As promised, the fight you've been waiting for, here it is! I want to apologize for the overly long wait on this one, just got through all my exams and got a breather now. I'm so sorry for not being able to respond to your reviews from the previous chapter, all of which I really enjoyed and took note of. When it comes to any reviews that you may put for this chapter, I'll be answering them along with the ones for the previous chapter in a PM. Now, in regards to Yang having outright slapped Blake, I understand that may have been upsetting to some, and this was intentional on my part. I have... plans for Yang's character, some of which may be fairly uncomfortable later down the line. I'd enjoyed her character in the canon show up to Volume 3 and 4 until she'd become something of a contradiction by the current one (that's putting it lightly), the holier than-thou attitude and washing her hands of responsibility for certain actions really rubbing me the wrong way. Yang in my retelling is going to struggle, not just with others but namely herself. Perhaps not right now, but definitely in the future, so consider those the first seeds planted.
With that said, let the finale BEGIN!
Fighting Rose
Chapter 15
Wrath of the Titans
She'd been the first to reach the combat arena over half an hour early, sitting silently in the stands with her fingers knit together as if in prayer, chin resting on her hands, eyes dead set forwards, and heel idly tapping against the floor.
"Gotta figure it out…" She muttered, teeth audibly grinding against each other. "Why him? Why him? Why fucking him?"
The door opened, and Ruby's head snapped to stare right at Jaune's face, the poor boy turning pale and freezing on the spot.
"…You're early," Ruby noted, keeping her voice even.
"Y-yeah…" Jaune squeaked, awkwardly shuffling in place. "… I mean, I can just go for now-!"
"Come here," Ruby said blankly, though the tension in the room seemed to suffocate him. This was not a request. He shakily made his way over to her and sat by her as she bid, unable to meet her piercing silver gaze. "…I keep thinking about it, y'know," Ruby started, "But I just don't get it. Like… why of all people did someone like Pyrrha praise someone like… you? Liar, cheat, thief, it just doesn't add up! So… why are you here?"
"…Because I want to be a Hunter." Ruby flinched back at the sudden steel in his voice. "I know you don't think highly of me, b-but that doesn't change my goals. I'm here now, so I'll see it through to the end, no matter what you say to me. I have to, because I don't want to be that damsel in distress anymore. I want to be the hero who does good!"
"And in your arrogance you'd drag your team down to hell," Ruby spat, having finally made up her mind as she placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip to powerful that her fingers begun to slice through the steel pauldron and crush his bones, ripping a gasp of pain as Ruby drew her fist back. "Damsel in distress? Oh please, you're nothing but scum."
"That's enough!" Ruby barely managed to put up her guard in time and a bronze-armoured shin crashed into her sending her flying through the air before she righted herself and landed in the arena itself, Pyrrha touching down soon after.
"It's funny," Ruby snorted, "Because I really don't see what there is to like, to protect about that twink. I can finish him off myself so that the Grimm don't get to him first."
"Ruby, I'm sorry but you were about to beat him to a pulp," Pyrrha shot back, "I will not stand idly for this. Either drop it here and now, or I'll make you."
Ruby popped her neck and knuckles, smiling cruelly. "Threaten me with a good time, why don't you?" The smile dropped off her face. "Now I'm sure. I was wrong to look up to you."
"What's going on over here?" Glynda asked with a tight voice as soon as she and the rest of the class entered the room, everyone getting excited at seeing the Ruby and Pyrrha on stage.
"Oh, nothing Professor Goodwitch," Ruby said innocently. "Just wanted to get in the ring early. Been putting this off for waaay too long."
"…" Glynda's away narrowed before she received a notification on her scroll, quickly checking it as her own eyes went wide in confusion. She hesitated for a moment before she put it away, a very uneasy look on her face. "… Very well. Everyone, take your seats, and let up begin."
Ruby and Pyrrha were entirely focused on each other, ignoring the excitement swirling around the majority of the class and the fear from their respective teams on just what was about to happen.
"Ruby..." Pyrrha said softly as the timer counted down, "...you don't have to do this."
That only made a vein pop on Ruby's forehead, her teeth grinding together. "Well now you've went and made me wanna beat on you some more."
"BEGIN!"
Her auric circuits lit up in their tell-tale thorn-pattern, Ruby's face going dead once again as Pyrrha sharpened her stance.
'Okay, she likes to start by countering her opponent's first move,' Pyrrha thought, 'I'll slowly pressure her into-!'
Ruby had already appeared right in front of her, her knee racing for Pyrrha's eye-socket. Pyrrha responded sharply with a block from her shield, angling it off to the side in order to throw her off. Only, she wasn't expecting the sheer piercing force behind Ruby's opening attack, blasting her guard wide open for Ruby to propel her other knee directly into her face.
*CRA-BANG*
Pyrrha whipped her head out of the direction on the attack while slashing right at Ruby's hip, landing cleanly while Ruby's knee still managed to clip right on the edge of Pyrrha's cheek. Pyrrha grunted and Ruby snarled in pain as they were both sent skidding backwards. People gasped at the sight of the rapidly forming bruise on Pyrrha's cheek: as far as they were concerned, this was the first time she'd been hit... ever.
'Vision isn't hindered, though swelling may be somewhat distracting,' Pyrrha thought, her eyes widening as she felt herself shiver. 'She's… different!' Ruby had abandoned her usual stance entirely, her hands down by her waist as she leaned all her weight forward on her front foot, staring right into Pyrrha's soul. The champ sharply raised her shield as soon as she felt the rush of wind racing for her, her eyes bugging out as Ruby's fist hammered right into her shield so hard that it threatened to punch clean through, the indentation three inches deep.
"…I'll ask again," Ruby muttered as she stood in place, her free hand gripping the edge of Pyrrha's shield and forcibly pulling it down, revealing her unrestrained fury, thorn-markings pulsing red under her skin like an erratic heartbeat. "Why him?" Pyrrha grit her teeth and sharply shoved Ruby off, creating enough space to slash upwards at her, only for Ruby to savagely punch the blade away, ignoring at it managed to cut through the gap in her metal knuckles and bite into her skin with a small spurt of blood.
"Because everyone deserves a chance," Pyrrha said quietly, moving in to slash for her head before Ruby tricked back, her face creased into a scowl.
"He blew his chance the moment he decided to cheat his way in."
She spun and shot a straight kick right for Pyrrha's head, the latter crouching slightly as she deflected the kick further upwards with her shield and sword, the edge of her blade biting into the innermost part of Ruby's thigh. She took advantage of the younger girl's flinch of pain and her backwards stumble, spinning and moving forward with a powerful downward slash. Ruby threatened to send her blade flying out of her hands as her roundhouse blurred right into Pyrrha's wrist, blasting the attack aside and continuing to spin with the momentum of her kick to try and follow up. Pyrrha's shield was already there to intercept, this time wisely angled to throw off Ruby's balance before she thrust her spear low towards the back of Ruby's supporting knee, her leg buckling under her as Pyrrha rocketed a roundhouse kick into Ruby's stomach before she had time to concentrate and seemingly retreat, only to suddenly shift into a new stance, her left foot and hand forward.
'That's Orthodox! she can stance-switch-!?' Pyrrha barely had time to think before Ruby dipped low, left hand drawn back and fist clenched.
"Red SMASH!"
Part-hook, part-uppercut, the punch cracked across Pyrrha's chin in a burst of petals, Pyrrha barely able to keep standing for a moment as she was folded over a left hook to the liver, her head snapping back from another spiteful left hook to the jaw.
"Crescent Bullet!" Ruby's right fist burred into Pyrrha's face with a sharp *POW*, snapping her head back while Ruby remained in her stance, both fists drawn back.
"Double-Tap!"
Twice in an instant, Ruby's fists pierced into Pyrrha's mouth and solar plexus-
"SIX-SHOOTER!"
Yet again, six near-simultaneous impacts rained across Pyrrha's body like point-blank sniper-rounds. Gritting her teeth, she kept her eyes wide open and went with the flow of the impact, spinning into a slash across Ruby's bicep with far more power than Ruby had ever expected, gritting her teeth in pain as her bones creaked and a gash opened up.
Even skidding backwards, Ruby was quick to regain her focus immediately parrying a lunging stab at her chest to step in, a smash Pyrrha's solar plexus piercing deep with her elbow, driving the wind from the champion but not the fight. The edge of Pyrrha's shield savagely bit into Ruby's temple right after her elbow made contact, Ruby's eyes going hazy as the impact shook her brain and made her stumble off to the side. Sharply breathing in to recover, Pyrrha whirled around and swept her javelin at Ruby's legs and taking her clean off her feet, body flailing awkwardly in the air for a split second.
Ruby blasted in again, recovering thanks to her Semblance's propulsion, far lower this time with a spinning heel to sweep Pyrrha off her feet, barely clipping her ankle, the latter dancing backwards and firing off shots with her transformed rife. She was no longer there, now directly above Pyrrha with her petal-wreathed leg drawn back and her body wound tight like a coil.
"CRESCENT ROSE KI-!"
*CLANG*
Everybody watching cringed as Pyrrha jumped straight up, far faster than they'd ever seen her do, and smash the edge of her shield right into Ruby's mouth. She was so stunned that she barely registered Pyrrha's body appearing to propel itself right up and unleash a string of attacks; knee to the chin, downward slash to the collarbone, slash across the stomach, and a final spinning shield bash rattling her teeth as she was sent slamming into the floor.
That snapped her back into action, snarling as she rolled away from a plunging stab before spinning on her back and smashing her armoured toes right into Pyrrha's nose, the sharp *CRACK* as her head snapped back making everyone flinch. Calm as ever, Pyrrha went with the flow of the impact, launching herself into a backwards flip, landing to see Ruby ready to blast right into her. Metal clicked and shifted, Pyrrha's sword morphing into its javelin form as she thrust forward, Ruby barely stopping an inch away from impaling herself through the neck. Recovering, she tricked right by it to continue her charge, only for Pyrrha to have already closed the distance and smash the face her shield right into Ruby's body, blasting the air from her lungs.
Again, Pyrrha went on the offensive with expertly placed attacks, ducking under a wild kick to smash the edge of her shield on Ruby's knee before spinning her javelin to send the butt of it crashing across Ruby's cheek, temple and chin.
'She has to retreat or-!'
Ruby slammed her heel down on Pyrrha's own foot, squashing her armour and sending waves of pain up her leg, certain that a few bones were fractured in her foot. The slight flinch-and-tense was more than enough of an opening for Ruby to howl like a banshee, aura bursting off of her body.
"CRESCENT BULLE-!"
Metal shrieked against metal as Pyrrha appeared to unnaturally propel right past Ruby, blade held as she finished a horizontal slash too fast to see. Ruby... she collapsed onto her knees, a soundless cry of pain as she clutched her stomach and stared at her gauntlet, unable to forget the sensation of an invisible force applied to her armament, her metal armament. The chainmail armour of her torso had been shredded like paper, a visible line of angry red blooming across her exposed abdomen.
"Y-you just...!" She gasped, struggling to get to her feet before snarling and throwing herself right back at Pyrrha, far more savagely than Pyrrha had expected with a dropkick to the chest, just barely blocked before Pyrrha could try to redirect the impact. Ruby didn't even bother to land, spinning mid-air to properly face Pyrrha before launching three roundhouse kicks, one to the knee, one to the ribs and one to the head, the last one Pyrrha redirecting successfully with a touch of her Semblance to Ruby's greaves.
"BITCH!" Ruby spat, still suspended in the air before she spun again, her left hook-kick cutting through the air right for Pyrrha's neck in a blur of red aura. "CRESCENT REAP!"
*CRACK*
Ruby wasn't able to bite back a scream as Pyrrha grunted and smashed the edge of her semblance-reinforced shield right into Ruby's oncoming leg, the force of it sending stabbing agony through her bones, her mouth forcibly shut as Pyrrha's sword struck right across Ruby's jaw, sending her reeling to the floor before she shot up to her feet, drawing her glowing right foot back with a wild look on her face.
"CRESCE-!"
*BANGBANGBANG*
In an instant, from sword to rifle, Pyrrha opened fire twice right at Ruby's supporting knee before a final round punched right into her left collarbone, blinding pain numbing her power-arm and ripping another pained cry from her throat, breathing heavily as she tried to get her head back in the game. The sight of Pyrrha's face and the… sadness in her aura? No, sadness that was directed towards her…
'She's… pitying me?' Ruby realized, red wrath tearing through her veins as she forced herself back into her forward-leaning stance, her aura furiously whirling around her figure as her muscles tensed to a near unnatural rigidity. 'That bitch is PITYING ME!'
"CR-!"
Pyrrha didn't even give her the chance to start her technique, gliding forward in the blink of an eye without any preparatory motion, every bit of metal on her own body outlined in black as the pommel of her sword hammered onto Ruby's dome, sharply turning around into an upward slash that forcibly stood Ruby straight up, a gash opening up in another spurt of blood. Pyrrha stomped Ruby's stomach, forcing her back before she threw her shield to smack across Ruby's forehead, her head whipping back until the shield crashed into her chest, and then her knees and shins, almost bringing her to her knees.
"Th-three times…" Ruby growled.
"Shouting your attack name, while valid, isn't wise when you're facing someone with my skill and Semblance," Pyrrha said sadly, deciding that she had no need to hide it anymore now that Ruby had figured her out. Her open palm shot out as Ruby reappeared behind her, roaring as she went to rip straight through Pyrrha's back with a wild kick. Her leg suddenly froze in place as a black glow enveloped her gauntlets and boots, the sudden stop painfully yanking something in Ruby's back and leg before being blown back by an invisible force.
"And second..." everyone's jaws dropped as a bronze aura enveloped Pyrrha, her skin pulsing with south-east Mistralian symbols, the most well-known appearing on her chest, the symbol of Omega. This was her Auric Circuits primed, her power, speed and durability pushed to its maximum. This was the aura of the Invincible Girl.
"You are not the only one to glimpse into the depths of aura."
"…you were the one." That was when it clicked to Ruby, her eyes widening as her fingers carved right through the stone floor, utter rage billowing from her. "YOU UNLOCKED HIS AURA, YOU KNEW HE WAS FUCKING WORTHLESS!"
"And you're blinded by your own experiences," Pyrrha shot back. "You see strong and weak through nothing but your close-minded lenses, as if you have any right to decide that!"
Ruby's wordless roar of rage was cut short as every piece of armour on Pyrrha's body glowed black before she moved unnaturally, spinning on the spot without even moving her feet and appearing to cleave Ruby clean in half at the waist. Only, she had 'Tricked' straight up to try and knee Pyrrha in the face again. She was barely a hairs width away before her body was frozen on the spot, her own silver armour encased in a black glow while her body was jarred from the sudden stop. Pyrrha took full advantage of the situation and dashed forward, grabbing Ruby by the ankle and shouting as she slammed her into the floor with her combined strength and semblance. Ruby's back and her head bounced off the stone with a sickening thud, her eyes rolling into her head for a moment before she gnashed her teeth and recovered right before Pyrrha plunged her sword straight at her stomach. She bat the sword aside with a sharp hook-punch before propelling herself straight up to try and mash her head into Pyrrha's nose, only for the champion to smash her shield into Ruby's face once more, and at full force.
Everyone cringed as Pyrrha drove Ruby's body straight into the floor headfirst, the ground shattering under the force of her strike as Ruby's body seemed to go limp for a moment. Still, the champion did not let up, reacting instantly as she felt the barest twitch of movement under her shield. Removing the shield holding Ruby down, she slashed her elbow right across Ruby's temple, her eyes going hazy as her head snapped to the side. Grabbing her by the neck, Pyrrha grunted as she whipped around and threw the limp younger girl right into the air before holding a glowing hand out, forcing Ruby to a halt as she forcibly splayed her out, completely vulnerable.
"...Yield," she said simply, the single word echoing through the hall.
"...Miss Nikos, I think that's quite enough-!" Goodwitch started, only for Ruby to cut her off.
"You… want me to yield?" Ruby looked up limply, blood starting to suddenly drip from her nose. "... the greatest fight of my life, and you want me to give in?"
Slowly, Ruby's mouth curled into a savage snarl, blood shining on white teeth.
"You think I'm weak too, don't you?"
"Ruby, that's not-!"
"That just because I'm younger, I don't deserve to hold my own?" There was a faint rumble, a rhythmic thrumming emanating from her. "You really think I'm like glass? You really think I'm weak!?" Tears started to well from her eyes, though they suddenly turned to steam the moment they hit her skin, skin that was turning red. Pyrrha's eyes went wide as her outstretched hand shook, Ruby's limbs pushing against the hold she had. Ruby could feel the utter fear and anger swallowing her mind, the image of being pinned down forced to watch as she was almost gutted alive, and she freely gave into into the torrent of emotions.
'Never again. Never again! Fuck concentration, I need more POWER!'
"A pound of flesh," She strained, "A pint of blood! No matter how much I shed, I step forward and..."
Her limbs blurred as they tore through her armaments, the metal shattering while her body dropped to the floor. Steam and petals swirled around her as she raised her head, baring her teeth in a bloody snarl, bloodshot red and glaring silver eyes maddeningly wide. The auric patterns on her skin thickened, their shine bolder and harsher, but most horribly was the strobing crimson line glowing across her stomach, her scar itself seeming to grow and spread like cracks in glass.
Que Music: Doom Eternal OST, Cultist Base
"ADVANCE!"
Pyrrha already had her shield up, but it didn't matter. Ruby's kick went straight through it, her heel exploding into Pyrrha's mouth to horrifically split both her upper and lower lip in a spray of blood and bronze, her body unable to keep up with her head whipping back. Ruby didn't even let her fly back, folding her body over an uppercut that appeared to pierce clean through Pyrrha's stomach, the champion vomiting blood and bile. A howl tore through the air as Ruby went on a blinding offensive, her attacks looking as if the younger girl was a spirit of vengeance, fists and feet ripping through the air in streaks of red with no rhyme or reason, just barely any form of recognisable technique, going so far as to tear the sword from Pyrrha's grasp and embedding it in the far wall. For ten whole seconds, she lay into the unresponsive champion, blood from her mouth, nose and countless gashes opening up across her exposed skin.
Glynda looked to dive in and separate the two with her Semblance, only for Pyrrha to suddenly whip her head straight down, her metal circlet smashing into Ruby's face. More blood gushed from her nose, the shock of the impact combined with how completely unexpected it was truly stunning her, and now it was Pyrrha's turn. The champ's elbow cracked across Ruby's jaw with a force unseen from her, almost throwing the younger girl to her knees before Pyrrha's knee smashed into her brow, followed up by a vicious left hook that really did send Ruby rolling across the floor. The champ stood there, breathing heavily and grimacing as her left arm suddenly fell limp, though she quickly knelt and pressed her hand against the floor, shoving the dislocation right back into place with a sickening *POP*.
She looked up only to receive another bone-crunching straight-left to the face, Ruby drawing her leg straight up to launch an axe-kick that would drive Pyrrha straight into the floor. Pyrrha, far more prepared now, never gave her that chance, once again moving in with unnatural swiftness. It was almost as if her limbs were being used like puppets, her leg yanked into a chopping kick that smashed into Ruby's face with enough force to send her tumbling head over heels. It still wasn't enough to stop her, not by a long shot: Ruby didn't even bother to land on her feet, flying straight at Pyrrha upside down with a flurry of punches to her midsection. Right hook, left straight, right knee to the chest, Pyrrha had no choice but to try and absorb the blows with a tight guard, each strike piercing right through and jarring her organs. In an instant, Ruby was suddenly right-ways up to try and tear Pyrrha's head off with a left roundhouse kick, sure to catch the champ clean on the temple.
Pyrrha slammed her elbow into Ruby's knee, threatening to have Ruby's own momentum snap her own leg in half at the joint, pain and raw instinct giving the younger girl pause. It was more than enough room for Pyrrha to do something completely uncharacteristic of her in a fight: she let loose and roared. Her left hook exploded into Ruby's ribs, cracking three of them on the spot, a kick to the side of her knee making her stumble and a left elbow-uppercut to her jaw sending blood flying into the air. Pyrrha lunged in and grabbed Ruby's waist before yanking her up into the air, continuing to bend backwards at full speed and sending Ruby's face smashing tight into the floor, a picture perfect suplex. Even then, Ruby roared right back, managing to wrap her legs around Pyrrha's waist and using abdominal strength alone reversed the throw, launching Pyrrha into the air. Pyrrha stopped herself, snapping still before turning herself upright, the black glow around her own gauntlets and greaves clear to see. She looked battered, blood streaming from the gashes, her nose, her mouth, armour warped and dented, limbs shaking, yet nobody had ever seen her so excited. Still, that look quickly sharpened, her eyes narrowing at the snarling Ruby.
Bit by bit, Ruby slowly levitated off the floor as her petals and steam merged into one, blood-red smog billowing from her crimson skin. Higher and higher she floated until she was eye-level with Pyrrha, staring her down.
"You will not forget this Hunter's power," Ruby said simply.
"This… this god-awful fight isn't even worth remembering," Pyrrha replied sadly before her face hardened, that determined gaze clashing with Ruby's madness. "You're not the Ruby Rose I've wanted to clash against… I just have to put you down like any other rabid animal."
Pyrrha suddenly shouted as her leg blurred forward right towards where Ruby's stomach was, hitting air as Ruby simply appeared right above Pyrrha, grasping her hair in one hand and drawing the other back. The result was sickening to look at, Ruby's body turning into a blur as she drove everything she had right into Pyrrha's face, her head appearing to disintegrate in a spray of blood, metal and teeth before they crashed into the floor. Pyrrha's head was buried a foot deep in the cracked concrete, an unforgettable sight of a blood-soaked Ruby crouching down and continuing to press her fist into the champ's buried face, the sleeves and gloves of her outfit having been literally shredded to dust by a speed it wasn't built to withstand, her hair spiking and writhing atop her head, face covered entirely in shadow, revealing nothing but her silver and crimson eyes widened in unrestricted insanity… in this moment, Ruby Rose was a devil.
There was a slight movement, Pyrrha's finger coming to lightly tap Ruby's stomach before it was clenched into a fist just an inch away.
*BOOM*
The shadow-wreathed face of Ruby suddenly spewed blood from its mouth as she was blasted backwards, just barely stopping herself by stabbing her hands into the floor, digging trenches into the stone. Unlike Ruby, Pyrrha's bloody face was clear to see in its glorious mess, a horrific gash running so far across her eyelid and so deep that the wound continued to spurt blood, rendering her unable to see, unable to even open her eye. Her arms shook, her legs trembled, her body quivered, yet she never looked more stable as she shifted her weight into her stance, both fists up as she glared at Ruby.
"Come at me."
The floor under Ruby's feet burst as she reappeared right in front of Pyrrha, her left scything through the air and appearing to tear Pyrrha's jaw off, only for Pyrrha's fist to rocket into Ruby's own face in a spray of blood and explosion of force, literally sending her spinning through the air. She recovered far too quickly, lashing out with another roundhouse to Pyrrha's ribs, breaking several of them on impact, yet again the champion prevailed, catching her leg before she could follow through and bringing her elbow down on her ankle, following up with an elbow to Ruby's stomach and a hammer-fist to the face that send her crashing to the floor. Ruby, rolled to her feet, buckling as the agony of her fractured leg and ankle gave her pause as Pyrrha raced towards her, fist drawn back and a black glow around her bracer. Ruby's own right leg roared through the air as Pyrrha threw an overhand right, attacks clashing with a deafening *BOOM*.
"What… the hell am I looking at?" Weiss asked, horrified at what was happening before her eyes. "Why is she… how is Ruby even…?"
"That thing she underwent because of the Lupa Ira," Yang answered tightly, gripping her arm so hard that a bruise was already forming through her aura, Blake wincing at the intensity behind Yang's voice. "That suicidal idiot, she actually found a way to tap into it."
"But the strain on her heart-!" Blake started, shooting to her feet.
"Her aura will compensate," Yang answered, "But the harder she pushes it, the more she'll burn through her aura and damage her circuits." Indeed as she spoke, Ruby and Pyrrha were rapidly depleting their aura with their face-to-face brawl, Ruby's fist smashing into Pyrrha's face just as the latter did the same. Yet, while Pyrrha's head snapped back, it was Ruby herself who was flung backwards from that ungodly force behind Pyrrha's blow.
"Pyrrha's already so strong and fast," Jaune spoke up after a while, getting everyone's attention. "But… she's never shown that kind of raw power before."
"It's her semblance," Weiss realized, all of them turning to look at Pyrrha's glowing gauntlets and greaves. "It's more than just controlling metals, she can create magnetic forces! She's practically augmenting the metal on her to turn her attacks into railgun ammunition!"
Pyrrha's uppercut smashed into Ruby's stomach, the younger girl again hacking up blood before snarling and shooting her left knee into Pyrrha's nose, her right following shortly after as the redhead stumbled back before Pyrrha was sent onto her back as Ruby backflipped mid-air to whirl a kick into Pyrrha's chin. Even then, that wasn't enough to keep her down, the black glow of her armour growing intense as she was yanked back onto her feet like a puppet on strings before she launched herself right back at Ruby, another thunderous right hook blasting across Ruby's cheek.
"But that kind of force…" Ren muttered, his eyebrows creased together in a look of sheer worry, "How long can her arms and legs take that punishment? How long can either of them hold out?"
"This is so wrong…" Nora muttered, her usual exuberance gone without a trace. It didn't change the fact that she was right. This was no fight, no pitting of skill against skill, this was just a mindless bloodbath.
Ruby, even in her frenzied state was slowly learning, adapting to Pyrrha's tactics. While she could've done so far faster in a calmer state, it was still her most deadly attribute, moreso when she had no mental and physical restrictions. She still felt pain, the deafening blows of Pyrrha sinking deep into her body, pummelling her inner ear with every strike to the head and yanking her organs and bones, but it was as if pain didn't matter. It didn't really. She went low and swung a sloppy roundhouse to try and shatter Pyrrha's ankles only for the champion to pull herself into the air right as it clipped her, yet Ruby had already leaped up with her leg drawn above her head, her axe kick descending like a meteor and her heel impacting on Pyrrha's mouth. She didn't get away unscathed, Pyrrha flipping herself upside down to shoot her heel straight up into Ruby's jaw, her kick impacting first and taking a bit of the bite off of Ruby's axe kick.
Still, 'a bit of the bite' and 'like a meteor' still sent Pyrrha crashing to the floor in an explosion of stone, the debris impacting against the Dust-Shield protecting the slack-jawed observers, Ruby herself falling limply to the floor. Both of them were forced to their feet, Ruby's rampant fury and overwhelming adrenaline versus Pyrrha's iron will and metal-bending semblance. There was a pause, a lull in the battle as they both took the time to actually breathe. Pyrrha coughed and wheezed as waves of agony washed over her, feeling the multiple fractures in her left forearm, seeing her right pinky and ring-fingers bent in a way they weren't meant to. Her legs and ribs were equally aflame, yet she pushed through it all, shakily grabbing her broken fingers and grunting as she popped them back into place. Aura? 10 Percent.
Ruby was far, far worse. Her knuckles were split and bleeding everywhere, one of her eyes horrifically swollen shut, the other sporting a bloody rip right through her eyebrow. Her nose was crooked, her bottom lip swollen and gashed, blood flowing from her open mouth and the cuts across her arms, painting her skin an even deeper crimson. Her eyes went wide, not in pain but surprise as her body started to fail, her legs nearly giving out on her and her eyes almost rolling up into her head, another small but audible *POP* sound echoing as the numerous wounds across her body spurt blood in time with her feral heartbeat, her aura randomly warping as muscles spasmed and popped without her consent. Aura, 7 Percent.
"Not… yet," Ruby wheezed, her eyes snapping back into focus as she shakily set her legs.
Even though she practically looked like a bloody husk, the gnashing of her teeth and the laser-focus she had on Pyrrha was clear to see, her dwindling aura bursting off her once more. Pyrrha grit her teeth and got into her stance as Ruby did the same. This would be the final exchange. Pyrrha went to make the first move, only to stifle a cry of pain as her ankle almost gave out.
'She clipped me with those low-kicks too much!'
Ruby was in her predatory stance again, the same shadow obscuring her face as the bloodlust in the air reached its peak, a storm of red steam and petals roaring from her skin.
"Bloodmoon Flash!"
Pyrrha couldn't react as Ruby's fist instantly impacted across her jaw before the girl became a crimson blur, two pinpricks of silver like little malevolent shooting stars amongst the storm as countless attacks ravaged Pyrrha, a roundhouse kick to the stomach followed by a left hook to the ear, a knee to the ribs and then right straight to the nose, a left uppercut finished with a formless right overhand all within an instant. Pyrrha's mind felt like it was blurring, the dizzying sight of red and tiny streaks of silver swallowing her train of thought as each attack brought her lower and lower, her guard held resolutely up regardless of how useless it appeared.
'Just wait.'
Ten percent of aura dropped to eight.
Eight to seven.
Seven to six.
Six to five-point-five.
Point-four.
Point-two.
Point-one.
…It suddenly stopped. Pyrrha almost on her knees as Ruby stood in front of her, leg drawn back as aura burst off it violently, the intent to rip Pyrrha's head off clear as day. Glynda had already taken her riding crop out yet calling upon her Semblance would be too slow. RWBY and JNPR screamed in horror, yet it did nothing to stop Ruby. There was no outside factor that could ever stop Ruby Rose from achieving her bloody victory.
Pyrrha's fists suddenly tapped Ruby's chest, Ruby looking to see Pyrrha stare right back at her, sadness, disgust, an all-too familiar fury burning across her beautiful face.
"Die on my Wrath, Outrage Amazon."
*BOOM*
End Music
The power of her Semblance pushed beyond its limits, Pyrrha let every drop of her dwindling power surge through her gauntlets for a devastating double one-inch punch to where Ruby's heart was, the impact appearing to entirely cleanse Ruby of her maddened state. The storm of petals and steam were literally blown away from her body, her red skin, thorns, and red eyes disappearing. Everything was still for a moment before Ruby coughed up blood, her heart jumpstarting before she fell to her knees right in front of Pyrrha, the latter standing there with her broken fists still outstretched.
"Th… the winner is Pyrrha Nikos," Glynda stuttered after a moment.
Ruby looked to her with wide eyes before her teeth gnashed together in boiling rage.
"W-WHAT!?" Her head snapped up to the Aura Gauge, Pyrrha's resting at one percent while Ruby…
"Zero-point-five…?" She muttered, seemingly lost in thought before she turned to Pyrrha, a rather blank look on her face before it once again twisted horrifically. "NO. I'M NOT DONE!" She tensed up, ready to pounce as Pyrrha struggled to raise her guard at the sudden wave of murderous intent. "I'M NOT WEA-!"
Ruby suddenly paused, her body spasming for a moment before her eyes rolled up into her head, blood dripping from her nose as she fell face-first onto the floor, her aura warping and popping before fading entirely. In the haze of her fading consciousness, she could just barely make out the cries of fear and someone running towards here, a pair of familiar arms gently cradling her, even as the owner radiated panic and fear. Before she passed out, the last thing she could feel was her body awash with two auras: one familiar one, radiant like a star, and the other entirely new, utterly pure and comforting like a thick, warm blanket, draping over her as she blissfully lost consciousness.
…
When her eyes opened again, Ruby Rose felt like utter crap. Everything hurt: her bones, her skin, her muscles, her heart, her head, her veins and arteries, right down to her Auric Circuits…?
'Huh?' Ruby closed her eyes and checked again. They were worn out thanks to the stunt she pulled, but they were already rapidly recovering and in far better shape than she'd expected. Hell, they were practically done healing. No muscle-spasms, no pockets of aura, and thank God, no permanent damage.
"I'll admit that I'm a bit envious of you having healed up so quickly." Ruby's head quickly turned to her left upon hearing the quiet voice, seeing Pyrrha laying on the next infirmary bed. She chided herself yet again for not keeping her guard up before taking in Pyrrha's state: Pyrrha looked about as bad as Ruby felt. Casts around her forearms, bruises, bandages and stitches all across her swollen face and visible skin, and a pile of bloody gauze stuffed into a bin by her bed.
"…if it helps, I feel as bad as you look," Ruby said back, the sight of all the countless injuries, of what she'd done, disturbing her. The way Pyrrha, despite all that, smiled at her.
"Happy to know that I'm not the only one suffering here," Pyrrha chuckled as she shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable. "… are you okay?"
"Am I okay, huh…? Rich coming from the busted-up champ," Ruby bit back, heat rising to her voice, "Or chump, I guess."
"Shh," Pyrrha said gently, nodding her head off to Ruby's right: Yang had passed out in her chair, her eyes puffy and still a bit wet, the sight making Ruby's heart ache. "…She's been here since the afternoon."
"…What time is it?" Ruby asked.
"About midnight," Pyrrha answered, silently watching as Ruby cursed under her breath but unable to ignore the waver of her voice and the tears in her eyes. "…You can talk to me, you know?"
"Can I?" Ruby hissed back, still mindful of keeping her voice down. "Can I reaaally? It took me sacrificing almost every part of myself to make you take me seriously. And when you did, I beat you black and blue, and I'd do it again. So… s-so…" Ruby's head drooped down, her teeth grit as she gripped the blankets.
"…talk to me Ruby," Pyrrha said softly.
"…Why?" Ruby spat out, "Why do you still think of me as someone to talk to? Why do you keep coddling Jaune, how can you keep smiling at me, how did you beat me, why after everything that I've done, the hell I put myself through and the death I've faced, am I still this weak, pitiful thing?!"
Ruby openly sobbed, Yang sleeping so heavily yet twitching violently the moment the sob escaped her lips. Pyrrha could only look on sadly as she let Ruby cry, watching as the girl bit her lip hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to stifle her sobs, her body shaking as she finally broke down. After a moment, Pyrrha grunted as she forced herself to sit up, Ruby gasping as she groaned and forced herself to stand up and make her way over to Ruby's bed.
"Scoot brat," Pyrrha sighed, "I'm not moving from this spot unless you either move or I collapse, please move because my legs really hurt right now."
Ruby frantically scoot over and helped Pyrrha ease herself into the bed, the two of them shoulder to shoulder for a moment as Pyrrha simply looked at Ruby rather blankly before she suddenly flicked her hard on the forehead with her cast-wrapped finger. She barely stifled a yelp at the sharp pain flaring across her forehead, confused as Pyrrha just gave her a wry smile.
"You know," Pyrrha started, "I meant what I said when I told you that wasn't the one that I wanted to face." Ruby's head drooped in shame until Pyrrha continued, "But… that doesn't change the fact that you've given me the hardest fight of my entire life. No matter what I said to rile you up, I think that's going to stick with me for a long time Ruby. You are not weak. Nor is Jaune."
Ruby just raised a brow, a scowl on her face.
"… okay well, not in the physical sense for the time being," Pyrrha conceded, "But don't you find it odd how he seems to have no knowledge about anything Hunter-based right up until he actually came here? At all?"
"…" Ruby nibbled on her lip in thought, her confusion clear to see.
"I have this feeling that he was intentionally kept from the knowledge of what we do for a very long time. Not knowing Hunter-weaponry, our history, even something as basic as aura," Pyrrha said, "But even despite diving headfirst into something so far above his paygrade, so beyond what he knows… is he not strong?"
"That's…" Ruby started, only for her eyes to go wide in realization. How many times had she recklessly dove into situations the moment the opportunity presented itself, after all? How many times, despite the numerous odds stacked against her did she blindly push forward, using every available resource? How many times had she promised to herself to gain more power?
'I don't want to be the damsel in distress anymore!' Jaune's voice echoed in her head.
'I'm not weak!' Her own voice roared.
"We're… the same?" Ruby muttered.
"That is why I respect you and him equally," Pyrrha said softly, "Within each of you is an equal drive, a desire to push forward in front of impossible odds once you have a goal in mind. The difference is that you had the knowledge and resources. Jaune didn't, or more specifically, wasn't allowed to have it. I know that you won't instantly change your mind about him, but know that he's been taking training seriously ever since Forever Fall."
In shock and shame, Ruby's head drooped low, more tears welling in her eyes until Pyrrha suddenly wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders, pulling her close into a hug.
"Please don't be so harsh on yourself Ruby. Today wasn't your best, and you may have lost, but it isn't the end of the world. You just need to put your best foot forward next time."
"Next time…" Ruby muttered, her mental and physical exhaustion catching up to her, combined with the comfort of Pyrrha's embrace. "I'll… be stronger. Until next time…" Her fist clenched the blanket tightly even as she drifted off, something that Pyrrha did not miss. Ruby's next words only made Pyrrha's heart ache, the younger girl's voice filled with desperation. "… I need… more power."
...
Fighting Rose, Volume 1 - End
And so, the first part of the tale comes to an end. Thank you so much for having stuck with this story for this long, and I really appreciate your support. Of course, this ain't the end of the story! The first Chapter to Volume 2 will come relatively soon, but as of right now, I'm currently dealing with travel booking and all that jazz to fly back home. Until then, love you all and peace!
To Kentaro Miura, the Creator of Berserk and the inspiration to the Soulsborne franchise amongst so many others that have caught my and many other's hearts,
Rest In Peace
