A/N: Two updates in one month. I'd say that's pretty good!
Many thanks to Advent for helping me with this, without him, this chapter would not have been possible for many more months. He wrote the bulk of this chapter based off what I gave him to work on; from there I went back and made the necessary edits and the like. Hopefully it looks good; because I'm echausted.
Just wanted to thank everyone out there for their heartfelt support in these trying times.
...I slept for a good bit after that collapse, and although it did help...
...needless to say it threw off my update schedule. I'm mostly recovered now, although with more appointments -blech- coming up quite soon.
Busy, busy, busy~!
In other news, -at the time of writing this note- its finally my birthday~! Huzzah~! Another year older, another year wiser...and now I finally have a PS5 meaning I can FINALLY play Baldur's Gate 3 and Honkai...once I finally get the bloody things downloaded. That might take a bit, seeing as my internet is slow as hell on this old router of mine, but I'll get around to it eventually.
That's one nice thing about being older, I suppose. Lots of friends to celebrate your birthday with. Naturally, I count my readers among them.
In other news, Slifer and Advent really stepped up these last three days; Advent's helping crank out more chapters while Slifer's working on "A Golden Soul" and the like.
I'm aiming to get back to "Apples and Atoms" "Doctor of Demons" along with my other categories.
With my sixteenth-year-anniversary on this site rapidly approaching, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
"Before the Kingdoms, there was the people. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers!"
"Our influence will be but a drop in the ocean from this day forth when the Grimm come through us, but before that we will hold the line! Our influence will be what not just slowed them, but stops the horde, but before that we will HOLD the line! Our influence will stop the deaths of the innocent beyond this wall; in the battle today, we will hold the line!"
~a manifestation of wisdom and determination.
Hold the Line
An unlikely duo walked through the streets.
Unfortunately, even when they asked people who were willing to talk to him-without yelling at him-they were always given the same response...that none had seen the little Assassin's mother or father when described. It was getting late, and William was beginning to doubt that they were going to be locating her parents anytime soon.
Weiss wasn't best pleased after meeting Ruby, so she'd gone off to sulk for reasons he didn't quit understand.
If they couldn't find her family before the sun set, she might have to stay in the manor tonight and that-
"RUBY!" a voice called out drawing their attention. There you are! I was so worried!"
"Mom!" the younger girl cried out happily at the sight of her mother.
William had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, and he found himself perfectly sane.
"So that's her mother, hmm? I can see the resemblance..." he muttered to himself before keen silver eyes rounded on him. He didn't miss the way Summer's hand rested on her ax. Her Aura spiked marginally, and he could sense a buildup of energy slowly coursing through her flesh as she built up her Semblance-ready to fight if need be to protect her child-to teach those who tried harming her child a lesson in what it meant to mess with her family.
'Oh? Does she actually realize how dangerous I am? Amusing, how very amusing!' he noted to himself.
But, much to William's surprise, the mother stood up while still embracing her daughter, "Thank you, for protecting my little girl." she thanked him, her energy calming itself down as he nodded his head towards the worried mother.
"It is the duty of the strong to protect those who are weak. If she had remained unassisted, she would have been hurt if not worse." he acknowledged, "And I have done my one good deed for the day, feel free to be impressed."
"You sure are an arrogant one." Summer Rose noted.
"It is not that I am arrogant, I am more than confident in my capabilities. I just know where I stand in the world, and the world acknowledges my presence." he responded cordially.
The girl's mother snorted."That attitude, and those features, you must be Willow's boy then. No doubt influenced by your pompous father."
"Give me a break." William crossed his arms, "The day I allow that oaf I call my sperm donor to control my actions is the day that this world dies." he answered her, "Unlike that mongrel, I have the power to back up my actions. My thoughts belong to not but myself. My decisions will decide my fate, not his. And besides, he would have simply brushed your child's problems off and act as if she did not exist. He would have had her beaten had she ran into him the way she did one such as myself. But I am not my father, and he will only have one love-himself-whilst I on the other hand love far beyond my pockets and ambitions to dominate the world through monopolizing the energy business."
"Well, thank you, for protect-" Summer went to say before a loud claxxon sounded causing the small group to turn towards the sound, "Wait-is that an alarm?"
...it was. Naruto's blood ran cold. In that moment, it was as if the entire world shifted.
He remained himself, of course. He was always himself.
But in that moment, something
"Grimm attack..." He's muttered before he looked to the mother and daughter, "You must flee, there's a Grimm horde approaching the city limits." he told them, "If you manage to see my sister-Weiss-tell her, I love my Saber." he told them, "She'll know what my words mean."
His peace said, he turned and began to run through the panicking crowd as they fled away from the walls of the outer city.
"Wait!" Summer suddenly appeared in front of William, her daughter still in her grasp, and she placed a hand on his chest to stop him, "I can't let you put yourself in this kind of risk, it's best to leave this to the military." she told him, "Come with us and we will get to the shelters together."
"The military could care less about this sect of the population, and by the time they mobilize it'd be too late to stop the horde." he responded as he brushed past and began to push through the crowd, "Tell her my message, if I do not make it through this."
"And if you do?" Summer asked as she appeared before him again.
"Then this world will know not to underestimate me." he told her, "This city will survive. And the Grimm who trespass on this kingdom will understand my power. They will become my slaves. Today, they pay their tribute in blood." he said, turning to face the two women, his eyes turning a crimson that was redder than any blood, a obsidian slit that was darker than any abyss glowed back at Summer.
It made her step back.
He ran past her once more, this time unimpeded as he raced towards the city walls. Ruby cried out something, but he didn't hear her properly, moving as quickly as he was.
Jumping across the various roofs and buildings like he would have as a ninja, he reached the wall and raced up the blockade and reached the precipice and watched as the few dozen people who were willing to give their lives for others to escape stood ready to fight.
"Hold the line!" one of them shouted.
"Know that if we die today, we die with honor!" another declared.
The horde was upon them.
Tens upon hundreds of thousands.
A horde larger than any other stood before them, and instantly William understood that this wasn't a meager assault... this was an extermination.
The sheer variety of beasts before him showed that there was something more to this than let on.
This swarm was meant to topple the kingdom.
"Why do you all stare at death and cry?" he demanded, "Fall back, I will take the front!" he stated as the wall began to glow, massive glyphs sprouting into existence along the entire wall, the encircling defense which would have been a prison for their demise now becoming a impenetrable fortress.
"Lord William!?" a man cried out in shock, "You shouldn't be out here, go home!" the soldier cried out.
The glyphs shone a blinding silver as William began to sweat from exertion, the teenage year old stood stoically at the edge as the weapons he prepared were pulled from the depths of his Gate, "No, the horde is too large to repel with meager forces like our own." he responded, "I will hold the line. Look no further than the shining light that is my strength to guide you." he said as the massive cannons he pulled out from his Gate finished materializing.
"B-But, we cannot risk your life, you are a child with much to live for!" a female Bear Faunus responded.
"And this city is a prison from the inside. If the Grimm pass you, you would die regardless from the overwhelming numbers. At least if I can push them back, I will have done my service for my home-our home." he responded.
"No, leave young man, and that is final!" the man from roared in anger.
"Get ready!" a man shouted.
William however, was focused on the wave of Grimm, "Here they come, they have reached the wall." he stated as he watched the wave of black shadows reach the edge of the city. William then smirked, the wind blowing through the air and ruffling his hair. He held out a hand and a staff appeared in a flash and landed in his palm. Raising the weapon into the air, he surged his power causing a silver ring of ring of energy began to circulate around the head of the weapon,.
"This is it, Atlas' stand against the world!" he declared boldly, immense amounts of energy spreading across the ground as he summoned his chakra and mixed it in with his Semblance, dozens of pebbles rising into the air as his power washed out over the ground, causing everyone who stood along the wall to gawk in shock at what they were witnessing, "All of you just stand and bear witness!" he told the group of soldiers as his power worked through his weapons as begun to glow along the wall at the same time, the heavenly glow rising up and entering the dark clouds lingering overhead as the ring of light encompassed the walls.
As this happened, the same man who had tried to push William felt his eyes widen in shock, "You don't possess anything that'll shoot from these things, and yet they're all operating on their own!" he called in shock as each one William had called upon began to moan and creak before powering up through the energy provided by the boy.
William snorted in amusement, "Who do you think I am?" he demanded, the massive cannon's creaking and groaning as they moved around, taking aim at the wave of obsidian monsters they were presented with, the points of the massive weapons now glowing with golden energy and sparks of electricity as they powered up,
"All 720 Dingir's called forth on the wall around this city were made by my hands." he stated, and then the sky was filled with light as they all unleashed their power, a line of dazzling golden light filling the sky as each one opened fire.
"Charged with my energy and my Semblance I alone control them all!" he declared boldly, slamming the bottom of the staff into the ground as the initial salvo raining down upon the front lines of the Grimm with a righteous fury, "I can work this body to death, and control every one!" he declared seriously as his entire Gate worked to its limitations and beyond as the cannons he summoned gave everything they had at the unending wave, engulfing the world in a cloud of fire and destruction.
The soldiers, the fleeing citizens, the mobilizing military members, the ones who were able to watch from a television; all of them stopped what they were doing as they watched in awe as they watched the cannons bombard the massive horde of Grimm. The cannon's-which William had named as Dingirs-were incredibly powerful weapons. They each were unto themselves massive cannons with enough power to wipe cities off the map, and required an immense amount of power to operate them. The fact he alone was controlling them all on his own without any secondary thought to his actions was something that would have made anyone in power balk in shock.
"Now sit back and watch, you'll see what I can do to stop this horde!" the teen called out as a massive Alpha Wyvern that was too large to be able to fly cried out in agony, an explosion striking it in the face, ripping the bone-like armor off in a single blast, a dozen more bombarding it's body and ripping it to shreds in an instant.
The dark night was filled with the dazzling display of the young Schnee heir's counter offense, hundreds-no... thousands-of streaks of golden light soared through the sky over their heads, exploding with enough power to shake the city and outlying forest, incredible amounts of debris filled the air from the vast amount of impacts due to the explosions that engulfed the horde, thousands of the beasts perishing in explosions of fire and destruction, "Amazing..." the lead soldier whispered in awe.
"Feel free to pick off the incoming stragglers that bypass my bombardment. I cannot let up my attack for a instant. To do so would be to doom this city!" William commanded, "Towards the western sect, a herd of twenty Megoliath have avoided the initial bombardment. They will breach the wall if not stopped. Aim for the back of their necks using heavy missile fire, this should destroy them!" he commanded.
"How do you know this?" the man demanded.
"I know everything that happens when I use my Gate. My weapons are extensions of my will, my very Soul. Where they are, I am. What they strike, I strike, and what they miss-I MISS!" he declared, "Now go! I will tell you of any other's that bypass my defense!" he told them.
The man nodded, it was good enough for him, "You heard him boy, let's move out and take care of those Grimm!" he commanded.
(.0.0.0.)
While William was holding the line, Willow took the time to grab her children before rushing to safety. But when she had gathered them, she immediately noticed something was off,
"Weiss, where is your twin, where is William?" she asked in desperation.
Weiss shrugged and began to babble in confusion and fear, "I-I-I don't know, he-he said he was headed down to the city for some things, but-but he never came back." she responded.
Before she or any of her siblings could speak up, the television reporter that had broadcasted the news of the Horde immediately spoke up in a mixed tone, "Uh, ladies and gentlemen, I-I don't know if you will want to believe this, but there seems to be some form of artillery bombardment from the entire wall of the city commencing." she said as the footage immediately changed to show the massive cannons firing streaks of golden light up into the air, the streaks soaring up over the city before crashing down and forming a unbreachable line in the sand-as it were-to hold off the nigh unending wave of Grimm that sought to destroy them.
"From various eye witness reports, it appears that these artillery cannon's... have seemingly materialized, along the wall." she said in shock, "I mean, I wouldn't have believed it myself, but astonishingly enough, there is footage of the Schnee Family Glyph Semblance appearing along the outer edges of the city defensive wall that shows this remarkable feat taking place before they all activate and begin countering this massive horde." the announcer said as footage showed the proof that it was in fact the Schnee Glyph Semblance at work to stop the horde of Grimm trying to breach their beloved city to try and destroy it.
Willow no longer heard what else the reporter had to say... because the imagery changed to show the person they sought standing boldly in the very forefront of the massive wave of unending monsters at the gate...and she gasped, a hand rising to her mouth in shock and horror of where her boy stood at that moment, "William..."
Winter shook in her boots at what she was watching. The horde was indescribable, but what held them back she could not describe in words alone.
It was, in a word, light.
And above all that, laughter.
Of her foolish brother who called himself king.
(.0.0.0.)
William used his free hand to point to another direction of the wall, "Eastern section, Thirty Goliath, twenty Alpha Griffon's, forty-eight Giant Nevermore, fifty-two Beowolf's with two of them being Alpha's. Strike using Fire Dust, then shoot Wind Dust into the blast to enhance the flames. Launch rocket's at the Nevermore wing's to bring them down, then use Explosive Dust Round to take them down." he ordered. Sweat was pouring through his clothes from the exertion he was pushing his body through, but he had to hold on. This horde was as vast as it was large, and the Grimm were now circling the walls, and if they even got one Grimm through the line of cannon fire...
Then they were finished...
He then grunted as something slammed into the bottom of the wall he stood upon and grunted. He looked down and saw a immensely large Wyvern bashing its head into the structure. He grunted before he opened a wall of his own portal's and unleashed a blinding wave of unlimited blades down upon the creature.
The Alpha Wyvern roared in agony as its flesh was ripped apart by the swords before it stepped away, the swords continuing to bombard the creature before three of the Dingir's managed to take aim at the beast and fire upon it, ripping it to shreds before firing back into the horde as his normal gate continued to hold the opening he had created using the Dingir's.
Gazing out across the destruction, all he saw was darkness. The line had been drawn by his own hand, but the few Grimm who crossed it were numerous. There had to be an end to this.
No...
There was a end to it.
Holding his free hand out, he opened a glyph that sought the deepest parts of his gate. However, unlike his normal portal's opening up behind him, this one opened up next to his foot, and as this happened, blood red wisps of energy began to whirl around him, whipping his hair through the wind. The golden portal was larger than average, but something about it was not right. It gave off a powerfully ominous and primordial feel of power unlike any other... and whatever he was summoning... was stronger than any mortal blade could hope to be.
It held an abnormal shape that doesn't match what would normally be classified as something specialized like a sword. It is something that was born before the appearance of the concept that the world calls a "sword," so it is not something that can truly be called a sword or have the shape of any known blade.
While it has a grip, hand-guard, and is the same length as a longsword, the section that should contain a blade deviated from the normal form of an edged weapon. The "blade" itself and the tip of the sword, spun in a spiral shape, strangely dull. It has the shape of a cylindrical, drill-shaped pillar made up of three independently rotating segments engraved with crimson lines that spin slowly in an alternating direction like querns, the middle segment spinning clockwise and the top and bottom segments spinning counterclockwise.
"All if you stand back, it is best that we give our all so that we end this farce." William declared, "No longer will I hol back that which can end it all!" he called out.
"Lord William!" a man shouted as the winds howled around, forcing everyone to cover themselves from the gale force winds summoned forth, "What are you doing?!" he cried out to the young man.
William ignored the man as he smirked, "I've begun enjoying myself. Stand back, before you are caught within." he answered as he grabbed onto the weapon with his gloved hand, he declared as the weapon was released from its confines, a deep unnatural primal hum filling the air as the swords sections began to spin.
"I don't understand! What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
William ignored him as he looked ahead of him, "Uniting dreams beneath a banner of conquest... I praise your efforts at least. But foolish creatures, have you not learned? Dreams disappear when the dreamer wakes. Every last one of them with no exception." he stated in seriousness, as a deep unnatural primal hum filling the air as the swords sections began to spin, as he poured more power into the blade.
The Dingir's never once stopped their bombardment-slowed, but never stopped-but the shining light brought forth by the weapon, Ea, outshined the destruction by a hundredfold.
"Therefore... it was inevitable that I would be the one to stand in your way. Creature's of Grimm, Beast's of Disaster... Know the end of your master's eternal dream. I shall now show you the stark reality, of when you challenge me." he stated seriously as he held up the weapon he had called upon, the point of the blade aimed at the heavens above and ready to strike down the world at the behest of its master.
The sections of the blade were glowing, rotating faster and quickly filling to the brim with godly power.
He took a brief moment to bask in it.
"Now, awaken EA! A STAGE WORTHY OF YOU HAS BEEN SET! Gaze upon the crushing might of my Sword of Rupture." William commanded, "Behold-!
And then, as he made his declaration, he immediately halted the bombardment from his cannons as he finished readying his weapon of choice.
"Enuma! Elish~!" he roared, and he swung down.
The explosion tore across the surface of the planet, scorching everything in sight, ripping the land apart, rupturing the very fabric of the foundations of creation. The whole of Atlas trembles from the solidary blow from the weapon. All those who gazed upon the destruction cried out as they were flung away through the air, their cries drowned out by Ea as it tore the vast majority of the Grimm horde apart on a level that none could comprehend on a imaginary level. The ruins that stood outside of the cities limitations was all but vaporized, but even then, he had only removed two thirds of the full horde itself.
This meant that while he had destroyed a vast majority of the horde, there were still thousands of Grimm that would need to be killed. Ea could only charge up so much energy in a single blow and required time to regain strength, power he could easily provide yes-but would more than likely strain the weapon after a single use. If he charged it again, there was no telling if Ea would blow up in his face and kill those around him, but Pietro still was testing the weapons limitations and creating advanced additions to put into the weapon to ensure its continued use.
But still, a third was better than before.
Because unlike the tens of thousands that stood against him, there was only around 150-200,000 Grimm Left out of a Horde of what had been around 900,000-1,000,000 Grimm beasts that had attacked his home. The Grimm had been scattered by the discharge of Ea, littering the ground as they shakily clamored to their feet. The people who had lined the walls climbed to their feet and gazed across the place where the Grimm had been rushing them from. Despite the monster's now slowly climbing to their feet, they would need to reorganize themselves before rushing headlong into William's cannon-fire.
Then there was the destruction left in the wake of Ea activating. A large crevice had been opened up in the earth, drilling downwards in a seemingly endless pit of darkness. Flames flickered through various cracks ripped into the ground.
The group looked on in awe before one looked to William, "Why didn't you use that in the beginning?" she demanded.
"It takes time to bring forth, and even longer to charge up upon activation. Not only that, but the Dingir's could allot a time for which we could gather our forces to counter the horde, but it seems that Ironwood is more worried about himself than those of us here." he said as he watched the remaining wave of Grimm rush forth, "Work for me, Dingir's!" he commanded as a new wave of explosions rippled through the air and began bombarding the horde once more. He grunted as he felt the strain on his reserves. His chakra was reaching its critical limits, and a visible streak of blood flowed from his nose and mouth as he pushed himself even further after using Ea.
"William, stop!" the man said in panic as he saw the blood leak from his nose and mouth, "You don't need to-" he went to say that William need not push himself any more and that the horde could be handled by the regular forces, but William interrupted him instead, "
Are you saying it's impossible!? That I can't do it!? That this is my limit!? That I cannot fight anymore!?" He demanded, not stopping his second wave of endless attacks, "Do not make such audacious claims when you have yet to see the true potential of one who wishes to see all he can do!" he snarled back, "I will fight them until the last one has fallen, or so help me I am unworthy of my name!"
What did they know of limits?! He hadn't even begun to test his! Not yet!
The man steeled his resolve to let the boy face down the horde. The boy was doing what many other's were unwilling to do-to stand for what they believed in. He nodded as he stood tall, "Men, let's help the lad exterminate these abominations!" he called to the other's as they all exclaimed their agreement and lofted their weapon's into the air.
William snorted, "Very well then, let's protect our home." he said with a wry grin, "There are several packs breaking from the rear pf this horde, they will flank us in the southern sect. There is a structural deficiency in place from a previous attack. if they break through then we have failed." he told them.
"How many?" a woman asked him.
"No less than a hundred mid level Grimm with teenage of their Alpha's with them." he told them, "Use Dust explosives to collapse the ground a hundred yards ahead of the flaw in the wall, this will form a pit that will delay them as they try to find a way to circumnavigate it, but this will allow you to pick them off with ease." he told them, "My cannons will handle the rest of the stragglers in the rear." he told them.
"Anywhere else?" another asked.
"Yes, here, this is where the bulk of their forces are concentrating their power. There will be no less than three hundred Grimm that will escape my bombardment, several dozen will be Alpha level Grimm capable of spawning other Grimm into being. We cannot afford to fall here." he told them. He then turned around to face each of them, his cannon's firing constantly as he looked to each and every man or woman before him. Human. Faunus. Young. Old. Wise. Incompetent. Male. Female. They all stood before him with a conviction to do what they felt needed be done.
"You all know the cost that will come, and what is at stake. I know not any of you, but have come to trust each of you with my life - but between those who share the same conflictions, there can be no hatred. I share your concerns. We are not soldiers, many of you are still civilians without Semblance or Aura. If the entire gathering of the people here now were capable of such powers of use-we would all be legends, but the tales of this day are untold by the many. Glory in battle is not my way-our way. Think of our heroes of yore. Of King Vortex, who defeated a gathered trio of enemy nation's and their armies of over three million strong, with but a stroke of his blade that split the world asunder and created the maps we know today." he told them.
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Or the inspiring tales of the Warrior King; Leonidas-who in the final days of his life personally led three-hundred of his finest soldiers into a inevitable fight that delayed his enemies for three days and three nights so his nation could prepare themselves for conflict they were yet not ready to fight in, but in doing so kept an unstoppable army at bay with sheer courage and determination." he called out boldly as each of those before him stood tall upon hearing his words, "These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the Kingdoms, there was the people. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers!" he stated boldly.
"Our influence will be but a drop in the ocean from this day forth when the Grimm come through us, but before that we will hold the line! Our influence will be what not just slowed them, but stops the horde, but before that we will hold the line! Our influence will stop the deaths of the innocent beyond this wall; in the battle today, we will hold the line! It doesn't matter what you are, or where you hail from. Human. Faunus. Man. Woman, we all bleed red, because today, we will hole this line!" he called as
Each of them cheered loudly, hearts and minds united behind a common cause.
He couldn't help but smile at their enthusiastic response.
How long had it been since he fought in a war?
Too long. Time to rid himself of the rust.
"Now, then. Let us begin...
(.0.0.0.)
The news hadn't gotten any better.
If anything, it had only grown worse before a small video showed footage of William summoning that weapon she despised so much before he fired into the nigh unending horde, ripping a chunk of the world away. And yet, the horde didn't stop coming. And yet, at the same time, William didn't back down either. Weiss was worried for her twin, scared even, when she saw him turn around and commanded the civilian fighter's to position's that were vulnerable to attack. The blood running don his nose, his chin and neck, showed how hard he was pushing himself.
General Ironwood had refused to assemble the Atlas forces and command an all out assault against the horde simply because the cannon's William had summoned were drawing a line in the sand. Jacques cared more about the lien he could line his pockets with than the potential death of his eldest son, merely saying that if he died he died protecting useless animals. Winter was silently praying for her little brother to come through the fight unharmed, Whitley-bless his little heart-was holding his hand out and pointing at the television as he called out to his brother, as if William would respond to his calls.
As for Willow, she was shaking. Be it from fear or anxiety, Weiss would never know, but even she could tell that Mother was more than worried for her boy as he showed his dedication to fighting against the horde before him. Even having wiped out a vast majority of the monsters at the door, he was still determined to fight against them. His reserves were most certainly beyond taxed from the constant use of his Semblance, but he was anything if not stubborn. He was going to be fine, he had to come out looking nothing less than the hero that the city and it's population had come to see him as.
The Hero of the Kingdom of Atlas.
(.0.0.0.)
A massive Grimm had managed to pass the bombardment, regular dust rounds pinged off the dense armor covering it. It looked like a massive dragon mixed with a Beowolf and Ursa Major. It was trying to climb up the wall, but William wouldn't have it as he finally managed to push the tens of thousands of Grimm back enough to focus on the beast beneath as it reached the upper ledge and began to pull its massive bulk up over the edge of the wall separating the living from the monsters roaring death.
The Grimm gave a roar and the Schnee heir narrowed his eyes as he gazed upon the creature before the Gate unleashed a veritable rain of swords, a endless was of steel had came crashing down upon the massive Omega Class Alpha Grimm causing it to cry out as hundreds upon thousands of blades were impaled into its flesh, the weapons vanishing into golden dust seconds after only for a thousand more to stab into the creatures flesh once more. No part of the beast was spared the boy's wrath as everything was stabbed into its face, hands, chest, arms and legs, and very wings.
Even the ground was ripped apart where it caused the Grimm to slide further back down the wall, a rain of dust and stone. Swords, axes, lances, daggers, anything and everything that could or would stab, pierce, impale-it was all there raining hell down upon the massive creature.
The collective gathering of all William's weaponry was unleashing everything it could, the weapons unleashed in the vast collection of raining steel gathered by one person went unstopped as it sliced down and into the Grimm's flesh. The Grimm cried out in pain, letting go of the wall it was climbing and wailing as it was shoved back to the ground below-hundreds of feet- in an instant, the vast collection of weapons continuing to rain down upon it in a veritable machine gun-like manner at the speed of lightning itself.
"You shall not pass!" William snarled out as his cannon's aimed down at the beast and fired a volley hundreds of blasts upon the beast, the explosions rocking the wall from where he stood, and causing people to cry out as they stumbled about from the impacts.
"Lord William, the rear wall has been secured, tell us what you need us to do?" a woman called out to him.
"Head to the eastern sector of the wall, you should have a few dozen Grimm climbing up the wall there. Mostly Beowolf and Ursa." he told her, "This is the final push. Hold the line and the pack will fall!" he called out as he slammed a fist forward, crushing the facial plate of a jumping Boarbatusk and sending its corpse falling off the wall he stood on, the body dropping down on a large Deathstalker in the process as it pulled the massive Grimm off and killed it in the process-the two Grimm dissolving as they both fell to the ground beneath the wall.
A flock of Nevermore shrieked, pulling his gaze up, and once more a wave of destruction responded as he attacked each bird individually,
~BOOM~!-CRASH~!-BLAM~!
The cannons erupted, expelling fire and death, and their cries of anger and hatred turning into roars of pain as they fell from the sky in the dozens, the wails of the dead and dying Grimm taking no pity from the young man as he continued to fight with a combination of cannon-fire and the use of his Gate as he picked off various Grimm. Countless sounds of firearms going off around him filled the air as those who had followed him into battle fought back with everything they could.
And the following twenty minutes were filled with the screams of the dead or dying-be it a person resisting or those of the Grimm-the once massive horde of tens if not hundreds of thousands of Grimm dwindled away as they either charged to their deaths or broke off and fled back to the hell which they called home.
But it could not be denied that the city had indeed survived because of the actions William had taken, the rallying of those who were willing to die for their homes and family. Ironwood was sure to face a major backlash for his choice of being inactive in the fighting, and Jacques... well people already hated his guts-but for him to be uncaring for his eldest boy was just adding fuel to the fire against him.
(.0.0.0.)
When the fighting was finally finished, William deigned to allow himself looked over by a Faunus who was in fact both a Huntsman and a doctor.
Nothing aside from the major strain he had placed upon himself by using the full force of his Semblance was noted; thus he was given antibiotics and pain meds for the minor headache's he would have for the next month. With that said and done, he decided it was best to make his way home to face the music that was his family.
As he trudged along, he never noticed a pair of crimson eyes gazing down upon him, dark ebony hair blowing in the wind before the figure turned around with a smirk as she opened a portal back to her tribe.
Oh yes, William would have his work cut out for him-the stalking notwithstanding-it was indeed a good day to have lived.
Walking through the streets, William ignored the people who gave him praise-it was a given since he had nearly killed himself-as he headed towards his home. He was stopped when a familiar pair of people approached him, as well as their tagalongs.
A certain golden haired girl was grinning in excitement as she and the Assassin -Ruby! rushed at him, "Dude! How did you manage to do that?! I've never seen anything like it-you have gotta teach me how to do that!" she exclaimed.
Berserker... definitely a berserker, she had the look and feel of one.
"Assassin... who is this golden haired madwoman?" he asked the shorter of the two.
"Assassin!" Yang felt herself exclaim at what he called her sister before his words clicked in her mind, "Oi, that's not very nice!"
William sighed, "Her hood reminded me of an Assassin, so that's what she is to me." he told her, "It wasn't meant as an insult, and she never stated otherwise." he shrugged in response to the question.
Assassin grinned eagerly as she bounced around, "Oh, yes, well, this here is my sister; Yang, and you have already met our mom-Summer!" she said excitedly.
"Hmph... Berserker...Seems like a good name for her." he remarked as he gazed at the excitable blond.
"My name is Yang!" the blond snarled before she blinked... "And I see your point..." she muttered as William raised a brow in response.
He then turned to Summer, "So, mother of Assassin, did you deliver my message to my twin?" he asked her.
Ruby whined a little. "I'm really not an Assassin...
He looked her way. "That is what I have chosen to call you, thus it is what you are." His gaze sought Summer once more. "Did you do what I aked or not?"
"It seemed like you had it all handled, so no." Her smile had a knowing glint to it.
His right eye twitched. "It would have been more considerate had you told her, but for the simple fact that I might have perished in my excursion against the filth that tried to attack my home." he said, somewhat annoyed.
"Now, now, don't make that face." she nudged Ruby forward. "My girl ha something to say to you."
Ruby shuffled forward, wringing her hands. "Soooo...you can summon weapons?"
There was no point in denying it after his little show just now.
Naruto quirked a pale brow. "I can indeed. What of it?"
And why did he have a bad feeling about this.
"And you can basically summon whatever you want?" her fingers poked together nervously in excitement barely contained, "Any kind of weapon? Like, heroic weapons?"
A silver brow quirked up, "With time and effort, yes." arms crossed, "Why?"
"Eeeeeeeee~!"
SONUVA-!?~
Ruby jumped him with a squeal.
"Can you be my partner when I got Beacon?! Please, please, pleaase?!"
"I never said anything about-
Pleeeaaaaase?"
Calming his heartrate he cleared his throat as he peeled the little gremlin off, "...you've brave, I'll give you that." he regarded his dirty armor with a glower. "I've killed people for less."
Guileless silver eyes blinked up at him. "But you wouldn't kill a future teammate, right?
"I never said I was going to be your-"
"Please, please, please!"
Hrrngh. Too cute...why... why him?
Yang grumbled. "What am I, chopped liver?!"
"At the moment yes, Berserker."
"Don't call me that!"
Summer giggled. "As repayment for that little show and making sure Ruby was returned to me safely, I'll take you back to Willow." she told him as she looked to her girls, "Kids!" She looked to her daughters, "Hold onto me right quick, we'll be taking a slight detour before leaving for the motel."
Did she speak of her semblance? Interesting, but-
"I need not the help of a mongrel wo-" he didn't have the chance to tell her off before she grabbed him-Ruby and Yang latching ont her cloak-as she looked to the manor he called home. He was still speaking when the fourh vanished in the blink of a eye, all that showed they had been there was a pebble that fell to the snow in the middle of the footprints indented into the ground.
When they reappeared-while he was still speaking mind you!-Summer rubbed the top of his head as she interrupted his talking as she smiled at him, "See you at the Vytal Festival if you decide to come! I'll introduce you to Taiyang, then!"
Tai who now?"Now wait just a-
Summer nudged him forward and vanished into nothingness, taking her daughters with her.
William made angry William noises as he looked at the direction he could feel those insufferable women and shook his hand at them, uncaring if he was all on his own, and then he blinked...
Vytal Festival...?
Now there was an idea!
Oh well, things to think on at a later time and date!
William limped tiredly into his home, and immediately wished he had stayed away as Willow, Winter, Whitely, and Weiss came rushing at him.
Willow was the first to reach him as she scooped him up and embraced him, "Oh, my dear sweet, brave child, what were you thinking facing such an overwhelming force on your own?!" she said as she held him by the shoulders and shook them in fright.
"I was thinking of protecting my home, my people, my family." he told her, "This city is my kingdom, and I will do all that I must to ensure that it is a prosperous place for all those who seek to live within it. And those who dare to trespass without my permission will understand that by doing so they will invoke my wrath."
"William, for once, stop talking like an overly egotistical jerk for a second and think about it from Mother's perspective." Weiss said as she and their siblings encircled him, "You could have died, and we'd have never been able to do anything that could have prevented it."
"Oh, my dear sweet Saber, to think that you would weep for the misbegotten soul that is mine own-I am genuinely touched by your lack of faith how my abilities work." he smirked at his twin.
"William, this is no joking matter, you could have been seriously hurt or killed." Winter told him as she stepped up to him.
"Yes, I know, but I would have died with my honor intact, unlike Ironwood or Jacques who seem to think that the world could do fine with the deaths of the innocent and unguarded." he said sternly, "But now, with my show of force, I have secured my stature as a hero of sorts. I need not these fools appraisal of my skills, just for them to have a life better than what they had yesterday." he continue her in response, "And I know what I wish to do next."
"And what, pray tell, is that; brother?" Winter sighed as she rubbed her temples.
William smirked, his wild hair shifting as he planted both hands on his hips, "I am going to enter the Vytal Festival, and i am going to dominate it on my own." he said haughtily, "And all will be welcome to challenge me for the title of victor, but it shall be not be I alone who contends for the title of victor in the competition!"
A beat of of silence followed. And then:
"WILLIAM!" the three women screamed at him in exasperation.
Poor Whitley was just so confused by everything that was going on, the young child was simply content to hug his laughing brother's leg as he explained what his plan of action was for his seemingly inevitable win in the fighting.
Simpler times.
A/N: Aaaand scene~!
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And enjoy the previews! Potential ones, I suppose.
Granted, some are far off:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT YOU!
YE BE WARNED!
(Previews)
*Notes to Neon: Potential Team Name for initiation, keep this for later. Don't forget. Can't forget.
SVRN?* Considering* JWBY? *No, won't work, Coeur did that.* SYBL? *Might work.* CRDA? *Move some letters around. *CARD? What color would that even be?!
Do we even need Jaune this time around...? Can't let the poor boy have a peaceful life?
Wait...is Cardin needed for that matter? Thoughts for later. Hmm, would he even be relevant at a time such a this? Best keep an eye on him... just in case...
"So we meet again! I admit, I had my doubts."
"Ha! Of course you would. Not me. I never doubted for a moment.
The world rippled. That was the best way, the only way Weiss felt, to describe what followed. Her brother held a hand toward the sky. A glyph bloomed above his hand, shimmering just above his fingertips. Then another. Another. Yet another still. As she looked on he reached into it.
"Let me show you...just what exactly real power is, in the hands of someone who controls it."
And heaven answered.
Laughter split the air. "Not so brave now, are you, MONGRELS?!"
Grimm died in droves, fleeing for their lives. Explosions filled the air, steel flashed as it hurtled through the space between.
Weiss palmed her face. "There's no stopping him when he's like this..."
"Well, you certainly don't lack for confidence."
Cardin gulped. "What the hell are you?"
"I...the solution. Now, what was that you said behind my back? I believe you laughed at me."
He spread his arms. The Emerald Forest went still.
"But you're not laughing now."
She frowned at him for a long moment. "What are you...?"
"Many things." he sipped at the flute of wine languidly. "A dead man. A brother. A leader. And also..."
He raised his gaze. Blue eyes shimmered red.
"...an executioner."
"You can't just be strong! You have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have be WORTHY! And you aren't! None of you are!"
He whirled and thrust a finger behind him.
"Only she is."
William grinned, "How intriguing, for someone such as yourself to match me blow for blow when I am hardly fighting serious...very well then, I shall grant you the privilege of this blades hidden power." he told her as he grasped the hilt in both hands, "Awaken, Sword of End; Enki!" he commanded as a pillar of dazzling blue light erupted and filled the air, the arena shaking from its presence alone as the blade was filled with unfathomable powers.
"I see you actually are serious for a change." she eyes him eagerly, "And if that is the case, then I too shall give you a taste of your own medicine." she spoke up eagerly as she prepared herself. Having taken the twin sword's other half away from the silver haired teen, she could feel the innate power it possessed, and as such, she twisted the handle on the golden blade, a pillar of blazing red energy sparked before exploding off and streaking through the heavens. Rocks and dust shifted and rose into the air as they gazed upon one another from their positions,
"Get ready to lose, Schnee!" the fighter said boldly.
"Come at me, Lancer!" he declared with a smirk of challenge, his own blade swinging down in challenge as they struck, a pillar of twisting crimson/azure shooting up into the sky as the explosion enveloped the both of them in a shimmering dome of raw power.
All that remained was light….