained while Atalanta huffed and got off of him and reluctantly helped him up.
"So. What now leader?" The green clad Archer asked Jason with everybody looking toward him now. Wondering what they're next move was. Something Jason had to pause and think about for a second. Though he figured that for now, they should just help the regular folks from being devoured by all the monsters crawling around as a start.
That was more or less the best they could do. Sunrise will soon happen in about an hour or two. May as well kill as many of these invaders as they can until then. After all, there wasn't anything else they could do until then. Plus, it wasn't like anything important was going on.
"Hey...what is that?" Castor narrowed his eyes at the distance. Everyone then looking at the direction he was staring at, wondering what he was seeing.
"What is it brother? Is it that giant Grimm elephant?" The one stomping on a demonic beast without mercy.
"Or is it that airship being swarmed by wands." Asclepius points at said part with magical wands shooting rainbows at the Bullheads and bringing them down. Those who tried parachuting were hit by beams of hearts and were reduced to skeletons.
Hercules grunted and had his finger aimed at what Castor was really looking at. It was tough to see because it was dark, but it appeared there was a glow which revealed...tentacles? "Okay. Uh. Guess I know where we're going." Jason just says as he then gets ready to go in that direction. "Alright team, let's-"
Then suddenly a great flash of silver light occurs that temporarily fills the sky, where soon after a great roar could then be heard where the tentacles were at shivering. While Jason had no idea what was happening, he got the distinct feeling that whatever was going on there...was being handled already. Not sure why he felt like it, maybe some kind of instinct. Until then though, it meant something else needed to be done which wasn't that.
"Graaaaaa!"
"Oho!" Caenis grinned as Jason, Atalanta, Hercules, and the rest of the Argonauts looked up and saw a giant Grimm Wyvern that put shame to the actual Wyverns flying in the sky. It rammed itself onto other fliers and killed them with ease. Even lifted a giant Nobu bot and ripped its head off with its massive maw. Atlas ships tried firing but were killed for their trouble by being rammed into. The great beast screeching at all its foes.
"Oh yeah." Jason grinned as his team then got into position. "Everyone. I know what our next target will be." Last he recalled, lots of people in history became legends when it came to slaying a dragon. Granted, this thing is a Wyvern, but hey, it counted.
"Then lets get going already!" Caenis laughed as she began running toward the massive Grimm with everyone else behind her. "Finally something worth killing."
"Better hurry then." Castor narrows his eyes. "I bet Siegfried and his 'son' will notice it soon enough."
"And kill it with ease thanks to their attributes." Asclipues could already see that Grimm Wyvern being one shotted thanks to the duo's unique powers.
"No way!" Jason then hopped onto Hercules shoulders with Medea (Lily) flying next to him. "If anything will get the renown for killing this monster, it will be me!" He meant us, but Jason was self-centered like that. Regardless, it didn't stop the Argonauts as they all aimed for the Grimm Wyvern with intent to kill it off.
"RAAAA!" Though they'll have to hurry quickly, as suddenly an actual dragon with a blue symbol on its chest came alongside a familiar dragon slayer on him. The two having just then appeared in the sky in blue light and the massive Grimm itself noticed them. A clash of two giants, with one being made for destruction, and the two facing it made to kill dragons. Or Wyvern in this case.
Come sunrise, the great Grimm will be slain by someone, and from there Vale and the rest of Remnant will never be the same again. For the Will of Remnant has failed its task, and once this battle was done, destiny will be overturned. Meaning the future was now uncertain at this point. Where things will either end in a good future….or end in utter disaster.
AND DONE! Finally. That took longer than I liked, but totally worth it. At this point, all that's left is the aftermath. And from there, canon is gone. I'd like to think that's a good thing. And so, thanks to Jason and the Servants, a new path will be made. Granted, I know there are some missing battles you probably noticed like Ruby vs Cinder and her crew, but I intentionally did that.
In most Fate/Stay and RWBY works, I noticed Ruby and her allies will usually win thanks to-duh-plot armor. So why bother seeing the same thing happen again. We know who will always win, even if Ruby did lose someone. Or should I say, someones. After all, her eyes had to activate somehow. Take a good guess who bit the bullet.
But don't worry folks, I know some of you are sad that we didn't get to see certain fights like obviously Grimm Wyvern vs Sieg Fanfir.. Well guess what, you will! Just not in this story, but the spin-off I'm working at. You'll get more information on that next chapter which is the final act for Act 3. Seeing what has become of everyone, from Adam to Ironwood, and whoever else I can write in. Next chapter will be long...my poor fingers.
But for now, lets see one last scene. Which is the answer to the question I KNOW all of you are asking. How DID Ruby beat that tentacle monster Gilles was summon? She didn't, it was...
"Cinder! Cinder!" All that met Emeralds ears was a scream of agony and pain.
"Ahhhhh!" Sounding like a wounded beast, Cinder Fall was on the ground and clutching her left eye with her one good hand, as the other laid uselessly by her side. Mercury standing a bit away while glancing at little red. Okay, he could see why Roman was annoyed with her. Because if she did that to the Fall Maiden, then yikes. Best to kill her off.
"Mercury." Mercury then heard a voice, from none other than Gilles who spoke to him telepathically. "What was that?"
"No idea." Mercury warily said as he eyed Ruby while Emerald tried her best to help Cinder who wasn't looking so hot. "Just some kind of light after the brat saw her play pals biting the dust. Literally." Didn't even realize Cinder could disintegrate people like that. "Why, did it affect your...pet?"
"On the contrary no." Gilles responded as the ominose tentacles from the huge magical circle array were glowing even brighter. Only overshadowed by the huge Grimm Wyvern...facing another beast of similar size? Okay, this night just keeps getting weirder. "However, that power...it's not normal. If anything that light was like...like that accursed light from God, who denied to save Jeanne!"
Jeanne? That girl he kept obsessing over. Always talking about her when they were around. While also acting like a pedo when staring at the screen in jealousy when he saw that woman's 'sister' Jeane'd Arc Alter Santa (Lily). Whatever the case, he did agree with the madman on one thing, Ruby needed to go. Now.
Walking near her, Mercury set his legs to fire: Lethally.
"You will not kill that child blessed by God." Then a voice filled with power was heard, along with two glowing lights. A yellow golden one, and a dark purple one. For a moment he thought he was seeing diving judgement.
Which wasn't close to a lie, as suddenly the light faded and in its place were two very beautiful but also pissed off women. One wearing something akin to a swimsuit, the other looking kinda gothic in his mind. Though both raideated more power than what he's seen Cinder being capable of.
"This is," The golden aura chick looked at the tentacles, then at the city in general alongside her sister as both hovered in the air.
"A threat to this world." The blonde one finishes as she looks at the tentacles which then instantly tried to attack the two. The creature Gilles was trying to summon wasn't ready to play yet, but he could still use those tentacles to crush any person. "Be gone." Any person anyway, not two chicks who were definitely not two humans as they then batted away those massive tentacles with ease like nothing.
The two then looked down at Mercury and the others, eyes staring at him which nearly made him wet his pants.
This...was going to suck.
