Amon was, in every sense of the word, superior to Orion. He was more collected, tactical, and analytical than Orion was. His ice was able to fight on par with Orion's Novafire to the point where if they didn't cancel each other out, Orion was on the losing side of the exchange.
" Is that all you're capable of ? " Amon questioned sarcastically before he deftly evaded a column of fire shot by Orion.
" Just. Stay. Still ! " Orion yelled in anger as before his tendrils pierced through the ground and attempted to impale Amon, who skillfully evaded all three, as though he were dancing.
" I'm afraid I cannot do that however you've earned my praise. I shall remember you as a warrior." Amon said before the ground beneath Orion's feet was turned to ice before an unnaturally sharpened icicle attempted to impale him only managed to graze his cheek before Amon's tendril appeared from the snow again and struck Orion, sending skidding back in the snow. " Stubborn aren't you. There's no shame in running and living to fight another day, though it's against my orders, I'll allow you to-"
Orion didn't even let Amon to finish his suggestion before he cleared the distance between them and delivered a fist coated in flames, sending Amon sailing back and crashing into the front gate doors of Elias' castle, as well as shattering part of Amon's mask.
" NEVER ! If I ever run away, I'm nothing but a coward ! I REFUSE TO BACK DOWN FROM ANYONE ! " Orion yelled in anger as his flames grew in intensity, shocking Amon as Orion created an intense mass of flames, " Six Dragons Cyclone ! "
True to its title, Orion created a raging cyclone of flames that tore the ground in front of him, causing Amon to create a large barrier of ice. The two techniques clashed violently, sending snow, ice and flames scattering everywhere.
Amon was a second to late to notice that his barrier had suffered a small crack before Muramasa pierced through it, burning with intense seething flames that pierced Amon's chest and pinned him to the front of the castle.
" Impossible...Where did this strength come from ? " Amon questioned weakly as the rest of his barrier erupted in a mixture of ice shards and blue embers as Orion walked the through the destruction he had created, an intense trail of flames following him.
"Oh...I see, you're willing to not save any aura to fight." Amon said Orion dropped his hands and knees as he coughed up blood into the snow but forced himself back to his feet as his fist changed from flesh to flames once again.
" Just shut up and die." Orion said weakly as he forced Muramasa deeper into Amon's chest as it ignited in blue flames.
Instead of screaming in pain or agony, Amon simply smiled weakly before coughing more blood into the snow. " Well it seems I...lost..", he said feebly before accepting his death as Orion drove his fist through Amon's chest and yanked Muramasa free, letting Amon's body fall face-first into the snow.
Orion tried to push the castle doors open before he felt a tug at his leg. When he looked down, he saw Amon's tendril and his hand gripped tightly at his ankle, " I can't...simply allow you to go of course...You understand..."
Orion didn't know whether to be impressed or shocked so he resigned to simply driving Muramasa through the base of Amon's neck until his tendril faded and his grip when slack.
" Persistent..." Orion said weakly before mustering what little strength he could and forcibly opened the castle doors which resounded in loud, droning creak. " Well.. that's not ominous at all.."
Orion looked back only to see a large-scale battle between Elias' forces and Grimm against the Atlas troops and hunters he had arrived with. For a moment he was tempted to join the fighting but decided that his personal goals were more important and entered the castle without looking back as he sheathed Muramasa again.
Once inside the castle, he didn't have the change to take in the dark ambience, or the morbid atmosphere of the demonic styled architecture. He was too focused on the several enemies in front of him.
" He defeated Amon !? " The first mask wearer said in shock
" It doesn't matter look at him" the second one said and he had a point. Orion was panting heavily, dripping blood from almost every part of his body, " He's a walking corpse ! We can take his head to Lord Elias and he'll reward us ! "
Orion raised Muramasa so that they all could see him as he slowly unsheathed the sword, revealing only an inch of the red blade before drawing it slowly and strapping only the sheath on his back and holding Muramasa tightly in his right hand as his left arm went up in flames. He spat blood on the stone floors before frowning in anger.
" I don't have time for this " Orion said with dark tone of murderous intent that sent chills down the spins of everyone in front of him. Muramasa gleamed, almost it was anticipating the oncoming bloodshed.
" There's no end to them ! " Mercury yelled in anger as he curb-stomped an unlucky Beowulf's skull before spinning quickly and kicking another one hard to sever it's head from his body.
Mercury retreated back and bumped into Yang causing them to end up back-to-back as they became surrounded by a growling pack of Beowolves.
" Watch it ! "
" You watch it ! " Mercury said in anger as they were forced to slowly rotate in synch to get their guards up, " Oh look at that, looks like everyone BUT us is already on their way ! "
He was right, the rest of Teams RWBY, JNPR, including Sun and Neptune had managed to be clear of most the fighting and now had a straight shot to the castle. Then as if on cue, a large blade came crashing to the ground, creating a large crater as a hail of bullets came raining down, clearing a path that Mercury took advantage of as Team CFVY covered their advance.
Yang was close at his heels, even as he speedily kicked both Beowulf and Atleasian Knight out of his way.
" Who's side are you even on ?! " Yang called out from behind him as he kicked the head off another Atleasian Knight.
" My friend's."
The shocked Yang more than she thought it would if he had lied.
Yang had to cover Ruby's eyes to stop her from seeing the scorched remains of Amon's corpse.
" Yeah, this was defiantly Orion." Mercury said plainly, as if the carnage didn't unnerve him in the slightest as he stepped in front of everyone before turning to look at them. " So, you all coming or what ? "
" We knew what we agreed to. It's now or never..." Pyrrha said, acting as the unsure voice of everyone as they followed behind Mercury as they entered the castle and those who were adverse to carnage wished that they hadn't.
Dozens of bodies lay around the room. The visceral scene caused Jaune, Weiss and Pyrrha to nearly gag. Ren likewise had to cover Nora's eyes from the scene and Yang had to comfort Ruby who began to hyperventilate in fear and panic.
Several corpses were bisected from shoulder hip, some had gaping puncture wounds through their chests as if something had run them through completely. The worst however, was the fact that those bodies weren't the worst. Some were so mangled, charred and eviscerated to the point that their organs, muscles and flesh didn't look as if they were killed by a cut, burned or sliced but rather shredded.
" Oh my god..." That was all Pyrrha could say Mercury casually walked through the carnage, " This doesn't even bother you !? "
" Not really. Their dead, what's the-"
Mercury stopped as everyone they watched something grab Mercury's ankle. Mercury calmly looked down to so that what was holding him. It was a survivor of the onslaught, or rather what was left of him as he was missing a massive chunk from the right side of his ribs, and the fact that he was missing his lower half made his momentary survival even more impressive albeit disturbing to the others but Mercury.
" He's not..even human..." the survivor said as Mercury as he crouched down next to him.
" Mind telling me where my friend went ? Orion, red-hair, red eyes, dark clothing, might have done this to you ? "
" T-Throne room...Lord Elias w-"
He was stopped as Mercury crushed his skull and shattered his brains into the stone floors, splattering blood redder than Ruby's cloak, " Thanks."
Mercury put his hands in his pockets as he continued on and the others eerily followed him, utterly scared by his cold, sarcastic ruthlessness and they began to quietly wonder who was actually worse : Orion or him ?
" Do you even know where the Throne Room is ? " Weiss questioned Mercury as he continued walking.
" Nope, but if we just follow the trail of blood, we'll find Orion and if we find him, we find the room. He has a habit of going on ahead."
" Trail ? " Yang question as Mercury pointed to the side wall without stopping to look back.
He was right, there was a long streak of blood that appeared and reappeared along the wall as if someone had to use it as support occasionally. They all were surprised as to how Mercury could see it. The entire hallways were practically pitch black, and the trail blended in almost perfectly with the dark stone.
" How'd you even see that ? " Sun asked.
" Nothing's invisible if you know what you're looking for."
" You always...did clean up after...my mess, right Mercury. " A voice said weakly but with a tone that gave off that it wasn't completely there. Everyone looked at the end of hallway too see three bodies and a sharp red gleam.
One was impaled to the front of a set of doors as the blood slowly but surely trickled down the blade. The last two were Orion and another mask wearer. Orion was propped up against the wall weakly while the mask wearer was laid out flat on the ground with Orion bloodied fist in his face.
" Orion, man you look like hell." Mercury said sarcastically as they all saw him. Hell might have been an understatement.
Too be exact, he looked more like a walking corpse, and fragile enough if you were to tip him he would break apart. His right arm was connected only by a few loose sinews of flesh, while his left hung weakly at his side, broken. His entire chest was littered with puncture wounds to the point where everyone could see through him. His left leg was practically a porcupine, with dozen of small daggers peppering it. His right eye was covered by a massive gaping laceration, probably from a blade.
Mercury was the only one who wasn't disgusted by the visceral and gruesome sight, even as he stepped through the pools of blood and extended a hand to Orion.
" I suppose you need a little help then huh ? " Mercury asked as Orion nodded in agreement. Without a second thought, he turned his back to him before walking back towards Yang.
" What do you want from me ? "
" His necklace back. Every small ounce of aura in it, he's gonna need it."
Yang slowly removed the red diamond necklace and placed it in Mercury's waiting hand.
Mercury walked back over to Orion and placed the necklace in Orion's left hand and took a step back. A red aura escaped the necklace before it changed into golden flames that slowly worked Orion's arm moved back into place with a satisfying crack. Next was the remains of his right arm, as whatever sinews suddenly straight as more flames trailed up his body before all the damage he had sustained seemed to have vanished.
Though he looked healed, he was still panting heavily as Mercury gave him his hand and pulled Orion to his feet. Orion shakily stood straight before prying Muramasa from the corpse he had pinned it to. With a quick flurry, the blade was cleaned of blood as he sheathed it on his back. Orion looked at Mercury and motioned to the door with his head as he stood in front of it with his arms crossed.
Orion's right leg went up in blue flames while Mercury's leg became wrapped in a silver aura as they nodded at each other.
" Knock Knock ! " They yelled in synch, as they kicked the doors in unison, sending them both doors crashing into the room as Orion and Mercury walked through the destroyed casually. The others trailed behind them and the first thing they all saw a large dark throne.
Suddenly the sounds of clapping were heard as Elias slowly rose from his seat as he slowly stopped clapping altogether. At the foot of his throne was Sauriel, his mace at his side as well as another person wearing armor like Sauriel's, only this one wielding a sword instead. Mercury instantly remembered that he was the one he had battled from before.
" My, you've made such a mess of things." Elias began, " No matter, it's a simple matter to clean this mess up. First off, Orion was it ? I..." Elias stopped suddenly as he took note of Jaune's appearance and suddenly sighed, " My, that's a twist of fate -"
Elias stopped as Orion fired a massive cyclone of flames towards him but the attacked by an ornate black shield.
Sauriel lowered his defense, and though his face couldn't face be seen through his mask, it was obvious he was angered by the attack.
" You will pay for that in blood."
Orion and Mercury were already ahead of him as Orion's Muramasa and Mercury's boots collided with Sauriel's shield and mace.
" Come and try us ! " Orion yelled in defiance before Sauriel pushed their attacks back and sent them skidding back across the Throne Room.
" Gladly ! "