Blades Of A Rose

Chapter 36: Battle of Beacon

Your POV

You were at the Colosseum with a Nevermore screeching above your head as it continues to weaken the force field that's keeping it from getting in.

"Warning: Safety Barriers Failing." The Warning Announcer advising

Ruby was kneeling on the ground with her head down, her expression in a mixture of shock and sadness. As the Nevermore circles around the Colosseum, Pyrrha struggles to stand as she looks in shock at the torn apart Penny Polendina.

Jaune in the stands with the remaining members of Team JNPR ran towards her "PYRRHA!! Pyrrha, that thing's going to break in! You've gotta move!"

Then, the force field flash as the Nevermore rises back up before diving back in. Wasting no time, Jaune jumps from the stands into the arena.

"Jaune!" Nora calls

Jaune runs towards Pyrrha "Pyrrha, please snap out of it!"

Suddenly, the Nevermore completely breaks through the holographic barrier, and the force of it landing on the arena floor knocks back Jaune, Pyrrha, and the pieces of Penny. The Nevermore screeches and lunges towards Pyrrha. Suddenly, Ruby dashed with rose petals behind her. She knocks the Nevermore with one of Penny's swords and stabbing into the Nevermore, before jumping back down in front of Pyrrha.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha said

Ruby had an angered, determined expression on her face, pointing Penny's sword toward the Nevermore "Leave her alone!" She shouted as you ran up next to her

The Nevermore rises up and circles around the arena before plunging back down. Ruby holds Penny's sword defensively and You summon Dust Caliber.

"You know what? Screw waiting for it to attack" You said as you began to walk forward

"Wait! (Y/n)!" Ruby shouted

The Nevermore notices you as easy prey and dives for you.

"Y'know I've had enough bullshit for one day." You said, angered before jumping in its mouth.

You heard Ruby shout your name as you jumped. You went down its throat and into its stomach. You made sure not to touch the acid by stabbing your sword into the "ceiling" of its stomach. You heard it screech in pain. You looked up and punched your way out of the stomach and that's where you found... its spine.

[POV change To Ruby's POV]

I was in disbelief. I was so afraid of losing him. Then, I saw it. The Nevermore was moving erratically as if it was being hurt on the inside. Its spine then snapped in half and was ripped apart and there emerged (Y/n).

[Back to Your POV]

You broke the Nevermore's spine and ripped in half. Now, the real problem was getting back down.

"Oh, crap." You said as you crashed into the ground in front of Ruby.

You look up and saw Ruby's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, hey" You said as she fell into your arms

"I thought I lost you!" Ruby said crying and pounding on your chest with her fists

"I know. I know." You said quietly "But first we need to get through this."

"Ok." Ruby said wiping her tears away

Pyrrha was kneeling on the ground as she said "Ruby, I..." She stops and holds a piece of Penny's torn cloth in her hands as her eyes continue to well up "I'm so sorry."

"Me too." Ruby said, forlornly then she became suddenly angered "But it wasn't your fault."

"She's right." Jaune said as he walks over to Pyrrha with Milo and Akouo in his hands "Whoever was on that microphone... they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else."

Pyrrha stands back up and takes her weapons back from Jaune, the two of them exchanging determined expressions. They then look over to Ruby and You, who smiles at the impressive ensemble of students. The moment is cut short when they notice hippogriff-like Grimm land on top of the Colosseum. They fly towards the group of students as Ren calls the Grimm species out by their formal name.

"Griffons." Ren called them

"Anybody got a plan of attack?" Neptune asked

"Yeah, shoot them" You said bluntly and transformed Dust Caliber to its gun form.

"Sun! I need your Scroll!" Ruby said

Sun uses his tail to flick his Scroll to Ruby, who catches and uses it to summon her locker, which opens up revealing Crescent Rose inside. However, Ruby is stopped when a Griffon lands on her locker and roars at her before being scared away by the sound of a gunshot.

Port was holding his blunderbuss-axe in hand, with Oobleck holding his weapon in its club form "Students! I think it would be best for you to leave."

"But we did a-" Ruby began to say

"Miss Rose! This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell about it." Oobleck said

Ruby nods at the Doctor's words before grabbing Crescent Rose and twirling it into it's scythe form.

"Let's go!" Ruby commanded, as you nod and run with her

"What's going on!?" Ruby asked Ironwood

"Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang's invaded Beacon, and to make matters worse, some... vagabond has seized one of my ships. Until we regain command, the skies are out of our control. So I'm..." Ironwood is interrupted by a sneak attack from a Creep, which is swiftly dealt with from a bullet to its head. "...going to take it back."

As Ironwood turns for his ship, he is stopped when you asked a question.

"What should we do?" You ask

Ironwood turns and faces you all "You have two choices. Defend your Kingdom and your school... or save yourselves." You all exchange looks with each other "No one will fault you if you leave. " Ironwood then proceeds to climb up on the dropship in front of him, as he addresses the crowd. "Let's move out!"

As Ironwood leaves, You and Ruby look at each other and the others murmur before a certain monkey Faunus speaks up.

"I mean... come on!" Sun said

"We can take a ship to Beacon!" Jaune said

You all got on an airbus straight for Beacon, but on your way, Ironwood's ship starts to plummet to the ground. The others watch in horror as they see dropship fall from the sky. You and Ruby look at each other knowing what you two were about to do. You both ran to the bay doors of their Air Bus.

"Ruby! (Y/n)! What are you doing!?" Sun shouted after you

You and Ruby then jump off the Air Bus as it barely takes off, Ruby used her Semblance of speed to safely land on the runway after free falling in the sky and you summon swords, axes, and some bows to use as platforms and run across them and jump onto the edge of the stadium. Ruby waited for you and then started running once you made it. You catch up to her and run to the stadium and found it nearly empty and full of brown dirt, where she sees a locker. You caught up to her as she punches in the code, latches on with Crescent Rose and offers you her hand which you accept, and immediately takes to the skies, landing on top of the stolen airship with a thud.

[Your Progression Towards Explosion: 85%]