A powerful explosion shook the very foundations of the City of Vale. Whatever windows were yet intact, shattered, sending sharp shards of glass everywhere. The flash was blinding, a herald of the destructive power hidden within Dust charges hidden among the streets, inside stray vehicles, in the sewers. A flower of bright flame rose into the sky, smeared with black smoke of whatever Grimm it had caught, an announcement of another successful discharge.
It was one of many already used traps, as the night sky bore witness to the devastation of Vale.
Various methods were used to distribute heavy dust charges onto the biggest and most dangerous of Grimm. Be it a frontal assault, a lure to bring a Goliath to a building that collapsed onto it, engulfing it in flames or distraction that led an Alpha of some kind along its lesser kin onto a street that blew up under their claws and paws.
Damnable shrieks of the dying creatures did not reach Pyrrha's ears, no. Too short, insignificant they were among the symphony of war.
Alas, there was no time to linger upon such matters. Many Huntsmen and Huntresses were deployed into the city, chosen for their superior speed and ability to traverse various terrain, to counter the attack in the operation known as "Wall of Vale" - a defensive plan to slow down, stall and destroy as much of the attacking force as it was possible.
Four days had the expeditionary forces out in the city, scavenging supplies… and leaving Dust charges. Undisturbed by the Grimm, ever busy with the beacon of rage and hatred that Gerhard formed on the sideline of the city, everything could be arranged in relative peace.
Just as he planned.
Another explosion marked itself on the horizon and a jovial cackle filled Pyrrha's scroll communicator.
Pyrrha looked over towards the source of that laughter. Just to see Nora jump high into the air from a roof. The jolly ginger jumped with no regard for anything, a vicious smile on her face, propelling herself into a vertical spin with discharge of a grenade from her hammer. One of her newer moves, which in this case served to slam a giant black raven across its head. Another explosion could be heard, and while undoubtedly smaller, it was enough to send the Nevermore down into the inferno raging below.
Then, as if nothing ever happened, her teammate would simply run forward with glee, heading for her next objective.
"Do not overextend, Nora. Remember, it is just the beginning." Ren scolded over the Scroll communication. As always the voice of reason and possibly the only person able to keep in check the force of nature that Nora was.
"I know, Renny, I know~…" Nora whined in response. Pyrrha could practically feel her rolling her eyes playfully.
The Champion listened to their talk for a little while. One could easily mistake Nora's cheerful demeanor for a lack of care. Though it did not take much to realize how she truly felt. Every time she acted, she acted with purpose. Every strike was focused, precise.
And as Pyrrha's Semblance carried her body to the nearby roof, she saw the full scale of devastation of Vale. A trail of destruction left by the Huntsmen units. Dust charges, left in the most optimal positions to level buildings, cause chains of explosions and fires… It all helped. And while the black tide was slowed, there was little wonder it was only a matter of time for the Grimm to reach the docks.
The dark sky flashed again with a big explosion far in the distance. Ruby counted thirteen different explosions of similar size, twenty-three smaller ones and four larger during the last two hours. Dust was volatile in its active state, she knew that for a fact, but how much of it had to be used to create explosions of that size and number?
Apparently, being situated next to the SDC warehouse helped in that regard, she acknowledged with a wince.
Weiss could be angry at them all she wanted after everybody was safe and-
"Ruby!"
The girl snapped out of her thoughts and turned sharply towards Jaune, who situated himself behind an injured soldier of Atlas. He was missing a leg and though dressed well in bandages, his gritted teeth told volumes about the pain he was suffering from.
She looked around quickly, just to see every able person hastily moving around, carrying injured, or essential equipment outside and to the ship.
Everybody moved, but her.
"Come on, no time to space out! Help me with him. We got you, man." The blonde said.
"Wha…? Just sling me over your shoulder or something, boy! I'm missing a leg, not guts. She can help somebody else in the meantime!" The soldier retaliated, throwing his hand at Ruby for impact.
The teens looked at each other and agreed with a nod. And while Jaune knelt to pick up the soldier like a princess, Ruby turned to find somebody else to help.
She couldn't shake away her thoughts about all these Dust charges, though. Sure enough a Schnee warehouse would have enough material to cause such an explosion and scavenging the city for ammunition and supplies left the defenders with a lot of Dust, but regardless how many times the girl measured the explosions, counted any stockpiles she could remember - it didn't add up. Especially, since it was said that the docks were to hold for twenty-four hours or more.
And while Ruby would never claim to be the type to know math, she was just the type to know about ballistics and explosives. By gut alone she could measure the exact amount of dust needed to create a bullet, a grenade or else - a feat to be proud of for sure. Hard-wiring and altering components to meet the needs of a weapon were banal in comparison.
With this almost innate knowledge, Ruby helped in creating a new weapon just the other day. A weapon unlike others she heard about and while it was crude in design, given circumstances, it would work.
"Hey! You with a red cape! Come over here and help!" A voice called.
The girl snapped from her thoughts once again and turned to see an Atlassian medic, taking care of some wounded militant.
"Today, kid!" He urged.
"Oh, r-right! I'm coming!" She stuttered, already in a jog towards the soldier.
There was no time to think about it. People needed to be evacuated ASAP, and the field hospital was still full of them.
Filters of Gerhard's helmet helped his sight to adjust to the morning sunlight, as he watched the cliffs on the eastern side of Vale. Scores of Grimm climbed down from the elevated ground, or simply jumped down, none the wiser for such a reckless act. Reports said that the northern wall has crumbled, a sea of black mass of uncontained hatred for any living being washed over the districts, slowed down by flames and ruins of once beautiful city.
At least the sky seemed clearer. While still numerous flying abominations scoured the air ahead of him, the makeshift anti-air batteries made out of salvaged guns from mechanic walkers proved effective enough at both keeping them fairly careful and thinned out.
And while the Chaplain had seen much, much larger swarms of beasts assault imperial hive cities, there were so few defenders in comparison. If he had only a handful of his brothers with him, it all would be so different.
His head turned sharply towards the sea. Towards the ship that was still finishing its very hasty preparation for departure, as injured and frail were being escorted aboard. The island of Patch nearby was set to be the first stop for them, even if just to resupply before venturing north, to Atlas.
They needed time and by the Golden Throne time they would have.
The remaining were all those who could fight. Soldiers, militants, Huntsmen and volunteers. Already grouped into five frontal positions and a larger force behind to allow reinforcing, Gerhard stood in the middle one. And while not all could see him, all could hear him through the vox link he was allowed.
Among the defenders that looked up to him as he stood atop a wall of ship containers, bolted down metal plates and sharpened edges of steel to impale any stampede, he saw soldiers, militia, Huntsmen and Huntresses with faces of stern determination to rival Cadians themselves.
Volunteers, civilians who decided to help in any way they could were shaky, sweat running down their faces, as they clenched boxes of ammunition, small arms or were full of makeshift explosives, ready to distribute or throw themselves into the enemy. Yet, they stood nonetheless.
A familiar weight of a heavy weapon was encased in an unfamiliar shape of a crude, makeshift mass of various mechanical parts, mostly salvaged from the destroyed robots. Gerhard refused to even look at the alien contraption in his hands and prayed that its machine spirit would obey the call to war.
This weapon, just like the defenders, was familiar in feeling, yet so disgustingly foreign in nature.
The explosions ceased a while ago and the Chaplain could hear the everpresent uneasiness among the mortals. Fear, laments, sorrow. He could hear it all around him, a suffocating aura of weak minds and souls.
With a low rumble, the city reminded everybody of the grim fate of the defenders. To their eyes came the sight of the unending horde. Black monstrosities of various shapes and sizes emerged from behind ruined buildings, fire and smoke.
Some died in the flames while attempting to cross the treacherous ground, others slipped on debris and got trampled on by their unholy kin. none of that mattered neither to these abominations, nor the defenders. The wall of black bodies was drawing near with every moment and the sense of dread overcame the mortal humans and faunus alike.
"My order is simple, yet heed it well!" Gerhard roared and it seemed to grab enough attention from the mortals, "Purge them all!" His voice boomed like thunder, then pointed two of his fingers towards the ravenous enemy in a commanding motion.
This simple gesture was answered by a symphony of guns and commands, ordering people to open fire.
The tide slowed, even halted for a moment, as thick puffs of black smoke signaled the first wave of killed Grimm. And yet, from the wall of thick, black miasma emerged more creatures, their glowing, red eyes filled with hatred and reckless abandon.
Mindless creatures, an insult to the Emperor's Realm, incapable of fear.
But they would learn to fear him.
As the terrifying mass of Grimm drew close enough, the Chaplain lifted his weapon and aimed at the enemy. The barrel was thick, yet the muzzle itself narrowed down significantly at the end of the weapon's length. A pipe was attached to the heavy armament on the other side, connecting the weapon to a crude box, a container of sorts that was hanging from the bottom of the heavy weapon by a pair of equally crude hooks.
"Cleanse the monstrosity!" The Space Marine shouted, as his fingers squeezed a large trigger, running for the whole length of the handle.
With a mechanical screech, the weapon spat out a stream of living fire for about 20 yards and effortlessly caught onto black bodies of the Grimm. The beasts shrieked in pain, their mindless charge, while not halted, turned into a chaotic display of trying to run sideways, just to hit and be hit by other monsters.
Gerhard's armor shone in the dancing light of the flames, as the Chaplain continued to spit hatred and death upon his foes with focus and dedication.
"Now!"
Orange glyphs flashed on the ground, some distance from the defenders that ceased fire. A second later the same glyphs exploded, engulfing Grimm in the magical flames. On Weiss' side of the defense it was her duty to make openings for the Huntsmen to sweep in.
Minutes of mayhem, a breather for the soldiers, time for restocking ammunition. Time much needed for little over two hundred people, separated into 3 frontline positions to allow crossfire and one large reserve group where general Ironwood was receiving reports and giving commands to the defenders.
The Atlassian girl dashed behind Yatsuhashi from Team CFVY, who, like a bull, was paving a path in the black tide.
With a swipe of her blade, Weiss conjured a number of white glyphs that stopped the Grimm assault onto the flanking Huntsman force, allowing Blake and Fox, another member of Team CFVY, to get in and score some meaningful kills on larger enemies, as the horde was still confused by the sudden wall of energy before them.
It was a good plan for an attack, all things considered.
Scores of Grimm were stopped by the assault from the side and Weiss could already see the mayhem on the other side of the defense. Thunder and lightning on the ground heralded Nora, now a force of nature, as she ran through the black monsters like a juggernaut.
Pyrrha was guarding her vulnerable points while Jaune was doing his best to give Nora the opportunity she needed by simply being in front of everybody, evoking his Aura to a visible glow.
Grimm hated anything with soul, so making one's soul extra bright was… quite ingenious, Weiss admitted. Dangerous, but given his bodyguards, she had no doubt his idea could work.
Jaune did grow indeed.
The groups passed each other wordlessly, busy with their task of killing the enemy. It was the first of many such operations.
"Requesting more Dust for the Chaplain!"
James Ironwood had heard these words three times already in little over an hour. This makeshift weapon was effective, but also costly in ammunition - and the Space Marine cared little for conserving it.
The General was on the backline, overseeing the defenses and coordinating their efforts. Reinforcements, ammo distribution, special tasks for Huntsmen - it all fell down onto his shoulders to bear for this desperate fight.
He was itching for a fight, he wanted to join in the fray, but he knew well he would do only a fraction of what Gerhard was doing there. And that damned arm…
"Approved," He said firmly to the militant before him and looked over at a group of five civilians squatting over boxes of Dust. They were scared, young men but they fought how they could.
"Raw Dust to the central point, move out!" The Atlassian roared and as one, the men picked up their luggage and followed the militant with haste, their heads low as some flying Grimm were looking for their prey.
And prey they have found.
Avoiding fire from whatever guns that tried to control the sky, two of these civilians were snatched from the ground, before Ironwood could have reacted. Their screams died quickly in the stale air, amidst the fire and shoutings.
The other 3 quickly picked up the dropped boxes and hurried away. Scared, yet unbroken.
There was no time to look around and reflect on the state of the people, the defense. The sun was high in the sky-
"Sir! The Huntsmen report Grimm trying to engage from the southern side of the city!" A report from a soldier, clearly out of breath.
That was not only unexpected, but disastrous. Ironwood knew that, the soldier knew that. Everybody that listened knew that.
"I will organize the repelling force. Tell these Huntsmen to hold them. How many?"
"Three. Glynda Goodwitch is among them." The soldier hurried to reply.
This information calmed him down a little. If somebody could hold the Grimm alone for a long time, it was definitely her. And as the General acknowledged the information, the soldier saluted him and dashed back with the orders.
The difficult part was beginning, he thought. And soon he damn cursed that very thought.
The evacuation efforts were finished only then, a couple of hours past noon, as Ruby noticed on her Scroll.
Everything was delayed by the constant assaults of the flying and nautical Grimm that harassed the ship and its passengers. She herself was tired - so very tired of constant repelling of the assailants, dashing and jumping with her Semblance like there was no tomorrow.
At least the ship finally took off the harbor. The machine took off sharply and sailed into the sea.
The Grimm could not reach them any more - at least the land ones. The avian monsters tried to harass the ship some more, but the further away the vessel was, the less of them there were.
They were safe.
Ruby nearly fell over onto the wooden floor when the ship shook. It felt as if… It stopped?
Strong arms were embracing her. Caressing her golden locks, trying to ensure she was safe. Some words were whispered into her ears, but she couldn't even register them.
Yang was listening to the sounds outside. Screams, gunfire and all manner of combat noise was all that the mutilated girl cared about. She tried to sort of predict the progress of battle outside - powerless herself.
She wanted to join her team and fight so badly! BUt how could she do so when she had no body to fight with?
Gerhard's voice, his equally scarred face flashed within Yang's mind. He… He was right. It was not over for her, not yet. It couldn't be over… She had to fight… for them.
She had to… She had to stand up again, to… to…
A flash of red.
Red.
Red…
Red, red, red, red!
The girl shook violently, but her father did not seem to notice. Wait, what was going on?
Tai was looking around with a perplexed grimace on his face, his arms seemingly embracing Yang more sternly. Something was wrong?
The ship shook violently and if it wasn't for Tai and the fact they were both sitting below deck, they would collapse like those who stood. What was going on?
"Dad…?" She asked. Her voice was weak, unsure and unfocused.
"Don't worry, Sweetie. We're alri-" Tai replied, interrupted halfword in, as the ship shook again, much stronger.
A dead silence overtook the lower deck, as people looked around with fear and uncertainty.
And the deep seemed to growl ravenously.
Ruby looked overboard into the sea. Something was deliberately stopping them! It must've been…
Her silver eyes opened wide in a dreadful disbelief. A black shape so large that the ship itself seemed to be nothing more than a plastic model or a toy held the vessel down.
"Oh… Gods!" Ruby gasped.
And then the creature growled. The turbulent sea rumbled along the hellish sound, an underwater low thunder. The Red Reaper felt her own bones shake along the sound of the creature.
Yang.
The girl turned around sharply, meaning to get below deck as fast as her legs could carry her.
And the ship erupted into the air, as the gargantuan amphibian monster tore it apart, while emerging from below the waterline.
Ruby found herself airborne instantly and if she could focus from the sudden shock, she would know all the other defenders, sailors and civilians ended up just like her.
The ship was ripped in half effortlessly and people were flying like ragdolls into the salty water, or bumping against the enormous, scaled body of the Grimm.
The black shape was too close to her to make out any specifics on the creature's appearance - but Ruby knew it meant to destroy them all.
YANG!
She needed to focus!
The ship screamed in agony, as its steel hull was being torn apart like wet paper. Planks were being broken, pipes snapped like dry twigs and suddenly everything was both so bright and so dark at the same time.
The people screamed all around him in dread, while Taiyang Xiao Long clutched his tortured daughter in his arms.
He lost support of the floor below his feet and instinctively pressed his daughter's body close to himself, enveloping her with his broad back and strong arms. He felt his back hit something wet, very quickly emerging from the sea. He could hear it roar.
It was a roar so loud that Tai lost his hearing - his ears were filled with a stale, unending ringing in his ears that took hold of his perception.
The worst part was that it was not a side of the colossal beast that Tai was bumping against - but its muzzle. He was pushed upwards and when finally he could look below himself to take a look at the creature, his blood froze.
He saw no creature of black skin and bony armor. No eyes of glowing hatred met his own.
It was the endless abyss of its maw. Teeth as large as he was himself, a couple of rows of them at that. The inside of its mouth was of red and black flesh, mixing into a tone of dirty pink. And it was about to snap these jaws closed.
He looked back at Yang. His daughter, his firstborn child. He saw a small baby that needed its diapers changed. He saw a healthy and mischievous child, smiling widely as it just scraped its knee. He saw a teenager, for the first time trying new clothes before a mirror. He saw an aspiring Huntress, a young woman that was ready to grip the world by its balls. This was Yang to him, always have been and always would be. Her voice, her laughter, her cries, pleas and groans.
Taiyang's heart pounded, like never before in his life.
His daughter was staring death in the face for the second time in a week - and he would be damned, if he allowed that!
It was then that Yang looked back at him hopelessly, her lilac eyes turned from fear and defeat into realization.
"NO!" She screamed as Tai released her and pushed away with his feet - as much as his legs allowed without harming his beloved child.
Yang was so, so helpless. Powerless. She watched, as her father, her old man… her dad pushed her limbless body outside of the Grimm's jaws. She saw his neutral expression, as he looked at her one last time. There was no smile, no tears. And yet she could read his final message in these blue eyes of his.
"Be strong."
And then there was blackness of the Grimm's scales, a faint glint of its white teeth. A snap of jaws akin to a thunder sealed Taiyang's fate.
Yang did not know if she wawa screaming, crying, calling her father, or if she was silent like a dead person. She could only watch as the black shape leaned forward and moved to submerge again, careless of the lives it just claimed.
… Yes. A dead person was a fitting description for a limbless girl falling into the cold sea filled with the Grimm.
She did not even find it fitting to close her eyes to seek peace.
The giganting jaws snapped, killing so many people. Ruby saw it just a bit from below the shape of that monster. So, so many people…!
How could she, or anybody for that matter, fight such a thing? Where was such a horror hiding all these countless years? What could they do to defeat it…?
Black clouds enveloped Ruby's mind. In a matter of seconds a hard fought and earned escape turned into a disaster, filled with death and dread. The Young Leader of Team RWBY was tired. She had no idea if she could muster her Semblance anymore at this point… But why would she even? What could she and her scythe do against this thing?
Even the Space Marine could not match this behemoth - and he killed that dragon a week ago!
And just when Ruby was about to give up hope, she noticed a flick of familiar, golden mane in the sky, not too far above herself.
"Yang!" She called out and before she knew it, her body turned into a ball of rose petals and soared through the sky just to re-shape back to catch her older sister.
She noticed the pain on Yang's face - unhinged, barely suppressed by whatever force was fighting it. Wait, where was dad…?
The realization hit her like a falling building. She gripped her sister tighter, to which Yang did not react.
The air next to them tore open in a sudden flash of red light, and a masked figure clad in black clothes and red armor emerged from the rift, swooping the sisters from the air. The person soared through the air before sweeping her red katana into the air again, opening yet another rift that swallowed them.
And they disappeared without a trace of them left.
The silvery blade of Myrtenaster pierced through open jaws of a wolf-like Grimm creature, as it tried to leap onto the wielder of that beautiful weapon. Weiss did not even regard her deed as a good kill, for there was no time. She ripped her blade out of the skewered and slowly evaporating demon and pointed it quickly at three other creatures which she did not even care to identify - they would burn all the same.
And surely enough the monsters leapt at the petite Atlassian - just to meet three red glyphs in the air that glowed on contact and combusted into clouds of living flame that engulfed their black bodies.
The Grimm writhed and screamed in agony, soon turning to ash and smoke.
And then, Weiss heard that roar. Like a horn, bigger and louder than thunders of the mightiest of storms, the sound of a truly gargantuan monster pierced the sky and earth itself. Weiss trembled as she quickly turned around, her eyes open wide in untold terror.
The ship was no more, ripped apart like a wet tissue and in its place a massive monster of black flesh and scales rose, its open jaws screaming into the clouded sky.
Its thick neck had gills - four on each side of the neck's girth, and they were grotesquely fanged, as if each of them was a jaw of their own.
Boney spikes in the shape of oaken leafs were growing out of its spine and tail, three rows of them.
Never before Weiss had seen such a Grimm, not even in fairy tales, or legends.
And as it snapped its jaws closed, soon it roared again, the long sound akin to a musician, torturing a string of its instrument, mixed with a blow horn. The sound finished with a growl, a hum of the lizard's throat.
The girl gasped in a dark realization: Ruby and Yang were there. Her team-mates, her friends were aboard that ship! Right when it got ripped apart and this monster swallowed gods know how many people!
No, this was… This-that… Impossible, no! They had to survive, surely did! Somehow… Yang could not swim like that… Ruby took her and they are currently flying through the sky-... But Ruby can't use her Semblance on other people… Oh, Gods…
This thing… How could they fight it? What could one fight it with? It was a manifestation of all the wrath and hatred the Grimm had ever felt and shown to mankind. It was as if the God of Destruction pointed his spiteful finger at that spot and declared…
Death.
The white-haired girl felt her hand tremble and her trusty weapon grow heavy in her hand. She didn't even realize a monster behind her back, charging right at her.
Until she felt a wave of almost unbearable heat blow behind her back, alerting her pale skin and forcing to look around, witnessing the Grimm wither in agony at her feet. Then she looked up at the source of the fire and her savior.
A man of black armor and terrifying mask gazed at her briefly, before he returned to his task.
They were ceasing in their tracks. Their weapons slowly stopped firing, their hands barely could hold them. All around him mortals were shaking in terror after witnessing the monster of truly titanic proportions emerge from the depths.
Mortals were truly so fragile and weak. Even fighting for dear life they were not hesitating to drop all hope in face of an incomprehensible adversary.
Meek and flawed, every one last of them. Was this truly how it would all end? All these efforts, all these preparations, their sweat, his power lent to them…. All for nothing.
It was only due to Gerhard's training, his countless years of war and service that he himself did not hesitate, his trigger finger firmly pressed against the handle of his weapon. Streams of colorful flame incinerated the daemons before him, saving many a defender, who faltered. While many yet fought, their self-preservation overpowering their fear, as many others crumbled beneath the stress and fear. Coiled down at the barricades, their hands at their heads, others looking at their weapons with despair and morbid realization.
The Chaplain felt iron on his tongue, a stinging sensation on his lips.
What could he do there? What more did the Emperor demand of him?! He served with all his might, slaying daemons for a week without rest. He helped and advised apostates, godless barbarians!
He would admit it to none, but… He was tired. While his body served him well, eager to destroy enemies of Mankind, his mind screamed contradictory demands, pleas, orders and prayers.
He never once doubted his duty, his belief. Godless they were, but they fought well and with the Emperor's Fury in their hearts. Yet in the end, he would not reach them. He was alone. He alone fought on, while others gave up. He alone fumed with spite and hatred, while others abandoned gifts of the Master of Mankind.
One more. Just… one more of his brothers…
And then a blur of red and gold flashed before his visors, intercepting an avian Grimm mid-air. Pyrrha Nikos dug her sword into the neck of an abominable eagle and kicked herself off its dying carcass before landing next to him.
"We must go! We can't stay here!" She roared at him, her voice a mix of panic, ruin… And something more.
There was one…
Dauntless. Unbroken. The… What was his name? His name…
"GERHARD!" The girl shouted pleadingly.
The Space Marine snapped and once again saw beyond his automatic response to the battle.
"Aye," He nodded and reached for his Crozius. There was a fraction of a moment of hesitation, barely noticeable by mere mortals before he grabbed it and lifted his hand high into the sky, while his other arm still dutifully burned all Grimm in his sight.
"The darkest of hours is upon us!" He roared, speakers in his helmet amplifying the volume of his voice.
Some looked at him, while others were still engulfed by despair.
"But it is when the hour is most dire that the heart speaks truth and we reach our true strength, bestowed upon us by the Emperor! His final blessing to the Worthy!" He continued, never once ceasing in his task, hoping that his unbroken frame would inspire those, who would behold it.
"While we breathe, we stand! While we stand, we fight! We are not yet dead and I refuse to give you up to these abominations! We must not stay here, for we shall die in vain! So follow me! Follow me to the cliffs of Beacon where we may stand a chance!" The White Knight pointed his golden Crozius to the east, where the shattered tower of the academy rose from the high cliffs of Vale.
Yet, people were uncertain. They simply couldn't believe in any hope of survival, for was there truly any at all?
Gerhard understood it all too well.
"What do you want the Atlassian fleet to behold once they arrive? A field of massacred bodies, curled up against one another? A host of maggots, discovered by their better and squashed to oblivion? Nay! You are warriors! Soldiers and fighters all! Who gave all they could to best the overwhelming odds? The martyred few, who fought on, facing their end with heads held high! Defiant in the face of their demise!" He continued.
His Crozius swung down at the Grimm who went through his wall of flame. His ammo was running low, again.
"What legacy is yours to take, mortals? What message do you wish to leave for those who come after you? What is the last thought of those marching to their deaths? Those, who beheld their loved ones die at the hands of these daemons? Will you slip to nothingness, forgotten, or will the memory of your valor carry the future of your world?"
How could one teach wisdom of countless thousands of years in such a short time? Defiance of Mankind, its strength and relentless struggle against the cruel universe was an effect of countless nights fought with no respite or hope for peace. The war was a labor of but one fruit: survival. If not of people at the battlefield, then those who learned of those who fought and died. For them and their kin.
Such virtue, such valor and martyrdom was a torch passed down from soldier to soldier. From father to son, from mother to her children. Right then, Vale was at the precipice of such an event.
"We are meaningless in our bodies! We are weak in our mortality!" Gerhard shouted again, "And yet, we are invincible in our spirit! Let our glory lift this world from its knees! Let our deeds speak louder than even our own stories could hope to carry!"
It was then that Gerhard looked at Pyrrha, who listened to him carefully.
"Facing death and doom!" The Chaplain started.
"We shall know no fear…" Pyrrha replied, first silently, almost dumbstruck by the meaning and simplicity of these words.
Then she blinked and looked at the defenders, fire in her emerald eyes.
"We shall know no fear!" She repeated and looked at her weapon. A simple sword, yet a good, trusted blade, "WE SHALL KNOW NO FEAR!" She repeated loudly.
Pyrrha was not sure if she knew no fear then, but these words… These strange, brutal words gave her heart some semblance of strength. And she was not alone, it seemed.
It… worked. By the Brothers, it worked! Those who still could fight seemed to burn up anew, while those who abandoned hope stood up with a new purpose. Far it was from the ideal state of things, but it was infinitely better than what it was moments ago.
The girl heard orders being shouted among the people, as scores of men and women, defenders and heroes in their own right stood up, picking up whatever weapon they could find and moving towards Gerhard and the barricade that was soon to be breached from the inside.
She paused briefly, as her emerald eyes caught a stark picture: Weiss Schnee stood still like a statue, her unseeing gaze locked onto the behemoth that paced towards the shore. Across the entire week, Pyrrha expected anybody to lose their heart to such an extent - anybody, but Weiss. The Atlassian was a beacon of storm defiance in the face of this calamity. She stood tall, where others hunched. She stared back into the abyss, while others turned their gaze.
Now, she stood there, ready to simply… die.
The Amazon wanted to leap to her friend, to snap her out of the baleful spell, but luckily, her teammate was there already. Blake Belladonna nearly crashed into Weiss, her hands shaking her friend violently, her lips shouting something that Pyrrha could not understand from the distance and cacophony of myriads of voices.
But… It worked. Weiss blinked, looked back and nodded to her teammate. And in the next second, Weiss returned to her icy self, ready to fight.
There was something… different about her, though.
Suppressive fire of the Atlassian guns reaped its deadly harvest, as a wave of the Grimm halted in front of the barricade. Tactics meant to conserve ammunition were swapped with brutal assault, meant to give the defenders any hope of pressing through and surviving the day.
It was time to go.
"SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!" Gerhard roared, leaping into the thick of the black mass.
The Space Marine used his spent flamethrower as an improvised hammer, slamming the barrel and the igniter onto the head of a cat-like Grimm, shattering its head instantaneously. The weapon did not survive the impact and shattered, leaving Gerhard with a pretty much useless heap of metal. Sharp metal.
Within a blink of an eye, the Chaplain drove the damaged weapon into the chest of an Ursa and charged, using the monster as a ram.
With a vicious growl, Gerhard pushed about ten yards into the black mass of enemies before the body of the impaled daemon evaporated. It was then that he grabbed the weapon by its barrel and swung horizontally, quickly catching onto some other Grimm. A sickly crunch of bones and the sound of shattering steel echoed around, what seemed to shock even the Grimm.
They hesitated.
With a fluid motion, Gerhard reached to his side and behind his back with his hands. The Grimm jumped.
"ABOMINATIONS!" The White Knight taunted, pulling his hands away from him in a way that would catch onto the assaulting creatures in a half-spin of his body.
Some died to a merciless impact of his Crozius - the heavy blunt artifact easily tearing tissue and turning bones to dust with explosions of purple energy.
Others were cut open by an enormous by mortal standards knife - an Astartes pattern combat blade. Sharp as a razor and durable, as the Astartes themselves.
"Come! Face my Wrath!" He taunted again, not waiting for them to strike.
With mastered ease and precision, Gerhard struck true any foe foolish enough to get close to him, or slow enough to not get away from the Space Marine. Gerhard held nothing back. He felt his weapons cry for their enemies, he saw the death toll of his craft.
And the more he fought, the more vicious and unrelenting the Space Marine was. Every next strike was more brutal than the previous one, every step was faster, more urgent.
Alone he charged in, spearheading the evacuation of the defenders. He pushed, and pushed, and pushed! Ever forward, ever the incarnation of the Emperor's Fury! He was a lone Space Marine in this weird world, but being alone meant not that he was helpless!
No.
He was Deathwatch Chaplain Gerhard of the White Knights chapter of the Emperor's Own Space Marines. He was a guide, an exemplar, a teacher, a warrior and death incarnate! What could this world throw at him to break him, if he himself broke far more fearsome beings?! If only his brothers could be there with him! The Grimm did not prove to be much of a challenge singularly, but these were swarms of them - much like the abominable Tyranids! How did these daemons develop such tactics mattered little - as long as he and his brothers could kill them so efficiently, it did not matter.
He and his brothers… He and his brothers that were not there!
The Chaplain drove his knife into the armored gut of a bipedal tortoise of a Grimm. The blade went through the white plate with a crunch and pained yelp of the monster, as it struggled against its assailant. As Gerhard pulled the blade back, he drove a powerful kick to the exact spot, shattering the rest of the armor and killing the giant creature.
One of many who fell, and just another from the scores that will fall before him.
The world seemed to bleak, distant sounds of gunfire and battle somewhat ceased reaching his ears - there was only him and the black tide of these daemons. And even though fearless, even these creatures began taking care before attacking the armored super soldier.
Why was it him to meet such a fate? What did the Emperor want from him and where were his Kill Team?
Alone. Alone, he was still the most dangerous being on the planet. He needed not, the help of barbarians to kill these things. With the God-Emperor by his side, what else would he need? What could stand against him?!
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
For an hour they followed Gerhard deep into the city. The soldiers and volunteers were almost constantly running, spotting signals and firing commands barely keeping up with their pace. Men and women all around were tired, streaks of sweat mixed with dirt and sooth of the devastated Vale dripping down their cheeks and necks.
The need for such a haste was clear and well-understood, but…
Gerhard did not talk, give orders or advise at all for that past hour. He only shouted challenges and insults, sang in his foreign language and spat curses Weiss could never understand.
He pushed and pushed, leaving behind a trail of black smoke and Grimm in a state of mild confusion, caution - easy pickings for the advancing forces, true enough, but it simply wasn't right.
The white-haired girl looked up to the east. The cliffs of the Beacon Academy were getting larger, though it still was about two hours of constant stampede through the ruins of Vale.
And as she was too busy fighting to look behind her back, she had heard the gargantuan Grimm lizard chasing them at its own pace. Maybe it could not run due to its sheer size? If so, then they were either lucky, or the universe was that much more cruel, putting all these people in this game of cat and mouse.
The sun was leaning towards the horizon on the west and the night was approaching. They had to survive just a little longer - on the constant run, fighting through waves of the Grimm, approaching them from every direction.
If it wasn't for Gerhard overextending so much, grabbing attention of all the Grimm that were yet to see them, it would be a very bloody escape. His… Zeal, his fury proven to be helpful, terrifying though it was.
The Atlassian bit her lip, as Myrtenaster flung to create another glyph of black energy, suppressing a dozen of black monstrosities for easy picking.
Her Dust reserves were… Almost spent, she calculated. How long yet they would have to run…?
With a bone-rattling sound, it shattered. Pyrrha had merely a second to register that her weapon did not survive the test of endurance of such a long battle and now was left with a broken blade in hand.
The Grimm creature on the other hand clawed at its side, attempting to remove the piece of broken metal that was stuck in its body. It was a window of opportunity Pyrrha sought, as distracted by pain, the beast paid her no mind anymore. Still, she had only a moment to make use of this situation.
And so she jumped up to the creature and sunk the rest of her sword into the side of its neck. The Grimm gurgled and writhed painfully, even tried to bash the girl away - and yet, the Champion was too quick.
Using the hilt as her point of leverage and her own Semblance, her body moved upwards, above the flailing arm of the monster, the maneuver adding more to the pain it felt. It roared, screamed. It created another window of opportunity for the redhead to finish the job.
Letting go of the weapon, Pyrrha pushed herself up just so she could have an easy access to the spot with her foot. And with not a moment of hesitation she drove her sole into the hilt.
There was a loud crunch, combined with a sickly sound of torn flesh and the monster made no more sounds. It collapsed, turning into black smoke. It was dead.
Pyrrha landed on the ground and panted heavily. Never before has she seen such a Chimera, a creature of many different animal features, armored better than Ursa Major. But there was no time for musing, no. She helped up a soldier that she just saved and pushed him forward. He was terrified. She was shouting at him. What was she saying? She was-...
"Watch out!" A familiar voice called and Pyrrha managed to only look up before a Grimm that looked like a bat got slammed horizontally by a giant hammer.
The force was so great the creature seemed to be simply a blur of black mass, soaring away with strings of electrical discharge left on its trail. And as the creature slammed into other Grimm monstrosities, they all collapsed, some of them evaporating into nothingness.
What a terrifying force. A force that Pyrrha knew.
When she looked around she saw Nora, utterly exhausted, her heavy breaths threatening to burst her lungs. She was completely drenched in sweat and her clothes were in tatters, barely holding together.
She was hunched, her extended arm still holding her hammer outwards after the massive strike. And only after confirming momentary safety, did Nora allow her weapon's blunt to hit the ground. And right after the hammer, so did her knees fall fail the ginger, who collapsed onto the ground.
Pyrrha had never before seen her friend so tired. And so… Focused.
The Champion tried to support her teammate.
"Nora, slow down! If you keep this up you'll collapse in the middle of Grimm! Please, stay back for a while and let us take care of the fight for now!" She pleaded.
"Sorry, Pyrrha… No deal…" Nora replied with a toothy grin on her face. Pyrrha had a strong suspicion that Nora tried to mask pain by that grin.
Then Nora produced a small crystal from a pouch. It was an electric Dust crystal. But as she tried to stand up, ready to utilize the stone and her Semblance, two sets of hands pushed her down. It was Ren and Jaune.
"I will knock you out myself if you do not stop, Nora." Ren said, his voice haggard and hoarse. He looked no less exhausted as Nora. Well, as they all were but Nora was fighting as if possessed.
Nora tried to form a reply, but then Ren looked at her sharply, with focus and a hint of rage in his eyes.
"NO!" He growled, "I will not watch you kill yourself by your own recklessness, Nora! This ends now! You stay behind and let us fight! Engage only if something threatens you and you only!"
"You can't be serious, Ren!" Nora replied, her own emotions getting the best of her. She tried to get up, but once again was pushed down.
"I don't have time for this, Nora! None of us do! So listen to me for once and stay behind!"
That seemed to hurt the ginger. Even Pyrrha was taken aback by Ren's words, but could she blame him? They tried desperately to survive, to protect others… It could take a toll on one's mind.
Nonetheless, the girl sulked, as if agreeing to Ren's aggressive words. There was no argument to his stance, a simple… Command? It was so uncharacteristically ruthless and cold of him. Impatient.
"Alright," Jaune pitched in, "Nora, you go to Ironwood, tell him of your current status. We will take care of the rest. Don't worry! We're close!" He smiled and then they heard it.
"They're here! They're finally here!" A voice called.
The Atlassian fleet has arrived.
Pyrrha looked up to the dark sky of the night with hope and relief, yet she could see nothing. Clouds obscured her vision and the struggle around them kept her hearing dull. Were they truly there? Or was it just a delusion of a desperate man?
And then the flares were shot into the sky. Red light illuminated their position dimly as more and more eyes looked to the sky.
Litany of Hate, Psalmus Vindicta, Fede Eques, Eridian Hymns…
Those and many more prayers of various kind ran through Gerhard's mind as he slaughtered his way through the Grimm. He fought against the unknown, inferior enemy of the backwater world that was possibly beyond the galaxy itself - far from the light of Astronomican.
What a horrible vision it was - these witches did not understand the idea of the Warp, had no concept of corruption. They understood evil and fought against it, but what evil could plague a world such as this one?
The space marine chose to not look for an answer. It was simpler that way. If the Emperor graced his servant, he would live long enough to see the Imperium arrive on the orbit of this wretched place. Take him away, back to his brothers. To his true duty.
Gerhard long cut himself out of the mortal squabbles. He cared not for their calls, their words - they had to run, and if they couldn't pull their own weight to survive, what could he do? He was but a lone space marine against the Tide. Against a creature so gargantuan, it could challenge an Emperor Titan in sheer size alone.
With every swing, every hatefully span word of every prayer, Gerhard felt calmer, even if for a fraction of a moment. It was a respite from the unknown, a flicker of familiar shade of life and duty he swore to uphold until the end of his days.
And after the battle, if he were to survive, he would-
"They're here! They're finally here!" A voice called through his vox connection. The soldier seemed to broadcast it to everybody, whether close enough to hear his shouts, or far enough to require a vox channel.
The Chaplain blinked and halted his advance immediately. The Emperor did not forsake him. Not yet.
He saw a grotesque abomination lunge at him with its claws, fangs and spikes. Disgusting creature.
His arm flung upwards to hit it with pommel of his Crozius.
The colossal lizard roared, inducing fear into every single person alive once again.
"The battle is not done yet, mortals!" Gerhard roared from the front.
Pyrrha looked towards him, watched him pin down another Chimera as his foot crushed its leg and forced it to submition. His arm wrapped around its neck and then the space marine struck it with a knife into its armored neck. Then, he grabbed it by the head and pulled with brutal strength. Magical, red flesh ripped with a sickly sound and Chimera's painful roar turned into a dying squeal a moment later.
"Protect the unarmed and injured! This is the final hour of our trial, mortals! Do not lose hope!" His voice thundered, as he leapt back towards the defenders.
Orders were being issued once again and everybody moved back to defend one another. They could survive. They could live through this nightmare!
The gargantuan lizard roared again, but nobody seemed to fear it as much as seconds ago. They were going to survive! Pyrrha herself felt elevated by the timely arrival of Atlas - all her fatigue seemed to vanish from her body in an instant.
And as if to hammer the point, the fleet finally announced its presence. Not by their great hulls of steel, nor did any message go through to their scrolls, no. Dark clouds suddenly flashed as if a storm was brewing in the sky and shortly after flashes of some high velocity ammunition struck the beast, staggering it.
It tried to roar again, but more shots hit it, some rockets reached their target. Its gils were set ablaze by the many explosions. The roar turned into a pained groan, as the creature staggered back even more.
People cheered - those, who did not fight at least.
"Come on, guys! Close the gaps, quickly!" Jaune called his team, which similarly to Pyrrha found new reserves of energy to push through these final moments of the battle. And while she, Ren and Nora dashed backwards quickly and efficiently, Jaune was far less graceful, or fast in that matter.
And it was to be his undoing.
A black tendril shot towards him and pierced his leg, just below knee. The blonde boy screamed in agony as a harpoon of bone went through his own flesh and bone and hooked itself onto his tibia. A moment later the tendril pulled back, forcing her leader into the swarm of Grimm.
Gerhard heard Jaune's scream. But he was too far.
He saw his blood, his face, twisted by agony. But he was too late.
The Chaplain watched, as in matter of mere seconds the boy was pulled away into the black tide. But he had no ammunition to save-...
Two last bolter rounds.
With a fluid move, the space marine tossed his knife to the ground, the blade digging into the scorched ground. A fraction of a moment later, he was pulling his bolter towards the enemy.
But he was too late. The Grimm were already swarming onto the defenseless child.
And he saw lightning. He heard a desperate roar.
The time seemed to slow down. Was it adrenaline, Pyrrha did not know, nor did she care. Jaune was in danger and she had to help him. Her body acted before her mind could register the movements.
Her arms shot forward, throwing her broken blade and shield towards the enemy, her Semblance carrying the armaments with terrible velocity. She could see them fly along Jaune, almost as his guardians - towards the black mass of monsters.
She saw lightning and heard thunder. And a familiar voice.
"NO!" Nora roared, already high in the sky, Magnhild held high above her head. She was engulfed by ribbons of blue lightnings, dancing around her body, born from her eyes and hands.
And as she was diving towards Jaune, the lightning caught on to the Grimm, zapping them painfully. The first ones recoiled as others looked up to their assailant.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY FAMILY AWAY!" She screamed furiously.
Pyrrha reacted so fast even she barely recognized her own movements. Her hands twisted a little, black aura around them manipulating her flying weapons.
The blade struck the tendril, severing it. The beast that owned it recoiled, pushing away the Grimm around it.
The shield bounced around the Grimm closest to Jaune, giving him and Nora a bit of time and room.
The ginger landed among the black beasts with a strike against the Grimm that snatched Jaune. The impact was so powerful it created a thunder of its own, loud, deafening.
The sky flashed with bright light as salvo of Atlassian guns fired towards the streets of Vale.
Never before had Gerhard witnessed such a spectacle. Witchcraft though it was, it was borne of pure intent, of will to save others. His visors registered the scene with great detail as a petite girl smitten the daemons around her with fury of a saint. Seldom the Imperium witnessed the birth of a saint, but perhaps this was such a case.
Cannon fire. The White Knight broke into a neck breaking run.
"TAKE COVER!" He screamed, his booming voice fighting the thunder of guns.
Space around Jaune and nora was clear - at least for a moment. At least that is, what Pyrrha thought she saw as Nora's incredible hit blinded her.
Guns? She looked to the sky and saw a number of shells piercing the sky towards the general direction of the Grimm before her… Towards Nora and Jaune.
She screamed something. She rose and tried to run towards them, but she tripped over some rubble.
As she was falling, she saw a blur of black, gold and silver rushing past her with heavy stomps.
She saw Nora launching Jaune from her hammer, like a horizontal catapult. The boy screamed his protests and in vain tried to reach towards his friend.
Nora collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted. Her Aura was completely spent, she had no energy to move and her maneuver with overcharging herself with that Dust crystal left her severely injured - burns in the shape of lightning traced across her skin.
And then the shells hit the ground. While it was far behind where nora was, a cloud of raging fire engulfed more and more streets, buildings, Grimm and anything else. And it was consuming everything ever closer to Nora.
The girl looked at the blazing inferno and then turned her head towards her team.
Pyrrha, Ren and Jaune saw a truly beatific smile gracing their friend's face. Nora was at peace.
And then she vanished in raging flames of the Atlassian explosion.
Too late. He was too late. The fire was spreading too fast and Gerhard could not reach the girl in time. She collapsed. She gave it her all in effort to save her companion.
And he would see it done.
He jumped forward, snatching Jaune from the sky and embracing him tightly, as he landed on the ground, his back facing the wall of fire. They were consumed by the flames a moment later.
Pyrrha covered herself from the heatwave and rubble that went flying towards her. Before her eyes she still saw her friend that sacrificed herself for Jaune. She saw Jaune in the air, unable to protect himself from the same fate.
"No… Nora…" Ren half-whispered, his voice broken. The Champion quickly looked up to her teammate.
Lie Ren, the collected, calm and undisturbed Lie Ren looked like his whole world just shattered. His eyes were wide with empty horror, his break shallow and erratic. He was a broken man.
The Champion rose to her feet quickly and in an instant stood by Ren's side. From up close he looked even worse - it was a heartbreaking sight nobody should see in their friend or family.
"Ren…" She whispered.
"Nora… She…" Ren didn't seem to register Pyrrha's presence.
But when she placed a hand on his shoulder, he broke completely. He screamed into the flames with pain and anguish of a man that lost his only family. His only love. Salty tears ran down his cheeks, their purity mixing with black soot of the dead city.
He fell to his knees, screaming her name, calling her - knowing she would not hear him.
And it was then that it struck Pyrrha as well. Nora was dead. She died to save Jaune, who might have died in the blaze as well.
She felt her own heart thunder so much it threatened to break. It felt heavy, it felt tired with weight of this past week, all the loss. She could no longer see clearly, as her own tears marked her skin.
They were dead.
What could she say in such a situation? What could one ever say to sooth a broken heart and spirit? How could she support her friend?
She did not know. It was all too much. It was too much for anybody. She hoped she understood even a fraction of Ren's torment. She embraced her friend, torn by storm of raw emotions as he was and cried with him.
For once, Pyrrha did not care what was happening all around her.
A minute later though, she heard heavy threads of power armor. A fast pace. It was Gerhard… Wait. Was it him that dashed forward? It had to be him, since the sound came from the fire…
She looked around into the light of the raging flames. There she saw a shape, darkening as it was emerging from the fires. A moment later the Space Marine emerged from the flames as if they did not touch him.
And in his arms…
"Jaune!" She called, recognizing the shape of her partner. He lied lifelessly in Gerhard's arms.
His scorched clothes and face black of ash and soot made him appear dead. Was Gerhard… Too late? No… gods, no…!
"He lives." Gerhard stated quietly, as he stopped in front of them both.
And while Pyrrha felt a great burden leave her heart, Ren stirred and looked at the Space Marine coldly.
"And Nora? Why didn't you save her?" He sneered, consumed by rage.
The silver skull regarded Ren silently, the red glow seemed devoid of emotion - or at least hostility.
"I am sorry, child. I could not reach her in time. I did the best I could and honored her last wish." The Chaplain replied calmly, extending his arms slightly to present Jaune.
"Her last wish?" Ren retorted with bitter laughter, "How dare you speak of her last wish? You didn't know her! you didn't care for her! You didn't try to save her!" He lashed out.
"Ren!" Pyrrha called. She understood his pain, his emotions, but Gerhard did not deserve such words.
In response, Gerhard simply knelt and placed Jaune softly on the ground.
"Blessed be martyrs, for their sacrifice is the very foundation of the Imperium, inspiration to us all." He said with pious reverence and rose to his feet.
Without another word he walked past the two, towards the gathering of survivors that looked towards the sky, as Atlassian shuttles soared through the sky towards their position.
There was no sign of the gargantuan lizard as well. The fleet must've dealt with it.
It was a long and horrifying week… At least it was over, Pyrrha thought as she turned to Jaune to see his injuries. For a moment she forgot about Ren, crying bitterly right behind her.
She would not help the dead, so she tried to care for the living.
She shuddered at her own thoughts.
Hello, it's been a while!
First and foremost, I want to apologize for the delay. For those, who stuck around, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And to those, who left... Well, I hope to see you again.
Why such a delay?
Well... To put it simply, first half of this year, Anno Domini 2024 was engulfed by agonizing pain, which turned out to be effect of a possibly lethal condition. At the end of May and beginning of June I almost bled out. Twice.
But I am well, now! Doesn't change the fact I struggled with this chapter. It was a monumental work, difficult, too. I tried a different kind of narrative, dynamic, short scenes - I hope you like it!
And before you ask, no. I do not have proof readers. Not anymore. So I write by a gut and check for spelling errors - that's about it. The rest is as I felt it, what doesn't really help, when you want it done well. But here's to hoping it turned out... well enough, I guess!
Fun fact: I had to scrap one fun scene to not overbloat the chapter. Oh, well. I'll try to make it in the future.
Next update should arrive in a more timely manner. I do not plan making such hiatuses a tradition - whether due to health or laziness.
So, stay tuned and until next time!
Tarreth
