On this night, Jaune follows in the steps of our Lord, Kazuma. He shall give this woman her equal rights and lefts.
Okay, er'body I finally got this thing done. I put a shit ton of work into this thing. I took a break in the middle of working on this because I'm trying not to get burnt out between work and writing. I played a shit ton of RD2 over the last few days.
But! I did something even better!
I just started playing The Last of Us Part Dos. I fucking love this game! The combat is in my opinion better than the first game and I had more fun with it as I've played through. The story, though, I'm not sure yet because I still need to beat the game. I like it so far, but I was super pissed about what happened in the beginning! (Not angry at the developers because it was bad since it was pretty good. But just mad about what happened.) And don't fucking spoil anything in the reviews! People still need to play the game and I want them to experience it!
However, onto this chapter. I'm not really going to say much. I did an entire sheet's worth of acid - read Nietzsche, and still couldn't understand what the fuck he's rambling about. (I kinda do, but this mans is on an entirely different level than me. I'm not going to try acting smarter than I am, so I will admit it.)
Most of what's going on in the next two chapters might not make sense right now, but it will be explained later. Just remember the rule of cool for everything else guys. And the fact Jaune's a little crazy right now.
If you have any questions, just save them for a PM or when you reach the lower AN.
Now back to committing more war crimes in Company of Heroes.
Note: This chapter and the next few others appear confusing, however, things will make sense as we move along in the story.
Jaune tightened his grip on the wires interlaced within his hands. The near-invisible strings cut into the Vampire's skin, causing blood to ooze from where they coiled. No pain erupted from the wounds. Jaune's entire body ignoring the sensation as a minor nuisance.
The hands of fate that brought Leonhardt and this killer here were watching from the shadows. These partners were going to begin their waltz just for them—a battle between a true monster and something mortal. A woman beyond compare to her peers. Yet, still within the heavenly grasp of purity. There was not a human or faunus who could stand before this creature and call themselves her superior.
She was perfection incarnate. Even if the mind behind this character did not truly realise it, yet. Such a beautiful soul trapped behind a thin veil. Oh, how the audience would cheer once it was broken.
Now, Jaune could hear their murmur. Their excited whispers as the curtains were about to rise. The audience could not hold back their applause any longer. They waited with bated breath for only a mere glimpse as to what they were in for.
"Listen," Jaune shouted. His voice bearing an inhuman charisma that silenced all who stood before him. The gravitas radiating from the boy called forth all to pay heed to his words. "You and I are at the centre stage! Let us perform the finale of this first act! We cannot leave them waiting!"
Jaune opened, pulling back on the wires tangled within his hands. The superheated asphalt crumbled beneath his feet with the sheer force which he leveraged against it with. No matter to him, however. The buildings and stage they stood inside were a mere backdrop for tonight.
Nothing was sacred in these grounds—a land unhallowed without those with authority to declare it consecrated. Everything here was meant to be destroyed at this moment.
The wires pulled the woman forth against her will. Her own weapon used against the purpose she desired. Those strings dragged her through the air and into a building behind Jaune, slamming her through the solid brick wall with enough force to crumble the entire thing.
As she disappeared into the structure, the wires attached to Jaune's hands faded as well. The pressure of those strings removed at the same time. Any wounds on Jaune's hands were healed instantaneously.
The boy marvelled at his new strength. Everything had changed within only a few minutes. Now, he was no more a mere target to be used as a punching bag, but a combatant, taking the fight where he desired. A warrior fit to use Crocea Mors to deal the final blow. All in the name of his desire.
Suddenly, the sounds of falling bricks filled his ears. Jaune turned his head to see the woman pushing the mass of building off of her with no effort at all. The weight of that entire structure was nothing to her.
The audience became noticeably excited with this turn of events. What was presented as a mere mortal to them was far more than meets the eye. A few within the crowd let out stifled gasps seeing the antagonist rise from what should have been her grave.
Yes...
As the woman rose to her full height, Jaune felt her eyes upon him. Those rage-filled windows to the soul burned brightly even beneath the blackened miasma surrounding her. Leonhardt brushed it off without a care.
The Vampire was jubilant at this moment. His heart raced with the thought of battle once more. The sounds of swords slashing through any foe before his gaze brought him to rapture. As this woman stood to oppose him, the sight of the unknown crept upon the horizon. The thought of treading in this place nearly brought the boy to tears.
Is this what it feels like to be alive?
These two warriors were beginning to paint something beautiful. Their canvas already worked upon by billions of souls, tirelessly slaving away at it with an unknown picture in their mind. Leonhardt and the girl were soon going to take over this limitless medium and create their own story. Damned be those who interrupted this sacred dialogue!
For Jaune's entire life, he'd been one of those painting without any idea as to what they were truly doing. A mere slave to fate. Now, here he was—the architect of everything around him. Centre stage in an opera of his own making.
Its orchestra was conducted by his own design—the instruments fashioned from Jaune's bones. They played a tune that only he could manage, depicting the madness taking place tonight. Its rise to the prestissimo created by the strings and accompanied by only the finest brass the masters could conceive.
The woman leapt at Jaune with unprecedented speed. She raced across the distance between the two in less than a second. More than enough time to catch the boy off guard, drawing out her wires to unleash a single concentrated attack. Her weapon amassing into a large blade created from thousands of these steel filaments.
Without thinking about it, something clicked inside Jaune's head. A spark of creativity to propel his performance to the next level. It was a sensation he couldn't describe. Almost comparable to mere instinct. This concept was a part of him as were the traits that made Jaune into the boy he was.
His hand pulsed once, burning brightly where Crocea Mors lie.
Crocea Mors - Das Ewige-Weibliche Zeiht Uns Heinan
The blade appeared in a flurry of shimmering light just in time to meet its opponent. They clashed in an explosion, creating a blinding flash along with shattering the ground beneath them. The entire street around this battle turned to dust as the shockwave blew everything away. The cars, people, and every building within three hundred yards were levelled in an instant. Destroyed by an unseen wave conjured from the forces at play.
Only the combatants taking the stage remained. They stood at the centre of the crater with their blades still together. Neither moved an inch despite the monumental force that emanated from within their strike. At this moment, the battle was entirely balanced. Not a single scrap of ground could be gained. Such was the consequence when two souls of equal will met each other on the battlefield.
However, Jaune pushed forth despite the law currently set in motion. Not even the forces imposed upon him would allow the Vampire to be stopped. He took a single step, pushing back against the weight of the world pressed upon him. Another followed, causing the ever-mounting oppression to be lifted once more.
Jaune let out a battle cry, throwing every ounce of strength he could muster into the blade he wielded. The Ox Guard was the foundation for his final stand, only to serve as the point of liberation. As the Vampire extended his arm completely, more and more energy began to build within the two weapon's meeting place.
Another explosion came from within, only this time, steered in a single direction. The Killer was launched over a hundred yards back. Her body landed several times on the earth, skipping over the debris like a rock across a body of water. The dust on the ground kicked up with every moment of contact.
As the Killer's travel came to a stop, a large cloud of dust began flouting about in her wake. Jaune could not see anything within it. Not even the scent the woman produced tainted the air. It had never appeared in the first place.
Jaune smiled darkly, beginning to walk in the direction the girl was. His footsteps created a light crunch with every movement. It echoed loudly in this otherwise silent stage.
He scanned the dust cloud for any sign of the girl - Crocea Mors at the ready for anything to come from within. The sound of his heart beating filled his ears, quelling the otherwise damning silence. Soon rose the anticipation for another clash. It became insufferable to wait any longer for it.
Hearing something only a hundred feet away, however, Jaune stopped. The sounds of debris being moved. Something metal being torn from beneath another object. As soon as it appeared, it silenced itself.
A massive object shot from within the dust cloud at breakneck speeds. The Killer having thrown an I-beam weighing thousands of pounds like it was a javelin. Its flattened end directed towards Jaune's chest to deal the killing blow.
Jaune reacted nonchalantly to this attack like all the others. He merely swiped Crocea Mors across the steel beam, slicing the entire thing in twain. Its two halves splitting apart and burying themselves into the concrete behind him. The ringing of their metal frame came as the bells of the orchestra.
The Killer threw another from within the dust cloud. Jaune cut that one to pieces as well, deflecting the beam with his sword. The makeshift spear rocketing off far into the distance, causing more damage in its wake.
"Heheheh," Jaune laughed at this.
His entire body ached with this rush of blissful rapture before him. Never before had Jaune experienced this sensation. The Vampire swore the Ghost was watching him from the sidelines, gazing up at him from the audience. Her entire body silently cheering him on to victory. Only her presence raised the stakes of tonight's performance.
Once more, the Killer dove at Jaune to attack him. This time she unleashed her weapon, trying to cut the boy to pieces from multiple angles. Her wires jutting out from within her fingers at lightning speeds. Two to Jaune's right, another from above, and eight more wrapping around his left.
Jaune parried to the right, cutting straight through the steel wires. They snapped instantly with only a graze across their lengths.
"Come on," Jaune shouted mockingly towards the woman. "When are you going to hit me?! Don't tell me you've lost your confidence! You had plenty when you terrified my friends! Plenty more when you attacked me! So, when are you going to excite the audience?! GIVE THEM SOMETHING THEY WILL NEVER FORGET!"
He cut the wire coming at him from above. However, these first two attacks were mere feints to get at something else. The rest of the wires wrapped around Crocea Mors and pulled it from within his hand. Jaune's blade then thrown far beyond his reach and disappeared behind a set of buildings.
No matter. Jaune whipped around and gave a brutal uppercut to the woman's chest. The sheer force behind it was enough to launch her far into the air. With no building to stop her, she sailed more than a hundred feet to the climax.
Jaune followed her up without hesitation. The swarm of bats quickly rose to meet the woman in mere seconds. Once he reached her, Jaune shifted back into his human form, cocking his arm back as far as he could manage.
"RAAARGGHHH," Jaune screamed as he propelled the fist forward.
This punch connected with her stomach, folding the woman over the arm that dealt it. A loud crack emanated from their meeting, causing a massive shockwave to rip through the air. Suddenly, the needed momentum reached its peak, throwing the woman back at speeds faster than the human eye could track. The woman tore through the air like a mere ragdoll now.
She travelled until she found another building to stop her. The brick wall she crashed into was sundered with this new force, crumbling as its structural integrity was ruined. That entire face of the building now falling onto the very object that destroyed it.
Jaune landed before the ruins, his abrupt stop clearing all of the dust in the air. There was no sign of life here anymore. Everything had been annihilated in one fell swoop. However, Jaune knew otherwise. That woman had survived several other hits of equal magnitude. She would have brushed this off as well.
He reached into the rubble, picking up a mass of bricks and turning it over. There, he found her lying on her back. She was out of breath; it seemed. This one attack making its mark on the woman. Unlike the others, she had felt the full force of this one.
Jaune picked her up by the collar, lifting her into the air. One of her hands came around to grasp at his wrist but could nothing to free herself. The Vampire only stared into the black abyss where her eyes should have been, preparing himself to deal the killing blow. He cocked back his arm, forming the hand into a rough point. Jaune was going to finish this battle with only mercy, quietly snuffing out this life by tearing out her heart.
Such a sad way to go. Not the destiny he had hoped for this soul. Jaune had only wished she would have done more to give a show. Something to push Jaune to fight at his fullest strength. A battle to compare to the sheer onslaught of his German counterpart.
Should I?
Jaune was not sure about his hesitation. He knew this was the only way to preserve his friend's safety. Putting this girl out of her misery and stopping the monster would accomplish that. Yet, he wanted more—something to draw the Ghost out from wherever she hid.
This battle was nowhere near what she required to present herself. She needed the finale of Othello, Julius Caesar, Hamlet! The Ghost required the stage to be set. The script perfected. The players to have put their all into the Grand Guignol from the moments the curtains had risen to when they fell. There was no possibility that she would deign to rise from her seat to grace Jaune in this finale.
The woman shifted in his arms once more. Jaune pulled himself out of his mind to focus on her. Behind that thin veil, he could have sworn there was a smile on her face. A maddened one that a character would bear when they were pushed to their absolute. When they faced a beast knowing their death was upon them. When the warrior charged to face it gladly.
"Musphelheimr," she spoke. Her voice carrying a profound reverberating effect. Its eery tone froze the air around her just with the single word spoken. "Lævateinn! The souls of unjust shall be cleansed with flame!"
As the final word of this incantation was spoken, a ball of flame erupted from the space between the warriors. It quickly grew in size and magnitude to the approximate volume of a basketball. Upon reaching this point, it exploded with the same energy that wiped out the street earlier.
Jaune could not react in time for this attack. No matter what he could have wished for, there was no avoiding it. The Vampire did not even attempt to shield his body, taking on the explosion with complete acceptance.
As the flames washed over his body, Jaune could not feel a thing. The heat did not touch him. It was as if someone had thrown water at him instead. This attack, having no possibility of causing harm to the Vampire. Only the pressure imparted upon the air from the explosion pushed him away. The shockwave was comparable to a five-hundred-pound bomb going off directly in front of him. Its full force directed straight at his chest.
Even if it had not done any damage to him on the surface, the move stunned Jaune greatly. His entire body felt as though it shut down instantly. The shockwave had done something to cripple him to the point of being a mere statue. Silencing his whole world by shattering his eardrums into the dust, causing a deafening ring to form inside his head.
The explosion carried Jaune off his feet and into the air. Soon the girl was nearly three-hundred feet away and growing further. Jaune ascended up and above the canopy of these apartment buildings with no loss to his momentum. There was not a thing he could do to shift into the swarm of bats to steer himself back to the battlefield. He was once more a mere rock thrown through the air towards its intended target.
When Jaune approached the apex of his flight, the stars came into view once more. Without the glaring light of the city, he could see them as clearly as he had when he first waltzed with the Ghost. The sudden feeling of deja vu crept across his mind with that errant thought. His entire being immediately succumbed to the desire that brought him here in the first place.
A joyous smile stretched across his lips.
For what was a man without a desire? The first act a soul will ever perform is to covet. Whether it be wealth, glory, or love. A dream is but the simplest notion that any man will find solace in. It will drive him to kill, to storm the very gates of hell, or to sacrifice himself upon the altar of this world to suffice the terms, achieving the long sought after vision that had driven him to madness.
All these things were a mere nuisance for those that fanatically craved something. The very same concept that allowed Jaune to forge Crocea Mors. His entire being was pushed to the very brink, yet, he would not crumble before the weight of the world. In fact, he pushed back, causing everything before him to shudder in fear of what they created.
So, Jaune knew that tonight would be everything that he wanted. There was not a chance he would allow the opera he had written to go awry. If need be, Leonhardt would draw out this performance, pushing the actors he had recruited to the very edge of their strength. He would play the part intended for him to the absolute perfection that was demanded.
The audience would be given the opera they deserved.
As Jaune's thought came to a close, he could see the faint shine from a collection of lights behind him. Immediately after, he passed through two massive wires, barely skimming one by less than a foot. The greater structure had arrived at soon came into full view. Black and silver wires holding up the bridge that stretched across Vale's bay.
Jaune finally touched down, slamming into the upper deck of the sprawling structure. The entire thing, seemingly quaking with the grace of the falling object. Its concrete platform shattered with every impact of the Vampire. Only skipping across the street several times, did Jaune halt when he crashed into the metal railing stretching the entire length of the bridge.
His back bent the steel, forming an indentation in the shape of his body. Yet, he still felt nothing. No pain or even a broken bone this time. His clothing remained in perfect condition, not with a tear or thread out of place. Only his hood was displaced, revealing his blonde mane to the world.
Jaune pushed himself away from the railing to throw himself back on his feet. The slight grasp of his hand bent the steel like it were an empty can. Even the rigidity of the solid bar meant nothing to the Vampire. Yet, Jaune remained well aware of the upper limits of his kind's strength. This bridge would not survive a true duel between those at the apex of their power.
He turned to face the direction where he had come from. Jaune scanned the sky, waiting for the Killer to go after him once more. She would not have given up this easily. If she were leaving out these massacres for Jaune, then that attack she had pulled was a surprise. Something to break out from within his grasp.
All of her efforts were not going to be spent fighting someone directly. If the Killer were going to run, then she would have done so before Jaune noticed her presence.
She was hunting him.
As expected, Jaune spotted his opponent racing across the skyline of the city. She was coming straight at him, throwing any caution to the wind. No sign of her weapons or even a transformation to manage those speeds. Just flying faster than the eye could perceive.
She was the mighty hawk diving to catch a mouse. Her talons extended only to dig them into the side of her prey. An ordinary rodent would never see such a thing coming. Yet, she was duelling with the lion, King of the Jungle. No beast of this variety would allow themselves to be caught in an ambush.
Jaune braced himself, using his right leg to dig his hold into the concrete. The boy was unconcerned about how the bridge would withstand such intensity. If it broke, then Jaune would not care any less. His only focus was on the now, taking the fight to the opponent charging at him.
The Girl cocked her right arm back, splaying out her fingers as if she going to swipe at something. Her long mane whipping about as it became caught in the strong winds. Every ounce of her body was put into this one attack. There was not a single shred of reluctance to follow through with it.
As she crossed the threshold of the bridge, Jaune made his move. He stepped forth, time feeling as though it slowed down around him—the girl inching her way towards him slowly enough for the boy to catch her off guard. He reached out, clasping a hand around her forearm and gripping it tight enough to feel as though it would snap. With a tug, Jaune pulled her towards him, throwing her momentum off its intended course. He followed through, grabbing her shoulder with his other hand and locked the girl into a clinch.
Gotcha!
Jaune threw a knee upwards and into her gut. The crack that emanated from within echoed even with this vast expanse of open air. Whatever organs remained inside this girl's body were surely turned into a fine paste. Experience told Jaune precisely what he needed to know. Her spleen and kidneys were currently split in half and poured blood into her abdominal region.
The girl countered, slapping away one of Jaune's hands before landing a solid punch against his stomach. It threw him back nearly fifty feet. His feet sliding across the concrete and not leaving the ground once. Jaune only stopped when he backed into a large truck parked on the side of the road.
As he regained his stance, Jaune starred at the girl for a moment, studying her condition. She was breathing heavily, clearly worn down from the battle at hand. The injuries she should have received meant nothing to her, though. She merely brushed those off without any mind.
Without a thought, the two opponents charged forth once more. Jaune bolted ahead at superhuman speeds, and the girl did the same. The two were a mere blur to any onlookers currently watching. This opera's orchestra began playing at their fullest, once more climbing to the dreaded prestissimo.
She kicked at his head - only for it to be blocked by Jaune's right hand. The force imparted between the two shook the superstructure they stood upon. Only the combatants were spared from the onslaught. Jaune replied with a brutal left hook, throwing the girl across the bridge towards one of the shores. She landed on top of a car, flattening the vehicle with little effort.
Jaune continued pressing forth the ensure his advantage. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, not from exertion, but from utter joy. The exuberant feeling one received when they were at the centre of everything. When they had the cheer of the crowd bearing down upon him as he charged to glory.
His hands shook without control. Every nerve in his body had been set alight by this awe. Jaune's hands were conducting the opera at their fullest, waving about wildly to direct the strings to rise and fall in their tempo. He pointed once to the brass, giving them their cue to rise from a gentle andante through the moderato.
I can hear their cheer...
Soon...
It won't be long...
I shall have you appear at my side once more!
The boy leapt once into the air, coming down on the girl with another right hook. This punch buried her further into the truck, causing the cabin to crumble. Jaune followed up with another to her chest. The vehicle below was nearly bent in half with this blow. Everything under the cabin had been forced downwards forcefully from above.
The crowd began growing ecstatic along with the boy. Each member of their ilk was on the edge of their seats. They could hardly bear to wait any longer.
He hit her again, crushing the young woman with the strongest of the three punches Jaune delivered. This was the one that broke the car. Everything else under it could not withstand this attack either, disintegrating as the girl passed through it. As she cleared the vehicle, the bridge underneath was shattered by the object. Jaune cocked his arm back to hit the girl once more, sending her tumbling down through the entire structure. The steel beams holding everything up were bent as if they were nothing. They each snapped as the girl crashed through them, leaving a twisted collection of metal in her wake.
As she flew through the first deck, the girl found the rail deck underneath. Without any trains to stop her fall, she merely crashed through that one as well. The rails were twisted and snapped by her body, creating a hole in the centre of the path. However, there was nothing else stopping the Killer as she travelled. There was only the vast ocean under the bridge. Jaune watched as she plummeted to the blackened abyss, losing sight of her after a few moments.
Only the sounds of the water catching the debris were heard. Far too loud for a body hitting the sea at this height. The concrete and beams were masking the sound.
Jaune stood up, hopping down from the vehicle. The rest of the car soon fell into the hole as the bridge continued to crumble, swallowing the entire thing whole. A few moments later, the splash from the hunk of metal echoed from below.
Was that it?
He walked over to the side of the bridge, looking down into the depths. The feeling of disappoint began to form in his stomach. He could not see anything down there to indicate the girl was going to rise up and continue their battle. The finale of this act remained unsatisfactory. Jaune's wish for tonight could not come to fruition.
The crowd had grown silent with this. Where Jaune had once heard their murmur as they watched the events play out before them, they now vanished entirely. The orchestra alongside them. Even the gentle vibration of the strings had come to a halt - it was too quiet to hear.
"Leon..."
The hollowness had taken over his body. The rush, the excitement of this battle tonight was gone in an instant. He felt nothing—no stimulus throughout every fibre of his being. The husk of a man stood in its place—a pitiful little boy without any sense of self. That same creature who faced a monster only a few days ago only to be set upon this path.
Why?
Why did she have to see me again?!
Jaune couldn't get that voice out of his head. Its sweet melody branded his mind, leaving a blackened mark in its wake. Such a pain to bear only to feel nothing when experiencing it. A paradox to drive the normal man insane.
The phantom had taken something dear to Jaune only to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow fruitlessly. To leave behind the hint to a treasure so beautiful without compare could only be considered cruel—that same wickedness dwarfing the words which Weiss used to cut Jaune down.
"Ngghhh," Jaune grunted, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Both of his hands weaved themselves into his hair, gripping tightly to the blond locks. "FUUUCKKKK!"
Jaune turned and punched a nearby pile of debris, completely annihilating the concrete. No passionate sensation of anger appeared within his chest, eliciting the surge of cortisol to pour into his veins. His stomach did not tighten up with this panic. Only feeling the icy clasp of a chain around his wrists emerge from the shadows.
He was scared of this sensation. Terrified that he would become some mere nihilistic, apathetic shade who was incapable of finding pure joy anymore. When Jaune was running away from the thought of killing his sisters, he discovered something that brought him that satisfaction. He struggled against himself and overcame his baser nature.
I need this...
I have to give her what she wants...
It was no longer blood that sufficed. The mere thought of those passions which made a man who they were, became addictive—love, hatred, and anguish. A small taste left him wanting more. Enough to fill the seas with a mere drop of what that craving required.
Jaune turned back to the hole where he had sent the girl plummeting to the black. The urge to dive in after her to retrieve this opponent became intoxicating. He needed to finish what he had started tonight and draw out the woman who set him forth on this path. The maiden that gave Jaune a glimpse into what could only be paradise.
The damned girl.
Jaune stood upon the edge of this precipice. The same location where he had desired to end it all once before. He glared into this bottomless pit without fear for what lie below. Such a place was favourable to his current condition.
As he was about to take the plunge, Jaune could hear the waters beneath the bridge begin to toss and turn. A deep hiss emanated from below. The sounds of water being superheated into a vapour. As if the molten earth below the waves cracked open to spill forth into the depths.
What?
Jaune backed away from the hole, preparing himself for what was to arrive. The scene taking on a new player to substitute for the one lost in the throes of battle. They did not enter stage right but from the pits of hell itself. Whatever they brought forth could only be considered unholy by the common man, only to terrify those who called themselves zealots.
He turned to the edge of the bridge, looking out onto the vast sea this structure acted as the gateway to. A red glow appeared from beneath, still causing the sea to churn. Jaune dared not to look over into the abyss, waiting for this leviathan to come for him instead. Its form coming into comprehension being conceived by the forces which acted upon this night.
Slowly, the strings of this opera's companion orchestra began to climb once more. The audience made themselves known for the first time in what felt like ages. They each gasped in awe of the monster being formed just behind the veil where they could not see. Their imaginations taking over their rational thought.
As the orchestra climbed past the andante, the water under the bridge began to shift in great volume. Millions of gallons were parted to make way for this creature to rise from the depths. The cacophony was the bells ringing, declaring the descent of angels to this earth. Their song filled the air, bringing with it this trembling.
Suddenly, a towering column of water shot out from the ocean. Its height reaching several hundred feet above the towers. Once the water had achieved the climax of its flight, it rained down upon the bridge with the force of a hurricane, dumping thousands of gallons onto the deck. The deluge soaked Jaune thoroughly, submerging him in the icy seawater.
Jaune ignored it all, staring into the blacked horizon before him. The sting of salt in his eyes did not matter. He could feel this beast beginning to rise from its coffin to greet him. His entire being succumbing to the grandeur taking place at this moment.
The boy's heart began racing once more. His body shook with trembling at this creature's approach. Not with fear, but with anticipation. His stomach twisted itself into a knot, threatening to clench down only to never release itself.
"Heheheheh," Jaune allowed a quiet laugh to escape his lips. His hands met each other with enthusiastic applause, the clapping echoing throughout the setting in which they stood. Its cacophony a sharp contrast to the monster swimming below.
Jaune felt like a giddy young boy. A moment akin to the time his parents bought him a toy or gave him the gift he wanted for Christmas. His body could hardly withstand the excitement of this battle anymore. Even less so, when the other player had finally returned to her place.
And finally, the creature came into view.
A skeletal hand, half the length of the bridge, rose up from below, placing itself on the deck. The gentle touch of this colossus was enough to snap the cables it graced and to nearly bring the entire structure down into the ocean. This deck was turned sharply, almost at a fifty-degree angle, which forced Jaune to compensate to keep his balance.
This hand's metallic sheen phased between colours - from a blood-red to a pitch dark. Yet, there was no tissue to be found here. This arm was not of bone, but rich steel, stronger than anything forged by man.
Indeed, an artefact created by forces beyond their nature. Only a being with the power to rival gods could have imagined this sentinel.
As the creature allowed its hand to rest on the bridge, the steel composing the structure began to melt. In fact, the heat this giant gave off made the air shudder all around it. Soon, everything around it would succumb to the unforgiving hellfire.
Jaune watched this go on with an unflinching expression. He did not fear this creature in the slightest. Where gazing upon a monster such as this made other men run in fear, he welcomed this madness. Jaune found everything here moving, and soon the artists would begin working on their masterpiece once more.
At that moment, the rest of the beast made itself known.
The expanse of material that rose from within the ocean was enough to dwarf a mountain. Yet, only the spherical shape of a skull could be seen presently. It surfaced from an unknown space where there was room to contain it within. Jaune could only watch as the head ascended to gaze down upon him.
This skeletal body was so large that Jaune could not see around its skull. The eye sockets were hundreds of metres in diameter, beaming down on all with their deathly visage. Where the optical organs would have been, only a bottomless pit shrouded in darkness remained. Similar for any hole that remained exposed on the colossus.
Only a few hundred feet away, the giant stared at Jaune directly, ignoring all for the sake of its target. No emotion could be derived from the face with just the jaw hanging slightly agape. This mindless beast appeared to be frozen for no explained reason. Just a statue acting as Vale's, 'Rhodes Colossus.'
As soon as it seemed the beast would not make any move, it reared its entire body backwards. The massive jaw opened to its fullest before the giant thrust itself forwards, letting out a booming howl. No object on the bridge was capable of remaining upright as the force behind the roar blew a vicious torrent of air in that direction. Jaune himself had to compensate, anchoring himself into the ground as to not be blown away by the hurricane-force winds.
He could feel the audience's fear rise. Some members panicked and fell out of their seats. Even the Ghost was forced to shield herself from the sight, having never expected such a thing. Her body managed to let out a small yelp at the surprise.
The moment the roar ended, the giant pulled away from the bridge. Its massive left hand left the structure, plunging itself back into the depths to act as a support. In one move, the beast stood to its full height, moving quicker than anything that size should have. From a distance, it would have seemed to be in slow motion - a mere trick of the eye.
As it rose to its feet, Jaune was able to capture a glimpse of the giant in all its splendour. Standing one-thousand metres tall, clad in nordic battle armour, gleaming even in the night. This lamellar armour covered most of the beast's chest, extending down to its knees. Gaps were left open, exposing the skeletal insides of the monster. However, the arms and legs were not covered in this same style, bearing a pair of metal gauntlets and greaves. All crafted from the same material as the giant itself.
Without warning, the creature made its first move, cocking back its right arm. The very earth trembled as the giant shifted its weight. As the beast propelled that arm forth, a cone formed around the fist. Its intended destination where the Vampire stood.
Jaune turned and bolted down the bridge, moving at superhuman speeds to avoid the blow. His pace well over several hundred miles per hour. The street crumbled from the sheer force his legs imparted into the ground. Behind him, a cloud of dust became swept up by the vacuum he left in his wake.
He didn't bother to look behind him as the bridge was annihilated by the fist. The force from the impact blew everything beneath it apart. None of the deck could withstand such a blow. The wave created by the fist swept out an entire tower without any effort whatsoever. This wall of water not stopping until it slammed into the shores, destroying any building in its path.
Jaune leapt into the air, phasing into the shadow mist to escape the debris ejected by the attack. He quickly shot into the air, zipping up to the height of the giant's shoulders. From here, he could see the damage the impact had created. The giant still not having noticed his absence.
As the walls of water came surging back to fill in the space left open, the giant pulled away—the crater left in the bed of the bay nearly a hundred feet deep. The walls of water sucked in all of the debris caught in the initial calamity, filling in the crater with ease. Such a mess caused by only a single attack would have spelt doom for the city had it been within the heart.
Jaune put no more thought into it, looking for a way to bring down the giant. He scanned the entire length of the beast to find an opening, yet came up empty. There was not a nexus to be found where one could target it as a mere organ.
When the giant stood up, it turned towards Jaune suddenly, staring the boy directly in the eyes. Those shrouded pits bore down on him, projecting this sense of unease onto him. A similar feeling to when he fought the German vampire. The aura unleashed by this creature enough to startle any man.
No, it was not him feeling this. The Ghost - his unearthly companion, was the one who was afraid of the beast. Her fright was felt strongly by Jaune as well as her. Their emotions in sync at this very instant. Like a pair of children watching something that frightened them for the first time.
Jaune froze in the air for a mere moment, allowing the giant to get the drop on him. It cocked its head back, opening its jaw wide. There, a red glow began to coalesce within - electricity jumping about the deepest regions. Blood red smog boiled over the edges of the gaping maw, pouring down the side of its face.
The beast lunged forth, firing a red beam directly at Jaune. This breath of fire came barreling towards Jaune nearly as fast as he could fly. In less than half a second, it was already upon him. He was only able to avoid it by mere inches lest he be annihilated by the breath.
Its heat was felt, however. Jaune could hardly stand to be within a few metres of the fire. His skin felt as though it was being cooked rapidly from the flame. Such a pain coursed through his entire body at once, causing him to cry out as he fled from the attack.
Need to get away...
Jaune dove towards the ocean, racing to reach the waters as fast as he could.
The giant followed him every step of the way, constantly unleashing flames from the pits of hell as a plasmic beam. Its ability to track Jaune as he flew hundreds of miles per hour was nothing short of impossible. No technology could have yielded this same effect.
However, as Jaune attempted to dodge the fire breath, the beam continued onwards. Anything caught within its path was destroyed. The tallest skyscrapers in the centre of the city were cut down as Jaune flew from side to side, having ascended trying to throw off the beast. Nearly five in total were crippled at once.
The upper third of the Schnee Tower had begun to slide off from its pedestal. Jaune was only able to catch a fading glance as it tumbled down into the city below. The impact of the collapse throwing up millions of pounds of dust into the air. Soon the other towers began to spill into the streets, falling in whatever direction gravity intended for them.
When Jaune turned to continue evading the fire breath, the giant was already tracking him. The beast's gaping maw was already preparing to fire another salvo in his direction. He was caught in the path his opponent had destined for her attack. It was coming straight at him. He was going to be turned to ash, nothing left of his body to tell his story.
Not here...
Not in the first act...
Without thinking about it, Jaune unleashed Crocea Mors. He brandished the blade with both hands, entering the Ox guard. The fine tip of the sword pointed directly at the beam. Jaune braced himself against an invisible bulwark.
The boy's face remained expressionless. His entire being was focused on what was before him. Not on the horizon - the unknown. Such was not his concern. The way his body moved, how he gripped his blade was. Every muscle in his body directed towards a single end.
As the two met, a golden aura formed around Jaune. The laser fired from the giant's gaping maw could not penetrate it. Only did the flames pass around Jaune, forming a cone just where the point of Crocea Mors lie. The air surrounding him shook with the force of an earthquake, constantly emanating an unfathomable amount of energy.
The duel dragged on for what felt like ages. Jaune using everything he had to hold back the tide. This heat bearing down on him every moment - every second, he stood here. His strength waning as it continued. His hands began to shake. His muscles began to tire. His entire body was running out of the energy to continue this charade up.
Jaune was reaching the limits of what this body was capable of.
I need more...
This one desire appeared within his mind—a lone thought inside this empty captivity. Not the hope to bring his aethereal companion to this world. Just a simple craving for power.
I need everything...
"Ich liebe alles," Jaune muttered under his breath.
The golden aura surrounding Jaune flared even brighter than it had before. Its radiance pushed away the flames growing intensity with ease, creating a sanctuary for the boy. No sound entering this place. Only a peaceful bliss where he could stand for all eternity.
However, Jaune looked down upon Crocea Mors, feeling it move in his hands. The blade shifting into a different form entirely. Its clay-like texture extending nearly eight feet in length. A solid haft forming where his right hand lie. In his left, the end of the form moulded itself into a blade, nearly two feet in length. Its gold and white colouration was broken by two pieces of ribbon hanging beneath the blade. The gold and red cloth, flapping wildly in the wind.
This beautiful spear was nothing like Jaune had ever seen before. Its craftsmanship was beyond compare - undoubtedly dwarfing the sculptors of the colossus. Only the greatest of men could imagine a weapon such as this.
A blade crafted solely for Jaune. Meant for him. Destined to reach his hands and to never be held by another man.
He cocked back his arm, aiming the spear for the heart of the giant. A flare of golden light erupted from where he grasped the weapon. Its aura surrounding the spear, encapsulating it in the glare. It pulsed once before Jaune propelled it forth.
The spear parted the barrier surrounding Jaune, carving a path through the plasmic beam. It travelled without any sign of slowing. Nothing capable of stopping the weapon. It continued, flaring the same golden light around it until it slammed into the giant.
Where the spear landed was immediately clouded by an explosion. The golden fireball concealed the upper half of the giant's body, only presenting a ring of light shooting out from within. As the dust cleared, Jaune could see the damage he caused.
The colossus' upper body was opened, exposing the ribcage beneath the armour. A single wound, travelling from the centre of the chest to the left arm. The limb was hanging off by only a few threads of the lamellar—this rough v-cut going all the way through the back.
The intensity of Jaune's attack left the giant stumbling. It roared weakly once, trying to thrash about to continue this battle. As the arm finally severed itself completely, the beast seemed to shut down. Its body falling backwards into the ocean. The entire mass sinking beneath the waves in a matter of seconds.
I got it?
Jaune took a single breath, marvelling in his victory. His chest became filled with a surge of emotions, causing him to laugh cluelessly. In fact, his entire body became weak at that moment. Everything grew limp so suddenly, Jaune fell to his side. Without the ground to stop him, he stayed plummeting straight to the earth.
He could only gaze at the stars as they continued to grow farther from his grasp. Jaune's eyes closing entirely before he hit the water.
Jaune fucking one-shotted a fire giant. He didn't really get what he wanted with the whole Ghost thing in this chapter, though.
Also, the girl gave a big ol' fuck you to Schnee Tower.
A lot of what I had intended for this fic was for it to be ridiculous. Just cool shit going on the whole time with little bits spliced in between. So, this fight is not the last one that's going to be like this. I've assembled the finest actors for this script and I intend to push the stage to the very limits of what it can take.
I wonder what will happen when it breaks?
But I've got nothing else to say really. Anything else can be explained with nuance or stuff in the previous chapters.
So, eat ass and finger blast your way across this beautiful world, baby birds!
Encyclopedia of MAJMLYAI.
Vampires:
Jaune
Aliases: Leonhardt, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Familiars: Crocea Mors, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
People Consumed: 30
Major Arcana: Unknown Element
Pasty
Aliases: Element Unknown
Friends/Allies:
Ruby
Aliases: Element Unknown
Yang
Aliases: Element Unknown
Pyrrha
Aliases: Element Unknown
Weiss
Aliases: Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Blake
Aliases: Element Unknown