I hope you enjoyed the first part because there will be a lot of fights happening for this arc.
Chapter cover- Four outlines of the fighters from another world.
Ch.16- Beatdown
In the arena are a bunch of people looking into the arena and waiting for the fights to start, "There they are." A woman's voice causes us to look up at the source.
A woman with light green hair kept straight and held back with a hairpin in the shape of a scythe announces our arrival, she's wearing an unzipped jacket with little horns stitched on them, under which is a blue shirt with U-A written in white on the front, washed-out jeans and light green shoes.
"Would the fighters please step up?" She asks to which Cortney goes up.
"Hey Yang, let's duke it out." Cortney suggests Yang fight her, "We practically have the same power." That is true.
"Sure, but be prepared to lose!" Yang steps up for us, the woman points them the arena while we head to the stands.
"Alright, now that the fighters are ready, let me explain the rules. There will be three rounds, the first round will be one on one, the second two on two, and the last round will be four on four. The rules are simple, knockout or outlast your opponent." The girl explains how things are going down before she continues, "The rounds are thirty minutes long, however, there's a point system in play. A simple knockout or your opponent is no longer able to fight will score your world one point, make your opponent surrender will net you two points." So we're encouraged to make our opponent give and not just knock them out.
"Let me bring your attention to the screens." Two massive screens are sat above the stage, "These will track your life signs, so if you are put in mortal danger the match will be called and the winner scores a point." So we won't be in danger of dying, that nice to know.
"Now that the rules are out of the way, the fight may...start!" The woman brings down the handle of a scythe on the stage, covering it a dome. The screens come to life showing both fighter's vitals.
Inside the dome, a nightclub is booming with music but is suspiciously empty, Yang enters where she finds Cortney sitting on a stool next to the bar drinking a Root Beer soda. Yang fires a shot at Corteny, who counters by throwing her drink at the shot causing it to explode mid-air.
Cortney's mask closes shut before tossing the stool she's sitting on at Yang, she destroys it before it reaches her. Cortney is above Yang, leg raised up, Yang blocks it and pushes Cortney back.
Cortney picks up her head and wipes the sweat off her nose, "Now the fight truly begins." She then dashes in front of Yang and socks her in the jaw with a haymaker, before lifting Yang over her head and spreads her legs open before bringing her down on her knee.
"Enjoy your trip Goldilocks." Cortney is taunting Yang and not taking her as a real threat, Cortney raises her leg, "This fight is over!"
"YANG!" Cortney was never shown to be this brutal in the show, so what's going on?
Yang fires her gauntlets and propelling herself through Cortney's legs and rolling up to her feet. Yang retaliates with brutal series of punches before knocking Cortney up and finishing with one heavy punch sending Cortney into and over the bar.
"I guess Cortney wants to wrap this fight quickly." A girl behind me states and it's Cortney's best friend, Pony Tsunotori. I hold back the glee of meeting one of my favorite characters in person to see what Pony means.
"I think this fight was over before it began." Medi states before explaining herself, "When it comes to raw strength and durability Yang beats Cortney, it's no competition, but when it comes to everything else Cortney dominates." Ruby looks worried after what Medi states.
"Come on Yang, you got this!" Ruby cheers on her sister, not wanting to see her lose. Meanwhile, Cortney pokes her head over the bar now sporting a slightly pink skin showing that she powered up, she hops over the bar and starts slowly walking back to Yang, at a very slow pace, Yang proceeds to empty both her gauntlets as quickly as she can. The last shot seems to stop Cortney's approach.
"Yang fell for it." Ersa saw Cortney's true intent. Her quirk makes her stronger the more damage she takes, meaning she now at her strongest.
"The only way Yang can win now is to endure long enough for her semblance to kick in." Ersa's statement puts to light just how strong our opponents are.
In the blink of an eye Cortney goes from being blown up to shoving her fist into Yang's gut, it takes Yang a second to realize what's happening when she looks down at her stomach she coughs before Cortney sends Yang flying the building creating a shockwave in the process, Yang's aura just manages to hold together.
Yang smashes through a glass pillar then Cortney grabs Yang by her leg before spinning and slamming her into the glass floor, destroying the entire floor. I look over to the display and see that Yang is almost out of aura, while Cortney own bar has barely dipped. Yang is dug into the floor, eyes white, and is hardly moving.
"Yang is pretty much done, the only way for her to win now is to have a sudden second wind." Pony is...right, U.A has the first win.
Meanwhile inside Yang's mind
Yang is having a chat with someone, the room is pure black except for a table and some chairs.
"Oww," Yang's body hurts all over from the beatdown Cortney just served her, "Where am I, who are you?" Yang points to the woman sat in front of her playing with a flame. The woman seems to be an exact copy of Yang with long black claws, horns sat on top her head and curving backward with a set of wings on her back and club-shaped tail.
"Who am I?" The woman snuffs out the flame she was playing with, "I should be asking you the same question, you created me."
"What?! How is possible, how did anyone not notice you?" Yang shouts back, "How do I know you're not lying?"
The woman pulls out a smother tail, one of the worlds' hottest peppers made from peppers grown close to fire dust, and Yang's favorite food. The woman takes a bite and isn't affected, "Originally, I was just a simple flame just floating around, as you fought and grew so did I, from a spark to an inferno, however, I was still a flame, no mind, no self. It was only after meeting Issia did I become something more, I used the mana you absorbed from them to give myself a proper form. As you can clearly see, I took some of Issia's looks." Yang looks lost after what she was told, being friends with devils and monsters from another dimension is crazy enough but to have one inside yourself is world-changing.
"The final piece of the puzzle was born from your will to protect Ruby and your friends. When mother left you were heart-broken, but even then you always put on a brave face for Ruby... and right now our sister is looking up to us, to win. I have the power to make that happen, but I need to fuse with you to give you the power to never lose again!" The woman's aura blazes to life.
"Alright! For Ruby!" Yang grabs the woman's hand.
"Ten, nine," The referee is giving Yang the count of ten get up before she calls the match over, "Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two." Yang pulls herself up and stubbles to her feet, I pick up that someone with mana is in the area with us.
"You sense that too Issia?" Deandra confirms my assumption. Something is going on with Yang.
Yang screams to the heavens before she is consumed in a pillar of fire, U.A is freaking out towards whatever is happening to Yang, while we're just lost for words.
The flames seem to be changing her, proof being when her fingers extend and blacken seeming as if ash is clinging to her body. A transformation is occurring, once the fire settles down Yang appears with a new form, she's now a devil just like me and Deandra.
Cortney looks excited at what just happened, "Now the battle is heating up." Cortney smashes her fist into her hand, steaming and her hair turning red, she even takes up a new stance.
Yang creates a fireball in her hand and throws it at Cortney, she tries to jump out of the way but Yang melted the floor and making her unable to move.
"Aced!" Cortney uppercuts and creates an updraft strong enough to redirect the fireball into the roof before freeing herself. I take another look at the displays and see that Cortney is losing stamina quickly, but so is Yang.
"Looks like this is the end," Ersa says seeing what's going on.
"Come on Yang win! -Yeah, you can do it!" Ruby and I call on Yang to win us the first point.
Cortney starts twisting her arm, gathering air into her arm shaping it into what looks like a drill, "Drill Claw Crusher: Slammer style!" Yang gathers every bit of fire into her right arm and meets Cortney head-on when the two collide a giant explosion is unleashed and kills the cameras. We look at the displays and see that both fighters are down.
After the smoke clears it is revealed that Yang and Cortney have returned to normal, "Both fighters are unable to continue, meaning that this match is a draw, neither team gets points!" The refe declares.
"You have five minutes to choose who goes next," The referee calls on someone to pick up Yang and Cortney, "They'll be okay, so don't worry about them."
"I think it would be best for Team Rwby to do the rest of the single rounds," Deandra suggests, JNPR doesn't mind taking the double fights and we'll handle the team round.
"I'll go next." Blake volunteers for the next fight, "When it comes to skill, they beat us hands down, but all we have to do to win is land one attack." Blake is right they don't have aura, so a single is devastating for them.
Five minutes later
"Have you selected your next fighter Beacon? If so, have them come to the area." The refe check to see if we're ready, Blake hops to the area.
"Who's representing U.A?" Pony flies over on one of her horns before landing and doing a few acrobatic kicks.
"That would be me." Pony confirms.
"If both fighters are ready...let the next match begin." The refe slams her scythe down making the area glow once again. Then the area changes to a forest full of trees, Blake takes to the tree-top and observes her surroundings to spot Pony before she finds her.
"Deep breath Blake, analyze your opponent." Blake tries to come up with a strategy against Pony, "We are probably equal when it comes to speed and Pony has the edge against me in endurance, so my best bet is rush her down and make her surrender." Just then a horn comes flying toward Blake, she jumps to another branch but the horn redirects itself and is making a b-line for Blake.
Seeing as the horn have homing powers Blake grabs Gambol Shroud and cleaves the horn in two by generating a slicing shock-wave, Blake then looks for where Pony could possibly be. Blake picks up the sound of Pony's hooves digging in the ground. Blake fires a shot next to the tree Pony is standing behind and spooks her out of hiding spot, Pony pouts before firing her at Blake, who uses her semblance to dodge out of the way in less than a second Pony's horns have already grown back.
When Blake lands she spots Pony running away on all fours, forcing her to give chase, Blake is able to keep Pony in her sights and is even able to fire a couple of shots but Pony is just too fast, eventually the forest ends and the girls end up leaping off a cliff. Both of them slide down without any problems until they reach a passing train, Blake recognizes the same train she and Adam robbed.
"Are these areas based on our memories?" Blake questions how she's back here again, leaving her open to Pony's horns and getting pinned against a train car.
"I'd say this is much better for both of us." Pony chimes as she prepares to fire off another set, Blake creates a clone from her semblance to take the hit for her allowing her time to cut the horns. Pony shoots two more horns but has them float around her person, Blake lunges bring her weapon down on Pony, but spins behind Blake and rears her head back going for a headbutt, Blake holds up her weapon to block. A smirk appears on Pony's face as she grabs Blake's face and brings it down on her knee, followed up a kick to the gut.
"Pony's horns will make this a tough match for Blake." Peace gives her opinion on how the match going.
"Mhm, those horns make so Blake has to deal with them or she'll be on the backfoot all match," Medi adds.
Back to fight, Pony fires a barrage of horns for Blake to deal with, Blake switches to dual welding Gambol Shroud before slicing through the mountain of horns while closing the distance between her and Pony. Once Blake is in melee range, she proceeds to cut Pony's horns off, leaving Pony without the use of her power and place her katana against Pony's neck.
"Surrender," Blake demands Pony to declare that the match is over.
Pony closes her eyes and takes a breath, "Grand Horn Blitz!" Pony throws a kick so fast that it leaves an afterimage, followed by five more and finishing with a high kick that sends Blake high into the air.
"Man, Pony puts Medi and Deandra in shame from that last attack." Ersa blurts out, "That has to hurt."
After Blake lands, Pony looks at her satisfied smile, "I'll ask you, Surrender." Pony asks Blake nicely, Blake not wanting to give the other school another point, uses her semblance to bounce back to feet and throws her weapon at Pony. Pony side steps, and does exactly what Blake wants tugs on the ribbon making it fire, cutting Pony in her legs.
Blake makes her weapon whole and propel herself forward using her clones, and smashes the blunt end of the sheath, knocking her out cold.
"Pony Tsunotori has been knocked out, meaning this round belongs to Beacon, evening the score!" The refe declares the match over before the area turns back. The refe walks over to Pony and taps her on the shoulder waking her up.
"Damn. You got at the last second, congrats Blake." Pony accepts defeats and Blake helps her up and they walk back to the stands.
"The single round is almost done, you have five minutes to select your next fighter." The refe lets know.
Writer: And that where the story ends for now, sorry for taking such a long time to post this chapter I promise the next chapter will be done in a more timely manner.