Blades of Remnant

by Novice4129

With the first semester over and with their Blades. Team RWBY is ready to tackle Beacon, and possibly the world as Huntresses-in-training and as Drivers.

93. Chapter 92

AN: Finally! This one is a new record. 18544 words, excluding Author's notes. Don't worry, I don't plan to make a habit of making chapters this long. Though this time, it was warranted. To be honest, I'm still not sure if this was good enough, considering what happens here. But I did the best I could, and that's all I can ask of myself.

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Jin's Last Stand

The gang had just made it to a large hall with two doors on the far sides and an elevator that was guarded by two Gerolf Sovereigns.

"We need to go through there." Mythra said as she pointed to the elevator.

"Urgh! More of those things." Nora complained at the sight of the two large mechs guarding the bridge that leads to their way up.

"I just thought of something," Weiss then said, "If Malos came through here, then wouldn't he, Jin, and Salem have had to fight these things?"

"...Perhaps Malos knows how to override them." Kos-Mos theorized.

This prompted everyone to look at Mythra. "...If there was such a thing then I don't know it."

"Of course." Zeke sighed, which was mimicked by Pandoria.

"So, all we have to do is fight these things?" Jaune then said, "With this much space we should be able to beat them easier."

"You have a point there." Mòrag agreed, "Besides, they seem to be in front of our only way forward."

"Then there's nothing else to do." Rex said, before the gang moved towards the bridge.

Except as they got close, a third Gerolf dropped in the middle of the other two from somewhere. It was bigger than the other Gerolf they have faced up until now.

Roze's eyes widened at this new machine, "Crap! The Mk VI Gerolf!"

"The what now?" Ruby was the first to ask.

"The latest model of the Gerolf Sovereigns, larger, stronger and faster than the previous ones." Roze explained as he looked a little nervous.

"So basically, it's a tougher version of the other two." Zeke summarized as he drew out Big Bang Edge, "Not like it changes what we have to do."

"I guess not." Ruby said as she drew out Roze's scythe.

The three Sovereigns opened fire upon the group that quickly scattered.

"Poppi! Rapid approach!" Tora said as he blocked a shot with his shield.

"Aye aye, masterpon." Poppi said before grabbing her creator and used her jets to propel them at the three machines.

One of the smaller ones got in front of the Mk VI Gerolf and activated Buster Sword. Poppi maneuvered them under the swing and rammed into the sovereign with Tora using Steady Drill. Poppi quickly blasted them back when it tried to grab at them.

Using the distraction Tora provided, Nora and Mòrag were able to get close and attack the other Gerolf. Nora smashed Electra's hammer at the other Gerolf, while Mòrag went for Azure II: Hellfire on the MK VI. But the upgraded Gerolf actually jumped away from the attack before firing its cannon at the Special Inquisitor. Which was blocked by Aegaeon's barrier.

The other sovereign that now was focusing on Nora opened its chest compartment and ejected something out of it. The thing turned out to be a Familion Sovereign that was now speeding at the carrot top with its arms turning into blasters and opening fire.

Nora quickly used the shield function of Electra's hammer to cover herself long enough for the bike Sovereign to then take evasive maneuvers against Ren's and Oscar's cannon fire. Except it was led straight to Jaune's Arclight. The bike took damage, but was still functioning.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha quickly got in front of Jaune with Thiarko to block another blast from the Gerolf.

"Thanks." Jaune thanked as Nora decided to get up close and personal with the Sovereign.

The carrot top had Electra latched onto her back with a good Power Hug. "I'm gonna break your legs!" Nora threatened with an evil grin as she moved to give the Gerolf a good whack on its leg, but the Sovereign kicked Nora away before she could make the swing.

But right as the Sovereign was about to lower its leg back, Rex fired Anchor Shot on its leg and had Wulfric help with the pull, toppling the machine. "Nora! Try again!" Rex said as he reeled the wire back in before switching to Wulfric's spear.

"You got it!" the carrot top said evilly as she moved in for another strike, "Nora Smash!"

"Strong Horn!" Rex followed it up.

Nora made a large dent on the Sovereign's chest, while Rex actually stabbed through one of its legs.

"Nora! Above!" Electra cried out from Nora's back. The carrot top didn't even look up before jumping away, just in time to avoid another shot that was aimed at her by the Mark VI. Though it was fired at an angle that missed its fallen comrade which was already getting back up.

As for the other Gerolf, Qrow had turned into crow with an eye-shaped plate on his back and flew above the machine. To the bird-shaped veteran's surprise, the Sovereign activated its Buster Sword and took a swing at him. Of course, being small and very fast, Qrow was able to avoid it.

"Why is that thing attacking a bird?" Qrow wondered as he avoided another swing which he was sure took out a few feathers off of him.

The Gerolf's assault was interrupted by Zeke unleashing Dynamic Spark Sword on its leg with his usual battlecry. Before following it up with Overload Thunder Beam. The machine seemed to spasm as its circuits must have overloaded from the blast. Then it seemed to slump down in defeat. Which was when Qrow swooped down before changing back and smashing at its head with Kasandra's hammer.

"Yes!" the lucky Blade cheered at her Driver as the machine fell down on its back.

"Bumblebee! Smash Edition!" Ruby called out.

Blake and Yang gave each other a look before both of them dashed to the downed mech.

"Aim for the head!" Blake said as she jumped over the body, preparing to use Black Maw.

"Right." Yang replied as she followed Blake's example and wound up her fist for Nova Crash.

Suddenly the chest of the Gerolf opened and launched a Familion Sovereign at them. The motorcycle Sovereign turned sideways mid-air which then caused it to hit both Blake and Yang. As the two Drivers were flown out, Weiss stared at the scene in disbelief.

"...Seriously?" the Schnee Driver had a hard time believing that just happened even as the Familion landed on its wheels somehow and then sped off at Nia who leaped away from the rapid fire of the humanoid torso. Weiss launched Icicle Cannon at the Sovereign, but the thing changed directions to avoid the super shot.

"I got it!" Ruby said as she came out of a flurry of petals right in front of the speeding cycle. The red reaper swung her scythe at the humanoid torso, hoping to take out its head. But the torso limboed beneath the strike as Ruby herself passed over it. Right as Ruby passed it, the Sovereign placed its blaster arms right on the silver eyed girl's abdomen before opening fire.

"Ow!" Ruby let out as her Aura took the hit and made her skit across the floor as she landed.

"Ruby!" Roze and Yang cried out in concern.

"I'm okay." Ruby said as she bounced back up, resisting a wince as the landing was a little rough on her.

"This isn't working." Roze said as he watched the Gerolf's fending off the gang. Sure, they were taking a few hits here and there, but it wasn't going to be enough. "These things have gained a lot of data from our previous fights."

"It would seem that way." Penny said as she saw that the Sovereign that blasted Ruby rode to the MK VI Sovereign so that it could use its buckler to block the homing shots of Tech Blaster the Artificial Driver sent after it. "Is there any way to counter this?"

"...None that I know of." Roze said as he put up a barrier to block one Gerolf trying to take a potshot at Ruby.

"Our enemies have gained combat data from our fights against the previous Sovereign units, correct?" Kos-Mos piped up.

"Yes." Roze said.

"This would include any Arts or Special Arts we have used, correct?" Kos-Mos then queried.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Roze asked.

"Because then the most logical course of action is to use Arts or Special Arts we haven't used yet?" Kos-Mos queried.

"Kos-Mos, you're a genius!" Penny cheered at her Blade as she tried firing at the Mk VI which took the shots, but it didn't seem too damaged by them.

"Thank you, master. But we still need to be mindful of the Gerolf Sovereign's Psycho Shield." The android Blade reminded her Driver.

"Okay, whoever hasn't used their Blade's Special Arts since coming here, say aye." Ruby called out to everyone.

"Umm... aye?" Oscar called out uncertainly.

"I haven't used any either." Qrow said as he avoided a shot from MK VI.

"...I don't think anyone has used their Specials beyond level 2." Jaune then said in thought.

"So basically, hit them with everything we got, but watch out for their shield." Nia said as she had switched to her Blade form and managed to cut down one of the Familions.

"Sounds like a plan." Rex said as he then turned to Wulfric, "Wulfric, I'm gonna need your help with this."

The beastly Blade grunted as he followed Rex around the Gerolf Sovereign closest to team JNPR. "Wulfric, when I shoot, you pull, okay?"

"Yes." Wulfric replied simply.

Rex fired the anchor which latched itself on the Gerolf's shield arm. "Now!" Rex had barely finished that call, when Wulfric already grabbed the wire and yanked with all his might, pulling the machine's arm behind it.

Blake who had recovered from the humiliating attack earlier saw this as her chance. "Nox, do it!"

The abyssal ninja caught his Dual Scythes as his pupil shifted to an X. Then he quickly swung them in an X, launching Black Mark on his designated target. "Marked." the ninja remarked with sadistic glee as he saw decent gash on the alloy of the machine.

Everyone knew what two elements follow up with that Special Art, so Jaune quickly took his chance, "Joana!"

"As you command!" Joana said as she rose up to her holographic angel wings. She had yet to use her Special Arts here either, which meant that this thing had no idea what was coming. "Radiant Crusade!" And then she fired her light particles every which way from her wings, not just at the Gerolf they were facing, but at the other two as well. The one that was trapped by Rex and Wulfric was unable to use Psycho Shield against the onslaught so it took the Special Art full force.

But the other Sovereign activated its own Psycho Shield while the Mk VI moved behind its smaller model.

"And also, Ray of Light!" Joana commanded and what looked like a burst of holy light exploded in front of the Gerolf dealing heavy damage to it.

Nora had an evil smile at this as she gave the hammer to Electra who detached herself from her Driver's back. "Brace yourselves." Electra called out as she waved the hammer in the air, which caused stormclouds to form above the damaged Gerolf. Then Electra lifted her hammer as the halo of orbs on her back spun rapidly. Several huge lightnings struck the machine, causing its glowing green parts to blink. Such was the effect of Rolling Thunder.

"Heaven's Bolt!" Electra then finished the level 3 Combo that true to its name, made one huge lightning bolt come down from what felt like Heaven itself.

The Gerolf collapsed, smoking from the treatment it received with a lot of its parts singed or downright melted.

"Yes! One down!" Ruby cheered.

"Two more to go." Roze said as the Gerolf that used its Psycho Shield prepared to fire Psycho Buster.

"Kasandra, whatever your Special Art is, hit it with all you have!" Qrow said as he threw his Blade's hammer to her.

"Aye aye!" Kasandra said as the mask at the back of her head slid over her head and on her face, surprising Qrow.

"Kasandra?" Qrow said uncertainly as a dark aura formed around the happy Blade, with her looking a little limp.

Suddenly Kasandra let out a ghastly battlecry before charging at the machine that decided to point its cannon at her.

"Kasandra, no!" Qrow yelled out at his Blade just charging head on.

"What is she doing?" Weiss let out as she was waiting for an opening to have Dahlia use her Special art.

Kasandra made it to the Gerolf Sovereign just in time to smack its cannon away from her with a single strike before going to town on the machine, each strike of the hammer letting out a burst of dark energy upon contact.

Then Kasandra jumped away from Mk VI that tried to attack her, before the mask slid back to the back of her head. "Huh? Did something happen?" Kasandra asked, looking utterly lost.

Only Qrow had time to give his Blade a blanched look, "You... don't remember?"

"Remember what?" Kasandra said with a confused look.

"...Just give me the hammer back." Qrow sighed. This mystery can wait.

"Now, Mythra!" Rex threw the Aegis Sword back to the blonde Aegis.

Mythra nodded before dashing to the recovering Gerolf and unleashed Photon Edge upon it. Followed by Ray of Light.

Zeke had a smirk at this, "Okay, Ossie-boy, time to show us what Herald can do."

"Okay," Oscar complied as he threw Herald's cannon to her.

"Are you sure about this?" Herald asked uncertainly.

"Yes." Oscar said with an encouraging look.

"...Very well then." Herald said as her Core Crystal shined brighter. Then she was enveloped in a crackling aura as she used her mech's arm to raise her cannon high. A large blade made of energy burst from the maw of the cannon, before Herald charged the Sovereign with it, slashing at its body multiple times. Herald then raised the energy blade high into the air her two effigies shooting more electricity into it. "Final Retribution!" Herald called out as she delivered one more powerful slash the cut the machine down the middle. To add insult to injury, Heaven's Bolt still came down upon it.

"Talk about overkill." Yang commented on the carnage before she had to avoid a hit from Mk VI that she had annoyed to keep it away from the others.

"We are your opponents!" Brighid called out as she and Mòrag now gained the larger Gerolf's attention. The two dashed at the Sovereign that decided to reply with another Buster Sword.

But Mòrag countered with Azure II:Judgement. Dodging the attack before whipping the machine, leaving a trail of blue flame in her wake. Followed by her throwing the weapons to Brighid who in turn unleashed Heat Haze upon their target.

"Yang. I'm not gonna lose!" Dragunov said to his Driver, taking Brighid's attack as a challenge.

Yang quickly noted that Dragunov's cracks were glowing orange before she threw the talons to him. "Beat it down."

"You know it." Dragunov grinned as he charged the machine with his talons on fire. "Graargh! Wrath. Of. The. Dragon!" Dragunov roared as he unleashed the combo of explosive punches before finishing with a superheated kick to Mk VI's leg, actually toppling it. "What's wrong? Are you a little... Burned out?" Dragunov smirked as the said Blade Combo manifested, earning a laugh from his Driver.

"Okay, that was badass." Yang complimented.

"Urgh! Let's just end this," Nia said as she was once again in her Driver form, having managed to cleave the remaining Familion in half with Dagas' axe. "Get 'im Dagas!"

Dagas caught the axe, "Very well. Playtime's over." the Royal Blade declared before unleashing Kaiser Flare, sending a large wave of strangely colored fire at Mk VI.

But it was at this moment that the larger Gerolf decided to activate its Psycho Shield.

"Crap!" Nia let out, while everyone else had a sense of dread.

"You dare absorb my power?!" Dagas yelled out in anger, "You shall pay for such hubris!" And then Mega Explosion happened.

"You cannot be serious." Aizen said in bewilderment as the Psycho Shield absorbed the Blade Combo too.

"...Roze." Ruby turned to her Blade with a slightly accusing look.

"I...I didn't know it can do that!" Roze said defensively.

"Less arguing, and more preparing yourselves." Aizen called out as he and everyone else prepared themselves to avoid Psycho Buster that would no doubt follow.

Except Mk VI activated its Buster Sword instead.

"What's it doing?" Roc questioned, as the Buster Sword was being charged with the absorbed energy of a level 3 Special Art and Blade Combo.

"Master, the energy readings are dangerously high." Kos-Mos informed Penny, just when the Sovereign swung the sword in a very wide horizontal arc. Sending the said energy all around the area.

Every single Blade got in front of their Drivers and activated their respective barriers. Some of them who could even threw in Damage Armor for good measure. And it was a good thing they did, because none of the barriers could withstand the attack that then washed over them. Sending them flying a bit.

All Blades and Drivers landed on the floor hard. With Remnans, their Auras flickered, while Alrestians, minus Rex, held a limb or side in pain.

"...That... wasn't in their design." Roze said as he helped Ruby back up.

"It certainly hit hard," Mòrag said as she avoided the brunt of it thanks to Brighid's Damage Armor. "But why did it use something like that instead of its blaster?"

"Perhaps it figured we would just dodge it." Aegaeon said as he stood guard while Brighid helped their Driver up.

Weiss, Nia and Jaune quickly used their healing Arts to restore any injuries they had.

"Dahlia... I want this thing scrapped." Weiss said with a frosty glare at the Sovereign.

"I agree." Dahlia said with a frosty glare of her own as the two were enveloped by a golden glow.

"Roze... let's break stuff." Ruby said with a glare at the machine.

"Okay." Roze said eagerly as the two were also enveloped by a golden glow of their own.

"Iceflower! Level 4!" Ruby commanded with an evil grin before Roze's cape scattered into petals and obscured the two from the view. And then they were gone.

The Mk VI looked around itself, trying to determine where the enemy disappeared to. Only to then be slashed across its back when Ruby and Roze appeared there in a burst of petals for an instant before disappearing just in time for the retaliating shield arm to only hit petals. Next one came from the shoulder of its blaster arm. The machine didn't even turn around to see the attacker before there were only petals to see. Then the pattern continued as the machine took more slashes that left gashes at its frame and all it could perceive of the attacker was a cloud of rose petals.

Then Ruby and Roze finally appeared back where they started, "Together." Ruby said with a grin.

"Together." Roze affirmed as they raised the Blade scythe sky high together before bringing it down as one.

"Crimson Reaper!" And then the petals glowed red before turning into a tornado of razor-sharp blades.

Everyone barely had time to see the now very slashed up frame of the Mk VI before Weiss launched Dahlia's bitball at it.

The Sovereign swatted the projectile away with its shield arm, but instead of returning to Weiss, it started floating back to its intended target.

"Nowhere to run." Dahlia said with a smile as she struck a pose. As if in response, the floating bitball let out an icy explosion freezing the machine's shield arm in place. Then Dahlia made another pose where she stood up straight with her hands behind her head and one leg at an angle, and the bitball that had floated behind the machine let out another icy explosion, sending icicles through the gaps in its armor Ruby and Roze made. Then she switched it to leaning forward with her right hand on her hip, another icy explosion from the bitball that was orbiting the Sovereign. Then she stood straight again and flicked her braidlike ears and another icy explosion. Then she put her left hand under her large bosom while the right one was curled on her chin like an artist that was contemplating her work, and the bitball let out another explosion at the front. Now the poor machine looked like a pincushion with all the icicles sticking out of the gaps that the reaper duo did to it. Then the bitball finally floated back towards Dahlia.

Except at this moment, Weiss used a glyph to get some altitude, before doing a pirouette and kicked the ball back at Mk VI's chest, causing one last explosion of pure ether that tore up its front armor completely. When Weiss landed in front of Dahlia with her back to their enemy, the frosty Driver made a curtesy as the Mk VI collapsed behind her. The light in its glowing parts faded as it was deactivated.

"...I think Ice Queen leveled up a little." Yang commented with a dumbfounded look.

"...And I thought the older one was Ice Queen." Qrow muttered in disbelief.

"That was awesome, Weiss!" Ruby cheered, bouncing in place. "What do you call that?"

Weiss flicked her braid haughtily, really basking in the praise as everyone made varying comments of how she looked awesome.

But it was Dahlia who answered Ruby's question, "Silver-Snow Glory."

"Fitting," Aizen commented with a small smile.

"Okay, that's enough praise for her, we're still in a hurry." Nia said in annoyance.

"Nia's right." Rex said, before giving Weiss a smile, "But you were really cool back there."

Weiss' miffed look turned to a small roll of her eyes at Rex's accidental pun. "What do you think, Aizen?" Weiss turned her attention to her second Blade.

"If you mean your performance at the end, then it was a beautiful execution." Aizen said casually.

"Thank you." Weiss said, while trying to not look happy at the praise.

With that exchanged, everyone moved on, hoping to catch up to Jin, Malos and Salem.

Jin, Malos, Salem and her cronies were walking through a large hall towards the door at the end of it. Only for Jin to suddenly stop.

"Why did you stop?" Hazel, who was walking behind the three alongside the rest of Salem's posse.

Jin didn't answer, just walked past Salem's crew and stared at the door they came through from. "...So this is where it ends."

"Did you say something?" Tyrian asked with a curious look.

"No." Jin replied coldly. before turning enough to look at Malos who had also noticed his comrade stopping alongside Salem. "Malos, I'll stay here. You go fulfifll our goal."

"What're you saying?" Malos questioned, "We promised we'd go together, didn't we?"

"We did, once." Jin replied as he turned to face the door again.

Meanwhile, Salem's posse looked confused at what the silver haired Flesh Eater was playing at.

"You okay?" Malos then asked, thinking something was wrong.

"I'm just waiting." Jin replied.

"...For the boy?" Malos frowned.

"I was told to wait..." Jin placed a hand over his heart as he saw Lora at the door, looking at him sadly. Then Jin turned to face Malos, "I will be watching, all of you." The Flesh Eater smiled.

"...Are you sure?" Malos asked his partner.

"I am."

Malos let out a sigh before stepping towards Jin and pulled him into a one armed hug. Whispering something into Jin's ear before releasing the hug.

"My lady, should some of us stay and assist him?" Tyrian asked with an eager smile.

Salem looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "That depends, if our host would like the help."

"No thank you." Jin replied, "This is something I must do on my own."

"But... what about that girl in the ice block?" Emerald asked, earning a surprised look from Jin. "Yeah, I figured she was there for a reason." Emerald replied the unasked question, "She was someone important to you right? Don't you want to avenge her?"

"Avenge her?" Jin chuckled, "No... This was never about that. Is the thought of revenge something you have?"

"Yes... Cinder took me in... taught me things. And then she was taken from me." Emerald said while Mercury rolled his eyes. Watts also let out an almost inaudible scoff, while Tyrian gave the mint haired girl a pitying look.

"I see... tell me, this person would she have done the same for you?" Jin then asked.

"...Yes." Emerald said, not understanding why she hesitated for a moment.

"Emerald, I think we should leave Jin to the path he chose." Salem said firmly.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Emerald stammered.

But then the witch turned her attention to Jin, "This person you care about... what if I said that I could bring her back to life?"

"...If you had that kind of power, you would have already brought it up." Jin reasoned, "Besides, even if what you say is true, I don't want her to come back and see what I have become. What I have done."

Hazel looked away from the silver haired warrior. His declaration caused the large human's heart to constrict.

Salem had a melancholy smile at Jin's declaration. "I understand." Salem said before turning to Malos who had crossed his arms and was frowning at the exchange. "I believe we are done here?"

"Yes." Malos said before turning to the door they were approaching and walked to it. With everyone else following the dark Aegis' lead. All except Jin who turned to the way they came from and waited.

"Tell me Zeke, what do you see down there?" Amalthus asked from Zeke who looked down at the refugee camp below the balcony they were standing on.

"What do I see? I see a bunch of people struggling to stay alive." Zeke commented on the sorry state of some of the refugees. "Same as most everyone else on Alrest right now."

"Zeke, have you ever taken a person's life?" Amalthus then asked.

"Can't say I have." Zeke replied easily, "Never seen the need for it, myself."

"Oh?" Amalthus crossed his arms behind his back.

"Why does anyone kill others?" Zeke said as he looked back down. "Because they're in your way, or because you can't bear the sight of 'em. You kill because you're weak." The Tantalese then turned to look Amalthus straight in the eye, "But I'm not weak. So I don't need to kill anyone. And I don't mean physically, yeah? I mean in here." Zeke pointed to the left side of his chest at the last part.

Amalthus turned to look out the balcony, "I suppose...that makes me weak then. But that weakness is why I'm standing here today..."

"So you hate them? Humans." Zeke then asked.

The Praetor's expression turned sorrowful before he gave his answer, "No. I hate this world."

The elevator that the gang had entered opened up to allow everyone to get out to a long hallway.

"Chum." Zeke said, earning Rex's attention. "Tell me, do you like this world?"

"What?" Rex looked surprised at the question.

"What's with that kind of question all of a sudden?" Qrow asked the Tantalese.

"Just give me a straight answer." Zeke said, ignoring the veteran huntsman.

"Well of course." Rex said with a smile, "Sure there's room for improvement. But then there's also plenty of stuff that's awesome."

"What about us?" Zeke leaned forward a little.

Rex looked dumbfounded at that.

"Ah! I think Shellhead's about to propose." Nia said with an evil look.

"Wha-?" Pyra gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Seriously?" Blake frowned, ears folding as she gave a mock glare at Zeke.

"I didn't take you for liking them young." Dragunov added in with a snicker.

For some reason, Roze stood a little in front of Ruby at Dragunov's remark.

Everyone else had varying looks of shock at the Tantalese Driver.

"Fleabags! Blockhead! I meant how do you feel about US? People." Zeke corrected in annoyance. Causing Blake's ears to fold flat against her scalp at being called fleabag.

"He's not worth the effort." Perceval told Nox who looked ready to pounce on Zeke on Blake's behalf.

"Phew, I was worried then." Rex let out a huge sigh of relief.

"You should be so lucky." Zeke remarked as everyone relaxed to varying levels, although Blake still seemed to hold a little grudge about the previous remark. "Anyway, what's your answer?" Zeke got back on track.

Rex crossed his arms in thought, "Oh, that's a tough one. People can be fun to be around, but sometimes they're hard to deal with. And then there's mean types like that Bana..."

"For sure." Nia agreed.

"Who's Bana?" Ruby asked.

"Friends not told? Bana was evil business Nopon. Profiting from the tensions of Uraya and Mor Ardain." Tora explained.

Poppi had a deep frown, "Bana also mass-produced the Artificial Blades Torna used from plans stolen from Masterpon's dadapon and grampypon."

This earned a shocked look from RWBY and JNPR. They didn't expect their bouncing ball of fluff to have a past like that.

"But..." Rex returned the conversation back on track, "Life's about taking the good with the bad, right? So yeah, I like people. And... I like myself, and I'm people."

"Alright, big 'ead." Nia said with half-lidded eyes and a smile.

Zeke on the other hand laughed, "I see! Well that's you all over. I'm relieved."

"What?" Rex wasn't sure he understood that.

"Well... Suppose a guy who hated himself...had the power that you do. If someone like that were to meet the Architect. I wouldn't be surprised if they wished for the whole world to disappear." Zeke said in thought.

"What?" Oscar let out in surprise.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." Zeke said with a smile.

"Not you! Ozpin said that sounded like Salem." Oscar said, earning everyone's attention.

"Professor?" Ruby let out in curiosity.

At that moment, Oscar allowed Ozpin to gain control. "Salem... wasn't always the way she is now. There was a time that she was... the kindest person I knew."

"...You mean that freaky witch was once a nice person?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"She wasn't always like that." Ozpin sighed sadly, "...But... well horrible things happened to her, things that I would rather not talk about. But... I wouldn't be surprised if that's what she ultimately wishes for. To destroy the very world that she feels has wronged her."

"...Even if Salem had it rough, that doesn't give her the right to destroy the world." Jaune said firmly.

"I agree." Pyrrha said, "I mean... our world isn't perfect either, but it has its good points." The Fall Champion had a small smile.

"Though there's still a lot of room for improvement too." Blake added in with a small smile.

"For sure." Yang agreed.

"You can say that again." Weiss sighed as well.

"One step at a time, Miss Schnee. One step at a time." Aizen said as he placed a hand over his Driver's shoulder, "Always remember that."

"Oz... why haven't you told us any of this." Qrow asked in suspicion.

"...Because it's not something that could help us defeating her... And it reminds me all too much how I haven't been able to stop her yet." Ozpin looked down sadly.

"Speaking of the witch." Azurda piped up from Rex's helmet, "I think I finally sense her up ahead and above."

"You can?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"Yes, but she's moving away fast... It won't be long until she's out of my range." Azurda warned them.

"Then let's go." Pyra said, "Jin and Malos are probably with her."

With that, everyone started running the long hallway.

Inside of an inn in a small village, Lora looked outside the window with Jin standing near the door. Suddenly an old man barged in.

"Hey you!"

The Driver and Blade turned around to see the stranger looking at Jin with a happy smile. "You wouldn't happen to be Ornelia's former Blade, would you?"

"Ornelia?" Jin said, unfamiliar with the name, "No I'm..."

"From the Territorial Defense Corps! It's you!" The old man interrupted, clearly excited.

"What?"

Ooh, I remember 'em well! Even though I was knee-high to a grasshopper back then..." The old man placed his hand pretty low to emphasize how small he used to be. "With that sword slung across your back... You were so cool. If you hadn't come when you did, our village would've been..." Jin was starting to feel awkward as the old man went on and on about things that he had no idea about. "Oh, yes! The house you used to live in is still out there on the outskirts."

Now that got Jin's attention, "House?"

Later on, when Jin moved to check on the said house... Well, calling it a house at this point was pretty generous, considering how covered in dust everything was. Not to mention parts of the building had rotted away with lack of maintenance.

Inside the house, Jin had found a framed picture with what he guessed to be Territorial Defense Corps. Among the men and women in it was him. And there was a woman who was carrying his sword who he guessed to be Ornelia.

Placing the picture down, Jin then looked to the shelf that had two books in it. How those things have withstood the ravages of time was beyond him. Still, one of them looked like a journal. Perhaps it had some answers to his past.

Opening the book, Jin was surprised to recognize his own handwriting. "This long war for independence, will soon come to an end. It is not only the war that will soon be over. Her life, too, is about to end. And when she meets her end, so too will I. Unsullied by her death, I will merely return to my core to await my eventual reawakening. I will sleep as at the end of any other day. When I awake, will I be the same person as before? If the Architect does indeed exist, I wish I could ask him... Who am I truly? Whence did I come, whither am I headed? If I were a praying man, I'd pray this journal finds its way to you. Trusting that it will, I will use these last words to pass down a means of carving the bond between myself and my partner into this flesh. This is how it is done..." As Jin kept reading the instructions, his breath quickened.

"My... How terribly desolate." Lora's voice rang out of the doorway, which prompted Jin to quickly close the journal and turn around while discreetly keeping the book behind his back. "I heard it's been 90 years but..." Lora's thoughts were interrupted as she looked to Jin who seemed a little shaken. "What is it? Did you remember something?"

"N-no. It's nothing." Jin said, trying to play it all off.

"Really? That's too bad. I would've really liked to learn about the old you." Lora said in disappointment.

"...I am...who I am. I do not change." Jin responded.

Jin waited patiently in the hall, placing his hand over the heart that was beating in his chest. Lora's heart.

The door then opened. "You came." Jin said to no one in particular as Rex and the gang appeared from the door.

(Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: The Power of Jin)

"Jin?" Rex said as he noticed the silver haired Blade standing alone.

"Are you alone?" Pyra asked, "Where's Malos?"

"And Salem." Ruby added in.

"They went on ahead." Jin replied.

"Well then what are you doing here?" Rex then asked.

"Waiting. For you." Jin said matter of factly.

"For us?" Ruby said next, "Are you going to stop us from going after Salem and Malos?"

"...Perhaps." Jin closed his eyes briefly, "I want to see for myself. If this world has any will of its own which one would it choose, you or Malos?"

Pyra was then replaced by Mythra. "Then... you should let us pass."

"That I cannot do."

"But why?" Mythra almost demanded, "In your state you should barely be able to stand! You know if we'll fight now, you'll...!"

"Mythra." Dragunov piped up, placing a hand over the blonde Aegis' shoulder. "Don't bother. Jin knows all that, but if he has something he thinks is worth fighting for, he will not back down. Even if it means his core would shatter from it. That's why he was the Paragon of Torna. The very Spirit of the nation." At the last part Dragunov gave a fiery look to his fellow Tornan Blade's icy blue eyes.

Jin chuckled at this, "You both see right through me. Indeed, I made a promise. I'll do whatever it takes to fulfill his desire."

"Even if it means your death?" Mythra said with a defeated look, already knowing the answer.

"Gladly." And there it was.

"Then this will be our last clash." Dragunov said as his cracks glowed orange as he and Yang formed their affinity link.

In response to this, Jin gained his black armored form again, with cold air surrounding him.

"Looks like we really won't get past this without a fight, Chum." Zeke said as he drew Big Bang Edge, forming the affinity link with Pandoria.

"Seems so," Rex said as he drew out the Aegis Sword, everyone else followed the example of drawing their Blade weapons. "We'll give it all we've got. Come on!"

"Yeah!" Ruby said as she already aimed the rose tipped gun against their enemy.

"As it should be." Jin said before drawing his sword, "Come at me, boy!"

Ruby fired a couple shots with Roze's scythe which Jin blocked out of the air with a few well-placed swings. This was immediately followed by Rex dashing in with Mythra's Aegis Sword.

When he got within the range, Rex tried to use Rolling Smash on Jin, but the silver haired Flesh Eater moved back before dashing in with Ultraslash, knocking the salvager back. Jin then tried to dash in again with another strike at Rex, but something yanked at his arm. Turning to look, Jin noticed it was some kind of black ribbon with a weapon that had wrapped around his arm. The silver haired Flesh Eater then felt several slashes across his back. Turning around Jin aimed a roundhouse kick at whoever attacked, only to barely miss Blake who already got back after having used Shadowspin. Shortly after, Jin was yanked from his arm again by Nox who was allowed to wield Gambol. The silver haired Blade switched his katana to his unbound arm and quickly cut the ribbon, which caused the kama-mode end of the weapon to drop down.

"Now, friends!" Poppi called out, and with that, Mòrag, Zeke, Qrow and Tora were each within striking distance of Jin.

"Empty Moment." Only for Jin to disappear from their respective attacks before reappearing a few meters away. And then his attackers were all sent flying from the attacks they received.

Although Jin didn't even acknowledge it as he then had to weave between Yang's punches. "Hold still you bastard!" Yang yelled in frustration before unloading Heatblast on him. Except the Tornan Blade sidestepped it before moving for another strike. Except he had forgotten Dragunov who managed to grab Jin by the face with flames in the palm. Which was Yang's que to give him an extremely hard hit into the caught Blade's abdomen, following it with a Fever Rush.

Only then did Dragunov let go of Jin who was sent stumbling away while clutching his face with one hand. And yet he still managed to move away from Jaune's attempt to stab him with Prostateva.

Jin then took his hand out of his face with a scowl on his slightly blackened face. "You dare." Jin said before weaving past Jaune and Nora to get at Yang and Dragunov. Even when Oscar, Ren and Penny tried to shoot him, the silver haired Flesh Eater just weaved past them before slashing at Yang who deflected the slashes that Jin was throwing at her. "Girl... why is Dragunov holding back?" Jin asked surprising Yang.

"What're you babbling about?" Yang demanded as she threw a punch at the swordsman who stepped back to avoid it. "Drag is taking this seriously."

"Really? Then why are his cracks glowing orange and not gold." Jin asked as everyone seemed to look at Dragunov. Sure enough, his cracks were glowing with orange heat.

"Drag, what're you doing?" Yang asked her Blade, "We need to go all out."

"...No." Dragunov said, refusing to look Yang in the eye.

"What?!" Yang cried out in outrage. "We can't beat Jin if we don't give all we got!"

"Yes we can! He's not at hundred percent, so we can still kick his ass." Dragunov argued.

"No you can't." Jin said in annoyance before unleashing Skyward Slash on Yang who got sent away a little by the attack. But her Aura tanked it. "Since when was the mighty Dragunov afraid of going all out?" Jin openly mocked the fellow Tornan Blade.

"Shut up!" Dragunov roared before unleashing a gout of flame from his palm.

"Zero Zone." Jin countered, unleashing a large wave of cold all around him. Dragunov's flames fizzled out of the way. Causing the stone scaled Blade to growl, cracks shifting from orange gold. Only for Dragunov to shake his head violently and take deep breaths, shifting the cracks back to orange.

"Mythra." Rex called out as everyone was affected by the cold.

"Right." Mythra said before turning to Pneuma.

"Everyone, attack!" Rex called out, already charging Jin with the true Aegis sword. With this, all the close-range fighters charged at Jin in an attempt to dogpile him again. However, they were also prepared for Jin to either use another Empty Moment or Stunned Swallow.

Jin quickly took a stance. "Bladeless Blade!" And then he disappeared again, but unlike with Empty moment in his place was a sphere of cuts and slashes that quickly expanded to hit everyone.

Mòrag was able to dodge the first two but then she felt herself getting hit. Fortunately, Brighid activated Damage Armor to block the worst of it.

Pandoria tried to put up a barrier to block Jin's attack, but it only lasted against a single strike before shattering, which caused Zeke to take a beating too.

Tora switched to Poppi's shield and brought it at front which caused him to be sent flying. Fortunately, Poppi caught her Masterpon from midair.

Yang took several hits, but thanks to Dragunov quickly using his own Damage Armor, her Aura didn't break from it.

Blake was fortunately out of range as she thought she would try to find an opening first. Maybe she should switch for Perceval on this one.

Ruby was covered with Roze's Thorn Barrier for the duration of Jin's Art so the silver haired Blade should have taken at least some damage from his own attack.

Rex put Pneuma's Aegis Sword at the front to block the attack and was pushed back. But that didn't stop Rex. He just stared at Jin who was panting ever so slightly after his Art was finished.

"He's still got it." Rex commented before dashing at Jin. "But so do we!"

Rex's exclamation earned Jin's attention who then sent a large wave of ice at the Aegis Driver.

(Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Desolation)

"Oh no you don't!" Rex swung the True Aegis Sword at the incoming wave, shattering it.

"The power to manifest what you imagine." Jin commented, finally figuring out the nature of Pneuma's power. "Truly awesome. That power comes from the Architect." Jin couldn't help smiling. But then his joy shifted to anger, "Why do you wield it for mortals' sake?!" And then he dashed in to meet Rex and the two clashed.

"To get to Elysium!" Rex said as he and Jin traded blows.

"And then what? Open it up to humans? Share it out between them?!"

"Do you even need to ask?! Obviously!" Rex said before managing to push Jin back.

Yang put her fists up and prepared to dash in to help. Only to then feel Dragunov's hand grabbing her shoulder. The blonde brawler looked to her Blade with a questioning expression as he shook his head.

"This one's between them." Dragunov said as he watched the two fight.

It wasn't just Dragunov who felt this way. Not just because of Rex and Jin arguing, but because the two had become too fast for anyone to even try to find an opening to help Rex.

Back in the fight, Jin had a look of resolved anger, "And then what? Can't you see where that leads?!"

"What're you saying?" Rex asked as he took a ready stance.

"Humans will make Elysium into another Morytha. Just as they did with Torna 500 years ago." Jin pointed out.

Rex didn't falter, "I won't let that happen!" Then he dashed at Jin again.

Jin did the same and the two clashed once again, "And after you die? What then? Who will stop the inevitable?!"

"Isn't that what you Blades are for?!" Rex said as he kept attacking. This response surprised Jin. Not just him, but all Blades present were surprised at Rex's answer. "And when I'm not around to stand by you in that effort, someone else will!" Rex said as he delivered powerful slash to Jin who brought his katana to block it. Only for the silver haired Flesh Eater's weapon to fly away from his hand. "That's right. When a person dies, that's it for them." Rex said as he pointed his sword at Jin. "But their thoughts and memories will always be passed onto someone else. Isn't that the same with you Blades?" The True Aegis Sword stopped glowing as it depowered on Rex's command. "Your past selves get passed down to someone else to become your new selves." Then Rex lowered the sword, "Isn't that how you've always lived? We're no different."

Jin looked away from Rex as he couldn't help recalling the first memory he had.

"From now on. I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe, always." Jin failed to keep that promise, but he then briefly glanced to Ruby who now looked unsure for some reason. Then his gaze drifted to Roze who had come near her and placed a supportive hand on his Driver's shoulder.

"Blades become Titans when their time is up. And those Titans give birth to many new Blades. All while forming the world beneath our feet. It's awesome." Rex said before looking away from Jin, "It's enough to make me envious."

This surprised Jin, "Envious...of us?"

Rex then faced the baffled Flesh Eater again. "So I'd like to ask the Architect. Pyra Mythra, all of you. Why did he create all these incredible people? Actually, I think I might already know the answer. But I'd still like to check with the man himself."

"To check your answer?" Jin said in disbelief. Rex nodded in response.

"You...believe you know the reason we exist?" Jin actually sounded hopeful. But then Jin collapsed to his knees.

(End Song)

"Jin." Dragunov let out, about to walk towards their now fallen foe.

"Get away from Jin!" Only to suddenly have an ether arrow fly right past his front. Everyone turned to see Patroka and Akhos dashing to their leader's aid. Patroka swung her spear at Rex who backed away while Akhos moved to check on Jin.

"Akhos. Patroka." Nia commented as she prepared herself for another fight.

"I won't let you kill Jin." Patroka said, ready to fight the entire gang if she had to.

"Stand down, Patroka. It's okay." Jin said with difficulty.

"But-" "It's over for us now. There's nothing more." Jin interrupted, "We've done all that we had to."

"...Jin." Patroka grit her teeth a little before lowering her weapon. "Nia."

"Me?" the Flesh Eater in question said.

"Your power. Can you use it on Jin?" Patroka asked.

"Well... sure I could, but it'll only be a temporary measure." Nia said, looking to Rex who had turned his gaze to everyone else.

"It's alright, Nia. Jin isn't fighting anymore." Rex said with a reassuring look.

"Kid... you can't know that." Qrow protested. "As soon as Nia heals him, he might just attack us again."

"No, he won't." Dragunov argued back. "Jin is done... In more ways than one."

"And how do you know that?" Qrow frowned at the dragon.

"...If you don't know that then there's no point in explaining it." Dragunov said.

Qrow was about to protest before feeling someone grab his arm. "Let's just trust them." Ozpin said.

Qrow had barely given his grudging acknowledgment before Nia was walking to Jin, taking her Blade form again.

"I should go see if there's anything else in this place we can use to help Jin." Patroka said before running towards the side door she and Akhos came from.

"Urgh!" Suddenly Patroka felt herself being stabbed in the stomach. Looking down, the black-haired Flesh Eater saw a glowing blue tentacle that had burst out of the floor.

"Patroka!" Akhos cried out as the tentacle pulled out of Atroka revealing its sharp tip.

Then more tentacles burst out of the floor, tearing it open to make way for a pale giant with multiple glowing blue spots on its body. The creature had a total of six glowing blue tentacles coming out of its back. "You will climb no further." the giant said before showing its face that had what looked like a pale helmet with five glowing spots on the top, while right above its familiar face was a familiar upside-down triangle shaped spot. At the sides of its head were also short glowing blue antennaes that seemed to twitch every now and then.

Zeke looked shocked as he saw the face of the creature, "Wh-?! Amalthus? Here?!"

Indeed, the creature was the Praetor in a monstrous form. Only, his eyes that were yellow when they first met him were now malicious red.

"Why does he look like that?" Ruby asked as the monstrous form of Amalthus glanced down at Patroka who had collapsed after she was stabbed. Amalthus struck his now oversized arm through the Flesh Eater, earning gasps out of everyone.

"What is he doing?!" Pyrrha demanded just before the glowing spots along the Praetor's arm glowed in a sequence as if something were moving through it. Right to his back where a node that had several glowing spots glowed brightly for an instant before the same glow came to the large glowing blue circle in the middle of his chest.

"If the Architect did send Blades down into this world, it was for my sake." Amalthus said, "To find and raise cores containing more powerful, wondrous unparalleled data. That is why I created the cleansing procedure." Then the monstrous and apparently mad Praetor spread his arms wide, "Behold the culmination of my work!"

"You lunatic." Jin said weakly, "He took the cores from all those Blades. So that was the reason for the cleansing."

This earned shocked looks from Remnans and Alrestians alike. "But... wasn't that just supposed to make it easier to become a Driver?" Ruby asked, having heard of this from Rex along with everyone else.

"I am the agent of Architect's will!" Amalthus then declared, earning everyone's attention again.

"What is he saying?" Mòrag questioned as she couldn't fathom what was going on right now.

"Delusions of grandeur." Dromarch replied as he took a few steps forward, ready to strike at any moment.

"And a religious nutcase at that." Qrow said in annoyance, "Should've known he was one."

"You can't just decide stuff like that, dude!" Pandoria added her opinion to the mix, "You're out of your damn mind!"

"It is no delusion! Have you forgotten the Aegis' power?" Amalthus said before turning to point at Pneuma who looked thoughtful while Rex had gotten a little in front of her. The True Aegis Sword once again alight. Is it not the Aegis' power to erase worthless things from existence?! Is that not the Architect's very will?"

"Pyra and Mythra aren't like that." Rex said firmly.

"I just realized something." Pneuma then said as she stepped beside Rex. "Why is Malos so intent on scouring the world? It's you Amalthus. Malos has become tainted by your influence."

"So what if he has?" Amalthus then said with a crazy smile, "What's the problem? You've had your little trip around Alrest. You've witnessed the state of Morytha. Mankind will never change, no matter how many millenia will pass!"

"You're the one who won't change." Rex then said, "That's exactly why you hate those who try to!"

"And why should I have to change?" Amalthus demanded angrily, "If I change, I lose everything. I lose my very self. Who in their right mind would accept such a fate?!"

"You're wrong!" Blake shouted out, "We've all had to change as we got here. If I had stayed the same, then... I would've ended up alone in the world by my own choosing! By changing, I've realized that I don't have to live like that!"

"...Blake." Yang mouthed out in surprise.

"You said it, Blake" Weiss added in. "Alrest is not the paradise some of us imagined it to be. But nothing is perfect, and we of Remnant may be the same... but all we can do is just keep improving where we can."

Dahlia felt a surge of pride as a smile formed on her Driver's resolve. Aizen also had the faintest of smiles of his choice in Driver.

"I had to change too." Jaune added in, "I shouldn't have been where everyone else was, and I thought that I can't have anyone help me. I learned that I was wrong, and from there... I don't know how much better I've gotten from those days, but I'll never stop getting better!"

"Jaune." Pyrrha mouthed out,"...When did you become so cool?" Pyrrha thought that last part inside her head.

"We all had to grow one way or another." Ren added to Jaune. "What if that very self that you hold so dear is the reason you only find misery?"

"Silence, outsider!" Amalthus yelled angrily. "What would you know about this wretched world?!"

"You're weak old man." Zeke then said, sounding disappointed, "The weakest of us all."

Meanwhile Akhos had moved towards motionless Patroka. His weapon faded away as he fell on his knees over Patroka's lifeless body. "Patroka-?"

Jin had a good guess what was going through the black-haired bespectacled Flesh Eater's mind. Akhos' and Patroka's Drivers were siblings, before the two became Flesh Eaters. And because of taking the Flesh of their Drivers, they themselves considered each other siblings.

"Akhos no! He's-" Jin tried to warn, but Akhos had already stood back up. Bow notched with an electric arrow and fired it at Amalthus with a battlecry.

But Amalthus used one of the tentacles to deflect the shot and then used it to catch Akhos and pull him in.

"L-let me go. You monster." Akhos struggled in the grip, but his arms were pinned.

"How dare you look down on me. You a mere Blade whose very existence depends upon ours." Amalthus sneered.

"Rex, he's got Akhos!" Nia called out as she threw her Catalyst Scimitar to Rex.

"I'm on it." Rex said as he caught the weapon to his left hand before bringing it and the True Aegis Sword together. Then Rex swung them both, sending a wave of blue and green energy at the Praetor.

The two antennae on the sides of his head vibrated wildly as Haze's Core on his forehead glowed and the combined attack dissipated before reaching him. Something about this made Otohime frown.

"Grr... Let him go pal!" Nia charged past Rex, snatching her weapon as she did. But as soon as she got within range, Amalthus used one tentacle to swipe Nia away from him.

Then he had to guard against blue flames. Amalthus turned a hateful gaze to Mòrag who was wielding one of Brighid's Whipswords. "This is a strange situation. Fighting so hard to save a member of Torna."

Then Brighid used the second Whipsword to deflect a tentacle that tried to stab Mórag. "Indeed, but it seems like the right thing to do." Brighid said after retracting the whip into a sword.

"His aim is clear. And so is ours." Mòrag said as she ducked under another tentacle before Agate used her axe to counter a follow up swipe. Aegaeon doing the same for Brighid before the Ardainian team avoided more attacks. After dancing between few attacks, Amalthus finally managed to separate Mòrag from her Blades long enough to go for a strike.

Except this time, it was intercepted by Poppi who used her jets and the Drillshield's drill to strike at the tentacle trying to harm Mòrag. "Much thanks." Mòrag had time to say.

"Friend welcome." Poppi replied.

"Poppi, now not time for kind manners." Tora said as he waddled past the Artificial Blade.

Two more of Amalthus' tentacles tried to stab at the Nopon inventor and the Artificial Blade. Except these ones were taken out by a shot of lightning and light respectively.

"Don't worry, friend Poppi." Penny saluted while holding Kos-Mos' Ether Cannon.

"I believe in returning favors." Said Pandoria who lowered her hand with a smile, "You guys owe me for that."

"Much thanks." Poppi said before tossing her shield to Tora.

Amalthus then had to also shield himself with four of his tentacles when Ruby, Ren and Oscar fired their respective ranged Arts at the mad man. "How!? Who do you people think you are?!" Then he was covered by a flaming red aura before releasing a shockwave that threw everyone back.

As everyone got back up, Amalthus took a heavy step forward. "Incorrigible whelps! Why would humans side with Blades?!"

"Is he slow?" Zeke asked rhetorically, "He thinks it's a side to pick? We share a bond, you numbskull!" The Tantalese Driver then got back up with a determined look. "We're all friends here! We're in this thing together!"

"Bonds? Of friendship?" Amalthus sounded baffled, "With these trinkets?!" And then he plunged his hand through the still trapped Akhos who grunted in pain. Amalthus pulled his hand back that was now holding Akhos' Core Crystal. Amalthus looked at the bloodstained Crystal with a smile before tossing Akhos to the gang like garbage.

"Akhos!" Jin let out as he tried to get up but was still far too weak.

"That was... surprisingly painful." Akhos managed to say, "If I were... still a Blade this wouldn't..." The bespectacled Flesh Eater was trying to reach out to Jin. But then he collapsed, no longer moving.

"Akhos!" Jin yelled out before turning a hateful gaze to Amalthus."Amalthus."

Suddenly Rex got in front of the Tornan Flesh Eater as if protecting him. "You stay right there. He's a human so we should be the ones to kick his arse." Rex said firmly.

Jin glared at Rex for this remark, "I have a heart, no less human than-" "Then you better take good care of it." Rex interrupted, "That's why you came here... Right?"

Once again, Rex surprised Jin. "Rex..."

"We're gonna break the 500-year-long curse right here!" Rex declared.

"Yeah!" Pneuma agreed.

"We'll help too!" Ruby said with a determined look, "Right guys?"

Yang bumped her fists together with Dragunov's talons, "I think I speak for everyone when I say: Hell yeah!"

"She's got that right." Blake agreed as she prepared Nox's Dual Scythes, with Perceval standing a little in front of her, hand on his sheathed Chroma Katana. Everyone else also prepared themselves to face Amalthus.

(Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Praetor Amalthus - The Acting God)

"You dare try and sully the Architect's presence with your filth!" Amalthus called out as he pointed a finger at Rex. "Then face the wrath of god's hand!"

Otohime's head tendrils curved into wider arcs as her eyes widened, "Rex! Get away from there!"

"Huh?" Rex asked just before an explosion manifested between him and Pneuma, blowing the two away from each other.

"What just happened?" Yang was the first to let out.

"Amalthus can manipulate ether to cause explosions." Otohime explained, her tendrils lowering to their normal arcs over her head.

"As expected of Uraya's treasure." Amalthus complimented before then pointing his finger at her and Ren.

"Ren, move!" Otohime commanded as she already moved away from the spot she was standing on along with her Driver. Just in time for another explosion to occur, but this time the two had managed to gain enough distance for them to just stagger a little. After regaining his balance, Ren fired several shots from Otohime's cannon, but they were deflected by Amalthus' tentacles.

"So he can make explosions. Big deal." Dragunov said, his cracks now more gold than orange. "Let's just tear him apart."

As much as Yang agreed with her Blade, she also felt apprehensive about the anger that was seeping to her through their affinity link. Still, she dashed towards their target, talons at the ready. Fortunately, Amalthus became more focused on Qrow who used his bird form to his advantage by flapping himself right on Amalthus' head, so he could bash it with Kasandra's hammer.

"You dare?!" Amalthus yelled as he swatted his arm at Qrow who ducked underneath before then rolling away from a tentacle that tried to stab him.

"Argh!" Amalthus exclaimed when something hit his leg. On instinct, he used his other arm to swat at whatever it was that hit him. Only for his arm to be stopped by Dragunov grabbing it, which was followed by Yang then unloading Heatblast to the Praetor's face. Amalthus' face was singed, but otherwise it didn't seem to do too much damage "You dare strike-Argh!" This time, something hit his back. Reaching for his back at whatever it was that hit him, Amalthus just missed Blake who got him right on the back with Nox's scythes. "You filthy ver-" Once again Amalthus was cut off when he then got a stab to his other leg from Pyrrha, followed by Jaune unleashing Arclight at him. "Cease this!" Amalthus roared as he then crossed his arms.

"Thousand Tentacles!" Contrary to its name, the six tentacles on his back just started flinging around him wildly. Swatting away Jaune and Pyrrha, as well as Rex, Roc, and Tora who used the Drillshield to block the tentacles swatting at him.

"Poppi, QT mode!" Tora commanded.

"Roger roger." Poppi complied and switched to QT mode. And with that, Tora aimed both Mech Arms at the Praetor.

"Pow Pow Cannon!"

"Tch!" Amalthus swatted the shots away with his tentacles. Then Amalthus wrapped the tentacles around himself in a makeshift veil. "Divine Robes!" Then his body crackled with electricity for a moment.

Azurda instantly perked up in Rex's helmet, "His element is now electric!"

"Got it!" Rex nodded, "Wulfric, Pyrrha, Tora and Poppi. You're up!"

"On it!" Pyrrha immediately started before tossing Thiarko at Amalthus. The Praetor swatted the shield away with his arm as Wulfric moved in and swiped at the right leg with all his might.

Which Tora finished by tossing his shield to Poppi who was now in alpha form, "Do it Poppi!"

"Aye aye, masterpon!" Poppi obliged and pirouetted at Amalthus' other leg with blades jutting out of the shield.

Amalthus looked like he was about to attack, but then his antennaes started vibrating uncontrollably, "What is this?" Amalthus turned to Pyrrha who's hand was covered by a faint black glow. Unfortunately, this distraction proved bad, because he then got hit by Thiarko that then hit his helmet directly from above, thanks to Pyrrha's semblance. Not to mention that Poppi was not interrupted during her attack. Poppi then quickly used her boosters just in time to get away from a kick that Amalthus did. But then the Praetor turned to glare at Pyrrha, "You! What are you?!"

"What's he talking about?" Jaune said just when Pyrrha pulled Thiarko back to her hand.

"Where did you find this Flesh Eater?!" Amalthus demanded.

"None of your business, fiend!" Joana snapped at the Praetor.

Amalthus looked like he was about to answer before his antennaes vibrated again, this time he turned to see what looked like a flurry of rose petals coming at him. "What is this?!" The Praetor exclaimed as Ruby and Roze came out of the petals, with Ruby using Crescent Spinner. Except Amalthus managed to raise his arm to block it. "What kind of Blade are you?!" Amalthus demanded as he tried to catch Roze with a tentacle.

Only for Ruby to quickly grab her Blade's arm and then use her semblance to get them away.

Nora meanwhile had an evil smile as she had Electra hug her. Earning Amalthus' attention when his antennaes vibrated once again.

"How can you- No! It's not your Blade." Amalthus said as he now stared directly at Nora. But Nora didn't care as she now charged at the Praetor, all the while she was being Power Hugged.

"Guilty Road!" Amalthus leaped over Nora with a frontal flip, all six tentacles swiping the carrot top and Electra as he did.

"Okay, so he's more maneuverable than he looks." Qrow commented as he and Perceval moved behind the Praetor.

Perceval didn't comment on Qrow's words. He was more focused on Blake who made a series of quick motions. Understanding what his Driver meant, the assassin nodded.

Meanwhile Amalthus made another explosion to Mòrag who had used Azure II:Blaze to distract the Praetor.

"Urgh." Mòrag grunted as the explosion, this time electric, barely grazed her as she was able to get away from the effective range. The Praetor was then forced to use his tentacles to keep Zeke, Rex, and Yang at bay.

Which was the opportunity for Qrow and Perceval to hit him from behind with their respective weapons. But that wasn't the end of it, for Blake came from the side and used Shadowspin on the Praetor's side before quickly throwing her weapons to Nox and caught Perceval's Chroma Katana when the assassin threw it. Then Blake used the purple bladed weapon to slice at the Praetor's leg again.

"ARGH!" Amalthus cried out in what sounded like excruciating pain as every single glowing spot on his body shined for an instant.

"What?" Came out of Perceval who was channeling his power to Blake.

"What, what?" Blake said before having to quickly use her semblance to avoid two tentacles that tried to impale her.

"Brandish didn't work." Perceval said in astonishment.

Blake didn't take her eyes off of Amalthus who was glaring at her with greater hate than Adam ever did, and that's saying something. "What was it supposed to do?"

"Kill him." Perceval answered."...Perhaps all these Cores on his body blur his humanity."

Blake was too focused on Amalthus to truly register Perceval's explanation as Amalthus seemed to stare at her with those antennaes once again vibrating.

"Where? Where does this power come from?" Amalthus demanded again.

"Are you talking about Aura?" Qrow asked almost smugly.

"Aura?" Amalthus questioned, "Is that what you call it?"

"Well, yeah. It's the power of our souls. Something that only appears on our world." Qrow gave the short answer.

"What nonsense!" Amalthus said with a glare. "There is no way you can just weaponize your very soul!"

"Well, it's true." Rex said as he tried to get close enough to attack Amalthus, but the Praetor sent another explosion at the boy who using Pneuma's abilities got himself far enough to not be affected. "Humans of Remnant have the power to shield themselves with their souls. They also gain cool abilities with them." Rex continued as he deflected a tentacle.

"Is that so?" Amalthus said strangely smugly, "Then explain how that Flesh Eater is able to use it!" Amalthus pointed at Pyrrha.

"You wouldn't believe us even if we told you." Nia countered as she sent a small wave of water ether with her Catalyst Scimitar at the Praetor.

"Wouldn't I?" Amalthus said condescendingly, "Well, no matter!" Amalthus then pointed his hand towards Jaune.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried out before using her semblance to yank both him and Joana by their armors away from the explosion that followed. Unbeknownst to Pyrrha, Amalthus was watching her intently.

"There it is!" Amalthus said triumphantly when the upside-down triangle that was Haze's Core Crystal shined brightly while the antennaes curled backwards ever so slightly.

"Huh?" Pyrrha was able to sound out before her red aura became visible for all. And then it shattered in what looked like an explosion as the Fall Champion screamed in pain before collapsing.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune screamed in panic as he moved to check on his teammate. "Pyrrha! Are you okay? Answer me!" Jaune said in panic as he kneeled down and cradled the unresponsive girl.

Joana was also at their side, activating her Medical Scan. "What? How can- You!" Joana yelled at Amalthus accusingly. "What did you do to milady?!"

Amalthus smirked but didn't answer.

"Joana! What's wrong with Pyrrha!" Jaune said as he was now hugging the girl's helmeted head. Completely unresponsive.

"Physically, milord...nothing." Joana said, her voice cracking, "But... her higher brain functions have been... disabled."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Jaune asked, tears pooling into his eyes.

"Physically, she is alright, but... to put it in layman terms: Milady has the mental faculties of a vegetable." Joana said before summoning her Catalyst Scimitar and charged the Praetor with an enraged battlecry. "Die you soulless demon!" Joana screamed, but in her rage, she didn't realize to watch out for a tentacle that swiped her away.

As Joana got up, everyone else heard the terrible news in varying levels of shock.

"No..." Ruby muttered, shaking her head, "Not again."

"You bastard!" Nora screamed as she took out Magnhild and started firing all the grenades in it, not caring that there was no chance for a resupply on Alrest.

Amalthus grinned as he used his tentacles to blow the grenades up before they reached him. Then Haze's Core Crystal on his forehead shined again with the antennae still curled.

Soon Nora's pink Aura became visible before it too promptly exploded, just like with Pyrrha.

"Nora!" Electra and Ren cried out in unison as the orange haired Driver of team JNPR collapsed.

"Nononononono." Ren said frantically as he dropped Otohime's cannon and ran to Nora's side.

"Ren!" Otohime called after him in vain.

By the time, Ren got to Nora, Electra was already at her Driver's side.

"Owowowow." Nora whimpered as she tried to get up but seemed to be in pain.

"Nora, are you okay?" Ren asked in near panic.

"Ow. No, my entire body hurts." Nora said with a strain as if the very action of talking caused her pain.

"Nora's okay!" Electra immediately screamed before hugging her Driver tightly.

"OWW!" Nora screamed, causing Electra to instantly detach hereself in horror.

As everyone looked relieved Weiss dug out her Scroll to check Nora's Aura quickly. Her face went as white as Dahlias. "No... How?" Weiss let out in horror.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Dahlia asked in concern. In response, Weiss showed Dahlia the green bars that had Remnantian's pictures on them, with the exception of Pyrrha. On Nora's widely grinning picture, instead of showing a green bar next to it, like with the others, it displayed N/A. "What does it mean?" Dahlia asked.

"...No Aura." Weiss said, still not believing it. "But for it to show that would mean... Nora doesn't have an active Aura."

"You mean... it has ran out?" Aizen asked, not fully comprehending.

"No! It would mean that Nora doesn't have an active Aura at all!" Weiss snapped.

At this, every other Remnan also checked their Scrolls for Nora's Aura. Sure enough, Their Scrolls displayed N/A next to Nora's picture.

"I... don't have Aura?" Nora said, looking like she didn't believe it, even as she saw the back of the screen on Ren's Scroll that displayed the same thing it did for everyone else.

"But... how can that be?" Qrow said in alarm.

Amalthus let out a laugh at his accomplishment. "So this has never happened to you before? Well, it has now!" Amalthus said before red and black glow on the largest Core Crystal in the middle of his chest glowed with black and red light. All the while Haze's Crystal was shining, and the antennae were curled. "Domination!" Amalthus released a spherical wave of red and black energy.

"Ruby!" Roze cried out as he put up a barrier to protect his Driver. But the waved passed through as if the barrier weren't there.

"What?" Ruby let out as her own red Aura became visible. And just like with Nora, the red hooded Driver screamed in pain as her Aura shattered and she collapsed.

"No!" Roze dropped the barrier and grabbed his driver in an instant. To the Reaper Blade's horror, multiple screams of pain echoed in the hall as the wave ended. Followed by...

"My lady!" Nox's nightmarish voice screamed as he quickly caught Blake's falling body.

"Weiss!" That was Dahlia.

"No, Yang!" Dragunov yelled.

"Milord!" Joana screamed.

"Qrow!" That was Kassandra.

"Ren, are you alright?!" Now it was Otohime.

"Master! Please respond!" Even Kos-Mos managed to put some emotion as she inspected Penny's state. Which looked to be the same as Pyrrha's, completely unresponsive.

"Oscar!" Herald's concern was clear.

"Rex!" Even Pneuma cried out in fear.

"I'm okay." Rex quickly said as he was still on his feet. The Core Crystal piece on his chest glowing brightly for a moment as the wave passed him, before fading. His Aura still being intact.

"Could someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" Zeke demanded as all Remnans were now down.

"Oh, I just disabled their Ether Barriers." Amalthus said smugly.

"Ether Barriers?" Brighid repeated, "You mean their Auras?"

Amalthus scowled, "Call it what you will. It's just modified Ether Energy."

"Guys!" Oscar yelled out from Herald's arms with a look of terror on his face, "...I can't feel Ozpin! At all!"

"What?!" Qrow let out as he tried to get up from Kasandra's arms, but it felt like his entire body was screaming in protest. "Kid, are you serious?!"

"Yes." Oscar said as he shifted in Herald's arms. His body aching just as much as everyone else's who's Aura was disabled. But why was Rex still standing?

"Amalthus! What do you mean Aura is modified Ether Energy?" Rex demanded.

"What else could I have possibly meant?" Amalthus mocked, "I don't know how, but their bodies generate a strange form of Ether that they use as barriers. All I did was convert it into regular Ether and then seal the source."

This made Otohime perk up, "Which would mean that the sudden extraction of it would cause... damage."

"Nia, your abilities can heal them at the cellular level. You must help!" Joana quickly said, having come to the same conclusion.

"Already on it." Nia said, already healing Jaune who she happened to be closest to.

"You all must protect your Drivers." Aegaeon told to the Remnant Blades.

"We know, dammit!" Dragunov growled as he stood guard over Yang.

"I don't need protecting." Yang grumbled as she tried to force herself up. Her body cried in protest, but the blonde brawler didn't care.

"Yes, you do." Dragunov said before forcing his Driver down as gently as he needed without dealing damage. "At least until Nia gets here to heal you."

"Can't you do it?" Yang complained as she couldn't muster the strength to even try resisting her Blade's firm hand pressing her down. "Just channel your healing power and pour it on me or something."

"My healing powers don't work that way, genius. Now stay down." Dragunov argued back. Sadly, he wasn't lying, Dragunov's healing powers are based on the damage he causes. The greater the damage the more he can heal.

"Dammit." Yang said softly as she felt helpless. And she hated it.

The rest of the Alrestians began fighting Amalthus who now had an easier time keeping the fewer numbers at bay. Even when Aizen joined in after entrusting Weiss with Dahlia they had a hard time, because it seemed like Amalthus was immune to the nobleman Blade's illusions. Otohime was trying to think how to help. Something about those antennae that Amalthus had on his head felt... familiar. They vibrated when Amalthus seemingly sensed Aura. Then they curled when he disabled them. And then it clicked for her... Or at least. "Mòrag? Did Brighid and Aegaeon ever go through with the cleansing ritual?" Otohime called out to the Special Inquisitor.

"What?" Mòrag questioned before ducking under another tentacle that tried to impale her.

"Answer me! It is important!" Otohime raised her voice.

Mòrag grit her teeth, "Yes, but it was done under the strictest of supervision by Ardainian officials."

That settled it for Otohime, "If those two had undergone cleansing... Then so have I. Which would mean..." With those thoughts, Otohime brought her head tendrils over Ren whose upper body was cradled by her.

"What are you doing?" Ren asked weakly as the tendrils hovered over him, moving around as if searching for something.

"Hush. I need to concentrate." Otohime shushed as she closed her eyes. "...This would be easier if I knew what I was looking for..." Then one of the tendrils twitched. "Hm?" Otohime focused the tendrils to the area where the twitch happened. Both tendrils began twitching faintly. Opening her eyes, Otohime saw that the spot was over the spot where Ren's heart would be. The Imperial Mother placed her palm on it before concentrating again. She smiled at her discovery, "I found it." Then her lotus shaped Core Crystal shined with power.

All of a sudden Ren took in a huge gasp of air, surprising Otohime, Nora and Electra who were close enough to notice. Ren quickly placed his hand over Otohime's, trying to grasp that area. "What did you do?" Ren almost demanded as he took in large breaths of air.

The water Blade smiled as she used one tendril to fish out Ren's Scroll for her to check if her theory worked. Seeing what she hoped, Otohime smiled before showing the screen to Ren. It didn't take the green clad Driver long to see what was going on, his Aura gauge showed his Aura being low, but it was still there.

"But... but how?" Ren was able to ask.

"I will explain later, I need to confirm something first." Otohime said before lowering her Driver down gently and moving to Nora.

"Otohime, what did you do?" Electra asked, totally confused.

"The same thing I am now doing to your Driver. Unlock her Aura once more." Otohime said before placing her palm over Nora's heart.

"You can do that?" Nora asked as Otohime smiled before her Core Crystal once again shined. Which was followed by Nora gasping for air, just like Ren did.

"The lock is the same." Otohime muttered with a small smile, "And if that is the case..." Otohime stood up before summoning her Ether Cannon from where Ren had discarded it back to her hand.

During this, Nia had been healing each Remnan to the point of them being able to move without pain again. But, since they no longer had their Auras they were hesitant to rejoin the fray. All but one.

"Just be careful now, you don't have the protection you're used to." Dragunov said as he kept channeling his power to Yang.

"Yes, mother." Yang said sarcastically as she moved swatted away a tentacle with the back of Dragunov's talon. Even without her Aura, Yang refused to stand in the sidelines. Especially when the Alrestians fight like this every single day.

"Why you, I ought to..." Dragunov grumbled, but just kept at his job. Which was supplying his power to Yang and making sure she doesn't die on him.

"Who do you think you are?!" Amalthus shouted as he created another field of red and black energy.

"Crap!" Yang exclaimed, braced for another dose of... whatever Amalthus did to incapacitate her. Except when the field passed her, only Dragunov's talons deactivated. But that didn't stop Yang's heart from jumping into her throat as she turned to her Blade, just in time to see him fall down, bound by purple chains.

"This power." Dragunov growled as he struggled against the chains, cracks glowing gold but unable to break free.

It wasn't just the dragon Blade that was incapacitated. All Blades, both of the Alrestians and Remnans were bound the same way. Except Otohime who seemingly ripped a hole into the field that then passed her harmlessly, Nia and Electra who were at that point directly behind Otohime alongside Ren and Nora. Nia having managed to heal the muscle damage on both of them by this point.

Pneuma was bound by the purple chains too, but when Rex caught her the Core Crystal halves they had shined as one and the chains dissolved.

But it was Otohime's stunt that caught Amalthus' attention. "You! How did you do that?!"

"How? I should be asking you, how long did it take for you to steal my power?!" Otohime replied angrily.

"What?!" Was the universal reaction to that.

Unheeding of anyone else, Otohime continued, "You used your so-called cleansing ritual to steal power from Blades for who knows how long. Including myself, but since I was the national treasure of Uraya, you could not simply take me completely for yourself."

Amalthus sneered at Otohime, "So what if I couldn't? By taking your data over the decades, I was able to replicate your abilities well enough!"

"Well enough to identify and seal Auras." Otohime said with a small smile, "And yet, because it was my power that sealed them away, it was paltry task for me to unseal them."

"You had no right to do that!" Amalthus shouted as he used the tentacles to raise himself higher. "Sacred Arrow!" Amalthus then fired what looked like Mythra's level 4 Special Art from his chest.

"Oh, crap!" Nia exclaimed as she grabbed Ren and got out of the way, Electra did the the same with Nora. Otohime also moved out of the way, but the resulting explosion from the blast still threw all back.

"Ow." Nia got up, holding her arm that she landed badly on. Ren and Nora did feel pain momentarily, but thanks to Nia's healing also restoring their now unlocked Auras they were mostly fine. And Electra was sturdier than her little body indicated.

"Ren, I need your help!" Otohime called out to her Driver, "Come to me!" Ren didn't hesitate in rushing to his Blade's side. She must have some kind of plan.

(Song Change: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Counterattack!)

"You think I would let you?!" Amalthus let out as he sent tentacles after the two. Only for them to be intercepted by Rex and Pneuma.

"Ren, Otohime, if you guys know how to undo Amalthus' seal then do it!" Rex said as he prepared the True Aegis Sword against Amalthus.

"Rex and I will keep him busy." Pneuma added in, not taking her eyes off of their enemy.

"You have my thanks." Otohime said as she and Ren both grasped the Imperial Mother's Ether Cannon. "Ren, I need you to channel as much of your Aura into my weapon as you can."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Otohime said sternly.

Ren didn't argue, so he did as he was told. Channeling as much of his Aura into the weapon as he could when wielding Stormflowers.

"Yes... do not stop." Otohime said with a smile as a golden glow began covering the two. "Stop, that is enough." Otohime then said and Ren stopped channeling. Now that their Affinity had reached maximum, there was no longer a need for verbal communication. Which was why the two then raised the Cannon to aim towards the ceiling as the dragon maw that was the Cannon's muzzle charged itself.

"Fire!" Ren and Otohime let out in unison as they fired a single blast towards the roof. The shot didn't get far before exploding into water ether that then began slowly cascading around the hangar. As soon as it came down low enough for Remnans to breath it in, all of them gasped in a huge amount of air just like Ren and Nora did previously.

"Salutations!" Penny let out cheerfully as she had gotten up into a sitting position. "Huh? Did something happen?" Penny then asked, looking around the battlefield in confusion.

"Friends are okay!" Tora cheered. As it seemed like Otohime had undone the seal on the Remnan's Auras.

"Ow, Pyrrha! Pyrrha, Pyrrha, it's okay!" Jaune said frantically as the newly reawakened Pyrrha just started hugging Jaune while bawling uncontrollably.

"No!" Amalthus yelled as the Remnans actually felt their Auras.

"Again!" Ren and Otohime said in unison before firing a second shot into the air that then exploded and cascaded down again. This time, the Blades that were sealed were released.

"I will tear you apart!" Came out of Dragunov as soon as he got back on his feet. Dragon heads were awake as his and Yang's Affinity had reached maximum too.

"You're gonna pay for doing that to us!" Yang added in, her eyes turning red with anger at what Amalthus did to her friends, especially Ruby.

*crack*

Yang turned to her Blade in terror to see that a new crack had opened on Dragunov's shoulder.

"No. Not now!" Dragunov roared as more cracks were opening. "I can't... It's too much! Too much... hate!"

Yang looked back to Amalthus. The blonde brawler had a very good idea on what her Blade was talking about. This is the guy who practically made Malos destroy Dragunov's home. Caused Jin to go down the deep end, and now hurt Yang herself. That last one surprised Yang. But then she looked to the affinity link... "Of course," Yang thought as she now had an idea of what to do. As more cracks opened around Dragunov's stone scales Yang grabbed her blade by his face and forced him to look at her. "Drag! Let it go!"

"What?" Dragunov said as his eyes kept shifting towards Amalthus who was once again busy with the now revived gang. It seemed like he had a hard time focusing on anything but the rage he had towards the madman.

"Let it out! Go Sun Dragon." Yang said with a determined look.

"Are you insane?! You can't control it!"

"Yes I can!" Yang argued, her own eyes red. "Because I don't have a choice!"

"I don't trust myself to-" "Then trust me!" Yang interrupted, "Drag... I'm your Driver. I have to control this. If I can't then... I can never..." The blonde Driver trailed off as she couldn't finish her train of thought aloud.

But she didn't have to thanks to the affinity link, "...Alright then... I trust you." Yang looked surprised at her Blade agreeing with her. With a smile, the Y of RWBY turned to face Amalthus. Except she then felt Dragunov's enormous hand on her shoulder. "But... If you fail and someone dies, you have no right to blame me." Yang resisted a wince at how hard Dragunov was squeezing, no doubt he was trying to hold back. Yang placed her own hand on top of Dragunov's and gave him a determined look.

"I know." With that affirmation, Dragunov took his hand from Yang's shoulder, closed his eyes, and embraced the rage.

All activity ceased when a loud roar resounded in the hall, causing everyone to look to the source. Only for them to see a small explosion of golden flames that soon gave way to the golden scales with similar colored flames dancing around them. The Sun Dragon of Torna has awakened from the stone once again.

"Dragunov." Jin said weakly only being able to observe this battle, "So you finally gave in."

"Y-Yang?" Ruby said unsurely as she saw the golden scaled gauntlets with claws of white flame around her sister's arms.

(Song Change: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Incoming!)

Then the blonde and the dragon let out roars of rage in unison as the former's hair ignited with dazzling flames.

"She's not in control!" Qrow let out as the situation was now the same as it was back in Tantal.

Yang and Dragunov then dashed at the Praetor together with their expressions filled with rage.

"So the fairy tale was true." Amalthus commented as the golden Driver and Blade were approaching. "No matter!" Amalthus then pointed a finger at the approaching duo. But just before he could let out the command, the two separated as far away from each other as the affinity link would allow. This allowed the two to avoid the blast, which forced Amalthus to use another Thousand Tentacles.

But Dragunov deflected the tentacles, either with his arms or with the dragon heads breathing white fire on them. Interestingly, when Dragunov blocked with his arms explosions of golden flame were happening along Amalthus' own arms.

Yang on the other hand weaved past the tentacles Dragunov didn't block and actually jumped on Amalthus. Then she used both claws to tear the antennaes on the sides of his head.

"Argh! Get off of me!" Amalthus yelled as he managed to smack Yang back down. He must have hit her on the face because another burst of golden flame happened on his own face.

"I guess Yang and Dragunov still deal damage to Amalthus." Zeke said in worry. They almost had to kill Yang last time the Sun Dragon woke up. "If only she was in control."

"I wonder about that," Mòrag said as she saw Amalthus curl those tentacles around him again. That last attack on Amalthus' antennae seemed almost calculated to her.

Azruda picked up what was going on, "His element is now water."

"So he's planning to take out Yang and Dragunov." Weiss commented, not daring to try and attack Amalthus. She feared that she might accidentally get the raging duo's attention.

"Pneuma!" Rex threw the True Aegis sword to the said Blade.

Pneuma pointed the weapon at Amalthus, "Starburst!" And then shot an emerald beam at the Praetor, blasting him back from the sheer force.

"Use whatever element you want to follow up." Pneuma called out to everyone.

"B-but." Ruby stammered as Pneuma luckily missed Yang and Dragunov who happened to be out of Amalthus' way.

"Schooling Rip." But Otohime had already followed it up with her level 2. Amalthus was soon bombarded by shots shaped like fish. "Followed by, Steam Bomb." Sure enough, an explosions of blistering hot steam burst in front of Amalthus.

This was followed by Yang coming at him from behind and unloading Fever Rush on him. The enraged blonde followed this up by jumping on his back and unloading a Heatblast on his back next. Then she jumped off just in time to avoid two of Amalthus' tentacles trying to stab her.

"I will not accept this!" Amalthus yelled out as he prepared another Domination.

"Super Laser!" Was the only warning that came before Penny's Art hit Amalthus straight into Haze's Core Crystal, interrupting the Praetor.

"I will seal you again, even if I have to do it one by one!" Amalthus threatened. before pointing at Penny again. But nothing happened. "What?"

"You do not possess the antennae anymore. Without them, you cannot accurately pinpoint the source." Otohime pointed out, "And the power of that Core Crystal is not enough to perform a true sealing."

"I will teach you to incur my wrath!" Amalthus threatened.

"You wanna see angry? Turn around!" Came the angry voice of Yang, much to everyone's surprise. Turning to the source, Amalthus came face to face with Sun Dragon Dragunov wielding his golden scaled talons. But for some reason, the claws themselves seemed deactivated.

"Booyah!" Dragunov let out as he unloaded the first punch on Amalthus' leg with enough force to force the Praetor on one knee. But it was also accompanied by an explosion of white flames from the very slots that the claws normally come out. This was followed by a series of rapid explosive punches to the now lowered torso. Each of which made Amalthus hack and cough. Dragunov kept roaring as he wouldn't let up hitting the monstrosity in front of him. All the while the dragon heads made an impression of a stubborn child who was trying to hold their breath in protest. With every punch Dragunov made, the cheeks and necks of the dragon heads seemed to swell.

"Begone!" Dragunov roared before pulling both fists back, slots charging with white flames before unloading their white fiery contents upon Amalthus, actually sending the Indoline flying at the far wall. "And for the final touch!" Dragunov then said before both dragon heads finally opened their mouths and unleashed a large white flame each at the severely burned and bashed Praetor. Amalthus brought the tentacles at the front in order to switch elements again, but before he could begin the process itself, the two flames reached the tentacles and exploded in white flames. The explosion destroyed all six tentacles to the disbelief of everyone who saw it. "And finally, Steam Explosion!" And the level three Blade Combo activated, right before Dragunov threw his talons to back to Yang who caught them onto her arms from midair. Hair igniting with dazzling flames again, as it wasn't on fire during Dragunov's Special Art.

"Yang." Blake was the first to get over the disbelief, "You're in control?!"

Yang seemed to give an angry look with her red eyes at Blake. "Nailed it. I know. Thank you. Moving on." Yang said quickly as if she was trying not to explode.

"How! How could you do this to me!" yelled Amalthus who came out of the now fading steam. "You can't do this to me!"

"How the hell is he still standing after all that?!" Jaune let out.

"That was for Torna, you bastard!" Dragunov roared at the Praetor. "And now, I swear that I won't stop until I've burned every trace of your existence into NOTHING!"

"You will do no such thing." Amalthus said as his body began glowing, "God Rage!" And then he sent a shockwave that pushed everyone away, even with the distance they had.

"Guys, we need to end this now. Hit him with everything you got!" Rex said as he looked to take the lead.

"Yeah!" Ruby let out eagerly now that Yang and Dragunov were under control.

"But how is he still standing after the beating those two gave him?" Zeke then questioned as Amalthus caused an explosion of water ether on Yang and Dragunov.

"Yang!" Ruby and Blake called out in unison.

"I'm okay." Yang let out, her Aura holding on. And Dragunov also stayed up. Just like in Tantal, the Sun Dragon isn't as vulnerable to water as he is normally.

"Pandy, you heard the kid." Zeke said with a determined look.

"Are you sure?" Pandoria asked her Driver.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Zeke said as he struck the Big Bang Edge to the floor. "Eye of Shining Justice! Lend me your power!" Zeke then called out, clutching his eye patch while Pandoria detached the sword handle from the blade before causing a small electric burst on Amalthus who was not impressed.

"Brighid! Form the Third." Mòrag also said, granting her other Whipsword to her Blade.

"Roger that, Lady Mòrag." Brighid affirmed just when Zeke grabbed the sword back from the ground.

"Supersonic Thunderbolt Slash!" With that command, Zeke and Pandoria disappeared for a moment, before reappearing where they started, backs facing Amalthus. This was followed up by multiple, electric slashes appearing on his body. The white shell that covered the Praetor's body now having deep gashes in addition to the burns that Dragunov inflicted.

"Soul Fire!" Brighid and Mòrag also unleashed their level 4 upon the Praetor before he had time to recover.

"Everyone, pour your Aura into your Blade weapons, it should allow your Blades to use level 4." Otohime informed as Ren was already doing just that.

Deciding not to question the water Blade, most of the Remnans began pouring their Aura into their Blade weapons. Some more eagerly than others.

Including Pyrrha, despite being a Blade herself now. "Jaune, can you give me a boost?" Pyrrha asked her partner. Jaune didn't hesitate, he used his semblance to amplify Pyrrha's Aura.

"Do it, Electra!" Nora had finished charging Electra's weapon and threw it to her Blade.

"Yeah!" Electra cheered before putting her hammer's shaft down, with the hammer head itself pointing at Amalthus. "Maximum charge!" Electra said as two sticks appeared in each of her hands all the while the ring of orbs on her back was spinning rapidly with electricity arcing on it. Then, Electra started beating on her side of the hammer head like it was a drum. Each beat made the side pointing at Amalthus shoot what looked like a beam of electricity. Amalthus tried to block them with the tentacles, but the electric beams struck through them and straight to Amalthus himself. Not only did they add some new holes into his body, but he was also severely electrocuted.

"How could you-" Amalthus cut himself off when he saw Nora leap at him all the way from where the carrot top and the electric Blade were at.

"Nora Smash!" Nora managed to hit Amalthus on the side of his head. Actually sending him flying all the way to the inner wall of the tower.

Amalthus struggled to get back up as the hit disoriented him greatly.

Even as he took a look to his opponents, he could barely see Ren and Otohime pointing the Ether Cannon at him. Kos-Mos was also ready to fire both Ether Cannons she was now holding.

Poppi QT was also holding the Mech Arms with the missile hatches open.

Roze was holding his scythe and was aiming the gun at Amalthus.

Joana had gotten up on her holographic wings and charged her sword.

Pyrrha had jumped high into the air, apparently her using her Aura in conjunction with Jaune's semblance also worked enough for her to use Talos' level 4.

"Fear me!" Amalthus could barely hear Nox who was preparing to unleash his own level 3 upon Amalthus.

"No! I can't end here! Not until I meet the Architect!" Amalthus cried out as he forced himself up with his tentacles.

"You no longer have a say in it!" Otohime and Ren spoke as one. Firing a beam that split into eight beams of water Ether in the shape of dragon heads. "Accept the Wrath of The Dragon God!"

"Gatling Fire!" Kos-Mos fired FG-Shot.

Joana meanwhile finished charging her level 3, because the knightess didn't want to risk exhausting her lord's Aura. "Heavenly Valor!" Joana flapped her wings to charge at Amalthus, preparing her light-charged Catalyst Scimitar to cut her foe down.

"Quixotic Megaburst!" Poppi fired enormous missiles from the Mech Arms. How did those things even fit in?

And finally, from above, Pyrrha was falling at terminal velocity, aiming Prostateva at Amalthus' head.

Nox released his scythes and unleashed his level 3, Night Terror.

"Petal Blast!" Roze also fired his level one, because he felt that he was wasting too much on an overkill that would no doubt come from the other level 4s and 3s hitting Amalthus.

"Reincarnation!" Amalthus replied, creating a green barrier around himself.

"Is he seriously trying to block all that?" Qrow asked in disbelief.

No one had time to answer because all attacks hit the barrier one after another. First, Joana unleashed a series of supercharged slashes upon the barrier before sending the charge at Amalthus in the form of a large beam. But none of it could pierce through the barrier.

"How is that possible!" Joana screamed as she fluttered away just in time for Otohime's dragon shaped shots to actually wrap themselves around the barrier before exploding. The explosions didn't have much time to disperse before Poppi's missiles and Kos-Mos and Roze's shots went in. Causing more explosions in Poppi's case. While Nox's dark Ether charged Scythes were slashing at what the abyssal ninja guessed to be the barrier because they didn't go in far.

Blake was sure Nox hissed as he used his bandages that were attached to the Scythes to draw them back, just in time for Pyrrha to land spear first on top of Amalthus. Only for the impact to clear the smoke and reveal that the barrier took every single attack.

But that wasn't the biggest problem.

"No f****ng way!" Dragunov and Yang roared together.

"That's cheating!" Nora accused at Amalthus who lowered himself back down. Fully healed.

All the damage they had done so far had been healed. Even the antennaes that Yang ripped out had returned.

"Song Change: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Desolation)

"I told you! I will not end here. Not until I've met the Architect. Not until I've erased everything with my own hands!" Amalthus shouted as his tentacles began attaching to the inner tower. Soon the material around it began to change.

Roze's eyes visibly widened at this, "No! If he alters the material making up this tower, then it can't hold!"

"How the heck did he hide something like that?!" Zeke let out in disbelief as they had the Praetor on the ropes just now.

"We must stop him!" Mòrag said, already charging at the Praetor. However, more tentacles started bursting from the affected areas of the tower. Enough to keep everyone at bay.

As everyone was trying to reach Amalthus, Jin was desperately trying to stand up. He had to do something. If he had to choose between Rex or Amalthus reaching the Architect, well, the choice was obvious.

A portion of Amalthus' tentacles then lunged at Jin.

"Jin!" Rex noticed it and quickly moved to intercept them. He managed to block one, but then got smacked away by another. Pneuma also got in the way of another, which managed to swat her away to Jin. The hit must've been pretty hard because she reverted to Mythra as she was caught by Jin.

"Rex! Mythra!" Nia cried out.

"Mythra... you-" Jin was surprised that the blonde Aegis would take a hit for him.

"D-don't get me wrong, okay." Mythra said quickly, "I couldn't let him get your Core, that's all. With it, he'd be unstoppable."

Rex meanwhile got back up, him having the protection of Aura.

"...Thank you." Jin said with a small smile.

Meanwhile, everyone else was trying to get to Amalthus, but the increased number of tentacles made it difficult. Even Yang and Dragunov were kept at baying despite it causing bursts of flame to Amalthus.

"All the cores. All of the Architect's words belong to me!" Amalthus declared.

"We'll see about that." Dragunov growled as he turned to his Driver, "Yang... wanna try that trick Otohime recommended?"

"Yeah." Yang said as she began channeling any Aura into Dragunov's talons that she could spare.

"Dammit." Ren let out, panting as he fired Zen Barrage at Amalthus. "Otohime, can we-" "No." The Imperial Mother interrupted, "Your Aura may replenish, but your stamina that depletes from channeling that much Aura at once does not."

It wasn't just Ren that felt a little winded. All Remnans who used that trick Otohime mentioned felt winded from using their Auras this way. It was almost like when they first awakened their Blades. Only less tiresome.

Soon more of Amalthus' tentacles lunged at Jin who quickly raised his hand in the air, freezing the glowing blue appendages midair all the way to their base.

"Nia. Take care of them both." Jin told Nia.

"I... I will." Nia said before moving to the two's side and used her power to accelerate Mythra's recovery.

Seeing that Mythra and Rex were in good hands, Jin got up on shaky legs and stepped towards Amalthus.

"Jin." Nia said, causing the silver haired Flesh Eater to stop, "Why didn't you kill me when I joined Rex and the others?"

"It wasn't a mistake was it?" Jin said before looking over his shoulder, "Becoming the Blade of someone you trust..."

"Jin..."

"I did that too, once." Jin said and then he closed his eyes momentarily before turning to Rex. "Rex, you have to stop Malos. He's still searching for his own identity. Tell him the answer you found."

"Jin." Rex managed to say before the Flesh Eater turned to face Amalthus again.

(End Song)

"You should have died with Torna." Amalthus said to Jin. "You both should have."

"Let's end this now." Jin said as cold air started circling around him. "Our duty has been handed down. Amalthus!"

"Your duty?! Your duty is as dust in the wind compared to my destiny!" Amalthus said as he brought several tentacles in front of himself. The tentacles charged dark energy between them, ready to fire at Jin.

"Your destiny is to fall here, bastard!" Was the only warning anyone got before two beams of white heat came in contact with the charging attack.

Glancing to the source, Jin saw that Dragunov was on a knee, arms punched through the floor to root himself in place and the twin beams came from the dragon heads. Jin also briefly saw Yang who wasn't equipped with the talons. So this must be another Special Art of the Sun Dragon. Returning his attention to Amalthus, Jin found himself smiling as he saw the said Special Art punching through what Amalthus was preparing and into the Praetor himself. But the twin beams didn't get to incinerate Amalthus himself long before it ended.

"Dammit! I guess using Special Arts drains this form." Dragunov complained as the dragon heads started to look sleepy. And the golden scales no longer had flames around them, not to mention that their glow was dimmer. "Jin, if you think you can end this, then do it!"

(Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST: Walking With you)

Jin didn't need to be told twice as multitudes of icicles began forming around him. The Paragon of Torna then sent the icicle lances at the Praetor. Trying to block them with his tentacles didn't help Amalthus, because the lances pierced through and pinned them against the wall. And when they were out of the way, the icicles began piercing through Amalthus himself.

Amalthus screamed in pain as one lance pierced his chest all the way through to the wall, but Jin wouldn't stop. With a yell, he pushed his powers to their limit and began freezing the destroyer of Torna from inside and outside.

"O Architect! I should have been your chosen one!" Amalthus cried out in despair, "I lived as you wanted me to! I did! I always did!" And now it sounded like the man was crying.

Dragunov growled at this declaration, but chose not to say anything. There was no more point.

Zeke was looking on at the despairing man.

"Bandits?" Amalthus questioned.

"Probably. After all, Pandoria looks pretty damn human for a Blade. She'd be worth a lot to some people. They sell 'em. Line up the cores with pretty pictures of the Blade inside." Zeke explained, frowning deeply at the last part.

"It's the same as it ever was." Amalthus sighed.

"What?"

"As soon as people are denied something they desire, they try to take it by force." Amalthus explained.

"Not everyone's like that." Zeke argued.

"Oh, some give up prematurely, but the feeling is there I assure you." Amalthus emphasized his words by placing a hand on his chest.

"Well in that case, why bother protecting them?" Zeke then asked, "Why not let people do whatever?"

"To remind myself." Amalthus said, "I must never forget what kind of beings humans are."

"Is that what helping me was too?" Zeke then asked.

Amalthus hummed a little before looking away from Zeke, "A long time ago, I seem to recall witnessing a very similar scene."

"Hm?"

"Perhaps... that too was one face of humanity."

"Why did you look so sad back then?" Zeke found himself asking as Amalthus was nearly completely covered in ice. "That was you too, wasn't it?"

Amalthus then reached out to the ceiling that was so high you couldn't even see it. "Father... why do you not answer when I call?" the dying man said softly. Then he began seeing a bright light, with a figure inside it. "Mother I've... missed you."

(End Song)

Ruby's face morphed into that of shock as she barely heard the last part. "Ruby?" Roze said from his Driver's side. "Are you okay?"

"Uhh... yeah." Ruby managed to say. Just when the fully frozen body of Amalthus began to break down into particles.

Jin turned towards Dragunov who was on his feet again, the dragon heads now drooping against the Sun Dragon's chest. Then he turned to Yang in turn. "You... how did they stop you in Tantal?"

"What?" Yang asked, caught off guard by the question.

"Yang stopped by herself." Ruby instantly replied. "She stopped when she saw me."

"...I see." Jin said with a small smile, "Then perhaps... he could've done it too." Jin then closed his eyes as his legs began glowing blue. His red Core Crystal cracked. The Paragon of Torna fell on his knees as the glow spread from his legs to his head. And then, he disintegrated.

"What a splendid soul you were, Jin." Azurda said from Rex's helmet.

"...Jin." Rex said as he felt sad to see him go, despite everything that happened with him before this.

The silence that came from this was broken by a loud thud.

"Drag?" Yang let out in worry as her Blade had collapsed and his body was glowing. Her worry turned to relief when the light faded. "Once again, the Sun Dragon sleeps within the stone." Yang recited as Dragunov's stone scales had returned. Then she chuckled, "Guess he really burned out this time." The blonde gained looks of disapproval at that pun. "Come on, that's exactly what happened just now."

"I swear..." Weiss muttered in annoyance.

"We need to move." Rex then said with a determined look. "Jin himself trusted with us to stop Malos, so that's what we must do now."

"Rex... we should rest for a moment first." Mòrag said, "That fight was rough on everyone."

Roze looked at the door that Jin had previously guarded from them, "...This elevator is the longest one here. It should take us a while before it reaches the top."

"Which would give us some time to rest." Dagas commented, "Good thinking."

"I think then would also be a good time to go over what Amalthus said about Aura." Pyrrha said as she placed her hand over her bloodstained Core Crystal.

Everyone agreed with that and moved to the door.

---

AN: There we go. Amalthus is no more. But the discoveries that were made were a little world shattering. But the upside is, Yang has gained control of the Sun Dragon.

But adding Otohime's abilities to Amalthus. Since the cleansing ritual was advertised to increase the chance of Blades resonating with people, no doubt the nations of Alrest would want in on the action. But since these were their national treasures, they couldn't simply trust Indol with them without any kind of supervision. And Amalthus, for all his schemes could not simply steal them, because even if he managed to convince them that someone managed to steal the nations that they were stolen from him. No doubt he would be held responsible and... well, Indol may not have been able to handle all nations waging war against it. As for gaining Otohime's power, The cleansing, from what I could see, only took bits of data from the Core Crystals. Meaning that the Praetor was only able to replicate Otohime's powers over the course of many generations of Urayan royalty. Up until Otohime ended up on Remnant. As for Brighid and Aegaeon, perhaps he didn't deem their abilities good enough to make them separate. Or perhaps using them would be somehow detrimental to the final product.

As for the revelation about Aura... I'll let you guys keep guessing :)

I really hope I won't take as long in writing the next chapter. But I hope you all look forward to it.