chapter 27: Sighed

—impossible ".Biju/Speaking Beast.

—"for her" Thought of characters.

—"how to forget you ?" Biju/Summon/Beast Thoughts.

interesting."Character speaking.

No characters from Naruto or the RWBY series belong to me, this work is for mere entertainment, thank you in advance for reading this fanfic

Naruto threw a punch at his rival's left rib, but he blocked it easily. He thought about kicking her left shoulder blade, but that was also unsuccessful. He tried to cut his neck with his sword, but Sasuke ducked and dodged the attack. Naruto brought his sword down to slash his torso, but Sasuke dodged again.

Naruto got frustrated and threw a fireball, hoping Sasuke would use an earthen wall to protect himself. When the fire collided with the wall, Naruto thought that he would have a chance to attack from the left flank while Sasuke was blinded by the smoke. However, when he arrived at the location, he encountered a shadow clone that blocked him.

— "Son of..." , Naruto thought. He decided to close the distance between them and delivered an uppercut to Sasuke's jaw, followed by a palm strike to the chest, a downward kick to the right temple, and a slap to the back.

Sasuke dodged, blocked, deflected, and dodged each of Naruto's blows with surprising calm. Naruto fell to the ground hard, creating a crater around him. He raised his head and saw Sasuke leaning against a pillar in the mall, looking at him indifferently.

—"You've changed a lot, Naruto. You've become more serious and analytical," said Sasuke, lowering his arms and sitting on the ground. —"That's good, but it also presents a problem. You've stopped being unpredictable, and that gives you makes you vulnerable. Everything you think I had already thought before.

Naruto felt a pang of anger upon hearing Sasuke's words. How could he be so arrogant?

— "I hope my clones had already gotten Neo to safety. I have no news from Ruby, and Yang was in a bullhead on the way to another town with the evacuees."

The masked man observed his opponent, He knew that Naruto was strong, but nothing he couldn't handle as long as he didn't use the kyubi,—"You need to try harder, Naruto," the masked man said in an amused voice—"Time is running out and the bad guys are winning, use the power of the fox."

—"《And then I told her: Miss, if you are 25 years old, then I am 10. And she slapped me, but I was not going to sit idly by, I hit her back. She asked me: how dare you "And I answered him...》".

—"What were you doing in Mantle?" Roman asked. At that moment, he and his associate were in conversation, just to pass the time, until the associate took control of Atlas' weapons.

—"《Work. An order for merchandise I placed from Mistral arrived that day》". The voice responded.

—""Weapons?"

—"《Yes》".

—"Why do you need weapons?"

—"《For the resistance》".

—"Is there a resistance in Mantle?" Roman asked.

—"《There is always resistance. My job is to support them as long as their cause is just. This one in particular was of my complete interest."

—"If you support just causes, why did you work with me?"

—"《I was young and rebellious. Now I can recognize idiots when I see them."

Roman smiled even though he was insulted. —"Heh, you learned from the best."

—"《Well, then I told her: don't feel surprised, I am a defender of gender equality, I don't distinguish gender when I deal blows. And she growled at me like a mad dog, and then she lunged at me》".

—"I can imagine how that ended," Roman's smile was big and anticipatory.

—"《He beat me up, and that wasn't the worst. His little group came out of nowhere and surrounded me, they pointed their guns at me and demanded answers."

–"The very stupid ones," Roman said.

—"《Yes! That whole problem would have been avoided if the lady had listened to me from the beginning》".

—"And all for being charitable to this group... what did they call themselves?"

–"《The happy hunters. What a shitty name... Anyway, I explained to them that I was their sponsor and that I came to deliver this weaponry to them personally》".

—"Why do they need weapons?" Roman asked curiously.

—"《Although they are peaceful in quotes, the kingdom of Atlas is often not. I provide them with weapons with the guarantee that it will only be used for their defense... Ah, you have a call》".

—"We'll talk later, friend," Roman went to the other line. —"Yes, Sasuke?"

—"《Mr. Roman, how are you? I come to inform you that two of the three targets have been found and put out of danger."

Roman heard gasps, a gibberish of words in the background of Sasuke's voice.

He didn't even have to ask, Sasuke answered for him. —"《Well, part of the deal Mr. Roman. Neo will get to safety, I'll take her to another safe place》".

—"Where?" Román asked, somewhat doubtful.

—"《Don't worry. She'll be safe, I promise. You paid me for that, right?》".

Silence reigned between the two of them, until Sasuke spoke again. —"《Do you want to say something to him before you say goodbye, sir?》".

—"Neo," Roman spoke. —"Do you remember when I found you on those streets in Vale? Dirty and ragged, in the middle of the rain and in the dark."

He wasn't expecting a response, he only heard gasps and screams. Neo wanted to say something, but what could she say. He didn't have that power, that ability. —"I gave you your name, I gave you everything I could give you, but I feel like it wasn't enough. I shouldn't have taken you with me, I should have given you something better, not a life of persecution and crimes."

Román spoke with a soft, melodious, distant, but above all lonely voice. —"Forgive me for all those difficult moments that I made you live, you didn't deserve that. You were in so many risky situations because of me. It's time for this to end. I don't regret anything, Neo, don't be sad, enjoy a beautiful life".

Román changed his tone, his voice was happy. —"Find something you like, a hobby, dedicate yourself to something, live a full life, do what you want, enjoy what you want, see what you want. Don't let the bitterness of my loss paralyze you and bind you to pain ".

Neo listened with a broken heart to Román's last words. He was her love, his reason for living, her adventure companion. How could he leave her like this? , How could she ask her to be happy without him? She wanted to be with him, fight with him, die with him if necessary. But she had no choice, he had made a decision and she couldn't do anything to change it.

Sasuke had the cell phone near Neo's ear, tears were coming out of her eyes, she was paralyzed, her aura was silenced, she had no more strength, she was tied, subdued, held by Sasuke.

The unfortunate man had trapped her and kept her away from Román, and to think that she considered him a great friend, now she just wanted to break his throat, kill him and make him scream like a pig.

—"Neo, listen to me well, live a happy life, live the life that I could never give you, that because of my selfishness I did not deign to give you. Do what you always wanted to do, you are now free from me...when we meet again ". Those words were happy, jovial, like a promise.—"I want to hear all the stories you have lived."

That was the end, Sasuke knew it and immediately turned off the call, Neo glared at Sasuke, she shook, she wanted to break the restraints on her body, but Sasuke shook his head and immediately knocked her out, Neo's body lay on the floor. floor, sleeping.

—"Don't worry, I will keep you safe, that is my job and my promise."

Sasuke or Sasuke's Clone was in a completely destroyed museum, that's where he brought Neo,— "very good, I already have the work completed, I only need Ruby, but where the hell is she?"

He sighed tired, annoyed,—"that girl really is slippery," says the masked man,—"the boss could kill me."

But to her bad luck, Yang woke up in the middle of the trip, jumped out of the BullHead where she was being taken to the nearest town and immediately ran to Beacon."

Yang was furious and worried for her sister Ruby.

Roman sat back in his chair, tired and frustrated. — "Damn, this is..." he muttered, but was interrupted when he saw the ship's screen. — "It can't be," he exclaimed angrily. —"Why the hell, Rubí...? Oh God, why aren't you more like your father and less like your mother?"

That's right, Ruby was in the hatch of the ship, approaching Rome at full speed. —"Well," said Román, taking his cane and smiling evilly. —"I guess it's time to end this."

Ruby Rose was running around the ship, looking for a way to get inside it, to confront whoever was attacking Beacon. It hadn't been easy to get there, but she had done it somehow. It didn't help that the flying Grimm were hovering around the ship either. She had to fight off some who were sneaking into the hatch and eliminating them.

With one swift movement, he severed the head of an Usa. That was enough.

—"Very well, I have to get in quickly," she said to herself.

—"You know? I'm really surprised at how annoying you are," a familiar voice called to her. Roman Torchwick was standing next to her in the hatch, far from her, but close enough to be noticed.

—"Hello, Red. It's been a while... I guess... How are you doing at the Academy?" , she said sarcastically.

—"Román," she growled his name angrily.

—"Yes, that's me. The one and only," he said arrogantly.

—"Give up, Roman. You won't be able to win," Ruby told him, pointing her Crescent Rose at him in sniper mode.

—"Ah, give up. That word... Yes, of course, I give up," he said, raising his hands.

—"Really?" The little girl said very surprised. She didn't expect that response from the thief.

—"Of course, I'm lost. I have the army of Atlas that will soon be after me, I have the hunters, I have an old employer who wants my head because I betrayed her. Believe me, I'm already lost. No matter what scenario I'm in, I'm doomed. My days are numbered. Sooner or later my time will come, whether today, or tomorrow, in a week, but I will not make it past the year".

—"Then put your weapon down," said Ruby, "and get on the ground."

—"Okay, I'll give up," said Roman, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, —"But that doesn't mean I'm going to obey you. I only surrender in a figurative, more intimate sense. So you know what I'm going to do: I'm going to fight you. I'm sorry, girl

Ruby returned a challenging smile and, with an agile movement, launched herself towards Roman with her weapon transformed into a scythe. Roman managed to block the attack with his staff, but Ruby took advantage of the momentum of her weapon to kick him in the face. Román was barely able to stop the blow with his arm, but he felt the pain run through his body.

Ruby didn't give him time to recover and grabbed her scythe, aiming it at the thief's feet. Roman jumped back, dodging the blade that grazed the ground. Roman counterattacked with a blow to Ruby's chin, which made her take a few steps back.

The two stared at each other, weighing their options. Ruby knew that Roman was a cunning and dangerous criminal, who would not give up easily.

Ruby decided to take the initiative and switched her scythe into rifle mode. She fired several powder bullets at Román, who dodged them with agility. Roman took advantage of Ruby's position to throw a smoke grenade into the ground, creating a cloud of gray smoke.

Ruby covered her mouth and nose with her cloak, trying to see something through the smoke. She heard a whistle and ducked just in time to avoid Roman's cane, which passed over her head. Ruby quickly got up and hit Roman in the stomach with the butt of her rifle, making him double over in pain.

Román recovered and punched Ruby in the face, causing her to become disoriented. Ruby quickly recovers and delivers a spinning kick to Roman's chest, sending him crashing to the metal floor.

The smoke cleared and the two saw each other's faces again.

A metal shield stopped the fire Cinder was throwing at him, but not for long. Pyrrha approached cautiously, wielding her javelin. Cinder stopped breathing flames and grabbed the shield in her hands, heating it until it was red hot. Pyrrha let out a scream and dropped her shield, which Cinder tossed aside. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cinder punched Pyrrha in the face and another in the chest, and then finished her off with a kick that sent her flying until she collided with a column of the Beacon building.

—"Really?" said Cinder dismissively, —"Do you still want to go on with this? Don't you see the abysmal difference between us? Even without the power of the maiden, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. Our trainings are very different. You prepared to be a champion of televised tournaments, I was trained by a tyrant to survive, destroy and kill. My attacks are precise and lethal"

Cinder smiled evilly as she saw Pyrrha's state: dirty, hurt, and exhausted. But she also saw something else in her eyes: defiance, a lot of defiance. —"A girl like you should not face me," he said, as he formed a crystal sword in his left hand, which burned like fire,—"Let's get this over with," he said, and lowered the sword with his intention of stabbing it into Pyrrha's heart.

But at that moment, Pyrrha opened her eyes wide, and her eyes shone brightly. The ground shook and the winds roared. Cinder leaned back, surprised, and she watched as Pyrrha slowly rose from the ground.

—"Yes, I'm getting it. That's how it works," Pyrrha said, looking at the sky,—"Amber, this is hard, but I'm starting to get it."

Cinder frowned, annoyed. It seemed that Pyrrha was beginning to understand her powers, to master them. It was a problem. She also activated her maiden power, and rose into the air alongside Pyrrha. The two stared at each other, and then lunged at each other hard. The impact created a shock wave that shook the foundations of the place. People and Grimm were thrown into the air. The temperature rose rapidly. The autumn maidens faced each other in a magical fight, to claim each other's power.

Pyrrha launched Cinder with a strong blow that sent her crashing into another Beacon building. The black-haired girl fell into an empty classroom, where Pyrrha followed her relentlessly. The two faced each other with her weapons: Pyrrha with her javelin and Cinder with her crystal weapons. Pyrrha managed to hit Cinder on her thigh with a cut, causing her to moan in pain. But she was not satisfied with that: she called to her shield with her hand, which returned to her from a distance. With one swift motion, she hit Cinder in the face, causing her to stumble backwards. With her javelin in position, she tried to impale Cinder's chest, but the black-haired girl grabbed her weapon with her hands. She headbutted Pyrrha, causing her to back away from her a little. She then shot several fire projectiles at him, which caused Pyrrha to fly into another room.

—"You're good, I have to admit, but nothing I haven't seen before. Seriously, I'm starting to get annoyed, Pyrrha. My goal here is simply to have you surrender and kill yourself, and then you just won't feel pain. It will be quick, but if you insist on this, on confronting me, I am afraid I shall have to make you suffer. I am a reasonable person, despite what others tell you"

Pyrrha stood up, spitting blood onto the ground. — "I will not give you anything, I will not give up," Pyrrha's magical power was unleashed from her body, things began to float in the air. She looked at Cinder, her opponent, with hatred. —"And to think that you fooled us all... Jaune... It only makes me sad to think of how unhappy and hurt he is by your actions, Cinder."

The aforementioned Cinder just narrowed her eyes. —"Why do you mention it? Why him? Besides, what does it matter what he thinks? I never cared."

Pyrrha smiled, a smile of disdain, of pity. —"Of course, why would I be surprised by those words of yours? You never cared about anything. You are a damn unfortunate. Everything good that could once come to you you simply reject because subconsciously you know that you don't deserve it. I'm even surprised that someone I managed to love you."

Those words infuriated Cinder, filled her heart with anger. He knew they were true. True, every good thing that could have ever happened to her, so many opportunities she had to change, to follow the right path and she never took them because she knows that at the end of the day she doesn't deserve them. —"What do you know about me, damn girl?" Cinder's voice exuded staunch hatred. —"You don't know what I've had to go through, I won't allow you to insult me again, Pyrrha." She activated half of the maiden power she had. The fire crackled in that classroom, the glass in the windows melted and the floor burned, and some objects as well. —"You who have had everything, you have no right to reproach me for what I deserve or not. Only I decide that."

Cinder launched herself at Pyrrha, the two collided and destroyed the structure of Beacon, causing the foundation to fall. Everyone around him was wondering what was happening. Some managed to make out the figure of Pyrrha and Cinder fighting. They couldn't believe such a level of destruction with just these girls.

A luminous projectile was spinning in the air and crashed into the ground, but it was not an accident, it was intended to hit someone, but that someone moved out of the way in time and dodged it. That person observed the object with curiosity.

—"I see you're running out of tricks, Naruto," said Sasuke, who blocked a sword slash with his kunai. Sparks flew from the impact, and Sasuke saw Naruto's frustrated face, but only felt satisfaction at seeing it—"You can't beat me, Naruto. You have to turn to the nine-tailed fox. Be honest with yourself, you don't stand a chance against me. Your power is insufficient."

Sasuke punched Naruto in the abdomen, and he doubled over in pain. Sasuke then grabbed the blonde's hair and threw him to the ground, making the ground shake from the force of him. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's ankle and squeezed it tightly, making Sasuke notice.

—"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted energetically and the masked man's foot twisted in several directions, as if it were made of rubber. Sasuke shouted, but then fell silent. Sasuke's foot had transformed into wood and Naruto became enraged. He destroyed the body of that clone and looked up. Sasuke was on top of a house.

—"You should be smarter," he scoffed, and then had to quickly dodge a large concrete pillar that was thrown at him. With momentum, the masked man approached Naruto and they began a fierce battle, with Sasuke having the advantage over the blonde. Each kick was brutal and powerful, and Naruto could only fight back. He couldn't understand how Sasuke had become so powerful. In their previous battle, it could be said that they were more or less even, but now, Sasuke greatly surpassed him.

Sasuke took Naruto's left arm and pulled him close, facing each other.

—"You will never be able to defeat me, Naruto. You don't have that strength. Use the fox, come on. Show me the power of that beast!"

Then Naruto smiled, hugged Sasuke's body like he was a teddy bear, and screamed loudly. Suddenly, attacks came out from all directions: a dragon of earth, water, lightning, and wind violently collided. The force was such that much debris was scattered and a crater formed beneath Sasuke and Naruto. But there was only Sasuke, crouched and hurt, but he laughed.

— "You almost caught up with me, Naruto... I see you're... starting to get it," Sasuke said with a cheerful voice and looked to the left side. There was his rival, with a mocking expression and his crimson eyes challenging him. The murderous aura surrounding him was terrifying.

— "But that's not enough, Naruto. You need to release more of the Kyubi's chakra, it's the only way to stop me. You are just a shadow of me," Sasuke provoked.

Naruto felt a surge of anger, he stomped on the ground, causing it to crack. He lunged at Sasuke and grabbed him by the neck, crashing through a house with the impact of him. They destroyed it completely and continued flying for four kilometers, passing over a body of water until they hit a rock on the cliff they had to climb to reach Beacon Academy. Even the Beacon students noticed a slight vibration under his feet.

— "Shadow?" asked Naruto furiously,— "I'm nobody's shadow, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the original. You are the one who came out of me, you are everything that is wrong with me, you are nothing!" shouted Naruto vehemently, echoing in that silent place. Only the soft sound of stones falling into the water behind him could be heard, —"Here the one who has no identity of his own is you, the defective and despicable copy, that is Sasuke"

The wind blew strongly, creating a cold and desolate atmosphere. Only Sasuke's light laugh was heard, which turned into a laugh.

— "Hahaha!, how funny you are Naruto, seriously. It seems that you never lose your sense of humor... Am I a copy of you Naruto?" he said in amazement, —"Think carefully about what you say," Sasuke brought his hand to Naruto's face, not wanting to hurt him. I just wanted to feel it, —"I was born of you, but that doesn't mean that I am anything different from what you are, or what you were and what you will be. I am not a clone, I was not born from a piece of you or your blood. I am your essence, but unlike you"

—Sasuke's smile hid behind the mask he was wearing, —"I don't have to dissemble, or repress myself, or worry about what others think of me. Because there's only one reason in everything I do, whether it's for our first goal: to be respected, or to be the best hunter in the world," Sasuke pointed his index finger at Naruto's chest, —"or save the world... That's what you are Naruto, have you forgotten it yet? We are people determined to achieve our goals, we do not give up on anything or anyone, we do not allow ourselves to be intimidated by difficulties. But above all Naruto, we don't fool ourselves"

Sasuke spoke those words so quietly, yet so darkly that they made Naruto's heart ache,—"you are no longer Naruto."

Sasuke whispered in Uzumaki's ear,— "You let the lies you told so much devour you, even so much that you began to believe them, you are afraid of rejection, in our world people feared you for what you could do, for the destruction and the strength you had contained, that's why they feared you, but here..., you are afraid that the same thing will happen, That they fear you by knowing you well, that they know what you can really do, Of the destruction you are capable of causing, even if you told them that you are good, That you would not do anything against them, that you are on their side, you know very well that deep down they would not avoid being afraid and cautious towards you, Because they are aware of what would happen if for some reason you decide to just break free. That's why I'm much more Naruto than you are. I hide under a mask, But you... you hide in plain sight..", Sasuke sneered wryly, —"you are the word lie incarnate, made flesh. I'm not Sasuke... I am Naruto Uzumaki"

Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine upon hearing Sasuke's words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could Sasuke tell him that? How could he claim that he was more Naruto than Naruto himself? What did he know about what Naruto had experienced, what he had suffered, what he had fought for? Naruto wanted to deny. Everything Sasuke told him, he wanted to yell at him that he was wrong, he wanted to show him who the real Naruto was. But something inside him prevented him from doing so. Something told him that Sasuke was right. That he had lost the essence of him. That he had stopped being himself. That he had fallen into a web of lies.

— "No... It's not true..." Naruto stammered in a weak voice, —"I... I am Naruto Uzumaki... I am the son of the Fourth Hokage... I am Iruka's student." sensei... I am the partner of Pyrrha, Ren and Nora... I am the rival and friend of Jaune... I am a hero... I am the savior... the savior of many peoples... I am…" Naruto was speechless. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know who he was. He didn't know what he was".

Sasuke smiled evilly when he saw Naruto's expression, it was painful and sad.

— "No, Naruto. You are nothing like that. You are just a lie. A lie that has become true. A lie that has forgotten its origin. A lie that has lost its meaning. A lie that has ceased to be 'Naruto'."

I didn't want to do this, it didn't have to happen, what the hell happened? Sasuke was supposed to be in charge of getting Ruby, Yang, and Neo to safety, but Ruby was here, fighting him. She had paid a good sum of money for the idiot to do just one job, he only had one thing to accomplish and he failed miserably. Maybe and just maybe he saved the other two, but the most important one, Ruby, she was the one he cared about most of all, and she was here, facing him.

Roman somersaulted in the air, narrowly avoiding a projectile that would have frozen his legs and rendered him immobile. Despite being in a battle that could cost him his life, he wasn't paying much attention. His mind only reproached himself and Sasuke, himself for delegating such an important job as Ruby's protection to a stranger, and also the masked man for not carrying out the task he entrusted to him.

He stopped two heeled kicks aimed at his chest with his forearm, took a few steps back, and then had to dodge a scythe cut that went straight to his left rib. Roman smiled, Ruby had very good instincts, impressive combat adaptation, enviable reflexes, incredible strength, both physical and mental, despite that small body. She was a genius in combat, it wasn't every day someone like that showed up and studied at Beacon Academy. He hated Ozpin for accepting Ruby at such a young age, he knew very well what the goal of all this was, she knew him very well. While Ruby had very good leadership foundations, skills, and an indomitable heart, which was already very rare, but even rarer than that was having the bloodline of the silver-eyed warriors.

That's right, Roman knew very well the power of these warriors, after all, he fought shoulder to shoulder with one of them,...she was his best friend, they never held anything back...almost nothing. But it was because of that same lineage that the fate of these warriors always ended the same. None of them or maybe just a few, but none that he knew of that Ozpin had mentioned, but so far none of them had a happy ending. They would not die in a bed surrounded by loved ones, with families waiting. They would only perish in combat, alone, facing the same thing that devastated them. That witch Summer never gave details about. She didn't know what that witch was doing or where she lived or her name. It was just a slip in a drunken conversation.

Roman felt a blow to his chest that sent him to the ground, making him roll and cough up blood. —"How stupid, I have to be more careful. I can't rely on dodging and distracting my opponent with weak blows." He raised his head and looked at Ruby with a mixture of respect and pity. She was Summer's daughter, the bearer of her legacy and her curse. He didn't want to confront her or hurt her. He just wanted to save her from the cruel fate that awaited her. But she didn't understand it and would never understand it. She thought he was just another villain in the service of evil. She thought he was her enemy, it's normal, after all he is responsible for erasing all memories of him in Ruby's memory.

Roman knew that Ruby was special, that she had a hidden power that could change the course of the war. He had seen that power in action, when Summer had stopped a powerful Grimm with his silver eyes. He had felt the fear of those who wanted to use or eliminate her because of that power.

Black boots clicked near him, the barrel of a shotgun pointed at his head, the orange-haired man looked up listlessly. Ruby Rose had a tired smile, but there was also seriousness on her face.

—"Give up, it's over," she said.

Those words—"give up," Roman whispered—"I already told you Ruby," the aforementioned was surprised by that, suddenly Roman was calling her by her name, not Red like he always did.—"I told you I gave up." .. from the first moment I saw you," Roman had a lost look, –"everything I did was to please you, to give you what you wanted."

Ruby didn't really understand what the thief meant, he barely heard himself well, he only spoke to himself, — "I told you to get away, drop your gun," she spoke loud and clear.

—"Things shouldn't have been like this, yes, yes... I would have just been a little braver, I only wanted the best for you Ruby," Roman gripped his cane tightly,—"you shouldn't be here," those words were They heard loudly and Ruby heard them.

—"You have to get out of here."

Ruby looked into the thief's eyes, there was no anger, but concern, fear. She didn't understand why there was that on this thief's face. She maybe she was afraid of being arrested, maybe, but she should also feel angry because she was fighting him, she was stopping him.

—"I can't let you spend one more minute here. He will be in charge of taking control of Atlas' ships, of that I can rest assured. But I have to get you out of here. But you won't let yourself... I have to do what's best for you, no matter what I have to do."

Roman quickly moved the barrel of the gun away from her head, with an agile movement of his cane he hit Ruby's ankle causing her to fall to her knees. With her free hand he grabbed the little girl's mouth and pulled her close to him before headbutting her in the nose.

Ruby took a few steps back, but recovered. With a loud scream she jumped up and slashed at Roman, but this time she was different. Roman wasn't as mocking as before. He wasn't even laughing like in his previous fights. In this fight at the beginning...

Ruby tried to slash Roman with her scythe, but he dodged the attack. She then tried to take another swing at him, but he blocked it and delivered a karate chop to her throat that left her breathless. With her cane, she hit him on the right cheek and fired three projectiles from the barrel. Ruby was sent flying and crashed into the metal floor of the ship. She glared at Roman and shot dust projectiles at him, but he approached her calmly. She dodged and blocked her projectiles with her staff. When she was close enough to her, she snatched Crescent Rose from her hands and threw her away from her. Ruby quickly dove to retrieve the gun from her.

Roman looked at the girl with a different look. Ruby resumed combat, but noticed something had changed. Before, the matchup was more or less balanced, but now it was as if Roman was more skilled and stronger. Roman took out a vial of powder and poured it into her hand. Then, he launched a small fireball towards Ruby. She opened her eyes and for a moment remembered something: a tree and a swing from her school. But that image was quickly erased from her mind.

—"I think you're getting it now," Roman said with a serious voice. His ridiculous hairstyle was gone and his hair was flying in all directions, giving him a wild and improved look.

Ruby took a few steps back cautiously. Roman spoke calmly:

—"Do you remember the first time we faced each other in that dust store?"

Ruby didn't respond, but she remembered that day.

—"At that moment, I realized that you didn't have the necessary skills to be a hunter. Don't be offended, you are young and have a lot to learn. But for now, you are not half as good as the hunters. That first battle I held back a lot so as not to hurt you. And so every time we saw each other. But it's time for you to see what I can do, Ruby."

Roman's words hurt Ruby, but he smiled at her with a strange tenderness.

—"I'm sorry, I don't want to do this, Ruby... but one day you'll understand."

Roman disappeared in an instant, so fast that Ruby barely had time to react. She felt a strong impact in her stomach that made her spit out saliva.

Ruby staggered, clutching her belly. That blow was very brutal, it reminded him of Yang's. She looked wide-eyed at Roman, whose impassive gaze scared her a little. Every step he took to get closer to her filled her with fear and she unconsciously retreated.

—"Few know it, but I also studied at Beacon, Ruby," Roman said in a soft voice and the silver-eyed girl was surprised.

It was a lie, how could this man, this criminal have studied here? From Ruby's expression, Roman could only laugh.

—"Yes, I know that expression very well. You don't believe at all that I studied here, why would I? A thief, a criminal, it doesn't match, right? Well, I can assure you that it is much more common than you think." "That seems like it, Ruby. Many hunters sworn to protect humanity from the Grimm desert their trade, whether for personal reasons or otherwise. Yang's mother is living proof of that."

—"How do you know that name?" Ruby asked, pointing her scythe in front of Roman. How did this man know about the connection between Raven and her sister?

—"There are many things I know, Ruby, but you don't have to worry about that. Don't be afraid," Roman said, coming closer.

—"Stay away!" Ruby shouted, transforming her scythe into an assault rifle.

Román ignored him and continued advancing. He had to get her out of there, he had to protect her.

—"Ruby, I have to get you out of here," Roman said with determination and with a quick movement he hit the little girl's thigh making her scream and then he delivered precise blows to Ruby's body making her stagger and fall to the floor. She wasted no time, quickly recomposed herself and attacked Roman, but it was useless. He seemed to flow into her movements, grabbing Ruby's wrist, squeezing it tightly, and then kicking her in the rib. Ruby complained and distanced herself. She fired dust projectiles at Roman who dodged them.

— " Shit, I can't knock her out like that. Maybe I'm superior to her, but she's not defenseless at all ," Román thought as he dodged the shots. He had to find a way to neutralize her without hurting her too much.

— " This is not right , " Ruby thought as she shot. She could barely fight him, she was too strong, too fast. She had to use her likeness to gain advantage.

Ruby activated her semblance and turned into rose petals. She moved at full speed in all directions trying to confuse Román. When she was close to her, on her back so she could knock him out, Roman, as if he knew Ruby's intentions, quickly grabbed Ruby's body between her petals, took her out of that beautiful swarm of roses and slammed her against the floor. .

—"Seriously, enough of this, you have no chance against me, Ruby," Roman said as he held her arm.

—"Don't call me Ruby!" she exclaimed furiously—"Only my friends have that right, not a damn criminal like you."

Román felt a prick in his heart when he heard those words. They hurt more than he expected. He quickly shook his head, he had no time for sentimentality now. And he didn't realize that Ruby had the assault rifle pointed at her abdomen, fired four bullets at the same time and pushed Roman back.

—"Hahaha How clever, Very well done," he said with an admiring tone.

Ruby stood up and pointed at Roman again. She wasn't going to let him capture her. She wasn't going to let him hurt anyone else. She was determined to stop him.

She wondered what was wrong with Roman, why did he act that way? Had he hit his head so hard that he had lost his mind? Ruby's determination strengthened in the face of the danger in front of her, with a movement. He quickly approached Román, threw a cartridge of lightning dust at him that the thief dodged, but at that moment Ruby took advantage, nailing Crescent Rose to the metal floor of the ship, piercing it, then raised her weapon, at that moment shavings of metal temporarily blinded Roman, Ruby took advantage, With a strong swing of her scythe she hit him in the abdomen and sent him flying through the skies and fell downwards.

She sighed but immediately a Nevermore swooped upwards and then vanished, they had killed him, but then Roman fell from the sky, the idiot while falling managed to cling to a Nevermore, climbed up again and managed to rejoin the battle, —"that was very clever," said Román,—"it's over, Rubí."

He raised his hands as if to calm the situation — "Please listen to me," in response Ruby prepared her gun and pointed it at the thief again.

—"stay there and give up now."

—"Listen to me, Ruby," Roman insisted.

—"Don't call me that!" Ruby shouted.

—"You have to get out of here, go far away, get safe, go to your sister, I swear everything will be fine, there will be no more deaths here, I'll make sure of that," Ruby's bewildered look was incredibly noticeable, Why? Why was Román talking like that? He was the main person responsible for all this destruction in Vale, why does he suddenly act like he cares?

—"I know what you think and you're right, this is my fault." said Román,—"but you have to understand that I don't work alone."

—"Of course not," Rubí took a few steps back,—"you work with Neo and I also know that there is someone who gives you orders, but I can't leave without stopping you."

Rubí saw Roman's sad smile, and he spoke to her in a pleading voice: —"Please, Rubí, understand. I won't go anywhere, I won't escape, but you gotta believe me. Cinder is responsible for all this. She planned the attack on Atlas, the rise in the price of powder, the scarcity, the White Fang... Everything is her doing. I was just a pawn, I had no choice. Do you understand

—"What does Cinder have to do with this?" Ruby asked with a frown.

—"She is the mastermind behind everything that has happened lately. She wants to spread chaos and terror in the world. I helped her and I am aware of my guilt. I will pay for it, I promise you. But first I have to make sure that witch doesn't survive."

Roman told him that he had betrayed Cinder and that a friend of his was taking control of Atlas' weaponry to use against the Grimm. He also told him that the battleship they were on was going to fulfill its function of defending the citizens. And he asked her to go with him, to hand him over to the authorities.

Ruby was taken aback. Roman's words sounded sincere, but she couldn't trust him. Her heart told her that perhaps there was some truth in what she said, but her mind reminded her of all the misdeeds she had done. She fired projectiles at him that Román managed to dodge. —"I'm not stupid enough to fall for your lies. You come with me, but as a prisoner. I will hand you over to the authorities of Atlas and the kingdom of Vale," Ruby said with determination.

Rubí activated her semblance and transformed into rose petals. She moved at incredible speed, with her weapon ready to deliver a blow to Roman that would knock him out. She lunged hard at him.

Román saw Rubí approaching, surrounded by red petals. He didn't want to confront her, he loved her like family, like his daughter. He didn't hold a grudge against her for not believing him, he understood that he had no reason to do so. In fact, she would be a fool if he believed her in this situation. But he had to do it, he had to save her. He held her staff tightly and suppressed her emotions. At that moment that Rubí was within reach of her, she gave him a strong blow with her cane and knocked her to the ground.

Rubí felt the pain of the impact, but she did not give up. She stood up and attacked again. Roman dodged her and hit her in the stomach again. Ruby squealed. Each impact of hers hurt more than the last.

Román threw a horizontal blow to Rubí's body.

— "Uncle, you came. And you brought me candy."

— "Yes, you said you loved them, right?"

Those memories tortured him. , Why was he doing this? To protect her, of course. That's why he was fighting with her. Román hit Rubí on the head again with his cane. Her aura flickered, he was on the verge of collapse.

— "Uncle, I don't want to do my homework, please do it for me."

— "Rubí, I can't do your homework every time I come here, you're supposed to be the one studying, not me."

Scam.

— "Dude, could you sleep here with me alone tonight? Yang is with her friends and dad isn't home, he hasn't been back in days."

— "Okay, I'll tell you a story to help you rest."

— "¡yes!".

Scam.

— "Mom died, she won't come back."

Román watched from afar how a burial ceremony was carried out, there was no body to bury there, just an empty box, but he had no right to be in that family, mourning the death of his friend, just to be far away, hidden in that forest.

Scam.

— "I love you man, you're so much cooler than my dad and Uncle Qrow."

Scam.

— "Román, are you sure about this?"

In a dark room, two girls slept peacefully at night, calm, sure that no one was in this house, not Qrow, not Tai. Next to him was his faithful companion, Neo, and a man that Román hired, an acquaintance.

— "Yes," he said with conviction — "Erase any memory they have of me."

The man shrugged his shoulders — "Sure, you pay me for this, no problem... They'll forget you."

Scam.

— "Rubí, don't forget that I will always be here, you know that my only purpose is to protect you, I will never hurt you."

Rubí felt a strong impact on her head, she let out a scream and fell to the ground. Blood stained the floor and her red lip split. Groaning in pain, she raised her hands to cover her face, waiting for another blow. But this one did not arrive. She opened her eyes and saw Roman with his arm raised, holding his cane. But what surprised him most was not that, but the tears that came from her eyes. Román was breathing hard, clutching his chest with his other hand and sobbing. Silent words came from her lips, a silent plea and incessant forgiveness. With a cry of frustration, he dropped the staff and walked away from Rubí.

She was stunned, not knowing what to do. What was happening to Roman? , Why did he behave like that? She could only watch as the thief hit the ground with his fists, as he stood up and raised his voice to the sky.

What was behind all this? What secret was Román keeping? , Why did he want to protect her? Rubí did not understand anything, she only felt a mixture of pain, confusion and curiosity. Who was Román really for her? Rubí wanted answers, she wanted to know the truth. But Román wouldn't give it to her, he just wanted to get away from her, from her past, from her guilt. He just wanted her to be happy, even if she was without him. He just wanted her to live, even if it was without remembering it.

—"Why?!" exclaimed Roman, pointing to the little girl on the ground. Why you, Ruby, why did you have to come here, Ruby?!, Why are you like this?!, Why are you so much like your mother?!, Why couldn't you just ignore this?!, You could have gone and gotten to safety, why the hell did you come to this ship?!, You could have sent someone else to do this! Why do you insist on being a heroine like Summer?! ... You don't know what awaits you, Ruby, it's not worth doing," Roman cried, his eyes pleading for the pain in his soul.—" I don't want to fight you, Ruby. I don't want to hurt you. I swore ... I swore I'd never hurt you. Forgive me"

Ruby felt confused, she couldn't understand what was happening. Suddenly, Román burst into tears, begging for forgiveness. What had led him to do that? And most importantly, how did he know his mother's name? She demanded answers... But before she got them, she had to fulfill her mission: stop Román.

But as he was about to stand up, a hand stroked his hair. She looked up and saw Bartholomew Oobleck, his history teacher. What was he doing there? And furthermore, how had he gotten there?

—"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything," he said with a smile.

She stammered, not believing her eyes. —"How... how...?"

—"You are not the first to come up with the idea of setting up a Nevermore to take to the skies, my dear. Don't feel so special. Now enter the ship and take control." Bartholomew ordered her.

—"But, Roman..."

—"I'll take care of him," Bartholomew promised.

She nodded, grabbed her gun and ran towards the ship. Román made no move to stop him. Deep down, he felt relieved. That was better. He would never say it out loud, but he was grateful to Oobleck, his old friend.

—"Román, how are you feeling?" Bartholomew asked.

—"This is the end," Román responded, taking his weapon, his rifle cane.

—"Yes, it's the end."

They both knew it, there was no possible escape. It was time to settle their accounts. Roman smiled.

—"Today you will die, friend."

—"Today you will die, Roman. I'm going to stop you, it's time for you to rest," said Oobleck.

—"This battle should have happened many years ago, Bartholomew. We should have died a long time ago, we can't even be said to be alive now," Roman mocked, and Bartholomew Oobleck laughed too.

—"You're right, we were dead a long time ago, but we refused to accept it."

The two men prepared themselves, Bartholomew transformed his thermos into his weapon, his trusty flamethrower. Ready, the two tensed their muscles and with a loud scream they launched themselves against each other.

Ruby entered the ship and headed to the cockpit. He didn't know how to pilot it, but he trusted him to find a way. She had to escape from there as soon as possible, she had to tell her friends about what she had discovered. She had to know the truth about Román and his mother.

But no matter how much I pushed buttons or levers, nothing seemed to work. The ship was dead, not responding to his commands. Suddenly, words appeared on the command screen.

—"《 Don't worry, I have command of the Atlas battleship, I am here to help, very soon I will have access to the military weapons of this kingdom, and I will restart all machines so that they once again fulfill their main function, protecting the kingdom and its citizens 》".

Ruby felt a chill when she read that message. Who was this mysterious ally? What did she mean by restarting the machines? What was happening?

Meanwhile, outside, in the hatch of Atlas's battleship, the battle between the two former companions was fierce. They attacked each other with their weapons and their fists, giving no respite or mercy. They knew each other well, they knew their weaknesses and their strengths. They had faced each other many times before, but never like this time. This time it was different. This time was the last.

Roman hit Oobleck with his rifle staff, making him take a few steps back. Oobleck responded with a blast from his flamethrower, burning Roman's suit. They were both hurt and tired, but neither was giving up. They looked into each other's eyes, recognizing the respect and rivalry they felt for each other.

—"You know, I always liked you, Bartholomew. You're a good guy," said Roman.

—"And you are a good villain, Roman. Too bad you chose the wrong side," said Oobleck.

—"The wrong side? There are no sides here, there is only survival," said Román.

—"Don't be cynical, Roman. You know there is something more than that. There is justice, there is hope, there is love," said Oobleck.

—"Love? What do you know about love, Bartholomew? Weren't you the one who abandoned our team?" said Román, with a malicious but furious smile.

Oobleck was speechless. Román had touched his most sensitive point, his greatest regret. It was his team when he was studying at BeaconAcademy.

—"Don't mention those who died, Roman. It's not your place to talk about them." Oobleck said, his voice breaking with emotion.

—"Isn't it my turn? Is that what you think?" Román's expression turned gloomy.

He couldn't believe what he heard from Oobleck's lips, reciprocate, words like that made his blood boil — "It wasn't I who sentenced them to die, buddy. How many were there, thousands, hundreds of thousands? But you should know better than anyone, after all you were a faithful servant of the Vale government

Oobleck was just listening, Roman's words were true, yes, he was a hypocrite, he had no right to speak, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter what he had done, whether it was for the greater good or not, he He was as evil as Román — "We had no other choice, Román. The Grimm were going to invade Okay, thousands and thousands of lives would have been lost, don't you understand? Why don't you understand? Do you think I wanted to do it?" That? If I had had a choice I would have taken it? Well, of course! If I could have saved all those people, I would have done it! But we had no other option, time was not enough! ".

He remembered the day when everything changed, the day he had to make the most difficult decision of his life. The day the Vale government ordered him to activate the bomb that would destroy the tunnels of Mountain Glen, to prevent the Grimm from entering and devastating the city. The day he lost his friends and his soul

Roman just smiled, understandable words, he was right, Roman also understood his friend's situation, he understood very well that Oobleck did not have many options, it was orders from above to sacrifice those people in Mountain Glen, it was necessary, no matter how cruel it was. , he understood it, he would have also done the same, but that was the difference. Román would have stayed to die with them. The thief grabbed his old companion by the neck and squeezed him hard.

—"Yes, of course, no one understands you better than me, friend, but don't give me that, we both wanted the same thing that day, save people and we would do whatever was necessary," Roman received a kick from Oobleck, and a left punch and a recrimination.

—"Of course, I did what was necessary, Román! Do you think I didn't suffer for the death of our friends!", another blow on the thief's cheek,—"Do you think I sleep well at night? !", another kick in the ribs that made the thief moan in pain,—"Don't I hear the voices of our friends screaming in fear and pain at night?!", Román defended himself, he hit the stomach of the history teacher, and then finished with a roundhouse kick to the forearm, making Oobleck slip on the ground, that blow was very strong, Roman was fighting seriously, with everything he had, no more games.

—"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," he said with disdain,—"Of course you hear their voices, why wouldn't you? You're not a monster, you're just a coward."

The two old companions engaged in the fight, blow after blow, with strength and fury that had been contained for years and was expelled with each blow. Experienced hunters fought, they were not simple, they were the best of the best, very few could match them. the skills of these two people — "What happened, Oobleck?! It seems that all those years in an office have made you slow!" Roman bent down to the floor, grabbed Oobleck's ankle, lifted him up and then He slammed it into the ground, bending the metal, took the body of his old companion, lifted it up again and this time waited for someone to come to finish him off, a nevermore descended from the heavens, its beak aimed at Oobleck's body, with Roman lifting his friend's body, waiting for the creature to pass through him — "It's time for you to rest, friend."

What he never imagined was that his former friend would do something else crazy. Oobleck took the canteen from him that transformed into a flamethrower, but he had no intention of using it, but rather doing something very stupid. His weapon had a built-in grenade launcher, with three highly refined powder grenades, very rare and valuable. What this man did was take out one of those grenades and activate it in the same place, waiting for the right moment when the grimm came down to attack him. Thus, the explosion of that grenade would detonate the other three.

¡POOM!

The ship shook from the explosion. Ruby felt it and held on to whatever she could. What had happened? She didn't know it, but she attributed it to the battle raging above her. Curiously, the Atlas battleship withstood the impact and remained airborne.

Roman coughed. —"Idiot, you wanted to take me to the other world, that was a good move," said Román. Part of his clothes had been burned, his left arm was singed and his face had burns, he had lost sight in his left eye. His aura flickered, he had very little left, he was seriously injured. That explosion could have been avoided if she let go of her former partner, but curiously she didn't, it was as if she wanted this to happen. Out of the cloud of dust emerged Oobleck's body, walking towards him. His elegant and clean suit no longer existed, only a pair of pants, a slightly burned torso, strands of hair were missing from his head and above all his right hand was missing. But still he had the strength to continue, his aura was very low, but he could still fight, he would go on and on until the last breath of life escaped from his mouth.

The two friends faced each other again, they beat each other mercilessly, blood stained the floor, stained their faces. Even taking a hit was

painful, but they resisted it or ignored it out of fury.

—"You, damned idiot, condemned our friends to a horrendous death! Every time they asked you for help you ignored them!" Román reproached his friend.

—"And what do you have to reproach me, Roman?! You became a thief, you are part of the cancer of Vale's society, you betrayed our comrades, you joined the crime that they fought so much, that we fought! They'd be ashamed to just see you!"

PAMMMMMM

A crash shook the ship, as if it had collided with something. Two meters he sank in the air, but managed to regain his balance. Amidst the cloud of dust and smoke, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle. One was wearing a black mask and hood, the other was Naruto Uzumaki, injured but determined. Oobleck and Roman watched them from a distance, impressed by the intensity of the combat. They watched as the masked man grabbed Naruto by the face and slammed him into the ship, but Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke and reappeared behind him, kicking him in the back. The masked man quickly turned around and tried to hit Naruto in the face, but he dodged it. Every punch they gave made the air vibrate and disperse the smoke. At one point, the masked man caught Naruto's right arm, bent it, and raised it above his head. He then formed a sphere of energy in his hand and stabbed it into Naruto's stomach, launching him into the air. Not content with that, the masked man created two shadow clones that propelled him into the sky, where he caught up with Naruto and tried to hit him again with the sphere, but Naruto narrowly avoided it. Naruto grabbed the masked man by the neck and the two struggled in the air, exchanging blows until they crashed into something. What could there be at that height? The moon? No, they had not risen that high.

When they collided with the object, they rolled down steps that descended downwards. They didn't stop hitting each other for a moment, until they reached a concrete floor. Upon impact, they separated and rolled in opposite directions. Naruto stood up, tired and hurt, with several wounds but none serious. The arm that was previously burned had healed. He looked around and was surprised. He couldn't believe they had fought so much and so far. They had ended up at Amity Stadium. Naruto saw his opponent, who was also looking at the place. He wasted no time and launched himself at him to finish him off.

Oobleck and Roman looked at each other. That had been spectacular, they had to admit. Román took advantage of the distraction and punched his old friend in the nose, twisting it. Blood was pouring out of him. They were reaching their limit. They were surprised they had lasted so long. They were no longer young, but it seemed that their vitality was that of years ago.— "Damn it, Oobleck!" Roman shouted. —"Give up now, do us a favor and die!"

—"I'm going to stop you, Roman," said Oobleck. —"I don't like seeing you like this, you're suffering."

Román felt blind fury and grabbed the body of his former friend. They had been companions for years, they had shared many battles and adventures. They had always protected and supported each other, and now they faced death. No one gave in, they pushed themselves to the limit. And they rushed from the ship, without letting go, hitting each other. They didn't care that they were getting closer to the ground, with their red aura it was a death sentence. They didn't care, because deep down and even if they didn't say it, it was what they wanted. End all this, with their pain, with the voices in their heads, with their old failures. Roman and Oobleck crashed into the top of a tall Beacon building, breaking the roof. Then they fell further down, the force of the crash dragging them to the first floor of the building. The earth shook, many students stopped to see what had happened. Something had fallen from the sky, smashing the top of a building and leaving it on the brink of collapse.

Román stood up as best he could, his bones were broken, it was a miracle that he was still alive, to his left was his old friend, he was still breathing, but it seemed like he wasn't there, he was in shock from the blow, he only blinked a little, but then Oobleck also regained consciousness and sat up as best he could, he crawled and leaned against a wall, the same as Roman did, separated by three meters, they looked at each other, their gazes were empty, blood was flowing. From their body, a large pool of blood formed beneath them, they would die in a few moments, it was obvious that there was no salvation for them.

—"What irony Roman."

—"What's ironic... idiot?" the thief said with difficulty.

—"We will die in the same place where we met," Román looked at the place where they had ended up, it was a workshop, but not just any one, it was the old workshop where the students' weapons were manufactured and designed, he remembered it very well. well, he had arrived early and had gotten lost on his way to the Beacon auditorium, so he wandered through the halls for a while until he found a workshop, he thought about asking for directions so he went in, but there was no one there, he walked around That workshop was big and that was when he met a boy with green hair next to a girl with black hair with red tips, small and with silver eyes. Those two had the same problem as him, they had gotten lost, it was as if Fate played a bad joke on him, dying here.

—"Hehehe, yes... I remember this place well, I was lost just like you," said Román.

—"Summer was lost just like me, she pretended she knew where she was." Oobleck laughed, —"and then you arrived, thank goodness we found Qrow and Raven who took us, they were good times Roman."

—"Of course they were," sighed the thief,—"she made them wonderful, every crazy thing she did, every stupid thing we got into, she was always with us,...even though her team told her that we were a bad influence on her.

They both laughed, perhaps because they were the last moments they had left.

—"It's not that Tai, Raven and Qrow were also good influences. The fools were much worse than us," Roman said remembering his days. Yes, why would those three be a good influence? Taiyang was a womanizer, Qrow and Raven were two bandits, not to mention bordering on criminal, their morals were completely different from everyone else's because they had grown up in a hostile environment. , they got a lot better, I had to admit, Summer was very convincing at times.

They remained silent for a moment, unable to find words, having nothing more to say. They had emptied their souls, they had exhausted their strength, they only had to wait for the inevitable and bitter embrace of death. They remembered the happy moments, when they were young and innocent, when they had dreams and hopes, when they had fun and laughed, when they loved and cared for each other. They remembered Summer, the girl who had brought them together, the girl who had transformed them, the girl who had loved them. They remembered her smile, her voice, her look, her aroma, her warmth. They remembered his sacrifice, his departure, his absence, his pain, his loss.

—"Sorry." The silence was broken with a word full of sadness, misfortune, immense pain.

—"I already forgave you, Oobleck, I... I'm tired of hearing your apologies, I don't need them."

—"I know, ...you're right. I condemned our friends to die, I condemned all those people."

—"That's enough".

—"I had orders from above, I worked for the kingdom of Vale, you already know that, the old secret organization of those imbeciles, I know what could have been lost, if I had kept the tunnels open many lives would have been lost, I made the decision to pay attention and obey, I killed so many people..., you have no idea, Román, how many times I regret that."

—"I know, I always knew, the voices in your head, the dreams," Román let a tear fall,—"you are a coward."

—"I know, I'm a coward, I was scared that day, I was scared... I just wanted to save my skin, I'm not like you, I never was, I was never so strong, I was the weakest on our team... I was always jealous of you, Román, you were so determined to do things, always so tenacious, so fierce, with an unbreakable will"

—"You were the best among us, Oobleck, you surpassed us in everything, in intelligence, in skill."

—"But I was a coward, you would have stayed with our friends, you would have died with them, I decided to run away, you being in my place maybe you would have made the same decision as me... bu-bu but you would have buried yourself with them ", tears that Oobleck had held back for so many years finally came out, his broken voice deafening the noise outside,—"Sorry for everything, Roman, I could have done more, but I didn't."

—'...' "I forgive you, friend, it's time to go, you know, be quiet, you won't let me sleep, hehehe," Román laughed, he no longer had any strength left, only a laugh could be heard from him. and from the lips of his former companion.

Between the memories and the apologies, time was slipping away. Outside, the world continued its course, oblivious to its suffering, its destiny, its history. They had been heroes, they had been villains, they had been friends, they had been enemies. They had lived, they had fought, they had loved, they had lost. They had been part of something bigger than themselves, something that had marked them, something that had broken them. And now, they only had to die. Dying together, as they had grown up, as they had dreamed. Dying remembering old times, as they had done with Summer, as they had done with her friends, as they had done with their past. To die smiling, as they had done when they were happy, as they had done when they were free, as they had done when they were them.

Although he knew that his destiny was inescapable and that, perhaps, if there was something after death, he would not meet her or his friends, Román kept a smile on his face. It was a smile of resignation, of not demanding more than what he had received. He had been born in poverty, had dreamed of being a hero and had become a thief. Circumstances had not helped him and he had succumbed to the evil that he so detested. But there was something good in all this: Román was very clear about it. Despite everything he had suffered, despite the obstacles life had thrown at him, despite how chaotic and confusing events could sometimes be, he could always trust that things would get better, but not for him, but for those around him. wanted to. And Román wanted, he wanted all the good things in life: food, games, friendships. He especially wanted a girl with black hair with red highlights, silver eyes so beautiful that not even the moon could match them, so fun and cheerful that she was contagious, so strong and determined that she inspired courage. Don't be confused, he didn't love her that way, her love went beyond the romantic, he wanted all the best for that woman, he wanted something more than a commitment or a declaration. Summer for Román was the call of freedom and, above all, the certainty that she would not be alone.

The building shook, cracks spread across the walls, announcing that it would soon collapse on Román, symbolizing the weight of his guilt. It was fair, it was an ironic death, as Oobleck had told him. But he couldn't have chosen a better place for his last day. He didn't know how to explain it or how to understand it. Before going to Beacon, he had done things he wasn't proud of: he had stolen, he had lied, he had done anything to survive in that world. He wanted to change, it was clear that he was not a bad person, but he wanted to change. And Beacon represented a new opportunity, perhaps a change of direction, to leave his chaotic life behind and see his reality with new eyes. But he couldn't do it, that's how he was: a cynic, a miser, a heartless man. But he didn't know how to explain it, when he entered that workshop, when he found those two, Oobleck and Summer, but especially when he saw that girl's eyes. He couldn't understand it, it was as if his soul calmed down, as if his fears and caution towards people and the world vanished. He felt trust in that woman just by seeing her. Summer wasn't like the others, she was special. He felt it the first day and, with his death, everything bad in him resurfaced with more force. But he still had something that kept him a good person... relatively.

Roman let out a weak but amused laugh. — "It's very cold," he said without waiting for an answer. — "Death, why don't you end this quickly? Could it be that...?" Roman's smile became tired. — "Could it be that you want make me suffer a little more? Okay, I'll hold on. I've waited a long time for this moment."

Román's little vision went into the void, with his gaze lost, waiting for his end.

Curiously, he lit up. It was beautiful, it was strange. It is said that when one is about to die, all one's life passes through one's eyes. But for Román it was not like that, it is not like that now. Just the most beautiful memory of his life happened. When he saw her. When he met her. When he hugged her. so fragile

—"Listen, I am your father," a blonde-haired man, Taiyang, said to the small creature in his arms, but she did not open her eyes, she just slept peacefully.

—"Leave her alone, Tai, you'll have time to talk to her when she wakes up," Summer, his wife, smiled at him from the hospital bed. Summer had just given birth to her first daughter, her treasure, and now she was receiving congratulations from her loved ones in that clean white room. Next to her were her husband, her friend Qrow, who was holding a little Yang, the daughter of Taiyang's first wife, who was looking curiously at the new member of the family. They were moments of happiness and joy, although the birth had not been easy. Summer had suffered a lot, more than she expected. When she saw Raven give birth to Yang, she thought she was exaggerating the pain, but now she knew she wasn't. It was a terrible experience, but it was worth it, because she brought a precious life, her greatest love, into the world. Her husband took a back seat in her heart.

—"Come on, open your eyes, I want you to see me," Taiyang insisted.

Summer patted him on the head, —"That's enough, Tai, don't bother her, she's sleeping. Besides, I need to rest."

Her husband looked at her tenderly, —"But I want to be with you, love. I already asked for leave at work, I don't have to go."

—"Qrow," Summer motioned to her partner, —"Please take it."

The boy with red eyes and black hair nodded and grabbed Tai by the arm, —"She's right, Tai. Let her rest a little, there will be time to pamper her. Come on, I'll buy you a beer to celebrate."

—"But I don't..." Tai tried to resist, but Qrow dragged him out of the room.

—"Believe me, buddy, take advantage of this moment. You won't get another chance like this. You already locked yourself in with my sister once, and now you're locked in with Summer. So for now, try to have some fun."

—"You're so funny, Qrow. You should dedicate yourself to humor."

—"I tried it once, it didn't work."

They both laughed and their voices faded away until the room was silent, empty. Or so they believed. Summer kept her smile, looked towards the window of that room, and saw a shadow. She wasn't alone, she never was.

—"Hey, what are you doing there, at the window? Come in, I want you to meet her," he said to the person who was looking out the window, climbing up the building. He had been waiting patiently for everyone to leave her so she could call him, or else just keep an eye on her, take care of her like he had promised himself.

When he stepped onto the floor of the room, he looked around the entire place shyly, it shouldn't be there, but it was there.

—"Come, come closer," Summer told him, inviting him with a gesture. The man approached cautiously.

—"I know, Summer, I know what you're trying to do, but I was just..."

—"Don't be shy, Roman, come here and look at her."

He obeyed, taking the nearest chair and sitting next to his friend. —"I want you to meet her."

Wrapped in a blanket, only a small silhouette could be seen, and when she got closer, when Román could see her well, she gasped. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in her life, a little girl sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms, something so fragile but so powerful, so small and yet so big. He felt captivated by that little creature. Summer looked at Roman's fascinated face, and understood. When she saw her daughter for the first time, she understood that she could not love anyone more than that creature, who was more important than her and who had just met her. He had loved her even before he came out of her womb, but now he was certain that there was no more love in her that could be shared. It was only for her daughter. — "Her name is Ruby," Summer said. Román did not pay attention, but he listened to the words of his friend.

—"Ruby," she spoke to her little girl. — "This is Uncle Román, he is a little grumpy and grumpy, but he is a good person even if he doesn't seem like it. And he is very funny."

He just stared at the little girl. — —"Ruby", that name resonated in his head, a beautiful name worthy of a beautiful girl.

—"How have you been, Roman? How's Neo?" she said.

—"I'm fine, the life of a criminal is chaotic, but the pay is good," he said, amused. Summer was not, she understood Roman's reasons, but she did not share them. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

—"Román, please, come back to me, come back to us, there is still time for you. We can have fun like before. Do you remember when we went to the villages to fight the Grimm, to do the right thing? I know that life is not do you like it".

Roman simply shook his head. —"That is my life, the one I have chosen. Don't worry, it won't affect you in any way. Any connection you have with me, deny it. I already told you."

—"It's easy to say, Román. I don't like it, you're my friend. I don't like saying that I don't know you, and I hate it," it was true, that hurt Summer more than anything, denying any connection with Román hurt her. But she shook her head, this wasn't the time for this. Today was a special day, Román knew his niece in everything but blood.

She looked at him sweetly and held out her hand to him. —"Come, touch it, it's very soft. You'll love it, you'll see."

He was undecided for a moment, but then he perked up and touched the girl's cheek. He felt her skin soft and warm, and a strange feeling filled his chest. It was as if something had awakened in him, something that had been dormant for a long time. Something that reminded him of his childhood, his dreams, his hopes. Something that made him feel alive.

—"Do you want to carry her?" she asked him and Román was startled, he actually felt afraid.

— "No, Summer, I..., I don't think I can, I better have to go."

—"Come on, come here," she told him and pulled Roman. Despite her condition, Summer was very strong and Roman couldn't resist. With clumsy movements he took little Ruby into her arms. It was strange, she was so light, but she felt so heavy, he didn't feel worthy of carrying her, not with the life she led, but he felt good, he felt light, happy. He snuggled the little girl with soft, delicate movements. She was strangely fascinating, but her face didn't express it, she only showed amazement. Summer just smiled in amusement.

— "Román, don't be scared, you would never hurt her."

Román returned Ruby to Summer's arms, he just sat down, looking at his partner, his friend.

—"What?" she asked.

—"I think..., that I should stop doing this."

—"What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly.

—"To be by their side, with you, with the others. From a distance, hiding. I should just go away, disappear, leave them. It's not good, what will they all think?"

—"They won't think anything," Summer said firmly,—"they also love you even if they don't express it. Qrow likes you, you were his drinking buddy, and there's Tai, well, you did crazy things with him and Oobleck. And Raven, well, ...Raven," Summer's gaze turned sad,—"among everyone, after me, she has the most esteem for you. Even if she doesn't tell you up front, the bond you two have is proof of that."

—"But Yang, Ruby, when they grow up, they will start to notice, they will start to notice what I do, what I am. I don't want that, they will grow up at some point, they will think more critically and they will feel ashamed of what I do..., that's why Maybe I should get away from you, maybe go to Mistral, it would be a good time to make a name for myself there".

!PAMMMMMMM!.

A sharp blow to the head shook him, making him tremble. Roman rubbed the site of the impact and looked at Summer, who was looking at him with anger, sadness and, above all, disappointment. —"Listen to me carefully, Román. You're not going anywhere. You're going to stay here, with me and my daughters. You'll be their uncle, you'll take care of them... They'll understand, one day I'll fix it, we'll fix it together."

Roman didn't know what to say. What could he say?

Without realizing it, he put his little finger closer to little Ruby, who had just been born. To her surprise, the girl grabbed her finger tightly, demonstrating a good grip. And then something wonderful happened before her eyes.

The little girl opened her eyes, silver eyes like her mother's. Roman was fascinated and Summer spoke again. —"Román, I don't know what will happen in the future. The life of hunters is dangerous. I want you to promise me something." She didn't wait for Román's response, but she knew he was listening to her. —"Take care of Ruby and Yang if something happens to me. Protect them, always ensure their safety, please."

Roman had no choice. From the moment he saw that girl's eyes, he knew that he had to protect her at all costs. —"Yes, I will protect them with my life. I will do whatever is necessary for them to be well."

—"Thank you, Román. Did you hear that, Ruby? Your uncle will always be there to take care of you and protect you."

That was the most beautiful memory of his life, the promise he made. Maybe he didn't do a good job, but he did the best he could. They would never remember him, they would not remember that in those moments of loneliness, when they felt cold, when they felt hungry due to the neglect of his father who was unhappy over the loss of his wife, he was always there. But what else did he give?

—"They grew up well, they are strong," Román spoke into space. —"Summer, Ruby and Yang are amazing, they're strong. You don't have to worry about them, they grew well. Your ideals are in them. Ruby is doing great, she's a student here at Beacon, she jumped two years ahead of herself, can you believe it? She is clumsy, naïve... just like you. She'll do very well, she'll be a heroine like in the stories you told her. And Yang will always take care of his sister, she is not like his mother, he will never abandon her. They look a lot like you, Summer".

Román's heart shook strongly, irregularly. His gaze darkened, dull. In a moment, his heart stopped, but his mind was still clear from the seconds that were slipping away.

He remembered the day he met Summer, the woman who stole his breath with her smile. He remembered how Yang was born, the girl who made him proud, how he hugged her, how she whispered a song to him. He remembered how Summer married Taiyang after Raven abandoned him, he felt happy for her. He remembered all the moments he had with Ruby, the girl who challenged him, inspired him, made him laugh. He remembered all that, and smiled.

In a forest far away, close to Mistral's territory but at the same time far from it, a woman in a camp felt it. She felt a bond break, disappear so quickly. She felt it, shivered, got up from her bed and went outside, to the clearing in the forest. She looked at the stars. —"Román, you fool. You should have left when you had the chance. You should have come with me." Raven lamented, something strange about this woman.

On an Atlas ship, on the great Atlas battleship, Ruby felt it so strongly, she didn't know why, but she felt destroyed, overwhelmed, tears came out of her eyes that she couldn't contain, she didn't understand this overwhelming sensation that invaded her, It was like when she found out that her mother would never come home. But why would she cry at this moment? She doesn't remember anything that would make her feel this way. Her pain was uncontrollable. Sobs came out of her mouth. The state of her life is pitiful. that girl and she would never know why she felt so sad.

Yang was running directly towards Beacon Academy, but suddenly she tripped, fell on the asphalt, her heart started pounding, her eyes filled with tears, it was confusing to her, why was she crying? It was like she had lost something, but He didn't understand what it was. It was frankly painful, he didn't like this sensation.

And on a ship that was going directly to Menajerie, hidden among the cargo was Neo, lying down, sleeping, she grimaced in pain and treacherous tears came from her eyes.

Román, who was still conscious, but with a broken heart that stopped beating a long time ago, only smiled, he could only remember that memory, the best way to die, and on that night, in that place where he met his greatest friend, Román, The thief, an unfortunate man, breathed his last.

Good morning, good afternoon and good night, I hope you liked it and I apologize if there are any spelling errors that I have overlooked, sometimes I don't see them.

As you may have noticed, the chapter has a somewhat depressing tone, but that is normal. That is the climax I want to create in this arc, since we are reaching the end of volume 3, and we also have to show that heroes do not always triumph the first time, and that sometimes they have to face harsh defeats and consequences.

Well, that's all for now. Thank you for your attention and I hope you continue reading this story.

Write your comments!