The Black Knight of Remnant

by Jay walkz

Jaune Arc has unlocked a new power that was unleashed after an unfortunate bloody event. This Dark power has now given him the strength to become something more than an average person. Is this power a gift or is it a curse? Whatever it is, Jaune intends to use it in order to bring about a better world.

29. Chapter 29 - The Four Black Swordsmen

Chapter 29 – The Four Black Swordsmen

A long overdue chapter. Sorry for the long hiatus, but here's the chapter you been waiting for. Hopefully this long chapter will ease your anger and frustration and if you weren't satisfied with it, then I hope you can hold back some of that frustration.

"I rather have you all hear it through my mouth rather than his." Everyone placed their attention at Jay who was about to explain why he was still alive and how everything about him changed.

"When I was captured, Rhett had already devised a plan to stage my death to make it appear to all of you as though I died in the explosion after you had come to a decision to save Yang rather than me. The place I was being kept was at a different location and when the bomb went off it was the structure where Yang and an empty bomb rigged storage that exploded. There would be no way for anyone to find out if I was still alive since the explosion would have completely disintegrated me."

"But why… why would he want to keep you alive? What good would that do for him?" Weiss asked.

"Rhett has been obsessed with me since the moment he killed Ash back at Beacon during the attack. Even I don't know the full details, but what I do know is that there is a connection between Jaune and I based on what has happened parts of our life. He believes there's a similar pattern to those who end up having control over the dark or being able to possess this power."

"And what exactly is that?" Jaune asked.

"It was when Blake awoke that same power that you have obtained when I realized he was right. Just like Jaune, Blake had always wished she could go back and change certain things in her life and just like Jaune she lost something precious to her whether she believes it or not."

"Precious?" Blake said.

"You know that Adam was never the man that he ended up to be. Before The White Fang group turned to a terrorist group, they peacefully protested against those who discriminated them for being Faunus. However things didn't work out well for him and you, so he and the organization changed tactics. You Blake, have seen it first-hand how it changed Adam. He used to be a loving childhood friend who slowly descended to the man who would want to enslave and even wipe out humanity from the face of Remnant."

"How did you know about…" Blake was quickly interrupted by Jay.

"It's not that hard searching information about all of you. All it takes is a few calls and searches and you can find what others don't want you to see." Blake lowered her head knowing that he was right about Adam. He was never the man who would hurt others for his cause. This world turned him into a selfish vile man. She wished it was her to take Adam away from this world in order for it to alleviate the guilt she has been carrying for being unable to change Adam's ways. Had she done something about it sooner, maybe she would have been able to stop the attack on Beacon. Had she stopped him maybe Pyrrha wouldn't have had to die and Jaune would have not turned out like this. These thoughts kept eating her away.

"Rhett thought that maybe I would most likely awaken this darkness compared to others… so he did what he firmly believed would be an easier and faster way to achieve that." Jay found it hard to remember what had happened during his disappearance. Not because he couldn't remember, but because of the awful things Rhett had done to him.

"And what was it?" Jaune asked.

2 Months after the Mistral Incident…

"Please … just let me…" Jay was struck be a lead pipe right in his stomach. He was badly beaten and tortured for the past 2 months without being given an explanation for it. Jay was stuck in an endless loop of getting tortured by Rhett and after another month he was finally given the explanation behind Rhett's motives. It was just exactly how Jay explained it to everyone. Rhett expected that his experiment was correct and he would be able to make Jay awake the dark aura, but a crucial piece was missing.

"I don't have that power inside me. Just *cough* *cough* kill me already."

"Oh I think you do. You just need a little… PUSH…" Rhett bashed Jay's back with a baseball bat that was stained with blood that belonged to many other people that were subject to the same torture as Jay.

"… to the right direction." Rhett threw the baseball bat across the room and decided it was time to brand Jay with his initial. He pulled an iron tool used for branding that had the letter R that was already hot and ready to be burned onto a person's flesh.

"No… wait hold on! What are you going to do with that?" Jay asked. He tried to move away from the burning iron rod approaching him, but since his hands were tied and he was dangling from the ceiling it was impossible for him to escape.

"You belong to me now Jay and when you look at your mark you will always remember me. Hahaha." Rhett carefully aimed it on Jay's back.

"NO DON'T!" Jay yelled. The iron tool was now burning his skin and Jay's scream could be heard throughout the structure. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and after it was all done, the mark was clear enough to be seen from several feet away.

Two Weeks Later…

"Have fun." Rhett said. He threw a shiv to Jay who was handcuffed and unable to use his aura or his semblance. Jay picked up the knife from the ground and looked around the dimly lit room. This room was somewhat wide, enough to hold at least 20 people. It seemed as though it was once a fairly sized ballroom turned into a cell. Jay looked around the room trying to find a way out, but there was no way of escaping. The room was dirty to the point where rats could be seen running in and out of it. The windows were barred off so there was no way for Jay to break out especially since his muscles had diminished because of the lack of food he had been receiving. After several minutes of inspecting the cell, he gave up and simply sat against the wall with his shiv in his grasp. Throughout the night he could hear the screams and cries of other people that were in the same position as he was. The only thing that kept him sane was the thought of his friends. He believed that maybe they'll know he is still alive and come rescue him or at the very least being able to escape. After several hours, he heard several footsteps approaching from the door several feet away from him. Jay hid the shiv in his back pocket as the metal door opened. Out came several people who without a doubt were just kidnapped no longer than a week or 2. Their clothes were stained with blood and covered in dirt. Their clothes although torn and their arms and face bruised. Jay counted how many were brought into the room and came up with an idea to use these people to overpower their captors, but he waited until the captors left the room.

"4. I'm not sure if that would be enough." Jay walked over to the group and stopped when he heard the door from the other side of the room open. Another 4 prisoners were brought in and then a few seconds later another 5 prisoners were brought. While others yelled for help, some simply sat down and cried. Jay walked over to a man who was yelling for help through one of the barred off windows.

"It's pointless. Something tells me we are in a forest that isn't inhabited by people."

"You don't know that unless we try!" He continued yelling and before Jay could tell him about his plan, the sounds of speakers turned on and the cell turned silent.

"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. I hope you're having a lovely time because things are just getting started." It was none other than Rhett was talking.

"What the hell do you want from us!? Why don't you just let us go!?" A man yelled.

"Please let us go! We won't tell anybody about this please!" A woman screamed. Everyone started giving a reason to let them go except Jay who was trying to think what Rhett could be planning.

"Settle down everyone. I have an offer for you all. Since I'm feeling generous today… I will let one of you free."

"What are you planning Rhett?" Jay wondered.

"Whoever is the last person standing will be allowed to leave. We will not pursue you nor will we find you." Everyone started panicking and looking at one another with fear in their eyes. Those who opposed to the idea yelled and tried to reason with him however that was useless. Rhett had already planned this from the beginning.

"If you will not take my offer then it's fine. I'll come back to check on all of you within an hour. If there isn't one person alive then that means you refused my offer and all of you get to stay in this wonderful home." The speakers turned off and every single person backed away from one another. Each person telling the other that they have a family and have to return home. Another person ran towards the window and yelled for help yet again.

"No wait! We can work together an overpower him! We can do this if we work together!" Jay said.

"You're probably planning to stab us in the back when we're not looking!" A woman yelled.

"You need to trust me! If we come up with a plan I'm sure we can…" before Jay could finish his sentence one of the prisoners carried a shiv in his hand and had just stabbed a woman from behind.

"No wait stop!" Jay yelled. A woman across from him rushed towards a man and stabbed him in the throat. The man didn't even have a chance to fight back. In just a few seconds, everyone in the room started stabbing one another and attempting to kill Jay who had no problem dodging and maneuvering through the scared crowd with his hands still cuffed.

"Please listen to me! I'm trying to help!" Jay turned to see a man taller and built compared to Jay who has already lost some muscles rushing towards and pinning him onto the floor. The man used his shiv to stab Jay on the face, but Jay was able to move his head to the side and avoid the deadly attack. Jay managed to get both of his hands onto the man's hands that had the shiv gripped tightly in his palms. At that point, it was a match of strength and although Jay had weakened, he still had some strength to keep it level.

"Stop, stop, stop, we can work together!" Jay yelled. Using every ounce of strength he still had to avoid the shiv from puncturing him.

"I have 2 kids and a wife back at home. They need me alive. I'll make sure to tell the officers of this place. Just let me do it." The shiv was aimed directly at Jay's heart and was just an inch away.

"NO! NO! NO!" The shiv slowly pierced through his skin and before it could go any deeper, a woman appeared next to them and kicked the man off of Jay. He let go of the shiv and the woman quickly grabbed it off of Jay thinking he was dying and unable to fight back. She stabbed the man several times in the stomach. Jay quickly got up and looked towards the woman who was now rushing Jay. Jay stepped to the side and grabbed her arm that held the shiv. He twisted her forearm making her drop the shiv and pulled it towards him. He kneed her in the stomach and flipped her over to the ground.

"Just listen to me! I'm trying to help y…" Before Jay can even finish his sentence, he noticed two men from each side rushing towards him. Jay quickly turned to one of them and used his momentum to grab the man and throw him to the other.

"Won't any of you listen to me!?" An hour passed and the metal door that prevented the prisoners from escaping unlocked and opened. Rhett walked in with two other men into the room. They saw what was left of the people who fought for their freedom and the only survivor was none other than Jay. He stood there with a shiv on his hand and a dead body in front of him. The shocked look in his eyes was enough to satisfy Rhett with his awful experiment. Rhett signaled the two men to retrieve Jay and they followed his orders. As they were about to grab him Jay used the shiv to stab one of them in the stomach and quickly turn to the other. He grabbed the man's arm and pulled it to get him off balance. He then kicked the man off his feet and broke his arm. Jay turned to the other man who pulled the shiv out of his body and tried to stab Jay. Jay ducked and punched the man in the stomach and flipped him over. He placed his foot on the side of the man's neck while holding his arm with both hands and snapped it with no hesitation. Jay filled with outrage rushed towards Rhett with the shiv in hand and aimed it to Rhett's neck. With an immediate response, Rhett pushed Jay's hands away and tripped him. Before Jay could get up Rhett slammed his foot onto Jay's hands breaking one of them. Jay yelled in pain and saw Rhett lean over to him.

"I didn't think you had it in you. I didn't think you would be able to kill those innocent people."

"Shut up! You made me do it! I had no other choice! They wouldn't trust me… none of them!" Rhett looked into Jay's eyes hoping to see some sign of the dark aura emerging, but at the same time scanning through Jay. He was analyzing Jay's emotions, his thoughts, and his reactions.

"I hate you!" Jay yelled. Rhett kicked the shiv out of Jay's line of sight and started to kick and punch him. Another month went by and Rhett continued to use the same method to get Jay to awaken the dark aura. Rhett used Jay's beliefs about saving people against him. Instead of saving someone, he was only saving his life and sacrificing the many. It didn't take long until Rhett had a breakthrough.

"What have I done that helped!? Why can't I help people!? Why am I forced to kill those I swore to protect to survive!? What does that make me!? What is there left for me!? I lost my team, I lost my purpose, I lost… there's nothing, nothing left for me at all!"

For a moment a foul presence was felt in the room, but it quickly diminished.

"Kill me. Just kill me." Jay said.

"You know I can't do that. We're so close from finishing this so hold out for a little longer. There are still plenty of things to do before that." Rhett said. Jay had an empty look in his eyes. He was tired of convincing others to aid him to escape, but after killing over 40 people not one stopped to listen to him and he no longer cared. He stopped convincing them and instead, fought back. The only thing he able to convince was himself that he would survive by whatever means and believe that their deaths or what he likes to call it their "Sacrifice" will benefit the future. He killed each of them without having remorse. It was like a chore for him to do that no longer negatively affected him.

One Month Later…

"We can work together. We don't have to do this please." A girl that looked his age said. She had black hair with navy blue highlights. She looked as though she was recently brought in here. Her eyes looked similar to that of Jaune which brought some memories to Jay. Blue eyes; eyes filled with hope that she will one day escape. Although she looked innocent, she managed to stay alive after the massacre that had started.

"You don't mean that." Jay said.

"I do. Please listen to me. We can find a way out if we work together. You can trust…" Without listening to another word she said Jay slashed at her chest. She barely managed to jump away, but the laceration was deep enough to cause heavy bleeding. Jay walked over to her as she crawled away from him.

"Please… stop." The weeping girl said. Jay went straight for her heart, she quickly moved to the side, but was stabbed in the shoulder.

"Stop moving. If you keep this up you'll only end up dying slowly and painfully." She continued to crawl away even though it was pointless. She used her unharmed arm to drag herself towards the door across the room.

"I don't… want to… die." Jay used his foot to flip her on to her back and pin her down. Her body and white shorts stained with the prisoner's blood.

"Roy…" She stretched her arm towards Jay attempting to stop Jay from killing her. Jay plunged the makeshift knife straight to her heart, making sure this time he wouldn't miss. A gasp was only heard coming out of her mouth as she lay motionless on the floor with blood spilling out from her lacerations. Jay removed his foot off her stomach and walked over to the wall, stepping over dead bodies and through puddles of blood that was spilled by his hands. He leaned against the wall and fell onto his rear. He dropped the shiv and placed his arms on his knees.

"She didn't mean that. She would've killed me, but I'll make sure their deaths aren't in vain. I'll get out of here… and when I do… I'll make sure to put an end to all their roguery."

---

The Users of the Past

"That's why I'm like this. Rhett's sadistic experiments created what you are seeing. I lack human emotions. That was the only way I could keep myself alive. The only thing that crosses my mind now is results… results that will aid the people… no matter the cost." Jay looked towards Yang.

"I don't expect forgiveness for my actions today. Resent me all you want because in the end of the day it was to protect the people.

"Protect the people?" Yang asked.

"How the hell is nearly killing me helping anybody? Even when you told me about your sad story it still pains me to forgive what you did to me and you're right. You are someone entirely different. You're someone I would love to beat into a bloody pulp." Yang gritted her teeth and formed a fist in both hands. Jay looked at her hands and looked away.

"The only thing I can do now is stop Salem and Rhett, but obviously Salem is a whole different level. I'll let you take care of her Jaune. You're the only one who has a decent chance of beating her."

"You may think so, but it doesn't mean I have to do it alone. I have my friends here to help me out along the way." Jaune said, placing his hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Well isn't this something. I feel a tear about to come out after listening to this beautiful revelation. It's probably because I'm so tired.

"Does it look like I give a damn?" Jay said.

"That's pretty rude of you. I guess I'm going to have to make you relive those painful moments of yours again." Rhett pulled out two short blades from his coat and rushed towards Jay.

"Go and stop Salem! I'll take care of him personally." The teams rushed towards the Watcher's aid however, Yang remained back, trying to come up with a decision whether to help Jay out or go help her friends with Salem, but it was then when she noticed Raven hiding close by. Jaune didn't hesitate to unleash a powerful crescent black aura to Salem which managed to push her away far enough for the watcher to create some space between them.

"What's the meaning of this Jaune?" Salem asked.

"You're going to die here. That's what's going on."

"Please… do you honestly believe you can defeat me? Jaune… you and I are both alike. Same ambitions, we've been treated the same way, and we lost something precious to us."

"Jaune isn't like you Salem!" Ruby said.

"Oh really? Then let me pose you a question. Has Jaune been labeled as a criminal by the people he saved?"

"W-well…" Ruby stuttered.

"Was revenge the only thing in Jaune's mind?"

"…" Ruby could not give a response.

"Jaune doesn't like the thrill of killing like you do Salem." Ozpin said.

"You have no right to talk Ozpin! Had you chosen me your sister instead of your so called "friends" none of this would have happened."

"Sister?" Everyone asked.

"You decided to choose the side of those who wanted me dead and the kingdom destroyed! Jaune… I helped my kingdom countless of times and not once did I ask for any gratitude. I told them about the coup and yet no one believed me because of this power I had obtained. I became something to be feared. My own people turned against me and Ozpin decided to lock me away, because he was too much of a coward to kill me, his little sister. Because of his mistakes I was the one who had to endure the pain of living in a world where I could not die. Do you know how awful it feels to be alone for centuries? However, this time I will make him feel how it's like to lose something by making him watch me destroy everything he ever loved and wipe out the corrupted people of this world."

"Salem that was a mistake that I wished I never made, but I am truly…"

"SHUT UP! NOTHING YOU SAY NOW WILL CHANGE WHAT I WILL DO!" Salem with blazing speed aimed for Ozpin, but was immediately stopped by the watcher who was able to stop her from proceeding any further. His long fire greatsword kept her weapon at bay.

"Get out of my way!" Salem yelled. Through the dark aura she manifested a double bladed sword and used it to cut the watcher from the side. However, the watcher used his dagger to stop the blade and in a quick spinning motion he used his sword to cut through Salem's abdomen. However, Salem's aura absorbed the attack and it only managed to push her away from the group. Before the watcher continued to his attack he had maintained his eyes on a different person among the group. He could sense another dark presence in the group besides Salem and Jaune and he immediately took action. He somersaulted over the group and directed his greatsword straight down on Blake who barely managed to move away from the devastating fiery attack.

"What was that for!?" Blake yelled when she jumped away.

"What are you doing!? She's with us!" Jaune yelled.

"I'm sorry Jaune, but I can no longer allow this to continue. The only reason we the legion decided not to kill you, is because the elder requested to avoid killing you. However this was only for you… not anybody else who show signs of having the dark and for this reason… it is my duty as an abyss watcher to put her down before she can spread it to others."

"She wouldn't! It's not going to happen!" Weiss yelled.

"You don't know that. Jaune… if you or your friends interfere with my work… I'll have no choice, but to kill them or you as well." The watcher made himself very clear that if anyone dares to stop him from doing his lifelong work, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

"Damn! Not only do I have to worry about Salem, but now I have to worry about him killing my friends. I have no choice. I can't let any of them die." Jaune used his dark aura to create his black knight armor and rushed towards the Abyss Watcher, forcing him to back away from the group.

"Jaune!" Weiss exclaimed.

"We'll take care of the Watcher! You focus on Salem and stop her from leaving!"

"Right!" Jaune turned to Salem and readied his sword. Ozpin appeared next to Jaune, ready to aid him in his fight against Salem.

"Jaune… are you sure this is you want? I will ask you one more time to join me. I know that you still want to change this world for the better and I can help you along the way. Whether you like it or not you and I are reaching the same end together." Salem said.

"I already told you I want nothing to do with you. I'm not like you. Although my life is in disaster I do not despise this world for the sadness it brought me. I still see a glimmer of light, a glimmer of hope. Your crusade is going to end before it even starts."

"So that's your answer then? Fine." Salem placed her hand towards Jaune's direction and in an instant Jaune's eyes turned red and the black veins appeared on the side of his eyes. Jaune stopped and was unable to move his body.

"Wha… what did you d… do to me?" Jaune struggled to talk. He started to lose consciousness, but desperately tried to stay awake.

"You and I are connected Jaune. When I placed my hand on you, I felt something that I haven't felt in a long time. You felt it too didn't you? When we first came into contact? Come closer." Salem signaled the knight to come to her and he slowly walked to her, struggling to stop himself.

"Salem stop!" Ozpin yelled. In a second he appeared in front of Salem and was about to strike, but Salem knows how his brother fights and had no trouble pulling his weapon out of his hands and hitting him right in the chest and send him soaring away.

"That's right Jaune. Come closer. You and I will both make a better world, a world with the two of us."

"Sa…lem st…op." Ruby and the others noticed Jaune's abnormal movement and yelled out to him, but he could not respond. Ruby worried about what happened sped towards him, getting in front of him to prevent him from reaching Salem.

"Jaune! Snap out of it! Jaune! Jaune!" Ruby removed his mask and looked straight at his glowing red eyes.

"Jaune look at me!"

"Get out of his way!" Salem yelled. Before Ruby could react, Jaune swung his sword with a powerful force behind it nearly cutting through her aura. She went sliding to the side and couldn't do anything besides look at Jaune as he reached Salem.

"RUBY!" Her friends yelled. Ren and Nora rushed to Ruby's aid and helped her up.

"No I didn't do it. I… I can't control myself. It's getting dark, so dark."

"Jaune." Ruby said, reaching her arm out. Salem placed her hand on Jaune's cheek, caressing it as if the two have been lovers for years.

"Don't touch him!" Ruby yelled.

"Oh… and what are you going to do about it?" Salem asked.

"I'll…"

"You'll what?" Salem smirked and decided to upset the girl even further by pulling Jaune close to her face and kissing him on the lips. Ruby was revolted at the sight in front of her. Tears were streaming down her eyes filled with anger.

"Why you!" Ruby pushed Ren and Nora to the side and hastily went for Salem with Crescent Rose in her hand and yelled as she brought down her scythe towards her, intending to slice her head off.

"DIE!" As Ruby's scythe was mere inches away from Salem's neck, Jaune used his sword to stop the scythe's blade and allowed Salem to grab Ruby by the neck. Ruby was now gasping for air, kicking her legs back and forth in hopes that Salem will let go of her, but it was useless.

"*Gasp* Jaune *Gasp*"

"Nora! Hammer!" Ren yelled. Nora used her hammer to launch both her and Ren towards Salem and save Ruby. Ren kicked Salem across the face, while Nora grabbed hold of Ruby. Jaune swung his sword towards Ren who he used his guns' blades to stop it from hitting him.

"Come to your senses Jaune! You can't let yourself get controlled! You hear me!?" Jaune pushed Ren back with his sword and went for Ren's legs by performing a 360 degree spin that he had learned while sparring with the Abyss Watchers his first time there. Luckily, Ren was able to jump out of the way and regrouped with Nora and Ruby back with the others. The Abyss Watcher knew that he would need the help of Jaune's friends in order to bring down Salem and her newly found teammate. Even in his form that wouldn't be enough to take down someone who has lived in the abyss for a long time.

"Listen to me kids. I know I can't beat those two alone and I'm going to need all your help to stop them."

"We're going to stop them without killing Jaune." Ruby said.

"Are you insane? You nearly died because of him. What makes you think that he can be saved? If you don't attack with the intent to kill then saving this world is pointless."

"Ruby, whether you like it or not we have to attack without holding anything back. You know that."

"But I can't…"

"Ruby." Weiss said.

"I know how you feel right now. I never told you this, but I too have feelings for Jaune which I never wanted to discuss because of how you might feel."

"Then… then you should know why we can't kill Jaune! Imagine how you will feel… how I will feel if we kill him! I can't see myself without him!" Ruby said.

"You have time to decide what you're going to do Ruby. When the time comes where you need an answer, I can only hope that you will choose the right one." Weiss said. Blake looked at the watcher with a distasteful look and agreed to help him stop Salem. The others drew their weapons except Ruby who was still on the ground trying to decide what to do.

"Jaune… what would you do if I were in your position? Would you be able to stop me even if it meant killing me or would you find a way to save me? I can't decide what to do because killing you would mean killing a part of me. You and I share a dream, a dream that most would say is unachievable yet you and I say otherwise. Unlike me your path is a difficult one, filled with hatred and despair and yet you continue moving forward. If I kill you it means killing my dream as well. It seems that I'm walking the same trail now. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of going there by myself. That's why I can't…"

"Salem!" Blake yelled.

"You're outnumbered. You have no chance of beating us so I suggest you let Jaune go and return to the cave you crawled out of."

"So a newborn thinks she's better? Amusing." Salem chuckled. Blake doesn't know that Salem has all the help she is going to need. Next to Jaune and her appeared three black portals from the ground which summoned 3 armored humans. These humans like Jaune possessed the dark aura however each were different.

"What the heck is going on?" Blake asked. Like Jaune, Blake could sense their aura which sent a chill down her spine.

"Allow me to introduce to you the past dark users in history that sacrificed their well-being for the greater good just to be thrown out like an unwanted child." Each swordsman was different than the other. One in particular, was tall and heavy built who carried a massive greatsword that no other person would be capable of wielding it.

"We… we can't stop them." Blake said. She took one step back that made everyone else do the same.

"You have to be kidding right?" Nora asked.

"Their aura… they… they have a massive amount. We… we don't stand a chance." Sweat dripped down Blake's head. She couldn't remove her eyes off of them without thinking of the possibility of her or her friends getting cut down when they look away.

"These are the greatest swordsmen of the past that brought a more peaceful world that you all took for granted. However, their names were never remembered and their accomplishments were not spread around like those damn Maidens."

"That's the Abysswalker. The Wolf Knight." The Abyss watcher said.

"That's him!?" Ruby said. This knight unlike the others wore a silver armor that was corroded by the abyss leaving black rust all around it. The blue tattered cape he wore dripped with a black substance that can only be assumed to be a reaction of his black aura. The blue hood that covered his head shrouded his face in darkness, but the red glowing eyes are all that the fearful huntsmen and huntresses can see.

"You're right. This is indeed the same knight that threw me into the Mausoleum and locked me in there. He was looked as a menace to society and no one bothered understanding his feeling except his wolf companion. His own kingdom sent him to suicide missions that no ordinary man could accomplish, but he did and came back alive. It wasn't too long until the same kingdom he protected came under fire by the dark. When he was given the choice to save his kingdom Crona or his companion from the dark he ultimately chose his companion and left to rot alongside his kingdom."

"He chose his friend over the kingdom." Ruby's mind wondered why he chose the wolf over his kingdom. Sure his people feared him and hated him, but are they to blame? They saw an unfamiliar power that they had no knowledge of that gave off an awful vibe that should be feared. This gave a form of comfort to Ruby that if Jaune was in her position, he would no doubt save her. Salem walked over to the next knight who was tall and heavily built. Standing 6'3" (190 cm) his armor was black and did not wear a helmet like the others. Like the others his eye glowed red, however is left eye was shut. One can only assume that he was missing an eye which could benefit the huntsmen and huntresses. His massive greatsword that no ordinary man can carry was the same height as him. No man alive would be able to lift such a sword that can easily cut through any Grimm in existence.

"This swordsman was once a feared among the world and was known to slay thousands of Grimm with ease. He managed to kill and trap every single Wyvern in existence with ease thanks to his sword that no other man is able to lift. Like the Wolf Knight many feared him and his power. He wandered Remnant continuing his lust for killing Grimm to ease his pain and sorrow and one day he became weak after killing thousands of Grimm that attempted to invade a kingdom, a kingdom that Ozpin is very familiar with. You should know the story Ozpin."

"What kingdom Ozpin?" Ren asked.

"The kingdom was Vale and in order to stop the invasion they called the Black Swordsman. He was the strongest silver eyed warrior during his time and he was the only one who was close by and able to take this mission, since most of the silver eyed warriors died during the Grim War. The kingdom was already weakened and they had little to no soldiers left to fight off the Grimm invasion, but he did. He marched towards the mountain slicing through every creature that stood in his way to reach the source of what was attracting and spawning the creatures of Grimm. It was a wyvern that was on top of the mountain and although tired and weakened, he managed to trap it inside the mountain itself. No one knows how exactly he did it, but when it was done he was cornered by the people he saved. The people of that time were afraid of how powerful he was and felt he could become a threat if he were to ever decide to attack the kingdom. They decided it would be best to kill him so they did and on that mountain it said that his greatsword still lay there which is the only memory left of him." Ozpin said.

"Strongest silver eyed Warrior? Uncle Qrow told me about the silver eyed warrior some time ago. So that swordsman was one as well?"

"And just like me he was betrayed and killed by the same people he protected. Do you see the problem Ozpin?" Salem asked. Ozpin could only remain quiet as she walked to the last dark user she had summoned. This one had black smoke lingering around him which gave off the feelings of anger, resentment, and fear. Like the other Black Swordsman, this knight had black armor that covered his entire body. However, this one carried a helmet with a slit in front of it where the knight would be able to see. A glowing red light shined through it which would make any other person frightened by it. Like the Wolf Knight, he too had a blue tassel at the end of his head which could mean that he was alive during the same century as the Wolf Knight.

"All of you can see the pattern right? However this one was much different than the others. He was respected by his people. However his affair with the king's queen caused a major problem in the kingdom which led to a civil war. They decided to execute the queen, but he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen so in order to save her… he had to kill his friends… his team. From this he awakened the dark and managed to set the person he loved free, however at a great cost." Salem said.

"They killed him." Ruby said.

"That's right. Did the punishment fit the crime? After all he has done for his kingdom, do you think death is the perfect punishment? Through the years I hoped that humanity would change their ways, but it has occurred to me that this world will not change unless someone can lead it to the right direction."

"So you want to lead it? Killing innocent people will not lead to anything better except pain and suffering." Weiss said.

"You may think so now, but after I'm done… this place will be much better than it was before. If you agree to follow me I will spare your lives… for Jaune's sake of course." Salem said as she walked next to Jaune.

"We definitely don't want to be led by someone like you who has no remorse in taking a person's life." Ruby said. Salem looked towards Jaune and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Well Jaune, I tried to save your friends, but it seems they don't want to be saved. I'll let you to deal with her. The rest of you can go ahead and show them why you were feared at your time." Jaune and the other black swordsmen's dark aura that they possessed grew and all four rushed towards Ruby's team. Ruby, from her side used crescent rose to stop Jaune's attack. Blake was in the Wolf Knight's line of sight and had to quickly take action. The knight did a somersault attack that had enough force behind it to shatter the ground. She used her semblance to get out of the way and left behind a black shadow that dissipated into the air after the attack followed through. From the corner of her eye she saw the Abyss Watcher spinning in with his dagger through the ground and using his momentum to slash at the Wolf Knight who had no trouble rolling away. The flame that followed behind the slash managed to singe his blue cape but only a little.

"Are you alright?" The Watcher asked.

"I'm fine, but we need to come up with a plan to…" Before Blake could finish her sentence the Wolf Knight threw the black sludge that was dripping off of him towards the two, but only managing to get the Watcher.

"What the!?" The watcher yelled. When Blake looked towards the Wolf Knight he was rushing towards the Watcher lunging forward and aiming his greatsword straight at the watcher's heart. Blake had to act fast and used her grappling hook to get a hold on the knight's foot. Although she managed to get his ankle, his strength was something that she could not match. He had no trouble pulling her towards him and decided to aim his sword at her. Again she used her semblance to escape the dangerous predicament she was in and left behind an explosive clone that blew up in front of the knight. The Knight however, placed his greatshield in front of him preventing him from getting damaged and badly burned by the explosion. Blake rushed in once more blocking the attacks with her Katana and slashing away at the shield and sword. The sword the Wolf Knight was wielding was something that could break her blade if she was not careful. Sparks flew as her blade made contact with the shield and sword. The Abyss Watcher took this opportunity to jump in the air and use his flame greatsword to get him from above. The Wolf Knight quickly rolled to the side avoiding the attack and Blake used her grappling hook to pull herself out of the way. Now the Watcher was in trouble. His sword was lodged into the ground leaving him open to an attack. The Wolf Knight charged his attack and went for an upward swing, launching the Watcher into the air and towards Blake. Although strength of the attack was immense, the Watcher was still able to stay up on his feet. Blake used a triple clone attack to land a hit on him without worrying about it being blocked. Two of the three attacks were deflected, but the third made its mark. That itself wasn't enough to slow down the knight. Blake jumped away avoiding a deadly swing from his sword that nearly landed on her neck and regrouped with the Watcher.

"Another 2 or 3 attacks and that will definitely be enough to kill me." The Abyss Watcher stated.

"We need to somehow stop him from using that greatshield of his. No matter how strong an attack is, the shield will simply absorb the impact. My Katana can slice through aura and if I can get clear sight of his arm, I might be able to swiftly slice it off, but I won't be able to do it with him swinging his sword." Blake stated. The Watcher looked down where one of his fellow Watchers was lying. It all came down to this and the Watcher knew what it was going to take in order for the Wolf knight to be occupied and unable to attack.

"I'm going to charge in and when I do look for the opening. It will be obvious when you see it." The Watcher said. Blake agreed and followed him behind as he kicked off the ground and jumped to the air. The Watcher slammed his sword on the knight, but again he rolled away. However this time the Watcher stabbed the ground and used it to pull out of the way from the Wolf Knight's counter attack. The Watcher then used his flame sword to slash at the knight to which he responded by jumping into the air to avoid the attack. The flames that followed behind the slash managed to get him and cause him to lose his balance. The Watcher quickly got up from the ground and used both his dagger and his greatsword to impede his movement. Blake from behind slashed at the knight, but was stopped by his greatsword. The Wolf knight was now pressing against the two, using his greatshield against the Abyss Watcher and using his Greatsword to avoid getting lacerated.

"…HRGGGGH!" A loud moan that slowly turned to a roar caught Blake and the Watcher's attention. The ground underneath them was covered by the dark smoky aura that started to swirl intensely around them. They immediately knew that they had to move out the way to avoid its devastating effects and when they did the dark entered inside the knight and immediately released a powerful force that sent the dead bodies around him away. The wolf knight was now more aggressive than he was before which made things even more difficult for the two.

"I have no other choice." The Watcher said.

"What are you planning?" Blake asked.

"I'm going to let him stab me and when he does I'll grab his arm and you make sure that you completely cut it off."

"Don't be stupid! That's going to kill you!"

"We don't have another choice! We the Watchers of the Abyss will do anything it takes to stop this from becoming a catastrophe. I'm already prepared to die for the people and my comrades. Follow behind and don't miss." The Abyss watcher sped towards the knight who did the same and the two swords clashed. Blake went for the rear and used her semblance to create a stone clone right when the knight swung his sword. The watcher swung his sword and was stopped by the greatshield and saw that the knight was about to stab him and just like he planned the knight drove his sword straight into the Watcher's stomach. As the knight attempted to pull his sword back, the Watcher dug his dagger into his arm, disallowing him to pull away and used his sword to thrust it towards the knight, but again was deflected by the knight's greatshield.

"NOW!" The Abyss Watcher yelled. From the side, Blake appeared and used her charged Katana to completely slice off the Wolf Knight's arm. The plan worked and now the knight was armless. Blake held onto the Watcher and jumped away from the danger.

"*Cough* *Cough*" The Watcher coughed out blood that was absorbed into his clothing. Blake removed the blade from his stomach that completely went through him. It didn't look good. He was losing blood fast and he wasn't going to make out of here alive.

"Can you still fight?" Blake asked.

"Of course I can *Cough*" The two looked towards the knight that was looking at where his arm would be. He looked towards the two and jumped towards them. Blake and the Watcher rolled away and it seemed as though the knight's target was his sword. He threw his shield to the side and picked up his sword. It seemed that the knight was intends to continue the fight using his weak arm.

"We can do this! He won't be as good with the sword as he was before! Let's use this to our advantage and take him out now!" Blake yelled. She rushed in believing that he would no longer be a threat to them, but it wasn't. He was still able to use his sword with his right proficiently but not as good as before. He used his sword to block the katana and push it to the side and swiftly perform a 360 spin attack that managed to hit Blake's legs and causing her to fall onto the ground. She rolled away hoping to get away from the somersault attack, but it was fruitless. The attack hit its target and Blake was struck right on her chest. She felt the pain run throughout her body and a jolt on her chest. The Watcher from behind ran towards the knight hoping to catch him off guard. Before he could realize what happened, the Wolf knight found himself in the same position he was before, the sword driven straight into him this time through his heart. Blake although in pain, crawled away from the Wolf knight. When she turned she witnessed the Watcher get impaled by the knight's sword. It was over for him. The knight picked up the Watcher with his sword and threw him towards Blake. She could see the iris from his eyes dilate and felt the fear building up inside her. She continued to crawl away from him and saw Ren slowly rising up with a sword in his hand. She turned back to the Wolf Knight and saw a bright red flash of light approaching them.

"BLAKE!" Someone yelled before she could see who it was she found herself next to Ren and the flash of red light swallowed everyone in proximity.

---

The Necessity to Win

"Nora! We have to take this fight elsewhere. Ren, I need you to focus on the other Black Swordsman while Nora and I take this fight elsewhere. It's obvious his strength outmatches anyone here and it would be a huge mistake if we keep them together." Weiss commanded.

"Okay, but be careful you two. I'll make sure this one doesn't follow you." Ren said. Nora and Weiss started to run in the opposite direction while being trailed by the Ultra Greatsword user. Ren remained with the others and analyzed his foe in front of him. The Black Knight held a sword that looked somewhat similar to Jaune's however his was different in design. Ren pulled out his automatic pistols and engaged the knight. Ren's plan was to avoid fighting in close quarters and would be more beneficial to keep his distance to avoid getting attacked by the knight's sword. As he shot the knight dodged every round that approached him and sliced a few of them along the way. Ren ultimately knew that this cannot continue and needed to approach this in a different way. He came to the conclusion that the best course of action would be to somehow get a hold of his sword and make it impossible for him to use it. Using the sickle like blades underneath his automatic pistols he plans to use it to pull the sword off of his hands when he gets close enough to do it. Ren started running towards the Black knight's direction and just like that the plan was set in stone. The knight swung his sword allowing Ren to use the blades underneath his guns to stop the sword in its tracks. He flipped one of the guns in order to be able to use the sickle like blade to pull the sword near the hilt off of the knight's hands and it worked. He managed to pull the sword out of his hands and drop onto the floor. He quickly kicked the sword away from the two launching it deep into the forest. Ren jumped away from the knight and this time felt comfortable about the situation. The knight stood there not moving a muscle which made Ren feel even more at ease, but before Ren could react, the knight lunged forward and leaped towards Ren with his fist in front of him and punched Ren right in the forehead. The force behind the attack nearly sent Ren flying into the air. Ren landed back on his feet and clutched his weapon.

"So he isn't a simple swordsman. He knows how to fight with his fists as well. I'm going to need to be extremely careful." Ren took a deep breath and exhaled. He cleared his mind, removing any outside noise that would distract him, removing any thought that would worry him. When he opened his eyes he saw the knight rushing towards swing his fist to the right of Ren. Ren spun and kicked the punch away. The knight went for a roundhouse kick of his own using Ren's kick as a momentum to spin and do the same exact thing. Ren used his arm to stop the kick from hitting him across the face and performed a 360 degree spin and kick the back of the knight's heel to trip him over and cause him to fall on the ground. He then quickly used his automatic pistols to shoot at the armored knight, but the knight hastily rolled to the side avoiding the rounds. Ren put away his pistols and leaped into the air and place his palm onto the ground as he came falling down to the knight. The ground underneath the Knight crumbled and Ren quickly leaped away again. He carefully observed the knight, hoping that the knight would show any sign of injury, however it seemed the hit barely made a dent. The knight had no problem getting back onto his feet and again he was rushing towards Ren. This time the knight jumped in the air and formed a fist with his right hand and slammed it down on Ren. Ren however, managed jump away, but the knight managed to recover quickly and continued his assault. Ren dodged, rolled, and jumped away from the barrage of attacks that came towards him, but that wasn't enough to give him the upper-hand of the fight. A knee to Ren's stomach finally connected after a small period of avoiding the attacks. The knee pushed Ren's body off the ground and in mid-flight the knight swung his fist. All Ren can do at that moment was to stare at the impending punch. It sent him soaring towards a tree causing the tree itself to break in half. The pain in the stomach was so intense that it felt as if it was spreading to the rest of his body. Ren struggling to get air inside him allowed the Knight to take the time to look for his blade. He managed to quickly find it and walked towards Ren who was still coping with the pain. Ren noticed the sword coming down on him so he quickly moved to the side and kicked the knight onto his stomach. Ren pulled out his bladed pistol and attempted to stab the knight who was facing the ground. The knight managed to elbow Ren's hand and push the blade away from him and kick Ren off of him. Ren flipped away and rushed towards the knight as he got back up from the ground and used the palm of his hand to unleash a powerful shockwave into his body that could keep him stunned, long enough to allow Ren to kill him. The knight spun as the palm slid past by him and elbowed Ren right on his shoulder, breaking it. Ren now on the ground looked at the knight as he used his sword to stab Ren right on his chest.

"I can't let him harm my friends… my team. Jaune, I wish I could have been there with you to protect Pyrrha, but the only thing I can do to right now is stop him." Ren barely managed to move his body, but the elbow to the shoulder left him a painful feeling and unable to use his left arm. Ren used his automatic pistol to shoot several rounds to the knight's chest, making him jump away from Ren. Sweat dripped from his head, his heart can be heard pounding through his ears, and the taste of blood fresh in his mouth. He felt slightly annoyed that his outfit that he usually kept clean was ruined, but he knows now's not the perfect time to be complaining. Ren pulled the blade out of his left arm and held it with his right.

"I've never been the sword type… but I guess now would be a great time to learn how to use it." Ren ran towards the Black Knight with the black sword in his hand. He let out a loud roar as he sprinted towards the knight. Instead of running, the knight ran towards him, aiming to take his sword back and finishing Ren. The two collided and with every bit of strength Ren swung the sword, but just missed his target. However, Ren anticipated that the knight would try to grab the sword from him so he abruptly stopped and stabbed the sword to the ground, allowing him to stop his momentum and at the right moment he kicked the knight's arm as he reached for the weapon. He was now open for an attack and Ren took advantage of it.

"NOW!" Ren quickly pulled the sword out of the ground and attempted to ram the sword into the Black Knight's chest, but before he could get off the ground, he noticed a bright red flash of light approaching them. He heard someone yell out to Blake and when he blinked, Blake was next to him.

---

The Favorable and Unfavorable

"Weiss I think this is far enough!" Nora yelled. Weiss agreed and stopped. She drew her rapier, whereas Nora remained on top of a tree branch to ambush the unsuspecting Black Swordsman who approached Weiss. As the swordsman walked closer to Weiss, Nora jumped off the branch and slammed her hammer at the man at full strength. To Nora's surprise, the swordsman used his massive greatsword to block the incoming attack and when it connected the floor underneath them crumbled and the air pushed Weiss several feet away. The leaves around them rustled intensely and Nora shocked at the sight that even with the grenade detonating on impact did not cause the man to falter or show a sign of distress. Before she could move, the man hurled Nora towards Weiss using his sword. Nora crashed into Weiss and the two were on the ground preparing for their attack.

"I've never seen a person that size capable of carrying a sword that massive and addition to that be able to carry someone on it and hurl them. We need to be careful Nora. A blade that massive and a person that strong will have no problem cutting through aura."

"Got it. We just have to be quicker than his attacks. Do you have your glyphs ready?"

"No. We have to execute that when he least expects it. The last thing we need is for him to find out that we have something like this in our sleeves. I'll distract him. You go ahead and try to get him when he leaves himself open."

"Right!" Weiss went in first and barely managed to avoid the enemy's slash attack that was faster than she initially expected. She used the red dust to expel flames from her rapier to torch the swordsman before he was able to attack again, but as the flames appeared it hardly affected him. He used his black cape to protect himself and it worked. The cape must be made of a material that is completely fireproof. However, while he was concerned about the flames, Nora took the opportunity to strike with her hammer, but the outcome remained the same. Nora quickly detonated the grenade upon impact to launch herself away from the man to avoid getting struck by the greatsword. She switched to yellow dust in order to paralyze him for a short time in order to allow Nora to attack. Weiss used her Glyph to catapult herself to the man and aimed her rapier straight at his neck. The man's aura shielded him from being seriously wounded, but the lighting effects paralyzed him for a few seconds.

"NOW!" Weiss yelled. She catapulted Nora towards the swordsman. Nora's hammer smashed down on him detonating a grenade upon impact and shattering the ground. An attack like this will surely wound him. Nora jumped away and watched as the smoke cleared in front of them. When it was cleared they were able to see the swordsman pick himself back up with his weapon resting on his shoulder. It did absolutely nothing. It didn't leave any visible damage on him. Weiss had no choice but to use her summoning in order to stand a chance against a man of his caliber. She asked Nora to protect her as she started the summoning, but the swordsman wouldn't let it happen. He sped towards them slashing away at the two huntresses. The man managed to slightly connect his attack on Nora and although the entire blade did not connect, the edge of it did. Even though Nora had her aura, the brute strength managed to completely slice through it and left a deep cut in Nora's rib. Weiss had to quickly complete the summoning or else the two of them would be finished. The swordsman rushed towards Weiss who managed to partially complete her summoning. The hand and arm of the giant white knight managed to stop the black swordsman's giant greatsword before it could split Weiss in half. Although the attack was stopped, the black swordsman still had plenty of strength to use against it and forced its way towards Weiss, however Nora who was injured, jumped into action and used her hammer to send the man soaring into the air, crashing through the trees of the forest.

"Nora are you fine!?" Weiss asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a cut. Nothing that I can't handle." Nora said, slightly smiling, but it was obvious that she was in pain.

"The wound looks serious. I have to end this quickly or else Nora will bleed out, but even if by some miracle I manage to beat that swordsman… I would still have to deal with the others." Weiss finally completed the summoning and the giant white knight appeared in front of them.

"The white knight was 4 times the size of the black swordsman so surely it will be enough to beat him". Weiss, with this thought in her head ordered the knight to attack the swordsman. The black swordsman appeared out of the forest and sprinted towards the giant white knight without even hesitating. The white knight placed his shield in front of him, preparing for the assault.

"RAAAGH!" The black swordsman yelled, striking his greatsword at the knight's greatshield. Weiss was shock to see that the swordsman was able to push the knight back, nearly hitting Weiss and Nora.

"How strong is this guy!?" Nora yelled. The white knight retaliated and used his sword in a cutting motion to strike down the defenseless swordsman as he was struggling to overpower the knight's shield. A frightful scene unfolded when the white knight's sword came crashing down. The black swordsman used his left hand to stop the sword from cutting him down. The sword should have split his hand and cut him down into two halves, but for some unexplainable reason, he was able to catch the blade. When Weiss took a closer look, she saw black aura seeping out of him and the black armor he wore started to vibrate. The black aura then formed a wolf like helm that covered his entire head. The white knight couldn't overpower the swordsman and was having trouble pulling his sword out of the man's hand. The swordsman raised his head and looked at the white knight with his glowing red eyes shining through the holes of the helm. The swordsmen then pushed the sword to the side and used both of his hands to grip the handle of his massive greatsword and slice off the white knight's arm entirely.

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?" Weiss yelled. Nora was petrified, unable to talk or even think straight. Weiss looked at her and commanded her to run back to the others and call for help, but she didn't move a muscle.

"NORA!" Weiss yelled.

"…" Still no response. When Weiss looked back at the battle, the Black Swordsman had just sliced the white knight in half and now had his eyes set on her. He slowly approached the frightened girl. Knowing that she wouldn't dare to attack let alone run away.

"He's walking towards me. I need to move." Weiss looked down on her legs and noticed that she wasn't able to move either. Was it from the fear or was it something entirely different? She would be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid of the man, but who could blame her? This man was a warrior who slayed hundreds if not thousands of Grimm that are at least 50x times larger than he is. Compared to him she felt as though she was a little hopeless child. Weiss shut her eyes and hoped that this was just a nightmare. She hoped that this was simply a long nightmare that will simply go away if she pictured something else.

"This can't be real. This can't be happening… What am I going to do? I can still hear his footsteps getting closer… louder. I knew the risks of becoming a huntress, but I never thought it would get this extreme. Am I even cut out for it? Here I am unable to move to help a friend in need or to even save my own skin. What kind of Huntress am I? What… what would Jaune do!?" Before the swordsman could finish the battle, he saw a blinding flash of light approaching them and before the light could consume Nora and Weiss, the White Knight that Weiss had summoned managed to crawl towards them and shield them from it. The light swallowed the three and continued to grow even bigger in size.

---

Unvanquished Yellow Flame

Rhett with great speed slashed at his opponent. Although Jay was somewhat worn out from the earlier battle against Yang still had enough strength and stamina left to take on someone else.

"How about I break you apart once more? For the fun of it?" Rhett asked Jay as continued his barrage of attacks.

"You aren't going to spread more pain and suffering to other people anymore. I'll make sure of that." Jay grabbed both of Rhett's hands, preventing the curved daggers from puncturing him. Rhett gave a sinister smile Jay and this made Jay turn his head to the left. Raven sprinted towards him with her Katana by her side.

"I'll just use my…" Jay felt a stinging sensation in his chest. Rhett had propelled a dart that immediately paralyzes the victim upon impact. The dart had been shot out of the hilt of the dagger which is something that Jay wouldn't expect to happen.

"DAMN!" As the blade came down, a pair of shotgun gauntlets blocked the blade from harming Jay. It was Yang who was able to stop it before things went ugly.

"Yang, don't interfere." Revan said.

"If anyone is going to stop Jay… it's going to be me." Yang said. She knocked the Katana to the side and kicked Raven away to focus her next attack to Rhett. She shot several explosive rounds sending Rhett flying away. She turned to look at Jay who was still trying to regain control of his body.

"Why help me?" Jay asked.

"Although I can't stand to look at you, we are still going to need your help, even if it means using you as a meat shield." Yang stated. She turned to Raven and prepared to go on the offensive.

"We're on the same team Yang. I want to help you not fight you."

"I don't consider sending me into a wild goose chase helping. I was a fool to believe that you actually wanted to act like an actual mother and not as a complete stranger. You lied to me, your daughter and for what?"

"I wanted what…"

"What? What's best for me? How the hell is this better for me? Salem is going to kill thousands of innocent people and that is something I can't allow."

"You haven't seen what I have encountered. You need to understand that not everyone is completely innocent. There are people who used others for their own benefits while that person gets nothing but torment and sorrow. I can say with certainty that Salem aims to make this world a better place."

"Yet here you are working with a sadistic man to get what you want and on top of that you went all the way to use me… your daughter." Raven didn't have a response to that.

"So you'd rather help that man rather than me your real mother?"

"You're not my mother. My mother… Summer died a long time ago!" Yang fired two shots behind her to propel her towards Raven. She swung her fist missing Raven's face but swung again this time hitting her blade. Raven spun and slashed at her feet which Yang responded by jumping into the air and kicking Raven in the chin. Raven avoided it by flipping backwards and countering it with lunging forward and attempting to stab Yang in the stomach. Angry, Yang simply punched the blade to the ground and using her left fist to uppercut Raven and with every punch comes dust rounds that increases her damage output. Raven flew several feet into the air and when she came falling down Yang punched again, this time with a bright yellow flame that surrounded her fists. She looked to the side and noticed Rhett rushing towards her with his daggers tightly grasped in both hands. She was aware about the projectiles that fired from the hilt so she was extra careful when grabbing his arms. When Rhett lunged forward, she used her left hand to grab and pull his arm to the opposite side and pivoted around him to kick him behind the leg sustaining his weight. Rhett fell to the ground, his hand and arm being twisted by Yang. She placed her foot on his shoulder and broke his arm and wrist. She looked back at Jay, noticing that he regained control of his body and ready to aid Yang, but that wasn't necessary since she was taking care of herself well. When she turned to Raven's direction, the blade of her Katana managed to hit Yang. However, it wasn't enough to cut through her aura that was shielding her. Yang jumped away, measured Raven. Both sides circling each other, attempting to find an opening or planning a counter attack. It was Yang who attacked first by sending several rounds towards Raven. She responded by slicing each dust propelled rounds into two. As she ran towards Yang, she continued splitting each round in half and Yang did not bother changing her tactics. When she came face to face with Yang, Yang swung her fist, hoping to get a hit on her but instead was parried by her Katana. In rapid succession, she slashed away at Yang making sure she wouldn't have time to counter attack. From behind, Jay kicked off the ground and made his way towards Raven.

"I only have 3 bullets left for Baltic Sea. I can't use it carelessly. However…" Jay pulled his sigil engraved knife and gripped it tightly as he lacerated Raven across her back. He quickly moved the knife to his left hand in order to quickly turn and stab Raven on the neck. Although she was wounded, she still managed to deflect the attack. Jay used his semblance to go completely through her and surprise her with a punch from behind, but she was aware of Jay's semblance and anticipated he would do something like this. When he went through her she spun and slashed him across the stomach. With Jay low on aura she managed to slightly leave a cut across his stomach, but it wasn't a serious wound. When she tried to strike him once more, Jay used his knife to stop the attack and punch her right in the gut and send her sliding away.

"It's best if we took her on at the same time." Jay said.

"I don't need your help." Yang rushed towards Raven firing several rounds towards her. She slashed towards the air and created the dark red portal that she uses to move around from place to place. The explosive rounds went through it and another red portal appeared behind Jay. The explosive rounds hit Jay and he was sent sliding away.

"Dammit!" Yang yelled. Jay badly hurt, wasted no time lying on the ground. He got back to his feet enduring the pain that was brought to him.

"That's why we should work together Yang!"

"Shut up! I don't need your help!" Yang continued her assault. Jay upset by her statement rushed towards her. Jay jumped in the air and slammed his fist to the ground where Raven was standing. Had she not moved out of the way she would have been crushed. The debris scattered around Yang, obscuring her vision. She accidentally shot at Jay, however he barely managed to jump out of the way.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Yang yelled.

"I don't what you have to say. Whether you like it or not I'm going to help. The last thing I need is for you to get yourself killed and lose our chance of stopping these people." Raven rushed towards Jay switching her dust to ice. She swung her blade when Jay wasn't focused on her and the blue colored dust froze his right leg. Jay was now unable to jump away and avoid any attacks that will come towards him from Raven. She swung her katana swiftly landing several hits all across his body. Yang stopped her blade before she could deliver the finishing blow. Her gauntlets stopped the blade and now Raven was open for an attack. Yang punched her in the stomach and sent her soaring towards the air. Jay punched the ice, breaking it into two and allowing full movement of his leg again. Although he was bleeding from the numerous cuts left behind by Raven, he was still able to fight. Raven got back to her feet and switched her dust. This time it was a red and slashed into the air sending a fiery crescent attack that was coming towards Jay's way. Yang jumped towards Jay and pulled him out of harm's way. Raven sliced into the air creating the red portal again and jumped inside. She appeared behind Yang and was ready to pull her out of the way to finally kill Jay… but when she did Jay unleashed a powerful kick. Once again she was sent hurling through the air.

"YANG NOW!" Jay yelled. Yang quickly got up and both launched themselves towards Raven with their fists forward

"AAAAHHHH!" Yang and Jay yelled in unison. Their fists were shrouded in blue and yellow aura as well as a flame. The power behind the attack created a massive wind current behind it. Raven used her arms to shield her body and focus all her aura to her arms to shield her, but that wasn't enough to protect her. Her aura was immediately depleted and the force behind the attack shattered the bones of her arms and body. She was sent soaring towards the Mausoleum completely cracking the exterior. Jay fell to the ground grasping his left fist. Unlike Yang who wasn't hurt by her own attack, Jay was. It seems as though Yang was holding back on her attack. Yang and Jay walked towards Raven. She was coughing large amounts of blood and it would seem that she isn't going to make it out of her alive.

"Yang… I understand that no matter what I say… it will not change the way you look at me, but I honestly believe that what I did was for the good of the world." Raven stated.

"How… how exactly does that help?"

"There are more evil than there are good. There aren't enough… Huntsmen and Huntresses in the world to stop the horrible acts that are done to the innocent *cough* *cough* *cough*. With Salem's powers she would be able to persuade many people to aid her in creating this new world concept. Uniting all the kingdoms under one rule so that war, hate, segregation, and discrimination will *cough* *cough* be forgotten. I felt that this would be better for everyone… especially for you."

"But killing people for this is something that Ruby and I can't follow."

"You know very well that killing is a routine job for a Huntress when facing something that will threaten lives. It's only a matter of time until Ruby understands this as well." Raven said. Jay pulled out his single shot pistol and aimed it at Raven's head. Yang slapped his hand, preventing him from aiming at her biological mother.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Yang yelled.

"Doing my job." Jay said.

"And what exactly is your job? Being a ruthless killer?"

"…"

"If you ever do that again I won't hesitate to kill you myself." Yang said. Her eyes crimson red just like Raven's.

"Do you honestly think that people will follow from the goodness of their hearts?" Rhett asked. He was having trouble standing up with a broken arm. He got off the floor and looked at the three.

"No matter who they are, they will only follow the leader because it will benefit them personally. They can care less about other person next them and I learned that the hard way. They hide their true self until moments before their deaths or when they no longer need that person for their own personal gain. A world united… that's just a child's dream. There can never be solidarity." Rhett's body started to glow intensely and the gravity around him pulled everything from a 15 meter distance (50 feet) including Yang, Jay, and Raven.

"How the hell!?" Yang yelled. She used her strength to hold onto Raven whereas Jay stabbed his knife to the ground to prevent him from getting sucked into Rhett.

"I've been saving this for a rainy day! I wanted to do this in the kingdom, but it seems I'll be doing it here!" Rhett yelled.

"What the hell are you doing Rhett!?" Jay yelled.

"I'm going to detonate myself! This is my semblance! When I learned to use my semblance, I was able to release my aura and destroy everything from a 2 kilometer radius! That left my body in a temporary paralyzed state as well as 2nd degree burns all over my body and now I will unleash hell on this forest. This will disintegrate any living thing that contains a decent amount of aura and will cover 20 kilometers! There's absolutely no possible way to outrun this!

"He's insane!" Yang turned to Raven.

"Yang, grab my blade and cut through the air and walk inside it. I want you safe you understand me!?" Raven yelled. The air around them was now pulling more aggressively.

"I can't leave everyone here! I need to save Ruby and the others!"

"Yang, I have just enough aura to make you and three others intangible for just a short amount of time! Let go of Raven and let's head towards the others!" Jay yelled.

"I… I can't just do that! I can only pull one of you! I can't simply let her die!"

"Yang." Raven said.

"Let go. Save your friends, be the big sister you always been. Look over your friends and protect them. That was something that I stopped doing long ago. Had I returned… maybe I… maybe I could have been able to save Summer."

"What?" Yang quietly said.

"This is the only way I can do to fix my mistakes, to atone my sins." Raven let go of Yang's hand and was sucked close into Rhett. She was locked in place, a few feet away from him.

"Raven!" Yang yelled.

"Yang, we need to go now!" Jay yelled. She shut her eyes and pulled Jay close to her, ready to climb inside the dark red portal.

"There's no way to escape! Now cry as you witness your last moments here on Remnant! Show your true colors and reveal what you truly are!" That was Rhett's final words as his entire body turned to a bright red wine color state.

Jay and Yang entered inside the portal and the bright light started to spread. It swallowed everything near it and continued to grow. This bright light brightened up the night sky. One might even say that this light could be seen throughout the kingdoms. The red shattered moon blended in with the color and the water around remnant turned into a red blood state. Although this was only for a brief moment, it was enough to put the entire population into a state of fear. The light never reached the cities, but many people witnessed the blinding flash of light from the comfort of their homes. In a way, Rhett managed to reveal each person's true colors.

---

Timeless Hatred

"This is your final warning. If you don't stand aside, I will make sure that Jaune will kill you slowly and painfully." Ruby wasn't afraid of Salem, but was afraid of losing Jaune. She has turned him against his own comrades, his own friends. The people he wished to protect were now targets.

"Ruby… stand aside." Ozpin said.

"I know you don't want to hurt Mr. Arc, but in order to stop Salem I'm going to need to stop Jaune whatever means. I can't hold back and if I have to kill him I will. This happened because of me. I can't let any of you get involved." Ozpin sped towards Jaune, appearing in front in a second and in rapid succession managed to land several hits on him. Jaune however, powered through the attacks and swung his sword at Ozpin and missed. Ozpin appeared behind Jaune and his cane turned to a sharp blade.

"Ozpin wait!" Ruby yelled. Jaune quickly turned and used his hand to clutch the blade to prevent it from striking him in the face. He then used his sword to slash upward causing Ozpin to let go of his cane and take defensive measures. When he backed away, Salem rushed him and used her double bladed staff to cut Ozpin into ribbons, but was stopped by Ruby. Her scythe barely managed to reach the enemy's blade before it struck Ozpin.

"I don't want to kill Jaune. I can't bring myself to do it. The only thing I can and will only do is save him!" Ruby spun around using her scythe to cut Salem in half. Salem managed to stop the curved blade and countered by using her opposite blade to attack her defenseless face. Ruby used the end of her scythe to stop the blade. The metallic material was strong enough to withstand the sharpness of the weapon. Jaune rushed Ozpin and dual wielded his cane and sword to cut Ozpin down, but with Ozpin's speed it was difficult to do so. It was then when Ozpin surrounded himself with a powerful green sphere shield that stunned Jaune when he attacked. He was thrown from the sphere and fell to the ground. Ozpin had the edge in the fight now. Jaune was unable to pull Ozpin's weapon away from his grasps using his semblance. The only thing that will help him against the agile opponent is to catch him with an unexpected attack. Jaune jumped forward and slashed at his opponent. Ozpin dodged to the side and thrusted his cane several times at Jaune's body. Jaune tanked the attacks and slashed again at Ozpin. Ozpin had no problem avoiding the attack by moving behind Jaune instantly with his speed. Jaune anticipated this and conjured up flames underneath Ozpin. However, Ozpin used his shield to cover himself from the inferno and it took most of his aura to simply protect him. Jaune noticed the bubble shield flickering on and off and saw the opportunity that he was aiming for. He threw his sword at Ozpin with great precision. Ozpin reacted quickly and moved his head to the side nearly having his face impaled by the blade. Jaune smirked and used his polarity to flip the sword around and come back to Ozpin. There is no way he would notice this attack. Before the blade could impale Ozpin, pedals flew by and deflected the attack. Jaune turned to see that Ruby managed to deflect the attack. From behind Ruby came Salem. Annoyed by Ruby's speed she changed her tactics. The double bladed staff split apart and turned into two curved swords.

"Try escaping this!" She yelled. A barrage of attacks was unleashed on Ruby. She could barely keep up with Salem and her semblance narrowly keeps her from getting struck. Ruby knew she couldn't do this by herself. She needed help, but the only help she had at the moment was Ozpin and he is having a hard time dealing with Jaune. Jaune's sword returned to the owner's side and again was ready to go on the offensive. He stored up a large amount of dark aura into his sword. Ozpin and Ruby will have to do something quick in order to avoid the devastating damage that it will unleash. Ruby switched opponents and rushed towards Jaune, jumping on top of him causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. She used her hands to prevent Jaune from attacking her.

"Jaune, you need to fight it! You can't let Salem control you like this!"

"…" No response. He started to become more aggressive towards her and attempted to get her clutches off of him.

"She is trying to make you hurt your team! She's trying to make you kill me! Are you just going to let it happen!?" Ruby yelled.

"I'm trying Ruby, I'm trying!" Jaune tried his best to take back control of his body. He can't allow his friends to die. Looking at Ruby's worried eyes empowered him to go even further. Remove all stops and used every ounce of strength, every last drop of will power he had left to take back what was rightfully his.

"SSAAAALEEEEM!" His aura pushed Ruby off of him. Her scythe tossed away from her. Salem saw her defenseless and smiled.

"If you want to protect her then is suggest you dot it… NOW!" Salem sped towards Ruby combing both her blades and returning it into a double bladed staff.

"Salem stop!" Jaune yelled. His body moved in front of Ruby, shielding her from the attack and as the weapon was about to strike him Ozpin appeared in front of him and took the attack. The blade went through Ozpin and nearly pierced Jaune.

"What? How?" Salem asked. She couldn't believe that Jaune managed to move his body with her controlling him.

"Well I guess it can't be helped. She walked towards Ozpin and pulled her weapon out of him, leaving a hole in his body.

"Jaune… Ruby… I'll leave everything up to you both. I know neither one of you will make the… same mistakes I did." Ozpin said, letting out one last smile.

"I'll be doing what you should have done a long time ago and unlike you I won't make the same mistake." Salem slashed once more, this time across Ozpin's neck.

"OZPIN!" Ruby yelled. He fell onto the ground and now all that was left for Salem to kill was Ruby.

"Ruby, listen to me." Jaune said quietly. He whispered to her a plan and expects her to follow through with it.

"I didn't expect you to be able to regain some control of your body back Jaune. I'm impressed." Salem said.

"I won't let you hurt my friends." Jaune said.

"I don't expect you to understand my motives, but in time you will come to understand. I won't kill you, but you are being a bother right now so I'll just have to slow you down for the meantime." Salem thrusted the blade into Jaune.

"JAUNE!" Ruby yelled. She saw the blade pierce through the side of his stomach.

"RUBY NOW!" Jaune used his semblance to retrieve Ruby's scythe and return it to her. She quickly shot several shots at Salem that pushed her away from Jaune.

"I'm going to make you pay for that you little…" Before Salem could finish her sentence, a bright red light appeared behind her. She turned to see the light quickly expanding and coming towards their way.

"Ruby!" A yell was heard near her. It was Yang and Jay who had appeared out of the red portal.

"That's…" Salem said.

"What's going on!? Ruby yelled.

"There's no time to explain! Use your speed to get Blake and get her close to Ren now!"

"But…"

"NOW RUBY!" Yang yelled. Her eyes still filled with anger.

"Jay hold on." Yang commanded.

"Right." Jay used his right arm to wrap himself around her. She used her shotgun gauntlets to launch her towards Ren. His clothes was ripped and looked as if it were in tatters.

"Jaune let's go!" Ruby said.

"I have to focus my concentration more on Jaune than the other swordsmen. It's risky, but it's the only option I have left to survive." Salem thought. Jaune felt himself losing control once more.

"Ruby I can't control my body any longer. Go without me now! I'll be fine!" Jaune yelled.

"Jaune I can't…"

"STOP BEING A SPOILED BRAT AND GO! Please." Ruby had no choice but to do what he asked. His body was again controlled by Salem. He jumped towards Salem's side with her weapon still impaled. He used every ounce of aura he had to create a massive black hole he had once created during the fight against Cinder.

"Ruby?" Blake said. She noticed her eyes dripping with tears and gritting her teeth. Ruby pulled her towards Ren where he and the others were.

"Where's Weiss!?" Ruby asked.

"Where's Nora and Ozpin!?" Ren asked.

"I don't know I thought they were with you!" Yang yelled.

"Hurry up and hold on to each other!" Jay yelled.

"We can't do this without Weiss and Nora!" Ren and Ruby yelled.

"There's no time! Do it now!" Jay yelled. Ren and Ruby bit the bullet and did what they were told. They placed their hands onto each other. Yang placed her hand on Jay's back.

"This is going to take all of my strength and aura to do. I don't have any flasks of aura left. I hope this won't go to waste." Jay used his semblance to make everyone with him intangible. The bright flash of light swallowed them and continued to expand. The white knight that was cut into two pulled itself towards Weiss and Nora and shielded them from the blast. After several seconds later the bright light dissipated and everything went quiet. No woodland creature can be heard and the fires that surrounded them were extinguished, however embers were still left. The structures around Ruby and the others collapsed to the ground. The swordsman that Ren was fighting was disintegrated. The Wolf Knight had picked up his shield and created a bubble barrier similar to Ozpin's except his was blue and was released through his greatshield.

"Huh?" Weiss said. She looked at the white knight that shielded the two from the blast and in a second faded away into the wind. Nora and Weiss got up from the ground and noticed the tall Black Swordsman holding still. The entire armor was charred and it looked empty in the inside, almost as if it were a statue. Weiss took this time to cut a piece of her skirt off to use it as a bandage to stop Nora's wound from continuing to bleed.

"Do you think he's dead?" Nora asked.

"I'm positive. There's no way anybody could survive that."

"Wait… the others!" Weiss exclaimed. Weiss quickly helped Nora up and walked towards her team's direction. From behind they could hear the sounds of crumbling. When they turned they saw that the black swordsman was struggling to move. It seemed as though the blast did not kill him and now seemed angrier than before. His eyes started to glow even more intensely and his body started shaking violently as if attempting to regain complete control over his body.

"We need to run to the others now!" Weiss grabbed hold of Nora and rushed towards the others not looking back at the terrifying scene of the swordsman waking back up.

"Rrrr….RRRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Thanks once again for reading this chapter and following or favoriting it. I know I take way too long doing these, but I prefer to make these chapters when I'm in the mood for them. The last thing I want is to make a chapter which is a total disaster which is what I've been probably doing to some of you, but to those who still enjoy them even a little thank you for sticking with it and I hope you have a wonderful day.

The next chapter will be called "Whirlpool of Emotions"