*Magnolia, Fiore; October 22, 2019; 3:56 PM*

Alex instantly ran up to Primis, punching him in the face with no hesitation as the mercenary flew to the skies.

"You think ANOTHER power-up is going to save you now, SAIGO?!!" Primis yelled.

"We both know I'm far ahead of your Pure Enlightened form now, you bastard!"

Alex flew at Primis, kicking him in the gut, blowing him through several buildings as Alex started to punch Primis repeatedly until seemingly teleporting away.

"What the?!" Primis gasped.

Alex appeared right in front of him, slamming a knee into his face before rearing back and kneeing his jaw a second time.

Alex decided to take every opportunity he had to beat down Primis as badly as he could, lest Primis power up to a higher form before his energy gave out.

Alex charged again, punching Primis to the skies.

Given an instant, Primis punched Alex in the face as hard as he could.

Alex merely blinked, not even budging.

"You... What are you?!" Primis angrily demanded.

"I'll give you a simple explanation, I'm just some kid from Oregon." Alex answered facetiously.

"SILENCE!!!" Primis tried to punch Alex in the chest again, only to be swatted to the ground like a bug.

Before Primis could hit the ground, Alex roundhouse kicked him through several buildings before crashing onto the Kardia Cathedral.

Given a minute to recover, Primis skidded to a halt on top of the Cathedral, only watching in terror as Alex flipped in midair, kicking Primis again in the jaw as Alex flipped back onto his feet, all in a matter of a couple seconds.

"How the hell did you reach such a level?!" Primis demanded.

"Oh, now you're scared to lose, I thought you were made of sterner stuff." Alex scowled contrmptfully.

"YOU DOUBT MY POWER?!" Primis scowled, charging an attack.

Alex suddenly felt... Weak... He couldn't describe feeling so drained before.

'No..I have to try...' Alex thought, raising his hands to block.

"SAY GOODBYE, EMPHAS!!! GENESIS PULSE CANNON!!!!" Primis shot a beam of pure blue energy from his hands, forcing Alex to block as much as he could.

Even through his sheer will, Alex couldn't help but feel so... frail... Between the sheer pressure in his chest that caused him silent agony, and the nausea that suddenly overpowered him.

Alex was being forced back to the edge of the building as his ailments suddenly became overwhelming...

A sudden burst of lightning blew out of his collarbone, followed by a heavy jet of blood as Alex instantly powered down out of sheer loss of energy.

"AAGH!!!" Alex tossed the beam to the side, placing his hand on his clavicle.

"T-The hell....?" Alex weakly coughed as blood continued to steadily pool out his collarbone.

"Ah, yes.. I see now... You overused your 'Overcharge' technique. The problem with Overcharge is that it puts a heavy strain on your heart and all your blood vessels. Combining such a foolish technique with that high a level on the Enlightened Warrior scale is suicide. Most of your energy, and your blood, is flooding out your body as we speak." Primis glared.

"Y-Y-You... Bastard.." Alex reached for his sword, changing it to it's SCAR form and began shooting Primis.

The bullets merely bounced off Primis as he inched steadily towards him, powering down as he did.

"There's no use wasting such a form on someone at your state, Saigo. You're done." Primis raised his sword as Alex weakly changed his gun to the sword in defense.

Alex raised his sword to block one of Primis' attacks, and swung as Primis raised his own sword.

"I'm... I'm not going down yet...!" Alex angrily declared, charging past Primis and hacking him in the heel.

Primis quickly retaliated, kicking him into the cathedral, wounded beyond repair.

"You know.. This is almost too easy..!" Primis declared raising his sword.

Alex stood up, placing one hand on his wound as he dropped his sword.

Primis grinned, raising his fist and rearing back for one final punch, his fist bursting with electric light.

"DIE!!!"

With his other hand, Alex blocked Primis' fist, and quickly changed to his Enlightened Warrior form

A purplish glow surrounded Alex's hand as he expelled a sudden burst of magic power, breaking Primis' wrist in the process.

Primis recoiled in agony, grabbing the affected wrist.

"SON OF A BITCH, MY MURDERING HAND!!"'

Alex charged up the last of his energy, keeping his hand firmly placed on his clavicle, waiting for Primis' next move.

"You bastard.!! YOU'RE FINISHED!!!" Primis roared, charging at Alex at full tilt.

Alex grinned weakly, pulling his hand off of his wound.

A massive burst of lightning shot out of his collarbone, spearing Primis in the chest as he went in for a killing blow.

Primis collapsed on the floor in front of him, blood pouring out of his chest. Alex had made a direct hit at his heart.

"D...D...Dammit..." Primis coughed, breathing his last as he expired on the ground.

Alex himself panted, at this point having no energy remaining..

'I guess that's why Karos told me not to combine the Overcharge and the Enlightened Berserker... I gotta get back to the Guild Hall..' Alex thought, dragging his marred body out of the cathedral, only to be met by a horde of zombies.

"Oh, F**k off..!" Alex grabbed his Static Fate, shooting at the undead horde as he struggled to reach the Guild Hall..

*Meanwhile*

Cade and Auburn charged at Cinder from either side, weapons raised as the flew through the skies.

Cinder formed glass from the clouds of ash, flinging the grey shards at the two as the dodged each attack. A piece of glass scraped against Auburn's cheek as she ducked underneath and uppercut from underneath her.

As Cinder was hacked upward, Cade swept in from the side and kicked her to the ground.

Cinder stopped herself in midair, pulling back several arrows and shooting at Cade.

Auburn dashed from behind, slamming Cinder with her Abadeer's Flame, bashing her into the mountains.

"You two can't last forever, not against me." Cinder declared.

Cade and Auburn charged in at once, attacking Cinder with a barrage of slashes, punches, kicks, and shots.

Finding an opportunity, Cinder grabbed Auburn by the neck, kicking her away, leaving just Cade to contend with.

Cade ducked to avoid Cinder's left sword, blocking the right with his sickle and shooting her in the chest with Conductor as Auburn blew Cinder away with a complex guitar riff.

Cinder again stopped herself. Instead charging towards the ground, where Yang, Ruby, Ultimus, Kat, and the others fought against the Grimm Arbiters.

"Search the town. Find the Guild Hall." Cinder demanded as the four Arbiters ran to search.

"Cinder!" Ruby exclaimed.

Gajeel scoffed dismissively.

"So she's the one who gave Walker's family all this trouble." The Iron Dragonslayer scowled.

"Why are you doing this? Have you no heart?!" Erza demanded.

"Sigma, withdraw your forces immediately! Look around you! You and your damned Coven have gone too far this time! A neutral world will suffer because of that sociopath and her blind distaste towards Humanity!" Ultimus ordered.

Cinder closed her eyes and grinned.

"Salem's goals are much more than what you perceive. Destroying humanity is only just the beginning. And once I help Salem with killing you all, then I will be a godde--" Cinder smiled.

"Goomba, F**k you!"

Yang sped towards Cinder, punching her through several buildings.

"Anyone else feel like that was too easy?" Oreonna asked.

Cinder stalked out of the crumbling buildings, several arrows strung and directed at Cade.

"Oh, crap!

"Wait, what?" Cade's eyes widened as Yang shoved him to the ground, out of harm's way.

Yang was then hit with a barrage of arrows, most of them directed at her chest.

"Mom..!" Auburn ran to help Yang, who was lying on the ground.

"Heh.. So bold and arrogant, that one.." Cinder mused.

"Are you alright, Yang?!" Erza asked, worried.

"I.. I've had worse..." Yang grinned confidently as she powered down.

Cade's eyes never left Cinder, staring at her enraged.

"Erza. Oreonna. Get Mom out of here. The rest of you get back to the Guild Hall.." Cade ordered, his aura flaring out of control.

"COME ON, CADE!! WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER!!" Natsu yelled.

"I SAID GO, NOW!!!" Cade shouted.

Everyone stared at Cade, appalled as they ran back to the guild hall.

Cinder merely laughed.

"How gutless of you to shoo away any chance of survival.. You're an entertaining one, so I'll give you ONE chance to leave."

"And I'm giving you no chance. This is for Flurry Heart." Cade roared as his Aura changed from lavender to dark blue.

"WHAT?!" Cinder stood in awe as Cade's energy skyrocketed, and his skin changed to blue and his body gained a muscular tone.

Cade's hair turned to flame as a black circle enveloped his body, exploding before reappearing, and exploding again, each time with greater intensity.

*Meanwhile*

"I'm getting sick of all these Zombies.." Alex muttered as he dragged his bloody body through the streets.

Suddenly, Alex felt a dark energy... A very familiar energy.

"Okay, what the hell am I sensing..? Is that..?" Alex pondered as he suddenly remembered.

'AAAAHH!!! I'LL SHOW YOU DISSAPOINTMENT!!" An old, cracked, yet malicious voice heartened to him from within his mind as he remembered the Blood Red Night, just under 3 years before.

"Alpha?! Wait, he's dead... That has to be Cade..! But... Alpha was just Enlightened during our fight... Unless.." Alex gasped, realizing just how far out of his depth he was three years ago.

"I WENT AND FOUGHT AN EVOLVED WARRIOR WHEN I WAS STILL A KID!!" Alex screamed.

*Meanwhile*

Cade continued screaming as Cinder stared on with interest.

"Intriguing... He's at the exact level as Alpha was..!" Cinder gasped.

The trace amounts of purple in Cade's eyes was now replaced by a deep red color, accompanied by shiny blue skin, and practically flaming hair that smoldered in the breeze.

"Cinder. I won't let you destroy my friends. Not again. Your little cleaning crew has to go." Cade scowled as he teleported away, and sounds of thunder, flames, and screams of terror filled the area.

Cade quickly teleported back, the heads of the Arbiters Jaune Arc, Nora Valkryie, Lie Ren, and Pyrrha Nikos in his hands, and dumped them on the ground. With a resounding stomp, Cade obliterated Jaune's skull.

"What?! But those Arbiters..! They were all at least twice as strong as they were before I killed them..!" Cinder gasped.

Cade grinned, unsheathing his weapons.

"Time to die." Cade scowled, charging in at the Maiden as the two clashed weapons.

Cade hacked and slashed his blades along with Cinder's as the two rose to the skies and began putting more and more power behind their punches until the sky was alight with the full power of the seasons and of thunder.

Cinder moved in to kill Cade immediately, aiming both of her swords at his head.

Cade blocked them all with his Sickle, nonchalantly kicking her away as a yellow Aura enveloped his dark blue one.

"OVERCHARGE!!!" Cade roared, speeding towards Cinder and head butting her to the ground.

"I WILL NOT BE BESTED BY A FAILURE SUCH AS YOURSELF!!!" Cinder yelled.

"If I am such a failure, then why haven't you killed me yet?" Cade smugly asked.

Cinder growled, stringing every last arrow she had and shooting them all at Cade.

Cade easily dodged several, grabbing three and teleporting away.

Cinder looked behind her to find Cade, and slashed at him with her swords as Cade dodged each and every strike.

Cade ducked, stabbing Cinder with one of her arrows.

"This one's for Flurry Heart." Cade asserted.

"I AM YOUR GODDESS, YOU INSOLENT LITTLE MITE!!!" Cinder hacked at Cade, who merely slapped one out of her hand, stabbing her with a second arrow.

"This is for my parents, and their parents before them." Cade kicked the second arrow further inside of her, punching her in the stomach and slashing for her neck, only cutting off some of her hair.

"LISTEN TO WHEN YOUR GODDESS SPEAKS, PEST!!!" Cinder demanded, hacking off The tattered red cloak that belonged to his timeline's Ruby.

"This last one is for thinking you could get away with destroying us twice." Cade scowled, jamming the last arrow into Cinder's back.

"YOU ARE A FOOL TO THINK YOU OF ALL PEOPLE CAN KILL ME!!!" Cinder shouted, purely enraged.

Cade floated backwards, listening intently.

"I AM STRONGER!! I AM MORE POWERFUL IN EVERY WAY!!! I AM YOUR GODDESS!!! NOW BOW!!!!" Cinder yelled angrily, abandoning her swords, flying towards Cade with surprising speed.

Cade ducked under Cinder, punching her stomach so hard that every ounce of lightning and flame came pouring out of his attack, and Cade powered down moments after Cinder herself.

"Maybe so, but I've beaten you. Your power is fading just like mine is. And unlike you, I'm modest about it." Cade smirked.

Cinder scowled angrily, panting and heaving as she silently tugged at one of the arrows embedded in her chest.

"I'll kill you yet.." Cinder angrily puffed.

"Come on, I know you at least have one more in you." Cade taunted.

Cinder's four Auras returned, and she flew at him with every ounce of power she still had.

"WATCH YOUR TONGUE!!!" Cinder yelled as Cade spun around, kicking her in the face and into the woods outside Magnolia.

"We'll let nature take it's course. See how your posturing fares with the wolves." Cade scowled as he returned to ground level.

Alex stood outside of the Kardia Cathedral, dragging something with him.

"Cade..!" Alex yelled, pulling the Crux Family Sword behind him.

"Dad..! You're hurt!" Cade gaped.

Alex shrugged.

"Please, even Wintergreen gave more of a fight than Primis!" Alex sarcastically replied.

"Very funny. I dealt with Cinder." Cade told him.

"I saw. I sensed you got past Enlightened." Alex nodded.

"So, what happened? What's with that hole?" Cade asked.

"Apparently this is the reason you don't combine Enlightened Berserker with Overcharge." Alex answered.

"Oh, shit.. Primis was that strong?" Cade gasped.

"Yep.. He even said some stuff that I think I should look into.. What happened with Cinder?" Alex asked.

"I wasn't strong enough to kill her. I weakened her and kicked her into the forest. Let's see how that plays out." Cade decided.

"Sure.." Alex shrugged.

Suddenly, Richtofen charged out, shooting at who Alex assumed was one of Salem's followers.

"TAKE ZAT!!" Richtofen yelled.

"Cade..?" Alex asked as Cade nodded, shooting the assailant through the head.

"Thanks, Cade.." Dempsey nodded, walking out with Nikolai and Takeo.

"Where are the others?" Alex asked.

"They are at the guild hall. They ran to tell everyone about what we have discovered.." Takeo replied.

"Alright.. Let's meet up there." Alex shrugged, walking back with the ex-Group 935 test subjects and doctor.

"Is this thing on..? Hello, all! I see you've gotten past your enemies! While that's all well and good, there are still a number of problems. Firstly, The Shadowman know now that you've gotten past his Grunts, so now he'll send in the heavy artillery, odds are. Second, there's still an invasion to worry about resolving, but we'll get past all that in say... 5 chapters? 6?" Dr. Monty asked.

"Chapters? Is this some sick storybook?!" Nikolai wondered.

"More like a shitty fanfiction written by some bored kid." Dempsey scoffed.

"One more thing: there's some third entity messing with my outlines for the board preventing me from doing anything to the Guild Hall itself. It seems to be originating from Fiore itself. If you can try... I dunno, F**king talking to it, hopefully it'll make things easier for all of us... Or harder... Just saying.." Dr. Monty added.

"Third entity..? I wonder if Master Makarov knows anything about it.." Cade figured.

"If anyone, am I right?" Alex replied.

*Meanwhile*

Cinder dragged her bloodied body through the forests, dragging one of her swords behind her.

"Cinder Fall. It's time we've met again." Someone called to her.

"Who said that?!" Cinder demanded.

A young woman, roughly 20 years old, with dark hair and red eyes walked out of the brush, carrying with her a large, red-bladed katana-like sword.

"Who are you..?" Cinder gaped.

The woman laughed.

"Surely, you'd remember me?" She stated.

Cinder pondered before smiling in realization.

"It's about time we met again, Corvus. What brings you here?" Cinder asked.

The woman silently grinned herself.

"I have it, Fall." The woman, Corvus, said.

"Ozpin's Artifact? How..?" Cinder asked.

"Let me worry about that. If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself." Corvus answered.

"About myself..?" Cinder asked as the woman suddenly stabbed her through the chest.

"Look at me.. Look me in the eyes." Corvus demanded, holding Cinder's face close to her's with one hand, and twisting the blade deeper with the other.

"Y-Y-You... L... Lied... T-T-To m...m-me..." Cinder gasped, a multicolored light floating from her to the woman as she slowly expired.

Corvus dropped Cinder's corpse to the ground, stepping on the body's neck.

"And with that...Phase one is complete.." Corvus sighed, slashing at the space around her, forming a portal that she walked through.

Author's Notes:

Hey, everyone!

Sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner! I was busy with a lot of busywork and art, so I had to write in my free time.

So, Cinder, Primis, and the Grimmified JNPR are all dead now. And I guess including the rest of the Coven. Leaving just the "Easter Egg" and the final boss between the Shadowman and Salem vs... Everyone else..

I'll try to have the next chapter out within a week. If not, I'll post as soon as I can!

-The Destoyer