A/N: I recently finished playing through Insomniac's Spider-Man, and it was awesome! I highly recommend playing it, whether you're a fan of the Web-Head or just want a good video game to play. Now... on to Dragon Quest XI... No, I'm not kidding. Here we go!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.
I do not own the cover image
Chapter 41: End of the Beginning
Izuku made no move to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks as he raced onwards to the docks, having heard in the background of the chaos what his mentor had said aloud before the transmission went to complete static. There was nothing more that All Might could do now. He was all that was left of One for All. He had to move onwards, keep on fighting. For both of them.
The chaos at the docks was apparent before he even arrived. People were racing about with panicked voices and faces, looking for lost friends and family in a desperate frenzy while Port and Oobleck guided them to evacuation ships as quickly as they could. Sun, Shoto, and Weiss were standing guard against any potential Grimm, while Aizawa observed the passengers to check for any potential League or Fang members.
But more than any of that, Izuku almost immediately noticed a few things: one, Peach was nowhere to be found, as was evidenced by the fact that injured were currently being ferried onto the fastest ship they had available; two, among the wounded were Tenya and Bakugo, both of whom had several wounds across their bodies of varying degrees, from minor to incredibly severe, with Tenya having most of the latter of the blood seeping through the bandages on his legs was anything to go by; three, Yang was still on the ground, unconscious, her stub now bandaged but still seeping from the red that continued to soak through, with Blake holding her partners hand all the while, her own stab wound having been bandaged but still incapacitating her for the time being.
His half and half leader quickly intercepted him, giving him a once over before saying, "Thank Oum you're... hey... what the hell is with those scars?! Are you hurt? Do you need anything?"
But Izuku didn't respond to him, halfheartedly pushing his way past his partner and practically stumbled towards Yang, falling to his knees as the tears kept falling, both for All Might and for her. He hoped her eyes would open, give him some sign that she was alright, that she could somehow beat back what had just happened. But still, there she laid, dead to the world, her only sign of life being the ever so faint, almost unnoticeable rise and fall of her chest.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, so low that no one else could hear him, and continued, "I wasn't fast enough... this is my fault... I-"
"-Toshinori healed me. Even though it left a scar that pretty much marred my face permanently, he saved my life."
Izuku didn't know how or why that thought chose to creep its way into his thoughts. Yes, it had been on his mind for a while, and he'd never found the right time to bring it up with All Might. But... maybe...
As the tears continued to trickle, though his eyes were slowly transitioning to a determined gaze, he grabbed at Yang's severed arm and brought it out. He heard a few shocked reactions behind them, Ruby, Shoto, and Sun among them, but he paid them no heed. He knew what he had to do. He hoped.
He felt his markings begin to glow with power as he activated Full Cowl, his sclera darkening and his eyes beginning to glow a fluorescent green as he placed one hand on Yang's stub and held her severed right arm in the other. He began to pump Aura through his markings as he brought the two closer, the glow spreading to his bare skin as he continued to try, with all his concentration, and the effort that he could muster.
Yet still, it wasn't enough. The glow flickered and faded back to the marks, and Yang's arm remained as it was: severed. It hadn't worked.
"... c'mon..." he whispered to himself as he tried once more to no avail. And again. And again. And still, through it all through the confused and shocked gazes placed upon him, through the worried tones he heard muffled through the air, and the desperation that he felt in his heart, it still did not work.
"Please... just... just let me help her... please..." he whispered again as he hung his head in seeming defeat, the crackling of energy and the glowing of his eyes fading as he practically begged someone, something, to help him.
But no one came.
…
What's with that look, students?
Huh?
He didn't know why, but he was remembering something else. Something that he might've forgotten. He knew that All Might had said it in class, addressing the fact that a lot of people, despite laws, regulations, various Grimm defenses, and more, still died.
It is true that people can, and sometimes do, die, despite our best efforts. It's an inevitable fact of life. Sometimes, saving one person means losing another. There could be people on the other side of the world crying out for help. But we would never get there in time. That's why you must save as many as you can save, with your own two hands. Because in the end, when there's no one around to help, it might very well be down to you and you alone. So, if you ever are in that situation, dig deep within yourself, find the courage to stand tall and smile, and give it everything you have! Surpass your limits, and Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!
… go beyond.
Izuku grit his teeth and opened his eyes, the landscape a plain gray, the only color within his sight being the smoldering figure of the blonde brawler laying in front of him. Process had activated. Whether he had done it consciously or not wasn't important at the moment. Through the haze, he could see a thin, whispy thread of gold that connected the stump to her severed, now flickering and fading arm. Could he...
Without any further time to waste, he grasped the connection with both of his hands as his markings began to glow once more, the glow then spreading to the rest of his skin as he pumped all the Aura he could into that tiny, but still incredibly strong, connection. He wasn't going to fail her. Not again.
The golden thread began to glow brighter, thickening itself as the severed limb was pulled closer and closer to her stump, and only continued to glow even brighter until the only thing he saw was bright, fluorescent gold, almost turning white in the haze as he let go of the connection.
When he opened his eyes once again, he found that he wasn't on the Beacon Airdock anymore, trying to reattach Yang's arm. Instead, he stood in what looked to be a brightly lit, humble room, brightly lit with the colors of yellow and orange, with smooth mahogany wood lining the floor and two chairs in front of a currently blazing fireplace.
Sitting in front of said fireplace, legs crossed and seemingly asleep, was a blazing gold figure, the same one that he'd always seen Yang as when Process had activated. But that too wasn't what was capturing his attention, at least at the moment. Her arm, specifically where it had been bisected, was glowing incredibly bright, but not in the same shade of gold. It was a burnt, almost rust looking shade of orange.
"-zuku!"
And before he could start to make sense out of just what he was seeing, the green haired inheritor was brought back to reality, with a concerned Shoto and Ruby leaning over him, the latter with tears staining her cheeks as she tried to smile, but failed as she brought up Izuku by the torso and hugged him.
A few seconds passed before she finally released him, his half and half leader then taking the liberty to ask, "Are you alright?"
"... yeah, I'm-" Izuku suddenly began to cough for a few moments, an irony taste filling his mouth and a fluid pushing against his lips, only stopped when his hand covered his mouth to stop the spillage. He didn't have to look at it to know it was blood.
When the coughing ended, Weiss joined her partner and acquaintance, almost immediately noticing the slightest trickle of red falling from one of his fingers, bringing a handkerchief out of one of her pockets and moving Izuku's hand away from his mouth, wiping the blood away from his face as she scolded, "I know what you were going to say, but you are most certainly not fine, Midoriya. Whatever that... technique was that let you heal Yang hurt you."
He hardly heard anything after that, suddenly rising from the ground and whipped his head about, desperate to find where Yang was after that. It was a long shot, and he didn't even know if it would work. Please be okay, please be okay, please-
It didn't take long for him to find her, blonde hair still splayed, chest still faintly rising and falling, limbs limp at her-
… it worked. It actually worked.
Izuku practically fell to his knees at that, only kept from the pavement by Shoto, who caught him by the torso and hoisted him to his feet. Yang's right arm had been reattached, like it had never been severed in the first place, the only evidence being the thin yet still defined scar lining the middle of her bicep. Tears started to trickle from his eyes once more, struggling against Shoto's hold as he tried to get closer to her, only for him to say, "You need to rest. Seriously, lie down."
He complied, though reluctantly, sitting himself down against the pavement as Ruby and Weiss stood from their spots, saying that they would find someone and bring them back. Wait, what? Why? Wasn't everyone here at the docks? Shouldn't they be going down to Vale or-
And then, as his eyes spotted a beaten and breathless Ren and Nora, he knew who was missing. Jaune and Pyrrha weren't there, and if Ozpin's words were to be believed, they were probably at the tower to... did the procedure even work? Was Pyrrha alright? Did Jaune know about the Maidens now? What if that half-Maiden had shown up?
It was that last question in particular that made Izuku force himself to his feet, despite the fact that he felt half dead and his Aura definitely wasn't in the best shape, straightening his posture as best he could as he said to the three in front of him, "I'm coming too."
Ruby, Weiss, and Shoto looked at him like he was crazy. Not that he could exactly blame them for worrying, if any of them were in his situation he'd probably be giving them the exact same look. But this wasn't the time to argue semantics.
"Izuku," Ruby said as she stepped towards him, "you just started to cough up blood. You're not in any condition to-"
"I know where they are."
This caught them by surprise, the white-haired heiress simply asking, "Where?"
Izuku didn't answer her, however, noticing a stray Beowolf creeping up behind them and onto the docks. He reached over his shoulder and brought Tempest to bare, throwing it with a metallic hum as it streaked through the air and struck it in the side, causing it to yell out in pain before Sun leapt over and finished it off with a single stroke from his gunchucks.
The green haired inheritor walked over to the disintegrating corpse of the Grimm and lifted Tempest from its body, slinging it over his shoulder once again as he turned to Sun, asking, "Can you make sure everyone gets out alright?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll make sure they stay safe. Besides, my team's down in Vale, and they're gonna need me once I get the others to wherever Peach and the other teachers have holed up," Sun responded.
"C'mon. We need to get after them," Shoto to the green haired inheritor with his icy blade in hand once more, Ruby and Weiss behind as they tried to convince him otherwise.
"At this point, there's no point in stopping him. Might as well make sure he doesn't go in alone," Shoto said in his partner's defense. After a few seconds of hesitation, they nodded in acceptance, drawing their respective weapons as they joined the two on the edge of the docks.
"This is going to be an uphill battle. I hope you're ready for that, Midoriya," Weiss said with a focused, icy stare.
"We promised we'd get them back. Now let's follow through on it!" Ruby said as she lead the charge towards Beacon with Cresent Rose in hand, her partner and the half and half leader following close behind.
Izuku took one last, ever so short look back at the docks. Yang and Blake were being carried away to the medical ship now, Sun boarding with them to make sure everyone got out okay, and Bart and Port were setting up another perimeter around the docks now that the other three had left. But he knew they could handle it. They had to.
And he followed his allies back into the depths of monsters.
(meanwhile, near Beacon Tower, Jaune's POV)
"Okay. We need to get the others. I'll call Ruby, and she can get STIK and the rest of RWBY rounded up, then maybe call in her uncle for backup," Jaune said as he tapped away at the holographic buttons on his scroll, Pyrrha looking back at the school with a worried gaze. He was a bit concerned himself, but this was Ozpin they were talking about. He wouldn't-
But the roar of rising flames silenced that thought entirely, rising higher through the tower as a smoldering crackle of ember was left in their wake.
"No way... Ozpin-"
"We're out of time," Pyrrha whispered to herself as she looked back at Jaune, saying, "Go. Get down to Vale, and get whoever you can!"
"Okay, but... what about you?"
A few seconds of tense silence passed as the red headed amazon glanced down at the cracked and worn concrete by her feet, her fists clenching together as she brought her gaze upwards... to the top of the tower.
"No... Pyrrha, no! You can't beat her! She's too powerful, even for you! I can't-"
He was interrupted when she suddenly closed the distance between them, bringing her hands to his face and pressing her lips against his. Despite the desperation, the hardship, and the impending doom practically clawing at their coattails, he let himself get lost in the moment. Slowly, he pulled Pyrrha closer to him, simultaneously deepening the kiss that he wanted to last forever.
But she pulled away, her eyes still closed as a single tear flowed down her cheek, saying to the blonde knight two shaky, regret ridden words. "I'm sorry."
"Master-"
But neither Jaune nor Lancelot managed to react in time as Pyrrha used her semblance to rocket them into a nearby locker and lock the door tightly shut. Jaune banged his fists against the door, his mind only concerned with getting out and keeping his partner safe. But as she punched in the coordinates, and looked back at him one last time, all he could see in her watery green orbs was anguish and apology.
And then the locker left the ground, rocketing towards Vale and leaving a streaking trail of smoke where it arched through the open sky.
"Lance! Bust us out of here!" Jaune said as he continued to struggle against the momentum of the locker, his fists still echoing off of the door as they were carried higher and higher.
"But Master Jaune, we are incredibly high up. You might not-"
"I have a plan for that! Now get us out of here!"
Without further argument, Lancelot formed an armored gauntlet and blasted the door off of its hinges, causing it to catch the wind and flail about in the sky as it tumbled to the ground below. Paying that fact no heed, Jaune jumped out of the object carrying him as the wind caught his figure, causing him to flail about for only a second before just barely managing to right himself, suddenly finding that he was far above the dormitories, and in a perfect place to enact his landing strategy.
"Lance, once we get close enough to one of the buildings, use your gauntlet to slow us down. We can make our way down from there."
"Understood, Master Jaune."
The wind howled in his ears as they neared the ground with greater speeds by each passing second, the roofs of the dormitories veering ever closer. Finally, Lancelot managed to catch one of the sides of a dormitory, the arm digging through the structure as their descent slowed, finally reaching the ground with a slight patter of Jaune's shoes as he ran towards the tower once again. He wasn't going to let her fight this battle on her own, dammit!
(meanwhile, somewhere in Beacon Courtyard, Izuku's POV)
"Shoto! Catch!" Izuku yelled to his partner as he hooked a Beowolf by the shoulder with Cirrus, launching off of the ground with Stratus and then firing off the former to launch the Grimm straight at his partner, who swiftly cleaved the beast in half with a single swing. He then bounced off of his hands when he landed, spinning mid-jump with Tempest outstretched to cleave yet another Grimm in two, landing with his back to the rose-themed reaper as she provided cover fire for her platinum-haired partner.
"Izuku! Got a big one over here!" Shoto shouted as he retreated a few steps from an Ursa Major, who was currently cleaving its way through a few ice barricades he'd made to slow it down.
"I got it!"
…
That wasn't Izuku.
The Ursa Major's roar was suddenly cut short as a flash of white cut through the air, allowing the hulking beast to stay airborne for a few seconds before it suddenly fell in two, leaving a kneeling Jaune with Lancelot's torso floating above him as the Ursa faded into ash.
Dispelling Lancelot, Jaune's hands flew to his side, drawing Crocea Mors as quickly as he could, the edge catching a Beowolf by the throat, causing it to dissipate almost immediately. "C'mon! We don't have a lot of time!"
"What do you mean?! And where's Pyrrha?!" Ruby yelled to the blonde knight as she began to fire off a few more rounds at a few Creeps that were making their way over, suddenly taking her scythe out of the ground and using it to bisect an incoming Griffon.
"That's just it! She's at the top of Beacon Tower, and I think she's-"
But before Jaune could finish his sentence, a roar could be heard from overhead. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and even the Grimm had stopped attacking to look upwards to the noise's origin. It was a Grimm, larger than any that they had ever seen before. With titanic red wings and a wide, toothy maw, the Ichor Dragon swooped downwards at the tower, taking the top off as it flew past with an echoing crack and a thunderous cry.
"We need to get over there. Now!" Jaune said as he began to dart off in the direction of Beacon Tower, calling to the others, "C'mon! She can't win this on her own!"
"... damn, he can certainly pull people to a cause," Shoto muttered to himself as he raced after the blonde knight, slicing through various Grimm as he went.
And Izuku, without another moment of hesitation, followed after the blonde knight. We really have come a long way, Jaune. But something tells me that the journey ahead is even longer than this.
Hope we can push through it.
(meanwhile, atop Beacon Tower, Pyrrha's POV)
Damnit. So, this is the power of a Maiden. Really, I should've expected no less. Pyrrha thought to herself as she stood from the rubble of the tower, Conder standing over her with twin blazes in her hands, the fiery mask across her face unwavering as she sneered down at the red headed amazon.
Akuo was off to the side of the room, undamaged, while Milo laid on the ground behind the woman in front of her in pieces. The woman's power suddenly stopped, as she leaned downwards to taunt, "It's truly a shame that you were promised power that was never meant to be yours. Worry not, young one. I shall gladly free you of the burden.
But before I do that, little warrior, I want you to answer something for me. Do you believe in destiny?"
Gritting her teeth and glaring up at the woman who'd killed Ozpin with a rage she had never before felt in her entire life, she asked back, "Do you?"
"... yes."
And that was all the distraction Pyrrha needed to activate her semblance fully. She hadn't done so in a very long time, and even now the toll it could have on her body and brain was potentially devastating. But she didn't care. This woman could not be allowed to roam free with such power, not with the way she could use it so selfishly. If her sacrifice was required to ensure that she was captured and bound...
Then so be it.
Calling upon the various metals still present within the tower, she shoved her hands outwards, catching the false Maiden off guard and sending her to the edge of the tower, only kept there by the twin glass scimitars she summoned to her side and buried halfway into the floor.
"Why you-" but Pyrrha gave her no time to react, reforming the various metals into a gigantic fist that reeled back and punched her off the side of the tower, sending her flying through the air, only to stop and hover with the assistance of her flames, the mask of flame reappearing on her face as she did so.
Calling Akuo back to her side, Pyrrha used her semblance to make a shooting wave of metal, jumping onto it and riding it in a beeline towards the false Maiden, who quickly dodged out of the way and sent a blast of flame to the amazon's back, which was quickly blocked by a hurriedly formed wall of metal and the assistance of Akuo.
"You will not stand in my way any longer!" the false Maiden yelled as she rocketed towards Pyrrha, a long blade in hand, the edge practically glowing from the heat as she sliced through the wall in front of her, the edge scratching against Akuo and leaving a small but notable gash on the shield as the red headed amazon quickly sped away, then reforming the metal into a sword twice her size and swung it at the false Maiden, intending to hit her out of the air and get this fight back to the ground.
However, she managed to dodge the attack, a wide grin on her face as she prepared to fire off another blast. However, Pyrrha had already accounted for this possibility, suddenly throwing Akuo at her opponent and managing to catch her off guard, giving her the chance to redirect her blade and catch the false Maiden in the side, sending her sprawling through the air and down to the ground, hitting with a cavernous boom and a cloud of dust springing up and surrounding her.
Good. Now-
Suddenly, another roar from behind interrupted her train of thought as she was suddenly hit with a blast of wind and sent sprawling off course, only saved by the metal she redirected from the blade and managed to catch herself on it. She'd forgotten about the dragon. Seriously, it was practically half a mile long, how do you forget about something like that?!
No matter. I need to ensure that false Maiden doesn't escape.
Pyrrha then called Akuo back to her side, rocketing downwards on the wave made of metal with the roaring of the Ichor Dragon at her back.
(meanwhile, Beacon's Central Courtyard, 3rd person POV)
The figure landed with a cracking boom, causing a cloud of dust to form around them and preventing anyone from seeing them. Was it Pyrrha or Cinder? Izuku couldn't tell, nor did he have time to confirm, as he and the others were currently dealing with Grimm on all sides as they made their way further forwards, slicing through bone and flesh alike as the enemy began to thin, finally allowing them to get close enough to assist their armored friend.
Flying down on a wave of metal, jumping right in front of the billowing cloud of dust that had formed above the impact, was Pyrrha, breathing in deep gulps of air as the wave of metal she'd rode on dissipated, her shield the only thing barely keeping her on a single knee.
"You insolent cur! How dare you think to take me from the skies!" the woman from the crater yelled as she leapt from the cloud, her scimitars drawn to bare as the Ichor Dragon roared behind her, swooping in synch with her attack.
This show of force, however, caused the Grimm around Izuku and the others to thin significantly more, to the point that they could assist their friend more directly. Without a second to lose, Izuku, with Ruby in tow, drew their scythes and clashed with Cinder's blades, the force catching her off guard as the force of their combined swings forced her back and away from Pyrrha.
Shoto, seeing the Ichor Dragon overhead, stabbed his makeshift sword into the ground in front of him and summoning a glacier of such magnitude that it outclassed even the one that he'd unleashed against Hanta, the strain visible for everyone to see. Assisting with his plan, Weiss, lined the glacier with gravity Glyphs, strain on her face also visible from just how much force this plan required. Jaune stood with the two, kneeling with his hands clasped in concentration as Paladin Mode activated once more, and Lancelot climbed to the very top of the glacier, his gigantic blade at the ready.
And down swooped the dragon with another thunderous roar, its eyes set on the group of people who'd dared to try and harm its master, only to find itself being drawn along a glacier by his wing, and grasped by an intense, invisible force form which it couldn't escape as it flew straight towards a flash of white at the top of the ice. Bony wing and ghostly sword met, Jaune's face contorting with effort as he and Lancelot held on with everything they had, trying their best to win this battle of attrition. After a few seconds of waiting, Weiss upping the ante on her gravity Glyphs and Shoto doing his best to ensure that the glacier held from all of this force being placed upon it, the wing finally gave, the bone snapping as the blade passed under and began to rip through its leathery, crimson wing like a knife through wet paper, forming a gash so large that, as the dragon was launched several feet back into the air as a result of the gravity Glyphs, it crashed to the ground below in a heap as it tried hopelessly to flap its wings and escape the ground.
But while to beast was now grounded, and the three who brought it down were currently catching their breath, it was nowhere near dead, taking a few, shaky steps to rise again and give another cry of anger, the split in the wing that they had made beginning to slowly, but surely, stitch itself together again, the bone broken beneath the dragon's flesh inching ever so slowly back into place.
Pyrrha rose from the ground as Ruby was flung back, caught by the red headed amazon while Izuku clashed swords with Cinder herself, their brief meeting consisting of a flurry of metallic clangs, magical discharges, and buckshot loaded kicks as the two jumped about, meeting only briefly before separating again, unwilling to stay still and give the other a chance to think.
They clashed again, Izuku glaring daggers into the false Maiden as she smiled back, only giving the slightest force to match Izuku's own Full Cowl, now back down to 9% power. Truth be told, it was the most power he could output at the moment, at least without injuring himself.
"Aw, the fighter finally got some scars. How quaint," Cinder taunted, making a jab at Izuku's new scars that had only recently been healed midway through his fight with Adam, though this insult went unanswered as the green haired inheritor held the clash, his opponent's overconfident smirk never leaving her lips.
"Is this really the best you can do? I saw the way you fought in the tournament. You're nowhere near the apex of power you demonstrated. I am far worthier of your full power than that boy you call leader. Now stop holding back so I can crush you and that brass-armored cur properly!" Cinder yelled as she applied more force to the clash, winning it and sending Izuku tumbling backwards, barely managing to catch himself by burying Tempest into the ground and skid to a stop, bringing the weapon to bare in a brief flurry of motion, again taking the same stance that he'd used to fight Adam.
With a quick nod to Ruby and Pyrrha, the sounds of the Ichor Dragon limping behind them, and the battle cries of their friends holding off what Grimm had wandered toward their battlefield, they charged at the false Maiden from all sides, Izuku bouncing off of his boots as the shots boosted him ever onwards, Ruby making full use of her semblance, becoming a streak of red and silver with her scythe ready to strike, and Pyrrha, with Akuo in hand, summoned a final wave of metal to launch at her enemy, blood leaking from her nose via the strain it had put on her. This was it. It was all or nothing.
"ENOUGH!"
And a ring-shaped blast of pure flame emanated outwards from where she stood, knocking all six of them to the ground, and ever destroying the Grimm that Shoto, Jaune, and Weiss had been fighting against while Ruby and Izuku had assisted Pyrrha. And yet, despite all their efforts, despite grounding the Ichor Dragon; temporary though that solution may have been; despite throwing everything they had into this fight, to at least scrape out a victory by the skin of their teeth, it wasn't enough to combat the false Maiden. They had lost.
With an arrogant gait to her walk, she smiled maliciously as she observed the fallen bodies of those who had been foolish enough to try and stop her. What could they do? She was the Fall Maiden. She was unstoppable. She finally had back what had been taken from her. She finally had the power her family had lost so long ago.
But was this worth it? Was this worth the sacrifice? The lies? The betrayals? Was this worth abandoning the only people who'd treated her like family; like a sister? Was this truly what you wanted?
As quickly as those traitorous thoughts had surfaced; the voice of her old mentor echoing through her mind and causing her smile to falter ever so slightly; she stomped them out, giving the same, unchanging answer to every single question posed. Yes. Of course it was. It had to be.
Otherwise, everything she'd gone through would've been for nothing. And she would not let this rabble delay what she wished any longer than they already had.
The Ichor Dragon had finally made its way over to their battleground, limping from the loss of its slowly healing wing with a pained, and rather angered, gleam in its eye. It lowered its head to where its master softened her smile, stroking its snout with a gentle touch as she asked, "Does it hurt?"
It whimpered in response, causing her to smile further as she stated, "In due time, you'll have revenge on those who caused you this much pain. But first..."
A bow of glass quickly formed within her hand, striking the red-headed amazon right through the heel in barely half a second, the sound of a tendon being snapped reverberating through the air and sending her to her knees. She tried to get to her feet, defend her friends, but her right leg remained limp and useless. Even if she lived through the day, even if she got her tendon repaired, she would never fully recover from a wound of that precision and ruthlessness.
And Cinder would ensure that she did not live to see another sunrise.
She used the glass heel of her shoe to kick Pyrrha onto her side, then stomping it down on her stomach and causing her to lose all the breath she held in her lungs with a loud cough. With a slow tension in the air, she aimed her bow's face to the center of the amazon's chest, directly over her heart, and knocked an arrow to the string.
"You never answered my question from before, little warrior. Do you believe in destiny?"
Pyrrha girt her teeth together as she looked up at the false Maiden, the woman who, by all means, would be her death. The others were likely still recovering from her blast, something she'd only been able to resist by the skin of her teeth. There were no reinforcements. All Might was nowhere to be seen, likely still handling the chaos in Vale along with the other teachers and senior hunters. Most everyone had been evacuated by now, and even the White Fang had pulled out. No miracle was going to save her. This was the end.
And yet as she looked upon Cinder's smile, arrow pointed at her heart, she saw something. Something that had led to the downfall of many a ruler in older times, when monarchies ruled with iron fists and silver tongues. Overconfidence. And from that feeling, she saw so many fates that the false Maiden could meet. The possibilities were almost endless. But through it all there was one, unrelenting constant. This would be the apex of Cinder's power. It was just a feeling, something to take solace in before she perished, but she was sure of it.
And so, with one final, rebelliously content smile, she stared right into the eye of her enemy, the false Maiden's bowstring drawn behind her cheek, and echoed the answer Cinder had given her before. "Yes."
And the arrow flew, striking her right through her sternum and piercing her heart without obstruction. The Invincible Warrior was dead.
(Ruby's POV)
No... she thought to herself, slumping to the ground after only managing to get halfway up Cresent Rose laying by her side as she watched on in horror.
No... she thought as Cinder placed her hand to Pyrrha's face, the amazon's body suddenly turning a bright orange before scattering into the winds, an uncountable flurry of embers that left behind the empty shell of her armor.
And as the anger began to build and swell within her, she unleashed a furious cry of rage and spite, yelling out to the false Maiden, "STOOOOOOOP!"
And the world went white.
(Izuku's POV)
The green haired inheritor, shielded his eyes from the oncoming light, seemingly emanating from Ruby herself, blinding everyone in the vicinity and keeping them from fully rising off the ground. It was comforting, yet simultaneously terrifying. Like a power that could rival that of All Might himself.
The light persisted for several seconds before it eventually faded, its source suddenly falling to the ground, unconscious. A pained wail rang out from the false Maiden as she clutched her left side tightly, falling to the ground as her cries echoed throughout the courtyard. Above her stood the giant black dragon, it's jaw open in a seeming roar. And yet, no sound emerged. Not even a twitch of movement could be seen from it. It had been frozen in place, held there by the same power that was causing the false Maiden to cry out in pain.
Cinder rose from her spot with shaky legs, her left eye shriveled shut and her left arm covered in horrible, decaying scars, her glass bow seemingly undamaged in her tight grip. Her good eye glared down at the rose-themed reaper, still out cold from the amount of power she'd used, saying to her with a hoarse voice, "You have no right to do this! I will not let this go unpunished!
"You will pay for this insult with your life," she declared as she aimed her bow straight at Ruby's chest, in the same spot where she'd shot Pyrrha seconds before, and-
SHING!
.
..
…
"ERRRRAAAAAAUUUUGH!"
As quickly as she had begun to lift her bow, Izuku had leapt from where he'd landed and, with Tempest in hand, severed her left arm from its socket by the shoulder, cleaving through her flesh like warm butter. Then, using the momentum of the first strike, he turned into the second one, cleaving through her legs by their kneecaps and causing her to land on her back with a loud thud.
She writhed in pain, screaming out even louder as she curled up, trying her best to stop the bleeding as Izuku stood above her. There was no pity in his eyes. No apology. Only rage. Pure, unrelenting, unforgiving rage. His sclera were as black as the night sky, and his fluorescent emerald eyes glowed like stars. And they were staring daggers into her.
He raised Tempest into the air with a backhand grip, despite the weapon's protests, humming as it tried to beg its master to stop what he was about to do. He could hear some of the others behind him rise to their feet and do the same, asking him to stop. But why should he? She'd done so much wrong, caused so much pain. She'd killed Pyrrha.
But then, she looked back up, a stream of tears running down from her right eye, her pupils dilating and mouth moving, as though trying to say something. She looked terrified. And it was the acknowledgment of that fact that made Izuku stop.
What the hell am I thinking? I'd be no better. Pyrrha... she wouldn't want this.
And then, right in front of him, a portal of dark mist emerged, causing him to jump backwards and narrowly dodge an incoming downward thrust from a black scimitar, which pierced through the ground as easily as Tomura could destroy thing with his bare hands. If he'd been just a second slower, he'd be dead.
And emerging from that portal was the same white-haired man he'd fought at the Vale docks and the Central Vale Park, now donning a black coat with a few more accomplices behind him. Izuku heard those behind him drawing weapons and racing to his side, Shoto and Weiss coming to his side directly while Jaune went full Paladin Mode, Lancelot towering over all of them as the stalemate went on.
Then, suddenly appearing with his own scythe in hand, was Qrow, who'd landed next to Ruby in order to ensure her safety, glaring out at the group of villains who'd suddenly appeared, saying to them, "Listen, you white-haired psychopath. Get out of here right this second, or you're going to regret coming here."
"Oh wow, I'm shaking in my boots," Tomura responded, not really looking at the red eyed reaper as he continued his glare off with Izuku, answering, "We never really planned to stay for that long, anyway. Twice!" He ordered one of the people with him, who immediately obeyed and picked up the now unconscious body of Cinder and walked back through Kurogiri's portal. Maybe they had a healer on the other side?
But such a thought was discarded soon after conception as he and Tomura continued their stare off. One with the eyes of an angered destroyer, and the other with the eyes of a now corrected defender. Neither gave ground nor gave any. It was a stalemate.
And without a word uttered between them, Tomura and his posse left through Kurogiri's portal and disappeared into the night with a hollow wisp of the wind, the only thing evidencing their arrival was Cinder's disappearance and the pools of blood from the severing of her limbs. His stomach dropped as he thought of that. Why had he gotten that angry? He shouldn't have done that, no matter the circumstances.
… right?
Izuku sighed as he let go of Full Cowling. How long had he been keeping it active, on and off and on again? All night? He couldn't quite remember. But he did want to make sure that the others were okay, especially his teammates and Yang. After that... it would be... good to... finally... rest...
And he fell to the ground, the adrenaline that had kept him upright for so many hours since the battle began finally losing its effect as he crashed into a deep slumber, the last words he heard being the concerned cries of his friends as he slipped away from consciousness.
A/N: I hope I did the final episode of Volume 3 justice with this chapter. It's been a heck of a ride, and it still isn't quite done yet. There's just one more chapter to do after this one, and Volume 3 will officially be done! Thank you guys so much for reading this! And now, on to the review responses!
Review Responses:
Thunder Dragon: I think that'll be answered in the next chapter. And while Izuku has come a long way, he certainly does have a mountain to climb, though maybe not quite as steep as it was at first.
Odin's Eye: That was actually one of my favorite Norse Myths, especially the grandeur and scale of everything going to hell. It's a glorious battle, but a difficult one. Well, you know the old saying. What doesn't kill only makes you angrier and far more powerful.
ZWarrior4life: You're welcome! And I believe that this chapter proved that they've got plenty of fight left in them!
Loki's Tongue: That is very true. It might be a bit, but they will come back stronger form this.
Uruk-Hai: While that is an amazing request, I won't be able to get to it for a while. I'd be willing to post it on my story page as an official idea, but I wouldn't be able to get to it for a while. But I do love this idea. Imagine the pure havoc Smaug could bring to them if he were actually in Remnant... I wonder if he and Kevin would get along...
Also, I do like the idea of a half-dragon protagonist in a sequel... so awesome!
ABYSSALISK: I do want to try my hand at those, but we'll just have to wait and see, for now. It isn't as prominent here, but I promise that All Might's fight with All for One will have major effects on the story at large.
King Wyrm: You're welcome! I've looked at her challenges and noted a few of them. They're all pretty interesting either way. And yes, there will be great and grand things to come of this battle!
Midgardsormr Jr: You're quite welcome! I haven't really played many MMOs, but I have heard good things about it!
Dragon Fan: This idea literally made me go and watch all of Fate Apocrypha in the span of two days, and I regret not doing that sooner. I'll definitely have to keep this one in mind when I finish up Team STIK!
Dreamweaver543: I think he'd be flattered if he were here. Unfortunately, securing Vale is gonna take a bit, but I'll give him the message!
Enku: What comes after a war can often be more damaging than the war itself. It'll take some time, but they'll get through this.
KongKing94: He's not quite done yet. The Symbol of Peace, powers or no, will keep on smiling in the face of danger!
Guest: Right you are! And I believe we have more than a few candidates on hand...
And that's it for this chapter! Thank you guys so much for reading! Tune in next time for a true conclusion to the third Volume of RWBY!
Next Chapter: Oct. 28th
Seeya in the next one!