Now, for this chapter, I didn't feel like doing a whole 9,000 word fight scene (meaning I didn't dress it up like chapter 9 or 14, these characters are just kicking the shit out of one another).
"What are you, her big brother," Cassius asked as he stared at the man standing before him.
The newcomer who stopped him from having his way with the girl was a taller slender man. Blackened hair slicked back into spikes with bangs resting on his forehead contrasted Cassius' snow-white locks. His pale red eyes subtly glared down at the man with a blank expression. Yet, the vampire could feel the veiled rage behind those eyes.
He was a challenger worthy for but a moment before he would be crushed under Cassius' heel.
"Awww, you're not one of Leonhardt's court, are you," Cassius stated, relaxing his body. "Neither are you one of Freyja's..."
Cassius swung at the man's face with a free hand without warning, using enough force to annihilate a city block. However, his opponent turned into a blackened mist, altogether avoiding the initial onslaught. The air displaced by his fist, creating a cone surrounding it before it dispelled into a shockwave. Cassius then watched as a flock of corvids bolted only a few feet away from him. They shifted back into a human form with the man standing casually, waiting for Cassius' next move.
The man did not let up, charging at his opponent with an open hand, using his talons to bury themselves into flesh. Yet, Cassius found only air where the other man had vanished from as was with the last blow. The concrete behind him was crushed with Cassius falling to his momentum and burying his arm into the street. The shock threw up tons of asphalt, launching debris in every direction.
Now Cassius was growing visibly angry with the lack of participation from his opponent. His lips pulled back, bearing fangs as he shouted in rage. He tore his arm from the street, hurling a chunk of the road in the other man's direction. Once more, avoiding the piece as it crashed into the building just behind him. The shops collapsed under their weight as the boulder crushed the face of those structures.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING," Cassius shouted into the night sky. "ARE YOU JUST ANOTHER PATHETIC INBRED APE?! TOO AFRAID TO FIGHT IN A PROPER BATTLE!"
Nobody provided him with an answer. His opponent had vanished from his field of view, leaving Cassius all alone. Only the girl remained in the middle of the street, covered in pieces of debris he had thrown up prior. Her scent told him she was still alive but unconscious.
As he spun around, searching for the man, Cassius was almost unable to react to the sight of Leonhardt. The boy charged at him with a fist cocked back and ready to deliver a deadly blow to any mortal. The only move Cassius could make was his eyes widening before a fist crashed into his gut. It sent him sailing down the street before he smashed into the top of a vehicle, flattening the roof with no effort whatsoever.
[Jaune]
Jaune had his scent. He had been out this night hunting and caught it upon the wind. That vile miasma which radiated death filled his nostrils and set the boy's senses alight. His heart throbbed with the chance to do battle with his foe once more.
He had no regards for whatever Cassius was doing prior, only focusing on his mere presence. The fact he'd shown himself to Ruby and his friends at the park was of little importance. A happenstance when he was in the area. He had not demonstrated hostility, and Jaune refused to allow a battle to take place there.
But now, Jaune was not going to hold back. He had no reason to. Cassius wanted this, and Jaune was going to grant his wish. He would fight alongside his lord with the rest of the menagerie—a fine addition to the Weltall.
Jaune trudged towards the man lying flat on his back. As he approached Cassius slowly pulled himself out of the vehicle, tearing the metal which wrapped around his arms apart as he did so. The man fell out of the car, landing on the asphalt and clearly in pain.
"Hah HahahahahahahahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA," Cassius laughed madly, wiping the blood from his lip. "I see you gathered some strength boy! Let's see what you've got!"
He pushed himself to his feet, and slowly, a red aura surrounded his body. The miasma grew in strength, seemingly melting nearby objects with its magnitude. Those who were weaker would have been rendered mere husks if they basked in his presence longer than a moment.
Jaune ignored it, continuing his approach without hesitation. Cassius did the same, marching towards with balled fists. Neither feared the other and were not prepared to back down. Aura flared, creating a spectacle of the gold and crimson. Those across the city would have been able to see it from miles away.
When they grew close, each man cocked back their right arms and delivered an overhanded blow each other's faces. Their strength matching the other's, creating a shockwave that crushed the asphalt beneath their feet and bore a crater into the road. The explosion annihilated every window in the surrounding blocks.
Neither man moved with this clash, standing with their fist still planted on the other's cheek. It was only when Jaune pulled back and bit down on Cassius' hand with sharpened fangs did the clinch break. The man howled as rows of teeth rendered flesh and drew blood. Jaune used his grip to lift the man off his feet and slam him into the street.
With Cassius on the ground, Jaune slammed a fist directly into his chest. It sent more shockwaves rippling through the road, crushing everything beneath the man, but not him yet. The two were on equal terms and barely damaged one another even if they tried their hardest.
As Jaune cocked back his arm again, Cassius kicked Jaune in the gut, sending him flying into a nearby building. The structure could not withstand such damage, falling on Jaune, trapping him a pile of bricks. The pain rippled through his abdomen, causing the boy to lose wind simultaneously. However, he refused to allow that to stop him, grabbing at the crumbled bricks surrounding his body and lifting himself out of the rubble.
Come on then...
The young man's lips curled into a delighted smile. His whole being felt more than alive right now. The spirits of those dead soldiers watched from Valhalla, judging him for his performance. He could feel their hearts beat with a fury unmatched, all wishing for the next victory. They demanded it. As did their maiden.
Jaune launching himself from the building, causing it to crumble under the forces subjected to it. He moved faster than he had ever before all to kill Cassius. The man was prepared to meet him head-on, dodging to the right as Jaune swiped with his left hand. A nearby car suffering the blow and was absolutely destroyed by it. The wreck tossed through a nearby building in a firery explosion.
"She was right about you," Cassius shouted, dodging another attack. "You were the perfect subject! I was afraid you were not going to survive an encounter with their Lady!"
He threw a fist in Jaune's direction but was blocked by the boy who redirected it away from his body. Jaune followed up with another punch to Cassius' face, sending him flying farther down the street. He slammed into a telephone pole, bending the shaft around his body and knocking out the light.
This battle was not art. It was a sheer and brutal struggle for supremacy. Nothing like the dance between Jaune and Brynhildr on the bridge. It was crude and unwieldy—an ugly thing. That did not stop the legions from shouting. Their screams filled the air inside the fortress, shaking the structure to its very core.
It did not matter if he were a Nazi or some rogue beast. Cassius was but another object in the way of Jaune's goals. Something to be trampled over by an unstoppable force bent on creation.
Cassius picked himself up and stood shakily, allowing his arms to hang freely as he hunched over. His resolve did not seem to be weakened in the slightest despite the damage done. In fact, he was smiling wider than he had in their first encounter. Something about this was giving him a degree of satisfaction he had never come across.
"Perhaps when I'm done here, I will go have my way with that redhead you adore so much or that little kitty-cat," he threatened, smiling widely and bearing his fangs.
Stay away from them... They're mine!
Jaune did not reply, instead, charging once more to clash with the man. His veins burned with anger at the thought of them being harmed. Jaune screamed from the bottom of his lungs as he cleared the distance between them. Vehicles on either side of the road were upturned and thrown off their wheels as if they were nothing.
He reached out with his right hand and grabbed Cassius' face, slamming his head into the asphalt. Jaune dragged him through the street, gouging a deep score into the road along the way. Their path of destruction became evident the further they went, leaving hardly anything in their wake and showing little regard for else.
After a few hundred metres, Jaune lifted Cassius out of the ground and threw him in the air. He leapt after him, cocking back his arm to deliver another brutal blow to the vampire. When the two met, a loud crack and shockwave erupted from their meeting point. The force behind the punch sent the man rocketing towards Vale.
He was a missile sent straight for one of the crumbling skyscrapers. Jaune followed him just fast enough to keep up and meet him at the battleground. Cassius smashed through the exterior windows, entering a level of office space. His body continued breaking several desks before he was able to dig his feet into the floor.
Jaune went to punch him in the gut once more, but Cassius was prepared for it. He dodged the blow with a sidestep, grabbing Jaune's arm and slamming the boy to the ground. His back buried itself deep into the floor, but Cassius took it further, cocking his arm back and punching Jaune in the chest.
The floors gave way, and Jaune fell to the lower level, smashing through that one as well. Cassius was on top of him the entire way down. They each traded blows while the tower came down around them. Their kicks or punches far too quick for the normal eye to see, bombarding each other multiple times in a single second.
In that struggle, Jaune grabbed Cassius once, not allowing the man to create any distance. He twisted his body to throw him beneath the other, cocking back an arm before delivering a shocking blow to Cassius. The punch propelled the man farther through the structure, destroying everything in his way.
It wasn't until Cassius crashed into the bottom floor did he stop. By then, the entire tower was collapsing, and Jaune was on top of him. The boy landed another devastating blow to Cassius' chest before grabbing him and throwing the man out of the rubble.
He disappeared into the dust cloud, leaving Jaune alone as the tower settled into a massive pile of twisted metal and concrete. Jaune cast Crocea Mors as he wandered through the miasma to find his foe. The sense of smell no longer functioning in this mess.
Where are you?
Behind him, Jaune heard the sound of footsteps. They quickly gained speed as he whipped around with his sword in hand to meet his foe. It was Cassius charging out of the dust. His crazed eyes shone through the night.
Jaune was unable to slash at the man as he fell upon his blade. The magical sword pierced just below his sternum and erupted out of his back. Blood began to pour from the wound uncontrollably, and Cassius did not seem fazed by the pain in the slightest.
"Heh HeheeheheheeheheheeheheheheehHaAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA," Cassius laughed insanely, grabbing Jaune's sword and pulling himself further on the blade. He jerked the weapon about, ensuring the blade was able to cut his insides thoroughly. "Sieg Heil!"
Cassius began to disintegrate, turning into a flaming husk as Jaune absorbed the blood through his sword. In a matter of moments, his body completely fell apart and into a pile of ash. The dust mixed in with whatever was already kicked up, leaving no trace of his body.
*Ta-Thump*
Jaune felt a shock ripple through his body. Not one of pain, it was nothing like that. It felt as though, something was draining him of energy—a pulse that lasted for but a moment before disappearing. As it left him, the power he took from Cassius remained, leaving his strength far greater than it was previously.
What was that?
[Ruby]
Ruby picked herself up and tried putting some weight on her right foot. The pain from only that ripped through her body, causing the girl to cry out. Tears poured off her cheeks as everything hurt at that moment. Not a single inch of her was spared from this burning sensation.
What happened?!
She looked around her and saw the destruction at her feet, realising she needed to get out of here. Ruby began hobbling back to her house as quickly as she could, abandoning her bike altogether. She couldn't even see where it was, so what was the point of it.
The girl could not get more than five feet away when something picked her up and slammed her into a nearby wall. The pressure of what felt like a hand grew around her throat, cutting off her air supply. A blackened cloud of bats morphed into the shape of a man, revealing Jaune underneath. His blackened eyes were exactly like the homeless man's.
Jaune did not say a word, only smiling at her and showing off his fangs. The sight of those made Ruby thrash at his arms, trying to get him off her.
"Please-please don't hurt me," Ruby cried out as she grabbed at Jaune's arms. The stream of tears on her face grew into a downpour as she babbled whatever words came into her head.
Without warning the pressure on her throat was released and she fell to her feet. Two arms wrapped themselves around Ruby as she gasped, collapsing into the boy's chest. She didn't understand what was going on, but the emotions coursing through her were too much to bear. The feeling of his warm embrace caused the girl to begin crying uncontrollably.
Our favourite Birdy Boi has arrived! And proceeded to fuck off once the big guns arrived.
Now, if you hadn't noticed, Cassius killed himself. Fell on the other guy's sword. That cut the fight short. It's what I always had intended for his character. I didn't want to send him out with a bang.
Encyclopedia of MAJMLYAI.
Vampires:
Jaune
Aliases: Leonhardt, Julius Caesar, 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: 227
Nazis Killed: 1
Major Arcana: The Emperor
Cassius
Aliases: Cassius
Maria
Aliases:
Familiars: Machecoul
Freyja
Aliases: Mephistopheles, Helena, Freyja
Familiars:
Major Arcana:
Arthur
Aliases: Arthur Pendragon
Familiars: Excalibur
Major Arcana:
Other:
Brynhildyr Valkyrie
Aliases:
Familiars: Musphelheimyr Laevetinn
Major Arcana:
General Ironwood
Aliases:
Familiars:
Major Arcana:
Methuselah, Pierre
(He ded.)
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