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Chapter 15: Truth is Out
"It would... seem," Karna groaned while coughing blood, stepping back from the blade that was impaling him, "that... I was... a step behind."
Karna coughed more blood, creating a river of red going down his lip. The only reason he was not falling over was his spear planted into the ground that kept him steady. Ruby looked at him with an expression of pity. Undead or not, Karna was an honorable man that much she had seen in their fight. It was never easy to see such a charitable person die yet again.
"Despite the... circumstances," Karna said, pushing himself to give Ruby a smile, "I... am glad... that your sword felled me, Ruby Rose."
"I did not want it to end like this." Ruby replied solemnly.
Karna let off a pained chuckle. "It is... alright. I was returned here... through foul means. In the small moments... that I have in this... second life... allow me to... give you my blessing. You... are a true hero... may my father watch over your struggles... and so walk... the path... that you must."
With his last words said, the son of Surya and one of the greatest demigods in history fell to the ground dead yet again. Ruby, breathing haggardly from exhaustion, trudged all the way to Anduril. As she put Adam's sword away in the pocket dimension, bathed in the demigod's blood, Ruby summoned the sheath of Anduril. It took some effort due to her exhaustion to pry the silver blade loose from the earth and return it to rest in the Boosted Gear. She glanced back at Karna, noticing that his now lifeless eyes were still open. Ruby frowned seeing Karna like that put a foul image on the legendary hero. She crouched down on one knee, her silver eyes staring at the dead demigod's empty blue.
Ruby also had this urge to use her Wyvern Pieces. She had the set right in her pocket dimension, ready to be summoned. It felt so tempting to give Karna a man of charity and legend a new chance at life. Yet at the same time, Karna was content with the full life he had. Should Ruby really do it? Revive the Hero of Charity to do more good? There was right to it, but also a wrongness as well.
[It is your choice, Ruby.] Ddraig said. [Karna lived a life without regrets, yet I don't think he wouldn't mind another chance at it.]
Ruby stayed silent, her form still as her mind went through the choices presented to her. A ripple in space opened at her right hand, yet nothing came out as her mind was still making its decision. Should she revive such a legendary and charitable hero to do more good, but at the cost of his rest that he accepted in a past life?
The box protruded from the pocket world. Her fingers moved automatically finding a piece until they plucked out the silver Mutated Queen, brimming with energy. As soon as Ruby was held it out of its confines, a strange silver glow resonated from Karna's chest with the Queen piece responding in kind. It was far different than the usual reincarnations with her teammates. Karna and the Queen piece seemed to call out to each other, wanting to be united.
Who was Ruby to deny it? So she held the Queen piece over Karna's chest and let go. For a moment, the piece floated above via its own magical power that it was building up at an extreme rate. The light on Karna's chest intensified to the power of the Queen piece. There was even a strong divinity signature emanating from it, which shocked the Red Dragon Empress. The Queen piece started spinning rapidly and instead of floating down it shot straight into Karna's sternum. As divine energy blinded Ruby's senses, that last she heard was a real beating heart.
"I... live?" The voice of Karna spoke incredulously.
When the light died down, Ruby was treated to the sight of a truly alive Karna, his eyes showing his confusion of the whole confusion. Not only that, but as of now his arms, legs and lower torso that once donned his armor were now covered in golden scales of the same color. Yet, Karna did not possess horns, wings, or claws, possibly due to his god blood stopping the dragonification partly. Ruby can even sense a bit of human still inside of him, so he wasn't half dragon.
"I'm sorry but," Ruby apologized softly, "the world needs people like you Karna. You're death would not help the countless amount of people that need to still be saved."
"This is no reanimation." Karna said as he examined himself. "You've perfectly revived me."
"Forgive me, Karna, for not giving the rest you want." Ruby almost pleaded to the Hero of Charity.
There was no grief nor anger that overcame the pale face of the demigod. To Ruby's amazement, Karna gave the Red Dragon Empress a warm smile and a small chuckle escaped his lips.
"Your heart beats as bright as Surya's sun." Karna said. "As... off as this is, I will not waste the opportunity of new and free life that you have given me. I will do right by your intentions, Ruby Rose, and I mean you no ill contempt for it."
Ruby sighed in relief. "You are indeed charitable. In truth, you should have been the one to have best Arjuna in that battle. After all, he chose to launch an arrow into your back."
"The past is the past, Ruby, so I can forgive my brother is I did in my first death." Karna said. "Our battle was of no excuse to it, but that does not mean I cannot atone to it. There is a still a foul dragon pillaging your territory, so allow me to help rid of it."
Ruby gave the demigod a fanged smirk. After this, she most certainly did not regret reincarnating the son of Surya. Though, she most certainly did not expect to take Ruby's hand and carry her into the sky with him as she was too exhausted to do on her own. She may be too weak to continue the fight, but now the invader known as Ferengar will face the punishment by the flames of the sun.
(With Vali)
He wanted to hurt this beast, for it was worthy of the title of dragon for the crimes he committed. Albion voiced his agreement with gusto, dividing Ferengar's power constantly, and so Vali did indeed hurt the dragon. But the Lucifer did not stop there and physically beat the shit of the green dragon, first by ramming into his side to shatter his ribs, pushing up into the air, and then slamming him back down to the ground. Meanwhile, Angelica continued to launch weapons of legend without end upon Ferengar, the blades digging deep into his hide from Vali's [DIVIDE]. This went for a full five minutes of Vali releasing some pent up stress that he was suddenly feeling. The outside viewer would know that this irritation toward's Ferengar was because his invasion took his time away from his Empress, yet Vali didn't know that. At least not in proper mind.
Occasionally, Vali would look to the distance. Despite being miles upon miles away from civilization, Vali and the citizens could see the massively explosive battle that was waging on between Ruby and Karna. Infernos so massive that it actually unnerved Vali they were that large even from a distance, and the very ground melting in the heat of the clash of Karna's fire and the holy fire of Ruby's Anduril. His devil side shivered in trepidation from the holy power that Vali could feel, but the rest of him also shivered in excitement. Ruby was strong, so strong it was delicious. He had unconsciously escaped a suggestive growl from his throat before turning his attention back to the mighty dragon.
The mighty dragon that was now sprawled on its side as swords of legend impaled his limbs and wings. Rather than red blood, Ferengar was bleeding purple; an indication of the corrupting and foul magic the Evil Dragon fully indulged in. A long deep gash was torn across his chest all the way to the point the ribcage was visible. Pulsing of the absorbed flesh also revealed the heart not too far. Despite his wounds, Ferengar leveled an eye towards Vali with a gaze mixed with insanity, bloodlust, and anger.
"Damn... you... all!" Roared Ferengar.
"Quiet down, you rabid dog." Vali sneered, blurring away in a stream of light and ramming hist fist into one of Ferengar's wings.
A loud snap sounded over the square and the joint connecting the wing to the shoulder was bent at a very odd angel. A bit of gray bone was sticking out, indicating that Vali had in fact ripped the bone in that punch. Behind his helm, Vali's lips were set in a straight line at the sight. He felt nothing for the suffering of this creature. The title of dragon did not belong to this beast that delved in dark arts, much like Rizevim. No concern whatsoever, those bastards.
That was when Ruby appeared, carried by hand by the son of Surya himself. He had lost his golden armor and now sported golden scales across his body. Vali sensed that Ruby was completely exhausted, and seeing her in the arm's of her apparent opponent triggered something rather infuriating. It went away in the next second when he noticed that Karna had no ill intent. Ruby's emerald eyes seemed to pierce through the helm to meet sapphire, and the eye contact alone gave Vali the message that she was okay.
In the back of Vali's head he can hear the grumbles of annoyance from Albion about 'love sick hatchlings'.
"But that's not possible!" Ferengar shouted. "You should be my thrall, yet you are alive?! What trickery is this?!"
"I cannot help but wonder the same." Added Angelica with narrowed eyes. "It can't be the Evil Pieces. There isn't a shred of demonic energy from him, and divinity does not exactly work well."
Karna floated down to the ground and allowed Ruby to rejoin the ground. Vali noticed there was a bit stumble in the Red Dragon Empress' step due to her tired state. His body was twitching in preparation to catch her in the event she fell, but Ruby did not falter in her approach to the dragon. Meanwhile, Karna floated closer to the dragon and landed right next to his head where his emotionless blue eyes pierced into foul purple.
"What you see before you is no trick, foul beast." Karna proclaimed, planting his spear on the ground with a resounding clang of metal. "I Karna, son of Surya, am among the living yet again. All thanks to the Red Dragon Empress."
"I will kill you!" Ferengar snarled maniacally. "I kill you, Ddraig. I swear it!"
"And look what you're pathetic revenge has taken you." Ruby admonished as she approached the dragon, her eyes still projecting the massive power of the dragon that she is. "You do not deserve the title of dragon for what you have done. Your ambition ends on the day it had started."
Ruby used her meager supply of magic to reach into her pocket dimension and summon Adam's sword. The demonic sensation from the blade was even stronger after drinking in the blood of a demigod. She had the full purpose of reforging the blade into a demonic sword, and now she make that potential grow with the blood of a dragon to go along with it.
Her aim went to the gash wound that opened Ferengar's chest with eyes locked on the pulsing flesh that was hiding his tainted heart. Ruby can feel the blade thrumming in desire to pierce that heart and she fully agreed with it. The crimson blade of Adamn was held lazily at her right side, and her face was blank with emotion. Punishment has been decided to the criminal after all, and there was no need for pity.
Ruby's accost stopped right in front of the wound. She flipped the red katana in a reverse grip, ready to stab it into the pulsing flesh. Her green eyes glanced to the purple slits, still burning with madness but now holding a bit of fear.
"For the crime of murdering my people and invading my territory," Ruby announced, "may this blade drink in the blood of your tainted heart."
The crimson steel came down passing by the exposed ribs and stabbing into the pulsing organ. A fountain of purple blood spewed out in copious amounts, raining the ground at Ruby's feet. She felt Adam's blade drink in satisfaction of the foul blood. Ferengar choked on his own blood and the life in his insane eyes gave out. Ruby pulled the blade out as it now sported a very subtle red misting off of it. Vali had watched the whole event with a calm facade, his Scale Mail dismissed as the battle was over.
'I really need to reforge this blade.' Ruby thought as she locked it away in her pocket dimension.
"Karna, if you would be so kind to burn that fiend into ashes." Ruby asked the son of Surya. "I am not taking any chances with fools studying the corpse."
Karna nodded and pointed his spear at the dragon. Unimaginably hot flames poured at the tip before being released into an inferno that engulfed the body of the dragon. In mere seconds, all the scales, blood, and bone turned to ashes.
"You did set up a boundary field, right Angelica?" Ruby asked the Queen of Heroes.
Angelica scoffed as thought offended. "Of course I did. I made sure that they saw Ferengar, but any outside spectators will think it was me who dealt with that foul mongrel. We need to keep our secrets after all."
Ruby sighed. "What a total fucking mess. I think I'm just going to go lie down in my dorm."
"Ruby," Vali called, "this is only going to get worse than this. You can feel it, can't you?"
"I know that." Ruby admitted. "That's why I am going to have to prepare myself. And Vali..."
Ruby paused, making sure that two Heavenly Dragons were on eye contact. A faint blush appeared on Ruby's cheeks as she tried to find the words or rather the courage to say them.
"It was nice hanging out with you." Ruby said. "And thank you for helping my home."
Vali smiled. "Of course."
"Karna," Ruby said to the demigod, "go. Live a new life as you want it."
"You are too kind, Ruby Rose." Karna spoke with a smile before vanishing into the skies flames trailing behind him. "Let's meet again soon."
The others soon left the area knowing that the public do need to have a grasp of the situation without the mystic arts confusing them. Ruby decided to walk all the way to the docks of Vale where she can safely transform and use her wings to fly to Beacon. She will admit it was quite the exhilarating rush being pushed to her limits fighting Karna, but it also served as a reminder that Ruby still needed to get stronger. For both Remnant's sake and her pride as a dragon to protect her home. However, Ruby never realized outside eyes were upon her the whole time.
(RWBY dorm)
"You look like shit." Weiss, surprisingly said when Ruby trudged through the door. WBY had been stuck in their dorms by orders of Ozpin to stay in due to the situation of an attack in Vale. The TV showed the media taping the scene of a dragon of all things terrorizing the center of Vale. It soon went dark after they saw Ruby in her Scale Mail taking Karna to fight and Angelica engaging the dragon. Scroll videos had also shown the destructive fight in the distance between Ruby and Karna.
Nora had to be hidden from any social media. If she ever saw explosions that big, there will be hell to pay when she tries to copy them.
"Fucking thank you, Princess Obvious." Ruby snapped.
The dragoness really was not in the best of shape. It was by luck that not most of her clothes were charred off. Her face was covered in ash from the fallout of nuclear-sized explosions she had to pummel through, and her red cloak was singed halfway. At least having a bit of rest had restored some of her stamina. As of yet again perks of being a dragon including enormous stamina and stamina recovery. Did not mean that she did not feel like Great Red ran over her.
"We saw... all of that." Blake said, pointing to the TV that was still showing the news. "We could see the explosions from here... and... just... WHAT THE FUCK WAS HAPPENING OUT THERE!?"
Evidently, Blake was the snapping point and Team RWBY was witness to the Faunus/dragon having a meltdown. Can you really blame the girl? She just saw destruction that was caused by only two people. Two people that have shown to effortlessly destroy buildings and reshape the Earth. For once, Yang was the most calm in the situation, but there was a look in her eyes that wanted an explanation.
"Who were you fighting in the first place?" Yang asked.
"A fucking charitable demigod reanimated by an Evil Dragon." Ruby briefed, too tired as it is to go on a long explanation. "Look I don't want to talk about it. I am tired, my back is killing me from pushing my wings so much, and my arms feel like they are on fire from holding back a FUCKING god killing weapon with Anduril! Have you ever felt a divine weapon scratching your skin?! Guess what?! It fucking hurts from a scratch, and I got stabbed in the back and chest!"
"Oookay." Yang said cautiously, grabbing Weiss and Blake and inching farther away from Ruby. "Will just give you some needed rest."
"Ruh! Ruh!"
The barking caught Ruby's attention to the ground where Zwei was currently resting his front paws on her legs. Beady, cut eyes stared up at fiery emerald with all the innocence of a corgi. Ruby's right eye twitched for an odd reason before a sigh escaped her mouth. She then leaned down and picked Zwei up where the corgi began to lick her face.
"Fine you win." Ruby said as sat on a couch where the two continued to play, Zwei licking at her face and the dragoness petting the corgi's head.
"I will pray to that dog." Muttered Weiss.
Yang shrugged. "He has that effect on people."
"You can never trust canines." Blake said, hanging this time from the wall.
Eventually after ten minutes of Ruby and Zwei playing, the dragoness had to hold back the corgi as Ruby succumbed to a rather long yawn. It wasn't like a human yawn at all, but it was akin to the alpha lion. The voice was carried so deeply there was a guttural and primal roar to it. She set Zwei down and made her way to her room for a nap. She deserved a nap; Vasavi Shakti was right in front of her fucking face. Anymore craziness today, and Ruby was going to turn into a full dragon and make Beacon her home.
A knock on the door immediately dashed those hopes away. She forced herself from sighing and went back to the lounge and snapped her fingers igniting a scratch on the ceiling in dragon tongue that translated to 'deceive'. The halls leading to the two rooms were closed off by an illusion and projections of four beds appeared in the lounge. The TV was hidden away as well as the couch to avoid suspicion.
Ruby opened the door, slightly surprised to see her fellow leader, Jaune Arc. As always, he was slightly fidgeting on the spot, indicating his nervousness. At least with his lessons with Pyrrha he was getting better. Idly, Ruby wondered what have Jaune's parents been doing to not teach him. She will admit that Jaune has potential with his far above average Aura, and in this world that is a gold mine. But back on topic was that Jaune was here to say something.
"Oh, uh, hey Ruby." Jaune said, scratching the back of his head. "Just came here to, uh, tell you Prof. Ozpin wants to see you."
Now that was a surprise. The Headmaster wanted to see her personally right in the aftermath of the attack. Her danger senses were tingling at this, but she was so tired that she thought it was from exhaustion. By Great Red, did fighting a demigod have to be that hard?! At least he was a nice guy and that it worth it using the Queen piece to revive him. Yet when fighting Karna she did not feel that drive of battle unlike how Ruby felt in excitement facing Vali. Perhaps it had something to do with the bad-blood rivalry between dragons and gods.
Shaking those thoughts aside, Ruby sighed. "Fine. I'll go see what he wants."
When Ruby walked out the door, the spell reversed, and Yang gave a silent cheer for the TV back. Ruby was thankful her stamina recovery progressed fast enough that her legs did not feel like lead when walking. But motherfucker Ozpin, she deserved some fucking sleep! She was going to make sure that coffee addict got a mouthful in whatever reason he summoned her.
Speaking of said coffee addict, he was waiting for Ruby, sitting behind his desk with his colleagues James Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch at his side. When the elevator opened, they heard the frustrated grumblings of a ticked off Ruby. Yet again, they were reminded that Ruby was indeed the daughter of Qrow Branwen in more ways than skill with a scythe.
"Ah, Miss Rose, good to see you today on such a... troublesome day." Ozpin greeted kindly.
"What the fuck do you want, Ozpin!?" Ruby half-demanded in a growl.
Ironwood was about to say something about respect, but Ozpin stopped him with a raise of a hand. When he looked closely, Ozpin can see the signs of exhaustion on the teenager. He almost wanted to chuckle that she missed her coffee for the morning.
"You look tired, Ruby." Ozpin noted.
"I was about to get some sleep until a certain jackass stopped me." Ruby said with a strained smile. "Point me in the right direction so I can deliver proper punishment."
Glynda idly thought in another universe, she and Ruby would've gone along fabulously if Ruby had a knack for 'punishment'.
"What a shame and this is today's last cup of coffee I can make." Ozpin said as he gestured to his mug of liquid caffeine. Glynda noticed Ruby's eye twitch in irritation.
'Perhaps we do have some things in common, Ruby Rose.' Glynda thought.
"Just. Get. To. The. Fucking. Point!?" Ruby growled through gritted teeth. She really, really wanted to sleep right fucking now and not deal with this shit.
Ozpin did not say anything and his smile turned into a thin line. His hand reached under the desk pressing a button. The windows of the tower darkened and left only the natural lighting on. Now Ruby was on edge of whatever is happening. A glow resonated from Ozpin's desk before it projected into a holo-recording.
A recording of Atlesian drones that watched her battle with Karna. A recording of the entire fight destroying and melting the land in their wake. A recording that revealed Ruby Rose holding back the sun itself with silver flames firing from her sword, her face revealed with the scales of a dragon and holding powers that were beyond the capability of mortals. How Ruby Rose split the sky in two with a single sword strike with Anduril to her clashing with an atomic-sized explosion in the air.
Case in point, they knew what Ruby was.
[Well shit, we're busted.] Ddraig quipped.
Ruby did not show any outward reaction, even her mind was more or less blank of panic. Yet, a very ominous mood descended in the office and the air around Ruby became heavy with unrestrained power. The concept of domination itself was rolling off her body, but she managed to contain just around her body instead of projecting it outward.
"So, Ruby Rose, I have to ask." Ozpin said, but his tone was more demanding. "What are you?"
Silence met the three adults from Ruby until they heard her take an intense deep breath. To anyone with the intuitive knowledge (the readers), they would know that this was a sign of a very, very pissed off Ruby who had gone through a circle and a half. She was about seventy percent fully energized, but at this point Ruby did not give a fuck. They found out her secret and were trying to pull something here.
'As all humans do.' Ruby thought.
She will not let them have their way. The tips of her fingers gave an eerie glow and she then snapped them before the adult humans noticed. Around them, space and matter shifted as the room expanded thirty times its size with the power of Spatial Expansion. The three of them were too stunned at the literal breaking of several laws of physics until the footsteps of Ruby grabbing their attention. Only for them to shake in morbid fear as her body was wreathed in red electricity and her slit eyes glowing like green fire.
"Con-grat-u-fucking-lations, Ozpin." Snarled Ruby, no longer hiding the voice of a dragon she held. "So you figured out my secret? Big deal. So please tell me what part of this genius plan summoning here would do for you? But because one cold, hard fact. You cannot bend me to your command."
Ironwood gritted his teeth. "Now you listen here, you fr-"
The general did not get a chance to finish before a bolt of lightning blasted into his right arm and melted the prosthetic. Burning green eyes stared into his soul at the so-called man of the people. And yet, when she's fighting her ass off as they see, he had the audacity to call her a 'freak'. Better a freak than a whelp. Glynda in alarm had tried to use her Semblance of telekinesis to hold Ruby down, but the moment the dragoness simply took another, albeit slightly forced, step her Aura was immediately drained from exhaustion. In less than two seconds, two of Ozpin's greatest allies were on their knees.
This wasn't some overly strong human Ozpin was facing. No, he now realized that he was facing against the apex might that Remnant has. The alpha that stands upon all of Remnant.
"That was unnecessary." Ozpin tried to say calmly, but his tone showed his caution.
Ruby calmed down slightly as the dragon voice left her. "You shouldn't have brought a hotheaded control freak here then. They are always the ones that do not learn went to stay down, thinking they own everything."
"And you do?" Ozpin inquired.
"I know I do." Ruby stated in fact. "You see what I can do, Ozpin. But that's enough of that, after all you wanted to know what I am. Do you still want to know?"
"It piques my curiosity." Ozpin confirmed.
Ruby sighed. "At least you can be civil. I also have my own questions, mostly about you. As for what I am, I am a dragon."
"A dragon?" Ozpin said, quirking an eyebrow. "You seem a bit small to be one."
"Jokes will get you nowhere." Ruby retorted. "But let me tell you this Ozpin. The world is much bigger than you realize. Or should I say... worlds?"
At that point, Ozma, the being within Ozpin, was treated to by far the most life-changing conversation in his life. Even surpassing the time when he was cursed with reincarnation by the gods. Two gods that are insignificant themselves to the bigger picture.
Ozpin just landed himself in deep shit. He will have no choice but to trust Ruby on this, especially after that she showed her power to them. I will skip most of the conversation between them in the next chapter. And the question, where has Karna gone off to? Rest assured whatever he is, he is being the chill Hero of Charity that we all adore. Later, she will reforge Adam's blade into a demonic after drinking both demigod and dragon blood. What would the name of the sword be anyway?
Up next is Chapter 16.
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