"If you're going to stylize her hair, you should at least wash her hair first" Weiss supplied.
"Oh yeah, you're right. Hold on, let me get my shampoo and conditioner. Damn it, I'm out of hair spray too. Do either of you have hair spray?"
"You can use mine"
"Yay! Thanks Blake! Oh! Where did I put some of that hair color?". She had bought some hair color for Ruby to try out, but the younger sister politely declined. Yang was sadden that she would have to return the unused product until Olivia came along.
Olivia sat at a nearby desk in team RWBY's room and simply watched as the enthusiastic Yang Xiao Long searched to room for hair car products. Already she was starting to regret her decision, finding the whole thing ridiculous. She could be done with all her homework with how much time Yang was taking from her.
"Alright," Yang murmured as she held all the needed items. "C'mon Olivia! Let's head to the shower room real quick. I'm gonna wash your wash before we get started".
The prior sighed. "If you insist".
Suddenly, Yang slows down until she quiets, and looks out the window, a worried expression crossing her face. "What now?" Olivia sighed, thinking she was probably wondering if she had hair dye or something hair related.
"Oh. Nothing, it's just that it's getting kinda late and Ruby and Torvi haven't returned". She remembered the two said they were going on a little walk but as the night continued to darken, her sisterly instincts were telling her to drop everything, and get out and find her sister.
"If you wish to look for them, we can hold-" Olivia tried to say before Blake interrupted.
"I'll go look for them" she said. She too was growing worried about her leader as it was getting late and she was with Torvi of all people. "You girls just have fun" and she left the dorm in search for the crimson duo.
"Thanks Blake!" Yang said.
"Yes... Thanks" Olivia lightly groaned.
Elsewhere...
Ryuuto and Torvi started their fight with a bang. When the two charged each other, Ryuuto's body surged with yellow electricity and he jumped in the air, prompting Torvi to pounce as well. When the two clashed in midair, a yellow and red shock wave of energy erupted from the two combatants before sending the both of them back many feet.
While Ryuuto landed safely back on the ground, Torvi wasn't so lucky. She was sent crashing to the ground before rolling back until she rolled back to her feet. Small yellow electricity pulsed throughout her body, sending small shocks of pain through her.
"An electricity based semblance" Ruby whispered after she witnessed the clash. Similar to Nora's semblance as it amplifies the user's attack power, but Ruby had a harrowing suspicion that it didn't end there.
The hooded girl grimaced when Torvi just charged in again. Ryuuto and Torvi clash in a melee battle. Torvi swung right with her hatchet but Ryuuto parries her and kicks her away. The shaman growled when she saw the aramusha snicker, prompting her to get in close once again. She pushes Ryuuto back with her flurry of attacks, grazing him multiple times in the chest, but did little to impede the japanese man.
Torvi was able to push Ryuuto back many feet until she attempted to stab his chest. He blocks her by crossing his swords near his chest. The point lands but the force of the stab was great enough to send him staggering back a little. Before he could react, a shotgun is pointed to his belly by a grinning shaman.
Just as she pulls the trigger and fires, he disappears.
Or rather, he dashed forward in a yellow lightning form, dodging her blast before reappearing behind her. He uses her moment of surprise to horizontally slash her with both blades. It was as if he blinked from one point to the other.
Torvi screams in pain, stumbling forward and clutching her lower back. A shift in the winds alarms her, and as she still faces away from Ryuuto, she blocks the aramusha's next attack with a well placed hatchet. She spins around to come face to face with him again, growling at his confident smirk.
"Got ya figured out now. Gotta admit, that little dance we just had was fun, but pretty damaging. When it comes to strength, you ain't no slouch. Let's hope you can still keep up though"
"Oh?". Torvi smirked. "Someone's acting cocky"
"More like confident in my skills. And you're gonna see why". After he said that, he disappears again, dashing from one area to another around Torvi. He was so fast, Torvi and Ruby could barely follow him; He was moving almost to fast for their eyes to catch up to him.
Just as she turned to look at his latest location, the fountain, Ryuuto struck. Lighting raced toward's Torvi's right, and just as she caught sight of it, Ryuuto materialized and dealt a small slash across her bicep. Torvi retaliated, swinging her dagger at him, but he blinks before the attack landed.
Blink, attack, blink, repeat. That was Ryuuto's strategy. After analyzing Torvi normal fighting style in their first clash, he concluded that she was better at close range and even though she had guns, she doesn't seem very proficient with them given the only time she used it was when he was up close.
Shifting her weapons into guns, she growls as she tries to shoot him down, but found that was easier said than done with how fast he was. Even when she got lucky and landed one pistol shot, the bullet merely fazed through him.
"Coward!" she hissed. "You too chicken to face me, you would rather scurry and attack than face me head on?!"
Ryuuto stops, standing on a seat near the fountain and laughs at her. "More like you're too slow to catch up! Your natural speed and strength is pretty good and all, but what use are they if you can't even touch me?".
Her hands tighten on her guns and she shoots at him, but he anticipated this, racing forward in his lighting form. He gets in close to Torvi and materializes again. Torvi quickly transformed her shotgun and swung her hatchet at him, but it only struck air as Ryuuto slid underneath. He turns his sword into a reverse grip and slices Torvi across her stomach, a little bit below her scar left by Adam.
She lightly clutched her wounded abdomen as the aramusha behind her observed her. "How about you use that semblance of yours?" he suggested as he smiles excitedly at the thought. "You don't seem to be doing so hot. Maybe then you could keep up".
And that was just what Torvi was planning to do. She realized she couldn't keep up with Ryuuto's inhuman speed, and she knew her semblance cranked up all her senses and strength. With a power boost like that,she could easily turn the tides in her favor.
Torvi smirks and concentrates on drawing out her special power. In all the previous times she used her semblance, it was all when she was in a desperate or defeated state. Trying to manually activate it was certainly new but possible. It was still her semblance.
In Torvi's soul...
Hella watched the battle with less than apathetic eyes. She could already tell this fight was gonna end with Ryuuto's defeat, even if he had the upper hand. That wouldn't matter though because as soon as Torvi activated her strength semblance, the battle would at least equalize.
A glow from behind her makes her snap her attention to her prisoners. The voices groaned, as if in pain. Their glowing flickers on and off as Torvi tried activating her semblance to no avail.
It was then Hella fully grasped Torvi's semblance, and what was happening before her: Torvi's semblance drew power from the voices just like her, but with them caged and under her control, Torvi couldn't use her semblance!
The other side of Torvi trembled as she realized how much trouble Torvi was in and by proxy herself was in.
With Torvi...
The shaman groaned as she tried again and again to activate her semblance, but she just couldn't. She could taste the power, but just when she was gonna grab it, it draws back. It was as if something was blocking or dampening her connection with her power.
Ryuuto saw the frustration on Torvi's face as he generously gave her the time to use her powers, only she hadn't. It was clear to everyone watching that the shaman was having a malfunction with her semblance.
Disappointed, he sighs. "How sad...". and he went back to attacking her.
Blink, attack, blink, repeat. Torvi could only endure the storm of attacks. With her semblance busted, she resorted to trying to counter attack the lighting aramusha, but he was still too fast in his lightning state.
She was lucky to dodge one of his hit-and-runs, side-stepping him as he morphed back to human form. She attempts to chop at the back of his neck, but he regains his baring as deflects her attack before stepping closer to her, turning his right sword in a reverse and swiping at her neck. He grazes her, but Torvi stumbled as she sloppily back stepped and stumbled into the fountain.
She opens her eyes to see Ryuuto outside the fountain holding one of his blades over the water in between her legs.
But before he could electrocute the shaman, a speeding force in the form of rose petals forced Ryuuto blink before his head could've been sliced by a giant red scythe.
Ruby Rose, wielding Crescent Rose, had just joined the battle.
Torvi growled as she got out of the fountain water. "Damn it, Ruby! Did I not say to stay out of this?!"
"Sorry!" Ruby apologized as she saw Torvi's scathing glare. "Ryuuto was running circles around you, and you were in a pickle so I just thought.."
Ryuuto laughed, overjoyed. "AHAHAHAHA! I was wondering when you were gonna join in. Took ya long enough, Red! I always love it when I'm out-numbered so this is perfect!"
"Is this guy serious?" gaped Ruby. Who would love being ganged up on?!
"Ruby," Torvi suddenly softly called. "Are you serious about this? Even against two opponent, this man will not break so easily. You will get very, very hurt". Torvi had no doubt that Ruby was a capable fighter, but against people of her universe, she wasn't so sure.
Hella felt Torvi's heart quicken faster as the thought of Ruby severely hurt or even killed crossed Torvi's mind. She was in disbelief, refusing to believe what was actually happening. Torvi... she couldn't be...
But she was. She was concerned about Ruby.
Ruby saw this too, and knew exactly what she was going to put herself into. "It'll be fine, Torvi," Ruby comforted. "Let's just kick this dude's butt! I wanna see what Yang did to Olivia's hair" she then chuckled.
"True that" Torvi agreed, laughing as well at the thought.
The two girls rush Ryuuto together, and the aramusha smirked as he stood his ground. Ruby was first to reach the aramusha, barreling at him in her rose petal state before engaging in combat. Her attacks covered a wider range, forcing Ryuuto to constantly blink, dodge, and flip over her attacks. One of her faster attacks connected, hitting the man in the chest and skidding him back.
Behind him as he skidded, Torvi came up behind him and tackled him to the ground, knocking the air right out of him. As she was winding up to chop him with her hatchet, Ryuuto started sparking violently yellow electricity. "Oh". And Torvi was shocked off the man, launching her back many feet.
"Oh..."Ryuuto groaned as he got back to his feet. "What's your name, Red?"
"Ruby Rose" Ruby said as she reared to go again. She looked over to Torvi, worry crossed on her face as Torvi struggled to stand as the electricity violently pulsated around her. Torvi looked back and grinned, signaling to Ruby she was okay, but the teen thought otherwise.
"Come at me Ruby Rose! Try and stop me!" Ryuuto grinned as he pounded his chest in glee.
Ruby shot behind her and used the recoil of her rifle to shoot her at Ryuuto. Torvi, despite, the electrical pain coursing through her, sprinted at Ryuuto to engage as well. As the girls rapidly closed the distance between them, Ryuuto acts quick, blinking away and forcing the girls to crash into one other
Dazed, Ruby apologized. "Sorry..."
"It's fine! But where's-"
"Right here". He grabs Torvi's arm as he then powers up his aura. He throws her far away from himself and Ruby, shocking her to add insult to injury. She crashes into a pillar, putting her into a small coma. He then slices at Ruby to which she dodges and darts away using her semblance. Her attempt to create distance between them fail however as Ryuuto caught up with her using his semblance. The two clash and even as they fight, Ruby tries to distance herself as she knew his fighting style was close range. She had the advantage on him with her longer weapon, but it was futile as both were on equal speed.
She attacks but was blocked and parried when Ryuuto crossed his swords into an X. "Nurui!" he shouted as he kicks back Ruby and shocks her as well. Because Ruby wasn't as durable and big as Torvi, she didn't take the jolts of electricity too well. The shocks were so debilitating it made standing difficult for the fifteen year old. Ruby had to practically fight to stand back up because if she didn't, she knew who this stranger was gonna go after next.
She rushes him, and he blinks for a half a second before reappearing to strike. Ruby evades him him with her semblance before reappearing to strike. As static and petals cluttered around them, the two speedsters constantly evaded and dodged each others attacks for what felt like an eternity.
Ruby's stamina did not last an eternity however. She couldn't recall the last time she used her semblance so much in just one fight. It was exhausting her endurance, and it was clear as day with each time she used her inhuman speed, having to use it short burst rather than a longer run/evasion technique. As she reappeared from the roses, she panted like a dehydrated dog. Ryuuto abuses her moment of weakness, reappearing before her and slices her down her body with both swords, staggering her and making her drop her weapon. He then hugs her a bruising hug and activates his semblance, sparking yellow before erupting in an explosion of electricity.
The teen screams in agony as she felt her body and aura plummet. The torture she was enduring fortunately ended when Ryuuto felt that she had enough and stopped his semblance. He drops Ruby unceremoniously to the ground, and the teen looks up at him in a daze.
"You're one tough cookie to crack. I respect that" praised Ryuuto.
Ruby willed herself to her knees, twitching as the electricity persisted, but chuckled in response. "If I was a cookie, I'd probably eat myself. Hehehe..."
Seeing as she was too weak to fight, Ryuuto turned in the direction of Torvi, intent on finishing his mission. Ruby was having none of that as she shakily raised her rifle up and shot at his back. Her body and posture made it impossible to withstand the recoil and she fell as soon as she fired. Her shot did nothing as Ryuuto expertly deflected the bullet. He noticed her still squirming body and sighed. He realized she wasn't going to stop until her aura was completely depleted so he might as well put her out of the fight right now. He casually waltz over to her laying, still conscious form. He kneels and focuses electricity into his hand, and as the limb creeped closer and closer to Ruby's belly... a hatchet comes flying down at him, forcing him to move his head. The hatchet embeds itself beside Ruby's head, and Ryuuto turns in time to block Torvi's falling form as she and him enter a deadlock with Torvi using her dagger.
The shaman snarled, enraged at the shaded man in front of her. She was jolted awake when she heard Ruby's scream. By the time she saw the teen's defeated form, it didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Torvi pounced high in the air using aura-powered legs and planned to rain hell on the man for crossing her.
Ryuuto aimed to slash her neck but she back steps before she closes in and slices his belly. She maneuvers behind him and jumps on his back, holding tight as she both stabbed his chest and bit his nape.
"I know I'm snack but this is ridiculous!" Ryuuto remarked, grunting as he felt Torvi's teeth sink into his aura. He aims his back at the fountain and electrocutes Torvi off him, launching her into the water. Torvi yelps as she lands back first into the fountain and when she looked up she saw Ryuuto aim his electrified katana at the water.
This was it. She was trapped with no way out. She couldn't out run the electricity in the water and she knew she didn't have enough dust rounds to distract him long enough to get out.
"End of the line" and he went to insert the blade into the the water to deliver a painful end to the shaman
...Only, movement in the corner of his eye stopped him. "Seems this party's gonna turn into a foursome" Ryuuto grinned.
Torvi was too confused by his statement to follow his gaze until Ryuuto deflected a bullet aimed for his head. She turned her head, and there stood Blake Belladonna.
"Blake? How did you find us?" Torvi questioned.
"Other than the loud yelling and bouts of electricity? Nothing else. You guys were pretty stealthy" the faunus remarked sardonically. She was still put off by Torvi's actions so saving her brought a wave of mixed emotions.
"Seems like we've got ourselves a lost kitty cat" Ryuuto laughed, referring to her cat like bow. "Tell me little kitty... are your scratches as bad as your glare?".
Blake glared even harder at them man for his animal remarks. "You'll just have to find out". She looks at Torvi and nods at her, signaling her to do something.
Torvi took the hint and shot at Ryuuto. The aramusha deflected, giving Blake the window to close their distance and strike. Her single katana and Ryuuto's dual katanas entered what Torvi could describe as a dance. Blake moved with precision and grace while Ryuuto battled with rugged elegance and wild abandon.
The way she moved was akin to an orochi but on a way higher scale, Ryuuto thought. He did not use his semblance as he was so immersed in her movements, he did not want to ruin it with any unwanted sparks.
Blake blocks a heavy overhead strike, but found she was getting pushed back. Thinking quick, she rolls pass him but leaves behind a shadow clone in her trail. When Ryuuto sliced into the clone, he was stunned when he saw his blades faze through her and though he had already killed her. He was wrong and found out the hard way when in his stunned state, Blake shot three dust rounds in a row at his at his unprotected left side. He rushes her and slices downward. Blake backs flips away but leaves behind another shadow clone, this time imbued with fire dust.
When Ryuuto sliced the fiery clone, it exploded in his face, knocking him back some feet. Using the smoke as cover, Blake rushed him and aimed to slice down his chest, but when she swung her sword, Ryuuto's blades slashed across her chest. The smoke disperses as Ryuuto charged his body to the max with electrical power before releasing all that energy in an electrical explosion, catching the cat full on with it.
Blake yelped when she was blasted back from the sheer power of the blast. Her body twitched from all the harmful sparks pulsating around her, the same as Ruby. She stood back up but was given no reprieve as Ryuuto charged at her, his body radiating electricity. His sword were coated with the yellow sparks as he and Blake clashed again, but with every strike from Ryuuto came more pain. Even when she blocked, the electric power sheered away at her aura like a knife to butter. Her speed couldn't even keep up with the aramusha as whenever she tried to create distance, he always caught up and kept on engaging.
Ryuuto blinks and reappears at her left. Blake tried to attack, but he swung his sword into her wrist, electrifying her and forcing her to drop her weapon. Blake falters, collapsing to her knees twitching. She looked behind her to find she was close to Ruby's body.
Before her attention was brought back to Ryuuto, she noticed something significantly odd. Torvi's hatchet was next to Ruby's head and her dagger was on the other side, but...
"Gotta say... you REALLY scratched me up good. Seems like kitty got some claws on her huh?" he chuckled down at her. He brings one of his blades to her chin, making her look up at him. "Your semblance did some damage, but all I had to do was get a bit more crazy to counter act your subtle disappearing act". Seeing her fight brought a wave of nostalgia as the way she fought was like a mix of a shinobi and orochi.
Still twitching, Blake glared daggers at Ryuuto. "Q-...Q-Quit c-ca-alling me... kitty"
"Awwww... don't be like that. I swear, I'm just gonna put ya and little red into a nice cozy nap... after I deal with that shaman. Where is she actually?"
A rifle round loudly rang through the night. Ryuuto looked behind him, and blocks Torvi's attack just in time.
Only this time, she wasn't holding her hatchet or her dagger, but Ruby's Crescent Rose!
"T-Torvi! What are you-you doing?!" Blake yelled. She was incredibly concerned as Torvi, at least from what she seen, has never held a weapon as big as Crescent Rose. And never one as complex either. Ruby's scythe was a unique brand of weapon that would take years upon years to master. For Torvi to just ditch her weapons in favor of a larger, more intricate weapon was, to put it bluntly, stupid.
Torvi ignored her cries as her sole focus was the aramusha, her head throbbing she was so angry. First Ruby and now Blake? She will surely save his corpse for dinner later. Right now, he needed to hurt.
In Torvi's soul...
"No... It-... It can't be" Hella choked as she was watching the fight unfold, as well as Torvi thoughts.
She was an animal. She was incapable to feel anything. She was-... malfunctioning, or something like that. Torvi DOES NOT feel concern for her friends. She's selfish. She's barbaric. She's cruel. She wasn't a friend. So why... why was she acting like this?
"IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"
As Hella watched in horror, the voices silently praise their master. Once again, she was able to surprise the most headstrong of folk.
With Torvi...
True to Blake's understanding, the scythe was anything but easy. She had thought it similar to a danes axe, but it was actually heavier than one. That, and in tandem with the rifle with the outrageous recoil and Ruby's unique fighting style, the weapon was even more unwieldy in her hands.
However, she had a plan.
Or at least, some semblance of a plan.
Torvi was not Ruby. She couldn't fully mimic her movements, speed, and style but still was able to swing the weapon around to be deadly enough. What she lacked in technique, she made up in strength, and that was all she needed.
And so, she started swinging and swinging against the aramusha, who opted to defend against her, incredibly amused at this latest turn of event. She spun the scythe around to build momentum until she collided against Ryuuto's swords. "You're gutsy! Ditching your weapons for something you never used before! Really took me by surprise there. You're quite the stealthy little minx if you were able swap weapons while me and kitty were fighting"
The two combatants enter yet another melee brawl. Torvi roared as she swung around Ruby's weapon with little regard to consequences. Her inexperienced showed as even though she demonstrated great power, Ryuuto was still pushing her back. He went in to cut her but Torvi deflects him before stabbing him in the gut with the pommel. She pushes him back, but Ryuuto regained his footing as Torvi came close to taking his head off. Just when Torvi realized she overstepped, Ryuuto reversed his grip on both swords and sent a shock-powered double punch towards her chest.
Her battle roar awoke Ruby, who first spotted Blake by her side still twitching from electricity. "Blake?... Wha...What happened?" she groaned. She did not know for certain, but she felt like her aura was dangerously low. She then spots Torvi's weapons by her head and she looks even more confused. "Why are Torvi's weapons not-"
His body charges with electricity and he charges her. Torvi shoots in front of her, using the recoil to back away, but she was not used to the kick back and she was sent sprawling to the floor.
The shot made Ruby snap her head at the fight, and her face drained of all colors. Torvi was using her weapon, her baby, and if that wasn't bad enough, she was using it wrong!
"B-Blake... Torvi has my weapon..."
"Look, I-I was shocked too, but all we can do now is t-t-trust her on this"
"But Blake... she's using my weapon..." Ruby whimpered as she continued watching Torvi's horrific performance with her baby.
"Owww..." Torvi winced. How Ruby was able to fight with this weapon both incredibly impressed and terribly confused her.
Ryuuto pounces her as she was still on the floor. Thinking quick, she shoots below her, hoping the recoil would move her laying form, and to her fortune it did. It did rub her back uncomfortably. She quickly stands back up as Ryuuto blinks towards her, reemerging covered in electricity and engaging with Torvi once again. The electric covered swords yet again shock her even when she blocked. She deflects one of Ryuuto's heavy swings and spins around to gain momentum to strike. Her attack lands with deadly precision on Ryuuto's shoulder, causing the man to buckle before he was assaulted with attacks from the pommel. Torvi persisted, even when her body was aching from all the pain and electricity she had endured from this point. All that was racing in her mind was victory, and victory was what she was gonna get.
"But I don't get it! Why would she just leave her weapons here in favor of mine?!" Ruby said as she tried to make sense of Torvi's line of thinking.
"You're asking the wrong person, Ruby. Torvi isn't that stupid to think she could mimic your style by just grabbing your weapon. Unless...". Blake then eyed the leftover weapons with suspicion.
"What is it?"
"...We're both weak right now. If we tried to take that man now, we would only be taken out immediately. I'm not sure for certain what Torvi's thinking... but..." she slowly grabs the hatchet as she watched the rest of the fight. "We'll need to wait for Torvi's signal".
Ruby was still confused, but was starting to gather bits and pieces of what might be happening. She grabs the dagger as the two teammates continued to watch the fight unfold.
An explosion of electricity placed a stop to Torvi's offense. The energy was so powerful, but it did shock her and send her back many feet. "Ya know," Ryuuto started as his body violently sparked. "As much as I want to continue this juicy foursome, every good thing has to come to an end one way or another. How about me and you finish this, eh?" he then grinned.
The feeling was mutual as Torvi shared a similar grin on her face. "Yes... Lets"
Ryuuto charged forward, electricity sparking all around him for the coup de grace. Confusion bleed into his system as Torvi simply walked forward, a less jovial expression on her face. As he continued running, Torvi suddenly stopped, planting Crescent Rose on the ground, scythe head first. She then places her left foot on the blade as she fiddles to find the trigger.
'What are you planning?' Ryuuto thought as he was a little more than an arms length away from Torvi. The space around him was enough to electrocute anyone who would dare enter his personal space and Torvi grimaced she felt electricity dance all over her body.
It was then she pulled the trigger, shooting her upward into the air. She shot about four times, putting her high up in the sky. Bewildered, Ryuuto looks up, even more unsure of her intentions.
For a few seconds, Torvi forgot where she was as she basked in the cool night sky and the view of the Vale in the distance. Ryuuto stepped back some feet to watch her closely, unknowingly putting himself in harms ways.
"It's almost time... I think" Blake quietly said. Ruby nodded.
It wasn't until she started to plummet to the ground did Torvi snap back to reality. Grinning as she saw Ryuuto placed perfectly where she wanted, she angled Crescent Rose to shoot herself toward him, becoming a sort of human rocket. She shoots more behind her, increasing her speed and force. Ryuuto grounded himself firmly to prepare, grinning all the while. If this was the shaman's final move, then he face it head on in respect towards her unpredictable and determined nature.
Roaring like a wild beast, Torvi reared back the scythe as the distance between them rapidly closed. The resulting collision was even stronger than what Torvi and Ryuuto were expecting, as the force of their clash sent a powerful shock wave that cracked the floor beneath Ryuuto and the fountain surrounding them.
The two powerful warriors engaged in the deadliest deadlock both have ever experienced. Torvi's raw strength combined with the force and speed of her rocketing move caused the aramusha to buckle violently as he tried to stand his ground and not falter under her power. With Torvi, she was in the center of Ryuuto's electrical field, practically burning her from all the energy and causing her to feel faint. She endured, gritting her teeth as she tried smashing the man into the ground.
Torvi's strength was beginning to waver however, and when Ryuuto began to grin triumphantly, Torvi suddenly yelled out, "NOW!".
Before he could process what was happening intense pain emerged from his back. Eyes widened, he glanced behind him to find Blake and Ruby. Blake was holding Torvi's shotgun while Ruby held her pistol. His strength wavers, prompting Blake to shift the gun to it hatchet form and slashing him once across the back. His aura breaks, and Ruby and Blake jump back as Torvi's strength smashed Ryuuto into the ground.
Due to having to get close to the aramusha, Ruby and Blake were hanging on to a less than a percent of their aura. Ruby chuckled as she crashed to her knee utterly exhausted. "We... We did it..."
"Yeah... we d-did it"
Torvi too wasn't in a well-off state either, panting from the pain and exertion she had to put. She groaned as she moved Ruby's scythe off Ryuuto's defeated body. The aramusha laid on the ground, his katanas knocked out of his hands.
Torvi growled as she looked at his face. He was still smiling. Enflamed with renewed ire, she pulled out both his wakizashi blades and threw one of them away. She had less than a percent of aura as well, but she used what strength she had to enhance her aura and tossed Ryuuto's body into the fountain.
He lands in water, and quickly sprouts his head back up, spurting water out his mouth and nose. The sight was humorous as Ruby laughed at him, but only for a brief moment until Torvi moved inside the fountain as well before pinning Ryuuto and holding the short sword to his throat.
Horrified, Ruby tried to intervene. "Torvi, don't-!"
"Don't even try, Ruby". Blake stopped her by softly grasping her shoulder. "You know how she is... She isn't gonna listen to us if it betrays her own morals" she stated, narrowing her eyes despicably at the shaman. Ryuuto did hurt them yes, but under no circumstance does she stand taking another person's life. For Torvi however, she took like as if she was taking from an empty candy store.
She understood the basics of her reasoning, but she still hated it, and she will forever hate it until the end of time. It still sadden her though, because she saw the good in Torvi and saw the potential of good she could do, but it was all forewent for the more brutal and barbaric side of the shaman. What infuriated her even more was the fact she, Ruby, or anyone couldn't do anything about it. She did not know Torvi's history, but she could tell that whatever she learned, it was permanently embedded into her, like cravings on stone.
His hat slipped off as Torvi dug his own wakizashi into his neck flesh, drawing blood. "Do it then," he lightly grinned, accepting his demise. "Kill me. Or eat me, whatever you chose".
"How can you still be smiling?" Torvi growled. "You're on death's door! Does that now instill some ounce of fear?"
"Fear?" Ryuuto chuckled. "Torvi Birgerdottir, I feel more energized now than I have ever been since... ever. I wouldn't mind dying from your hands".
She was about to grant him what she desired most. She dug the sword a little more into his neck, causing him to wince as the blood dripped into the once pristine water. Just as she was planning to slit his neck, feast on his body, strangle him, or whatever, a soft sniffling sound emanated behind her. There was only two girls watching, and she never pegged Blake as an open crier, so the only logical culprit had to be Ruby.
Why was she crying? This was how she operated, she should know that already. If she thought her pitiful cries would somehow stop her from getting what she wants, she was wrong.
Ryuuto closes his eyes, a tranquil smile on his face as Torvi raised the sword to stat chopping into him... but she hesitated, wondering.
Torvi knew the type of person Ruby was: Naive, idealistic, childish, yet kind-hearted to a fault. She was the antithesis to Torvi, and Torvi knew this. How they were able to have a friendship in the first place was beyond her.
Friends. That's what Ruby, Blake, and everyone else had become to her, even Olivia. When was the last time she spoke to someone without them looking for her 'all knowing insight'? When was the last time she ate with people without them praising or fearing her?
Hel, when was the last time she even had people to call friends to begin with?
Her crying confused Torvi so much she could barely concentrate. Her hand holding the wakizashi trembled, ever so slightly, but still. Was she crying for Ryuuto'f fate? Was it the thought of seeing a dead body again? Or... was it concerning herself?
There was very few in Torvi's life she could remember caring about her. Her parents first came to mind. When she was born, they hovered over her protectively, as if they felt the smallest thing could kill her. She never understood it. She still doesn't understand why they were so protective. Then came her three younger brothers, though she barely knew them before she crossed worlds as she was too busy with training and her duties. Last came her mentor, an old shaman by the name of Alva. She and her were closer than most teacher and students, leaning a little more towards being more of a mother than a teacher. She however passed when Torvi turned eleven.
Other than them, she had no one... until she came to Remnant. Here she found a whole new battleground to play in, new kind of enemies to encounter, and whole new people to... connect with. And Ruby was one of them.
If that wasn't enough, there was always a certain... shine whenever she looked at her. A certain hope that whatever was buried beneath her would shine brighter than the sun. Ruby believed she was destined for more.
Her trembling persisted until she eventually lowered the sword. Why, she thought angrily. Why was she hesitating?! Yes, they were her friends but what they believed in was stupid! Sparing their enemies because it's the right thing to do?! What kind of logic was that?! 'Because we're better than that' they said. Well, what showed that you were better than them, hm? BY YOU LIVING AND THEM DECAYING THAT'S HOW!
Her entire body eventually shook violently from all her feelings until she screamed, frustrated, and threw the wakizashi away to god knows where. She then grabs Ryuuto's right arm and bites it, much like she had done to Adam, tearing through the wrappings and skin, nearing bone.
Ryuuto screams in pain as Torvi savored the blood from the wound, drinking it down like water. She forced herself to pull away lest she got crazy wanting more. She then grabbed Ryuuto by his hair, making him look her in the face. "Be grateful for my incredibly rare generosity. If I see you near me or my friends ever again, I will teach you what fear is"
Ryuuto was too stunned at this turn of event to say anything, just nodding dumbly at her as she shambled out the water.
In Torvi's soul...
The voices were in an uproar. Half were praising Torvi for her self control while the others were condemning her for betraying her established morals. How they wanted to share their thought with their master, but alas, they were still trapped.
Hella was hyperventilating, as she just witnessed something akin to a red moon or volcanic lightning. "What is this? I don't understand. Why...? WHY!?"
To see someone you knew was dead set in their beliefs suddenly turn away from them was jarring to say the least. She couldn't fathom what compelled Torvi to spare Ryuuto's life. Respect? Her friends? Randomness? All of these reasons and more flooded her distraught brain, but for the life of her, none of them added up, and it was driving her insane.
"YOU!" she shouted at the cross-legged sitting voice figure. "You did something, I know it! You... You influenced her, or something like that. Fess up right now!"
The voices growled as she neared its cage, yet the voice she was addressing did not budge under her foot. It was calm as
I did nothing of the sort. That was all Torvi's doing.
"Bullshit!"
I can assure you it is true. Besides, how can we even interact with our master if we're all locked up in here?
It got her there, silencing her. She looked out of Torvi's eyes, and felt the conflicting thoughts and emotions boiling inside her. She noticed that whenever she was told to do something or advised something from the voices, she never once regretted it. Hell, she never once seen her regret anything in her entire life; She always walked through life utterly shameless of what she done.
Her hand clenched tightly when she saw how right the voice was. "She's... She's still an animal. No matter what, she will always be a savage. That will never, ever change".
Her self comforting only took her so far however
With Torvi...
While still disgusted with her actions, Ruby and Blake were proud of her. Blake though saw the conflict still festering behind her eyes and how her walk was more aggravated than usual, and said nothing to the shaman, instead smiling lightly at her.
Ruby on the other hand was more open about her thought, hugging Torvi's wet body as she stepped out of the fountain. "OH MY OUM TORVI!" she squealed. "I'm so proud! You didn't kill him even when you had him in the palm of your hand! We have to celebrate. Maybe not tonight because it's already too late, but tomorrow sounds good-"
"Not right now, Ruby" Torvi stopped her. She sighed tiredly. "I'm gonna go eat something". In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have bitten into Ryuuto. The taste of blood and flesh left her craving for more and she knew it could only go away after quenching her large appetite.
"Oh...okay" Ruby relented agter seeing the serious expression on Torvi's face. "Still though, you did a good thing, Torvi. You'll see the pay off of this soon enough"
The smile on the teen's face broke through Torvi's clouded thought and emotions, and she smiled back. "Sure... Whatever you say".
"Good. Now, with that outta the way...LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY BABY!". Ruby's expression drastically shifts into one of sorrow and anger. She held Crescent Rose to Torvi's face for her to fully analyze what she did. The weapon incredibly scuffed up, with the metal either burnt or teared off. IF that wasn't enough, on the large scythe piece, it was horrendously dented and scraped. The entire weapon looked like it was gonna fall apart any moment, the pommel and scythe head mostly. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO STEP ON MY PRIDE LIKE THIS, TORVI?!". Granted, most of the damage was from Ryuuto, but Torvi played a significant role as well.
Torvi simply shrugged her off. "Eh. You can fix it back up. You're smart" she said. "I'm gonna go eat. See you girls tomorrow" and she started heading for the cafeteria to satisfy her hunger.
If there was one thing Torvi was gonna get out of this whole night, it was that mercy was a bitter-sweet path.
Later...
Olivia navigated her way to the cafeteria in search for Torvi. She had been told by Ruby and Blake about the fight and its conclusion so she went in search of the shaman of the hour. Just as she found the front door to the lunchroom, she found the lock and handle in shambles.
Pushing the broken doors open to the lit cafeteria room, she didn't have to look too hard for Torvi because on the table right in front of her was a large pile of food with loud munching sounds behind it.
Eyebrow arched, she walked around the mound of food to find Torvi, an irritated expression on her face as she ate a hot dog with a waffle as its bread.
"Quite the feast you have here" Olivia commented. Torvi didn't even look at her and grunted.
She took a seat next Torvi and looked at the pile to find a simple salad bowl. "May I partake? I'm quite famished myself". To that, Torvi waved her hand at her, telling her to do whatever.
As the two girls dined on their weird dinner, Olivia continued their conversation despite Torvi's silence. "Who would've thought another from Heathmoor would appear?". Olivia heard Torvi growl but continued. "From what I gathered from Ozpin, Ryuuto was sent by the Winchester family".
"The who?"
"Cardin Winchester's family. Apparently you gave the boy the most horrific experience in his life, he refuses to return back to Beacon Academy. They employed Ryuuto to, and I quote, 'Beat the shit outta her'".
"The Cardin boy was a pathetic excuse of a warrior. It wasn't my fault he turned tail and ran". The memory of Cardin reignited her clouded heart, and dug more food into her mouth to bury them. The boy was big too. He would've fed her for days!
"Regardless, as your watcher, I must ask you this, Torvi: Are you okay?"
For the first time since Olivia entered, Torvi glanced at her, and was stunned by what she saw. Her once straight black hair was wavy than before with blonde highlights near the ends. She looked like a completely different person!
"Woah" Torvi said simply.
The black prior rolled her eyes. "Yes. As you can see, Yang went above and beyond what was necessary"
"And you didn't stop her?" the shaman chuckled.
Olivia shrugged. "It's just hair. As long it does not interfere with my desire to be a huntress, I couldn't care less what state it's in". She unconsciously strokes her new hairdo and smiles lightly. It had been a long time since she acted girly that the thought of looking pretty felt alien to her.
"It looks good. You should keep it" Torvi gently smiled.
"Hmmm... That's exactly what Yang and Weiss said too" Olivia replied. "You still have not answered my question"
The shaman grabbed a pizza with pepperoni and chocolate sauce and sighed. "I don't know. I truly do not know" she confessed before taking a bite.
"Well... what do you know?"
"I..." Torvi began to find the words to properly describe her state of mind, but all she could draw were blanks. "I wanted to kill him. I almost killed Cardin, I greatly Injured Adam Taurus, and I killed a bear faunus. Ryuuto shouldn't have been different... but he was. And I don't know how" she said with a heavy voice. All those memories crashed through her and she yelled out, frustrated, and slammed her fist against the table. "UGH! I DON'T GET IT! I don't understand why I spared him! I SHOULD have ate him right then and there! He was at my mercy and yet... I showed him mercy! And shaman don't show mercy. EVER!"
"Hmm... Blake and Ruby were present as well, correct?"
"Yeah"
"Did you, perhaps, thought of them before you thought of yourself?"
"But that still doesn't make sense! I killed and harmed in front of them and the others before, but it's just-... when I heard Ruby's crying, I hesitated! I don't get it... I don't get it...". Every fiber in her being was telling her to hunt Ryuuto down and end him, yet the thought of team RWBY and JNPR finding out was somehow halting her, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why. Why are they making her betray herself, even when they weren't physically doing so?!
The shaman returned to stuffed her face with copious amounts of food as the black prior looked at her in thought. It was clear Torvi was confused at her own actions and so was many others tonight. Olivia herself was confused as well, but as she listened to the shaman explain her jumbled thoughts, she gained a clearer picture. "Perhaps... as you held Ryuuto at death's door, and heard Ruby weep, you realized then and there that you actually value the people around you and don't want them them upset over your actions"
Torvi thought about it, and yes, she did value team RWBY and JNPR. "But... do I value them enough to actually compromise my beliefs and change my entire being for them?"
Olivia merely shrugged. "That is a question only you can answer".
Not the answer she was looking for, but she nods at it nonetheless. The two ate in silence until the two girl heard the familiar sound of sandals walking against pavement coming towards their location. Olivia gave a knowingly sigh while Torvi's neck veins bulged in renewed anger.
"This is the cafeteria?" Ryuuto questioned aloud. He whistled at the impressive side of the lunchroom. "Man, this place puts temples to shame. Oh?". He then saw the mounds of food in front of him, and gasped as he saw pizza. "Nice! Thank you food fairy!"
Before he could could touch a slice, Torvi arose from her seat and surprised the aramusha by grabbing his aura depleted body and slammed him against a wall. Holding him by his collar, Torvi growled more feral than ever before. "YOU SLANT-EYED, SMALL-COCKED, SONUVABITCH! YOU MUST REALLY DESIRE DEATH, DON'T YOU?!"
"Actually, I believe my cock is above average. Wanna see?" he jested.
"So I can put it in my sandwich? Thank you very much!". She called out to Olivia. "Olivia! Hurry up and grab a steak knife! Or a butter knife. I can work with either"
Olivia though did not follow through with Torvi's dismemberment idea. "Torvi, let Ryuuto go" she sighed from her seat.
"HEH?! Why?!"
"Yo, I get the hostilities, but I don't think ya wanna kill your new roommate before ya get to know him"
Torvi head slowly turned to Ryuuto's grinning face, shock written on her features, and she dropped him. "I just got in recently, like, a half and an hour ago".
"...You're... serious, aren't you?" Torvi said, still in disbelief.
"Yep" Ryuuto said, popping the "p".
"Unfortunately, I can vouch for him" Olivia added. "Ozpin saw the potential in him and offered him a scholarship here. It was either that or he goes to jail for assault, trespassing, illegal possession of alcohol, and attempted murder. As you can see, he took the offer"
"I...I...". Torvi's brain was short-circuiting at the moment as she tried to make heads and tails of this new development.
"Be sure to treat me well girls! Now, how about we celebrate today's battle with our first dinner as roommates?!" and he took a seat and started to dig in.
Olivia went next to Torvi, who seemingly entered a catatonic state. "Trust me, we'll need a significant amount of time to adjust". When Torvi did not respond, Olivia lightly groaned. "You better hurry or Ryuuto will finish everything"
That snapped her out of her funk. "WHAT?! Like hell he will eat all my pillaged goods!" and she went back to her seat to continue eating while also trying to ignore her new roommate.
Olivia stood there, just watching the two eat as if they were in a competition. "Why do I always encounter the strangest folks?" she tiredly sighed before she continue to eat herself.
