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Chapter 32: Fear and Rejoice - Fatalis
After the announcement of her win, the barrier was lifted, and both Ruby and Naruto walked out the ring with the latter going to where the royal family sat if only with a grumbling manner. As for Ruby, she simply walked out the side of the arena from where she entered towards her pride's table. Approaching the gathered spectators, they automatically made for her slow pace back. Before when she entered the arena, Ruby had been given stares of interest, amazement, and indifference. Now coming out after showing physical power of an Ultimate-class they were more stares containing amazement, fear, some envy, and rage as well from a select people. When Ruby decided to meet those stares, they would avert their attention away from her emerald orbs. She took it all in with a toothy smile.
"It's great to be a dragon." Ruby mumbled under her breath.
[Well said.] Ddraig agreed, grinning in the Sacred Gear.
She was a few meters away from her table before a familiar blonde blur crashed into her. Despite being taller, Ruby knew the crushing hug and the ruffle of untamed locks of golden hair almost ticklish to her nose. The way it seemed, it felt like Yang was the younger sister congratulating Ruby with the crushing hug.
"That was awesome, Rubes." Yang cheered. "Brutal, but awesome. And I almost thought it was over when you took that drop kick to the face. I didn't think that fox boy was that strong to knock some of your teeth out."
"Of course Naruto is that strong." Ruby said in a manner of respect. "He is a solid Ultimate-class being, and both of us had to hold back. If we were to fight in a much wider area, the fight would be a lot more intense."
"C'mon, he can't be that strong, right?" Yang said with a hint of worry.
"I'd call him an army destroyer like myself." Ruby clarified. "Or in some case a literal one-man army. His ability with the chakra clones is worlds greater than my own, able to field thousands upon thousands of himself. That also includes our usage of chakra. I can only use chakra when I use Senjutsu since I am a dragon, but Naruto as a Yokai has natural reserves of chakra. And he has one of the largest reserves among his people, possibly only second to Kurama-sensei."
"Okay, I get it." Exclaimed Yang. "Man, I just thought that it was going to be a thrill. But if people like him are that strong, then what chance do I have?"
"Oi, don't get broody on me!" Ruby barked, poking Yang's forehead. "You'll do great out there, I promise. In fact, I'll bet you will destroy the first guy you meet and move on to the semi-finals. However, winning those rounds may be too tough for you."
"Oh?" Yang challenged with renewed confidence. "What makes you think I can't win this whole competition by myself?"
"Because you'll have to deal with me, remember?" Ruby answered with a predator's grin.
"...Yeah, that makes sense." Yang said in a flat tone, but her expression showed her admittance to the fact Ruby will beat her.
Ruby waved the conversation to be over, and the pair of cousins returned to the table with their friends. From the table just beside them where JNPR sat, Nora flashed Ruby a toothy grin and pair of thumbs up. Jaune and Pyrrha were the most reclusive out the whole event with the couple (read: Pyrrha) deciding to turn this venture into a date. The Red Dragon Empress smiled warmly at the sight of a slightly flustered Jaune being fed the local food by an adoring Pyrrha loving every second of it. She knew that the Spartan-like champion had her lover boy wrapped around her finger.
'I hope I can do that with Vali some day.' Ruby thought fondly. 'No, I will make that happen.'
She made a mental eye roll when she heard Ddraig making gagging noises from within the Boosted Gear. The booming thuds from Kurama's staff drew everyone's attention and silenced the chatter simultaneously to allow Japan's strongest to make the next announcement for the following match. Her eyes trailed to Kunou, who was thoroughly excited from Ruby's own fight noted by the gleam in her golden eyes shared by her sister Kurahime and the uncontrollable wagging of her nine tails.
'Like her father, there is a little sadists that enjoys battle.' Ruby thought, noting how as much as Kunou may seem like a carbon copy of her mother there were times she showed signs similar to Kurama and Kurahime's personality.
"With first match over, let us continue to the second of the starting rounds." Kurama announced. "Our contestants are Kotetsu Ashina and a mysterious newcomer by the name of Saber."
There were whispers of interest concerning the latter of the contestants, including Ruby herself. Those eyes turned to the contestants entering the arena. From the left, Ruby saw who had to be Kotetsu Ashina, a Tengu massively built for his size covered in traditional samurai armor and wielding a large naginate. Her more supernatural senses picked up considerable build up of Senjutsu washing out of him like waves.
His opponent, the one known as Saber who entered from the right, was the more interesting of the duo. He far shorter than the Tengu standing at a height of 5'9" and his whole body was hidden away by a dark cloak. The only details Ruby could pick up was the lower half of his face and the black daito blade held in his right hand. All of this was unremarkable, but the real puzzle was that Ruby could not feel anything from 'Saber'. She will have to be on guard from this one.
"Begin!" Kurama called, butting his staff on the ground with a resounding boom.
There was a short moment where both fighters did not move from their spots and chose to study each other before attacking. While the Tengu had his guard raised and stance tense, Saber did not make a change in his posture. One would dare say he did not care about whatever move his opponent made, not even raising the daito blade to oppose any openings. Eventually, Kotetsu's nerves got the better of him.
The Tengu launched forward from his position with speed one would not expect of someone of his size, almost matching Pyrrha or Weiss in their opening attacks. Kotetsu raised his massive naginate to deliver a massive overhead. Saber on the other hand never made a move in reaction to the Tengu. At the last moment when the naginate was about to make impact, Saber finally moved and in such a fluid manner it made Ruby pause.
Faster than Ruby could perceive, Saber raised his daito blade intersecting the Tengu's naginate causing a loud ring of clashing steel and wind being blown away from the force behind it. The ground cracked at Saber's feet, but his body did not budge. He was not done as Saber then angled the blade downward, redirecting the naginate down to the ground where the blade portion buried. A sandaled foot slammed on the polearm burying it further before Kotetsu could bring it back up.
He sidestepped in a twirl at the Tengu's left flank. Raising his unarmed hand held in a flat palm, Saber struck at Kotetsu's ribs and everyone could hear the sound of them breaking from the physical force. The Tengu winced in pain and kneeled to the ground, which proved to be his biggest mistake. This allowed Saber to move behind the Tengu and strike the back of the bird Yokai's head with the blunt pommel of the daito sword. Kotetsu's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell face first to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"The winner is Saber by knockout." Kurama declared automatically followed by the slam of his staff releasing the barrier.
To some, it was shocking how quick and cleanly the fight had ended. The efficiency the mysterious Saber used made Pyrrha and Weiss feel inadequate. It was far too practiced to be unnatural, the motions too automatic to be simply skill. In short, Saber was an opponent who possessed combat experience exceeding Ruby's own age by a large margin. And that made for one of Ruby's deadlier adversaries.
Servant Yokai of the palace bustled into the arena to carry the unconscious Tengu on a stretcher as well as his weapon while Saber returned to the spectating crowd to return to his seat. The stares that met him were those of wariness and studious looks from the more elderly folks. Kurama himself eyed Saber's back with narrowed eyes until he disappeared into the crowd in a far off corner.
"Well, that was disappointing." Kurahime pouted, hiding her face behind a fan. "I was getting delighted to hear some more bones snap, perhaps some blood to be splayed. Maybe at least something more exciting than the last bout."
"It was over too fast."
Yasaka eyed her husband accusing switching glances to Kurahime. "I blame you for her attitude."
"Yeah, I am not going to even deny that." Kurama replied with a defeated sigh. "Probably should not have given her that ceremonial kunai on her fifteenth birthday."
Back to Ruby and her pride, the Red Dragon Empress' face was devoid on any humor. Her friends and one cousin Yang took her expression with uneasy reactions. They knew at this point that whatever would set off Ruby like this was automatically bad news to them simply because they were not up to proper par yet to contend with most of the supernatural of Earth. Her green eyes with the silver pupil slit like reptile turned to them, the powerful gaze in them drawing her pride's attention till they landed on Yang.
"Yang," Ruby spoke with a warning tone, "if in the next match you face against Saber, you may have to forfeit. There's no use in fighting someone you can't beat."
Yang instantly wanted to protest, but the logical part of her mind made her pause. Her fighting style was centered on pummeling her opponent with overwhelming force, a similar set that Ruby used in conjunction with swift brutality. That sort of brawling left no room for any finesse or technique that Pyrrha and Weiss excelled. It left Yang with two glaring weaknesses with one being her total annihilation against an opponent who far exceeded her in physical power or someone who relied on precision. The latter which Saber showed in spades.
After a few seconds, Yang gave the shortest of nods to Ruby. It was an acknowledgement, but it wasn't exactly a promise. A large part of Yang still wanted to fight till the bitter end.
And it would seem to her luck that she will get her fill of combat by Kurama's next announcement. "Onto the third bout, I call for Yang Xiao Long and Sora Isarabi to enter the arena."
"OH HELL YES, FINALLY!" Yang hollered in cheer that drew a few bewildered looks near them.
As Yang all but sprang into the arena, the coming match drew more significant interest from the spectators, be it native or foreign supernatural. Most of it was apparent that Yang was some sort of friend at least to their knowledge of Ruby as the previous winner of this tournament who had also defeated Kurama's youngest son, especially from Sirzechs and his family. To some, it was to her more bizarre looks, including the unfolding bracers into shotgun gauntlets of her Ember Celica. From Kurama's side, Kunou was paying rapt attention excited to see someone from onee-chan's family fights.
A few seconds of Yang eagerly waiting in the arena her opponent finally entered, allowing Kurama to put up the sealing barrier with a slam of his staff. She took a quick study of her adversary, noting the traits of long dog ears and a tail that indicated him as a dog variant of Yokai. He, as indicated by his burly build that put him at six feet in height, was very gruff with a jaw full of canine teeth and dressed in plated armor on his chest that reminded Yang of the type Yatsu at Beacon wore.
'Heh-heh, he has Zwei's ears.' Yang thought in amusement.
If his appearance was anything to go by, then Yang hoped this was going to be a contest of physical strength. Ruby had warned them that as dragons exerting their full physical capabilities on regular human was tantamount to lead to unwanted fatalities and were forced to hold back significantly. Ever since becoming a dragon, Yang had been too eager to show off what her new body can do at its fullest, and she was looking forward to test it all on this Yokai. With that in mind, Yang focused into setting up her boxing stance and eyeing the dog Yokai known as Sora for sudden attacks.
Kurama had barely called out the start of the round before both Yang and Sora launched at each other both of their dominant fists pulled back for a heavy blow. Both of them were rushing down each other at similar speeds, so it came down who delivered the blow first. To those of RWBY and JNPR, it came as a shock that the Yokai landed the blow first, but not because of his longer reach. They all saw how Sora's fist was several inches from Yang, yet there was a physical force that projected forward into Yang's face like the crack of a cannon. Whoops and awes hollered from the spectators having felt the blow in a sense.
'Like that's going to keep Yang down.' Ruby thought, confident in her cousin.
Any weaker opponent would have been sent out of the arena, but Yang stayed strong planting her left foot behind herself to steady herself into a stumble. The tension of the fight was already getting to the blonde brawler as her dragon features were starting to show with the growth of golden scales and the tips of her horns appearing on her forehead. Yang's sudden transformation caught Sora off guard, allowing Yang to close behind his guard and throw a punch to his head. It was only by the sensory capabilities of Senjutsu did the Yokai move his head out of the way from a direct blow, but still suffered a graze to his cheek.
Sora snapped his arm up to grip Yang's extended fist to keep her close for his counter attack with a right hook. In response, Yang caught it by the forearm, leaving the pair in a contest to overwhelm the other. As it dragged on, the ground beneath them cracked from their combined pressure.
"How is he able to match Yang like this?" Weiss worded her shock.
"The Yokai is using Senjutsu." Ruby answered. "At its base, it is a chakra art that is gathering the natural energy of the world into themselves, allowing them a variety of powers to use. One of the most common is increasing physical strength to compete with low Ultimate-class beings evenly. Yokai are natural practitioners, and this Sora is a cut above the rest as it would seem. However, don't think Yang's lost this yet. She hasn't even gone all out herself."
As proof of Ruby's words, they saw Yang give a mad grin as her eyes bled red and her hair glow in a fiery aura from the activation of her Semblance. She snapped out her leg in a wide sweeping kick, hitting Sora in the side of his right knee with an audible crack. A grunt of pain escaped the Yokai's mouth as he was forced to collapse to one knee, thus freeing Yang of his grip on her arm. She let go of her left hand holding his own fist and used it to deal an uppercut followed by right a hook across Sora's face causing spittle to fly out.
With Sora still dazed due to the blows to his head, Yang took that chance to unleash a flurry of punches to his chest. The powerful assault reduced the Yokai's armor into bits and pieces before Yang finished with a final haymaker to his head added by a shotgun blast of Ember Celica. Sora was sent flying not just out the ring but collided into the barrier keeping him poised in midair to he slid down unconscious.
A certain little kyuubi squealed in excitement at Yang's flashy finisher to the match.
"The winner is Yang Xiao Long by both knockout and ring out." Declared Kurama, dispelling the barrier and allowing the medical team to escort the unconscious Yokai out.
The golden dragon pumped her fists up in victory, the gesture itself bringing out more roaring cheer from her new fans. She all but strutted out of the arena back with her friends and cousin with a wide grin on her face. Arriving at the pride's table, she was greeted with Ruby giving her a welcoming smile.
"You feel good, don't ya Yang?" Ruby said.
"It's not everyday I meet someone that can compete me in strength." Yang replied, still grinning as she took her seat next to Ruby. "That got my blood pumping something fierce, and I love it."
Ruby chuckled in amusement as she took a drink of tea. Turning Yang into a dragon was practically the best decision to do so. It basically added more on her carefree, competitive personality; Yang was taking the lifestyle of a dragon so well like a fish to water.
"Wasn't that exciting?" Kurama spoke over the crowd. "There's more to come as we move to the last match before the semifinals. For the last bout, we have Jorgen the Bold, an einherjar from Asgard, and his opponent will be... be..."
Even as the contender from Asgard entered the arena as a massive form of man of Norse origin dressed in thick golden warrior and wielding a giant dane axe, Kurama's sudden hesitance caused a silent worry over the entire plaza. Ruby paid close attention to Kurama's face locked sternly on the piece of paper denoting the list of the tournament's participants. She saw how her master's face scrunched in confusion and slight worry, and soon joined by Matatabi and Yasaka looking over his shoulder. Some in the spectators started to chatter that Jorgen's opponent was a no show and some were even calling this a rip-off. The Red Dragon Empress and her pride were only confused by this, but Ruby could not understand why she felt this uneasy?
(Cue "White Fatalis Theme")
That was all washed away by the flood of absolute dread unleashed upon the entire palace. It came down like a thousand needles pressuring down on the back of their necks. Weaker supernatural entities started to succumb immediately, sinking to their knees or burying their heads in their hands to appear as small as possible. The stronger ones like Kurama tensed in preparation for a possible fight, albeit it was subtle but there was no mistaking the alarm in his crimson eyes morphing into that concentric pattern with nine tomoe. Poor Kunou was shivering in terror with her siblings, mother, and father covering in the confines of their tails while their eyes glared daggers on the source of this danger. It hurt Ruby to see Kunou like that, sparking the dragon's fury in her heart, and in the corner with Saber his visible fists clenched.
But the worse off would be the dragons themselves, Ruby included. Nora and Yang had forgone their cheer, their eyes wide in alarm and fear. Weiss, Ren, and Pyrrha were trying to put on a brave front, but their legs betrayed them as they wobbled uncontrollably. Jaune breathing haggardly with most of his skin flushed of color. Even Ruby could not resist the ice-cold shivers running throughout her body. Her arms were shaking and her muscles clenched to keep herself still. Heartbeats were few in between, leaving a moment of empty cold that made Ruby chatter her teeth. If she were to see her face, it was not a look of rage or a calm detached facade, but an expression of worry born from the voice that was telling her to run.
Then he arrived in the open. The crowd automatically parted as if swept aside by an authority demanding them to move out of the way. As he entered the arena, he appeared before them all veiled under a thick, aged cloak where none could see the physical traits of who was below it. Only the pair of solid crimson eyes glowing with power untold. Those eyes glazed over the surrounding crowd, the gaze within them considering them worthless. They only paused when that gaze reached Ruby and only Ruby, and even then her pride were frozen on the spot just being in its general direction.
Once those eyes met Ruby's emerald green pair, she could not stop her body from stumbling back. She could not breathe, her lungs refusing to take in as her chest was frozen in dread. Her eyes did not blink, not daring to do so under his judging gaze, and she could just tell that he made a smile under the hood. Ruby could not longer deny it; the fear coursing through her body from the very stare of this entity. The voice in her head was now screaming - pleading - to just run, run, runyouhavetorunyouhavetofleeheishereyouhavetogohideawaygetawayrunforyourliferunRUNRUNRUNRUN!
[RUBY, SNAP OUT OF IT! THAT FEAR IS WHAT HE WANTS FROM YOU!]
Yet even the great dread from him could not overwhelm the power in the voice that was the Ddraig Y Goch the Red Dragon Emperor of Domination. His voice drowning all thoughts and others in Ruby's head managed to snap Ruby out of her trance, allowing her body to take in a needed gulp of air. Her body caught up a bit late, feeling as if her knees were about to give out. He had his gaze on Ruby's for a moment, an annoyed scowl hidden in the shadow of the hood before turning to the Asgardian warrior in disinterest.
Her friends and cousin, still reeling from the terror forced upon them, were shaking in their seats. They looked to Ruby hoping for answers, but to their shock, they met an expression mirroring their fear. Eventually, Ruby managed to school her features to a serious countenance, but the fear she was bombarded by him was etched at her core.
'Ddraig... who... who is he?' Even her thoughts were dressed in her fear.
[I'd never imagined he'd be here of all places.] Ddraig said as the black cloak on the image of terror started to ruffle. [He is a dragon, but one of age and caliber so few can match. One of two relics of an ancient age even before the world was in a much more primal state. Some even say a child of one of the dragon gods. All that call themselves dragon know of him and even more fear him. All that roar in dominion must follow his ruthless will.]
Ruby watched with bated breath as the cloak was shaken off to reveal the one underneath. The entity was certainly a dragon in a more humanoid form, but there was certainly nothing human about it. There was no patch of skin as the limbs revealed the entirety of the body was covered in bright white scales along with a lining of white fur. A slender belly of a serpent cracked with glowing crimson veins and a long tail slithering out from the confines. As the hood was slowly pulled back, a long serpentine tongue licked out in hunger.
[His appearance shall mark impending catastrophe.] Ddraig continued as if reciting a myth. [Meat shall be crunched. Bone will be crunched. And blood is sucked dry. The earth will wail from his roar. His breath melts iron and boils the oceans. He will mow down the mountains. The beat of his wings will awaken the storms. If he shall will it, all will burn in his inferno to all.]
Finally, the cloak has been cast off, revealing the full body of what can mostly be described as a human-sized dragon. Only the arms looked marginally human, but that was it. Old wings of white-grey folded on his back where a line of fur and spines went down all the way to the tip of his tail. A long slender neck reached up above to the vicious maw of a dragon, complete with a set of black anter-like horns and rows of sharp teeth. Most concerning were the eyes, the solid crimson red that judged into one's soul to determine whether you were worthy to live or not.
[He is Fatalis, the Elder Dragon of Destiny and Destruction.] Ddraig declared. [An extremely dangerous dragons, far above the Dragon Kings and Queens and even certain pantheons. I and Albion are the only two dragons to have become strong enough to resist Fatalis, but even in our prime we would hesitate to fight him given his long age.]
'I... I see.' Ruby replied, swallowing nervously. 'When you say old, how old exactly?'
[Ever heard of the dinosaurs?] Ddraig said. [He made them go extinct.]
"Kiin." Fatalis suddenly spoke in Dragon Tongue, the guttural and deep voice in it making people jump. "Vod voth fin sahlo."
While mostly no one understood what the dragon was saying, it was enough sense to convey that Fatalis was getting impatient. Those words were spoken at Kurama, who stared right back defiantly at the diabolical Elder Dragon. He wanted nothing more than to be rid of the savage for the threat he represents, but he had not done anything wrong. It was made worse when Fatalis' very presence sent Kunou into a fright, and, as her father, he wanted to tear the shitty lizard apart.
And Jorgen, his opponent in the match, was now scared out of his wits. So with hesitance, Kurama announced the beginning of the match.
"I for-"
The unfortunate warrior did not get the chance when Fatalis willed a bolt of red lightning to smite down on the warrior. He was left lying on the ground, his golden armor marred in black soot and melted slag. Ruby worried that he actually been killed if not her hearing barely picking up his steady breathing. In post haste, Yokai hurried to get Jorgen medical attention, but more so to avoid Fatalis gaze. Yet his attention was not on them, or anyone in the spectators.
Those solid crimson eyes only landed on Ruby, making her freeze again. She would have gone into a panic again if it weren't for Ddraig's active presence.
'Then why?' Ruby cried mentally. 'Why is he here?!'
[Is it not obvious?] Ddraig remarked dryly. [Like any dragon, Fatalis seeks to challenge and conquer, but only from dragons. He's here for you.]
Well, fuck, Ruby is not going to have a fun time. How will she deal with an opponent whose very existence makes dragons like herself shit themselves? How can she deal with an opponent whose very nature is to submit other of its kind through fear? Only through strength can she persevere.
Up next is Chapter 33: I Bow to No One!
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