Remnant's Calling

3x10: Showdown

The clock ticks in a dull, melodic tone, reverberating around the office like an unceasing resonance. But, to Ozpin, it was a part of him, like his heartbeat. Even while the distant yet piercing noise of the Vytal Festival boomed throughout Vale, it persisted at the same level of sound. That is until the ring of his scroll snatched his attention in its grasp. Upon seeing the name on the holographic screen, fierce surprise took him.

"Mr. Fritz, what is-"

"She escaped, Oz! One of her goddamned teammates broke her out! Detective Palmer and I are tailing them to the arena!"

The thud of his scroll played staccato against the uniform ticking. Then, without pause, soft yet panicked taps followed. "I'm shutting down all transit systems to and from the arena. Stop them no matter what. They cannot be allowed to reach it."

"Ozpin, are you certain?"

"No matter what," Ozpin reaffirms. "I'm authorizing the use of lethal force. Do with it as you will." A beat passed before the call ended with a monotone beep. Ozpin turns from his desk and to the aerial arena. Its lights pierced the deep darkness of the night like a beacon. "What are you planning, Salem?"

⋯

"Alright, folks, the wait is finally over! And the fight you've been anticipating is upon us!" Boomed Professor Port. "With Penny Polendina of Atlas and Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon!"

"Woo! Go, Pyrrha!" Blared Nora. "Kick her butt into next year!"

"You got this, Pyrrha!" Shouts Jaune, pumping the air with his fist.

In the arena, the fighters stood opposed to one another. Even their expressions juxtaposed the others, with Penny seeming happy while Pyrrha looked near in distress.

"Salutations, Pyrrha! I hope our match won't affect our friendship if we win or lose."

The Spartan-like warrior doesn't reply, examining her weapons; they twist and contort into malformed and unusable tools. Then, she jumps and reshapes them to their original forms using her semblance. "Yeah... I hope so, too," Pyrrha replied.

As the arena rises, the fighters take stances and raise their weapons. And then, the ear-piercing ring of a bell cut through the air. Within a split second, one of Penny's hovering swords flung itself toward Pyrrha. The Spartan tensed and shifted to her side while sparks glided off the side of her bronze shield. She pivots and throws the sword before dashing toward Penny, readying a  precise stab. However, Penny uses her other blades to block it and launches a counter, slashing her aura. Pyrrha wastes no time, dodging another strike, then assessing her opponent. She considers for a moment before hurling her spear. Penny prepared to block again, but, to her surprise, Pyrrha appeared with her spear gripped firmly in her hand. With no time to react, Penny had no choice but to tank whatever damage the Spartan was ready to deal. With lightning speed, Pyrrha unleashed a devastating storm of attacks with her spear and shield. She was weathering Penny's aura like a tidal wave collapsing upon a civilization until the sharp, ear-splitting sound of metal against metal ripped through the air. Six swords grinding along the spear's shaft, sparks flying.

Then, as Pyrrha began to push back against the swords, Penny's face shone past them. "You're sensational, Pyrrha! Your skills are truly unmatched!" She exclaimed, a smile on her face.

The Bronze Warrior, however, stayed stoic and moved to continue her onslaught, dashing to her right and then pivoting to one foot before relaunching her spear. Penny readied herself, but while the weapon flew through the air, it gained a dark aura and changed its path—sailing into the sky and circling. And then, like a missile, it burned through the air toward her, striking with incredible speed and strength, leaving a massive dust cloud. The Bronze Warrior stares, her heart pounding in her chest, waiting for the opaque shadow to dissipate. Then, unexpectedly, however, dozens of swords sprouted from the grey cloud, forming a true tidal wave of sharpened metal. Pyrrha's nerves screamed, and she took control with her hands engulfed in a dark aura. The swords snapped and twisted in a misshapen chunks of various colored metal, then, within an instant, retreated into the cloud. A scream followed then the ear-splitting sound of metal on metal ripped through the air. When dust finally settled, Penny's malformed body sat in the aftermath. Her torso laid bear with jagged scraps embedded inside while her arms and legs sat ripped apart revealing circuitry. Moments passed before the massive projector flicked to life, displaying a chess piece.