PvP.

In his office, with Ozpin himself is walking back to his desk and pouring himself a drink from his teapot as he watches the Vytal Festival Tournament's roulette system deciding the next match. He had a lot on his mind

Oobleck spoke over the broadcast "Alright, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!".

"It looks like our first contender is... Penny Polendina, from Atlas! And her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos, from Beacon!" Port announced

Ozpin seats himself behind his desk and takes a sip from his cup as he stares at the randomized fight to be. Pyrrha... the one he had chosen as the guardian of Vale and carrier of a massive burden. Severa had made it very clear that if anything bad happened to Pyrrha, it would make them enemies. Ozpin did not like the thought, but it was to late to turn back now.


Down in the arena of Amity Colosseum, Pyrrha is still looking hesitant and distracted while Penny politely salutes her opponent.

Penny had her hands on her hips in excitement "Sal-u-tations, Pyrrha Nikos! It's an honor to finally meet you!".

The troubled Pyrrha doesn't respond, looking at her hands as she clenches them in attempted determination.

Penny did not notice Pyrrha's reluctance "This is going to be so much fun!".


In the same structure behind closed doors, Ruby is still facing down an up-and-standing Mercury, who's smugly smiling at the younger girl's confusion.

"Mercury, what are you doing? You were hurt! Why..." Ruby began before she narrows her eyes in suspicion "What's going on?" Mercury doesn't answer, still grinning with malice "Fine. If you're not going to tell me...".

She attempts to move around him, but he blocks her path, then does it again when she sidesteps. He was making it very clear that she wasn't making it passed him.

Oobleck's voice over the announcement system draw Ruby's attention away "Fighters, are you ready?".

Mercury smirks.


Penny beams widely in anticipation, but Pyrrha is still looking around as if in a daze, though she manages a small scowl at her opponent, her weapons Miló and Akoúo̱ already in hand.

Oobleck counts down as Ironwood calmly sits to observe the fight, Nora and Ren cheer for their teammate while Jaune simply watches anxiously, and Emerald leans forward with a glare "3, 2, 1... BEGIN!".

Suddenly, Penny is surrounded by Floating Array, gesturing the swords around to her command before launching a volley of them at Pyrrha, who runs towards them and leaps though or deflects each aimed blade. The swords fly into the air until they turn around and come back to the fight.


Meanwhile, Severa was rushing towards the arena. She had barely managed to catch the last ride to the arena, and was still running late. She didn't want to miss her cousin's match, but she was so distracted and almost forgot. As she was running through the hallway, she noticed someone...

"Lucina!?" She said as she rushed over to her leader, who was struggling to get up "Lucina! What happened?".

Lucina looks at her "Never mind me, Severa. You have to stop the fight!".

"What? Why? What's going on?" Severa asked.

"I don't know, but Líf is still here, despite the fact he and his team should've been sent back to Mistral. Something bad is going to happen. I don't know what, but I have a feeling it will begin with this fight. So please! You need to stop it! Even if it means upsetting some people! Hurry!" Lucina almost shouted.

Severa was worried but nodded and continued onwards. If she was going to reach the arena itself, she would have to go down a different hallway.


Meanwhile Mercury was looking back at Ruby "Showtime".

He goes forward, blocking Ruby's path with his arms outstretched, restraining her movements no matter where she moves. Panicked, she grimaces and spins forward, becoming a blur of red and petals rocketing toward Mercury, only for the villain to kick her twice mid-dash with and knock her to the ground. He advances on her just as she gets out her Scroll, about to push the button to call for help when a bullet sends the device flying out of her hand.

Mercury lowers his leg from its kick "Let's just keep this between us friends".

"Ruby!" Both looked and saw Severa, who luckily had chosen this path on her way towards the arena, when she saw Mercury she glared "You! I knew it!".

Pyrrha, now having returned the shield to her back, twirls the javelin to block each sword swipe of Penny's, dropping her weapon when she needs to somersault away after being hit by a slash, only to magnetically return it to her hand as Penny readies another wave of blades.

"My word! What a tremendous display by Miss Polendina!" Port said.

Fully glowering, Pyrrha rushes forward and jumps on an incoming sword, swinging down on Penny, only to have the assault halted by a collection of blades, though she leaps away from the retaliatory slice as Penny backs away as well. She tries to defend against the multitude of swords with the length of her weapon, but is forced back regardless, prompting Pyrrha to roll the shield from her back onto her arm with her polarity.

Nora was cheering with her arms wide alongside a fist-pumping Ren and worried Jaune "Whoo, yeah! Goooo Pyrrha!".

Despite the cheers, Pyrrha isn't doing well, looking down to see her Semblance's black energy bend the weapons in her hands unnaturally for a split second. Emerald narrows her gaze further, continuing to concentrate on Pyrrha.


Back in the hallway, Mercury charges forward. But Severa quickly intercepts him. She blocked a couple of his kicks, before countering with a punch, and while he managed to block, Severa quickly grabbed his arm, twisting it as she moves around him. She twisted his arm behind his back before wrapping her free arm around his neck, holding him in place. But it was hard as he kept struggling, so she knew she wouldn't be able to hold him for long.

"Ruby, I got this! GO! STOP THE FIGHT!" Severa shouts to her younger friend.

Ruby nods and quickly rushed down the hallway. Unlike the rest, she knew exactly why the fight needed to be stopped. Growling in annoyance, Mercury fired of his boots, using the momentum from the blast to flip out of Severa's hold, before quickly delivering a kick to her back. He was about to follow Ruby, but Severa quickly grabbed him again, holding him back.

"You're not going anywhere! I've waited for this chance for a long time! And now, you're finally going to get it!" Severa declared as she grabbed Mercury's face so she could copy his semblance... but she felt nothing "Wait... Your semblance...".

Mercury elbows her in the ribs, making her let go of him and back away "Sorry red. You can't compy something that doesn't exist".

Severa was confused but had no time to think on it. Severa lunged at Mercury with a punch that sent him into a wall. Mercury quickly recovered and kicked her in the gut, knocking her on the floor. Severa jumped back up, and Mercury shot projectiles from his boots towards her and Severa dodged them before landing a hard punch in Mercury's face. Mercury then planted his leg in front of Severa's legs and kicked her with a somersault kick, kicking her into the air before delivering another kick which sent her in to a wall.

Severa locked up just in time to raise her arms and blocked an ax kick fro Mercury. Despite this, the kick still almost connected with her face. He had metal legs... Meaning he was never hurt by Yang... it was all a trick. Anger flared inside Severa as she forced his leg away, before she got up and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks. Mercury blocked her punches and countered her kicks with his own. He managed to land a kick to her gut, making her hunch over and cough, before delivering an ax kick to her back which slammed her in to the floor.

Mercury smirks down on her "Not bad, red. Almost as good as your cousin. But I wonder how people will react when they see her commit murder".

Severa's eyes snapped open with rage. She let out a loud scream before she punched Mercury square in the chest, sending him in to the wall... She punched his face in to the before delivering 8 fast and strong punches to his body, and finished the barrage with a hard kick to Mercury's face, which damaged the wall, and made him slide down on the floor.

Severa took a few seconds to catch her breath before rushing down the hallway, hoping that Ruby was successful in stopping the match... However, time had not been standing still while Severa was fighting Mercury.


At the same time as Severa's fight with Mercury. Pyrrha and Penny's match had still been going on.

Pyrrha spins wildly as she deflects and dodges each sword, until she gets close enough to Penny to deliver a few slashes with the spear, sending her flying back as Pyrrha bats aside the blades called to their wielder's aid. Penny slides to a stop and makes a new series of motions, the weapons folding up until she's circled by several laser rifles, a few of which open fire on the approaching champion. Pyrrha avoids the blasts and fights off the remaining swords with her blade until she slides into position to charge at Penny and knock her back. Pyrrha straightens with a victorious grin that disappears into dizziness, just as she sees Penny rocketing forward, weapons firing behind her like a jetpack so she can leap into the air, then come down as an energized meteor on her opponent.

Rolling back to her feet, Pyrrha doesn't expect a sword to knock her shield off, then another to do the same for her blade. She tries to get the latter back with her magnetism, but has to use the power to send a flying sword back at Penny's side. It disappears behind Penny, only for her to grin and raise her arms as several appear above her, aimed to strike.

With Emerald still squinting down on the arena, the sharp sound of Emerald's Semblance is heard as Penny's eight swords double, then triple, multiplying into an unreal thicket of blades. At the sight of this, Pyrrha unsteadily steps back, both in reality where the eight swords are ready to go forth and in the hallucinated world, where the cloud of weapons thicken to even block the crowds around her.

Penny sends them all forward, few in reality and hundreds strong in Pyrrha's mind, who is left with no choice but to spread her arms and send out a magnetized shockwave. Each blade is sent reeling back to Penny, who is also unintentionally affected by the Semblance attack clutching her chest in pain. Pyrrha only has a brief moment to understand what's happening before Penny's arms are spread wide as she gasps, the strings attached to her own weapons curling around her left arm and midsection, which are crumpled by the force with the ease of an aluminum can.

Time felt like it was slowing down, as the wire slices through the electronics in Penny's torso, much to Pyrrha's shock, and the entire stadium watching the now unmoving swords drop to the ground. A piece of fabric flutters to the arena floor, only to be pinned by the point of a falling blade, away from the torn halves of Penny.

Pyrrha stares in abject horror, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Port straightens in shock at the revelation alongside Oobleck, and with Ozpin standing up from his chair back at Beacon "No!".

While the remains of Penny's missing arm spark with electricity from the exposed wiring inside, her big green irises, now looking like camera shutters, slowly expand so her dark, lifeless pupils take up most of her eyes with the sound of a machine shutting down.

In an Atlas laboratory, a balding white-bearded man watches the live footage on the news, his hand gripping the armrest of his chair tightly. The crowds are still terrified by the sight, and miles away in Mountain Glenn, Grimm of all kinds turn toward the Colosseum, and begin to charge.

Finally, Ruby turns a corner and emerges from the service tunnel, only to see with her own eyes that despite Severa's help, she is far too late.

Ruby falls to her knees "Penny... "

She begins to cry, the tears fall as she sobs miserably. The levitating arena is lowered back into place under the spotlights, and Severa appears behind the weeping Ruby, and before she could say anything, she to noticed what had just happened. Her eyes widens in horror at the sight. Any surprise she may have had of Penny being a robot was utterly crushed by the horrific fact that the poor girl had been cut apart... by Pyrrha.

"Oh my god... No..." Severa whispers before a sob from Ruby snaps her back to reality. She kneels down next to Ruby, and gently pulled her close, causing the younger girl to cry in to her chest, while Severa continues watching the scene with angry tears in her eyes for failing to prevent it.

Oobleck puts a hand up to his ear "Broadcast, what are you doing? Kill the feed!".

The Broadcast Op answered over the earpiece "Something's wrong! We don't have control of the cameras! We can't even stop the broadcast!".

"What!? How is that possible!?" Oobleck demanded.

In answer, the background behind the two teachers changes to the video feed of the sight before them, tinted an ominous bright red with a black queen chess piece hovering over the scene. They turn back to the arena as a familiar voice rings out throughout the Colosseum and the rest of the world watching these events.

It was Cinder "This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both.

Ironwood, realizing who she's talking about, grimaces and rises from his seat, marching up the steps. Meanwhile, Lucina had finally made her way to the arena, having been disgracefully delayed by Líf's attack.

She raised her head in anger as she knew the voice all to well "Cinder...".

"They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference" Cinder continued.

Pyrrha continues to stare at the remains of Penny in dread and guilt. Lips parting as she raises a hand to cover her mouth. Then her eyes start watering, a single tear falling. Back in the fairgrounds, a gaping Lyre, Weiss and Blake watch the hacked screen of the Shopkeep's stall. The owner and several others including Roy Stallion are gathered nearby. Lyre looked really chocked while Blake's expression becomes a glare as the speech continues.

"And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither" Cinder said.

The three girls share a look. Back in RWBY's dorm Yang was listening to the speech while Bernadetta was shaking with dread in her arms, horrified by what was happening.

"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves" Cinder continues.

Ozpin watches the screen intently, his cane at his side and Atlesian Airships hovering beyond his window. Amid the silence over the Colosseum as they absorb the revolutionary words, no one notices Emerald exit the stadium.

"As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark" Cinder said.

Two blue Atlas Soldiers watch the message on their Scroll, not noticing the wave of Grimm coming out of the mist shrouded treeline until they hear growling. Both turn and open fire the best they can, shooting down a few. But many more rush past them with Cinder's voice still stirring up trouble from her position with a malevolent smile.

"So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?" She asked.


In the Colosseum, the screens cut from red and black to complete static.

Oobleck looks at "The feeds are all jammed! We can't get a message out!".

Port turns to the people working behind the scenes "Will somebody tell me what in the world is happening!?".

The question is answered with the sound of a wailing alarm throughout the structure with an warning Warning Announcement "Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner".

The crowds begin to flee, wild and screaming, through the exit tunnels, while Ironwood enters the announcers' box and grabs the microphone from between Port and Oobleck "Ladies and gentlemen, please. There is no need for panic".

With that said, a Giant Nevermore appears atop the arena's domed force field, giving a series of deafening screeches as it claws and pecks at the defense with its beak.

Sun stands up in alarm along with Coco "A Nevermore!?".

Coco lowers her sunglasses "How did it get past the Kingdom's defenses!?".

Ren rises up beside them "It wasn't alone".

Lucina looks up in horror as she realized what Líf meant before "No... It has already begun".


As chaos breaks out all over Vale, back at Beacon's cliff side landing platforms, three Bullheads arrive, as Líf was waiting for them. The middle one opening its hatch to reveal four members of the White Fang, and their leader.

"Welcome to Beacon. Here is the chance for revenge we promised you" Líf said.

Adam nods at him before speaking to his followers "Bring them to their knees!".

Another Bullhead opens its door, this time with several creatures of Grimm inside. A growling Ursa jumps from it and lands on Academy grounds before letting out a roar...

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Just in case I didn't make it clear enough. Severa Vs Mercury and Pyrrha Vs Penny happened at the same time.

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Anyway, Tell me what you think.