Remnant of Void & Flame
Volume I - Chapter IX
The attack that followed after the explosion was swift and without mercy. Sharp cries split the air as the Blood Fang streamed out of the buildings and towards the unsuspecting people of Argus, their screams of vengeance and retribution putting an end to any hopes of a peaceful evening.
Hoarse cries filled the air as the Blood Fang descended upon their hapless victims, the elderly, the women, the children and the young men who froze at being so suddenly confronted by death. Both bullets and blades ripped past them, but none could run due to the pure terror and shock that engulfed them all.
Masked figures advanced on every side while they poured out withering fire from their guns, creating a hell-scape from which there was no escape nor mercy given. Any form of resistance was met with harsh words, followed by rounds of gunfire that mercilessly ripped through the opposition without hesitation or delay.
The streets ran red with blood as their cries of anguish echoed off the walls and buildings, pleading for help that never came.
'Another offer, another refusal...'
Kiana keep pressing on, never hesitating nor faltering in the face of the oncoming onslaught. The crimson blade held in her right hand glowed with intensity and gleamed menacingly against the gun fire looming ahead, blood dripping off its tip as it danced in her grip and cut through the air with practised ease.
She leapt forward, cascading gracefully through the air to dodge what would be a fatal strike before swinging her blade in a deadly arc around her. Her movements were as precise as it is smooth, the blade's edge slicing through metal and flesh. It did not stop until every single head had been looped off cleanly, severed in one fluid motion.
'... why?'
Her feet touched the ground a fraction of second afterward, her blade raised in a defensive stance as she prepared herself for another attack coming her way. She swatted away the rapidly incoming hail of bullet with unnatural grace and poise. The steel moved so swiftly that it seemed almost impossible, leaving trails of light and sparks in its wake. It hummed a silent melody, singing a sad requiem as each bullet collide against her blade without fail.
She launch herself towards the enemies even before the deadly rain of bullet has come to an end, the sharp edges of her blade clashing against the armor her enemies donned so proudly. They offered no resistance, for with every motion she made, a limb was severed from the whole. Flesh became rent asunder and blood erupted from the gap like freshly spilt paint upon a blank canvas.
'So much death, so much suffering... and for what?'
Her left hand did not remain idle either, Fafnir Flame had long since been replaced with ARC Serratus. She fired shot after shot with barely any pause or hesitation, aiming at the more distant enemies who she judged would be harder to reach. Every shot hit true and with precise accuracy, each bullet imbued with the power of the Void that allows them to bypass every obstacle in their way. The bullet even phased through their Aura, something that served as a person's last line of defense in this world so filled with strife.
She manage to dealt with another few of them when a slight sound suddenly registered in her ears. A sound so faint that it would went unnoticed had it not been for her enhanced hearing. Still, it was enough to alert her senses and cause her instincts to kick in, prompting her to quickly twist her body and stepped to the side.
A man zoomed past where she stood just a moment ago, his blade cutting through the air like a lightning bolt. Time seems to slow down as their gazes met, her eyes locking into the murky blue iris that peered through the white mask, a red pattern adorning its surfaces. Each stroke serve as a reminder of the countless lives he had taken, their blood forever painted on his mask. The mask did not, however, prevent her from recognizing the young man.
"Adam Taurus," She greet the Faunus, her eyes tracking his movements as he turn his head and eyed her suspiciously. "I did not expect you to be here..."
The words came out smoothly enough, though in truth, it was nothing more than a bold-faced lie...
While her recent assault against many of their hidden bases yielded nothing concrete, every information she managed to gather so far is enough to tell her that the Blood Fang had been preparing for some sort of operation. Unfortunately, the lack of details on said information prevented her from grasping the full scale of their plan.
She had entertained the thought of hacking into their communication, though that was before she realized that they rarely - if ever - use their scroll to communicate their plan. Then again, she should've realized that sooner, considering that all of the information that she manage to gather had always been in a non-digital form. Capturing a few of their members also yielded little to no result as none of them ever seemed to possess any crucial information whatsoever.
Still, following the recent strings of crimes committed by the Blood Fang had provided her with enough of a clue to roughly guess the target of their operation, or in this case, targets. She simply did not expect them to be bold enough to attack an entire city...
The red haired swordsman slowly raised himself from the stance that he had taken when attacking her, his black coat flowing ever so slightly as his body shifted. It only took a few moments before he finally noticed her white hair, a trait distinctive to one family in particular. His eyes quickly flashed with recognition, and his visage was replaced with an expression of intense hatred shortly after.
"Winter Schnee... " He growled at her, his sword pointed menacingly towards her direction. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this..."
Unlike most member of the Blood Fang, Adam Taurus had managed to attain a fairly high position within the organization despite his relatively young age. Quite an achievement if she were to be honest... Regardless, as the Vice Leader of the Atlas Branch, he was guaranteed to possess plenty of information regarding the organization. Information that - if utilized correctly - should allow her to deliver a crippling blow towards the organization.
"Is that so?" Kiana asked casually, not even bothering to correct him even as the other members of Blood Fang begin to surround her. She frowned as she noted several presences hiding on rooftop as well, in preparation of what seems to be an ambush. "I suppose asking you to surrender is out of the question?"
Adam was the first to roar out in an uncontrollable laughter, followed shortly by his cohorts. He then silenced them almost immediately, stepping forward with a predatory sneer on his face.
"You must be a fool if you think that we would let go of the chance to kill a Schnee like you!" He glowered at her, his grip on his sword tightening as he spoke. The other members of the Blood Fang were all brimming with anticipation and excitement, clearly relishing in their supposed victory. "No one is arround to save you now..."
A quick glance to the side revealed a lone faunus standing in the far corner. Blake Belladonna... She had expected the girl to be nearby, considering that the little cat have been reported to always hang around the minotaurus, though she was pleasantly surprised to see that the cat's mask remain unblemished.
"Regardless, I must insist that you throw down your arms and surrender yourselves peacefully..." She look back at the swordsman and shook her head slightly, her voice nothing more than a faint whisper. "There will be no victory in this fight for any of us. Just pain, bloodshed and regret... Are you certain that I can't convince you to surrender?"
The red haired swordsman was silent for a moment, simply looking at her as if he wanted to read the very depths of her soul. The oppressive atmosphere only seemed to thicken with each passing second, until eventually, he threw back his head and laughed heartily...
"There's no way I'm going to surrender myself into the hands of a Schnee!" He spat mockingly at her, before taking a step forward with an imperious glare in his eyes. "You, and your whole family have been nothing but a blight upon this world... and I'll be damned if I let you walk away today..."
"I see..." Kiana smiled sadly before letting out a heavy sigh. She looked him in the eyes, hoping that he could realize how futile his resistance would be. "That is most unfortunate..."
She look upon each and everyone of them, yet none had taken her offer to surrender. Kiana simply hung her head low as the air began to grow significantly warmer, her weapons shattering into fragments of light. Sweat started dripping from all of the people around her as their skin began to burn with a fierce, muted heat.
"Very well then..." She raise her head and nodded ever so slightly, her voice soft and gentle even as some sort of oppressive aura starts to surround her. Space itself began to ripple as countless sub-space lance began to form in the air, their tip aimed at the few dozens Blood Fang standing around her. "You have all chosen your own fate..."
Everyone can only look around in fear as her blue eyes shined brightly with a lustrous hue, each of the lances radiating a fiery glow as they slowly charge with power. The Blade of Conviction begin to materialize in a brilliant display of fire and light as she will it into existence...
"For what it's worth..." Kiana spoke quietly under her breath, before channeling a vast quantity of Honkai Energy through her blade and driving it into the ground, turning the area around them into a fiery inferno. "I am sorry..."
She had always been a member of the White Fang for as long as she could remember. At first, it was simply because of her admiration towards her parents, of the amount of work and dedication they would pour into their cause. But as she grew older, Blake found herself drawn closer and closer to the White Fang's cause.
As she learned more and more of its application, her fondness towards the organization had grown rapidly. It wasn't just a simple emotion, an admiration for their potential accomplishment that spoke to her, but a much deeper sense of affinity with what they were striving for. A part of her felt the burning passion they had to bring equality between the human and faunus, a noble goal which made her heart soar like nothing else could, and as she reached out towards them, Blake poured out all of her dedication and determination in uniting both races together.
Despite any hardship or setback that stood in her path, she was relentless, for the greater good of both their kind. It also help that it felt as if there existed an unwavering loyalty amongst members of the Fang that defied all logic, a bond much stronger than anything else on Remnant.
However, no matter how strong her love was for the organization and how much she wanted to see it succeed, things just never seemed to get any better. Their peaceful approach were met with angry insults and accusations, and every time they attempted to reach out a hand in friendship, it was answered with violence instead. It felt like every step forward in their journey towards unity was countered with its own equal force.
The irony of it all left her feeling frustrated and enraged as she watched her beloved White Fang slowly crumble before her eyes...
After days and nights of discussions, everyone came to a conclusion that it was time for the White Fang to take a different approach in order to reach its goal. And as such, although it was met with mixed emotions from all parties involved, she silently supported her father's decision and allowed him to step down from the position of leadership.
While she still held onto her dream of achieving equality between human and faunus, she knew that their peaceful approach could only get them so far...
Under the guidance of their new leader, Sienna Khan, White Fang adopted a more aggressive approach towards its mission, a seemingly endless chain of violent protests and assaults against humans aimed at drawing attention to their cause. Though many believed that this would better guarantee the results they were looking for, it did not come without consequences either, as the violence that were often being taken to the extreme quickly painted the organization in a negative light within society's eyes.
Regardless, she could not deny that it was working, though she often find herself struggling to reconcile the image of what she had wanted White Fang to be with what it had become under the new leadership. Despite all their success, however, the White Fang only seems to grow even more vicious in their approach as time goes on. The organization's desired outcome moved further and further away from the noble idea of equality for all, instead shifting its focus to that of obtaining supremacy over humans.
Of course, not everyone was in agreement with this change in direction, and it did not take long before a splinter group was formed. Calling themselves the Blood Fang, they relished in their extreme approach and made it clear that they had no intention of compromising or negotiating with anyone. In time, the Blood Fang eventually rose to prominence, as its members earned a reputation of being the most ruthless among all faunus groups.
As the Blood Fang's success grew, so did their numbers, and many of those who were are disillusioned with White Fang's approach eventually found solace within this new organization. Even Adam, her mentor, found his admiration towards the organization quickly growing once he realized that the Blood Fang were willing to do whatever it takes to get things done.
In the end, regardless of her parents approval, it didn't take too long before even she herself started seeing its value and began sympathizing - if only a little bit - with those who had rallied around its cause...
Which is why when Adam told her about the Blood Fang's plan to infiltrate the City of Argus, she had agreed to accompany him with little to no hesitation, especially considering the fact that their objective is to eliminate the Schnee family. She knew that he needed her, and while it scared her deeply to think of what they would be facing, she could not deny his request...
It was not until she arrived in Argus and saw the sheer scale of the Blood Fang's operation that she finally realized what exactly her mentor and the army at his disposal had planned. She was awestruck with just how fast everything had begun to unravel. What should have been a quick and calculated mission of vengeance quickly turned into an invasion, one which she became a part of despite not understanding the full scale of what was actually happening.
Overwhelmed with confusion, she can only look to Adam for guidance, and simply stood beside him as he spoke about the importance of what was happening, expressing his passion for reclaiming justice upon those who had wronged them in years past. She could sense the anger emanating from him as he told her the full scope of their plan, so primal was his anger that it reminded her of the time when he received his 'branding' at the hand of the SDC.
His wrath only grew stronger when one of his men told him that they had spotted a member of the Schnee Family running around the city. The slightest trace of insanity crossed his face before his expression turned into one of sheer rage, his fist clenched as he start shouting at everyone within earshot to follow him.
It did not take long for them to locate their target, and when they found her standing amongst the corpses of their fellow Faunus, her mentor rushed straight ahead without a trace of hesitation, his sword drawn in an attempt kill the woman they believed to be a Schnee. Blake, on the other hand, could not help but feel a sense of familiarity when she look upon the woman.
While it's true that she possess the white hair that the Schnees were known for, there was just something... different, about the way she carried herself. It was only when she saw the woman's bright blue iris slowly changing its shape into that of a diamond, did Blake finally realize the woman's identity...
"The Radiant Blaze..."
She muttered in surprise. Her suspicion was further proven as a great sword make its appearance in a mighty burst of flame, the very same weapon that The Radiant Blaze had used to kill one of the two Ancients during the battle of Evergreen City. A rush of understanding, tinged with a hint of awe and reverence, crashed into her mind like a wave.
Before her stands a legend, someone whose strength and feats alike transcends the mere understanding of men.
For as long as she could remember, mankind had always been the one on the back foot in their fight against the Grimm. The lack of both numbers and experience prevented them from making any real headway against the beasts, leaving each encounter with a net loss on their part. Yet here stood a single woman, an individual whose mere presence had made the creatures of Grimm cower in fear... Her powers were such that even mankind itself begin to both revere and fear her in equal measure. The Flame that she exudes burned brighter and hotter than even the harshest of sunlight, but even so, Blake could not deny the gentle warmth that emanates from the same flame, like a soothing blanket of security enveloping her in its embrace.
The arrival of The Radiant Blaze changed the course of mankind's war with the Grimm, a turning point that signalled the beginning of their uprising. The fear that mankind had for years harboured against the Creatures of Grimm slowly began to dissipates, replaced by an unyielding sense of confidence and resolves as they started to understand and accept the strength that lies within each and every one of them.
Although she had disappeared not long after her victory against the Ancient, her legacy continues on even to this day. The image of The Radiant Blaze was quickly adopted by many as a symbol of hope and courage, inspiring countless to take up the mantle of Huntsmen or Huntress in order to protect their fellow men. Blake herself had even considered taking up such a role, though Adam's words were enough to dissuade her from doing so.
Still, now the legend stood before them, not as an ally, but as an enemy...
A mistake... This was clearly a mistake... Realizing this, Blake tried to call out to the woman, a desperate attempt to prevent the situation from escalating any further. Her voice came out far too late, however, as her vision exploded in a brilliant flurry of light and the world burned around her...
The initial explosion killed almost half of the Faunus and shattered the aura of those who survive. The following attack from her flame infused sub-space lance took out most of the survivors, their armor melting at the mere touch of its fiery tip. Those that manage to dodge in time could only watch in morbid fascination as the figures of their comrades went alight, dead before their body even touch the ground.
She gazed upon the survivors with cold, calculating eyes as the air become thick with both smoke and pungent stench of burnt flesh.
In less than ten second, their number went from over two dozens to a mere five. It did not take long for most of the remaining survivors to scramble away from her in an attempt to save their life, though their efforts soon proved to be in vain. Her blade moved in a swift yet graceful motion, killing the rest of the Faunus before they even have the time to react. Their blood clings to her weapon before disappearing soon after, the heat emanating from the blade evaporating the crimson liquid in but a few seconds.
Kiana let out a heavy sigh, before turning her sight towards the lone figure standing in the not too far-off distance. The wind blew through the alley, stirring up a flurry of ashes and dirt to dance around them as they both stared at each other. Unlike the rest of his men, Adam Taurus remained in the exact same spot, surprisingly unafraid despite the... massacre, that had just unfolded before him.
"So that's how it is..."
She simply raised her eyebrows in response to his statement. The young swordsman seems to have realized who she truly is, his demeanor shifting to a subtle mix of both calmness and aggression. They both gaze at each other in silence before he begin to lower his stance, one hand hovering over the hilt of his blade.
The Faunus made his move in an instant, drawing his crimson steel at incredible speed and using its sharp edge to slash at her... A sudden bombardment from over a dozen sub-space lances caused him to stumble, breaking his stance and leaving him open for her retaliation. A strike to the jaw followed by a kick to his chest sent him flying through the air like a ragdoll, flipping and turning before finally hitting the ground with a loud thud. The sound of broken bones that followed after her kick was something she did not miss...
She looked down upon him with an unfaltering gaze, her lips curving into a faint scowl as she slowly lower her leg. That... can't possibly be enough to kill him, right? Kiana was quite certain that she held her power back as much as possible...
The red haired swordsman lay motionless for few moments before slowly getting back on his feet, wiping away some of the blood that had escaped from his mouth. She simply raise her blade as the Faunus charge forward once more, parrying and countering each of his attacks with all sorts of maneuvers that would put even veteran huntsmen to shame...
Nevertheless, now that he is without his aura, Adam could not hope to keep up for long. He became sluggish, his movements slower and easier to predict... Yet despite everything, he still maintained an unfaltering gaze as his blade clashed against hers. Sparks flew in all directions as the two continued their fight, but despite the intensity of it, Kiana remained calm and collected, never once flinching or losing her focus throughout the whole ordeal.
It wasn't until Adam had received a bloody gash on his leg that he finally falters, staggering backward in an attempt to widen their distance. The man appeared to be exhausted, and yet even in his weakened state, he still managed to give off a faint aura of determination and courage. She had to admit that she was impressed... Not many would've been able to fight with that much fervor despite the odds being stacked against them.
The Faunus soon resorted to a different tactic, reaching out to his pocket and pulling out several dust crystals. Ice, wind and lightning, she noticed... He then proceeded to scatter them in her direction and use his shotgun to shoot at the crystal, causing a series of detonation that forced her to leap backwards. While her status as a Herrscher allowed her to shrug off the explosion, it was still enough to hinder her sight, if only momentarily...
Ultimately, his attack proved insignificant as her eyes recovered not a second after. Several blast from his shotgun that followed right after were dodged by simply twisting her body in mid-air, allowing the bullets to pass without so much as a graze. His next attempt to outmanouver and flank her results in a backhand that not only sent his weapon's trajectory off course, but also shattered its blade and sent its fragments scattering all over the ground.
The swordman's eyes grew taut with frustration as he threw away his weapon and made a hasty retreat, his hand scrambling for the lone blade on the ground. Some sort of mecha-shift dagger by the looks of it, with pair of cracked dust crystal embedded near the base of the blade. She suppose it would make for a decent weapon, though it was clear that the young man barely had any experience with the type judging by the way he handle it.
She lunged forward before he could even get a decent grip on his new weapon, using the blunt side of her blade to deliver a series of strike that brought him to his knee. A pity, really... His talent with the blade may had earned him a reputation, and yet, for all of his skill and reflexes, it could not hope to match up against the destructive power, precision and range that she possessed.
Still, his effort was admirable in its own way...
Every book and record pertaining to aura that she read led her to believe someone should no longer be able to utilize their superhuman feat once they lose their aura. For him to perform this well despite already losing his spoke much of his potential... Regardless, a part of her had to appreciate his resolve, though unfortunately for the man, it hadn't been her intention to drag out the fight any longer than what was necessary.
Her left hand swiftly grab onto his dagger the moment he choose to retaliate, twisting the weapon and using her authority to turn the steel into nothing more than a molten slag. Kiana threw the weapon away before pulling his wrist, delivering a knee strike at his face that shattered his mask and sent him crashing unto the ground, surrounded by the smoldering remnants of his men.
"Fuck!" The red-haired swordsman groaned in agony as he clutched at his broken nose with one hand while using the other to prop himself from the ground. His face was now a bloody mess, and it was clear that he was no longer capable of continuing the fight.
She look upon his fallen form, her eyes unwavering as she approached him and used the tip of her blade to push his hands away. Focusing her gaze on his face revealed that he had been branded with the mark of the SDC, a sign of subjugation and humiliation. It was an act of cruelty that she personally found appalling, a perverse method of punishment that left the target feeling both physically and mentally scarred while simultaneously stripping them of their pride. She reach down and ran her finger across the offending mark, her eyes softening ever so slightly in recognition of his plight.
"Don't you dare look at me like that! I don't need your fucking sympathy!" Adam snarled and batted her hand away in response. He then screamed to the air, his voice filled with rage and hatred. "You damn cowards! What the hell are you all waiting for!? Shoot her!"
The rapid sound of gunfires coming from above forced her to slide back, her attention shifting to the new group of Blood Fang that had finally decided to show themselves. Their numbers had definitely increased, a little over three dozens now compared to the previous sixteen.
Not that it would make much of a difference...
A brief look towards the corner of the alley tells her that Blake Belladonna had yet to make a move. Kiana could feel the cat's eyes on her from the dark corner where she was hiding, no doubt unsure on how to proceed or if she should act at all. She continue to dodge and dance around the incoming fire before proceeding to leap onto the wall, though not before sending a single sub-space lance towards the red-haired swordsman, piercing his leg and pinning him to the ground...
A slight application of Honkai Energy allowed her to hurl herself off the wall and into the sky where several platforms made of pure void energy formed in the air, angled in a way that would allow her to propel herself towards the Blood Fang hiding on the rooftop. They didn't fare much better compared to their brethren on the ground, each and every single one of them fell to her might within seconds of her arrival.
The Blood Fang hiding in a building to her left continue to fire their weapon as she move among their comrades, their aim getting increasingly inaccurate with each successive shot. She offer them nothing more than a mere glance, using her authority over the domain of the flame to turn the bullets into ash the moment it left the barrel of their weapons. A wave of her hand sent a stream of hellfire into the building where they had been hiding, engulfing the occupants in a swirling mass of smoke and flame.
Their shrieks of agony nearly drowned out the crackling sound that echoed, their aura doing nothing to save them from their impending doom. She let the fire linger for a few moment before snapping her finger, turning the fiery inferno into a massive explosion that leveled the entire floor of the building. So great was the force of the explosion that it shattered another small part of the mask that she used to hide her face, further revealing the vissage hidden underneath.
The only sound left in the alley was that of an eerie silence as the last enemy fell to her might. Their cries of rage had been replaced by an odd serenity, their voices now forever silenced in death, buried underneath the piles of corpses rising up from each direction.
'... in the end, was any of these worth it?'
It was a thought she had subconsciously carried over time, and she could not help but wonder sometimes... when is it that she had become so disensitized to the act of taking a life? So numb that she could carry out such an act with little to no hesitation...
Kiana grimaced at such thoughts, a thin line forming on her lips before it slowly fades away into nothingness. That feeling of disgust hung heavy on her shoulders as she took one more look back at lifeless bodies lying around her. Too many life had been wasted here. Too much blood and too much pain, this world would never be able to heal as fast as it broke.
Truly, fighting against a honkai beast would be much more preferable...
Kiana let out a sigh as she jump back down to the alley, her feet shattering the ground as she looked for her target. A few moments pass before her eyes finally lay onto what remain of Adam Taurus, her gaze shifting towards the corner of the alley soon after, to the place where Blake Belladonna had been hiding since beginning. She couldn't help but smile in amusement as the realization hit her. It seems that the little cat had helped him escape, leaving only his severed leg behind, pinned by her lance.
She picks up her lance and shakes her head lightly, taking one last look around at the scene of carnage. It did not take long for her to notice the open manhole leading underneath the city and into its vast network of sewers. She couldn't help but marvel at Blake's ingenuity as she thought about where they might be...
Still, Kiana was fairly certain that the pair had not gone too far and a simple blast into the sewer would be enough to incinerate and kill them. The only question is whether she could bring herself to do it or not. She knew that Blake Belladonna had not been a member of the Blood Fang, as evident by her pure white mask. That the girl remain passive and hesitant throughout the whole battle also added to the doubt Kiana had about the whole situation.
"Absinthe, this is Indigo..." A faint sound coming from her earpiece interrupts her thought. "What's the situation?"
Kiana spared one last look towards the manhole before turning around, the sub-space lance on her left hand disintegrating into motes of light. A pulse of her power sent waves of ethereal flames around her, incinerating everything that came within its reach until nothing but ash remain in the alley.
"Absinthe reporting in..." She reach for her communication device before speaking into the earpiece, her voice solemn but steady. "All clear..."
It didn't take long for the rest of her group to arrive at her location, their faces turning pale at the scene of carnage that lay before them. There were civilians and even children among the group, whom she had rescued during the chaos of battle.
Kiana made sure to block their view of the worst parts, using her authority of the void to spare them from the sickening sight. But even so, the group still manage to take in at least some of what had happened. Blood and gore that her power failed to burn away scattered upon the very ground near their feet as if it was a stain that could never be erased and the scars of battle covered much of the area around them.
Their eyes quickly turn away from it all, refusing to look back even as they walked towards her. She could even detect a hint of fear coming from the group when they look at her, one that fail to dissipates and continue to linger in the air...
She really couldn't blame them... The sight would be too much, even more so for those who had little experience in such things...
"Come on..." She spoke softly, her voice now one of comfort and understanding. "We need to find some shelter while we plan for our next move."
The group quickly followed her lead, with her in the front and the others following closely behind. They all quickly make their way towards the nearest building that would offer them a degree of protection against the world outside.
Kiana took one more look back at the carnage, the sights and smell of death still fresh in her mind. Taking one last breath, she pushed her own emotion away, burying them in order to focus on the task ahead of her.
She could feel the glass beneath her feet shattered into a hundred pieces as she continue to make her way towards the rooftop. The incident with the car had been a close call, far too close than she'd like to admit. In fact, she was quite certain that most of the escort would have died had it not been for her using her authority over both void and time, particularly her ability to slow down time and manipulate space to her whim.
Still, now that they had reached a momentary respite from the dangers, Kiana allowed her mind to reflect on the events that had occured. There is a reason why she seldom use said abilities, even during a difficult fight such as the one against Kevin.
Despite being a convenient and efficient method of transportation, creating portals and opening pocket dimension carried a certain risk. It was easy enough to open a portal that allow for an inanimate object to pass by, but it require considerable efforts and concentration to keep one stable enough for any living being to use. Not to mention that she would also need to be very careful in preventing the portal from leaking out any amount of honkai energy and affecting both the users and its surrounding.
That is not even considering the question of whether the inhabitants of Remnant possess the necessary level of honkai resistance, if they have any at all...
Her time dillation abilities is no different. Even when used in a small scale, it would end up saturating the entire vicinity with honkai energy... which means that the Heiress and her entourage had been exposed to honkai energy, even if only for a brief moment...
Kiana could only shake her head and heaved a sigh... At least none of them had yet to show any sign of transformation. Nevertheless, it would be best if she could continue to observe them for the next few months...
Hmm...
Perhaps she could try and conduct an experiment in the future... Knowing the effect of her power on Human, Faunus and Grimm alike would certainly help her in the long run, especially in deciding how much restraint she need to show in her future endeavors.
Then again, she rather not turn anyone into a mindless zombie and risk a Honkai Outbreak anytime soon. After all, this world had enough problem of their own to worry about... She shelve the thought for later as she continue to make her way up to the rooftop, intending to gain the much needed information in order to evaluate their current situation.
The mall they took their shelter in was seemingly undamaged, and provided a secure spot for the group to rest and plan their next move. With the right strategies and enough preparation, the area could easily be defended against any potential aggressors.
Nevertheless, now that they manage to lose their pursuers, she is confident that she could concentrate enough to use her authority of the void to create a stable portal, one that will allow her to evacuate the Heiress as well as the rest of the survivors with little to no problem. All that's left is for her to decide on the destination of said portal.
Leaving them out in the wilds is out of the question since their fear will end up attracting all the Grimm in their immediate vicinity, and considering the number of available combatants within the group, their prospect would be low at best. She had considered opening one directly to the Schnee's Mansion in Atlas, but the distance would make it a bit too taxing on her current energy reserves and require more effort than she can spare. Also, she wasn't sure if letting the Schnees know that she have direct access to their home would be a good idea.
Her step came to a stop in once she reached the rooftop, her eyes scanning the surrounding in an attempt to evaluate their current situation. The Blood Fang had certainly been quite thorough with their attack.
A glance at Argus Military Base revealed desperate soldiers and stoic androids firing their weapons in an attempt to fend off an advancing horde, each one a member of the Blood Fang as evident by the red marking upon their mask. She could see turrets of various size rotating and spitting out their bullets at the advancing enemy, shredding flesh and bone in their wake.
Unfortunately, despite all their efforts, the terrorists had succeeded in infiltrating the base defenses and proceeded to make their way deeper into the facility. There is little to no doubt that the base will fall within an hour or two. No... looking at the pace the Blood Fang is going, perhaps an hour would be much more likely...
Regardless, they were still in a far better condition compared to Sanctum Academy, which lies in the north-eastern part of the city. Kiana couldn't held back a grimace at the sight of it. To say that the situation was bad would be a huge understatement. The entire place was practically engulfed in utter chaos, dozens upon dozens of figures moving around seemingly unsure of what to do. Fires have started to break out, trapping some of the students and staff while explosions disguised by smoke plume rocks the courtyards as figure of all size burst through them in a desperate attempt to flee the crumbling facility.
Her enhanced vision, however, allowed her to pick out something far more disturbing. Apparently, a large portion of the chaos stem from something far more malicious than the invading Blood Fang. Groups of students and staff can be seen fighting against one another, their weapons pointed at their former colleague with the intent to kill. There were even those who were holding fellow students as hostage with a gun pressed against the back of their head, their form covered with wounds and bruises, their faces full of disbelief and fear.
She could only grit her teeth in silence as realization dawned upon her. It seemed that some members of the Blood Fang had been posing as students and staff of the academy. It was certainly possible, considering the way some of those students seems to be staring at the Heiress back then...
How they manage to avoid detection for so long, however, is something beyond her. Then again, some Faunus can easily pass as a Human so long as they hide their trait. Still, it doesn't change the fact that it is something that she need to investigate later on...
Taking another look around, she could see that the situation in Argus is utterly hopeless, the spreading chaos and the Blood Fang's growing number is stretching their already battered forces to the breaking point. Unless they possess some sort of hidden trump card, then their only hope right now is to ask for some kind of reinforcement from any nearby military bases. Though the sight of a pillar of smoke rising from a not-to-distant hill, the very same one where Argus CCTS is supposed to be located all but render such notion... improbable.
At least now they know why their attempt at long-distance communication hadn't been working...
Still, while she had no doubt that reinforcement would arrive sooner or later, without any concrete evidence, the most Atlas would do is to send a scouting party to check if there is some sort problem with their distant ally. And by the time their fleet arrive to reinforce the city, it will all be too late...
That is not even mentioning the dark clouds that she could see approaching from the distance.
Focusing her gaze towards the pitch black clouds revealed thousands of Nevermores, their winged silhouettes a sure sign of the destruction that is about to engulf Argus. Looking even further, she could see what seems to be hundreds of sea feilongs, the air around them crackled with lighting as their serpentine forms rise from the depths of the sea.
What caught her attention however, was the one Grimm in the middle of it all, its gargantuan form a shadow that loomed in the distant horizon. It was a beast that stretches over hundreds of meters, with electricity arcing over every inch of its body. Thirteen heads sprout from its ancient frame, its eyes glowing with fury and malice as it let out a thunderous roar.
A wry smile found its way to her lips as she look upon the Ancient Grimm, a creature not so different from the myths and legends that she is familiar with...
Hydra, The Immortal Scourge...
Being one of the more recent addition on the list of Ancient Grimm, the beast was first sighted some two-hundred years ago. And just like the name implied, the multi-headed serpent is one of the few Ancients that choose to make the abyssal depth its home. Unlike the majority of its kind, however, the beast was known to be rather passive...
Though admittedly, it will not hesitate to attack anything that dare to approach its territory, with said territory spanning the entire sea between the continent of Anima and the continent of Solitas.
Several attempts has been made to annihilate the Ancient Grimm, with Atlas being the leading forces after the beast had been sighted approaching their borders. In a response that is both admirable and somewhat reckless, they had dispatched their most advanced fleet of warships against the Ancient and managed to gather a great number of both Vale's and Mistral's fleets in an effort to make sure the beast does not escape.
However, despite the effort they put in, not to mention risk taken, it appears that they had severely underestimated their foe...
Their first attempt ended in failure after discovering that the Ancient possess a regenerative ability, one that healed the beast fast enough to render the bombardment of an entire fleet ineffective. Their second attempt yielded a better result, the concentrated fire of three entire fleet succeeding in destroying four of the thirteen heads.
Unfortunately for them, the Ancient simply choose to retreat underwater and spent the next few years licking its wounds. In the end, the coalition forces lost twelve of their warships with little to nothing to show for it...
Their third and last attempt occurred just around eighteen years ago, brought forward due to a breakthrough in their military technology department. The envisioned plan was to turn the area around the Hydra into a frozen hellscape using missiles and payloads full of ice dust, which, based on their calculation, should have been enough to prevent the beast from going underwater.
Of course, seeing as the beast is still alive...
Kiana wasn't exactly sure how it had happened, but the Hydra had somehow manage to break free from its prison. Her attempt on finding out what truly did happen back then has been futile so far... Hacking the records pertaining the battle wasn't necessarily the way to go either as it was simply... too risky for her current skill level, especially considering the files require the highest level of clearance available within the Atlas Military.
Still, it would've been better had everything ended just like that. In a twisted act of retribution or a simply desire for revenge, the multi-headed serpent decided to launch a surprise attack towards Cygnus, a nearby coastal city belonging to Atlas. With their fleet severely weakened from the assault against the Ancient, their military couldn't do much to defend the city despite their best efforts. And that was before a horde of Grimm numbering a few thousands ends up joining the serpent in the attack...
The attack was swift and brutal, and while Atlas managed to eventually repel the assault with the help of both Vale and Mistral, they suffered heavy casualties as a result. More than half of the city were destroyed, and reports claimed that several tens of thousands of civilians had died either in the attack or the following panic.
Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that every single one of their attempt ended in failure... But to think that the Ancient Grimm would choose to attack Argus at this moment... Is it the negativity or...
Kiana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly, a shallow smile forming on her lips. Perhaps the appearance of the Ancient Grimm was more of a blessing in disguise. After all, now that the beast is here, she won't need to spent the time and resources to locate the overgrown serpent.
Might as well... It had always been her plan to rid Remnant of the Ancients anyway, and with the red-headed terrorist nowhere to be found, the gargantuan beast would have to serve as a suitable consolation prize instead.
Now if only she could convince the others of her plan...
She let out a quiet sigh as honkai energy surged within her veins, granting her the full authority over the domain of the Void. A single thought is all it takes for space to bend and twist around her, every traces of her existence on the roof erased in but an instant...
The sun slowly descended across the horizon, heralding the arrival of a beautiful evening twilight. She floated gracefully far above the city of Argus, her white coat gently billowing behind her as if tickled by a phantom breeze. Fires of destruction illuminates what remains of the once proud city, several pillars of smoke rising from smoldering spires and debris.
It was surprisingly easy to convince the Heiress of her plan... Far easier than she had expected, if she were to be honest. Kiana had recognized the flicker of hesitation in her eyes, the doubt and fear that she felt, and yet, the Heiress still agreed regardless. Trully, it was quite impressive, especially considering her young age. It seems that The Heiress was not afraid to make difficult decisions, even if it means that it would land her in a dangerous situation.
Kiana let out a small chuckle as she slowly raised her gaze towards the sky, her blue eyes locking onto the moon. It illuminated the clouds in an ethereal blue light, bathing her face in its soft and alluring glow. She remained still for several moments, basking in moonlight before exhaling out loud.
"Goddess of the Moon, is it?" She muttered quietly, lifting a gloved hand towards the celestial object before slowly drawing them down as a faint smile graced her face.
Kiana looked back down before narrowing her eyes in determination and resolve, her figure glowing brightly as power flooded her entire being. The flames of destruction that rages across the city moments ago now seems to flow towards her like tendrils of fire, content with merely dancing around her like a protective cloak.
She knew that her action had not gone unnoticed, and despite the possible consequences, she could not find it in herself to care...
The swirling flames suddenly grew chaotic with each passing seconds, spinning and twirling around before it eventually envelops her within its fiery embrace. Her coat ignited a moment after, the fabric being replaced by a gleaming white armor as she will the Blade of Conviction into existence.
The whirling sphere of fire suddenly dispersed with a wave of her hand, separating into hundreds upon hundreds of burning orbs that continue to hang and float above the City.
"I hereby declare..."
Kiana slowly raised her blade as her voice rang out like thunderbolt across the City of Argus, each syllable carrying a weight and authority that could not be denied.
"The Time of Judgement Hath Come..."
Author's Note: Yeah, I know, I know... My mistake, got no real excuse whatsoever. Honestly, the chapter had been sitting around for like two weeks. It's just... I'm not sure whether I want to post the chapter back then because I keep asking myself if Kiana was too brutal in her fight. The beheading, the burning... Isn't that a bit, you know, violent? So I keep rewriting the scene over and over and finally realize that yes, Kiana could be both brutal and violent if the situation force her to be. After that, I shift my focus on toning down the level of violence and ended up with what you see. I admit, it's not exactly the best chapter I had so far, but I think it would do for the moment. Next chapter will be a little bit of Weiss along with the fight against the Ancient followed by the Epilogue, though content wise, none of them are going to be too long... Oh, and I really don't like the ending... A bit too messy and cliché in my own opinion...
Arturia LeFay: Really? Hmm... I dunno... Killing a zombie or a Honkai Beast would be one thing, since they are both a lost cause anyway. Killing her fellow men though... I just thought that she should have valued life even more after she ends up becoming the apostle of finality, you know... Or maybe I'm just overthinking it... Haha~ Thanks for reading, btw~
nk-sp-pinky: You're welcome, and thanks for sparing your time to read the story. I'd like to think that deep down, Kiana is not a violent person... Or maybe not... maybe... Guess I'm gonna need to replay all the chapter again just to make sure... Haha~
Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.