Blades Of A Rose

Chapter 37: Heroes and Monsters

A/n: Once again guys, I would like to apologize for taking a long time to complete this. And for lack of length. Well, guys time to start reading! Also Enjoy the Music!

After you land on the airship, a giant Grimm Dragon flies past You both. Ruby looks on, with the surrounding Griffons roaming the skies. A Griffon lands on the airship, but Ruby easily cuts it down with Crescent Rose, causing it to disintegrate into black particles. But suddenly, You and Ruby hear a snap, turning to see the Neo, now changing into her standard attire with a wave of light washing over her from bottom to top, as she winks while taking a picture of Ruby and You, she sent it to someone. You got into fighting stance and the battle began, Ruby performed a low swing, with Neo somersaulting over it, and ducking underneath the next swing, before performing another backflip to dodge the third. Ruby then twirls Crescent Rose before attempting another low sweep, only for Neo to backflip away from her consecutive attacks. Once Ruby finished spinning her weapon, she stabs Crescent Rose into the hull and fires a shot, only to shatter in an illusion of Neo, revealing Roman as he fires a shot back with Melodic Cudgel sending Ruby flying several feet, before she uses Crescent Rose to safely hold herself steady from the surrounding gales, while Roman walks up to her.

"Little Red and company, you both are just determined to be the heroes of Vale, aren't cha?" Roman said

"What are you doing!? Without these ships, the Grimm will destroy everything!" You shouted at him

"That's the plan!" He replied

You ran up to punch him but was stopped by Neo.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" You yelled as you punched Neo in the face before she could create an illusion, sending her flying back fifteen feet.

Ruby then swats aside Melodic Cudgel just as he attempts to fire it at her, causing him to slightly off-balance, then Neo made a surprise return and leapt over her, kicking Ruby in the left cheek, while using the momentum to flip her over and send Ruby tumbling on her back. Neo then follows up with a roundhouse to Ruby's face, and a rear horse kick nearly sending her careening off the hull of the airship.

"Ruby!" You shouted and started running towards her before Neo spartan kicked you off the ship.

"(Y/n)!" She shouted before she turns her head back Roman "But why!? What do you get out of it!?"

'I have had enough of this BULLSHIT!' You thought as created two generic swords and stabbed the hull of the airship and hung on. You began climbing up and eventually got back to the edge, but Ruby didn't see you yet.

"You're asking the wrong questions Red! It's not what I have to gain, it's that I can't afford to lose!" Roman said

"Well, now I know what you're afraid of Roman I thank you for having a big mouth" You said as you climbed back on the ship. Ruby turned and looked at you with a smile, glad that you were alive.

"Oh, and what am I afraid of kid?" Roman

"Simple." You began to walk forward with your weapons in hand. "You're afraid of dying."

Roman looks at you with a dumbfounded look, but it was quickly and completely replaced with an angry one.

"Stupid kid, you think you're so smart." Roman said gritting his teeth in anger

"Well, if I'm wrong, then why are you getting angry?" You said while Roman was getting even more agitated.

You signal to Ruby to charge forward. She gives a quick nod before going. As Ruby charges, Neo vaults over Roman for a powerful kick. She kicked Ruby back and Ruby holds her scythe up to block the incoming attacks then Neo grabbed Crescent Rose with the hook of her parasol, and slid under Ruby. Neo then used her parasol to flip Ruby. After Ruby had spun in midair, Neo finished with a roundhouse to the abdomen, as Roman slammed the barrel of Melodic Cudgel to the ground and fired, causing the cane to ricochet and hit Ruby, before catching it and firing the weapon once more over his shoulder. The blast is enough to send Ruby holding on for dear life, with the embedded blade of Crescent Rose the only thing preventing her from falling. They turn to you as you felt your anger begin to rise once more.

[Your Progression Towards Explosion: 90%]

You ran forward as Neo began to charge you. You slash horizontally, hoping to cut her umbrella in half, but to no avail. She gives you a swift kick to the chest, knocking you to your knees and she kicks once more trying to hit your face, but you catch her foot and flipped her up into the air.

"That's not a real kick." 

As she fell, you round house kick her into Roman, but he stopped her.

"That was a real  kick." You teased.

They both rushed you and you held one of your swords up, preparing to throw it. You threw your sword and it didn't connect, they... shattered.

'Oh crap, an illusion' You thought as you looked to the side with a gun pointed at you.

He shot you. You ended up next to Ruby, who was still hanging off the edge. You look towards her and attempt to extend your hand, but a kick to the head prevented that and sent you off the edge once more. You reacted quickly this time and grabbed the edge with one hand.

"I may be a gambling man, but even I know that there are some bets you just don't take." Roman said

Neo then extends her blade and drags it on the surface, as she holds You and Ruby at swordpoint.

"Like it or not, the people that hired me are going to change the world! You can't stop 'em, I can't stop 'em!" Roman continued

As Roman continues, You kick away a Nevermore while Ruby notices there's a button on Neo's parasol.

"You know the old saying, "If you can't beat 'em-" Roman was interpreted when suddenly, Ruby reaches for the parasol, causing it to open and send Neo flying off the airship, leaving her with a frightened gasp as she is silently left at the mercy of the Grimm roaming the skies and the raging winds.

"NEO!" Roman yelled

"We don't care what you say! We will stop them and we'll stop you!" You said as you both got up

"BET ON THAT!!" Ruby yelled at Roman

As Ruby charges at top speed with the use of her Semblance, Roman grips Melodic Cudgel with both hands, the left hand holding the shaft, as he quickly catches the projectile with the hook end and hurls it at Ruby, knocking her away, before smacking her with the business end of the cane, ramming the weapon into her stomach, and firing another shot, sending her on her back once more. You then charged him, but he sidestepped and shot you in the eye. You landed next to Ruby holding you eye in pain.

"You both got spirit, but this is the real world!" Roman said

Roman then whacks Ruby with the butt of his cane, sending her back a few feet.

"The real world is cold!"

Roman whacks you back as well and lands another coshing, this time on Ruby's legs.

"The real world doesn't care about spirit!" Roman said

You then kick him in the knee, causing him to lose balance as he prepares a downward strike.

"You wanna be a hero!? Then play the part and die like every other Huntsman in history!" Roman said

He then proceeds to smack you with the butt end of the cane.

"As for me, I'll do what I do best: lie, steal, cheat, and SURVIVE!" He said as he prepares a final, overhead swing on you both, an Alpha Griffon suddenly appears from the sky and swallows him whole, attracted by the negativity of his rant. The roar sends You and Ruby back a few feet, before the two charge at each other. You both prevail when Ruby kicks the beast in the head, sending it through the hull and causing the airship to crash. And then, she grabs Crescent Rose, leaps off the falling airship, and propels herself in the air, shooting at the ground as if her weapon was a pogo-stick, before landing safely on the rooftops of Vale. You couldn't do that, but you could just.

"You know what? Yolo." You said before jumping off the ship and crashing in a concrete roof top. You created an imprint of your crashing body into the roof top. You saw Ruby run over to you as you got out of the imprint, exhausted.