The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 46: Salem, Part Two

"I performed a ritual to keep this vessel fresh, so I could use it effectively... Something Ruby called necrophilia."

Y/N's blood ran cold. "N... N-necro... Philia..." His eyes grew wet, his anger beginning to spike. The desire to fight grew stronger, just as Salem wanted. He was playing right into its hands. "Y-you... Molested him..."

Salem grinned. "If you want to call it that."

Y/N pulled away, standing back to his feet. He could barely hold his katana properly, having to wield it with both hands. "Y... You... S-sick bastard..."

Salem wanted to celebrate. It was getting exactly what it wanted; to see Y/N struggle in vain, to die only when it grew bored of tormenting him. It stretched its shoulders the joints popping loudly. "... Come on, then. Entertain me."

As Y/N lunged, so did the others. Sasha, Junior, Raven, Russell, and Cardin. All were prepared to battle Salem to the death, to make it pay for stealing the body of their beloved friend.

...

Ozpin ripped his cane from the side of an abomination, the black blood coating his jacket. He had been fighting alongside the students and staff of Beacon, fighting to find Y/N and Salem. All around him were the cries of abominations and citizens as they were devoured, with the bodies of both littering the streets. Even the Atlas military was struggling to keep the monsters at bay; it took so much to kill one. The headmaster gritted his teeth, pointing at Glynda. "You stay here and lead Beacon! I need to find the Hero of Light! If Salem really is battling Y/N, then I've no doubt it has a trick up its sleeve!"

Glynda thrusted her riding crop into the air, a pile of debris crushing an abomination flat. "Yes, sir!"

Ozpin gave a curt nod, sprinting through the war torn streets. He fumbled for his scroll, quickly contacting the general. "James, where is Y/N!?"

["He's in the city square! He's fighting Salem!"] Ironwood shouted. ["Oz, this thing won't die!"]

Ozpin froze, his feet skidding to a halt. "... Come again?"

He could hear the fear in Ironwood's voice, the trembling as he spoke. ["We've shot rockets, crushed that thing, and Y/N's even pumped it full of his magic! It won't die! It's not even scratched!"]

Ozpin was horrified. Y/N's magic was its weakness - to hear it was ineffective was a terrifying thought. "What else should I know!?"

["It's taken Vao's body! That's all we know about this thing!"]

Vao. Ozpin couldn't believe he overlooked that. He should have acted the moment he heard that Salem stole Vao's corpse. Vao was able to use magic And given his magic was Darkness, it would serve to make Salem unstoppable. He gritted his teeth again, pocketing his scroll. He didn't have a lot of time, he realized. Knowing Salem, it was toying with Y/N. But how long before the Hero died?

He wasn't eager to find out. He pushed his legs harder, sprinting through the chaos.

CRASH!

He leapt back just as Sasha came smashing through a building, staggering back to her feet. Ozpin rushed to her side, helping the big woman back to her feet. "Sasha! What's going on!?"

Sasha didn't answer. She let out a scream of fury, her veins bulging out with her Semblance. She charged back into battle, Ozpin following close behind. Salem was throwing cars, laughing with a wild look in its eyes.

"Yes, yes! At this rate, I'll never get bored!"

Ozpin gripped his cane, moving as fast as lightning. But when his cane struck the back of its head, the weapon bounced off. "W-what!?"