Chapter 209: Details

Chapter 209: Details

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Details

Ozpin took a deep breath and then sighed, sad eyes on me.

"So," He whispered softly. "It's time then?"

I shrugged, meeting his eyes steadily.

"More or less," I replied. "I'm not going to leave right this instant, but the world's not going to stop ending just because I'm pussyfooting around. I'm going to have to go there eventuallyand I'm pretty sure I'm running out of time."

"So it would seem," Ozpin acknowledged, looking down into his coffee cup again. "I suppose it's unlikely to be a coincidence that Cinder has chosen now to make her move."

"Even if she isn't targeting me specifically, it makes no difference," I said. "She's Famine, one of the Ridersif she starts something, odds are good that the other Grimm are bound to follow. If you're suspicions are correct and she intends to attack the ties between the Kingdoms, then it's just as possible that she's working to prepare an opening for her fellows."

"Divide and conquer," Ozpin agreed, sighing again. "I had much the same thought, I'm afraid. Yes, it seems like things have started to move and we've no choice now but to stop them. Butdo you believe it's possible? For you to overcome Jericho Falls in your present state?"

He phrased it as an honest question and I considered it as such, nodding slowly.

"I believe so," I answered. "If not right now, then soon. I've busied myself with preparations of late and while I still have room to improve, I fear that my growth will soon slow unless I'm willing to venture further into dangerous territory. Either way, I'll run out of safe options soon. There are a few things I'd like to do beforehand, butyes. I think I'll be able to do it."

After all, I thought, from what I've learned, they wanted me there. While I doubted they'd just open the doors and welcome me in, they needed me to find whatever it is insidewhatever it is that Keter said my name was so vital to. Which was pretty damn worrying in its own right, I had to say, but I was kind of running out of options at this point. I'd tapped my memories for all I could, spoken to my soul, poked the Riders to see what came out, but I kept running into the same problem.

I lacked information. No one who I could really trust knewno one who actually knew would tell me. I needed to learn more if I wanted to have any hope of defeating Malkuth and his Riders, even if that meant walking into danger.

The one upside, I thought, was that I'd obviously been the one to store that information. If it was, as I suspected, hidden behind my true nameand I was betting there was more to getting in than just typing in a passwordthan Malkuth didn't know what was inside either, or he wouldn't need me to get in. I had a few suspicions about what I would find within, but from what I knew about myself, the information itself probably wasn't meant to help Malkuth; it was something else. Something important enough that I'd hidden it behind my true name, even knowing what Death could do to me, and important enough that despite having millennia to do so, the Grimm hadn't just destroyed it.

It may have been a longshot, but it was still a shot, which meant it came out ahead of most of my other optionswhich mainly boiled down to stumbling in the dark until something horrible happens, at which point I'd try not to die. And I had experience with that, sure, but it wasn't exactly a desirable state of being. I could grind my skills until Malkuth got tired of waiting and sent his minions to wipe out everything I knew and loved, but I'd hardly call that a victory; I needed to figure out what he was after, how to kick him in the dick repeatedly to keep him from getting it, and how to kill him in the process. Without the 'wipe out everything' part, if at all possible.

And if it had be mewhich it hadthan that was exactly the type of thing I'd keep locked up tight for my future self, if I couldn't do the deed personally. Along with something to keep him from simply destroying it.

I could have laughed at myself. Here I was, betting on someone I barely remembered being to turn what was obviously a trap into a possible advantage. Cross your fingers, me. If this works out, I'll love myself forever.

"If you believe you're ready, than I will believe in you, Jaune," Ozpin replied after a long moment, nodding slowly before turning his eyes to gaze at the city of Vale. After a long moment, he sighed again. "I'll tell you everything I can, but I may disappoint you. I don't have any good memories of Jericho Fallsbut I don't have many memories of it, period. I can't emphasize enough how quickly things fell apart for us; truly, I barely remember the fighting. Most of what I remember was my comrades dying as the Grimm fell upon us. ButI admit I've spent quite some time obsessed with that place, driven by it. I gathered everything I could in the hopes of one day facing it again."

"But you never did?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"In the end, there was no real point in doing so," He claimed. "Jericho Falls was considered noteworthy because of its intense concentration of Grimm, but it's not particularly close to the Kingdom, has no strategic value, and there was never any proof that there was anything of value there. Long range scans of the place revealed nothing on this side and though I found that computer on the other, I wasn't able to access it. Any time I ran the numbers, the cost in lives needed to take the place far outweighed the potential rewards. With the situation always so tenuous, I can't afford to risk the lives of my Hunters for the sake of settling an old grudge."

I looked at him carefully, considering him for a long moment.

Having heard that, the logical thing for me to do was ask him for help. We both knew I could get around those problems and give him his chance, help him avenge his fallen friendsand I'd be able to bring him along, which was its own reward. Even as strong as I now was, I was fairly confident that Ozpin could take me and my entire team in a fight. If I was about the dive into hell, I'd sure as hell want him along for the ride, considering he was the best guy to pull me back out.

Assuming, of course, that I could trust him. That he was Ozpin, the Headmaster and my friend, rather than my greatest enemy. If he wasn't, then having him onboard would be invaluable.

But if he was, it would really suck to find out in my moment of glory. I could imagine itI unlock the computer, Death kills me and wipes me clean, and next time I reincarnate, assuming Malkuth allows the human race to continue existing afterwards, I'm welcomed by a horde of super Grimm every time I draw attention to myself. If I knew that the trap he'd set may have had a counter-trap built into it, than presumably Malkuth knew and had planned a counter to my counter. As those things went, having Death on hand to kick me in the dick so hard my head popped off was a fairly good one; it was what I would probably do.

Ozpin especially would be a good choice for such a thing, thanks to his time manipulationif he was on hand when I learned what I needed, he might be able to travel back in time to kill me before I learned or to ensure I did too quickly to make use of it. Seen in that light, a time manipulator would make a pretty good choice for Death's host. And the downside to him being stronger than my entire team combined was that he was stronger than my entire team combined; assuming I could actually keep him from slaughtering us instantly or before the fight began, I suspected our time of survival would still be fairly brief.

On the other hand, if he wasn't Death, his presence could be the difference between life and death, and how could I justify excluding him.

"Do you want in?" I asked him, keeping my thoughts off my face and out of my voice. "We talked about it before, I believeand I'd be happy to have you watching my back."

Best to leave my options open. If necessary, Raven and I could just attack the place without telling him. If it turned out we couldn't manage without him and could be sure we wouldn't be betrayed, then we could just as easily bring him along. No sense in ruining that beforehand.

Ozpin turned to look at me and seemed tempted.

"I want to," He said. "Truly. For those that died while I lived and because I lived. For years after I escaped that place, it was all I could dream of; it's what drove me to become stronger, what led me to where I am today. But"

"You can't?" I asked.

He sighed again, seeming to age before my eyes.

"After what you told me about Cinder, no," He admitted. "Though I dreamt of it for years, I dream of other things now, and I can't risk their loss. If Cinder's aim is this school and I am the only thing keeping her from acting overtly, then if she were to learn of my absence"

"Boom," I said. "Bye, bye, Beacon. I get it."

"I'm sorry," He said, bowing his head low. "The information contained within Jericho Falls is likely to be invaluable"

"But it's pointless if everything we've sworn to protect is destroyed while we're off getting it," I replied with a shrug. "Like I said, I get it. Besides, if I'm wrong and I do diebest we don't keep all our eggs in one basket, right?"

"Don't talk like that," Ozpin said firmly. "You won't die, Jaune. I told you that I believe in you."

I smiled at him again and shrugged.

"Then believe in me," I said. "I'll manage."

"I'm sorry," He said again, shaking his head and putting his cup down. "It seems I will have to depend on you this time, Jaune."

"Leave it to me," I told him. "But really, anything you could tell me would help."

"I'll draw you up a list of the Grimm I saw personally," He said. "It may only detail the outer perimeter, but perhaps it will be of some assistance. Beyond that, I have only what supposition and conjecture."

"Somehow, I have the feeling that what you consider conjecture, others would take as fact," I answered dryly. "And I'll take whatever I can get, Ozpin."

He took another deep breath and looked at me grimly.

"This is nothing but a guess on my part," He began. "A fear, really. But I told you before that I say the Humbaba there, yes?"

I nodded once, listening.

"Truly, they were quite prominent," He continued. "It's rare to see any of them on Vytal, but there they were, mixed in even amongst the rabblethe center of every formation. True, there were other mighty creatures there, but in both numbers and power, the Humbaba were the greatest threat. And it made me wonder why. Jericho Falls was guarded by countless Grimm, many of them far stronger than the norm, so much so that the better part of a hundred Hunters couldn't get past the metaphorical door. What then lay within its depths?"

Slowly, I felt my heart drop as I followed his words to their conclusion.

"If not for recent events, even I might think myself ridiculous for suggesting it," Ozpin murmured, nodding at my expression. "But perhaps the Humbaba are there to guard more than just the treasure within Jericho Falls' depthsperhaps they are present in their role as honor guards. For years, a part of me couldn't help but think that perhapsperhaps Gilgamesh is there."

"Soon," I assured. "But there are several things I wish to test before we do and I'm uncertain how much destruction they may cause. I think it would be best if I practiced them alone, somewhere that nothing will be missed."

"Ah," Raven answered, nodding but otherwise remaining still. I passed through the portal she made and then walked into a second one moments later, emerging at the edge of the destruction I'd wrought on the dark continent. Had it been anywhere else, I might have felt a bit bad about it, but here? Here I just wanted to make it bigger.

And I knew just where to start.

Brahmastra (Active) LV1 EXP: 0.00% MP: Special.

One of the legendary techniques wielded by the Astradhari, it was said to invoke the power of the Creator. Used as a skill, it can either empower an existing weapon or create one entirely from Aurain either case, the effect is the same, drawing Light from the realms above to fuel a reaction. Empowered by the user's Aura, the matter summoned is torn apart and reforged in a process that draws out the power hidden within and forges it into a mighty weapon. Said to be a weapon of utmost destruction, its power was such that it could annihilate cities and its use left fields barren of life. Power increases with WIS. The use of the Brahmastra per day as it draws deeply from the user's soul, reaching through it to draw down the power of Creation.

Damage: Special.

Defense Penetration: Special.

Range: Special.

Automatically inflicts 'Decay' status effect on anyone who receives damage or who spends significant time in an area where the skill was used.

The duration and effect of fallout depends on skill level.

'Decay' status effect may not be removed through mundane means.

Number of uses per day: 1.

Power began to gather in my right hand even as my flesh was stripped away by Sahasrara. It vanished quickly, burning away from the surface of my arm and spreading outwards to the rest of my body until my soul was bared. As I changed, I felt my reserves of power swell, burgeoning with each passing moment. Trails of light began to emerge from each of my one million eyes, coiling around my limbs and up the length of my body until it reached my hand and began to take form.

It started as a jagged shape, baring more resemblance to crystal than the energy-forms of its predecessors, like a shard of stained glass. As more power gathered in it, other shapes began to appear around it, emerging from the air and fitting themselves to the edges as seamlessly as if they were the pieces of a puzzle. When it began, it was no but a few edges peeking out from the grip of my hand, but soon it began to take the shape of a polearm with a smooth and perfect surface. I counted the seconds and regulated the flow of power to the forming weapon to insure I wasn't left defenseless if something attacked me, but even fueling it with my enormous well of power, I ended up counting as the seconds passed.

Brahmastra didn't have a charge time, as suchor rather, it took however long was needed to gather the required amount of power, which I judgedbased off the rate the weapon was forming at and taking into account the skills I had that reduced coststo be somewhere in excess of ten million MP. Even more me, it was a number that took time to gather, even if I was able to regulate the flow; even though Quick Soul had grown greatly thanks to my almost constant use of it, it couldn't make me draw in power any faster. All told, it took me nearly half a minute to fully form the attack, at which point I took a moment to look at it.

Despite the power that had gone into it, it was a simple looking weapon; a spear of solid white, static and physical. It didn't seem to weigh about the same amount as a spear of its size and I could feel the power held within itbut it wasn't enough. Even this was nothing more than the shell of the Brahmastra, woefully incomplete.

So I reached out to the only thing that could finish it, scanning the area one last time before closing my eyes. I felt the paths of power flowing through me and followed them from root to crown, touching upon my chakras one by one in the process. When at last I came to Sahasrara, I took a breath and touched it lightly before reaching throughand felt a response.

Power, the raw light of creation, flooded into me without any physical source, because I was drawing from beyond the physical. I reached out to the place above Sahasrara and higher than Keter, the light unshaped by the Sephirot. It burned through my Chakrasmy soullike fire from the sun, turning the thin trails streaming from my eyes into gushing, luminous rivers. This wasn't MP, per se, wasn't quite anything yet, but it filled the shell of the Brahmastra and made it something more.

Flesh began to form over my body as more and more power was drawn into the spear. It started at the furthest parts of my body and progressed quickly over the rest of my body until I was back to my human formand the Brahmastra was glowing like nothing I'd ever see. It glowed from within like I'd trapped the sun inside, shining through the veil of crystal as if it wasn't even there. It wasn't hot, but the sheer amount of light could have blinded any normal person who looked at it, stripping away their sight in an instant. At the same time, I felt exhausted in some tiny part of me, the passing of the Light through my body and soul an experience that drained me on a level similar to Sahasrara butdeeper, somehow.

But I'd done it. I'd forged a weapon straight out of legend.

And without a moment's hesitation, I reared back and threw it as far away from me as possible. I put all my strength, physical and mental, into the throw, sending the spear into a high enough arc that when it reached its zenith, it illuminated the world around us like the noonday sunand when it fell, it dyed the sky with all the colors of the dawn. It touched down more than a few kilometers away from me.

It hardly seemed to make a difference.

What happened next was hard to separate as several things happened in quick succession. Something exploded in the distance and there were waves of energy all across the spectrum that were blinding even for me. I felt a flash of fire that beggared description, cloaked by massive clouds of dust and debris, and the heat of the explosion washed over me even as it burned the surrounding Lotus Eater trees to ash and charcoal. At almost the same time, there was a wave of force that shattered the ruined trees for kilometers around, crushing stone and tearing up earth, even as it seemed to make the world tremble and shake. My body, which weighed little more than anyone else my size, was caught in the blast and flung high and far with a power that clawed at my body and seared at my reinforced skin.

I caught myself someone high above it all, momentarily disoriented until I had a moment to shake it off. I blinked once and focused, turning my gaze to an area that had changed greatly between one moment and the next, stripped mercilessly bare by the power of the Brahmastra. Now that it wasn't quite so bright, I could see it still, settling deep within the earth and air and water of the continent, poisoning it to the core. That same energy clung to me and I could feel it moving, trying to attack me from within until I touched my face and healed myself several times over.

But while its invisible effects were noteworthy, the visible ones were perhaps more impressive. As I looked through the clouds of smokeso large that they seemed to collapse beneath their own weightI just had tomarvel at what I'd done.

The crater I'd left was nearly fifty meters deep at its lowest point and the better part of a kilometer wide, to say nothing of the surround area, which had been burned shattered for kilometers in every direction.

Kilometers that had been populated by nothing but the Grimm.

Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one!

All at once, I heard a multitude of rising cries. Some resembled roars and howls, others more alien sounds like a single, strange note rising higher and higher or an odd blowing sound. I turned towards the sources, picking them out of the smoke and firethe creatures of Grimm that had proven tough enough to survive even that display of power. I saw a Humbaba alongside a Panoptes, a Morrigan taking to the air, and a Garmr, among other things, all still standing tall.

But they looked different now, like melting clay dolls. Lengths of red flesh shined through where white armor and black skin and been blown away, and it seemed togrow and spread by the second. The 'flesh' within the wounds quivered oddly, seeming to almost liquefy, and even as the wounds began to heal and close they did so wrongly. I saw one of the Garmr's legs heal over in wrinkled black skin, with the smooth armor that should have grown from the limb instead piercing through the flesh oddly, as if it had partially reformed within. The Morrigan's wings seemed twisted and skeletal, as if bones had broken and healed in strange ways. Most of the Humbaba's skin was simply gone and didn't seem to be healing at all, instead replacing the exposed red matter endlessly.

And for all that, they were still nightmarishly powerful.

The Descending Terror

Level 174

Humbaba

The Eyes in the Darkness

LV 171

Panoptes

Death on Wings of Night

LV 176

Morrigan

The Hound of Hell

LV 175

Garmr

I looked them over once, taking a slow, quiet breath before cracking my neck. Though it sent shocks of bizarre pain through me, I stripped away my mortal form again and unleashed the power of my soul with Sahasraraand then took it a step further.

Aurora (Active & Passive) LV1 EXP: 0.00%

The unleashed manifestation of one's soul. Now grown far beyond the limits of its mortal frame, it bursts forth to shine like the rising sun. This skill enhances the user's Aura, giving them the power to rise from the deepest darkness to shed light on the world. Through this technique, the user's Aura is further refined and enhanced, reaching past its limits of defending, healing, and enhancing to scour away those it recognizes as enemies. Power grows with the user's MP.

Greatly enhance all benefits of the user's Aura.

Causes damage to all enemies within range.

Range: 100 meters.

And all at once, the skies above Grimm were illuminated by rolling patterns of light.