RECAP:
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Death

"As my feet walk from the ashes of Katarr, I shall not fear, for in fear, lies death."

— Visas Marr

Aboard the abandoned Amity Colosseum, Cinder faces off against the Lord of Hunger. Meanwhile, Ironwood tries to get a handle on the situation in Vale and finds Qrow. Ozpin successfully transfers the Fall Maiden's powers to Pyrrha.

Tropes in this chapter include:

All for Nothing: Discussed. While in the middle of merging Amber's Aura with Pyrrha's, the half of the Fall Maiden's powers that Cinder stole from Amber returns to her body as a result of Cinder's death. This leads Ozpin to wonder whether that made everything he and Pyrrha did up until now pointless since Amber's life could have been saved without transferring her Aura into Pyrrha's body. Regardless, since the transfer was already underway, all Ozpin can do is continue it.
Attack Backfire: When Nihilus tries shooting Cinder with his Force lightning for a second time, the half-Maiden uses her elemental powers to absorb his dark electricity and refocus it into an Energy Ball that she sends flying right back at him.
Avenging the Villain: Still coping with Roman's death, Neo ignores Cinder's orders and tries to attack Nihilus (Roman's killer) the moment he shows himself. She quickly changes her mind after he demonstrates that he can see through her illusions and gives her a face full of Force Lightning.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Qrow's last words to Ironwood is admitting that, for all their arguing, he still considers him a good friend. For his part, Ironwood treats Qrow's corpse with solemn respect and immediately sets out to fulfill Qrow's Last Request.
Qrow: Heh. You know Jimmy… I always thought… you were a stubborn asshole. But… you're also a good friend.
Badass Boast:
- Cinder gives one to Nihilus in response to him offering to make her his apprentice in exchange for bowing to him.
  Cinder: You, a mere GRIMM think you can command me!? To make me kneel before you!? I am Salem's chosen! I am to be the Maiden above all! And you should know your place!
- Nihilus then turns this around and delivers his own badass boast to Cinder when she asks What Are You after he defeats her.
  Nihilus: I… am the inevitable, the end of all things. And you… are now mine.
BFS: During their battle, Cinder creates a black-glass greatsword that is over ten feet in length and covered in flames. She uses the greatsword to enter in a Blade Lock with Nihilus.
Blade Lock: After using her powers to form a ten-foot Flaming Sword, Cinder then accelerates towards Nihilus by using her flames to create thrusters on her feet and locks her blade with his Crocea Mors. Nihilus is forced to break off the lock when Cinder's Hot Blade starts melting through his sword, though he's smart enough to move to the side, making her go off-balance as the sudden acceleration sends her tumbling forwards.
Blood from the Mouth: After Nihilus uses Crocea Mors to impale Emerald from behind, blood is shown pouring out of Emerald's mouth shortly before she dies.
Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: Cinder manages to cause some serious damage to Nihilus when she reflects his Force lightning back at him and follows this up by stabbing both of her scimitars into his collar bones and heating the blades, cooking the Sith inside out. Mercury then hits Nihilus with a pair of powerful kicks that sends the Dark Lord to his knees and Emerald uses her chain sickles to attack Nihilus with a barrage of slashes. As the trio learn the hard way, this only pisses Nihilus off and he quickly recovers before brutally killing Emerald and Mercury, and beating Cinder into submission.
Call-Back: While fighting Cinder, Nihilus generates Force lightning around his fist to use as an Elemental Punch. This was first demonstrated by Jaune back in the chapter "Vytal", where he used it against May.
Call-Forward: Upon meeting Nihilus for the first time, Cinder asks him if he is one of Salem's experiments, recounting how Salem once created a Grimm whale. This is a reference to the Monstra, a gigantic Grimm that Salem uses to attack Atlas in Volume 8 of RWBY.
The Cameo: When Ruby and Pyrrha arrive at Beacon Tower, teams SSSN, CFVY, and CRDL are amongst the students seen defending it from the Grimm.
Character Death: Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and Qrow all kick the bucket in this chapter. On a lesser note, Ivori and Kobalt of Team FNKI are also confirmed by Ironwood to have been killed by the airship's explosion in the previous chapters, although he never mentions them by name specifically.
Cool Versus Awesome: Cinder Fall vs. Darth Nihilus. It's as cool as it sounds with both combatants getting their moments to shine.
Continuity Nod:
- When Nihilus detects the Fall Maiden's presence within Cinder, he is once again reminded of Exar Kun, who was known for summoning Sith spirits.
- Just before Nihilus makes his We Can Rule Together speech to Cinder, he has a brief flashback to when he first found Visas Marr on the surface of Katarr after he had finished consuming the planet.
- Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury use a similar fighting strategy for when they defeated Amber to attack Nihilus. There's a moment where Cinder fires three glass arrows at Nihilus while he's distracted by Emerald and Mercury, a reference to when she did the exact same thing while fighting Amber.
Curb Stomp Cushion: During their showdown aboard Amity Arena, Cinder manages to take Nihilus by surprise and reflect his own Force lightning back at him before using her scimitars to break through his Aura. She, Emerald, and Mercury follow this up with a barrage of devastating hits on the Sith Lord's now-weakened body. However, even with all that, Nihilus still outguns the trio by a considerable margin and it doesn't take long for him to counterattack with a Force scream that sends all three flying across the arena. Once that's done, Nihilus quickly gains the upper hand and knocks out Cinder before finishing off Emerald and Mercury without too much difficulty.
Curse Cut Short: Mercury when he realizes that Darth Nihilus is singling him out.
Mercury: Oh sonuva—
Deadly Disc: When Cinder flies toward Nihilus with her BFS, Nihilus uses the Force to lift up dozens of metallic floor tiles from the arena, telekinetically spin the tiles so fast that they become improvised buzzsaws, and then fling them all towards the approaching Maiden.
Didn't See That Coming: Nihilus's utterly shocked reaction just before Cinder's Energy Ball hits him indicates that, for all his age and experience, the Sith Lord did not account for Cinder being able to absorb his Force lightning and redirect it back at him, nor did he expect to be unable to block the incoming attack.
Doppelgänger Spin: When Emerald attacks Nihilus at the start of the battle, she creates five illusionary copies of herself which she uses to surround Nihilus before lunging at him simultaneously from every direction. Unfortunately for her, Nihilus uses the Force to tell which of the copies are fake and easily parries the attack.
Double-Meaning Title: "Death" refers to not only the deaths of Cinder and her cohorts at the hands of Nihilus, but also to Qrow's death after he succumbs to his injuries at the end of the chapter.
Ear Ache: Being hit by Nihilus' Force Scream causes Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury to start bleeding from their ears.
Elemental Punch: After breaking free of a Blade Lock he had gotten into with Cinder, Nihilus hits her with a punch enhanced by his Force lightning.
Energy Ball: After absorbing Nihilus's Force lightning, Cinder refocuses the Dark Side energy into a ball of magic which she flings at the Sith Lord.
Entertainingly Wrong: While watching the video of Jaune transforming into Darth Nihilus, Ironwood notices the white mask that Jaune placed on his face just before his transformation. Because of the similarities that Nihilus's mask shares with a Grimm mask, Ironwood becomes convinced that Nihilus is one of Salem's servants.
Evil Versus Evil: This chapter sees Darth Nihilus battle Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury within Amity Arena.
Eviler than Thou:
- Ultimately, Nihilus proves that he's a much greater threat than Cinder when he defeats her in combat and kills her underlings, forcing Cinder to commit suicide in order to prevent Nihilus from enslaving her mind.
- Discussed by Cinder when she compares her master Salem with Nihilus. She decides that Nihilus is worse since Salem at least has understandable motivations like wanting revenge on Ozpin. Nihilus, on the other hand, just wants to destroy everything.
Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Ironwood finds a dying Qrow, he assures him that he will survive, noting that Huntsmen have survived worse injuries and that they just need a little luck. He then pauses as he remembers what Qrow's Semblance does.
Ironwood: No, he will make it. This is bad, yes, but huntsmen have survived worse. I'm living proof of that. Qrow just needs a little— [Ironwood pauses as he remembers Qrow's Semblance]
Qrow: [coughing] Heh, you just figure it out, Jimmy?
Fusion Dance: Upon Cinder's death, Pyrrha gets the complete powers of the Fall Maiden. The result is similar to Ozpin's reincarnation, with Pyrrha's personality combining with Amber's.
Gallows Humor: As Qrow is dying in a pool of his own blood, the first thing he says when Ironwood finds him is to bemoan how Ironwood's face is the last thing he'll see before he dies.
Qrow: Damnit. [coughs] Why's the last face I get to see have to be your ugly mug, Jimmy?
The Ghost: Shortly before finding Qrow, Ironwood learns that his soldiers had found Flynt and Neon's unconscious bodies, though never sees them in person since it was being reported to him over the radio.
Ground Punch: Nihilus slams his fist to the floor to generate a telekinetic shockwave to dispel Cinder's Tornado Move.
Hope Spot: Near the end of their fight, there's a moment where Cinder seems to have turned the tables on Nihilus after injuring him with redirected Force Lightning. As Nihilus is recoiling from the attack, Cinder and her team move in and deliver a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Unfortunately, this moment doesn't last as Nihilus gets a second wind and proceeds to thrash the trio with a renewed fury that leaves Cinder beaten with her two followers dead.
Improvised Weapon: While fighting Cinder, Nihilus telekinetically lifts up the arena's floor tiles and uses them as flying buzzsaws that he launches at Cinder while she is hovering mid-air.
Incurable Cough of Death: As he lays on the ground, impaled through the stomach, Qrow starts to cough and wheeze uncontrollably while talking to Ironwood, indicating that he's not going to survive this injury and dies not long after giving his final words to Ironwood.
Killed Offscreen: Ivori and Kobalt of Team FNKI are killed offscreen by Ironwood's crashing airship. Ironwood comes across their corpses while securing one of Beacon's hallways.
Last Request: As he lays dying, Qrow asks Ironwood to give Harbinger to Ruby, remembering how Crescent Rose was destroyed by Nihilus.
Meaningless Villain Victory: Although Nihilus defeats Cinder, she ultimately gets the last laugh. Unwilling to allow Nihilus to enslave her, Cinder kills herself with a glass dagger, thereby denying him herself as an apprentice as well as the Fall Maiden's powers.
Menacing Stroll: Onboard Amity, Nihilus makes his entrance by calmly walking into the arena in a casual manner. It successfully intimidates Emerald and Mercury.
Morton's Fork: After the Wyvern appears and starts dropping Grimm all over Vale, Ironwood finds himself trapped between deciding whether to stay in Beacon and help Ozpin or go to Vale and help save its people. If he goes to Vale, he could help coordinate the city's defenses and evacuate the civilians, but at the cost of abandoning Beacon and leaving the students to fend for themselves. If he remains at Beacon to help secure the school, he risks losing both his army and the entire city to the Grimm. After using his Semblance, he chooses to remain at Beacon and help Ozpin defend the school, deciding that the fate of a single city is not as important as guarding the relics, which could determine the fate of the entire world.
Neck Lift: During their battle, Nihilus lifts Emerald up by her neck and starts draining the Aura from her body in a process that is clearly painful for the thief.
Neck Snap:
- Nihilus tries to do this to Emerald while holding her by the neck before Mercury distracts him with a flurry of tornado kicks.
- This is revealed to be the fate of the waitress that Qrow tried to save in "Nihilus", whose neck was twisted by the explosion caused by Ironwood's airship crashing into the courtyard.
Never Got to Say Goodbye: Qrow dies without ever having the chance to say goodbye to any of his family or close friends (sans Ironwood).
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
- Nihilus kickstarting the Battle of Beacon by crashing Ironwood's airship causes a large number of casualties, but it also kills Roman and prevents him from taking control of Atlas's forces, meaning the battle goes slightly better for Vale than in canon.
- When Nihilus tries to mind control Cinder into obedience, she kills herself to avoid becoming his slave. This causes Cinder's half of the Fall Maiden's powers to return to Amber, resulting in Pyrrha obtaining all of the Fall Maiden's power rather than just half.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury deliver one to Nihilus after Cinder reflects Nihilus' own Force Lightning back at him. Stunned by her attack, Nihilus is helpless as he is beaten, stabbed, and carved into repeatedly by the trio. Midway through the beating, Nihilus regains his bearings and is quick to return the favor.
No-Sell: Since Nihilus relies solely on his Aura Vision to see, he's unaffected by Neo's illusions or Emerald's hallucinations.
Not So Invincible After All: In previous chapters, Nihilus had been portrayed as nigh-unstoppable while possessing Jaune's body and had been curb-stomping his way across Beacon. During his battle with Cinder, there is a moment when Cinder catches Nihilus off-guard and uses her Maiden powers to reflect his Force lightning back at him. Nihilus tries to block the attack and is shocked when it fails and sends him flying across the arena. This moment shows that there are beings on Remnant capable of injuring Nihilus and that the Sith Lord isn't as invincible as he's been made out to be.
Not Worth Killing: When Neo abandons her allies and runs, Nihilus holds off on killing her despite easily being able to do so because she isn't his current target and he is indifferent to whether she lives or dies.
Offscreen Teleportation: Nihilus somehow follows Cinder onto Amity Colosseum despite lacking a means of transportation. How he managed to get all the way up to Amity from the ground is never really explained.
Oh, Crap!: Emerald and Mercury gape in horror when they realize that Nihilus followed them and see him enter the arena.
Omnicidal Maniac: Nihilus explains to Cinder that he believes all life exists solely to sacrifice itself to his hunger and makes it clear that once he escapes Remnant, he intends to consume every living thing in the universe.
Power Gives You Wings: After becoming the new Fall Maiden, Pyrrha shows off her new powers by creating a pair of Hot Wings from her back.
Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Nihilus lets out one right before his battle with Cinder in response to her Badass Boast.
Nihilus: Disappointing.
Rapid-Fire "No!": Mercury's reaction when he tries to flee, only for Nihilus to use the Force to telekinetically pick him up and pull him closer to the Sith Lord.
Mercury: [being dragged closer to Nihilus] No no no no!
The Reveal: The Maidens are powerful Force ghosts being subconsciously controlled by their hosts.
Reverse Grip: Cinder briefly holds her scimitars in an icepick grip before using them to stab Nihilus in his collarbones.
Say My Name: Upon seeing a disoriented Pyrrha stumble out of her Aura transfer pod, Ruby shouts "Pyrrha!" before running towards her friend to check if she's alright.
Screaming Warrior: Cinder absolutely loses it during her battle with Nihilus and starts roaring with rage with each unsuccessful attack she throws at him.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- After getting hit by Nihilus's Force Lightning and realizing she has no chance against him, Neo abandons Cinder and flees for her life.
- Mercury later tries to follow Neo's example after seeing Nihilus kill Emerald and coming to the same realization that he stands no chance of defeating Nihilus. Unfortunately for him, Nihilus isn't quite done with him and uses the Force to cut off his escape and drag him closer before draining him of all his life.
Senseless Sacrifice: Qrow dies attempting to protect a waitress from the crash of Ironwood's airship, but ultimately all that happens is that both of them die. The only positive is that Qrow lived long enough to give Ironwood his weapon for Ruby to use.
Shockwave Stomp: When Cinder surrounds Nihilus with a flaming tornado full of glass shards, the Sith Lord slams his fist into the ground, generating a telekinetic shockwave that snuffs out the tornado and sends Cinder flying.
Spectacular Spinning: While flying towards Nihilus with her greatsword, Cinder barrel rolls in the air while using her greatsword to slash at the floor tiles that Nihilus telekinetically flings her way.
Spin to Deflect Stuff: When Cinder shoots three glass arrows at Nihilus while he's seemingly distracted trying to fry Mercury and Emerald with lightning, the Sith Lord twirls his sword so fast that it shatters all the arrows Cinder shot at him.
Spiteful Suicide: Faced with the prospect of forceful servitude to Nihilus, Cinder instead stabs herself in the throat on the spot, denying him herself and the Maiden powers.
Suddenly Speaking: Darth Nihilus finally speaks for the first time since taking over Jaune's body, although only Cinder is able to understand him and his words come across as Black Speech to Emerald and Mercury.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: In the chapter "Nihilus", Qrow is last seen using his body to shield a random waitress from a massive Dust explosion caused by Ironwood's airship crashing into Beacon. Unlike most characters, the waitress is a regular civilian who doesn't have her Aura unlocked. Even though Qrow was shielding her body with his, the blast from the airship's explosion is revealed to have killed her instantly.
This Is Gonna Suck: This is pretty much Mercury's reaction when Emerald draws Nihilus' attention to him while trying to escape with an unconscious Cinder.
Thousand-Yard Stare: Still coming to grips with Roman's death, Neo is shown blankly staring into the ground while tuning out everything that Cinder and her team are saying.
Unblockable Attack: The Energy Ball that Cinder creates after absorbing Nihilus's Force lightning. When Nihilus tries to use the Force to block it like he's done with every other attack, it doesn't work and the Dark Lord is sent flying across the arena as Dark Side energy burns away at his body.
Underestimating Badassery: Even after watching Nihilus defeat a dozen Huntsmen with minimum effort, Cinder still dismisses him as a "mere Grimm" and believes him to be weaker than he truly is. This winds up costing her everything as Nihilus beats her into submission and handily kills Emerald and Mercury.
Villain Takes an Interest: A villain-to-villain variant. Intrigued by Cinder's half-Maiden abilities, Nihilus offers to make her his apprentice. Realizing that she would just be his slave, Cinder refuses.
Nihilus: You… have potential. Join me. And you will rise… you shall see the truth.
Cinder: And what, praytell, is this truth?
Nihilus: The truth, is that the galaxy, the universe, is far larger than this worthless ball of dirt. And all of it… shall die. Sacrifices to my hunger. Join me… bow before me as my apprentice, and you shall bear witness to the end of all things.
Voice of the Legion: While talking to Cinder, Nihilus speaks with his distorted voice layered upon Jaune's original voice.
Weapon Twirling: At the start of his battle with Cinder, Nihilus twirls Crocea Mors as he gets into his combat stance.
Wham Episode: Where do we begin? Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are all killed by Darth Nihilus. Qrow dies after being impaled by a large piece of shrapnel from the airship's explosion, but not before asking Ironwood to pass on Harbinger to Ruby. Finally, Pyrrha successfully merges her soul with Amber's and receives all of the Fall Maiden's powers after Cinder's death.
Wham Shot: The scene where Ironwood and Penny find Qrow, only to then see him lying in a pool of blood with a massive chunk of airship-grade aluminum impaling him through the stomach.
What the Hell Are You?: After Nihilus defeats Cinder, she glares at him before bitterly asking " What are you?"
Wowing Cthulhu: Nihilus is a Humanoid Abomination who consumed entire planets during his heyday. When Cinder uses her Maiden powers to absorb Nihilus's Sith Lightning and redirect it back at him, Nihilus is genuinely shocked to see that she is capable of reflecting his attack and is even more shocked to discover that he is unable to block the incoming blast of lightning.
You Know the One: While remembering how he first met Visas Marr on the ruined surface of Katarr, Nihilus avoids using her name and only refers to Visas by using the pronoun "her". It's hinted that this is because he is still bitter about her betrayal.