The ground trembled from the galloping of paper horses. All around them was akin to a child's imagination come to life. Toy guards and chess pieces fell by the hundreds under the relentless charge of the Paper Pleasers. They were not in their star shapes, but most were folded into paper soldiers with colorful wings strapped to their back. Behind them, the light of a new day followed.
Death for these toys came as an army of paper wings.
Huntsmen cheered deafeningly as all of them, once surrounded by enemy toys, were now surrounded by ally paper. They were many, these Paper Pleasers. Far too many for Pyrrha's aura reserves to handle.
"Got you." Rider took hold of Pyrrha before she collapsed.
"What's going on right now?" Pyrrha was out of it. She couldn't see anything past her own hand.
"You're taking a lot more aura than even what the Grail War allowed," Rider explained. "We're getting help, Master." There was worry in his voice. "Just hold on."
Jeanne's eyes glowed. "Allow me."
A secondary source was siphoning the aura being fed into Pyrrha's person. Jeanne relieved some of Pyrrha's reserves.
Paper horses—hussars—kept on with their relentless charge. Like a flashing flood, they rushed in with little resistance. Toys were swept away like pebbles amidst the rushing torrent.
Above them, Saber and Ozpin dueled with the god of light. Astolfo was there, granting them their airspace with Chiron providing support.
"Will you be okay like this?" Jeanne asked. "There's no one leading the charge."
"There is," Rider replied. "Don't worry about it. I have someone who got it… Somewhat covered." He chuckled at his own pun.
Outpacing the Paper Pleasers, there at the front, was the lead, riding atop a paper horse. However, the rider wasn't a paper pleaser; they're a mouse with a red scarf.
"Trust me, they'll do fine," Rider assured them.
A group of Paper Pleasers burst into flames. They turned to ashes immediately after, preventing the spread of the embers. Saber and the god of light had made that area their arena. Huntsmen took their time to rest and regroup, with a few joining on the charge. Some dared to ride atop a paper horse.
Just as the toys were seemingly endless in their numbers, the Paper Pleasers might as well populate all of Remnant all on their own.
"How many are there?" Jeanne asked.
"A lot," Rider replied. "They all came from your place. Maybe a few familiar figures among them too."
By command, one Paper Pleaser stopped by them. It was the shape of that Paper Pleaser that took Jeanne's attention.
"I'm not that spiky, am I?" Jeanne asked.
"They're not perfect recreations," Rider replied. "Only that they're in your general shape. Don't count on them performing similar feats as you either."
Another, this one on a chariot, stopped by Pyrrha. The paper rider gave them a thumbs up.
"Come on, Pyrrha," Rider said, helping his Master up. "Let's get the others. Ren, Nora, come on!"
"You got it, Rider!" Nora hopped on. They were fortunate it was paper for it didn't dent from Nora's accidental hit on it. It folded in one direction but that was much easier fixed. Ren had more grace when he hopped on.
"Jeanne?" Rider asked.
Jeanne took her spot, behind Rider, on Juniper. "Wouldn't want to put too much weight. Besides, we'll need to alleviate Pyrrha's burden somehow."
Rider nodded. "Get us to the others, paper Achilles."
Juniper led the way. Rider was up front.
Paper Achilles motioned as though he whistled his command. No sound came but the paper horses pulling the paper chariot moved fast. Not as fast as the real thing; it, along with every other Paper Pleaser, were but recreations made in their image, nothing more.
It was a shame that they were out of ammunitions. But Nora did have a hammer and Jeanne had a polearm.
"Borrowing this," Ren said as he took Pyrrha's javelin He had to figure it out first but once he did, he made use of Pyrrha's weapon in her place.
Ren and Nora dealt with the toys and toy guards trying to get in the way. If Juniper failed to get them out, team JNPR made sure to cover that mistake. Soon, they found Lancer and the others. It took a while for them to get on board, courtesy of shock and surprise, but they got in.
"What is going on in Remnant?" Weiss said the quiet part out loud.
"Focus on the enemy, Weiss Queen," Yang replied. "You got another thing I could use?"
"Just focus on Pyrrha for now," Nora requested.
Pyrrha was still out of the fight. Her aura reserves were full. They weren't going down in the slightest. However, it was clear that something wrong was happening.
"A lot of aura is being funneled into her," Jeanne explained. Her hand never once leaving Rider's shoulders. "I'm doing what I can to siphon it out of her but it can only relieve her a little."
"She'll be fine," Rider said. "I won't let anything happen to her while here. Just stay with her and keep her away from them all."
"Where exactly are we going?" Ruby asked. She struck a toy and was nearly yanked off. But Yang managed to pull her back. "I'm okay!"
"To the front line," Rider explained. "We're going to the other side of these toys."
Paper Achilles followed Rider's lead. From behind them, a line of paper horses followed them and kept on riding.
Toys fell around them. Huntsmen kept moving forward. Despite the weight of these toys being greater, the Paper Pleasers refused to back down. Their momentum never slowed. Though they fell and were torn to shreds, there was always another that took their place.
Rider soon caught up with Somewhat. "Push them to the mountains! Push them to the oceans!"
"We'll make safe the kingdom, brave knight!" Somewhat replied. They looked to team RWBY and nodded once; there was familiarity in that face.
"Was that a rat?" Weiss asked. "Was that a big rat?"
"That's a mouse, Weiss," Rider replied. "Come on, we got another place to push these toys back."
From behind them, Saber, Astolfo, and Chiron still battled with the god of light. God of light was pushed back. Chiron and Astolfo were doing the heavy lifting as Saber couldn't reach the airborne deity.
Vale was swiftly regaining ground. Toys hastily fled for their own lives. A kind of survival instinct was instilled into them. But Paper horses were swift, felled only by stiffer and braver toys, and the puddles of water that damped them if it did not tear them apart. However, the number of Paper Pleasers were as numerous as the toys they felled.
Eventually, the cavalry charge had stopped. Their reach had gone far enough that they have begun to break off from the rest. Paper riders grouped themselves and rounded up the slower toys and begun to pick them apart. Paper lances thrusted them to the ground. If they did not fall there, they fell by many paper cuts.
Toys were brought to chaos. There was disorder among the god of light's creations. Behind them, the shriek of Remnant's creator was deafening.
"Somebody's mad," Yang commented. She took one of the fallen spears. It vanished into a puff of smoke. "Oh come on! I need a little action over here! What do you expect me to do? Detach my prosthetic and give them a hand?"
Yang looked like she was considering it. Her hand reached for a button.
"Yang, no!" Ruby immediately commanded.
Jeanne was Rider's attacker. Her banner serving as the spear as Juniper charged down their line. Somewhat was on the other end, further leading the Paper Pleasers further towards Vale's natural walls, the mountains.
The quaking of Remnant's ground slowed to a never ending and slow beating of drums. Paper horses did not tire. They were not living, so they kept charging, without regard for their own lives. There was no Jabberwalker to threaten them and Rider fully intended to keep it that way for as long as he was given this exemption in his current ascension form.
Toys still stretched further even as they closed in on Vale's walled borders. They were running out of man-made roads and the Paper Pleasers wouldn't survive out there in the forests. Those branches and thorns would easily rip them apart.
No Grimm were in sight yet. Rider wasn't worried quite yet. They needed to hold back the toys. Rider intended to cut through them entirely.
Their momentum was slowed by the trenches that had been built. Juniper hoped over it without difficulty. The same could not be said about the Paper chariot.
"Jeanne!" Rider called.
"On it!" Jeanne waved her banner and a slightly uneven, but stable, platform was raised, made from the rubble of the city.
The chariot followed.
Paper Pleasers were slowed here. They were light that most were able to jump to the other side without damage. Only the chariot, being made to carry teams RWBY and JNPR, would be held down. Still, the ride resumed.
Though toys held the advantage on this side of the trenches, Paper Pleasers forcefully swung the favor towards them. Clearing out the space, those that came later charged again, never stopping, always flooding forward.
Toys sought refuge in the elevated buildings, sniped down by huntsmen that climbed it.
Juniper kept her pace to the rest of the Paper horses. Formation took priority over speed. But the Paper Pleasers were certainly fast enough.
Paper hooves kept drumming the ground beneath them rapidly. Smoke rose periodically. Paper Pleasers were being burnt in retaliation. Yet, they kept coming, even from the fires, emerging from the gray smoke like paper demons with those colorful wings, faceless and without any expression or emotion.
Group by group, the toys disbanded or perished where they stood. The battle for Vale was turning and turning rapidly. Had the toys any sort of will or morale, it would have broken by now. None surrendered, none where capable of it. Unfeeling things of stone and rock felled by unfeeling things of paper, bringing a whole new meaning to paper beats rock.
Eventually, the white tide of toys was pushed as far back as the walled borders of Vale, the very place where the battle had begun yesterday. The morning sun was rising, washing away the previous night. The god of light's fury reached even them as Saber, Astolfo, and Chiron all pushed him back.
"Achilles," Rider said. "Keep them safe."
Paper Achilles nodded and rode off.
Lancer called out from the distance. "I'll keep 'em safe, kid. You go give them hell."
Rider nodded. "Jeanne?"
"No need to tell me," Jeanne replied. She got off of Juniper. "Let's go face down a dragon, sir knight."
"Shame you're not trapped in an enchanted tower, fair Maiden." Rider chuckled. "Juniper, let's ride."
Jeanne followed him from behind. Chiron still held Harpe. Why he hasn't used it against the god of light was beyond Rider. He had the chance right there, many times already, yet he hadn't done so.
"Not yet," Chiron answered when Rider asked. "Salem needs to see it happen. Draw her to Atlas."
"Raven hasn't evacuated everyone yet," Rider replied. "And I don't know how long the Paper Pleasers can push them back. I can't maintain this form forever, Chiron."
"It will be more than enough at this rate. Even if they came back, we'll have time."
"But not enough against the Grimm."
Chiron's eyes darkened at the comment. They didn't need the Grimm anymore, not for their side. "It is for that reason that we have to draw Salem towards Atlas."
Beside them, a great boom was heard with stone, debris, and dust all sent flying in the air. A wounded Astolfo emerged from that cloud. "I'm okay!" He jumped right back into the fight.
Chiron resumed his firing of arrows. Jeanne was like a gadfly, relentlessly annoying the god of light.
It didn't take long for Rider to get the god of light's attention.
His voice boomed with fury. "You! You brought them here!"
"Not exactly," Rider replied. "But yes. I brought them here. It's what they wanted; it's what they all wanted."
Yellow flames, with the warmth of the morning sun, descended upon Rider. Juniper moved further and further. Paper Pleasers burned as Juniper had to run past them. There was nowhere else for them to go unless Rider wanted to burn down the forests.
The flames ceased. Astolfo had struck the god of light in the face. Saber brought the god of light down with a mighty leap and a great swing of his sword. God of light roared, but it was not in pain; he could not feel the pain, not yet. Only the god of darkness would have hurt him enough to feel it.
Just as the toys were pushed back, every Servant there made sure that god of light was pushed further back. However, he didn't get to go to the forests along with the rest of the toys.
"Bring them to the mountains!" Chiron declared. His arrows dictated the direction of the battle. "I see the Grimm coming!"
"What?" Rider exclaimed. As a Servant, he should be asking his Master. But right now, Pyrrha wasn't present. He turned to the only other Master that was around. "Ozpin!"
"We will meet them when they come," Ozpin answered. He raised the sword of Gilles de Rais. "But our enemy is the dragon that flies in front of us. Rider, return to battle."
Vale's battle had descended to a series of skirmishes. Toys had broken off or had been broken off from the rest of the armies. Paper Pleasers had shifted from a heavy cavalry to a light one. There were no great charges anymore but they fought on. Even Rider wasn't quite sure how they transitioned to this sort of unit.
There were Paper Pleasers that took command of their own units. Their real counterparts may have been generals in their own rights. Rider hadn't met them all.
This was the full extent of Rider's Reality Marble: Origami Acre. A manifestation of what Jaune Arc's mom had always said: Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. Pyrrha was still out of the fight despite still having a full aura reserve. All of this had manifested and fueled the manifestation of this Reality Marble. Each Paper Pleaser, an avatar of living people across time and places of planet Earth, all came forth as the wish of every human that had ever been.
Voyager contained within him the collective wish of humanity: to tell the story of Earth across the starry skies. Travelling many miles, even past that icy, Oort cloud, Voyager had landed on Remnant. Thusly, through Rider, that humanity's desires, hopes, and dreams, had all come forth as Paper Pleasers of the Origami Acre.
It would be accurate to say that all of Earth's humanity, across Earth's history, had come here to tell their stories. Ordinary days and extraordinary lives. Heroes, villains, civilians, all of them sublimated into their individual Paper Pleaser.
The Paper Pleasers kept riding forward. A new horizon was within their sight, and they took their steps forward. Through these Paper Pleasers, humanity ventured forth into the next frontier, over the horizon.
Perhaps, they are traitors, Remnant's Heroic Spirits. God of light, in some respect, was jealously guarding his domain, his world, the thing that he himself had made. That Earth's Heroic Spirits, that this Throne of Heroes, really were just brutish invaders, in pursuit of their own glory.
Yet, amidst the bloodshed, amidst the wars, and the sorrows, that humanity kept moving. They kept walking. Sometimes forward, sometimes back. All of it did Voyager carry. All of it did Voyager bring here.
But Remnant's people have chosen. Rider could feel it. They've chosen to talk back, to send their reply.
Earth's humanity kept walking on. Remnant's own intends to join them.
Wait for us, Rider thought. We're going to catch up. He felt Voyager smile, patiently waiting for that day to come.
Paper Pleasers kept on with their fight. Toys kept falling. The god of light's anger and fury kept building.
Saber's Noble Phantasm covered the area in its light. A green pillar of light descended and tore the skies themselves. Amidst it, one could hear the screams of the god of light, clearly hurt but could never be killed.
"That had more power than it had any right to be!" Rider exclaimed. "Not even when we were rotating did Saber had that much power!"
"Command Spell," Chiron said, eyes squinting. "Ozpin intends to keep the god of light down." He shook his head. "He seems vengeful right now."
"Vengeful and Ozpin do not mix, Chiron," Rider said. Jeanne voiced her agreement.
"But it is what I see. Be it the curse, this Grail War, or years of impossibility suddenly becoming possible, Ozpin intends to take this chance." Chiron took a deep breath. "At least two immortals will die this Grail War. God of light is one, the question is whether Salem or Ozpin is the other."
Astolfo stood by Ozpin's side like those two had their own contract. Surrounding them were the toys that attempted to pincer them in. But the Paper Pleasers came sooner and broke into the toys' formation. Paper Pleasers inside the circle turned and broke through another point of the circle.
"How long until the Grimm get here?" Rider asked.
"The first sign will come," Chiron replied. "I can see the trees moving from those mountaintops, and I can see the black cloud coming in."
Both Rider and Chiron continued to talk as they rode, or was it run in Chiron's case? Jeanne had to descend and ride Juniper since she was being left behind. Her banner once again becoming the spear of a light horseman.
Toys were not only pushed out of Vale's walled borders but were actively pursued into the forests and the mountains. But there, the battle went in favor of the toys. Branches and thorns, did not allow the Paper Pleasers much space to move and even tore them apart, using their own momentum against them.
Rider's focus was on the mountains. He couldn't see the trees move, not enough to alert the Grimm coming. Not yet.
"Hey," Jeanne assured him. "We can handle a few Grimm."
"It's not the Grimm that worries me," Rider replied. "I'm not as confident in dealing with Berserker anymore and if it and the Cat are together, even if not on the best of terms, I'm not sure how I can."
"I'll take care of the Cat," Jeanne promised. "Companion against Companion. Besides, Cat needs to pay for their crimes against the other Companions, Sanson especially."
Juniper rushed towards the descending god of light. Astolfo's constant barrage, courtesy of Hippogriff, forced the god of light out of the sky. His dragon form shifting to a giant humanoid. Juniper lowered her head, antlers ready. Jeanne raised her banner, spearhead pointed forward. Rider kept his grip tight. The Paper Pleasers that accompanied the two were left behind.
The head never made it to the ground before Jeanne's spearhead had struck. It wasn't enough to pierce but it took hold of the god of light. Juniper's momentum kept moving until the weight of their enemy was too much for her to handle. Jeanne drew back her banner and Juniper ran to the side as the god of light's large form took out much of the outer edges of the forests.
Outside of Vale's borders could never recover to where they were. Burns, craters, torn tree trunks, and stones all littered here. The very ground had been disturbed and malformed from their fight. The steps of the toys, hooves of the paper horses, and feet of huntsmen had left behind a permanent mark on Remnant that time could only cover it. Life would have to grow around and among those craters left behind by their battle.
The immediate structures on the inner side of Vale's borders would share a similar fate for a long time. Pipes and tunnels have been closed off. Buildings and everything in them would be dumped towards landfills if they couldn't be reused. Vale couldn't hope to rebuild in one lifetime, even with the aid of the other kingdoms.
Rider could see the moments when Saber would look back and his face lamented at the sight. Astolfo, Vale's Companion Rider, couldn't hide beneath that warrior's euphoria forever; even he cracked.
"All the king's horses and all the king's huntsmen," said Rider. Even he found himself lamenting. Vale was his home. "Couldn't put Vale back together again."
"Hey." Jeanne hit Rider lightly. "No one wants to hear that."
Juniper turned back. Rider suddenly felt a calming feeling wash over him. Juniper's copy of Ren's semblance, Tranquility.
"You're right," Rider replied. "Let's get back—"
A faint chorus was heard in the distance. Paper Pleasers began to run away, towards where they were. The Paper Pleasers all began to congest behind them. Servants were all in the front. Saber and Ozpin rode atop separate paper horses and ran to meet with the other Servants. Astolfo was following behind. But all eyes were on the mountains.
Chiron had seen them from many miles away. He had been the first to see them, being of the Archer-class. Rider and the rest soon saw them as well.
"It is…" Chiron shook his head. "It is worse than I estimated." He looked towards Harpe. Chiron's face was thinking many things too fast; all of it traced back to a decision. Chiron reached some kind of conclusion. "Rider, change of plans. So long as one of them sees it, it doesn't matter which of them goes first."
From the skies descended a black cloud. Emerging from it was Monstra, the whale Grimm. With that Monstra were many flocks of flying Grimm: Nevermores, Lancers, Tempests, Griffons, Manticores, and more.
From the ground rose the burrowing Grimm: Creeps, Centinels, Death Stalkers. From those burrows sped up the Boarbatusks and Beowolves; they all rushed forward with the former having sped faster than the latter.
King Taijitus were the only ones that broke the red and black of the Grimm, being the only one with the white coloring.
"They're not all native to Vale," Saber said. "They're not even native to Sanus!"
"They're not the only ones either," Chiron replied. "Look closely."
Rider's eyes squinted. He had to remove his helmet. The Grimm weren't alone. With them were creatures that should have belonged in the deep. They all accompanied the Grimm, marching together like alliance of monsters. Every Servant, and the survivors of Menagerie, recognized them to be Cthnonians.
"Did Archer even consider this in his calculations?" Rider asked.
"If he did, he never said it." Chiron replied. A defeated realization painted his voice. "Remember, Archer and Watts are also participants of this Grail War."
They would have taken measures on the event that they would kill each other here. They've made plans for each Servant, Companions likely included.
But what took their attention the most were the giant Grimm among them. Standing taller than even the Goliaths, elephant Grimm, these new ones were the only ones marching in formation. Rider could vaguely recall that the Salem from his time experimented on the Grimm before. But those had been Beringels with wings, flying gorillas.
Atop those unnatural Goliaths were horrid Imps. Rather than fused with the horse-like Nuckelavee, they were fused to these Goliaths. Yet, something about them even chilled Rider's spine.
Rider heard murmurs among his Paper Pleasers. They did not speak but Rider could understand them. He spoke their thoughts out loud. "Repha'im. They're called Repha'im."
"Otherwise known as the Rephaites," Chiron said. "A race of ancient giants in Canaan. In the book of Genesis, King Chedorlaomer and the kings who had been with him defeated them. Looks like Ozpin wasn't the only one learning of Gilles' faith."
Giant was appropriate. Even from their distance, their features were easily made clear by the naked eye. Despite the furious steps of the smaller Grimm, the length of the strides of the Repha'im closed it easily. The fact that they marched in formation only concerned Rider.
The unholy Imps on top of them screeched like banshees, sounding their horns of battle.
Juniper's Tranquility worked overtime.
"Rider," Chiron said. "We need Raven here, now."
"And if there are still civilians?" Fairytale Knight kept Rider in place.
Chiron bit his lip. "This is more important." He gave Harpe to Jeanne. "If you can, get the god of light towards you. Either of them needs to see the other."
"Instill chaos on the opposing side," Jeanne said. She flew in the air. "Understood. You know I could do this part, right? End both of them right now?"
"Even if you could end one of them, could you handle the other one without them doing something drastic?" Chiron asked. "If you could, I would highly appreciate it."
Jeanne shook her head. "No. No, I can't. Alright, Archer better be ready once we get either."
Somewhat soon arrived. "Orders, sir?"
"Somewhat," Rider said. "Go back and look for Raven Branwen, have her come here. Immediately."
"Yes, sir Knight, sir!" Somewhat nodded. They rode off, faster than they had been.
In the distance, Paper Achilles was bringing them back. Lancer hopped off.
"Looks like we got Grimm for once," Rider said.
Ruby gulped. It was the first time that he had seen her nervous. It must be the silver eyes.
"Finally," Lancer replied. "What you need me for? From what I see, I'm going to need a lot more tries just to get all of them."
"Good enough." Saber arrived on a paper horse. "Get the Masters to a safe place. They'll be coming for them, Lancer."
"Guard duty? We already got rid of Assassin, you're welcome. I'm better used for this. They're Grimm, it's what I do."
"But not Sanson," answered Chiron. "I do not know how effective the Cat's possession is, but I am not risking an assassination. Just keep one eye on the students."
"We could help?" Ruby sounded unsure.
"I know you can, Rubes," Rider replied. "But right now, Pyrrha is out. Can I ask you to look after her?"
Ruby saluted. Team RWBY and JNPR nodded. Pyrrha was still out of it, but she was stirring. She was still stable.
/-/
"Will you look at that?" Curious Sanson commented. "This Vale is doing quite well for themselves. I think I could even see a few familiar faces among those colors! Fancy, too!"
The Grimm horde made the ground quake. Their cries and roars made for a terrible symphony that would have chilled even the hardiest of huntsmen. Yet, they would fall to mere kittens meowing when it came to the shrieks of the Repha'im.
Their chorus instilled fear even in the non-existent hearts of these toys. They trembled and fled like deserting soldiers. Those closer to their god had sturdier souls but they too fled the closer the Repha'im approached.
An unnatural creation had stepped into the battlefield and it found two armies already locked in combat.
"Yet," Curious Sanson said. "None of them even remotely look exhausted."
"They are toys and pieces of paper," replied Caster. There was a dullness in his tone at the sight of the toys and the Paper Pleasers. "There is nothing to expect from these lifeless puppets."
"Now I wouldn't say that," Curious argued. "The Paper Pleasers had plenty of life last I remembered."
"But these aren't the ones you recall, no? They are but an extension of the paper mind of its user: the true Rider of this Grail war; easily crumpled and torn apart."
Beside them, Berserker stayed quiet. With it was its Master and her minions. Salem was within Monstra, on her throne. But a Seer Grimm had given her vision as though she were out there herself.
"Your orders, Master?" Caster asked. With most, if not all, of the Servants being here, and with the plans of these Companions, Caster had to be careful. He can't let his joy end so soon.
Salem was silent for a minute. Then, she commanded, "Cinder, you are to find Ozma in all this. Aim for the Master. Do not disappoint me this time."
"Understood, my lady." Cinder bowed in humility. But she hid away her face. Caster could tell that desire of rebellion coming from her. But she was still cowering, that was enough for him.
"Make sure that you do, my dear." There was another minute of silence. She was musing something. "Curious, find the other Masters, eliminate them. If you find Watts, make sure that his is slow."
How fortunate. Caster was envious of Curious Sanson.
"Of course, oh goddess," Curious already leapt off.
"And Caster," Salem said. Caster stood stiff, like a knight being addressed by his queen as is proper. "Should there be any more… volunteers, I believe we should welcome them."
"Yes, your majesty," Caster replied. He bowed. "And of the god of light?"
"Can you?"
Caster smiled a hideous smile. Good thing that Curious had already left. "I certainly wouldn't mind trying."
"I'll grant you this chance. Should it prove successful, imprint it on his divine mind."
Caster couldn't help but chuckle at himself. Quite the task he was given! Oh, how such a venture could go? He wasn't certain but for his Master, he will do so. He will only do what a willful Servant would do.
A sword was drawn and pointed towards Vale. Cthnonians have begun to manifest as well and joined the ranks of the Grimm. Huntsmen, Servants, Toys, Paper, and now Cthnonians, Caster might as well sing his way as they marched into battle.
The Repha'im sung their terrible song, the most beautiful song that Caster had heard in this life. The winds blew against his face of nobility.
"What will you do now?" asked Caster. His voice drowned out in this wind. "Oh god of light and king of Vale, what will you do now?"
/-/
"Sacrilege," god of light said. "Not even my brother would create something so horrid."
The toys, subject to the god of light's will and whims, did not move. They stood in their place, lifeless and still as their own maker.
On the other end, Ozpin took one look at the Repha'im, nearly slumped and for a moment, wished that he could hide away somewhere in the rubble, such was the feeling of host of Salem's armies. But he then stiffened, conviction hardened stronger than steel. He had to make a choice; he made one in haste.
"Rider!" Ozpin commanded. With sword on hand and riding atop a white horse of paper, all he needed was the crown back on his head. "Have the Paper Pleasers reform the line. Astolfo! Make ready your horn!"
Rider and Astolfo did as they were told, like knights following the orders of the king. Saber couldn't help but be proud of the life to come after his own.
"Gilles de Rais," said Saber, affectionately. "Are you seeing this? It took two knights to match the kind that you are to this unworthy king. May your sword serve my Master's unworthy hands as though they were." Such affections quickly drowned. Saber had a duty to fulfill.
The Paper Pleasers all lined up once more. No huntsmen were among their number. They were all at the back. Ozpin's voice was enough to calm them. That conviction he had spread to the others like fire.
"Sound the charge!" Ozpin commanded. Astolfo blew the horn. "Take them head on! Charge!"
Behind Ozpin thundered the Paper Pleasers like knights of his house. But Ozpin outpaced them. One lone horseman, separate from the others, leading the stampede. Behind him were Rider atop Juniper and Astolfo atop Hippogriff. Rider's princely look returned to that rusting knight.
Paper Pleasers followed the crownless King of Vale. They approached the Grimm and Cthnonian like a rising tide.
The Repha'im shredded the front lines with a mighty and terrible swing.
AN: Okay, so I managed to make the Google Slides public by publishing it online. I have no idea how or where I can put it for anyone who wishes to see it. For what it is worth, it is titled "RWBY Characters as Heroic Spirits." As far as I'm aware, neither FFN or AO3 allows this sort of thing or maybe I'm misreading the guidelines.
The reason why I've done so is mainly to have an online archive for any personal skills, noble phantasms, and classes for every RWBY character that gets turned to a Heroic Spirit. I've disregarded any parameter rankings because that is a massive headache going through the different existing Servants to compare to in order to justify ranking (even if we assume it is the same Master). If any of you want to use it for your own fics, feel free to add/subtract/modify for your own purposes. Google Slides file will just be the one I'm using for my fics.
Moving to the the Repha'im, while the name was just picked out because I searched "are there other giants beside Goliath in the Bible?" and didn't bother to read beyond two paragraphs on Wikipedia, I primarily operated under the idea of "Haradrim are cool, I want to put that somewhere."