//------------------------------// // Chapter 62. // Story: Embrace of Light and Dark // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Cassiel POV How do I describe what I'm seeing? An army of Grimm flying with a GIANT FUCKING WHALE is the simplest way to put it. I was just expecting an army, I wasn't expecting what may as well be a flying base the size of a large city! "How am I going to kill that thing?" I thought out loud. "You're seriously planning to go fight that thing??!! How??!!" Yang shouted. "That's the largest Grimm anyone has ever seen! There is no saving Atlas, not unless we have the Sword of Destruction, and even that's a long shot!" Qrow said, fearfully. "We won't need it if we play it right." I said as I handed him Lionheart. "Lower Atlas and put up a barrier that Grimm can't penetrate, I'm sure I can kill it." He grabbed my shoulders. "This isn't something anyone can win! You'll die out there damn it!" He tried to get it in my head. "But there has to be something we can do!" Ruby was on my side with this. I showed him my new powers and he backed off as everyone was trying to understand how I got Maiden powers. "I have three really stupid ideas, but something is better than nothing. Option one is I attack Salem head on before she reaches the city. Option two is I keep shooting that thing with a hail of magic and arrows tipped with Light Dust until it dies screaming. Option three is I go inside it, find anything that looks important, like hearts and lungs, and make them stop working." "Are you insane??!!" Nora shouted. "Define 'insane'? Either I do this, or Atlas becomes more than just a frozen wasteland no one wants anything to do with." "We need to take some time to formulate a better strategy." Ren said. "Okay, let's try that. We have the Staff and the Lamp, I could ask Jinn for help. We could also try to force Ironwood to make a final stand by using the Staff as leverage, but even if he does, he'll break once he sees the Satanic offspring of Monstro and Moby Dick and he'll turn on us in a desperate attempt to claim the Staff." I shot that down. "We're not letting you fight that thing alone!" Blake said, adamantly. "This isn't going to be my grave, and it sure as Hell won't be yours!" I opened the SR again and was about to leave before Ruby stopped me. "We're doing this together." Was all she said, I placed my hand on her shoulder. "We are, just I'm doing what only I can do right now because I trust you can do what you need to do without me. You'll see me again before long." I pat her on the shoulder and flew into the SR before anyone could stop me. It is a very good thing I can get around so easily, this army would probably get really annoying quickly otherwise. This thing's teeth are bigger than most of the buildings in Atlas, if it weren't for dismembered Grimm parts disappearing, I'd recommend turning this thing's teeth into weapons and armor. I looked around for any weak points or entry ways, but with a body this large, I don't think they'll be easy to find. I looked for an area near the fins to exit the SR so I could find a safer place to try to remove them. I doubted it would ground this Grimm, but it'd at least slow it down or steer it off course. After I managed to find a less occupied area near it's left fin, I exited the SR and started trying the powers I got from Cinder. She used ice once against Raven and Vernal, aside from what Jinn showed us when we saw magic, it stands to reason this power is capable of more than fire, maybe it's capable of the same elements as there are varieties of Dust. I channeled fire on the fin, keeping an eye out for any Grimm that might notice. It took over a minute of non-stop magic usage before it showed signs of damage. "This isn't going to work." I thought to myself before a few Gryphons finally took notice and tried to attack me. I made short work of them with a few ice spikes before moving onto the back of the Grimm. I'm not expecting it to do much to it, but it should help with some of the Grimm flying around it. "As the Cursebearer, souce of thy power, I order thee. From above, rain down the Tears of the Frosted Heavens. From the North, let the screams of my enemies be lost to the Howling Winds. Frost Purge!" Moments later, a blizzard was blowing around me as ice spikes were falling from the newly formed clouds above. Grimm were falling either because they were being shot out of the air or because they were being frozen. As for the giant one? It's not showing any signs of discomfort, but it's still being bombarded with a hail of magic ice. "As the Cursebearer, source of thy power, I order thee. Heed the Raven's Call and rain Death upon my enemies. Let not Blood, nor Bone, nor Ash remain. Abyssal Cataclysm!" The earth below crashed into the Grimm and caused it to shift suddenly, it probably felt a bit of pain from the impact. It actually feels like it slowed down a little. After a few seconds, dark flames erupted from below, the entire thing shook, I heard it do some kind of scream as I almost lost my balance. Unfortunately, I don't have much magic left after those two. Something I don't remember mentioning before, I still have that HUD from being in Melromarc, I can see my aura, and it looks like I have three magic bars now after acquiring the Maiden powers. One for each type of magic I'm guessing, I don't remember having more than one, maybe the new magic separated them? I don't know. "It definitely felt that." I heard a gun shot from behind me and was knocked forward a little. I reached for Lionheart, but forgot I left it with the others, so I summoned Exile and Nightfall instead. I didn't think they would be this stupid, but it was Emerald and Mercury. "Salem was wondering what was causing the Whale this much trouble, we didn't imagine it would be one of you guys. So where are your friends?" Mercury asked as he cracked his knuckles. "Elsewhere. Hold that thought." I looked around and wondered why Frost Purge wasn't affecting them, maybe it prioritizes the enemies in the vicinity when it's used? No matter. "Thundaza." Oh? New spell? "Thundaza!" There was a scream near me as lightning struck everything around me as it all quickly closed in on a single point. Emerald was left immobile, shaking near my feet. I'm so glad I have ways around illusions, that could have been ugly otherwise. "You can have this." I picked her up and threw her towards Mercury. Just before she reached him, I stabbed Exile into the Whale and shot them after changing Nightfall into a bow. Mercury barely dodged the first three arrows, but he couldn't dodge the fourth one in time nor could he avoid the blast from Dark Firaga trailing behind it. He was blown back as he lost his grip on Emerald. "How did you expect this to go?" I asked as I pulled Exile out. "Not like we have much of a choice even if we didn't want to settle the score." He answered. "'Score'? I don't think we've ever fought each other, though Cinder is another story." I showed him what I meant, his eyes widened as Emerald finally recovered enough to see me like this. "Don't worry, you'll be joining her soon enough." I started walking towards them. "Ho-how do you-" Emerald looked like she was about to have another mental breakdown. "Have Maiden powers even though I'm not a woman? Simple,-" I haven't used it since I learned these weapons could transform, but I disconnected the wings on Exile and essential turned it into a straight sword bef airstepping towards her and impaled her on it. "I'm not going to tell you." I reconnected the claws near the end of it to trap her on it while Mercury tried to kick me, but I used the wingblades to block it. I grabbed his foot and threw him upward before throwing Nightfall as a shuriken at him. He avoided it, but I shot him with a stream of lightning as he fell. Once he landed, I recalled Nightfall and did to him what I did to Emerald. "Th-this *coughing* isn't o-over!" Really, Mercury? "Yes it is." I poured a bit of Dark Dust on them, they died almost instantly. I noticed I had enough curse magic for two more spells, but there aren't any more to use against Grimm. I guess the only other thing I can do is destroy this thing from the inside. I recalled the keyblades before trying to enter the SR, but another surprise stopped me. "As the Cursebearer, source of thy power, I offer thee this gift of Life Essence." "Fuck." I thought. "Bring forth the Ancient Venom that felled the Old Gods." "'Ancient Venom'? 'Old Gods'?" The Hell? "I summon thee, Fang of the World Serpent." "As the Cursebearer, source of thy power, I offer thee this gift of Life Essence. Bring forth the Ancient Venom that felled the Old Gods. I summon thee, Fang of the World Serpent!" A giant spectral, jagged snake fang the size of a large house materialized above me. It was dripping something I didn't want to go near as it was quickly rotting whatever it was dropping on. After a few more drops, it stabbed itself into the Grimm and kept burrowing deeper, it was tearing away as venom was soon bursting out of the wound. A minute later, the Grimm was beginning to show signs of discomfort and I thought it best to leave then, but it started thrashing around and falling to the ground before I could leave. I barely managed to escape so I didn't go down with it. I felt the shock wave from where I was, it crashed into the ground a few miles from Mantle, the few Grimm around it dispersed and flew in different directions as the giant thrashed around some more before slowing and stopping all together. It took several minutes, at least fifteen for it to disintigrate. Near where the head was, Salem was regenerating and rising from out of the snow that got blown over her. "Figures that wouldn't be enough to kill you." I said to her as I landed. "So this is the power you possess?" She asked, still facing the city. "Power Summer Rose could've obtained if she had someone to teach her about the keyblade. I'll ask again, why do you even need the Relics?" "Have you ever lost something that you would give everything to have back?" "I've lost as much as you have, except I was a child when I lost everything. My home, my family, my innocence, my will to live. The only real difference between us is you've suffered longer." I answered. "You were close. I seek to use the Relics not to destroy their Creators, we both know that wouldn't work." She began to answer. "They would've deserved it though after everything that happened. They could've at least bent the rules a little and stopped your time until you were reunited with a reborn Ozma or let you speak to his spirit every so often." "Not even the Pools of Destruction could end my curse. Even together, the Relics are limited in their power. Ozma would use them to summon the Brothers to judge the world, knowing it might lead to it's destruction. I would use them to bring back what was stolen from me." "Do you honestly think the Relics can do that? Rewind time? Or at least revive the dead? Even if they can, time travel has too many risks, and I doubt your children would accept what you've become, what you've done!" An airship flew over us, I put up a barrier around me and Salem to ensure there would be no interference. "Perhaps not, but what else is there to do?" "A good portion of the blame lies with Ozma. It clearly never occurred to him that you were also meant to be 'redeemed', though it also never occurred to you that you would never be 'free' so long as you're immortal, and he's trapped in a never ending cycle of life and death, robbing others of their own lives and families every time he comes back just so he could be with his wife. The two of you should've made it work back then. Now? I'm finishing this meaningless war here and now!" Salem turned around, a ball of dark flames in her hand. So she can still use magic? "Darkness awaits you." "It awaits everyone, even you."