Chapter 54 – Eclipse
Ensemble Battle
The Relic of Destruction was burning Salem's flesh away up her arm, but she just kept regenerating the damage as fast as the raw power of the sword was consuming her. She snarled, clearly feeling every single second of the pain it created.
But due to her immortality?
It could not kill her once used, meaning to her it was just a painful weapon to wield, and not a fatal one.
She stared past Pyrrha, who bravely was protecting the very Gods who brought this chaos down upon themselves. She gritted her teeth, eyes glowing red, before swinging the sword with a terrifying scream of fury. Pyrrha shoved them aside and only narrowly dodged the incoming arc of red energy laced with flames. It sliced straight through the dunes, disintegrating the grands of sand into embers and then into nothing at all.
She swung and screamed with agony every single time, but no amount of pain this weapon could inflict on her nerves would come anywhere close to the pain she had suffered her whole life. She slashed once again at Pyrrha, but the Invincible Girl rolled backwards and launched the Obsidian Akoúo into Salem's face, and it came bouncing back to her hand.
She couldn't use the shield as efficiently as she used to, since it was made of obsidian and not any kind of Ferrous Material… but it would serve for now. As Pyrrha rolled past Salem, the Dark Queen blasted magic at her, the purple energy launched Pyrrha off the floor and crashing against the rocks.
She groaned and looked at the Gods. "RUN!" She screamed. Salem raised the sword above her head, then turned, watching the Brothers scramble to their feet, fleeing like cowards. She gritted her teeth in anger, tightening her grip on the sword, and blasted away from Pyrrha, directly towards the Gods.
She roared as she went to cleave their heads off, only for Winter to sling herself towards Salem and cut straight through the hand that held the Sword of Destruction. Salem yelled in pain, crashing into the black sand, tumbling past the two Gods. They continued to flee, but Salem reached her hand out and grabbed the God of Light by the horn with her extended arm. "Where do you think you're going?" She growled, smashing his featureless face into the rocks with significant force.
Suddenly, the God of Darkness erupted into his Dragon Form and opened his jaws, roaring with fury as he flew towards her. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the display of power, but Salem just scoffed, and she punched him in the face with all her might, the impact creating a deafening shockwave. He crashed into the ground, groaning as he tried to get back up.
"Your own creations belong to me now, and I have grown far stronger since we last met… Brothers. You are nothing but weak parasites, and I will burn you away from this world. NO ONE ELSE WILL SUFFER UNDER YOUR WATCH!" she bellowed, extending her arm to the Relic of Destruction once the hand regenerated. Winter jumped for it and tried to catch it first, but a red glyph formed and pinned Winter to the ground.
Eryka's eyes ignited with blue flames, and she snarled with rage, and launched herself into the sky, the clouds darkening above her. She drew her bow back, lining the arrow with lightning and firing it through Salem's back. The Dark Queen roared to the sky in pain as the electricity coursed through her black veins. Penny flew into the air and she slashed through Salem's arm, and she grabbed the Relic of Destruction.
She shrieked in agony as she felt her circuits burn as the raw power that was contained within this relic started consuming her. But she fought it back just long enough to throw the sword as far as she could. Salem suddenly grabbed her by the throat, staring into her eyes. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!" Salem roared, swinging Penny over her shoulder and crashing into the rocks, knocking her unconscious.
The God of Darkness stood tall and held his hand out, blasting a powerful beam of dark magic towards Salem, but she extended her wing from her back and shielded the incoming beam of energy. He floated into the air, his horns growing and glowing bright purple as he hovered, effortlessly lifting massive chunks of rock from beneath the sand. He launched them towards Salem, and she jumped high in the air, firing bolts of red lightning from her hands.
The lightning bolts shattered the rocks instantly, sending a storm of debris crashing down around them. Salem flew towards him and called her enormous twinblade into her hand and slashed at him. The blade barely even harmed the god, but her power was still devastating enough against him to make him lose balance. Unlike her, the Gods never learned how to fight with skill. They relied on their power to win.
But against another God?
One who cannot be killed either?
That advantage was null and void now.
Salem circled the Brother of Darkness above them all, and they both fired beams of magic at each other, and the beams collided at the same time. Red against Purple, burning against one another. Salem forced him back, teeth gritted and eyes glowing red, before she suddenly threw herself towards him and stabbed him in the throat with her twinblade. She smashed him against the ground, turning to see the smoke where the Relic of Destruction landed, constantly melting the sand it landed in from the sheer heat coming from the blade.
She immediately flew towards it, until Eryka tackled Salem out of the air, punching her in the face with all her might. "THAT WAS FOR DULCIS!" Eryka yelled, with tears streaking from her eyes. The two flew high into the sky, Salem punching Eryka in the face in return, but Eryka immediately flew back into Salem.
The two came diving towards the ground like a meteorite breaking the atmosphere, Eryka punching her repeatedly in the face. Salem suddenly caught her fist and swung her downwards towards the sand. Eryka landed and slid backwards across the sand, teeth gritted and blue eyes glowing brightly with Maiden Flames.
Salem slammed down, eyes burning with red fire, swirling clouds of lightning formed behind them, and they both fired a pair of lightning bolts at each other. "THIS IS FOR MY MOM!" Eryka yelled. The two collided, creating a deafening explosion. An enormous lightning bolt formed in the centre, crashing down from the sky, glowing red and encased in ice from Eryka's new power. Eryka crashed back against the floor, drawing Slice 'N Dice, whilst Salem shot forward with her blade, slashing directly at Eryka's head.
She only narrowly missed her, but thanks to her mother's Aura bonding with hers? Eryka's aura was stronger than ever, and now she could take more than a few hits before breaking. Salem dragged her sword across the ground, then slashed it across the crystals, throwing purple sparks into Eryka's face. The sparks caused Eryka to stumble, then Salem threw the twinblade towards her.
It spun like a helicopter rotor blade, but Eryka ducked, nearly falling on her back from how fast she had to do it. Salem jumped at her, but Eryka swiftly jammed Slice 'N Dice through Salem's jugular. "THAT WAS FOR NEPTUNE!" Eryka screamed with heartbreak in her voice, Salem's black blood pouring over her hand and forcing her to her knee.
Salem grabbed the blade and pulled it deeper into her throat, just to smash her head into Eryka's ripping the blade from her throat, blood pouring down her chest, and showing no reaction to it. "You blame me for the deaths of all those… yet I never slew a single one of them, girl." Salem chuckled as she walked around the frozen red lightning bolt with Eryka doing the same.
"You twisted Killian into becoming a monster and he killed Dulcis! My mom killed herself to stop you from taking this power from her! And your insane adopted son butchered my brother!" Eryka screamed with fury in her voice. "NOBODY ELSE I LOVE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!"
She blasted towards Salem, punching her in the face, grabbing onto her hair and dragging her face against the rocks, ripping Salem's face up in the process. Salem kicked against Eryka's chest, throwing her aside, calling her twinblade back and driving it into the floor to slow herself down. Black blood oozed from the wounds on her face, her jaw dangling from sinew, and having to reattach it with her hand.
She stood tall, staring ahead at the smoke where her sword had fallen.
Pyrrha got back up and called Ira Red back into her hand and scooped Akoúo into her hand as well, sprinting at Salem, with Winter and Eryka by her side. Eryka flew overhead, slinging a fireball into the side of Salem's head. Salem grunted and turned to Eryka as she flew back towards her, but Salem caught Eryka by the throat and tossed her against the ground, channelling dark magic into her fist and punching Winter in the chest, sending her flying backwards.
Pyrrha yelled with fury as she jumped into the air and lodged her sword into Salem's chest, staring directly into her blood-red eyes.
Cinder groaned as she laid against the rocks, her eye barely open as she wheezed. As blood continued to leak from her eyes, she looked across the battlefield whilst Thaddeus fought against everyone else nearby…
… and she saw them all fighting Salem.
Seeing the Gods have landed here.
She closed her eye and remembered.
Flashing memories of her little daughter, who was still out there. Amber's little smile, and the life of happiness she wanted her to live. Even going back to the moments of her own past… the glass slipper she had murdered her abusive family with and found herself trapped here in yet another prison.
Only through Amber did she truly know what it meant to be free.
And the voice of Raven Branwen appeared in the back of her mind.
The words… that even now… still linger on her mind.
"I better not regret saving you…"
Cinder's eye opened, filled with fury, staring directly at Salem, igniting. She felt adrenaline rush through her body, and the weakness from her sickness vanished, and she stood tall, forming her Obsidian Axe in her hand.
"… You won't." Cinder repeated.
Salem grabbed Pyrrha by the throat and launched her against the rocks, and stamped on the side of her head, pinning her to the ground. "You have been a thorn in my side for far too long." Salem snarled, calling her twinblade back into her hand to drive it through the Spartan's head.
Suddenly the Obsidian Axe stabbed into her neck and Salem gasped, stumbling off Pyrrha's face, turning to see Cinder flying directly at her, and she formed a long Obsidian Spear, running it straight through Salem's chest.
The spear exploded and blew Salem's chest open, and Cinder flipped away, helping Pyrrha back up. "I'm not done yet." Cinder assured, and Pyrrha smiled, nodding at her. Eryka and Winter both landed beside her, ready to continue fighting against the Dark Queen.
But on the other side of the battle, Ruby crawled towards Penny, holding her side as blood leaked out, seeing the Gods still trying to get away from Salem while they still could, and fire rising high into the air where the Relic of Destruction landed. She shook Penny, trying to wake her beloved up. "Penny! Penny, please!" She cried out, but Penny's eyes flickered and she gasped, grasping her chest.
Ruby looked at her arm, seeing the scorch marks. "Are you okay?" Ruby asked with fear.
"That Relic… really does… sting…" Penny hiccuped. Her voice sounded distorted as she spoke, sparks leaking from her body in places.
"C'mon, I gotta get you safe."
"RUBY LOOK OUT!" she screamed, shoving her out of the way and rolling aside, just as Weiss was launched across the ground, crashing against the floor.
Ruby stared ahead, and saw Thaddeus dragging his sword, snarling savagely as he stared at Oscar, with Ozpin in control of his body. Thaddeus grinned, aiming the blade of his sword at his former master, eyes glowing bright purple. Ozpin exhaled shakily, holding the Long Memory in both hands.
"I finally see you for what you are, Thaddeus… a monster. One that must be eradicated from Remnant." Ozpin coldly stated.
Thaddeus suddenly launched into the air, laughing as he came crashing down with his sword, smashing the ground in a fiery explosion. He spun around, leaving a trail of fire and embered smoke in his wake. Ozpin ducked, then slowed time, striking Thaddeus relentlessly, before rolling backwards and casting multiple green glyphs that shot magical projectiles towards the monster. Thaddeus slashed at them, absorbing the magic into his body, and opening his clawed hand, forming purple flames.
He jumped and smashed his hand into the ground, creating huge fiery explosions that Ozpin had to roll to avoid. Oscar swiftly took control of his body again, and he extended Thunderous Deception, wrapping the chains around Thaddeus' throat. He tightened the grip and yanked him towards him, then drove the Long Memory against the ground, and released his Ancestors.
The Variants of Ozma all leapt towards Thaddeus, relentlessly striking the monster repeatedly. Then they held him down, grabbing onto his arms to keep him pinned. Oscar sprinted towards him, but Thaddeus suddenly roared like a demonic monster, creating an explosion from his chest of purple fire, knocking Oscar away and the sheer darkness destroyed the spectres of Ozma, sending them back inside of Oscar.
Thaddeus dropped to one knee, resting on his shoulder as the purple flames ignited around his chest once again. Weiss stood tall, pointing her sword at the man she once called a friend with horrified eyes. Nora and Ren also joined the fray with Oscar. But his eyes turned to the rising flames of the Relic of Destruction nearby, and he immediately started sprinting towards it.
"Stop him!" Weiss yelled, launching herself off a glyph towards Thaddeus, tackling him down the dunes. The two fell together, but Thaddeus grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the floor.
"I remember you… the Schnee bitch that Jaune foolishly had feelings for? For this? How pathetic!" Thaddeus laughed, grinning down at her. She kicked him in the chest with both boots, then picked up Myrtenaster, and she shot forward, stabbing him in the heart. "Funny!" He laughed, grabbing her sword and yanking it out with ease, before kicking her in the chest. "Keep wasting your time. You cannot stop me." Thaddeus snarled.
Weiss closed her eyes and closed her heart to it.
He just looks like Jaune… but it isn't him… he would never say things like that.
She hardened her glare and stared him down. Thaddeus prepared to attack, only for Nora to suddenly leap overhead and bury her axe into his skull, and throwing him over Weiss. Weiss ducked and the huge monster tumbled across the sand, leaving a trail of black blood behind him. He punched into the sand to catch onto rocks and slow himself down, barely even reacting to the axe lodged in his head. Nora opened her gauntleted hand, using the Gravity Dust cleverly built inside to pull the axe back into her hand.
It spun through the air before landing in her palm once more. Black tar webbed out and pulled his split skull back together. "There it is! Show me more!" Thaddeus laughed.
"SHUT UUUUUP!" Nora screamed, firing a concentrated beam of pink light into his chest. Thaddeus grunted, raising his shield to block the incoming beam, pushing towards her anyway. As she kept firing, she stopped, and Ren jumped off one of Weiss' glyphs. He flipped across the sky, firing Stormflower down at the monster.
The bullets shredded his pale white skin, splattering his body with black blood, but he fired his shield at him, knocking the Huntsman out of the sky and crashing into the sand. Nora threw Magni towards Thaddeus, but he smashed it away with his shield, sending the humming hammer flying off into the dunes with a boom.
Oscar slid down the dunes, and jumped towards him, smashing the Long Memory against Thaddeus' face with all his might. Thaddeus fell to one knee, then spun around, firing his shield relentlessly, blowing the area they were standing in apart, and causing the dunes to collapse like an avalanche.
Thaddeus continued to sprint towards the Relic of Destruction, whilst the two gods continued to flee as fast as they could.
But with Salem's speed?
There was nowhere they could run before she could catch them.
Coco
The White Fang, Vasillias Cartel and the Summit's Claim were holding the Grimm off for as long as they could.
But they knew they were fighting a losing battle right now. The Grimm just would not stop coming. You kill one and ten more take their place. Coco yelled with fury as she fired Gianduja relentlessly at the Grimm horde that was sprinting towards them, as they stood upon a pile of rocks and broken crystals. Smoke filled the air, and embers danced across the sky as they continued to battle. Fox launched himself forward, slashing through multiple Beowulves, but was smashed against the wreckage of an armoured truck by a Boarbatusk. The beast roared at him with fury, but Velvet jumped overhead and drove a Hardlight Dust Replica of Fulcrum – Yatsuhashi's Greatsword – downwards and into its back, splitting the beast in two.
She switched from Fulcrum to Cardin's Executioner, smashing a Beringel across the face, whilst Fox jumped and jammed Sharp Retribution in its sternum, slicing outwards to cut its head clean from its shoulders. The huge ape crumpled to the floor, and Fox jumped away, standing with what remained of his team, holding the creatures off as they continued to envelop them. Vernal stood upon the rocks with her dual pistols, firing focused beams of dust around her, cleaving the beasts in half. Black blood was splattered across the side of her face, and her teeth with gritted with fury.
She turned, slashing a Sabyr through its open jaws with Wind and Fire, cutting the creature open, before rolling aside as an Abductor emerged from the darkness, throwing fireballs and bolts of red lightning at her. She turned and fired both guns at the creature, killing it instantly before it could erase itself from her memory when she looked away. The creature faded away into a cloud of smoke.
Sashaa sprinted, firing her rifle with pinpoint accuracy at the Grimm, nailing a Beowulf in the eye, then hitting an Ursa in the leg. Which Velvet finished off as she jumped and punched it in the face, mimicking Arslan's fighting style, killing the bear instantly. Black smoke surrounded her, and she stood with everyone as more Grimm continued to spawn from the Tar Pits.
From the lakes of Tar, more giant beasts were emerging, Megoliaths marched across the dunes, smashing the soldiers in their way with their enormous tusks, Leviathans roared as they blasted beams of fire and lightning from their slender jaws, burning Airships in half as they flew overhead. The burning airships came crashing down and exploding in the dunes, and then more Spinescorchers erupted from the thick layer of tar as well, blasting fire from their jaws and flattening countless soldiers.
Coco's eyes widened at how bad their odds were. "They just… keep coming…" Velvet stammered.
"Don't let up! We can beat them!" Coco called out, her voice wavering. But then… the voice of Salem echoed across the landscape, and the words sent shivers down their spines.
"PRAETORIAN KNIGHTS! SLAUGHTER THEM ALL! LEAVE NONE ALIVE!"
Coco looked at Velvet and Fox with fear. They all remembering the power of the Praetorian Knights when Beacon was attacked, and when it fell. One Praetorian Knight took the entire Academy to bring down…
… but all of them?
Sashaa gasped. "LOOK!" She called out, and landing on one of the Airships flying overhead was a Praetorian Knight, driving its sceptre into the cockpit and sending the fighter spiralling out of control.
"Oh, we're so dead…" Vernal gasped.
Suddenly a Praetorian Knight landed behind them, and swung its sceptre towards Coco, only just missing her face as she ducked. She spun around and smashed Gianduja in its handbag form across its face, forged from floating pieces of armour. The Knight suddenly kicked her in the chest, knocking her backwards. It spiralled its Sceptre through its hand, staring at them with glowing red eyes. "The end… is here." The Praetorian Knight snarled at them.
The Corrupted Followers of Thaddeus Rex were unleashed, with only eleven of them remaining. The others were sprinting towards the main armies to wipe out the brave soldiers battling against the Grimm together.
Sashaa wasted no time firing her rifle at the Praetorian Knight, but it effortlessly deflected the bullet, then it launched forward in a swirl of metal, and punched Sashaa in the face so hard it sent her flying backwards. The legs of the Knight extended, and the ancient Geist spun around and rested its Sceptre across its arm, firing a beam of red energy towards Coco.
The beam impacted her chest, knocking her off the rocks that she landed on. Fox sprinted at the entity, sliding and slashing Sharp Retribution across the back of its legs. It dropped to one knee then turned, suddenly exploding into a cloud of metal, nothing but smoke on the inside. Fox stumbled through, then the Knight compacted its body once again, stamping on his back, and holding the Sceptre above his head to finish him off.
Vernal jumped overhead, firing Wind and Fire down upon the Geist, aiming for its head. The beams of fire made the Geist snarl with anger, the metal being damaged by the projectiles that she fired. It dashed away from Fox and suddenly lunged towards Velvet. She formed Crescent Rose out of Anesidora, deflecting the incoming swings from the Knight. It struck hard and fast with the long blade, before it spun the weapon through its fingers, charging it up with red energy the whole time, before slamming its fist into the Sceptre.
A powerful blast of red light erupted, which launched Velvet away. The Praetorian Knight walked across the stones, then suddenly darted towards her and grabbed her by the face, smashing her against the wall. "HEY!" Coco yelled, getting the Praetorian Knight's attention, transforming Gianduja and activating her semblance, amplifying the power of dust. She opened fire on the Knight, blowing one of its arms off before it transformed into a cloud of smoke with a cyclone of armoured metal swirling inside.
It moved similarly to how Ruby did when using her Petal Dash semblance. It suddenly formed back into Knight form, sliding across the sand before throwing the Sceptre at her. Coco gasped, rolling out of the way. Then the Knight called the weapon back, spinning around and smashing the weapon across Fox's face, knocking him to the ground.
Sashaa jumped and fired her rifle at the Knight, whilst Velvet sprinted around the Knight, but the Praetorian raised its arm to block Vernal's shot, and its glowing red eyes glared at Sashaa. Sashaa slid across the sand and fired her rifle into the Praetorian's face, causing it to roar with pain as the bullet hit its weak spot. The Knight stumbled, then glared at the Markswoman, then it suddenly launched towards her, and slashed its Sceptre across her body.
Sashaa screamed in pain, her aura breaking, and before anybody could do anything to save her, it turned and impaled her through the back with its Sceptre. Blood splattered across the ground and she wheezed, leaking from her mouth, and the Praetorian swiftly pulled the blade from her back. "Sashaa!" Vernal screamed, gritting her teeth with hatred.
Sashaa collapsed to the floor in front of them, and the Knight walked around her body, blood leaking from the tip of its Sceptre.
Eyes glowing bright red.
"You're gonna fucking die for that." Coco promised with hate in her eyes.
Ghira
The berserk White Fang Leader roared, slashing his claws through the body of a Beowulf, before turning and digging them into another's chest, ripping the creature open with all his might. Black blood covered his hands, with smoke trailing his body as he was completely covered in their guts.
He ducked as a Harpy swooped overhead, slashing its talons at his head, but he turned to a dead White Fang soldier on the ground and picked up his spear, throwing it at the Harpy, nailing it in the chest. The creature squawked as it dropped from the sky, then turned as a Boarbatusk charged towards him. He raised his hands and stopped the beast dead in its tracks, staring back at it, and lifted it with ease by its tusks, throwing it into a spike of burning metal from a destroyed gunship.
The creature shrieked before dying from its fatal wound, and Ghira panted as he stepped away from its corpse. Kali sprinted by him and she jumped, stabbing one of her blades into the throat of a Ravager, and it screeched as it struggled to fly above them all. She sliced straight down its neck and body, cutting the creature in half, before flipping through the air and ramming her two blades into the ribs of an Ursa. The beast roared with rage and swung its huge paws at her, but she dropped, ripping her blades from its chest, then slid between its legs and cut across the beast's heels.
The flesh tore, and it topped onto its chest, only to be finished off by Kali as she drove both her blades into the roof of its skull. The roaring of the Ursa vanished the second the blades entered its head, then she looked around, with thick black tar drooling from the blades. She spun her blades through her fingers, standing beside her husband as more Grimm charged towards them.
Soldiers battled with them at all times, firing their rifles and swinging their melee weapons at everything that tried to cut them down. White Fang and Vasillias Cartel fought side by side against the monsters that were relentlessly charging at them. One soldier smashed his rifle against the face of a Beowulf, then drove his knife into the creature's temple. They all gasped as a Leviathan erupted from the tar behind them, roaring so loud it nearly deafened them.
But Airships flew overhead, firing rockets into the side of its head, blowing away chunks of armour. The Leviathan roared with fury, and then a volley of shells from a Dreadnaught collided into the beast, sending it crashing down, but luckily not on their own forces. Their ears were ringing from the loud explosions, but none of them broke rank. They all continued to battle the monsters.
Fighting together.
A Vasillias Cartel Mercenary aimed her mini-gun at the Grimm that kept swarming them, shredding them all with the storm of bullets she loosed on them, and her White Fang friend fired his rocket launcher into a Nevermore flying overhead. The explosion tore its wing apart, and the burning beast plummeted to the ground as well.
"Nice shot!" Ilia called out as she sprinted past him and jumped, wrapping Lightning Lash around the throat of a Beowulf and landing behind it, yanking so hard that a horrible crunch erupted from its neck, snapping it with ease. She activated the Lightning Dust reserves in it, slashing through the Creeps that burst from the ground, followed up by a Deathstalker.
The enormous Scorpion snapped its pincers at her, but she just smirked, vanishing. The Deathstalker snarled as it looked around, unable to track the Chameleon Faunus, until suddenly it felt its stinger be sliced clean off. It shrieked with immense agony. Then, as the stinger stabbed into its own head, Ilia flipped through the air, revealing herself, and driving the electrified blade of her weapon into the stinger.
The bulb overcharged, glowing bright gold before exploding and shattering its skull. Chunks of bony armour plating with electricity crackling around it bounced across the floor. She spun Lightning Lash through her fingers.
Suddenly, one of Sienna's Chain Blades flew right past her eyes. Ilia gasped, eyes bulging from their sockets as time seemed to slow for a few seconds, before it continued and landed in the mouth of a Griffin which landed behind her. The skull of the creature burst within seconds after the blade landed in its gullet. Ilia panted with relief, turning to see Sienna jumping high in the air and wrapping Cerberus' Whip around the foot of a Ravager and launching it towards the ground with all her might.
She turned and saw the ground explode behind her in an avalanche of Sulphur Fish, all working together as a Hive Mind, screeching together like a giant worm. They all came crashing towards her, but she spun the whip swiftly, and flung ice dust links into the swarm. They detonated and froze the little Grimm Creatures instantly, breaking their Hive Mind structure apart, and then she launched an explosive one into the group, wiping them out in seconds.
She coiled the chain around her arm, looking over her shoulder. Up above the Air Force that they had on their side were battling against the Grimm that swarmed the skies, with Lancers darting around the dark clouds, launching their quills at anything that moved. But as they fought, suddenly a soldier screamed in agony. Sienna turned and so did Ghira, to see the Praetorian Knights had arrived.
They stood upon the dunes, staring down at them all, before they attacked. The soldiers all fired on the Knights as they came sprinting towards them at full speed, but their bullets made very little damage against them, if any at all. The Knights jumped and started massacring them all, slashing through their bodies with ease and impaling them. One drove their Sceptre through the skull of one soldier, then twisted around and flung the corpse of the dead soldier with shocking ease, and blasted three more soldiers with a beam of red light.
Their bodies were sliced apart, pouring blood all over the black sand. Another jumped on the top of a tank and easily ripped the canopy off, firing its sceptre inside and blowing the engine up in a huge fireball. A soldier screamed in terror and fled, only for the Praetorian to jump and break his back, leaving him for the Grimm to slowly eat alive as he screamed. The same Knight spiralled his Sceptre around, deflecting the incoming bullets that came its way.
The Ten Praetorian Knights continued to slaughter their forces with ease. Another jumped into the air, aiming its Sceptre and firing at a gunship hovering overhead, nailing the thruster and blowing it apart. The Gunship spun out of control and came crashing into the ground in a fiery explosion. That Knight slammed down, crushing a soldier without even noticing. Another soldier jumped at the Knight with his hammer, smashing it across the face, only for it to slice his legs off and stamp on his skull within a few seconds.
Ghira stared at the slaughter and slashed his claws together, creating sparks. He watched as the Praetorian Knights carved through his brave warriors.
And it filled him with fury.
One of the Knights lunged towards him and Kali, spinning around as it slid, nearly taking his head off with the blade of its sceptre. He ducked and punched the entity in the face whilst holding his hand out for Kali. She jumped on his hand and he launched her towards the Praetorian Knight and stabbed it in the face. The Knight roared with rage as the blade stabbed straight through the armour, but was not enough to kill it yet. The Knight broke its body apart, forcing Kali to fall onto the floor, then it compacted together once again.
Another Praetorian Knight did the same as it butchered more of their people, and a soldier thrusted towards it with a sword, but it opened its body, then compacted around his wrist. He shrieked in agony as it crushed his hand and cut it off. Blood spewed out, then the Knight skewered him through the mouth.
The Praetorian Knight stared down at Kali with its foot on her face, pushing her head into the sand to suffocate her. Ghira jumped off a burning truck and punched the Praetorian in the face as hard as he could, but then was thrown effortlessly over its shoulder into the wreckage of another truck. It took its foot off her face, then approached Ghira, driving its Sceptre towards his chest.
He gasped and held his hands up, catching the sceptre before it could puncture his throat. It stared back at him with nothing but hate in its glowing eyes. But Kali jumped onto its back, stabbing at its head relentlessly. "GET OFF MY HUSBAND!" she yelled. The Knight reached back with a deep, inhuman snarl and threw her across the battlefield with ease.
As she tumbled past, Ilia and Sienna battled together against a Praetorian Knight as well, slashing at the entity repeatedly with their weaponry. Sienna launched an Explosive Chain Link from Cerberus' Whip, but it caught the blade in its hand and crushed it, not even recoiling from the explosion in its hand. Ilia jumped and wrapped her whip around the Knight's head and yanked it backwards.
The way its back bent backwards, it should have broken the spine of a physical creature, but this was a Geist. It turned its head around, snarling sinisterly, and the metal shifted to allow the Knight to face her now.
Suddenly, its hand grabbed her by the throat and it was already prepared to skewer her with its sceptre. But Sienna launched multiple ice blades into its back. The ice fused the body together, allowing her to throw an explosive blade into the Knight's head. The detonated shattered part of its head. Black smoke came pouring out, and it snarled with anger, glaring at her. It extended its Sceptre and arm, swinging it around in a full three hundred and sixty degree spin, smashing it into both of their faces, throwing them aside.
But…
… then they all stopped.
It was like they all just paused in time, and lowered their bloodied Sceptres, and they just slowly looked to the sky…
… and everything…
… went dark.
Ensemble Battle
Salem unleashed a nightmarish roar as her body reconstructed itself, and she snapped herself upright again, and suddenly blasted fire from her jaws. Her eyes glowed bright red, and she sprouted a long reptilian tail from her abdomen, spinning around and knocking them all to the ground.
She took off and flew away from them all, and went directly towards the Relic of Destruction. As she flew across the dunes, both Cinder and Eryka flew after her, and down below, Thaddeus was sprinting across the dunes towards the same weapon. And down below were the fleeing gods, unable to leave Remnant until either Salem was killed or they die. She suddenly landed and grabbed the Relic of Destruction, swinging it towards the God of Light who fell to the floor, panicking as he crawled backwards from her.
She buried the blade into the ground so hard that the explosion melted the sand into obsidian instantly. She gritted her teeth with rage, but Cinder slammed herself against Salem so hard that the Dark Queen tumbled across the floor. Eryka also launched herself towards Salem, firing her bow from above, and the explosive arrows shattered her leg into black blood. She snarled with anger and Cinder drove her axe into Salem's neck and pulled the handle against her throat, forcing her back.
"Go!" Cinder yelled at the Gods, who both continued to flee. But the Brother of Darkness growled as he wanted to fight as well. "GO!" Cinder yelled again, just wanting to keep them all away from Salem.
Eryka swiftly dove for the Relic of Destruction, fully knowing that using it would kill her, but just as she reached for it, Salem blasted a beam of magic into her, which knocked her across the floor. Cinder looked around and she launched Salem away with her Maiden Powers, throwing her extremely far. The Fall Maiden wheezed, grabbing at her chest, but she forced it down as best as she could.
As Cinder stood tall, holding her Obsidian Axe tight, she turned to see Thaddeus sprinting towards the sword. She immediately threw her sword into his chest, sending him tumbling back down the dunes. Salem erupted through the one in front of her and punched Cinder through another dune. She looked around for the gods to see them running back towards the Beam that was shooting into the moon above.
She picked up the Relic of Destruction without hesitation and flew after her. But just as she was getting closer, a blinding white light knocked her out of the sky and caused her to crash to the floor. Her arm, which held the sword, turned to stone and broke off, still gripping the blade.
Salem snarled, as half of her body had also been turned to stone, but her black blood was forming a new arm to break through the stone. Ruby's eyes stopped glowing white after nailing that excellent shot with her eyes, but she still held her side, being helped but by Penny. "Ruby… one of us needs to use the Relic against Salem… but… you know what that means…"
"One of us has to die to stop her…"
Salem's arm erupted from the stump of stone, and she stared at the Relic of Destruction, whose heat was melting the stone arm to lava where it sat, and melting the sand around its blade.
She held her side as the stone cracked and faded away.
Everyone caught up…
… but they all felt an unnatural chill on the back of their necks. Salem stared at the sky, and she smirked sinisterly.
Every single Grimm…
… stared at the sky…
… at the Moon.
They all looked up, and all they felt… was fear.
The beam continued to fire into the moon, latching the chunks of the broken satellite together, and finally… after all these years… the time had finally come.
The sun's rays slowly faded away, and the Moon…
… had become whole.
Forming the Eclipse.
Everything turned dark, and the eyes and red glow of the Grimm faded away as well, turning them all jet black. The Praetorian Knights hummed softly as the Eclipse hung above with a golden ring around the darkness. Soldiers opened fire on the Grimm, but the bullets did nothing to them, they did not even flinch.
With the Eclipse formed… the Grimm were now unstoppable.
And worse… they were even stronger.
The Praetorian Knights all stared at each other, and their bodies quietly broke apart, and the black smoke of all eleven Knights came together in the centre of the Battlefield. Coco crouched beside Sashaa's lifeless body, staring as the Praetorian Knight who killed her joined the others.
Then… every single Grimm that was stood here also crumbled away, and their ashes joined the Praetorian Knights.
And from the massive ball of darkness forming in the centre of the battlefield, the God of Light looked back, and despite having no face… his fear was real.
A massive monster emerged from the darkness, a Grimm Mockery of the Dragon that the Brother of Light truly took the form of. It roared to the Eclipse in the sky, spreading its black wings across the battlefield, its body coiling above Evernight.
And from the Tar Pits?
Even more Grimm.
All of them invincible.
They were out of time…
Author Note - The Eclipse has finally happened...
God this was a fun chapter to write, I will always love writing desperation and tension like this. Just knowing that if Salem kills the Gods with the Relic of Destruction, then it's over. But they will all suffer a fate worse than death, trapped in a writhing eternity between life and death. And now... the Moon is whole... and the Eclipse has happened.
Now the Grimm are invincible, unless someone gives their life... and kills Salem with the Relic of Destruction.
Next chapter is gonna be insane I'm so excited to do it.
R.I.P Sashaa... that's one more friend that Eryka has lost :(
Was great fun to write the Praetorian Knights again, but now they have become the Praetorian Dragon. Easily the biggest Grimm so far, equal size to the God of Light.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - Shadow of Destiny
- Matt
