3rd Person POV
Evernight Castle
"Yang, duck!" Ruby shouted and swung, her scythe arcing toward Hazel as Yang ducked beneath the blow, only for the large man to catch the weapon by the blade and throw the young Rose to the ground.
"Ruby!" Yang shouted and rushed toward her, only for Tyrian to intercept and kick her back toward Hazel before whipping around and darting toward Ruby as she rolled to her feet.
"Why are you doing this?!" Emerald shouted, firing at Mercury as the young assassin dodged the rounds. "You could have been with us! Yet you chose her!"
"Don't you get it?!" Mercury shot back. "Salem was going to destroy the world! Salem—!"
"I don't care about Salem!" Emerald shouted, unleashing more Dust rounds at Mercury. "But I owe Cinder everything!" Her body blurred, and multiple copies of her appeared around Mercury.
Mercury cocked his leg and lashed out, unleashing a stream of Dust shells as he pivoted on his heel, taking down the copies around him. His sixth sense flaring, Mercury ducked. Emerald's blade hissed over his head, and he spun, his boot slamming into Emerald's ribs and unleashing a Dust round that sent her flying backward.
As Mercury charged after Emerald, Weiss summoned a Glyph, blocking a shell from Watts as he fired at her.
"It seems this would be a prodigious time for me to take my leave," Watts mused, retreating behind a jagged rock that had been dislodged from the ceiling. Loading another shell, he started toward a gaping hole in the wall, only for Blake to land in front of him.
"You're not going anywhere," she threatened and fired, only for Watts to summon a hard-light Dust shield in front of him, deflecting the shot.
"Like them?" Watts asked, smirking. "My rings aren't only for decoration, of course. Face it; there's no way you can attack me."
"She wasn't attacking."
Watts turned around, summoning a hard-light shield to deflect Weiss's rapier as it hissed toward him.
"She was distracting," Weiss finished, her blue eyes flashing. Just like Sincline would say: if Watts blocked her, he'd leave himself open for her follow-up. If he didn't: game over. It was a win either way.
"And yet you still failed," Watts pointed out, and Weiss smirked. "Not really."
Eyes widening as a glyph appeared beneath him, Watts barely had time to react as ice surrounded his body, freezing his legs as Blake threw Gambol Shroud, the weapon wrapping around Watt's neck.
"Now!" Blake shouted and pulled, yanking Watts backward as Weiss struck, her rapier shattering Watt's Aura and sending him flying into a wall.
Cackling, Tyrian lunged toward Ruby, dodging around Accalia and the Hound as the two fought, an aura of black fire hissing around the nine-tailed fox as she dodged the Hound's attacks, each of his blows ripping through the ground with ease.
Ruby backflipped, dodging Tyrian's blade as it hissed over her horns.
"What's the matter?" Tyrian cackled again. "Thorn lost your Rose? Or is it that the Rose lost her precious little Thorn?" He lunged at Ruby, his blade hissing toward her neck... only for a familiar, white-cloaked Huntress to intercept, deflecting Tyrian's blades with her scythe.
"Mom?" Ruby asked, eyes widening in surprise.
Glancing back at her, Summer smiled sadly, taking in her daughter's corrupted appearance. Seeing her like that was... horrifying, but they had much worse matters to handle.
Tyrian giggled. "Well, well, looks like even the dead can rise from their grave!" He grinned, tilting his head as he settled into a crouch.
"Really?" Summer asked, facing the insane Faunus as she readied her scythe, her silver eyes flashing murderously. "Then this shouldn't hurt at all!" Silver fire exploded around her, and she shot toward Tyrian, her daughter at her side.
Perfect. Raising her hand, a fireball gathering above her palm, Cinder took aim at the three of them. Before she could attack, a flicker of movement caught her eye, and she backflipped, dodging a red blade as it hissed past her chest. "You," Cinder growled, eyes narrowing as she gazed upon her opponent.
"Me," Raven agreed and shot forward, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. Wind surging around her, Raven slammed Cinder against the wall, only for the False Maiden to push her back. Summoning a pillar of ice and kicking off it, Raven streaked forward. Exchanging yet another fury of blows, Raven swung, and Cinder's blade shattered, shrapnel impaling Cinder's arm and eliciting a hiss of pain from her. "Aura can't protect your arm," Raven stated emotionlessly. "It's Grimm."
Cinder hissed, pulling the shrapnel out of her arm as she faced the spring Maiden, black blood dripping to the ground.
"You turned yourself into a monster just for power," Raven went on. There was no emotion in her voice. She was just stating the facts as she saw them.
"Look who's talking," Cinder growled. Flames roared to life, and she lunged, conjuring a pair of swords. As the two Maidens exchanged a flurry of blows, fire and ice exploding around them, Hazel brought his fists down on Yang, forcing her to jump back.
"Get down!" Mercury yelled. He backflipped, flying over Yang as he planted a blow in Hazel's jaw with one foot and launched a Dust round at Emerald with the other, knocking her back.
"Wanna switch dance partners?" Yang asked as she and Mercury stood back-to-back, facing Hazel and Emerald as the two circled around them.
Mercury smirked. "You read my mind." Firing his shotgun boots as he kicked off the ground, he darted toward Hazel as Yang launched a Dust shell at Emerald, forcing her back.
Pulling himself off the wall, Watts gritted his teeth and looked up as he saw Blake rushing to help Yang and Mercury. "Not so fast, kitty." Raising his gun, he aimed, leveling the barrel of his weapon with Blake's head.
"Blake!" Weiss shouted. A Glyph exploded around her, and she shot forward, her rapier hissing through the air... and stabbed Watts through the chest.
Eyes wide, Weiss stared in shock as Watts pawed numbly at her blade. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he fell limp, slowly sliding off her weapon as he collapsed. "I... I..."
"Weiss, look out!" Blake shouted, and the Hound lunged, snapping at Weiss's neck. Before it could land the attack, Accalia rammed into his side, throwing the Hound to the ground once more.
"Come on!" Blake shouted and pulled Weiss to her feet, the Heiress struggling to come to terms with the fact that she had actually killed someone. "We have to help Yang!"
Shaking her head, Weiss nodded and charged as Yang launched a barrage of Dust shells toward Emerald, seemingly aiming at empty air as Emerald used her semblance once more.
Emerald smirked and aimed a blow at Yang's neck, only for a Glyph to materialize between them, stopping the blow. Eyes widening, Yang spun, ducking a round from Emerald, and delivered a powerful blow to the thief's chest, throwing her backward as her Aura shattered.
Emerald rolled and came up swinging, launching her chained blade toward Weiss, only for Blake to catch the weapon with cat-like grace. Pulling Emerald toward her, she swung her sheath around and chopped the base of Emerald's neck, knocking her unconscious.
At the same time, Mercury backflipped, aiming a blow at Hazel's head, only for the tall man to grab him by the leg and throw him to the ground.
"You should have stayed on our side, kid!" Hazel growled and jumped, bringing both fists down on Mercury, only for him to raise his feet, intercepting the blow with his boots. A loud crack, and a massive shockwave tore through the room.
Kicking Hazel away, Mercury spun to his feet and, parrying a series of punches with his boots, slammed his foot into the ground, kicking up a slab that slammed into Hazel's face. As Hazel staggered, Mercury backflipped, his foot cracking into Hazel's jaw and shattering his Aura. Landing on his feet, Mercury smirked. He dodged a swing at his chest, jumped, and spun, his foot blurring toward Hazel's head. With a crack, the blow connected, and a shot rang out, dropping Hazel to the ground as blood splattered across the wall.
Snarling, the Hound lunged toward Accalia, and the kitsune leapt over the blow. Undeterred, a third arm burst from the Hound's back, grabbing Accalia by the neck. Snarling, the Hound threw Accalia to the ground, eliciting a whine of pain.
Blake's eyes narrowed. "That's it!" Lunging, she threw Gambol Shroud, and it impaled the Hound's arm. As Weiss, Yang, and Mercury charged to help, Tyrian lunged toward Summer and Ruby as the two Roses engaged him.
Summer jumped and brought her blade down on Tyrian from above, Ruby whipping her scythe upward from below, but Tyrian blocked both attacks. Kicking Summer away, Tyrian jabbed at Ruby with his tail, only for the young Huntress to block the attack.
Spinning her scythe and deflecting a series of bullets, Summer deflected a swipe at her neck. Her eyes blazed with silver fire, and a sphere of wind formed around her. It exploded, throwing Tyrian away. Taking advantage of the opening, she blurred, and her foot crashed into Tyrian's torso, throwing the crazed Faunus to the ground, shattering his Aura.
Tyrian immediately flipped to his feet and lunged, and Summer blocked, her Aura breaking. Dashing behind Tyrian in a blur of rose petals tainted in black, Ruby swung at Tyrian from behind, but he jumped the blow.
Tyrian pushed Summer away and turned his attention to Ruby. He cackled and lunged, attacking with his tail, but Ruby deflected. Flipping over a swing, Tyrian planted both feet into Ruby's chest, sending her flying backward to slam into Salem's throne. With a crack, the top collapsed, falling toward her.
Eyes wide, Summer dashed forward, and her scythe flashed. Time seemed to slow, and the pieces froze... then shattered, each split neatly in half to fall on either side of Ruby.
Blinking in surprise, Ruby looked up and smiled gratefully, only for her eyes to widen in horror. "Look out—!" she shouted, and Tyrian's tail slashed across Summer's torso.
Everyone (save Accalia, the Hound, Raven, and Cinder) stared in horror as blood slowly dripped from Summer's body to fall to the ground.
Tyrian laughed... and then a gleaming blade hooked around his shoulder. His eyes widened. "You, bit—!"
Ruby pulled the trigger, and Summer's scythe split Tyrian's body from shoulder to hip as a shower of blood and gore sprayed into the air.
Dropping the scythe and ignoring the blood covering her features, Ruby rushed to her mother's side. "Mom, are you alright?!" she asked worriedly as Summer fell to her knees.
"I'll be fine," Summer assured, giving her a gentle smile. She winced, but she hid it... somewhat. "It's just a flesh wound." If I were anyone else, I'd be lying, she thought. Closing her eyes, she let the Maiden power flow through her veins and felt a surge of fire rush through her body, practically burning the poison out of her system before it could settle.
A crack filled the air, and everyone turned as Mercury launched a shell at the Hound, forcing him away from Accalia as Blake and Weiss shielded the nine-tailed Grimm, Yang rushing to help as Raven and Cinder clashed above.
Flipping through the air to land on a pillar of stone, Cinder drew a pair of swords and lunged, dashing toward Raven as they collided once more. Energy filled the large throne room as their auras clashed, ice shattering against fire.
Forcing Raven away, Cinder gritted her teeth and spread her arms, conjuring a massive sword of molten rock and fire. Eyes narrowing, Raven did the same, creating an elegant sword of shimmering ice. As one, the two lunged, and their weapons connected once more, unleashing a massive shockwave of fire and ice.
Flipping through the air as their weapons shattered, Raven's eyes widened as Cinder's Grimm arm shot out, sharp talons wrapping around her throat as she was rammed against the wall.
"Mom!" Yang shouted and lunged, only for the Hound to grab her by the arm and slam her to the ground, the floor shattering on impact.
Clawing at the arm pinning her by the throat, Raven felt the slimy surface beneath her fingers... and got an idea. Resting a palm on the slimy surface of the Grimm arm, Raven concentrated, and frost spread across the dark limb. Her eyes meeting Cinder's, Raven smirked and rammed the hilt of her sword into the Grimm arm, shattering the limb as Cinder cried out in pain.
As soon as her feet touched the floor, Raven shot forward, and her blade clashed against a hastily summoned scimitar. Undeterred, Raven lunged, and with a sweep of her blade... impaled Cinder through the heart.
Eyes wide, Cinder choked, and the flames around her eyes died away. "No..." Blood slowly leaked from her chest, and she fell to her knees as Raven withdrew her weapon and sheathed it. "No... not after everything..."
"Do you believe in destiny?" Raven asked, looking down at Cinder, red flames flaring at the edges of her eyes.
Cinder opened her mouth... and collapsed, her eyes closing as she slumped to the ground, black and red blood pooling around her.
Snarling, dark energy radiating in waves from its body, the Hound threw Yang to the side and lunged, aiming for Raven, only for a scythe to impale his chest as a wall exploded.
"Hope I'm not late," Qrow said, throwing the Grimm back as Tai jumped in through the hole after him. Against his better judgement, he knew he couldn't leave them to battle Salem's forces on their own.
"Don't forget me, too!" Tai added. Knocking his fists together, he surged forward and punched the Hound in the face, knocking him back as the Hybrid snarled in pain.
"Well, better late than never," Mercury quipped, kneeling at Yang's side as Weiss summoned a Glyph beneath Emerald, freezing her body in a layer of ice.
Snarling, the Hound lunged once more, swiping at Tai, but he ducked and slugged him in the jaw, knocking him back as Qrow swung his scythe, slashing the Hound across the chest, only for the Hybrid to backhand him, knocking the veteran Huntsman to the ground.
"Any ideas on how to kill this thing?" Qrow asked, rolling to his feet as he eyed the large Grimm who stood on two legs and snarled at them.
Suddenly, the Grimm contorted, and a howl mixed with a scream of agony tore from his mouth. His spine bubbled, and the dorsal spikes tore free in a shower of dark blood. Each one connected by a strand of dark flesh, the spines whipped toward Tai, knocking him back.
Yang charged, aiming a punch at the Hound's jaw, only for the Grimm to simply sidestep the attack. Grabbing her by the arm, it twisted, and a horrible sound of cracking bones filled the air as it twisted 270 degrees to slam Yang into the ground. The Hybrid snapped back, and the blond-haired Huntress was hurled into the wall with a loud crack.
Immediately, Weiss and Blake charged, with Qrow leading the way. Qrow aimed behind him and pulled the trigger, the recoil launching him into a swing that should have separated the Hound's head from his body... only for the head to jerk almost parallel to the ground, allowing the blade to hiss over his face. Dark energy flared from his body, and the Grimm locked his jaws around Qrow's outstretched arm. He jerked his head down, and Qrow slammed into the ground.
Weiss lunged, aiming at where she assumed the Hound's eye socket was... only for part of its face to peel back, revealing the young Faunus underneath, his eye flashing with dark energy. She froze, and the Hound coiled one arm as it lengthened. A blur of black, and the taloned arm whipped into Weiss's chest, throwing her to the ground with a sharp crack.
Snarling, the Hound advanced on her, the dark flesh starting to surround the Faunus once more... and then he stopped.
The dark energy radiating from the Faunus suddenly flickered, and he cried out, clutching the sides of his head. The barbed tendrils that had erupted from his spine jerked and spasmed, as if in agony.
"What's going on?" Blake asked, eyeing the Hybrid nervously. Part of her was tempted to take advantage of the opening, but before she could strike, a dark shockwave erupted from the Hound's body, forcing everyone back.
"What's happening?!" Raven shouted, digging her blade into the ground to stop herself from being thrown into a wall.
"I don't—" Summer started, only to fall silent as an unearthly scream tore from the Hybrid's body.
His body jerked once, twice... and he collapsed, his limbs spasming as the dark energy that had been radiating from his body slowly faded away. The barbed tendrils on his spine jerked... and retracted, merging with the Hound once more. A dark pulse ran through the Hybrid's body... and the Grimm flesh started melting, the tar-like liquid slowly draining inside the Faunus.
Eyes wide, everyone could only stare in stupefied wonder as the Hound melted, merging with the Faunus inside and leaving him on the ground.
The white mass of flesh that covered his right eye had dissipated, leaving an empty socket behind. The torn skin of his jaw had sealed, leaving scars so faint they were barely visible. The tip of one of the wolf ears adorning his head seemed to have been sheared off, and his tail barely moved. He only wore a set of torn jeans that were shredded into nothing as they passed his knees. His upper body was covered in scars, most centering around his arms, spine, and legs.
For a while, no one moved, everyone staring at the silver-eyed Faunus in a mix of horror and shock. "There was... there was someone inside that thing?" Tai asked, staring at the young Faunus in horror.
Blake nodded and, ignoring her instincts, hesitantly edged toward the young man. She nudged him with her foot, and he grunted, his eye flicking open momentarily before he fell unconscious once again. "He's still alive," she reported. "That Entity... it must have been controlling him just like Aspen."
"That must have been how Salem was controlling him," Ruby realized, her eyes widening. "It was through the Entity... Wait, if Salem has an Entity... why isn't Sincline back yet?" she asked.
Everyone flinched, avoiding her gaze (except for the Faunus, who was still unconscious). "Ruby... this was part of his plan," Raven explained, her expression softening... which was barely noticeable for the others.
"Plan?" A horrible surge of fear tore through her, and a chill crept down her spine. "W-what kind of plan?"
"Salem is very smart and is the most powerful being on Remnant," Raven explained. "If left alone in the Field, she would have escaped one way or another. The only way to stop her... was if someone stayed in the Field to keep her there."
"No," Ruby whispered, realization dawning. "Please, no... Sincline..." Tears pooled in her eyes, and she fell to her knees, staring at the place where Sincline had been, the only sign of his former presence being a strange Glyph etched into the ground.
Quintessence Field, Five Minutes Earlier
With a loud explosion, a brilliant surge of energy shook the Quintessence Field as Sincline and Salem clashed, energy meeting blade as the very Field seemed to shake with their every blow.
Pulling away, Sincline shot after Salem, and the two collided again and again, Salem wielding blasts of ice, fire, stone, lightning, and dark energy as Sincline countered with his scimitars, energy crackling around them.
"You truly believe you can stop me?!" Salem snarled, standing atop her personal cyclone as she summoned a sphere of darkness.
Sincline didn't reply and spun, shooting up and dodging a hail of multicolored energy beams. Flipping through the Field, he launched an Ion blast at Salem, hoping to vaporize at least part of her and wear her down.
Salem simply bent back at 120 degrees, the bones of her spine snapping with the motion as the Goddess of Grimm dodged the attack. Drawing an arm back, the limb twitching and coiling, Salem lashed out, the arm mirroring a Nuckelavee's as the long limb arrowed toward Sincline, her fingernails extending into wicked talons.
Sincline spun under the attack, and a scimitar hissed upward, his blade splitting her flesh in a shower of dark blood. The severed piece disintegrated into black mist, and he shot toward Salem, corrupted Quintessence trailing behind him.
Energy swirling around his fist as he sheathed his swords, Sincline shot forward, dodging another beam of multicolored energy as Salem's arm regenerated. A blur, a loud crack, and he rammed his fist into her skull, crushing it as a shower of gore and bone sprayed everywhere.
Undeterred, Salem flicked her wrist, summoning dozens of Glyphs around Sincline. Dark blurs surged out, and Grimm arms latched around his limbs, sparks flying as the sharp talons grated against his armor, unable to penetrate.
Not gonna happen. Sincline's aura flared, and the air around him exploded in a shower of purple, blue, and white fire as 16 scimitars materialized around him, each splitting a Grimm arm in half. Spheres of energy gathered around his armor, and he sent jets of Ion energy in all directions, shattering her Glyphs.
Her head tilting back as it reformed, Salem cracked her jaw back into place with her free hand and laughed. "Do you not get it?!" she asked, fixing her gaze on Sincline as he spread his swords challengingly. "All this power, and ỹ̵͕e̴̥̿t̷̙̓ ̴̨̋ŷ̸̘o̵̤̊u̸͓͠ ̷͇́s̴͍̃t̵͔͆i̷̮̐l̵̮̓l̶̺̈́ ̶͙̀f̵̚͜ę̶̈́a̶͍̎r̴̹̽ ̶̭̀ũ̴̙s̴̮͆i̸͕̚n̸̹͝ģ̸̒ ̶̧̌i̴̫̋t̶̮̾!̵̣̈"̷͉́ ̴͍̇ She laughed, her voice becoming distorted as her red eyes turned completely black, dark energy radiating from the edges and gathering around her hands.
Sincline remained silent, his eyes narrowing as once more, a strange feeling of hatred arced through him. So, she does have an Entity, he thought as he scanned her body. Multiple. It was the same signature he had gotten when facing a corrupted Aspen in Amity Arena. He crossed his swords over his chest. His thrusters ignited, and he rocketed toward Salem as corrupted Quintessence gathered around him.
Spreading her hands, Salem conjured a sword of purple matter, the blade interlaced with dark energy as she streaked toward Sincline. Once more, they clashed and, even faster, disengaged. Sincline shot up and unleashed a jet of energy toward Salem. Calmly dodging the attack, she unleashed a surge of golden energy at Sincline, and it clipped his arm, sending a surge of pain arcing through his veins.
Even as the pain faded away, Sincline winced, clutching his shoulder. What was that? he wondered as his armor regenerated. The only ones who had ever come close to breaking through his armor were Ruby and Aspen, yet Salem's beam had sheared through it effortlessly. Could it be because of the Entities?
Summoning another sphere of golden energy, Salem unleashed it, and Sincline flung his arms up to ward off the blow, cold energy tearing through his veins. When nothing happened, he looked up, and his eyes widened.
Hovering in front of him was a shimmering Glyph of purple energy, deflecting the attack just like Weiss's did for her. Is that... is that magic? he wondered. That wasn't possible; he didn't have magic... did he?
"What is this?" Salem demanded. She was a Goddess... how could someone like him have blocked one of her attacks so easily?
Go.
The voice was ethereal, peaceful, yet radiated an ancient, supernatural power unlike any he'd heard before. Sincline wasn't sure who or what it was, but nevertheless, he knew what he should do. His thrusters flared, and he rocketed toward Salem, his scimitars flashing.
Baring her teeth, Salem lunged to meet him, and the two clashed, Sincline intercepting Salem's hands with his own as energy crackled around them. "̶̬͝Y̴̙͝o̶̬̎u̶̺̓ ̷̝̓ā̸̺r̴̺͋e̶̟̔ ̶̹̉ā̸̳ ̶̧̓f̵̡͑o̴͆ͅö̴̯́l̴̯̿!̴̪̔"̴̧̎ she snarled. Her voice wasn't alone; there were multiple ethereal voices speaking at the same time, lending an echoing ring to her words. "̶̰͒B̸̑ͅy̵͎͋ ̷̞͌t̵̲̚r̵̅͜a̷̛̯p̶̼̂p̸̛̯i̴̡̎n̸͇̍ǧ̷̜ ̸̦̕y̴͔̾ȍ̵̭u̶̻͋r̶̪̓s̴̠̄ē̷̦l̸̹̚f̸̜̾ ̸̮̆w̶̹͐i̵̛͔ț̴̒ḧ̸͉́ ̵̗͑u̶̓ͅs̶̜̈,̵̪͒ ̶͓̏ỵ̸̊o̸̜̕ű̸̟ ̷̤͆w̴̼̿i̷͉͒l̵̳̓ľ̷͎ ̷̬̀n̸̙͘ě̷͙v̴̘͑ë̴͍r̶̛̯ ̴̣̈r̴̨͗e̵̬̾t̷̜͗u̸̫̒r̵̞̃ṋ̸̀ ̷̜̀ť̶̘ő̵̤ ̴̮̏t̷͓̄h̸̳̎é̴͎ ̵̭̓ȍ̵̞n̵̼̊ë̷̢́s̴̖͘ ̷̨̑y̷͈͠o̶̤͒u̴̫͛ ̸̬̽l̶̡͂ȏ̵̬v̷̹̊e̵͠ͅ!̶̪͐"̷͇̓
"Maybe, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it keeps them safe!" Sincline shot back. His thrusters ignited, and he burst forward, his knee slamming into Salem's chest and throwing her back as her ribs ruptured.
An unearthly hiss tearing through her lips, Salem flicked her wrist, launching a beam of golden energy at Sincline, only for the mech-turned-human to summon the same Glyph from before, deflecting the attack. Dispersing the Glyph and allowing it to shatter, Sincline crossed his swords. His thrusters flared, and he streaked toward Salem, his scimitars meeting her weapon in a shower of sparks.
"̶̛̳F̶̝̉o̵̧̍ő̶̘l̷̮̍!̴̝̍"̷̠̈́ ̷ she shouted, an unmistakable laugh of pure insanity flowing through her lips. "̴̯͛O̷̢͆n̵͈̕c̵̣̒e̸̦̒ ̵̞̄w̶̤͠ȇ̴̱ ̶̘͐ǎ̷̼ŕ̸̘e̴͕̔ ̴͇̏f̵̤̀r̷̥̕ḙ̸͒e̶̱͆ ̵͉̓o̶̰͆f̴͍̒ ̴̫͑h̸̠͝ȇ̵̙ř̸͖e̸̻̍,̵̩̃ ̷̯̑ẁ̷͈e̸̼͂ ̴̜́w̶̗̕ï̴̯l̸̢̐l̴͔̽ ̸̗͂r̴͎͆à̶̺z̸̝̈́ȩ̵͂ ̸̬̂Ȑ̷̘ę̴̐m̸̛͎n̶͙̄a̵͎͐n̴̰̅t̷̺̐ ̶͙̔t̷̟̕o̵̪͋ ̶͈̿ẗ̴̗́ḥ̸́ḛ̷͊ ̵̡̀g̸̥͂r̷̝͝o̷̗̿u̵̪͗n̸͕͂d̸͕̅!̴̝́"̵̺̿ Spreading her hands, she launched a hail of golden energy toward Sincline.
Swerving around the attacks, Sincline shot forward, and purple flames exploded around his eyes as he clashed with Salem once more.
"It's just as they said," Salem whispered, and her eyes flashed red. "When this is all over, I will finally be f̴͖́r̴̟̽ḛ̸̊e̸̻͝!̸͈͆"̴̛̗ Her eyes turned black once more, and she released a massive wave of golden energy that sent Sincline flying.
Before the Trans-Reality mech could recover, Salem spread her hands, and black, liquid-like lightning leaking dark mist burst forth, slamming into Sincline's chest in a brilliant explosion.
Eyes wide, Sincline cried out as his body spasmed. As the lightning surging into his body increased, Sincline felt a presence tear into his mind, into his very soul as his nerves frayed.
"̸̚ͅS̵̬̆u̶̻̔b̶͇͝m̴̞̔i̸̞̽t̴͍̽,̷̖͊"̴͇̀ Salem soothed, her voice echoing inside his mind. Her voice was soft, almost loving... yet he could feel the many malevolent voices that spoke beneath hers. "̸̨̿S̷̮͛u̴̹̍b̷̨͊m̷͎̋i̵̡̊t̶͎́,̵͍̒ ̷͇̽ǎ̶͈n̷̼̏d̶͝ͅ ̸̫̈ẗ̸̙́h̵̥́i̶̙͌s̸̘̈́ ̴͙̈́c̷̟̒a̸̖͆n̴̥̆ ̸̥̍a̸̜̚l̵̝͐l̵͔̇ ̵̪͠b̸̲̈́ë̵̟́ ̶̱̈́o̶̟̍v̷̰̋e̵͎͛ṛ̵̒~̶̧̐"̴̛͓
The presence attacked again, tearing into his body. No, Sincline thought, but even then, he could feel his will crumbling as her presence invaded him. "No!"
Fight her, child of the Rift. The voice... it was the same one he had heard when he used the Glyph! Find your anchor.
An image of Ruby appeared in Sincline's mind, and for a moment, everything stilled, the savage pain that ripped through his body fading away. He took her in, her beautiful silver eyes meeting his as she extended her hand toward him, her red-tipped hair waving in a non-existent wind as her red cape flared around her. Ruby...
That's it, the voice encouraged. Her voice was clearer now, seeming to echo from the Quintessence Field itself. Fight for her, Sincline. Fight!
"Fight!"
Sincline's armor glowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest, his scimitars dispersing. A flash of light, and a brilliant surge of energy fueled with Quintessence-infused lightning erupted from his body, throwing Salem away from him.
"What?!" she shouted, her eyes flicking back to red and glowing with uncertainty. "What is this? Ẅ̵̰h̴͔͗o̶̤̎ ̸͔̽a̶̢̾r̴͗ͅe̸͓͘ ̶̮͊ẙ̷̤ọ̶͘ù̵͎?̵̱͐!̴͠ͅ"̸̨͑ ̶̞̓
Sincline clenched his fists, and it felt like the very Quintessence Field shivered with the movement as he fixed his gaze on Salem, purple fire flaring at the edges of his eyes. "I've asked myself the same question," he replied, his voice soft. "Am I a weapon? A monster? A Huntsman?" His eyes flashed, and an aura of corrupted energy surged around him. "As it turns out..." Energy gathered around his palms, forming his scimitars in a flash of purple fire. "I'm all of these things."
He crossed his swords; his thrusters ignited, and he burst forward. Within seconds, he was upon Salem, unleashing a hailstorm of attacks that trailed fire, each blow landing with the force of a continent. Each attack she released was met and countered, and he pressed his advantage, attacking with swords, tail, fist, and energy.
"What is this?!" Salem demanded, unease tearing through her. The power radiating from Sincline... it was unlike anything she had ever felt before.
Sincline didn't respond and instead, lashed out, an arc of purple energy trailing out from his scimitar and slashing through Salem. As the energy hit, a screech tore through the Quintessence Field, and a shadowy copy made of purple smog burst out from Salem's body, seeping from her skin like a living shadow of dark energy before it was drawn back, a multitude of shrill, unearthly screams echoing through the Field.
Wait a minute... those creatures! Sincline realized. That was something he could work with. He might not be able to kill Salem due to her immortality, but if he took out those creatures, it would likely weaken the Queen of Grimm.
Lunging forward and doubling his attacks on Salem, Sincline lashed out, unleashing an Aura arc just like Qrow had used during their battle. It streaked through the Field and slashed through Salem's chest, splitting her from shoulder to hip. An unearthly shriek, and black gore sprayed into the 'air' as the creature seeped from the witch's body once more. I can't let that thing recover, Sincline thought, recalling how easily an Entity-fueled attack had sheared through his armor. Pressing his advantage, he continued his assault, his blades streaking through the Field like lightning.
A scimitar hissed toward Salem's neck, and she blocked the blow, catching his wrist. His tail whipped up, splitting through her side in a shower of dark gore. The creature flew back, ethereal strands of is body still attached to hers as a gash appeared in the shadow's side, mirroring Salem's wound.
Salem snarled and lashed out, unleashing a mixed wave of golden energy and purple lightning, only for Sincline to swerve under the attack, ducking out of sight. Her eyes narrowed, and she scanned the Field... only for an armored fist to ram into her jaw, sending her flying as the creature's head cracked.
Spinning through the Field, Salem halted her descent with a summoned typhoon once more and faced Sincline. Gritting her teeth as she snapped her jaw back into place, Salem glared at Sincline as the mech-turned-human faced her, his hands held in an unmistakable gesture: come at me.
"̵̧̎I̷̱͒t̸͉̂ ̶̼̏t̵̜͝o̴͓̚o̴̢̓k̶͎̆ ̷̳͋m̵̫͝e̵̡͑ ̸͚̉1̵͕͊0̶̼̃,̴̲͑0̵͕̔0̶̜͝0̸̝̐ ̸̥̿ỷ̸̘e̸̩͑a̸̜͠r̵͖̈́s̶̨̎ ̸̼̀t̴̥̕o̶͓͝ ̴̧̄f̶̘̍i̷͇̊n̸̻̚à̵̗l̶̤͋l̸̠͆y̵̬̅ ̴͖̈t̷͈̄â̵̭k̷͋ͅe̷̢̚ ̵̲̊O̵͕̓z̸͚̾p̵̤͝i̷̮̽n̶̻̄'̴̳̌s̴͉̅ ̷͈̇l̴̤̉i̴̪̔f̷̝̕é̶̤,̸̣̆"̵͓̅ Salem snarled, rage dripping from her voice as she faced Sincline, her 'shadow' merging with her once more as her eyes flashed. "̸̠͐Ỉ̸̺̒ ̷̪̄́w̷͚͇͂i̸̤̽l̵̖̣̐̆l̷̮͚̈͗ ̴̺͝ẖ̵̅̓ą̷̙̏v̴̟́ͅē̶̳͂ͅ ̶̭̻̋͑ý̵̘̑o̶̩̼̿u̷̲̇͝r̴̭̆͑s̴̢̯͠ ̷͓͎̈i̴̫̙͝f̶̘̝͊ ̶͉̄ḭ̸̲̊t̵̙̎ ̵̞̾̓ṱ̶͚͑ậ̴̝̽k̵͎̄é̴̳ͅs̷̩̋͠ ̶̠̓̏m̸̳̊e̵͉͛͠ ̶̩̍1̶̛̙̥0̵̥̿͗,̷͈̒͛0̶̮͖̉͠0̵͚͆0̸̣̾̈ ̴̰̅m̵͕͆õ̸̯r̴̢͘ȅ̶͎̤!̶̞̬̏̀"̸̨̯̈́̐
Sincline's eyes glowed, and he raised a scimitar, pointing it at her. "You want my life?" he challenged, and purple energy flared around his eyes. "Then come and get it!"
Snarling, Salem shot forward, and Sincline crossed his swords over his chest, corrupted Quintessence gathering around his blades. "This is for you, Ruby," Sincline whispered, and a feeling of calm washed over him. Brilliant energy crackling around him, Sincline reached into his core, deeper than he ever had before, and the Glyph appeared before him once more, shimmering with purple energy.
Eyes narrowed, Salem surged toward him, confident in her abilities as power long forgotten surged within her. Once she killed him, she would take Remnant, and t̴̨̂h̴̲̓ė̸̺y̸̲͋ ̷̬̚ŵ̸̼o̵͉̿ú̵̫l̷͇͋d̶͙̽ ̸͕͋b̷̪͆ë̴̲́ ̴̑͜ư̷̱n̷͓̕s̷͈͗t̴͓̒ô̷̠p̶̱̒p̸̢̓ã̷̩b̴̗͌l̴̠̑é̵̤.̵̱̔ ̴̦̚
Bowing his head, Sincline's eyes flared, and he spread his weapons. A flash of light, and a brilliant jet of corrupted Quintessence erupted from his Glyph. Corrupted energy surged through his veins as he drew on the Field around him, pouring its energy in a continuous stream toward Salem.
(A/N): Like this, but replace Sincline with Salem and Voltron with Sincline
Eyes widening as the beam neared, Salem spread her hands, summoning a shimmering shield of dark energy in front of her. A brilliant flash, and the jet of corrupted energy from the Glyph crashed against it like an unstoppable tidal wave.
What is this power? Salem wondered, and a bolt of fear shot through her and the Entities in her body. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not when she was so close. Where was he getting so much power? This should be impossible! "Why?!" she demanded, dark energy flaring from her eyes as she poured everything she had into maintaining her shield. "Why won't you give up?!"
"Give up?" Sincline's eyes flared, his gaze locking with hers as the stream of shimmering energy emerging from his Glyph intensified. "When I have Ruby?"
A single crack.
"My friends?"
Salem's arms trembled, her eyes widening as she felt the Entities inside her finally begin to falter.
"My family?"
Another crack.
No.
Fractures spread, and fear spilled through Salem's veins.
"Just who—"
No. No. NO!
Twin scimitars flashed into Sincline's grasp as he felt the Field flow through his veins, an aura of purple, white, and blue energy surging around him as his Glyph ruptured, merging with his body.
"—the Hell—"
Salem's shield shattered... and Sincline burst forward, transforming into a bolt of corrupted energy as what seemed like the entire Quintessence Field flowed through him and into his blades.
"—DO YOU THINK I AM?!"
A brilliant explosion of energy, and an unearthly screech tore through the Quintessence Field. Pain exploded through Salem's heart... and she slowly looked down, staring at the twin pair of scimitars embedded in her chest.
Her eyes shimmering, black returning to red as she felt the Entities inside her dissolve beneath the might of Sincline's attack, a light gasp flowed through Salem's lips at the sight of red blood slowly trailing down her chest.
Ever so slowly, Salem looked up, and her eyes met blazing slits of corrupted energy. A strange feeling of ice slowly creeped through her body as she felt the immortality cast on her by the gods seep from her veins. Yet, at the same time, she could feel the darkness inside of her burning away as well, the black lines of her corruption dissipating. "Who... are you...?"
"...Sincline," he replied, meeting her gaze with his.
Salem's lips twitched, and a smile graced her lips as, for once in 10,000 years, her words were finally her own. "Thank you... Sincline..."
Sincline bowed his head, feeling her relief with his Aura. He nodded, and no more words were exchanged. Salem's eyes closed, and her body fell limp, slowly slipping off his blade. Dissipating red blood slowly trailed from Salem's body to the edge of his stained weapon. Salem, Queen of the Grimm... was dead.
Lowering his scimitars as the weapons disintegrated, Sincline stared at Salem's body almost numbly. He had done it. He had... he had won. But his victory had left him with more questions than had been answered. How had those Entities corrupted Salem? Why was he able to use magic? And more importantly... who were those voices? He flared his Aura, trying to pick up the presences he had felt before... but there was nothing.
Whatever that was... I'll have to figure out who they are later. Slowly, his eyes burst into flames once more, and he stared down at his palm as purple energy swirled around his hand. Salem may have been his enemy, but still... he wouldn't leave her corpse to drift through the Field... not like Voltron had. Nodding silently to himself, Sincline reached out and gently rested his hand on Salem's shoulder, relying on his instincts.
A low hum, and Salem's body glowed, purple energy suffusing her skin. Then, starting where her shoulder met his hand, she began disintegrating into black and purple particles that faded seconds later. As the last of her body was consumed, Sincline could have sworn he saw her smile. And then she was gone, nothing left but the swirling mist that slowly dispersed into the Quintessence Field.
With Ruby
"I can't believe he's gone," Ruby whispered, tears falling from her eyes as she knelt on both knees, staring numbly at the place where Sincline had been. He can't be gone... he said he... he promised....
Exchanging looks with Weiss and Blake as Raven, Qrow, and Tai remained back, Accalia standing above the former Hound, Yang walked forward and knelt at Ruby's side, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"He knew this would happen, didn't he?" Ruby whispered, her voice cracking with choked emotion. Tears fell from her eyes to splash against the cold floor below.
Yang nodded. "It was the only way. Anything else and..." she trailed off. There was nothing they could say or do to change what had happened. She could only embrace Ruby as Summer knelt at her other side and did the same.
"I'm sorry, Ruby," Summer said gently, holding Ruby close as the young Grimm Hybrid buried her face in her mom's cloak. "I know... I know how much he meant to you."
"I—I just..." Ruby choked, tears in her eyes. "I never got to say goodbye." A bolt of cold energy tore through her chest, and she gasped, her silver eyes widening.
"What is it?" Yang asked as Ruby pulled away, tugging at the side of her cloak to reveal the mark on her collarbone... and it was glowing.
"Ruby Rose, when did you get that?" Tai demanded, his tone half playful, half angry.
"When I first met Sincline," Ruby explained. "He had one, too!" Could it be? A small flicker of hope was slowly starting to heat up in her chest.
"What's wrong with it?" Yang asked as Ruby rubbed it.
"It's... cold?" Ruby answered uneasily. "What does it mean?" She had a feeling she knew, but part of her was afraid to hope she was right. As if in answer, the faded Glyph on the floor brightened, and a familiar aura of pure, absolute power washed over them.
"No... way..." Blake whispered as Ruby's eyes widened hopefully.
Energy tore across the center of the room, and, with a flash of light, a rift opened, the edges of the portal swirling with power. Slowly, a figure appeared, his glowing eyes locking with Ruby's. His boots clicked against the broken floor, and his armor slowly shattered in a burst of purple fragments.
"Sincline?" Ruby whispered, her voice trembling.
Blinking rapidly as tears threatened to fall, Sincline smiled. "Hey, Rubes."
"Sincline!" Dashing forward, Ruby tackled him in a hug, and he caught her in an embrace. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Ruby pulled him close, and their lips met. They kissed, and a surge of warmth tore through them both. Their relief was a simple one: they were no longer alone.
Pulling away, Sincline smiled, his purple eyes meeting her silver ones. "I told you I'd never leave you," he whispered, tightening his grip on the silver-eyed girl.
Smiling, Ruby gave a tearful laugh and buried her face in his chest. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" she cried, her arms clinging to him tightly, desperately, and he returned the gesture.
"Ruby..." Summer whispered. "Your body...."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked and looked down. Her eyes widened, and she stared in stupefied wonder as a shimmering red aura identical to Sincline's gathered around her. Slowly, her torn clothing stitched back together, returning to its original form as her skin regained its usual luster. Her horns shrank, disappearing into her hair as her arms shimmered and changed, slowly returning to their normal appearance.
"I'm... I'm back..." Ruby whispered, and Summer tackled her in a hug, followed closely by Yang.
Shaking his head, Sincline smiled and turned... only to get slapped across the face, courtesy of Weiss. "You dolt! Don't you ever scare us like that again!" she ordered. Before he could react, she embraced him. "And don't think I'm doing this because I missed you!"
Blinking in surprise, Sincline could only shake his head at her antics. Never change, Weiss queen, he thought... but decided against saying it aloud. A smile crossing his face, he returned the gesture.
"That was foolish of you," Blake agreed, and to Sincline's relief, settled for smacking his shoulder before embracing him as well. "Just don't ever do that again."
"I'll try," Sincline assured... and Yang's fist slammed into his jaw. Wincing and rubbing his jaw, Sincline faced Yang, whose eyes were red. "I probably deserved that."
"You did," Yang agreed and hugged him as well, her eyes returning to their normal coloration. "I'm glad you're back," she whispered, and Sincline smiled.
"And I'm glad to be back."
"Hey, he's mine!" Ruby protested, diving into the hug and wrapping her arms around Sincline as the mech-turned-human chuckled.
Padding up, Accalia barked and simply swatted his shin.
"Really? You too?" Sincline asked, laughing through tears of relief as he embraced his teammates. Accalia did the fox equivalent of a pout, and Sincline chuckled, gently rubbing her head.
"Glad you're back, kid," Qrow acknowledged as the girls let go of Sincline, save for Ruby, who refused to release Sincline's hand.
"Not as much as I am," Sincline replied with a smile, and Qrow laughed.
"Salem?" Mercury asked as he stood beside the unconscious form of Emerald.
Sincline paused; everyone tensed... and he nodded. "We don't have to worry about her anymore," he assured, and a wave of relief cascaded through the room.
Mercury blinked, then nodded, a smile of relief crossing his face as Tai laughed and high-fived Qrow, Summer embracing Raven (much to the bandit's 'unenjoyment'), as Yang slung an arm over Mercury's shoulders. Accalia simply sat beside the former Hound's side.
"So, that's it?" Ruby asked, a surge of emotion rushing through Sincline and those around him as the events of the day finally caught up to them. "Is it over?"
Looking down at her, Sincline smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he turned his gaze toward the horizon, the others doing the same as the eleven of them stood in the fallen throne room of Salem, watching the sun peek through clouds. "It's over."
...at least, I hope so.