Apologies everyone for the late update. Some family drama happened and it delayed my editing, but it's done now I hope. This site has also been super glitchy with the uploads. Monster King, really appreciate the constant support no matter how long I take. Thank you so much!
This chapter will be brutal, it will break your heart and I am sorry if it does... but I promise you, keep reading until the end of the chapter it'll make sense.
Chapter 104: One By One They All Fall Down
-War Day 14-
Two weeks they'd been at it, from the beach, now reinforced with the army of Remnant, and under the command of the most powerful warriors ever seen. They began clearing away the corruption.
Bit by bit, acre by acre, section by section, The Army of Remnant tore through Salem's forces as they marched forward. Soon enough, Pandora's Black Lands were split in half. Salem had thrown back, her movements now restricted.
Still, there had been no sign of Onyx, Cinder or Salem herself joining the attacking swarms. It was unnerving.
Nova sat on the edge of the forest, staring up at the sky, as the soldiers took refuge in the tents set up around their new base of operations.
The soft sound of Ruby's footsteps alerted him. Before he had a chance to speak, her arms were draped around his neck, her head on his shoulder as she leaned on him from behind. He smiled warmly, reaching up and rubbing her head. "Hey love, how's everyone holding up?"
She buried her face in his neck, nuzzling him, taking a few moments to breathe, "They're okay. Everyone's a little on edge though."
"The soldiers?" Nova asked tilting his head and leaning against hers.
"No, they're in high spirits because we're winning with so few casualties. It's Winter and the others are nervous."
He reached up and stroked her cheek, "Yeah I know. I'm thinking the same thing. It's like Salem's allowed us to get this far… like she's… baiting us in. No sign of Onyx or Cinder, not even the weird creatures that followed them. She's… saving her cards for something."
Ruby placed a kiss on his forehead, "I can read your thoughts." She replied, digging into his head. "You really think that's a good idea?"
The King stood up, giving her a gentle squeeze, closing his eyes as he savoured the small moments. "It's time for me to put on the Crown of Choice. We need to know what we're walking into."
-Salem's Fortress-
Salem, Onyx and Cinder along with the Curious Cat sat around the conference table, as Salem idly watched the world through her crystal ball.
Onyx was casting his gaze toward the horizon, "I still don't see why I need to be sitting here. That boy is weak, I can crush him now and be done with it."
"Patience, Onyx," Salem said as she idly poked at the ball, "Everything is going according to plan."
"And what exactly is the plan?" he raised his eyebrow at her.
"We're simply waiting until all the cards are ready to be played. Our biggest ace in the hole is almost fully recovered and better than before." She showed an image of Summer Rose, wrapped in a black cocoon.
Onyx mused, "Ah… right. The Silver-Eyed girl, still does pose quite a problem with her powers unlocked correct?"
Salem nodded, "Indeed, we can't risk an all-out confrontation with her still in the picture. But she's no longer the weak brat that spawned out of Summer. She's powerful… and dangerous. The ones around her are just as strong… the prince… or should I call him King now? The princess, Ozma's little reincarnation… and their entire army. We're not just dealing with the kids anymore, the leaders of Remnant have also entered the war."
Onyx grit his teeth as he felt his fingers twitch in anticipation, "Remnant will be crushed in one fell swoop then."
"Indeed... All we need to do now is be patient, and let them walk into us. We have the territorial and resource advantage. We outnumber them, even if the quality of our army is significantly worse. It's a war of attrition now. The one who makes the first move will undoubtedly lose. Besides… I have a special… unit placed within their ranks. When the moment is right, their army will fall, and we will have the relics, you will have your conquest."
Onyx began to chuckle, before breaking into a hearty laugh, "The game is already over and they have no idea."
-Command Outpost Delta, Mid-Way Pandora Black Lands-
Nova gathered everyone in the central war tent, one by one each person falling in as they finished their daily duties.
The war, easy as it was up until this point, was still a war nonetheless. They had still lost more than fifty soldiers by now, which in the essence of numbers isn't much, but considering the prowess of their fighters, it was a lot.
The Grimm onslaughts had not been kind, and there were constant attacks almost every 3 days. Thanks to their defensive perimeters, it was easy to hold down any potential threat from stray Grimm parties, but they all knew they were being watched.
They were neck-deep in Salem's territory now, and every move they made had to be assumed compromised before they even made it.
If this were any other collection of soldiers, any other assortment of leaders… this battle would have been over long ago.
The biggest shock factor to anyone was the Shade Academy team's performance, but at the end of the day, they were still soldiers trained by Ruby and the rest of the team. If not for the red leader's supervision and instruction, perhaps none of them would have made it through the war at Shade let alone make it to Pandora.
Still, the growth of Team ASHNRWBY on its own was a drastic surprise to Team JNPR. When the initial excitement had worn off, they slowly realized how much more distant they seemed. Not that they were purposefully retreating, but more as though they had ascended to a stage beyond their reach.
No amount of reassurance or friendly banter could make up for the sheer overwhelming aura each of them possessed. Even Citrine could scarcely recognize them now that she stood before them in person.
Raven had been awfully quiet around Yang, more so than usual. There was no more of that haughty attitude, as her warrior instincts could tell that Yang was now a force of nature.
Winter and Weiss still shared a little of their old affection, but Winter could never admit her inner feelings of pride for her little sister who had become far more than a Huntress in the time they'd been apart.
Team ASHNRWBY were top of the food chain now, and that was the overwhelming truth. Everyone else had to reluctantly forsake any form of authority over to them, not by force, but because they realized their own inadequacies when it came to the war at hand.
Nova sat at the head of the table as he mulled over the map, once everyone was inside he faced them all with equal gazes of determination. There was a cold fire burning in his eyes, like a raging inferno that was being saved for the time it was needed the most.
"What's this about?" Raven asked, folding her arms with a glare that carried no animosity. In her words, a resting bitch face.
"As you are all aware, we're enclosing on Salem's castle, at our current pace it would only be a matter of days, less than a week at best, to arrive at her doorsteps. The fight so far," He gestured to the map, "Has been one-sided."
"But that's been so far," Winter mused as she had been thinking the same thing.
Nova nodded, "Indeed, as a result, I fear we may all be walking into a trap. I wouldn't put it past Salem for the fight so far to be a clever rouse to bait us in."
"Not that we have a choice," Ruby draped her elbow over Nova's head as she leaned on him. "She's got nowhere to go and we have an objective. Whether it's a trap or not… or the only option is to push forward because an even worse fate might occur should we wait for her to move?"
Citrine studied Oscar's face as he was off to the side near Luna, the princess in blue herself was quiet and distant. "Indeed, our options are fight or die. I would say we put ourselves in this position but if you think about it… we've been checkmated from the start. We're just trying to turn the tables in our favour. Make the impossible, possible."
"Correct, but it's not over. Not even close. We know how to kill Salem, a fact that she doesn't know." Nova leaned across the table.
Jaune's eyes widened as he and the others around the table held a similar expression, "H-How?"
"The sword of destruction and Ruby's Silver Eyes. It's too difficult to properly explain but what you do need to know is that our inevitable goal is to cut a path straight to the main bitch herself. After that… we get one shot."
Raven who had been listening intently pressed her hands on the table and shot him a mixed expression of confusion and natural distaste, "How do you propose we do that? If it is as you say, and we are being watched, then you just threw our chance,s didn't you? I know you brat, you're not that stupid."
Nova fished into his bag and pulled out the Crown of Choice, "I'll be using this. Whatever path we're on… if Oz's description of the item is correct, then I'll be able to see what choices I need to make."
"Why you? Why not any of us?" Ren asked, not trying to be condescending but curious as to his reasoning.
"Because," Nova grasped it between his fingers, "It's either between Me or Ruby, and while I love my fiance deeply, and I trust her judgement more than my own…"
"It's because destiny isn't the same… if I put on that crown, it might show me a choice of handling my mother or something else." Ruby said, "There are too many variables when it comes to me. Nova… he's got…"
"Not much left to consider." Nova finished for her, his voice echoing in his mind, a steel trap that had been shut long ago around his objective. There was a reason he'd gone through the trials to become a King. Everything up to this point had been eliminating variables in his mind, shaving away the rough edges of indecision to form a man who knew exactly what he wanted.
"I'll put this on now… whatever happens, after this… just…" He turned to Ruby, squeezing her hand, "Stay with me?"
"That's not even a question," Ruby answered, kissing his forehead.
"God I didn't miss this…" Raven said dryly.
Nova placed the crown upon his head, and suddenly the world vanished into nothingness.
The King was transported to a space, like that of the void, an endless stream of stars falling around him like rain, as he stood atop an invisible platform, hovering on nothingness.
Blue smoke began to manifest in the darkness, swirling as a woman, much like Jinn, who wore nothing but a pair of shoulder blades, like armour and wearing a grand crown of gold and blue stood before him with her arms folded across her chest. She glared down at Nova before kneeling.
"It is an honour to be in the presence of a child of my creators," Jinn responded calmly.
Nova faltered for a moment, "Uh… I'm just a person, nothing special."
"Humble, as expected of the current High King of Pandora." she mused, "I am known as Forseti, the spirit of choice. Are you prepared for your choice, the one that will decide the fate of all of Remnant, Pandora and the world to come?"
Nova nodded as he responded, "I am ready as I'll ever be."
Forseti shook her head apologetically, "No, you are not. No one ever is to make such a choice."
With a wave of her hand, the world around him disappeared again as he now stood at a crossroads amidst a barren field.
Fires raged around him everywhere as the earth was engulfed in flames. As the road forked in two paths, he could hear distinct sounds coming from both sides, he could see no one though.
"This is where your choice begins," Forseti's voice echoed from the skies.
On Nova's left, he heard it distinctly, Ruby's voice screaming out, "Nova?! Nova where are you?!"
Nova felt his stomach drop as he was sick to his core, "What is this…?"
Then he spotted Ruby, standing in the pathway which had become blanketed with flowers and green fields, he saw a version of himself as he was now, running up to meet her as all of his friends came following behind him as he got lost in the crowd of people. They looked happy, yet carried sadness in their eyes. Even Nitro was in the vision, as he was seen giving Nova an apologetic smile, for some reason he was laughing with Nova, a twinkling in his eyes.
That's when the next path got louder as Ruby's voice became mute.
Nova turned to see the other path show a vision of him, wielding the blade of destruction in one hand and Ragnarok in the other hand, standing over Onyx's body, and Salem's body with blood smeared across his features to the point he could barely recognize himself.
"I don't understand," Nova said as both visions disappeared. "What… does this choice mean? What are you trying to show me?"
Forseti descended from the sky as she looked at Nova, "Don't worry, you'll understand when the time comes. Never forget this choice, mull it over, it is now a part of you. I have shown you the inevitable route that lies ahead. No matter what you do now, you will reach those crossroads soon enough."
"How will I know?!" Nova asked getting irritated by the crypticness of her words.
"If you have to ask yourself if you're there, then you are not there yet. Trust me. You will know, you will understand. For that is fate."
And with that, Forseti disappeared as Nova was brought reeling back to reality. He woke up, peeling open his eyes as he came face to face with Ruby who was staring down at him with pure love radiating through her eyes and their soul bond.
"Hey, you're up," she said through their connection, petting his face.
He held her hand to his cheek, "Yeah, I… I got the revelation but… it makes no sense. I can't even put it into words… can you help?"
She pressed her forehead to his and tried to search his thoughts but shook her head after a moment, "I can't see anything. It's blurry…"
"Strange… I'm not hiding it." Nova scrunched up his brow.
"I know you're not. I… think the spirit doesn't want anyone else knowing but you, I suppose." she shrugged.
"Well, what am I supposed to tell the gang?"
"The truth is the crown was a bust and we're going in blind. Nothing's changed." Ruby kissed his forehead.
"Ugh… thanks for being my support, love."
At that moment, Jaune came rushing into the tent, "Nova! Ruby! We got trouble."
The two shared a silent look before heading out.
-Within the War Tent-
Nova and Ruby walked in with deadly serious expressions, "What's the problem?" they both asked in unison.
Raven tried her best not to yell at them, she was now aware it was not on purpose. "Take a look at this…"
She slid the Scroll around to show them a video of the Atlas airship scouting as it came back from recon. What they saw was nothing they hadn't seen before, a massive army of Grimm of types they were accustomed to by this point. Alphas, Horsemen, Nevermore hybrids, and about 5 Leviathan Class Grimm. It appeared to be quite the army, while not nearly in number as the one that hit Shade, it was certainly more destructive and coordinated.
The army was moving on foot and wings through the blackened land. Pouring out from the direction of Salem's Castle.
That's when Winter took charge and zoomed in on the video.
Riding atop a large black tortoise-like Grimm, its shell spiked and thorny while it padded with lengthy claws and a large bony jaw like that of a Leviathan-sized snapping turtle, were Salem, Onyx and Cinder.
"So… she's done playing games," Nova mused as he stared at the screen.
"What's our plan of action brats?" Raven folded her arms, looking toward their leaders.
Citrine cracked her knuckles, "I say we take them head-on. We've seen worse."
"You can't be serious Citrine…"
Nova shook his head, "No… she's right. This was the whole point of the assault. Attempting subterfuge now would be doing the opposite of what we should be doing. She knows there's no more stalling. No more grand schemes. With the entirety of Remnant united, she has no more cards left to play. It's an all-out war…"
Citrine gave a snarling devilish grin, "Aye, and we'll tear them to pieces!"
-War Day 15, Plains Between-
A/N: Recommended Song: Miracle of Sound ft Peyton Parrish - Valhalla Calling
The scorching sun bared down upon the blackened earth, singing the already coarse soil beneath to an unholy degree. The air was still, burning with an energy of tension that seemed to radiate the depth of this battle, the outcome of this battle would determine the fate of the world, at least that's what was held in the hopes of every soldier present.
The airships of the Atlas Army hovered boldly overhead as the Winged soldiers flew just below. The foot soldiers were armed, rested and fully prepared for a long drawn-out battle.
Salem's army stood, each bloodthirsty creature baring its fangs toward their enemies, with each step of the Leviathan the earth below trembled under the weight of their stomping.
There were no words to be declared, no grand speeches. The reality of a war that had gotten to this stage. There were no more words to be shared.
Nova locked eyes with Onyx and then Cinder, Ruby locked eyes with Salem.
In terms of quality, our heroes had the edge… at least that's what they hoped for. Onyx. Cinder and now Salem joining the fight herself created an unpredictable atmosphere. Despite the odds… anything could happen.
Nova held up the flag of The Flareheart Insignia, the symbol of the Dragon Throne.
"I will not bore you with a long drawn-out speech." He announced, striding forward to stand at the forefront of the army. "You know what we've been fighting for, and this is it. Fight hard! Fight for your freedom! And above all else…" He drew Ragnarok and aimed it toward Salem and her commanders at the back.
"THE TIME FOR FEAR IS OVER, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"
With a resounding war cry, both armies launched into an all-out brawl. Steel clashed with bone, teeth and claws clanking together while the artillery fired from above. The chaos had begun.
Within minutes the battlefield looked like a bloodbath of red and the disappearing black dust of slain Grimm.
The Leviathans charged forward amidst their allies, trampling anything in their way. Overhead the atlas ships rained hellfire down on the horde.
Winter stood at the stern of her ship, raising her rapier as she summoned dozens of Hunter Wasps to charge their flyers, aiding her own team of flying soldiers with Corvus leading the charge with his men.
Weiss and Neo took to the skies, arms linked as their powers created storm clouds above. With the Cryoseki resonating with the Winter Maiden's powers, large barrages of ice struck the earth.
It was pure chaos, and all in the favour of our heroes.
When the Leviathan charged forward, Oscar summoned his Green Knight, the sword in its hands clashing with the titanic beasts.
Yang and Hex joined the fray, alongside Leandra and the soldiers of Luxalia they engaged the ground forces and the other titans. Yang's aura-filled punches cracking the air with each hit, her blows throwing the monsters back into the enemy, crushing dozens more.
Gauge dug his hands into the ground and drew out every bit of iron he could find, forging artillery cannons in the back line that laid waste to the enemy.
Yet… as all of this chaos unfolded… Salem, Onyx and Cinder didn't dare move.
Jaune threw Nora off his shield as the lightning Valkyrie flew high into the sky, raising her hammer with the sound of thunder rumbling, lightning crashed onto her hammer as she mirrored the visage of Thor himself, smashing down onto the ground as the electricity spread like spiderwebs.
Ren did his best to provide support for her as the two worked like gears in a machine, grinding down the Grimm one by one.
Pyrrha and Jaune, Shields, Sword and Spear sunk into their enemies, fighting tooth and nail to thin the herd.
And just when things were beginning to overwhelm them once more, Nova and Ruby flew in overhead in a burst of flaming petals, Silver light shining across the battlefield as they sped like a flaming silver comet toward Salem, the light and fire catching any Grimm in their path.
Yet Salem was ready. With a wave of her hand, the Grimm began to amass a wall to block them as she stepped off the turtle's back the creature retreated into its shell and began to spin rapidly, like a disk of destruction toward them. The wind seemed to warp and collect around the beast as its speed created a miniature tornado.
"Thinkin' what I'm thinking?" Ruby asked as they witnessed the events unfold.
"Aren't I always?"
Lacing her fingers in his, she covered his fire in Silver light as she threw him into the tornado, his wings spread out behind him as the moment he touched the raging whirlwind the fire spread throughout the tornado, the Grimm Tortoise made a squeal of anguish as the winds of its creation had turned against it, rapidly cooking it from the inside out as its shell superheated.
Several hours had gone by, the sun fading into an orange hue over the horizon while its rays splayed out in pinks and reds amidst the oncoming night.
That was when Salem made her move.
With a single snap of her fingers, the earth shook as black-tinged magic sparks spread across the ground.
By now the armies were nearly exhausted, both sides had taken heavy tolls, but Salem's army was but a mere shell of what it once was.
At least… that's what they thought.
The magic danced along the ground startling all of the troops as it seeped into the soil.
Oscar who had finally killed a third Leviathan was heaving on his knees, thoroughly spent and exhausted, and heard Ozpin's voice ring clear in his mind.
"MOVE NOW!"
Oscar didn't hesitate as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "EVERYONE GET BACK!"
Those who could hear him headed his command, but the soldiers were deep in the chaos and couldn't hear anything until it was too late.
The ground erupted in blackened ichor as the sludge spread like wildfire across Salem's side of the battlefield. The ichor covered the few unlucky soldiers, crawling over their bodies like a plague of locusts.
Just like that… those soldiers perished, their skin melting off of their bones as their voices screamed songs of pure agony.
The soldiers who were barely breathing, those who were unconscious, caught in the landslide of living destruction all fell victim to it. The Grimm were unharmed.
Salem simply leaned on her throne, folding her legs with a smug look on her face, "Well done Ozma… for realizing, all though too little too late, I'm afraid."
Oscar watched in horror as he regrouped with his team. The ichor began to dissipate, evaporating into the air almost as quickly as it came leaving behind a fresh pile of corpses, covered in blacked sludge.
Yet… Salem wasn't done.
With another snap of her fingers the soldiers that perished began to writhe, their lifeless bodies seemingly jarring back to life as their skin, replaced by that of a Grimm's, their cold, dead eyes now blood red and glowing.
The pools that remained began to spawn more Grimm, as within a matter of minutes, Salem's army had been replenished to its original state.
Just when they thought they had a chance, a clear path to victory, with a mere snap of her fingers, the tides had shifted again.
Citrine and Gauge, seeing the forces divided and Salem's army back to fighting standard, knew what they had to do.
Using the power of the Summer Maiden and Gauge's semblance, they began focusing on the space that divided them.
Nova and Ruby, recognizing the shift in the tide began to call back their forces. "REGROUP! EVERYONE BACK TO THE HILLS!"
Once the forces were clear, Gauge and Citrine channelled everything they had into erecting a massive wall of Iron and stone that split the battlefield in two. Giving a temporary respite to their army.
The Atlas ships above began to pepper any Grimm that tried to leak through, doing their best to keep crowd control while their armies rested.
They would only be spared a few minutes, that wall would come down soon enough.
"What's the plan? Salem just restocked her forces as soon as they died out." Raven said, her face covered in soot and blood.
Nova and Ruby exchanged glances as they mirrored each other, "We need to clear a path to Salem. That's our only shot," Nova said as he took a seat on the ground.
"If we can get the eight of us," Ruby spoke up, referring to her team and Nova's team, inclusive of Oscar, "To Salem, we can divide and conquer. We don't need to kill Onyx and Cinder so much as we need to distract them long enough for us to kill Salem."
"Well you better come up with a plan to do that fast," Citrine said from above as she hovered, still concentrating on keeping the wall up.
Ruby's brows furrowed as she tried to think. "Raven, tell Winter that when the walls drop, focus all of her firepowers on the center field. Neo, you, Citrine and Gauge cull the herd and bring up walls to clear a straight shot down the middle. The rest of us will make a break for the heads."
"Are you sure this will work?" Yang asked, wiping the dust off her face.
Ruby shrugged, "It's the only real shot we got."
They had exactly 20 minutes to breathe, as the timer dropped to zero so did the walls. Citrine and Gauge fell back, unable to continue as their energy had been expended. The artillery fire from the Atlas ship's ammunition was running low.
Their plan was ready, Neo threw up ice-walls, and the artillery used whatever they had left to barrage the horde while the soldiers clashed again with the monsters.
Everything was ready to go as planned… except for one fatal flaw.
Sitting atop the small throne at the back of Salem's army was nothing.
The team shared a shocked glance.
"Where the hell did she go?!" Yang fumed as her eyes darted around for any signs of escape.
Ruby's eyes scanned the horizon as she spotted off in the distance, a cloud of Nevermore, "How did they slip past our eyes?! Winter?!"
Winter radioed back, "I-I swore she was still there, we had eyes on her the entire time I…"
In the back of the army, two soldiers were sharing a silent laugh as the faint shimmer of green Aura died away, obscured and unseen by the chaos.
Nova put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, "It's fine… even in the face of a frontal assault… we knew she was conniving the question is what do we do now?"
Hex's brow furrowed as the tried to find a rationale, "I think… this battle… she was the bait. She wanted us to go all out here so she could exhaust our resources. We need to catch up to her… stop her before she has a chance to engage in the second phase of her plan."
"Then there's no time to lose…" Nova looked over the army, without the heavy hitters here then their army was more than enough to win this fight.
Corvus flew down as he and Leandra regrouped with the commanders, "My King, do what you have to do. Trust us to win this fight… you must take her down."
Nova nodded, "Thanks Corvus… Leandra, Winter, Citrine, Raven as well… I'm trusting this fight to you."
The team rushed off, leaving the battlefield as they had to take the long way around, curving past the battlefield as they trekked through the Badlands with one destination in mind. Salem's Castle.
As the hours passed while they hiked on foot, moving as fast as they could maintain their state, a feeling nagged in the back of Nova's mind. That… this was supposed to happen.
He knew that they weren't meant to defeat Salem on that battlefield… The fight had to end where it all began for her. Where she lost her humanity… the same castle she lived in with Ozma, the castle where she had killed her own children.
As the night drew closer to its peak, Salem's castle could be seen over the horizon. Between them and her fortress was an expanse of densely packed petrified trees and a blackened lake. There were no words to describe the sheer devastation of the land closer to Salem's castle.
It had long past the point of death, to a state of… undeath. The trees were sickly pale, their leaves a bloodied crimson, and the soil radiated a sickening black mist. Everything in this part of the land was more corrupted than anywhere else on Pandora.
Salem's cloud of Nevermore had long since disappeared overhead.
"Captain… we need to take a breather," Hex said as she bent with her hands on her knees.
Ruby gave them a once over, and exchanged silent conversation with Nova, "Every second we wait, Salem's plan falls further into place right?"
He shook his head, this is what Jormungandr was trying to warn him about, this exact situation. The old him would've begged them and rallied them to push forward, he was not that boy anymore.
"Alright, set up camp. We rest for a few hours, no more. It makes no sense to raid Salem's castle if we're dead tired." Nova said, his tone serious and commanding as if to weed out any form of complaint.
That night, Luna came to meet with Nova, as she tentatively approached him, rousing him from his slumber. "Nova, we… need to talk. It won't be long."
Nova stirred awake, disentangling himself from Ruby as he tucked her back into the sleeping bag, and followed after Luna.
Once they were far out of earshot of the others, Luna spoke up, "Nova… listen. I know… you wanted to avoid me and Onyx clashing at all costs, but I need you to get his stone for me. I just need to get ahold of it, just once."
Nova frowned as he sat with his sister on a petrified tree stump, "To what end Luna? Is there something you're not telling me?"
"It's… complicated, and I can't tell you otherwise…" she bit her lip and looked away as if knowing if she met his eyes, her own would betray the truth of what was to come. "Just promise me that you'll find a way to get the stone to me."
He sighed and pet her head, "Alright, if you think it'll help us win, then I'll do everything in my power to get it done. Okay?"
She let out a soft sniffle as she wiped her eyes, her body shaking, "Good… and… promise me you won't use your Aspect Form, no matter what happens out there, understood? NO MATTER WHAT." she stressed those words.
"I promise…" he started wondering how she knew about his Aspect Form, the only one he'd shared that knowledge with was Ruby.
"No, I need you to fucking swear on my life, on Ruby's life… because if you use it during this fight it will cost us everything."
Nova felt his heart stop… Did Luna know what was going to happen?
"Is it foresight?" he asked, trying to find reassurance.
She nodded, "Something like that. It's part of my powers. Ever since training with the old lady, I could catch glimpses into the future."
"The future isn't set in stone Luna, our choices are what carve the way." Nova's words were steady and so confident.
If only Luna could believe him. If only she could…
She was lying through her teeth, and it hurt her to the core, but she had no choice. If they had any hope of winning… she had to do this.
"I know… but just in case… okay?"
He felt the weight of her words, the tinge in her voice that seemed so scared. He pet her head again, "Okay… I won't. I promise."
-War Day 16-
The morning broke as the red sun rose over the dark horizon, casting faint glows upon the petrified landscape.
The team was ready, everything was in place.
They all gathered at the foot of the hill overlooking the expanse of Salem's castle with one thing on their mind, they needed to end this fight.
Nova transformed into fem-Nova as she slung Ragnarok over her shoulders, "Alright ladies… and gentlemen, let's get going."
The path toward Salem's castle was heavy, with every step in the tainted, earth, the soil seemed to bleed the very black sludge that quickly evaporated into thin air, forming a stagnant mist that reeked of decay.
Within three hours they were halfway to Salem's castle. The dark spires of the Gothic structure seemed to block out the rising sun, casting a dark shadow over the lands.
Magical energy crackled through the air, a dark, twisted feeling squirmed like a writhing malignant worm, almost tangible, emanating from Salem's fortress. Something was happening… and they needed to move faster. Whatever it was… they needed to stop her.
Nova knew… they were marching on her with 3 of the four relics. Yet… the safest possible place for those items was in the midst of danger with people capable of protecting them.
-Salem's Castle-
Salem, after regrouping with her commanders and retreating to her fortress, took up her throne once more.
Onyx, Cinder and the Curious Cat all gathered around the table in the conference hall with her.
"Our little pests are following us, just as I predicted," Salem mused, running her hands over her crystal orb.
"You truly are despicable, Salem," Onyx chuckled, "It wasn't enough to crush them… you want to break them. If there was anything I ever admired about you, it was your innate talent for cruelty."
Salem smiled slyly as she made her chessboard appear again in the same state it was before. All of her pieces were out, the King and Queen pawns were missing from her side, representation of the armies she sacrificed to lure Ruby, Nova and their team in.
The current state of the board was an elaborate trap, the Silver pieces were missing half their pawns and one rook, symbolizing the loss of the King, Queen and other named pieces had advanced, and her King was in a tantalizing position for checkmate, but it was a trap. A closer look at the board showed that if Silver made any move to attempt a check, they would lose a piece, ready to be devoured by any of the black pieces.
It was a sickeningly twisted trap, one which Silver had no choice but to play into.
Salem looked at her crystal ball and smiled, "Ah it seems they're approaching. I shall… engage with my bishop." she moved her black bishop piece forward in a diagonal, placing the Silver King in check.
Silver had two options now, to intercept with their rook or intercept with their knight pieces. "What will you choose, little king?"
-Back with team ASHNRWBYSON-
The team had just entered the vicinity of the black lake. The hills looming over the horizon. They needed to crest these last few hills to enter Salem's domain.
"We're almost there," Nova called back as she and Ruby led the pack.
Just then, the black tendrils of magic erupted from Salem's domain again as the earth trembled.
A call came in from Winter, and she sounded exhausted, "Have you guys made it to Salem's castle yet?"
Nova responded, "No, we're almost there… how are you all holding up?"
The sound of explosions in her background echoed, "Not good, we were just about to wrap up when the ground turned black again and more spawned. It's not looking good, you need to kill Salem as soon as possible or I fear this army may never end."
Nova grimaced, "I had a feeling it would be like this… fuck. She's not holding back anymore… alright now we'll pick up the pace. Just hold out for as long as you can."
Winter made a grunting noise as through the phone they heard the sound of whistling summons from her semblance, "Roger that… please… hurry… but be safe okay? That goes double for you Weiss!"
With that, she hung up the phone.
"Let's pick up the pace guys. They're not doing so hot."
As the words left Nova's mouth, the lake began to rumble and bubble, "Oh for fuck's sake…"
Sprouting from the lake was a massive creature, it had a reptilian body of blackened skin and bone-like claws as three serpent-like heads rose out of the depths, their glowing eyes staring back from behind their skull masks.
It was a new type of Grimm… it looked like a Hydra from myths and legends.
"Oh, we so do not have time for this shit!" Ruby groaned exasperated, readying Crescent Rose.
"No, you don't." Yang cracked her knuckles.
Ruby bit her lip, "Yang are you sure…? We can…"
The blonde shook her head, "Nah, you guys stop wasting time and get going. I got this."
Ruby swallowed hard as they all gave her nods of acknowledgement before speeding off.
-Salem's Castle-
"Ah, so you've chosen to sacrifice the rook, have you? A bold move…" Salem took the chessboard and made it disappear as she stood up finally.
"Onyx it's showtime. Cinder… go and wake up your sister, and as for you cat…" Salem eyed him with a smirk, summoning the Staff of Creation. "You will have a special role to play…" she put the staff in its hands.
She walked off, opening the castle windows as sitting below in the barren wasteland was another army of Grimm, there were no Leviathans… but there were no cannon fodder either.
Every Grimm in the mass of black below was particularly crafted to be resilient, bulletproof, fireproof and deadly. There were martial artists Grimm, Horsemen, Berengel with wings, King Taijutu with glistening scales of obsidian, and Deathstalkers with triple the armour plating.
This was her Magnum Opus.
Grimm specially bred, carefully crafted from reviewing all of her past battles. These Grimm would not respawn like the fodder she sent after the army of Remnant, but they would put up a more significant challenge.
However… they were not meant to stop Team ASHNRWBYSON, they were meant to separate the King and Queen from their other pieces.
"The end is near, my dear Onyx and Cinder."
-Team ASHNRWBYSON-
They finally crested the hill, leaving Yang to fight off the Hydra while they continued to push forward. Hex, sneaked glances behind her as she saw flashes of yellow and the sound of thunderous punches echoing through the valley. She resolved herself to believe Yang would be okay, that she could handle this on her own.
Salem's castle laid out in the middle of a barren wasteland of red and black earth, the moment they stepped over the hill the sun had disappeared. Where once the morning sun held high was now replaced by a blood-red sky, the shattered moon hovering overhead. It was as if they'd stepped into a whole different world.
A world painted in Salem's vision.
A world devoid of life.
A world bathed in darkness.
Yet, it was not the change in scenery that took their breath away.
It was the army that stood before them, waiting, as Salem sat on her throne at the back, atop a large spider-like Grimm that made Nova's skin crawl and Ruby shuddered. Peering into its beady eyes made the Grimm in their bodies squirm with discomfort.
Nova and Ruby shared a glance, before turning back to the team. "Alright guys, this is it… hopefully." Ruby started as she began laying out the plan, "We'll keep the same strategy we wanted to use before. You guys carve a path toward Salem and Nova and I will take her out."
Hex scanned her eyes over the looming army, "No sign of Onyx or Cinder…"
"No doubt waiting on Salem's signal for a surprise attack. Don't let your guard down. We need to take her out first, Onyx and Cinder will be too much to deal with at the same time." Oscar folded his arms, his eyes locked on Salem as he could hear Ozma inside his head.
"Something feels off… about this. I just… I don't know what it is. Salem's far too conniving for such a predictable tactic as a surprise attack. Stay on your toes, I'll do what I can." Ozma echoed in the boy's mind.
Nova gripped Ragnarok, her fists clenching stiffly around it, "It doesn't matter anymore. Whatever it is… we need to face it head-on. Fight hard… but please… stay alive."
They all gave her a reassuring look, "We got this captain, we've done everything we can to prepare. There was… is… nothing left to do. We're ready." Hex smiled.
Blake twirled her weapon as the shadows flickered behind her while she leaned on Sun's shoulder, "You can count on us."
Weiss walked up and took both Ruby and Nova's hands, "I believe in you two… we can do this."
Luna stayed silent, as she couldn't tear her eyes off the battlefield.
"Nova… remember the promise." was all she said, taking out Galaxia.
"Alright…" Nova turned her blade toward Salem, "FOR OUR FUTURE! FOR OUR FREEDOM!"
With that, they jumped into the fray.
Neo and Weiss split toward the left and right as they flew through the air, summoning large walls of ice to separate some of the Grimm.
Blake disappeared into the shadows, spreading across the ground and wrapping several Grimm in bindings while her shadow clones split off, distracting enemies for her to attack them from behind.
Sun joined her, his golden clones splitting off as they engaged the army. "Shit these Grimm are tough!" Sun called out as he smacked them with his Gunchucks only for the bullets to bounce off and his strikes ring through his bones with feedback vibration. It was like hitting a concrete wall with his bare fists.
The Deathstalkers charged forward alongside King Taijutu while the flying Berengels made a mad dash for Weiss and Neo. Oscar and Hex were the first forward as Hex's chains came flying trying to control the crowd while Oscar's Green Knits did their best to fight off the Deathstalkers.
Ruby, Nova and Luna dashed in through the massive crowd of Grimm that didn't get split off.
Ruby's scythe and Nova's scythe, a blur of fire and silver light carved their way through. Despite the toughness of the Grimm, Ruby and Nova were leagues above what they were before.
Luna's eyes glowed bright blue as she swung her axe, the impact seemingly hitting nothing but air when suddenly dozens of Grimm lurched forward and got hit square in the stomach, slicing half of them while the other half was sent flying.
It took great effort to reach Salem, but eventually, they managed it.
Luna, Nova and Ruby stood before Salem, weapons drawn as they stared down the woman sitting on her throne with her chessboard out.
"Just in time," Salem mused as she moved another chess piece forward. Now the King and Queen of the silver pieces and the second silver Bishop had moved forward to face off the Black King. It should be over for black in this position from a basic point of view… but no one saw it coming when the black bishop took the last remaining silver Rook piece.
"Salem, it's over… you've got nowhere left to run," Nova declared, "Ruby now!"
With practised precision, Nova reached into her belt and took out the cube containing the Sword of Destruction.
As soon as the golden blade appeared in the air, Nova felt something shift.
This was too easy.
Something was wrong.
It only took a moment, a fraction of a second before Nova's nose perked up, and her ears twitched. One millisecond of a reaction as she barely whipped her head back just in time for a massive black, curved blade to narrowly miss her neck.
And just like Beacon, just like the moment she had faced off with Onyx back then, her entire body had been ripped from the space itself, shooting to the right as the world whipped past her until eventually coming to a stop.
Standing, like a hulking mass was Onyx, clad in blackened metal armour, his skin a pattern of starlight and space, his eyes brimming with an intense energy.
She hadn't been dragged too far, she could still see Ruby and Luna standing perplexed before Salem a few dozen feet away.
"Now… did you honestly think it would be that easy?" Onyx spoke, his voice layered with multiple tones.
Nova ran her hands through her hair, "No… I suppose not. I was waiting for you to rear your ugly head."
Meanwhile Ruby was about to ignite her eyes when Nova was suddenly missing from the space she was before, in the blink of an eye she witnessed Nova get ripped away, tossed halfway across the battlefield as Onyx manifested out of thin air.
"Shit…" Ruby cursed as she readied Crescent Rose, her eyes glowing bright Silver as the Silver Heart activated, the shroud overcoming her red cloak in Silver Light.
Salem chuckled, "Oh, you're adorable, but I have no intention of fighting… I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm using all of my magic right now to sustain both armies… I can't possibly be lifting a finger right now."
Ruby raised her scythe, "Enough of your shit!" she roared Petal Bursting toward Salem, her scythe a hair's breadth from her neck when her entire body convulsed, as the spider beneath Salem let out a screech.
The Grimm inside Nova and Ruby screamed out in pain as both of them involuntarily crumped to the floor.
"What the fuck?!" Ruby cursed as she watched Nova also struggle back to her feet.
"The seed I planted oh so long ago… did you think it was intended to kill the prince? I knew you would try to save him but to think he'd consign your death warrant by letting it bleed through… oh the things we do for love."
Salem toyed with the Silver Queen piece, "It truly is your greatest strength… and your greatest weakness."
Ruby struggled to her feet as she felt her senses return.
Luna made an attempt, seeing Ruby downed she readied her Axe as her eyes glowed with power, reaching forward to drag Salem closer when Salem snapped her fingers.
Out of her shadow, two figures emerged, the first one darting out like a bullet, arms made of Wyvern heads as Cinder emerged, grabbing Luna by the neck and dragging her away from the fight, high into the air and tossing her back down into a crater on the ground.
"Luna!" Ruby called out trying to rush to her aide when the second figure flashed forward in a burst of white petals, a cold iron scythe narrowly missing the top of Ruby's head.
The red reaper was shocked and stiff as she realized who her attacker was.
Summer Rose, with no cloak, strode forward, scythe in hand as the blade scraped the floor, angled dangerously toward Ruby.
Her eyes were devoid of life, empty and hollow. There was no shred of light in them, no humanity.
"Mom…" Ruby choked out, "What has she done to you…"
Salem smiled sickeningly as she watched, "I could render you immovable again if I wanted… but it'll be more entertaining like this… to watch as your dear old mother kills her child in cold blood."
Ruby snarled as she engaged True Silver form, "I'll make you PAY!" the translucent dragon horns appeared over her head, her teeth sharpening to fangs as her eyes mimicked Nova's.
This was the two worst-case scenario.
Cinder, Summer and Onyx were there to defend Salem. Until they were defeated… Ruby and Nova had no chance of killing her.
But… what could they have done differently?
-Yang and the Hydra-
Yang stood on the shores of the lake, her Aura running low as the beast looked barely scratched.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, it was difficult to engage with this beast without stepping foot into the black lake. Her instincts were telling her that stepping in there would be signing away her life.
"You're a real nasty bastard ain't you?" she grimaced, charging forward by leaping into the air. The Hydra lashed out its three heads as Yang saw her opportunity, generating her Aura to 100% she let it explode in its mouth as one of the three heads splattered into black ooze.
"Right… three down… two more to go." she heaved as she landed back on solid ground.
The Hydra roared wildness its decapitated head flailed around like a snake.
"Please don't do what I think you're going to do…" Yang let out a pained groan as… just like she feared… the two more heads sprouted from where she took out one. As it grew back the black ooze of the lake sucked into its body like an energy source.
Now it had four heads and was still just as much of a threat.
"Oh… I see your angle… that's why you're not leaving the lake. It's… regenerating you…" she glanced at the shoreline to confirm her suspicions.
The lake water had receded a significant amount after decapitating its head. Perhaps… to defeat this thing, she had to wear it out, use up the lake water…
"Looks like you and I are in for the long haul."
Back on the battlefield with the Remnant Army, while Winter, Raven and the others were keeping the larger army of Grimm at bay, two individuals who had managed to slip by undetected thanks to a certain semblance were finally ready to move.
Emerald and Mercury, disguised as Pandorian soldiers were hanging back amidst the chaos.
Emerald felt a flash in her mind as both she and Mercury heard Salem's voice, "It's time. Get moving, first to the lake just up ahead and then toward the castle. Hurry or you'll be late, my children."
Mercury cleaned his ears with his pinky finger, "Finally… I was getting so bored…"
Emerald hit him over the head, "Hurry up, move your ass or Salem will have our heads!"
-Salem's Castle-
Nova was engaged in battle with Onyx, her Maiden powers flaring in her eyes while the Aspect of Fire abilities were running hot.
There was no time to hold back, her scales were out, her wings and claws, and everything was honed to kill Onyx.
As her scythe clashed with Onyx's machete-like blade, sparks flooded the ground, igniting fires and scorching the barren earth.
Grimm that happened to get too close were killed in an instant by the force of the clash.
"Oh, you've gotten stronger," Onyx mused as when the two blades struck again the earth beneath them cracked from the pressure of the impact.
Nova let out a snarl as she coated her blade in fire, the scythe roaring a massive flaming dragon that smashed down onto Onyx from above.
The bear man laughed loudly as his eyes lit up with an unidentifiable power, raising his sword as black energy coated it, sucking in the flame like a giant vacuum as the earth and rocks below split apart and got sucked in.
Amidst the grand clash Luna was engaging in heavy combat with Cinder, the Grimm woman with her twin fists of Wyvern heads flew around wildly while Luna blocked each attack with her axe.
Her eyes darted to the clash between Nova and Onyx and an idea sprung in her head. She needed to get Onyx's crystal, that was the only way to win this battle.
"NOVA SWITCH!" Luna cried out as she used her powers, suddenly she was clashing with Onyx and Cinder was collecting a flaming dragon to the face.
"Oh… this is so much better," Cinder cracked her neck, "Now I can finally repay you for killing me back then…"
Nova switched her scythe to katana form, "Why are you still holding a grudge dude…"
Ruby on the other hand wasn't having a good time. Silver scythe clashed with blackened steel as Summer Rose was relentlessly pushing Ruby back.
Ruby was still trying not to hurt her mother, the very same thing that almost killed her the last time… but she couldn't help herself… she couldn't hurt her mother.
"What are you doing?! Focus up!" The Grimm inside her called back.
"I know but… it's my mom damn you!"
"If you won't do it then I will, I won't let half of me die." The Grimm inside her hissed, her tattoo glowing.
Ruby grits her teeth and swallows hard. She couldn't afford to lose control of it now… not when Salem could easily turn her against Nova if she let that happen.
"No… I'll do what needs to be done…"
With steadied resolve and a rapidly beating heart, Ruby let her powers flare as she shined the Silver light of her eyes into her mother, temporarily disabling her movements as she rushed in, crashing the back of Crescent Rose toward her mother's neck, pulling the trigger as it was about to cut her arm off.
Summer looked at Ruby, expressionless as she broke her arm, letting the scythe fly harmlessly through the air before the arm snapped back into place.
"Shit… well mom… looks like you're tougher than I thought…" Ruby grimaced as the two of them clashed.
-Back with Yang-
Yang had finally driven the Hydra into a corner.
The battlefield was layered in smoking craters and broken trees, the lake was dried up and standing in the centre was the Hydra, with a total of 36 heads.
The monstrosity, with no more liquid to regenerate from, was on its last legs.
But so was Yang.
Her clothes were torn, her body covered in blood and scars, deep tissue wounds that would take months to heal even with Aura.
Yang stood, panting and gasping for air as her shoulders were slumped, her hair a mess of blood and dirt.
"Looks… like I finally… got you down…" she heaved through pants, "I saved… one last punch… just for you…"
With a flick of her wrists, she unloaded the empty shells of Ember Celia and reloaded them.
The Hydra snarled furiously as its heads darted toward her, like an endless stream of snakes, all striking from different positions.
Yang stood still, poised and ready.
"Now… die…" she activated her semblance. This was the most damage she had ever sustained, and she was banking it all on one punch.
All of her remaining Aura condensed into one single point on her fists, as she dodged and weaved through the mass of heads, plunging her fist into the centre of the beast.
The punch shook the very earth as the shockwave rippled across the entire battlefield, reaching even the fight going on at Salem's castle.
An impact so strong, it instantly combusted the air around the Hydra, erupting everything into one gigantic explosion that threatened to go nuclear as a small mushroom cloud shot high into the sky as fire exploded out from the point of impact, a single flash of yellow being thrown back into a crater in the ground.
Yang emerged victorious, but she was in no condition to continue fighting. Her body was weak, and broken, the blood seeping out of her wounds was far too great.
She needed to get help…
Yang staggered to her feet, her legs trembling under the weight of her injuries. Her vision blurred as blood and sweat stung her eyes, but she pressed on, her only thought a desperate plea to find Hex.
One step at a time, she stumbled down the shattered path. The chaos of the battlefield roared around her, but her focus locked on a single figure in the distance—a silhouette she would recognize anywhere.
"Hex…?" Yang's voice cracked as she squinted through the haze. There, standing just ahead, was her girlfriend: purple hair catching the faint light, dark skin radiant even amidst the destruction. Relief flooded her as she saw Hex waiting for her, her arms open and welcoming.
"Yang! I'm so glad you're alright!" Hex called out, rushing forward just as Yang's knees buckled. She collapsed into Hex's embrace, the weight of exhaustion and pain finally overtaking her.
"I'm… okay," Yang rasped, forcing a weak smile. "Just need a little… patching up."
Hex's arms tightened around her, and Yang felt a fleeting moment of safety. But then she caught the faintest shift in her girlfriend's expression—a shadow passing through her eyes.
Hex frowned, her voice colder now. "Well, that's a shame. I was sure you'd die from your injuries…"
Yang blinked, her breath hitching as her senses spiralled. "W-What… are you saying…?" she whispered, her voice trembling with confusion and unease.
Hex's hand rose to caress Yang's cheek, but the tenderness felt wrong, forced. The smile on her lips twisted into something cruel, and malicious. "Nothing… Just that you're a fucking idiot."
Before Yang could react, the illusion shattered. Hex's face warped and shifted, her loving gaze replaced by the mocking, malevolent grin of Emerald Sustrai. Yang's heart sank, her body refusing to obey as her injuries and shock left her paralyzed.
Emerald's Grimm-forged claws gleamed in the dim light, sharper than knives. Her voice dripped with venom. "You were always the toughest, Yang. I'll give you that."
Yang's breath caught in her throat as Emerald drove her claws into her chest with ruthless precision. Pain exploded through her body, white-hot and all-consuming.
Time seemed to slow as Emerald pulled her hand back, holding Yang's still-beating heart aloft. Blood dripped from her claws, staining the ground as Yang's strength drained away.
"Wow," Emerald mused with a cruel chuckle. "It's still beating. Guess you had a little more fight in you after all. But don't worry… this is the end. Goodbye, Yang."
With one final, merciless squeeze, Emerald crushed the heart in her hand, the crimson remnants slipping through her fingers like sand.
Yang's vision dimmed, her golden eyes losing their light. Whatever words she might have spoken died on her lips as her body went limp, lifeless.
The battlefield fell eerily silent as if mourning the loss of the unyielding, fiery spirit that had burned so brightly. Yang Xiao Long was dead.
-Salem's Castle-
A/N: The song I recommend here is The End of All Things by SWARM
Chaos was unfolding all around them, but the fight was seemingly drawing to a close.
Weiss and the others were holding the hoard back while Nova, Ruby and Luna handled Salem and her commanders.
Ruby had finally managed to push Summer back, gaining the edge, Nova was fighting Cinder and beating her with ease.
Luna was still locked in a heated clash of blades with Onyx as their powers mimicked each other. Each strike was a guaranteed hit, the space between them rending and warping as reality itself seemed to distort with each strike.
Salem seemed to be unimpressed as she smiled, looking through her crystal ball Grimm and toying with her chess pieces.
"Ah, well… I believe it's about time we wrap this up…" she snapped her fingers as suddenly, out of nowhere, several portals opened up, just like the portals from Atlas.
All around the battlefield, everyone felt their hearts sink, as dozens upon dozens of new troops arrived to assist Salem's forces.
They weren't your typical Grimm… no… they were black, carbon copies of the Jabberwock.
Weiss was the first to be caught by surprise, as she was in the middle of a mass of Grimm, wielding her sword and her rapier as she just dashed between thirty Grimm, freezing them all Solid as one of her summonses, a Silver Knight was tearing apart their backline.
"WEISS LOOK OUT!" Blake tried to call out… but she was too late. A portal had opened right behind Weiss as The Curious Cat's claws sunk into her back, stabbing out through the front as Weiss's body went limp.
The Cat smirked widely as it unhinged its jaw, swallowing her whole, the only sign she was even there was the sickening sound of crunching bone and blood seeping from its mouth.
Neo let out a strangled scream as tears sprung from her eyes, her stomach lurching at the sounds.
Brimming with fury, Neo gave into her powers as the sky darkened and a hailstorm of ice rained oblivion onto the battlefield.
Blake, Sun, Nova, and Ruby, were all shocked to their cores as they watched Weiss be devoured, the screams of Neo's rage echoing across the expanse.
Yet… they didn't have time to even register what had happened as their enemies didn't let them breathe.
In the moment they paused, Onyx, Cinder and Summer regained their advantages, pressing them back.
"YOU MONSTERS!" Ruby screamed out, tears flowing from her eyes, I'll KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
The power of the Silver eyes became unstable as light shot out in all directions, vaporizing every Grimm in the vicinity even Salem had to shroud herself in darkness, hiding behind the spider as it took the explosion.
When the light died down, Summer and Cinder were petrified and the spider was crumbling. Only Onyx was left standing, still being held back by Luna.
Nova's lips quivered as tears rolled down her face, both she and Ruby were staring with murderous intent toward Salem. If looks could kill, Salem would've died a hundred times over.
"I am going to erase your very existence, you MONSTER!" Nova screamed out, rushing Salem with the Sword of Destruction in hand.
Salem once again snapped her fingers as the Grimm inside them squirmed, forcing them to their knees.
Even in the face of their most potent rage, neither of them could step toward her.
"Everyone! I… made it!" a voice echoed as they all saw Yang, beaten and bruised, running toward them.
Ruby saw her sister and cried, "Yang! Please… we need to…"
Salem just sat there, amused, unperturbed by the blonde's sudden arrival as she looked at her floating chessboard and knocked over the rook and one of the knights.
"And down goes another two."
As Ruby fought to stay upright, struggling against the weight of despair and exhaustion, she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching. Yang—alive, moving with purpose—was making her way toward the group. Relief surged through Ruby, a fragile spark of hope lighting in her chest.
But instead of aiding them, Yang leapt into the air, landing with eerie grace at Salem's side.
Ruby's eyes widened in shock, and her breath caught in her throat. "Y-Yang? What are you doing?!" she cried out, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Yang didn't respond. Her expression was blank and lifeless, her golden eyes dull and unseeing. And then, like glass shattering, her form began to ripple and dissolve. Ruby's heart plummeted as Yang's visage melted away, revealing Emerald Sustrai, her cruel smirk sharp as a blade.
Beside her, Mercury stood grinning, and draped between them was a broken, lifeless form. Ruby's breath hitched, her stomach twisting in horror. They threw it forward without ceremony, the body crumpling to the ground at Ruby's feet.
It was Yang.
Her chest was hollow, gaping where her heart should have been. Blood pooled beneath her, soaking into the dirt. The warmth, the defiance, the indomitable spirit that defined her sister was gone, replaced by a cold, empty shell.
Ruby fell to her knees, trembling as she reached out with unsteady hands to touch the corpse, desperate to deny what she was seeing.
"Y-Yang…?" Ruby whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her grief. Her fingers brushed Yang's face, now cold and unresponsive, and she recoiled as though burned. "No… no, this isn't real… it can't be…"
Her words dissolved into a hollow, keening wail as the last of her strength abandoned her. The will to fight, the determination that had carried her this far—it all shattered into nothingness.
Nova stood frozen beside her, the sight tearing through him like a blade. His chest ached with the same grief, the same unbearable loss. But where Ruby's despair left her hollow, Nova's pain ignited something far darker.
His hands clenched into fists, trembling not with fear, but with a searing, uncontainable rage. The fire inside him roared to life, hotter and fiercer than ever before.
"Emerald," Nova growled, her voice low and dangerous, trembling with fury. Her eyes burned with unrelenting determination. "You'll regret ever laying a hand on her."
As Ruby wept, cradling the lifeless form of her sister, Nova's fire blazed brighter, a beacon of vengeance against the encroaching darkness.
"I'm going to DESTROY YOU!" Nova roared as she lunged forward, scythe in hand as she aimed it toward Salem in a futile attempt.
Once again, just like the two times before. Salem snapped her fingers and the Grimm in Nova's blood screamed, forcing her to her knees.
Salem sighed, as she kicked Ruby in the stomach, forcing her to the ground and stepping on her face before turning to Nova, "You did get very far. I'll commend you on that much."
She reached down and yanked Ruby up by the hair, choking her.
Ruby tried desperately to claw at Salem's hands but her body was drained of energy.
Nova could only watch helplessly as the witch suffocated Ruby in her grasp.
"It's quite unfortunate, for you." Salem mused, her nails digging into Ruby's throat as it drew blood. "You were always playing my game. You were always going to lose."
Explosions rang out in the back as Nova turned his eyes away from Ruby and saw the portals collapsing as gigantic black ballistas rolled out. The arrows knocked in their strings firing off like automatic rifles that peppered his unsuspecting team.
Both Blake and Sun were in the middle of a fight when two black arrows the size of pillars shattered their Auras, piercing their torsos in an almost horrifyingly poetic pose. Both of them, impaled in an X-like pattern of bolts, hanging limp from the cold metal.
Another fired through the air toward Neo as she tried to deflect it only for the Curious Cat to pounce her right after, nabbing her by the teeth and dragging her to the ground.
"And just like that, one by one they all fall down…" Salem said as she began knocking over the next bishop and knight in order.
Hex and Oscar, the last survivors who were desperately being overrun were fighting tooth and nail to survive.
Only… Hex just had to look in their direction. Her eyes landed on Yang's corpse and all at once she let her chains go slack in her hands. Her expression went hollow as the shock of Yang's heartless corpse ripped all of her fight right out of her.
The Grimm, devouring another.
So fell another knight piece, the Silver Chess pieces, all gone except for the King and the Bishop.
"All your pieces have fallen," Salem continued to squeeze Ruby's throat, "All that's left… is you, your queen… and your last remaining bishop."
"Ruby…!" Nova tried to squeeze out as she struggled on the floor, her body writhing from pain as the Grimm attacked her from the inside. "L-Let go.. Of her….!"
Salem's eyes met Ruby's as she dug her nails in deeper, "You tried so hard… but I never play fair. Every move, every decision I made, every action I took was calculated… planned…"
She reached into Ruby's pocket and took out the cube containing the Relic of Knowledge.
"And now you will die, knowing your efforts were futile. In the end, I win… because the game was rigged from the start."
Ruby spat blood onto Salem's face, her voice trembling with fury and scorn. "You think this will fill the void inside you? That wiping us out will make you whole? You're not a queen, barely even a monster—you're a failure. A pitiful, empty shell that couldn't hold on to love, couldn't keep a family, and now clings to hate like a coward. You don't fight for revenge—you fight because it's all you've got left. And guess what? No amount of destruction will fix you. When this is over, and the gods strip you down to nothing again, you'll finally see it: you've always been nothing."
Salem smiled, her cruel eyes gleaming as she drew Ruby's battered face closer. "You're right," she whispered her voice like poison dripping into an open wound. "I am a monster. And you? You're just a foolish, naive little girl."
Before Ruby could muster another word, Salem's hand clenched, twisting with merciless finality. The sickening crack echoed through the battlefield, louder than any scream. Ruby's body fell limp, her brilliant silver eyes dimming as though the stars themselves had been extinguished.
Nova watched in horror, her breath frozen in her chest. Time seemed to grind to a halt, every heartbeat a thunderous, mocking reminder of her helplessness.
Ruby's form crumpled to the ground, the radiant glow of her True Silver dissipating like ashes scattered to the wind. She lay motionless beside Nova, her blood mingling with the dirt, her once-vibrant presence already fading.
But then, as her life ebbed away, Ruby's lips parted one final time. Her voice was barely a whisper, a fragile, fleeting echo. "I… love you… Nova…"
Her words hung in the air, a dagger plunged into Nova's soul. As Ruby's eyes fluttered shut for the last time, the light that Nova had fought so hard to protect, the warmth that had given her strength, was snuffed out.
Nova fell to her knees, clutching at Ruby's lifeless form as the reality of it hit her—a brutal, unrelenting tide of despair. It wasn't just loss. It was annihilation.
Her soulmate, her other half… gone. Torn from her as if the universe itself had reached into her chest and ripped her heart out, leaving nothing but an empty, gaping void. Her hands trembled as she cradled Ruby's face, her voice breaking into a shattered sob.
The warmth they had shared, the love that had carried them through the darkest of nights—gone, replaced by an unbearable cold that seeped into her bones. It was a pain deeper than death, a wound in her very soul that would never heal.
Nova screamed a raw, guttural sound that shook the air around her. It was the scream of a broken heart, of a love violently severed. And in that moment, nothing else mattered—no revenge, no victory, no hope. Only the unbearable truth: Ruby was gone, and the world would never be whole again.
Salem stood over Nova now, prodding her chest with her nails, "I want to say I'm sorry for doing this to you… but I'm not."
Nova broke into a sob as she cried, crawling over to Ruby's corpse and holding onto it, rocking back and forth as she let the tears fall endlessly, her spirit completely shattered at that moment.
"Just kill me," Nova begged, her voice hollow and empty, "Please…"
"No… I want you to suffer. I want you to watch as the entire world burns to the ground and you can sit there, knowing you were powerless to stop me. Even at your best, even if you had all the time in the world… you were never going to win."
Luna was still fighting Onyx, their clash, momentarily drowned out by the tragedy happening before them.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard their screams, she heard the despair washing over them.
It was a brief moment when Ruby died when Nova was begging Salem to kill her, that Luna saw her chance.
"NO!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, grabbing Nova's attention.
"It's not over!" she quickly activated her powers, the moment Onyx was distracted she grabbed the crystal from his neck, ducking out of the way of his reactive swing and tumbling toward Nova.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING BRAT?!" Onyx roared as he began rushing toward her, his powers destabilizing from the loss of the crystal.
"Nova… don't give up. Okay?! It's not fucking over, do you hear me?!" She held the crystal high into the air, all of her power being summoned at once as she pressed it to his head. "Please… I trust you'll find a way to win this."
Nova looked at her, with tears in her eyes and confusion on her face. "What…? Luna I…"
Suddenly a bright blue flash appeared from the stone as the Kuroseki shattered into a million pieces, the fragments scattering the light, cascading a myriad of colours over the battlefield, blinding everyone.
When Nova opened her eyes, she was standing on the top of the hill, "Huh…? What happened… Luna? What…?!"
She looked around wildly, as a familiar warmth was in her soul again. A comforting presence that she so deeply missed.
With tears in her eyes, she turned to see Ruby, standing right there without a scratch on her. Luna and everyone else minus Yang were all still alive.
"How is this possible? What's happening right now?" Nova asked, shifting back to male form as he rubbed his eyes.
Ruby softened as she touched his arm, "Honey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Nova swallowed dryly as he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for that brief moment and savouring the warmth of her as if he would die without it.
Ruby felt the weight of his emotions and grew even more concerned. "What's going on, Nova? What's happening right now?" she tried to read his thoughts but… for some reason she couldn't fully comprehend them.
The King meanwhile was swirling with confusion as his eyes darted to the battlefield, seeing Salem on her throne, all of the Grimm… it was like the battle hadn't even started.
"That's because it technically hasn't." Agni's voice echoed in his head.
"What are you talking about?" Nova responded in his mind.
"Luna sent you back in time… that's the true nature of her Aspect." Agni's voice was shaking, "I didn't quite grasp it until now but… it was so simple I didn't… think it was possible though."
"Stop talking in riddles and explain!" Nova demanded.
"What do you think orchestrates the most deaths? The number one thing in the entire known universe that kills the most? Not blades, not guns, not war. It's… time."
Well everyone, this story is 1 final chapter away from the end. See you soon, hopefully.