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Branwen

Lawrence Flyn was many things. Served in the army during WW2, he took place in many battles. He wasn't particularly strong or even incredibly skilled with guns. For the longest time he didn't know why he lived, when so many friends of his died. At the Omaha Beach, he saw so many of his fellow soldiers cut down by enemy fire and explosions. During his time out of the army, many of his fellow soldiers had died from their debilitating injuries. He found out though. He survived, not due to his skills or strength, but because of his unstoppable will and madness. He hadn't cared for his life since he was a young boy. Father leaving him with a sick Mother. He took any job a child could do but in the end, his Mother still died. Trying to move on with his life, he fell in love eventually. But she too was killed during their trip to Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the army, not out of patriotism, but hate. His spite for the world grew like a fire from that day on. Hoping for himself to die in the war, he never got his wish. The years went on but still, his spite never left him. It wasn't until the year 2010 at the tender age of 95 that he finally saw his foolishness. All that bitterness and hate he carried made him miserable. Life was unfair, but one should never give up on the smallest chance to be happy. In his retirement home he began to make friends with the other residents. Finding hobbies and talking with them. Eventually, he got into anime. It was introduced by one of his friend's Grandsons when he visited. He used the time he had left to indulge in the shows made by the Country he loathed until just recently. He spent the rest of his days comfortably, waiting to be reunited with his Lover once again when he finally passed on in 2018. That was what Raven Branwen remembered right after killing the Maiden to acquire her powers. She fell to her knees and shivered with tears in her magically blazing eyes. "Wh..What have I.. done..?"

Saeko_Kaburagi · Anime & Comics
Not enough ratings
47 Chs

Slaughter the Gods II

Back with Artoria and her 'fight' against the Brother's champions. Her dragon released a powerful roar that echoed throughout the Grimmlands. It flapped its wings and flew straight at J'eanne Alter. Artoria was mildly surprised when it decided to throw a normal, albeit powerful punch right at J'eanne Alter, who could only gawk in surprise.

"Wh-" Before she could cry out, she was shot out like a rocket through several castle walls, by the titanic sized clawed fist, though she did manage to block just in time. With another roar, the dragon took after her as it ignored the castle walls entirely for its toy… or as Aroria preferred to call her, prey.

Turning her attention back to the Salem who worshipped her as she sauntered her way over to Vali, Artoria smiled at his dumbfounded face.

"I am glad I am not fighting that thing…" With a gulp and a slightly nervous chuckle he said.

But then he frowned and turned his attention to Salem, and then looked at Artoria, raising his weapon.

"Fight me yourself coward! You killed the love of my life! I will have my righteous vengeance!" He yelled out in a rather angry, heated voice.

"You? Fight Goddess Artoria? Please, I have Grimm stronger than you as non-combat maids" Salem softly chuckled at his outburst and said.

They could all hear the grinding of his teeth in anger from their positions, Artoria could only release a soft chuckle of her own, as if to mock his indignation.

"I laugh at your love. I mock her useless death. And I deny you even the chance to avenge her" Artoria replied, boredom clearly evident in her voice.

"You!" The draconic flames around him roared with his anger as he shouted.

He charged at Artoroa in a blind rage, only for Salem to backhand him down several floors.

"Oh, I am going to have fun with you…" Salem grinned maliciously.

All the while the Salem within the waters stirred. Her muffled yells of agony turning into fierce grunts. The Grimm parts emerged once again. Three sets of wings jutted from her back, three wings looking like a Nevermore's, with feathery black. Three wings a scaley and leathery dragon-like appearance. Her white hair cascaded down her back and reached her legs, turning black at the tips. While her irises changed from red, to a pale gold. The light corruption was fading faster and faster.

~I cannot... No.. Will not let her go through it all again..!~ Salem grit her teeth and pushed on.

~All the hatred she carried alone.. The happiness she denied herself.. I feel so.. unworthy of it. I must. Be. Better. Stronger..~ Determination emanated from her very core, further pushing the light away.

Meanwhile, Artoria was observing the beginning of the fights.

Salem gave Artoria a small bow before she jumped down the hole to follow Vali. Artoria closed her eyes and started to watch both 'fights', though first, she focused on her Salem's.

As she softly touched down, Artoria could hear Vali groaning as he pried himself free from the floor. She was also able to hear his system talking to him, warning him.

[Vali, that was foolish! You need to focus! That attack she did not only ignored all of your natural defences, but I felt it too!] His system advised.

"What? No, you're right, Blaze. Shit, are you okay?" His eyes widened in concern when he said.

"My, aren't the two of you a little too relaxed?" Salem hummed in a carefree manner and asked coyly.

Vali gasped as he failed to notice Salem even get near him it seemed, and he quickly dashed back to create some distance.

"Blaze… How can she hear you…?" With some trepidation in his voice he asked.

"Oh, I can do more than hear your little parasite. I can see her as well" Salem smirked and responded.

And true to her words, both Artoria and Salem can easily see growth systems, like this Blaze, as a digital ghostly human hanging around the neck of people.

~Hmmm… I can't be bothered to remember the system's name. So, B it is~ Artoria hummed in thought.

With eyes wide, Vali looked incredibly uncomfortable and warry at Salem while his system asked.

[You… can see me? That is not possible!]

"See you, hear you…" Salem just let out another soft chuckle while she started to inspect her nails.

"And harm you. Were neither of you listening to My Goddess when she said she ripped out your foolish lover's system and tortured both for a long while?" Salem finished looking at her nails as she looked at Vali with a ruthless smile that promised only pain and torment while she spoke.

As the two were talking, Artoria felt a pulse of power from the small pool of Abyss Water that Raven's Salem was in. Turning her attention into it, she looked over her form and smiled.

~Interesting. She's taking on an appearance like my own Salem's. But with a few key differences… wonder why?~ Artoria wondered.

With a mental shrug, she turned her attention back to the massacre taking place between her Salem and Vali.

But before she could focus on it, she felt like someone, somewhere had almost uttered something very foolish towards her Tearwyn. This caused a very brief but noticeable release of her Killing Intent.

~Whoever that was, just avoided a fate worse than death…~ Narrowing her eyes, she thought.

Cooling off, she turned her attention back to her Salem once again and, much to be expected, she had Vali on the ropes.

~Turned my attention away for only a minute or two at most, and he's already this battered… useless~ Artoria mentally scoffed.

An amused thought passed her mind though, causing her to change my orders to Salem.

~Salem, be a dear and bring him alive after all. Alive, but he doesn't need to be in one piece~

~Yes, My Goddess~ Salem replied with the joy she had started to expect from her followers.

"Muramasa, come. We've got a new toy to play with" With a cruel smile on her face, Salem held out her hand that had the Sacred Gear Artoria had created for her as she said.

The ring then released a large puff of purple fire before taking the shape of a red katana with the sharpened part a pitch black. Along the blade also had 'cracks' of black that pulsed with an ominous black-purple light while releasing traces of black smoke. Salem ran her fingers lonely over the blade before she vanished from her spot and appeared in front of Vali swinging towards his left arm.

"[What?!]" Vali and Blaze asked at once.

A shield of Light appeared in front of Vail while white dragon scales appeared along his arms. Sadly for them, Muramasa didn't even register any of it, and cut through it all like it was the air. With a scream of pain, and missing his left arm up to his elbow he jumped back. He watched in horror as the limb that was cut off withered and then quickly flaked away into nothingness.

"Shit! [Light's Healing Embrace!]" Vali shouted, activating a skill.

The lower part of his arm rapidly regenerated, and he sighed in relief. Only to soon gasp in horror as the regenerated part quickly withered and flaked away, much like the original limb. When it started to flake away, he and his system started to scream in pain, while falling to his knees.

"Foolish child. Surely you noticed exactly what type of damage this did? I didn't simply cut off your limb" Salem covered her mouth with her free hand while she laughed before saying,

[Vali… her sword cut… a part of your soul away…! And it was… erased! Along with… a piece of me…] His system, while clearly in as much pain as him, said.

"That's not pos-" Looking up at Salem with shock and slight fear he said, though soon interrupted.

However, Salem seemed to be tired with his prattling, as she once again appeared in front of him and cut off his other arm. Another wonderful blood curdling scream from the duo as the entire arm withered and flaked away before it seemed Vali passed out.

Salem released her sword which caused it to burst into flames and return as a ring on her hand.

"And you wanted the honour of fighting My Goddess? Foolish.There is a bare minimum you need to even think about challenging her, and you are nothing but an insect" Looking down on the fallen boy she released a scoff before saying.

With a snap of her fingers, Vali started to float alongside her as she started to make her way back up to me. Smiling at the outcome, Artoria turned her attention over to J'eanne.

To say J'eanne was not having a good time, would be an understatement. Her armour was crumbling in several spots, and her spear was also badly damaged. The flag was also burnt to a crisp, and only a small portion of it was intact. She also had several horrible looking burns all over her body. Artoria's smile only grew when she noticed the state her system was in as well. It was flickering and somehow was missing an entire leg while a large chunk of its 'stomach' was shattered and missing.

"What the fuck is up with this dragon?! Nothing I do is working damn it! Anything that looks like it does damage, only causes it to reform not even a second later. What the hell! Tsk! How are you doing, Anna?" J'eanne asked.

~Anna, is her system's name, huh? Alright, A it is then. Heh, A and B. When her system responded it sounded very glitchy and in a whole lot of pain~

~N-n-not g-g-g-good.I-I-I-I don't und-d-d-derstand how it-it-it is hurting me-me-me-meeee~ The look of rage on J'eanne's face was great as she raised her broken spear at the dragon.

"Damn lizard. Hang on, Anna. We need to get out of here, this is a losing battle. No, this isn't even a battle, damn it!" J'eanne exclaimed.

With a pained sigh it said, ~Where w-w-w-woul-would we go-g-g-go? Our p-p-patro-n-n is still-ll-ll-ll fight-ing-ing-ing~

With an annoyed sigh Jeanne said, "FUCK. Fine, to the death it is then. DIE YOU DAMN LIZARD!" While semi-interesting, Artoria didn't much care to torment her like she wanted to with Vali.

"Hmm.. Oh, I know" With interest shining in her eyes she spoke to the dragon.

"Eat her, and submerge her in the Black Water. I want to see what happens when Dark Corruption meets mine" Her pet roared loudly in glee, and with a mighty flap of its massive wings it blitzed Jeanne with an open maw. I could see her smile foolishly as she yelled.

"Perfect! I'll destroy you from the inside then you fucken asshole!!!" Artoria only snickered at her outburst, as she clearly forgot this wasn't a normal dragon in the slightest. After all, both Salem and her Dragon were merely constructs of her Abyss Water. Avatars mostly. As the dragon chomped down on the screaming fake Jeanne d'Arc, she converted the water she was going to be submerged into into the normal Black Water. Abyss Water would simply erase her after all. She watched in some vested interest as she had a startled look on her face for a few seconds before both her and her system started to scream in pain. And much to her expectations, she reacted to her Waters like someone heavily corrupted by the Light does. That is to say, both of them are starting to dissolve and be erased/absorbed by the Black Water. It took less than a minute for the whole process to finish. In fact, she was dead and gone by the time Salem had landed in front of her with a passed out and whimpering Vali. Looking up at her dragon, it released one final roar in victory before it slowly drifted down and rested on the side of Salem's broken castle.

With a smile Artoria said, "Good job you two, I am most pleased. Did you want to stick around and watch what I do with this one? Or do you wish to return?"

"I wish to stay for a while longer, My Goddess" Salem bowed and said.

With a nod of herhead, Artoria turned to look at the dragon who shook hers. It then melted into a massive pool of Abyss Water that simply rushed to her feet before joining her throne. She then felt another pulse of power from the Abyss Waters Raven's Salem was in. Turning her attention to her she peered into its dark depths. Salem finally grasped the remaining light within and crushed it to pieces. It was then overwhelmed by Artoria's Abyss Waters and she stood up out of the water with a calm disposition. The excess souls were gone and she felt drastically different now. Artoria felt a connection to her that also seemed to branch off to Raven. She began to move, only to stop as we felt a form of assurance from the connection she had to Raven directed to her. Taking a look up at me she bowed her head in thanks.

"Thank you for helping me. I'd hate to think what would become of her again if I were to have died again" She replied in a serious tone.

As Artoria stood up, she snapped my fingers to dismiss my throne and said, "No worries. She might not realise it yet, but we're family now"

"Well, let's get started" She then looked down at Vali and with a sadistic smile on her face and said.

An inky black covered her hand as she reached down to Vali's system, and pulled. This quickly woke both of them up with screams. She only smiled more as she started to pull harder, causing his system to loosen its hold on Vali. With a final pull, and a blood chilling scream from both they were separated. Vali fell down in a slump, only to try and weakly look up at her.

"N-no. Give her back..!" He weakly demanded.

"Oh, no no no. Vali, I am doing you a favour here! You get to experience the same thing your lover did. I am being very magnanimous here, isn't that right Salem?" With a toothy smile and her voice dripping in sadistic glee she said before asking her Salem.

"Indeed, My Goddess" She replied a light giggle and covering her mouth with her hand.

Turning her attention to the Light system in her grip she said, "Perception of Infinity. Soul Rot"

And like the system of Gilgamesh, this one started to howl in pain.Though, it was clearly weaker than Gilgamesh's though, as it faded away into nothingness much faster. As the last bits of the system vanished from reality, she looked down at the broken boy. He was crying and repeating the name of the system over and over, asking for forgiveness and blaming himself for being so weak. Revelling in his pain, Artoria snapped my fingers and cause him to float up to her face.

She stared into his eyes and say, "Your turn, boy"

As it clicked in his mind what she was about to do, he tried to call out to his god, "My God! P-p-please help me! I need your salvation!"

With a cruel grin, she gently caressed his cheek and said, "Your god has no power here. Now.. Perception of Infinity"

As the spell took hold, Artoria reached forward and crushed his jaw and pulled down causing it to hang there loosely. She then pulled her right hand back and plunged it into his chest and ripped out his heart. With his still warm and beating heart in my hand, she pushed it into his mouth and down his throatz slightly causing his screams of pain and pleas of mercy to become muffled. Her eyes burning in sadistic glee, she clenched both sides of his broken jaw and pushed them lightly together against his head.

"Now remember, your gums are bleeding because you don't floss your teeth" And with a gentle push, she crushed his head inwards, causing it to explode like a gory pinata. She then let his body crumble down and crash against the floor with a splash.

"That was quite creative.." The Salem who was native to this Remnant spoke up with an interested tone before looking at her doppleganger.

"Hm... me but different. Yes.. You don't have any past lives on Earth, right?" Elizabeth/Salem asked.

"Past life on Earth? No, can't say I do. You mean to say you do?" The other Salem tilted her head a little and asked.

"I do indeed. I see that's where we differ. I mean.. aside from being bedded by a ten. I don't mean Ozpin by the way" Elizabeth/Salem cheekily replied.

"Yes, I got a general outline of the situation when My Goddess summoned me. Even I have to admit your Raven is quite beautiful and a good catch. I might try to find love again one day, but for now I am content with torturing Ozpin" The other Salem just smiled and nodded her head before saying.

"Then I wish you good luck. I barely cared about Ozpin before I took the plunge? Now..? Hmhm... But let's go see Raven, yes? I can tell she's finishing up" Salem felt the connection to Raven and nodded before looking to Artoria.

-Earlier, Grimmlands-

Raven was dodging and weaving past the God of Darkness' attacks. Magic was his preferred choice, it seemed. An explosion of ice shards, torrents of dark flames, long range lightning attacks and huge walls of Earth. It seemed the Brothers were elementally gifted, despite their mortal bodies. It was their mortal bodies, however, that limited them. Raven took a little damage from how many devastating attacks the Dark God threw out.

He was trying to keep her at a far distance at first. But when Gluttony simply devoured the attacks and threw them back at him twice as powerful. The Dark God was stuck dodging Omen wreathed in Wrath's flames with all his might. But it was like Raven was playing with him.

Batting away an attempted fireball, Raven grabbed his wrist, struck his jaw with her knee and slides across his back, sitting on it while slowly breaking it. Expelling lightning off his body to get her away, the Dark God felt a greedy presence invade his body and plunder his mana reserves, halting his counter attack in his tracks. Raven then folded her legs and rebroke his arm, this time, the other way, before getting off with a grin.

The sight of the God's destroyed arm made her grin as Lust made an appearance next. The Dark God swallowed his saliva as he watched her already impressive aura spike once again.

"It.. can't be? That power was lost..." The God backed up with a fearful expression.

"Seems my lust isn't just for sex. Bloodlust is affected too. Salem's alright... Hmph.. No, I'd rather she not see the sight of her tormentors again. I think it's time I kill you both" Raven spoke, both Gods looking at her in confusion.

"We may be bound to mortal bodies but we are still Gods, Mortal" The Light Brother spoke, still trying to escape Enkidu.

"It's because you're 'Gods' that you'll die here. In your true bodies? This would have been a real fight. But have you ever fought as a Mortal does? Honed your skills to a razor sharp edge? No, you have not. You were born with Godly powers, how could you? You're not strong enough to escape those chains, let alone understand what they've been doing to you this whole time. And you, Dark God.. Without your magic, what can you do?" Raven asked, seeing the God fuming as a response as the Light God came to a horrifying revelation.

"You... You corrupted me..?" The Light God asked, his skin blackening as he writhed.

Blood shot out of his ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Black snake markings enveloped his body. Going all the way up from his limbs and encroaching on his head. He couldn't help but scream as it felt like his blood had turned into lava, his heart beats physically cracking his rib cage with how hard it beat, his skin became necrotic and his hair began to fall out. His appearance aged rapidly as the snakes made their way up to his neck. Seven of the snakes bit and tore into his neck, poisoning him with a black, tar-like substance. His body was forcefully torn open at the chest, where a shadowy presence lurked within. Eyes opened from within his body and he exploded, showering Raven with Divine blood.

The Dark God watched in horror as the shadow within his brother slipped back into Omen. Raven turned to look at him next and scoffed with a disgusted expression.

"Pride" Raven raised Omen and the next thing the God knew, was darkness.

A wave of shadow split him in half vertically. Pride's attack cleaving nearby mountains and destroying whatever it touched before it was pulled back into Raven, who calmly accepted being showered in the Dark God's blood. She heard a 'SNAP' from within, followed by a seductive laugh from Pride. Her aura did not explode but calmly rose like a fog of crimson that swept across the entirety of the Grimmlands.

~You did it, Raven. Welcome to the beginning of our war against the Gods~ Pride cooed in her mind as Raven somehow felt her hands on her body, despite them not being there.

"I'd rather not touch myself right after a slaughter.." Raven closed her eyes with a small blush, hearing Pride pout.

~Blame Lust..~ Raven sighed in response.

Just then, Raven heard a cough coming from Artoria, who had just arrived nearby to get her attention.

"No no, by all means Raven… touch away. Show us a grand play" Giving her a cheeky smile she said.

"I am honestly jealous. I want to ascend and help my Tearwyn as soon as possible..." Artoria sighed as she observed the fog while Raven shamefully covered her face.

"I swear.. I swear it's Pride doing it.." Elizabeth/Salem though, had a rather intense look of 'appreciation' on her face.

"Well we can still help you on your way. I do have this now" The blood on Raven's body coalesced into a spherical fruit consisting of her Divinity and the God's blood.

"We can return to plant this. Why.. are there two Salems?" Raven had to ask, seeing as there were two of them standing before her.

Though she knew which one was hers from the looks she was getting alone.

"Greetings Goddess Raven. I am a servant and follower of Goddess Artoria. She liberated my world from the Light's clutches, and blessed it and its people" The other Salem did a tiny bow and spoke.

"I see.. Better than the alternative" Raven nodded, still not used to there being two Salems.

"Good to meet you. Should we go back? Plant the tree and pick up my idiot Brother?" Raven asked, Elizabeth/Salem chuckling in response.

"You're pretty mean to him, Dear" Elizabeth/Salem lightly chastised.

"You'll understand when you meet him.." Raven shook her head wryly.

"Oh and I like your new appearance" Raven smiled as Elizabeth/Salem hugged her arm lovingly.

"Thank you, Dear" Raven nodded and sent Artoria a grateful look.

Before she could even askTearwyn to open up a portal for them, it appeared. Giving a nod to everyone and gesturing to the portal, Artoria then turned to her Salem.

"Thanks for the entertainment Salem. Come by sometime to play with Tearwyn whenever you or the girls want" Smiling at her, she said.

Smiling back, Salem gave Artoria a deep bow and said, "It was my pleasure to be of use to you, My Goddess. And I will gladly come by and play with Goddess Tearwyn when I have a chance. Good day, everyone"

She then splashed down as she disconnected from her Abyss Water avatar. Artoria reabsorbed it before she stepped through the portal, followed by Raven and Salem.

That's when they saw something unexpected. A nine tailed fox girl was sitting with Tearwyn, moving her multi-colored tails dexterously under Tearwyn's guidance. Said Fox girl looked over with a raised brow and smirked.

"Ara ara..~" She said in an incredibly seductive voice.