Hey everyone! New chapter! Enjoy!
Morning dawned the following day with brilliant sunshine. Seemingly the ones in charge of organising the tournament had chosen the very best days for the events. Not that it mattered of course; the spectators would still have likely turned out in their thousands to watch the matches. It was after all, not an event to miss. But in JSPR's dorm, the four students greeted the day with mixed reactions as Jaune once again fought to turn off the alarm on his scroll. Every day was the same, the blonde would fight with his phone while the three girls groaned in frustration and awaited the return of silence to the room so that they might doze a little while longer.
Yet today was not like all those other days. Something was off. As Jaune fumbled sleepily with his scroll, trying to work out through half closed eyes which button was which, the room was oddly quiet. There was still some grumbling coming from the heiress, mainly about the painful levels of ineptitude that Jaune seemed to exhibit on a daily basis and how it was a miracle that he was able to find his way out of bed in the mornings, yet from the other two girls there was nothing.
Weiss seemed to notice this absence too, as halfway through her tirade of glorious oratory abuse her voice trailed off into nothing. A quick glance over at the beds of their two teammates provided them with the explanation as to the unusually quiet nature of both Pyrrha and Ruby. Neither of the two girls was there. It was unusual for any of their team to leave early and not let the others know beforehand. Rolling out of bed, Jaune looked at the empty beds with slight confusion as though trying to piece together just where Ruby and his partner might have gone to at such an early hour. It was rare for the blonde's brain to function properly until he had had a shower and a decent breakfast.
"They probably got up early to put a little extra preparation in before their fights later today. You know Pyrrha, she likes to be prepared for anything and Ruby probably couldn't sleep. She was somewhat shaken by the news that she was going to have to fight Nora." Weiss offered with a slight sigh. It did amaze her just how much of a dolt her leader could be at times. Jaune nodded at her explanation; it really did make sense.
With a sigh of exertion, he climbed to his feet and shuffled off to the bathroom with a yawn. He figured that with two of their team already up and about, Weiss would be less volatile with him taking the first slot in the shower. They did have a lot more time between the two of them so he intended to have a much longer shower than usual.
As it happened, he was sorely mistaken. He had gotten no more than two steps out of the bathroom before he was met with another tirade of incessant abuse from the heiress. He tuned out for the most part and gathering the rough gist of whatever it was that she was ranting about. In this case it seemed that she wasn't best pleased with him taking the first shower slot, claiming that she would now have to rush in order to make herself presentable on time. Jaune sighed softly to himself; this reminded him all too much of how it had been growing up with his six sisters. Idly, his brain wandered as she shouted and complained at him. With a slight smirk he decided that Weiss would likely get on with his sisters… either that or she would begin an all-out war in which no-one in Remnant would be safe.
After a further hour and a substantial headache on Jaune's part, the two remaining members of team JSPR finally made it down to the school's cafeteria. Their stomachs growled loudly, mimicking a pack of Ursai in both volume and tone. To Jaune's slight relief, they found both Pyrrha and Ruby sat at their usual table, half empty plates in front of them. As the champion caught sight of her two teammates, she waved emphatically, beckoning them over. Ruby on the other hand, was seemingly lacking in the excited nature which Pyrrha seemed so full of. It was clear that, both from her silvery eyes and the look on her face; the upcoming fight with Nora was weighing heavily on her mind. Where usually there was a bright and jovial smile, Ruby's face was weighed down by a serious expression which seemed wholly out of place and character.
Once they had retrieved their own food, both Weiss a Jaune took their usual seats alongside the others. Conversation was however, very limited. Pyrrha was amicable enough, practically unable to sit still in her anticipation for the fight later. This was the first time that Jaune had ever seen her so excited about anything. It was clear that her love for battle was coursing through her.
"I wonder what weapon she uses. What if she doesn't use a weapon? Oh this is so exciting!" She chirped happily. Across from her, Ruby's eyes sank as she stared at her plate. Jaune watched the little rose as she idly pushed a piece of hash brown in laps around her plate. He couldn't help but worry for her.
"Ruby you should eat something; you'll need all your energy for the match today." He said with a smile, though she didn't even look up at him.
"Not hungry…" She mumbled in reply after a long and awkward pause. With a sigh, Jaune nodded and resumed eating. Other than the occasional excited outburst from Pyrrha, their team ate in near silence; the scraping of cutlery upon their plates was the only real noise. Every now and again, Jaune would look up and over to Ruby to see if there had been any change in her melancholic disposition. More than once, he had caught Weiss watching over the little rose too. Seemingly she was similarly concerned.
It wasn't too long after that the four teenagers had left the academy campus and were on their way into Vale, bound for the central stadium. As Weiss and Jaune made their way into the area reserved for Beacon students, Jaune looked into the arena itself. There was no sign of the catastrophic levels of damage which Arakido had caused with his final flash attack, everything had been returned to perfect condition. It was amazing just what could be achieved with the right budget.
Taking their seats, the JS of JSPR waited for the matches to begin. The programme that Weiss had picked up showed that Ruby would be one of the first matches. In a way, Jaune knew that Ruby would be grateful for the fact as it meant that she wouldn't have to wait long. Getting it over and done with, that was the way it should be.
The first few fights were relatively uneventful. Unlike for the qualifiers, the arena remained fixed in a neutral position so as to avoid giving the advantage to any fighters. The battles were for the most part short and intense affairs with a great many hard hits and brutal counter-attacks. The spectators seemed wholly involved in the matches, gasping and oohing whenever something happened. The support was even, cheering for the losers and applauding their efforts. It was a warm atmosphere for all who were involved. Finally however, the moment arrived. As Jaune and Weiss watched on, both Nora and Ruby emerged from their respective tunnels. Their weapons holstered across their backs. Looking to the screens, Jaune could see the look of fear in Ruby's eyes. Across the arena, Nora had an ear to ear grin plastered across her face. She would be going all out, all safety precautions had been set to the 'off' position.
The announcer's voice boomed forth once again as he introduced the two fighters and gave a brief summary of their qualifying matches. Jaune shivered, a sense of dread washing over him as he heard how Nora had shattered the legs of her last opponent. The same expression was mirrored on Ruby's face. Jaune gave a forlorn look to the heiress and was surprised to find her looking back at him and returning it.
"T-the last fighter was probably too slow. M-maybe that's how it happened? Ruby is really quick though. I-I don't think Nora will have the chance." She stammered with genuine fear in her words. Jaune nodded slightly, not trusting his own voice. That had to be it right? The other fighter was just too slow to avoid Nora's attack.
'Ruby will be just fine; she is the fastest in the whole school! She won't let Nora get the chance to land a hit on her.' It was these words which Jaune told himself over and over, forcing himself to believe them and take them as gospel. Ruby had gotten into Beacon two whole years early! That had to count for something.
Before he got the chance to think on the little rose's chances however, the countdown to the start of the match began. The blonde leader's eyes nervously watched the numbers on the screens tick down to zero. The moment the klaxon sounded the crowd roared in excitement as the air filled with the clash of steel. In that instant, Ruby had shot across to Nora in a cloud of petals. She had moved so fast that it was entire seconds before the petals even touched the ground. In truth, Jaune was amazed that Nora had managed to draw her weapon so quickly, let alone block the attack.
Down in the arena, Ruby disengaged with a growl of frustration. Her silvery eyes narrowed in on the Valkyrie with determination burning deep within them. She would not lose, not with Jaune and the rest of Vale watching. Spinning away, she quickly considered her next move. The speed and sudden aggression seemed to have put Nora on the back foot, and that gave Ruby the upper hand. Refusing to lose that initiative, Ruby activated her semblance again and shot forward aiming a slash which would have cleaved Nora from shoulder to hip if it hadn't been for aura.
Yet once again there came the harsh sound of metal on metal as Nora blocked again. The curved blade of Crescent Rose gleamed maliciously as it locked against Magnhild, both of the fighters struggling for dominance. The struggle was predominantly one sided, with Nora possessing a far greater physical strength. Realising that she was at a substantial disadvantage, Ruby pulled the trigger on her scythe. The arena echoes with a deafening report as one of her gigantic custom rounds spat from the barrel of her weapon. That was something Nora had certainly not been prepared for. The round hit her square in the centre of her chest and launched her backwards. At the same time, Ruby utilised the recoil of her monstrous firearm to put distance between herself and her opponent. Dropping into her 'guard' stance, she waited for Nora to get back up. Her eyes watching for even the slightest twitch from the Valkyrie.
Nora herself lay on her back, fighting to draw in the air which her body required to survive. Her aura had flared up and stopped the round from blowing a sizable hole through her torso, yet what it hadn't done was negated the force. It had struck her at full power, knocking any and all air out of her lungs. Even now, she drew in ragged gasps as she recovered from the blow. With a grin and a few coughs, she climbed to her feet. Grabbing Magnhild from where it had fallen at her feet, she flicked the switch on its haft. A series of mechanical clicks and whirs came from the weapon as it folded itself up into its second form, that of her grenade launcher. It was only fair after all. Ruby had decided to use her gun so Nora would start using her boom stick.
Ruby watched on with a subtle smile. This would work to her advantage, provided that she didn't get caught in any of the concussion waves. Reaching into herself, Ruby tapped into her aura reserves and, through them, her semblance. She watched on as Nora levelled the barrel of the grenade launcher to zero in on her. The moment that she saw the flash she shot off. All around her, the world seemed to grind to a halt just as it always did whenever she activated her semblance. She looked back and saw the high-explosive round whizzing towards where she had just been stood, a pink heart emblazoned across the tip along with the words 'get some'. Moments later she saw as it hit the ground in a blinding flash of light and searing heat. Once it was all burned out, she swerved towards the Valkyrie whom was looking very confused.
As she approached, Ruby drew back her scythe and swung with all of the might that she could muster at Nora's back. With a dull thud, her weapon connected and sent the bubbly redhead flying once again. Ruby put a safe distance between herself and her opponent before dropping out of her semblance induced speed and back into her guard again. Across the arena, Nora climbed to her feet once more, looking around frantically to locate the Rose. Her blue eyes soon locked onto the little reaper and narrowed maliciously. In an instant, she raised her weapon and fired again.
Jaune watched on with great interest as Ruby once again disappeared, only to strike Nora and reappear at a safe distance once again. He smiled, realising the clever nature of such a tactic. Ruby had seemingly realised that in close quarters combat, she couldn't match the Valkyrie in raw power and had instead elected to use hit and run strategies to chip away at Nora's aura reserves. The Valkyrie's long ranged attacks were just slow enough that Ruby could zip out of the way and avoid harm… or so he thought.
The third time Nora climbed to her feet, it was somewhat slower. She was wearing down and had yet to land a blow on the little rose. With a grunt she located Ruby and watched her closely. She knew by this point what the nature of the game was and frantically tried to work out just how best to counter it. It was like Ren always said; she had to fight with her head if she wanted to win. Once more, she levelled her weapon and fired. Though unlike her previous attempts, she didn't fire straight at the rose. Rather, this time she fired where she guessed that Ruby would be. It was a fifty-fifty chance but a risk worth taking. If she missed then hopefully Ruby would play it off as a sign of fatigue rather than a counter to her attack pattern.
Her guess paid off as Ruby seemed to disappear again, moments later her anguished cry could be heard amidst the explosion. The rose was caught in the blast and launched straight towards the Valkyrie, tumbling through the air. By now, Magnhild had already switched to its mighty hammer form once again. Nora leapt high into the air and swung with all of her considerable might. Magnhild hummed as it cut through the air and, with a sickening crunch, connected with the fragile pulled the trigger once more, at the precise moment of impact, supplementing her blow with a contact explosion. Ruby was batted at incredible speed across the arena and sent slamming into the stands. Crescent Rose slipped from her hands and clattered idly to the floor within the arena even as Ruby slammed into the stands and finally rolled limply to a halt.
The spectators around her cried out in surprise and fear, looking at the now unconscious Ruby, completely unsure what to do. Jaune and Weiss were on their feet looking at Ruby on the big screens in horror, their jaws hanging wide open. Even as they watched, paramedics appeared and rushed to the side of their downed teammate. Several tense moments of silence passed as the crowds waited for an update on Ruby's condition. To many it seemed as though she may well have been killed, regardless of aura. Down in the arena, Nora watched the screens, wide-eyed and with a guilty expression on her face. Yet unlike with Arakido, Jaune couldn't bring himself to anger against the Valkyrie. It had been an honest accident in the heat of an evenly pitched battle. Weiss however, wasn't so forgiving. She stood at Jaune's side, her pale hands balled up into tight fists with barely suppressed rage as she fought desperately to subdue her emotions and regain her composure. It was at this moment, as the heiress seethed beside him that Jaune began to comprehend the depths of her affections for the young rose.
One of the paramedics touched a finger to his ear and mouthed something which Jaune couldn't make out. Moments later, the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium once more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been informed that Miss Rose is alive and in a stable condition. She has broken her arm, leg and a number of her ribs but the paramedics are certain that, with treatment, she will make a full recovery. Her aura apparently negated a fair amount of that attack and saved her life. However, as she is unable to continue the match, Nora Valkyrie is declared the victor by default."
The audience clapped respectfully as Ruby was carried away on a stretcher. Hearing the announcement that the little rose would recover, Weiss' rage seemed to abate slightly. She was still angry, but it no longer seemed that she was planning on eviscerating Nora with methodical slowness. Down in the arena, Nora seemed greatly relieved by the news. Holstering her weapon, she stepped forward and picked up crescent rose. Examining for a moment she found the switch and transferred it to its carry mode. Satisfied that she couldn't hurt herself on the weapon, she skipped happily out of the arena and off to the medical bay so as to return it.
The matches resumed shortly after, with fighter after fighter being exhausted or knocked senseless as they might have on any other day, yet today was not just another day. High up in the stands, in a dark corner where few people would bother to look, a pair of burning golden eyes watched on with ever growing interest. The more fights that passed, the more these eyes glowed.
"It won't be long now Roman. Oh to be so achingly close is practically killing me" Cinder whispered to the heavily cloaked figure next to her. The outfit looked ridiculous but he had insisted upon it, lest anyone recognise the face of Vale's most wanted criminal.
"Look at them all, revelling in their staged conflict, completely unaware of the events in progress which will so soon wreak havoc within their perfect little worlds. And after all is done, even their precious hunters shan't be enough to hold back the storm we will have created." She concluded with a malicious laugh that sent chills down Roman's spine. He had never yet seen her like this, over the time he had been working with her, never had he seen her so excited over a job. He suspected that she had taken the job because she had wanted to see it through, rather than for the huge sum of money that had been promised with it.
Looking down, he saw her toying with what appeared to be a plain, brushed chrome cigarette lighter, and for all intents and purposes it did indeed function like one. Yet what was cunningly concealed within was far more devious. It contained a detonator, though not for something as simple as an explosive charge. No, this was much, much worse. And soon enough, the rest of Vale would see its true purpose. Beside him, Cinder straightened up in her seat as the announcer's voice thundered through the stadium from the loud speakers.
"… And now ladies and gentlemen! It's time to re-introduce a fighter that you all know and love, returning after her shocking victory in the qualifiers and back with a vengeance. Four time champion from Mistral and a huntress in training from your very own Beacon Academy here in Vale, the one, the only Miss Pyrrha Nikos!"
Torchwick winced as the crowd went wild, a cacophony of shouts, cheers and thunderous applause rocking the stadium to its very foundations as tens of thousands of voices all cried out in a multitude of languages, all in appreciation of the celebrity fighter. The master criminal had to admit, that kind of appreciation and attention had its draw to him. But such fame in his line of work was more a hindrance than a help. Every bounty hunter, vigilante and fresh faced police officer in the kingdoms would be after him to prove themselves and in turn win their own fame.
"… And her opponent, a little known student looking to make a big name for herself in the tournament, she has already wowed us in the Atlas qualifiers. Ladies and gentlemen I give you…. Penny Poledina!" Roman smirked at the announcement. This was it.
Jaune looked on as the two fighters emerged into the stadium. Pyrrha was the first to come into view, walking with her usual elegance and calm demeanour. This was her world, the environment which she best belonged in, her home turf. Turning his eyes away from the champion and over to the other side of the arena, he waiting to catch his first glimpse of this Penny Poledina. Yet when she stepped out into view, Jaune's jaw dropped, as did Weiss' beside him. He had seen Penny before. They both had the day their team had gone clothes and supplies shopping before the dance all those weeks ago.
Down in the arena, Pyrrha was similarly surprised though she did her best to hide it. The champion couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness that Penny might try and exploit. The two fighters may have met before but they were enemies until the match was over.
"I hadn't expected to see you again Penny, least of all here." She smiled.
"Salutations! I recall having met you before as well, I believe it was the day that I met my best friend Ruby… Although I will admit, contact has been limited." Penny replied with a complacent smile upon her features. She tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes remaining fixed on Pyrrha. "Why would you not expect to see me here? I am combat ready!"
For some reason that she couldn't explain, Penny's final statement had sent a chill down Pyrrha's spine, upsetting her inner calm. Perhaps it was the jovial tone in which it was delivered, or maybe it was the dehumanising aspect that made her sound more like a weapon than a person… Pyrrha simply couldn't tell. If she knew one thing for certain though, it was that Penny was far more dangerous an opponent than she let on. If this fight was to end in her favour, Pyrrha knew that she would have to treat softly and fight tactically.
The klaxon sounded and the match began, yet neither of the fighters made any move of aggression. The crowd went silent as the two combatants began to circle each other. Pyrrha moved with sure steps, her knees slightly bent and her arms hanging loosely by her sides, ready to draw her arms at a moment's notice. Penny was quite the opposite; she walked with a carefree attitude, almost skipping. Her hands were clasped casually behind her back almost as though she were only out for a quiet afternoon stroll.
Once more the feeling of unease crept back into the champion as she tried to gain a feel for her opponent. Every action which Penny made sent up little warning flags in Pyrrha's mind. Just why was she so nonchalant about the fight? Was she really so confident in her abilities that she could walk so calmly, and why hadn't she drawn her weapon yet? The only reason that Pyrrha had refrained from doing so herself was to avoid engaging hostilities before she was quite prepared. But then, suddenly and with no indication of intent, Penny leapt forward and ran with thundering steps towards the champion, cocking back a fist and launching it square at her head.
Barely managing to raise her shield in time, Pyrrha caught the blow with Akoúo̱, but all was not well. The strike connected solidly with a metallic thud and pain exploded up Pyrrha's arm. She cried out in pain and disengaged, struggling to put some distance between both herself and Penny. Frantically, her mind worked to try and figure out just what had happened. One look down at her shield gave her all the information that she needed.
The once brightly burnished and smooth metal was dented in the centre from the heavy impact of Penny's punch, so much so that it had dug into her arm and, judging by the feel of it, broken her lower arm. Alarm bells went off in Pyrrha's mind as she tried to work out just how the effects of the punch had bypassed her aura entirely to shatter her arm. It would have required an ungodly amount of strength to do such damage with a single hit, and that put fear into Pyrrha's heart.
Backing away, she tugged at the straps of her shield. Once they came free, she grudgingly let it fall to the ground at her feet. As her aura was still nearly full, the officials wouldn't call the match unless Pyrrha forfeited, which she had no intention of doing. With her working arm, Pyrrha shifted Miló into its rifle form. With a whimper of pain, she locked the stock into her shoulder and supported the weight of the rifle on her broken forearm. Her aim was shaky but at such close range, it was acceptable.
She grunted as she pulled the trigger, the recoil pushing against her damaged arm. Again and again she fired, hoping to chip off at her opponent's aura until her own could begin repairs on her arm. Yet Penny seemed totally unfazed by the rounds whizzing towards her. She simply raised her hand in front of her, darting it back and forth to deflect the rounds. She wasn't even trying to avoid them! Pyrrha ceased firing, the rifle shaking in her trembling hands. This was like something out of a nightmare. Even as she watched on Penny began to approach, the same cheerful smile on her face. Raising her arms out to her sides, it seemed that twelve swords appeared out of nowhere, hovering in front of her. Pyrrha's viridian eyes grew wide with fear, openly expressed and matched only by the looks on her teammates' faces up in the stands.
"It's almost a shame to cut the event short." Cinder sighed. She flipped open the lighter, hitting a concealed switch within its lid. Immediately, her scroll vibrated and the screen lit up green with a single black queen chess piece in the centre.
One by one, every phone around her did the same, vibrating and lighting up bright green. As it happened to more and more people there were grunts of frustration and cries of anguish as one by one the spectators were locked out of their devices. But Cinder smiled, it wasn't just the stadium, or even Vale. Thanks to her work on the night of the ball, the signal was being beamed from the CCT all across Remnant, infecting every one of the kingdoms. But the plan didn't stop there, and its effects would be felt far beyond the shutdown of cellular communications devices.
Down in the arena, Pyrrha could only watch on in utter futility as Penny approached. Her opponent's eyes glowed maliciously red as she drew closer and closer. The champion paused a moment, she could have sworn that Penny's eyes had been a pale green before. A feeling in Pyrrha's stomach told her that something wasn't right here. She switched Miló into its javelin form and prepared to defend herself to the last. The look in Penny's eyes wasn't exactly friendly and something told her that the fight was about to take a turn for the worse.
"Penny…?" Pyrrha asked cautiously, her eyes narrowing again. As she said this, she became aware of the growing confusion and panic around the stadium.
"I am combat ready." She replied in a monotonous tone, devoid of her earlier joviality. Thrusting her hands out in front of her she paused. A green speck appeared in front of her hands. The speck pulsed and hummed with energy. Even as Pyrrha watched, it grew. It reached the size of a basketball before Penny threw her arms out wide, giant beams of energy shot out from her hands and straight into the audience, incinerating any and all who were caught by them. The stadium blast shields slammed down but they weren't enough. In a matter of seconds, the energy blasts had melted through, leaving thick molten steel dribbling down. Pyrrha could only look on in horror as the crazed fighter drew back her arms, summoning forth an even bigger ball of energy, her swords spinning around her seemingly of their own accord. With one final push, a huge ball of green energy shot out and struck the stadium wall. There was a huge flash of blinding light and a catastrophic explosion. It felt as though the whole world was shaking beneath her feet and for a moment it seemed that the whole world might break apart. Then came the shockwave, it hit the champion like a brick wall and sent her flying back. The bitter taste of blood was the last thing that Pyrrha knew before everything went black.
And now we reach the biggest plot event yet. This is where the story reaches its highest point before beginning to wind down again. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I'm still tweaking the next one as I'm far from happy with it so stay tuned for that one. If you enjoyed this, please do favourite and follow. Review and let me know what you thought, I really do read all of them. Many thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter.