A/N: Canon will start later, so don't expect it for a while~
I DO NOT OWN RWBY
Chapter 12: Coming Storm
''Ruby, you don't need to come with me'' I sighed as the Adamantite Bullhead landed next to us, Beacon Bullheads powering up next to it.
''No, I'm coming'' She said firmly, clinging to my arm. Her cape had been wrapped up into a scarf, part of it trailing behind her rosy cheeks.
''Fine'' I sighed with a smile ''You okay with coming Ren?''.
''Its fine'' The stoic teen nodded, the lower half of his face hidden behind a scarf. The engines roared to life as all four of the Beacon Bullheads prepared to take-off.
''Alright, everyone go to a different Bullhead and upon landing guide them into the Bullheads, twelve in each of the normal ones'' I said in a stern, business tone ''They haven't been on a Bullhead before so just instruct them to sit down and strap up, alright?''.
Four nods.
''Then lets go'' I nodded and I went to the crimson Bullhead while Ruby, Ren, Alexia and Nazai heading to a Bullhead each. I walked up the loading bay and into the cockpit, sitting in the pilot seat. I flicked the engines on to full and took the stick, pulling it back as the Bullhead elevated. I heard the other Bullheads follow as I took off at a steady pace towards the cave. The white snow looked dulled to a grey because of the heavy clouds obscuring the sun above, gently patting against the glass gently. I caught sight of the small cave in the clearing and slowed the engines, putting a finger onto the communicator that I had linked to the other Bullheads.
''Arriving at target location, landing'' I said over the communicator, getting a collection of affirmative grunts from the other pilots. I descended downwards, the engines of the Bullhead melted most of the snow away by the time the landing gear came out. The snow was nearly five feet tall now. I kept the engines on and walked out of the cockpit, exiting via the side doors. The snow crunched under my boots and I waited, watching as the other four Bullheads landed also, their engines melting the area around them as they kept them on. My four companions also came out of the side doors, hopping out and approaching me.
''Ruby, Alexia, Ren - stay by the ships.'' I ordered and got several nods before I led the humanized Alpha into the cave. The snow had creeped into the entrance of the tunnel slightly but not enough to warrant concern, so we ignored it as we descended. Murmurs could be heard as we neared the bottom, likely coming from the men and woman who are now under my command. We walked out into the cave, drawing the attention of Artyom who was waiting near the entrance.
''I want twelve on each ship except the crimson one, have Artyom and two others board that one'' I ordered sternly ''You, Alexia, Ruby and Ren will get them strapped in. When we land I want them in the ballroom like we discussed, alright?''.
''Got it'' He grunted and I nodded, heading back. I re-climbed the steps and soon found myself in the falling snow once again, a glance behind me showed me that Nazai had made quick work of rounding them up, as Artyom was gesturing to the path before beginning to walk up them, nodding to me which I returned. I walked over to the crimson Bullhead, which was still active, and walked onto the loading bay door and waited. Twenty seconds later a single file line of Monochrome Knights came out, all dressed nigh-identically as they followed Artyom's instructions, getting into each Bullhead with expressions of unease but obeying anyway. Once all were done Artyom and two others walked up to me, I nodded and gestured for them to come in.
They sat down on the chairs, pulling the belts and clipping them in without me needing to instruct them to. I merely nodded and went to the cockpit, sitting myself down and pulling up, pressing the communicator at the same time.
''Returning to Beacon''.
''Roger'' I got several remarks, most of them cheerful with one or two grumbles. I flew it in the direction of Beacon, idly casting a glance back at Artyom and his two other soldiers. They were uneasy, but were obviously trying to ignore the strange feeling of flying. I was still curious about how the hell Dust had managed to transform Grimm into Humans, let alone friendly ones. Nazai had claimed Oum, also known as The Creator, had told him that he should follow orders from me, even though I was centuries younger than him. I also had many questions on what it was like to be a Grimm, and now to be a Grimm-Human, but those would have to wait until we figured out what was with the intense snow.
I was brought from my musings as I caught sight of Beacon, making me pull back the stick and flip the engines into hover mode as I descended onto the snow-covered landing pads. The other Bullheads also landed on the other landing pads, depositing their passengers before taking off for the hangars. I sat up from my seat and headed for the side door, mentally giving the command for it and it obeys, something I was still mildly confused about. Artyom and the other two followed me as we jumped out, the sky darkened to make the whole place look like monochrome, funny given the name of my new mini-army.
I dismissed my Bullhead and it took off for the cliff-side. I nodded to Artyom and led them towards the others before giving a quiet order for them to go with Nazai and Alexia, to which they obeyed and as a single mind all fifty-three went towards the ballroom. I approached Ren and Ruby, meeting up with them as we walked towards the main entrance.
''Well... you weren't kidding'' Ruby joked lightly, smiling.
''Mm'' I smiled, giving a short chuckle ''The Monochrome Knights, now all I need is to arm them, find them a place to live and get them more than one uniform''.
''How did you meet them anyway?'' Ren politely asked idly.
I smiled ''Would you believe it if I said they are/were White Beowolves that became human through Dust?''.
They stopped, staring at me.
''What''.
''So, that's the situation'' I smiled at my team, JNPR and AREME, who stared at my like I was crazy.
I might be, who knows at this point?
''You're crazy, that's a fact now'' Weiss sighed, always being the first to speak.
''I second that'' Mercury smirked, adding his two cents.
Reality shook her head, an amused smirk on her face ''I'm impressed... and stupefied, but mostly impressed''.
''I'll take that as a compliment'' I shot back with a smile ''Either way they followed my orders, like a mini-army, so that's neat''.
''So Alexia is actually the Arachne Grimm we found back at Mountain Glenn?'' Blake asked with a small frown.
''Yup''.
''...Okay then'' She finished, blinking slowly.
''I can also do this now'' I commented as I gathered my Aura in my palm, forming the blackened energy in my left arm before moulding it into the shape of a Beowulf mask, placing it off my face ''Last two times it exploded, but hopefully not this time''.
''That's so cool~!'' Nora cheered, poking the bony mask ''Can you turn into one too?!''.
''No, but I believe I can communicate with Grimm, or at least Beowolves'' I shrugged. Abruptly the mask cracked, then crumbled ''And it appears to have a time limit too''.
Ruby sighed, looking out the window ''Looks like the snow still isn't letting up''.
''Either way we should try and get some sleep, hopefully we can sort this out tomorrow'' Weiss concluded.
''Yeah, annoying that its so cold though'' Reality sighed.
Weiss gave her a confused look ''Its not that cold, is it?''.
We all looked at her.
''What?''.
''Guess Snow Queen doesn't feel the cold too much'' Mercury sniped with an amused smirk.
''Shut up'' She scowled, eye twitching at the name. Mercury just snickered as he went to the door, Emerald following with a sigh. Slowly JNPR and AREME left the room while giving their goodnights, leaving us alone in our room, Weiss immediately claiming the bathroom to change.
''It is cold'' Blake commented, looking out the window. Yang, from beside her, smirked and wrapped her arms around her stomach and pulled both back onto Yang's bed, making Blake yelp in surprise.
''Come here kitty-kitty'' Yang grinned at Blake's embarrassed blush.
''Yang!'' Blake very nearly whined.
''You said it was cold~'' She laughed, clinging to Blake ''We need to keep warm~''.
''At least let me get changed'' Blake mumbled.
''Fine'' Yang pouted, letting Blake go. Weiss came out of the bathroom in her nightgown with her hair down, letting Blake go in and get changed while immediately turning in for the night. I shrugged and removed my black cloak off me along with my armaments, leaving me in my plain shirt. I untied my boots and took them off, leaving them at the foot of my bed. I raised an eyebrow and turned to Ruby as she also had changed without me knowing, sitting on my bed with a shy smile. I just smiled in turn and gave her a peck on the cheek, letting her into bed with me. If anything the excuse 'for warmth' could be used here, and I wasn't complaining either way.
''Night'' Ruby mumbled to me, snuggling into my chest.
''Goodnight'' I replied, letting myself drop off to sleep, the bitter cold ignored as I fell 'asleep'.
A loud, repetitive thumping startled me awake, and Ruby by extension. I blinked in a dazed confusion, my mind taking a few moments to align itself as the others also were awoken with the sound. The sound came again, this time my coherent mind was able to distinguish it as someone knocking. It was still dark, nearly pitch black, meaning it was likely anytime before five in the morning. I allowed myself to grumble lightly as I got up, moving past a groggy and equally annoyed Ruby as I went to the door in a shirt and pants. I unlocked the door with the key on the table next to it and swung it open, annoyance dissipating at the sight of a worried Nazai.
''Nazai? What is it?'' I asked, a frown growing. Something wasn't right - you could tell by his posture and accelerated breathing.
''I not know, but I have bad feeling'' He said with his prominent accent ''Snow was warning''.
''Warning for what?''.
''I not know, but snow make me and pack worry, bad thing coming'' He said, and I frowned deeply.
''Are you just worrying, or is this an imminent danger?'' I asked slowly.
''Instinct tell me danger'' He replied shortly and he paused, looking to his right ''Instinct say danger closing in... Grimm...''.
I grunted ''Do you or the others have weapons?''.
''No, we have fists, but not good for fighting Grimm''.
I clicked my tongue, my team now fully awake as they listened ''I see, are all of the men and women equal in combat, or do you know which are better than others?''.
''Artyom and Alexia are better than others, but I know a few who good'' He grunted and I nodded.
''Alright, do you have any idea how long we have before this 'attack' comes?''.
''Instinct tell me not long, less than fifteen minutes''.
''Very well, return to the ballroom and await my presence, analyse what type of weapon would suit each man best and update me when I arrive'' I ordered sternly and he nodded, swiftly moving back towards the ballroom. I turned to my team with a Grimm expression, but my gaze was on the window, to the ominous forest ''You guys ready?''.
''Once we're dressed'' Weiss commented lamely as she claimed the bathroom with a huff, but the seriousness of the potential attack showed on her face.
''Ruby I need you to go to our lockers and grab our weapons'' I stated seriously and the girl nodded, running past me before taking off in a flutter of rose petals ''Blake, contact the staff and warn them. Yang I need you to go to the dorms and wake everyone up, warning them of the potential attack''.
''Got it'' Yang grinned as she unashamedly stripped, getting changed quickly and I politely turned around for the sake of modesty. I sighed as I went and collected my cloak, slinging it on and putting my shoes back on, and set off towards the ballroom. I was only down one corridor before I was surprised by the sight of Ozpin fully dressed, sipping in an almost casual manner.
''Headmaster?'' I blinked, surprised.
''I also sensed the pending attack'' He smiled, pausing for another sip ''Battle instincts do that to you''.
I mentally shrugged off the strangeness of the situation, and asked ''What is coming? Just a small amount or an army?''.
Ozpin hummed ''Quite a few, something indeed worthy of awakening the whole school for, I advise arming your men quickly''.
''I'll try'' I nodded as I moved past him, heading for the ballroom. The power was still off it seemed, and right now it was looking to be extremely suspicious this Grimm attack was happening so soon after all these recent events. The gods wouldn't be working against us.
Right?
While it had taken a fair cost of my Aura, which I was surprised at its large volume, and almost half of my soul to construct I had been successful in arming my men and women with weapons. Most of them weren't overly spectacular, mainly just simple melee-transforming-guns like most hunters. Ozpin had followed me, and to my surprise unlocked the Aura of all of my men, something that barely seemed to tire him and also surprised me because I was unaware they had yet to unlock their Aura. They didn't have their Semblances though, if they could have them, so I held out hope that they would miraculously gain them during the fight. Jaune also had yet to gain a Semblance, so that something I'll have to work on... so much to do...
I was pulled from my thoughts as a metallic 'shling' came from beside me. My gaze turned to Alexia, who was admiring her weapon I spawned and she named Slice and Dice, respectively. Both of them were black katana with a red stripe down the middle on both sides with a cup guard on both of them. I had seen something similar from Ruby's magazine, instead I made them dual wielding. So far Alexia seemed to use them well, giving a few practice swings and a few pointers from Blake helped her get adjusted quickly, 'instinct' helping her the rest of the way.
Nazai's weapon was much different, being a thick broadsword painted white with a small (less than a millimetre) gap in the middle down the blade. Its middle split open and the handle twisted and bent to form a grip, trigger and revolving cylinder. The cylinder contained a cartridge of Liquid Electrical Dust that Ozpin had allowed me to take after showing me the armoury, which I was impressed at by the amount of bullets and varying ammo in there. Either way it split open down the middle into a small space lined with gold which conducted raw electricity before firing a condensed bolt of it. A long charge time, but likely to one-shot a Deathstalker.
''You ready?'' I asked the duo as I loaded Judgement with Anti-Material rounds, the snow no longer falling around us as we stood outside the main entrance.
''Of course'' Alexia said elegantly as she twirled her dual katana in her hands, Nazai grunting the affirmative ''What's the plan?''.
''We go with a majority of the students and await the approach, then start of with ranged fire until they're close enough for melee and spread out'' I answered simply, checking my gear once more before slinging Judgement over my shoulder.
''Then let us go'' Nazai stated as myself, him and Alexia started walking ''We're moving! Follow!''.
''Urah!'' Came the collective cheer back as they all moved towards the side of the building, with me leading. A line of students now stood firmly, loading up or already aiming at the forest. The other teachers were either a little back or spread out amongst the line, which spread at least a good few hundred metres. A large gap remained in the middle, which was where I lead my men. We drew quite a few eyes and mutters, but I easily ignored them as I found my team, greeting them with a grim smile as Nazai ordered my men to line up as well.
''You guys ready?'' I smiled at them.
''As we'll ever be'' Blake spoke, smiling lightly.
''Where are the others?'' I asked, scanning the line.
''Jaune and his team are not far to our left, while Adam's team is far to the right'' Weiss replied smoothly.
Before any other conversation could continue, Nazai called loudly ''They approach!''.
Immediately any conversation died down, grimness filling the air as we waited. I raised my palms out as my Dunkelheit flawlessly activated, wordlessly summoning two Sigils of the strange grey. Out of it a serious Neo and blank-faced Eleanor came, staring at the treeline also. For a long minute nothing happened, and just when someone was about to speak the treeline rustled slightly. Suddenly a freight-train of snow began tunnelling towards us, more specifically my team and me. Several more broke the treeline, roughly ten, spread out along the line.
''King Taijitu!'' I shouted as I raised a hand and a Sigil formed in front of me ''Insho: Kasai!''.
Immediately the red Sigil glowed brightly before a thick snake of fire burst forward, worming at the Taijitu. It struck where its head would be, causing it to screech as its white head reared up from the snow pile, its momentum slowing as it revealed its burned face, its left side of its face completely burned away as its remaining eye glared at me.
''Fire!'' Someone shouted, and immediately everyone unloaded at the multiple King Taijitu, bringing the first heads down with ease. The black head from my one raised, but someone sniped it before it could even screech. The treeline burst as a literal army of Beowolves charged towards us, and those not targeting the Taijitu immediately unloaded at the approaching Grimm. I was no different, immediately raising Judgement and taking sight of a Beowulf, picking it off with practiced ease. I aimed and fired again, two dead with a collateral third. Another. Two more. A final one. I paused to reload, a bolt of electricity coming from my left signalling Nazai firing, followed by his gleeful cheer and he transformed it back into its melee form.
I did the same, just in time as the Grimm reached us. It became an all-out melee immediately as we were forced to hack and slash at the Grimm, explosions echoing around me as I hacked off the head of a Grimm with ease. I spun to avoid a claw and fired at my feet, going airborne and allowing gravity to bring me back down on a distracted Beowulf, planting my foot on its head and crushing it under my momentum, already moving to target another Beowulf. Ruby blurred past me, chopping several Grimm heads on her way.
I shot at my feet to avoid another Beowulf, but instead of descending I placed a hand down below me and formed a Force Sigil, but instead of firing it I used it as a platform like Weiss did with her Glyph's. I slung Judgement onto my should as I manoeuvred myself so I could stand without stop the flow of Aura to the Force Sigil. I raised my other free palm and formed a Fire Sigil, aiming for the largest, human-less group of Grimm.
''Insho: Kasai'' I called as the Sigil glowed and I felt my Aura get chewed on as it was drained, though I ignored that fact as I watched the worm of fire crash into a large group of Beowolves, acting like a twister and creating a line of destruction along the enemy line. I created another one and repeated the phrase, tearing another trench of burnt Grimm further down the line.
The Sigil dissipated, but my eyes widened as I was suddenly pierced by a spear of ice, knocking me off my platform and making it disappear. I grunted as I was sent toppling onto one of the many rooftops of Beacon, my eyes darting to my stomach where a thin spear of ice had pierced me. I bashed it with the side of my fist, cracking it with my Aura-enhanced blow. I rolled over as the other half of the spear fell out of my back and I winced as my stomach bled, my Aura rapidly attempting to heal it.
I however was taken aback as it rapidly healed up, even though I had not learnt how to regenerate yet. I noticed my palm glowing and immediately, in a blind flurry, detached my left gauntlet. I was stunned at the white heart on my the back of my hand, planted by Life. Had I activated it somehow? Or was this passive? I discarded those questions and curiosities as the sounds of battle reached my ears. I equipped my gauntlet once again and picked up Judgement, which had nearly fallen off the roof, and quickly checked I was back in working condition before scanning the battlefield.
Ruby, Weiss and Blake were tearing up a small part of the battlefield straight ahead of me, while Yang was a force on her own, mauling Grimm with her fists. CRDL were off to the left, doing quite well and actually working with some of my men at destroying some Deathstalkers- what? I blinked as I realised in the few moments I was out of the fight two dozen Deathstalkers had entered the field along with dozens of Ursa. I narrowed my eyes as I brought Judgement to bear, idly noting Glynda Goodwitch unleashing a hail of ice down on the Grimm, and aimed for an Ursa, firing.
The Anti-Material round easily carved through its mask, collapsing its body in a second. I caught sight of Neo and Eleanor working in tandem to cleave through the Grimm with JNPR. I was taken aback as I saw an energy beam of pink tear through the ranks of enemies, my eyes leading me to the sight of a giggling Reality as she shot it from her palm, standing on a tall teen's shoulder, as light as a feather. A dark blue beam outlined with black came from Era as she followed her friends technique, also cleaving through the Grimm with equal power.
I remembered I was standing idle and checked my Aura, roughly 65%. I shrugged and fired at my feet, cracking the roof, and ascended into the sky once more. I narrowed my eyes once more at the sight of several Dust-infused Grimm, which also brought the question as to why they hadn't become human, but I dismissed that thought. I created a Sigil with my feet and stood upon it, this time cutting my finger with Judgement. I raised my bleeding hand and formed a Fire Sigil, but this time I rubbed my blood onto the Sigil, watching in momentary fascination as it pulsated and became black. This type of Sigil was tried a week ago, and it was proven to be quite deadly, which suited the situation.
''Insho: Shi Kasai'' I intoned as I mentally aimed the Sigil's targets. Three separate beams of black flames shot out from the Sigil, each crashing into the Grimm and exploding on contact, spreading black flames that were quickly extinguished after the body was disintegrated, and after I also quenched them with a mental whim. My attack helped clear the line, but I also drew the attention of several Duststalkers, who reared their Dust-infused tails back as they glowed. I grimaced as I hopped off my platform and descended to the ground, the ice spears flying past me. I crashed onto an Ursa, my momentum making a sickening crunch on its back and it roared in fury, only for it to be silenced by Yang.
She flashed me a silent grin before moving onto another Beowulf, and I hopped off and hacked through one of the other Beowolves. I dodged back just as a black feather crashed next to me, piercing the skull of a Beowulf that had tried to get me. I scowled and looked up, seeing several Nevermore now circling above the battlefield. Honestly it wouldn't be surprising if some Goliaths started entering the field, hell how did this much Grimm get past a forest full of cameras?
Either way I shot at my feet diagonally, shooting me back towards the academy. As I flew over I grimaced at the sight of several corpses of students, but ignored them as I skidding to a stop near the wall of the academy. I aimed with Judgement and fired repeatedly at the birds, only to be forced to duck after the third shot as a Beowulf lashed out at me. I easily slashed its head off but let out a grunt-gasp of pain as the teeth of a Beowulf bit into my arm, and another pair bit into the side of my stomach. I winced as I glared at the Beowolves, but the glare dissolved as I saw something that made me pause.
Red Dust Crystals.
Glowing.
Despite the GRIMM situation I was in, I couldn't stop the words coming out;
''Fuck''.
For the third fucking time, everything exploded.
A groan escaped my lips as I returned to consciousness and my vision swam for a few moments, slowly realigning itself as my brain returned to functioning capacity. I blinked a few times to fully correct my vision, and thankfully did not see a Grimm in front of me. Instead, given the much quieter noise, the battle seemed to be over. The only noises were shouts and calls, the sounds of crunching footsteps and cries of despair for presumably dead people. I grunted as I got up, my side stinging but still there as well as my arm, though the skin was freshly pink.
I scanned around and found JNPR and (E)RWBY, but was taken aback by how... paralyzed they look while looking down. Cold dread settled in my stomach as I grimly acknowledged one of them, or someone they knew, must've died in the fight. I approached and I tensed at the sight of a bloody Jaune on the ground, his face oddly serene as he lay with a hole in his chest, through his heart. Pyrrha was next to him, quietly sobbing her eyes out. Ren and Nora were still, Nora looking ready to burst into tears while Ren was obviously being strong for her.
Ruby had been crying, but was no longer judging from the dry tear tracks. Yang was in the same boat as Ren. Blake was sombre and Weiss looked like she was ready to both scream in fury and cry her heart out. AREME wasn't in sight. I walked up next to them, silent as I grimaced down at his body. I knew the solution, so I knelt down next to the body, sighing as I felt my reserves. 56% and regenerating.
''Pyrrha... I'm going to ask you to move back'' I asked softly. Pyrrha, apparently realising I was going to redo my reviving Sigil, nodded and moved back, holding onto Blake for support, physical and emotional. I sighed again as I repeated the process that I did for the young teen on the streets, injecting several shards of my soul into Jaune. I envisioned his soul as a soft blue sphere, and I could feel the shattered state of it and see it from behind my eyelids. I did the same as I did for Mae Sui, creating a healing Sigil beneath him and moulding my shards to repair his soul.
''Aufstieg und Fall, vom Himmel zur Holle und Wasser zu Schnee. Das Leben schwindet aus den Augen, wahrend der Tod Ihrer Aufnahme in den ewigen Schatten der Nacht lockt. Ich befehle Ihre Ruckkehr ins Leben, wie es ist mein Wille und wird nicht durch eine andere Kraft ungehorsam werden. Kommen Sie wieder zum Leben: Licht Weben'' I recited. I felt my reserves take a beating from doing so, and I felt a searing pain in my chest, but I continued on and was relieved when I felt it work, his soul repairing itself with surprising speed after I gave it a jump-start. With a gasp Jaune woke up, weakly flailing as oxygen filled his lungs. I winced at the lingering pain in my chest but ignored it, dismissing it as Aura depletion.
''Jaune!'' Pyrrha gasped and hugged him for dear life, but thankfully was aware to be gentle and did so accordingly.
''Pyrrha?'' Jaune murmured groggily, confused.
''Give him some room, he'll need a few minutes to realign himself'' I explained to my friends, idly glancing at my left hand and seeing that it was glowing, my Aura rapidly healing also ''Guess I'm going to play medic for tonight... if any of you find Reality or Era, send them over to me if you can''.
''Alright'' Blake smiled, nodding as she watched the scene as JNPR had a mini-celebration over the revival of their team leader. I smiled back and nodded also before trekking over to another group of students, intent on helping anyway I can.
The snow trudged under our shoes as we approached the kneeling and panting form of Eien, his Aura dangerously low and Life's Mark no longer restoring his Aura. They would have to heal his soul too, since anyone with a modicum of Aura observation could see his soul was in bad shape. Hell just from looking at him you could see it was taking its toll on him, his skin pale, blood running from his mouth and nose, breath coming out in pants, he looked like he hadn't seen the sun in a year and had run a marathon.
I gave him a pointed look with my mixed eyes ''You should rest, you're Aura is pretty low and Life's gift ain't healing you anymore''.
He shook his head, idly wiping some blood from his mouth ''I'll be fine for now, I need to try and revive the other students''.
''Baka'' I rolled my heterochromic eyes, saying the familiar Japanese word ''Stop wasting your life healing them, you're only killing yourself''.
He paused, looking confused ''Come again?''.
''You're sacrificing your own soul to save theirs, Baka'' I berated him with a huff ''At the rate you're going, you'll kill yourself, hell your soul will have to be healed either way!''.
He blinked slowly, looking at me with a mildly surprised, but also mildly puzzled. I was about to go off on him again before he nodded slowly, as if he was having a mental debate with himself before conceding.
''I see... apologies'' He replied quietly, eyes down but his posture was one of deep thought. I was thankful that Oum hadn't picked some cry-baby who whined about everything or cried over shit, he was actually kinda decent, though he did have a bit of a blank stare when he was in thought - which happened often. It was unnerving, but at the same time she was sure he didn't realise he was doing it, so she easily brushed it off. Eien's coughing broke me from my thoughts as he coughed up some blood onto his palm, which he just wiped away on the snow.
I sighed ''Era, do it''.
''H-Hai...'' Era stutter in her usual shy manner. She raised her palms and emitted a dark murky blue glow from her palms, and Eien's body also glowed in a similar manner. This was one of Era's ability, being able to turn back time in a small area. In this situation, she was rewinding the damage done to Eien's body, repairing his soul and regenerating his Aura. The only thing unaffected by her ability was Death's mark and Life's mark on each of his hands, as they were the marks of gods and thus were unaffected by another gods power, sans The Creator's.
A few moments later Era stopped, the dark glow fading as Eien examined his body in surprise, seeing that not only his wounds and Aura, but also his Semblance and clothing had been repaired. I sighed, quickly debating my next decision, before mumbling a 'Fuck it' and going with it. I'll get shit for it later either way.
''Alright, seeing as you're an absolute idiot, me and Era will now be helping you'' I stated boldly, staring him down as if to argue.
He just blinked, surprised ''Eh?''.
Era was on the same boat, a question mark floating above her ''Eh?''.
''Well you know nothing about using your God-Powers, do you?'' I asked with a grin.
He blinked ''I have god powers?''.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I did an impression of a goldfish for several moments before I burst ''Are you an idiot!?''.
He blinked, tilting his head in confusion.
''Rea-chan...'' Era murmured, using my nickname. I sighed irritably as I pinched my nose, how dumb was this idiot-
''Oh, you mean the signs on my hands?'' He asked, removing his gloves to show the black skull and white heart was on the back of his hands.
''Yes, those you Baka'' I grumbled, rolling my eyes ''You used up the power in Life's mark, but its regenerating. You need to learn to use those if your going to be hunting big fish''.
He nodded resolutely ''Sure, thanks by the way''.
I smiled ''No problem''.
''Oh yeah I almost forgot'' He remarked, getting another thoughtful look as he asked ''Do you know about Eleanor?''.
''How you created her with Life's help? Yeah I know'' I shrugged, curious.
''I created her with a Semblance... does that mean I can technically make a soul with the same Semblance as a god?'' He asked with childish curiosity, looking so eager he was like a puppy.
''Well you could, but obviously as a god we have more experience and Aura than you can even comprehend, so you won't be able to make a god, but you can make one with an identical Semblance'' I explained to him, a little touched by his eagerness to learn.
He hummed ''Well what's your Semblance then?''.
I paused ''I already told you, my Semblance is technically Reality Manipulation. I say technically 'cause us gods don't have one, but we have something like it so its easy to categorise it as the same thing''.
''I see'' He nodded ''But what is Reality Manipulation? You said you could basically do anything, but it has to have its limits, right?''.
I frowned, shaking my heads ''Sorry, ain't telling ya, safety reasons and such''.
''Oh, sorry'' He apologised but I waved it off.
''Either way, we're going to help you unlock them, and also to use our powers too'' I smirked at his stunned face, before lowering my voice ''You're the one who's supposedly 'The One' as claimed by The Creator, so we're all here to give you a little boost... or a big boost~''.
''Thanks'' He smiled as he got to his feet, and I abruptly found myself pulled into a hug, Era also. We were just under five foot, so the top of our heads only reached his eye level, and the unexpected contact made the heat rush to my cheeks. He chuckled as he released us from his embrace, revealing Era had a bright blush on her cheeks also.
''Baka'' I mumbled in embarrassment, looking away from him.
He just chuckled.
From the treeline, a single figure watched with a dark smirk as all the students of Beacon left back towards the building. Not all of them had been saved by young Eien, but enough that his ability had become prominent to his peers and would undoubtedly spread.
''He has progressed well... lets see how he'll continue...'' The figure smiled darkly ''Remember child... nothing is eternal''.
With her test complete, Salem left the area, taking the unnatural winter with her and crunching cameras under her feet.
Ozpin's office was silent as we stared at the information informed to us. The current attendees were Ozpin, Glynda, Port, Oobleck, Qrow, Amber, myself, Alexia, Nazai, Reality and Era. In front of us, on Ozpin's desk, was a screen of information regarding Dust-Grimm. We were all stunned into silence by this information, even Reality was quiet, a pensive frown on her soft face.
''This... is concerning'' Amber concluded quietly, looking at the information again ''So Dust has began to be harnessed by the Grimm on a global scale? I can't see this ending well... though that's obvious...''.
I turned to Alexia and Nazai ''Why haven't the Grimm began humanizing like you two did?''.
''It require special Dust made by special method'' Nazai explained with his accent, everyone in the room already knowing of the Grimm-Human's.
''And how is that?'' Ozpin asked mildly.
''Take Light Dust and bleed on it, then make Human or Faunus bleed on it then break Crystal, it make Grimm become Human'' He explained truthfully before looking at me ''My pack different because Oum himself transformed us with his limited intervention''.
''I did the former to become human'' Alexia hummed, eyes still trained on the information ''It does not seem to be common knowledge amongst Grimm''.
Glynda raised an eyebrow ''The Grimm communicate with one another?''.
''Not openly, no, but when a superior Grimm approaches a weaker one, if they refuse to tell then all it takes is a little violence'' She laughed melodically despite the morbid air of her statement, but then again nobody seemed overly bothered by it ''There is a sort of Grimm Hierarchy in a sense, mainly determined via species and not by individualism''.
Nazai picked off where she stopped ''There are many tiers to the hierarchy, but I tell the five most prominent, in order of fifth to first; Depth Weaver, Swamper, Manticore, Draconis, Titano''.
I blinked ''I... haven't heard those names before''.
Qrow nodded, filling me in ''Its to be expected, you'd either be taught that near the end of the second semester or early in your second year, as most students don't go on missions where they have to potential to run into them''.
Port coughed as he began, being the Grimm Studies expert here ''To give you a basic rundown of the five Grimm; Depth Weavers are incredibly fast sea-based Grimm. They usually reside in the depths of the ocean, but have an impressive sonar that detects any ships that cross the oceans. Most large-scale ships such as freighters are nearly immune to small groups of Depth Stalkers, but large, ancient ones have been rumoured to take down one or two on occasions. They have a furless body reminiscent of a Beowulf, but it stops near the waist as it forms into a long, jagged tail. Two fins are positioned on each side of its thick body along with a pair of strong arm with claws. Its head it rather narrow and almost rectangular in shape, having bone plating and slanted eyes on the upper section while the lower section is weaker. They are infamous for their incredible speed and stealth capabilities''.
''Swampers are nearly the direct opposite, being large, lumbering Grimm that live in the swamp sections of the Badlands on Mistral. A mature Swamper would be nearly as tall as Beacon itself! Their body largely remained merely black fur that is incredibly durable, having short, chubby hind legs and tall, tree-like fore legs. Its mask is shield-like in shape, growing a small beard of its black fur underneath its mask to hide its mouth. Above its head is a large, mass of fur that looks like a leafless tree, this large construct descends to its shoulders and often becomes home to Nevermore, which adds to the difficulty of the beast. They are largely like Goliaths in that they do not actively hunt humans, although they are classified as an S-Rank for their insane durability and physical prowess when aggravated''.
''Manticore are a rather mixed bunch, as they are collectively know for their variety. Manticore are often a mix of two or more Grimm, such as a King Taijitu and Nevermore, or a Goliath and an Ursa. Despite the logical disadvantages of certain combinations, nature saw it fit to make them incredibly powerful, for even young Manticore can easily handle a four-man Hunter Team'' Port continued and I listened obediently ''Because of their varied nature, they are - like all five of them - ranked as S-Rank, because of their power''.
''Draconis are quite the fearsome beasts, being a dragon after all. Even the youngest of Draconis are capable of handling a E-Rank Hunter Team, and a full-grown Draconis are regarded as one of the most fearsome Grimm alive. Large, armoured and given the ability to fly they vary in type, but all focus on the theme of dragons. Some are thinner and faster than others, while others are slower but more armoured. A mature Draconis hasn't been seen for several decades, not since Sum-''.
He was interrupted by a cough from Ozpin ''Peter...''.
''Oh, apologises'' Port nodded, apologetic before continuing on ''Either way, the final Grimm are regarded as the most dangerous known Grimm; Titano. They are roughly like humans in terms of appearance, having a knight-like form but made from Grimm plating. They are heavily armoured and young ones are relatively common enemies in Atlas or Mistral, however mature ones have not been seen for a century, but the last recorded one was as tall as Beacon, and deserved its name from tis titanic power. They are renowned for their attack and defensive capabilities, but their speed is lacking in most cases''.
I nodded ''I see...''.
Nazai looked at Port and Ozpin, a confused look on his face ''You do know there ancient Draconis at Mountain Glenn, yes?''.
Everyone paused, looking at him in surprise.
''What?''.
I panted lightly as I sat on the remaining trunk of a tree, having fell over not long ago. A rather pitiful recreation of Seele Ernten was behind me, extending out of my back and into the forest around me, the grass, trees and even bushes all withering away as I absorbed the raw energy from the planet as I used it to restore my Aura and even accelerate the healing process of my soul. I had just finished creating my second 'spirit', but unlike Eleanor it was not female, instead male - though it would be hard to tell.
I based him off the old tale of the Crimson Ronin, giving him crimson-and-black samurai armour that offered excellent protection. He wore the standard, demonic horned mask that most samurai used to wear back in the great war. I also gave him a traditional katana with a red and black style to it, the blade silver unlike Alexia's. Underneath his armour was a teen around the age of nineteen with grey eyes and short but messy black hair, a fair build and skin tone. I had been very determined when creating him, wishing to create a new 'type' of Semblance that so far was unheard of; Anti-Army. Essentially it meant it was a Semblance that was designed for fighting large hordes, borderline armies, hence the name.
So far he hadn't heard of anything of the sort. Sure, he's heard of people so skilled with their Semblance they were capable of taking on an army, but not a Semblance specifically designed to destroy literal armies. Currently the Ronin was unconscious after its creation, but it would likely be only a few minutes before he woke up. By that time I intended to give him a basic lesson on general things on Remnant, then I'd try and see if Pyrrha had time to train him in the basics of swordsmanship.
The meeting yesterday had been tiring, especially after the then-review meeting had turned into a war meeting, essentially. All locations of ancient Grimm known to Nazai and Alexia were mapped and information on the Grimm given willingly, and for the next three hours everyone became part of the council to destroy the ancient Grimm. It was surprising on the large amount of them, and Nazai informed that those were the only ones he knew, not all Ancient Grimm in existence. Ozpin had begun what he titled 'Operation Black Storm', which would be a massive incursion against the enemy Grimm, 'enemy' as in the non-human/non-Monochrome Knight ones. The remaining tests were cancelled for today since some were wounded or dead. It was to be a huge operation on a planetary level, eliminating masses of Grimm despite the truth about them I knew.
Part of me wanted to tell him, but the other knew that I should be more private about secrets, especially ones from gods - it was hard to remember they were gods sometimes, since they were so polite. I was curious on their powers, but they gave off the impression they'd keep them low-down, which I could understand - I held the potential to accidently let something slip, and it could go into the wrong hands. I sighed as I reflected on the events, while I had not noticed it at the time my friends were actually pretty beat up physically... I needed a way to protect them.
A low groan drew my attention as the Ronin woke up, and I immediately put on a friendly smile and took a breath, before greeting him.
''Hello, Doran''.
The harsh snowy weather that had appeared the day/night of the attack was dying down now, as both students and civilians were now playing in the snow cheerfully. It was also hard to believe that even after I had revived eight~ students, there were still nearly fifteen others who were now dead. I had found the list of the dead, and while it was morbid to say, I was thankful most of the deceased had died in teams. The first reason was simply logical; it meant there weren't any disproportioned teams, and it also meant that they died together, so the remaining team members didn't have to grieve.
I dismissed those morbid thoughts as I focused back on the efforts of my work; forging. I was never the best at it, Ruby easily surpassed mine and the only reason for my high-quality grade weapons and items was because I, technically, made it with my mind, and therefore perfection wasn't too difficult. However in this situation it was necessary to be hand-forged, as the device I was using was an expensive one, and one I couldn't fully analyse with a pulse of Aura like I did other things. It had been a simpler task to go around to my friends and ask their preferred jewellery, doing so stealthily and slyly.
For Ruby, I've made a platinum necklace with a ruby gem inside the head of a rose. Blake's was a silver collar necklace with an onyx gem in the shape of her symbol too. Yang's was a gold wristband with a topaz flame symbol on it. Weiss's was a silver necklace with a diamond snowflake on it. Nora's was a bronze bracelet with a light-pink morganite gem in the form of a small hammer. Ren's was the same, but the gem was Amethyst in the shape of his symbol. Pyrrha's was a gold necklace with her symbol in emerald. Jaune's was a gold dog-tag with his symbol on it, made from Sapphire.
Adam's was a metallised obsidian with a crystallised bloodstone rose on it, which was apparently his symbol also. Emerald's was a bronze necklace with her symbol in green demantoid. A grey-green tourmaline forged into his winged boot symbol on a silver Dog Tag for Mercury. Reality's was a pink tourmaline inside a silver necklace, the shape of the gem in a flower. Era's was a deep blue tanzanite in the shape of a clock on a silver necklace. Amber's was a bronze necklace with an amber inside it, in the shape of leaf. My own one was cool-blue apatite shaped into a simple circle on a silver wristband/bracelet. The lieutenants of the Monochrome Knights all had either a silver necklace or dog-tag (depending on gender) with an onyx shaped into a shield.
Nodding at my work, I moved over to the small boxes I had prepared. They were simple ones with a different colour each along with a little bow on top, small enough to hold in your hand. Gently I picked up each piece of jewellery and placed them inside the boxes, each with a different tag on it, a different name. Once that was done I gathered them all into a small sack and headed out. Like a ninja.
''Think of it as a lucky charm whenever you go into a fight'' I said cheerfully as Reality and Era looked at their necklaces, the rest of their team not present. He, Era and Reality were the only ones present in AREME's dorm room, me having caught them before they went in the room after delivering JNPR's and my own teams. Reality had customized her section of the room by placing a mass of Snake Plushies on her bed, while Era had a pillow with a clock on it.
''Pretty...'' Era mumbled in a cute, childish way. Meanwhile Reality was, surprisingly, blushing up a storm. Her eyes looked up and caught sight of the amusement in my eyes and her blush darkened before she buried herself in my cloak, as if to hide her embarrassment. For a god she was surprisingly child-like.
''Thank you'' Reality muffled voice came from my cloak and I chuckled. She removed her face from my cloak long enough to put the necklace on, with Era doing it in exact tandem with her. Era smiled softly and mumbled a 'thank you' as she ran a finger over the clock-shaped gem repeatedly, as if it was soothing. Reality was still blushing and looking away with a fierce pout on her face, still embarrassed apparently.
We stayed like that in a comfortable silence for a few more seconds, before Reality jolted as she seemed to remember something ''Ah! I almost forgot!''.
I quirked a brow as Reality leaned in to Era and whispered something. I momentarily considered activating my Dunkelheit to hear, but immediately dismissed the thought on the sake of privacy. Era nodded, a faint blush still present on her cheeks as Reality turned to me, her usual cocky grin on her face, blush dimming slightly.
''We need to transfer a tiny part of our powers to you so you can use them'' She explained, grin still present ''Hood down~''.
Obliging her request, I pulled my hood down. My brown hair fell around me after being released from the confines of the hooded cloak, slightly wavy. I probably needed a haircut. Regardless Era went to my left side and Reality to my right as they closed their eyes, Era glowing a dark blue and Reality a bright pink as they prepared for the transfer. I blinked patiently, but was mildly surprised when both leaned up on their tip-toes and gave me a peck on each cheek. I looked at them both in equal mild surprise as they both blushed up a storm, but I wouldn't deny I could feel a lingering feeling where they kissed, and I confirmed that it was indeed a transfer of power as I felt power run from my cheeks to my chest, and into my soul.
''Well that was a thing'' I commented idly, and both of the child gods blushed even darker in embarrassment.
''A-Anyway!'' Reality very nearly squeaked as she began walking towards the door ''C-Come on! We'll s-start with testing your skill with our p-powers!''.
I raised an eyebrow at her stuttering, but asked a question I had previously pondered ''May I ask why exactly I have been given the powers of four different gods? I'm not complaining, nor dislike it, but why?''.
Both seemed to freeze before I even finished, sharing a glance before Reality answered ''W-Well to help you... fight against the Grimm!''.
I nodding, appearing to accept this as I followed them as Reality hastily fled the room, Era shyly following and giving a soft, shy smile at me. I merely smiled back and allowed her to catch up to her friend as I trailed behind. In the back of my mind, he winced as he easily recalled her words.
''W-Well to help you... fight against the Grimm!''.
He knew a lie when he saw one.
Especially an obvious one.
''Alright!'' Reality grinned as we finally made to a stop in the middle of the cave where he originally met Nazai and Alexia ''Time to get started! So, since my powers and Era's aren't as powerful as Life or Death's, we didn't put a lock on them and as such, we can skip the boring parts~''.
I blinked ''How exactly is the complete manipulation of reality and total manipulation of time considered less powerful than life and death?''.
Era, surprisingly, spoke up ''Its because we can't affect the powers of other gods''.
''So how does that reduce the power of your own?'' I queried.
''Because Life controls life, Death controls death and so on. I can speed up or slow down a persons lifespan, but not kill them nor revive them. Reality can't kill the Grimm, only remove them either temporarily or move them somewhere else, and she also can't bring someone back to life'' Era explained in detail, voice soft as always as she spoke ''Our powers our strong, but at the same time are very limited depending on the target''.
''Ah'' I nodded thoughtfully, before a question posed itself ''You keep saying that you can't affect the powers of other gods, right?''.
''Uh-huh?''.
''Why is that?'' I questioned, cocking my head at them ''Is it just a rule, or are your powers forcibly rejected when you try...?''.
Era spoke again ''The Creator has forbid it, putting ethereal preventions on it to prevent it from happening, and if it does our powers are rejected from influencing it''.
''So if you guys can't directly affect life and death, then what are their limits on affecting you guys? Reality in particular'' I explained before adding ''You said you control reality, but I'm guessing reality also encompasses life and death as well''.
Reality scrunched up her face into a thoughtful frown, piecing her words together ''Its... complicated. Think of it as they're stronger than me, and that they're powers can affect the life-and-death part of my power, but not the universe itself. Its like Life is water and Death is sunlight, while my power is soil. They're both needed to make a flower grow, and I'm a building block to support life. Without me and Era, the concept of life and death can't exist, but without Life and Death no living beings can exist either. We work together as a functioning system, that's the purpose of all gods; gears to make a functioning existence''.
''Ah'' I nodded again, smiling at both the younger girls ''Still, I think your powers are still pretty cool''.
Era blushed again, as she did when she got some kind of praise or attention, and Reality gained a light blush as she huffed, a smile playing her lips.
''Anyway, lets get started'' Reality said in a serious-ish tone ''We'll start with my powers, since they're the easiest to utilise for you. The best example would be that its kinda like your Semblance, except that you won't need to touch anything or use a piece of your soul to produce the same effect it has. However one downside to it is the fact that, since you're drawing on my power instead of your own, there is a limited amount of energy you can use before it will naturally recharge. Think of it like having an additional pool of Aura, that also goes for Era's, Life's and Death's powers''.
I nodded, letting her continue on ''So just picture your soul in your head, alright?''.
A light blue sphere appeared in my head as I didn't even blink ''Alright...''.
''Now if you 'probe' around, you'll feel what seems like small faucets, which is where our powers can be accessed. Death's and Life's won't be accessible, either not appearing at all or appearing to be locked/blocked''.
I nodded, picturing it in my mind and succeeding after nearly a minute. It was indeed like a faucet, and on a mental whim it twisted and disappeared, allowing a hot pink energy to become visible. I was brought out of my mental envisioning as I felt my cheek heat up slightly. Era, possibly somehow reading minds, raised a mirror from nowhere and revealed the core of the burning sensation; on his right cheek was a small pink flower, while on his left was a dark blue clock. Currently the flower was glowing dimly, and it was easy to make the connection to why it was doing so.
''Good! Now, try and make this ball become a bullet'' She said as she placed a simple tennis ball on the grass in front of her.
I nodded as I directed my gaze onto the ball, attempting to do the same as I did when I used my Semblance. Main problem though was the fact I normally held something, so trying to project my will onto something several metres from me proved more difficult than I originally anticipated.
Like always, I just sighed and continued.
A/N: So... how was that? We're approaching the end of season 1 of this story by the way. I won't stop it and post another story as the sequel, but instead I'll take a two to four week hiatus (maybe not even two weeks, I don't know) and then we'll move onto season two. I hope you guys have enjoyed what I've written so far, as at times I think the romance is a little iffy, especially when I compare it to others, but its the best I can currently do, and its not like I can exactly remove it since its already posted.
Either way, the end is near~