Everything went incredibly quick for Reign.
He was still debating whether or not he should get into of what was left of the once pyramidal shape of Shade Academy when Acroma stumbled back onto the car and used some ice dust to cool himself. Reign did not know whether to be worried or not, but in the end, he decided to chalk it up to overheating. Both of them were pale and even he sometimes noticed his circuits overheating, despite growing up in Vacuo's deserts. Add to that the fact that Acroma was not at all dressed for the occasion and that he must've been used to much cooler climates and you had yourself a pretty safe way to eventually collapse under the heat of the sun.
Reign had even seen it happen before. His… friend, Lilac, came from Atlas as well, she was also not dressed correctly for the weather and the heat eventually got to her so much that she broke down during training.
Acroma also seemed to get better rather quickly, and Reign made a mental note to watch if something like that happened again. He also quickly looked through his things. If they were going to go through with this and head into the ruins it would ve best to check his equipment. Albtraum still had a good couple of shots and he still had five cartridges of fire dust remaining. Not too much, but it would do to get through some Atlas troops. Or at least he hoped so.
But it did not get to that. A hooded figure showed up close to them. Reign was about to make a snarky remark about the cloaked figure's dramaticism, but then his own name fell, and that of Lilac as well.
'How the hell did he-'
Reign didn't even get to finish the thought as a group of Grimm approached from behind the figure. One of them bore a striking resemblance of Lilac as well. The short hazel colored hair was still there. He frame was a few inches taller than Reign, and he didn't fail to notice that her weapon was drawn.
Her weapon, the Purple Rainmaker, was double-edged blade that was golden along the fuller and had lines engraved into it, the sharp parts were colored purple. The hilt was akin to that of a rapier, however just above the handguard the barrel of a weapon was visible and stretched out about two inches along the blade, the barrel belonged to a machine pistol that was integrated into the sword, the trigger was located at the handle.
She whisper-yelled somethings again and again,
"Why did you leave me? You said you would protect me? It's your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!!"
Reign felt as if she was just speaking his own thoughts to him. He felt sick to his stomach with guilt and regret. Reign could not help it. Tears quickly welled up in his eyes and immediately began running down his cheeks. He had always blamed himself for her death before, but hearing it from her mouth, with her voice stung. Much more than it would if anyone else would have said it. It was his fault. He was to blame. He ruined her life and he drove her into death. He was the infection, the cause. Reign felt as if he was about to throw up his own guts. He was what went wrong. He should be in her place.
Eventually, the Grimm-Lilac lunged for him with the blade. Reign only stumbled backward, his body moved more from instinct and routine rather than him reacting to the strike. He was still too stunned and shocked by what he saw.
His movements were not nearly as fast as they should be. He only barely blocked the strikes of the Purple Rainmaker with the faces of his chakrams. He was completely off his game, he did not know how to act in the face of this situation. Lilac was faster and much, much stronger than she used to be.
Reign was making a wild guess what her capabilities were. It was clearly a Grimm he was fighting, but the closest a Grimm ever came to humanoid appearance was a Geist and they were still far from looking like the Grimm-Lilac he was fighting. Then she was able to speak properly, a Grimm that could talk? Impossible! It struck Reign at that point that, if this Grimm-Lilac had her weapon, appearance, voice… memories. Then it might have her semblance as well. If so, then he and everyone else were in deep trouble. She was already strong enough as is, but there were way too many people around who were probably not brimming with happiness to face Lilac with her semblance activated. Reign had to act and fast.
He had already battled Lilac several times in training, but that was training and wildly different. Not just that, but she was already much stronger and faster than Lilac was and if it could use her semblance, then that would only get worse. But if she had her memories that meant Reign knew where her weak spots were, what he could use to his advantage. He had to put her down. Somehow.
The next strike that came in from Lilac was not blocked by Reign like any other attack that was thrown his way. He spun one of his chakrams against the blade, so that one of the two hooked parts, that were placed on each Traumfänger, hooked in the Purple Rainmaker. Reign used that momentum to flip sideways and send a kick straight to the Lilac-Grimm's temple. When he landed he distanced himself a little.
She had dropped the blade, giving Reign enough time to jam two of the fire dust cartridges into both of his weapons. He began spinning one around his finger and soon enough it began sparking and a spin later it caught fire.
Meanwhile, the Lilac-Grimm had retrieved her blade and was rushing for Reign again. Before she could swipe at him, Reign threw the flaming chakram straight into the air and soon blinked after it. In mid-air, he caught the crossed bars that made for his weapon's handle between his fingers and immediately hurled it down again, at the abomination that resembled his former love.
Reign was almost a hundred percent that this was not the person he loved once, not even a person to begin with. Lilac had died - Or at least the rest of what made up team GRVL agreed that that was the only logical conclusion - and Reign had come to terms with it, maybe not in time to not push away the only remaining friends he had, but he did. Whatever this Grimm was that he was fighting was nothing more than that, a Creature of Grimm, soulless, holding just as much worth.
Reign focused on the Grimm again. It had sidestepped and caught the flamming chakram, the flames quickly extinguishing. So Reign came up with an idea.
He tapped one of the pouches on his belt that held an incendiary dust cartridge, letting some of his aura flow into it. Immediately he felt the spot on his belt heat up. A light smile appeared on his face.
He used his semblance one more time, rushing for the chakram Lilac held. She was fast before, and she may be even faster now than ever before, but Reign was convinced she did not have the reflexes to keep up with his blinks.
He was right.
Quickly he zapped toward the chakram, engulfing himself in flames from the dust as he accelerated his decent. He hit his former love directly on the chest, the flames burning into her, the sand below his got flung into the air and Reign did not fail to notice that small clusters of sand had gotten enough heat to turn to glass, which was also flung away from him. Reign held onto the chakram, while the Grimm-Lilac released from the heat and pain.
Reign rushed her, turning his chakrams to clubs as he did. Without hesitating, she sent the Purple Rainmaker toward his head. Reign simply blocked with one of the iron rods, then he swiftly thrust the other rod from below against her chin. Hitting her square in the jaw and setting her flying.
The blades of his weapons came back out and Reign began laying into the Lilac-Grimm. Strike followed strike, followed strike. Quickly he turned from well-timed and routined strikes to an anger and sadness induced windmill of sharp blades. Eventually, he managed to catch the Purple Rainmaker between one of the hooks of his chakrams and moved it out of the way. He spun around and had one of his weapons headed straight for his opponent's throat.
But there it was. That little bit of hesitation. Looking at the face he had loved, that he would without hesitation sacrificed his life for. There was this glimmer of hope that she was still in there somewhere. He couldn't. He never could have to begin with.
The Grimm simply gave Reign a headbutt, sending him to his knees, before smashing its own knee straight against the bridge of his nose. Before he could begin to react, he was sent flying onto his back.
The Lilac-Grimm dropped down on his chest, pinning down his shoulders with her knees. She began hammering against his face with the pommel and handguard of her weapon. At this rate, once his Aura gave out, she would smash his head into a pulp and he could feel his Aura slip more and more with each hit.
She was still talking to him.
"It's all your fault! You should have come with me! Why weren't you there! I had to go through so much pain, just because of you!! You're alone now! No one will save you! No one will ever love you!! No one could ever love you! You're so selfish and ignorant, you think that you protect others from pain by keeping away from them, but you only ever make it worse!! You can only hurt, never heal! You're dead weight, useless! YOU COULD NOT SAVE A SINGLE SOUL IF YOU TRIED! YOU'RE WORTHLESS!!"
Despite all this, there was only one word burning on Reign's mind.
Why?
The tears kept rolling down his face, as he looked on straight into the once beautiful, magical purple orbs within the eyes of the creature. All the luster was gone. It had been gone for a long time. The happiness, the love, and passion they once reflected. All gone. All replaced by a dull purple. Reign heard himself sob. He could not raise his arms to try and defend himself, all the power he had within his body had been washed away. He did this to her. His sobbing only got louder. Then he heard himself scream. Not out of pain, or because of anything around him, the fear, the uncertainty if he would survive or not. It was a scream filled with sadness and regret. If he had never shown up, then she would be so much happier than she was now. Maybe it would be better like this. Maybe this ... thing should take his life. Maybe that could keep others from harm and make people happy.
Reign closed his eyes, still sobbing. If this was how it was supposed to end. Then he would be ready.
Lairen and Sairen Lee
Doran Kol
