Due to time constraints, CF only got to see the chapter plan for this and not the chapter itself. Saturday and Sunday updates are somewhat fierce, so for the most part, CF gets to beta chapter plans more than actual chapters.
I include notice because it's unfair to let CF bear any brunt for mistakes I might make.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Chapter 27
The being before us, be it God, woman or some demon, came with its own insidious presence. It washed over me like a wave of cloying nausea, except that it had a weight to it, for it forced me down onto one knee. The others were no better, some flat on their stomachs, as though held down from above, others on their backs, struggling for breath. Something deep inside me begged me to run. Something else told me to cry and huddle in a ball. It was an alien sensation, and one I had to clench my teeth together to fight my way past. It was a close call, even then. It felt like I looked into the eyes of death itself
It looked back.
"Well, well, this is an interesting display." The woman, Salem, floated down to the floor, but didn't quite touch it. Although she moved as though walking, her feet did not make contact. That didn't stop the ground becoming singed with each step she took. I glared up at her defiantly, but her blazing eyes were affixed to the altar. "Despair, fear, anger and hopelessness… such a delightful arrangement." One of her fingers brushed against the stone, coming away red with blood. "You can almost sense the moment their rage gave way to horror, when defiance became acceptance – and the crushing agony that followed." She recounted the nightmare the faunus had been through as though perusing a menu at some fine restaurant. "Oh, and what's this? Something else, something far richer… surprise, shock and betrayal. Hmm, I do so enjoy that."
"Feast your eyes on a God," Merlot cried, in some crazed mix of reverence and excitement. "Those fools said it could not be done, that it should not be done, but it is I who shall show them true power!"
"D-Damn you…" Yang tried to stand up, but only managed to push her shoulders a few inches off the floor before she slammed back down once more. My eyes sought out Blake, the strongest of us, but the Assassin was in no better a situation. Flat on her stomach, with one hand stretched out to try and reach her dagger. Even if she reached it, I doubted she would have the strength to throw it.
"It is a novel experience, being in the human lands once more." Salem slowly looked about the abandoned temple. "There are not many who would feel confident enough to summon one such as I. It takes a certain desire, a certain set of circumstances that can be… difficult to recreate."
Damn her and damn Merlot. So many innocent people died for this. My hand shook as it wrapped about the hilt of Crocea Mors. The blade grated across the stone floor, and then clinked down before me as I tried to use it to leverage myself to my feet. It was to no avail. My muscles bulged and my skin turned red as I strained, but it was as though gravity itself had grown stronger.
"What…" Weiss struggled to breathe. "What are you?"
"What am I?" Salem chuckled at the question and looked towards the downed Mage. "I am the origin," she said. "I am the beginning and the end, I am eternal and ever-present. My children roam this land, and did so long before your kind claimed dominion. In time, they shall claim it as their own once more."
"You're a Grimm," Weiss whispered. "There's no Class above your head. You're nothing more than a Grimm!" My eyes widened as I followed Weiss' eyes, to meet the empty space above the woman's head. I hadn't noticed it at first, too lost in what was taking place. She was right, though. There were no words, no Class and no name. This… this thing wasn't human.
"No such petty laws bind me, child of magic. I would not allow them to. If you must have something to refer to me by, for what little time you have left, then let it by Salem, Queen of-"
"Queen of the Grimm!" Merlot interrupted. He earned a sharp look for that, but didn't seem to notice. "She is the one from which all Grimm spawn, the one who commands and creates them to her whim."
What? This was the one responsible for all the Grimm? My eyes widened; now fully aware of just how bad the situation had become. We were just students, Heroes-in-training at best, and this was the person – the creature – who controlled all the beats we were to hunt. I wanted to deny it, but her pale visage, her red eyes, and the fact that this ritual spawned so many Grimm. It made too much sense. It also raised more questions. I'd always assumed Grimm were a part of nature, that they existed in the world as naturally as the birds and animals - but if they were created, then that meant they were unnatural. It means they could be stopped.
Though clearly not by us...
"I do so dislike interruptions," Salem said. "You were the one to summon me, then? I do sense the miasma of suffering that pervades your soul. It is intertwined with that of another." Her eyes shifted to the female corpse still upon the altar. Glenn's face was still frozen in shock. Merlot laughed.
"I did! I studied the ancient texts, the legends themselves, and even delved ruins deep in the Grimmlands, all for the faintest pieces of knowledge. Ten years I spent, ten years of my life, dedicated to this cause. Now, to see it come to fruition…" He vibrated with excitement. "This validates everything. This validates me. I shall become a God!"
"A God?" Salem asked. She turned to him, arms crossed beneath her breasts. "Tell me then, little Mage. Why do you think I would give you such power? I do not create Gods." The question seemed to shock Merlot, who stared up at her with wide eyes.
"B-But I summoned you. The array, the ritual – it binds you to my will! You must do as I command so long as the link is established!" He took a step back in naked panic. Salem held a hand before her mouth and laughed into it.
"Cease your fear, little Mage. I am bound." The amusement she took in his reaction to her was obvious, as was Merlot's relief when he regained himself. "You are correct in your presumption, and your ritual array is… unusually competent for one of your kind. You cannot keep me here indefinitely, but you have my attention." She smiled. "For now…"
"Then you have to follow my command!"
"Command?"
"My wish," he amended. "I… I meant no disrespect. Please forgive my excitement. I have waited so long for this. I have sacrificed so much."
"As I can see," Salem looked towards Vuori's corpse once more. I wondered if it were a trick of the light, or perhaps my own fear, but I almost imagined I could see a hint of displeasure there. "You have not answered my question, though. How should I grant your wish? It is not that I will not make you a God, but that I cannot." She held her arms wide. "I do not hold such a power within me."
"You create the Grimm," Merlot said.
"I do."
"You are a God in your own right."
"I am, though that is not something I can grant unto you. Mortals have ever called themselves Gods. Find some fools to worship you and proclaim yourself as such." She looked towards us and chuckled. "Look, you already have worshippers prostrating themselves before you."
I scowled and tried to stand once more, but my armour weighed me down. My struggles only seemed to amuse her further. It has to be some kind of spell, I thought. It might be a Passive, if she even has such a thing. Damn it. If even Blake and Pyrrha can't move, I've got no hope.
"You… you can't give me power?" Merlot asked. He sounded horrified.
"I did not say that, little Mage. I said that I cannot grant you that which I cannot control. I am no dispenser of deity. I control and command the Grimm; that is the power which is mine. Ask something within my ability and I will be forced to obey."
"Then I want that power," Merlot said. "I want the power of the Grimm."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes!" Merlot took a step forward, eyes alight. "Give it to me. I want the power of the Grimm, all the Grimm. No one would dare stand against me if I had but a fraction of your power. Is that within your ability, Queen of the Grimm?"
"It is…"
"Then that is my demand. Give it to me!"
Salem didn't respond. Her eyes narrowed at his poor choice of word once more, but she sighed and held one arm up in the air. "Your ritual binds me to comply," she said. The very ground beneath us began to shake.
It was slow at first, but it was Pyrrha's choked cough that made me notice the black mist which first crept across the floor, but then washed over it like a shallow stream. Some of it covered the others. They struggled to breathe when it did. I was saved, still on my knee with Crocea Mors held before me, but even I could feel the chilling touch of it through my greaves. It was the same black mist that appeared each time Grimm spawned – and it all came from the doorway and cracks in the walls around us. It looked to be from outside. The miasma coalesced in her open palm. It swirled there, grouping in and on top of itself, but never once changing in size. It was a like hungry ball of black ink that consumed all that touched it, somehow growing even darker. From start to finish, the process took less than a minute, and I heard the others gasp for breath.
"Is that it?" Merlot asked. "Is that…?"
"The power of all the Grimm on this mountain," Salem said. She looked down on the slowly spinning orb with an almost fond expression. "My power, in a sense, but mine is absolute and this is but a taste. It all returns to me in time."
"This will not. This power is mine!" Merlot approached it hungrily. Salem smiled.
"We shall see, little Mage." She held out her hand to him, palm faced upwards and the black ball floating an inch above it. "Normally, I would kill anyone who attempted as such, but your binding leaves me no choice in the matter. Take it. Make it yours."
Merlot shivered as he approached her. He held his hands out on either side of the ball, and then gasped in awe when the black orb suspended itself there, between his palms. He lifted it back and stared down into it. "It's incredible… this is… there's so much power. I… what is it doing!?" The orb twisted and buckled, tiny black spikes appearing on either side, before retracting back in once more. "It's moving. Why is it moving?"
"Power cannot exist within a vacuum, little Mage. You asked for power, but you must accept it first." Salem smiled as the orb speared into Merlot's hands, disappearing inside him entirely. He felt to his knees and held both hands to his throat.
"What's happening? I… I argh!" He pitched forward and pressed his forehead against the cold stone, body shaking. I couldn't help but watch with horror as his back seemed to buckle and twist. There was a loud, dry crack, and he reared up to scream silently towards the ceiling.
The monster ignored it all. She'd turned to look at us, and her eyes seemed to inspect each of us in turn. "A large group of little Heroes… how very strange. Have skill and strength given way to numbers now? All I see before me are children playing at a game best left for adults." Her eyes roved over me, and I flinched as it felt like two burning coals digging into my heart. They passed, however, and I heard the monster draw breath. "Oh, this one is different. I feel like I have seen those eyes before. Tell me, my dear, have you seen me?"
"I…I…" Ruby struggled to move, but was locked on hands and knees.
"No?" Salem asked. She chuckled and reached down one pale hand. "Perhaps it would be easier if you could see me a little closer. Let me get a good look at you."
Something snapped within me. The sight of her above Ruby's paralysed form sent anger like fire raging through my body. I lurched to my feet, stumbled forward and slammed Crocea Mors down in an overhead strike. The blade clinked against the stone floor, chipping some aside as Salem floated back. "Get away from her," I rasped. My arms shook from the strain, and it only got worse when she regarded me with curious eyes.
"Oh my, how interesting… I've yet to find a Hero able to stand in my presence."
"Get away from her," I repeated, voice haggard. I felt like I could barely stay upright, and that my legs might snap under the weight of my own body. Even so, I squared myself and lifted my sword with both hands. The tip swayed from right to left. It was obvious I'd not be able to swing it. Fortunately, I didn't have to.
"Why!?" Merlot cried. His voice was deeper, and his form slightly larger than before. He shook violently. Before my eyes, his back bulged outwards and rippled, as though his very skin had become water. "You tricked me," he gasped. "This isn't what I asked for. You can't do this to me!"
"Hmm?" Salem floated away from Ruby and I and towards the Mage. "Whatever do you mean, little Mage? "You asked for this. All I did was follow your wishes."
"This isn't…" he buckled and groaned. "This isn't what I meant!" He stared up at her, but Salem only smiled.
"I told you I could create and control the Grimm. You asked for the power of the Grimm. What is their power if not strength, speed and endurance? I've given that to you, and so much more. You will have all the power of the Grimm on this mountain." She chuckled. "I have followed your request to the best of my ability, little Mage. No... little Grimm."
"No, I-I-arghhhhh!" The Mage fell. His body twitched and shifted, the fabric of his robes tearing in two as his skin bulged back and out of him, turning a thick, oily black. His legs and arms remained, twitching violently as the black mass continued to grow from his spine. Two metres, three, it didn't stop and I watched with wide eyes as it expanded outwards as well, gaining height and width at a terrifying rate.
"People really should be careful of what they wish for," Salem said. She turned to face us. "I would love to stay and chat with you all a little more, but my presence here – and my obedience – is denoted by the little Mage's will. And that," she snarled, "is something that is broken. Pray that you do not see me again, children." Her eyes zeroed in on mine. "Pray that our paths do not cross, Deceiver." She flickered and vanished a moment later, in an explosion of air that threw my hair back and made me cover my eyes. When the dust and smoke cleared, it was to find that the overpowering presence had as well. My bones creaked as I stood a little straighter, the others clambering up as well.
"Is everyone okay?" Pyrrha asked. There were murmurs of assent around the room, but my eyes were locked on Merlot.
"Guys," I warned, "I think we have a problem here…"
Merlot, or what had once been him, continued to swell and grow, filling the room with its bulbous mass. It no longer resembled the man it once had, and looked more akin to an amorphous black blob of mutated sludge. The worst part was the face, however, locked into the rippling surface about three quarters of the way up. If one squinted, it looked like a human face locked in a perpetual scream.
"It's going to keep growing!" Ren said.
"We should get out," Pyrrha said. "Everyone, get to the entrance – as fast as you can!"
She didn't have to tell us twice. I gripped Ruby's arm and dragged her up onto her feet, then chased after the others with her in tow. Merlot, the thing, let out a deep, rumbling roar that shook the foundations of the temple. As I looked back behind me, it was to curse as he swept one side of him against the wall and caused rubble and dust to rain down from the ceiling.
He was going to bring the entire temple down.
/-/
Sunlight pierced my eyes as we threw ourselves out from the rapidly crumbling temple. I tripped and rolled down the staircase, having forgotten all about it in my panic. My armour protected me from most of the damage, but it was the hand that gripped my shoulder which prevented me breaking my neck.
"What happened?" Viktor scowled down at me.
"M-Merlot," I gasped, and then realised the name meant nothing to him. "He summoned some… some thing. It turned him into a Grimm – he's gone insane!" The Knight looked like he might argue, but a loud roar split the air behind me. His eyes widened.
"Good gods… Kaedin, what is that?"
"I've no idea, old friend." The Mage came up beside his Sentinel and offered a hand to help me to my feet. "You said the Sorcerer was turned into that?"
"Yes!" I gasped for breath, hands on my knees. "He... he summoned this monster and asked her for power. She said she drew the power of all the Grimm on the mountain. It went into his body and this was the result."
"The power of the Grimm?" Kaedin turned to Viktor. "That would explain why all the Grimm suddenly turned to mist. Can someone become a Grimm, however? I've never heard of such a thing."
"I think we have bigger problems," Viktor said. "Ask yourself, if all the Grimm on the mountain were drawn into a single being, what level would that be?" Kaedin's eyes widened, as my own did. As one, we looked towards the towering, black shape. The Mage expressed my thoughts perfectly.
"This is bad."
"Bad would be a good way to put it." Viktor scowled and turned to everyone else. "Get down off the steps and prepare to fight!"
"You want us to fight that?" Weiss shrieked. "Are you mad!?"
"We'd never be able to escape it. This mountain is a death trap and I doubt that thing will be slowed down by the weather. It's our only chance. Now move!"
We did so, if only because the two of them were our only realistic hopes of survival. It took Merlot several minutes to pry himself from the ruined temple, and that was time which allowed us to reach flat ground and arrange ourselves in as good a formation as we could. On the older Hero's instructions, we fanned out into a wide semi-circle, so that we could loop around and attack the flanks wherever it engaged.
"It's a Grimm now, whatever it once was," Kaedin said. "I realise this is far beyond what any of you have faced before, but remember that it is a mindless monster. Allow Viktor to tank it, and do what damage you can."
The monster reared itself up, more falling out of the rubble than climbing. It rolled down the steps like a disgusting, black ball of flesh. It might have been funny, were it not for the gaping maws and fleshy, hooked limbs that seemed to wave off of it. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart. It's just a Grimm, I told myself. It's going to be handled as easily as we have those before. We even have a real Knight to tank for us – and a powerful Mage to do damage. Certainly, the two seemed calmer than I, though their faces were pinched and drawn.
I had to trust they knew what they were doing. They couldn't be less prepared than us.
The Grimm landed with an explosion of dust and snow. The ground beneath it cracked, and it didn't so much as roll over to face us, as it did invert itself. The face folded back into existence, the mouth of it now open wide like a cavernous black cave ringed with teeth. If anyone entered that, there would be no escape.
"It looks slow," Nora said.
"Don't let that fool you," Kaedin warned. "Viktor will engage it first. Whatever you do, do not draw its attention onto yourself." We nodded, gripping weapons tight as it moved itself forwards using long, tendril-like arms. It had four of them, two of which it used to drag itself across the ground, as the other two waved threateningly in the air.
With a sigh and a muttered curse, Viktor charged in. He swung his two-handed sword in a measured sweep, catching the first tendril and deflecting it aside, before drawing back across his body to bring the blade across the monster's flesh. It roared its anger back at him, but he ducked away before it could crush him beneath its weight. A chunk of solid rock crashed into its face a moment later, propelled from the older Mage.
"That's our cue!" Yang yelled, dashing in and to the side.
I followed after Ren and in the other direction, determined to follow his lead and not draw any attention to myself. As we ran around its flank, it became clear how gargantuan the thing really was. It was little wonder it destroyed the temple, for stood up straight, it would not have fit inside. At a glance, I'd have said it was well over forty or fifty metres tall, but the fear might have pushed my guess off. It was difficult to focus with how hard my heart was beating.
Red streaked in from the monster's other side. Silver flashed and Ruby flew past to land near me a moment later. She stumbled on the snow but caught herself, only to frown and look down at her weapon.
"I barely hurt it," she said, voice raised so all could hear. "I cut the skin, but it wouldn't go deeper."
Ren and I shared a concerned glance, but we darted in nonetheless. The Monk was faster and far more agile, and reached its side before I did. He ducked beneath a tendril that lashed out toward Viktor, and then slammed into its flank with his short blades. He bounced off and fell onto the snow. I rushed over to help him up.
"Ren, are you okay?"
"I'm unhurt." He pushed me away and righted himself. "Ruby wasn't kidding. Its flesh is easy enough to pierce, but its muscles are like solid iron. My blades are too short to reach anything."
If it even has internal organs, I thought. This thing was far larger than what we'd faced before, and weapon length would actually become an issue. I winced as I noticed Blake in the same predicament, her daggers not at all long enough to reach anything vital. To my horror, she was attached to its body, scaling her way towards its face. Is she mad! She's going to get killed! I slung my shield back over my shoulder, taking Crocea Mors with both hands as I rushed in. My armoured boots crunched against snow, the sound barely audible over the Grimm's roar. It didn't see me coming, or perhaps didn't care. It was focused entirely on the older Knight as I drew my blade up and brought it down with all my strength.
The sharp blade cut through the skin like it was jelly, an almost weightless feeling that offered no resistance – but the ease was soon to stop. The momentum halted immediately, like I'd struck my sword into a tree. It lodged deep and pulled me off my feet as it dragged itself after Viktor.
"Jaune!" Ren cried, chasing after me.
"I-I'm okay." The beast came to a crashing halt as it engaged its foe once more, not a care in the world given for the gnat on its back. I tugged at my sword, but it was wedged in muscle or bone. It was hard to tell. Ren appeared beside me and placed his hands on the hilt beside mine.
"Let me help. On three, okay?" I nodded in response and counted down with him, pressing one foot against its flank as I pulled with all my might. The sword came free with a squelch, and the two of us tumbled backwards onto the snow. The wound looked deep, but no blood oozed forth. Worse, it slowly sealed up once the blade was removed. Despair washed over me. The smooth skin where the wound once stood seemed to stare back at me, taunting me. I turned to Ren, eyes wide.
"It did nothing!" I said. "That was as hard as I could hit it and the wound is already gone. How are we supposed to kill this if half of us can't even hurt it?"
"I don't know. I can't do anything, Jaune. My knives aren't long enough. We're not the only ones struggling." Ren pointed to Yang. She hopped over a tendril that threatened to slap her legs away and landed with one foot on the Grimm's body, the other on the floor. She reared back, and her eyes flashed red as she pounded her fist into its skin. The flesh rippled and bulged for a moment, but the punch I'd personally seen cause a fissure in the Red Axe Guild did nothing. Yang yelped as she ducked back and avoided being crushed by its body.
It didn't notice us. Our attacks didn't even register to it. It looked like the others knew that too, for they all stared at the monster with uncertain expressions.
At least until fire exploded across its back.
The Grimm shrieked in pain, the greatest reaction it had shown thus far. Its flesh rippled and moved and it ducked down as the flames licked up its skin. Stood a fair distance behind it, one arm held out, Weiss panted for breath. She wore a proud smile, however.
"It's weak to fire!" Ruby yelled. "Everyone, try and use fire attacks!"
There were several choruses of agreement, and I watched as Yang's hair seemed to glow yellow and she rushed in. Her fists were wreathed in flames as she struck at the monster – and this time, it recoiled away from the blow. It was only her and Weiss, however, who seemed able to conjure flames. The rest of us milled about awkwardly, unsure of what we could do. Weiss hurled another fireball at the creature, and once more it screamed its fury. This time, however, it decided the threat was greater than the Knight before it. It turned and surged after the Mage, with a speed that belied its great size and girth. I saw Weiss' eyes widen in fear, even before I shouted out a warning. She snatched up her rapier and fled to the left, but her pace was slow, a limp to each step as she tried to put distance between it and her. Had she been injured in the encounter with Vuori? I hadn't noticed! She stumbled and nearly fell, catching herself on a piece of masonry. She looked behind with wide eyes.
She wasn't going to make it. I surged forward to try and reach her, but a pillar got in Merlot's way and he swatted it aside with one of his tendrils. It cracked and fell, forcing me to dive aside lest it crush me. Ren caught my shoulders and dragged me back, but that left Weiss cut off and alone. Ruby tried to work her way there, but the monster's considerable bulk squashed itself against the cliff's edge, cutting the Reaper off.
"Die!" Weiss yelled. She held out one hand and summoned a great wall of fire that rushed towards it. The beast howled and thrashed as it washed over its skin, but doubtless decided that the best way to deal with the threat was to eliminate it. One of its tendrils cut Weiss off as she tried to rush to the side. It slammed down onto some ruined building, causing an explosion of dust and debris that slammed Weiss against a nearby wall. She staggered for only a moment, but it was enough for another tendril to spear directly down towards her heart.
"WEISS!" Ruby screamed.
A black shape leapt from the Grimm's chest and tackled Weiss at the last moment.
The tendril slammed into the rock where Weiss' chest had been, erupting out the other side. Blake, who had still been climbing up its face, dragged Weiss away as best she could. It wouldn't be enough, I knew. It didn't take the monster long to realise what happened, nor to try once more, drawing its tendrils high above it and slamming them down towards the two girls.
A silver figure practically flew past me. Viktor cleared the rubble in a great leap, and covered the distance between us and the two girls at a pace not even Ruby could have matched. He appeared before them and raised his sword into a guard position. It was a futile gesture, however. The weight was too much and he was only human. There was no way he could block the attack. Weiss and Blake seemed to realise, for they covered their faces, even as I screamed.
"Hah!" Viktor roared. He took the blow on his two-handed sword and then, impossibly, pushed it back up and away. The creature seemed shocked, enough so that it rolled onto its back. It gave the Knight the moment he needed to grip Weiss' shoulder and toss her aside. Blake and he then scattered as the monster recovered and attacked once more. The building they'd fought by was annihilated in an instant.
"How?" Yang gasped. "How was he able to block that attack?"
"That is Viktor's Passive," Kaedin called. The Mage stepped forward with his staff directed at the Grimm. He waved it back and forth and a thick, black oil sprung from it, coating the ground between the fleeing trio and the monster. It slipped upon it and stumbled, and Kaedin ignited it a moment later. Were it not for the snow for the beast to roll in, it might have perished in the raging inferno. The Mage clicked his tongue and leaned on his staff when it clambered out and doused the flames. It was clear the spells were exhausting him.
It took me a second to recall they'd fought Grimm constantly while we struggled against Vuori and Salem. They'd held the line against hundreds of Grimm, not allowing a single one to pass. It was a miracle they still stood at all, let alone were healthy enough to feel tired.
"His Passive is called `Vanguard`," Kaedin explained. "It greatly enhances Viktor's Strength so long as he uses it to rush to the aid of an ally in danger. It only lasts for a few moments, but it is often enough to turn the tide of battle."
That was his Passive? It made mine seem petty by comparison. In fact, all the Passives I'd learned of had. Vuori's near-instantaneous speed increase if she travelled to one of her spears and now Viktor's ability to gain Strength enough to throw back a monster of this size. "Can't he use it to kill Merlot?" I asked. "If he's strong enough to throw it back, he must be strong enough to wound it!" Kaedin shook his head.
"The effects last only for a moment and only come into effect if he rushes forth to save someone on the verge of death. At that moment, he has a choice between attack or defence – but it would surely mean the death of the one he stands before." Kaedin pointed towards Weiss, and I cursed as I realised what he meant. Vanguard was too specific, a split-second decision on whether to use the Strength gained to save a life or take advantage of an opening at the expense of one. "Fret not," Kaedin said. "We can still use this to our advantage. You and your friends should be safe so long as you remain in Viktor's line of sight. We shall not allow any of you to die here."
The irony in that was thick. We were supposed to be the ones protecting and escorting them. That was our Quest, and here we were being the burdens which dragged them down. There was no use complaining, however, so I nodded my head and swallowed. "Is there any chance of reinforcements from Atlas?" I asked.
"Not unless we can gain their attention."
"Can't you open one of those portals?"
"That requires concentration, as well as a prepared environment from which to create the portal." Kaedin's words reminded me of the large space Beacon set aside for the First Quest. Miss Goodwitch had used that to create one, and then once more to get us to Kingsport. "I'm afraid we are alone barring a miracle," Kaedin said. "Enough talk. We know the beast's weakness. From here, it is simply a matter of taking advantage of it."
"What about those of us who can't use fire?" I asked, gesturing to my weapon.
"Focus on protecting Miss Schnee," he suggested. "That, or do whatever you can. Even if the damage isn't visible, it might help in the long run." Kaedin rushed off a moment later, flames dripping from his fingers like water.
Do what little we could? I looked towards Yang, the only one able to generate her own fire. She danced and weaved around her foe, landing blow after blow that left great scorches down its side. Pyrrha had no such ability, but that didn't stop her slicing into its flesh, even if she did comparatively little damage. Of the others, it seemed they'd come to the same conclusion as Kaedin. Ren and Nora stood protectively by Weiss and Blake. The Assassin herself seemed upset at just how useless her daggers were.
I felt much the same. My eyes fell to Crocea Mors. What use was a sword if I couldn't use it to defend anyone? Viktor had his Passive, but mine would be no use here. Sure, I could burn it with my Active Skill, but a burn wasn't the same as fire, and I doubted it would be felt through the monster's thick mass. I needed something better, a way to start a fire deeper.
"Rargh!" Viktor brought his sword up by his shoulder. At the peak of the swing, it glowed red and ignited. He slashed down, cutting and cauterising at the same time. The flames on his blade went out before it hit the snow, sizzling slightly. Was that the kind of Skill a Knight had? I felt pathetic compared to it, and Crocea Mors offered no answers.
No, wait… my eyes shot to the side, and an idea formed in my mind. I staggered forwards, pushing myself on as I rushed over to a puddle of the black liquid Kaedin summoned. It wasn't much, but it looked like it splashed away from the rest and hadn't caught fire. I knelt and dipped Crocea Mors into it, dousing the steel as liberally as I could. Once it was slick enough to distort my reflection, I rushed back into the fight and looked for an opening.
It was full of them. It just didn't care about me, even if it could recognise I posed no threat in the first place. It seemed too mindless for that, but Viktor's reveal of his flame attacks certainly kept its attention focused. I drew the sword up to my shoulder, pressing the pommel against it as I lunged for its side. The blade bit deep, sunk in – and then lodged once more in whatever muscle lay within. There was no response at first, although it was nearly torn from my hand from its movement. I clung on, however, and growled as I touched the fingers of my right hand to the blade's fuller.
My eyes flashed bright blue.
Crocea Mors flickered, and then roared. The oil ignited immediately, blue and yellow flames racing across steel and taking full advantage of how the flammable liquid pooled in the fuller. I watched with narrowed eyes as the flames consumed its skin, but also as the fire burned inside it.
Merlot shrieked in agony.
This time, the sword was torn from my hand, but only because the body it was stuck into thrashed and flailed wildly. The flames penetrated deep, licking along the sword and into the creature's body. It seemed unable to draw it out, and probably dug it deeper as it rolled on its side to try and crush me. I yelped and ducked back, but tripped as something caught my leg. One of its tendrils was wrapped about my ankle. Merlot's face, sunken into black flesh, turned towards me. Those crimson eyes seemed more than able to determine I was the one responsible for its agony, and it hissed as it dragged itself towards me. Its second tendril raised into the air, prepared to crush me against the floor.
It struck steel.
"Get up!" Viktor growled, gripping his sword with both hands as he fought with the attack that would have killed me. "Move!"
"I can't!"
"What?" The Knight glanced down to see my foot caught and cursed. His arms shook as he struggled to hold the attack away. "Cut it off, then! I can't hold this forever!"
Cut it, with what? Crocea Mors was still lodged in the Grimm. My head cracked back against a rock as the monster tried to pull me away. Through the pain, my fingers probed behind me, finding the hefty thing and drawing it before me. I reared up into a sitting position and slammed the sharp edge of it down on the limb wrapped about my foot.
It cut an inch or so into it, but no more.
"Come on, come on," I whispered, hacking away with all my strength. My eyes watered as I tried to drive it home, but each time, the rock would bounce back. I didn't have the Strength. It was too resilient!
"Stupid brats!" Viktor roared. "I knew this Quest was cursed from the moment I saw you. This isn't a fucking game! Hit it harder!"
"I'm trying!" I cracked the rock down again, and the cut was a little deeper – about half of the way through. "I'm nearly there," I yelled, "Just hold on a little while longe-"
Red splashed across my face. It was warm and wet, running in rivers down my cheeks. My stomach fell. I didn't dare look up, but something commanded I do so regardless. I knew what I'd saw before I laid eyes upon it, but that didn't stop the horror. Viktor stood above me, eyes locked onto mine. The monster's limb had broken his guard, then his armour – and finally through skin, bone and muscle. A great line was carved down from his shoulder to his stomach, the tendril buried within.
"D-Damn idiots." The Knight coughed blood out across his breastplate. He glared not at the monster, but at me. "A real Knight wouldn't have needed saving." He twisted his sword to hold it vertically and then slammed it down, igniting briefly as he severed the tendril about my leg with the last ounce of his strength. "A real Hero wouldn't have needed this."
"Viktor…?"
"Curse… you all."
His words were cut off as a second tendril pierced his hip. Merlot pulled them apart, and the Knight who saved me was torn in two before my eyes.
"Ah…" The squeak slipped from me but I barely heard it. My eyes were wide, and fixed on the space he'd once occupied. My body shook, as blood and parts of a man ten times what I was rained down on me. In the distance, I could hear an agonised scream, filled with grief – and I knew exactly who it was. I couldn't move, however. I couldn't move a muscle. "Viktor?" I repeated, as useless at it was. A pair of hands settled under my shoulders, and I felt myself being dragged away from the scene.
"Jaune!" Blake gasped. "Jaune, snap out of it!"
"I killed him…"
"What?"
"He died because of me," I whispered. "I killed him."
"Jaune, there's no time. We're being slaughtered!" Blake gripped my head and turned it to the side, to see the nightmare that was unfolding.
"Argh!" Pyrrha screamed as she blocked an attack and was launched through the air. The Champion crashed against a pillar and slumped at its base. She struggled to stand but had to be tackled aside by Ruby as Merlot tried to crush her. Nora slammed her hammer into one of his tendrils in an attempt to dissuade it, but her tanking ended as soon as it began. She blocked one blow, crumpled to her knees, and then was sent skittering across the floor like a ball as she caught a blow to her side.
Weiss sent a ball of fire into it, but was forced to abandon her position as it stormed towards her. Ruby caught her elbow halfway and whisked her to safety, but the ground where they'd just stood lay destroyed. As I looked about, it was to see Nora on hands and knees, Yang cupping her side and Pyrrha dizzily standing back up. None of them could handle its incredible strength. We'd lost the only person who could.
We'd lost our tank.
And against a foe far too strong for us.
Welp. Just to cut off any who misunderstand, Viktor did not know of Jaune being a blacksmith. When he said a "real" knight, he meant as opposed to being a student. The same as when he said a "real" hero, and not a bunch of kids.
Oh dear… and what happens after you lose your maintank on a raid?
Sigh, why did no one bring a bloody priest? I told you we couldn't just DPS it down. So yeah, here I decided to take the whole "amusing" trope of losing a main-tank, and turn it into drama and horror. Wow... I never thought just how terrifying raids would be in an actual real-life scenario... spooky stuff.
Next Chapter: 1st May
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
