AN: We're back with a new chapter. And if the title wasn't a dead giveaway, then I'll come right out and say it. A very underutilized character is getting the spotlight today. One guess as to who it is, considering how the last chapter ended. So, enjoy.
Chapter 76: Strength of a Father
Ruby Rose no longer had the strength nor the will to be relieved at the sight of her father. She just looked utterly broken and defeated, barely reacting to his arrival. She just whimpered.
"Dad…" Taiyang winced at the sound of Ruby's broken voice. He never wanted either of his girls to sound like that. Nearby, 2 of Clubs growled as he got to his feet, his jaw resetting slower than usual.
"Okay, that happened." 2 of Clubs muttered under his breath. He narrowed his eyes at Taiyang's arrival, noting the golden Aura of flames surrounding him. "Bullshit. That fucking goof shouldn't be nearly that strong. Hell, even at rest his Aura was nowhere near that strong, so what the hell?"
2 of Clubs then flinched when Taiyang turned his glare back to him. He stepped away almost instinctively. The giant scorpion man let out a gasp of shock at this. He retreated. He actually retreated. This fucking goofball of a dad actually made him retreat. Taiyang coldly advanced on him, picking up speed with each step.
"If you're not going to come to me," Taiyang said to him, "I'll come to you. Just know you're not getting away from me."
2 of Clubs could not believe the sheer audacity in this man's voice and words. He just went on a violent rampage, murdering dozens of Huntsmen and this piece of shit has the nerve to come in like that does not matter in the slightest. He has the nerve to come in acting like 2 of Clubs is the one who's doomed. As Taiyang continued moving towards 2 of Clubs, Hansel Kobalt–who was drifting in and out of consciousness–came to see Taiyang approaching the monster man. His eyes widened. Though he had yet to meet Taiyang, he could tell that this man was Ruby and Yang's father. He had Yang's hair and a very similar Aura.
What is he thinking? Hansel wondered. He knows nothing about the situation and he's just…walking towards that thing with no intention of backing down. Why?
As Hansel asked that, he immediately realized what the reason was. It made him relax considerably as he flickered in and out of consciousness.
No. I know why, it's because his little girl is in danger. Fine…I couldn't try to stop him anyway. And more importantly…it should be fine now. That man…is incredibly strong.
"Who the fuck do you think you are." 2 of Clubs growled at Taiyang. "Do you have the slightest idea of the body count I've accumulated within the past…30 minutes or so. You're just gonna become another statistic, you piece of shit!"
2 of Clubs let out a roar as he broke into a sprint and began swinging his claws and stinger at Taiyang. Taiyang coldly stared at 2 of Clubs as he avoided all three appendages with ease, streaks of golden Aura dancing around his body as he did so. Hansel managed to gain consciousness enough to fully take in the sight of Taiyang avoiding 2 of Clubs' attacks. His eyes widened as he noticed something in particular that stuck out to him. It was something that left him relieved, fully confident in Taiyang's ability to handle the monster.
2 of Clubs' body is starting to wear down. Hansel noted, relieved that they were likely safe now, in spite of all the terror before. But it's not just that…Ruby's father…he's growing stronger, slowly but steadily, every movement he makes, every attack he avoids…his Aura is rising, making him even stronger.
"Stand still…and die!" 2 of Clubs screeched in anger, continuing to swipe at Taiyang repeatedly, not even noticing that Taiyang was getting faster with every single movement. Taiyang's expression then darkened before he pivoted and threw a spinning roundhouse kick into one of 2 of Clubs' claws, shattering it like bones. 2 of Clubs screamed in pain and lunged his other claw at Taiyang, only for Tai to step into range and throw his forearm into 2 of Clubs' other arm, shattering it as well. 2 of Clubs shrieked again as he stumbled backwards, his body no longer rapidly healing itself. Taiyang now went on the offensive and began striking 2 of Clubs' large body repeatedly. 2 of Clubs could only scream in pain with each attack.
Ruby watched in shock as her dad began to utterly dominate 2 of Clubs. Though she was not as familiar with hand to hand as her sister was, Ruby could tell that Taiyang was aiming for vital areas with each strike. 2 of Clubs managed to recover enough and snarled at Taiyang.
"I won't lose to you!" 2 of Clubs screamed in rage, stabbing his stinger right at Taiyang's face, intent on going right through his skull. Taiyang easily avoided the stinger and grabbed onto 2 of Clubs' tail. Taiyang glared at 2 of Clubs as he gripped the tail tightly.
"This won't be enough to pay your debt of the lives you've taken…but it'll at least make me feel better." Gripping the tail tightly, Taiyang yanked hard, pulling the tail with such force that he actually ripped it right off of 2 of Clubs' body. In spite of her broken state and her sheer hatred for the man, Ruby had to wince at the sheer visceral act along with 2 of Clubs' horrific shriek of pain. Taiyang then kicked 2 of Clubs in the knee, shattering his kneecap and leaving him on his knee. "Begone."
With that cold statement, Taiyang pummeled the vulnerable 2 of Clubs with punches that increased in strength with each blow. Ruby and Hansel both watched in shock as the blows eventually caused 2 of Clubs' scorpion body to start to break apart. They both could see the real man underneath, like he was wearing a second skin. Then, with a punch infused with an increasingly powerful golden Aura, Taiyang punched 2 of Clubs with such force that he literally knocked 2 of Clubs out of the 'shell' that was the humanoid Deathstalker body he had been wearing, back into the human form of the Gray Jackal Number Agent. 2 of Clubs mouth was open in a silent scream as he was launched into the air before landing on his back limply, totally unconscious. Hansel's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
I…don't believe what I just saw. Even I'd struggled against any of the Numbers of Gray Jackal. And Mr. Xiao Long just…decimated him. Hansel was no fool, he knew that the efforts of Gardenia, Baza, and all of Thimble's Huntsmen had helped wear down 2 of Clubs. Even so, it still should not have been so easy. In the year Hansel had spent wandering Remnant, bringing down Gray Jackal operations, taking on its top-ranked members was the one thing that gave him pause, to the point where he never imagined it possible one could be beaten unless it was a famous Huntsman, like Professor Ozpin or Glynda. Yet today, the father of two of his students defeated one with the greatest of ease.
Dad is…so strong. Ruby was in a similar state of disbelief. Her eyes then widened as she remembered a conversation she once had with Qrow, during her time in Signal Academy.
"Huh? Who was the strongest member of Team STRQ back in the day?" Qrow had been clearly hung over from the night before as he replied to Ruby's query. "Why do you wanna know so bad, kiddo?"
"Curiosity. I mean, three of my family were members and I can barely imagine any of you young." Ruby had admitted with a hint of teasing.
"Cheeky little brat," Qrow had groaned from his headache and his annoyance over the teasing before responding anyway. He was a cool uncle like that. "Well, I'd definitely say if we're talking who's consistently the strongest, your mom wins it 9 times out of 10. She was something else."
"Only 9 times out of 10? What about the 10th time?"
"That'd be your dad, kid." That had not been the response Ruby expected. She expected Qrow to say himself, but not her dad. As far as Ruby had been concerned, Taiyang Xiao Long was nothing more than an exuberant goof who tried way too hard to be hip. Endearing, but kind of annoying at times. The idea of him being stronger than Qrow, or Yang's mom, or even her mom was…kind of a lot to take in.
"Okay, funny joke, Uncle Qrow. Seriously, who is it? It's you, right?"
"I ain't joking, kid. Now, I'll admit I probably could beat your dad quite a few times in a fight. Thing is though, if I want any chance at winning, I need to pray and hope my own Semblance puts me in a favorable situation to win before his own Semblance starts to act up. And even then, I'd only win because my Semblance is a good matchup, otherwise, I'm screwed. Because once that thing he calls a Semblance starts gaining steam…the only member of Team STRQ that could take Tai consistently in sparring was your mom. To give you a better idea, Yang's mom Raven never fought against enemies she wasn't sure she could beat a hundred percent of the time…and your dad was one of them."
"For real?"
"For real. Fact is, Ruby, at his peak, in the right conditions, not even your mom would have beaten Tai in a fight. He was…I believe the term you kids use these days is 'built different.'"
You weren't kidding, Uncle Qrow. For a brief moment, Ruby forgot her despair to marvel at her father. Dad is incredibly strong!
Hansel's shocked expression then turned into a look of absolute terror. His eyes widened as he sensed three more Auras approaching. All three had malicious intent.
No! Not now! Why now? He frantically wondered. At this point, it just seemed like a cruel sick joke. For his part, Taiyang did not relax in the slightest, he knew what was coming and he was going to be ready. At that moment, all three Numbers under the command of the Ace of Spades broke out of the trees in different areas and surrounded Taiyang. Ruby's eyes widened, she too could not help but wonder if what was happening was some kind of twisted joke, a nightmare she could not wake up from. Just dealing with one Number seemed impossible, but now there were three?
She looked at each of them one by one. First, there was the woman with the number 4 on her mask. She had silver hair that was curly like sheep's wool or a golden doodle's hair. However, what stuck out to Ruby the most was that she had no hands. She was disabled. However, she still looked just as dangerous as the other two.
Then, there was the man with the number 5 on his mask. His hair was red and he wore a brown leather jacket that clashed with his rather villainous appearance thanks to the Gray Jackal mask. His fingers were long and bony with extremely long fingernails. In fact, when Ruby actually got a good look at him, she could not help but note that his entire body seemed rather gaunt and bony. But, it was the same with the double-amputee woman. She could tell he was dangerous, in spite of his appearance. Looks were deceiving.
Finally, there was the smooth looking man dressed in scarlet red, wearing a mask with the number 9 on it. He was the only one that truly looked the part of a ruthless villain. The way he carried himself, the cold expression he undoubtedly wore behind his mask, everything about him. He simply radiated cold efficiency, like that of an assassin. And as he drew a large, curved dagger, Ruby realized that he probably was an assassin.
"And you all are?" Taiyang scowled. Giovanni Scarlatto, currently under the guise of 9 of Spades, gave a curt bow to Taiyang.
"Impressive work, Taiyang Xiao Long…however, I'm afraid we're going to have to put a moratorium on this." 9 of Spades proclaimed. "Now, to be blunt, we will be taking your daughter and 2 of Clubs back with us."
"You must be new to diplomacy." Taiyang noted.
"Who said we were trying to be diplomatic, Mr. Xiao Long?" 9 of Spades coldly countered. "I'm sorry, I understand she is your daughter, but that unfortunately changes nothing. Our superiors want Ms. Rose brought to Gray Jackal, and that is not going to change."
Taiyang wanted to charge right at 9 of Spades and punch that stupid mask off his stupid face. However, he instead found his eyes subtly drawn towards 4 of Spades, the silver-haired woman. One of the stumps where her hands used to be were subtly pointed at Ruby. Taiyang was no fool, he could sense the Aura, even if he could see nothing himself. 9 of Spades and 5 of Spades both gasped as Taiyang pivoted off his foot and turned before sprinting towards 4 of Spades, whose eyes were no longer on him.
"4!" 9 of Spades called out to her, breaking her out of her focus on Ruby. 4 of Spades turned and gasped as Taiyang was upon her, a ruthlessly cold expression on her face. She managed to leap away from his first punch, which shattered the ground instead.
Did he see 4's…no, that's impossible, the whole point of that power is its extreme difficulty to see or sense! 9 of Spades noted, readying his dagger for battle, realizing that their plan to calmly take both 2 of Clubs and Ruby away was ruined. Not that he ever expected it to work in the first place, of course.
"Why you…is that anyway to treat a lady?!" 4 of Spades demanded as she regained her balance, glaring at Taiyang.
"I've known plenty of ladies. You're not one of them." Taiyang told her before charging forward again. 4 of Spades growled and pointed her handless arms at him. Then, much to her horror, Taiyang began leaping around like he was avoiding several attacks. At that moment, Taiyang confirmed what 9 of Spades was speculating. He was actually dodging them.
Then…he can see them? Sense them? 9 of Spades realized, with 5 of Spades gawking in genuine amazement as well. They had not seen many people who could not only sense what 4 of Spades actually did, but avoid them as well.
"9! 5! Am I alone in this fight?!" 4 of Spades demanded before Taiyang planted a powerful foot in her stomach. She let out a pained grunt before being knocked backwards. 5 of Spades finally broke from his stupor and brandished his long bony fingers.
"So it wasn't a fluke that he brought down 2! 2 wasn't just worn down by all the fighting he had done up to that point" He proclaimed as several red threads made from Aura appeared from his fingernails. The threads then moved towards Taiyang. Taiyang saw the threads coming towards him and leapt forward, planting his foot onto 4 of Spades' face and pushing off of her, flooring her in an instant and avoiding 5 of Spades' threads.
No, 2 of Clubs was exhausted. That much is true. He ran quite the gauntlet of murder and destruction. The fact is, that man was no fighter. He's a scientist. He could handle the transformation, but his body would never last that long compared to others. 9 of Spades noted inwardly. His eyes widened behind the mask in realization. But it's not just that…the fact is, this man may simply be that good. He may simply be that strong.
For her part, Ruby watched in amazement as her father went to work on the three new arrivals. After landing, Taiyang rushed towards 5 of Spades. 5 of Spades unleashed more red threads made of Aura that he whipped at the blonde man. Taiyang avoided them with ease as they tore across the ground slicing through them like a hot knife through butter. She then looked to see 9 of Spades joining the fight as well, brandishing a large, curved dagger. 4 of Spades was getting up as well. Ruby continued to gawk as the golden Aura around Taiyang continued to grow in intensity.
I see now, she thought in awe, forgetting her own despair, this is…Dad's Semblance.
Taiyang Xiao Long's Semblance: Nova. The longer the fight drags on, the more kinetic energy Taiyang builds up, increasing his raw power and speed like that of a furnace being fed more fuel. In other words, in a contest of endurance; in a contest of stamina; always bet on Taiyang Xiao Long. Because once he builds up enough steam, he is almost unbeatable in battle. And he had been building up in strength, pummeling his way through Grimm that had been in his way along the way here, starting with the ones that had been trying to surround and kill young Cedric.
Taiyang was in front of 5 of Spades. He threw a punch that stopped short, but fired off a blast of energy from his fist that actually incinerated the Aura Threads and sent 5 of Spades flying backwards from the impact. Taiyang then looked over his shoulder just as 4 of Spades rejoined the fight. She was holding out her amputated limbs once more. Instinctively, Taiyang jumped and bent around whatever she was attacking him with.
"I see now, you can see it!" 9 of Spades realized as he leapt into the fray, swinging his large, curved dagger at Taiyang. "You can see 4's Semblance!"
Taiyang easily avoided each of 9 of Spades' attacks, building up more kinetic energy in his body. 9 of Spades narrowed his eyes behind his mask. He then called out a seemingly random word that left Taiyang bewildered, but still very focused.
"Spin!" He called out as he swung his dagger. Though Taiyang was admittedly confused by such a random word being spoken, he still avoided the swipe. However, he did notice a streak of Aura that followed the dagger.
That might've damaged my Aura a bit had it connected. He noted. Strange, his attacks weren't that strong before.
9 of Spades then displayed incredible acrobatic skills and agility and leapt into the air with a spinning roundhouse kick. Then, much to Taiyang's surprise, he repeated the same word as before.
"Spin!" 9 of Spades yelled as he completed the motion of the kick. Taiyang leaned to the side, avoiding the attack. However he felt his cheek be cut by the sheer force of it.
Again? The attack increased in strength and force. Taiyang noted. 9 of Spades landed and lunged forward with his dagger.
"Spin!" 9 of Spades called out for the third time as he stabbed the dagger towards Taiyang. Taiyang managed to avoid any vital areas. However, the dagger still managed to open up a noticeable wound, right through his Aura. He gasped as he saw his side start to bleed.
"Dad!" Ruby yelled. Taiyang narrowed his eyes and threw a hook at 9 of Spades.
No! I got a good number from that last spin, but he barely flinched! 9 of Spades gasped. Damn, I have no choice, I have to gamble on defense!
"Spin!" 9 of Spades frantically yelled, holding out his arms in front of him in defense just as Taiyang's punch connected. Taiyang frowned as 9 of Spades' scarlet red Aura became visible as its defensive abilities seemed to increase. However, the force of the punch still managed to knock the Gray Jackal agent backwards. Unfortunately, 9 of Spades looked no worse for wear. However, that did confirm Taiyang's suspicion.
"Well that's new," Taiyang mused, "a Semblance centered around chance. You're spinning for a favorable number to give you an edge, aren't you?"
9 of Spades scowled. He scowled because that was exactly what his Semblance was.
He figured out my Semblance after seeing it four times. He's sharper than I expected. 9 of Spades begrudgingly acknowledged. Indeed, that was the entire gimmick of his Semblance. Giovanni Scarlatto's (AKA, 9 of Spades) Semblance: Good Fortune. By spinning an imaginary wheel filled with numbers, Giovanni experiences an 'increase' based on what he's spinning for, whether it's a stronger attack, a critical strike regardless of where the attack lands, or even a stronger defense. How high could the numbers on this imaginary wheel go? That was his little secret.
"Hmph, I won't bother confirming…we both know that's the only thing it can be, since you figured it out from context clues alone." 9 of Spades stated with a hint of irritation in his voice. The only other person to have figured out his Semblance so quickly was the Ace of Spades. "But it doesn't matter. 4, 5! Let's match our timing better!"
With that, 9 of Spades and Taiyang charged each other once more with 5 of Spades and 4 of Spades surrounding the two. 5 of Spades created more Aura Threads that began to surround both 9 of Spades and Taiyang like that of a spider's web, while 4 of Spades held out her amputated limbs once more. Ruby and Hansel watched in amazement as Taiyang and 9 of Spades went shot for shot with one another while simultaneously avoiding attacks from both 5 and 4 of Spades. With each attack, 9 of Spades called out "Spin" to land a more powerful blow on Ruby's father.
He's on a completely different level. Hansel realized as he watched Taiyang move, weave and fight with precision and power. Not even I could hope to fight three Numbers at once, and he's doing it no problem. Is this really how powerful Qrow's teammates are?
As the fight dragged on, 9 of Spades realized, much to his horror, that Taiyang's strength and speed was continuing to rise by the second, the longer the fight dragged on. At that moment, 9 of Spades came to a grim realization.
One of three things is going to happen. First outcome, I land a critical hit on a lucky spin that turns the tide in our favor. Second outcome, we're forced to retreat with 2 of Clubs in hand without the girl. Third outcome…we lose. I could certainly hope to spin a jackpot…but with each spin, he seems to grow in strength. I can't afford to drag this fight out. None of us can.
Then, much to 9 of Spades' shock, Taiyang hit the flat end of his dagger with such force, the weapon shattered to pieces from the impact.
My dagger! That was made from some of the strongest steel mined in Mantle! 9 of Spades stared at his shattered weapon briefly. He then saw Taiyang preparing for a follow up. He knew neither 5 of Spades nor 4 of Spades' attacks would reach the man in time. He tossed the broken weapon to the side. As if I have a choice.
9 of Spades threw a punch of his own. His fist collided with Taiyang's and just as the fists connected, 9 of Spades shouted out loud.
"Spin!" He yelled. At that moment, Taiyang winced as he felt the increase in power in the impact. The sleeve of his shirt exploded. The Aura Threads of 5 of Spades along with 4 of Spades' unknown Semblance were completely burned away from the explosion of power from the two men. 9 of Spades' expression briefly turned ecstatic at the sight.
Yes! A critical hit! He cheered inwardly briefly before he felt a second punch right connect with his jaw. The impact created a second explosion of golden Aura that sent him flying across the ground, landing on his hands and knees. He clutched his jaw in disbelief. He…shrugged off a critical hit?
"9!" 4 of Spades shouted in concern.
"Silence!" 9 of Spades shouted back, uncharacteristically angry. If there was one thing Giovanni Scarlatto hated, it was when things did not go perfectly. He disliked anything he interpreted as bad luck.
"What do we do, 9?" 5 of Spades demanded, glaring at Taiyang. Before 9 of Spades could respond, his eyes widened as he sensed yet another Aura signature coming towards them. His expression turned even angrier behind the mask as he realized just how out of hand things were getting.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He growled before regaining his composure. There was only one thing left to do. Only one appropriate action to take. "Gray Jackal agents, retreat. 4, take 2 of Clubs' body."
"We're retreating?" 5 of Spades was not expecting that kind of response.
"This is out of hand, and someone just as strong as this one is coming our way." 9 of Spades replied. "Don't argue with me, 5. This is the optimal choice to make."
"But the girl-"
"I said don't argue with me!" 9 of Spades snapped. Taiyang, who had been advancing on the trio, stopped upon realizing the Gray Jackal agents intended to retreat. At that moment, 2 of Clubs' battered body was lifted into the air by an invisible force. 9 of Spades glared at Taiyang as the trio turned away. "Today is our loss…but we will be back. Gray Jackal wants her…and we always get what we want in the end."
With that, the Gray Jackal Agents retreated at incredible speed. Ruby and Hansel both stared in awe. Hansel let out a breath that he did not even realize he had been holding.
How…how the fuck did we survive that? He wondered before a black crow suddenly flew into view. Within seconds, the crow morphed into the form of Qrow Branwen. Taiyang took a deep breath as his golden Aura dissipated, his Semblance officially turned off.
"Qrow, I thought that was you I sensed." Taiyang said with relief, struggling to catch his breath. "What are you doing here?"
"I was on my way to your place to check on your house when I got a call from Glynda." Qrow gestured to Hansel. "She said this one had run away from home to investigate something going on in Thimble. I was worried when I remembered that was where you all went."
"...Guess I should be grateful you were sober enough to be worried." Qrow winced from that statement but nodded.
"I'm glad I came here. I saw the aftermath." He shuddered. "It was a bloodbath, Tai. I don't know what the hell happened…but I'm glad you were here to stop it.
Bloodbath… Ruby paled at that word. At that moment, her mind was forced to remember every horrible thing that happened leading up to her father arriving to save her and Hansel. At that moment, the tears returned and Ruby started to sob, horrified at everything she was forced to witness. Taiyang and Qrow both winced, both familiar with those kinds of tears.
At this moment, Ruby Rose was broken…
AN: You know, sometimes I feel bad when I put characters through hell...then I remind myself of my number one philosophy about character arcs and writing in general. A good happy ending comes from putting your characters through hell.
Anywho, to be clear, the only reason Taiyang managed to fight three high-ranking Gray Jackal Agents at once is because his Semblance, Nova, was already active. By the way, for reference, Tai's semblance was heavily inspired by Leonard Burns, a character from a series called Fire Force. If you haven't already, give it a watch. It's made by the author of Soul Eater, so if you enjoy Soul Eater you'll enjoy Fire Force. This isn't a paid endorsement, I just really enjoyed Fire Force. In fact, if you haven't seen Soul Eater, watch it/read it. Genuinely good series.
But anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the last battle of the Thimble Arc. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter in general, because getting to showcase someone as underutilized as Taiyang is always a treat. I'll see you all next time.