Chapter 56 – Clash For The Truth – Pt. 3
Cinder
Her ears were ringing from the colossal explosion that Ozpin created.
She pressed one hand against the side of her head as she sat upright, blood leaking from her temple, covered in dust. As she looked around, she saw everything was destroyed, but she could not spot the Knights of Death of Fear.
Maybe they were destroyed in the blast?
Wait… where's everyone else?
She could hear the sound of Vir Nominis Umbra roaring nearby as he battled, and to her disbelief, despite the power of that explosion, the Wall of Fire was still burning, like it was not even affected. But the flames had spread, and in the distance she could hear the howling roars of the Nameless Titan, now free, and marching towards them. They were running out of time.
She held her side as she got back up and looked around. "Emerald?" She called out, coughing as she walked across the chunks of broken building that scattered across the landscape. "Is anyone out there?" She stammered. "… Is anyone still alive?"
She stumbled across the rubble, pressing her hand against cracked and broken bricks. "You don't have to run anymore…" the voice of Krekras Blackridge spoke. She stopped and her amber eyes widened as she turned around, seeing him stood atop the ruins. "You have fought so hard, and for so long… yet you still push on?" The Knight of Death asked her, his sword held firmly in his hand, glowing red eyes staring at her as his black cloak flowed in the wind behind him.
"EM?" she called once again, ignoring the Knight who watched her, but was always ready in case he tried to attack her. Although he didn't, he just watched, and then vanished as a plume of dust and black smoke passed by him. She stumbled further, not noticing him stalking her shadow, slowly extending his blade. "Em…" she stammered.
Kannix suddenly leapt from the rubble behind her, extending his Shadow Dust coated blade to impale her, wild Silver Eyed glaring at her, his mouth grinning as he went for his second of three destined kills. But as Cinder turned, suddenly the chains of Silent Judgement wrapped around Kannix's throat, and Emerald tossed him away from her. "GET BACK!" she yelled, vaulting over a crushed truck and drop kicking Kannix in the process, sending him tumbling backwards.
As he fell, he rolled across the floor, then stood tall, aiming his arm cannon at her and firing three explosive shells, only for Cinder to raise chunks of debris with roots in front of them, taking the shells instead.
As the destroyed chunks of rubble crumbled and the smoke cleared, Kannix was gone once again. "Coward… he wants to pick us off…" Cinder realised, wheezing as she held her chest.
"Whoa… are you okay?" Emerald asked with a worried voice, checking for injuries.
"I'm okay, just winded… fuck, was that Oz?" Cinder asked her, and Emerald looked back at where she saw that enormous blinding explosion.
"It came from where he was fighting… it must have been him…" Emerald said, holding onto her weapons. The dust continued to settle, and they both saw the Knight of Fear retreating as well, whilst Death continued to watch from nearby. Fear flew off into the sky, leaving the battle entirely, leaving only Umbra, the Hound… and wherever Kannix had skulked off to.
"C'mon… they're gonna need our help." Cinder said, cracking her neck and wiping the dust from her face, forming a pair of Obsidian Falchions. "You with me?"
"Always." Emerald promised. The two of them ran across the ruins of both Arkhonex and Arcturus Base towards where everyone else was battling against the False God. As they charged towards him, Cinder's eyes ignited and she blasted into the air, throwing both swords into Umbra's back, detonating them both in a fiery explosion. Umbra grunted and growled, spinning around and forming a long whip of darkness, slashing it through the air towards Cinder, but she dropped, tumbling through the air, then forming her bow and shooting multiple arrows up into his eye.
Umbra yelled in anger, then turned to see Yang jumping towards him, landing a powerful punch with her cybernetic fist into his face. She blasted both Ember Celicas into his body, using the recoil to toss herself backwards, also firing multiple missiles at him. They exploded against his arm, blowing chunks of black scales off him, but he just gritted his teeth as he stared at her. She flipped and landed on the ground, and Umbra formed a ball of crackling black and red energy, then threw it into the air above him.
The ball shot bolts of red lightning down all around him, then he slashed his claws above his head, opening another portal between realms, and dousing the ground in red flames. His black wings opened, and he leapt into the air, forming an enormous blade of lightning as he flew high above them. Then he came crashing down, spinning across the destroyed landscape, swinging at all of them. The attack hit many of them, whilst some avoided it, like Oscar, who slowed down time.
He ducked under the blade, then resumed time once more as he rushed towards Umbra. As he sprinted, Ren sprinted alongside him, firing Stormflower at the False God. Then Umbra breathed a vast cloud of fire and pyroclastic ash towards them, roaring with fury as he did it. But whilst his cloud of fire came towards Oscar, Hyde jumped and punched Umbra in the side of the head, sending him stumbling to the right. Ren fired Stormflower's grappling hook into Umbra's shoulder, then grabbed onto Oscar, retracting the cable and carrying them both away from the flames that remained.
They soared past the flames as Umbra howled, with Hyde savagely pounding his fists against Umbra's face, driving his cane into his mouth and pulling him towards Oscar. Ren threw the Time Traveller towards him and he jumped, driving Traveller's Atrocity directly into the top of his enemy's skull. He twisted the blade and dragged it through his skull, jumping off at the last second. As he fell, Starla formed multiple glyphs which slowed his descent, then Ruby flew up towards him and caught him out of the air, holding him in her arms as she slid across the ground.
"That was fun." Oscar chuckled, finding his footing after Ruby let go of him.
Despite his size, Umbra lost no speed at all as the False God, gripping a giant sword and a hammer in both hands he swung them both like they weighed nothing at all, relentlessly attacking the heroes, cutting Kassius across the chest, and smashing the Architect backwards with the hammer, causing more internals of his mechanical body to spark in many places. Umbra's wings opened, and he leapt into the air, spiralling across the sky and launching the hammer directly towards Jaune, then careening down with his enormous sword, stabbing it into the ground.
Suddenly the blade overloaded with dark energy, creating a huge black and red explosion, and Umbra flew backwards into the air, flying like a dragon as he blasted fire down upon them all, then spinning through the air, throwing arcs of darkness at them. Pyrrha rolled out of the way and Nora continued to shoot grenades up at their foe, exploding in bright pink clouds as they collided into him.
He opened his wings and roared to the sky, forming a gigantic ball of black and red energy, channelling power from his body as he howled. Everyone shot up at him. Then Jaune turned to Ruby. "Do your thing!" He called out to her, his shield above his head, and without hesitation she jumped onto it and he threw her towards him. Her eye lit up, and she fired a beam of white light towards him, burning him across his face and cancelling the devastating attack he was about to use on them.
It was only afterwards did Ruby notice that at the centre of that ball of energy was the Relic of Destruction.
Umbra suddenly stared directly at Ruby, and his eyes glowed bright red and he fired a beam of darkness towards her, and she instinctively shot her white light right back at him, colliding them as they circled one another. But when so focused, she was not prepared for the Knight of Death to suddenly tackle her out of the air, and stamp on her chest, pinning her to the ground. He reached down and grabbed the Relic of Creation from her belt, staring at it as he held it in his hand.
Umbra stared at the Relic now in Death's hand, and he swung his wings out with a deafening roar, knocking everyone away, then he reached his hand out, yanking the Relic from Death's grasp, making the Knight turn and stare at him. "Another to add to my collection…" Umbra snarled, shattering the cane it was contained in, revealing the glowing Relic, now joining the Relic of Destruction.
Ruby stared in horror. "No…" she gasped, then Death stared down at her, and prepared to stab her through the chest with Ferrum Arctus, only for Cinder to launch a bolt of lightning into his back. He yelled in anger, and Ruby jumped into the air without hesitation, firing an explosive shell into his helmet, launching him backwards. He tumbled across the battlefield. Then Ruby turned her gaze back to Vir Nominis Umbra.
They were now two Relics down…
They had to get to the Embered Grove now; they had no idea of Ozpin was even alive right now, the Relic of Knowledge could be lost for all they knew.
Umbra closed his fist, and the Relics passed into his body, vanishing as effortlessly as he made them appear. His red eyes suddenly glared directly at Jaune, holding the Relic of Choice still. He blasted towards him, and they all continued to pursue Vir Nominis Umbra. Kassius and Yang ran together, and he cut across Umbra's heel whilst Yang fired multiple explosives into the other, causing Umbra to fall onto the floor, his chin breaking the ground beneath him. He snarled, rolling across the ground, his legs reconstructing themselves, then he spun around and slashed his long razor sharp tail at them both, sending Kassius flying away from them, bouncing across the rubble.
"Kas!" Yang screamed, chasing after him.
Umbra laughed as he watched her follow him. "Affection… has always been the undoing of the kind." He stated, standing tall and staring at Jaune, reaching out and yanking Jaune into the air with his telekinesis, about to take his Relic from him as well. Until Starla blasted up and rammed one of her Tonfas through his jaw, so hard that it protruded through his eye. Then her wings launched her forward, slamming him against the ground and dragging him away from Jaune.
Ruby turned to Jaune as she followed after Starla. "Go! We can't risk him taking the Relic of Choice as well!" She yelled, and he nodded, running towards the Embered Grove as fast as he could. But as he ran he could feel his hairs stand on end, and Fear dove towards him, his curse forcing him back into the fight just like it did for Death. He hooking Formido Falcem under his jaw and threw him into the air. His elongated arms grappled onto him and he flew into the air.
"Even after all these years, you still just run! You haven't changed one bit, have you? Still the scared cat in the tree!" He mocked, eyes glowing a piercing gold.
"Keep telling yourself that!" Jaune yelled back, smashing his head into Fear's, then spinning his sword through his fingers and driving it between his ribs. They both fell together. Then he kicked off Fear's chest, rolling across the ground. Umbra suddenly launched towards him again, but Nora jumped and smashed Magnhild across his face. Everyone looked around and saw Death and Fear now stuck in this battle, just like the rest.
Umbra stood tall with an evil grin carved across his face.
All the while, the Nameless Titan was drawing ever closer.
Blake
Amidst the battle against Umbra and the remaining Knights…
Blake, Weiss, Sun and Penny were forced to continue their clash against the Hound. The beast was beneath them, and they were atop the broken houses of Old Town, staring at the creature which snarled at them, remaining motionless. Behind the Hound was the Wall of Fire, meaning they were right at the border, and they could feel it. Sweat was gushing off their skin from the sheer heat of those flames. It was clearly waiting for any of them to make their move, showing the intelligence it had gained from having Raven Branwen as its unwilling host.
Weiss looked back with wide eyes as the battle against Vir Nominis Umbra continued, getting closer and closer to them. The thing that hurt was the fact that they were so close to the Embered Grove, but with the Hound right here, they knew it was not about to make that easy.
But what was worse?
Was that Weiss saw Umbra take the Relic of Creation from Ruby from all the way over here. "Ruby… no…" She gasped, fearing the worst, until she saw the red petals shooting around Umbra, slicing across his body relentlessly. That gave her some sense of relief… but they were still two Relics down, and Ozpin's status was unknown and Jaune had the only other Relic.
If he gets his hands on all four… it's over.
Simple as that.
Weiss closed her eyes, then focused on the enemy they were up against. "We have to hope they can make it… right now, the Hound is our priority." Weiss said as she stared at the Hound, which was completely motionless.
"The way it's just not moving, I hate it." Sun stated as he glared at it, waiting for it to make any movement at all.
"We just have to blow its chest open, then one of us has to quickly stab Raven through the heart. It's the only way." Blake explained.
"With my glyphs, I can reach her, but I have to be fast. We have to really hit it hard." Weiss explained, loading the few remaining Dust Cartidges she had left into the chamber, flicking it shut with her wrist.
"I have my shadows." Blake said.
"And I can use my beams." Penny said, nodding her head in agreement.
"And when it's stunned, Weiss goes in for the kill. I'll go in from the side and get its attention focused on me. I got a loud voice after all." Sun suggested.
"Good idea. Break its attention up." Blake agreed, nodding at Sun.
"It might not work… but win or lose… this ends now." Sun growled, everyone staring at the Hound with prepared glares. Then the Hound lifted its head with a sinister growl.
"Bring it on…" The Hound snarled.
Sun grunted, then sprinted across the tiled rooftop, then jumped behind the Hound, yelling with every fibre of his being. "RAVEEEEEEENNNNNNNNN!" He roared, his voice echoing through the destroyed ruins of Old Town. Blake and Penny both jumped towards the Hound, preparing their attacks, and Weiss stood at the ready, waiting for her opening to stab Raven through the heart.
But the Hound was cunning, and it snarled, extending its up and dragging its claws through the rooftop, launching shards of debris towards them all, also blasting a beam of fire through them, shattering the buildings to toss even more debris at them all. The shards broke all of their auras instantly, slashing across Sun's body as he covered his chest and face with his arms, his shirt being torn to pieces by the shards.
Blake flipped backwards to throw her Fire Dust Shadow at the Hound and it detonated according to plan, even though a blade of wood sliced across her cheek, launching her backwards. As Penny dove and fired her powerful beam, a massive chunk of wood launched up and skewered her through her shoulder. She screamed in immense agony, blood erupting from her wound, and the beam burned up the Hound's chest and face, scarring the bony skull.
Penny instantly lost consciousness, and Sun's eyes widened, and he sprinted across the rooftop and jumped, catching her and sliding across the other, holding her in his arms as she bled over his arm. "Penny…" He gasped, seeing blood rushing from her head as well. "BLAKE! WEISS!" He screamed.
Weiss' eyes widened with horror as she stared at the Hound.
"No… it didn't work…" She gasped, seeing the Hound was hurt, but they did not blow the chest open, and it was staring directly at her, its long black tongue licking the burn scar across the side of its face. She closed her eyes, then stared at the hound, feeling the blood trickling from the side of her head too, for even she was not safe from it. She focused what little aura she had left to her semblance instead of healing.
"Her chest isn't open… It doesn't matter… I have to try anyway!" Weiss yelled with a building anger in her chest.
Kassius
He grunted as he crashed off a chunk of building, pressing his hand against his back once he finally rolled to a stop. He sighed, pressing his head against the floor, then his metal hand as he got back up. "That hurt." He groaned, slowly getting back up, seeing Neo fighting with Emerald against Vir Nominis Umbra ahead of him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cracked Scroll, seeing his aura was now in the yellow, and he sighed. "C'mon Kas… we're not done yet." He said.
"Yes. You are." Kannix answered, suddenly driving his Shadow Dust blade through Kassius' back and out through his side. His amber eyes widened, and he gasped, feeling the blade lodged in him, and his aura break as the corrupted dust infected his aura, bursting it instantly and preventing him from regenerating it. He looked down, seeing blood pouring from the wound, his hands held out, panting as he saw it.
No… not like this…
Not… to… you…
Fury built up in Kassius, and he gritted his teeth as he stared at the wound. Kannix leaned over to his ear, grinning. "I told you I'd get you, Kassius." He hissed.
"That so? Well, clearly… you suck at keeping those promises… because I ain't dead just yet." Kassius growled. Kannix suddenly yanked the blade free and spun around, swinging the blade towards his throat. Only for Kassius to raise his metal arm, and pressing his human one against the wound. The steel blocked the blade, and he glared back at his long-lasting foe, amber meeting silver.
Kassius laughed as he stared at him. "I was distracted and even then you still can't kill me." He mocked, smashing his head into Kannix's and immediately aiming Vulcan Nox at him, firing multiple bullets at him. The bullets tore through Kannix's body, then Kassius drew one of his Lash Equinox blades, and he rushed towards him, slashing through Kannix's throat.
Blood erupted from his neck, and Kannix choked, holding his throat together with his metal hand. As Kassius stumbled past, he fell to one knee, coughing as he held the wound, seeing so much blood leaking from it. "Fuuuuck…" He groaned, turning to see Kannix still surviving even that would-be-fatal wound, blood covering his body. He stared at Kassius with a smirk, and Kassius growled. "Just fucking CHEATING!" He yelled, firing Vulcan Nox again, but Kannix rushed towards him, taking the bullets and suddenly drove his Hook Blade straight through his metal arm.
Kassius screamed in pain, then he rolled across Kassius' shoulder, twisted the arm to the point where the metal shattered in a piercing metallic bang, sparks erupting from it and chunks of snapped metal thrown everywhere. He hunched forward and gasped, turning to see Kannix holding his cybernetic arm in his grasp, blue sparks leaking from the cables. "To think something so important and strong can be removed so easily?" He scoffed, tossing it over his shoulder.
Kannix walked towards Kassius, kicking his Lash Equinox blade into his hand, dragging the blade across the rubble as Kassius bled across it. He drove it into his leg, making Kassius cry out in pain, and he walked closer, pulling the blade out and pointing it at his throat. "You're gonna be my second… I was gonna go for your sister… but… from how hard you and Yang are fighting." He said with a smirk. "She's got a bun in the oven now… hasn't she?"
Kassius gritted his teeth with hate in his eyes. "Good. That's gonna make it all the better… I'll get two for the price of one." He snarled, his eyes shimmering a bright white. "By why finish it here? So soon?"
Suddenly he unleashed the power of his Silver Eyes onto Kassius, blasting the searing fiery light into his body, making him scream in immense agony. His skin burned as he cried out, crawling backwards away from him, his coat and shirt starting to burn as well, embers trailing away from them. Kannix laughed as he heard Kassius' screams, walking even closer to him. "Poor, poor Kassius. All alone… unable to save the one person he loves. Just so you know, I'll make sure she suffers even more than you. Then so will the rest of this found family you love so much." He promised.
"And there is nothing… you can do to stop me." He promised, about to burn him even more with his silver eyes.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Yang roared, her hair igniting and shattering the surrounding rubble. She launched towards Kannix and punched him with all her might, breaking his jaw and sending him crashing away from them. He tumbled across the ground and left Lash Equinox on the floor with them.
Kassius coughed up blood as he laid on the floor beside her. "Fuck… how do I look? On a scale of one to ten?" He asked her with a smirk, covered in burns and his wound leaking blood everywhere.
Yang's eyes widened and her hair extinguished, once red eyes turning lilac once more. "No, no, no, no…" she stammered, crouching down and pressing her hands against his wound. "Okay, you're gonna be okay…" she promised.
"Sounds like a seven, oh boy…" He joked again.
"Stop joking around, Kassius… I… I…" Yang stammered, but Kassius held her hand, still getting back up despite the torment Kannix just put him through. He kept his hand on his wound, and Yang put her arm around him.
"Heart's still beating, right?" He asked her, smiling. "Then I'm not… out of the fight… yet…" He panted, and Yang looked around, catching a glimpse of Kannix retreating once again, like the coward he always was. She gritted her teeth, but she contained her rage, focusing on Kassius. "Firefly…" He whispered, looking ahead.
"What?" she asked, then she followed his gaze, and realised.
"The way's clear… we can make it…" she realised. "Okay, hold on. We can patch you up once we're inside." Yang said with hope in her voice.
"You got it, doc." He chuckled. As Yang helped carry Kassius towards the Embered Grove, she raised her scroll to her ear.
"Guys! The Embered Grove is clear! Everyone make a break for it right now!" Yang ordered, hearing the roar of the Nameless Titan, and it was even louder now. She looked back and through the flames, she saw it rising, and it slammed down one of the largest towers in the centre of Arkhonex, sending it crashing down into the ground, roaring as it approached the Wall of Fire.
She picked up the pace, helping him along, as he left a trail of blood behind him.
"Come on… we can make it…" she panted.
Weiss
The Last Schnee stared the Hound down, which was drooling with an unending hunger as it stared at her. But she didn't care. She just wanted to finish this, once and for all. Sun watched as he held Penny in his arms, her still bleeding out in his arms, and Blake on another rooftop, uncertain of what to do, her hand pressed against her head as she bled.
"WEISS DON'T! IT'S TOO RISKY!" Sun screamed, blood trickling down the side of his head as he stared at Weiss.
"NO IT'S PERFECT!" The unexpected familiar voice roared from behind them, leaving a trail of flaming embers behind him as he flew overhead. Sun gasped and looked up, as Axzura Vex leapt into the air, his Burning Wyvern wings splayed out wide, and gripping one of his burning axes in his other hand. He launched the axe directly towards the Hound, and it spun through the air before burying itself deep in the Hound's chest.
The Hound growled with disbelief, they recoiled backwards when the axe made impact, then the flames erupted in a huge explosion, tearing the Hound's chest open and revealing Raven inside, who hunched forward out of the Hound's body, the black tar already reaching out and latching onto her body.
Weiss, Blake and Sun all gasped in disbelief.
Blake watched in awe as the Former Knight of Fury hovered above them.
"AXZURA!" Blake called out, but he did not have any time to waste, turning to Weiss beneath him.
"NOW'S YOUR CHANCE! KILL HER!" Axzura roared, and Weiss took her opportunity, casting a line of glyphs, and she shot across them. The Hound pulled Raven back in, the black tar returning around her, and the head about to flip down towards her head, and Raven reached out for Weiss, begging for her blade.
Weiss jumped off the last glyph and thrusted Myrtenaster towards Raven with gritted teeth.
And Myrtenaster stabbed straight through her heart.
Weiss held onto her shoulder. Her heels dug into the black flesh, staring down at Raven's dying eyes. "Raven…" she softly growled at her sister's murderer. "IT'S OVER!" She yelled, forming one last large glyph behind her, pressing her heel against Raven's chest and kicking herself away from Raven, and the glyph blasted a powerful gust of wind into the Hound's body, launching it backwards, towards the wall of fire.
Axzura descended, extinguishing his flames and catching Weiss, swinging his wings, whilst Raven fell into the burning flames of destruction. Her eyes faded as her life ended, and the Hound howled as the flames burned its black flesh away, turning it into dust, and then Raven's body burned away as well.
The Hound was dead… and so was Raven.
For good this time.
Axzura landed on the rooftops, setting Weiss down on the tiles. He looked at Penny whilst Sun carried her in his arms. "Go. The waters of the Embered Grove can heal her, but you have to hurry." Axzura stated, but Blake grabbed onto his arm.
"What about you?" She asked him. He looked down at her and a smile formed along his grill-like mouth.
"You helped me vent my rage… now time for me to vent the rest of it… a rage I've been wanting to unleash for a long, long time." Axzura stated as he glared at Vir Nominis Umbra. He looked back at her. "Go."
He jumped away from them, his wings spreading out far and wide, transforming into the Burning Wyvern, flying directly towards Vir Nominis Umbra to join Starla in holding him off.
Blake watched as he attacked, and she couldn't help but smile, proud of him for finally being free of his curse, and fighting for the side of good.
Ruby
Ruby heard Yang's call. They all did, and they were not about to waste any time. Death slashed his sword relentlessly at the Architect, who deflected his blows, then Neo suddenly appeared, firing an explosive shell into his chest, which sent him flying backwards, crashing through the ruins behind him.
Fear flew above, flooding the air with his Fear Toxin, slashing his claws towards Jaune who raised his shield, parrying him out of the air. He crashed into the ground, dragging Formido Falcem through the floor, then leaping after him once again. He grabbed Jaune by the face and dragged him across the ground, reaching for the Relic dangling from his belt. Pyrrha suddenly launched herself into Fear's side, and tossed him away from Jaune, calling down a massive bolt of lightning on top of the Knight.
Jaune got back up and ran towards the Embered Grove with everyone else, whilst Starla and Hyde held off Vir Nominis Umbra. Starla launched him towards the False God with her glyphs and he smashed both his burning fists down the top of Umbra's head. He dropped to his knee, then suddenly caught Hyde and slammed him into the ground, staring past him to see Jaune sprinting ahead.
"Oh, I don't think so, boy." He growled, his wings opening once more. Starla formed multiple black glyphs behind Umbra to hold him in place, but he snarled, his eyes glaring at her. Suddenly he unleashed a powerful pulse of black flames from his body as he bellowed, blowing Starla and Hyde away, then he sprinted after Jaune, jumping and flying towards him. He stamped and pinned Jaune to the ground, sliding across the floor and shattering his aura. Jaune screamed in pain as Umbra held him down.
Nora ran towards him, firing grenade after grenade up at Umbra's face, stunning him as they exploded. He ignored her and grabbed Jaune, lifting him off the floor like he was a toy, staring at him. He opened his hand and levitated him, leaving him completely helpless, then formed a long razor-sharp blade aimed directly at his heart. He launched it towards Jaune, when suddenly Neo appeared and took it, skewered through the chest and crashing into Jaune.
Only for her corpse to shatter into shards of pink glass. As he fell, Ruby caught him out of the air and helped him try to get away. Neo covered them as they ran from Vir Nominis Umbra, firing multiple explosive projectiles up at him. Cinder and Pyrrha both attacked Umbra together, Cinder driving an axe into his mouth and pulling him towards Pyrrha, who punched him directly in the face with an explosive fist.
Umbra crashed into the ground nearby, his tail dragging through the rubble, roaring up at the two Maidens like a savage beast.
Jaune looked back as he ran, holding his side in pain from the trauma that attack just did to him. Ren also covered them, fending off the Knight of Death as he sprinted towards Jaune from the side, and Nora swung Magnhild directly into the Knight's face.
They grew closer and closer to the entrance to the Embered Grove, spotting Yang and a wounded Kassius making it inside, alongside Blake, Weiss, Sun and also a badly injured Penny making it inside as well. Behind them, Cinder launched herself towards Umbra again, yelling with fury in her voice, but Umbra batted her with the back of his hand, sending her crashing past Ruby and Jaune as they retreated. Starla flew around Umbra, constantly launching her white Fatal Feather at him, and Pyrrha landed nearby, throwing chunks of heavy metal towards the False God with her polarity semblance.
The pieces of metal hardly even stopped him, but Umbra gritted his teeth when he stared ahead at them, and he clenched his fist. Suddenly, the ground cracked and tore itself apart. Chunks of the floor started to rise, and Ruby tried her best to keep Jaune close as everything broke apart around them. Umbra sprinted after them, and then jumped into the air, forming a gigantic bolt of lightning in his hand, and launched it towards them.
The bolt exploded behind Jaune and Ruby, sending them tumbling forward, and causing the Relic of Choice to break off Jaune's belt. "NO!" He screamed, reaching out for it, only for it to be yanked away by Vir Nominis Umbra's telekinesis. Starla flew after it, reaching her hand out, but Fear flew towards her and kicked her out of the air, sending her crashing into the ground with an explosive thud.
He stared at the penultimate Relic in his hand, crushing the cane it was contained it with a smirk, staring at the pebble now in his grasp, absorbing it into his ethereal body. Jaune's eyes widened as he stared back at him. "No…" He gasped.
"One to go." He said as he cracked his neck, staring at them, but as he saw how close they were to the Embered Grove…
… Ruby saw the expression on his face.
It was fear.
Real, indistinguishable… fear.
Kassius and Yang were waiting on the other side of the field, then behind Umbra they saw the Wall of Fire break, and through the enormous flames the Nameless Titan appeared. The enormous Kaiju roared as its enormous tentacles tore through the landscape towards them. "Go… GO! IT'S OUR ONLY CHANCE!" Ruby yelled. Everyone got up and ran as fast as they could to the Embered Grove.
They may have lost the Relics but at the very least they could hope that Ozpin was still alive and he could keep his Relic safe to buy them time… and they could learn Umbra's weakness.
Umbra sprinted towards them, but Hyde jumped and punched Umbra in the face, being swatted away like a fly, crashing into the ground. He looked at Kassius, seeing him from all the way over there. "GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" Hyde yelled, and Kassius grunted, turning and going with Yang.
The Nameless Titan shattered what remained of Arcturus Base behind them, roaring with fury as it came for them. But Vir Nominis Umbra was even closer, about to use his corrupted eyes on them, and turn them to ashes. Until everyone saw the shadow pass over their heads, Fear and Death both stopped with disbelief… and Starla just smiled.
"Kick his ass." Starla said.
Vir Nominis Umbra was too focused on them to notice, until the last second, as Axzura flew directly at Vir Nominis Umbra, colliding into him and driving his burning talons through his flesh. "UMBRAAAAA!" Axzura howled with hate, biting onto his head and blasting flames into his skin, making Umbra roar with agony, staggering and crashing into the ground. Starla took off into the air, looking at them all.
"GO! WE'LL HOLD HIM OFF!" Starla yelled, flying to Axzura's aid, whilst Fear and Death watched with disbelief.
Fear looked at Death, then he transformed into his Bat Form, flying away from the battle. As they ran, Oscar looked back at Death, and saw him watching Starla and Axzura fight Umbra, and then he looked right at Oscar. He could have stopped them…
… but just like before…
… he vanished into thin air.
This was a better chance than any.
They all kept running whilst the two Reformed Knights battled against Umbra behind them, not noticing that Kannix was also pursuing them. Starla flew forward and relentlessly stabbed Umbra in the gut, whilst Axzura continued to bite and burn Umbra, clawing him repeatedly. Umbra gritted his teeth and grabbed the Wyvern by the throat, throwing him into the ground with significant force. Axzura tumbled across the ground, then flew high above him, blasting an enormous cloud of fire onto him.
He snarled in anger, and whilst they fought, the Nameless Titan roared, and running with it was the Oncoming Shadow, swarming across the ruins behind them. And they were gaining on them with every second. Axzura dove and transformed back into his Knight body, and he roared, driving both axes across Umbra's throat, and Starla continued her barrage on him as well, punching and stabbing wherever she could, even loosing multiple arrows into his body.
He punched Axzura into a building and tossed Starla away, seeing that Ruby and the others were even closer now, even with the Oncoming Shadow closing in on them. "No! NO!" Umbra yelled, charging after Ruby on all fours like a savage dog. Ruby didn't look back as she ran, but just as she was about to be killed by him, Axzura returned in Wyvern form, hooking his curved talon inside Umbra's mouth and puncturing the roof of it, yanking his head backwards.
He clamped his jaws down onto Umbra's throat, tearing chunks out of him whilst Starla flew around him, freezing his wings so he could not fly after Ruby. Hyde also helped as he attacked Umbra's legs.
Ruby looked back as the two Knights fought together against the monster who corrupted them, and when she looked back, the Embered Grove was right in front of her. And the Oncoming Shadow was right behind her.
She yelled and used her semblance with what little aura was left, launching herself towards it, and just narrowly making it inside. The Grimm did not stop and jumped after her, immediately turning to dust the second they passed through the mysterious barrier that protected this place. The rest stopped behind the barrier, roaring as they stared at her.
The Nameless Titan bellowed as it stared at the Embered Grove, unable to break through.
Starla and Axzura both saw that they made it, and Axzura left one last insult to him, grabbing him by the throat. "How does it feel, to lose, Umbra?" He asked him, transforming and flying away with Starla, escaping the scene.
The False God crumbled away, leaving the Soothsayer on his hands and knees, panting as his eyes widened with fear. Beyond the barrier, Ruby was also on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath, but Weiss and Blake helped her up.
They ran together, catching up with everyone else, not noticing that Kannix had followed them inside, for he was no Grimm and was completely capable of following them inside.
But Vir Nominis Umbra?
He did not care that he just gained two more Relics…
… because he was terrified… terrified that they were going to be the first ones to ever learn the truth.
His fear turned to rage, gritting his teeth and his eyes turning blood red as he growled. As they ran, Sun carried Penny, who was barely still breathing from her wound, and Kassius winced from his worsening wound.
Umbra sat on a piece of rubble outside, sat in the shadow of the Nameless Titan… and he looked up with fury in those blood-red eyes.
Hyde fled, unable to cross into the Embered Grove either, due to him being a Higher Demon at his core.
Umbra started to shake, and he kicked his foot through the rubble, screaming with rage as he paced around. He grabbed a Beowulf and punched it in the side of the head, tearing its head off, using his own creations as a punching bag to take out his anger on. Black blood covered his face as he screamed, his spit spraying across the floor.
Throwing an Apathy on the ground and stamping on its skull over and repeatedly, breaking the concrete beneath his boot. He pushed what was left aside, then slid his hands across his shaved head.
Falling to his knees… knowing he had lost…
Author Note - They made it in... but so did Kannix
Hope y'all are ready for next chapter because... hoo boy XD
Loved this one, I love the tension throughout, and it was epic too XD The Hound is no more as is Raven, dead for good this time. Felt is was fitting for Weiss to get the killing blow considering Raven stabbed Winter in the back in Act 4. But poor Penny, she's in a really bad way. Ironically if she were still a machine that blow would have probably been an easy fix, and whilst she may be a hybrid, she's more human than machine now, meaning that wound is BAD
And poor Kassius, he took a really really bad hit, at least Yang found him in time before Kannix could torture him to death any further
And of course... HELL YEAH AXZURA XD
Always wanted him to be super brutal when he attacked Umbra, ripping chunks out of him and stuff. But Hyde is also trapped out there, with the Oncoming Shadow, Umbra and the Nameless Titan so things aren't looking great right now.
And... they've lost their Relics. It all lies on Ozpin's shoulders now, if he loses the Relic of Knowledge, it's over.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I sure did.
Penultimate chapter for Act 5 next.
And then... the final Act of Knights of Grimm (insane to say that holy shit)
Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - A Leader's Promise
- Matt