章 1940: 170
Chapter Text
"So, it's come to this," Cinder started, her voice low and husky as she strode forward and rolled her neck, cracking her knuckles as her power flared from her eyes and flames roiled around her with every step of her glass heels clacking against the metallic tiles below.
"I'm almost sad it has to end this way," Ruby answered, eyes glowing bright with silver and gold as she reabsorbed Crescent Rose back into her body and replaced it with the gleaming, silver form of Augury- the massive sword shining as she drew it forth from her chest and twirled it around in one hand. "But we always knew it was going to come to this."
"... Well I mean there wasn't any guarantee-" Cinder muttered, breaking character for a moment and looking away as she tapped her chin. "I mean, theoretically if I'd gotten knocked out of the ring-"
"Cinder! Focus!"
"Huh- oh right, sorry. Ahem-" Cinder cleared her throat, power flaring around her again as she grinned nastily, the twin swords form of Midnight appearing in her hands in a flash of flame and glass, the formerly mechashift weapon having been converted into a weapon of magic and Aura long ago. It glowed malevolently, molten orange encased within obsidian black, the edges shining with malice as they rippled with the orangey golden glow of Cinder's soul. "I'll make this quick on you, sister dear! Give up now and I won't make it hurt too much!"
"Tch- as if!" Ruby shot back, Augury shifting into its scythe form with a twirl and a flourish, the edge cutting through the air with an audible hiss as she took on her starting pose. "I'll beat you, sister! I'll defeat you and claim the trophy for myself! And then… all will cower before my almighty supremacy!"
"Yeah, until Penny offers you huggies and kisses again," Cinder snorted with a roll of her eyes.
"H- hey! I'm not that bad!" Ruby pouted, giving Cinder an utterly betrayed look of disbelief. "How could you treat your own flesh and blood sister like that, Cinder! Hmph!"
"... Ruby I'm adopted."
"... Oh yeah I forgot about that."
"BEGIN!"
Any other response between the two was immediately cut off then, as the match began properly and the two of them surged forth like blazing missiles to clash in the center of the arena. Sparks flew from the moment they made contact- both of Midnight's black glass blades crashing against Augury's scythe steel in a cacophonous screech of grinding metal and shattering glass. Flames poured from Cinder's eyes and the entire world seemed to erupt into a roiling miasma of heat as the older girl let out her overwhelmingly powerful Aura- a volcanic eruption of soul power filled with the breeze of autumn and the scent of falling leaves.
Ruby grinned, forcing Cinder back step by step as she twisted and shifted Augury just so, flames pouring from her maw as her own Aura flared and filled the world with gleaming rose petals that filled the sky with blood red and faint iridescent rainbows and green and the scent of spring.
The golden glow in her eyes grew, shining bright as she disengaged and threw herself into the air while blasting at Cinder's position with a barrage of overpowered shotgun shells- each one firing with a deafening roar and a burst of flame so strong it almost looked like she was firing plasma bolts as the tracers within the high power Dust shells streaked across the distance with whistling shrieks and erupted on the arena floor in a pillar of flame.
The crowd roared, and the commentary boomed, but neither sister was there to hear it- instead, they merely dashed towards each other again as Ruby swung her sword around, crashing Augury against Cinder's blades and knocking them aside as she spun and twirled with every movement, the barrels of Augury's shotguns rotating around their pivot points in response to Ruby's incredibly fine Aura pulses and giving extra force and strike to every swing that she made- the dance of silver against obsidian becoming a blur of motion and molten sparks as her cape flared behind her like a pair of great wings.
Cinder hissed, breaking off for a moment and cutting loose with an overwhelming wave of fire that burst from the ground beneath Ruby's feet- a screaming pillar like a blaze of hell erupting from the tile and shooting into the sky like a plume of magma. She ducked away, sprinting towards the edge of the arena and starting to circle around as Ruby slashed through the pillar, dodging out of it in a fountain of rose petals and streaking through the air towards Cinder- only to take an exploding arrow to the face. And another. And another. And another and another and another-
And then she vanished into the smoke, rose petals circling around aimlessly up until the point that Ruby flashed into existence behind Cinder and smashed her back to the center of the arena, both of them clashing again and again as they dipped and twirled and swung and danced- their footwork impeccable as they blocked and retaliated again and again and again and again. Their ferocity was unmatched, each blow causing shockwaves that sent them ricocheting back as flames continued to burst over the tiles and erupt into a hellish conflagration, Cinder's swords shattering again and again and again as she slammed them against the unforgiving iridescent steel of Augury- rainbow patterns dancing along the silver metal as it crashed through the gleaming obsidian and left splatters of molten orange behind.
"Take this!" Cinder cried, pushing Ruby back suddenly with a blast of fire to her sister's face- flame pouring from her maw like a proper dragon as she kicked her sister back and away into a field of cooling splinters. The splinters glowed bright, a hellish shriek overtaking all other sound as they all suddenly exploded again- rocking the entire stage with such force that the entire platform trembled and sank a few inches before the maglev systems lifted it back into position.
The arena was quiet there for a moment, watching in anticipation…
The smoke cleared.
Ruby wasn't there.
"What!? Where'd she go!?"
"UP HERE, CIN CIN!" Ruby shouted, catching Cinder by surprised as she caught a gleam of brilliant red in the sky- Ruby's cape, flapping around in the wind as though it were so much longer than it actually was, Augury entirely swapped out for Crescent Rose instead as her little sister hung in the air upside down- falling fast and yet still aiming through the scope of her ridiculously powerful rifle.
"Oh shit-!" Cinder yelped, and then immediately dodged as a thunderous KRATHOOM split the air- and a bullet as thick as her gods damned forearm slammed into the arena floor and exploded into a hellish conflagration of flame and wind and blue heat that pricked at Cinder's skin despite her usual heat immunity. Her Aura had to be low from the clashing and the explosions she'd pulled off- not low enough to lose , but low enough that she might actually have to start prioritizing between defense and offense soon, it seemed, if she was actually feeling the warmth from such a hellishly hot fire bALL-!
"GAH! SHIT!" Cinder cried out, dodging another shot as a green laser beam slammed home and barely deflected off the mirror surface of a hastily formed sword- instantly shattering the blade into a spray of glass as she pulled yet more sand from her pouch and turned it into a shield. Ruby crashed down a moment later, spinning Crescent Rose behind her back and slamming the bladed butt into the ground… before ejecting a single sword from within. A single piece of Floating Array, the Dust channel glowing red as she took a ready position. "Fucking hell- really!?"
"You're putting your best foot forward, Cinder! I have to match it with what I got too!" Ruby cried out, grinning wildly as she channeled her Aura and brilliant red began sparking around the sword in her hands, rose petals flowering into the air as she prepared to burst forward and end their match with a decisive blow.
"Tch… you're right, but that doesn't make me feel any better about what you're about to do," Cinder muttered, generating a fresh pair of swords from the recycled glass and sand scattered all over the floor- the winds coalescing and compressing the blades as she superheated the material and shaped it to her whims. "Fine. I'll take that challenge! COME ON BABY BRAT! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"
"HERE I GO!" Ruby shouted in response, her voice echoing as she took a step forward and raised her sword high- the Dust within activating and shrouding it with a flaming aura of power and actual fire . "THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!"
"Oh for fuck's sake- FINE! THIS HAND OF MINE IS BURNING RED!"
"ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!"
"ITS LOUD ROAR TELLS ME TO GRASP VICTORY!"
"TAKE THIS! MY LOVE! MY ANGER! AND ALL OF MY SORROW!"
"ERUPTING! BURNING! FINGEEEEEEEERRRR!"
"SHINING FINGER SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD!"
Two sisters clashed in the center of the field, the sheer force of their clash blasting away the flames and the smoke as the light of their impact shined through with nothing but purest power, struggling against each other as the world itself seemed to go silent in respect of their duel.
The stage cracked beneath their feet, and yet still they continued- persisted, struggled against each other.
And then-
The entire stage erupted into flame as their combined attacks exploded at once.
"WHAT AN EXPLOSIVE CLIMAX! BUT WHO CAME OUT ON TOP! IS IT-!? IT IS! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHAT AN AMAZING MATCH! TWO SISTERS ENTERED, AND ONLY ONE REMAINS STANDING! THE WINNER OF THE FORTIETH VYTAL FESTIVAL TOURNAMENT IS…"
Notes:
Drumroll please!
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