Humans have the capacity for a great many changes. With proper guidance, a human could bring about great changer, be it good or bad. These changes could set off a domino effect that would be spoken of in the future. Humanity would mark today the day that they showed that they would never surrender, and fight against all odds. They made a stand, showing the Grimm that they would continue to reach new heights, continuing to pull themselves through the darkness.
Today, I watched as two of my dearest friends fight alongside the person I hated more than anything. I know it happened once before when they fought together to defeat Elias. Now they did it again, working together to defend humanity from the largest Grimm invasion that had ever been seen.
I fought with the other Huntsmen and Huntresses, slaying many a Grimm with my beloved scythe, Crescent Rose. I fell into a deep trance, something I had learned in my travels. I allowed myself to fall, to be swept up in the intensity of the battle, letting my weapon decapitate, sever, and annihilate any Grimm that attempted to attack me. I had finally cleared a decent area around me, and I made the near fatal mistake of taking a short breath.
I sensed the threat, but was too temporarily winded to react. The Beowulf would have taken my life if my sister hadn't shattered the creature's spine with her raw strength. Flames flickered and flared as her fist struck each of her targets. Before I knew it, we were back-to-back, placing our lives in each others hands as we had done so many times.
I felt the aura of warmth that she gave off, but there was something more. Yang could merely inspire people with her presence alone, acting like a divine ray of hope.
In the distance, Sun was an agile, graceful, figure that the demon he was fighting couldn't touch. The demon, Ravager, could only roar and swipe its massive hands, attempting to grab Sun. It was all in vain as Sun flipped, and rolled to evade each attack, as if he was toying with the demon.
With them, Orion was fighting. In the rare chance that Ravager nearly grabbed Sun, Orion was there to stop him. His speed was notable, being a red and black blur that blitzed Ravager in a frenzy of fire and steel. His sword, Muramasa, was more than durable enough to block Ravager's massive fist. Orion's aura-enhanced strength was enough to match the demon blow-for-blow.
The person guaranteeing that Ravager's clones didn't interfere was Jaune Arc, my dear friend. He'd been my first friend when I arrived at Beacon, and we confided in each like family. In truth we were practically family, if only separated by blood relation.
He wielded a relic sword and shield, Crocea Mors, that he had had me repair and refurbish many times in the past. I watched as he felled Ravager's clones with practiced ease, each blow designed to kill with lethal efficiency. His growth had shocked us all. He had once been near hopeless, but now he stood as one of Vale's, if not one of Remnant's greatest swordsman.
His skills with a sword had been honed to a razor sharp point, a single strike more than enough to sever horns and limbs from the demonic clones. When the influx of clones had begun to subside, Jaune turned his attention to Ravager. He sheathed his sword in his shield and let loose a fury of throwing knives from his belt.
The knives peppered Ravager's back. Though it was just a minor annoyance to the demon, Orion bathed the blades in blue flames, along with Ravager's back. The blades melted under the intense heat, searing through the demon skin.
Orion's eyes were that of a person intoxicated, and enthralled by the thrill of battle. He held the same look he had had when we fought him several times when we were younger. He was like a wild wolf, enjoying the hunt rather than the kill.
Yet at the same time he was focused. He fought with savagery, and refined precision. Precision and focused rage coursed through him, and that was when I realized what he and Yang had been trying to tell me. In the past, he would fight for the sake of fighting, basking in the the thrill of the kill. Now he fought for the sake of something greater than he was, and for someone he would lay down his life for.
I returned my attention to the sister at my back, trusting her with my life as she trusted me with hers. Together, we rushed into the fray.
Ravager had found the chink in the armor of the trio. For all of the demon's size, his speed was still notable enough. He purposely left himself open, allowing Orion to impale him, and grabbed the overzealous Sun. He grabbed Orion as well, and roared in rage as he smacked them together, into the ground, and flung them into the air.
Orion released a wave of golden flames that pushed Sun to safety and cushioned his fall. Orion allowed himself to fall into Ravager's grasp, feeling the brute's tightening grip around his neck. Jaune attempted to charge in, but was blocked off by several of Ravager's lesser clones.
Ravager turned his attention to Orion, roaring in the young human's face, tightening his grip even more. Orion threw a punch aimed for Ravager's face. The demon caught Orion's arm, tightened his grip and attempted to break the human's arm.
The demon roared again, a grievous mistake. Orion had planned on the roar, and had concealed a massive swathe of flames in his hand. When Ravager opened his mouth, Orion's hand opened as well, releasing the wave of flame.
Jaune threw his shield up, bracing against the force of the explosion as blue flames incinerated the clones of Ravager that had surrounded him. When the flames ceased, Jaune lowered his shield and saw an impressive sight, one that elicited a smirk from him.
Ravager was stumbling back, roaring in pain as holy white fire seared his throat. A torrent of blue flames dispersed, revealing Orion, bloodlust in his eyes. His chain, ever wrapped around his wrist, whipped through the air and ensnared Ravager by the beast's neck.
Despite the damage, Ravager attempted to resist. Orion, holding his chain with of his hands, attempted to wrestle the beast to the ground. They were locked in a deadly struggle, neither being able to overpower the other. Drawing on the Cosmic Force imbued in the chain, Orion set it ablaze in white flames, trying even further to bring Ravager down.
A flash of energy lit up the sky, and pure white lightning rained down. Ravager was bombarded by the assault, finally being brought to his knees as the white lightning ceased. The white flames on Orion's chain receded, yet the chain was as tight as it had been. Orion looked up to see where the source of the lightning had originated.
Amira hovered above, and merely smiled at Orion before vanishing through a portal. Orion smirked as he returned his attention Ravager. Orion's free fist went up in intense white flames as he approached the weakened Ravager.
His fist connected with Ravager's chin. The flames exploded on impact, propelling Ravager into the air with monstrous force, a blow strong enough to shake the heavens. His chain extended to a length longer than he remembered, but he smiled darkly as he yanked it.
Ravager came back, falling with enough to force that he could have been confused for a missile. A crater was created beneath where Ravager lay, beaten and broken. Still the demon refused to yield. He forced himself to his feet, Orion's chain making the task even more difficult.
Orion, battering beowolves aside, made his way to Ravager, his aura dropping evermore, yet he too refused yield. He summoned every ounce of power he could muster, aiming to end the battle now.
Ravager's clones formed a wall between Orion and Ravager, each summoning a black mist that was made to stop any assaults. Orion smirked at the challenge, his aura manifesting around him as a pillar of white flames that reached towards the sky. Suddenly the flames all too quickly. Jaune stepped several steps back from Orion, raised his shield, and flooded his aura into it.
Orion opened his palm, aimed it at Ravager, and spoke. Ravager didn't hear the words, nor could he read Orion's lips. All he saw a pure white flames, and felt both their explosive and purifying power as they washed over him.
Jaune's shield and aura were enough to withstand the force that Orion's power had emitted. He lowered his shield and saw Ravager's defeated and scarred form, still clinging to life. Orion was tired, having exhausted enough aura to kill a lesser human, but he still chose to fight on.
His sword, Muramasa, lay a foot away from him. He trudged on, each step bringing him further pain. Finally he managed to grasp his blade tightly, and began to make his way to Ravager.
Jaune could have stopped him as he was. He was winded, his consciousness fading in and out. Yet, Jaune respected Orion as a warrior, and merely watched as Muramasa began to glow with a radiant golden shine. When Orion had made his way to Ravager, he brought Muramasa high and prepared to deliver the final blow.
However, Ravager shot to life, more energized than he should have been. A large fist struck Orion square in the chest as Ravager roared in dominance. Blood dripped from Ravager's mouth, and suddenly Jaune understood what had happened. Ravager had devour parts of his clones, revitalizing himself as his wings blocked weak fireballs thrown by Orion. Jaune rushed over, preparing to join the revived battle, except Orion rose to his feet, refusing to be defeated.
" I am beyond your strength, Flamesong. You humans cannot stand against the darkness!" "
Orion, blooded stained and fatigued, could only smile as he threw Muramasa aside. His fist ignited in blue flames, and he merely smiled.
" Stupid demon."
Ravager glared at Orion in anger, but that anger was quickly changed to shock he felt his chest. Ravager looked down, seeing a gold and red staff protruding from him.
Behind Ravager was Sun, empowered by the aura that Orion had slowly been giving him, rushed Ravager. Sun closed the distance between Ravager and him, imbued his legs with aura, and struck his staff again. The wave of power sent Sun's staff through Ravager's chest, leaving a gaping wound in its wake. Ravager turned in pain and tried to strike Sun, who merely vanished. He was now top of Ravager's fist, a smug expression plastered on his face.
" My illusions have improved a lot. You can't touch me again."
Ravager, enraged by the words, tried again to strike Sun. His fist passed through light that dissipated with ease. Sun was now on top of Ravager's shoulder.
" What are you?!"
" Someone who's been through too much to be scared or threatened by the likes of you, you pathetic waste of space."
Sun smirked as he once again dissipated into light. Ravager the fury of Orion's flames along with a deep pain in his chest. Sun's staff had returned, impaled in Ravager's and coated with blue flame. Black blood spewed from Ravager's mouth and wounds. He attempted to grab Sun, but merely grabbed another illusion.
Orion picked up Muramasa, placing the blade over his shoulder as he approached the down Ravager. Sun pulled his staff free and stepped aside. Ravager attempted to grab Sun, but was greeted by the heel of Sun's boots to his face. The blow knocked Ravager onto his back, the sky blurring in and out.
Orion placed a boot on Ravager's neck, brought his blade up and ignited it in a mass of blue flames. The blade came down, and the flames consumed Ravager one final time. What remained was Ravager's skull, gleaming in the flame's light. Orion picked up the skull and smirked. He held it up, like a prized trophy. At the sight of Ravager's skull, all Grimm halted their assault and retreated.
Some merely dissolved into nothing, others retreated and the rest were cut down without fail. Orion, still clutching Ravager's skull, fell onto his back in a fatigue as he began to bleed slightly from his eyes and mouth. Yang rushed to his aside and held onto him tightly.
Ruby placed Crescent Rose on her back, and simply watched them. Mixed feelings swelled within her, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
" I haven't been like this in a while." Orion said weakly, yet a strong smile on his face. Yang and him lightly touched foreheads, a loving act between them.
" This would almost look sweet if he wasn't an international criminal and he wasn't holding a demon's skull." Sun said sarcastically as Jaune placed a hand on his shoulder.
" That was something I wanted to tell you, Orion. But since we're all here, I suppose now's as good a time as any."
" What are you talking about, Arc ? " Orion weakly asked.
" An international summit is being held to determine what to do about what's happening to the world, as per usual. However, this summit is mainly at Chaos and you."
" Meaning ?" Orion asked, not following.
" I mean vindication for what happened in the past. A clean slate, courtesy from every kingdom."