Ch. 50

Ozpin took a long sip of tea as he thought about what he and Abaddon just discussed.

"I knew you were a special young man, but I could have never imagined this," he said.

"Ozpin, I've lived for eons," Abaddon replied. "Please don't call me young man."

"Apologies. But I have to ask, how did you get your memories and powers back?"

"A being named Erebus. When I was captured, it goaded me into taking my power back to help Kathleen."

"And what is Erebous exactly?"

"It is the creator and former master of the voidsent. I met it long before the Voidsent's first big raid on Ebarona. Erebus has a unique fascination with me. It originally wanted Ragnarok to become its champion and that backfired greatly. But after seeing my ability to adapt to the abyss and my power, it chose me to become its new champion. It, and others who share its ideals, like to call me Apollyon."

"I must admit I have footage of those voidsent you fought during initiation, Cuchulainn and Ferdiad. I'm sure they don't share those ideals. But Ferdiad seems to have hatred towards you specifically."

"Because I killed him once. Wouldn't you hate the person who killed you?"

"Over the millennia I've lived, I have. But I let it go most of the time."

"And other times?"

"One of my many mistakes. That's all I will say."

"Fair enough."

There was a moment of silence as both men drank from their cups. There was more they could talk about, but Abaddon wasn't sure of what else to give Ozpin, and Ozpin wasn't sure of what else he could ask. Ozpin didn't want to pry too much into Abaddon's past experiences, but he needed to know more.

"If you have footage, why didn't you come out there and help those children?" Abaddon asked. "You have the power to do it. I hope it wasn't to hide your magic or to gain intel on me or the voidsent."

"No. I wouldn't dare. When our cameras went dark, I thought of it as a routine glitch. Our surveillance isn't perfect, and the council will only grant us what they think is necessary. Also, those students aren't the only ones that died that day. We had huntsmen along with several upperclassmen. A few of the huntsmen died and one upperclassman can no longer physically attend Beacon anymore. This kind of thing doesn't happen every year, and I always tell them they could die during this initiation and have full confidence in their capabilities. They did graduate from one of the primary combat schools specifically to fight Grimm, so they should be able to do what is necessary to survive. Nevertheless, it is always hard to keep a straight face. Finding their bodies, seeing the carnage, informing the families whether it be through video call or in person, and their grief and anger afterward."

"I can't get used to this," both men said at the same time. Ozpin looked at Abaddon, who responded with a sympathetic smile.

"We never have, and we never will old man," Abaddon responded. He then stared at the door of the bedroom. His tail whipped out, faster than Ozpin could see, and opened the door. Victoria fell onto the floor as she had been leaning on the door.

"Victoria!" Ozpin went over to the maiden to help her to her feet, but she tossed him aside.

"You damn dog! You claim to be such an old, powerful being, and yet you refuse to be of any help! Look at my goddamn arm! It's gone! Because you failed to destroy that fucking redheaded bull and his pitiful followers! ALL OF YOU FAUNUS ARE JUST WORTHLESS!"

SLAP!

Victoria gasped for a moment before cradling her face. She stared at Abaddon with an expression of pure shock. Abaddon stared her down with disappointment in his eyes. Victoria's shock soon faded into a rage as she was slowly covered in flames, but then the flames died just as quickly as they came. Victoria felt her power slipping away from her.

"You can't use your powers for a while. I suck at healing, unlike my lover, but I placed a void barrier around you earlier so you wouldn't scorch Ozpin's home, since you can be so careless with how much damage you cause." Abaddon continued to glare at Victoria as Ozpin brought her to sit down on his bed.

Victoria continued to nurse her cheek but soon found that it had already been healed. While Abaddon's field kept her from using her semblance, it didn't stop her aura, which Ozpin had boosted earlier to accelerate her healing.

"Would you like to know what happened to a few worlds where our intervention was too active? There was once a collection of four worlds. These worlds were nameless, but they held life, just as this one did. But their paths were torn asunder thanks to our intervention. Those worlds went through a continuous cycle of rebirth, with each cycle having a different end to their story before the world restarted. We lived through each cycle, learning the ways each end would come and what they would entail if the cycle was allowed to keep. We were young and reckless. We did and said things that interfered with that system's natural order. And in the end, we doomed that system to close in the worst way possible. During the very last cycle, we tried to make things right, even devouring or destroying specific beings to make things better. It was all for nothing. The world of strange beasts and the Hunter's Dream, the world of the First Flame and the sacrifices that kept it alight, the world of the Elden Lords and the Erdtree, and the world that was plagued by a massive and powerful beast known as The Old One and its soul-devouring demons. They were all doomed to fall into the Abyss. We saved those who wished it or could be saved and left almost all those who wished to stay. I say almost because some of those who wished to stay doomed themselves to be consumed by Ragnarok or become powerful voidsent, so to reduce these potential dangers, we devoured them."

"You keep saying 'we' all the time," Victoria stated. "Are you saying your entire race was part of this event?"

"No. There are several other instances where intervention from our race has helped or harmed the mortals, sometimes even both. This one was one of, if not the absolute worse. And it was done solely by me, my lover Shiva, and our comrade Tiamat. We were the only ones to visit. Our friend Aidoneus witnessed everything from afar. He did not care since those worlds were not his responsibility and were considered outside of his mother's creation. He was the one that brought up the existence of those worlds since I was one of his closest friends at the time."

"Gods that don't care and beasts that ruin worlds. Worthless!"

Abaddon growled at the maiden. "Says the woman who preaches that she's a Valkyrie who protects the weak yet proceeds to not only discriminate against faunus time and time again but was also the one who massacred a village of innocent people!"

"Those animals were in the wrong and you know it!"

"They were being forced by their human superiors to do what they needed to survive but you are too ignorant to see it!"

Ozpin stood as a barrier between Abaddon and Victoria. "Will you two please stop!? This conflict is unnecessary. We are allies, not enemies!"

"What I wouldn't give to burn those lips of yours closed," Victoria said.

"Then you can put your money where your fucking mouth is," Abaddon replied. "I know you've been wanting a rematch, so pick a time and place. I'll be waiting."

Abaddon left the room and went out the front door, slamming it behind him. Ozpin sighed and sat down next to Victoria. They were silent for a few moments before Victoria pushed him off the bed and onto the floor. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down with her foot.

"Thanks for taking my side in that argument," she said with a disappointed tone. "Some kind of guardian you are."

"You know I don't like to get involved in your skirmishes," Ozpin replied.

Victoria flicked Ozpins nose. "Come on, you know I was right. I'm right about most things."

"Vicky, I'm sorry but that isn't remotely true."

"So, you're on his side then?"

"I never said that."

With a huff, Victoria started going downstairs. "You're just as shitty as my real father."

Ozpin covered his face with his hands and groaned. "How do I get myself into these messes."

XXXXXXX

One week later…

Kathleen and Abaddon had procured a large open field in the middle of a small mountain range. Five large ice crystals floated around the arena. Each one was covered with a web-like layer that created a semi-translucent dome. Abaddon sat on the ground in the middle of the field to meditate. He wore an oversized white tunic with a V-neck that extended to his belly button and black shorts.

Suddenly, Raze and Erza appeared from the trees and silently walked up to Abaddon, getting in the Firstborn's face. Both faunus glared at him.

Abaddon yawned. "May I help you two?"

"Abaddon. I should've recognized that name sooner when Ozpin mentioned you," said Erza. "The name of the same faunus who killed so many of the White Fang. So many of our comrades."

Abaddon's eyes widened. "Didn't know the White Fang was masquerading as students now. But if you two wish to take revenge, then now might be a good time," Abaddon told them. "This field shields us from prying eyes. So come defeat me….if you can that is."

Erza gritted her teeth and struck at Abaddon with her naginata. Abaddon ducked. Raze attempted to cut his legs open with a silver curved sword, but Abaddon parried the blade with the back of his hand and kicked Raze in the stomach. The boy managed to block the attack with the palm of his free hand as he skidded a few feet away. Abaddon then knocked Erza off her feet with a low kick. He grabbed her left leg with his tail and tossed her towards Raze, who caught her. Raze swiped one of his hands, conjuring a wide arc of fire that released five fireballs. Abaddon stood there as the fireballs flew past him. Five portals opened around Abaddon, transporting all five fireballs at once to strike Abaddon at different angles. Abaddon swiftly dodged each one. Several more portals quickly emerged to replace the old ones, transporting the fireballs around Abaddon, trying to hit him. Raze then charged at the Firstborn, his sword alight with flames. With a stoic expression, Abaddon continued to dodge each projectile, and dodge or parry Raze's advances. With his frustration mounting, Raze raised one hand and closed his fist. The fireballs he made joined together into one large mass right above his head. It then condensed into a gumball-sized orb, which he grabbed and swallowed. Abaddon looked on as Raze's aura swelled and flared before he opened his mouth, as wide as a dragon would, and unleashed a large wave of fire. Abaddon stood still as he was caught in a massive explosion. Looking at the field, all Erza saw was scorched earth. And in the middle of it all was an unfazed Abaddon.

"H-He's a monster!" Erza stammered in disbelief. "H-How did he take an attack like that unscathed?"

Raze screamed in anger. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

In response, Abaddon blitzed Raze, rushing at him with high speed and smashing his head into the earth. The dragon lay on the ground, his eyes were whited out and blood dripped from his forehead and mouth. Abaddon grabbed him by the leg and threw him towards Erza.

"RAZE!" Erza screamed as she caught and tended to her partner. "You could have killed him!"

Abaddon shook his head. "He'll be fine. Plus, Newborn are tough in their own right."

"Newborn?" Erza asked, confused. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Just as Abaddon was about to answer her, Kathleen landed nearby in her semi-mortal state.

"We-," she saw Erza and Raze, "What the hell are they doing here?!"

Abaddon simply stated, "They tried to kill me. What happened?"

"I found some voidsent, but you're not gonna like who it is," Kathleen replied.

There was a loud screeching in the air. Abaddon looked up to see a horde of flying masses clouded in abyssal energy. They split and landed around Abaddon, Kathleen, Raze, and Erza. A few seconds passed, then the clouds of abyss dissipated. The group was now surrounded by four red Iron Giants carrying massive, heated swords. They were being led by one individual. It was a grey scaly bald humanoid with a dragon's tail and large ornate bronze wings. An ornate silver-winged longsword adorned with blue jewels on its hilt and a deep blue handle floated in front of it, with a knight wearing blue and grey armor holding onto the weapon. The Firstborn gritted their teeth while Erza held tightly onto Raze with a look of mild fear in her eyes.

"My hunt is once again successful. Apollyon and Scathach stand before me, ready to be reaped of their flesh and souls," said the floating being as its black eyes gazed at Kathleen and Abaddon.

"Shit!" Abaddon cursed. "To think the Voidwalker and the Void Knight would come here so soon!"

"No matter how many millennia you hide, I, the Bane of Apollyon, will always find you," the Voidwalker claimed. Its sword glowed light blue and as it produced an ethereal avatar of the Deathgaze Hollow, a massive flying voidsent with a horned skull with sharpened teeth, large leathery wings, long arms ending in four-fingered hands, a small torso, and a long tail ending in a spike.

"DEATH!" At the Voidwalker's command, the avatar glared at them with glowing red eyes and released a small but powerful blast of deadly pressure. The Firstborn knew this technique all too well, but they weren't the ones in danger. Abaddon then suddenly jumped in front of Erza and Raze and held out one hand to block the unseen attack. There was a small concussive blast that made Erza cover her eyes. When she looked back, Abaddon still stood in front of them unscathed, but then his arm went limp, and she witnessed the actual damage. His entire right arm up to his shoulder was now lifeless and partially decomposed as if it had been dead for some time.

Erza looked puzzled. "We tried to kill you, why would-?"

"Child, do not ask questions and leave this place," Abaddon grunted.

"I was hoping to get rid of the baggage, but no matter." The Voidwalker snapped its fingers and the grey giants around them began to move. At the same time, the Deathgaze avatar flew up into the dome above them and faded into it. The dome and the crystals creating it changed to a sickly white color. It was now under the Voidwalker's control "None may leave this slaughter."

Despite this, Erza still stood and ran with Raze laying over her shoulders. A red giant slashed at her, but she opened a portal with her semblance and jumped through at the last second. She jumped out of a second portal that lay on the outside of the barrier, then continued running into the forest.

"Now that the kids are gone, we can get back to business," said Kathleen as she extended her talons. "Also, you have my thanks for possessing the barrier. You allowed your aether to be recognized by my crystals, so you can't escape like before. I'm going to slay you this time."

The Voidwalker frowned. "I will end you both!"

The Void Knight jumped down with its sword in hand. It threw the blade down at Kathleen. She swatted it away, then jumped up to attack the knight directly. She was intercepted by the Voidwalker, which slapped her with one of its wings. Kathleen flew through the air before she flipped and bounced off the barrier. She flew towards the ground near the knight and stomped down. A geyser of ice erupted from the ground that hit the knight square in the torso and sent it flying, but its armor was not pierced. Kathleen dashed at it once more, all the while dodging eye beams from the Voidwalker as it closed in. Her talons clashed with the Void Knight's arms as it struggled to push her back. She then grabbed its head, kneed it in the face, then used all four of her arms to throw it at the face of the Voidwalker. The flying creature stopped to catch the Void Knight, a momentary distraction that allowed Kathleen to fly up and strike the Voidwalker in the face. The voidsent recoiled but immediately retaliated by headbutting Kathleen into the ground. It then dropped onto her and used its large hands to pin her down. Kathleen created a layer of ice around her body at the last second as the Voidwalker blasted her with a wide beam of energy from its mouth..

Meanwhile, Abaddon was fighting all four red giants. He was also in his semi-mortal form with his wings tucked in and a large black curved sword in hand. He dodged and blocked the superheated blades of the giants with minor difficulty and managed to bisect two of them. The last two seemed to learn from the deaths of their comrades and were working together. One of the giants ran and swung at Abaddon, but he slid under the blow. It then spun around and tossed its blade at him. Abaddon moved to the side as it passed. The air around the giant's left hand glowed red as it used its gravity magic to stop the blade in midair. The blade then pointed at Abaddon's chest as it careened toward him. The other giant used its gravity magic on Abaddon himself, preventing the Firstborn from moving away in time. The sword almost hit Abaddon, but he managed to stop it by grabbing the blade with both hands. He shattered the blade into pieces. Abaddon then grabbed the hilt and held on as it flew to its owner. He then stabbed what was left of the blade and its hilt and handle through the giant and kicked the creature to the ground as it dissipated. Abaddon then pointed his sword at the last giant. The blade rapidly extended from its hilt towards the voidsent. The giant held up the flat of its sword to block but was still quickly impaled in the chest. Abaddon then swiped upwards and cut the upper torso in half. He retracted his blade in time to defend himself from the Void Knight as it brought its sword down on his head. They were evenly matched, but the knight continued to use the superior size and weight of its weapon to press down on the Firstborn.

Kathleen was still pinned under the Void Walker as it refused to let up.

"Bring us the trophy Atomos," it screamed.

At the Voidwalker's command, a portal opened in the dome and a large gaping maw with two black beady eyes and various horns on its body flew into the dome. Inside its maw was a crystal containing a small naked boy with short black hair, small red horns, red eye shadow, and several scars around his body.

"I believe you know this specimen," the Voidwalker said in delight.

Kathleen stared at the boy. She did recognize him. Tears streamed from her eyes as she spoke his name.

"...Eridanus..."