Hey there, guys. Thanks for the well wishes last chapter, it really does mean a lot. Like I mentioned back then too, my family and I are doing better now, just taking it one day at a time. We can only hope the remaining few months of this year won't have any other dark surprises in store for us, but I'm personally not holding my breath on that front.
Additionally, glad you all liked the last chapter too. I'd been somewhat worried about the quality dropping because of my mental state at the time of writing but it seems that was one worry I didn't need.
That said, for a while now – well before all this recent stuff in my life – I'd been thinking on some things… and I believe I've finally came to a decision:
I'll be taking a break from writing fanfiction for a while.
Not right now, however.
First, my intention is to finish this fic, however long that'll take. Relatively speaking, shouldn't really be that long since we're more or less at the endgame portion now to be perfectly honest, though I can't for the life of me determine just how many more chapters that'll entail, though I'll be better able to ascertain that once I get closer to the end. In any case, I aim to give as good as I got to finish this fic in a more than satisfactory manner.
Once Slave of Light is completed, I'll finally begin working on the third/final novel in my trilogy of original novels. Back when writing the first and second novels, I'd been switching back and forth between them and my fanfics as I believe I've mentioned here and there in past ANs. This time around, I'm going to dedicate all of my writing time to the third novel and until it is completed and published, I won't be even thinking of starting up a new fanfic.
As to how long such an endeavor will take… again, no idea. From when I even began the first chapter to when I published it, I did the first novel of the trilogy in several months – started it at the end of October 2018, finished it around the middle of May 2019 and it was around 250 pages or so, at least according to my word doc (certain formats tend to stretch the page count a lot for some reason when purchased/read). The second novel in the trilogy was almost double that page count and it took me a whole year to get it done, published and all.
But again, it's worth mentioning I was doing one chapter for my novels then a chapter for whatever fanfic I was doing at the time and then going back to the novel, so that stretched things out significantly. I don't really intend for the final novel to be longer than the second one (though things rarely go according to plan in that regard for me), but since I intend to focus solely on that after this, who knows? I do have a pretty good idea of how to kick off the final novel, which is something I've always struggled with doing plus there's a good number of plot points I already have mentally set in stone, so that should hopefully speed things up some more at any rate.
I'll still be active on here, though, reading/reviewing fics and answering PMs like usual, it's just that I don't really plan on beginning a new fic until after my original trilogy is fully finished first. Only once my novel is done will I begin seriously brainstorming my next fic because as of now, I'm pretty much drawing blanks anyways, heh.
So… yeah, just thought I should make that known now, solidify it so to speak.
Anyways, let's get onto the chapter now… and remember, everyone – please continue to be safe.
P.S. My thanks to Diogenes Camus for some ideas for Jaune's more special attacks. It really helped.
P.P.S. Vergil. Is. BACK.
Chapter 55
"Hey."
Amber grimaced, the sound of this bandit bitch's voice irking her even more than before. Probably due to just how exhausted she currently was. Exhaustion had ways of just making everything around one's self that much more annoying to deal with.
"What?" In any case, she forced out a tired reply.
"You ready to move again?" Raven asked from where she sat nearby. The bandit leader shifted a little in her spot in order to better grip her blade. Even so, her grip was looking rather slack, uncharacteristically so for one so gung-ho about fighting.
"Nope. You?"
"Not even close. Honestly, Ozpin and the other idiots following him can't make it up to me for all this crap."
Amber snorted. "You really are one cold hearted person, you know that? Fate of Remnant is on the line here, you know? That includes your shitty tribe too."
That got a grimace out of Raven. But rather than retort with some sharp comment, the woman instead looked somber. "…Yeah, well, about time we got back to work anyways, isn't it?"
At that, Amber nodded in full agreement. With a quiet groan, she forced herself to stand. Using the Maiden power required an immense deal of concentration, so much so that using it for prolonged periods of time can really eat away at their stamina. And they've been going well past their limits so far; they were genuinely exhausted.
Alas, there was no more time for them to rest.
With a delicate wave of her hand, Amber fashioned for herself a large spear made entirely of hardened earth. It was very hefty in her aching arms, but she made do as she twirled it around in a testing manner before righting herself.
For the span of half a day – no, longer than that, she realized – she and her fellow Maiden had been pestering the Grimm horde as best as they could. The fire power they could so easily command as Maidens had allowed them to kill large numbers of Grimm… but not so swiftly nor effortlessly. No doubt under the orders of that Hazel guy, the horde had done their best to split up a bit to avoid being caught up in their attacks in addition to numerous Nevermores and Griffons making it their personal mission to harass them and try to make them miss or otherwise falter.
The two women had dealt with the hand they'd been given as best they could and had wiped out hundreds of Grimm, no, more than that.
Unfortunately, they were dealing with a horde at least a million strong if not more. Their kill counts sadly only made a marginal dent in its size.
And now… now the horde was for all intents and purposes right outside of Vale, the southern wall within clear sight along with the Atlas ships that were stationed over the kingdom.
They'd had no choice but to call it in and thankfully their proximity to the kingdom had made it easy to get in contact with Ozpin to let him know of the incoming assault, though it wasn't as if the horde was something that could go unspotted from this up close. After having done so, Amber and Raven had been left with no choice but to disengage lest they truly run themselves into the ground and leave themselves as easy pickings for the horde.
Having found a large and rocky hill to rest upon, well away from the horde's path, they'd spent just the past several minutes trying to catch their breath and reassess things.
But now the time for that was over and done with.
As the Atlas ships closest to the walls began to take aim and fire at the incoming horde, the Maidens silently exchanged one final look – one of grudging acknowledgement and respect for one another – before using their magical power to take flight once more.
The Grimm horde was here and until it was fully dealt with, there'd be no further resting for them or anyone else.
Out of the entire horde, it was the air-based Grimm – the Nevermores and Griffons – that had been the first to reach the kingdom, their tireless flight and speed having assured they'd be well ahead of the rest of the horde. They'd only kept pace with the horde on the orders of Hazel in order to try and harass Amber and Raven.
But now with the kingdom so close, those Grimm had seen no further reason to hang back and now they were flying freely and fully towards the kingdom.
As they'd neared, the alarms were triggered all over the area, alerting the populace there as to what was going on. Under far different circumstances, the police and other helpers would've been able to escort the civilians to shelters well in advance of the horde's arrival, but all the recent chaos Salem's agents have caused had rendered that impossible. Thus, there was once again a panic going on. The police did their best to get the people there to get up and take their leave with numerous soldiers from the Atlas fleet and some huntsmen doing the same to speed things up.
Meanwhile, the Atlas airships and the wall-mounted turrets that Vale possessed got to work. Without so much a single bit of lag, they opened fire on the airborne Grimm and started shooting them down in droves. Alas, against such small and nimble targets and so many at once too, there was a limit to how many Grimm could be taken down in succession.
Sure enough, entire flocks worth of Nevermores and Griffons slipped through the defenses and started to dive bomb towards the city below. The Grimm, being what they are, cared not one bit for self-preservation when prey was aplenty and so they slammed into buildings and streets with suicidal abandon.
Some of these Grimm perished from the sheer force of their landings. Others didn't. Those that survived were all too quick to get up and immediately eye the nearest prey – only for the huntsmen that had been gathering up until today to leap into action.
Steel was swung, be it in the shape of thin blades or greatswords, short lances or massive spears, or what have you. Gunfire erupted in the form of small arms fire like simple rapid-fire pistols to outright machine guns or even shotguns. The huntsmen wasted no time in their usual flashy moves, settling instead for pure efficiency as they shot and cut down every Grimm that dared to get too close.
A huntress possessing a short blade leapt into the air and cut cleanly through a Nevermore the size of a school bus whilst her partner provided support via his own weapon which had transformed into a massive cannon. With this weapon, he easily blasted holes through other Nevermores of similar sizes that tried to swoop in on his partner.
Nearby, some Griffons landed and tried to target some civilians being rapidly escorted away from a nearby store – only for an Atlas soldier to rush forward and blast the lead Griffon right in its throat with a shotgun just before pivoting and smacking a smaller Griffon in the side of its head with the shotgun just as it had tried to leap in.
These were but a meager few examples of the feats being performed here and now. Such a sight was enough to remind Ozpin, weary as he is, of just why he fights so hard for humanity. True, they may not be perfect and never will be… but it was that sense of unity that can spawn in times like these that makes him so terribly hopeful for the future.
Unfortunately, there was still much to be done here.
From aboard James' flagship, he watched for just a little longer through the monitors the deck had of what was going on near the southern wall. It wasn't until James came up to him that he tore his gaze away.
"Are we ready?" he asked of his friend.
James nodded. "Everyone's gathered at the western wall already."
"Good. Then it's about time to take my leave… I wish you a good hunt, James."
"Likewise, Oz."
Nodding, Ozpin took off, heading for the hanger where a bullhead awaited him. He'd been monitoring the situation up until now from here due to the tech James' flagship had at its disposal but now it was time for him to get involved as well.
As he'd pointed out to James some time earlier, this horde, for all the devastation it would undoubtedly cause, was nothing more than just the first move on Salem's behalf – her real attack would be coming any time now from the west.
Granted, that probably wouldn't be for a little while longer, anywhere from a few hours to maybe even a whole day depending on how Salem wishes to play it out. In any case, her goal was to clearly distract them all and soften them up before stepping in to deliver the real strike.
As the bullhead took flight and he took a seat in the passenger section, Ozpin gripped his cane just a bit more tightly than necessary. Not quite out of worry, though, rather a bit out of relief in a sense.
No matter how much time has passed, some things will just never change. And Salem, for all the time she's spent honing her craft, was never the most complex when it came to warfare. Subterfuge had been more her thing, but when it came to things of this nature, he was her better.
That said, that didn't mean this would be a walk in the park. The Grimm, for all of their mindless aggression, still held the obvious numbers advantage, a quality all its own. That alone made them a massive threat around the clock, now more so than ever. And without the Relic of Destruction to help wipe them out nor all the Maidens gathered, no more than ever would be a harsh trial to overcome.
But he had faith in the forces gathered here, in his colleagues and friends. And if nothing else, for all the troubles that have plagued him and all the mistakes he's ever made when playing this horrid and cruel 'game' with Salem, he still held a great deal of faith in his own abilities, diminished as they are.
And soon it'd be the time to put his rusting skills to the true test.
And should he and the others live to see the end of all this…
"Salem…" he muttered to himself as he reached his destination and disembarked from the bullhead. His form straightened and he corrected his grip on his cane. No longer was his posture that of a weary man. Now he was a warrior just like back then. "When this is all over, I do believe it'll be time to try settling things for good."
He knew not just where this sudden statement of his was coming from nor what emotions and thoughts had compelled him to voice it at all.
Nonetheless, Ozpin couldn't help but believe his own words wholeheartedly.
He and Salem have done this for far too long… and quite frankly, he was beyond sick of it.
One way or another, things will end during this era. He'll do whatever it takes to ensure that.
From atop her whale Grimm, Salem grimaced. Capable of closing her eyes and outright sleeping here and there for a moment even whilst in flight, she'd experienced yet again a bout of outright clairvoyance.
As usual, such visions weren't all encompassing nor did they last particularly long, but it'd been enough to give her a good read of the situation so far.
As had been expected, the kingdom of Vale was holding off the horde rather well thanks to the huntsmen and Atlas fleet there, though that was really only against the Nevermores and Griffons for now. Once they continue to pour on in and the rest of the horde, the ground-based Grimm, catch up, that will be when things begin to change.
However, that hadn't been what had caused her mood to somewhat dry up. What had caused her grimace was the sight of the western wall, what relatively few forces that could be gathered up clearly awaiting her arrival.
"Ozma…" she whispered, knowing it was him who'd caused this.
Her annoyance lasted but a moment, however. In hindsight, she really should've expected such a thing. After all, warfare had never been her strong suit. No, that had been Ozma's particular area of expertise and though it's been a very long time since he's ever had to put such skills to use, he still clearly had enough foresight to predict her movements.
Did this mean perhaps that he'd also taken up extra precautions to safeguard the Relic? No, unlikely; he didn't have enough magical power anymore to do anything like what he'd been capable of in the past. Of course, more modern means of protection weren't out of the picture, but he likely wouldn't risk it. After all, should she choose to go back and retrieve the Relic of Knowledge, learning of what he did would be easy, even if that would cost her a question for this century.
Yes, it'd just be best to stay the course, she decided. He may have predicted her move here, but in the end, the Grimm would still vastly outnumber the kingdom and when flanking them from two sides, well, surely something would have to give rather quickly, yes?
And moreover, she still had Hazel on her side too. Yes, even all the way from here, through the bond they now shared, she could sense it – his ever-growing power. It easily eclipsed anything she's ever seen before barring those petty Brother Gods, of course. He'd serve as a very powerful trump card indeed.
That said, however… it was rather perplexing that Hazel wasn't leading the assault as initially intended.
Through their connection, she was tangentially aware of what was going on over on his end, of the battle between him and Watts – a loss of a good pawn, but nothing to be upset about, really – and of the attack launched by two of the Maidens and one teen on Hazel.
And now it was just that single tee – this Jaune Arc she's heard of – facing off against Hazel… and to her surprise and mild consternation, it would seem the fight was still ongoing from what very little she could glimpse now, Hazel's mind so full of rage and other complex emotions and desires that their connection was actually getting quite disrupted somehow.
Just how could that be? Was Hazel really fighting still against Jaune Arc. It's already been a day!
"…" She made a sound as she recalled the conversation she'd had with Jinn. At the time, she'd been attentive enough of the spirit of the Relic's words – she'd had to be; such words wouldn't be spoken so lightly by a being such as Jinn. But even so, she'd gone forth carrying just a bit of doubt over those words.
It was only now that she could fully appreciate what Jinn had said at that time.
This Jaune Arc… he was definitely an unusual one indeed. To still be capable of combatting Hazel even though the man-turned-monster's power was still growing even now… just what was that boy?
…
…
…Well, whatever the case may be, the battle between those two would not change anything as of now. Powerful though they may be, capable of changing the tides of any battle they're in, all that power ends up meaning nothing if they're nowhere near the kingdom to make use of their prowess.
Still… it wouldn't be best to continue dawdling like this.
With a silent command, the horde she was with began to pick up their pace. The massive Grimm she rode upon let out a quiet – relative to one of its size, of course – wail as its speed picked up just a bit as well.
She wouldn't be making quite the grand impression she'd wanted to make upon Ozma and his current generation of pawns, but now was no time to be picky.
Even as patient as she's learned to be, she's growing tired of this ridiculous conflict between them. One way or another, she will obtain the victory she's long since sought.
For the millionth or so time, Jaune and Hazel clashed, his blades meeting the latter's fist in mid-strike. And once again, for the millionth or so time, they seemed to be breaking dead even here as they both got blown back several meters.
In silence, the two of them recovered at roughly the same level of speed. However, Jaune was also already prepping his next attack.
"…!" Grunting, he concentrated aura into both of his current blades, that being the gravity Dust blade and lightning Dust one respectively. They were low enough on usable Dust that this would undoubtedly be their last use before no longer being able to rely on their effects. In that case, best to make it count.
An idea had come to him just now. Much earlier, just before he and the Maidens had launched their attack on Hazel in the first place, they'd been able to glimpse the battle Hazel had been in just prior to their assault. He'd seen one Arthur Watts go at it with Hazel, if only partially and had observed what sort of attacks the man had used within the last few moments of his life, if only barely.
Due to how that man's power seemed to work, most of what he could do were things that Jaune couldn't feasibly replicate… save for one.
Holding both blades close together and pointing them forward as if wielding a large rifle, he carefully but quickly shared the electrical charge from his lightning Dust blade with that of the other blade. Meanwhile, gravity warped on a very localized scale, concentrating solely around the gravity Dust blade itself, but with an intensity that few could ever hope to match. It was a wonder the blade didn't simply collapse on itself.
Just as it looked as if Hazel was about to make his own move, Jaune promptly reversed the gravity's direction after having compressed it and the lightning so much.
In essence, he'd ended up performing a very crude imitation of a railgun, with his blade as the 'bullet.'
It shot forth at incredible speeds towards Hazel. The man saw it coming and tried to react – only to ultimately fail, the sheer speed of the blade and the momentum behind it thanks to the intense warping of the gravity and electricity ensuring it pierced through the stone wall that the transformed man had hastily formed at the last instant.
The blade pierced through the wall instantly and stabbed right through Hazel's left shoulder, blowing such a massive hole there that the arm itself nearly got blown off completely. Alas, the blade itself couldn't endure the force either and ended up being destroyed upon impact, meaning he was now down a blade.
A sad thing, really, but it was out of Dust now anyways so it made little difference.
And besides, what mattered in this instance was the opportunity afforded to him just now.
With Hazel now howling in pain and surprise, Jaune closed in and drew another blade – his fire Dust blade. Activating the Dust within it, he swung at the hole he'd made in Hazel and managed to cut into him somewhat, the intense heat and the sheer power of his swing causing his blade to go nearly through him like a knife through butter.
But just before his swing could be fully completed, he suddenly ceased his attack and leapt back just as Hazel swung at him with his other arm, his fist nearly clipping the side of his head. This was then followed by a sudden burst of intense energy that cratered the ground, forcing Jaune to further move back lest he get blown off his feet.
Nonetheless, he wasn't about to halt his offensive. His lightning Dust blade now 'empty,' when he charged it a split second later and swung, it was to unleash a wave of pure aura just like before. Hazel dodged to the side, however, and immediately retaliated with a similar attack as he lashed out with another punch that generated a blast of pure magical power that Jaune had no choice but to cut through with both of his blades.
Alas, this gave Hazel just enough time to focus on healing and the damage he'd just suffered was undone… but at a somewhat slower rate than usual.
Good, Jaune thought, so it is possible to wear down his regeneration. He knew not if that meant Hazel was tiring – sure didn't seem that way what with how his power seemed to keep on growing – or if it was due to some other thing, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
That said, this new detail didn't really improve the overall situation that much. As of this very moment, most of his blades were deprived of Dust, his gravity Dust blade outright destroyed now too. Of his remaining blades, only his fire Dust blade and hard-light Dust blade amazingly. His ice Dust blade still had some functioning Dust, but not enough to make much of a difference. All of the Dust in his other blades was now officially used up.
But more than just the state of his Dust situation.
"…" Jaune took just a single millisecond to assess their surroundings.
For a day now, they'd fought without rest and their environments reflected this fact all too clearly. The area they'd first been in, where he'd unintentionally created that canyon, had been levelled beyond recognition. And as the horde had continued on its path towards Vale, Jaune had done his best to at least try and be near the horde at all times and Hazel had naturally followed to continue their battle the whole time.
They were perhaps no more than ten or so miles away from Vale's southern wall. That may seem like quite a distance away still, but for either of them, that was a distance that could be covered so terribly quickly. That their battle has yet to seemingly be noticed is due to the horde obviously knocking on Vale's figurative door, to say nothing of the numerous small and highly concentrated storms raging on above, no doubt the work of Amber and Raven as they continue their assault on the horde. That wasn't even getting into all the gunfire and artillery going on now too as the Grimm attacked the wall in earnest.
In comparison to all that noise, it would actually be a surprise if anyone really took note of his battle with Hazel, for now at least.
But that would undoubtedly change in the near future – the level of destruction they'd caused along their haphazard route here as they'd exchanged blows would be very noticeable in any case and would definitely warrant some concern once some time can be spared in between the attacks from the Grimm. It was a damn good thing all this forest out here wasn't strictly necessary for the kingdom, but nonetheless the pointless destruction of such beauty pained the blond teen considerably. It'd likely be decades if not longer before the area shows noticeable signs of recovery.
A roar from Hazel snapped him out of his thoughts and he focused back on his foe just in time to see him spew flames along the ground and fan outwards. The area they'd just arrived in had been fairly untouched so far, but now all the trees were instantly alit and reduced to ash in a microsecond. And as that happened, Hazel practically writhed in place, his flames going everywhere in an unpredictable fashion.
That couldn't be allowed to continue.
Drawing out his ice Dust blade, Jaune proceeded to use up what little Dust was left in it and he swung at the air in front of him as he activated said Dust. The air itself chilled immensely and icy particles formed throughout the entire area, some of them glittering in mid fall. It made for quite a beautiful sight, really, which sadly served as a contrast for the devastation just wrought upon the area by Hazel.
In any case, it managed to counter the flames, extinguishing them but at the expense of generating a ridiculous level of steam. It flooded everything for many meters on end, making it impossible to see anything that was more than a foot in front of him.
Undeterred by this, Jaune simply slashed with the now empty ice Dust blade and parted the steam cloud – only for the steam to be replaced by a ridiculously thick layer of ash that quickly burned away at his eyes and the insides of his nostrils and lungs as he breathed it in.
He ended up choking and hacking, if only due to surprise, before recovering – but sadly not in time.
Hazel had charged through the ash cloud and rammed a massive shoulder into him, throwing him off balance. The transformed man then suddenly delivered an upwards backhand that struck his arms with such force that his blades ended up being knocked out of his hands.
Jaune got perhaps all of a microsecond, if that, to let out a peep before Hazel brought down a palm onto his face. The massive open hand slammed against him hard and damn near caved in his nose. For sure, his nose broke, if nothing else. The attack also ended up knocking him right into the ground, forming a massive crater in the process. However, as physics seemingly continued to break down during their fight, Jaune ended up instead bouncing upwards like a human basketball and Hazel proceeded to punt him with a spike covered foot.
The kick caught him in the side just before he could reach for another blade in mid-flip, the spikes digging into his bicep and forearm at an awkward angle that definitely broke some bones. It also sent him flying towards Vale, slamming through a new and previously untouched section of forestry before he finally came to a stop, slamming into and through some random boulder covered in shrubbery back-first.
His body hurt like hell, has been for quite a while, but even so he got up without issue. And just in time too as Hazel now fired a beam of pure magical energy right at him. Jaune rolled to the side and drew two blades in mid-motion. As soon as he came to a stop, he channeled some aura into them and swung, unleashing two aura swings. There was just a split second lag between the swings, the first one aiming for where Hazel had currently fire from while the second one had been targeted at where he deduced Hazel would head next.
Sure enough, his prediction turned out to be accurate – his first swing struck nothing, travelling well past where they'd just been before exploding violently while his second swing exploded much earlier, an explosion whose noise was only marginally eclipsed by a bark of distorted rage.
This attack hadn't been to hurt Hazel but rather to briefly stun and mark him. And now that Jaune knew where he was at, it was time to return the favor.
Switching out one blade for his hard-light Dust blade, he travelled towards Hazel as quickly as he could.
He reached the man just as he seemed to regain himself. Hazel sensed his approach all of a second too late, the man's monstrous eyes widening upon noticing him before letting out another roar and swinging his arm in an overhead smash.
But Jaune still reached him first.
An entire day spent fighting this man, trading blow after blow, occasionally trading word for word too whenever the man now deemed necessary. Had this been anyone else, someone with whom he couldn't really connect with, he'd have probably just kept on fighting with nary a change in his emotional state.
But against someone like Hazel, his dark mirror? Against someone who's done all he's done once upon a time for righteous reasons before going down such a dark path, someone who's done nothing but mock and question him since they first met?
Well, it was leaving Jaune feeling rather angry now, more so with all the stakes in play right now.
Vale, his friends, those relying on them all… it all hung in this precarious balance.
It was this that spurned Jaune on now more than ever before in addition to his rage.
Up until now, they'd been just about even. But now, Jaune was pulling on ahead in their power struggle.
Sheathing one blade swiftly, he leapt up and grabbed Hazel's face with an open hand and squeezed tightly, so much so that his grip actually ended up warping some of the man's monstrous features. This lasted all of an instant before Jaune then pulled downwards.
The result?
Hazel went slammed face-first into the ground with tremendous force, unleashing a shockwave that could probably be faintly felt from Vale's southern wall.
And he wasn't done just yet.
Channeling aura into his hard-light Dust blade, he proceeded to activate the remaining Dust in there to form a massive shield-like structure, almost twice the size of Hazel himself. He then brought it down upon the man as if he were swatting an especially massive fly. The structure cracked from the force as contact was made and Hazel was beaten further into the ground.
Jaune swung twice more, the structure breaking on the final swing as the remainder of the Dust was used up. Despite just these few attacks, he'd ended up doing significant damage to Hazel, having outright crushed a portion of both arms and part of his back and even caving in some part of his skull.
By all rights, anyone else would be dead in such a state… but not Hazel. Not yet.
Jaune fully intended on rectifying that.
Drawing out a blade so that he now held two, he filled them full of aura. However, rather than unleash the aura, he compressed them into his blades, honing their cutting power to new heights.
Taking aim at the downed and disoriented form of Hazel, Jaune started to swing.
And swing.
And swing.
And swingandswingandswingandswingandswing…!
From the very moment Hazel had recovered from that huge gaping hole made in his torso a day ago, Jaune had known then and there that there probably wasn't much that could be done to truly and sincerely harm Hazel, much less kill him once and for all. Given enough time for himself to improve, however, maybe that would change… but that was time where Hazel would only grow stronger as well, which definitely couldn't be afforded.
In which case, if outright firepower wouldn't do, then a constant stream of attacks would just have to suffice. And now that Hazel was seemingly at his mercy, this was the perfect time to do so.
And so, Jaune kept on swinging.
He cut into Hazel's now panicking and writhing form, cutting through and off entire sections of the man's huge body. He cut off his limbs and chopped them into thin slices. He did the same with his lower torso and then his upper torso and started going for the head…
…And just kept on swinging.
More, more, more…! This wasn't enough to ensure Hazel's defeat! Keep on cutting.
Both of Jaune's eyes pulsed with golden aura as his resolve and thus his strength reached the highest peak possible thus far… and even then, he was still only beginning to barely tap into his seemingly bottomless potential.
This was it! This was to be how things end!
No, no, no! This can't be how things end!
This general string of thought is what flowed through Hazel's mind as Jaune Arc began his relentless barrage of cuts upon his prone form.
Just as the vicious assault had began, Hazel had immediately tried to respond, tried to do something, anything. He'd been on the very verge of blasting himself upwards with some lightning, of spewing lava upon Jaune's form in midair… only for this to happen instead.
Jaune Arc's swings had been just so unbelievably fast and so strong that before he'd known it, his body was being reduced to little more than ribbons and thereby depriving him of his chance to retaliate. After all, one can't exactly perform a counterattack if they're lacking a body.
And he, for all his newfound monstrosity, was no exception to that obvious rule.
But even so… this just can't be how it ends!
He refused to believe this 'slave' would be the one to kill him! Not when he still has so much to accomplish!
Ozpin's death! Vale's end! Humanity's extinction! He still had these goals to accomplish!
Please, Hazel silently begged to some unknown power, I care not what else could possibly be taken from me… just give me the power needed to defeat my most hated foe!
More, more! This wasn't enough!
Despite the state of his body, the man-turned-monster still tried to get up. Unfortunately, precisely because of the state his body is in, such a feat proved impossible.
Even as a monster, he still appeared to have limits.
No! Fuck limits! Limitations only applied to those feeble creatures known as humans! He – it – was no longer human, thus no longer bound by such pathetic things like morality and especially not the same weaknesses they possessed.
MORE! MORE! MORE!
…
In that next instant, something akin to a heartbeat resonated from somewhere deep within his soul… or rather what was left of it.
There was something there deep inside of him that now called out to him as his pleas had gone on. It beckoned him and so entranced by this sudden sensation that everything else swiftly faded away from his struggling senses.
His very sense of self began to plummet 'downwards' into this abyss that his own soul seems to have become. Nothing but blackness surrounded him, a void in all honesty.
As he sunk deeper and deeper into the void, he eventually 'saw' the something that had called out to him. He couldn't even begin to put words to it in terms of how it looked, but it captivated him immensely and continued to draw him in even further.
And so, he continued to sink until he was well within its embrace.
It wasn't until this thing's hold on him was absolute that a revelation occurred to him.
It'd been his constant usage of Dust over the years and especially earlier in these past several days that had triggered his change into what he is now. Dust, as Salem had explained to him, had come from the chunks of the moon that the God of Darkness had ended up unintentionally irradiating with a mere fragment of his power. The Brother Gods, being essentially masses of power, magical in this case, had ultimately imbued him with this power he now wielded.
But it wasn't until now that he truly realized what was going on.
Yes, it'd been the God of Darkness' power that had warped him into what he now is thanks to the Dust… but at the same time, the magical power left within said Dust had been the very God of Darkness' essence itself.
In other words, he had just a little bit of that same God's very self in him right now, the very same God he excelled in destruction.
And that is exactly what had been happening this entire time – the reason for his aura and semblance failing him and fading away permanently… it'd been because the God of Darkness' essence had ultimately eaten away at enough of the existence of Hazel Rainart to trigger such a change. But in exchange for this 'loss,' he'd obtained greater and greater power.
Now in response to his pleas just a second ago, that same essence, seemingly sapient, was making a silent offer to him-
-Offer up all that remains of 'Hazel Rainart,' and in exchange, become a new being. One with the power to accomplish the tasks 'Hazel' so desperately wished to achieve. Destroy himself… and be reborn anew.
Hazel didn't hesitate for even a single instant.
Take it all.
And this essence did just that.
In response to Hazel being consumed, the monster was truly born in full.
Jaune had continued his assault without even remotely slowing down. If anything, he'd just continued to speed up.
By now, Hazel was nothing more than ribbons. But even then, it wasn't enough. Until even the very molecules composing the man had been fully cut apart, he wouldn't rest easy, wouldn't be able to allow himself to feel certain of his victory.
Alas-.
"-!"
The blond was just barely able to let out a sound of shock as power flooded his senses and it certainly wasn't his own.
This sound was about all he managed to utter out before an explosion suddenly occurred right there before his very eyes, blowing him back with such unbelievable force that all of his bones ended up fractured and his organs ruptured just from the mere proximity even though he'd done his best to leap back just a split second prior to impact.
The blades he'd been holding ended up disintegrating instantly, however, leaving him down four blades now – the gravity Dust blade lost to his railgun action while his fire Dust blade had been left back in their previous location with no way for him to go and retrieve it right now and now these two destroyed.
Immediately, he moved his fractured hands and gripped two more of his blades and drew them out, not caring in the slightest that the sudden action only aggravated his injuries.
Before his very eyes, a sphere of intense black and purple energy had manifested right where Hazel had just been… and now as it dissipated, the monster was revealed.
For that was undoubtedly what it was now – no longer was Hazel Rainart present in those piercing and soulless purple eyes. Instead, a genuine monster had taken the man's place though this thing clearly bore him the same ill will Hazel had held for him.
It's body was quite a bit different from Hazel's monstrous form, looking just a bit sleeker in the torso and legs than before in addition to no longer having the spikes that Hazel's form had possessed. Its stark white 'skin' now had a dark purplish tint to it, blackened veins here and there all over its body, but looking rather stylized almost as if to signify a level of control that its previous form had lacked.
But what had really drawn Jaune's attention was its head. Its already smooth skull-like face had somewhat filled out, looking almost human in a way but still lacking a mouth. However, atop its head, it sported rather large antlers, almost like a deer though the way they actively swayed with the furious winds going on could just as easily mistake them for branches.
However, more than just its appearance, it was the very presence the monster had that ultimately had Jaune staying still from genuine shock.
This feeling, he thought…
Whatever he'd been about to think next went unfinished – the monster made its move.
It cupped its hands together out in front of it and fired a blast right at him – or at least, that's what Jaune assumed had happened because he honestly hadn't been able to even see the attack really. It was more like the very concept of 'force' had just been shunted right at him and it struck with a fury far greater than anything he's experienced before.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back atop some devastated spot of land. Shaking off the disorientation, he peered 'up' from his position to see the southern wall of Vale being much closer than ever before, perhaps no more than just a few miles away now as opposed to the ten miles of distance that had previously been the case…
…And there was now a huge gaping hole in the southern wall courtesy of that attack just now. Looks like after the concentrated blast had struck him down, its trajectory had ended up altered and the attack itself had expanded to make such a hole.
"NO!" Jaune roared at the top of his lungs as his disorientation was now completely shaken off. Already, he could see the Grimm making a mad rush towards the hole, the defenses atop the southern wall obviously compromised thanks to what had just happened.
More than that, as the Grimm flooded into Vale, he could see through the hole and saw just how far the damage had extended – easily a few miles right into the kingdom itself.
Oh no, the soldiers, the huntsmen, the civilians…!
Now up, he began to rush right towards the kingdom-.
-Only for him to sense danger, forcing him to spin right back around. Unfortunately, he'd been just a bit too slow.
A massive fist slammed against his side, breaking his arm and some ribs while also launching him across the ground like a human comet. No sooner than when he'd landed after skidding for a solid half mile, a foot stomped down on his elbow joint, breaking it.
"…!"
Pain filled him but he ignored it. Instead, determination and rage filled him. Now for sure, he knew Hazel was no more and the man's final defiant act had been to become a true monster that clearly cared not for what happened.
As soon as the foot lifted, Jaune threw himself upwards and swung with his broken arm, his will and thus his strength such that he could ignore such blatant wounds. Hell, his arm was already forcibly healing even in mid-motion.
Packing far more power into his swing than ever before, he unleashed a point-blank aura wave right at the monster's face just as it'd been about to follow up on its initial attack.
His attack just barely staggered it – didn't even nick its body. But even so, a stagger was still a stagger and he capitalized on that with extreme violence, even outright roaring as he swung his other blade at the monster's lower left leg, causing it to stumble some more.
With borderline animalistic fury, he then delivered a sweeping kick that knocked the off-balanced monster fully off its feet. However, in mid-fall, the monster performed a surprisingly nimble movement in the form of flipping backwards, landing in a crouching position before unleashing a glare so hateful that it actually counted as an attack, some unknown invisible force slamming against Jaune and knocking him back several yards.
Jaune grunted, his power rising all the while and thus allowing him to tank this particular attack without suffering additional fractures and organ ruptures. Even so, it hurt like hell and the fact that the attack had been seemingly aimed at his face had left him unable to see for just a second.
Even so, he sure as hell heard the monster come close and on pure instinct, the teen twisted and used the side of his right blade to deflect a punch that would've otherwise blown his head right off his shoulders.
But that hadn't been the end of the attack as more than a few dozen more punches immediately followed, forcing him onto the defensive.
Jaune grimaced as he was left with no choice but to deflect the blows using the sides of his blades. His anger aside, he was rather amazed – the monster's attacks, perhaps a result of whatever had happened just a moment ago to trigger this change, had become much more streamlined now. It still clearly possessed the same level of hatred and fury that Hazel had possessed, but somehow the monster seemed much more in control than Hazel had been of such emotions, allowing it to draw upon Hazel's training and experience with far more efficiency than even Hazel himself had been able to do in his monstrous form.
He was no longer dealing with some animalistic force that had some proper combat technique – he was now going up against an unnatural force that knew exactly how to make him hurt.
As if to prove this particular point, the monster suddenly broke off its attack and launched a short kick, the very tip of its ridiculously smooth and toeless foot connecting with Jaune's stomach. The marginal upwards motion of the kick forced all the air out of his struggling lungs and made him nearly drop.
Which is exactly what the monster had clearly intended, because as soon as his guard had dropped, it came in with a sudden overhead swing. Its massive fist slammed into the very top of his head, smashing him into the ground hard enough to make him bounce and it followed up on this with another swing that caught him on the side, sending him spinning in a horizontal fashion.
It then formed a small but clearly concentrated blast of pure power right in front of its face and fired it right at him, making sure to aim downwards.
In immense power and disoriented, Jaune could do nothing as he got blasted through the earth and didn't come to a stop until he was at least thirty or so yards underground. He wasted no time struggling to break free.
Alas, as soon as he even started to struggle, the monster could be heard stomping and the ground suddenly opened up, causing Jaune to unintentionally send himself sailing right up…
…And into the monster's waiting arms, figuratively speaking.
It leapt right at him and threw a haymaker in midair. Jaune countered with a swing of both blades, enhancing them with aura. Their attacks collided and generated a shockwave that further spread the crater below them in addition to even some of the Grimm horde being affected from this distance, though the Grimm ultimately paid no mind and kept on flooding into Vale.
The clash lasted for but a millisecond, both of them being blasted back, but Jaune more so than the monster. The latter simply fired another one of those blasts that seemed to embody the very concept of force right at him, striking him right in his chest. He made sure to guard at the last possible instant with his forearms, but even so he was sent careening through the air until he landed little more than a mile from the hole in the southern wall.
It went without saying that he didn't like this one bit.
Not only was the monster seemingly forgoing the lightning and fire based powers Hazel had previously demonstrated in favor of just simple but extremely efficient use of pure force, but it seemed to be intentionally taking this fight closer and closer to Vale.
Jaune spared a glance off into the distance, seeing occasional rains of lightning and fireballs and ice spears thrown about somewhere off to the west a fair bit. Looks like Raven and Amber were dealing with the part of the horde that was over there but now it seemed like they were heading over this way now.
But what of the others? Of his friends? Of the brave soldiers, huntsmen and policemen currently within Vale? What of the people back at Beacon and the civilians?!
He wanted so desperately to spare a long glance behind him, assess the situation and react accordingly but as soon as he even had such a desire, the monster was practically flying right towards him.
He braced himself for the incoming clash.
Things were far from over just yet.
With their grips tight on their weapons, both NPR and RWBY watched from where they'd been stationed as hell seemed to break loose before their very eyes.
"By the gods…" someone mumbled, some other student from among the many nearby as well. Everyone there had nothing else to say, absolutely nothing at all to add onto that single remark.
How could they?
For many of the students of Beacon, they'd spent years preparing to become huntsmen, having begun their training when they were anywhere between the ages of five and ten. Others had started a little later than usual and had managed to catch up in time to be accepted to places like Signal which in turn had prepared them for the more prestigious academies like Beacon itself.
In the case of others, such as Blake, they'd received no formal training per say but had instead undergone multiple trials by fire, having had to hone themselves in the field of battle many times over for one reason or another.
In any case, just about everyone there had long since come to prove they've earned their places at Beacon academy and had demonstrated their resolve to be huntsmen.
It was just Grimm, after all. Enemies of all mankind aside, just how could such creatures be such horrible threats? These had been the kinds of thoughts they'd had at some point or another.
But now? No more.
It was one thing to kill a single Grimm here and there on missions or during training out there past the kingdom walls. It was one thing to deal with packs of Grimm at a time or face off some of the older and bigger ones like Deathstalkers or Griffons or the most massive of Nevermores and whatnot.
But this… this was on a level unlike any other.
Never before had any of them, from the freshman all the way up to the senior students, ever seen such a massive horde of the creatures of darkness. Hell, not even the staff had ever seen such a phenomenon before. The very concept of a Grimm horde was not by any means some highly guarded secret or whatever, but as was always the case, there was a world of difference between knowing of something and experiencing it play out before one's own eyes.
And that is exactly what was happening right now.
They'd watched as the sky had filled with Nevermores and Griffons, had observed as the Atlas fleet had gone to work trying to blast them all down. They'd watched as some of the airborne Grimm had tried divebombing for the city, at which point a relative few of them had been stationed – primarily the fourth years – to work alongside policemen and professional huntsmen to slay them.
And they'd all bore witness to the sudden sight of a massive hole being blown through the southern wall… followed now by the literal flood of Grimm pouring relentlessly into Vale.
Beowulves and their alphas, Ursas of varying sizes, Creepers which were usually a little rare out here, Boarbatusks, Deathstalkers, Nevermores that were choosing to fly especially low, and more poured in with bloodlust clear in their inhumanly red eyes.
On their own or even in just small numbers generally, any of these Grimm types weren't much to truly fear… but now?
Grips tightened on their weapons even more, sweat became a common thing on all of their faces and their heartrates were spiking to new heights.
This wasn't to be like some typical hunt – this was to be a genuine fight for survival.
It was with this in mind that both NPR and RWBY were the first among all the students gathered at their location to step forward. Though all seven of them were talented and normally confident trainees, their hearts were filled with just as much fear as any other students' there. No, perhaps even more so.
After all, they were the only ones among the student body to know of the true stakes behind this ensuing tragedy.
Salem and her forces. Her plans for the kingdoms… and they were all that stood in between the ruler of Grimm and her ultimate goal.
A lot has happened during this school year and they had been the unluckily lucky ones to be caught up in most of what had transpired, though there'd certainly been a level of genuine proactiveness on their part too in getting this caught up in it all.
To now see that this was what everything had been building up to… it was a horrific thing to see and take in.
And yet, it was also oddly humbling in a way.
At the beginning of it all, they'd gone into things so terribly confident and naïve, having thought things would be just as simple as stopping some bad guys here and there and calling it done. It was only through the series of events leading up to this that the seven of them came to truly learn just how underprepared – both physically and mentally, it must be said – they were for the real deal.
"…"
Ruby was the first to take an additional step forward, followed briefly by Pyrrha who was acting as the leader of JNPR since Jaune wasn't here right now.
The two of them looked upon the land before them as the battle for survival now began in earnest, the roars and howls of the Grimm filling the air for miles on end, rivalled only by the sounds of gunfire, artillery and battle cries from those out there in the thick of it right now.
Ruby and Pyrrha turned to one another and shared a look, the former's silver eyes boring into the latter's green ones. In each other, they saw terror over what was happening, anxiety over just how much good they'll even be able to do in this kind of situation… but also, they saw strength and resolve.
As severely underprepared as they were, they'd known for some time now that things would come to a head. And frankly, there was just no way of backing out now of all times, not that such a thing was even an option for people like them.
They may not be like Jaune, not in terms of mentality and definitely not in terms of strength… but Ruby and Pyrrha were both aspiring huntresses. To them, fighting those who'd bring about suffering and protecting the innocent was their unspoken creed. This was the case as well for their respective teams and for everyone else gathered here.
They nodded.
And then… they moved out.
Yeah, so shit is really going down now. Expect things to start getting even more hectic soon in all sorts of ways.
Hope the battle between Jaune and Hazel is still enjoyable for you guys. Don't worry about it dragging on too long either - I've about one more surprise in store before I begin wrapping up the battle for good. And yeah, I'm basing his new look off Goetia from Fate Grand Order, just a little modified.
Until next time, everyone. Please stay safe.