A/N: This chapter will be action-packed! It's my first time doing so action ass kicking in words so please tell me what you all think so that I can improve my story telling. The more feedbacks I get, the higher quality my next chapter will be. Now we begin.
watch?v=Vf8M8_Mw3UM&list=RDMfk8A8rIRQk&index=27 I listened to this song while writing!
Desruc sprinted through the [Forever Falls] in a mad rush, whatever he couldn't smash through with his strength he vaulted cleanly over, and the unfortunate trees that barred his path were pulverized with his shoulder charge. He was getting closer into the stampeding herd, the vibrations were unmistakable. They were getting stronger the closer he got, a good sign for him, but not so much for the students in peril.
His acceleration was decent, but not so much for the squishy humans in his arms though, he'd need to drop them off somewhere safe. Somewhere he'd remember to pick up later. He scanned the surroundings that passed in a blur.
Spotting an Ursa den nearby gave him an idea. He quickly changed directions and went over, replacing its Grimm inhabitants with human ones with a vicious backhand to their armored faces, then flinging the bodies away to dispose of it. "I will take care of the Goliath, you stay here. Safe"
"We can help!" Ozpin protested sharply, gesturing to himself and Ironwood. "We world-class hunters, Desruc. We can handle several Goliaths!"
"If you could locate the students and escort them that would help… but I've no idea where they are. I need to stop the herd now." He gave a heavy sigh and left to do as he said. This left five humans to ponder their choices, Summer was the first to grin."
"Since when do WE listen to anyone right, Winter?" She looked to her white counterpart, who smiled mischievously.
"Right then, we know we can't fight off the herds, but we CAN find and help the students" Winter laid her analysis down, then turned to Ozpin "Did you ever employ that tracking chip I drew up?"
Ozpin grinned. "Oh yes, EVERY student has one. It shows what they're doing at all times"
"Pervert"
"Hey, I've got make up for Taiyang's absence"
Desruc reached the top a hill, giving a great vantage point. He observed the area and saw the herd moving towards the student's meet-up point should anything happen. Something had certainly happened.
And now they were directly several minutes from being turned into paste under-foot countless Grimm...
Desruc cursed his ineffectiveness, even if he was strong enough to tear a fully grown Goliath limb from limb in seconds, there were simply too many of them to kill before some inevitably reached the student body and crushed them into paste. The fourth years could probably manage to kill one, but simple first-years? They had neither developed the experience nor the skill to do so yet.
He needed to stop the herd, but how? There wasn't anything bigger than a Goliath, nor as scary as one when enraged.
He had no choice, if he couldn't kill all of them, he simply needed to disable as many as possible. Break the fore legs at the knee or kick them in the same place from behind, such massive Grimm would immediately lose balance and topple from the sudden loss in support to their massive frames. The ones behind would either stop or trip over their fallen, creating a larger barrier of their own fallen. If he could find the right angle, he could start toppling from that point to create a Domino effect of massive proportions. Maybe kill a few downed ones to either scare them off or attract attention. Maybe even-
Herd distance: Five hundred meters.
No time. He crouched down with his right shoulder aimed towards the herd. Running would take too long, and jumping was out of the question. Desruc wound up his arm, gathering as much energy as he could, and punched the ground. The force was enough to pulverize the rocks underneath, but that was not his intention. With his strength, he had used Newton's Third, using enough force to counteract the forces that kept his body on the ground.
In other words: he flew.
He landed in the middle of the herd, killing the Goliath finding itself supporting his massive weight. The lead stampeders leading the herd were quite a few lanes to from the front. It didn't matter though, he simply had to thin the numbers enough from behind to get them confused enough.
In a split second he had locked onto a new target to his front left.
The Grimm never saw the ground-shattering punch tear its left fore-leg from under it, it reared as best it could from the immense pain, but this action only caused much disturbance within the charging ranks. Many behind it continued to charge forward, tripping over as it rushed over its pausing companions. The others beside it panicked at the sudden attack and began to scatter away from the main stream, sowing more chaos within the ranks. He left those lost ones alone.
Dashing as fast he could to a lane farther up a head, he shoved the Goliath down towards its comrades. Some fell like dominos, more scattered into the oncoming horde causing mayhem in their panic. Many were now simply causing chaos within their own ranks. His job was almost done.
Herd distance: One hundred meters.
He dashed once again to the farthest he dared to and simply tore into their ranks as fast as he could. On his left side, he stomped down on bowed knees, on his right, he picked up a few lighter ones and threw into the lanes farther in. He was almost done sowing enough chaos-
Herd distance: Forty meters.
At this point he could make out the cluster of First-Years rooted on the spot even under the countless stampeding legs. He needed more power! He had to stop them, he just needed more time! He needed-!
Now that he he'd gained the attentions of the herd, some were attacking him with body slams, their bony armor ramming him with enough force to send his frame flying. But it was too late, and as was tossed in deeper to the charging horde from the force of the blow, he began to despair. He couldn't save them.
It wasn't enough, he needed more of their attentions on him! He needed more time, even a little bit!
Herd distance: Ten meters.
The lead Goliath, clearly the herd leader from its impressive size and almost fully armored body, was nearing the student body in panicked frenzy. He momentarily saw a flash of red quickly covered by yellow figure rushing in. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long.
Yang Xiao Long was going to take a hit for her sister she wouldn't be able to survive from yet. They were all going to die.
Die
Die
Die!
All because he was too weak.
All because he was too late.
Carnage surrounded him as his arms tore the massive Grimm down, but it was just a desperate movement. Even as he tried to get to Yang first, the Yellow Brawler had maxed out her Aura in an attempt to absorb the deathblow. The Grimm saw this challenge and responded, it prepared to squash them flat under several tonnes of mass.
He wanted-no, NEEDED Power. More Time. More Power. More Time. More Power. More Time. More Power. More Time. More Power. More…
"…Power? Time?" A sultry voice echoed into his mind, and as it did so the punch he threw to crush a charging Goliath's skull was slowed to a near-stop. He was frozen and so was the world around him. He could see the despair on Ruby's face as she realized her sister would be no more in but a few moments. He saw Glynda rushing to aid Yang, her Sigils half-formed already, but it was already too late.
Laughter filled the air, and a grey-robed figure materialized in front of him. The tone was toying, all-knowing…and dead. The figure's head was in the path of the slowed punch as if taunting him, then it spoke.
"What is it you desire?" Her voice was sensual, promising untold pleasures in her lithe form, covered by a grey-cloak. She was dangerous. "What's wrong? Didn't you want to save them? Didn't you beg for more time? More Power?"
Her slender fingers reached out and brushed against the bared and grey skin of his face, it tingled, telling him that his helmet was no longer in place. He could do nothing as she drew closer to him like a ghost, "Simply accept us…and you will have power…you will have time." Her head shifted up, revealing the delicate features of the bottom half of her face. "Accept us…"
The figure radiated a power he was all too familiar with, from the sensation, to her voice, to her glow.
For all intents and purposes, he was speaking to a direct incarnation of the [First Flame]. Where there was light, so did shadows exist, hence the 'us' in her speech pattern.
"We offer you power. We offer you strength. We offer you both the light and dark! We do not offer one, but both! Let there be no disparity, Accept us!"
The Age of Dark and Age of Light came and went because there was conflict, disparity, strife, contradiction, discrimination, hate. One needs both, not either. Balance needed to be taken willingly, else it will be forced upon.
Just like Dranglic.
Just like Lordran.
Just like all the kingdoms that rose and fell throughout countless ages, as men fought the restoration of balance.
The balance that needs to be restored through destruction, or unification.
Desruc couldn't answer, but the ominous the woman had taken her hand off his bare face. As his thoughts continued its trek. He could envision the beginnings of a true smile coming as he reached his conclusion on the matter.
"Let me ACCEPT you both!"
The smile she gave back at his response was both heart-warming and sickening.
Time sped up once again-no he could move even as the world was frozen in place. He now had time to save his students. He still barreled through the Goliaths easier than imagined and smashed the leading group of the Herd apart.
For a moment he felt fatigue as time began to speed up, but forced out more energy to keep things slow.
He had to use his time wisely.
Desruc decided to topple over as much of the herd over via crushed knees, it saved more time that killing each one. He would go back to his older plan, the smarter option now that he had time on his side.
By the time he'd finished, Desruc knew that he'd finished in time.
He was simply exhausted.
It was over, but why did everyone look more surprised to see him than the whole pile of dead Goliaths?
Ah well he'd wonder that later, right now a nap sounded so good…
"Don't worry, I shall watch over them for you, hehehe…"
A/N: Did my best to fill this with tension and rationalized-ass kicking. Now how does Desruc affect time? Or can he really? Next Chapter well go back to less action and more talks on his might-be Semblance. Bye Bye!