Cinder Fall.
Pyrrha's unpleasantly surprised that of all the people to traverse into this new world Cinder had to come to Earth as well. One positive is that she's not terrorizing Remnant at the moment, but considering the supernatural lightning powers she obtained this is probably still the worse outcome for Pyrrha.
The other mages also look with surprise at Cinder, though for them the surprise is mixed with dread instead of hatred. Several of them mutter something along the lines of "the demon", telling Pyrrha that this is the enemy for whom Guddy and the other Icelanders came to Iran for.
The mages realize this as well, awaiting orders from their leaders to combat this threat. But battle won't start that easily, as Guddy is sharp enough to extrapolate the bond between Pyrrha and this monster. He turns to Pyrrha, asking one rather important question: "You know her, Nikos?"
"Well, she's the one who killed me."
"Aw, no need to feel so glum." Cinder says mockingly to Pyrrha's dark statement, enjoying her feeling of overwhelming superiority, "I may have killed you to obtain what is rightfully mine, but I don't care about that little thing anymore. After all, those powers are but mere parlor tricks compared to what I can do now!"
As Cinder speaks those words she stretches out her arms, causing a bolt of lightning from the clouds to strike one of the buildings on the airport. It's strong enough to cause a part of it to crumble one of the walls, as well as set the roof on fire.
Cinder's current power is nothing to scoff at. Though she's a step or three below the likes of Rostam or Ruby, it's magnitudes higher than what a normal mage is capable of. And without Ruby on the battlefield anymore Pyrrha would estimate that Cinder alone might be more than a match for the mages if a battle were to start. The only question is if it will come to blows.
Yeah, who is Pyrrha kidding? Even in the unlikely chance that egomaniacal and narcissistic sadist doesn't desire to cause wanton destruction and death, the reason everyone came to Iran was to stop Cinder. Both as a knight and as a huntress Pyrrha can't let Cinder rampage any longer!
Victory must be decided quickly. Pyrrha currently has the advantage of being under the effect of Ruby's authority, a power capable of making her suppress a god for a while. At the moment her power shouldn't be much less than Cinder's, perhaps even surpassing her enemy. The only problem is that without Ruby around the magic energy is waning quickly. If she wants to be victorious against Cinder then the battle needs to be decided swiftly.
At least there's one advantage Pyrrha has. From experience she knows that Cinder has a tendency to gloat and mentally dominate an opponent if she believes that she has an innumerable advantage. And Pyrrha doesn't know what Cinder's new powers are, but she doesn't seem to have the instinct to read the magic energy levels of others. It's likely that Pyrrha can launch a single sneak attack.
Yeah, there's only one shot before Cinder will remorselessly go for the kill. She may be blabbing right now about her superiority, the moment anyone tries to kill her or escape she'll certainly not stop until everyone is dead.
The simplest attack would be to suppress Cinder with the power of magnetism, but unfortunately there's nothing metallic about Cinder. And if she wants to throw something metallic at Cinder, she first needs to touch the object she wants to throw.
"…Bla bla bla if you stand as my enemies yadda yadda…"
Ah, right. Cinder is still talking. In all honesty Pyrrha tuned out to the context of those words, only keeping enough focus to notice when Cinder will go from threatening to actually being harmful. It might happen any time now, so a solution for the sneak attack should come sooner than later.
The only method for striking Cinder that comes up in Pyrrha's mind is something Pyrrha's currently not capable of. Or rather, it's only possible if Pyrrha were to forcibly evolve her own semblance. At the end of the day her polarity semblance is just another magic spell, albeit one she's quite proficient in. On Remnant it's not uncommon for semblances to evolve in the heat of the moment, and with how much of a life-or-death situation this is perhaps Pyrrha can do the same!
What Pyrrha desires is for her semblance to affect metals she hasn't touched. If she were still on Remnant such a change would be impossible to predict, but here on Earth the answer has already been given: During the magic skill test supervisor Katrin called Pyrrha's semblance "attaching a small amount of qi to an object to change its polarity so Pyrrha can manipulate it magnetically". In other words, Pyrrha must figure out a way to shoot out her qi towards the object.
Pyrrha gathers magic energy in her middle and index fingers, trying to remember her magic lessons back at [Our Boys & Girls]. The power that fuels her spells, aura and semblance, it's all one and the same. And in that case coming up with a new spell shouldn't be that difficult right?
The magic energy now gathered in her fingers must be shot out of it. Like a bubble it needs to float through the air, only spreading the qi inside upon bursting against an object. Yes, a bubble is the right idea. Two layers of qi, one that can safely traverse through the air and functions as a second skin, with qi powered by her semblance floating inside.
Pyrrha tries and tries, but the first few attempts go nowhere. Under normal circumstances Pyrrha wouldn't have the energy to continuously experiment like this, but with her energy levels still boosted by Ruby's authority she's got some leeway to try things out. Determined not to give up Pyrrha keeps on trying, until she eventually succeeds:
From Pyrrha's fingertips a teensy tiny blob of magic energy is launched. It's a horribly inefficient process, for every particle of magic energy inside the blob at least thirty more are wasted to launch it. The magic energy Pyrrha sends out is so small that it wouldn't even be capable of harming a fly.
…however, it's more than capable of sticking to something metallic. And considering that she's currently on an airport… you do the math.
"bla bla bla and while using incantations is a small price to p-"
Cinder's monologue is unfortunately interrupted by a severe case of 'airplane to the face'. Two airplanes, to be precise. Rather than swatting Cinder away it's better crush her between a pair of them, hoping to give her a nice metal grave.
Pyrrha's still amazed by her current level of strength. Back on Remnant the best she could do with a metallic object of forty tons is to perhaps move it an inch or so, but with this power she can even wield those behemoths as if they were giant swords!
Well, wield them once, that is. Unfortunately the weight of the airplanes is making Pyrrha strain, beads of sweat forming on her forehead while her muscles start to ache. Even a single strike with the airplanes is exhausting to her, and her stamina was already shot from the battle with Rostam. Pyrrha doesn't have the strength to keep swinging the airplanes around, so she crushes them even harder into each other before slamming that metal heap on the ground.
Unfortunately the airplanes don't explode upon crashing into the ground. Pyrrha hoped that Cinder would get burned by such blazing power, but unfortunately the planes are sturdy and save enough that even damage like this doesn't cause explosive damage. Then again, if airplanes really did explode that easily Pyrrha probably would never fly in an Earthen plane ever again.
"Nikos, we probably have less than a minute before she escapes from your wreckage, so let me ask:" Interrupting Pyrrha's line of thought is Guddy, who tries to make something useful from this development. "Can you keep up those attacks?"
"I'm sorry." Pyrrha says while panting a bit, trying to control her breathing despite her exhaustion. "but Ruby's power is disappearing quickly. I don't think I can swing an airplane again."
"In that case we can't gamble for a direct attempt to slay her." Guddy says with disappointment. Despite that the great knight from Iceland doesn't give up that easily: "Then what can you tell me about that person, Cinder if I heard correctly."
"Arrogant, conniving, maniacal, ego-maniacal, petty." While Pyrrha wouldn't normally speak badly of another person like that, for Cinder she'll make an exception. "Even before she had those powers she was like that."
"So she wasn't born with that power, huh?" Guddy says, incorporating that new tidbit into his plans. "Can you predict what her next course of action will be after freeing herself?"
"She couldn't stand it when I harmed her back home, so I doubt she'll stand it now." If the fall of Beacon was caused solely because she didn't obtain the entirety of the maiden's powers at once, then Cinder is indeed one to hold a grudge.
Those words make Guddy smile, as that fits him perfectly. "Good, that's all I need." Guddy stands up straight, barking out orders befitting of the Icelander who is granted the honorary title of Iceman: "Hassan, gather the other teams and have them located on the outskirts of Rashkan Castle! I've cast [Sending] while our enemy was monologuing, so the people from [Olympic Legend] should be making preparations there right now! I'll take Pyrrha and lure the enemy towards you!"
"Pardon me?" Considering what Pyrrha said before to Guddy it's clear what he desires from the redhead: "I'm bait?"
She's right on the mark. "I'm aware it's much to ask from someone who isn't even a great knight, but it's the best shot we have at taking her down for good. We need to stall while the rest make their preparations, and the best way to do so is by using her grudge against you."
Guddy looks somewhat apologetic, but Pyrrha snaps him out of it with an "I'll do it." If it's the best way to stop Cinder, then Pyrrha will follow along. No way she's running to her own safety while lives are in danger.
Those words cause a smile on Guddy's face, who nods at his pupil's determination. "Good. In that case let's find ourself a getaway vehicle to lead her on-"
Those words gets interrupted when an armored personnel carrier drives next to the duo, stopping right next to them. The door opens to reveal two others inside, a white-haired Caucasian woman who doesn't look that much older than Pyrrha, and a long-haired man of Iranian origin with a strong build. Also, they're clearly mages from the way they address Guddy:
"Sir Iceman!" the female of the pair hails with a playful tone, "do the [Black Cheetahs] need to give you two a ride?"
In contrast to the woman's light tone the man speaks much more seriously: "We're here to help with acting as bait. I'm Mohammad Karimi, and this Dutchwoman is Robin of Persia."
"That nickname's going to stick with me, isn't it?" Robin speaks with somewhat resigned annoyance, before turning back to the topic. "but yeah, we're here to help you two, so get in!"
Pyrrha's willing to accept the help, but Guddy isn't convinced that the other mages know what they're getting in to: "You two are aware that we're risking our lives with this role, correct?"
"We are aware, sir." Mohammad responds, completely serious in demeanor. "However, it would be a shame for the [Black Cheetahs] if we left the most dangerous role of this battle completely in the hands of a foreign organization."
"And furthermore, our chances of survival are higher if we work together." Robin responds in a still playful tone, but it's clear that she's taking this seriously as well.
"Understood." If these two have resolved themselves, then Guddy will not say no against this gift. "In that case let's make a plan."
About a minute has passed since Cinder's entrapment in the airplane rubble. This extra time did not go unused, as the quartet of mages prepare themselves as well as possible for any possible confrontation. Robin is still in the driver's seat of the military Armored Personnel Carrier, casting protective spells on it while ensuring that it's ready to move at a moment's notice. These vehicles also come armed with a machine gun, so Muhammad is in the back imbuing the bullets with sorcery, ensuring that they're effective against the powers unrestrained by the logic of the world. Guddy is in the co-driver's seat, making a phone call to other mage group spread across this area of Iran to inform them of the new plan.
As for Pyrrha, she's also in the back of the APC. Her current task is using the power of her semblance to crush the rubble further. Luring Cinder is a dangerous gambit, so if she were to die by crushing force wouldn't be any need for dangerous antics.
Unfortunately that isn't meant to happen: Exploding out of the wreckage with a sound like thunder is a thirty feet tall vaguely female humanoid sculpted from blue lightning.
"You!" Correction: A livid vaguely female humanoid sculpted from blue lightning, who speaks with the voice of Cinder. "Do you think you possess a chance against me?! If you have a death wish, then let me grant it for you!"
That giant form is enough to cause slight worry in the other mages. Guddy tells Robin to move, and in response she floors the accelerator. If Cinder can perform [Avatar Manifestation] then the number of mortal humans with greater power than her can be counted on one hand. That is not someone that should be confronted directly!
The APC drives away from Cinder's new giant form, but Cinder is not as willing to let her enemies go. "Think you can escape?" Cinder answer her own musings, raising one hand in the air before chanting spell words: "Behold me! He who knows me, knows me and trembles. He who knows me not, shall soon know me. For I am the thunderer, worth more than a thousand pieces of red gold and with blessings on my head!"
As Cinder speaks those words half a dozen beams of blue lightning descend from the sky, all aimed for the APC. Considering the damage a single one of them did to a building Pyrrha's can scarcely imagine how badly it will damage the vehicle.
Pyrrha braces for impact, but the driver begins to chant spell words with all her might:
"O Zarathustra, I beseech thee to grant me your protection!"
Robin's spell causes the APC to glimmer orange for a moment. Under this protection the vehicle manages to withstand the lightning attack without any harm. No, it might be better to say that it redirects the lightning straight into the ground.
"How…" Pyrrha can't believe how easily Cinder's blow was deflected. The magical power of Robin is much lower than that of Cinder. Considering the difference in power output there's no way that they can come out of this unharmed.
"Faraday cage!" Robin shouts out with excitement, as if reading the question on Pyrrha's mind. "Cars like these are specifically made to withstand lightning strikes. Put the right protective magic on it, and even magic lightning doesn't stand a chance!"
Robin's right to be excited about the resistance of the vehicle, though it's not that perfect of a defense. Guddy explains the full truth: "A god would be able to overload the car with a rain of lightning, and even someone on that woman's level could probably assail this car if she knew what she's doing. However, if she's as inexperienced as you said then I think that her attempts are going to be fruitless."
And that last statement is certainly true, Cinder can't have owned these powers for any longer than Ruby did… and considering Cinder didn't rampage earlier, Pyrrha estimates that her enemy's has only held these lightning powers for a day or two, and that's not enough time to master her new powers.
Cinder however hasn't stopped trying to kill those in the APC. If ranged attacks don't work, then perhaps it's best to try a more physical approach. Cinder sprints after the APC, its body of lightning much faster than what a giant of that mass should be able to. Her thirty foot body is capable of sprinting at speeds reaching up to 150 miles per hour, a speed that the APC can't reach even when boosted by magic. Slowly she's gaining on the mages, reaching with her hands to grab the vehicle. From Cinder's perspective the APC is the size of a child, perfect to grapple with and crush with her hands.
Though Cinder's getting awfully close the Iranian mages are not worried at all. Now it's Muhammad's turn, who pulls a small leonine figurine from his pocket and puts it on the gunner's seat before chanting spell words:
"The lion grows each yellow thew near Samarkand. Remember that in the freedom of the sands he grows his soul as well."
Spell words of cultivation, that causes the statue of the lion to take on a humanoid appearance the size of an adult human. It's currently seated in the gunner's seat, shooting the machine gun of the vehicle against Cinder. The magic-imbued bullets strike Cinder's hand dead on, who reflexively pulls the appendage back. Understandable, considering that there are now several small holes with her large blue hand. Sure, they're regenerating swiftly, but that couldn't have been a pleasant experience.
"Haha, take that, you giant blue bitch!" Muhammad shouts with excitement, caught in the heat of the moment. "I don't care if you've got the hand of a god, have a taste of this machinegun of exorcism!"
Muhammad's rather cavalier attitude comes as somewhat of a surprise to Pyrrha, who can't help but feel slightly afraid. How they are so utterly fearless is completely beyond Pyrrha.
Guddy isn't looking afraid either, keeping a head cool as ice while dishing out orders: "Good job, Muhammad, keep up the pressure whenever she gets close. Nikos, as long as you've got energy to spare help out Muhammad with enchanting the bullets. You've shown enough skill with your magnetism magic that you should be capable of doing so. Robin, take a left on the Tehran southern bypass Freeway in a few minutes, the Parisians from [Saint Germanus] should've cleared away all civilians on that road."
"Yes sir!" Robin says with confidence, following those orders without hesitation. All of them are unusually calm despite being hunted by a thirty foot tall lightning giant. Yes, everyone is remarkably focused for being in the center of such a disaster.
No, Pyrrha understands that it's the reverse: it's precisely because the mages are used to dealing with these magical disasters that they can be so calm against these odds. In regards to direct power, there's an extremely wide gap in difference between Cinder and the rest. However, the composure and experience of those like Guddy, Mohammed and Robin are traits Cinder does not possess. And it is that lack of skill on Cinder's part that prevents her from winning this battle.
And thus the chase continues for almost an hour. Cinder is leisurely pursuing the vehicle while assaulting it with lightning, but she's not taking any risks. Unsurprisingly, honestly, considering that from Cinder's perspective she's got the upper hand in this battle. Sooner or later her enemy's magic power will run out. As long as she doesn't do something stupid she'll come out on top.
However, that's playing straight into her enemy's hand. Before long Guddy gives the freeing words everyone wants to hear: "They're done at Rashkan! All we need to do now is getting her to enter the castle's courtyard."
The trap for Cinder is set. They're currently only a few minutes away from their target, and then Cinder will be dealt with. Honestly, this is almost too easy-
"We're out of bullets!"
-or not. That stroke of bad luck might become devastating, especially if Cinder were to realize that their current offense is gone. And unfortunately that doesn't take too long:
The sound of thunder echoes from where Cinder is standing… well, was standing. She changes from a giantess into a blue thunderbolt, which traverses overhead at speeds that easily rival that of sound. No, even beyond that, as a thundering boom causes the car to swerve heavily.
The swerves aren't enough to incapacitate an armored personnel carrier, only slightly delaying he vehicle. The same goes for the passengers, who-
*thunk*
Well, most of the passengers. While Pyrrha, Guddy and Robin could do their task while continuously seated and thus have a seatbelt on, Muhammad's role of gunning and reloading required him to be standing within the truck. As a result he's slammed against the back of the APC. A minor injury in normal circumstances, were it not that he suddenly begins to spasm and scream. Pyrrha reaches out to help him, find a way to-
"Don't touch him!" Guddy shouts loud, looking into the back of the vehicle as he gives the warning. "You do that and you'll be electrocuted as well." That's unfortunately how lightning and electricity work. Though the magic protection in combination with the Faraday cage managed to prevent any lightning charge from entering the vehicle, the same cannot be said of the metallic outer rim. And the back door of the APC is certainly part of that rim, which is proving rather deadly for the Iranian mage.
"We can't just leave him like that!" Pyrrha shouts, not willing to let a team member die like this. If this happened back with team Juniper Jaune would order Nora to get the afflicted teammate out of the situation, and if semblances are magic then a spell of lightning resistance has to be in someone's repertoire, right?
Guddy doesn't deny what Pyrrha is saying, but in a life-on-death situation like this they cannot further endanger the mission. Guddy's voice changes from stern to solemn as he explains this to Pyrrha: "He knew the risk."
While Pyrrha disagrees, there's no time to discuss this problem as Robin sees a problem coming up: "Guys, blue girl's straight ahead!"
Pyrrha looks towards the front of the APC, where a few hundred yards ahead the lightning-clad form of Cinder manifests again, this time on the road in front of where the APC is heading.
There's no time to swerve out of the way, and with nobody able to prevent Cinder from grasping the car with her hands. With her size crushing the car should be easy enough.
However, the moment Cinder's hands touch the car the sound of sizzling and melting can be heard, as well as a scream of pain from Cinder. She's forced to let go, and as Cinder is busy with the pain in her hands the car can safely drive through Cinder's legs, away from the danger.
"What was that?" Robin asks, confused that Cinder let go of such an easy win. Furthermore, why did she get hurt from touching the iron outside of the APC?
Many questions, but none that they have immediate answers to. "A stroke of fortune." Guddy answers seriously, not wanting to waste time discussing this topic. "Now keep moving!"
The APC keeps driving quickly towards the goal, which is now close enough to see clearly even in the dark of night. It's on top of the hill next them, and though they need to drive around it for a minute or two before hitting the entrance the goal has almost been reached! Though it has come with loss victory is finally at hand.
"Come, so that I may kill you." However, Cinder doesn't give up her murderous rampage. She'll ensure the death of those who dared to hurt and oppose her! "Bereft is the breath of your life and the fire of your heart!"
Thunder strikes again, but this time it lands in front of the APC. The brightness does momentarily blind the passengers of the vehicle, but it's incapable of harming them. All in all it seems like a missed attack.
The moment the armored personnel carrier drives over the point of impact Cinder crushers her fist, causing the point where the lightning impacted to boom with the power of thunder. It's like an array of mines exploded under the car, sending it flying and tumbling in the sky. It crashes into the ground, before flipping over a few more times and eventually coming to a standstill while upside down. Luckily the APC is just as sturdy as the airplanes were, and also don't explode on contact.
Pyrrha crawls out of the remains of the vehicle, a bit shaken. Luckily her aura took the brunt of that crash. Guddy's also got out, and one glance at the driver's seat tells that… a neck is not supposed to bend that way. And considering that Robin isn't moving, it's not hard to tell what happened to her.
With Robin's demise the party has shrunk to only two, but the goal is so close Pyrrha can practically taste it. Half a mile uphill, that's the distance between her and the trap's location. Even though she's exhausted her aura's still functioning well enough that she can reach it in a bit more than a minute. However, with Cinder close by that is time she doesn't have. She'll be dead before she reaches the location.
"Run, Nikos."
Eh? Pyrrha looks at Guddy, who himself is looking at Cinder with a calmness that can only come from accepting one's fate and destiny. It can't be, is he trying to sacrifice himself for her?
Guddy himself doesn't have the time to accept Pyrrha's surprise, repeating his order: "I said run. Get up there and don't look back, no matter what happens. That's an order!"
Pyrrha nods, running immediately. She flees up the hill, not looking back as instructed. She can hear magic words being chanted and the booming of thunder, but she ignores it as she runs up the castle's hill at full speed. Even an agonizing cry of pain from Guddy gets ignored, Pyrrha simply running towards the castle.
Although, the name is a bit misleading Rashkan castle is not much of a castle anymore, considering that they're ancient ruins of a castle. That doesn't mean that the general structure the castle once had is gone, as the target location is easily recognizable:
The courtyard of Rashkan Castle is at least fifty yards wide, surrounded by ruined walls and other small ruins. However, to her despair there's not a single human here. Was Guddy wrong, or did she simply go to the wrong place?
Before Pyrrha can worry any further she's suddenly being pulled to the side by an unknown assailant. Reflexively Pyrrha wants to scream, but a gloved hand over her mouth quickly put an end to that idea.
"Shh, we're on your side." The owner of the hand whispers, trying to calm Pyrrha down. Upon realizing that this must be one of the mages Guddy talked about Pyrrha does calm, if only because she's too exhausted to really make a fuss anymore. "I'm Nikolaos the 'Phantom', from [Olympic Legend]. You did good, young miss. Now leave the rest to us."
Us? Pyrrha doesn't see anyone else in the ruined courtyard… although, if she strains her eyes and focuses she notices a few unnatural shimmers. It's likely that there are people hidden here like phantoms, awaiting for the enemy to enter this courtyard.
And enter she does. With a mighty leap the giant form of Cinder lands straight in the middle of the courtyard, looking to find her hated enemy. However, the only thing she finds is a giant magic circle suddenly glowing up beneath her, entrapping her in place.
"O Zeus much-honored, to whom we consecrate these holy rites. Thou armed with lightning, the flaming aerial-light is thine." A dozen or so mages come out of hiding, chanting words of [Sealing] against Cinder. "The fiery-blight is tamed by thou alone, lucid lightning only for the all-parent. Propitious hear our prayers and benevolently attend these rites, to grant our days peace divine."
The mages continuously keep repeating those words, and to Pyrrha's surprise it's actually effective! Cinder's giant form begins to dissipate, starting from the tips of the arms and legs towards the rest of the body. Slowly but surely the giant body of blue lightning becomes undone.
"What?! What is this?!" Cinder shouts out in surprise and pain, not believing that those so far beneath her in power are capable of dealing such a debilitating blow.
Nobody answers the question for her, willing to give her even the smallest of clues that could be used to escape. However, Nikolaos is willing to whisper the answer to Pyrrha:
"Thanks to you we had enough time to deploy this [Seal of Lightning] we developed back in Attica, capable of sealing even the mightiest of lightning beasts. The only requirement was that she stepped inside the circle, and because of you she fell for it hook, line and sinker."
"It worked…"Pyrrha says somewhat softly, her body exhausted yet content. This is the beginning of a victory, even if it's stained with the death of three good people.
"But I was told there were four of you." Nikolaos continues, who wants to know the fate of the other people who acted as bait. "Where are the rest?"
"…" Pyrrnha doesn't answer, but the solemn look on her face tells Nikolaos enough:
"I'm sorry." Nikolaos is also saddened by the tragic loss of life, but quickly tries to become serious again. "But let's honor their sacrifice by jubilantly watching this fiend get sealed away. It's the least we can do."
That Pyrrha can agree with. She looks up towards the captured Cinder, who is now nothing more than a head and a torso. Before long she'll be completely sealed within these grounds, trapped forevermore. It's not the ending Pyrrha would think of, but it's more than acceptable for her.
For Cinder on the other hand this ending is atrocious, and she is not accepting it quietly. She only just gained godlike strength, and she won't be killed this easily!
"Mine are the sacred songs, mine are the prayers, sweet are the libations!" Though there's only a head left of Cinder her eyes begin to glow, no, blaze. Those are the powers of the maiden, but that didn't require spell words. No, she's combining her maiden powers with her new abilities! "My strengths rises as the thunder hurls forth. Call for me, yearn for me, and let your hymns carry me hither!"
In front of Cinder a large ball of flames appear, created by her maiden powers. It would've been scary back on Remnant, but compared to Earth it's only mortal magic. It's unlikely that the mages don't have a countermeasure available for it.
But in that case, why does Cinder utilize spell words? The maiden's powers do not require them, so is she trying to combine her powers?
No, that shouldn't work. Fire and lightning are two different concepts, and the latter is sealed for Cinder. The only thing they share is the heat generated by them, which affects-!?
"No, it can't be?!" Pyrrha gets it, what Cinder is aiming for. There has been a colossal mistake going on by everyone, as one giant misconception has ruled this entire battle:
The attribute of Cinder's new powers isn't [Lightning]. All this time everyone misunderstood Cinder's powers, herself included. The mighty lightning may look flashy and impressive, but during this battle that never was Cinder at her most dangerous. All those moments during this fight share a different attribute: When Cinder exploded out of the rubble; When Cinder teleported, the explosion that crashed the APC, they were all caused by the same element:
Thunder.
Cinder's true attribute is the sister of lightning, [Thunder]!
Indeed, Cinder's newest attack is thunder. And while Cinder is unable to call upon the power of lightning while inside this entrapment, that doesn't mean she cannot create artificial thunder using the heat of flames instead of lightning. The flames created with the maiden powers implode, igniting the air with magic to create a magical sonic boom.
A massive thunderclap washes over the courtyard and sends all the chanting mages flying. Pyrrha's only spared because Nikolaos uses his body to shield Pyrrha, which has devastating results for him. And with devastating we mean deadly, as the back of his body is torn to shreds by the thunder.
Pyrrha looks with shock, as another person has died for her sake today. And the cause of all those deaths is there, right in front of her, retuning back to her human form. Her hair and arm did lose some of their bright luster, her current power somewhat diminished compared to back on the airfield. However, it's still several times above what a normal mage is capable of. And with the last vestiges of Ruby's power gone Pyrrha's currently nothing more than an ordinary and exhausted mage.
"I see now," Cinder says with that damn smile of hers on her face, "to think that I didn't fully grasp the true nature of my new powers. I suppose I have you all to thank for this final lesson."
Pyrrha glares at Cinder, pushing the body of Nikolaos off her. It's likely she's going to die here, but let's at least try to remove another of Cinder's limbs.
However, Cinder won't let such a thing happen, not accepting another loss. Or rather, precisely because of everything that happened Cinder isn't holding back anything in for finishing off Pyrrha. Back on the top of Beacon's tower she lost an arm and an eye due to unexpected carelessness, she's not going to make the same mistake twice. she simply speaks the spell word "Manifest", letting her transform once more into a giantess of lightning.
Compared to before Cinder's gigantic form is still sculpted out of blue lightning, but now it feels more… complete, so to say. Her face is a bit more akin to Cinder's human face, with strands of shoulder-length black hair standing up like electric discharges, and eyes blazing black. Furthermore, now she's actually clothed, in a style that's reminiscent of a Vacuan belly dancer: A fitted top, hip belt and puffed harem pants, all made from jet black cloth adorned with gold and sapphires. All in all it makes this form look more regal, yet somehow also more inhuman. If anything this form shows a true demoness.
To Cinder the form of her body doesn't matter, as she's reveling in the power that it brings. In her opinion everything is falling in her favor, as she finally has gotten what she deserves. "Even the sun is rising for the dawn of a new beginning." Indeed, the first rays of daylight have begun to shine on Rashkan castle. They fall upon the giant form of Cinder, whose lightning-sculpted body shimmers slightly in the light, and somehow add in making her face look scarier. "Well, for some of us at least. I don't know what the afterlife is like, but it's time for you to return."
Cinder holds out her hand towards Pyrrha, lightning gathering in her palm. In a few second Cinder will release them onto Pyrrha, which will be fatal. Dodging lightning is not exactly what the human body is built for, and even if it was possible Pyrrha's current exhaustion wouldn't allow her to evade continuously. There's no escape left.
Is this the end?
Ugh… Ruby wakes up with a splitting headache, looking up at a barren, wooden ceiling. What happened to her? Memories of the battle come rushing back to her, vividly remembering what happened:
"Ah, I'm in this underworld place again, aren't I?" That Duat thingy or so, if Ruby remembers correctly. The last time it was Wepwawet who used the power to send Ruby to this place, but now she has obtained that power for herself. Is this that boat again?
"Salutations! You are indeed in the Duat."
?!
That voice, it can't be! "Penny?" Ruby gets up immediately, her eyes quickly meeting those of the familiar redhead. "Penny!"
It really is Penny! First Pyrrha, now Penny; It's like a dead people reunion!... which kind of makes sense, since this is the underworld where the dead reside. It's still a neat surprise, though.
However, there's one thing unusual about Penny compared to usual now that Ruby takes a good look: Crescent Rosary is wrapped all over her body, the metal parts digging into the flesh and altogether binding her arms and legs so Penny cannot move. And as happy as Ruby is to see her friend, those chains do worry her a lot:
"Penny, why's Crescent Rosary bound around you?" Ruby gets up and gets over to Penny, tugging on Crescent Rosary to unbind her friend. However, no matter what she does she can't seem to make heads or tails out of loosening the bindings even slightly. "And why can't I free you from my weapon?!"
"Because her soul lacks the sah of a normal departed spirit." A deep and radiant male voice answers from the other side of the room she's in, kindly explaining the problem. "It seems that because her spiritual body has fused with her physical body she is bound to that ribbon, not unlike a malignant spirit."
That answer doesn't explain everything clearly to Ruby, but at least someone is trying to help make sense of it all. Ruby turns towards this person she's grateful for-
"Aaaah! Giant beetlehead!"
-and screams out loud as she jumps backwards in surprise. The one Ruby moves away from in terror is a half-naked male with a giant beetle for a head. Not the head of a beetle, which would be weird but kind of understandable, but literally the head-sized body of beetle for a head! Its eyes are unnaturally placed on the wing joints, and its beard is made out of six beetle legs! What kind of unholy abomination is this?
Despite Ruby's inappropriate response the beetle-headed man jovially laughs it off, as if he's unconcerned with hearing such things. "Ahahah, if any of my other incarnations heard such disrespect from a god-slayer they probably would've gone heretic to avenge this insult. Then again, since they don't have a scarab for a head I doubt you would've responded this harshly."
The friendly behavior of this being does calm Ruby somewhat, though now that she's calm again she does realize that ol' beetlehead is another god, on the level of Wepwawet, Loki and Rostam. And honestly, she's been kind of insulting towards him. Ruby may have killed a god, but she's not the type to be mean to those who haven't done anything to deserve it!
"I… I am so, so sorry for what I said." Ruby bows politely, feeling bad about her words. It's the same as badmouthing a faunus for a weird animal trait, which is not okay in Ruby's book. "I won't call you that anymore." And with that said, there is one question Ruby does have: "So… what's your name, mister?"
"Oh, I have many forms and many names, all switching over the course of the day: Currently I'm Khepri-Ra of the dawn, though over the course of the day I become Ra-Horakthy of the rising sun, Ra of the noon sun, Atum-Ra of the descending sun, Knuhm-Ra of the sunset and Afu-Ra of the night. I suppose you can see me as a person with six personalities, though as long as I have a scarab for a face you can call me Khepri."
"Well, nice to meet you, Khepri. My name is Ruby Rose." Ruby says politely. This god seems rather friendly compared to his brethren, so if possible Ruby would like to keep positive relations with him. "But what did you say about Penny here again?"
"Yes, this ingenuity." Khepri scrutinizes Penny, double-checking his own conclusions. "As I thought, this girl has been into an unnatural incident. It's like her soul has been forged into the weapon, causing a fusion of her physical and spiritual body. I must say it's an interesting method of weapon crafting, the inventor deserve praise for his methods."
Wait, soul into the weapon…? "Then does that mean that Floating Array…"
"You are correct." Ruby's suspicion gets confirmed by Penny, who explains what happened after the Vytal festival: "When my physical body was broken down during the tournament I transferred my soul to Floating Array. When you picked up that sword of mine I used the last of my conscious to make my entire soul rest in the blade you're holding."
"Hang on…" If what Penny says is true, then-?! "When Loki crafted Crescent Rosary, does that mean that you-"
"Yes." Penny bluntly interrupts. "My soul was fused with that of Gleipnir to form Crescent Rosary. I am neither Penny nor Gleipnir, but Crescent Rosary itself."
It sounds like a rather significant worry, but Ruby can't see what it's all about: "Yeah, but that Gleipnir is just a ribbon." Okay, a very powerful magical ribbon, but a ribbon nonetheless. "Last time I checked a ribbon doesn't have a personality of its own. What can you be but Penny?"
"I… am not agreeing with those words." Penny softly murmurs out those words, showing some fear about what she has become. I hold fourteen-hundred and ninety-three years of memories from Gleipnir, and four from Penny Polendina. My status as Penny is only a minor fraction of my knowledge."
"Maybe…" Ruby interjects weakly, not accepting that the person before her isn't Penny. "…but then why did you call me Ruby, or greet me just like Penny used to do? That sounds like the Penny I know!"
"That is because the ka and ba of the divine chains were immature due to its continuous lack of use beyond silently binding a god." Khepri interjects, still keenly listening in on the origin of this supernatural marvel, "Though Gleipnir may be greatly responsible for the physical body and knowledge of that girl, the vital essence and personality are predominantly of human origin."
In other words, even though Penny now has all of Gleipnir's memories she's still Penny. Ruby understands what Khepri says, and if Penny doesn't then Ruby will encouragingly cheer her friend up. "See, Penny? Even if you've also become some divine weapon, you're still my friend. Even Khepri says it, and he's a god of…" you know, what is he the god of? Wisdom or intelligence would solidify the argument, but Ruby genuinely doesn't know.
"The dawn sun, mostly." Khepri fills in, despite not being asked. "Also scarabs, and this Mesektet boat we're in."
"Oh, I remember now!" Ruby shouts out, Khepri's words triggering a recall. "Is this perhaps the inside of the boat I visited earlier?" Back then some pink-haired teen told Ruby not to enter, but perhaps this time she's inside of the place. Although, there's one major difference: "It's rather bare compared to the shiny outside." There is no gold in here, nor any gemstones, but only simple wood.
For that question Khepri has a simple answer. "The [Mesektet] is supposed to be a grave, so this room is akin to the bare wooden inside of a sarcophagus. It's also why your authority to resurrect brings you on my boat, as it's effectively also your grave for the moment."
Wait, this is Khepri's boat? But in that case: "Y'know, you're taking my visit surprisingly well." Compared to how Rostam was constantly calling Ruby a demoness Khepri seems to be rather okay with letting a demon queen aboard his divine ship.
"Should I not?" Khepri asks with a small tilt of his head, not fully understanding Ruby's argument. "While it is true that you have slain a god, the god you slew was going against his domain and killing mortals in the material world. One who slays gods is undeniably a force of evil, but that deed was one that brought order to heretic Wepwawet. Standing here with the authority of Wepwawet, both literally and figuratively, there's little objection I can make against you coming here." Khepri lets out a small chuckle, before looking at Penny. "You even brought an interesting ingenuity with you, so I wasn't left bored."
"Okay…?" Ruby would disagree with herself being evil, but she does agree that killing Wepwawet was a deed necessary to keep the people safe. It still doesn't exactly explain why a god, even one as jovial as Khepri, is so accepting of one who slays gods. Fortunately the dawn god isn't finished with his explanation:
"You see, people call me a god of good, but I can condone evil." Khepri says seriously, any cheer in his face and body language disappearing. "Even if good is preferable, those of nefarious nature have their place in the order of the world. Even Set, one of the evilest of gods, still fights for order by helping out to stave off Apep. Ruby Rose, I can forgive even the evilest of your deeds."
"Thank you?" Ruby says with some uncertainty. Khepri still considers her evil, but he's also not against her. So that's good, right-
"However, I cannot condone chaos in any way!" Khepri suddenly shouts with passion, his eyes glowing like the morning sun. "Those who seek to become Apep's spawn should be exterminated like that snake! Ruby Rose, your evil actions are tolerable, but I will not be so lenient with your deeds of chaos!"
"Like what?" Ruby asks almost sarcastically, not seeing anything that disorderly. Heck, Ruby likes order. Compared to the chaos that is grimm Ruby is firmly on the side of order and civilization. Khepri should have nothing to complain about!
Unfortunately for Ruby that last thought is wrong. Khepri does have an inkling or two about any chaotic deeds: "For example, opening a path to the Duat for a hotheaded Persian god." The smugness is beaming off the sun god, almost literally. "But you wouldn't do that, right?"
…ah. Ruby gets what Khepri is saying. "It's not that bad… is it?"
Oh, Khepri is perfectly willing to explain how bad it could be: "Even if we ignore the harmful effects of potentially permanently melding aspects of Egyptian and Persian myth, you though it a good idea to bring in a 'hero' set on smiting evil in close vicinity of Set, a god of evil who is most necessary for keeping the Mesektet safe."
"I see…" That fight would be a little bit wild and shake things up, yes. "But can they really cause that much chaos? I mean, it's just one battle, right?"
"If Rostam were to slay or heavily injure Set, then the desert lord will be unable to help keep Afu-Ra safe from Apep. And when the snake wins by swallowing the Mesektet then it will spell doom for this world. All the gods and humans living in it will be destroyed, and the [Sea of Chaos] will swallow this plane once more to turn into a mass of nothingness and chaos."
"…" That leaves Ruby absolutely speechless. However, Khepri isn't done yet:
"And as a world of myth the breakdown of this world would affect others as well.. With how many other mythological worlds are built upon this one the foundations of the multiverse would shake, and many mortal worlds would be lost to the [Sea of Chaos]. Though I cannot give an exact number, I estimate that the loss of this world would lead to three trillion people being erased from existence."
…3 trillion people. That… it's many times more people than have ever lived on Remnant. Ruby falls silent, only now realizing how destructive her actions could've been.
"I'm sorry!" Ruby regretfully apologizes to Khepri, never realizing the potential danger of her actions. How can she call herself a huntress is she endangered so many lives? "I didn't know it would be that dangerous!"
I did not expect you to." Khepri says honestly, "I do not attribute to malice what occurs through stupidity."
Hang on, stupidity? "Hey, are you serious? I'm not an idiot! I've skipped two grades at Signal and I'm in the top ten grades of my year at Beacon!" Well, you do need to disregard Oobleck's lessons in history for that, but what huntress ever found that course crucial? Ruby's a smart cookie for her age!
Ruby's feat of intelligence may be impressive to some, but not Khepri: "Perhaps so, but your nature is indubitably that of a fool. There is a reason we consider you god-slayers children of hindsight."
"Maybe so, but that doesn't make me dumb! Take it back! Take it back!"
Where Ruby's bickering with Khepri one person has been staying silent. Penny's 1493 years of memories as Gleipnir have taught her enough respect for the gods to know that she shouldn't interrupt a conversation between gods and their slayers casually, but now might be a good time to interject:
"Ruby, I believe he is insinuating a lack of wisdom rather than a lack of intelligence."
Penny's explanation lands in good grace with Khepri, who builds the rest of his argument upon it: "Well said, child. Indeed, it is only through a severe lack of wisdom and overabundance of willpower that a mortal can slay a god. After all, who else would see a god and genuinely prepare to slay one?"
"To be fair," Ruby says as she tries to wriggle out of Khepri's argument, "I was mostly hoping to resist enough that Wepwawet would stop destroying the villages. But things happened, and well… yeah." Ruby killed a god. Honestly, if the battle ended with Wepwawet simply deciding not to harm the humans Ruby would've been fine with that. Oh well, it is what it is.
Those words make Khepri chuckle, the thought processes of a god-slayer being truly ridiculous. "That you think that a god would change his ways that easily, it only confirms my hypothesis. Then again, you did surprise me by apologizing for your misdeed." Ruby's relatively weird nature does cause Khepri to pause, determining the proper way for dealing with Ruby: "Hmm, I will not punish the fool who is willing to learn. As long as you understand the importance of order, I believe that we can forgive your mistake."
"Thank you-"
"But the next time you bring a god with you to this world I will obliterate you without second thought." Khepri interrupts calmly and serenely, as if it's a simple fact. The threat coming off the dawn god is immense, causing Ruby's entire body to become jittery as she swallows a massive gulp.
Right, perhaps it's best for Ruby not to use this power of hers as a dumpster bin to dump gods in. Though Ruby wouldn't estimate her chances of beating Khepri in a fight to be zero, avoiding that battle sounds way preferable right now. Anyone who can utter threats like those with such a serious and tranquil face is someone Ruby would rather not piss off if possible.
Khepri's is glad that his warning has not fallen on deaf ears, and while he would like to discuss it further the solar lord suddenly ends the conversation: "But I'm afraid our time is up, Ruby Rose. Dawn has arrived, which means that the Mesektet boat will end its journey." Khepri says as he swipes his hand, causing Penny to be thrown lightly against Ruby. "Take your weapon and leave in peace. Heed my warning, and hopefully we do not need to be enemies."
Time is up? Ruby doesn't get it, but she doesn't have time to think as bright beams of sunlight burst forth into the sacrofagus, her surroundings slowly turning transparent. Everything, even Khepri, is slowly disappearing to be replaced with bright light. What is this?
"Ruby?" Penny is asking for her friend's attention, so naturally Ruby turns towards her friend-
"Penny? Not you too, right?" Penny is also turning transparent, her body slowly disappearing. Well, the Penny part at least. Crescent Rosary is just as solid as Ruby herself is. "You can't leave me alone, Penny!"
"Do not worry, Ruby." Penny says gently, though Ruby can see that the smile is strained. "My soul will always be with you inside Crescent Rosary, and we can have a sensational talk whenever you use your authority to return to the Duat."
"What are you talking about?" Ruby cannot help but refute Penny's twisted logic. Accept that Penny can only be talked to in the afterlife? Forcing her to stay trapped within Crescent Rosary, all while Ruby is living life? Ruby will never accept such a fate for her friend! "You're so much more to me than just some dumb scythe! You're coming with me properly, so whether you like it or not hold on tight!"
"Ruby…"
Now it's time to perform a miracle. Penny believes she isn't human, an artificial being that lacks key components of the soul. However, Khepri was of the opposite opinion, and so is Ruby. Penny is as human as Ruby herself is, and deserves the life of one!
With heated passion Ruby awakens the authority slumbering within her. You divine power, you're supposed to be almighty, right? Do you think that anyone will think so if you can't even perform the measly task of bringing Penny back to life? If you really are a powerful authority from Wepwawet, come and show it right now!
"Receive the eye of Horus, the mouth of Thoth, the ears of Set and the nose of Dunanwy. As they take, you take, for you cannot fly away from the pure one!"
Chanting spell words Ruby pours energy into Penny's soul, ready to forge a human physical body for her friend. Energy flows from Ruby, seeking to materialize a physical body for her friend.
However, it immediately runs into a snag. The energy Ruby's pouring in feels like it's being slammed against a wall, unable to penetrate to the core of Penny's soul. Is it Penny's artificial nature that's holding this back? Or perhaps it's the fact that the authority considers Crescent Rosary a proper "living" body, meaning that there's no dead person to resurrect?
"Gurhk…" Ruby grunts in annoyance, the authority not making any progress. At this rate Penny will never be resurrected! Might this be impossible after all?
…
Heck no! Ruby's not giving up so soon! Penny will come back with her, no matter what. And even though Ruby lacks the knowledge to get around this problem the smart way, she can probably overcome it with sheer magical energy! Doubling, tripling, quadrupling, even quintupling the energy she pours into the authority to get Penny back, Ruby chants more spell words of power to resurrect her friend:
"I have opened your mouth for you with the blade of iron that opens the mouths of the gods. May you walk and speak with your body before the great nine gods in the great mansion of Iunu and take up your white crown of nobility!"
Torrents of energy flow out of Ruby, forcing whatever inability or impossibility that stands in her way under the force of her raw power. If some trivial problem like Penny being an artificial human or fused to a weapon were important enough to impede an authority, then how can it be called an authority to begin with!
"Uoooooh!" Ruby shouts it out as she forces her energy into Penny, overwhelming everything to ensure her friend's safe return. Penny is coming back with her, no matter what!
As Ruby continuously pours ludicrous amounts of magic energy into Penny's soul the last traces from mythological Egypt disappear. Everything around them is replaced with bright light, and the duo vanish into it towards a new tomorrow.
Football References:
Olympic Legend = Olympiacos F.C., A Greek football club originating in Piraeus, and is officially the most successful soccer club in Grecian football history.
Robin of Persia = Based on Robin van Persie, a Dutch striker who played for clubs like Feyenoord and Arsenal, is the all-time top scorer for the Dutch national team, and has a name which almost makes for a good Lawrence of Arabia reference.
Muhammad Karimi = Ali Karimi, an attacking midfielder who played for Bayern Munchen. He's nicknamed the Asian Maradona.
Saint Germanus = Paris Saint-Germain F.C., a French football club that after its takeover by QSI in 2011 became one of the wealthiest clubs in the world and capable of competing for the top globally.
Nikolaos "Phantom" Sarganis= Nikos Sarganis, a Grecian goalkeeper from Olympiacos F.C. who was nicknamed "Phantom" by the Danes after the 1-0 Grecian victory against them in 1980.
Blarg7865: Will this fic continue into another crossover after completion?
Who knows? Perhaps some other world will be seen. The only thing I can say for real is that if it were to happen it would be a modified version of the world that follows the Campione rule set, changing particular origins and backgrounds to fit better in a multiverse.
Firewyrm2: Will Ruby meet the main protagonist of Campione?
It's a big world out there, but I estimate it to be a significant chance.
Kitsune Obsessed Freak: How did you come up with this idea in the first place?
Do you mean the origin of this fanfic or just the idea generation in general? Let's separate those two questions:
Kitsune Obsessed Freak: What's the origin of this fanfic?
The origin lies within my other two fanfics, the Campione fic "It Sits in the Family" and the RWBY fic "A New World on her Shoulders". I had made a good fic of both series, and there wasn't a good crossover fic at the time, so why not make the first proper crossover fic?
Kitsune Obsessed Freak: How do you generate all those ideas for each chapter?
Extrapolation! It's not hard to take a few fun ideas and extrapolate from there onwards. For example, one of the first concepts of the Ruby vs. Rostam fight was the finale, with Ruby throwing Rostam into the Duat while Pyrrha holds him down. Except back then the enemy was Salvatore Doni, and the fight took place on Malta. However, neither that enemy nor that location fitted anymore with the general plan for the story, so I continued to add and remove ideas that are somewhat related to the chapter until I feel that the story fits as a whole.
Freed 2020: will we ever see the perspective of the other RWBY members?
This fic predominantly focuses on the earth side of things. Part of this fic is the looming uncertainty of how things on Remnant go, which is part of Ruby's focus to returning to Remnant.
Guest #0912: Aren't there only 2 gods on Remnant?
Not in this canon, no. Remnant still has multiple belief systems (that's actually canon), and with this fic following Campioneverse rules that means that the "All myths are true" reality of Campione also goes for Remnant. The does result in the question "Then why don't other gods manifest on Remnant?", but that's a spoiler for a later chapter.