In the heart of the arena, the crowd's cheer was a deafening symphony. Team JNPR and Team BRNZ had charged at one another, a storm of motion and sound.
As the battle commenced, May of Team BRNZ, a woman of quiet focus, rushed into the dense, artificial forest. With a fluid grace, she leaped onto a high branch, her silhouette camouflaged by the leaves. She settled her sniper rifle on the branch, her gaze sweeping over the chaos below, ready to provide cover fire.
At the same moment, Brawnz, the leader of Team BRNZ, a hulking figure of raw strength, charged at Pyrrha, his body a battering ram. He slammed his knee against her shield, the impact pushing her back several feet. He went for a powerful punch, but Pyrrha, a paragon of defense, blocked it with her spear, her calm resolve pushing him back.
The arena was a chess game in motion. Ren and Nora moved as a single, coordinated unit, surrounding Nolan. Nora swung her mighty hammer, but Nolan, quick as a viper, ducked under the blow before retaliating with his weapon, a cattle prod-like staff, striking her with a jolt of energy.
In the distance, May settled her crosshairs on Ren. She fired, the shot a quiet hiss in the forest, but it missed, the bullet ricocheting off a stone behind him with a sharp crack.
Across the battlefield, Roy from Team BRNZ slammed into Jessica's Aura Shield, but she held firm, the force of his attack dissipating against her defense. She swiftly dodged a bullet from May, the near-miss forcing her to act.
"Damn, everyone, get down!" Jessica shouted, her voice echoing across the arena floor. Her team immediately scattered, running and hiding behind a cluster of large rocks, finding temporary safety from the sniper fire.
"What do we do?" Pyrrha asked, her voice tight with urgency.
Jessica peeked over the rocks, her eyes scanning the battlefield. She saw the three remaining members of Team BRNZ charging toward them, a synchronized wall of aggression.
"Spread out!" Jessica shouted, her voice a whip-crack command. "Try to keep moving! She can't hit us all at once!"
With a synchronized burst, Team JNPR flipped out of hiding and charged. Brawnz immediately slammed his fist against Jessica's Aura shield, his intent to break her defense clear. Just then, May switched her position in the forest, moving to get a clearer shot.
Nolan of Team BRNZ, his face a mask of cold determination, walked steadily forward before he stopped, as Ren got in his way. Nolan held up his cattle prod, and a cruel smirk touched his lips as he looked over his shoulder. He gave a sharp nod, a silent signal. May, seeing his gesture, returned the smirk and fired. The shot hit the ground below Ren's feet, kicking up a cloud of dust. Ren dodged the shot, but the distraction was enough. Nolan's cattle prod struck him in the face, the electric shock causing him to stumble back.
Ren tried to kick Nolan, but he ducked, easily dodging the attack. Nolan then struck again, the cattle prod connecting with Ren's body. A powerful jolt of electricity surged through Ren's Aura, and he fell to the ground.
"Ren!" Nora cried out, her voice filled with a mix of shock and fury. She charged forward, her hammer swinging wildly, but Nolan ducked out of the way, his movements nimble. He then aimed his cattle rod at Nora's stomach, striking her with a powerful electrical shock.
High in the commentator's box, Professor Port's booming voice filled the arena. "Oh, looks like one of my favorite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her Semblance!"
"What?" Nolan said, his eyes flicking to the large screen above the arena, which showed a close-up of the commentators.
"Yes," Dr. Oobleck's voice was a rapid, academic hum. "Ms. Valkyrie's Semblance lets her produce as well as channel electrical energy straight to her muscles. This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or, in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send the young man flying."
"What!?" Nolan shouted, turning back to Nora. He stared in disbelief as Nora looked at him, a wide, terrifying smirk on her face. With a burst of lightning speed, she charged forward, her hammer now glowing with a dangerous electrical charge. She pushed Nolan back with a mighty blow, sending him flying into a cluster of boulders.
Jessica watched the scene unfold with a renewed sense of purpose. She looked at the fake stormy mountain, an idea forming in her mind. "Nora! Get to the mountain!" she shouted, her voice a clear command.
"You got it!" Nora said with a wide, confident smile, her expression a mix of sheer joy and determination. She immediately headed toward the towering, stormy mountain, her hammer held in her hands.
Hidden behind a large boulder, Ren took a deep breath, his twin weapons, Stormflower, at the ready. Jessica turned to him, her voice a calm command cutting through the battlefield's roar. "Ren, try and distract the sniper!"
Just then, a bullet whizzed past Ren, the sound a low hum in the air. He sighed in a mixture of resignation and amusement. "Sure... why not," he said, before charging forward, his movements a fluid dance of grace and speed. Jessica and Pyrrha looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them, before they too rushed into the fray.
In the distance, Nora was a blur of pink and white as she bounded from rock to rock, her eyes fixed on the mountain's peak. Jessica shielded herself as Roy attacked her with his circular saw weapons, the blades clanging against her Aura Shield. Nearby, Pyrrha found herself fighting Brawnz, her spear a blur of motion as she dodged and blocked his coordinated attacks.
May aimed her sniper rifle at Ren, her crosshairs locked on. She fired, but Ren was a phantom of motion, dodging every bullet with practiced ease as he charged forward. He moved with a focused, almost hypnotic rhythm, his body twisting and turning just enough to avoid each shot.
Suddenly, Nolan landed in front of Ren, his cattle prod at the ready. He swung it at Ren, who blocked the attack with his twin weapons. Ren then kicked Nolan squarely in the gut, using his own momentum to lock him into a headlock.
May, seeing her partner in trouble, quickly repositioned her aim, her sniper rifle now trained on Nora.
"Nora!" Ren shouted, his voice a desperate warning.
Jessica looked back at the sound, just as she blocked an attack from Brawnz with her Aura Sword. She saw May aiming at Nora. An idea flashed through her mind.
"Pyrrha, up!" Jessica commanded.
Pyrrha quickly kicked Roy aside, then ran over to Jessica. Jessica slammed her Aura shield against Brawnz, making him stumble back, before holding it up for Pyrrha. The Aura shield grew in size, taking most of her energy. Pyrrha jumped and landed on Jessica's shield, and with all her remaining strength, Jessica launched Pyrrha high into the air.
At the same time, May took the shot aimed at Nora, but Pyrrha, a blur of motion in the sky, blocked the attack, sending Pyrrha flying back. Jessica then ran back and got behind a boulder, as did Ren.
At that moment, Nora reached the top of the mountain. Her hammer began to glow with a brilliant electrical charge as she channeled her Semblance, the mountain's energy now coursing through her. She then transformed her hammer into a grenade launcher, aimed it at the forest where May was hiding, and took the shot.
May looked at the incoming grenades, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. The grenades hit their marks, and thick smoke filled the air, forcing her to reposition. She jumped from branch to branch, but the smoke caught up to her, making her cough. She jumped down from the tree, her face a mask of frustration.
The rest of Team BRNZ looked on in shock, but their surprise turned to horror as they looked up to see Nora, airborne, jumping down from the mountain, her hammer held high over her head. The moment she landed, she slammed her hammer into the ground, causing a powerful shockwave that cracked the very ground beneath the arena, sending the rest of Team BRNZ flying toward May.
May coughed, trying to clear her lungs, as her teammates landed in a heap around her.
Jessica, her Aura shield and sword having dissipated, was resting her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Alright, Nora," she said with a tired grin, "Hit them with the hammer."
"Got it," Nora said with a smirk, her eyes glinting with a mischievous joy.
Team BRNZ stood up, their faces etched with shock. They looked at Nora, who was standing a few feet away. "Wait, what?" Brawnz said, his voice laced with disbelief.
Just then, Nora leaped into the air and landed in front of Team BRNZ. She swung her hammer in a powerful arc, a single, devastating blow that sent all four members of the team flying out of the arena.
The entire crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer.
"And with that," Professor Port's booming voice announced over the intercom, "it appears Team JNPR wins by knockout! Literally!" he added, his voice tinged with a hint of concern. "Can someone go make sure they're okay?"
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The air in the Crow Bar was thick with the scent of stale beer and a distant hum of static. It was the kind of place where shadows clung to the corners and the only light came from the flickering television behind the bar. At a corner stool, a man in white and gray nursing a drink. A torn red cloak hung from around his neck, the ragged fabric a testament to countless battles. His eyes, heavy-lidded with a weary indifference, were fixed on the television screen.
On the glowing screen, the broadcast of the Vytal Festival tournament was playing. The final, explosive moments of Team JNPR's victory unfolded in a flash of noise and light as Nora sent Team BRNZ flying out of the arena. The crowd's roar, though muffled by the small TV's speakers, filled the quiet bar.
The bartender, a burly man polishing a glass, looked up at the screen with a chuckle. "Huh. Those kids weren't half bad."
The man in the cloak didn't so much as turn his head. He took a long, slow sip of his drink, the amber liquid swirling in his glass. "Meh," was all he said, the single syllable filled with a deep, bottomless cynicism. To him, the spectacle was nothing more than a childish game, a fleeting moment of glory in a world filled with real, and far more dangerous, battles.
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The screen flickered back to the vibrant colors of the Vytal Festival broadcast, the logo spinning before settling on the energetic faces of the commentators.
"Ah, well, Vacuo fans are certainly going to be hurting after that decisive loss for Team BRNZ," Dr. Oobleck said, his words coming out in a rapid-fire staccato as he adjusted his glasses. "But don't go anywhere! This next round is guaranteed to have the audience on the very edge of their seats."
Professor Port leaned into his microphone, his voice booming with theatrical flair. "Indeed! Team NDGO of Shade Academy is a massive crowd favorite, known for their grace and precision. However, these lovely ladies are about to go head-to-head against some of the toughest, most testosterone-filled teammates we've seen in the tournament so far. I am, of course, referring to the pride of Haven: Team SSSN!"
Port gestured grandly toward the stage. "Sun Wukong and his team are a force to be reckoned with. And while they represent Mistral's Academy of Haven today, I'm certain his friends and family back in the deserts of Vacuo will be cheering him on with every fiber of their being!"
Down in the stands, Ruby leaned over the railing, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Good luck, you guys! Kick some butt!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Sun heard the familiar voice and looked up, flashing a signature, toothy grin and a thumbs-up toward the RWBY section before turning his focus back to his opponents. Beside him, Neptune Vasilias adjusted his jacket, leaning back with a look of supreme confidence that bordered on ridiculous.
"Ladies," Neptune purred, a smooth smirk playing on his lips as he scanned the four members of Team NDGO.
Up in the stands, Ruby rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. She had seen Neptune's "cool guy" routine a dozen times, and it never got less cringey, especially when he was clearly outclassed. Beside her, Weiss let out a soft, musical giggle. Ruby felt a warm flutter in her chest and smiled back, her hand finding Weiss's under the ledge. It felt different now—no longer just a supportive gesture, but the touch of her girlfriend.
Back at the center of the ring, Neptune's smirk didn't waver for a second. "Alright, ladies, try to remember the rules of engagement. Keep the hands... above the waist," he said, winking.
Sun let out a long, suffering sigh and placed a heavy hand on Neptune's shoulder, physically pulling him back a step. "Ignore him. He's... yeah, he's just dumb."
Neptune didn't seem to care, offering one last charming wink to Team NDGO just as the arena began to shift.
The mechanical whirring of the arena floor filled the stadium. On one side, the ground opened up to reveal a harsh, yellow sand terrain. Small, rocky outcroppings rose from the earth, and overhead, a massive, artificial sun ignited, bathing the area in an intense, blinding heat.
In the audience, the movement was synchronized—hundreds of people reached into their pockets and simultaneously donned sunglasses to shield their eyes from the simulated glare.
"Alright! Home field advantage!" Nebula, the leader of Team NDGO, shouted, feeling the familiar warmth of the sand beneath her boots.
Sun didn't look intimidated. "Don't get too cocky," he countered, spinning his staff. "That's my turf, too."
However, as the other half of the stage finished its transformation, the vibe shifted. That side turned into a picturesque sandy beach, complete with a sunken, weathered pirate ship protruding from the shore and actual, sloshing water surrounding the wreckage.
Neptune's smirk vanished instantly. His eyes went wide, his skin turning a pale, sickly shade of green as he stared at the small patches of blue water.
In the audience, Ruby tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Um... what's up with Neptune? He looks like he's seen a Ghost Grimm."
Blake rubbed her temples, a look of pity crossing her face. "Oh no... I forgot about this."
Yang turned toward her partner, noticing the dread in Blake's voice. "What's wrong? Is he sick?"
"Well..." Blake hesitated, looking down at the shivering boy in the arena. "Sun once mentioned to me that Neptune is... well, he's deathly afraid of water."
"What!?" Weiss and Yang shouted in unison, their heads snapping toward Blake in disbelief.
Ruby, however, didn't join in the shock. She processed the information for exactly one second before she doubled over, clutching her stomach and laughing her head off. The image of the "cool, smooth" Neptune being terrified of a decorative pond was more than she could handle.
The atmosphere in the Amity Colosseum was electric as the two teams stared each other down across the split terrain. On one side, the blistering heat of the artificial desert; on the other, the tropical humidity of the shipwrecked beach.
"Now then, on three, two, one... BEGIN!" Dr. Oobleck's voice rang out, barely keeping pace with his own excitement.
The second the buzzer sounded, Neptune didn't charge forward. Instead, he turned tail and sprinted with surprising speed toward the high, rocky peaks on the desert side of the map, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the water.
"Neptune! What in the world are you doing?!" Sun yelled, holding his staff ready as the members of Team NDGO began their advance.
"Oh, you know... just... uh... seizing the high ground!" Neptune shouted back from the safety of the rocks, his voice a pitch higher than usual.
"On the enemy's side of the field?!" Sun retorts, dodging a swipe from an opponent.
"They'd never expect it! It's psychological warfare, Sun!"
Dew Gayl of Team NDGO paused for a fraction of a second, glancing up at the blue-haired boy. "I mean... he's not wrong. We didn't expect that." She quickly shook off the confusion. "Open fire!"
As Team NDGO surged toward the mountain to flush Neptune out, Team SSSN scrambled to intercept. The battlefield quickly devolved into chaos. Dew raised her spear, swirling it with expert precision to conjure three miniature sandstorms.
Sage Ayana tried to plant his massive sword to anchor himself, but the gale was too strong. He was sucked into a vortex of stinging grit and launched clean out of the ring before he could even land a single blow.
"And NDGO gains the early advantage! Team SSSN is down a man!" Oobleck shouted over the roar of the crowd.
Sun and Scarlet David moved into a defensive formation. Octavia Ember lunged forward, dragging her blade across the sand to kick up a blinding cloud aimed right at their faces. Sun squinted, his eyes stinging.
"Neptune, get down here!" Sun roared.
Seeing his leader in trouble, Neptune finally leaped from his perch, firing several bolts from his shock-rifle. Octavia parried the shots with her sword, but the distraction gave Sun the opening he needed. He delivered a heavy kick to her jaw, sending her stumbling back. Before she could recover, Sun followed up with a flurry of staff strikes, eventually knocking her out of the match.
"The score is leveled! We're down to a three-on-three!" Professor Port boomed.
The tide turned again when Dew used another localized wind-burst to launch Scarlet across the arena. He soared over the desert and landed with a heavy thud on the wooden mast of the pirate ship. Nebula Violette and Gwen Darcy didn't miss a beat, racing across the sand to trap him on the shipwreck.
Nebula fired a bolt from her crossbow, then scaled the rigging with the agility of a cat. Reaching the top of the mast, she clicked a mechanism on her weapon, transforming it into a gleaming sword. The two began a high-stakes duel high above the ground, steel clashing against steel.
Thinking fast, Scarlet triggered the grapple gun built into his hilt. The cable lashed out, snagging Gwen's ankle and hoisting her into the air.
"Gotcha!" Scarlet smirked.
However, Gwen wasn't defenseless. Hanging upside down, the daggers strapped to her battle-skirt began to slip. She gripped them and started hurling them like a storm of steel. Scarlet danced along the wooden pole, dodging the blades by mere inches until his back hit the mast.
He let out a shaky sigh of relief, thinking he was safe—until a stray coconut, thrown by Sun from the other side of the map, hit him square in his bottom half. which seemingly knocked him out and out of the match.
"Nuts..." Sun muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He had been aiming for Dew, but the Vacuo native was far too fast, dodging all three of his projectiles. Unfortunately, Scarlet's luck had been much worse.
With Scarlet out, Sun found himself backed up toward the water's edge. Dew summoned a whirlpool that began to creep toward his boots.
"Uh... Neptune?! A little help here, buddy!" Sun pleaded, glancing back.
Neptune was practically vibrating with nerves, standing firmly on a dry rock. "Uh, you know, it would probably be better if you came over here! I'm currently guarding this... vital sector! We're in lockdown mode!"
"What are you talking about?! There's nothing to lock down!" Sun yelled, narrowly avoiding a dagger from Gwen, who had been cut down and freed by Nebula.
"LOCKDOWN!" Neptune insisted, refusing to budge an inch closer to the surf.
Sun was forced to play a desperate game of keep-away as Gwen, Nebula, and Dew closed in. "Dude! I know you're afraid of water, but you've gotta—"
Before Dew could land a finishing blow on Sun, Neptune finally took aim and fired a powerful blast from his rifle. The force of the shot knocked Dew off her feet and sent her splashing into the knee-deep water of the beach.
"There! I helped! Are you happy now?!" Neptune shouted, his face flushed. "Also, for the record, I am not afraid of water! I have no idea what you are talking about, Sun!"
Dew splashed back to her feet, dripping wet and furious. Nebula and Gwen joined her, the three women standing together in the shallow water, weapons raised for a final, coordinated strike.
"NEPTUNE!!" Sun screamed, pointing at the trio.
"Okay! Fine! Just... get out of the way!" Neptune conceded.
Sun took a flying leap, landing on dry land beside Neptune. Taking a deep breath to steady his shaking hands, Neptune transformed his rifle into its massive electric trident form. He edged toward the shoreline, moving like he was walking on broken glass. He leaned forward, keeping his boots on the sand, and plunged the electrified prongs into the water.
A massive surge of blue electricity arced through the current. Before the three members of Team NDGO could even attempt a jump, the water turned into a conductor of pure agony. They were instantly electrocuted, their Auras flickering out as they collapsed into the surf.
A loud buzzer echoed through the stadium, signaling the end of the round.
"And with that shocking display, Team SSSN moves on to the doubles round!" Professor Port announced, his voice drowned out by the cheering fans.
"See?" Neptune said, chest out as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Perfectly calculated. Never a doubt in my mind."
Sun just stared at him, exhausted. "I'm going to need a nap. And a new teammate."
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Back in the elevated comfort of the press box, the cameras were still rolling as the commentators prepared to wrap up the day's broadcast. Professor Port turned toward Dr. Oobleck, his mustache twitching with a self-satisfied air.
"You know what I'd call that victory, Doctor?" Prof. Port asked, his voice booming with authority.
Dr. Oobleck didn't even look up from his notes, his pen moving at a frantic pace. "Shocking? Electrifying? Perhaps a bit high-voltage?"
Port shook his head slowly, a look of profound disappointment crossing his face. "No. I would call it well done." He paused for dramatic effect. "What you said was simply stupid."
Oobleck paused his writing for exactly one second, blinked behind his glasses, and then resumed his frantic pace without a word, used to his colleague's eccentricities.
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In the dim, amber-lit interior of the Crow Bar, the atmosphere was far less celebratory. The bartender let out a low whistle, wiping down the counter as the replay of Team SSSN's victory flickered on the overhead screen.
"Now that," the bartender remarked, "was a match! Kid's got guts using a trident like that."
The man dressed in white and gray, his torn red cloak draped over the back of his stool, stared into the bottom of his glass. "That wasn't a match," he muttered, his voice gravelly and unimpressed. "That was a mess."
The bartender leaned in, resting his elbows on the bar. "Come on, man. You've been sitting there all day. You didn't like the kids from Vale, you didn't like the Vacuo bunch, and you haven't liked a single round before that. What kind of fight are you even here for?"
At that exact moment, the low, window-rattling hum of a massive Atlas military vessel filled the air. The shadow of the ship passed directly over the bar's window, momentarily blotting out the sun.
The man looked toward the window, a sharp, sober glint appearing in his tired eyes. "That one," he said quietly.
He downed the last of his drink in one practiced motion, tossed a handful of Lien onto the counter to cover his tab, and stood up. He stumbled slightly as he made his way toward the door, his movements appearing clumsy yet strangely calculated. Just before pushing the door open, he glanced back over his shoulder.
"Happy Vytal Festival," he said with a trace of bitter irony, and stepped out into the bright light of day.
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Back at the Colosseum stands, Ruby was still struggling to catch her breath, her face flushed from laughter. "I can't... I just can't," she wheezed between giggles. "Neptune, the 'coolest guy' is terrified of a little splash of water. What a joke!"
Weiss didn't find it nearly as amusing. She reached over and gave Ruby a sharp, playful jab to her ribs.
"Ow! Hey!" Ruby protested, rubbing her side.
"Be nice, Ruby," Weiss said, though a tiny, betrayed smile tugged at the corner of her own mouth. "He's still our friend."
"Looks like the dorks made it to the next round regardless!" Yang interrupted, pointing down at the arena floor.
The entire team looked down to see Sun and Neptune in the center of the stage, completely ignoring the exit and performing a coordinated, incredibly goofy victory dance for the cheering fans.
Ruby rubbed her slightly bruised side, leaning into Weiss's shoulder. "Emphasis on dork," she chimed in.
Above them, Dr. Oobleck's voice crackled over the intercom. "That concludes the matches for the day! We thank our competitors and our audience. Please leave the Colosseum in a calm, orderly fashion!"
"Come on, guys," Ruby said, standing up and stretching her arms. "Let's go find them and congratulate 'em before Neptune tries to flirt with a statue or something."
Team RWBY began to merge with the departing crowd, navigating the stairs of the massive stadium. Weiss walked close to Ruby, her arm brushing against Ruby's as they moved. The subtle contact sent a fresh blush to Ruby's cheeks, a silent reminder of the kiss they had shared earlier.
However, as they reached an outdoor walkway, the sound of the crowd was drowned out by the heavy, mechanical thrum of engines. The air grew cool as a massive shadow draped over the walkway.
Weiss stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the sky. Because she was holding Ruby's hand, Ruby was jerked back, nearly stumbling.
"Whoa! Hey, what's up?" Ruby asked, looking at her partner with concern.
Weiss didn't answer immediately. She watched as an Atlas military flagship, sleek and intimidating, drifted slowly toward the docking towers of Beacon Academy. A small, genuine smile—one filled with a mix of relief and nervous excitement—played at her lips.
"She'shere," Weiss whispered.