RWBY||Defender of Remnant

Chapter 13: Living in a Nightmare: Part 3

3rd Person POV

Tower

"Weiss..." Sincline murmured, taking a single, hesitant step back away from Nightmare Weiss as she stared down at him, the jagged spikes of the fractured room around them shimmering as the bat hanging from the ceiling giggled dementedly. "Is that... is that really what you think?"

"The Nightmare is only trying to make you believe that. That is only the Nightmare exploiting her mind. It isn't actually her. My best guess is that the Weiss you saw is one of Weiss's defenses that was twisted by the Nightmare into what she is now."

I know Shion said that this isn't really her... but if it's a defense of her mind... what if...? Sincline took another step backward, his foot clicking against the polished floor as the edge of Nightmare Weiss's blade caught the light.

"What a thing to say," she murmured, her eyes narrowing as the shadows grew darker and the temperature dropped even further. "If you want to oppose me, then please..." Her lips curved, a wicked smile crossing her lips. "Indulge me!"

Swirling white energy roared across the edge of her weapon, and she slammed Myrtenaster into the ground. A flash of light, and a wall of jagged ice erupted from the floor, the serrated wave racing toward him.

Eyes widening, Sincline crouched, his thrusters flared, and he shot upward, a shockwave ripping through the air as he dodged the attack. To his surprise, the ice swelled, jagged spears of frozen energy streaking in all directions. Reaching down, he gripped the hilts on his legs and pulled, drawing his scimitars in a quick upswing just in time to intercept a serrated pillar that shattered on impact.

Sorry about this, Weiss! Sincline apologized. He raised a hand, still clenching a scimitar, and a sphere of energy formed above his wrist. He fired, and a brilliant streak of energy shot toward Nightmare Weiss... only for her duck her head, sidestepping the Ion beam and allowing it to sheer through the wall behind her, rocking the room with a brilliant explosion. She... she dodged it?

"Is that the best you can do?" Nightmare Weiss challenged as the bat above giggled. "Klein. Sister." Lifting the book, she set it on the robotic dog's back and removed her glasses, tucking them into a breast pocket. At the same time, she rolled her shoulders, and her trench coat floated off, shocking Sincline.

Did her clothes just float off?! Syncline wondered, stunned.

Leveling her rapier, Weiss pulled the trigger, and a bolt of icy blue energy streaked toward Sincline.

Acting completely on instinct, Sincline twisted, whipping one of his scimitars up to split the oncoming attack in half, allowing both parts to slam into the doors behind him and explode.

She fired again, and Sincline shot up, dodging the attack as a shockwave ripped through the space where he had been, plowing a smoking trench into the ground.

"I have never known such an outrageous person as yourself," Nightmare Weiss growled, glaring at Sincline as he flew level with her. "I drive you out again and again, but you keep sneaking into my sacred places."

For some reason, Sincline felt a shiver run down his spine. Why do I get the feeling that Yang and Blake just missed out on something? he wondered before shaking his head and refocusing on the battle at hand.

"Do you realize how much you've disturbed the sacred order?" Nightmare Weiss went on, unaware of the thoughts rushing through Sincline's mind. Her eyes narrowed, flashing in the eerie light reflecting off their broken surroundings. "What an absolute nuisance."