All hell broke loose. They fought and fought, but more Grimm and robot soldiers took the place of their fallen comrades. And they still hadn't taken down the Paladin. Ruby boarded the Atlas ship, facing down Neopolitan and Roman Torchwick. Yang and Blake fought through the school, slowly and unknowing working their way towards each other. Qrow, Ironwood, and Goodwitch were in the city neck deep in Beowolves. And Sera was sitting on the neck of an Alpha Ursa and stabbing it in the head.
"Freaking! Die! Stupid! Freaking! Bear!" She shouted with every thrust of Igni. The Ursa roared and tried to grab her, but she had her legs wrapped around its neck and managed to evade its paws in between stabs. "Screw this!" She drove the point of her sword into the bear's chest and left it there, then pulled a shard of flame dust out of her pocket and inserted it into Igni's hilt. The sword ignited within the Ursa, causing it to roar in agony while it was roasted inside-out.
When the Grimm's eyes darkened and its body went slack, Sera dislodged her sword and leapt off of it. "Yeah! Who wants bear barbecue?"
"Not the time!" Cerulean quickly stabbed a Beowolf with all three points of her trident.
"Come on! If not now, then when?" she waved her flaming sword with a smile on her face. Cerulean smirked and went back to fighting. Sera rolled her eyes and turned to face her next opponent.
Despite being swarmed, the students were doing rather well. They formed a wide circle and dispatched anything unlucky enough to get in their path, but a small group was detached to fight the Paladin. It'd be nice to have Yang here right about now; she demolished the one that Torchwick had been using.
Sera watched them fight the robot for a moment. Sun was using his semblance to try and overwhelm it, but the Paladin easily smacked his clones aside and kept fighting. Coco blasted the thing with her chain gun, but most of the bullets just pinged off its armor. Meallan tried hitting it with electricity dust, but it seemed to just shrug it off.
"I'm gonna take that thing down!" Sera shouted at the others near her, then ran towards the enormous robot. She jumped in the air and landed directly on Yatsuhashi's shoulders, then used him like a springboard to leap higher.
"Hey!" he protested.
"Sorry!" She landed on top of the Paladin and grabbed onto it to keep from being thrown off. Sera drove Igni into the top of its head and turned up the power of the sword's fire. Purple flames shot out of the gash in its armor, and the robot shuddered while she cut a bigger hole into it. With the aid of her flame dust, she managed to carve a foot long chunk of armor out of it. Sera quickly pulled her sword out and hung onto a cylindrical rod that jutted out of the robot's body, still swinging around while she held on. Then she tossed a particularly large shard of wind dust into the hole she'd made and grinned at her perfect aim.
"Nora!" She yelled and dropped from the machine, allowing its momentum to throw her far away from it before landing in a roll.
"On it!" the hammer-wielder leaped into the air with her weapon raised far above her head. With an excited grin, she clicked the button on the hammer's shaft to discharge a grenade and launch her towards the robot.
Sera smiled when Nora slammed into the Paladin. Her hammer crushed the dust shard and made a powerful gust of wind erupt from within it. The machine exploded, sending bits of metal in every direction with strong wind just after it. Nora landed nimbly and cackled like a maniac.
"That was so fun!" she laughed.
Sera looked down at the remnants of the machine and spat. "Junkyard trash."
Then something heavy skittered towards them at a scary speed and Sera looked up just in time to see an enormous claw slam into her chest. Igni clattered out of her hand and slid across the ground, stopping right at Cerulean's feet.
"Sera!" she cried out and ran towards her.
"Ow…" the amnesiac groaned as she picked herself off the ground, her violet aura visibly flickering. A huge Deathstalker had been what hit her. Its armor was cracked and scarred, and the tip of one of its pincers was chipped off. Apparently, this guy was a tough customer if those battle scars were any indication.
The bug screeched into the air and snapped its claws, then scurried towards Sera to finish her off. Sera got to her feet just as the Grimm reached her. She jumped to the side, just barely avoiding the pincer that tried to grab her.
Cerulean jumped onto its carapace and stabbed it with her trident, but the slim weapon didn't do much to damage its armor. The Deathstalker screeched and tried to grab her, but Cerulean was quick to get out of the way.
"Deathstalker!" Someone shouted, and Sera saw bullets ping off of the creature's bony armor and black body.
"There's too many on us!" Another said.
It was true. Sera looked over to find that even more Grimm had appeared to attack them, and the students were practically in an ocean of black fur. Dozens of Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and Grypons were swarming them.
Sera gritted her teeth and squared her shoulders before drawing Jupiter and putting its strap over her shoulder. She twisted all of its knobs to max, then hesitantly placed her fingers on its strings and raised her guitar pick into the air.
"Mind your ears!" She yelled as loud as she could.
Weiss's eyes widened at the implication. She'd seen what that guitar could do back when the train had crashed in Vale. "Cover your ears!" She screamed, and the students who weren't in the middle of something brought their hands to the sides of their heads.
Sera shut her eyes tight and brought her hand down hard. An almost visible soundwave erupted from Jupiter and traveled outwards in a wide circle. Many of the Grimm roared in agony as the noise hit their ears, their bodies shuddering under the intense power chord. A lot of them died in near instant, melting into a pile of black goo. Huntsmen and huntresses whimpered at the deafening sound and pressed their hands harder against their ears.
By the time the power chord faded, over half of the Grimm had been disposed of, and the survivors were shaking their heads and whimpering while they tried to recover. Among those survivors was unfortunately the Deathstalker.
Sera should've known that blast wouldn't kill the thing, but she still had her hopes. She immediately ran towards it and held Jupiter's neck with both hands.
"Team JNPR, same plan as initiation day!" She yelled.
"WHAT?" Jaune shouted, still disoriented from the powerful soundwave.
The amnesiac rolled her eyes. Thankfully, Nora and Pyrrha had gotten the message.
Nora jumped with her hammer raised and brought its head down onto the Grimm's face, making it screech in pain as its bony armor shattered under the heavy weapon. Pyrrha threw her sword and used her semblance to make it spin like a blender blade straight towards the Deathstalker's tail, severing it cleanly before recalling her weapon back to her.
Sera was there just in time for the Grimm's stinger to fall towards it, and she used Jupiter like a club to drive the glowing spike into its carapace. It held firmly, and the Deathstalker gave a high-pitched screech while it tried to claw its severed appendage out of itself. Nora grinned manically and fired a grenade to send her into the air, and when she reached the apex of her ascent, she smiled wider then spun end over end to bring the head of her hammer into the stinger. It drove even deeper into the Grimm and poked out of its bottom, and its eyes flickered before going dark.
Nora landed on her feet beside Sera in front of the slain Deathstalker and gave the amnesiac a fist bump. "Nailed it," she cackled.
Sera grinned and slung Jupiter over her shoulder. Cerulean appeared beside her with Igni in her hand, and she immediately gave it over to its owner.
"Jeez, why couldn't you use that sooner?" she asked.
The amnesiac shrugged. "Kind of a last resort move. I'm a little surprised Jupiter didn't break apart after that."
The blue-haired girl smiled and twirled her trident. "Well nevertheless, it was—"
"Sera," someone said, and she turned around to find Pyrrha Nikos facing her. The redhead looked anxious, and when she lifted her hand to point towards Beacon Tower, Sera saw why.
Professor Ozpin was standing at the door with a solemn expression on his face. Sera's eyes widened at the sight of him. Even from this far away, she could see him nod in her direction.
"Oh," her shoulders sank.
"What is it?" Cerulean asked.
Sera glanced at her, then at Pyrrha. The redhead said nothing and turned away, running towards Ozpin.
"Look, just…" Sera sighed. "Stay here, Cerulean. I'll be back." Then she took off after Pyrrha, leaving her first friend at Beacon behind. Cerulean watched her go, a puzzled expression on her face.
When Sera reached the tower, Professor Ozpin hurried her inside and towards the elevator that would take them down to the vault.
"Wait!" Jaune exclaimed, and they turned to see him running towards the elevator. Pyrrha's eyes widened, but she didn't protest his arrival.
"Mister Arc, I don't recommend—" Ozpin started.
"I'm going with Pyrrha," he said determinedly and stepped into the elevator.
Ozpin started to speak, then caught himself. There was no use in wasting any more time.
They were silent the whole way down, until the headmaster suddenly spoke.
"I'm truly sorry it's come to this, Miss Nikos. But we have no other choice now."
Pyrrha stared at the floor, her fists clenched tightly.
"Come to what?" Jaune asked. "Where are we going?"
"To the vault. Underneath the tower," Ozpin said quietly.
"There's a vault underneath-?" he started, but the elevator coming to a halt stopped him. As soon as the doors slid open, Ozpin, Pyrrha, and Sera ran towards the Fall Maiden. Jaune just stood there for a moment before deciding to go after them. "Okay, what the heck is going on?!"
"Please, Mister Arc," Ozpin said with a rather pained expression. "All will be revealed."
They made it to the machines and Ozpin started to furiously type on the holographic keypad. The empty pod beside Amber hissed open, and the two girls stared at in wonder and fear.
"What do we do now?" Pyrrha murmured.
"We do nothing," the headmaster glanced over at her. "You, Miss Nikos, have a choice to make."
"Pyrrha, what the hell is-?" Jaune said, exasperated.
"Jaune," Ozpin said firmly. "If you wish to help, you can stand guard."
The blond boy gritted his teeth in annoyance, but he drew his sword and faced the opposite direction, keeping an eye out for intruders. He was confused and angry, but his questions would have to wait until someone was willing to hear them. He held his sword tighter, staring at the elevator at the opposite end of the room.
Pyrrha stared at the empty pod, her hands shaking at the mere thought of stepping into it. She's never been afraid to jump into a fight, even if it was against the biggest Grimm. Apart from that Deathstalker during initiation, of course. That was a tactical retreat. But the idea of getting into that machine terrified her beyond comprehension.
Sera Calypso saw this. She'd never seen Pyrrha scared before, and she didn't like the sight. Then she looked at Amber's unconscious face and the scar on it, and she wondered what it must've been like to experience her attack. Ozpin's face was tight with anxiety while he watched Pyrrha and awaited her response. Then, she looked at Jaune, and back at Pyrrha.
"I'll do it," she heard herself say, and all eyes went to her.
"Miss Calypso, I—" Ozpin started.
"No," she shook her head. "Don't get the wrong idea, I definitely don't want to. But if it means saving Pyrrha from losing herself, I'll be the one to take Amber's aura."
"Sera—" Pyrrha said.
"No," she affirmed. Sera sighed heavily and met the redhead's eyes. "Look, Pyrr. You're better off without this, and you'll do even greater things than I could even manage. Plus, I don't want you to no longer be Pyrrha Nikos. You…" she looked over at Jaune and noticed the confusion and apprehension on his face. "Have more important things to worry about. Trust me," she raised her fist with resolve. "I can handle it."
Slowly, Pyrrha's face morphed to one of relief, and she smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sera. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, Pyrr," she held her fist out.
"Hail to the king?" She said and obliged her fist bump, remembering the phrase that Sera sometimes said when she was feeling particularly confident.
"Hail to the king, baby," she grinned.
"W-Who's the king?" Jaune asked, his mind still uncomprehending just what the hell was going on.
"The king is me, Jauney boy," she ruffled his hair as a sort of goodbye. After all, she had no idea what would become of her after this process was done. Sera turned to her headmaster, awaiting his approval.
He regarded her for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Very well, Miss Calypso. Whenever you're ready," he gestured to the empty pod.
Sera took a deep breath and climbed inside. The door slid closed in front of her, and the full realization of what she was about to do crashed upon her. Her heartbeat quickened and she clenched her fists tightly in preparation for… what, she wasn't sure. Would it hurt?
"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked from outside the pod. She nodded stiffly, trying to get her breathing under control before she started hyperventilating. "I… I need to hear you say it."
She tried to put on a brave smile, but Ozpin could see it wavering. "Let's get the party started, Oz."
He nodded and typed on the keypad. Immediately, Sera saw an amber-colored aura flow into the pod. She finally did start hyperventilating as it drew closer to her. Then it intermixed with her own aura, and she screamed.
Turns out, it did hurt.
It felt like every cell in her body was spontaneously combusting and millions of tiny daggers were stabbing into her simultaneously. She screamed in agony, her body convulsing while the pain washed over her. Her mind swam through a sudden tide of foreign emotions and memories. The laugh of a loved one, the feeling of walking through a dense forest in the middle of autumn, the smell of the leaves in the air. She saw flashes of battle, fire blasting from her hands while she floated off the ground. She saw her own reflection in a mirror, but it wasn't her face she looked at. It was Amber's, unscarred and beautiful. The Fall Maiden's life was short-lived, just barely older than Sera herself, but it was full of vivid memories of a happy, and stressful, existence.
"Sera!" Pyrrha cried out and stepped closer.
"What's happening to her?!" Jaune exclaimed.
Professor Ozpin just gave the boy a pained look, then turned his eyes back to the white-haired girl in agony.
Slowly, more and more of Amber's aura invaded her entire being and started to become her own. Then, out of nowhere, it just stopped. The pain faded quickly and Sera recovered from the strange onslaught on her body.
From outside the pod, the others were gaping in horror at something beside her, then Ozpin whirled around with his cane in hand.
"Hey," Sera glanced at her own hands, curling and uncurling her fingers. "What happened? Did it work?" Then she saw who Ozpin and the others were looking at. A woman in a red dress and black hair was at the far end of the room, a black bow in her hands and a smirk on her face.
The amnesiac's eyes widened and she pounded on the inside of the pod. "Let me out! Professor!"
Cinder Fall laughed as the remainder of the Fall Maiden power went into her. She opened her palm and willed a ball of orange flame to appear in it, then she balled her fist and the fire dissipated.
Professor Ozpin held his cane tighter and glared at the intruder. "Miss Nikos, Mister Arc—get out of here as fast as you can. I can handle this woman and cover your escape."
"Hey! What about me?" Sera slammed her fist into the pod, but it wouldn't budge. Pyrrha raised her hands with a determined expression and willed her semblance to activate. The metal door of Sera's pod crumpled before being yanked away and thrown across the floor, straight at Cinder. She jumped out of the pod and drew her sword immediately. Then the rest of the pod lifted into the air and flew across the room.
Cinder laughed and blasted the pieces of flying metal until they were nothing but puddles of silver at her feet. Then she raised both hands behind her and shot high-pressure jets of flame, blasting her towards the others in a terrifying inferno.
"Go!" Ozpin brandished his cane.
Pyrrha and Jaune ran to the side to get out of Cinder's path of destruction, but Sera didn't budge. She raised her sword, her eyes narrowed at the new Fall Maiden.
"Run!" the headmaster urged her, but Cinder was on top of them now. She raised her hand and shot a jet of fire, and the two of them evaded to the side to avoid it.
"No!" Sera yelled and lunged at Cinder. Her sword managed to hit her in the side and throw Cinder away.
Pyrrha and Jaune nearly made it to the elevator. As soon as they were a dozen feet away from it, the metal doors slid open to reveal a tall man with shoulder-length blond hair and piercing green eyes. He was dressed in emerald-colored combat clothing—a long coat with a dark yellow, almost bronze, metal armor on his chest, olive pants with black boots and matching armor on his legs, and armored greaves on his forearms. He held a long, wide golden sword at his side that was easily as tall as him. His eyes narrowed at the two students, then at his comrade fighting deeper in the vault.
Jaune gaped at him. "Magnus?!"
Magnus smirked, his eyes cold as he regarded the younger boy. "Hello, Jaune." Then he raised his sword and charged.
Sera grunted when she was blasted with a ball of fire and thrown into a concrete pillar. Cinder laughed at her and raised a hand to shoot another, but Ozpin was quick to slam his cane into her and divert the blast.
"Sera, go! I can handle her," he urged.
"I want to fight!" Sera tightened her jaw and raised her sword again.
Cinder roared in anger and flew at Ozpin with a look of rage on her face. The headmaster sidestepped her attack and brought the point of his cane under her chin to knock her off course. He looked at Sera, his eyes full of genuine worry.
"Please," he begged.
Sera eyes shot between the older man and Cinder. She groaned and sheathed her sword. "Fine! But you better be the only one coming up that elevator."
Ozpin smiled. "As you wish, Miss Calypso. Farewell, and take care." He turned to face Cinder, who was irritably getting to her feet and glaring at him. Then he looked at Sera one last time. "It truly was an honor to know you, and the others. Live well."
The amnesiac tightened her jaw and gave him a nod, then ran towards the elevator. Immediately, she heard Cinder yell in rage, then a blast of flames accompanied it. But she just kept running, wishing she could stay behind and help.
But something new drew her attention. Pyrrha and Jaune were in intense combat against the strange member of Cinder's "team" who'd confronted her that time in the gym. He was a weird guy, but apparently, he could fight pretty damn well.
Jaune blocked a hit from Magnus's enormous sword and was pushed back by the force of its attack. He gave the guy a fierce glare and yelled before lunging at him. The tall man knocked aside his smaller sword only for Pyrrha to appear in front of him and plunged her javelin towards his chest. Magnus took a hit and groaned but recovered quickly and struck Pyrrha across the face.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune exclaimed, then glared at their opponent. "Why are you doing this? I thought you were dead!"
"Everyone does," he said quietly, then swung his sword towards the shorter boy.
Sera jumped in just in time. She deflected his blow with the flat of Igni's blade, then knocked his weapon aside and cleaved a gash in the front of his armor.
"Great, the fuckin' weird guy is here!" Sera said and went on the offensive, throwing every attack she could think of towards the tall guy. He evaded and parried her attempts, which was pretty impressive given how big and heavy that sword was.
Pyrrha appeared at her side and jabbed towards his ribs to put more pressure on their enemy. Magnus gritted his teeth and took the hit, given he had no other option. Then Jaune leapt in and tried to hit him with his shield, but Magnus ducked under it and brought his head up to strike him under the chin.
Sera sheathed Igni and drew Jupiter. She had an idea, but she needed an opportunity to execute it. She stood still with the guitar in her hands, waiting. Jaune and Pyrrha kept fighting, working together to try and take this guy down. The more she watched, the more she learned. Adding on what she'd found out while fighting him, she figured out that he was fast with that sword, moving it around with even more precision than Yatsuhashi. But Magnus didn't keep an eye on his blind spot. He was accurate and good at fighting, but he seemed clumsy.
Finally, Pyrrha appeared behind him in an attempt to hit him from behind. She'd figured him out too, Sera thought with a smirk. When Magnus turned around to face the biggest threat out of his three opponents, Sera seized the opportunity she'd been waiting for. She jumped forward and raised her weapon high, then clubbed him over the top of the head as hard as she could with the flat side of Jupiter's body.
Magnus's eyes rolled back as his green aura visibly dissipated, and he crumpled to the floor. Sera looked down at him with distaste and considered kicking him across the face. But the sounds of Ozpin and Cinder's fight drew her attention, and she looked up to see the two of them moving so fast her eyes could barely keep up. Cinder blasted fire and blocked attacks with a glass sword, and Ozpin used all of his power to deal as much damage as he could. Yep, there was no way she could've kept up with them.
"Let's go," she slung Jupiter over her shoulder. She walked into the elevator and waited for her friends. Pyrrha and Jaune glanced at each other, then at Magnus on the floor, then at Cinder and Ozpin. When they finally followed Sera, she hit the button to take them up.
"Jaune…" Pyrrha said, looking at the blond boy. "Who exactly was that?"
He exhaled sharply and clenched his sword tighter. "That guy… My family thought he was dead. I haven't seen him in years, since his 'accident.'" He sighed and looked at the two girls. "That was Magnus Arc, my cousin."
"Wait, that guy's your cousin? What a creepy guy," Sera said.
"Yeah, well, he's always been a little… odd. But this… this is insane!" He ran his hands through his hair. He looked at them wildly. "Now is someone going to tell me what the hell was happening before those two showed up?!"
The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open.
Sera gave him an apologetic glance. "It'll have to wait. We still have to drive out the Grimm."
Jaune sighed and squared his shoulders. "Fine."
They ran out of the elevator, seeking to run outside and help their friends, but a sudden noise interrupted them. Muffled blasts of fire coming from behind them. They turned around, and through the other elevator beside the one they'd arrived in, the noise traveled upwards in an instant, going up Beacon Tower.
"No…" Sera murmured, then ran towards the tower's doors. Jaune and Pyrrha followed her, finding Sera gazing up at the enormous building. The top of the tower exploded, sending debris in every direction as it fell to the ground.
"Professor Ozpin," Jaune said. "Is he…?"
"I don't know," Sera clenched her fists, then turned to Pyrrha. The redhead's face hardened, and she nodded firmly.
"We're going to stop her," Pyrrha said.
"What?!" Jaune demanded. "You saw what she could do, we have to get out of here! There's no way we can—"
Pyrrha suddenly surged forward and brought her lips to Jaune's, which surprised Sera greatly. The kiss lasted for a count of ten heartbeats, and Pyrrha suddenly pushed him away and used her semblance on his armor to send Jaune directly into a weapons locker that was lodged in the ground several feet away.
"Wait, Pyrrha!" Jaune exclaimed as the door slammed shut and she stepped up to it.
"I'm sorry, Jaune," she said and started typing on the keypad.
"Sera, stop her! I can help! Don't do this!" He cried, tears starting to stream down his face.
Sera's heart broke a little at that. Her expression softened, but she didn't move. "I'm sorry," she said. "We have to do this. Pyrrha doesn't want you getting hurt, and neither do I."
"Please—" he begged.
"Goodbye, Jaune," Pyrrha said mournfully. "We'll be back, I promise. Just… wait for me?"
Jaune searched her face with tears running freely. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the locker blasted into the air and flew far away from Beacon Tower. Pyrrha watched it go, her own eyes starting to tear up. Then she turned to Sera and wiped the tears away.
"Let's go," her voice cracked slightly.
"Wait!" Someone cried out, and they turned towards the noise with their hands ready to draw their weapons.
Sera's eyes widened when she saw Cerulean running up to them with a worrisome expression on her face. The amnesiac let go of her sword's hilt and let it fall back into its holster. "What're you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with the others!"
Cerulean smirked at her. "Like I'm going to let you fight whatever did that alone." She pointed at the top of the tower. The blue-haired girl jabbed the staff of her trident into the ground and narrowed her eyes. "If there's a big fight coming, I'm going to be right there with you."
She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. "It's too dangerous. You could get hurt, and I'm not going to let that happen."
"Please, I'll be fine," Cerulean waved the comment away. "Now are we going up the tower or not?"
Sera chewed her lip indecisively. On one hand, another huntress might even the odds between them and Cinder. On the other, if anything happened to Cerulean, she'd never forgive herself. She looked to Pyrrha for advice, but the redhead just gave a determined nod.
Sera exhaled heavily and looked back to the first friend she'd ever made in the school. "Let's kill this bitch."
They turned towards the tower and stepped inside, preparing themselves for the very real possibility that they may not come out.
Then Sera heard a loud roar coming from above them, and she looked up to see the biggest monster she'd ever laid eyes on flying straight for the tower. It was massive, with a wingspan that nearly doubled its body length. It opened its maw and roared again, its large glowing eyes looking at the top of the tower.
"What the fuck is that?!" Sera pointed at the Grimm.
It was a Wyvern, and she wasn't sure if she could fight it if she had to. It was too big, too powerful. If it came down to it… she'd probably die if she faced it.
. . .
The ride up Beacon Tower was quiet and filled with fear and anxiety. Cinder's destruction had rendered the elevators useless, but thankfully, Pyrrha's semblance allowed them to ascend to the top floor.
Sera drew Igni in one hand and her shotgun in the other, holding them tightly. She double checked to make sure the gun was loaded and that she had spare shells, then she looked at Pyrrha and Cerulean.
"You two ready for this?" she asked.
Pyrrha was silent for a moment, only concentrating on moving the elevator higher and higher. "No," she admitted. "But let's do it."
Cerulean brandished her trident and gave a fierce grin. "I don't know who we're about to fight, but we're going to kick their ass."
Sera managed a smile. "Fighting an evil Maiden with my friends. Hell of a way to possibly die."
Pyrrha smirked. "I could not have said it any better."
Then the elevator screeched to a halt as it reached the top floor. Sera glanced at the two of them and put her shotgun under her other arm to hold it still before reaching her fist out to the redhead. Pyrrha smiled with determination and gave her a fist bump.
"Till the wheels fall off, Nikos," Sera smiled, a wicked light in her eyes. Cerulean smiled and held her weapon tighter before surging forward to give the amnesiac a fierce hug.
"No matter what happens, you better buy me that slushy," she held her tighter.
Sera smiled lightly and hugged her back. "You got it."
The elevator doors crumpled outwards and flew away from them, and the three of them jumped out with weapons drawn. The doors nearly hit Cinder right away, but she was quick to avoid them and shoot a large fireball at them. They evaded in opposite directions and Sera heard the fire explode behind them in a large inferno.
The entire top floor of Beacon Tower had been reduced to smoking rubble. Ozpin's office was decimated, and Sera could make out the pile of charcoal that had been the headmaster's desk. Cinder stood in the middle of the office's remains, and the enormous Wyvern Grimm's face was behind her. Upon seeing the huntress's approaching, the Grimm roared and dropped from the side of the tower, its massive wings beating air to keep it afloat.
"Come on!" Sera aimed her shotgun at the Maiden and fired both shells, but Cinder raised her palm to melt the pellets before they could hit. With a groan of annoyance, she quickly reloaded the shotgun and holstered it smoothly. She'd have to wait for a better chance to use it.
Pyrrha charged Cinder with her javelin and tried to run her through, but the Maiden floated into the air and loosed a jet of narrow flames. Pyrrha blocked it with her shield, but the force of the fire pushed her back.
Sera pointed Igni's tip at Cinder and lunged across the ground to perform her Stinger move, and she laughed when the sword connected. Cinder moaned with pain and glared at the white-haired girl, her eyes blazing with literal and metaphorical fiery rage.
Cerulean tried to help, but as much as she hated to admit it, Sera and Pyrrha were out of her weight class. They fought like demons to land a hit on the mysterious woman, and all she could do was watch with a slack expression as they displayed even stronger teamwork than they'd shown during the Vytal Festival Tournament. In an attempt to help, she aimed the points of her trident at Cinder's chest, then threw the weapon as hard she could. It created the opportunity they needed. Her trident collided with the woman's abdomen and sent her flying back, red flames on her eyes burning even brighter.
Pyrrha slammed into Cinder and knocked her to the ground before raising her javelin to drive it into her chest. The Fall Maiden seethed and blasted jets of fire, propelling herself away and knocking the Spartan off of her.
"This is getting annoying!" Cinder cursed and used her fire to float into the air once more.
"Your face is annoying!" Sera shot back, and Cinder just blinked at her in confusion.
"Such a child," she raised her palm, a ball of flame appearing in it.
Sera braced herself, but Pyrrha stepped in front of her with her shield raised to absorb the attack. Sera jumped over her teammate and towards Cinder with Igni raised.
Cerulean started to run towards the white-haired girl to shield her from the blast, but Sera had other plans.
"Spartan Rage!" she yelled.
Pyrrha smirked at the team attack name and surged forward, slamming her shield into the side of Cinder's legs while Sera hit her in the chest. The combination of blows sent Cinder into a horizontal position and made her shoulders hit the ground.
Then someone else dropped onto the floor, and Sera turned just in time to see Magnus Arc's sword flying straight for her face. With no time to react, she was struck in the head and thrown back from the force of his attack.
Sera rolled on her side across the floor until she fell off the side of the building, fear coursing through her entire body at the sense of weightlessness. She stuck her hand out and just barely missed the edge of the floor, hanging freely hundreds of feet in the air by just the tips of her fingers with her sword in her free hand.
She clenched her jaw with her eyes wide as she hung from the building. Every mental alarm she had was blaring in her head to get to safety. She could hear the sounds of combat grow even louder, and Cerulean cried out in pain. So, in a desperate attempt, she drove Igni halfway into the side of the building. She used the sword as a springboard and jumped to safety, and the exertion of pushing off of her sword forced its blade from Beacon Tower. She could only watch with sad eyes as the sword fell through the air, sailing towards the ground far below. The amnesiac clenched her jaw and balled her fists, then turned away from the edge.
Pyrrha was doing decently well considering that she was facing a Maiden and her lackey. She fought vigorously, deflecting attacks with her javelin and shield while managing to land many of her own. She used her semblance to recall her weapons whenever they went out of her hands and even willed them to fight independently. It was working for a while, but between Cinder and Magnus, she was starting to get overwhelmed. Cerulean tried to help, but as soon as she entered the fight, she was quickly overpowered and thrown aside. She was fighting her hardest, but she was so far outmatched, it made her wonder how she'd even made it to Beacon. Cerulean wasn't a bad fighter by any means. She was the strongest member of her team and could stand up to most opponents, but this fight was testing all of her abilities.
She leapt towards the mysterious black-haired woman with her trident raised and managed to land a pretty good hit, but Cinder just scowled and sent a blast of concentrated fire into the blue-haired girl's chest. Cerulean was thrown to the side, her back colliding against the wall before she fell into a heap on the ground.
Then a shotgun blast rang out and hit Cinder in the side. The Maiden whirled around with fire in her eyes.
"Yo, she-bitch!" Sera reloaded her shotgun. "Let's go."
Cinder seethed and flew towards her with twin blasts of fire. Sera somersaulted through the air over her and shot her in the back, making the woman groan. She twisted in the air and kicked Sera as hard as she could, sending the amnesiac flying directly into Pyrrha. The two of them fell to the ground, then quickly got to their feet and faced the two evil people. They leaned onto each other gently, their chests rising and falling while they panted hard.
"You three done yet?" Magnus rested his sword across his shoulder. Cerulean was picking herself off the ground with an intense light burning in her eyes. She shot a glance at Sera, and the white-haired girl tried to give her a reassuring smile.
Sera then grinned fiercely and drew Jupiter, transforming it into its axe form. "Far from it, surfer boy."
"I've had enough of this," Cinder stepped forward.
"Yeah? Get in line," Pyrrha spat.
"Because we're not stopping until we beat you," Sera panted, her fingers trembling from how tightly she held her weapon.
The Maiden raised her hand, a strange orb of crimson light forming in her palm. With a sinister smile, she gazed at Sera.
'The hell is that…?' she wondered. Whatever it was, she didn't like it. The red glow emanating from it reminded her of her dreams, and it put off the exact same kind of aura that Salem had whenever she was in said dreams.
Magnus chuckled. "Finally going to do it?"
"Do what?" Sera raised an eyebrow, clenching her axe tighter.
Cinder's smile widened, the ball of light intensifying and shining brighter. "Subject Kassandra Kallisto: Regina Actuat Arrhabonem."
Before she could even react, searing red light passed through Sera's head as something foreign invaded her mind and body. She cried out in agony and clutched her head from the intense sensation. It was almost like when she tried to take Amber's aura into her body, only it hurt about ten times worse.
Cerulean hurried over to her and glared at the two evil people in front of them. She tried to put a hand on Sera's shoulder, but the amnesiac shoved her hand away and stumbled backwards in visible discomfort. She gasped painfully while she tried to shake the foreign entity out of her head, but it only seemed to dig deeper into her.
"Sera?!" Pyrrha looked to her friend with worry. The purple-eyed girl screamed louder and doubled over, clutching her head tighter. Something was arising in her mind. A mixture of pain, weightlessness, and pure rage washed over her. Cinder and Magnus just watched as the huntress succumbed to what Salem had in store for her.
"Sera, what's wrong?" Cerulean asked fearfully. She glared at Cinder with hatred burning in her eyes. "What did you do to her?!"
"Fulfilled her purpose," the Maiden said smugly.
Pyrrha brandished her javelin and shield, standing in front of her friend defensively while she was forced to endure whatever Cinder had done to her. The Invincible Girl's emerald eyes never left the pair of them in case they tried to attack, but for now, they seemed content with just watching the huntress as whatever was happening to her took its toll.
Then Sera went still. Her screams stopped abruptly, and her arms sagged at her sides. Pyrrha looked back at her as she slowly rose to her full height. Only now, her once-violet eyes now glowed crimson red, and they were looking right at Pyrrha Nikos. Cerulean backed away slowly, holding her trident with both hands while a look of pure evil formed in her glowing, crimson eyes.
"Sera…?" she asked, readying her weapons.
A sinister smile slowly spread across the huntress's face and she looked at Pyrrha. She immediately scooped up Jupiter and lunged, trying to bring the head of her axe onto the redhead.
Pyrrha evaded to the side and raised her shield. "What are you doing?!"
Sera's wicked smile never faded. She rushed her again, and Pyrrha was forced to go on the defensive. She blocked and parried her strikes, but she never attacked. How could she? She didn't know what Cinder did to her, but she couldn't just hurt her. But if she kept this up, she might have to.
Cerulan stood in shock as the girl she'd had a crush on suddenly attacked her friend. She gulped hard and rushed in, trying to force down the awful feeling rising in her chest.
Then Magnus appeared at her side with his sword raised. Luckily, Pyrrha waved her hand and activated her semblance just in time to divert the weapon's path and drive it into the floor. The blonde's face contorted with anger and he tried to dislodge his weapon, but Cerulean jabbed him in the chest then withdrew her trident to smack him in the side of the head.
"T-Thanks!" she managed, her sapphire eyes glued to the imposing blond.
Sera was suddenly in front of Pyrrha and batted her aside with Jupiter. The redhead spun end over end before coming to a stop. Sera rested her axe on her shoulder and grinned at her.
"Salem was right to use you for her plans," Cinder said smugly and walked to the huntress's side.
"Yeah, well, it's me we're talking about," Sera shrugged, her eyes still burning crimson.
Cinder frowned. "I almost forgot you were an airhead."
"Shut it Cindy, or you're next," she glared.
Cerulean was in an intense battle with Magnus, and she was losing. He was too fast with that huge sword, and she could barely keep up. Every time she tried to jab at him or send a kick his away, he simply deflected the blow or evaded it entirely. After a particular thrust from her trident, Magnus grabbed the shaft of the weapon and forced it out of her hands before delivering an earth-shattering kick to her chest. She was thrown back against the wall, a sharp gasp escaping her lips before she fell to the floor.
Magnus chuckled and tossed her weapon to the side while approaching her casually. He raised his sword with both hands, and Cerulean could only look up in despair as the massive weapon was brought down towards her.
Pyrrha looked up from the floor with a pained expression on her face. "Sera… why are you doing this? What happened to you?"
Sera grinned, her head tilting to the side. "Sorry, your friend's not here right now. I am her, and not her at the same time. She is watching, though." Then she raised Jupiter, its blade gleaming in the light. "And I can't wait to see her face when she watches the light fade from your eyes."
Pyrrha gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet, recalling her weapons to her hands. Jupiter came down to clash against her shield, and Pyrrha shoved her friend away before delivering a barrage of jabs to her chest. Sera grunted, but she kept going. Jupiter swung again and again, trying to land a blow against the redhead.
The Spartan jumped over a low swing from Sera and slammed her shield into her face to throw her back, but then the huntress surprisingly recovered almost immediately in the air and lunged at the Spartan once more. Their weapons met in mid-swing, sparks flying from the impact.
'She's stronger…!' Pyrrha thought frantically as she was pushed back by Sera's newfound strength. Her boots slid along the floor for a few inches before she adjusted her footing and pushed back against her friend.
"Come on, Nikos! You can do better!" the brainwashed huntress laughed.
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and transformed her javelin into a sword, then rushed her friend. The weapon clashed against Jupiter over and over and made sparks fly through the air.
"That's more like it!" she cackled and parried a strike.
Cerulean Myst rolled to the side just before Magnus's sword could collide with her face. She grabbed his ankle and raised her lower half off the ground, pulling Magnus towards her to propel herself upwards and send her feet under his chin.
The blond grunted and clutched his face, but before Cerulean could retrieve her weapon, he looked at her with rage-filled eyes and grabbed her by the hair. She screamed in agony when her head was yanked back and she was thrown into the wall, sending her straight through it in an impressive display of strength. Cerulean let out a dull moan as she was lifted into the air, being held up by her long blue hair alone.
She watched with pained eyes as Sera and Pyrrha kept fighting, deflecting and parrying each other's blows like professional huntsmen. Their forms were a blur, moving their weapons like they were an extension of their own bodies. And she was forced to watch, completely and utterly helpless.
Cinder Fall set her jaw and willed a bow and arrow of black glass to form in her hands, then pulled its string back while aiming at Pyrrha. She waited for the right shot, then…
Pyrrha dropped onto her back and braced her hands against the floor before kicking Sera in the face. The huntress stumbled back, clutching her face. When Pyrrha jumped to her feet, she raised her sword and shield and was about to charge, but a sudden, searing pain in her body interrupted her.
"N-No…" Cerulean whimpered. She tried to move, to pry Magnus's firm grip away from her, but he just slammed her face into the wall until her body went limp. The blue-eyed girl groaned quietly, her arms sagging at her sides. Her aura had given out long ago, and the results of it weren't pleasant. She was bleeding, she could feel it on her arms and legs. Her face hurt and her head throbbed painfully from all the blows to it, and judging by the way the world around her looked blurry and shaky, she'd bet that her eyes were swollen shut. Her nose felt broken too, if the throbbing pain making her face ache was any indication. 'I… I have to help…' she weakly raised her shaking arms and tried to grab at Magnus's hand.
The tall blond smirked at her vain attempts and clenched his sword's hilt tighter. He slowly raised it with one hand, keeping Cerulean aloft with the other, then pressed its tip against her back. Cerulean gasped weakly at the sensation, her heartbeat quickening until it was pounding against her ribcage like a jackhammer.
Pyrrha looked down with shaky eyes at the black arrow embedded in her side, through her armor and piercing her ribs. She glanced over to see a smirking Cinder with a black bow in her hands. Pyrrha's eyes widened shakily, and her breathing grew ragged as redness leaked from the wound and ran down her body. She wrapped a hand around the shaft of the arrow and yanked it out, crying out in pain.
"I'm not going down… that easy," she managed to say, then brandished her red and golden weaponry. She glanced over at Cerulean, eyes widening at the situation she was in. The blue-eyed girl was looking at her fearfully, tears visibly streaming down her face until they spilled to the floor. Magnus grinned wickedly, twisting his sword in his hand to
Sera laughed and readied Jupiter. "Yeah, you are." Then she looked over to Magnus and Cerulean, her smile only growing wider. "She never really liked you, you know. As a friend, of course, but that was all. Your advances made her uncomfortable, and even more so when you actually got the nerve to kiss her." The red-eyed girl laughed incredulously. "She's going to watch you die, so I figured you might as well know the truth." Not-Sera spun her axe in her hands with a sinister grin.
Cerulean curled her lips into a tight frown and shook her head weakly. "You're lying. Sera wouldn't say that."
"No?" she laughed, doubling over at how seemingly funny it was. "When has she ever done anything to show that she remotely cares about you? That night at the fair?" she laughed harder. "She felt bad for you, girl. That's all. No more, no less. And all you did was make her more determined to stay away from you. Gods, it's pitiful!" she chuckled.
Tears streamed down Cerulean's face at 'Sera's' words. She could practically feel her heart breaking while she watched her red eyes stare into her. Magnus dug the point of his sword deeper, and she gasped when something warm and wet slid down her back. She shivered at the sensation of his sword's tip sinking into her slightly, and her body went limp in despair. She gave up. There was nothing they could do now. She and Pyrrha were hurt, and Sera was apparently taken over by some sinister entity that was doing nothing but metaphorically stabbing her with a dagger of hurtful words.
Pyrrha clenched her jaw and surged forward, ignoring the pain in her side. She swung her sword at Sera, but the attack was much weaker than it should've been. Her arm was shaky, and her body felt weak.
The huntress smiled mischievously and batted the sword aside, then swung Jupiter down at Pyrrha.
Her eyes went wide when she heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking and flesh tearing. Her body erupted with pain, and she could feel something warm and wet running down her chest. She dropped her sword and shield to the floor and brought her hands upwards. With shaky, pained eyes, she looked down to see the wide blade of Sera's axe embedded in her shoulder.
"No!" Cerulean cried out and tried to reach a hand towards Pyrrha, but as soon as she moved, Magnus slammed her into another wall and laughed with sick delight. She groaned as the entire front of her body erupted with pain before she was dropped to the ground. Cerulean landed on her chest and shakily trying to pick herself up. 'Have to… Get up. Have to help… Pyrrha!'
Sera grinned down at her, then yanked her axe out of the Spartan before flicking it down and throwing droplets of blood to the floor. Pyrrha's eyes went glassy and her face slackened as she fell to her knees. She looked over to Cerulean, and all hope of making it out of here dissipated instantaneously.
The blue-haired girl got to her knees with trembling arms. Her face was bruised and puffy, one eye was swollen completely shut, and her body had lines of blood running down it. Magnus watched her intently, and as soon as she tried to move forward to reach her friends, the blond grabbed her by the shoulder and pressed the tip of his sword to her back. Then he shoved his weapon forward.
Cinder smiled as she approached the redhead and stood in front of her. She put a hand to the side of Pyrrha's head and caressed it softly. Pyrrha managed to look up and meet her eyes, and they traded words of some sort.
Cerulean cried out in agony, and Cinder and Sera's eyes went to her. The amnesiac's glowing red eyes widened at the horrific sight.
Magnus's sword protruded from the tanned girl's chest with crimson liquid covering it. Blood seeped into her blue clothes and turned them dark, spreading from her chest until the entire front of her shirt was almost black. Her eyes were wide and glassy, and her face was slack as her aura faded from her body. Cerulean gave one last look to Sera before Magnus yanked his sword from her and pushed her body forward. She landed with a dull thud, her blank face glued to the white-haired girl while a pool of blood slowly spread from the fatal wound. A gentle smile spread across her face as her eyes started to go hazy, silently begging to let Sera know what she was thinking. She wanted to tell her that this wasn't her fault, that she forgave her and wanted to go back to that moment when she'd finally gotten the courage to confess her feelings.
The last thing on her mind before she faded away was the kiss they'd shared, even if it was one-sided. Then she was gone, laying lifeless on the floor with glassy eyes and laying in a pool of her own blood.
Sera's face went slack at the sight, her glowing eyes flickering slightly. Then whatever entity that took over her mind came back in force, but it only had control of her again for long enough to dislodge her weapon from Pyrrha Nikos. As soon as her axe pulled out of her, something inside her exploded. Her true self suddenly burst forth and wrestled for control of her own body, but whatever had made her act against her will wasn't giving up easily. However, her blinding rage and sorrow was far greater than whatever this alter ego could conjure.
She clutched her head as the internal battle within raged on. Violet aura against crimson rage fought one another in her mind. Sera mentally sobbed and screamed in a fit of rage as she fought the strange presence. Finally, she won. Her aura completely enveloped the spark of sinister crimson, and the foreign mind faded from her head.
Cinder smiled evilly and willed her hand to combust, an orange light washing over Pyrrha.
Pyrrha's face went slack as all feeling in her body suddenly evaporated and she was overcome with a surprisingly pleasant burning sensation. "Jaune… I'm sorry." She glanced over to Sera, her eyes widening shakily when she saw some sort of internal battle raging within the huntress. One last spark of hope filled her chest, then…
The flames in Cinder's eyes burned brighter before Pyrrha Nikos's body turned to ash and blew away in the wind. The Maiden raised her hand and flexed her fingers, looking down at the remains of the fallen huntress.
Then a deafening roar erupted from behind her, and she turned to see what the cause of it was. The outcry sounded like two voices at once, each overlapping until they slowly melded into one, desperate scream of rage and sadness.
Sera screamed louder and balled her fists tightly as she regained control of herself, her nails digging into her palms until they tingled painfully. Violet aura surged around her and lit up the entirety of the top floor of Beacon Tower like a flare of purple energy.
"WHAT?!" Cinder shouted and widened her stance. Magnus watched with wide eyes from the same spot, his mouth agape and his sword held tightly in his hand.
The huntress's yell died down and the blinding light faded until it only glowed around her body in a powerful aura. Not only that, but she was physically different as well.
Her skin was the color of snow, nearly matching her hair. Black veins webbed across each side of her face and encompassed her hands and arms underneath her jacket sleeves. Crimson red irises burned with hatred, and the whites of her eyes had darkened until they were pitch black. Thin streams of tears ran from the corners of her eyes and to her cheeks.
Cinder gaped at the huntress in a mixture of astonishment and wonder. After she got over her initial shock, she tightened her face and clenched her fists while burning flames appeared in front of her eyes. "You look just like…"
"Shut the fuck up," Sera growled and picked up Jupiter. The last of Pyrrha's blood dripped from its edge, but she did her best to ignore it. "You killed my friends."
Cinder smirked. "They had it coming. And now, so do you. But… How did you manage to break free?"
"I thought I told you to shut the fuck up," Sera spat.
Magnus Arc went to Cinder's side, his green eyes on Sera all the while. "This should be interesting," he murmured.
"Hm," the Maiden willed balls of fire to appear in her hands, then she launched them at the huntress.
Sera dodged them easily, moving much faster than she ever could before. She rushed Cinder in an instant and brought the edge of Jupiter's blade into her side. Cinder grunted and bit back a curse before blasting the girl directly in the face. Fortunately, her strengthened aura absorbed the entirety of the attack.
Sera jumped at her and delivered a flurry of attacks to the Maiden before she could even react. In fact… it looked like Cinder wasn't moving at all.
The huntress leapt back and examined her, tilting her head to the side with wonder. Cinder was standing still, with her hands raised and her eyes burning. Only the fire didn't flicker like it should, it was completely still. Magnus held his sword in mid-swing towards where she'd just been standing, his face tight with focus.
No, wait… they were moving. Just extremely slowly. Slower than the pace of a snail. The flames slightly moved, and her fingers slowly, slowly curled. She looked to the side, and her face contorted with sorrow at what she saw. Pyrrha's ashes were frozen in the air, still blowing away.
"What the hell…" Sera murmured. Then whatever effect she was experiencing ended, and the two moved at normal speed again. The huntress yelped as a fireball went straight for her. She dodged it and sprinted at them with Jupiter at her side.
"What the fuck are you?!" Cinder demanded, throwing fireball after fireball. Magnus swung his sword at her again, a bit angry that he'd missed his initial strike.
Sera disappeared in a flash and suddenly appeared at Cinder's side with her axe ready to swing.
Cinder ejected a blast of flame to blow herself outside of the axe's swing, and Sera just turned to glare at her with crimson eyes. Magnus's sword caught her in the side and threw her back. She tightened her body on instinct, preparing herself for a wave of pain, but…it never came. She didn't feel his blow.
Sera twisted her body in midair and landed nimbly, amazed that her aura hadn't even flickered at his powerful attack. Before she could think about it further, the green-eyed man was directly in front of her. She brought her axe up to block his attack, but it was a feint!
Magnus kicked her in the chest and sent her to the floor, an irritated groan leaving her as she picked herself up. She glanced over and saw Cerulean's lifeless body, and newfound strength coursed through her.
The huntress jumped to her feet and brought the head of her axe onto his shoulder, hoping to do to him what she'd done to Pyrrha against her will. Unfortunately, Magnus was quick enough to evade the strike, and her axe cleaved into the floor.
He punched her across the face and made her stumble, forced to let go of Jupiter as she backed away. 'Fuck this,' she raised her hands and got into the stance Yang had taught her. 'I'm going to rip you apart, and I don't need a damn guitar to do it.'
She lunged at him, catching him off-guard. Magnus didn't think she'd actually attack him while unarmed, but when her fist connected with his jaw, he realized she might not need her weapon.
"Damn brat!" he cursed and swung his sword at her.
Sera performed a sideways somersault and landed nimbly, then brought her foot up to kick him square in the chest. She rushed forward to press him, sending her fists in a dangerous, high-speed barrage. Magnus grunted as her fists hit him in the chest rapidly, making his body jerk back and forth at the surprisingly powerful blows.
The huntress gritted her teeth and just kept punching, her glowing eyes burning with hatred as she forced the taller man backwards. She yelled, pouring all of her anger and heartache into it and her punches until her fists were a blur against his chest. She could see his green aura flickering under the blows, and his face tightened with a mixture of rage and surprise.
Cinder could only watch as the huntress delivered a terrifying barrage of punches to her comrade, his body seeming to vibrate from the blows while his legs shakily walked backwards.
Then she reared back and slowly curled her fingers one at a time as a burning violet aura formed on her fist, then delivered the strongest punch she could muster. His aura visibly shattered, and the tall evil doer was thrown backwards across the roof.
"ORA!" she screamed, her body turning until she stood in a tight, powerful stance with her fist clenched at her opposite side. (Dude I had to make a reference. I did write a JoJo x RWBY crossover, after all. (It ain't finished, though.))
Magnus rolled on his sides like a wheel until he came to halt near the edge of the building.
"Gods-damned huntresses…" he spat and got to his feet. Unfortunately for him, as soon as he rose to his full height, he looked up to see the twin barrels of a shotgun pointed in his direction.
Sera glared at him with a rage-filled stare and put her finger on the trigger. Magnus's face went slack, and she narrowed her glowing red eyes. "Fuck you." She squeezed the trigger.
The blast caught him in the shoulder and made blood spurt from the hit, as well as pushing his body back until his foot slipped over the edge of Beacon Tower. Magnus's eyes widened in shock as a sense of weightlessness overcame him, and he fell from the enormous tower.
"NO!" Cinder exclaimed as she watched her comrade disappear over the edge. The flames in her eyes dissipated, leaving awe-struck amber irises behind.
Sera blew the gun smoke from the barrel and spun her shotgun on her finger before holstering it smoothly. 'One down,' she looked at Cinder. 'One to go.'
When the Fall Maiden didn't move, Sera walked over to where Jupiter was still lodged in the floor and yanked it out, glaring daggers at Cinder all the while.
Then the woman laughed as an idea came to mind and her eyes blazed with fire once more. "You don't even realize, do you?"
Sera said nothing and just walked towards her with Jupiter's blade dragging across the floor menacingly.
"You don't!" she exclaimed. "All that power you now possess, and you don't even know how you have it. This is just too good."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sera demanded and raised her weapon.
Cinder smiled wider. "Look at yourself, girl. You'll see."
Sera glanced to Jupiter's axe blade, the shiny metal reflecting her image. Its edge was stained with blood, but just beside that, she saw her own face and how terrifying it looked.
"What…?" she murmured, taken aback by her own image. What the hell was wrong with her face?! It must've had to do with whatever the hell she'd gone through from being possessed somehow, or even what Salem had done to her. Or both? She had no idea what had happened to her before waking up in Forever Fall, and the only person who could answer was right in front of her. And she wanted to kill her more than anything in the world.
As soon as she tore her gaze away from her weapon, something sharp and painful embedded itself in her abdomen. Cinder Fall was directly in front of her, a sinister smile on her face while she looked into Sera's eyes.
The amnesiac looked down shakily, seeing the black blade that had been driven into her body. It was right below her ribcage and felt like hot iron, lighting every nerve in her body on fire.
Cinder twisted the blade, and she howled in agony. Something warm ran down her abdomen and stained her white clothes.
"You were a fun experiment," Cinder said coyly. "But at the end of the day, you're just another useless huntress that couldn't even save your friends. Salem told you it wouldn't be enough, but you didn't listen, did you?"
Sera's face twisted with both anger and pain and she tried to draw her shotgun, but Cinder twisted the sword again and made her scream.
"Hmm…" Cinder smiled. "It's like music." She yanked the black sword from Sera's abdomen and watched girl fall onto her back. Cinder flicked her sword to the ground, throwing a scary amount of blood onto the floor.
The edges of Sera's vision began to darken. She tried to get up, to fight this woman who'd caused her so much grief, but her body wasn't listening. Her skin slowly returned to normal and her eyes lightened until they were her normal shade of violet, and the black veins gradually retracted until it looked like she'd never looked like a monster to begin with.
Something rumbled and shook the tower, accompanied by a deafening roar that sounded muffled in her ears. In the corner of her eye, she saw the Wyvern's open maw coming down on her. She couldn't even lift a finger to avoid it. Sera screamed for her body to move, to get away from this monster and the new Maiden that were about to kill her, but her lips made no sound, and the only moving her body did was to shudder uncontrollably from the wound in her gut.
Cinder smiled and watched the Wyvern do what it wanted. But as soon as its jaws were nearly upon the huntress, a high-pitched scream let loose from behind her.
Ruby Rose landed on the top of Beacon Tower and was immediately heartbroken at what she saw. She fell to her knees while an unfamiliar surge of power erupted from her silver eyes.
"SERAAAAA!" she screamed, and blinding white light washed over the entire floor.
"What?!" Cinder whirled around, then screamed in agony as the light hit her body.
Everything went dark for Sera as she faded into unconsciousness. The wound in her body seared with pain and the feeling of sorrow was the only thing on her mind until she felt her body go numb, and she succumbed to an endless void of blackness.
'I'm so sorry…'