Chapter 34

A massive brute.

That was the easiest way to describe what I saw in front of me. With hush in my hands, and the ability it holds.

My confidence was no greater.

It wasn't as tall as Hans, but his muscle mass was easily greater from what I could see.

So long as I had this umbre-

BANG

I... shit... my fucking hand! I didn't even have time to look where the bullet came from before the mountain of muscle leapt at me. I didn't need my umbrella to predict that.

I leapt back, quite a fair distance. Something... something feels different.

'Don't ponder. Jump to the left.'  There was his voice, and I followed his suggestion.

'Mix in some physical illusions, throw him off his game. To kill these things, you need a decisive blow either to the brain or heart.' It wasn't exactly true, but, better safe than sorry. The girl did as told, making several physical illusions that he leapt to, each shattering upon impact. This wasn't too hard.

The only issue was the bullet hole in her hand.

That prevented any chance at a decisive blow.

'There's a slight chance it lacks regeneration. Use a physical illusion, draw it towards you, then strike at it's spinal cord, just above its belt.' Again, I was preparing to follow orders, but saw a piece of ice dust Stab straight into it's shoulder.

It roared in pain, twitching and jittering, but again leapt at the illusion in front of me. I moved to his side, and swung my right heel directly at his spine.

The crunch I heard was sickening. Something... why do I feel so off about this situation.

Another series of crunches followed, and the creature stood straight back up.

There was one thought in both of our heads.

'shit...'

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"1st lieutenant schnee! You've received orders from general ironwood! You are to check on the bullhead headed this way under the orders of Ozpin. A storm of grimm is on its way here." That was all i needed to hear.

"Inform Ruby Rose and her compatriots that i will be gone, and coming back with a surprise." My subordinate was puzzled but, ran off to do as I asked.

I'm coming for you, Hans!

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I've... sensed more and more magic coming from Salem. I... fear for all of your safeties.

I don't think my mind can take another reincarnation.

This... is our final attempt.

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Ah...

Ha... ha...

I... I'm buried in a fucking wall.

I don't know how... but I blocked the punch. I managed to raise my arm in time... just in time to save my life. He shattered my aura... with just one punch...

'Neo. I'm not sure you can win this one. And... that's fine. If we die, we die together.' That tone... that sad, resigned tone. No. Never. She would not let him speak like that.

She never wanted to hear him be so sad.

And so... her resolve, her love, and her determination.

Something changed.

Her semblance began to change. And... an illusion of hans appeared next to her. It helped her up, and then grabbed her arm.

Slowly, gently, it pushed the bones back into place as the ice cream girl grit her teeth. And then, it sewed them together with icy thread.

To say she was confused...

That just didn't cover it.

But there was no time to think, as the beast had returned, snarling like a dog with rabies.

'Get-' the mental connection was cut off, abruptly, Neo's neck snapped straight towards him and saw a second humanoid grimm. A much smaller and lankier one wearing what seemed to be a torn coat with an owl mask. But the grimm had stabbed a syringe straight into his carotid artery.

'I... few more....' and that was when he went dark.

I was completely oblivious to the beast, was... was I going to die here? After all that? That was when my illusion jumped in, blocking the strike and to my utter shock, it didn't shatter.

But a phrase came to mind as my... illusion? Twisted the grimms arm around and slammed elbow onto elbow, shattering his arm. Instinctively, i knew what I needed to do.

Clenching my fist, my right fist, i dashed in Low the moment its arm shattered, rearing back my arm, I punched.

And my arm went straight through.

Gripping with all my might, it's heart was crushed.

The apex of illusion, is reality.

I now also understand why that fight felt so strange. I was faster. Stronger. Its because of what hans did.

Between body and soul, there is a connection. And so, after their linkage, she gained his physical abilities as they were superior to her own.

Though... clearly her durability was not.

A gun cocking destroyed any concentration she had.

The owl had a gun. Not to her...

To Hans.

It looked... especially high tech. A pistol... a pistol reminiscent of Atlas railgun prototypes.

That...

No. There's still hope.

"Dispell your clone. And the man will live." A... grimm spoke? No, not the time. As soon as it disappeared, the owl tossed handcuffs to me.

"Put those on." Now, the moment of truth, I clipped on one, and I prayed, I prayed to oum that this would work! If my semblance has changed.

"Behind you." Spoke a feminine voice. In under a second, the owl spun around, firing off a deadly blast of his rail-pistol.

At absolutely nothing.

What?

There was no time to contemplate before Neo's heel met the owls mask, cracking it and launching the creature away from her beloved, the humanoid grimm hadn't even hit the ground before Neo was upon it once more.

A heel drop, prepared for the soon dead owl.

If not for the disappearance into shadows.

Neo's heel cracked the stone ground beneath.

It got away. That... that wasn't the main focus.

Hans! Neo tore the contraption apart, her beloved falling backwards and she was quick to plant her ear on his chest.

Two heartbeats. They were consistent. That was atleast relieving.

But the syringe. What was in it? She couldn't know. All she could do was hope.

Something came to mind though... where... where was dad? No... it... it couldn't be... right?

No... no! No no no!

Neo made an apparition of hans to look after her beloved before she sprinted off towards the fragmented bullhead. Each step was careless, cracking the ground as she ran full speed.

There it was, the bullhead.

Neo quickly peered in and saw her deepest fears realised, there was blood.

But it wasn't much... right? He... he could still be alive!

Neo followed the blood trails with shaky steps, leading to a rock at which her father sat.

Her father's corpse that is.

She fell to her knees at the sight of a massive piece of shrapnel embedded solidly into his chest. Dried blood leaked from his dead smile, his cane lay beside him

His melodic cudgel.

And in his hand, a bloodied note and pen.

Hey, Neo. I guess you'll be the one reading this. If not... then I'm sorry, for everything I've ever done. I made mistakes in my youth, I was an arrogant kid, one of the best students at beacon. And I got arrogant, fell in with the wrong crowd, then I got lost in the thrill of it all. Please, give my hat and cane to my daughter N...

That was where the letter ended, obscured by his blood.

Damnit... damnit... DAMN IT ALL!

Why... I punched the ground.

Why!? Why does this shitty world try to take everything from me?! I punched again.

And again

And again.

I punched until my arms were heavy, until my gloves were ruined, until my fists were caked in my own blood.

And...

As the adrenaline...

Wore off... I grabbed the cane... and my fathers hat.

"Men, take the body. Give him a proper burial."

Oh... its... Weiss...

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This... Neo. You.... must've felt even worse than I did.

I'm so sorry for you. But all we can do now is move on. Push forward, and hope for the best.

My coat billowed in the wind as it hung strapped to my shoulders.

But... that... Hans? Why were there two? One was clearly not real, judging by its completely identical arms. Hans lost his arm.

The other, had some strange... prosthetic? I was hesitant to even call it that. I've never seen such a thing before.

"Well... no time to question it. Men, load up the three living onto the bullhead." They immediately rushed to each person, in hindsight, there wasn't enough time to Bury Roman.

"Where are you going, Schnee?" A disgusted and arrogant voice, oh, how I remember that voice from his speeches.

"Adam taurus-" I was caught off guard by a woman, a woman who had launched herself straight at me.

I obviously blocked the blade with myrtenaster.

One handed.

"I consider it rude..." I knocked her blade to the side, propelling myself forward with a glyph and grabbing the grimm mask. "To hide your face from your opponent!" I slammed my knee into the mask, shattering it and revealing a woman I could safely say I didn't expect.

"Raven Branwen? Sister of the drunkard? Member of team STRQ?" It was quite the surprise.

"ENOUGH GAMES!" A blade of bright red energy launched itself at me, thinking quickly, I made a glyph mid-air and kicked back off it, returning to my original position.

"Reckless aren't we, Taurus. Do not worry, you don't have to fear for your life. I Still intend to take you alive." Around six glyphs stacked into one as I picked up a stone, bracing my arm, I threw it straight through each glyph.

The stone shot clean through like a Railgun.

"You see, each of those glyphs doubled the speed of the rock. You can imagine how painful that hitting would be. Anyways, it's time to do my job."

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Where...? Where was weiss? She felt so warm to Ruby.

Ruby pushed herself up, her disheveled hair having a small strand that pushed back and showed her forehead.

"Eugh... thats looks so stupid. Who would ever think that was a good hairstyle?" Quickly shaking her hair back to normal, Ruby sat up on the side of the bed.

Letting out a big yawn, arms stretched over her head, she sighed.

"Miss Ruby Rose? 1st lieutenant Schee told us to inform you that she is on a mission and will return with a surprise." One of besties subordinates told me.

I... should go help her.

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That... was immensely worrying to watch. Neo did it, but I only didn't interfere because my instincts told me to. I could hear a boom in the distance odd, but anyway.

One of my skills, hero maker, I felt as if Neo was at the precipice of a kind of breakthrough.

Not only that, but I was still quite unsure of using my abilities with how unstable that divine construct felt. But I guess nows my time to...

Is... that a girl?

A girl with black hair and red tips. She wore blue jeans with a grey shirt and red coat. Was... was that a flask?!

"Hey weiss." The girl spoke after taking a drink from her flask.

"Ruby?! How did you get here so fast?" Ruby burped after another swig of her flask.

"When hans got turned to stone. I broke the sound barrier. I just did the same to get here." That's... impressive.

"Well weiss, I'll take on the redhead. You take on auntie."

"Ruby..." Raven muttered out, clearly seeing far too much of a resemblance between the once innocent child and Qrow-

Wait...

"Is that his flask?!"

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