Chapter 32: Battle for Remnant
Last Time our heroes planned their attack against Salem, who has finally finished her creation Coda. Undeterred by the reveal of Ozpin and Salem's past, they continue to train as the day of the battle comes. Will, our heroes, prevail, or will Salem and her new creation Coda reign supreme find out now!
Atlas…
Jason stood on top of an Atlas flagship looking down upon the city. The preparations for the upcoming invasion on Salem were currently underway. Thoughts about everything that has happened over the last couple of months filled his mind with Cooler arriving, Evan and Mura dying, and now it was time to engage Salem.
It even surprised him that people took the truth so well or at least as well as one could expect. However, Jason knew that that would only is because people are trusting them to beat Salem, and peace will continue if and only if they defeat her in this attack.
"It certainly puts a lot of pressure on us." Jason sighed as he sensed a familiar presence behind him.
"Hey Neo, how's it going?" Jason asked as he turned to face his girlfriend.
"Just checking up on you, you seemed tense," Neo answered, grabbing onto his hand.
"I'm fine, thanks, just thinking about everything that's going on right now," Jason replied.
"It's odd how much has happened in such a short time I mean in less than a year time technically we've been through more than many go through in a lifetime," Jason stated.
"I guess your right though I was only there for half seeing I wasn't really with you all when Vale was still intact," Neo commented.
"True, but it is where we first met." Jason pointed out.
"Yep, I'm really happy you bumped into me on the street," Neo replied, laying her head on his arm.
"Yeah, me too." Jason agreed.
"So, are you ready for the fight?" Jason asked.
"As ready as I will ever be," Neo answered.
"How about you?" Neo inquired.
"I'm prepared, but I'm also nervous whatever Salem created. It's strong, maybe even stronger than Cooler, and it makes me well. I wouldn't say scared, but it puts me on edge." Jason explained.
"We'll be there for you," Neo assured.
"Thanks, we should meet up with the others. I think we'll be departing soon." Jason said.
"In a minute, I want to enjoy this a little more," Neo replied.
The two stood there for a little while longer, enjoying the last bit of alone time they would get for a while until after the battle. Jason didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling that something was going to happen during the battle, but he ignored it.
"No, I shouldn't think that I won't let anything like Haven or the Vytal Festival happen again." Jason thought.
Once it was time to make their way to Salem's domain, the two joined the others below deck as the armada of five flagships, and several hundred airships departed. The entire ride Jason looked out the window focusing on his thoughts as everyone else was preparing themselves.
Salem's Domain…
Salem stood in her throne room, looking at her army of Grimm, which awaited the forces that slowly made its way there. She felt a kind of satisfaction seeing all of her creations, but she was most proud of Coda.
In his short time alive, he has proven a valuable asset as he was able to control the Grimm much easier and more precise than even Salem. He also proved his strength by obliterating several mountain ranges with ease.
"Has the time come, Mistress?" Coda asked as he appeared next to Salem.
"Yes, soon, the enemy will be on us, and soon you will be able to test your full power," Salem answered.
"I look forward to it," Coda replied.
"I thought you were above those feelings for lust for battle," Salem stated.
"I do. I was just saying I wish to see the full extent to my power so that I know how I can best serve you, Mistress." Coda clarified.
"I see well make sure it stays that way. If you let your emotions run rampant, it will form into chains that make you weak." Salem ordered.
"Understood," Coda replied.
Coda exited the room and leaped from the castle and landed on a nearby rock face and sat down to meditate, waiting for the enemy to come. But something kept bothering him he felt an unpleasant feeling he couldn't understand it was like impatience he wanted to fight Jason now but couldn't.
"I see that my Saiyan DNA is stronger than I thought, but I will not let them control me." Coda thought as he kept his eyes closed. However, his fist clenched, and his tail slammed on the ground.
Meanwhile, Mercury and Hazel were waiting at the entrance of the castle, both tense as they stood there. Both felt like it was a moot point for them to be there since with how things have developed, it was as if they were cannon fodder in this battle.
Both knew that Salem could care less whether or not they live or die, but they knew that they could not leave. Otherwise, Salem would have them killed. But neither wanted to leave for they believed that they were on the winning side, and if they stay they would be rewarded.
"Do you think it's watching us?" Mercury asked.
"No, I think he has better things to do," Hazel responded.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of him." Hazel inquired.
"How can I not be he killed Watts like it was nothing and on accident? What if he decides that he doesn't want to take orders anymore?" Mercury questioned.
"Think about what you're saying. Salem created Coda. She made measures to prevent that surely casting a seal upon him to prevent disobedience, and if you hadn't noticed, he's dedicated to her." Hazel argued.
"Still, though, you can't control something that strong unless you have the strength to keep it in place," Mercury replied.
"Are you questioning Salem's power?" Hazel questioned.
"No, no, I just believe…that thing is far stronger than her." Mercury clarified. He waited for Hazel to yell and reprimand him for what he said about Salem, but he did not.
"I cannot disagree with you there," Hazel said as the two sat in silence.
With Coda once more, he still sat on top of his perch, sensing the energy of the planet. He had experimented with the ability over the time which he has been alive. He searched for Jason and the army, eventually finding them not too far from them now.
His mouth twitched into a small smile before returning to his normal neutral look as he opened his eyes. Soon the battle would begin, and he could finally serve his purpose to Salem once the battle was said and done.
Atlas Flagship…
Jason stared out the window and focused on sensing the creature's energy. He felt it for a while now a cold sweat coming down his forehead as it felt as it looked back at him. Whatever it was, it was strong, and now being closer, Jason could tell that it was hiding its power.
"It could be much stronger than I originally thought." Jason thought as his thoughts were interrupted by the intercom turning on.
"Will everyone please come to the bridge," Ironwood ordered.
As they heard the order, everyone went to the bridge where Ironwood, Ozpin, Qrow, Winter, and the Ace Ops were waiting for them. Once they entered the bridge, everyone could feel the tense air in the room as the centered around a table.
"Today is a day we've waited years for a full-frontal assault on Salem though I would've felt better if I didn't know what I do now." Ironwood began.
"But beyond that, we will defeat Salem and capture her so that we can contain her. Or at the very least put her out of her commission for good." Ironwood continued.
"Once again, the main forces led by me, Qrow and Winter, are going to hold off whatever Salem is going to throw at us as the main group here shall go to engage Salem directly while Mr. Shin and Mr. Plant will fight Salem's creation." Ironwood finished.
"Guess we're still in the dark about most of what we will encounter," Blake commented.
"Yes, and while we would usually take some more time to evaluate the mission after revealing the truth to the world, we have to take care of Salem now before the people lose faith in us, and fear overwhelms the world," Ironwood replied.
"Couldn't we have held off revealing everything to everyone until after?" Nora asked.
"Normally we would, but after Cooler attacked once again, we didn't want people jumping to conclusions and spreading rumors and fear the same goes with revealing Salem. Otherwise, we couldn't even stage this attack." Qrow answered.
"So, in a sense, we were backed into a corner," Ironwood added.
"Plus, the people deserved to know." Jason voiced.
"Yes, that too." Ozpin agreed.
"What will you be doing, Professor?" Ruby asked.
"I will be joining you all this is my fight most of all, and I will be there to finish it," Ozpin answered.
"Though we don't know what we may face there, do you know how strong Salem is?" Blake asked.
"Since she is immortal, her ability to heal is extraordinary, but if you were to deal enough damage, it would slow. She is also very powerful as she is able to bend everything around her to her will to make them into her weapon." Ozpin began.
"She is also able to use magic like the maidens but on a much larger and stronger scale, so do not underestimate her or else she will defeat you." Ozpin finished.
"What is her semblance?" Yang questioned.
"She does not have one for unlike me. She still has her original body and never had an aura and is unable to unlock one due to her now being part Grimm." Ozpin answered.
"Guess they had no need for semblances when they had magic," Ruby commented.
"How long until we get there?" Ren questioned.
"Any minute we will be entering her domain, it is shrouded in a dark mist like storm which clouds all sensors," Ozpin responded.
"Which explains why we could never find it before," Ironwood added.
"Either way, we won't know what's on the other side until we get through," Qrow stated. Just as Qrow said that they began to approach the aforementioned mist with the ship slowly making its way through.
"Is anyone else creeped out about this?" Jaune questioned.
"Yeah, it is unsettling." Ruby agreed. Suddenly the radio sprung to life as several voices came through for a mayday signal.
"THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIST!" One person said as another voice came in.
"WE'RE BEING TORN APART!" They yelled.
"GOING DOWN!" Another shouted as the crew members on the bridge began to panic.
"What the hell is going on?" Ironwood questioned.
"Guess Salem had some guards on her border." Jason theorized.
"Why didn't you say anything? I thought you could sense energy?!" Ironwood questioned.
"Grimm don't have energy. I feel a chill down my spine or a feeling of death if one is near. But that doesn't account for distance or one of the other ships!" Jason clarified as he approached Elias.
"Increase our speed and keep an eye on the radar!" Ironwood ordered.
"The mist is interrupting our sensors. We can't get a clear reading!" A crew member revealed.
"What now?" Qrow questioned.
"We bide the storm," Ozpin answered.
"Wait, where did Jason and Elias go?" Pyrrha asked as everyone looked around to see that the two were now gone.
Outside in the high winds of the storm, Jason and Elias walked to the main deck of the flagship. Once they made it to the center of the flagship, the two stood back to back as they looked around.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Elias asked.
"No, but it's better than letting them fly in the dark," Jason answered.
Both focused on their senses and listened to the sounds around them, waiting for a Grimm to attack. Every time one did, Jason and Elias would dispatch it with ease with blasts and beams of various sizes.
Eventually, the flagship made it through with only a few scrapes and scratches, and once they were through, only one other ship of five came out with them along with a few airships though all were damaged. But soon, everyone's attention was turned to what laid in front of them.
The land was dark and blackened as if it was set on fire and burnt to ash years ago with pools of pitch-black liquid. However, what shocked people the most was the massive army of giant and small Grimm alike, which faced them.
"Shit talk about going overboard," Jason commented.
"Considering we're here, I don't think that's too overboard." Elias pointed out.
"Good point." Jason agreed.
"There are only two flagships left and a few bullheads. All have significant damage. This isn't good." Elias stated.
"You're right. We need to take care of this first." Jason agreed.
"No, I'll take care of it. You go to fight whatever it is Salem's created. Otherwise, it will ambush us mid-fight." Elias replied.
"Guess you're right," Jason said as they returned to the others.
"Good job you two thanks to you we made it through the storm." Ozpin thanked.
"I wish we could have done the same for the others, but visibility made going to the others near impossible," Jason replied.
"We are going to have to manage with what we've got," Ironwood said.
"This is going to be much harder than we anticipated. We should keep some of the core group behind to help fight that." Winter suggested.
"I'll stay and fight," Elias revealed.
"That'll be a big help," Winter replied.
"I will help too. I think the core group will be fine without me." Amber volunteered.
"Okay, Ace Ops, you're here too since you have experience with fighting large hordes of Grimm," Ironwood ordered with the Ace Ops nodding in agreement.
"How are we going to get to where Salem is?" Ruby asked.
"We have a dropship ready for you all to get to wherever she is," Ironwood informed.
"I'll make a path you guys can take. Just follow me." Jason said as he and the core group left the bridge.
"Leaving the fate of the world to children, I feel like the world has gone mad." Ironwood sighed.
"To be fair, they've faced much stronger opponents and have saved the world more than once," Qrow commented.
"Either way, let's make sure to turn the tide of the battle to our favor," Ironwood replied as Elias flew off to engage the Grimm.
Jason escorted everyone else in the dropship through the lower layer of the Grimm, killing every single one that got close. Once through the blockade, Jason led them to where he sensed Salem's presence until they reached a castle touching down at the entrance.
As everyone exited the ship, Neo approached Jason, grabbing hold of his hand, talking with him real quick before the battle began. Giving him a kiss on the cheek before they went forward with the others.
"Talk about evil lair," Yang commented as they approached the entrance.
"This is as far as you go." Hazel declared as he and Mercury stood in front of them, blocking the entrance.
"Are you really going to fight because with how it went last time, what would be the point it's not like you can stop us?" Jason questioned.
"We will do what Salem orders us to do," Hazel responded.
"Fine, be that way," Jason replied quickly, appearing behind the two knocking them out in quick succession with a chop to the back of the neck.
"That was pointless." Weiss scoffed.
"Well, they probably didn't have a choice." Blake pointed out.
"Fair enough." Weiss agreed as they approached the door.
Before they could even touch it, Jason stopped them as a figure shot out from above and made impact with the ground. Everyone was on edge by the energy they were sensing, almost suffocating them as the dust settled, revealing Coda.
"What the hell is that thing?" Damian questioned.
"Must be whatever Salem created," Alex answered.
"What are you?" Jason asked.
"My name is Coda, and I am here to kill you," Coda answered.
"That didn't fully answer my question, but that's not going to happen," Jason replied.
"What point would there be to answering your question if I'm going to kill you. The others will be handled by Mistress Salem." Coda said.
"You guys go ahead. I'll take care of him," Jason ordered as he and Coda flew off.
"Okay, let's do this," Ruby said as they opened the door though Neo looked off to where Jason and Coda went.
"She must be up ahead, seeing as she's the only one here." Jaune pointed out.
"Steel, your resolves everyone. This battle won't be won easily." Ozpin advised.
The group made their way through the castle until they found themselves through two large doors. Looking at one another one last time, they opened the doors, and waiting for them behind it was Salem herself sitting on her throne.
"Ozpin, I see you have finally arrived with your warriors though I wasn't expecting children." Salem greeted.
"They are more than just children Salem. They are far stronger than you and I," Ozpin replied.
"We'll see about that," Salem said, getting up from her seat.
Suddenly every window in the room shattered, and the broken glass gathered and formed into several spikes. The newly formed spikes then shot towards everyone who brought out their weapons and blocked the attack.
In retaliation, those who could shot at Salem with hails of Ki and bullets. Salem used magic to raise the ground beneath her to move her out of the way of the attacks. However, Yang created a fireball above the witch and threw it down upon her.
This caused her to jump back and out of a window to avoid the fireball. Once she was outside, she used her magic to cause the throne room to begin to collapse. Upon seeing this, everyone jumped out of a window and onto the rocks below to face Salem once more.
"I see that you all are at the very least persistent," Salem commented.
"We'll be as persistent as we need to be to defeat you," Ruby replied.
"You are brimming with confidence…just like your mother," Salem revealed, causing everyone to go silent.
"What?" Ruby questioned in disbelief.
"Many years ago, your mother attempted exactly this and failed when I killed her." Salem clarified.
"What makes you think you'll do it any better when you don't even understand the power you have?" Salem inquired.
Tears began to well up in Ruby's eyes as she processed what she was told as Yang became enraged next to her. However, before anyone could make a move, Ruby's eyes began to glow, and the area was washed over in a silver light. When the light dissipated, Salem was seemingly turned to stone much to the surprise of everyone as Ruby took a breather being held up by Weiss.
"She's stone, does that mean we win?" Nora asked.
"Not quite," Salem announced as she broke through the stone shell. However, it seemed as if her skin seemed less pale than before more human than Grimm.
"I forgot how irritating that was," Salem spoke as she stood before everyone.
"That won't be the last time we get the upper hand on you today Salem." Ozpin declared.
"Is that so then what will you do if you somehow manage to beat me Ozpin, you can't kill me and containment will only last for so long?" Salem questioned.
"We'll figure that out when this is over," Ozpin answered.
"You act as if you actually think you'll win," Salem smirked.
"We will." Yang defended as she fired several bolts of fire at Salem.
"Do you think you can do that again Ruby?" Weiss inquired.
"I don't know I...I just..." Ruby replied as she teared up.
"Ruby..." Weiss murmured as she pulled her leader into a hug.
"I know it must hurt but we need you right now so please. Don't cry." Weiss comforted as she pulled away and Ruby gave her a nod.
The Grimm queen used her own magic to block the fire Yang fired at her with her open hand then created dark flames sending it right at them. They split up to dodge the attack and those who could shot back at Salem, who used the ground beneath to block their attacks.
Yang charged in shattering the rock with her fist and panting a solid punch to Salem's face. This opening allowed the others to go in for an attack, with first being Pyrrha cutting at Salem's legs. Afterward, Jaune, Damian, and Blake sliced everywhere else with Weiss coming in for several stabs.
In the end, the others bombarded her with Ki as Nora went in charged with Ki and electricity to slam Salem. The Grimm queen was sent through the rubble of her throne and through the other end of the castle. As Salem picked herself back up with her body healing itself, the first person to engage her was Ozpin.
Ozpin used his cane to attack Salem several times as the two fought against one another. Jabbing at several weak points and pressure points, keeping Salem down and unable to fight back. This changed when a sudden shockwave knocked the two aside, giving Salem the opportunity to fight back.
First, she encased Ozpin in a rock binding, keeping him in place as she approached him. Before she could do anything, she was shot by sniper fire, causing her to look up and see Ruby aiming her Crescent Rose at her with a determined look upon her face.
Soon the rest of the group came around freeing Ozpin and reengaging Salem. Ren charged in and slashed Salem several times as he backed off. She was hit by a Ki infused Dragon Arrow fired by Alex. As she recovered, she was attacked once more by Ruby, who sliced at her with Crescent Rose empowered by Ki.
"These attacks of yours do nothing!" Salem yelled as she pushed Ruby away.
"No matter how much you heal, you don't have infinite power," Ruby replied as Salem was hit by a combined Ki beam blasted by Yang, Pyrrha, and Blake.
As her body healed, a now freed Ozpin attacked her, not giving her a chance to fully recover. However, this time she was prepared countering his attacks as she called forth Grimm to fight the others. Now occupied with the large Grimm attacking them, Salem and Ozpin were left alone to fight one another.
"It's almost like history is destined to repeat itself Ozpin you and me fighting against one another in one on one combat but this time…" Salem began as she shoved Ozpin into a wall holding him.
"You have no power to fight me equally, and this time you won't be coming back when I bring the gods here and have Coda kill them." Salem finished as she walked up to him.
"That won't go the way you think it will Salem even if you win here you won't be able to beat them. Once again, they will stop you, and this time they will give you a far worse punishment." Ozpin argued.
"You're a fool for doubting what I've accomplished," Salem replied, creating a glass spear.
"And you are a fool from not learning from your mistakes," Ozpin said as Salem was knocked away by Neo who had infused Ki in her Hush to give it an extra kick.
Neo helped Ozpin back up from the wall he was pinned to before she faced Salem. The irritated Grimm queen attacked the mute, but her attack hit nothing as Neo's image shattered like glass. Appearing behind Salem Neo smacked her down before stabbing her with Hush's hidden blade infused with Ki.
Salem having enough of Neo's attacks, pushed her away with a blast of magic, allowing herself to get back up. During this time, everyone managed to dispatch the Grimm that Salem had sent to distract them, allowing them to reengage Salem once more.
As they attacked Salem, she used her magic in order to counter their many attacks on her. Though they had the number advantage, Salem's magic made up for it able to hold off everyone, whether it was up close or ranged attacks. Finally, Salem sent a shockwave of magic, sending everyone away and onto their knees.
"It's pointless there's nothing you can do now even with all this new power you may have I cannot be beaten by any of you." Salem declared.
"We will not give up. We won't let you hurt this world or anyone else anymore." Ruby vowed, getting back up.
"So idealistic, which is why you must die first," Salem replied as she approached Ruby.
"No, you won't hurt anyone else!" Ruby yelled as her eyes glowed once more, covering Salem in a silver light.
Salem was taken by surprise by the sudden burst of light as she was once again encased in stone. Once she broke free once again, her Grimm like appearance lessened, and she looked more human, her black irises around her red pupils were now white, and her veins were no longer black.
"It seems as if you still underestimate the power of the silver eyes Salem not even I fully understand how it works, but it seems like it is reverting you back to a human." Ozpin pointed out as he approached Salem.
"And the more Miss Rose uses it, I believe the more she'll be able to master it soon, you may be human once more," Ozpin added.
"One dip in the Grimm pools will change that Ozpin...no Ozma," Salem replied.
"I'm surprised you would even want to return to such a state, Salem," Ozpin said.
"In order to achieve my goals, I will do anything." Salem declared.
"We will not allow that," Weiss affirmed.
"We will stop you." Blake agreed.
"Whatever it takes," Damian stated.
"Let's see how far that will take you," Salem replied as she levitated with the power of her magic.
Salem levitated several boulders and threw them at everyone who either dodged the attack or broke the boulders thrown at them. Ruby used her semblance to make her way behind Salem and slashed at her back.
The Grimm queen dropped down to avoid the attack, but she was met on the ground by Yang and Neo, who attacked her as she dropped. They both attacked her with stabs and punches preventing her from making a move.
Once they were done, they split off letting several of Weiss's summons attack her. Salem was tackled onto the ground by the astral Grimm as Weiss prepared her Arma Gigas to impale her. But before it could, Salem broke through Weiss's summons and quickly dispatched the Gigas.
Before she could attack Weiss, she was shot through the stomach by an arrow shot by Alex. As Salem went to attack Alex, she was blindsided by a surprise attack from Nora, who embedded her into the rock face.
"ENOUGH!" Salem screamed as she shattered the rock face sending the debris at everyone.
Most of them were hit by the debris damaging their aura, but some such as Ruby, Yang, Neo, Ozpin, and Jaune dodged the attack. Now free Salem glared at everyone present as two balls of dark flame appeared in her hands.
"I'm done playing with you. I will kill you here." Salem declared as she went to throw the ball of flame. However, when she did, it dissipated, never making contact with anyone.
"What? But how?" Salem questioned as she looked at her hands.
"It seems as if every time Miss Rose here encased you in stone, it drained a significant portion of your magic Salem just surrender," Ozpin answered.
"Why would I surrender? I still have the upper hand if I can't kill you, then Coda will." Salem declared.
Around the Same Time…
Elias flew around, tearing through every Grimm he could as the main forces were engaged with the large amounts of Grimm Salem had prepared. The bigger ones seemed more resilient than he thought having to go to his new form in order to take them out fast enough.
While he was engaging the Grimm directly, the others were shooting it from a distance with the two flagships firing upon the Grimm, and the others fought off any Grimm that got close. So far, they managed to make a large dent in the Grimm that was there but seemed no closer to the end.
The main goal was to keep the flagships intact as they made it further into Salem's domain. Elias blasted two bat-like Grimm out of the sky as he dodged an attack by a large whale-like Grimm as it basted a beam from its mouth.
"Great." Elias, though annoyed at the new development.
Flipping over, he shot several blasts at the whale, but it seemed to tank it all. Seeing that hitting it from the outside was pointless, Elias flew straight into the Grimm's mouth then blasted it from the inside. The Grimm's body slowly dissolved into nothingness as Elias flew back out to continue.
"Elias, how are you doing up there?" Amber asked over comms as she manipulated the wind to slice into a Grimm.
"All things considered good, but still, there's no end to them," Elias answered as he threw a nevermore into a wyvern then blasting them both.
"Just take out the big ones leave the rest to us," Ironwood ordered as he shot a nevermore in the head.
"Sounds like a plan," Elias replied.
"I just hope that Jason is able to handle Salem's creation alone for a while longer." Elias thought.
Just as he thought about that did a large surge of energy come from the distance. The power completely dwarfed Cooler's and Jason's, and when Elias turned to look, he saw several explosions overtake the area beyond the Grimm armies.
"Shit," Elias muttered.
Minutes Earlier…
Jason and Coda landed on a nearby rock face and stared at one another. Before long, Jason and Coda powered up as Jason was surrounded by golden energy and Coda with a dark orange.
"I'm going to end this quick I'd like to help my friends." Jason declared.
"I believe you are underestimating my power. I know you can sense energy, so I know that you can see that I am no pushover." Coda replied.
"Let's see about that!" Jason yelled as he charged at Coda.
The monster charged right back as they went to attack one another, but to Jason's surprise, he landed the first hit very easily. Jason landed a strong punch across Coda's face sending him into a nearby canyon.
Not letting it distract him, Jason quickly followed up on this attack speeding after Coda landing several blows on the monster as they flew through the canyon. Whenever Coda attempted to counter, Jason easily blocked it or dodged the creature's sloppy movements.
"Is he taking this seriously, or does he not know how to fight?" Jason questioned as he spun around and kicked Coda in the gut sending him into the rock wall.
Not too long after the area exploded in energy as Coda freed himself from his rocky prison. It seemed as if he was relatively unharmed by Jason's attacks stretching out his limbs.
"I see your fighting style is very refined due to years of practice I have yet to fully learn, but through you, I'll be able to catch up," Coda stated as he sped towards Jason.
This time Jason was taken off guard as Coda managed to land a hit, which caused immense pain him. Going to counter Coda, but it seemed like the short bout that Jason and Coda's exchange was enough for Coda to learn how to fight if moderately.
It took Jason a minute to catch back up to fight against Coda equally once more. However, as they clashed multiple times, it seemed as if Coda was continuing to learn how to fight. His sloppy fighting style began to sharpen as they fought, causing Jason to have to compensate for it.
"Dammit, how the hell is he doing this he's learning as he fights?!" Jason questioned as he flipped over Coda and elbowed him in the back.
Jason then shot a Buster Flare at Coda, who blocked it with his bare hand unfazed. In response, Coda fired a beam of his own hitting Jason in the chest, causing him to cough up blood. When he was shot, he fell towards the Grimm pools below, but before he landed in it, he stopped himself.
"It's a good thing that you stopped yourself normal people falling into there don't end up too well," Coda stated.
"I'll have to remember that," Jason replied, spitting out blood.
Reengaging Coda, Jason held nothing back as he powered up, trying to confuse Coda by using the afterimage technique in order to disorientate him. First, he disappeared in front of Coda to reappear behind chopping down on Coda.
Coda was fast enough to react to Jason's attack, but when he went to counter, his hand passed through Jason again. This happened again and again with Jason circling Coda, faking the creature out as he constantly used the afterimage technique.
Eventually, Jason hammered down on Coda's head, sending him towards the surface of the canyon. Following him, Jason fired a splitting flare to bombard Coda with energy. Coda immediately got up and flew back away from the attack while analyzing the attack.
Suddenly Coda disappeared and reappeared behind Jason, kicking him down to the ground. As Jason landed, he flipped over and avoided another attack by Coda, the two clashing several times over the area.
It seemed as if Coda was analyzing Jason's fighting technique learning from it to refine his own and learn from his own mistakes. With every second, it appeared that Coda became better at fighting.
"I should thank you for this fight, Jason it has been a learning experience now I can better serve my mistress." Coda thanked as he grabbed onto Jason with a full nelson.
"It's not like I wanted to teach you how the hell are you even learning so fast?!" Jason questioned as he broke free and kicked Coda in the face.
Unfazed, Coda grabbed onto Jason's leg, slamming him in the ground several times until he threw him away. After following, Coda stepped on Jason's chest, pinning the Saiyan on the ground.
"Honestly, I believe that I've learned all that I can from you thanks to your DNA that resides in my body I was able to fully comprehend your moves and now I don't need you anymore it seems as if you are unable to test my full power," Coda explained.
"Don't underestimate me, monster!" Jason hissed as he grabbed onto Coda's foot and lifted it off of him. In response, Coda pushed down with more strength placing his foot back onto Jason's chest.
"It's annoying because of your emotions. You refuse to surrender what gave you strength at one point now holds you back." Coda commented as he put more pressure onto Jason's chest.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you don't feel anything?" Jason questioned.
"I have no need for emotions. The destruction of your race is proof of that." Coda responded.
"Don't talk like you know anything about them or me!" Jason yelled as he released more energy.
He began to push Coda's foot off of him once more, and this time finished it as he released a shockwave that resounded through the area. This pushed Coda away, allowing himself to get back up to his feet.
"How did he even know about that he wasn't there, nor did he hear about it from me or anyone who should know?" Jason questioned.
As Coda got up, he was taken off guard as Jason kneeing him in the face sending him away into a valley of rock pillars. Jason was no longer "playing" as he powered up to full and bombarded Coda with a barrage of attacks.
Jason kicked Coda through several pillars chasing after him grabbing a pillar on the way. Once he reached Coda, he slammed the pillar onto him several times until it shattered. Not going to let up, Jason flew to the sky and rained down fire of Ki upon where Coda was until only a large crater formed.
"I see I did underestimate you, Saiyan though that just means I get to test more of my power," Coda said as he darted up from the crater and planted his fist in Jason's gut.
Grabbing onto Coda's arm, Jason headbutted the abomination then spun around to throw him away. Coda easily stopped his momentum, then each one of his fingers lit up as he fired several beams at Jason, which in turn split into several more.
Maneuvering through the beams of Ki, Jason made his way towards Coda, and as he reached him, his fist passed through Coda's body. Coda had learned how to use the afterimage technique appearing behind Jason and kicking him in the face.
As Jason fell towards the ground, he fired a Mega Flare towards Coda, who raised his hands to block the attack. This turned out to be a ploy as he diverted the attack. Jason was right in front of him, landing a swift blow on Coda.
Flipping over, Jason ax kicked Coda into the ground then proceeded to fire an Armageddon Blast at him. The attack left the surrounding area as a large crater with Coda lying in the center.
"His power spiked is this the Saiyan potential I see, so then I will be able to do the same if it ever comes to it." Coda thought.
He felt a surge of emotion in him what he could only guess as joy, but he quickly caught himself. Coda could not understand why he felt that way, chopping it off as his Saiyan DNA as he flew back up to the sky.
"It seems the Saiyan DNA inside me once again proves to be an obstacle if I'm not careful it will form a chain that holds me back just as Salem said." Coda thought.
"Alright, then it seems I was wrong about you not that you've finally powered up to full I shall do the same," Coda stated as he released his full power shattering the ground bellow and causing rocks to float into the air.
Jason looked on at the sight in shock of Coda's overwhelming power. The fact that the creature was holding back such power amazed him. He struggled to stay in place as Coda finished powering up now covered in a dark orange energy.
"Shit," Jason muttered.
Our heroes have finally arrived in Salem's domain, and thanks to the budding powers of Ruby's silver eyes, Salem is drained of energy for the time being. However, the horde of Grimm attacking the main forces seems never-ending, and Coda finally reveals his full power! Will, our heroes, be able to claim victory, or will Coda and the Grimm prove too much? Find out Next Time!
Author's Note:
Hey, guys hope you enjoyed the chapter, which in this chapter I wanted to focus more on the RWBY side than Dragon Ball Z. In where if you didn't notice, I focused more on a battle with a RWBY style (or at least tried for I'm not as good in writing that) with focusing this chapter on the fight with Salem to a degree.
The main fight with Coda will be the main focus of the next chapter and the one after (If I can pace this right with the writing). Honestly, I don't have much to say about this chapter I think I put all the answers to any questions I can think you guys may have in this chapter. For now, I wanted to announce that I am working on a Remnant's Saiyan What-If series, so expect the first chapter soon about what if Jason never landed on Remnant.
Anyway, like I said before, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all next time.