"Seth, wake the fuck up!" Laura and Kaitlyn shouted, watching as his unconscious figure plummeted towards Mantle

"What they said!" Summer added, not one for profanity.

Seth was out cold— pun intended— but he was suddenly caught by an unsuspecting foe.

"Look how you've fallen. I didn't even have the chance to do it myself." Cinder grinned, catching Seth by his jacket. Laura and Kaitlyn grew shocked, but Summer was elated, unknowing that she was the reason for the Fall.

Cinder suddenly dodged the spiral of swords heading her way, weaving around dozens of fire arrows tailing her.

Cinder grit her teeth and threw Seth skyward, needing to lessen the weight to increased mobility.

Cinder summoned her swords, igniting the two and slashing through a hailstorm sent by Maia, clashing with Penny as she rocket forward to close in.

"Wake the hell up, you bastard! If you can take two Maidens, what's the problem with three?!" Cinder shouted, flying up and punching Seth as he fell, nearly cracking his ribs.

The sudden surge of pain made Seth wake up with a roar, jolting his boy back and reeling his arms back, a burst of power erupting from his body as he yelled.

"You willing to help a girl out?" Cinder asked, holding her arm up from the gusts of his wings.

Seth's body continued to jolt, his Aura healing his ribs as he analyzed the situation.

Maia floated beside Dawn and Penny, Winter at the rear riding on a Manticore. Seth glanced at Cinder, before holding out his hand.

"We're definitely losing this fight..." Seth sighed. "I'm sure you got this." Cinder chuckled, shaking his hand.

The two recoiled back, before screaming into space as they charged power, blue and red flames flaring around them as the four adversaries watched.

"What are you doing, Seth?! That's the same woman you swore to destroy!" Dawn shouted, Maia at her side to add to the pain he felt doing what he did.

"And yet here I am... friends to foe, foe to friends." Seth laughed, but Cinder smacked his head. "This does not make us friends."

"You're horrible..." Dawn grit her teeth, unsure of what to do. Penny was in a much more hesitant boat, unable to move seeing her trauma-filled friend faced with the same friends he had mourned with.

"Don't feel too bad. We forced this on him. We're two sides of the same coin, it seems he lost the toss this time." Maia commented.

"I've always lost... you know that better than anyone!" Seth barked back. "You think I've had it any better?!" Maia shouted.

The two disappeared, reappearing in the center with their blades reeled back, sending to diagonal slashes down at each other.

A frigid wind and burning gale flew from both respective sides, and the clash began to create a devastating tornado from the contradicting temperatures.

"If you think I won't kill you to survive, you've got another thing coming—" Seth spat, making Kaitlyn and Laura concerned.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you." Maia smiled, in the middle of the clash, she caressed his cheek, making him flinch at the cold touch.

"I'll put you in your place."

With no time to react, she sent a one-inch punch to his jaw, sending him flying away with an icy trail behind.

"Woah. She's good—" Cinder spun around and cleaved down to stop Penny's swords from tearing through her.

Dawn flew at her with hatred and summoned her bow, breaking it in half to form two daggers.

•

Seth was nearly knocked out again, and had to flap his wings to stop his ascent. With a groan, Seth rolled his neck and heard several cracks and pops.

"Ew." Summer commented.

Seth blocked a downward hack, before parrying six stabs and blocking one last lunge with another beam of ice.

Spinning Burden with a spark, Maia and Seth's swords both clashed with lash of plasma.

Shifting out of reality, Maia watched Seth dematerialize and heard several cracks and explosions around her, before hearing a clap, and a gale slam into her.

"SLIPSTREAM SLASH!" Seth yelled, appearing behind her with his blade held in a reverse grip.

Maia went to counter, but didn't realize that meant he was already done— a white petal flew past her, before she felt an unimaginable force slam into her back, sending her flying back down towards the light show below.

Seth raced after her with white petals coiling around him, cracking his wrist and holding out his bracelet as it surged with magenta energy.

Maia was suddenly sent flying the opposite direction, back to him with a sudden jerk of her torso.

"SPIRIT TORRENT!"

Lines of blue energy lashed out from Seth's fingers, by the dozen slashing and slicing Maia as she flew towards him, unable to stop herself with the use of his gravity dust.

Reeling Burden behind his hip, he disappeared again, but Maia had an idea. She covered her body in frost, and watched as the lines all reeled back and coiled around her, before closing in.

Maia waited until the attack was about to land, before sending the bits of frost to deflect each wire, catching Seth's blade with a calm stare.

However, he hadn't even released the final factor yet. Seth let go of Burden, sending Maia's hand down from the tremendous weight, spinning her forward into a devastating uppercut from Seth's enlarged claw.

Maia grit her teeth and created wings of ice, the feathers shooting off to keep him at bay while she built up more power. Yellow and blue lightning crackled from her skin as Seth flew around and deflected the feathers, each one exploding on contact to trickled down his Aura.

•

Meanwhile, Cinder was at a stalemate against Dawn and Penny.

Cinder shrouded herself in fire clashing with Dawn who did the same with a more yellow flame, the heat creating sparks of plasma that leaked down below.

Penny was nearly useless against the heat, since her cybernetic body couldn't handle it if her Aura faltered, Winter in the same boat.

Cinder and Dawn raced around, shooting streams of fire and plasma, and the standstill grew tiresome for the both.

With identical powers, the only edge Cinder had was the Grimm arm, but it couldn't outmaneuver Dawn, who was more familiar with her powers.

Suddenly, Seth swooped down and snatched Cinder before she could clash with Dawn, spinning around and dancing blades with her instead.

Cinder used this switch to incinerate the feathers chasing after him, prompting the two to leap away from each other and handle the other's disadvantages.

"Come to your senses, Seth! All you have to do is claim the staff— we don't have to follow orders! Stop siding with that lunatic!" Dawn shouted, arrows of fire twinkling before firing faster than Seth could see.

"Oh shit, she's serious—" Seth was cut off by Kaitlyn.

"Duck!" Kaitlyn shouted, the Soul Sage doing as ordered, dodging the arrow.

"I'm your eyes, Cap— let's do this!" Kaitlyn smiled, ready to help, earning nods from his two other companions.

"HERE WE GO!" Seth yelled, Kaitlyn's Semblance transferring to his eyes, the blue orbs turning orange.

His eyes darting around as only small sparks signified the onslaught of arrows, he suddenly dematerialized and fluttered his wings, using Summer's Semblance to up his speed to be on par with the projectiles.

Dawn watched him race around, shocked since she was far beyond whatever Cinder was capable of. Despite being only Half-Maiden, training with Maia helped hone her skills.

Seth had successfully avoided the volley of arrows and appeared in front of Dawn with Burden reeled overhead, ready to hack down at her.

But unfortunately, he forgot about Penny and Winter, who both flew by and slashed his sides, tearing chunks out of his body.

Seth didn't even flinch, glaring at all three of them with an overwhelming presence. The three froze as he put Burden away, staring them down with a battered breath.

"That one..." they watched as his body reformed with ease, souls swirling around him as he consumed two to heal.

"Kinda tickled." He laughed, before deflecting a beam of ice from Maia as she barreled towards him.

"I've gotta stop seeing you as People... Cardin taught me that." Seth recalled, making Maia gulp as he turned to face her.

"I hope you all are done messing around. Cause I sure as hell am—"

Maia was sent flying away from a punch sent by Seth's stretched arm, but he turned back to Dawn seeing Cinder chase after her.

Throwing his arms out, Seth's mouth tore apart as his arms grew blue spikes. His tendrils hardened and surged back, running energy down his wings that made them erupt into much more fluid form like liquid.

With a violent roar, Seth's body morphed into a much more animalistic form, his face erupting into that of a sleek reptile, his eyes blank and blue.

"Is he... actually a Grimm?!" Winter asked in disbelief.

Seth looked at his new body, but heard a screech that rivaled his own.

Turning around in time, Seth clashed fists with an actual Grimm of similar stature but resembled more of a canine.

The two disappeared, clawing and tearing at each other as they flew around, before the two suddenly took off for the clouds.

Cinder looked at the being, before looking back to see a massive swarm of Grimm, hovering around with their wings. The center of the horde, was a large entity, built like a whale, the size of small country and forged like an airship.

Cinder's grin grew widener with adoration, and she wanted nothing more than to fly over and welcome her queen, but she had a job to do.

Amidst Seth's new sudden brawl, Cinder flew off, leaving the other Maidens to wonder what they should do.

Seth's new form looked incomplete, it was oozy and disfigured, and horns looked to be attempting to sprout from his head.

Seth and the Grimm went through close combat, all the way up to the stratosphere, reaching the massive whale Grimm.

Earning a cheap shot on the Grimm's chin, Seth sent it flying towards the whale— chasing after with a sonic boom.

The Grimmhound crashed right into the side of the whale, which didn't faze the massive entity, until Seth slammed his fist into again, sending it crashing through the interior with clap.

"I'LL TEAR YOU APART!" Seth's distorted voice rumbled throughout the Monstra ship.

Salem, sitting lazily on her throne, smiled hearing his voice.

With another crack and clap, the two appeared in her throne room, right in the head of the Monstra, fists reeled back.

"GO TO HELL!"

Seth's body had finally formed, and he held a much more charismatic charm, his blue orbs now donned with an X in the pupil.

He slid back, albeit beside Salem, his new Grimm form a nice surprise for the woman.

"What a turn of events... it's almost fitting." Salem commented, only gifting him a glance.

"One sec. In the middle of something." Seth replied, placing his massive claws on the ground and shaking the mane on his neck.

"Have to admit, you look much more appealing." Salem praised, making the Grimmhound growl at the betrayal.

"You favor... the mutt... I'm hurt." The Grimmhound muttered, making Seth sit up in shock.

"They speak?!" He asked in disbelief.

"He's my newest experiment. A work in progress. He's made to adapt to any scenario. You're the perfect test." Salem nodded to herself, before standing up.

"Claim your spot under my wing, Hound. Or he'll take it right out from under you." Salem ordered, walked to Seth's side and stroking his mane.

"Oh, god— that felt surprisingly good..." Seth shamelessly admit.

"She's the enemy, dumbass!" Laura scolded, pulling the opposite side of his mane.

"I'm having mixed emotions, but one thing's certain— I'm kicking his ass," Seth pointed to Grimmhound with his tail-hand, "And then we have our talk. I want answers." Seth grit his teeth, showing he had four rows of teeth separated by two jaws.

"I promised as much. I'll have you know you're the last variable I wish to destroy. If you even can be." Salem stated, matter-of-factly.

"Done... with chatter..." Grimmhound growled again, making Seth reel back his arms and roar, before slamming his fists down.

"Round 2, buckeroo! I'll show you—"

Seth grabbed his tail, before flinging it forward, holding it up to smirk at his adversary, giving the bird.

"A REAL MONSTER!"