Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 78 – The Battle for Mantle
Woz was currently rushing through an alleyway in his Rider Form, his Despear at the ready as he heard growls and screams nearby.
"As it is written in this book, recent graduate Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O," Woz narrated as he briefly held up his book while he kept his pace, "He has joined Miss Rose back on her trip to Remnant and in meeting with General Ironwood they seek to complete the Amity Project. However thanks to the underhanded nature of Arthur Watts, chaos has set in and Mantle is now under siege against a massive Grimm horde. It is up to us Riders alongside the Huntsmen to deal with this threat… though for how long we can hold out, that is uncertain."
Remnant – Mantle
Woz quickly rushed over towards a few people running away from some Sabyrs. He gave a yell as he stabbed through the lead one to kill it before twirling his weapon and slashing against the other two to force them back.
"Get to safety, now!" Woz ordered as he spread his arms out to keep all the attention on himself.
The civilians could only give nods before quickly rushing away from the Grimm that Woz was blocking.
The Sabyrs gave a growl as they began to hunch forward and slowly creep over towards Woz. Behind them a few Manticores suddenly landed, having come from above.
"Normally I would use my forms, but I cannot waste them if this is to be a long battle," Woz said as he drew out the Beast Ridewatch, activating it before slotting it into his Beyondriver.
[BEAST! RIDEWATCH BREAK!]
Woz quickly twirled his Despear in front of him, forming a green version of Beast's summoning circles. He then stabbed forward, a stampede of all four Mantle animals rushing forward out of the circle as green projections. Six bulls, chameleons, falcons and dolphins launched outwards, the bulls easily tearing through the Sabyrs and charging to slam against the Manticores. The dolphins dived into the ground and launched out, striking the sides of the Grimm. The chameleons lashed out with their tongues while the falcons dived down and struck at their backs.
The result was the Manticores being completely torn apart before they could decently make their way forward.
"Now then," Woz twirled his weapon before rushing forward to figure out where to go next. Of course that was easier said than done with the current state of Mantle.
Teryx and Nevermores flew through the skies, combating the various Manta ships, the flying Grimm and Atlesian air force currently in dogfights in the skies above Mantle. Manticores meanwhile took advantage of the distraction to fly in and land, helping with the ground charges alongside Beowolves and Sabyrs. Of course leading the charge through the streets were now the horde of Megoliath Grimm that were currently making their way through the large hole in Mantle's wall once the line holding the wall fell.
Fiona, May and Joanna were all currently dealing with their own horde of Grimm, mostly the imp-like Grimm known as Swindlen that had attempted to cause more chaos with the civilians. Of course with the Grimm running rampant the Happy Huntresses couldn't stay in one spot for too long. Once they were done, the three were ready to move on when Sabyrs suddenly began to drop down from the rooftops, a few having managed to climb up a low roof before steadily climbing in order to drop down on their prey.
The Sabyrs were quickly frozen in place, static filling them.
"Huh?" Fiona turned before giving a smile, "Tsukuyomi!"
"You guys go on ahead, I'll deal with them," Tsukuyomi said as she walked over, readying her Zikan Girade Tsu in its blade mode with the Zangetsu Ridewatch.
"Are you sure?" Joanna asked.
"The Riders will help deal with the Grimm, any Huntsmen and Huntresses should focus on getting the people to safety above all else," Tsukuyomi said.
"You heard her," May said as she used her Semblance to turn her and her friends invisible before they ran off.
"Now then…" Tsukuyomi raised her sword before aiming her sword as it shined with green energy.
[ZANGETSU JIGOKU STRIKE!]
Tsukuyomi gave a yell and slashed forward, unleashing an arcing wave of energy that cut through all of the suspended Sabyrs. They were released from the time stop after they were cut through, dissipating in mid-air.
The female Rider heard growls however, turning and seeing several Beowolves running towards her on all fours. Tsukuyomi drew out Agito's Ridewatch before initiating her Armor Time.
[ARMOR TIME! AGITO!]
Tsukuyomi then summoned the Storm Halberd, extending its blades out as she twirled it forward, forming a gust of wind. Combined with the now cold city, she sent an icy tornado of wind outwards that blew the Beowolves back while frosting them over slightly.
One of the Beowolves gave a growl before slamming their front paws into the ground, soon launching up into the air and dropping towards Tsukuyomi.
Tsukuyomi however gathered her energy into the tip of her Storm Halberd before stabbing it directly in the chest of the Grimm. The attack had managed to work, piercing through and killing it. She then threw her weapon away before bringing out the Flame Saber, holding it up as the remaining Beowolves began to charge at her.
"Come at me," Tsukuyomi said before charging towards the Grimm while initiating her finisher. She gripped her sword with both hands, its emblem fully extending as she split it into two swords.
[GROUND TIME JACK!]
A gold glow surrounded both Flame Sabers as she began slicing and slashing through the Beowolves as they tried to strike at her. She ducked, weaved, spun and slashed her way through, using her small stature to easily dodge past and strike them all down.
The Beowolves could only groan as they dissolved, Tsukuyomi turning only to duck and roll as a Teryx had tried to swoop down and attack her right as her finisher ended.
"This is getting ridiculous," Tsukuyomi sighed as she quickly hurried off to find the next swarm of Grimm.
A Megoliath was currently rushing down a street, people trying their best to get away from it. A few were unlucky to run from an alleyway into its path, all of them yelling out as they tried to outrun the fearsome beast. The Megoliath continued to close in, ready to sweep them away with its trunk before a sudden enlarged fist hit it directly between the eyes. It roared out as it was forced to take a few steps back.
The civilians were all surprised as they were now standing next to large robot legs. The Geiz Unit Time Mazine was in its robot mode, having landed and punched at the Megoliath to stop it.
"Alright you stupid beast," Geiz called out from the cockpit, "You're not going any further!"
The Megoliath roared out and tried to charge at the Time Mazine which grabbed it by the tusks. The Geiz Unit then slammed its foot into the Megoliaths face to force it back further. The Grimm charged again regardless only for the Geiz Unit to uppercut it and force it on its hind legs. Geiz could soon be heard yelling as the Geiz Unit raised its arms forward, shooting at the underside of the Megoliath and tearing it to pieces, the Grimm falling on its back as it began to dissolve.
Geiz relaxed his posture inside the cockpit slightly, having it turn when he picked up something on his camera. Further away he saw a Megoliath get thrown upwards into the air before exploding. He figured it was likely his Rider allies or the Huntsmen and Huntresses getting the job done. Of course it wasn't over yet as heavy footsteps could be heard, two Megoliath's coming from another end of the street before charging forward.
Geiz quickly had his unit look downwards, "Get to any shelter you can find, I'll hold them off!"
The civilians gave nods before quickly hurrying off, their pace picking up as the ground began to shake at the Megoliath's approach.
"You aren't getting past me!" Geiz yelled out as he had the Geiz Unit charge forward.
[WAKE UP BURNING! CROSS-Z!]
The Ridewatch head shifted from Geiz's to Cross-Z's, blue fire gathering around the fists and forearms as it charged forward to meet the Megoliath's. Of course watching the fight while fighting on the roofs were Clover and Qrow who were dealing with any aerial Grimm they could. Qrow went to shoot any passerby's while Clover used King Fisher to reel them in closer to Qrow to deal a final blow to them.
"Dang, that's pretty impressive," Clover admitted in surprise, "Didn't know they could do that."
"It's pretty straining and takes a lot of energy so they only pull it out in emergency's," Qrow lied, "Usually if there's a giant Grimm or two."
"Well if there ever was a time for it," Clover said before holding his fingers up to his communicator, "Clover here."
Qrow meanwhile went to shoot at a few passing by Teryx's with Harbinger, striking and killing one while forcing the other to reel back up and fly off to avoid the same fate.
"Okay, yes sir, understood, over and out," Clover said before looking over at his partner
Qrow looked over, "New orders?"
"Let's go," Clover gave a nod before jumping down from the roof, Qrow following after him.
Near one of Mantle's outer walls that weren't compromised, a gathering of civilians was occurring as there was nowhere else to either hide our run. Nora was currently among the crowd while Marrow and Weiss worked on dealing with the incoming Grimm.
Marrow slashed through a Sabyr to slay it only for a Beowolf to leap at him. Before he even had a chance to properly react a massive sword shot down and impaled it. Weiss had promptly summoned her Arma Gigas, it managing to protect Marrow.
Marrow had immediately flinched away and grabbed his tail before it was cut into. He couldn't help but give a bored look, "Really?"
"Sorry," Weiss apologized with a slight giggle.
The two however turned as they saw the street lights all around them turn red as the alarms began to blare further. Despite everyone's best efforts the Grimm were starting to become too much to contain.
"We can't let them get through here," Marrow readied his weapon into its rifle mode while Weiss went to take a few steps forward, the Arma Gigas raising its sword as it stood behind the two.
"How much longer can we keep this up?" Weiss asked.
"As long as it takes," Marrow gritted his teeth.
A pack of Beowolves were rushing down the street towards them, planning on trying on overwhelming them as a few Sabyrs joined their ranks.
[ARMOR TIME! KAMEN RIDE! WOW DE~CADE!]
The holograms that held the Decade Armor suddenly appeared in front of the Huntsmen and Huntress, Zi-O rolling in front of them before standing. As he stood the armor closed in before latching on, Zi-O drawing out the Ride Heisaber and pointing it forward.
Weiss' eyes widened, "Sougo!"
"I'll deal with this!" Zi-O called out as he turned the dial.
[HEY! OOO!]
Zi-O slid his hand across the blade of the Heisaber, the pink ridges turning a bright blue as the OOO insignia flashed within the blade itself.
[OOO! DUAL TIME BREAK!]
Zi-O spun and slashed forward horizontally, low enough to hit the Sabyrs alongside the Beowolves. A slash of bright blue energy cut through the Grimm alongside all the surroundings. The slash had appeared to take the effect of the OOO Bash, reality being sliced horizontally as well as it began to slide to the side. That was until it was restored as the Grimm all howled out and exploded due to the buildup of energy.
Marrow couldn't help but stare in awe as his tail wagged in excitement. He caught himself before anyone could point it out as he cleared his throat however and crossed his arms, "Not bad."
"We need to keep fighting," Zi-O said, "You all make sure that the civilians are safe. The Riders can handle the Grimm."
"Do you have a plan?" Weiss asked, a bit hopeful.
"I uh…" Zi-O trailed before shaking his head, the situation was so widespread and urgent that he couldn't plan anything properly.
"…Sougo?" Weiss asked.
"I'll deal with the Grimm somehow!" Zi-O declared before rushing forward with a yell, "Don't worry about me!"
"We should start pulling back," Marrow suggested as he began to back off, taking aim and shooting down any Sabyrs that were lurking on the rooftops.
"I…" Weiss trailed, wanting to go after her friend before suddenly hearing yelling from the crowd that Nora was with, she dismissed the Arma Gigas and began to step back with Marrow, "You're right."
Zi-O meanwhile was rushing deeper into the city, trying to draw as much attention to him as he could. He began to slash at any Sabyr that tried to pounce at him. He was ready to move forward when he gave a wince, stumbling forward when his back was smacked. He turned to see a Beowolf had snuck up on him.
"You want a piece of me?" Zi-O asked as he was ready to charge forward when he quickly was forced to step back as another Beowolf dropped down and slammed into the ground near him. He quickly began to look around as he noticed the Beowolves and Sabyrs were being attracted to him.
[HEY! HIBIKI! HIBIKI! DUAL TIME BREAK!]
Zi-O gave a yell as he stabbed downwards, a projection Hibiki's drum appearing on the floor around him as all the Grimm went to pounce at him. Suddenly drum beats and waves of sound were unleashed from the drum projection, striking and forcing the Grimm back before tearing through them completely.
Zi-O panted a bit as he looked around, as since there was no immediate Grimm he figured he could take a short breather. The worst part about this was he had no idea how to coordinate with everyone since he could only see what was in front of him. And trying to use Zi-O II's future vision would be hard since he'd have to constantly use it and leave himself open to try and get every single nook and cranny that Mantle held.
[CALLING!]
Zi-O was ready to answer his phone only for it to interrupt with ringing again, and to interrupt again and again. Everyone that had a Faizphone X was trying to get a hold of him so he quickly put on a group call.
"This is Sougo," Zi-O spoke up.
"Zi-O this is bad," Geiz called out with a few pants, "I'm tearing through these Megaoliath's as best I can but I'm starting to run out near me and I know there's more! Are there any near you?!"
"Just start searching for them," Joanna remarked, "Robyn has just got back to us and she has a plan but we need help coordinating until then."
"I can try to help but I have my hands filled with trying to make sure everyone's getting to safety," Tsukuyomi said, "There's no Huntsmen in my area and a ton of kids that are either separated from or don't have parents. I could use some help or at least a heads up on where a safer place might be."
"My Overlord, I am trying my best to deal with the Grimm but there are plenty of ones in the sky swooping down to cause trouble," Woz stated.
"Can it Woz, just get in your Time Mazine and start dealing with the airborne enemies!" Geiz called out.
"That is easier said than done," Woz admitted, "Plus I'd rather leave the Military to deal with any flying ones and not have my Time Mazine shot at."
"They aren't messing with mine, so shut it!" Geiz called out.
"How about both of you shut it," Joanna called out sternly, "Let your leader take the lead in what we need to do. Kid, are you still there?"
"Sougo…?" Tsukuyomi asked with a slight worried tone.
"I…" Zi-O trailed as he let his arm drop a bit when he heard everyone's issues, letting it fully fall once Geiz and Woz started arguing as he dropped his weapon. He quickly put his free hand to his helmets side as he tried to block out the world around him. It was becoming too much and he needed just some peace and quiet so he could-
THUMP
Zi-O felt a sudden pulse as he quickly stood straight and opened his eyes. If one could see his eyes, there was a visible change as his irises were overlaid with a bright pink glow.
His vision of the world had changed suddenly as he began to look around in surprise. All around him the world had become grey and muted with the buildings becoming clearly outlined. Of course that wasn't the only new feature of his current vision as he could see something past the buildings despite them being in the way. He was able to see distinct human and monstrous shapes. They also had different colors to them and he suddenly realized he could see the situation a lot more clearly than before. Before he could say anything he needed to run through what all of this meant however.
There were numerous dull yellow shapes that were in crowds so those had to be civilians and people he didn't really know. He figured this since he was looking in the direction of where he left Nora, Marrow and Weiss, seeing three green spots between them all. So green meant allies, though he noticed that one of them was a brighter green than the rest, which he likely figured was Weiss. What helped was they held some distinct shape compared to being generic and shapeless like the civilians. He began to look around before spotting a lot of red, all of them being monstrous shapes. Those had to be the Grimm he was seeing for sure.
"This is…" Zi-O trailed as he could feel his Aura being actively used now aside from it being passive like it usually was in shielding him. He gave a soft chuckle as he looked around, "This is!"
"Zi-O!"
Zi-O was snapped out of his thoughts, blinking as his vision returned to normal. He quickly held up the phone, "Yeah?"
"Don't you 'yeah' me," Geiz called out in exasperation, "Why are you spacing out?!"
"Sorry, trying to gather my thoughts," Zi-O admitted, "Just let me get to higher ground and I'll help you all out."
"I appreciate the sentiment Sougo, but how exactly can you do that?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Clearly Zi-O II," Geiz said.
"It would place too much of a burden on him to utilize it in a battle such as this as well as leave him open," Woz countered.
"Guys, guys," Zi-O raised his voice, "Woz is right, Zi-O II isn't suitable right now. But I don't need Zi-O II when I can use my Semblance."
…
…
…
…
"EHHH?!"
There was the reaction he expected, but before anyone could even speak up, the sudden lighting up of monitors began to occur as an image of Robyn Hill suddenly appeared on every main monitor of Mantle.
"Atlas, Mantle. I know you're scared. I'm here with General Ironwood, and we have a message for you," Robyn said as the screen zoomed out to show that she was standing with Ironwood, the two locking hands and showcasing the use of her Semblance, "What he has to say may sound unbelievable... but it is all true."
"An ancient and terrible evil lies outside of our Kingdom," Ironwood spoke next, "It was responsible for the destruction of Beacon, the attack on Haven, and for the recent attacks on Mantle. This powerful force goes by the name of Salem. Salem seeks only to divide us, to turn us against each other. If she can incite hatred in us, then we will lure in the Grimm and destroy ourselves."
"Salem herself does not work alone," Robyn added, "Her minions have invaded our very city."
"Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows, these men are the ones responsible for the recent murders in Mantle and for sabotaging the heating grid," Ironwood revealed, "But we cannot let ourselves give in to fear and panic. That is what she wants! Instead, we must unite, and fight back, together. Every single one of us! Amity Tower is now completed and ready to launch. It will re-establish all global communications-"
[FINAL FORM TIME! B-B-B-BUILD!]
Zi-O couldn't help but give a small laugh beneath his mask as he initiated his Final Form Time into Build Sparkling. He quickly launched himself upwards with the agility of the form, flipping and landing on a fairly high building. He then looked around and closed his eyes to concentrate, activating his Semblance and looking all around at the city from his vantage point as he caught the rest of the announcement.
"Because the safety of every citizen is imperative, the council and I have decided to evacuate everyone in Mantle to Atlas," Ironwood announced, "I am withdrawing all defenses from Amity in order to assist with repelling the Grimm in Mantle."
"We must put aside our differences and band together to defeat this threat," Robyn finished, "I fully support General Ironwood's plan. If you've made it to your local shelter, stay put. Help is on the way. And for those of you in Sector 17, I'll be seeing you personally."
Zi-O looked around and could tell where a good few of his friends were, noticing that he was likely seeing Ruby with one of the Ace-Ops and they were in a more isolated area of the city. He could also see what he assumed from the shapes were Ren, Jaune and another Ace-Op working on escorting civilians away.
"Alright," Zi-O held the Faizphone X up and spotted his retainer, "Woz I need you to head to the southern part of the city, Ruby's there with an Ace-Op and they could use the extra muscle since they're further out."
"Roger," Woz said.
"Tsukuyomi, you're clear to the east," Zi-O instructed as he looked over, "Get any civilians you can since there's a grouping of them nearby and no Grimm at the moment."
"Got it," Tsukuyomi said.
"You said the east right?" Joanna asked, "I'm meeting with Robyn to coordinate but I can spare May and Fiona to help out with your friend."
"That would be appreciated," Zi-O said before seeing a lot of large Grimm which he assumed were Megoliaths, he then spotted Geiz's Time Mazine, "Geiz, try to just shake off any airborne enemies near you for now. I've got a good grouping of Megoliath's to the north of your location."
"Sounds good, keep me informed so I can clean these guys up alright?" Geiz replied.
"You got it," Zi-O said with a light laugh before hanging up, soon scanning the area and finding a good grouping of Grimm before crouching. The spring on his rabbit leg began to scrunch up before releasing as he leapt forward. He then launched towards the area the grouping of Grimm was in as he dismissed his Semblance.
Ruby and Harriet had just cleared out an intersection that had a few Grimm roaming about and paused for a moment once they heard the announcement. Once it was over they went to gather the civilians to lead them to one of the designated locations where civilian pickup was going to be.
Of course the Grimm weren't going to stop just for them, especially since they noticed the area the two were in was one of the least overrun areas.
Several Beowolves rushed forward to try and overwhelm them, or at least break past them and get a few civilians.
Woz quickly landed between the Grimm and Huntresses, loading in the Kaixa Ridewatch.
[KAIXA! RIDEWATCH BREAK!]
Woz gathered yellow energy in his hands before throwing them forward. Suddenly a yellow energy net launched out and landed on the Beowolves, catching the grouping and shocking them as they were forced to stay still.
[FINISH TIME! BAKURETSU DELANCE!]
Woz drew out his lance before gathering energy and spinning, slashing forward and unleashing an energy attack that collided with the net. The resulting attack had caused it to detonate, destroying the Grimm with an explosive blast.
"Nice one Woz!" Ruby cheered.
"Look at you trying to be fancy," Harriet remarked.
"My orders are to clear the Grimm, so that is what I'm doing," Woz mentioned, "You all should work on getting the civilians out of here."
"We should start getting this group to safety then," Ruby suggested.
"I'll scout ahead," Harriet said before crouching and using her speed Semblance to hurry off in what she assumed was the clearest path.
"Miss Rose," Woz said as he walked over.
"How's everything on your guys' side?" Ruby asked.
"We're fairing well," Woz said before giving a chuckle, "My Overlord has also gained a new ability, thanks to you."
"Thanks to…" Ruby trailed before realizing what he meant, "He got his Semblance?!"
"Indeed," Woz chuckled, "It is a very supportive and useful Semblance. He is using it to help us coordinate which is why I'm here in the first place."
"That's great," Ruby smiled as well before growing a bit more serious, while things were going well there was still a pit in her stomach. Something still felt off to her, "Woz, I need my gear back."
"You wish to return to being a Rider?" Woz asked.
"Sort of," Ruby admitted with a nervous smile, "I just think things are going to get real hectic real soon and I'd like to have it on hand."
"Understandable, we still have enemies lurking," Woz admitted.
"Yeah, the Time Jackers haven't shown themselves or interfered," Ruby said, "Something's going to happen and I want to be prepared."
"Then I will accept your request," Woz said as he suddenly brought out a gold lined red pillow that held Ruby's personalized Ziku Driver, Roze and Silver Roze Ridewatches on it.
"Fancy," Ruby said as she took her equipment before pocketing it all, "Thanks Woz."
"It is no issue," Woz said.
"Alright, that way is clear," Harriet said as she sped back over to the two, "Let's get these people to safety!"
"Roger," Ruby gave a salute.
"I'll make sure no Grimm try to follow," Woz stated as he began to head off towards where he heard nearby Grimm.
A few Sabyrs were making their way down an alleyway to try and surprise any civilians they might come across. At least until several blasts of energy were shot at them, the grouping completely destroyed as the blasts tore through their masks and struck their heads.
Tsukasa was the culprit as he currently had his Ride Booker out in its gun formation, though he wasn't transformed. He walked over to the dissolving corpses of the Grimm and blew his the tip of his gun. He suddenly got a chill and turned, a Beowolf standing behind him on its hind legs as it stared downwards.
The Grimm raised its hand before something suddenly slammed onto its back, two blades digging into its skull and neck as it was pinned to the ground. The culprit was Summer who currently holding two silver short bladed scimitars. The tips of the blades had a hook-like shape alongside a visible gun barrel on both with an ammo chamber on the other. Of course the way certain lines ran through them there was definitely the possibility of it transforming. The most distinct feature was the almost leather-like material that coated the grip of the hilt, it having a rose-like patterning and grooving to it.
Summer herself was also now wearing a more combat oriented outfit though mostly comprised of what she could find on Earth since she couldn't go shopping on Remnant as easily. She was currently wearing a long sleeved black button-up blouse with a white collar and cuffs. She had a shorter black skirt this time with a white rimming alongside black tights and brown shin length boots. Her emblem was currently acting like a broach at her collar while she held her signature white hooded cape with a red inside, pulling down the hood and shaking her hair a bit to let it loose.
"Reminds me of when we first met," Tsukasa remarked before giving a chuckle, "I see you're getting better at using your old weapons."
"I have to if I'm going to be able to go all out as I am," Summer said as she stood up, twirling her weapons before sheathing them in holsters that were attached to the back of her waist, "And given what Ironwood just announced, things are about to get hectic."
"True, I suppose that's why you're risking your identity right now?" Tsukasa asked.
"Given all the chaos I doubt we'll run into them," Summer admitted as she walked over, "Besides, sticking to the alleyways and cutting down any Grimm is sure to help."
Tsukasa could only give a groan however, "Why did Daiki get the easy job?"
"Because he's good at infiltration remember?" Summer reminded, "So if anything happens on Atlas' side we'll be the first to know."
"Right, right," Tsukasa said as he tapped his weapon against his shoulder a few times, "I get the gist of it."
Tyrian and Watts were hiding in the back patio of a building, it being in one of the few deserted and enclosed areas. The two were currently listening to the announcement made by Ironwood and Robyn, both surprised by the sudden course of action.
Watts immediately got on his Scroll to access Atlas' network and find what Ironwood was talking about, soon bringing up a hologram of Amity Tower.
"The Colosseum remodeling was a communications tower?" Watts asked in disbelief, "How did James get this past me?"
He had to hold his anger and stay calm, though the sudden cheers of everyone around Mantle weren't helping. This was especially the case when it came to Tyrian who was sharpening his blades only to give a yell and slam his fist into the wall.
"The Grimm should have destroyed our enemies, not made them friends!" Tyrian screamed out.
"Wait, our tin soldier's heart has cost him his mind," Watts realized as he figured Ironwood had made a very big mistake, dismissing the hologram and pocketing his Scroll, "We need to keep their attention on Mantle for as long as possible."
"You want more chaos than a Grimm invasion?" Tyrian asked with a crooked grin.
"If anyone on Remnant could deliver that, wouldn't it be you?" Watts asked as he put his hands behind his back.
Tyrian glanced over to a screen that showed Robyn before beginning to tap his fingers together in a devilish manner, "Come to think of it, I do have an idea."
Remnant – Atlas Apartments
After discussing the particular details of what was going on with Cinder, Neo had opened her Scroll up when an emergency announcement was declared. Both Cinder and Neo could only look at each other in confusion as they saw Ironwood give all the details about Salem to Atlas and Mantle.
"I still can't believe those idiots beat us here, Vacuo was supposed to be the next target," Cinder growled out as she turned and walked towards the apartment window, she took a deep breath however to calm herself briefly, "The timeline has changed," she then turned towards Neo, "You said the farm boy has the Lamp?"
Neo gave a nod as she kept sitting in her seat.
"Find him, take it," Cinder ordered.
Neo however had other plans, of which she wanted to make known to Cinder. She then used her Semblance to look like Ruby, holding her arms out in an exaggerated way.
"No!" Cinder snapped, "We get what I need first! Then we get what we want! Now go."
Neo simply turned away, crossing her arms.
"Ironwood's been hiding the Winter Maiden for years," Cinder said as she walked over, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Neo's illusion of Ruby however. The closer she got the more things seemed off about the silver eyed Huntress, "Tonight I'm going to find her."
Neo glanced back only to give an annoyed look when her Scroll was snatched away from her, dropping the Ruby illusion.
"The General's as predictable as his androids. Threaten what he has, and he'll flock to protect it," Cinder walked away before tossing Neo's Scroll back at her. Before she walked away fully she looked back, "One question, you're sure Ruby looked like that?"
Neo could only shrug while raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry, it's just… she seemed off, even if only a little bit," Cinder admitted, something about Ruby's appearance felt different. That the Ruby she saw now wasn't the same girl she had tried to kill back in Haven.
Remnant – Mantle
A large fleet of Mantas had started to arrive in Mantle, landing in various populated and cleared areas in order to start getting citizens to safety. Of course they weren't the only ones arriving as a green streak of light shot through the sky.
Blake and Yang were currently with Elm and a large group of citizens. Blake went over to the Manta and gestured for the civilians to get on, Yang helping everyone head towards the Manta so they could take off.
Of course that was until a rumbling occurred as two Megoliaths rounded the corners and began to rush towards the Manta.
"I've got this!" Elm called out as she brought out her hammer, Timber. Using her Semblance she rooted her feet to the ground before switching her hammer into a rocket launcher. Taking aim she fired a pair of rockets at the Megoliaths which struck them dead center between the eyes, exploding violently and taking both out.
Of course it wasn't over yet as another Megoliath rounded the corner, roaring out and ready to charge forward. That was until it was drop kicked in the side by the Geiz Unit, its kick being enhanced by the Cross-Z Ridewatch as flames erupted from the feet of the robot.
The resulting attack had slammed the Megoliath to the ground and killed it, its body dissolving as the Geiz Unit stood up.
"Huh," Elm looked in surprise before giving a grin, "I'm not sure how you did that but not bad!"
"Just get those citizens to safety!" Geiz called from the cockpit as his Unit turned back, seeing on his cameras that Elm had given him an 'OK' hand gesture. The Geiz Unit gave a nod before Geiz yelled out, the machine rushing off to deal with nearby Megoliaths.
Ruby and Harriet meanwhile were looking around as they tried to get their bearings on where to go while Woz had stayed behind to draw the Grimm to him.
"Alright, we just need to get everyone to the closest airpad," Ruby said.
"Alright the closest LZ is-," Harriet paused when rumbling could be heard as an Alpha Megoliath could be seen rounding the corner, she gestured forward, "There."
The Alpha Megoliath rushed forward only for a green beam of energy to shoot outwards, startling it and forcing it to take a few steps back. It wasn't long before the source of the energy attack landed beside Harriet and Ruby, it being Penny who drew out Floating Array. The three gave nods before both Harriet and Penny took off to deal with it.
Ruby had contemplated using her Silver Eyes for a second but knew it would still take a short amount of buildup. There was the option of using Silver Roze now that she had her gear back… but that also meant revealing herself as a Rider. And she wasn't exactly sure she wanted that yet. She was broken out of her thoughts when the Alpha gave a roar. There was still one thing she could do…
Using Petal Burst she launched up onto a rooftop while loading the Roze Ridewatch into Crescent Rose with the announcement being drowned out by her use of her Semblance. She took aim and didn't let the charge finish, firing a few powered up bursts of energy that struck the side of the Megoliath, weakening it enough to allow Penny and Harriet to get in a few clean hits.
Penny slashed with her swords before stabbing them into the side of the Alpha's mask, trying to pull its head and force it to fall to open up its stomach for attack. The Alpha however was smarter and noticed Pennny, so it jerked its head to the side, yanking the Protector of Mantle towards it before slamming its tusk into her and sending her flying over buildings.
Ruby was ready to aim again when she saw this, her eyes widening in horror as she quickly used Petal Burst to fly over to where Penny had been flung.
"No, no, no, no…" Ruby repeated to herself as she landed and ran over to a fallen Penny who had landed hard enough to break the concrete, "Penny, are you okay?!"
Penny seemed to be unconscious before opening her eyes and looking at Ruby with a smile, "Ouch."
Ruby sighed in relief, putting a hand to her chest as she realized that her friend was alright.
"Those tusks sure are dangerous," Penny hopped to her feet without issue.
"They sure are," Ruby agreed before realizing something, "I think I have a plan."
Penny gave a confident smile and a nod as if knowing what Ruby was thinking of. There was a pause, before she tilted her head in confusion, "What is it?"
Harriet meanwhile was trying to keep the Alpha Megoliath from advancing by tripping it up. Unfortunately it didn't work well as she had gotten knocked around before nearly getting crushed, her weapon getting damaged and Aura dwindling in the process as she was knocked away. Before the Grimm could step all over her its tusk was struck by a green beam of energy to direct its attention towards a street it was about to pass.
Penny was directly in its line of sight, Floating Array at the ready, "Over here, you big bag of bones!"
The Alpha Megoliath ran towards Penny who shifted her swords into their gun modes before arranging them in a circle. The guns began to spin rapidly and charge up as she cupped her hands together before thrusting them forward and unleashing her strongest energy laser against the Grimm. The Alpha Megoliath tilted its head down to clash against the laser and began to struggle against it, slowly making its way forward.
Penny quickly separated three of the Floating Array guns from the others, unleashing a smaller beam of energy against the right tusk of the Alpha Megoliath. Having separated both beams it had allowed the Alpha to move forward much easily but that was at the cost of its tusk nearly being burned through by the second weaker laser.
Ruby was nearby watching the process before narrowing her eyes, "Now!"
Penny gave a nod and pulled her arms back, dismissing both beams and allowing the Megoliath to move forward. Ruby however used Petal Burst to meet the Megoliath just as it charged, using Crescent Rose in its scythe formation alongside the recoil from shooting it to slice off the Megoliath's damaged tusk.
The Megoliath gave a roar as Penny grabbed the tusk and slammed it into the ground, the point facing upwards. Ruby had landed near the Alpha's rear right leg, slicing through its ankle with her scythe to get it to fall forward. The Alpha Megoliath could only roar out before tripping forward and landing on its own tusk. The impaled Grimm went limp as it soon dissolved away into black ashes.
Ruby couldn't help but give a smile as civilians came out of hiding and began cheering for Penny. It also wasn't long before Yang and Nora both called in, confirming that they had taken care of getting civilians to safety in their sectors.
"Miss Hill, the southern outskirts are clear," Penny called into her communicator, "It should be safe to begin evacuations now."
"Great work, Penny. Over and out," Robyn said as she was with Joanna and several civilians. She looked over to her friend, "Make sure you get these people to safety. I'm gonna check for any stragglers."
Joanna gave a nod before gesturing and leading the grouping of civilians off. Robyn meanwhile went down a nearby alleyway by herself, which was a mistake.
Tyrian was following her and waiting for her to be alone, landing with Robyn turning and aiming her crossbow at him.
"Robyn Hill. For such a little bird, you have quite the impact around here!" Tyrian remarked playfully as he avoided a crossbow bolt. He began to walk towards her as his tone turned more aggressive, "Bringing hope and a smile wherever you go!" he quickly caught her next shot between his fingers, "I find it… upsetting."
Robyn waited where she was, keeping her aim as she watched him deploy his wrist blades and charge towards her. She shot two more crossbow bolts only for him to deflect them with his blades.
Just as Tyrian closed in a fish hook flew out, the scorpion Faunus quickly batted it away and leapt backwards, landing on his tail which helped prop him up, "Huh?"
It wasn't long before both Qrow and Clover dropped down behind Robyn.
"Sorry Callows," Robyn said, "I really wanted to pummel you on my own, but the General insisted I share."
"Well, you're not the only one with a grudge," Clover said as he walked forward to stand beside Robyn.
"You'll both have to get in line," Qrow said as he aimed Harbinger in its gun mode at Tyrian while walking to stand beside them.
Tyrian meanwhile gave a glare and growled out as he realized that the announcement was a trap to lure him into the open.
Remnant – Amity Communications Tower
Watts meanwhile had managed to steal a Manta to head towards Amity Communications Tower. On the way he noticed that the modifications on the outside were in place, Gravity Dust instead of Wind Dust, a radio tower attached to the top. Landing the Manta he decided to go through the backstage and maintenance halls in order to keep a low profile. Arriving at the main stage he began to look around, having also brought his large suitcase with him.
"Hmm… this will certainly do the trick," Watts said as he looked around, "Although I wouldn't exactly call it finished."
Suddenly the entrances to the arena began to slam shut, metal doors sealing Watts in.
"Arthur Watts…" Ironwood's voice echoed as the arena lights turned on alongside the lights inside the commentator's booth, revealing Ironwood inside, "Welcome."
"It wasn't finished… it was bait," Watts said as he turned towards the commentator's booth.
Ironwood tossed the microphone aside before leaping out of the booth and landing on the arena floor in a kneeling stance. He then stood up, ready to confront the disgraced scientist.
"You know James, this place has always been a technological marvel," Watts said as he tossed his bag out of the arena before going to approach the General, "Truly. Even before you went and, uh, did all this."
Ironwood kept his eyes trained on Watts as he approached him, slowly starting to circle around as Watts did the same.
"The different types of Dust, the biome system, and of course, everything that goes into controlling them," Watts said as he held up his hand and shifted his fingers, his rings glowing brightly before he slammed his hand onto the floor.
The arena emitted a low ping noise, the biome randomizer screens appearing as the arena panels began to recede. Watts quickly held up his ringed fingers, revealing that not only were his rings able to hack but they held Hard-Light Dust within them, creating a shield that blocked a bullet that was shot at him.
"You always were a pain in the ass," Ironwood hissed out before noticing that the Gravity Biome had been selected. He quickly aimed and shot at Watts who used his nimble nature to dodge and leap down into the open underground area of the arena.
Various panels and blocks that represented the Gravity Biome began rising from the four spots where the biome randomizer screens were, leaving gaps between them. Ironwood began to look around, trying to spot Watts before finding him atop one of the floating blocks.
"At the risk of sounding cliché, James…" Watts said as he drew out twenty shot, double-barreled revolver, spinning the chamber and aiming it at Ironwood, "I won't be going down without a fight."
Of course the fight wasn't without spectators as Swartz was watching alongside Ora, the two having keyed in on who they wanted to see during this decisive battle.
"Now this will be interesting," Swartz smirked as he was glad to see that their presence hadn't been noticed yet.
"Who do you think is going to win?" Ora asked.
"I could care less about who wins," Swartz admitted, "All I want to see is if they're worthy. Both being pushed to the brink like this… let us see who my new King will be…"
Remnant – Mantle
"Tyrian Callows, you're under arrest," Clover called out as the three Huntsmen stared down the Serial Killer, weapons at the ready.
Tyrian however gave a maniacal laugh, Qrow rushing forward with a yell. The two began to clash and dodge with their blades. Tyrian was ready to move forward and strike with both his blades when one was caught and pulled by Clovers Kingfisher while he had to use his free hand to catch a bolt that was going to strike him. This was all Qrow needed to send a knee to the gut and a punch to the chest against Tyrian and force him back.
Tyrian quickly decided to change targets, rushing towards them while firing his claws guns at Qrow to distract him. Qrow was forced to spin his blade to deflect them while Tyrian leapt towards Clover. Tyrian attempted to strike at Clover only for the Ace-Ops Leader to dodge both attempts, soon wrapping his fishing hook around Tyrian to keep him in place.
Qrow slashed down to strike at Tyrian only to block it with his free arm, to which Qrow resorted to punching him in the face.
Tyrian managed to twist around and slip out of Kingfisher's grip, leaping away and landing on a large pipe connected to the alleyway wall. He swiped away the bolt aimed at him by Robyn with his tail, ready to strike at her. That was until Clover threw Kingfishers hook to wrap around the Scorpion Faunus' tail, dragging him down.
Qrow rushed in with several slashes, his weapon getting knocked into the air in the ensuing scuffle but he was able to kick Tyrian away. He then caught his weapon, shifting it to a tonfa styled mode, using the interference from both Clover and Robyn with their hook and bolts to his advantage. Qrow went all in with his punches and kicks, swiping with Harbinger several times and managing to force Tyrian back.
Clover soon closed in and the two worked on pinning Tyrian between each other, only for the serial killer to give a yell and force them back.
Tyrian began laughing madly as he was getting a bit dazed from the fight but it was incredibly exciting for him to be pushed this hard. His maddening state was put on hold as he quickly caught one of Robyn's bolts in his teeth to show off, giving a chuckle. That was until it began to flash red and beep, exploding directly in his mouth. The resulting explosion against his face had shattered rest of his Aura, sending him to the ground in a daze.
Robyn walked over to Tyrian who began to cackle madly, soon kicking him in the face and knocking him out fully.
"Where's that smile now?" Robyn asked with a smirk as she leaned forward.
"This is Clover," Clover turned away, "Requesting prisoner transport."
Remnant – Amity Communications Tower
Swartz admittedly wasn't expecting much of a fight between Ironwood and Watts due all the prior knowledge he had available on them. Ironwood was a General, while he likely saw combat the man was presumably not a creative fighter. That was echoed in his guns, Due Process, which was fairly standard for the most part, though one did use Gravity Dust to give the General a boost. Meanwhile Watts was one who seemed to pride his intellect over fighting and while he did have a weapon and a means to defend himself, it was clear he wasn't a fighter in any respect.
And to Swartz' expectation, the fight echoed that greatly as the combatants were racing between Gravity Biomes. Watts was trying to outlast Ironwood while using the environment against the General, being able to freely control the direction of gravity and the fields that were in the gaps between the biomes. This alongside having specialized dust for each bullet allowed Watts to slip away very easily.
But whenever Ironwood would catch up the favor would turn immediately towards the General. Watts would be completely overpowered and backed into corners he'd have to get out of through trickery and smarts. Of course, some of Ironwood's more brash decisions led to the General losing one Due Process.
Despite all this, Ironwood had managed to catch Watts off guard and deplete his Aura before ramming into him, sending both of them hurtling towards the center of the arena. Both slammed into it, Watts giving a pained grunt as he no longer had Aura to help cushion him, while Ironwood's Aura completely broke. Watts had managed to recover into a slide, activating his rings to have the center platform levitate upwards towards the machinery of the communications tower.
Ironwood gave a few pants as he stood up, checking his gun before holding it by the front of it, planning to use it the old fashioned way.
"You never appreciated my genius, James," Watts called out as he also held his weapon by the barrel, "You just stood atop of it and called yourself a giant!"
With the two of them no longer having Aura, it was a mostly even fight. The two rushed at each other and began to punch, Watts getting a lucky shot against Ironwood's gut.
"I gave you everything you could have wanted!" Ironwood called out.
"You chose that fat imbecile over me!" Watts yelled out.
It wasn't long before the center platform docked at the very top where the communications equipment was. Ironwood rushed in, using his superior physical build to slowly but surely beat Watts back towards one of the metal beams. Ironwood went for a punch with the hand that held his gun only for Watts to grab it, Watts aiming his revolver's barrel at Ironwoods head as the General grabbed the disgraced scientist's wrist.
"I suppose in this instance, my brains and your brawn are evenly matched," Watts gave a chuckle.
"You're smart," Ironwood said, not afraid at the barrel pressed against his temple, "But you're not the only one who can count."
The two began to calm down, Watts lowering his arms as he seemed to be surrendering while Ironwood began to lower his arms as well.
"Oh, I know," Watts dropped his revolver which caught Ironwood's attention. He then grabbed Ironwood's left forearm and spun, forcing Ironwood against the metal beam before throwing himself away.
Ironwood's arm had been shoved between the gaps in the metal beam, Watts having placed his rings in the gap to form a hard light barrier that trapped Ironwood's left arm. Ironwood attempted to pull his arm through only to scream out as the barrier tore and burned his skin.
"That was a little too close for my liking, James," Watts admitted as he stood up and flexed his fingers a bit, "Rebuilding those rings is going to be such a pain. Now if you'll excuse me."
Ironwood gripped his upper arm, slowly pulling it through the barrier again but continued to groan and wince due to the pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Watts warned, "I mean, unless you're hoping to add more metal to that body of yours."
Ironwood gave a few pained pants before giving a glare and continuing to pull.
Watts meanwhile was using his remaining rings to highlight portions of the machinery, "All right now, where did they put them?"
A sudden yell and thud were heard, Ironwood sitting up from the floor, breathing heavily as smoke rose from his burnt left arm.
Watts turned in shock, "What?!"
Ironwood fully stood before charging forward, grabbing Watts by the collar of his shirt. He then slammed Watts onto the floor and began running, scraping the scientist's right side of his face against it. The General then lifted Watts up, dangling him over the edge of the platform where lava was bubbling and rising from one of the exposed biomes below.
"I will sacrifice… whatever it takes… to stop her," Ironwood managed to get out between heavy breaths.
"Oh, I hope you do, James," Watts said with a cough, spitting blood off to the side, "I hope you do."
Swartz and Ora were still watching, the two having moved to get a better view of the top of the arena with Swartz smirking in a near maddening fashion as he heard Ironwood's declaration.
"I think I found him…" Swartz said in an excitable tone, drawing out the Zi-O Anothewatch, it beginning to pulsate with purple energy as it resonated with Ironwood's presence.
Remnant – Atlas Academy
Uhr was a bit disappointed by the current events as his pick for a candidate was Winter Schnee. And he had hoped by her being the right hand of Ironwood she'd be playing a major role to make his decision. No, she was just relegated to making sure everyone at Atlas Academy was safe and in their dorms. He and Finis were both standing at a vantage point that let them stay undetected but allowed them to view the school in its entirety.
"Man…" Uhr sighed.
"Uhr," Finis said as they soon pointed towards the top of school where Ironwood's office was, "Things have just gotten more interesting."
"Huh?" Uhr turned to look at where his ally was pointing, soon seeing it as his eyes widened.
An Atlesian Officer was skipping into General Ironwood's office, pink shimmering being seen as it was Neopolitan in disguise. She held up a small object before placing it on Ironwood's desk, shifting back into her disguise before skipping out of the office.
"There are more players in this game than we realize," Finis smirked.
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"Simply accept the futility of your situation…"
"Girls it's time to stop holding back."
"Don't do anything you're going to regret!"
"I didn't want it to come to this."
"You're right, I was wrong."
Chapter 79: Lines in the Snow
Author's Note: Yep, deciding to include and wrap-up the fights with both Tyrian and Watts in this chapter. I figured it would end up working out well instead of including them at the start of the next chapter. Especially since next chapter Is a big one as we continue our rapid approach towards V7's ending. With Ruby getting her equipment back and the return of Kamen Rider Roze alongside a slew of other events lined up, I hope you're ready.
But hey, those aren't the only things that happened this time. We've got the formal introduction of Sougo's Semblance (no official name as of yet)! It was very much inspired mostly by Detective Vision from the Arkham Series with a few bits of Eagle Vision from Assassins Creed thrown in from what I read on that upon my supervisor's suggestion. Like Robyn said earlier, Sougo's Semblance was likely to be a support one and I think this fits Sougo well. Having one that lets him see the "entire board" so to speak as well as one that fits into his leadership qualities.
With all that said, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.