The Reviews!
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X3runner: Nah, not yet, but Coco will get her time, trust me~! As for Jaune's clothes, yeah, they're a little damaged, but Jaune's armor is destroyed because of Treygen's bullets and Favnear's transformation.
AutoHunterJ49(1/3): Yeah she is!
AutoHunterJ49(2/3): Brawnz, Nolan, Nebula, and Dew, were on the spot! You got Reese and Gwen's half right! and since you have told me your plans for Neon and I can guess you already know what Ciel's Semblance is, you technically got 8 right!
AutoHunterJ49(2/3): I'll admit, I'm glad I stumped you on Sage's Semblance because trust me You'll understand why it's considered an Ace Semblance and I hope that when you read the 2nd Databook, you'll be stunned!
Reader: Arslan does have a right to be afraid, I mean, a certain human/Grimm Hybrid is trying to end the world, but something similar to Eren will sort of happen.
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Anyway, I hope guys enjoy today's chapter!
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Jaune, Sun, and Arslan rushed out of Alnwick on some spare motorbikes that the town had and made their way to Merlot's base, meanwhile, CFVY and BRN would be protecting Alnwick from any more MutaGrimm that might attack the town.
"So what's the plan?" Sun asked as they raced down the road.
"The other two that were with Treygen, you two fought them?" Jaune asked
"Yeah, and both of them are pretty strong," Arslan answered "Why?"
"Can you still take them on?" Jaune asked
"Yeah," Sun replied
"Of course," Arslan replied
"Then I'll find the townsfolk and set them free, you two take care of the Rouges if they show up," Jaune told them.
"And what about Merlot?" Sun asked
Jaune stayed silent for a bit but answered. "We'll deal with him when the time comes," Jaune said "For now, our main concern is the hostages,"
"Right," Arslan and Sun said
With a plan set, the three continued to ride down the road and toward Merlot's base. After riding for a while, the three eventually arrived at the old Merlot Industries base and when they saw it, it indeed looked old and untouched for many years, but they knew better. The three hopped off their bikes and looked at the entrance of the base, which was a large metal door that almost looked a little cartoonish like it was something out of an old cartoon about a boy with a secret lab or something.
Sun walked over to Jaune and stood next to him and looked at the large entrance door of the base. "Soooo, any idea how we get in there?" Sun asked.
Jaune rubbed his chin, "Well, I could-"
"SUN BOMB!"
Jaune turned around to Arslan. "What was that Arsl- OHCRAP!"
Coming toward the two boys was a giant ball of fire and Jaune quickly grabbed sun by the collar and jumped out of the way, as the fireball blazed past them and hit the base's entrance, exploding and creating them a way inside.
Arslan smiled, "Easy," she said as she saw her work, she then turned to the two boys who were lying on the ground in shock, "Come on, let's get moving,"
Jaune and Sun got up and dusted themselves off as they watched Arslan run into the base.
"How come all the women I know are insanely powerful and scary," Jaune asked
Sun just shrugged, "Who knows dude," Sun said
The two followed after her and caught up with her, and ran down the large hallway, all of them felt unease because they haven't run into any MutaGrimm or any of the Rouges just yet, but they had a feeling that they were being watched. Eventually, the three came to a part of the hallway which led to three different paths. The path ahead led to the main lab, the path on the right led to the storage facility, and the path to the left led to the containment chambers.
Arslan glared, "One of these paths has to lead to the hostages," Arslan said
"But which one do we take?" Sun asked
Seeing that the plan was now slightly derailed, Jaune thought about it, they good go down each Hallway, but if they took the wrong path, they could be too late, so seeing no other option, Jaune knew what needed to be done. "We're gonna have to split up, cover more ground, and hopefully one of us find the hostages while the other two are gonna have to face the Rouges," Jaune said
"I'll go straight!" Sun said
Arslan nodded, "I'll take the path to the right,"
"Alright, then I'll head left," Jaune said
The three of them nodded at each other and then split up, and went down the paths they chose and hoped for the best.
The 3 enter Merlot's base and begin to attack it, Jaune is tasked with freeing the children while Sun and Arslan go and take on the other rouges.
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Arslan kept running down her path before eventually seeing a large sign hanging on the roof that said "Storage Facility" with an arrow pointing straight, letting her know she was getting close so she kept running down the hallway, but the farther she got, she began to feel a slight chill and began to realize that it was getting colder as she got closer.
However, before she could even get closer, Ice shot all around and down the Hallway. Surprising Arslan, she quickly reacted and activated her semblance, and a small radius around her was not frozen due to the extreme heat she was radiating around her.
"Not hiding that evolved semblance anymore?" came a familiar voice.
Arslan looked ahead only to see Jericho coming toward her with his sword resting on his shoulder.
"I thought if it worked well the first time, it would work the second time just as good," Arslan said with a smirk
Jericho glared at her, "Your mistake girl because you won't catch me off guard a second time!" Jericho cried
He charged at Arslan and swung at her, but Arslan ducked under his swing and she quickly delivered a gut punch to Jericho's stomach, causing him to slide backward on the icy floor, and Arslan quickly created fire around her hands and took a fighting stance.
Jericho regained himself and looked at Arslan with a glare, he created an Ice spear in his hand and launched it at her, but Arslan dodged it and then ran toward him, with each step she took, the ice melted around her.
Jericho readied himself as Arslan closed in and he swung at him but she caught the strike between both of her hands and twisted it before she delivered a kick to his side, but Jericho didn't let go of the blade and instead managed to take it back and backed up, he then stabbed his sword into the ground and a trail of large icicles began sprouting up from the ground and toward Arslan, but she jumped out of the way, only for Jericho to launch another ice spear at her, hitting her in the shoulder, causing Arslan to fall to her side.
She looked up only to see Jericho above her, his sword pointed down at her, and Arslan quickly shot fire out of her feet, in order to push herself out of the way, and when she was far enough, she rolled backward and got back up to her feet and looked forward and saw Jericho getting up after his missed attack.
"It seems the tables have turned," Jericho said
Arslan growled and formed her hands like claws and slashed at him as if she had claws, unleashing ten small slashes of fire at Jericho
"Lion's claw!" Arslan shouted
The slashes of fire created a net-like attack that Jericho couldn't escape, but he didn't need to escape as he created a large pillar of ice that blocked the attack.
Suddenly, the pillar burst apart and a fist connected to Jericho's face, which sent him flying down the hallway, and Arslan used the fire below her feet to catch up with Jericho and quickly grabbed him before slamming him down with a fist of fire.
Jericho groaned in pain and quickly tried to slash at her with his sword, but she caught it and quickly heated up the blade, causing Jericho to drop the blade quickly, and then Arslan raised her foot and flames appeared around it and she quickly stomped her foot into his gut knocking the wind out of him.
"You know why I became a huntress?" Arslan asked Jericho, "Because of men like you, men like Merlot," Arslan told him.
Jericho looked at her with a confused glare as he tried to catch his breath.
"People like you and him prey on the weak, destroy villages, tear families apart, make children... orphans," Arslan said, "When I was just a girl, I saw a large man, the biggest man I ever saw come into town and destroy my home, and he killed my mother while I watched from afar, too scared to act... I don't every detail about the man, but I remember how big and strong he was, I remembered how terrified he made me feel, I remembered the lighting shooting out of his arms... I remember his eyes... his hazel eyes that scared me away"
"Wh-What does that have t-to do with me? With Merlot?" Jericho asked through his ragged breathing
"Everything," Arslan said "Because I swore I would one day be strong enough to face that man and avenge my mother, I swore that I would stop men like you because I swore I'd burn you all away," Arslan began
Suddenly, fire engulfed Arslan's hand, and Jericho quickly escaped under Arslans foot by trying to shoot ice at Arslan but she backed up and he got up and glared at her.
"Good luck burning people like us away! We'll always exist! You defeat me and another person will just take my place! There's no escaping that fact!" Jericho cried.
"You're right, men like you will always exist... but that doesn't mean I'll stop trying to rid the world of scum like you," Arslan said.
Jericho created many ice spears around him and was ready to shoot them in her direction, but Arslan began forming fire in both her hands. Jericho quickly fired the Ice spears at Arslan, but Arslan combined her fists and the flames grew and burned brighter.
"THIS IS WHERE YOU DIE!" Jericho cried
Arslan was unfazed by Jericho's declaration, and she unleashed a blast of flames out of her fists and straight toward Jericho, and the blast grew bigger, and when Jericho saw the incoming attack he swore that the attack took the shape of a flaming lion's head, opening its jaws to swallow him whole.
The attack struck Jericho and it was so strong that it began to burn his aura away, before eventually burning his clothes away and finally burning his skin, crying in pain at what were his last moments.
The Flames overtook the hallway and melted all the ice away and Arslan walked through them, untouched and unaffected by them. As she walked through the flames, she saw no sign of Jericho's body and continued walking and making her way to the storage room.
"Like I said..." Arslan began, "I'd burn you away," she finished.
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Meanwhile, Sun had arrived at the main lab only to confront Fe.
Fe swung her fan and a gust of wind sent him flying but he managed to catch himself on the side of the wall and then slide down the wall and quickly used his King's Aura, and forced him Semblance to evolve, and made his staff extend shoot at Fe, however, Fe dodged the attack and rushed at Sun, but he quickly retracted his staff, and dodged a slash of Fe's fan, and used the side of a lab desk to jump, spin, and kick Fe in the face, casing Fe to stumble to her left and crash into another desk.
Fe regained herself and quickly slashed at Sun with her fan but he backed up and managed to not get cut, but Fe used this and kicked him in the gut, sending him crashing through a few desks. Sun got up but was blown away a large gust of wind struck him and sent him flying against the wall with a few other desks, and then he dropped down onto the floor.
"Get up, monkey boy," Fe said "I'm not done with you yet,"
Sun got back up and took a fighting stance, Fe looked back at him and without hesitation, she charged at him, swinging her fan down, but Sun blocked her attack with his staff and he spun his staff out of her hand, disarming her, but she saw a swing of his staff and blocked it and delivered a punch to his side, and then pushed him back. She then swung at him but he ducked under the swing and Sun pointed his staff and extended it, striking Fe right in the stomach and shooting her into the upper wall, knocking the wind out of her, but as the staff retracted and she landed, she regained her breathing.
Fe glared and Sun and Sun glared back at her, and quickly and with as much speed as they could, they both charged at each other. Sun jumped in the air and tried to kick Fe, but she formed her arms into an X and blocked the kick and pushed it away, Sun landed on saw Fe swing at him but he blocked the attack with his staff and then kicked in her stomach, however, she was unfazed, but Sun then pushed her away before shifting his staff into his Nun-chucks and quickly began spinning them and hitting her with a barrage of strikes.
Fe tried her best to use her Semblance to harden her skin, but due to the sheer fury and speed of the hits and them not having a specific pattern, she got hit with some heavy strikes in some spots while managing to tank a few with her Semblance.
Suddenly, Sun stopped spinning them and he aimed both pistols at her, Fe's eyes widened and before she could activate her Semblance, Sun shot her and the two bullets struck and forced her back, giving Sun enough time to shift back to his staff and then extending it fast enough that by the time Fe regained herself, she had no time to react as Sun's staff stuck her in the face.
Fe stumbled around and had to regain herself once again in a matter of seconds, she grabbed her head as it began to hurt, and her vision blurred as she looked up to see three Sun Wukongs slowly approaching her.
"D-Damn... you!" Fe cried as she tried to throw a punch at her.
Sun quickly dodged it and used Aura Step to disappear and then reappear behind her, and when he was behind her, he quickly chopped Fe in the back of her neck, knocking her out quickly, and then before she could fall flat on the floor, he grabbed her and then slowly sat her against the wall.
Sun set his staff to the side and pulled out some rope, tied her hands and feet together. He shifted his staff back into nun-chucks and then set them on his belt and picked up Fe and put her over his shoulder.
"Ya know if you weren't a dangerous criminal, I might have asked you on a date," Sun told an unconscious Fe, "My teacher always did say go for a woman that could kick my ass,"
Sun then pulled out his scroll and called Jaune but he didn't pick up, which was odd and made him slightly worried, so he quickly called Arslan, and thankfully she picked up.
"Arslan? Did you find the Hostages?" Sun asked
[Sort of] Arslan replied
Sun was confused, "What do you mean?" he asked
[I went to the storage room but found nothing but a few old projects from Merlot, so I made my way back down the hall to try and see if you or Jaune had found them but when I reached where we split up, the hostages were waiting there] Arslan replied
Sun was shocked, "What!? Did they tell you how they escaped!?"
[They said that Jaune freed them]
"Where is he?" Sun asked
[Dealing with Merlot] Arslan said [Apperently he's in some sort of large Mech and is threatening to unleash a hoard of the MutaGrimm]
"Damn!" Sun cried "I'll help you lead the hostages out, I got one of the rouges with me, so once they're out of the base we need to go back in and help Jaune with Merlot," Sun said
[Right] Arslan replied, [So let's hurry up!] Arslan cried
Sun nodded and ended the call with Arslan, and quickly, with over his shoulder, he ran out of the main lab and to the outside, to help Arslan with the hostages.
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In the Containment Chambers, Jaune was blasted against a wall and slid down falling onto the floor.
"Where is it!? Where is that Grimm form of yours that Fe and Jericho talked so much about!?" Merlot cried from inside his mech "Show it to me!"
Merlot's mech was huge, twice the size of an Atlas Mech, and had a Dust canon as one hand and the other had a regular mech hand, not only that, he had a few hidden weapons spread around it.
Jaune got up, his breath was ragged, and he looked at Merlot with a glare, "I w-won't show you anything... besides, it's not like I can control it," Jaune said
Jaune then quickly pushed aura into Crocea Mors and swung upward, sending an Arcus Mortis toward the Mad Scientist, but before it could it, a barrier of hard-light dust blocked the attack, and when the Arcus Mortis dissipated, the barrier deactivated as Merlot laughed.
"Your pathetic Aura techniques are no match for my tech!" Merlot cried "Enough games Jaune Arc! Bring out that Grimm form! NOW!"
Jaune growled, "Like I told you, I have no control over that form and even if I did, I'd never use it!" Jaune cried
Merlot seethed with anger and shot a ball of fire dust out of the arm cannon, Jaune quickly raised his shield only to be blown back, and as he flew across the room, he fell back and his body skipped across the floor like a stone across water.
Jaune groaned in pain as he slowly got up but he felt pain all across her body. His Aura flickered but didn't break.
"D-D-Damn..." Jaune groaned as he was on all fours
"Let me out! He wants to see me! Let me give him what he wants!"
Hearing Favnear's voice speaking to him, Jaune grit his death and shook his head, "Go. Away!" Jaunr told Favnear
"Damn you human! Let me out! Let me rip him to shreds! Your too weak to take him on!" Favnear cried in his head
Jaune just growled and got up, this time ignoring the Grimm in his head. He took a fighting stance and prepared to take on Merlot. However, he still needed to figure out how he was going to get Merlot out of this suit.'I just need to hold on as best as I can until Sun or Arslan get here!' Jaune thought, 'For now... I need to stall as best as I can!'
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Jaune seems to be in another pickle yet again! Will Sun and Arslan make it in time? Will Favnear be unleashed yet again!? Will Merlot get what he wants!? Guess your gonna have to wait till the next chapter!
We got three more chapters to go in the Grimm Eclipse Arc before we head to the Favnear Arc!
I also hope you don't mind that the chapter was shorter than the rest.
Here's what is gonna happen in chapter 28!
Jaune tries to stall Merlot until Sun or Arslan arrives to help, Merlot threatens to unleash the largest hoard of MutaGrimm on them and Alnwick. Will Jaune's anger get the better of him and unleash Favnear? Fe's secret client is revealed...
Also...
Does Arslan's description of the man who killed her mother remind you of a certain Character?