General Veliona and her contingent of Jaegers and Legionnaires are aiming their weapons at Ozpin and Goodwitch in a tense standoff between the two factions. The Mimarans had turned against Ozpin as their true intentions to access the Relic of Choice came out in the open. Ozpin is faced with a decision to either surrender and allow the existence of Salem to get out in the open, resulting in a worldwide panic, or fight his own daughter.
Veliona: Ozpin, already enough people have died for this secret, don't force us to fight when we can finally end this charade.
Ozpin: I'm sorry, General. I can't let the Mimarans start a war. Not yet.
Glynda uses her telekinesis to lift large chunks of the flooring. The Mimaran troops immediately open fire as the floor pieces are shot towards them. This wipes out a huge segment of the Mimarans as most were trapped in the rubble or made unconscious from being sent flying by the force created by impacts. Glynda then uses her semblance to force open the elevator door.
Glynda: GO!!
Ozpin nods and jumps down into the elevator shaft. Glynda is faced with the remaining Mimarans that she immediately uses her semblance to lift the lot of them into the air, throwing them at the walls and incapacitating the Legionnaires while the Jaegers get back up and start firing at her.
The professor quickly fires a type of glyph into the air that creates a dark cloud. It starts shooting Dust shards towards the Jaegers. One of the Jaegers use a semblance that creates a sort of round energy shield that protects them from the shards, protecting a couple of their teammates while the remaining few use their armored gauntlets to protect themselves. Glynda keeps up the barrage using her riding crop weapon.
The Jaeger using their semblance notices that the attack is being caused by Glynda's weapon, not her semblance exactly. He then turns his head to one of his comrades that he was protecting.
Jaeger: Nimm ihre Waffe heraus! (Take out her weapon!)
The Jaeger they were speaking to nods and aims their rifle towards Glynda's weapon. The shield then drops and in that very moment, a bullet was fired at Glynda's right hand where she held her weapon. The professor yelps in pain as the bullet disarmed her of her weapon and the Dust cloud storm ceased. All of the Jaegers immediately charge her as Glynda tried to lunge for her weapon on the ground. Before she could grab it, she was hit by the energy shield used by one of the Jaegers, which was thrown at her before disappearing. It shot her away from the riding crop and now the Jaegers were about to take her down.
Glynda grits her teeth before raising her arms up. The Jaegers immediately stop in their tracks as they felt paralyzed. Glynda was once again using her telekinesis semblance on them, but it felt more unfocused and lacked control unlike before as the Jaegers felt their own armors feeling tight as they were being crushed.
Suddenly, a bullet hits Glynda in the side, forcing her to let the Jaegers go. The Jaegers fall to the ground, gripping their sides or limbs that were in serious pain. Glynda looks to where the bullet came from and she saw a Legionnaire on the ground with a smoking pistol that falls unconscious from his own injuries. Despite that final shot, Glynda appeared victorious as her Mimaran opponents were either unconscious, incapacitated by their injuries, or buried under rubble. She pants heavily as she catches her breath and grabs her weapon off the ground. She then looks to the elevator and walks towards it before hearing a noise from the rubble. She turns around and sees a hand punch through the rubble and its owner pulls themselves out of the rubble. It was General Veliona. Her uniform was slightly torn and now dirty from the rubble's debris, and her head and left arm was bleeding. Glynda notices however, that the General wasn't bleeding red blood like a human or Faunus would. Her blood was black, like... oil?
Glynda: You're.... Not human??
Veliona furrows her eyebrows and grits her teeth as she didn't answer. She was pissed. The Mimaran suddenly aims her pistol at Glynda and fires.
~Meanwhile, in the Vault~
Elise, Raven, Ironwood, Amber and Cinder are looking at a floating crown inside the Beacon Vault. Cinder and Amber had just opened the Vault doors and now the group was examining the Relic of Choice that was in front of them. Elise changes her blonde hair and dark eyes back to her usual white hair and purple eyes as Ironwood speaks.
Ironwood: So how do you use it?
Elise: Well, Knowledge requires you to say the spirit's name. Choice just needs you to grab the staff. Destruction is just antisocial. Choice is about as simple as Creation. I just need to put on the crown and the spirit will come out.
Elise reaches for the crown and grabs it. She prepares to put it on before hearing someone call out her name.
Ozpin: Elise!!
Elise: Here we go...
She turns around along with Ironwood, Raven, Amber and Cinder. They see Ozpin running past the injured Mimarans in the Vault, running towards them with his cane at the ready.
Ozpin: Elise! Stop and look at what you are doing! This is madness!
He gestures at those around him as he tries to make a point that people are getting hurt because of this.
Elise: They wouldn't have had to do this if you hadn't used the Relic on us 80 years ago. And don't you dare pin this on me. They chose to fight for their freedom, they weren't just simply following me. I gave them a choice, unlike you.
Ozpin: .... Elise, I couldn't risk more bloodshed 80 years ago. I still don't want the kingdoms to go to war again when I can avoid it!
Raven: So you admit that you used the Relic of Choice on your own daughter and her kingdom just so you could keep Salem a secret?!
Cinder: Wait, she's his daughter?
Amber: You didn't know that?
Ironwood: Oz....
Ozpin looks at Ironwood with a hurt look while the General felt betrayed.
Ozpin: James, you have to understand that I was trying to prevent more war.
Elise: You had good intentions, we can't fault you on that. But the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.
Ozpin furrows his eyebrows as he glances at Cinder.
Ozpin: And what are your intentions with Cinder? After Amber dies, do you intend to let her go?
Cinder: If it's any consolation, I won't finish her off. I'll let her die in peace.
Ozpin: She shouldn't have to die in the first place! Elise, you know she's just going to betray you to get the Relic to Salem.
Elise: .....
Ironwood steps in between Ozpin and Elise at the Vault door with his hand on his holster.
Ironwood: Oz, this is over. It's either you let Elise do this and tell the world about Salem, or I will tell for her.
Ozpin: James...
Ironwood: It's. OVER. No more secrets! No more lies and half-truths! Elise is right, we can't continue fighting Salem your way. Too many people keep dying and nothing changes! How do you plan to stop Salem, huh?!
Ozpin: I.... don't know....
Ozpin lowers his cane.
Ozpin: I honestly don't know....
Raven: Then try trusting others for once
Ironwood: Trust your daughter, who at least has a plan. You both want the same thing, a better Remnant. So work together to make that a reality instead of fighting each other. Fight together against Salem.
Ozpin: We could lose....
Elise: Then we'll go down fighting. But we'll go down together.
She steps past Ironwood and offers the Crown of Choice to Ozpin. Giving him a chance to rectify his mistake on his own accord. Ozpin hesitates as he reaches for the Crown. Cinder is glaring at her original mission's objective, silently.
Elise: Ozpin isn't the only one being offered a second chance here, Cinder.
Cinder: Huh?
Elise: You can choose to try and take the crown and likely die in the process, you can walk away, or you can switch sides.
Cinder flinches as Ozpin, Ironwood, and Raven glare at her. She is in a rather awkward position and can't really take the Relic before getting killed or captured. Would Salem be okay with just a Maiden? She can always come back for the Relic later when it's least expected. Everything has already fallen apart except getting the power of the Fall Maiden, Cinder thinks she shouldn't push her luck.
Cinder sighs before she walks past Elise and Ozpin and walks down the Vault halls.
Cinder: Do what you will. I won't push my luck....today, anyway. But I will be back for the Relic someday.
Elise: We shall see...
Cinder smirks as she waits outside of the Vault doors for them to finish using the Relic so she can close the door. Ironwood looks at Elise with a raised eyebrow.
Ironwood: I don't think it's wise to let her go.
Elise: Maybe not, but she needs to catch a break. This has been an awful few days for her.
Cinder crosses her arms. Ozpin finally takes the Relic from Elise and after a moment of looking at it, he puts it on. Himself, Elise, Ironwood, Amber and Raven all suddenly notice that some magical particles from the Vault and Cinder has completely stopped moving.
The crown suddenly generates a smoke that appears in front of the group. From this smoke appears a blue spirit in a feminine body with golden chains on her hips and wrists. Her hair is white and so are her eyes. The spirit stretches as she yawns.
Spirit: Ah! How long has it been this time? 200 years?
Ozpin: Hello Eve.... No it's only been 80 years.
The spirit known as Eve glances at the user of the Relic and hovers close to him to examine Ozpin.
Eve: You feel familiar. Do I know you?
Ozpin: I'm Ozma. The man that used your power last?
Eve: Hmm? Oh! Right! The king guy that asked me to restrain an entire ethnicity and his own daughter from telling the world about your crazy wife!
Ozpin: Erm... right.
Raven: Is...there something wrong with you? You seem a bit....off?
Eve: Oh, don't worry about me! Hehe! I have just been using a tremendous amount of my power on a resistant and rapidly growing population nonstop for 80 years! Sure, I forgot how much time has past, and I forgot about this guy for the moment. But it's nothing serious.
Ozpin: Ahem.
The spirit looks at Ozpin again and suddenly looks confused.
Eve: Oh, sorry! Um.... Who are you again?
Amber: Oh my god, Oz. You gave her memory loss.
Ozpin: I didn't know that could happen to spirits!
Eve: Oh right! Ozma! Sorry, what can I, the lovely Spirit Eve, do for you this time?
Ozpin: I want you to-
Eve: Just a disclaimer, if you want me to expand your last request on another ethnic group, I will have to decline. I'm pretty strained as it is.
Ozpin: I just-
Eve: Wait, what was I talking about?
Ozpin: Eve-
Eve: Something about a crazy wife? Or was it a crazy daughter?
Elise blinks as Ozpin facepalms.
Ozpin: Eve!
Eve: Hm? Oh, oh, right! Your request! Please, continue.
Ozpin: I would like for you to stop influencing the choices on the Mimarans and my daughter. They can talk about Salem however they please.
Eve: Oh! Sure thing! Why didn't you just say so?!
Ozpin, Elise, Ironwood, Amber, and Raven all sigh in unison. Eve snaps her fingers and smiles.
Eve: Done! ..... What was I doing again?
Ozpin: You were about to take a nap until we need you next.
Eve: Oh, that sounds nice! Good night!
Ozpin takes off the Crown and the Spirit vanishes in a puff of smoke. Ozpin then notices Elise glaring at him quietly. He raises a finger as he sighs.
Ozpin: Don't you start.
Elise crosses her arms and stays silent. Ozpin places the crown back where it was and the group walks out of the Vault. Cinder tilts her head in confusion.
Cinder: That was quick, wasn't something supposed to happen when you used the Relic?
Elise: Yeah, but you were frozen in time so you couldn't see it.
Cinder: Eh? .... Whatever....
Ozpin sighs as Cinder backs away from the vault doors a bit as the group exits the Vault.
Ozpin: So what now?
Ironwood: Well I know that Elise doesn't intend to arrest Cinder. However, I'm not so-
Ironwood turns to look at Cinder but notices a dark figure standing right behind her and Claire.
Ironwood: -forgiving?
A dark arm extends suddenly past Cinder and Ironwood. Everyone hears Amber grunt in sudden pain. The group and Cinder are shocked when they see Amber has just been impaled by a Grimm hand. Claire turns to react but is hit in the neck and falls to the ground unconscious. Amber's eyes are wide open before the hand retracts and Amber falls. Ozpin and Elise grab her before she hit the ground.
Ozpin: AMBER!
Ironwood and Raven draw their weapons. Nearby injured Mimaran troopers quickly jump up and aim their weapons. Cinder looks to her side and sees Methuselah, causing her eyes to shrink in fear.
Methuselah: Cinder, did you help our enemies open the Vault doors and plan to let them seal it again?
Cinder: M-Methuselah! No I wasn't-!
Methuselah suddenly grabs her face with one hand and Cinder shrieks in terror.
Cinder: NO! PLEASE DON'T-!
Without any consideration of mercy, Cinder's left eye is suddenly burned by Methuselah's hand. This causes a painful scream to listen to while the Mimarans, Ozpin, Raven, and Ironwood watch in horror while Elise closes her eyes. Amber's labored breathing slows down before it suddenly stops.
Amber's corpse glows briefly and so does Cinder. Like a self fulfilling prophecy, Amber's remaining powers went to Cinder. Methuselah drops Cinder and his eyes glow. Cinder's panicked breathing annoyed him when she crawled backwards from the Herrscher.
Methuselah: We'll finish this later, Cinder.
A tar-like portal opens underneath Cinder and four dark Grimm arms emerge from it and restrains her. The Herrscher Grimm finally turns his attention to the humans ahead.
Methuselah: Where are my manners?! Greetings! My name is Methuselah!
Ozpin stands up and readies his cane.
Ozpin: The Apathy Herrscher. I know you.
Methuselah: Ozma! I almost didn't recognize you! It's been a while since I saw you when Salem tried tricking my lord to revive you.
Ozpin flinches from the comment. Methuselah steps over Claire's unconscious body and smiles.
Methuselah: Well Queen Elise, you got what you wanted. Now I want the Relic since you are not using it, if you would be so kind?
Elise stands up the group exits the Vault and ready themselves to fight. Methuselah frowns.
Methuselah: I'll take that as a no?
He then smiles menacingly.
Methuselah: Oh well!
Without skipping a beat, Methuselah's eyes glow again and a massive shockwave is emitted that sends the group and the nearby Mimarans to the walls. The already injured Mimarans are knocked out while Ironwood and Raven start to recover quickly as Methuselah glances at Ironwood and he charges. Ironwood fires his pistol but the Herrscher moved so fast that Ironwood missed every shot before he came face to face with a smiling Grimm face.
The Herrscher is hit by Ozpin's cane and is sent flying away from Ironwood. The General looks at Ozpin, who gives him a brief nod. The two see Methuselah land at a wall, but instead of crashing, he landed on it with his feet and sharply glares at the two.
A Grimm pool appears underneath Ozpin and Ironwood and arms emerge to grab them. Ozpin quickly jumps away but Ironwood wasn't fast enough as he is wrapped by freaky Grimm arms.
Ozpin: James!
A dark magic blast hits Ozpin away and Ironwood suddenly feels pain as Methuselah's summoned arms start to crush him. Methuselah approached the General with a smile.
Methuselah: So insignificant, and you became the supreme commander of Atlas?
Ironwood grits his teeth and he tries to force one of his arms free to throw a punch. But the Grimm's summoned arms grab him and restrain him more.
Methuselah: Nice effort.
He then hears sudden footsteps, causing him to turn and see Raven. Methuselah continues smiling as he suddenly grabs her blade mid swing, causing Raven's eyes to widen. Methuselah then grabs her by the neck and punches her followed with a knee to the gut before being thrown to the ground next to Ironwood, hard. Raven's Aura shattered faster than normal as the Herrscher hit her like a bus.
Ironwood: Raven!
And only one was left standing. Elise had taken a defensive stance between them all and the Relic. Methuselah steps away from Raven and Ironwood and walks towards Elise.
Methuselah: Elise, there's no need for this. If you let me take the Relic then nobody needs to die.
Elise: You're not stepping one foot in the main vault.
Methuselah sighs.
Methuselah: Can't reason with crazy, I guess.
A Grimm arm grabs Raven by the throat and drags her next to Methuselah. Elise's eyes flinch as Raven's neck gets strangled by the arm.
Methuselah: Let's try this again. STEP. ASIDE.
Elise curls her fists and her eyes illuminate purple.
Methuselah: I guess you don't care about your girlfriend here?
Elise is silent as Raven struggles with the strangling.
Elise: I'm sorry, Raven.
Raven: Don't....be.
Methuselah narrows his eyes in frustration. Before he could kill Raven, the Vault doors suddenly start closing. The Herrscher's eyes then widen.
Methuselah: No!
He glances at Cinder, whose eyes were emitting a magical flame, she was closing the door on him! Methuselah angrily growls and Cinder's neck is suddenly snapped by one of arms restraining her. The Grimm throws Raven at Elise, who catches her while he ran towards the doors. But before he could reach it, the doors firmly shut. He punches the door before sighing in frustration.
Methuselah: Dammit! I was so close!!!
He takes a deep breath and sighs one more time as he calms down. Methuselah glances over at Cinder. Her body was twitching from the snapped neck.
Methuselah: Look what you made me do. Oh well, we still have use of you.
The arms that restrained Cinder then drag her body into the portal they came from. Methuselah then starts to walk away as Ozpin recovers and gets back up. Ironwood is also released and he grunts in pain. The Herrscher sighs in frustration. But....
He felt another Relic. Something other than the Relic in the Vault.
Methuselah: Wait....
The Herrscher looks at Ozpin's cane, no, that wasn't it. He turns to Elise again....yes. His eyes focused on her Phoenix brooch.
Methuselah: You....have another Relic?
Ozpin's eyes widen as he looks at Elise, who quickly grabs her brooch to cover it. Methuselah steps towards her before suddenly getting hit by a rapid lunge attack from Ozpin. Methuselah recoils from the attack before suddenly grabbing the cane from another attack, upon grabbing it, some blood started falling from his hand. Ozpin gasps before being grabbed by the neck and-
SNAP!
Ozpin falls limp on the floor, dead. Ironwood and Raven's eyes widen seeing him dead. Elise's expression became a stoic shock.
Elise: Father!
Methuselah didn't say anything else as he pounces towards Elise, who shoves Raven away as a black portal suddenly appears behind the Mimaran Queen. Methuselah pushes her and himself into the portal before it disappeared.
Raven: ELISE!
~~
Elise found herself flying inside a dark and tar-like dimension of sorts. She saw body parts, black ooze, and Grimm masks everywhere and all tightly jumbled together all around her. If she was claustrophobic, this would be freaking her out from the feeling of being cramped. But she had no time to think on that as she felt a hand reach for her brooch. Elise struggled to protect it as she and Methuselah continued to fall through this dimension.
~In Amity Arena~
Inside Amity Colosseum, crowds were cheering the fight that was going on between Pyrrha and Penny. It's been a tense match so far as the two are both excellent fighters. Ruby and the members of team JNPR are cheering for the two.
Pyrrha lands a few hits on Penny, after deflecting each of her swords, before knocking her opponent back in midair.
This time, Penny converts her swords to cannons, unleashing a barrage of beams that Pyrrha dodges. Pyrrha proceeds to backflip from one rifle beam, duck under one sword attack, turn, and parry another blade, before flipping twice to evade two beam blasts.
As Penny is recalling and reforming her weapons, Pyrrha spots an opportunity and charges forward, knocking Penny backward and taking a moment to relax. However, Penny is still in the fight.
Pyrrha is subsequently shocked to see Penny instantly recover and propel herself using her rifles, before jumping and kicking Pyrrha in the head with added force from her weapons' beams, sending Pyrrha tumbling on the ground.
Once Pyrrha leaves herself in a standing position, Penny knocks away her weapons. Pyrrha tries using her Semblance to retrieve her sword, however Penny knocks it away and recalls her blade, splitting it into eight as she prepares to finish the fight.
Suddenly, a portal appears behind Penny. Pyrrha squints her eyes for a moment before they widen and she points at it.
Pyrrha: Penny, look out!
Penny turns her head. Elise and Methuselah fly through the portal towards the fighters. Methuselah throws Elise towards Penny before quickly firing a dark magic blast towards her. Elise barely manages to use her magic to create a shield, but the attack managed to break it and causes an explosion then crashes her and Penny towards the ground and sends Pyrrha flying towards a wall when she was previously near the center of the arena.
Methuselah lands on the arena and hears gasping all around him. He looked around and quickly realized where he was.
Methuselah: Oh... Well I didn't mean to turn up here.
He then hears Doctor Oobleck's voice on the speakers.
Oobleck: My word! Security!
Methuselah notices a squad of JTF troops rush out towards the stage aiming their weapons at him. Penny managed to get back up with her left arm and her legs shooting out sparks from exposed wires emerging from deep cuts caused by the damage Methuselah caused.
Methuselah: Hm...
He puts his hands up, feigning surrender as troopers approach him cautiously. Methuselah then glances at Elise and smiles.
Methuselah: Alright Elise, I'll play.
As a pair of troopers got too close, they were suddenly stopped by a pair of sickles that appeared out of Methuselah's hands impaled their heads. The troopers fall to the ground while the rest look in shock along with Penny. Methuselah smiles maniacally as the lights suddenly go out. Methuselah's Grimm eyes were they only thing the horrified audience could see as it zigged all over the arena along with flashes coming from the troopers down there. They saw a laser coming from Penny's weapon before that was quickly shut off. After a moment, the lights turn back on. Every member of the audience, both in the stands and those watching from all over the world, were horrified of what they saw.
The arena floor was drenched in blood and body parts littered it. Elise herself had blood covering her lower legs and arms as everything happened so quickly, she hadn't even gotten up yet. She saw Penny standing in front of her, her back turned against her. Penny's arm was missing and one of her own swords was pierced through her shoulder. Elise then hears Penny speak with a shaken voice.
Penny: Queen Elise.....r-run.
The sword cuts through her diagonally, disconnecting her upper torso from her lower body as they fall to the floor. Standing in front of where Penny was standing was the Herrscher.
Oobleck: No!
Ruby: PENNY!!
Elise closes her eyes for a second before glaring at Methuselah.
Methuselah: Well then, this was unpleasant.
He turns his attention to the audience as camera drones hover around the scene. He smiles upon seeing the horrified faces all around him.
Methuselah: Hahaha! Oh, the fear and terror, you have no idea how exhilarating that is for a Grimm.
Several audience members look uneasy, while Jaune is seen mouth agape in shock. Elise starts to stand up finally with her stoic expression.
Elise: You'll pay for that, Herrscher.
Methuselah: Will I now?
Upon saying that, he kicks Penny's head, having her deactivated eyes stare directly at Elise.
Methuselah: I've always wanted to see what you were made of.
Methuselah crosses his arms and his face gets serious again. Ruby in the stands flinches from this, very shaken up by Penny's death.
Methuselah: But after dealing with Ozpin so quickly, I fear you won't be as challenging.
Elise stares at the remains of Penny
Elise: I'm not like my father.
Methuselah: Okay....
Methuselah takes an aggressive stance with a blank expression. As he does so, alarms start blaring and people start freaking out.
Alarm: Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner.
The crowd begins to flee the arena in a panic. But a handful of students, including Ruby and team JNPR stay where they are.
Methuselah: Well Queen Elise, here's your chance to prove you're not like Oz.
Elise's eyes illuminate as she prepared herself to fight. She then hears Ruby shout over to her.
Ruby: KICK HIS ASS, QUEEN ELISE!!
Methuselah smirks at the girl's comment with amusement. Then Elise and Methuselah charge at one another.
~End Part~
Whaaaaaat? Elise possesses a fifth Relic?! Is that how the Mimarans were able to partially resist the Relic of Choice??
....Yes....
And I'll explain later how a fifth Relic came to be, all you need to know right now is that it is much newer than the other four we know about.