章 74: Ultimate Lap (1)
"Siblings are a volume of childhood memories." – Vincent Okay Nwachukwu
When the explosion happened, I was staring at one of the semi-final matches with Sienna and Damian sitting by my right side and Nora and Weiss on the left. Winter and Willow were sitting on the row behind us, while Summer, Taiyang and Yang were sitting on the one in the front.
Everything was going fine, and there were no hints that the situation could have degenerated as badly as it did. The blast shredded part of the inner section of the spectator wing, dread filling my mind instantly as the whole stadium tilted in the opposite direction as I worried that the unexpected development had also damaged the stabilizers on that side of the arena. Much to my relief, that proved to be an incorrect assumption as the arena stabilized shortly after. The massive screens that were previously to be used to enhance the broadcast were quickly hijacked by Ironwood as he called for calm as an 'orderly evacuation' ensued. Of course, people seemed to forget in times of extreme danger that it was best to really not go for the 'everyone for themselves' tactic, but I guess there was a legitimate reason to be more terrified than planned as… Well, this wasn't the worst. Not yet.
The damage that had been created within the arena with what had been clearly been a well-placed bomb didn't limit itself to outright massacring the people that had been sitting there, but it also opened part of the upper protective roof in the process. I didn't pay attention to this early on when the blast occurred as I saw no reason to be really concerned by it. Why would it need to find it important? Any attack from above would have been stopped by the mobilized fleet. I was… kind of correct. But terribly wrong nonetheless. I felt uneasy the moment I saw multiple shadows circling above our heads.
Numerous bird-like figures formed a big flock of ferocious-looking Nevermores that instantly descended and proceeded to rip into the ceiling while the other Grimm that had boarded them entered the stadium. Turrets and soldiers started to take aim and shoot down the incoming threats, but there were just too many for the 'few' guns aimed at them. Some of the Huntsmen from the other kingdoms helped the civilians as they were led to the emergency exits, while others tried to draw attention away from the civilians themselves by putting themselves at right by jumping into the fray.
A portal opened by the area we were staying by, with Raven coming in with Qrow.
"The situation is bad," The former bandit remarked, a grim look on her face as she kept her portal open. "The children should leave. The rift leads to our current living quarters. Ruby is already waiting inside."
"Dad-" Nora tried to speak up, clearly upset by this development and wanting to protest this decision.
"We're not having this conversation. I know you're strong, but this isn't going to be an easy fight for us that we are more experienced," I interjected hastily, knowing that there was no time to make any lengthy conversation out of it. "But I don't want you to stay put, you have to do something for me."
She blinked, leaning forward as I whispered to her what she had to do.
"My strong girl, you have to be brave in these trying times, understood?"
"...Yes, papa."
My heart broke a little at that comment as I knew that she wasn't completely convinced but she knew that she had a big role in this rather than just keeping in that room, but I felt slightly better at the quick hug I gave her before sending her off with the others. Blake took hold of a confused Damian, the poor toddler confused about the current situation, but calming down just a bit as he found himself held tight by the cat-eared girl. The portal soon closed, with just the adults being left behind as… Well, it was time to clean up and help where we could.
"I suppose you all have-"
"Our weapons, yes," Willow replied, surprising a few as she deployed her collapsed blade, something mimicked by Summer as she deployed her light-weight scythe. I had my shotgun and the tonfas at my disposal, while Sienna took out her improved Cerberus Whip.
"I guess the party has started. Let's get moving."
No further word was given by any of the people around me as we all rushed to help the other huntsmen and soldiers that were engaging the impressive amount of Grimm that had been deployed by the Nevermores. I had to say that I hadn't expected for this situation to come like… this. Not with this intensity or deadliness. Civilians had already died before the Grimm arrived, and Raven was mentioning mid-battle how the situation across Atlas was as vicious as it was there, if not more because those radical Faunus that had joined forces with Salem had augmented the current invasion by a considerable amount. It was a full siege, one that still contained a very worrying question that was currently being questioned within my mind.
James' fleet should have held back. Something isn't right.
A virus in the system? Just like it happened last time?
My guess was meet with silence as the two voices pondered on this and-
[No. It's… numbers.]
They are more numerous than any great Grimm invasion. She planned for this to be one of the greatest assaults she could muster. All by taking her time bidding for a few years… this is terrifying.
We can still win. She is not here.
[Yet.]
I wanted to rebuke Sally's comment, but I had a growing suspicion that she wasn't wrong about it. I decided it was only right to call Ironwood himself and see what was the situation.
"I'm currently busy, John. It better be important."
"What is keeping the fleet busy?" I asked quickly, not bothering with any pleasantries. I heard a sigh from the other side, one that was fairly hopeless from the sound of it.
"We were keeping up with the Nevermores, but then Salem herself decided to come visiting. She is bringing a Grimm we never registered before, a large flying whale. None of our weapons are getting through its skin."
That sounds bad. Like, really bad.
But James was far from done with that explanation as he turned his attention to the Arena.
"What is the status of Amity?"
"The evacuation is almost over. We just need a few more minutes but-"
"Once you're done, approach the hangars on the side. We will pick you up so we can proceed with a counter-attack. Ironwood out."
The conversation ended up with that interruption, but as much as I was annoyed by the way he suddenly interjected, I knew that he didn't mean any disrespect. The situation was just that horrible and his attention was aimed elsewhere. The arena was mostly evacuated, and most of the invading force had been taken care of as we were left to rest just for a moment. A large shadow loomed over the Amity Arena as muddy liquids poured from the flying whale above our heads. The liquid crashed onto the inner section of the fighting zone and, from the massive pool that was born from this, several Grimm and two figures stood.
"Salem," One of the remaining defenders muttered, and I was surprised to see that Ozpin had been there and taking part in this battle.
He stood his ground as well as he could with his current body, showing that his experience was enough to make him stand up among top-notch hunters when necessary but… he was weakened by this whole experience. And it was something that the Queen of Grimm picked up with ease as her amusement grew at the sight she was bestowed with.
"Ozpin. You look absolutely fragile."
"Not as fragile as you would want."
"No. Not yet," She hummed happily as her gaze turned to me while she… pulled onto a chain. It was there that I looked right beside her, kneeling down and restrained by some darkened restraints. Ruby looked barely awake and conscious, her gaze aimed to the ground as she was forced to kneel down. I was stunned by the discovery, but not as much as what the Queen had to say about it.
"I have to say that I would have had some trouble with my plans if it hadn't been for my knight. This little silver-eyed thief got too close to achieve the notion of turning this victory into my greatest humiliation, but… I had some help with my closest confidant."
It was there that I turned to the second figure, the armored and masked being standing beside Salem as they were… gazing right at me. Their armor was intimidating, but the way they looked at me, even with that much covering their faces and body- I could tell it lacked the same amount of unease their frame had.
"Ever since I first faced you, John Bukharin, I knew you were going to be a dangerous element that needed to be put down and… I decided to explore possibilities. After all, my curiosity rewarded me with quite the unusual discovery about your home. And the place where you hail from."
"What?"
"I thought it would have been right- no, just to set you against someone like you. But better. Stronger. And even so, loyal to me," Salem replied mirthfully. "If you want to get your little thief back, alive and well, you shall fight my champion on your own."
"This isn't a fight that concerns them. I'm-"
"Someone that I will deal with in due time, Ozpin," The Queen interjected, appearing a bit annoyed by that rebuttal. "I understand you yearn for death, but this isn't something that I can ignore. I just can't ignore a foolish magic user from somewhere beyond Remnant who is allowed to live after humiliating me. This is retribution, this is my first decree in centuries as the deity of this world."
Before Beacon's headmaster could say anything more about it, I saw a familiar red portal appear just behind Salem. Raven emerged with her Maiden's powers unleashed, rushing forward and trying to cut the chain so she could get the barely conscious prisoner out of the way. Much to my surprise, her blade was met with the one owned by Salem's knight. The speed and reaction time displayed in that deed stunned pretty much everyone as the armored warrior turned around with such a heavy looking long-sword while wearing that heavy cuirass.
Raven was suddenly put through a counterattack that caught her off-guard. The aggressive pace used against her was used in such a smooth and masterful way that she was soon forced to retreat at the sheer intensity of the powerful hits. She used her magic, but the armor soon proved to be impervious to it, deflecting a good part of all elemental attacks.
Salem's magic is enchanting the metal. That, and I can say that the armor is a Grimm.
She really invested in this 'knight'.
Be careful, this one isn't anyone we know.
Eventually Raven backed away completely, opening a portal and getting back at us as both Summer and Qrow held her up as she almost collapsed, numerous gashes spread through her armor and into her skin. The blade was cutting through Aura, confirming that the Queen's investment was an all-around one for her 'champion'. Knowing that the risk was now really big and I knew that Ruby was in danger, I decided to start approaching and-
"John," Sienna spoke up, her gaze piercing through my reluctance and finding how nervous I was. "You… We can try something else."
"It's..." I sighed. "I doubt we can. I will deal with them both once and for all."
Could I do it? No. It was clear I was easily outmatched. But could I at least try to get to Ruby and set her free? That sounded like the best shot I had at that moment. Sienna spared me a long look, almost begging me to not go. But at this point, there wasn't even a choice to rely on. So I resumed my approach until I was standing before the guard, the silent entity having returned to their queen's side and waiting for me to begin that fight. It was clear to me now, they didn't plan to attack first and to leave me the first move… so, I decided to put them in a situation where they would have to be the one to move first. I picked a small rock, a piece of the ceiling that had collapsed and fell on the ground, and I charged it up with some mana, changing it into a ball of reinforced steel. Enhancing my strength for the occasion, I threw the ball right between Salem's hold of the chain and Ruby's collar, knowing it would have been enough to break it.
As expected, the knight moved and… so did I. Their sword blocked the rock, but it didn't move in time to stop my rush. I got close enough to block their sword-wielding arm in check, slamming my left tonfa on their sides and gauging the resilience of the armor at physical attacks. I gritted my teeth at the sight of the tonfa actually getting a bit dented at the impact, forcing me to go through a more serious approach. Grimm were slightly weak at magical impulses when used with a certain 'frequency'. The closer to the 'soul' the magic was, the stronger it was towards one of those monsters.
The knight recovered, trying to bisect me with a quick half-round strike. The blade soared, but it failed to get me as I ducked beforehand and used the momentum to slam my palms on the mid-point of their chest. The armor actually groaned as a magical pulse slammed onto it, chipping at part of it and revealing an eye with a red slit and black sclera. I swiftly brought my shotgun up, the pellets instantly smearing the black surface purple as the eye bled at the instantaneous blast tearing it off. The knight backed away, as if they had been struck too but not before kicking me away and giving me a clear understanding of their strength.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
That roar was more one of anger than pain. The figure rushed forth, their pace increasing to match up the level of difficulty I was poising to them. And the window of opportunity to actually get any opening faltered to nothing, sticking me in one of the most intense struggles of blows as possible. Each step was pondered on the spot, but it was all part of a massive chessboard that was being developed on the spot. Me, them, me, them, then them and finally me. I couldn't get closer anymore, something else having changed as I could feel that this stance was way different than before. It felt… it felt like I had already faced someone like them already.
Who is this? And why do I feel like I had fought something like this before?
No, it wasn't the fighting. I… I knew this pattern. I could pinpoint it on where I first dealt with this, in a different situation… I have seen this before- I experienced this kind of pressure before.
I looked back at anyone on Earth that could fit the bill, but none jumped to mind. I tried with those that used longswords, anything stupid that resembled that kind of weapon, but, I was quite sure the list wasn't that long. The more I invested into it, the more it also became evident that my opponent was… holding back. I was nowhere near Raven's skills in combat, so, if I was keeping my own this well against someone that bested her in a fight, then it meant two things. Either they were growing weaker, or they were willingly holding their punches on me. But why? Why did this whole battle feel incredibly wrong? I just had this feeling that… that who I was fighting wasn't an enemy. And yet we were fighting as enemies.
What is going on?
There is… a bond. Between the two of you.
[It's faint, but oddly enough… strong for you two to feel.]
And what does this exactly mean?
[Taking into account that it's rare for a connection like this one to be? I would say that you two are… well, close. Biologically so.]
Still, that doesn't make any sense. The only ones that would be this close to you would be your wife, your son and-
[Your family is back home.]
Sally's words shock me off from the focused state of mind I had been using against my foe. Surprise painting my face as I slowly started to connect dots. This kind of fight- no, play. It brought me back to many years ago. Instead of swords, tree branches, instead of an armored fiend, a little girl that was barely holding her tears as she got bruised by an unwanted hit I delivered to her cheek. It was slightly bleeding, but the pouting child didn't let go of the fight. She wanted to win, she was stubborn enough to not let go and show off how strong she was.
"...Mary?"
The figure hesitated, but her step didn't stop as she tried to keep on attacking me. I knew I couldn't slack off with my own defense, so I kept on holding her back. Despite the shock, I knew something was wrong. Something was really wrong. Her hesitation- she had to be forced to do this. The armor was made by a Grimm, so she should be freed by that control the moment the monstrous armor was dealt with. I tried to find another way to keep on denting on its weak spots, but the ferocity with each attack from Mary didn't falter, and I couldn't get through without getting injured in the process.
I'm sorry, John. You have to-
[Stop this. This… this isn't the moment to think pessimistically.]
The situation requires a sacrifice, the armor isn't going to be dealt with if it's just John facing it. This battle-
Is already over.
Ozma let out a confused 'uh' as I finally got a chance. It wasn't wide enough to try the same thing as before, but good enough to try something bolder. Mary tensed, her body going rigid through the armor as I wrapped my arms around her upper waist and held her tight as my magic surged all over, attacking the armor in multiple positions. The Grimm grew agitated, trying to force the frozen foe to move despite the reluctance to do so and… it didn't work. I was too fast, too intense, and too determined to give up now. I was personally invested into it well beyond what I have faced before and the monster, which proved to be something akin of a Geist in functions and appearance, left the armor just to harmlessly explode at the cracks formed by my mana still coursing over its body.
Suddenly Mary's footing was missing and she almost fell backward due to the lack of strength. I caught her, calmly lowering her to the floor. I calmly removed the helmet and… my blood ran cold. Mary's face was scarred as a large cut ran from slightly above her right eyebrow down to her mid-cheek. Her eye was gone, with only the left one left untouched. Other cuts spread by her chin, her forehead and by her ears. Her hair, it had been cut short, sheared in some bits and… and it reminded me of the times where she would take pride in how she kept it clean and proper. Now it was gone, further humiliating her in this mess. Tears were already rolling, but I could tell those were of joy. She was no longer in pain.
"I got you, Mary," I whispered in a caring tone, my brotherly instincts kicking in as I took the most precautions to make sure she wasn't suffering anymore.
"I'm sorry, brother," She muttered numbly, her lone eye slowly fluttering close as I carefully laid her on the floor, she was fine, stable, but losing consciousness. "It… I couldn't stop her. I couldn't stop myself."
"I-it's alright. I got you now, sis. Just… don't let go of my hand, okay?"
She smiled weakly, finally falling asleep as I looked tensely at her face, checking her pulse and breathing. Fine, she was fine… beyond the scarring. The wounds, the injuries, the tortures- THAT FUCKING-
All my memories about my family, all those good moments, were put to ruin by the taint spread by Salem and her corrupted mind. I stood up, hatred boiling up as it silenced most of the noises around me as I had a single intention right now. An objective, the ultimate goal, the thing that was burning my core in pure anger. I started to walk towards Salem, the Queen staring at my approach dully.
"A pity. It would seem that you didn't waste time improving your skills," Salem hummed, slightly upset but nonetheless uncaring. "I guess I will just try again, perhaps a friend, or another relative."
"You will not," I replied with a furious tone. "This ends here."
"And who are you to say this? You're weak, too drained by that confrontation," The queen argued without any worry. "But sure, come forth, I shall grant you a sweet relief in the form of-"
Her voice stopped, mostly because she heard the distinct noise of a chain breaking and… she felt the one she had been holding snap from her hold. Ruby stood right up to her, staring at her with her remaining eye with a determined but tired look. I could already tell what she was plotting by the crazy glint shining in her eye.
"N-No… more."
Then Ruby's lone eye exploded in a pure holy light that consumed Salem, weakening the witch and distracting her as I rushed towards her. The Silver-Eyed attack didn't last long as the redhead didn't have the stamina to keep on going with it, but Salem recovered too late to leave my reach. My hands were already grasping her face, squeezing hard and clawing onto her porcelain skin as I pumped all my reserves of magic into the strongest mana pulse I could muster on the spot. The result was an equally blinding light, this one seriously harming the already-weakened Salem as she screeched and tried to get out of my grasp but… she seemed to have not noticed in her dimensional fishing that there was one thing one couldn't ignore about Italians and their families.
"You don't hurt those I care for, bitch!"
Her frame was engulfed in a coat of pure silver as it was obliterated on the spot… and freeing a black orb from her body. I fell backward, the collapse of her physical form hitting me with a small shockwave and rendering me unable to finish it. There it was, Salem's core. Another pulse of magic, and she would have been dead on the spot. But… it didn't happen. The orb suddenly soared upward and left quickly to return to the Grimmlands. I looked at its departure in anger, but now I could say it for sure. It was doable. Salem could be killed and… I was tired.
Huffing, I could hardly stand up, but I wasn't in any danger of fainting now that I couldn't afford to. I helped up the unconscious Ruby trying to get some help as some of the nearest hunters approached us and helped the sleeping young woman while I took care of… her. Mary breathed innocently in her sleep, and, despite her heavy armor, I managed to carry her towards the rest of the group. Sienna rushed in first, worry fully exposed on her face as the Tiger Faunus took hold of the unmasked woman and… noticed our similarities.
"John, is she-"
"She needs medical attention. Now."
A nod, the woman helped me with the task of carrying her, but not for long as Qrow offered to help while I took a moment to breathe and… realized I was bleeding. I snorted in stupid amusement, thinking how silly it was that I didn't notice that Mary had gotten through my defense a couple of times and leaving some light wounds all over me. I wasn't exactly out of order just yet, but it sure felt like I had gone through the harshest setting of hell possible. Still, I couldn't lament it. All Grimm in Atlas and Mantle had suddenly died as soon as Salem was brought to that weakened state. I would soon learn that this development wasn't just limited to Atlas. All known Grimm within the Kingdoms and by the border had been eliminated by that circumstance. Ozma theorized that it was due to her mind being destroyed temporarily during that last pulse, setting a 'suicide option' with all living Grimm and killing them all.
Of course, this wasn't a permanent situation. The moment Salem reformed her mind and body, the production of Grimm was going to resume… but this offered an opportunity that was undeniably the best chance to end this all. The truth came out, and so did the hope that a new day could be conquered with the death of all present Grimm. Salem wasn't dead, but her days were now numbered as the world stood aware of its greatest foe. A speech was planned in the incoming days, and humanity had to be rallied.
This was the last act of the centuries-old war Remnant had been subjected to. It was humanity's finest hour.
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