" Don't...forsake your humanity..." Raven said weakly as she collapsed to the ground before Orion caught her mid-fall, having snapped out of his trance.
" W-What did you...do..you idiot.." Orion said in a low voice a he used his sleeve to wipe the blood from Raven's dying mouth.
" So you don't turn out like him...If you fall prey to the dark, you won't ever see the light."
" Stop talking." Orion said as his arms became golden flames as he reached out to try and heal Raven's wounds, only for her to push his arms away much to his surprise, " What..?"
" Save your strength...and take mine. My blade..my aura, use them.." Raven said weakly as she held up her sword with one hand, and with the other she clasped Orion's hand and made him take hold the blade's grip.
" I'm not going to let you die..."
Raven weakly smiled as she took Orion hand and gave him what little aura she had left. " No arguments...I believe in you, and what you're capable of...I know what you're going through, more than you think...but you have to overcome... and remember what I said before...I'm expecting you to keep your...word.. "
Orion was left dumb-struck as he felt what remaining aura Raven had left as she gave it to him revitalizing him enough. Though in the process Orion watched as the life in Raven's eyes slowly faded and she passed on with a smile as Orion gently set her on the ground. Silently, he closed her eyes and let her rest in piece as he gripped his new found-blade with anger as he turned to Elias who had finished regaining his composure.
" Well that sentimental, but the weak always die at the hands of the strong. Now for you Flamesong, I see it as my solemn duty to erase your blood-line eagerly."
" W-Wait, why does his name matter ? " Jaune questioned nervously.
" Blood of my blood, the Flamesongs were a family who bent flames to their will, and with it could incinerate hordes of darkness with embers and ashes. In my time, my fellow general was of his lineage, but sadly his name escapes me. Point being, they grew sadistic, violent and arrogant, so I was tasked with eradicating their blood-line, but during the course of it, I gained a very specific scar. As Arc's our goal is to guide the world, by any means and ensure the survival of humanity so if that means cleansing the world at the same time then so be it."
Jaune couldn't have been even more horrified as he quickly back-pedaled away from his own ancestor, to the point that he was out of reach of Crocea Mors.
Orion raised Raven's sword, letting the red dust blade gleam in the pale light before turning slashing in front of him. Elias and Jaune looked at him in shock but they realized that Orion had cut everyone else free without actually having to cut them free.
" Thank you Raven, I'll make sure to cut him in two." Orion said solemnly before Sun walked to his side with his staff.
" I don't like you, and I wish you were dead but right now we have a bigger problem-"
Sun stopped as Orion held his sword up to his throat, " You aren't needed", he said before kicking Sun with enough force to send him crashing into Neptune. He then extended his tendrils to grab Jaune and throw him into Pyrrha and their team before putting up a wall of black flames.
His old Hellfire formed a barrier that forced the others to escape the Throne Room, lest they were consumed by the flames, despite their protest.
" Impressive, how is it you were able to cut them free without having to be near them ? I know Umbra didn't posses a power such as that, but suddenly you do." Elias said curiously as he ran his fingers along the blade of Crocea Mors.
" I don't have that kind of power, but Chaos does..." Orion said as he turned back to Elias. Behind him, the Book of Oblivion was floating behind him, cycling back and forth through the pages by itself as a black glyph burned itself into Orion's forehead. The sigil appeared as two crossed-flaming sword in the palm of a demonic looking hands.
Veins protruded at the corner of Orion's eyes and he like the others before him, now sported black tattoos which appeared up the right side of his face and down to whole right side of his body. Immediately after that, Orion collapsed to one knee, using Raven's sword as crutch as he coughed blood onto the ground.
" Ah so you're trying to siphon the power of Chaos. Brave but foolish."
Orion weakly picked his head up and smirked, " Siphoning ? No, this goes back way farther than just borrowing." Orion began as he stood on his own two feet as two darkened black clawed hands manifested behind him. What followed next was a small but equally as threatening apparition of the very being that had taken Elias's life years ago.
" Chaos.." Elias said in a mixture of fear and at the sight of his dreaded nemesis. Tightly, he gripped his sword in anger as he threw Crocea Mors to the side.
" Alone this boy is weak before you, but with my power, you shall know true despair ! Tell me, do you feel the anger, the hate, the RAGE I feel towards you ? Or are you as arrogant as you were all those years ago ! Now Flamesong, take my power and drag him into the same depths of hell he dragged me into ! "
Orion looked curiously at his right hand, as it now sported demonic black tattoos and even darkened black fingernails, or rather darkened black claws. Even his distinct red-hair now sported white streaks, giving him a more unhuman appearance.
" Huh now this is definitely a new look, " Orion began as his palm went up in black Hellfire, " but at least I got these beauties back. Now then Arc, I got a lot of pent up aggression towards Jaune so I'm taking it out on you.
" When two devils meet, hell surely follows." Elias said, regaining his composure as he slicked his blonde and in his left hand a dark yet free-flowing shadow trailed up his arm violently. " Very well, I've bested you once and now I'm stronger than I was before ! "
Elias attacked first, sending a dark wave of shadows at Orion who calmly raised his arm up and effortlessly deflected the blow.
" Press the attack ! Cut him to pieces ! "
" I'm on it ! "
Orion kicked off the ground and quickly cleared the distance between him and Elias as they clashed violently with their respective blades. Three gleaming red tendrils engulfed in Hellfire violently batted Elias aside, sending him crashing into the far wall.
Elias looked mostly unscathed aside from the small tinges of Hellfire burning him. He quickly put his free-hand over them and Orion watched as they were absorbed by the darkness and vanished.
Within the blink of an eye, Elias was already gone and a hand was already at Orion's chest and another shockwave hit him full force in the chest but thanks to Chaos, Orion was only sent sprawling back.
Despite the protection and reinforcement of Chaos, Orion felt the difference in the attack and realized that his plan was taking effect, though not by much but each bit counted.
" I admire your courage boy, but unlike you I've had decades of battle, and was renowned as the greatest swordsman of era. What chance do you possibly stand ? " Elias questioned as he flurried his blade just to prove his point.
" You know, I can see why Cinder hated my cockiness, it's REALLY annoying when your on the receiving end of it. "
" Humans, always so prideful.." Chaos remarked causing Orion to give him an annoyed side glance.
During the time, Elias had cast aside his bracers and threw his cape aside and watched as it easily landed properly on the remains of his throne.
Orion's blade began to change from a shade of red to a void black as one of Chaos' claws ran across the sword's surface.
" Now, let us crush this insect ! "
Orion looked the changed blade and merely whistled in astonishment before aiming down at Elias, " I have 0 idea what it just did, but I'm pretty I can kill you now."
" Well then boy, come and test yourself."
Orion's blade, arm and tendril's went up in black flames and anticipation at the challenge. " Get burned ! "
Outside the castle, the war was still raging on and the recent arrival of everyone ejected from the castle by Orion tipped the scale in humanity's favor but only just.
Sun and Jaune stood back to back surrounded by angry and bloodthirsty pack of Beowolves that all eagerly waited to rip them to limb from limb.
" Well this did not go on as expected." Sun said trying to lighten the dire mood they were in. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle slightly but stopped suddenly as several well placed rifle rounds rang out and pierced the skulls of the entire Beowulf pack.
Yang and Ruby slid to a stop alongside Sun and Jaune. Ruby quickly took the chance to reload Crescent Rose hastily.
" Dude where's your sword ? " Yang asked Jaune who sighed and shrugged.
" Its.." Jaune stopped as Crocea Mors landed blade first at Jaune's feet as if on cue, " right here apparently."
Jaune went to reach for his sword but stopped and turned his attention to Elias's castle as the flames that prevented entry suddenly vanished and in their place, an eruption of black flames erupted from the top of the castle, appearing to break through the ceiling of the castle itself.
A humanoid figure came falling from the sky only to crash between Jaune and the others.
Elias easily rose to his feet, despite a fall that would have at least incapacitated any other person. Around him, Ruby, Yang, Sun and now Jaune all aimed their weapons at him, only for him to raise his free hand to the sky and send a shockwave around him, sending everything around crashing away from him, without even disturbing the snow beneath his feet.
The erupting pillar of flames from inside the castle gave way to a new sight. From those flames, gave way to a black phoenix that emerged from the dark flames and quickly dive bombed towards Elias to attack him.
The flames quickly disappeared as Orion's flaming leg connected with Elias's blade, who pushed him back and into the air. Orion landed and skidded across the snow before suddenly vanishing.
" He's fast ! " Elias said in actual shock before he felt a searing and sharp pain in his back along with the familiar sensation of warm blood.
Orion smirked happily at the sound of Elias curse in pain at the Hellfire and Chaos combined wound he inflicted to Elias's back.
Yang, Sun, Jaune and Ruby didn't know what they were more shocked about. The fact that Orion had managed to apparently wound and weaken the same person who had beaten them all within seconds, or Orion's new and drastic look.
Elias's arm began enveloped in shadows and he angrily swiped his swung his arm in arc, sending four dark shadowy tendrils at the others.
The next thing Yang saw was Orion with his arm's outstretched and a shadowy tendril through his torso, freshly covered in his blood. The other three of Elias's tendril's were likewise pinned and incinerated by Orion's own tendril's.
" Did...did you just save me ? " Yang questioned in shock as her and Orion met each other's gaze. Yang's eyes went wide at the sigil on Orion's forehead.
Two crossed swords being wielding by dark clawed hand.
" I didn't...want to...but I swore to Raven.."
" What a nice sentiment, but all in all meaningless." Elias interrupted, raising his blade high poised to strike.
In a quick motion Yang pulled Orion of the shadowy tendril, into a tight protective hug and used Ember Celica to possibly block Elias's sword strike.
A white shield and golden staff blocked the blow as Sun and Jaune repelled Elias in unison.
" Not happening ! " Sun said with conviction as he aimed his staff at Elias as Jaune backed up a step to cover Ruby who had moved to Yang and the weakened Orion's side.
" Persistent lot aren't you." Elias spoke in annoyance as he raised his free hand and within in an instant all the Grimm on the battlefield suddenly collapsed.
Beowolves collapsed dead, along with a particularly large Nevermore that crashed into the already damaged roof of Elias's castle. From the bodies of Grimm, black masses of shadows escaped their lifeless bodies and gather at the base of Elias's waiting hand where they gathered in the shape of black orb.
Jaune's eyes went wide in shock as if he'd seen something similar before. Everyone's eyes went wide in shock as Elias actually swallowed the orb without care and licked his lips in satisfaction. " Surprisingly tasteless. I was expecting it to taste foul. "
Without warning, Orion suddenly to cry out in agony as Chaos partially emerged, forming a massive midnight clawed hand as it prepared to crush Elias.
" YOU INSOLENT WRETCH ! LEARN YOUR PLACE ! " Chaos bellowed in rage before Elias rose his hand as well. From his hand an illuminating yet dark light shined brightly, blinding everyone nearby by and incinerating Chaos's hand without fail.
He then turned the light to the wounded Orion, who yelled in agony as a dark mass of shadows exited his body and all together the light faded again. When the others could see, Elias had the Book of Oblivion in his hand and Orion looked like his old-self, including the gaping wound in his chest by began to heal by golden flames.
" What did you just do ?! Answer me !? " Jaune demanded nervously. Elias sheathed his blade on his hip and began flipping through the book without care.
" Quite simple blood of my blood, I broke the young Flamesong's connection with Chaos. In doing so, I re-sealed Chaos completely again. I won't lie, him enhanced by the power of Chaos, coupled the debilitating effects of those black flames could have proven fatal given the right blow except for one thing.." Elias answered Jaune calmly as all attention turned to Elias.
Everyone, including all of the Atleasian Knights and Paladins that remained converged on Elias and aimed all their weapons at him, ready to exterminate him with extreme prejudice.
" WAIT ! " Jaune yelled suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. " Just answer this, what did you to those Grimm ? "
" Despite being soulless, they possess incredible darkness. So I simply used my extensive knowledge and tamed their darkness by making it my own. Of course my own aura would purify and purge the darkness so I used it to break the chain between the Flamesong and Chaos. In that instant when I blinded you all with dark light. Now what I intend to do next is quite simplistic but impressive."
Elias raised his free hand again and this time the light was so illuminating that it not only blinded everyone but also emitted a high pitched noise that also deafened everyone. When it all ended, only things that remained where Orion and the huntsmen and huntresses from Beacon and Mercury.
The Knights had gone haywire and self-destructed themselves while the pilots of the Paladins all fell out of their machines, their eyes burned from their sockets, and their slashed with surgical precision.
" That's so...not fair..." Orion said, weakly using Yang as crutch as he threw his arm around her to support himself.
" Hmm I wasn't aware you wanted to die fairly." Elias said calmly as he began unsheathing his sword. " Now I count 15 people with aura strong enough to be subdued and likewise destroyed by my powers."
" I'm not...letting that happen ! " Jaune yelled suddenly with anger, sending everyone but Elias crashing through the snow, leaving Elias surprised at the sight. " If we're the least bit related, you should see what you're doing is wrong ! We're Arc's ! Our family are heros N-NOT murderers ! We're people, and we bleed like everyone else ! If you can't see that, then...it's my responsibility to stop you ! "
Elias was in disbelief as to what he heard but he stood tall and stared down at Jaune. " I don't wish to kill one of my own line, but if you turn against me then...I have no choice...Prepare yourself, young Arc and may you die a warriors deaths."