Cinder lowers her bow and her smile grows wider. Her arrow hit you between the eyes, a perfect shot. Your neck is craned back, eyes blankly staring into the dark sky. Cinder lets her bow disappear as she slowly approaches you, one foot in front of the other. She stares at you sadistically as she kneels down and places a hand on your temple.
"Such a sad child…" She chuckles, finding your lifeless eyes amusing. "Perhaps I'll remember you, perhaps not."
Before Cinder has a chance to activate her powers, your cheek starts glowing even brighter than before. Cinder takes a step back, unsure what Salem has planned for your body. Perhaps you aren't meant to be killed just yet. Maybe it'll cocoon you so you can be taken back to her. Blood starts spewing out of your cheek like a hose with a hole. The blood pools a short distance from you, barely catching on your jeans to dye them with a dark red tint.
"What is it doing now?" Cinder outwardly thinks. "I thought that was simply to weaken this poor boy. Draining his body seems a little much, even for me."
Once the blood spreads around and below your body, the mark stops releasing it. All the blood, as if it was alive, slithers over your clothes, across your body and back into the mark. This catches Cinder's attention as its clear more is going on than she previously thought. Though she's watching you, Cinder fails to notice that your stab wound has completely healed. Your eyes lose the glossy tone but still look to the sky. Without thinking, your hand, slow and shaky, reaches for the arrow and grips it. Blood starts creeping out of the mark in small streams from the five long diamonds; the blood forming a thin layer where it travels. It slowly and eerily slides down the right side of your cheek and expands once hitting your neck, going in all directions. Though, only one thin line crawls out from the top arrow and glides along your skin to your right eye.
Cinder watches carefully, unsure whether to arm herself or relax. Salem never mentioned anything like this happening, but the Maiden can only assume it's of no concern. She would have been told otherwise. As it travels over your body, you're almost pulled by the chest onto your feet. Once standing, you lean forward and stare at your right arm, pupils shaking uncontrollably. The blood travels there faster than any other place, yet it still slowly makes its way down your left shoulder and chest. You slowly clench your fist as the blood covers each finger.
Pain is not the thing you're feeling right now. It's an immense, intense sensation flowing through your body. Before, you felt like the mark was invading you; that some foreign feeling was trying to get in. Now it's different. An overwhelming rage is breaking free, meeting those invading feelings and joining them in a massive tidal wave that no wall could stand against.
Cinder suddenly feels a fist connect with her cheek at a speed she couldn't comprehend. It pushes her off the edge of the tower… and for a moment everything stops. Her eyes stare into yours… your right eye that's losing its colour. The iris has been invaded; a familiar red glow has taken half of it. It's… fierce. Your mere gaze causes her to freeze, unable to move her body in anyway to counter you.
You pull back your fist and immediately grab Cinder's neck, falling past her and dragging her down with you.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
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Ruby slams Crescent Rose to the ground to slow her herself down. Weiss is on one knee, panting as she eyes the immortal Harrier Slater. Despite being unable to be damaged, the two girls haven't landed a single hit on him. He twirls his blade, blankly staring at his pathetic excuses of opponents.
"It'd be a lie if I said I expected more… but I suppose I've been spoiled by fighters far stronger than you."
The ground shakes as something erupts in the background, debris riding the powerful current that's caused by the impact. It knocks Weiss over and nearly does the same to Ruby while Harrier merely turns around to acknowledge this odd development. There's a massive dust cloud on the other side of the tower. Couple that with the powerful shockwave and that means something very strong was the cause. Harrier can only imagine what it was. To double check, he jumps onto the side of the tower then jumps once more to reach the top. The Dragon starts screeching, but a sharp glance from Harrier shuts it up. He looks around the destroyed office… nobody is there. What he can see is your sword, sheath, Pyrrha's armaments, and her circlet.
"The girl… she's gone. So that was (Y/N) and Cinder?"
Harrier hops off the tower and lands right where he once was. "I believe its time for you girls to go," Harrier bluntly states.
"What? We're not leaving without our friends!" Ruby adamantly says.
In a flash, Harrier appears in front of Ruby with his sabre at her throat.
"Ruby!" Weiss gets to her feet and takes a step forward.
"You fly or you die. Even if I don't kill you… whatever is over there will be your end." He leans down, getting almost face to face with the leader of RWBY. "Know when something is out of your league," he whispers. Harrier pulls his sword back and walks away from the girls. "If I see you again… I will kill you."
The elder Slater marches towards the dust cloud which is now clearing. He's not sure what's going on, but he has to spectate.
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In the center of the crater, shrouded by the dust, you kneel over Cinder with your bloody hand wrapped around her neck. It's expanded even more now, covering your entire torso, your left elbow, and making its way down your thighs. Still, it remains below the neck. Your teeth are clenched, threatening to shatter under the pressure of anger and power. Your eyes are fixated on Cinder, and hers are locked on yours. Very different emotions reside in both. Yours hold pain and rage, hers shelter fear and frustration.
Before the dust clears, you lift her out of the crater and pull your left hand back. As you clench it, the blood finally layers itself over every finger. You drive the fist directly into her nose, sending her spiraling into the corner of the crater and bouncing into the air. You throw your right arm out, extending it for meters thanks to their new blood core.
Harrier watches as Cinder is thrown out of the dust and a sudden red hand swiftly follows her, grabs her ankle, and slams her into the closest building.
"What was that?" Harrier exclaims, quickly starting to jog towards a farther building. He jumps onto it for a vantage point and crosses his arms. "That looked like blood… does (Y/N) have a secret technique? No, the sword is still up there…"
Cinder unleashes a wave of fire to dispel the hand wrapped around her ankle. She gets on her feet, huffing and puffing. "What power is that? You never had something like this before!" The woman screams, her cool clearly lost.
The dust finally starts to clear, giving Harrier and Cinder a view on what you've become. Your entire body, save your face, has a new layer of blood over it. It's not just sitting on your clothes, it's as if this blood is your skin now – smooth, yet constantly flowing. Your arm is still extended towards Cinder, but it's retracted to a normal length. You're staring at the ground, totally lost yet fully aware. Your hand starts twisting in ways that would break it. Your neck cranes to the side, your right arm bends backward. The two spectators can hear your bones crack each time you move. Finally, you look to Cinder. Your eyes seem to lock onto her you clench your teeth. Your body returns to normal before you let out a deafening roar that stretches all the way out to Vale.
Cinder and Harrier get the full force of it. Only one creature Harrier is aware of can rival that screech. You soar into the air without even moving your legs and start to speed at Cinder. She charges her hands with flame and blasts them at your location. Both she and Harrier know that you're out of Aura, so there's nothing you can do to dodge it. Well, that's what they thought. Your body is seemingly dragged to the right to evade the first two attacks. Cinder sneers as she continues to blast at you, unable to land a hit.
"He's not moving… the blood is moving his body like a puppet. Is he even in control right now… or is something controlling him? It can't be Salem's… but the mark on his face," Harrier crosses his arms, perplexed at the situation. "If this was Salem's doing, why would he attack Cinder?"
You get right up in Cinder's face, mouth open and hand ready to knock her to the ground. She hesitates for a moment when she sees your red eye. There's nothing left of your original colour on that side, and it reminds the girl so much of her mentor. However, she has to survive. She just obtained this power and she won't lose it to you. She collects a large amount of magic in her hands and blasts you at point blank range. Save right arm, the one you were going to strike her with, everything else is enveloped in the blast. Cinder smirks. There's no way you'll survive that without Aura. Her confidence blinds her to your right hand which has yet to be blown back.
The palm opens and a new figure starts crawling out of it. Before Cinder can recognize it, your upper body forms out of the palm accompanied by your terrifying screech. Before Cinder can even process what just happened, you've already slammed your fist into the Maiden's temple. The girl is sent skidding across the ground while you hop out of your old hand and absorb it into your back.
"I was wrong," Harrier shakes his head. "He's not moving his body around, he completely changed the shape and density of it. I have no idea how… it's not human… even I couldn't manipulate my body like that."
Without pause, you burst off your back foot and soar overtop of the still moving Cinder. Her eyes widen when she sees you appear on top of her. They widen even more when you drive your heels into her stomach. You kneel down and grab the right side of her head before repeatedly punching the left. The second Cinder's body grinds to a halt, you grab her face and throw her behind you. Cinder recovers, forming her bow and firing three arrows at your feet. The arrows release a devastating explosion before you have a chance to move. Cinder lands a good distance away and smiles… only for it to drop moments later.
You're standing in the middle of the explosion, albeit closer to the ground than you were before.
"I have distance. If I keep him at a distance I can track his arms and-"
A red hand bursts through the cement below her, grabbing and squeezing the girl's neck. You dash forward, your extended arm breaking out of the ground and leveling with her throat and your shoulder. You growl as you approach her, and when you do she's thrown into the closest building you can see. She connects with and bounces off the wall, hovering in midair very briefly before you slam your open palm on her cheek and break through the wall with her head. You keep that momentum going, pushing Cinder through the three connected buildings. Once you break out of the last, you twirl around and throw her back into the buildings through the holes you made. Cinder thinks this is a moment to recover, but halfway through the second building you burst in through the ceiling, a demonic growl coming from you whilst your fist tunnels into her stomach.
She slams against the ground, forming a small crater with dust flying around the two combatants. You quickly grip her clothes and throw her through the opposite wall, towards the outdoors. She breaks through and bounces off the ground once before you slide under her, back to back. Your back grows two hands that grip her waist and slam her, head first, into the pavement before you. Following up, you hop over her dangling legs, grabbing them as you pass, pull her out of the hole, flip forward, and slam her face down on the same concrete. With your hands still holding her legs, you spin around violently and release her towards Ozpin's tower. She penetrates the wall, slams into the middle structure, and lands on the floor, shivering.
You take a few deep, adrenaline filled breaths before looking to the sky and howling the same ear shattering scream as before. Harrier still watches from a distance, noting the presence of Qrow.
"Traded one scythe for another. It matters little… but I think I understand now," Harrier monologues. "Her little curse mark, its activation mimics the Grimm's sensing abilities. When people were angry over Mercury, you felt it. When people mourned the loss of Penny, you felt it. When men and women were dripping with fear after the Grimm invaded, you felt it. But now it's your own anger you feel. Cinder killed Pyrrha, didn't she? Maybe taunted you a bit, and that set you off. You weren't fighting the negative emotions anymore. You let it consume you. Tsk," Harrier looks away for a moment. "Damn Salem… what did you do to him? Is he becoming a Grimm? Some twisted puppet for your own amusement? No, it can't be…" He shakes his head. "As I thought before, it wouldn't make sense for Salem's creation to attack Cinder. There's only one way to tell if he's Grimm…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Cinder's screams as she flies out of the building and into the air. "You… you…" Cinder's teeth clench, her body shakes. "You think you're stronger than me? That you deserve more power than I do? You're nothing! You've sacrificed nothing! I've given everything for this power and I WON'T LET YOU TAKE IT FROM ME!"
"She's finally lost it," Harrier snickers. "You're afraid, Cinder. He can smell it."
Cinder flairs up, all her power surging around her in a vast bubble of flames. The circle around her, showing a visual representation of her rising anger. The ground shakes, the tower's walls continue to crack. Anyone still at the docks can spot the massive glowing ball in the air. You're completely unfazed at this attack. You're standing low, eyes fixated on Cinder while constantly, quietly, growling. Cinder's eyes shrink as she throws her hands forward.
"I'LL LAUGH OVER YOUR CORPSE, JUST LIKE OZPIN!" Cinder releases a massive wave of fire and power that makes even Harrier step back.
"Idiot girl, you'll destroy this place!"
Your eyes shrink at her words.
Oz…pin…
You raise your arm up, palm open, and expand your hand to catch the blast. Your blood cushions the attack and quickly envelops it. The glow that loomed over you swiftly disappears as your blood slithers its way up the blast, cocooning it.
"WHAT?"
The blood finally reaches Cinder and allows you to burst out of it and punch her right in the jaw. You burst forward, almost mounting the girl as you deliver punch after punch filled with anger and revenge. She killed too many and you're going to make sure she suffers the same fate. You beat her all the way into the ground, making sure she connects with it before grabbing her throat and throwing her back into the air. You hold your arm in place, extending and expanding your hand to reach her. Despite being disoriented, she can feel blood start to surround her. When she actually looks, she sees the hand has grown larger than even the Dragon, and she's right in the middle. You close your hand, crushing the Maiden. The size of the blood red hand surprises both Harrier and Qrow, not to mention the attention it's received from people at the docks.
You lift your other arm and repeat the process. Your first hand lets go of Cinder for just a moment before you clap them together with her right in the middle. Without hesitation, you throw your arms down, forcing the ball to fall out of the air. You, Harrier, and Qrow watch as it crashes onto the pavement. All the excess blood slicks back into your arm, eventually leaving a clean crater with a broken woman inside.
Cinder's Aura was drained by that last attack. Her arm and leg were crushed, she's coughing up blood and barely able to move anymore. That doesn't stop you from jumping on top of her, legs on either side and grabbing her face. You lift it up to yours, snarling at her with those intense eyes, multicoloured eyes. She… will never forget those eyes. You slam her head into the ground once more before grabbing her face. Your fingers dig into her skin, but your middle finger drills straight into her right eye.
"This is my time," Harrier rolls his shoulders and hops off the building. "I'd stay back, Qrow," he shouts. "This is out of your league."
Your nails scar her face and destroy her eye, but you're not done. "DIE!" Your twisted voice howls as you run forward, dragging the girl along the ground and ruining her image even more. Her crushed limbs flail as they bump off the ground, each minor feeling eliciting yelps and moans from the girl. You throw her towards the tower and jump after her, your sharp nails ready to claw her in half. As you swing your arm, it completely misses. You flip around and land on the tower, your blood locking you on so you don't fall.
Harrier lands a short distance away with Cinder in his arms.
"He tore you apart… as entertaining as it was, I can't let you die." Harrier leaps up and over you, landing on top of the tower with one jump. He walks past the Dragon and sets Cinder down. "It's my turn." He turns around and spots your blade once more. "Hm…"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Your voices echoes across the grounds.
"Getting impatient?" He looks over his shoulder.
What Harrier wasn't expecting was the Dragon being dragged off the tower and to the ground. He feels the heavy impact of it. He hears the Dragon screech as you claw at it. Harrier quickly jogs over to your blade and grabs it before jumping off the building. He looks down as he falls, seeing you on top of the Dragon, your blood pinning it down like a blanket.
"(Y/N)!" Harrier shouts a second before landing. "Your fight is with me now," he declares, staring directly at you. "He's clearly not Grimm," he whispers to himself. "He would have fled, or at least become hesitant."
Your eyes, shaking and angry, shrink when they see Harrier. He's the other one who's taken people away from you, he stopped you from killing Cinder. You burst off the Dragon in a flash, catching even Harrier off guard. He barely manages to leap to the side, dodging your sharp claws. In fact, he doesn't get off scot-free. You grazed his stomach with four lines. He slides to a halt and turns to face you.
"Fast… he's even faster than with-" Harrier stops as he feels something. "He looks down at his stomach where those claw marks haven't gone away. Over the cut flesh, a brief, red spark keeps crossing each flesh wound. "It… it's not healing?"
This brief moment results in a wave of emotion for Harrier. That nullification frees emotions that his Aura once held back. Excitement for being hurt, a fear of dying, regret from past actions, hope for what's to come. All this and more floods Harrier's mind, nearly overwhelming the man. He starts laughing louder and louder, almost like he's gone crazy.
"I can't believe it… you're the one," he looks back at you, smiling wide. "And yet… oh, a torn soul I am!" Harrier reaches for his glasses and pulls them off, finally staring at you with his naked eyes.
His silver eyes.
He tosses your blade to his sword arm and dashes forward. "Look what you've done, (Y/N)!" He blitzes you, driving your own blade into your chest. It doesn't pierce, but rather pushes you back at intense speeds. Harrier turns his body sideways, holding the blade out as he unleashes a flurry of stabs that are practically invisible to the Huntsman watching. You're stabbed over and over, fueling your anger.
"You've presented me a perfect opportunity to die! To fulfill my wish after so long!" You grind your teeth and look down at him, curling your body forward and releasing small blades mirroring Crimson Blaze.
Despite Harrier's speed, you overwhelm him with sheer numbers and manage to stab his leg and arm. This small opening lets you launch forward and grab your opponents face. You slam Harrier onto the ground with so much force you create craters within craters. Harrier squints his eyes and unleashes a blinding white light. At this moment, he pushes your hand off him and bounces his hips to knock you off.
"I've wanted to die for over a decade!" He rolls onto his feet and charges forward. He winces slightly at the pain from his wounds, but that's just giving him adrenaline that he hasn't felt in years. "You give me a way to die, yet a reason not to!" He slashes at your leg from the right, then your neck from the left. You grab the sword and punish him with a devastating fist to the face.
The elder Slater bounces across the ground a few times, stopping himself by lodging your sword into the ground. He looks up, seeing you coming down from the sky with your hand ready to tear his face off. Harrier grips the blade tightly and throws out a sonic wave that distorts the flow of wind. You're knocked back, but you form a new body out of your heel and dive for Harrier. He steps to the left, dodging the earth-shattering blow, but he's unable to avoid the second claw to his stomach. Harrier winces, then slams your face with the butt of the blade's hilt before unleashing three powerful strikes that knock push you all the way into one of the taller towers around Ozpin's.
"If I'm to die by your hand, it will be the true you! Not this monster!"
You lift yourself onto your feet and turn towards the broken wall, eying Harrier as he speaks. Your entire body shakes, a result of overwhelming rage. You throw your hands to the side and howl, eyes shrinking as the mark glows even brighter.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
Your left eye, once completely pure and natural, now starts to accept the blood-red tint. It comes from your right side, but it only reaches a third of the way across. With this, the blood on your face starts to expand. It covers your entire right cheek and slowly creeps its way to the left side of your face. It crosses your nose, covers your chin, but it stops about there. Only a few strands of blood make it past your left cheekbone.
The ground shakes at this intense sound and power you're giving off. There's no fire, wind, or any of the elements like a Maiden. There's no barrier or power like Ozpin would wield. As scary as it is, this is pure pressure. You jump out of the building and land a few dozen feet away. For a moment, Harrier wonders why you did not simply attack. That thought process is thrown aside when you release a massive tidal wave of blood that comes out of your back while you run at him on all fours. Harrier squints his eyes and realizes that isn't just blood… it's hundreds, if not thousands, of blades made of your blood. He grabs his true sword and swings both around for a moment.
"This should do…"
He raises your blade in front of him and starts twirling it between his fingers. The blade spins faster and faster, putting even a machine to shame. He starts running forward, the blade knocking away any of the blood blades you're raining down on him.
The blades don't discriminate, though. Some pass over Harrier, going in the direction of the peeping Qrow. Others find their way to the trapped Dragon still squirming under your thick blood prison. While Qrow has the ability to run and dodge, the Dragon is merely impaled a dozen times over by these blades.
Harrier can feel some of the blades getting by his defenses, piercing his legs or arms. The pain just excites him more, in a twisted way. He sprints forward with even more intent, closing the gap between you two. You jump forward, pulling your right arm back to cut him in half. Harrier stops twirling your sword and tightens his grip on his own.
"Too slow!" He drags his blade up and cuts you in half, diagonally.
You don't slow down at all, following through with the slash. Harrier, predicting this, cuts your attacking arm off with Crimson Blaze. Still, this doesn't put a halt to your momentum. Instead of slashing, you throw your head forward and ram it into Harrier's. The Slater sneers, pushing back as best he can. Once he notices your limbs recovering, Harrier widens his eyes and releases a blinding flash that burns your skin and stuns you momentarily. Harrier leaps back, getting some breathing room.
His eyes return to their natural silver colour as he exhales. You lift yourself onto both legs and stare at the man. It's a quiet rage, this time. No screaming, no growling. It's a temporary quiet rage that shows the intellect of this cursed form.
This peace is not eternal. To Harrier's surprise, a foot busts through the floor, driving its heel into his jaw. Harrier and the extending limb soar into the air. You slip out of the leg, creating your entire body above Harrier so you can slam your fist into his head and send him spiraling back to the ground. Your blood drags you down at speeds your regular body could only hope to reach. You slash at the dust formed by Harrier's impact… and cut right through it. Harrier bursts out from the other side, returning the favour by kicking your jaw right off. He slides past you, turning around and slashing at your arms. You regenerate your missing jaw and dive at him, completely ignoring the injuries.
You throw your arms left and right, each attack having the power to cut Harrier clean in half with no hope of recovery. He uses both swords to keep your arms at bay, either cutting them off entirely or redirecting them. He can feel the weight of your power each time they connect with his blades. It's unmatched, at least for Harrier. He has never fought someone with so much brute strength, and there's a case to be made that you have more buried in that mark.
There's a question in the back of his mind now as he slides under your legs, severing them both.
How do I return him to normal without killing him? Was this Salem's plan?
A hand bursts out of your back and attempts to grab Harrier's face. He brings his blade up, splitting the hand in half. The two split hands stop midair and create a blade at their palms. Harrier slides back to dodge the two blades.
No, if she wanted him dead she would have told me to end him. There's something else she wants from this and it aggravates me that I can't figure it out.
Harrier slides to a halt and starts throwing sonic waves from the blades. You start running through them, your regeneration making any damage he's doing null. Similar to before, you form large hands – far smaller than the ones you used against Cinder – from your back that attempt to crush Harrier where he stands. Harrier jumps to the side, the flips over the hand he previously dodged. Each one creates more, making it increasingly harder for Harrier to avoid them. He leaps back, hopping from the side to side.
You release a roar as a new wave of hands sprouts from your back to support the larger ones. Harrier's eyes dart from left to right noting every hand, where it is, and how big they are. He also keeps looking to the ground in case you have something coming for him there.
The amount of pressure he can put on someone without even moving… and yet… why do I feel like he's holding back? Why not try to crush this entire area? Flood it with arms? What's holding him back?
Harrier backs into a wall, shocking him at the fact he didn't realize a building was behind him. He jumps straight up, avoiding three hands that turned into blades. One of the larger hands casts a shadow over him as it attempts to crush him. Harrier slams his sword into the wall and uses it to jump to the right. The hands crush that section of the building, leaving Harrier's Sabre buried in the rubble. Harrier sees several other hands coming from his side and in front of him. He jumps off the wall, twirling Crimson Blaze around him as he spins past the hands. Blood splatters across the ground – some even landing on Harrier's chest and pants.
The Slater lands as smooth as ever and attempts to run… but his body refuses to move.
"What?"
He looks down, spotting those drops of blood expanding and holding him in place. His body desperately shakes, but he's unable to move a single inch. All the hands retract into your body as you sprint towards him, body low and smile wide. You throw your hand forward, slinging your arm out to grab Harrier's face. You slide to a halt and start tossing him around, slamming him through any nearby buildings.
Qrow sneers at the sight. He doesn't like Harrier, but this thing clearly isn't on his side. Letting it kill Harrier might put the entire school at risk. Maybe even Vale. Qrow wants to do something… but he knows he's dead weight here. He can barely follow your movements with his eyes. There's no way he'll be able to keep up.
You drag Harrier across the ground, tearing up whatever tiles remain in the area before lifting him up high into the air, about half of Ozpin's tower, and slam him head first into the ground. The blood on his body slithers back to your hand as it funnels out of the hole and rises above Harrier. It changes into a giant blade and drops. Realizing his head is stuck, Harrier quickly decapitates himself and flips back onto his feet before dashing back.
His head reforms just as your attack cuts his old one in half. Harrier slides to a halt and grinds his teeth.
It seems the only thing that really hurts him is my eyes… swords aren't working… unless…
Harrier lets some blood from his arm flow onto Crimson Blaze, amplifying its abilities immensely. Once the steel is overwritten by blood, it adopts a slight silver glow. Likewise, his eyes react the same way.
"So this is what your sword does with me? Did you make it like this, Jet?" Harrier chuckles to himself, pointing the blade at you. "I'll save your kid… with your sword."
You turn your head towards Harrier. Your anger boils at the fact he's not dead. He should be dead. He needs to be dead. You'll make him dead. You'll kill them all.
You bend your legs and ready to rush the man, but he blitzes past you. All you see is a silver flash. All you feel is a burning pain in your chest. Your red eyes drift down to witness the wound he's inflicted on you. It's cut past the blood, leaving a large slash on your chest. Your layered blood struggles to cover it, to repair it.
Harrier stops a short distance behind you and smiles. "I hope you didn't think I was going all out this entire time," he turns around to face your back.
Your head spins all the way around to stare at Harrier, the man with confidence laced in his smile. Your body shakes in rage, and you release that in one powerful scream that puts the others to shame. Your body spins around to compensate for your head whilst your blood starts to swirl around you. Round and round it goes, generating wind and turning into a red tornado that's visible from Vale. Harrier manages to keep himself stable, despite his wounds. Qrow, however, needs to impale the ground with his blade in order to not be caught up.
"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The blood around your face expands at a rapid rate, covering the rest of your head until it's a smooth layer of blood. No traces of hair remain anymore. Harrier finds it difficult to see. The tone in that scream, the look in your eye, the one that still retains your colour… you're in pain. It doesn't remain that way for long. As the blood covers your head, the red finally takes your entire eye. There's nothing left that was once you.
"Are you gone, (Y/N)?" Harrier remarks. "Is it too late?"
You crouch down, pulling your hands in as your fierce red eyes stare at your opponent. Harrier keeps his eyes locked on you… the best he can. In one blink, you're gone.
You appear beside him, slamming your fist into his cheek. He slides on his left leg and tries to jump away but you appear behind him and hammerfist him right back into the ground. Harrier catches himself with his left hand and pushes himself away from the impact area. That gets him out of the way of your giant hand attempting to crush him. Not that it matters. You speed in front of him and kick him in the chin, sending him back into the air. Harrier spins around a few times before regaining his bearings just in time to block one of your fists with Crimson Blaze.
Your momentum overpowers his, however, and thus you go farther into the air. The red tornado still rages on, keeping Qrow at bay. Being in the air, you and Harrier are dragged into the bloodied wind. It doesn't bother you, as its all made of your DNA. Harrier, however, is caught in the middle and forced to keep him at bay while you dash at him from every direction. He does his best to block from left, down, left, right, down, up. His body spins around, his eyes constantly scanning for you, his arm never staying in one place. But despite his best efforts, a scratch appears here, a gash tears there. If he stays in this situation, there's no way he'll come out on top.
Harrier sheathes Crimson Blaze and shuts his eyes. He can feel his power surging into the blade and culminating in his eyes. He needs to get rid of this tornado before it sucks up all of Beacon. Right as you attack, as your arm sharpens into a blade to slash your opponent… Harrier's eyes open. He slashes at you, the red sword and silver eyes shining. It cuts you in half and disrupts the tornado's flow. He continues to attack in every direction, brilliant flashes of silver shining like lightning during a storm. These attacks halt the tornado all together, leaving you all on your own in the sky. Your teeth clench in anger before soaring towards him.
Your fist connects with his sword, the pressure forcing you both back. Harrier lands on one of the towers and leaps off it, ready to attack again. Qrow, now not having to worry about being swept away, watches the shockwaves in the air. Harrier jumps from building to building while your blood gives you instant momentum. The ground shivers, the buildings crack, even Qrow's body vibrates each time you two connect.
Harrier cuts through your fist, but you open your mouth to extrude a hand from it. It grabs Harrier's face and forces him all the way down into the ground. You instantly dive toward his position with killer intent. Harrier unleashes a barrier of silver and bursts straight out of it. He passes by you, cutting you in half with one smooth slash. Your body stitches together immediately and follows his position. You throw your hands left and right, each one being dismembered by your own blade. You form several more arms from your back and start attacking with all of them, moving slightly above Harrier to put more pressure on him. Harrier pulls the blade back for a split second before thrusting forward, using the same technique he used before to rapidly strike each hand. This time, he's more serious. You don't overpower him, and instead, he bursts forward and rams the sword through you. He pulls it up like a lever and brings you all the way to the ground, role-reversing a bit. He slams you into the ground and immediately pulls the blade out of your chest. Before you can attack he jumps back into the air to gain that distance. He twists the blade and unleashes a barrage of sonic waves that tear at both you and the ground. The silver waves beat against the ground, mimicking an earthquake each time. This takes Harrier's attention away from the massive fist coming down on his location.
"Move!" A new voice shouts, dashing by and pulling Harrier out of the way.
The fist collides with you, blood surging everywhere only to reconvene with you. Harrier and Qrow slide to a halt.
"I didn't need your assistance," Harrier speaks.
"I reckoned you'd rather not get hit by one of those things," Qrow remarks.
"Perhaps. But I'm surprised you helped me," Harrier walks past Qrow, putting himself between the Huntsman and you.
"You're the lesser of two evils here, if only slightly."
The ground between them breaks apart as you burst out of hit, slamming both your feet into their faces. Qrow falls on his back while Harrier simply slides back. You turn to Qrow first, falling on with two heavy knees before molding your lower body to simply standing over him. Your crush his sword arm, forcing the Huntsman to drop his weapon. You raise your left hand and slam it into his forehead, delivering the hardest blow Qrow's ever held, Aura or not. Your impact shatters the earth around you, indenting Qrow even further into the ground. Your hand slithers to his neck and grips it tight before you lift him over your head. Your red eyes glow as you stare up at the injured Huntsman.
"(Y/N)," he chokes. "It's… Qrow… stop…"
Even Qrow has a hard time believing what he's saying. With your blood completely covering your skin, it's impossible to tell who you are. You look like a naked, red skinned thing with a terrifying roar.
"That won't work!" Harrier shouts, cutting your arm off, grabbing Qrow, and jumping to the rooftop of a nearby building. Harrier lands and sets the Huntsman down. "You're leaving. This is too much for you."
"I told Ruby I would bring him back."
"There's nothing to bring back now," Harrier shakes his head. "Just let me deal with thi-"
Qrow's eyes shrink at the sight. Not even Harrier could react to you dashing between them. Not even he could dodge as you clawed at his right arm, tearing it off with your bare hands. You slide past them, the arm bouncing beside you. The blade falling on the cement. Harrier's arm sparks with red lightning, a sign that regeneration isn't possible.
And for the first time in years… Harrier felt rage. Rage at you for injuring him. Rage at Qrow for distracting him. Rage at himself for letting you do this, for killing his brother, for losing his chance at a normal life. Rage at so many things that have nothing to do with this situation… but he's feeling it.
"Kk… HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Harrier turns on his heel and launches himself at you, destroying the ground he once stood on.
You open your arms wide and dash at him too. You both collide midair, your hand piercing his stomach while his hand cups your mouth. His momentum overpowers yours, thus you're slammed on the ground with him on top. His eyes glow brighter than ever has his scream distorts. The light blinds Qrow, burns you and the immobile Dragon, and piques the interest of those at Vale.
He can hear your screams, desperate and gargled, but he doesn't care. The light lasts for nearly ten seconds, but to the three on the building, it was an eternity. When darkness falls… so have you. Your blood has retreated back in the mark, you're sleeping under Harrier, and the elder Slater is bleeding on your stomach.
He shakily pulls your arm out of his chest and falls back, panting. He's more exhausted than he's ever been. The adrenaline is fading and the pain is setting in. Pain that's excruciating. Pain that hasn't been felt in decades. But you're done, the mark has hidden once more, and all Grimm in the area have turned to stone.
"I've never… used it to that extent… Gak," he coughs up blood, not bothering to cover his mouth. "Well… this is how it ends," Harrier pushes off his knee and takes a moment to balance himself. "A broken Maiden, stone Dragon… is this what Salem wanted? Oh well, not my problem."
Harrier turns around and locks eyes with Qrow. "His sheath is at the top of the tower. I suggest you get that with everything else."
Harrier limps past the red-eyed Huntsman.
"You're… just leaving? You think I'll let you?"
"I can kill you even in this state. Don't push it," Harrier continues to walk. "I'm taking the girl. You're taking him."
"So nobody won today?"
"Hmph, no. Somebody won today… but it wasn't anyone here."
Harrier jumps off the building and lands, nearly falling to his knees on contact. All the small cuts and stab wounds, plus the major hole in his chest and only having half an arm. If not for his Semblance keeping the rest of his body at work, he'd be dead. Harrier limps across the grounds until he reaches his sword. He grabs it with his free arm and stares at it for a moment. In a quick decision, he cuts off his right arm. Instead of healing it, he regenerates his body from that arm, leaving the rest to turn to dust.
He regenerates, completely naked but almost fully healed. Everything is fixed except for his arm. He kneels down and grabs his underwear and pants to put back on. He's done here. He's ready to leave.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Two Weeks Later…
"Are you gone? Is it too late?"
"Pyrrha!"
"I'LL LAUGH OVER YOUR CORPSE, JUST LIKE OZPIN!"
"(Y/N)… It's Qrow… Stop…"
"Or maybe even that little Ruby Rose."
"GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Ha!" Your eyes burst open as you sit up.
You're panting, entire body covered in sweat. You quickly look around and try and find out where you are, what you're doing. The last thing you remember is…
You place a hand on your cheek. "Pyrrha…" The word causes your mark to flare, but only for a moment.
The room is dark, only lighted by the shine of the moon coming through the window. Crickets can be heard, barely, but otherwise it's completely quiet. As you look to your left, you spot someone sleeping in a bed next to yours. Even in the dark, you recognize your girlfriend. A weight instantly lifts when you see her safe and sound.
You toss the blankets off you and realize you're no longer in your clothes. Just a sleeping outfit that's red and gold. You approach the window and check out the surroundings.
"Yeah… Tai's place," you whisper. "What time is it?"
You approach the door but stop when you grasp the handle. You look behind you at Ruby's sleeping face. You can't help but smile… but that smile disappears when Pyrrha and Cinder pop into your mind. You feel the doorknob molding to your hand which makes you retract your hand.
"Great," you sigh.
You leap to the other side of the door and walk down the hallway. You notice there's a light down the stairs. You slowly walk down the steps and head towards the source of the light – the kitchen. Once you enter, you see Tai with his head on the table, sleeping. His hands are on the table too, just in front of a picture. You approach the table and slide the picture towards you. It's one of him, Ruby, and Yang. Though old, you can see a dried tear mark on it. You look back to Tai, snoozing away to escape whatever sorrow he's feeling. You slide the picture back to him and walk back to the living room.
You take a seat on the couch and sigh, running your hand down your face. There are a few things on the table, but a briefcase catches your eye. It has a piece of paper on it reading "(Y/N) Slater."
You slide the case towards you, bringing the paper with it. Before you open the briefcase you flip the paper around and find a paragraph written on it.
(Y/N),
I'm glad you're okay. When we heard what had happened to Pyrrha and how you were there, I feared the worst. I hope you're doing well, all things considered. To keep my mind busy I worked on those clothes you asked for. Everything is there, plus a little extra. I remade your training equipment in case that was lost at Beacon. I added some improvements I think you'll like. I also remade the glove and sheath, in case that was also broken. I wrote up a little instruction manual for everything. Even the clothes have some surprises. I hope you like them and I'm glad you're okay. If you ever need anything, know that I and the rest of my team will be there to help, no matter what.
Sincerely,
Onyx
Rogue
Kin
Dior
You smile at these words. Your friends… they're okay. You can only hope that everyone made it out okay, for better or worse. You place the note beside you and open the briefcase. Inside… is a beautifully crafted outfit that's almost too good for you. You grab the training equipment that was tied to the top, place the note inside, and close it.
"Cinder… Harrier… Salem…"
You stand up with the briefcase in hand and leap upstairs. You're standing right in front of Crimson Blaze, which you saw on your first inspection of the room. You grab the sword and leap out of the building.
"I'm going to make you pay."
And like that, you leap away. Nobody the wiser. Well, almost nobody. The sounds of a bird echo through the forest as your shadow becomes one with the night.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa, that's better. Man, you do not know how mad I was when my computer broke while writing this. It totally killed my flow. Well, it's done and I'm happy! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I've had this chapter in mind for… god, a long time now. The Curse Mark (shut up, it's the only thing I can call it that makes sense its literally a mark that is cursed I know Naruto did it shut up), Harrier's silver eyes… that one was actually more fun! I thought someone might have picked up on that earlier. There's a scene where Grimm literally run from him. It was said that Grimm are scared of silver-eyed warriors (but not Ruby cause… lol?) so I thought that was a good hint. Honestly, I've hinted at it multiple times. Hey, look, hinting that silver eyes actually do stuff! What a CONCEPT!
Anyway, as you all know… Crimson Shadow will now go on hiatus. It will be back soon, but I'd like to try and do other things for a bit. I've been writing Crimson Shadow for over two or three years and I'd like to try something new since this and Limitless will be very long stories. I'm gonna be doing some shorter stuff, and once that's done I'll be back to this! So don't worry! I hope you enjoyed the ending cliffhanger stuff. I also hope you'll check out the other stuff I'm gonna do. I think I'll do Bearer of the Curse, the Pyrrha story since that'll be 10-15 chapters. Plus another story that's not RWBY cause… well, I do a lot of RWBY. Maybe Love Live or Spider-Man… or Toradora… I'll think on it. Don't worry, Crimson Shadow will be back soon. It is NOT cancelled. As I said before, I'll still be planning stuff out for Volume 3.5 and beyond. Plus Volume 6 is coming out soon so I'll be able to brainstorm about that.
Also, I've been thinking about doing a discussion video about Crimson Shadow to this point. For those who don't know, I did one for Project's Past when I finished that. I know Crimson Shadow isn't over, but this is a milestone and it would be a good way to answer your questions directly and just chat about RWBY and Crimson Shadow. I actually saw a question from the silver-eyed knight that would be fun to talk about. So, I urge you to leave a comment/review/whatever. I'll read them out and respond to anything! It'll be a fun time.
That's it for me. I hope you all enjoyed and stick around! Maybe, if Crimson Shadow is the only thing you read from me, you'll check out my other stuff. I have another RWBY story, Limitless, that's still ongoing. I'm having a ton of fun with that. The Pyrrha story will be out soon too, so there's that. If not, then I'll see you in Volume 3.5! Thank you everyone for your continued support. Every comment makes my day, honestly… unless you call me gay or something. Actually, that'd just make me chuckle so no harm there. But I should skidaddle now. See ya next time!
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Harrier kicks the wooden doors open and throws the wounded Cinder inside.
"There are more courteous ways to enter a room, Harrier," Salem remarks as she steps out of her chair. "Oh my, what happened to poor Cinder?"
Harrier steps past Cinder, his cloak covering everything down to his legs. "Cut the crap, Salem. You know exactly what happened."
The two stop meet in the middle of the table on the left side. Harrier's eyes, once again covered by dark glasses, stare into Salem's red ones. There's no doubt now. Save for the black, your eyes were exactly like hers.
"Do explain, Harrier. I'm not one for guessing games."
"Your little mark. What is it? What did you do to him?"
"Ah, yes," Salem reacts as if she's just now realizing what he's talking about. It's obvious she was playing with him. "Well, I believe you're asking the wrong questions, Harrier," Salem walks past him. "My mark was meant to activate upon negative emotions. It would wipe his memory and turn him into a fine ally," she reaches the other side of the table and stops. "Slaters make good puppets."
Harrier doesn't react to that statement. Anyone would be angry… but Harrier feels no emotion anymore. That time is now gone.
"However, I did leave a… foundation for something more. But I never completed it," Salem raises her finger. "Which means if something more happened… someone else would have had to modify it. So," Salem takes a seat once more. "The real question is, Harrier… what did YOU do to him?"
The two tyrants of power stare at one another for what feels like ages. The Slater turns around and heads for the door. "Your Maiden is here. I'd fix her before she dies."
Salem watches him walk out and keeps watching until the doors slowly shut. She chuckles to herself as she stands and approaches the unconscious Cinder. "Things are going quite marvelously. I can't wait to meet you, (Y/N) Slater."