Remnant of Void & Flame
Volume I - Chapter I
The sun had long set, but the light of the moon was just enough to illuminate the room in a soft, eerie glow. Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy sat in his office, a cup of coffee in hand. On the desk, a small device played a video feed of the defense of Evergreen City. The sound of battle filled the room, along with the occasional scream and shout.
He saw the valiant efforts of the soldiers, of the Huntsman and Huntresses as they fought against the Grimm, their skills and training put to the test. He saw them fighting tooth and nail, giving everything they had to protect those who could not protect themselves. He saw them bleeding, sweating and crying, but never once do they falter. It was a sight that filled him with both pride and sorrow. Pride for the bravery of these proud and brave warriors, and sorrow for the sacrifices they had to make.
But it wasn't just these people that caught his attention. There was someone else in the recording, someone who was not a part of the military or the Huntsmen. They moved with the grace of a dancer and the ferocity of a lion. Their lance shifted effortlessly from one hand to the other as they parried and thrust, their movements a blur as they fought.
He watched as this mysterious person fought their way through countless Grimm, never once faltering or slowing down. They almost seemed like a force of nature, unstoppable and unyielding. He didn't know who this person was, but he knew that they were someone to be reckoned with. Ozpin sat back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee before placing it on his desk, his mind racing as he tried to piece together this puzzle. Who is this person? Where did they come from?
He focused his attention back on this mysterious person, studying their every move. They were fast, skilled and powerful, but there was something else about them. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. They seemed almost... otherworldly.
Shaking his head, he forced himself to look away. He had to stay focused, had to remember his duty. There were more important things at stake here, much more than any one person, no matter how impressive they may be.
Looking back at the footage, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. He should have been there, should have been fighting alongside these brave people. But instead, he was here in his office, safe and sound while they put their lives on the line. He knew that he could not risk his life in battle, no matter how much he wanted to. He had a duty, a responsibility to the people of Remnant.
No, it wouldn't do for him to die now. Too early, too soon. He had to stay here, and hope that these people would be able to triumph over the Grimm.
'Still... is there truly no other way?'
It was times like these that he questioned his own choices. Whether he had made the right decision in becoming the Champion of the Gods. Whether he was truly the best for the people of Remnant. He felt like he was failing, like he was letting everyone down. He was supposed to be the one who protected them, and yet...
He lean back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, trying to think of a way to help. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything. In the end, he was just one man, and there was little he could do to change the course of this battle.
He had dispatched whatever forces he could spare to the front lines, and those that remained were just enough to guard the Academy. Glynda, Peter, Celestia, Oobleck, Qrow... even Amber, the Fall Maiden, had gone to help in the defense.
He hoped... prayed that they would all come back safe. That this would all be over soon, and that everyone could go back to their lives. But he knew better than to get his hopes up.
He sighed and took another sip of his coffee, his hand shaking ever so slightly, the weight of the world bearing down on him. It seemed like an impossible task, but he had to try. He had to stay strong and find a way to stop this madness before it was too late.
For the people of Remnant.
Kiana leapt over a fallen building, her body moving with inhuman speed and agility surpassing even that of a Huntsmen. She landed nimbly on her feet, drawing both her lance and pistol in a single smooth motion. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, taking in the carnage around her with a dispassionate gaze. The Grimm were everywhere, their dark forms Contrasting sharply against the burning wreckage of whatever remains of the blockade. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of blood, making it difficult to breathe. Screams and curses echoed all around her as both huntsmen and soldiers fought valiantly against the overwhelming hordes of Grimm.
She leapt into action without hesitation, her weapons prepared and ready to strike down any opponents that dare to stand in her way. She moved like a tornado of death and destruction; slashing, thrusting and shooting everything down in a flurry of movements that bordered on perfection. Grimm after Grimm fell before her might without so much as touching her, shredded apart by either bullets or lance; whichever happened to be more convenient at the time.
In the span of a few minutes, she had cut down dozens if not hundreds of Grimm, leaving behind a trail of withering corpses in her wake. Her allies fought bravely by her side, though they could not hope to match her speed, nor her ferocity. A few of them were quickly overwhelmed, forced to constantly retreat and defend as they slowly fell back towards the city.
The low visibility certainly made things much more difficult. Even the Faunus, who had better eyesight in the darkness, were struggling in the chaos.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling in the distance, along with the sound of multiple engines and gunfire. She turned towards the source of the noise just in time to see a massive airship appears from the sky, its ordinance raining at the Grimm below. The ship was quickly followed by the rest of its fleet, all of them pouring a hail of bullets and explosives onto the unsuspecting Grimm. The creatures screeched in pain and fury as they were shredded apart by the onslaught.
The ship was emblazoned with the symbol of Atlas, and it quickly became clear that they were reinforcements from one of the four kingdoms. She felt a wave of relief as she saw squads of soldiers and huntsmen begin to disembark from the ship. The sudden arrival of reinforcement quickly turned the tide of battle. With the Grimm's numbers quickly thinning, she and the others were able to push forward, slowly driving them back and recapturing the key points around the Southern Gate.
The sounds of battle slowly began to die down, replaced by the sound of cheers and celebration. She allowed herself a moment of rest as she leaned against a nearby wall, her breathing coming in short gasps as she fought to catch her breath. She had been fighting non-stop since morning, and even she was starting to feel the effects of fatigue.
However, her moment of respite was quickly interrupted by a sudden explosion that shook the entire city. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a plume of smoke rising from one section of the city's walls. Her earpiece crackled to life, and she could hear the panicked voice of one of the soldiers on the other end.
"The Northern Gate has been breached!"
Her blood ran cold as she realized what that meant. The Grimm were inside the city.
The grimm lay dead at his feet, its dark ichor staining the earth black before slowly fading into smoke. Qrow surveyed the battlefield, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he took in the scene around him.
The bodies of men and women, both young and old, littered the ground. Some were clad in armor, others in simple clothes. All of them had fought bravely against the Grimm, but in the end they all had fallen. The only sound that could be heard was that of his own ragged breathing as he stood among all this death and destruction.
'And it was all your fault.'
The words echoed in his mind, a never-ending loop of blame and accusation. He shook his head, trying to clear the traitorous thoughts from his mind. He needed to focus, he needed to think. But it was so hard when all he could see was the blood on his hands, the blood of his fellow huntsmen that might have died because of him. He felt like he was going crazy, like he was losing a part of himself in this madness. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. But he had to keep going, had to push on.
He tightened his grip on his weapon and started to walk back, his steps heavy and sluggish. It felt like he was walking through quicksand, each step a struggle. The closer he got to the center of the city, the more destruction he saw. The Grimm had done their job well... too well. There was barely anything left standing at all. Houses were reduced to rubble; streets were strewn with debris and the bodies... so many bodies...
It all started with a simple mistake, an... unfortunate accident that led the Grimm right into the city. A single misplaced crate of dust, a single stray bullet... that was all it took. In the blink of an eye, the gate were breached and the Grimm were inside.
They came in like a tide of dark water, washing over everything in their path. The Grimm were relentless in their assault, showing no mercy as they slaughter anyone and everyone in sight. Men, women and children... it made no difference to them. They shredded flesh from bone with ease, devouring anything they could get their hands on. It was a massacre, a bloodbath the likes of which Qrow had never seen before. He had fought against the Grimm before, but this... this was different.
He remember every screams, every cry for help, every plea for mercy that went unanswered. He could still see the terror in their eyes as the Grimm bore down on them, could still hear their final breaths as they were engulfed by darkness. And he knew that it was all his fault. If he had just been more careful... if he had just paid more attention... then none of this would have happened.
.
.
.
Maybe all these people would still be alive if it wasn't for him.
Him... and his fucking semblance.
Author's Note: Hmm... I felt as if I'm being too hard on Qrow. Though I have to admit that I enjoy it quite a bit too much. Does that make me a bad person? Ah well... Anyway I kinda struggled a bit with Kiana's scene. Fighting scene is really difficult to write. Nonetheless, here is the 2nd chapter. Was hoping to reach at least 3k words, but oh well, better not push it. As always, I would appreciate it if you could just take a bit of your time and give a review. On that note, I heard that the PM alert feature have been disabled or something? As such, I'll just answer any question from the review here.
Daybit Sem Void - Yep, it's going to be the Kiana right after the finale. While I don't exactly plan to nerf her, I do want her to refrain from using her full herrscher power in the earlier chapter. If I remember correctly, I think it is implied in odyssey that Kiana end up absorbing several other gems before the finale (or maybe I was mistaken?), and each gems are known to generate a certain amount of honkai energy (pretty sure I read that one up in the wiki, uh... somewhere). I'm thinking that she would at least need some time to re-adjust and learn how to control the energy as to not go berserk and just destroy everything. Though most likely only for like the next 4-5 chapter. Thanks for taking the time to read btw... :D
Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.
