WebNovels

Chapter 8 - 23

Ruby

She leaps into the air as Fury uses his massive wings to throw himself into the air. He pulls his massive fire coated arm back, forming a fireball in his palm, throwing it straight behind her. Ruby fires Crescent Rose downwards, using the recoil to shoot her light body into the air to avoid the shell. The fireball explodes into the ground, throwing massive burning chunks of roadwork into the air, the shockwave pushing them back.

As Fury hovers above them, Ruby throws herself straight at him, digging the Scythe into his chest, firing downwards to slam her and the Knight into the ground with force. Fury rolls and tumbles, forming the two axes in his hands, driving them into the tarmac to slow himself down. The tarmac shatters and melts into lava beneath the superheated axe heads that he drags through the ground. Smoke trails from the flames that crackle from the molten rock beneath him.

Ruby lands with the rest of Team R.W.B.Y and Adam stands before them all, Wilt and Blush held in his hand. The tall Taurus Warrior glares directly at Fury, with one hand gripping the scabbard named Blush and the other holding the hilt of Wilt. He shows little to no fear, perfectly calm as he stands before them with steady breath. Blake still cannot believe it; neither can Yang as she feels faint phantom pains in her arm.

Fury erupts in an explosion of anger, charging at the five of them with both burning axes clutched in his hands, his eyes bleeding with fire. The magma inside of his volcanic chassis glows bright red as he smashes the axe straight at Adam. The White Fang Commander ducks down, dodging the attack, his black trench coat blowing in the wind from his strike as he passes by him. He spins round, swiping the red blade of Wilt straight up his back and the Knight immediately turns back around, punching the ground with his axe. The tarmac ripples from his impact and the heat from his hand begins to pass into the tarmac, turning it into liquid tar. Fury smirks at Adam, and the warrior retreats from the melting road before him.

Weiss creates a Glyph underneath her feet, using it is a platform to float across the tar and even freezing it over to stop it from harming her. She zooms towards Fury, causing the Knight to stare straight at her. She cuts across his side with the pointed blade of Myrtenaster. Fury grunts in pain, staggering forward with embers spilling from his wound. But pain just infuriates him further, causing him to thrash his axes around even more.

Unlike Death and the others, he does not have the tactical mind that they have; he is just pure rage, one that just goes all-out to kill someone. But that also means that he is stronger and can withstand more punishment than Fear or Loss. Weiss drifts round to attack again, but the flaming wings of the enraged Knight stretch out from his fire formed cape, and he smashes them straight into Weiss, knocking her off her platform and onto the road. She yelps, bouncing and tumbling across the road. Weiss' attention focuses on the Knight as he sprints straight at her, leaping high in the air with both axes held above his head. His battle-cry echoes for miles. Weiss rolls to her side, grabbing Myrtenaster as he lands right where she laid. Fury smashes the axes straight into the tarmac and he grits his teeth, staring straight at her, almost twitching in anger.

He rips them both from the ground, leaving a pair of fire coated wounds in the tarmac, smoke rising from them. Fury smashes the axes down at Weiss over and over, but she avoids them by crawling or rolling out of the way of them as he repeatedly bashes the ground with them where she was.

Weiss points her sword right at him, creating a Glyph that blocks the axes. He snarls in anger, the ice cold glyph begins to freeze over his burning arms, revealing the pumice underneath the fire and the magma in his wrists has cooled down. Yang takes her chance, sprinting straight at Fury, punching him right into his wrists. Fury roars in pain, staggering back as his arms shatter like glass, fragments of pumice plummeting and exploding as they hit the floor. Yang dodges the attacks of the Knight, his stumps are still weapons to him, and she ducks down to avoid them and swipes her foot into his quickly. It nearly trips him over but he rolls across the floor, righting himself up.

Yang looks at his hands, seeing the flames and lava dripping from the pumice. The magma begins to heat back up and he growls in annoyance at her. The fire and cinders crackle and growl as they emerge from the stumps, forging the shape of hands from the lava as it solidifies into his hands slightly, creating plates that partially hold the magma inside. He then opens his hands, forming more Axes. He cannot be disarmed for long because he can just regenerate. Yang rolls her eyes. "That's cheating!" She argues. Fury growls at her and then he roars like some kind of demonic monster, the roar does also sound quite similar to that of the Nuckelavee as he roars, his eyes glowing bright orange from the fire inside.

He sprints straight at the team and his speed is unchallenged against them, mauling attack is brought down with enough force to cut a car clean in half. He goes straight for Blake and that's when Adam appears in front of Fury, blocking the axes with his red blade. The impact makes the blade glow bright red, Fury pushes down with force and Adam groans as he attempts to hold the Knight up.

He looks at Blake. "Go!" He yells, still amazed that he is actually helping, she does as he says. She sprints away from Adam and she leaps at Fury from behind, pushing Gambol Shroud straight into his spine. The blade of her Katana protrudes from where his heat should be, but it is nothing but fire. Fury snarls in anger and he turns to face her. To her utter disbelief, the pumice armour around him begins to spin round and the features that make his form also turn round.

The head spins all the way round along with the arms, shoulders, legs, ankles. He manages to turn around without actually needing to physically turn. Fury stares her in the eyes and his axes are now raised up and she holds onto his chest. Blake pushes her feet against his chest and she throws her Grappling Scythe into the wall. As she flies back, she narrowly escapes the cutting edge of his axe, smashing it through the concrete wall. She swings around the building, make a full revolution and coming right back for Fury.

She kicks both feet into his face, causing him to stagger back. She yanks the cable, retrieving her Scythe. Ruby now enters the battle and Adam stands back up, running with the other rose with Wilt and Blush in his hand. Fury spins his axes round in his fingers, his eyes focusing on them as they approach him. Fury opens his jaws and unleashes a cloud of fire straight at them both. Ruby transforms into a cloud of rose petals to avoid it, materialising above him fire rounds into his body, some rounds cause him to flinch from the impacts.

Adam dives forward to avoid the Wyvern flames and he rises up with a hefty swing with Wilt and Blush, carving the blade up his chest. The red blade cuts deep, leaving a glowing wound across his chest, smoke leaking out and the flames reconstruct what was once there. Adam is fast, attacking with incredible speed upon Fury, slicing him up to damage him.

Yang, Weiss and Blake figure out that the easiest way to take down Fury is to completely overwhelm him. He is fast but not tactical; if they can all attack him at once and cut him down fast enough to the point of which he can't regenerate...they might be able to destroy this form of his. They know that he will return, but if they can get him out of Mistral for a while, then that's a victory.

Yang launches rockets from Ember Celica at Fury, some of them exploding upon impact, creating loud demonic barks of anger as he staggers back. Weiss darts straight at him, pointing Myrtenaster at Fury as she launches straight at him, she creates a glyph that launches a barrage of Ice Shards into his back as she passes him. Fury starts to get more and more angry, the fire around him burning extremely hot and growing larger around his body, melting the icicles that have just been embedded in his spine.

Weiss smirks and she comes up with an idea, she has another friend who can turn the tide. She turns Myrtenaster in her hand, closing her eyes as he presses the blade into the ground, creating a Glyph in the floor. Whilst Weiss summons, Blake and Adam fight side by side, just like they did back on that train years ago. Fury strikes down with frenetic anger, smashing them straight into their weapons that are keeping them safe. Adam holds his hand out to Blake and she takes it, remembering their old fighting methods that they shared years ago.

Old grudges matter not here.

Adam throws her straight into the air and she soars into the sky above Fury as he holds his own against them all. She grits her teeth in anger and she dives down towards him with Gambol Shroud held tight. She points the pistol at him, firing over and over at him. She then spins the sword down at his head, pushing the Katana straight through his skull, the blade erupting out the bottom of his chin. He snarls in anger, staggering forward from the impact, despite that lethal wound, he is still standing. Fury writhes with discontent, reaching up for her. She rips the blade from his head, firing it into the skull over and over again, launching bullets into the pumice skin that contains the internal magma inside.

Fury bellows, grabbing her by her ankle and throwing her towards the floor. As soon as he lets go, Yang suddenly jumps and catches her. They both roll across the floor and they get back up. Yang clenches her fist and points it to Blake with a smile. Blake smiles back, bumping her fist into her's. "Boo-yah!" Yang enthusiastically squeaks. They both return to the battle, Yang immediately punches Fury in the head with her cybernetic hand, shattering some of the pumice plates on his face and he stumbles from that impact, creating a grunting sound from it.

Ruby jumps in the air, slashing over and over again with her scythe, causing immense damage to the Knight of Fury, cutting him up from the impacts. He has taken a lot of damage and his body is struggling to repair it. But he clenches his hands into fists as the rage builds up to the point of no return. Adam jumps into the air, pushing Wilt and Blush into Fury's chest, only to realise that it has no effect, like most of these attacks are. It should kill anything, but these guys are essentially Spirits.

Weiss opens her eyes, and her Knight forms beside her and sprints straight at Fury. Fury's spins round, smacking them all onto the floor with the massive bones inside. He looks forward, seeing the Knight running right at him. He grits his molten teeth, standing tall again, tightening his grip on the Axes as he stands tall.

Ice vs. Fire.

The Giant Armour holds the Claymore in both hands and Fury smirks with animalistic rage in his eyes as he runs at the Summoned Titan. The Giant Armour brings the huge sword down at Fury, the Knight of Grimm combats by stepping aside. Fury slashes his axes aggressively at the Giant Armour, burning into the ice armour that has been formed around it, fog trailing from its Glyph Form. But the Giant Armour is strong, it takes a few hits but continues to fight against Fury. The Giant Armour swings the sword straight across Fury's chest, causing massive damage that makes him stagger back.

But Fury manages to smash his axes into the sword so hard that the sword comes apart. The Giant Armour punches Fury in the face, making him stagger back from the punch. Fury grunts in anger as he staggers back. The Giant Armour continues to fight against Fury and it gives the others time to help it. It is powerful but even it is no match for Fury. Adam stands back up after being hit by Fury's wings and he holds Wilt and Blush in his hand, looking and the glowing red blade and then at Fury as he fights the Summoned Giant Armour. Yang runs at Fury and punches him straight in the spine and she also fires the shotgun into his back for extra damage, making Fury stumble forward into the fist of the Giant Armour.

Fury roars with enmity. Ruby leaps at him and she hacks Crescent Rose into him over and over to do more damage. But whilst she does it, he grabs her by the throat, cooling the flames in his hand to only make it pumice. He chokes her but then holds her over the floor.

He stares at them all. "Come any closer...and I kill the girl." He threatens. Yang's eyes widen and she snarls in anger, her eyes starting to turn red.

"Let her go." Yang demands.

"The Dark Queen demands her to be brought to her, dead or alive it matters not." Fury states as he stares down at them. Fury then stares at Ruby as she gasps for air. But Ruby manages to get a word out.

"Checkmate!" She utters to Weiss and Blake. Weiss and Blake nod, Weiss looks at the Giant Armour as she controls it. Fury looks at her with bewildered eyes.

"What?" He questions.

Suddenly a Glyph forms inside the wrist of Fury, stopping him from heating up his hand. He snarls in anger as he tries to tighten his grip but he cannot release her either. Blake leaps into the air, firing her pistol into the pumice hand, shattering it from the impact of the bullets. Adam stands tall as Fury rips his arm from the Glyph, regenerating his hand. He snarls at them and finally, he has had enough. The wings erupt from his back, spreading out wide and his arms extend into the wings and they form into the Wyvern's wings that claw into the ground with force.

The Knight's body of Fury completely transforms in vortex of hellish flames. The neck grows and the head transforms into the burning skull of the Dragon. The spines are made of pumice and magma with fire dancing around him like scales. The tail of the monster grows as well, and he swipes it across the street, burning and smashing buildings down. He spreads out his wings, taking off into the sky, gliding across the town. He looks down, breathing in deep with a hiss of an Alligator. He then opens his jaws, breathing a cloud of fire down into the city beneath him, consuming the streets across different areas of the city in fire.

He glides past haven and he drags his claws across the roof and breathes the cloud of fire into the building, fire burning inside, shattering the windows and incinerating all of the memories that existed. Fire as tall as buildings begins to spread across mistral, polluting the skies with black smoke. He continues to burn the city into ash but he banks round and he moves towards them again.

Fury creates a deafening, thunderous, roar as he spreads fire from his lungs into the town below. Everyone takes cover except for Adam. He stands his ground and parts the flames with his sword, consuming the energy from the fire as he stands there. The fire burns against his aura and his black trench coat that he wears, searing it in different places. The glowing hot Wyvern soars across the sky, continuing to burn other areas. But he banks around to attack again.

Adam stands defiant, staring at Fury as he banks round to attack them again because he knows that they are not dead. Adam holds his sword carefully as he watches Fury approach. Blake watches him and Weiss looks at the destroyed Giant Armour as it fades away, killed by the fire that was burned into the streets, amazing they even survived. "What are you doing?" Weiss questions in confusion as Adam silently stands in the middle of the street as Fury approaches.

"I know what he's doing..." Blake says.

Fury erupts with a loud booming roar, gliding towards Adam, his burning wings cutting through houses like a knife through butter, smashing and burning them down with those massive wings. Adam holds Wilt and Blush carefully, waiting for the perfect moment. He stares straight at Fury as he soars straight at him, jaws open to eat and kill him.

Adam then draws Wilt and Blush swiftly and he swings the blade right at him.

Suddenly everything turns red and black as he slices straight across the head of Fury. Adam remains stood in his same position and the body of the Wyvern completely disintegrates from the impact of Moonslice. The Fractured Moon floats in the sky, watching as Adam manages to slay the form of Fury, completely destroying his Wyvern form that he would have been killed by if he got him. The black embers float away from the impact, Adam's hair glows red and recedes as the event of Moonslice recedes. The shockwave from his attack has blown everything away from them and he stands tall, sheathing Wilt and Blush in his scabbard and he looks at the team who are taking cover. The city is on fire from his attack...

But Adam managed to take him down.

Jaune

Fury may have been defeated, but he is far from gone – and the battle is far from won either.

The Grimm are slaughtering the Mistraalians in droves, soldiers taken down from countless Grimm. A huge Deathstalker roars as it smashes its pincers downwards onto a Mistraalian Knight and crushes his body under both size and force. The armour and body is utterly pulverised, steel folded into the skin. Blood splattering everywhere across the ground, and one of the other soldiers staggers across the road from the earthquake level shockwave. The Deathstalker stares at it that soldier and hisses, clicking and snapping its pincers as it suddenly slams its stinger downwards. The curved stinger punctures straight through his chest and he wails as the huge Grimm Scorpion launches him through a building.

The window and wall shatters into a thousand pieces as his body comes flying straight through. Swarms of Grimm come charging into the building to devour him, ripping flesh from his bones to finish him off. The Grimm scavenge on the corpses left in the streets from the attack of the monsters, ripping skin and muscle tissue from their skeletons. The Beowulves growl aggressively as they shred their remains until nothing but bones remain.

Suddenly a building explodes as a Geist possesses the structure, transforming the building and the components into a combat form. Floating chunks of wood, metallic rebar, concrete and other areas into the body of some sort of giant. It walks towards the soldiers and launches chunks of concrete and rebar towards them. Huge pieces of iron rebar impale the soldiers, five pieces at a soldier, others crushed from the concrete and wood thrown at them.

Until Nora blasts towards the Geist, yelling as she swings Magnhild into the centre of its chest, shattering its body into a thousand pieces. The Geist rises from the remains of the building with a whispery howl, floating around with razor sharp claws at the ready. Ren lands down from one of the buildings and he throws one of his Stormflower Submachine Guns towards its head, and the curved green blade lodges into its skull. It recoils back from the impact, and it evaporates away into smoke. He spins round and presses the firearm up the jaw of the Creep that lunged towards him from behind.

He pulls the trigger and holds it down, unleashing a storm of green dust rounds through its skull, killing it.

A Beowulf lunges at Jaune, but White Knight pushes his shield upwards to hold the massive Grimm back as it slashes at him, barking viciously at him, slashing the claws at his face. He pushes it back and takes a slash across the face, his aura is beginning to wear thin from the amount of Grimm that have attacked him. He smashes the Beowulf in the face with his shield, then plunges Crocea Mors into the beast's heart, ripping it out and its body completely disintegrates away.

He has been injured, along with Ren and Nora, from the attacks of Fury as he burned the place down. The amount of buildings on fire...it is haunting to look upon. Nora yells as she smashes a bunch of Creeps in the face with one swing with Magnhild. Ren sprints and fires Stormflower at the Grimm around them, darting in between them to stay ahead and to remain faster than they are.

An Ursa roars as it throws a chunk of concrete straight at them, hitting Ren on impact. Winter stands with them, creating a glyph that launches her at the Ursa. She pushes both blades into its chest at the Ursa roars in pain, she pushes it down onto the floor and twists them. The Ursa falls lifeless, beginning to evaporate into smoke.

They are clear for now, and Winter approaches Jaune.

Jaune presses the blade of Crocea Mors into the ground. "This plan...has failed miserably." Jaune pants.

"I didn't think that the Knights would show up as quickly as they did." Winter says, looking around to find them. "Have you seen Loss?" Winter asks.

"No...I think she was going after the civilians with Fear." Ren says as he gets back up, holding his side in pain, and completely blindsided by the fact that it was an illusion.

Suddenly an arrow comes shooting right by them, scraping across Winter's cheek, cutting the skin, Winter flinches, touching the blemish on her face. They all look at the rooftops and it is almost like she was summoned there as soon as they mentioned her. Loss stands there and she takes her bow and pulls it in half, holding the Tonfas as she jumps down from the roof and lands before them. "Jinxed it!" Nora exclaims. She stands tall, her black dress blowing slightly in the wind, and Winter stands strong, blood leaking from her cheek. They all know that they need to be careful, their weapons do not abide the laws of Aura. They can cut straight through it. Loss stares straight at Winter, it makes team J.N.R tear up slightly from her presence but she does not, she just stands there.

"Why are you doing this?" Winter questions.

Loss looks at her, a mysterious reflection between the two of them. "Because I have no other purpose!" She snaps, swiftly darting right in front of her.

She slashes her Tonfas at Winter, the Schnee blocks the attacks with her two swords. The swords smash into one another, clanging upon their impacts. Winter keeps her guard up, fighting as if her aura is down, despite the fact that it is not. Loss stands there and Winter slashes her sword at the Spirit's stomach. But then she reveals one of her abilities.

She turns into a form of fog, exactly the same shape as her physical form, but her blade just swipes straight through. Fear can do something similar, he just becomes a swarm of flies. Jaune picks up Crocea Mors in an attempt to help Winter.

Winter continues to defend herself, using Glyphs to get the upper hand. But Loss is fast, pushing her arms forward with the bladed Tonfas pointed at her. Winter kicks Loss in the side of the head, and she jumps backwards to get some distance from the Knight. Winter turns to see Jaune stood beside her with Crocea Mors in his hand.

"You can't risk it." Winter argues.

"I will not let anyone else die because I didn't try to help." Jaune retorts, his mind constantly fixed on Pyrrha. Loss paces back and forth, her combat style is very different to Fury's. She is quiet and she waits for them to make the first move, similar to Death. Loss looks at Jaune and she stops.

"You have lost someone you love...haven't you?" She asks him, her blue eyes looking at his, but hers seem far more unnatural than his irises are. He doesn't answer, but she can sense it. "Pyrrha Nikos..." She names as she searches his mind and Jaune grits his teeth.

"Get out of my head." He demands.

"I am sorry, Jaune Arc." Loss says to him and he stares straight at her, making sure that his stance is in the correct position, just as Pyrrha taught him. Shield Up...Grip Tight...Front Foot Forward. Loss paces back and forth still, her Tonfas ready for combat and Jaune looks at Winter.

"I'm not going anywhere." Jaune says. Nora and Ren stand back up, wielding their weapons as well.

"And neither are we." Ren says, pointing the two Stormflower Pistols at Loss and Nora holds her heavy hammer, glaring at Loss. Loss looks at the four of them and she sighs through the black veil concealing her face underneath.

"Then you have accepted your fate." Loss coldly states.

Jaune waits but Nora charges in first. She swings her hammer straight at Loss, but the Knight ducks down and she kicks her in the head with her boot. But Nora's attack was not foolish, it was to lower her guard. Jaune and Ren sprint straight at Loss as Winter presses her sword into the floor, summoning her tiny Nevermores to swarm around her so then they can attack the Knight.

Jaune slashes his blade straight across her chest and she yells in pain, salted water spills from the wound instead of blood or even darkness, it is like she is made out of tears and fog. Ren sprints at her, leaping into the air, firing his dual wielding Stormflowers at her, green dust charged bullets piercing her skin. He lands behind her and slashes her with the blades built into them like bayonets.

Loss yells in annoyance, creating a pulse of sorrow that pushes the two back from her, tears leaking from their eyes, but the two are strong enough to block out their past. Jaune can faintly hear Pyrrha's voice and Ren can hear his parents. But they both ignore them to not collapse like Fear can cause people to. Nora sprints across the torn up road to smash Magnhild into Loss' chest. Loss is thrown straight into one of the buildings. But she isn't done.

Loss stands back up, silt and rubble on her black dress. She steps out, dropping down from the hole in the wall and then she stares straight at them. She holds her Tonfas tight, the light from the moon shining upon the razor sharp blades. She sprints straight at them, clanging her blades against theirs, dodging their attacks or just countering them. She grabs Nora by the neck, lifting her off the floor after she throws her Tonfa straight at Winter. Winter pulls her sword out from the floor, ending the summoning sequence and the Nevermores disappear.

Winter holds both blades and with the help of her Glyphs, she zooms across the ground towards the Knight. Loss throws Nora straight into one of the cars, flipping the car over. Nora groans in pain and a pink rush of light channels across her body from the little aura she had left being completely vanquished from her body. She reaches out to her hammer on the floor to fight again, despite that she is too weak to even try.

Ren looks at her and anger begins to charge through him, he kicks her in the head over and over after jumping in the air. Loss reaches out to her Tonfa, and to their amazement, the weapon flies from the ground and straight into her hand. She immediately slices the curved metal blade up Ren's chest and he screams in pain. Blood trails up his chest as she cuts across as well. His aura ripples like it did to her. Loss grabs him by the ankle, throwing him into the tarmac with force. He groans in pain and she lands right beside him, kicking him in the side.

Jaune yells in anger as he swings his sword with force at Loss but the female Knight just steps back to avoid his attack. She brings the blade of her Tonfa round, enough force to behead him with it as well, but he manages to lift his shield up to block the blade. Loss pushes and scrapes the blade down the white and gold features of the shield, sparks bouncing from the impact. Jaune stamps down on the back of her leg, bringing her onto one knee, giving Winter time to do some damage with a roundhouse kick to her face. The impact would knock a normal human being out, but she is a Knight of Grimm.

She rolls across the floor, taking her two Tonfas and she connects them together to build the bow. The Bowstring forms from fog that ejects from where it should be, solidifying in her fingertips. Before her fingers forms a glass arrow and she places it in the bowstring, drawing the bow and aiming it at them. The arrow shoots straight at Winter but Jaune lifts his shield up, and the arrow shatters upon impact on his shield.

Winter forms her Summoned Beowulf beside her, pointing her sword at Loss and the Beowulf throws its clawed hands back with a roaring howl. The beast charges straight at her and she stands her ground, launching her arrow at the glowing white Grimm with blue markings instead of red. The Beowulf dodges them and leaps straight at her. But Loss is stronger than she looks, Loss reaches up, catching her Beowulf by the throat, lifting it high and then crashing it down into the ground with a great amount of force, sending cracks across the ground. The Beowulf rolls and gets back on its feet, but she slices the sharp edges of her bow across its head, beheading it and killing it.

But Winter can summon more than one, and Loss looks around her, her large blue eyes noticing them all surrounding her. They all start to charge towards the Knight, roaring and howling as they leap at her. All with ice white mist surrounding their bodies, the first jumps at her but she twirls on the spot, beheading the Beowulf with her Tonfa. As she rotates round, she connects the two Tonfas together and draws the bow with three arrows at the ready as she fires them to four of them. Three nail three Beowulves, reducing them to snowy ashes and she immediately throws one of her Tonfas into its head.

She turns and she blasts towards Winter and grabs her by the throat, and with all her might she throws Winter across the street. The Atlesian Specialist crashes against the road, tumbling but she lands the impact on her feet. She immediately draws her sword, her eyes focused on Loss as she pulls the smaller blade from within her main sword.

Winter runs at Loss, smashing both blades of hers at the Ancient Warrior with force, Loss uses her Bow like a shield, blocking the blades with the metal structure. Sparks erupt from the impacts but she kicks Winter in the gut. She grabs Winter by her ponytail and yanks her across the floor, throwing her into the fountain made of concrete. She smashes her head down in the concrete with enough force to actually reduce what remains of her aura to zero. Blood leaks from her forehead and from her broken nose.

She forces her head down towards a sharp chunk of concrete that sticks out from the fountain. Winter pushes her hands against the fountain, pushing her head back up to combat the force of the lethal warrior that has managed to overpower her, one that does not taunt them very often. Winter grits her teeth as she struggles to keep her face and neck from the razor sharp piece of concrete pointing to the stars.

All of a sudden, Jaune wraps his arm round the neck of Loss, pulling her from the Schnee Woman and he throws her away from her, lifting his shield up and pointing the blade of Crocea Mors straight at Loss. Loss drives her Bow into the floor, stopping her body from rolling too far from the fight. Loss stands tall, staring straight at Jaune. "You are running from your own failure." Loss taunts as she stares at him.

As Jaune stands there, his vision becomes partially impaired, instead of seeing the Widowed Woman walking before her, he sees Pyrrha walking instead at times for brief seconds. Like she was actually there, her long red hair waving across the wind as she walks, her golden and red Spartan armour around her body. Her huge emerald eyes looking into his with a loving smile.

But he shakes the feeling off when Loss leaps straight at him. Jaune smashes his shield into the two Tonfas that she now wields, she grinds her blades against the shield, staring straight at him. "Let go...allow yourself to see her again with the infinite." Loss says, but her voice is Pyrrha's...the emotion of melancholy going to his head as he hears her gentle soothing voice.

"Get out of my head!" He repeats, swinging his sword straight at her in anger.

The blade of Crocea Mors scrapes across the veil and she staggers. Every time that she attacks, he sees Pyrrha swinging at him with her sword, making him feel like he is fighting the woman that he loves with all his heart. But he knows that this is the Knight of Loss messing with his head. He remembers everything that the real Pyrrha Nikos taught him when on that rooftop, almost fighting just like how they trained. Smashing their blades across each other with force, the metallic bangs echoing across the land in their fight.

Loss swipes her foot at his legs, but Jaune jumps in the air, bringing his shield round her head with enough force to cause her to stumble. Loss can't get to fight him for whatever reason, he is somehow able to block her emotions out to focus his senses on fighting her. She goes to attack him when she manages to kick his shield from his hand. She slashes her blade across his stomach, cutting through his black hoodie and through the flesh, blood spilling from the wound.

Jaune cries out in agony, blood leaving his mouth and a hot pain shocking up his body as the cold blade cuts through him. Jaune falls to one knee and Winter watches in horror, trying to get up to help, Ren and Nora are doing the same to help their friend as Loss prepares to finish him off.

Jaune stares at her and Loss sighs. "Join her." Loss says, tightening her grip on her Tonfa.

She strikes towards Jaune's neck, and as he remains on his knee, Crocea Mors faintly glows...showing some sort of collection of alien glyphs on the blade. Then his aura begins to glow.

And something totally unexpected happens.

There is a sudden flash of light that completely shatters Loss' blade in her hand. Loss looks at her snapped Tonfa in complete disbelief as the shards of metal drop and bounce onto the floor. She looks straight at Jaune with utter disbelief, and Jaune takes his chance.

He takes both hands and he swings Crocea Mors across her neck.

Jaune lets out an epic battle-cry that echoes through the city, sending chills to those who fought with him.

Loss completely shatters into glass, and the glass evaporates into fog that passes away in the wind, leaving Jaune on one knee. The cloud of water vapour fades away, being blown away in the wind, leaving them all alone, striking down a second Knight...something about the metal that Crocea Mors is made of...it managed to beat a Knight in one swing when nothing else could harm her.

Jaune coughs in pain and he sees Ruby staggering from the battle against Fury.

Jaune just struck a Knight of Grimm down in one hit.

Nobody has ever been able to do that.

Qrow

Death grabs him by the back of his neck with his armoured hand, throwing him across the street and into one of the buildings. Red energy ruptures across his body and his sword is on the floor. Death creates a menacing chuckle, approaching Qrow with Ferrum Arctus in his hand, the black smoke trailing from the blade.

Qrow coughs in agony, spitting blood from his mouth. Death pushes his boot against his side, pointing the blade at his face. Death stares down at him. "Here we are again..." He says menacingly.

"If you're gonna do it..." Qrow growls.

"Kill you?" Death scoffs. "Oh no...not yet..." Death says.

"Why? You always say that you want to claim all life..." Qrow questions in confusion. Death looks out at the landscape of Mistral, the darkness spilling into the once beautiful city.

"Death arrives for everyone at a fixed point...yours has not come yet...but one has." He says.

Qrow stares at Death with confused and fearful eyes, bruised and battered from their conflict that Death has just won. "Who?" Qrow questions.

Death turns to look down at the street below where the battle was just taking place to defend the civilians, the civilians that are likely to all be dead. He just points his sword at one person. Qrow follows the blade and his red eyes widen in horror when he sees Ruby walking over to Jaune and the others after their battle against Loss.

Qrow looks right at Death.

"No...let it be me!" He begs.

"A father will always put his daughter's life above others...what a good one you are." Death compliments to him. "But the laws of time and nature must be adhered."

"You mean Salem's?" Qrow scoffs and that makes Death chuckle.

"You really think I serve her?" He asks her.

Qrow looks at him in complete and utter confusion, since he thought that all Knights serve her. "We do not serve her...even she is not the one holding the strings. Our master...his plan has been undergoing for a long time. You still have a role to play – but hers has not." Death states, revealing that there is something more powerful than the Knights and Salem combined. Begging the question: Who is this person? "Death comes for all at a certain time, I cannot stop my minions from slaughtering because that means that the Puppet-Master has chosen them to die now. You? Your time is not today."

"We've cheated you before and your ally before." Qrow argues. Death turns to face him.

"No....he has merely let you continue to suffer a little longer." He states, walking towards them. "But your daughter's? Her suffering will end tonight." He assures.

"I won't let you!" Qrow argues, reaching for his sword, trying to get back up.

But Death kicks him in the chest, launching him into a wall, spreading cracks up the wall, and chunks of concrete breaking off from impact. He groans, coughing and spitting blood onto the floor from the impact. He looks at Death, begging him to spare his beloved daughter. He then looks at the Fractured Moon, pointing at it.

"You won't be able to stop us...for no matter what...your daughter will die..." Death states, forming his Bow in his hand, holding a Glass Arrow in his fingers. Qrow looks at the moon and a shiver of fear pulsates across him when he sees the massive black and red wings of the Grimm Dragon returning, seeing a squadron of Griffons and Nevermores flying with it.

Qrow stammers in horror when seeing that monster again and then he looks at Death. Death's wings fold out and he flies into the air, heading straight for Ruby.

Unaware that a black crow with glowing red eyes and a crystal beak watches the battle...

The same one that was outside their Safehouse when Oscar and Ozpin revealed themselves.

The Crystal Crow...

There is more to it than meets the eye.

But Ruby...

Her time is running out.

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