[A/N: Okay, so even for me it's been a while. No excuses there, other than the whole "RWBY might end prematurely" thing, but even that is a weak excuse at best. In reality, I spent forever contemplating this chapter, because it never felt like I wrote it right, or that things just went wrong, or any number of silly things.
I think it's because of the buildup it had, and the significance it holds within their world made it feel like there should've been far more emphasis on the battle with the Kaijuu-Grimm, a threat most people/cities don't face in their entire lifespans (The whole Celestia dying, as well as basically everyone else on the mission, was also thematically important.)
But then I had an epiphany - or really two. Firstly, the fight itself was never actually important; the mission wasn't in the original plans, and when I put it in the whole shenanigans with Future Vision was used because I can't see myself actively using it all too much since the plot is halfway out the window already, and even then the Kaijuu-Grimm was kind of an on the spot addition.
The ending portion and additional character interpersonal relationships were the important points here. And even if it was, they found the new intel and planned accordingly, exactly like they had with the previous battles and how they will with the following battles on this mission.
Secondly, it's my story, and though I'm not completely happy with parts of it I really just want to move on in hopes of getting myself to write more of this story that I'm so invested in. These led to me rereading it with fresher eyes than any other time, and I found it good enough to upload, so before I rethink that I'm just full-sending it, and hopefully it's not horrid.
Let us hope I can find the will to write more now that I've overcome this absurd, and frankly baffling, hurdle.]
It's been a few days, and tomorrow is finally time; my destined deathday. It feels a bit grim to think of it like that, especially because of how hard the others have been working to ensure it doesn't come to pass.
Don't get me wrong, I'm doing everything I can to help - after all, I don't want to die. But as Argento's vision plays before me again, and I see myself push him out of the way of the Grimm's attack, I knew I would do it.
Even knowing I would die, and as much as it hurts to know how badly it would affect him, I wouldn't be able to let him die. It's selfish and hypocritical because I would rather die than have him experience that, but I would also rather die than have to live with letting him die.
So yes, I will continue to do my best not to die, but if it's for him then I wouldn't think twice. I suppose that's what I probably thought then; emotions are strong like that. They are predictable in their own special way, really.
It is with great relief that after our briefing over the battles was done, a ship began approaching before we could start talking about whatever the Deputy Headmistress found out about the ravine's situation.
In short order, the marginally smaller yet much faster ship boarded ours, and now a few extra Professors were attending the meeting. Or at least that's who I thought they were, but with them was Deputy Headmistress Goodwitch, so it seemed like the right guess. I could immediately tell she knew the details, probably having watched the video, by how she looked at our team, especially the two of us.
Though the concern was extremely present, there was also a smile as she saw us casually holding hands while at the meeting. At this point, there is very little I can't discern about Argento's mannerisms, so it was painfully obvious that he was trying to basically ween off my touch whenever he could.
And yes, I know it was probably unpleasant for someone like him to feel like he NEEDED to be in contact with me, but I also noticed tonight he was much jumpier whenever we weren't touching. Which is why I took ample happiness from seeking out his hand whenever we weren't resting, though when resting we would generally be almost always touching anyway.
It was to my great pleasure that he seemed to almost hungrily hold onto the contact, not nearly desperate and more like it was keeping him in the moment. My seeking it out probably lessened the feeling of him being reliant on it, and though that's not why I did it I would take it as a positive outcome.
Neither of us is dull, so it was obvious what was happening. Before this mission, it always hurt, albeit very little, to see him so ready yet unable to take that first step.
I did my best to coax it out, never stepping past his line, because I was very much ready and able to take that step - I just had to wait. But after the ordeal with his future vision, his line seemed to shift.
He was still unable to move forward, but now I knew exactly why; he was simply held back by what he saw happen to me. It was purely practical though, because I could see a budding longing within him whenever we locked eyes.
Either way, from my not-so-vantage point I side-eyed his playful eye-rolling at Professor Goodwitch's not-quite-teasing smile, but as if in reassurance of his choice his hand slightly tightened around mine. You wouldn't catch me complaining though, so I was simply suppressing an almost giddy smile.
Despite the battles I often take part in, the training, and my very possible death, I am still a woman. Not a lovesick puppy - a very important distinction - but whatever is building between us already feels so much deeper than a schoolgirl crush.
Regardless of the why and how, his hand felt supportive and just correct to hold, so I happily listened to the planning unfolding between those who could keep up. This mostly involved the much more experienced few in the room, but input was still sought out from those able to give it.
[Rumpole] - "So to start with, what do you two think we should do with those on the lower end of the power-scaling for tomorrow?"
The two in question, Argento and Winter, took a second to ponder. With the new data now fully in front of us, including both the new members of the mission and the Grimm, those not actively participating seemed to try and build their own plans to compare to the outcome the professionals probably already had put together.
[Winter] - "I think we should have all hands on deck, because even if we have the power advantage they have a monumental numerical advantage. Even the strongest of people could eventually become overrun."
[Argento] - "I'm mostly of the same opinion, but I think we should leave behind a select few people that are far more suited to scouting and analyzing."
[Winter] - "...Right, because the sheer size of the group could make outside eyes a good way to organize our people mid-battle. It also doesn't hurt to make sure no more surprise Grimm show up during the operation."
With an approving nod from the professors who weren't here to previously see the tactical prowess of these two, the two Deputy Headmistresses swiftly move on to who would go where. Because of several factors, the fight was planned to be started and end within peak daylight hours.
One of those was actually Dawn, who gave a small prideful blush when her "potential prowess" from the video was mentioned. Others were simply to make fighting smoother, but that was the obvious portion.
There was little input from most of us as positions were filled, mostly consisting of the "easier side-positions" of support and scouts. This surprisingly ended before Eugene was mentioned, but why would he be taken off support when it was a near-specialty of his?
[Glynda] - "Now the part that many of us were probably thinking about, the Kaijuu-Class."
When she said this she gave a meaningful look our way, and I didn't miss Argento tensing up at its mention. Giving a quick reaffirming hand squeeze, I get a small smile before we bring our attention forward again.
[Glynda] - "To start, I will define my role. From what we've seen in the video, its main form of attack is the massive spears it spits out. To make the fighters both above and below not be distracted from such danger, I will be defensively offensive.
Using my Semblance, I will be able to take minor control of the attacks mid-flight and make them miss any potential victims and instead hit the other Grimm.
The second point would be to do our best to constrict its movements, and to this end, I have a question. Eugene, how much blood can you control at once?"
'Ah, so that's why.'
At the sudden question, he looks just a tad surprised, before sinking into thought for a few moments.
[Eugene] - "I am unsure - in fact, I've never had access to that much blood. However, from both the video and personal experience I can say that it's possibly several times more than I currently have access to.
At the very least, it should be enough to restrict the Kaijuu-Grimm noticeably, depending on how I'm restricting it. But that would take an absurd amount of blood, and even considering the emergency blood bank on board I'd only have enough for - "
Suddenly cutting himself off, he squints in concentration, slightly raises his arm, and his eyes fly open before staring off into some random point seemingly outside. Seeing him swing disbelieving eyes back to Professor Goodwitch seemed to confuse all but those who came with her.
[Eugene] - "But, how? There's no way there was this much just lying around, right?"
[Glynda] - "No, but that's nothing an emergency blood drive filled with hundreds of people, all at peak physical fitness, can't handle. Along with some outside donations, there are dozens of barrels on board the ship we came in.
So, how are those estimates now?"
Taking another moment to stare at what I now know was the outside ship, his petrified blood beads begin to slowly float as we all feel his aura fluctuate. A few seconds pass until they settle once again, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.
[Eugene] - "We need not worry about the amount, because even from this distance, with surprising ease I can gain control of it all. I am still unsure how effective it will end up being though."
[Glynda] - "That will be good enough for now, though make sure to tell us if something changes those estimates. Any questions or problems?"
Upon receiving nothing in response, she nods at her fellow Deputy Headmistress to continue.
[Rumpole] - "While I would like to participate in this fight, my Semblance Golden Touch simply irreversibly turns things to gold. Though this could bring a potential yet slow death to the Kaijuu-Grimm, I am unable to control what it spreads to, which includes other things that may come in contact as it spreads.
On top of this, I must be in constant contact to continue the spread, so it would limit any big attacks we might give it."
As she is about to move forward, Argento raises his free hand, catching her attention before she can, and she motions for him to continue.
[Argento] - "Are you able to channel your Semblance through a silver conduit without it turning gold?"
[Rumpole] - "Unfortunately not, but because of how it works my Semblance travels best through gold anyway. Why do you ask?"
[Argento] - "I have a plan in mind for the Kaijuu-Grimm if you would like to hear it."
With a small look at each other, the Deputy Headmistresses gave small nods to each other, then to Argento.
[Argento] - "If we have Eugene on mobility reduction, focused primarily on the Kaijuu-Grimm's upper half and head, we could have you channeling your Semblance into the area at the base of its neck. Due to its ability to fully rotate its head, our best bet would be to keep it looking the way its body faces.
If you don't have a way to stay at a distance, I can give you my throwing knives and their wires. It will only give you so much distance, but if you use them all at once it would be far more points of contact to spread it even a little faster.
To pull its attention from you, we could have Eugene visibly trail blood back to himself, while Dawn and Winter stand close by and pelt it with as much damage as they can. Dawn can create a platform to make sure we are always mobile, and if we put Eugene on there as well then I could stand in front in case any attacks get too close while keeping a close eye on the situation as a whole.
Celestia could be aerial support against any of the numerous flying Grimm that might try to capitalize, and Professor Goodwitch can keep you mobile while making sure none of us get hurt. Anything I'm missing?"
[Rumpole] - "I do not have ranged conduits so I would happily borrow some, but are you sure? There's no way to reverse them turning gold, so at best they would become defunct decorations or something solid to sell."
Giving a confident smile, he lets go of my hand, grabs a chair from the edge of the room, and brings it over to Rumpole. A few steps away, he snaps the leg off, and before the questioning gazes of those around can turn to words, he hands her the leg he broke off.
Seeing where this is going, Rumpole gives in to her curiosity and activates her Semblance. Using what is probably a perfected amount of aura, almost no fluctuations are felt as a faint golden shimmer covers her hands and begins spreading from the parts she held on to.
A few seconds later, a fully golden rod is resting in her now regular palms, holding it out to Argento in a sort of 'This won't work' way. To this he simply takes it from her, having not let go of the chair, and his own golden aura begins to seep into his hands.
Except this time it was enough to fully feel, visibly brighter, and began covering not only the rod in his left hand but the rest of the chair in his right. As seconds slowly passed both pieces began floating slightly above his raised hands, and not only did the golden rod turn back into a regular chair leg, but the separate pieces stuck themselves together.
Grabbing it out of the air once the golden aura fully faded, which had been glowing slowly brighter as the seconds passed, he set it down hard and sat. Having made his point, and having baffled everyone who knew just how seemingly impossible that was, he was able to set the chair back where it started and come back to my side, sliding his hand into mine like it was second nature.
It was a few moments of silent contemplation before Rumpole started laughing, sounding nearly maniacal. With the look of burning curiosity she was currently sending his way there was no doubt she was barely holding it back.
[Rumpole] - "That's an absolutely absurd strategy to pull against a Kaijuu-Grimm - and I'm all for it. Any objections Glynda?"
[Glynda] - "None from me, and it will make my initial job all the easier if we can get its attacks to focus all in one area. Even if the area shifts, as long as the element of surprise is taken with its loss of mobility it won't be that terrible.
This is, of course, only if the other students wish to be the main focus of a Grimm easily capable of destroying an unprepared city."
It seemed in his desire to dispose of it he had, for the first time, forgotten to ask us how we felt about the plan. But he hadn't any need, as before he could even start acting sheepish Winter stepped forward.
[Winter] - "I for one would be honored to fight so directly with such an adversary, and I think it's obvious where the rest of his team stands in regards to the object of their ire."
Now I could easily say my team was mostly angry with the Grimm for my not-yet-death, but my readiness was simply because of my fear; consisting not of my would-be death, but of me not being close enough to take the hit Argento was meant to. Simple, kind of dumb, but nothing like a little paranoia to keep me on my toes in the middle of the fight, even if I am busy with other flying Grimm.
There was a bit more said, mostly organizing the rest of the fighters as best as we could, but other than last-minute changes that might need to be made there was nothing. And so we were all given leave, told to relax and get plenty of rest to be in top shape for the battle ahead.
That is, in fact, exactly what we did. We were training Huntsmen, a battle this big would be terrifying for most if they had to fight the Kaijuu-Grimm. Except most didn't, so they slept perfectly fine, and even those fighting it were mentally stable enough to get the sleep necessary.
The most questionable sleeper would have been Argento, but in a fit of finality after however many hours he couldn't fall asleep below me I got a little fed up. And so I slid off the top bunk, landing with only enough noise to let Argento know I was there, and slid into his bed and slept with him.
Besides my family, this would be the first time I'd ever shared a bed with another, and it most definitely did not go further than simply sleeping in close proximity. But just that seemed to be enough for him, and soon after I got some of the best sleep I've had since I was able to sleep with my mother as a child.
'Maybe I ought to make this a regular thing.'
As we steadily approached the battlefield, the debriefing for everyone in the fight was given, and it was a fair reaction when trepidation was shown by many of the less experienced fighters. This was of course washed down by the fact they wouldn't be fighting the Kaijuu-Class, and that the majority of those fighting it were first-years.
Had I not been fighting alongside AZTC the last couple of days, I would have been more inclined to believe them in over their heads. But now knowing who they are, by proxy of observation with little interaction, I can properly trust their abilities.
Upon my thoughts reaching them again, I couldn't help but look in their direction. In just a few moments we would be there, engaging in a potentially fatal mission should we mess up, so most would at least look a little nervous; this is especially so for the individuals most impacted by what the consequences could be.
But in place of the nerves, all I saw were 4 members of a family joking around, with Eugene and Dawn giving the pair interesting looks that got them reproaching glares from the other two. The closest thing I could find was the hand-holding the two participated in, being a particularly tighter clasp than before.
It was as we were all notified of our arrival that I was temporarily lost in thoughts, wondering what it was like. To have such a close bond with one's teammates, so close it almost seems they've been around each other for their entire lives.
Thoughts of my own team swirled in my head as we jumped out of the airbus, and it took all of my remaining focus to keep from showing my frustration. From the very first year, we had been doomed to fail.
Three of the worst candidates ended up on my team, and they "just so happened" to be from affluent families. Their constant fighting for my attention as the Heiress of the Schnee name, as well as my hate for such situations and my position, led to a barely functioning unit.
As it stands, the only reason we didn't fail as a team so far was a mix of my efforts to be the best, to spite my father, and the unique militaristic structure of Atlas Academy, which I found a breath of fresh air compared to home life. So I knew immediately after graduation I would never look back upon the three of them.
This brings a fresh wave of disappointment that I struggle to rein in, knowing my chance for having what others treat so casually has once again been foiled because of my "birthright". The presence of joy from the thought of leaving my team is bittersweet, and I hate it.
I'm yanked back to full attention at the loud sound of explosions lighting up the procession of Grimm ahead of us. I am quite thankful for that because those of us confronting the Kaijuu-Class would be taking that temporary absence of Grimm present to B-line it straight to the Ravine, where the massive tar monster would be.
So with a lack of hesitation that civilians with a death wish hold, we five students and the two Deputy Headmistresses sprinted through the mostly faded flames of the explosions straight to the ravine. Any Grimm that got a little too close was killed with ruthless efficiency, many of them by long-ranged shots from our allies still far behind us.
We were a short twenty seconds away from the ravine when massive barrels sped through the air overhead, and by the look I saw Eugene give them it was easy to tell what was in them. The trajectory they held brought them directly into the ravine, and when the ground started to shake I knew they hit their target.
Rising from the massive ravine was almost a lake's worth of the tar and bone that makes up Grimm. After a surprisingly short time given the sheer size of it, the Kaijuu-Grimm straightened out and let out a roar that sounded more annoyed than anything.
Witnessing the many smaller Grimm scamper away in fear was amusing, but seeing as how it radiated the feeling only an apex predator can it's not a surprise. Even I was almost stuck for a second because no matter how many times I saw it from Argento's memory, even if it did perfectly portray it, it still didn't do the Grimm justice.
With a size that might just pass all man-made objects, it was hunched over and primarily bipedal with comparatively shorter arms. Covering the majority of its back and tail, which was almost as long as it was tall, were massive bone plates, and out of them came numerous and mostly triangularly shaped spikes.
It had the normal helmet-like covering of bones, but as opposed to most it was almost completely encasing the head. With numerous eyes the size of regular vehicles, and a massive golden horn coming from the top of its head, the only areas not covered by the bone plating were the front half of its body, the underside of its moving tail, and a sizable chunk of the neck where its ability to swivel comes from.
[Insert Reference Image(s) Here]
How anyone was capable of missing this monstrosity when they initially scanned the area I'll never know. What I do know though is I fully accept that I probably owe my life to Argento being present and having that vision of his.
Speaking of, as Dawn floated us all to an optimal position to not endanger our comrades, I looked over to see an uncharacteristically fierce expression present on him. If looks were able to kill, Argento would've made the Kaijuu nothing but a puddle despite its colossal size.
As we reached an unreasonable altitude, leveling us at a mid-chest height of the Grimm, dozens of distant metallic pops rang from the bottom of the ravine. Barely a few seconds later, all of which were spent in a staredown with the apex predator in front of us, a veritable tsunami of blood rushed upward, occupying so much air space it cast a scarlet shadow upon almost a fourth of the battlefield.
Raising his hand above his head, Eugene's previously closed eyes popped open, sending nearly all the blood streaming straight to the Kaijuu. At his signal, I slashed outward with my sword, dozens of glyphs lighting up the right side of the platform as a similar number of light-based weapons appeared on the left.
With a synchronized stab from both Dawn and myself, projectiles began raining outward onto the behemoth's body, no doubt being no more than an annoyance for now. It may be far more intelligent than the average Grimm, but with how slow its reaction was there have no doubt been no creatures seemingly dumb enough to challenge its dominating authority.
I guess humans have always been an audacious species.
Coming up outside of the now-reacting Grimm's field of view, the flying Deputy-Headmistress duo readied themselves the moment it would be most distracted - the moment it let out its attack.
Let it be known that I have complete faith in the abilities of those around me, especially the renowned Deputy Headmistress of Vale. That being said, simply standing in place as a barrage of sizeable tar spears are sent my way edges my fight-or-flight response.
Almost failing to hold in the snort at my less-than-appropriate innuendo, I watch as a subtle purple covers each spear as they are torn off their intended path. As soon as the attack begins to let up, Dawn and I once again tear into it with continuous attacks as Deputy Headmistress Rumpole disappears behind its massive bone-covered head.
With all of the blood now in place in the form of extremely thick blood ropes by way of strategic placement, Eugene widens his stance, raises his other hand, and physically connects himself to a thin trail of blood as it constricts the Kaijuu. While he would be capable of doing this all with less movement, especially less obvious movement, the way the Grimm began glaring straight at Eugene told us he definitely got its express attention.
With a short crackle and exchange of cues over the earpieces our team was wearing, the tricky part of this plan was a-go. From the data that was collected, despite its size the Kaijuu was deceptively agile, especially with its swiveling head.
Through current estimates, we are fighting against the clock in terms of aura-cost concerning us non-Huntsmen. No matter how well we use it, or how powerful our abilities are, only freaks of nature could properly take on this type of Grimm at our age.
That being said, several minutes of exchanging fire with the gargantuan Grimm was much more strenuous than I would've thought. Adding to that the fact we didn't seem to be doing anything of substance to it, and I was starting to become agitated.
Celestia even started helping on defense since the flying Grimm wanted nothing to do with us while we were being attacked. This had the added benefit of us no longer needing to worry about Dawn moving the platform, what with Argento and Celestia actively on defense while Professor Goodwitch kept the majority of it from even coming near us.
Seeing another tar spike coming straight at me, I simply huffed in annoyance as my feathery compatriot intercepted its flight path, using one of her pulses as she swung her quarterstaff downward. When she dropped to a half crouch in front of me, I once again swiped my sword forward, but my eyes weren't quite focused on the Grimm or my glyphs.
A faint design on the back of Celesita's neck, normally hidden behind her hair and wings, was fully showing due to the wind she kicked up. Merely a minor curiosity, something I saw hints of once or twice while we fought together these past days, and nothing more.
Oh, how I wish it would've stayed a minor curiosity. I was unfortunately very, very familiar with the esoteric design, even if it meant nothing to almost everyone else.
So distracted I was, that a flash of light in front of me barely brought me out of my head, causing a delayed, and similarly weakened attack on my part. Evidently, that action grabbed the attention of Argento, who was extremely vigilant with his observations.
[Argento] - "Everything alright Winter?"
Hearing his voice in my ear, I pulled on every lesson I was forced to learn in my youth and shut down my outward emotions. Even when I responded, I was surprised my inner turmoil didn't spill into my voice.
[Winter] - "Perfectly fine, just wondering if this is even working. We've done no visible damage, Professor Rumpole said her Semblance was less effective than we predicted, and it's obvious Eugene can only keep its movements restricted for so much longer."
There was silence on the comms as they all pondered my words, which were exactly what I had been thinking before my attention had been…shifted, should we say. Not wanting to let my thoughts wander there while still in battle, I mentally shook my head to not give my thoughts away.
Taking a glance at Argento, I saw his eyes rapidly shift from one part of the ravine to another, taking in every detail about this hulking Grimm he could. It was when his eyes widened that I tried following his gaze, but all I could see were one or two bone plates from the Kaijuu's tail that had crashed to the ground.
'When did we do damage to its tail?'
With his eyes roaming once more, a worried glint passed through them as he began planning, though the fact I could tell he was doing so surprised me just as much as it gave me a strangely warm feeling in my stomach. Taking a moment to ponder, I was quick to attribute the feeling to familiarity; not something I've felt around someone other than my siblings and mother, and I'm unsure how to feel about that.
[Argento] - "Professor Rumpole, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're going to have to change the plan. From what I can see it's using its body mass to create these projectiles, meaning it can freely supply fresh mass in place of whatever you turn to gold.
It would eventually work, but by then we would run out of aura several times over."
[Rumpole] - "Alright, I'm assuming you have a plan then?"
[Argento] - "Of sorts. What do you think would happen if we decapitated it?"
There were a few silent moments of contemplation, during which I looked up at the Kaijuu-Class's head. Despite the truthful statement that it has been using its body mass, it looked the same size - overbearingly vast.
Taking into account the aura everyone else has and has used, Argento would be the only sword user able to theoretically do so at this time. Even assuming he was able to summon enough aura to make a blade that long and durable, wielding the barbaric amount of strength necessary to cut through it all, it is highly possible it could just reattach the separated parts if they aren't taken apart fast enough.
'But if Professor Goodwitch pulled hard enough while it happened…'
As my brain wrapped around the absurdity of the notion, a similar conversation sparked as another volley of the Grimm's attacks came our way. Putting my two cents into the conversation, I was able to lay out my plan with minimal skepticism reaching my voice.
[Winter] - "Hypothetically, if Argento was able to produce a long enough blade that wouldn't shatter, I could use the rest of my aura boosting an overcharged Pulse from Celestia that would push the blade while Argento swings. If we time it right, and Professor Goodwitch covers the head and pulls upward, then as long as it doesn't impale us or escape our grasp the head should pop off… maybe."
It was in the following lapse in communication that a sudden burst of laughter came from Celestia, with lighter but present amounts of chuckling coming from the other members of AZTC. Furrowing my brow, I spared an annoyed glance at them to find what was so funny about my hypothetical plan.
[Celestia] - "I-It's not your plan we're laughing at, it's how similar it is to something we did during initiation with a Nevermore."
At her confession, the annoyance left when I raised my eyebrow. I knew they were good, but to take down a Nevermore before even starting their first year is still impressive.
[Rumpole] - "If you all can manage to lob its head off, I can focus my efforts on turning that part gold so it will truly die."
With the plan set, as soon as the following volley finished, the light platform we stood on sped up and to the side of the Grimm's head/neck area. The way it screamed at us, trying to follow us with more than its eyes, it was obvious it was doing its best to rotate its head, but the small area Rumpole managed, along with Eugene's blood ropes, kept it facing forward to the empty portion of the ravine.
As we approached there was a sudden spike in aura consumption from everyone, but none so much as Argento. I know I said he would be the only one other than the Deputy Headmistress duo capable of producing enough, but the logic of that didn't quite load until now.
With his aura physically manifesting around him, my view standing beside him allowed me to see the moderately sized golden flames flaring out of the edges of his eyes as he held his katana aloft. With each passing second the blade he held began to extend and thicken, growing a dense gold that caused air and light to gently warp around it.
Not staying still while he does so, I gather the remaining aura I have into the most effective strengthening glyph I know of, while between Celestia's hands, an orb of contained pulses slowly grows in power. Sensing the danger the Kaijuu-Class no doubt began pushing its strength against the blood even harder, causing Eugene to stagger as he pushed what little he had left into his containment.
Finally, with a small cough of blood from the sheer amount of aura he expended at once, we felt the air move as he began his swing downward. A fifth of the way there, a massive fist of light finished forming above the Grimm that punched down on the horn, causing its unprepared head to buckle down and show the neck properly.
Half of the way there the purple sheen fully settled on the entirety of the head, no doubt already pulling at it. It was also at this point that Argento started yelling, muscles rippling as he pushed his body far past its limit for any single action.
With only a fifth of the way left, I finally released the bubbling glyph directly behind the top half of the blade, and with her hands snapping back to an angle that definitely hurt, Celestia loosed the chaotic pulse. Just barely making it to the glyph, it caused an explosion of air that was so far the loudest thing on the battlefield.
Thankfully the sheer size of the Grimm meant even as Argento's now flickering sword sliced through the massive neck, it wouldn't hit anything but air until it finished fading. As a sickening squelch and pop rang out into the momentarily still battlefield, everyone held witness to the Kaijuu's head plummeting to the ground, and at this height, it might just break apart if we're lucky.
It was with teetering steps and many pain-filled groans that we were all collected in the main meeting area Deputy Headmistress Rumpole used to address us all. Though many of us were bruised and battered, and in one unfortunate case gravely injured, there were no casualties.
Though I am unsure how they all found the time to look at our battle, the looks of awe being sent in our direction, Argento's in particular for his impressive and flashy move, showed people would be hearing of this battle later on, if not from us than a second-hand source. And though it was impressive, the fact he jumped straight into battle as soon as he recovered a good portion of his aura and proceeded to be one of the most formidable fighters contributed to the looks he was receiving.
These are of course all observations I took while actively distracted by my current issue, despite the elation I should be feeling for contributing to that battle. So as the groups split up, with AZTC being unnaturally chipper and happy for obvious reasons to the leading individuals, I hastily made my decision, following after Celestia and her friends in hopes to alleviate even a shred of these feelings that have been plaguing me.
Once in the more residential area, they noticed me following them, like I was hoping, and while confused they genially smiled in camaraderie and potential friendship that had my stomach churning. Knowing they were probably only a team since the beginning of this school year, I was left unsure of how much she would've shared of her past.
'If what I'm about to do doesn't ruin this, maybe I can finally have true friends.'
With the look I was giving Celestia, nothing bad but causing her to tense in a way that made Argento wary - 'Dammit, bad start' - I tried my best imploring voice to get us alone. I didn't want to ruin anything for her over some misguided emotions that I really shouldn't have given in to at all.
It worked to an extent, probably because of these last few days spent fighting with each other, but I was only able to convince them if Argento stayed too. To ensure no one overheard, I summoned some harmless summons and outwardly told them to let me know if anyone came our way.
A tense staring contest began as I tried to figure out what to say and how to say it, because no number of words could do anything for the past crimes committed by the Schnee company in Jacque's name, but I had to. If only to not feel this crushing guilt that I knew was misplaced.
And so, very abruptly and without clarification, I could only bend at the waist to practically a 90-degree angle, aimed at Celestia, and say with a wavering, but convicted voice -
"I'm sorry."