Asher stood frozen, eyes locked on the metal door that had just been pierced by the attack.
He braced himself for another strike from the same spot, but the next blow came from behind instead.
A door he'd already passed suddenly burst open.
Even with the surprise attack, Asher moved on instinct—he swung the flat of his Vibro-Blade behind him, blocking the incoming strike against his back. The blade met metal with a sharp clang, echoing in the hallway. He turned, taking a few steps back to put some distance between himself and his attacker.
That's when he saw it—a forearm, and nothing more.
A single, muscular forearm hovered in midair, completely severed from a body. It wore a metal gauntlet, and attached to the top was a segmented, retractable blade, just like the one that had tried to hit Asher moments ago.
"Huh, I honestly thought I'd get you with that one. You're sharper than you look," a voice called out from the doorway. Heavy boots thudded against the floor as the speaker came into view.
Ranger stepped out, finally showing himself.
He stood nearly as tall as that White Fang Commander Asher had fought on the Nebula Noir, though he wasn't quite as bulky. His animal traits weren't immediately obvious, but the rows of sharp teeth glinting between his lips and the wild black hair spilling down his back made it clear—he was a Faunus.
Now, the forearm that had attacked Asher flew over and connected to Ranger again, as if it had never left.
Meanwhile, the door where the first attack had come through gave way, and a second forearm—complete with its own gauntlet—flew through the air toward Ranger.
There was no blood, no sign of injury where his limb had detached—just a faint blue glow that faded as the forearm reattached and Ranger became whole once more.
A semblance that lets him detach parts of his body and control them remotely? That could explain why GAIA's sensors didn't pick up his arms earlier...
A heavy silence fell between them. Asher noticed Ranger's hand twitching slightly, and before he could react, Ranger broke the stillness with a question.
"So, are you human, or an android?"
Asher tilted the Vibro-Blade in his hand, letting it graze the ground lightly, cutting into it even without applying any pressure.
"You don't have to think too hard about it," Asher replied, his voice cool as he suddenly rushed forward, faster than the eye could follow. His form became a blur, and when he reappeared, the shockwave of his speed rippled behind him, trailing slightly behind his actual movements.
The gears in his exosuit moved in perfect harmony with his own.
With a swift diagonal strike, Asher's blade cut upward, slicing through Ranger's body in a clean motion. But even as his attack landed, Asher frowned behind his mask.
That didn't feel right…
His thoughts were confirmed when he heard Ranger's voice, unfazed by the wound.
"I'll take that as confirmation that you're human, then." Quickly, Asher backstepped, putting some distance between them. His eyes narrowed as he studied Ranger. The cut had been clean, but it wasn't from Asher's blade. A faint blue light flickered between the two halves of his body.
Hmm... so he can separate more than just his limbs—his entire body, even? Does it happen automatically, or is it mentally controlled?
Slowly, the two halves of Ranger's body slid back together, and he spoke again, his voice calm but firm.
"It's impressive that the Atlas Military managed to create a suit so capable, but it's still not enough."
Without another word, Ranger moved. He thrust his right arm forward, the segmented blade atop his gauntlet extending with lightning speed. Chains linking the blades shot out from a hidden compartment, allowing them to stretch toward Asher like an arrow flying through the air.
Name: Unknown
Status: Hostile (Aggressive Engagement) [Locked On]
Distance: 5.37m | Speed: 356.5 m/s
Attack Commitment: 94% (Confirmed) / 6% (Feint Possibility)
Trajectory Path:
- 1A (Primary) – Segmented Blade Thrust → Chain Extension → Retract for Lateral Sweep
- 1B (Secondary) – Disengage Limb → Overhead Drop Attack (Remote Controlled)
Weapon Loadout:
- Primary: Segmented Gauntlet Blades (Retractable, Chain-Linked)
- Secondary: Detachable Limbs (Remote Controlled)
- Hidden Threats: No Anomalies (Thermal | X-Ray | Magnetic Scan Clear)
Threat Level: High
Reaction Window: 0.021s (Recommended Counter: Vibro-Blade Flat Parry, Rapid Evasion Step)
Asher's eyes scanned the information flashing across his HUD, quickly assessing the situation as he blocked the incoming strike with the flat end of his Vibro-Blade. Sparks flew as the two blades collided, but the attack didn't stop there. As the first segmented blade withdrew, Ranger's other arm lashed out.
This time, the segmented blade on his left gauntlet shot out like a whip, cutting through the ceiling and arcing down toward Asher's head.
Without hesitation, Asher surged forward, zig-zagging slightly as he moved, the glowing blue eyes of his helmet leaving streaks of light in his wake. Just as the blade was about to strike, he shifted his body, letting his coat take the brunt of the hit. The moment the strike connected, the force was absorbed and quickly dispersed.
Glancing off the blow, Asher's speed picked up, and he charged directly toward Ranger.
"Full of surprises, aren't you?" Ranger muttered, then kicked out at the air. But before Asher could react, Ranger's leg detached and flew at him with the same speed as his earlier strike.
Seeing the move, Asher immediately stopped, using a quick sidestep to avoid the flying leg. His eyes tracked the detached limb as it passed him, focusing on the knee. With a swift motion, Asher raised his Vibro-Blade and brought it down on the leg. But just like before, the limb split and dodged his strike with unnatural precision.
So, the parts can detach even further, and it doesn't seem to matter about the joints. Interesting...
Asher flicked a switch on his Vibro-Blade, and once again, the entire sword was engulfed, this time in flames. The fire didn't roar like an inferno but clung tightly to the sword's surface, leaving a trail of fire and sparking embers as Asher moved. The flames flared even more when he swung the blade with both hands.
Asher's fighting style, which he simply called the Nexus Style, had always been designed for two-handed sword combat, though he rarely used it that way. The one-handed variation he used during sparring with Weiss was more of a side project—less refined and not nearly as perfected as the original form.
Ranger's eyes widened as he watched Asher's movements change. Quickly, he retracted his segmented blades completely, bracing himself as Asher's first strike aimed directly for his neck.
Ranger deflected Asher's piercing strike, but the momentum from the blow was quickly turned against him as Asher struck from a different angle. At first, it looked like Asher was aiming for Ranger's waist, but the strike was a faint feint—his true target was Ranger's remaining leg.
Ranger reacted just in time, deflecting the blow and launching one of his own. One of Ranger's gauntlets swung through the air, the segmented blade extending slightly.
But Asher's footwork was flawless. He took a single step back, perfectly controlling the space between them. The attack sailed just over his head as Asher ducked under it, immediately pressing on with his own relentless assault. Each strike left a trail of fire in its wake, a constant wave of flames and sword swings.
With the boost from the Vex-MK 1 exosuit, a simple shift of his foot allowed Asher to seemingly vanish, rotating around Ranger's body and attacking from a completely different angle.
As he continued to press the attack, Asher noticed something—Ranger had stopped detaching parts of his body. His eyes narrowed in realization.
Just as I thought... Detaching doesn't seem to protect him from dust-based attacks.
No matter how much he could separate his body, if both parts still got hit by the aftershock, it wouldn't matter. Asher had confirmed this when he saw the same forearm he had electrocuted earlier twitch, even after it had reattached.
But that brings up another question...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a warning flashed on Asher's HUD, indicating an attack coming from behind. He glanced back, seeing Ranger's detached leg flying at him again. This time, Asher didn't attempt to counter. Instead, he bent his knees slightly, jumping into the air and performing a backflip as his coat trailed behind him.
Ranger's flying kick, aimed at Asher's back, didn't strike him directly. Instead, it ended up hitting his coat. The moment the leg hit, the force of the blow was absorbed by the fabric. As Asher landed gracefully, he grabbed part of his coat, using it like a net to capture the detached segments of Ranger's leg.
Without hesitation, he swung his Vibro-Blade, still engulfed in flames, at the captured limb. The strike didn't penetrate Ranger's aura defense, but the intense burn that followed was unmistakable.
Asher heard Ranger groan in response.
Ranger retaliated quickly, launching both of his gauntlets forward. The segmented blades extended, forming an X-shape as they whipped through the air, coming straight at Asher.
Asher stepped back, releasing Ranger's captured leg as he smoothly evaded the incoming attack. The leg flew back to its owner and reattached as Ranger gritted his teeth.
I understand how his semblance works now. First, he needs a visual to separate his body to dodge slashes, though he can still control the detached parts remotely. Second, even when they're detached, he can still feel what those parts feel. That's why he hasn't been detaching when I use dust-based attacks against him.
It's just too easy for him to get caught in a ranged attack like that.
After carefully observing Ranger and how he used his semblance, Asher's understanding of Ranger's ability was nearly complete. There had been no delay in how quickly the percentage was rising within the Nexus Space, meaning all his guesses had been spot on. He basically had it all figured out.
Which means now it's time to end this.
Ranger seemed to sense the shift in tension, his instincts kicking in. Despite dropping out of the academy, he wasn't foolish. He knew Asher had been analyzing his semblance, and whatever happened next, it would be an attempt to exploit that understanding.
In that case, I should go all out; no point in trying to conceal something if my opponent already understands it.
A brief silence hung between them before Ranger noticed the flames on Asher's Vibro-Blade flicker and die. The fire dust had run out.
That was the opening Ranger needed. He surged forward at full speed, his figure blurring like an arrow cutting through the hallway. Both arms detached from his body as the segmented blades of his gauntlets extended, lashing out at Asher. At the same time, Ranger launched a kick directly at Asher's head.
Asher's eyes flicked back and forth, scanning the incoming threats.
He leaned back just in time to narrowly avoid the kick, then tilted his body further, executing a backflip to avoid the sweeping strikes from the segmented blades. But the attack didn't stop there. As Asher landed, he saw one of Ranger's legs shoot toward him, followed by the blades he had just evaded whipping out again.
It was a deadly combination of limbs and chains.
Asher found himself on the defensive, dodging as the hallway around him was sliced up by the linked segmented blades, striking every which way like whips. Meanwhile, Ranger's body continued to separate, his arms, legs, and torso moving independently but coordinating perfectly, each part attacking in sync.
Asher managed to leap over a sweeping kick from one detached leg, only to have another leg come crashing down with an axe kick aimed straight at him.
The pressure was mounting. After dodging a barrage, Asher took another step back, feeling his back hit a wall. He glanced behind him, just for a moment, to check his surroundings.
That's when Ranger spotted an opening.
He misjudged the distance!
Ranger's segmented blades shot out once more, piercing the air and cutting off Asher's escape in both directions. Simultaneously, Ranger's legs flew at him from two different angles, preventing him from ducking or jumping. All four escape routes were blocked, and any attempt to counter one would leave him exposed to the others.
"Got you!" Ranger shouted triumphantly.
But that was when Asher made his move. He flipped the switch on his Vibro-Blade again, and this time, it wasn't fire, nor was it electricity. Instead, a chilling frost seemed to coat the blade, the cold fog swirling around it like a deadly mist.
Ice-Dust... he still has dust left!?
Ranger's eyes widened in surprise, but it was already too late. Instead of retreating, Asher charged forward, rushing directly toward the attacks Ranger had launched his way. The force of his dash cracked the ground beneath him, even fracturing the wall he had just been backed against.
He spun like a drill, the Vibro-Blade sweeping through the air around him. In an instant, the entire hallway was engulfed in ice. Ranger's segmented blades were frozen in place, trapped in a thick layer of frost, including the chain mechanisms. At the same time, Ranger's legs were frozen to the ceiling and the floor, unable to separate or break free.
"Shit!" Ranger cursed, his floating torso pulling back as he directed all his strength toward freeing his frozen limbs. Using his semblance, he tugged on his detached arms, trying desperately to break free.
But as the ice began to crack, Asher's focus zeroed in on Ranger's neck. He raised his Vibro-Blade and tossed it with deadly precision. The blade shot through the air at an incredible speed, leaving a frosted trail behind it.
Seeing the attack coming, Ranger's instincts kicked in. He quickly detached his head from his torso, creating enough space for the blade to fly through. It embedded itself into the wall on the other end of the hallway, freezing the stone where it had struck.
He missed. And he doesn't have a weapon now-
Ranger's thoughts were interrupted as he saw Asher's right hand—the one he'd hidden behind his back after throwing the Vibro-Blade reappear. As it came out from under Asher's coat, it wasn't empty anymore.
Instead, it was holding a Predator Pistol, already loaded. Asher stood right in front of Ranger's detached head. In one swift motion, the barrel of the pistol was raised under Ranger's chin, pressing into his skin.
Asher's voice, cold and robotic, cut through the air.
"You can't open holes in your body, can you?"
With that, Asher pulled the trigger.
The bullet fired straight into Ranger's skull with a deafening boom, the sound so loud it could shatter eardrums. Predator rounds were designed to take down nearly any Grimm below the class of a Goliath with a single shot. And while the Predator Pistol wasn't as powerful as the drones that usually fired them, it was still comparable.
The moment the full force of the bullet struck, Ranger's aura shattered, and the round tore straight through his head. Then came the secondary explosion from the round's explosive payload. His head exploded in a shower of gore, and Asher was pushed back slightly by the shockwave.
Chunks of what remained of Ranger's head flew in every direction as Asher stood, lowering the arm he used to shield his face. The barrel of the Predator Pistol still smoked as he scanned the area. Ranger's dismembered body—already separated before his death—slumped to the ground in a heap.
Where there had once been a faint blue, hazy light, only exposed internals remained. With Ranger's death, his semblance was disabled, leaving him just another dissected corpse.
Without so much as a second glance at the body, Asher flicked the Predator Pistol open. The spent casing ejected with a metallic clink, falling to the floor. He held out his other hand, drawing a fresh round from the Nexus Space. After loading it into the gun, he snapped it shut with a flick of his wrist and slipped the weapon back into the Nexus Space.
As he retrieved his Vibro-Blade and stowed it as well, he turned and continued down the hallway in the same direction he'd been heading, stepping stepped over Ranger's scattered body parts and the lingering ice without another word.