Chapter 57: Four Years Of Change
Vacuo being on the same continent as Vale the two are technically the closest Kingdoms to one another. However, the differences in their lifestyles and Geography are quite clear. Vacuo and its territory mainly consist of a vast desert called The Wastelands by many. The sandstorms make flight by small airships nearly impossible and a dangerous hazard to large ones.
To invade it you need to go by ground, but even then you would find things difficult. The people of Vacuo and their cities are dug in deep, they have the advantage territory-wise. And unlike many other Kingdoms, the City of Vacuo the capital was one of the first cities that needed to be destroyed in order to advance on the rest of the Kingdom.
That's where the frontlines were at the moment, in the war against Taella's forces and Vacuo. At the most brutal of these battlefields, the sand was dyed red with blood, and corpses of both sides littered the ground.
With how flat the terrain was there was no room for surprise attacks, and the lack of visibility paired with potential dangers like ravines, quicksand, and sand storms made any attempts of flanking impossible. It was a straight head-to-head battle, no room for real strategy, a perfect stage for Taella.
"Surround him!" Six soldiers under The Dread Horde banner surrounded a short blonde-haired young man the moment he came in view. Some of their own lay dead at this man's feet yet his eyes were completely calm. A long black jacket draped down to his brown boots.
In his hand, he held a long sword with a white and black hilt, and a blade that had gold etched into its design. The only other thing of note was the elongated black and gold sheath on his back, which took an oval shape.
"Hya!" The moment the soldiers had him surrounded they attacked. Their weapons were fueled by dust enveloped in the different elements of nature. Despite their sudden attack they were coordinated and fast. Still, they were not fast enough.
The closest one of them attacked from behind stabbing towards the man's back. However, before their blade reached he disappeared from view, in two quick strokes the Soldier watched as his dagger cut clean in half, and then his arm was separated from his Torso.
"Ah!" The pain hit him all as one as he began letting out a scream, but before he could even vent his anguish his head was lopped off.
"Dammit!" The remaining four launched their attacks all together cutting off any chance of him dodging. Glancing around he shifted his grip on his sword before moving. Pivoting on his foot he twisted in a full 360 while swinging his sword. A circular aura expanded in all directions followed by the sound of air being cut.
All four of the soldiers froze in their place wide-eyed before gashes appeared across their chest and stomachs and they fell to the ground. If Shen were to see this he would laugh and be surprised. Four years had changed a lot and that was true for Jaune as well.
"Commander are you alright?" One of the men fighting on Vacuo's side ran up to him. Jaune nodded as his sword shortened itself and he sheathed it onto his back.
"Our situation?" Looking around, over twenty thousand people on either side were fighting against one another. The sound of guns firing and blades clashing echoed through the sandy weather. The man talking to Jaune shook his head.
"Not much has changed. We're holding out the best we can but their supplies and resources are coming in too fast. Holding the Stalemate for a few more months should be fine but after that…'' Jaune didn't need him to continue glazing across the battlefield; he noticed something.
Dashing across the desert grounds weaving through enemies, two Faunus dressed in Ultima Uniforms locked on to Jaune. He reached for his sword but halted mid-way at the same time the soldier standing with Jaune was terrified.
The two Ultima Uniform Faunus jumped over twenty feet into the air as their animalistic features enhanced themselves. Their claws were sharp enough to dig out someone's heart, but before they could reach Jaune, two figures from Vacuo's side leaped out in front of him. The first figure intercepted their Faunus first.
A green frontally open hooded cloak was wrapped around his neck. He wore a gray shirt and white pants under it that mirrored traditional Chinese wear in their design, the former having white flowers patterned onto it. With his hair being entirely black except for a single stripe of pink you could recognize Ren right away.
He didn't have any weapons and instead used his hands directly. Using the flat end of his palm he struck the Faunus directly in the head. The force passed straight through their bones towards their brain. Twisting his body in the air he raised his leg into the air before swinging it down like an ax.
It came down directly on the Faunus's head sending them hurtling towards the grown like a meteor. Their bodies cratered into the ground sending a large wave of sand everywhere. Following his lead, the second figure that flashed towards the other Faunus attacked as well. And by process of elimination, this was of course Nora.
Her orange hair was still as short as ever, but it was styled off to one side. Black thigh boots stretch up most of her legs. The rest of her legs were covered by a dark pink skirt which merged into her top, which was a mix of whitish-gray and dark blue. Her arms were covered in long gloves stretching nearly up to her shoulders.
Her hammer had changed as well, size-wise at least. Instead of being the size of her body, it had nearly become the length of a car. On Top of that, the hammerhead was nearly two or three times larger. Pink electricity crackled through it into her body as she activated her semblance. The faunus didn't even have a chance to react as she swung from his side.
Bolts of lightning shot off in every direction when the attack struck, frying his body as he was sent hurdling dozens of meters through the air. His body dug into the sand when it hit the ground completely unmoving. Smirking she landed on the ground with a thud casually putting her hammer over her shoulder without any effort.
"So Jaune has there been any sign of Taella yet?" Jaune shook his head to Nora's question.
"We just have to hope we attract 'her' attention, if we don't then this whole plan will go up in smoke." Ren, Nora, and Jaune had all grown up, they were taller now and looked more mature. Yet that fighting spirit and flashes of hope had still not left their eyes, in that regard they had hardly aged.
The three of them continued to fight in a localized area, never venturing too far from one another. Almost an hour had passed until finally, something happened. In the distance, the sound of yells and screams was accompanied by countless bodies flying into the air like ragdolls all on Vacuo's side.
It was as if a force was drilling its way through the battlefield, there was no resistance at all. Seeing that Jaune signaled for the soldier he had been talking to leave.
"She's here!" Ren finished off the enemy he was fighting as he regrouped with everyone. The three of them watched a figure come into focus. Each of her claws was over a foot long being extended by ice. They sliced through anything in their way metal or flesh while her tails danced behind her, each acting on their own.
They pierced directly through any body armor and blocked any bullets heading in their direction. They were furry yet they could instantly become harder than steel when crystallized in ice. The three of them kept their calm as finally, she reached them. Ripping through the last Vacuo Soldier in her way, Taella smiled when she saw the three of them.
It was a malicious smile backed by a calm yet clearly crazed person. Seeing her caused Jaune to take a deep breath as he whispered to Nora.
"Nora, you know what to do. Keep her busy." Nora nodded as her hammer crackled with pink electricity.
"On it!" Running forward she jumped into the air towards Taella while twirling her hammer. All of Taella's tails moved, forming a roof above her and quickly crystallized into ice. The impact of Nora's hammer was like an explosion going off, the shockwave cleared the sand from the sand storm in a fifty-meter area and shook the ground. Even the ice around Taella's tails cracked.
"It's been so long since we last saw you three. We almost thought you had run away, we were so disappointed." Nora's eyes sparked with electricity as she replied to Taella with.
"Haven't you ever heard of personal time? Even if your crazy you should know girls need time to themselves." Taella's tails pushed Nora's hammer back sending her flying away before skating across the sand on her feet.
"Crazy? Wasn't that a rude thing to say? Hmm?" Taella began talking to herself as she looked over at the empty space next to her.
"Ohh... That's a good idea, you so smart. How about we freeze you alive, Instead of ripping your body to shreds? Then you can have all the personal time you want. If we were crazy we wouldn't offer you such a considerate deal."
"Um... Ya, I think I'll pass." Nora kicked off of Taella's tails launching herself back. Taella's expression shifted as she charged at Nora, Taella's every stop froze the sand under her. Large spike's of ice the size of entire houses shot from the ground towards Nora as she ran.
Gritting her teeth Nora swung her hammer in succession destroying each pillar coming at her. Crushing the last one she held up the handle of her hammer in defense as Taella thrust her hand towards Nora's chest.
"Oh don't be rude now, it would be a waste to ruin such a nice figure." Her iced claw's scraped against the hammer's metal as she let out a haunting laugh. Watching both Ren and Jaune didn't step in, instead, Ren looked towards Jaune.
"To your right."
"I know, wherever Taella goes those two follow."
Pulling out his sword both he and Ren took fighting stances. Rushing from each of their rights and left respectively were two more people. Ren narrowly dodged a flaming neon orange blade as it struck the ground directly next to him. It scorched the ground on impact as Ren grabbed the wrist of who was using the sword.
At the same time, Jaune directly clashed with the second person. His long sword sparked against the double-bladed head of a spear. Scarlet red hair fluttered through the air as Jaune stared at his enemy. The red sash around her waist, was accompanied by the armored golden leggings that traveled up her thighs.
Gold, brown and black were the colors that adorned her leather and armored skirt. A Greek Amazon, that was the thought pattern of anyone who saw her on the battlefield. Where Taella was considered a winter witch capable of freezing anything her way, the woman before him would be more akin to a goddess of war.
"Pyrrha."
"Jaune."
The two of them spoke briefly as they glared at one another. Taking the initiative Pyrrha broke their contact using her spear to jump over him. At the same time, Ren was sending skating back towards Jaune.
"Done with your greetings?" Raven's skin had become paler than before, her gaze was cold with eyes redder than blood. Her hair had a slight tint of red to it and her mostly black armor followed the design of a samurai's. The only thing that stood out were her weapons being created through her maiden abilities.
"You three should have stayed hidden, this time we won't be letting you go." Pyrrha had grown even taller than before, practically matching Jaune. Her voice was more straightforward, no longer having that unconfident, yet charming ring.
"We have no intention of retreating in defeat this time." Ren interjected as Jaune nodded.
"This time it's all or nothing. We were already forced to escape Vale and leave it to fend for itself. I refuse to let that happen again, this war will end today, one way or another." Hearing Jaune's words, Raven materialized a sword in her hand.
"It seems we all agree then."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone