Months ago, during initiation, when Weiss had reluctantly joined Ruby as a partner, as much as she didn't want to admit it at the time, the younger girl had proven herself in combat. Regardless of her physical and mental age, when it came to sheer skill, even if only with that monstrous scythe, Ruby was second to none.
Her love and obsession with weapons certainly influenced this result.
Thanks to that, even in the rankings established in Professor Goodwich's combat class, Ruby managed a solid top-ten position among the first-year students, just behind a monster like Nora.
Pyrrha reigned supreme, as expected, and Yang in second place. Her Semblance was that absurd, being able to turn any battle around in a second and send students straight to the infirmary with broken bones. Third to fifth place was a constant war with Weiss, Blake, and Ren dethroning each other.
Now, after receiving power from Vegeta, Weiss was sure that Ruby was in the top three on the entire planet.
The proof of this was in the mind-blowing speed her partner had demonstrated earlier, to the point where Weiss was struggling to keep up even before she was in this weakened state. Not only that, but even now, Ruby was making use of the power she had obtained in a much more reasonable and controlled way than Weiss had.
Certainly, the difference in fighting style and the fact that Ruby couldn't manifest elements played a part in this result, but it didn't detract from the fact that this girl was a prodigy who deserved her place at Beacon.
However...
...It's not enough. Weiss could see that her partner wasn't being as formidable and lethal as she should have been. Although you don't waste your power like I did, using your Semblance nonstop also has its cost.
While Ruby still had some considerable speed on her side, to the point where she was able to avoid every one of the Nergigante's attacks and hit him with ten of her own, it was far inferior to what she demonstrated against King Taijitu. As if that wasn't enough, after absorbing all those ice stakes that Weiss had landed in her last attack, this thing had become stronger.
As a result, the wounds Ruby was able to inflict were superficial, and the Nergigante could heal from something like that almost instantly.
Besides, one of the characteristics that made the Grimm such problematic opponents was their lack of physical strain and exhaustion. It made sense, considering that these creatures weren't exactly alive or needed sustenance to stay active... except for the enemy in front of them.
By making use of external factors, the Nergigante could recover quickly and become even stronger.
Thanks to that, Ruby was fighting a more powerful version of this thing than the one Weiss had, and that wasn't good.
All because I let the power go to my head and played around... She regretted her stupidity more and more, especially for having created a scenario that only benefited the enemy. Now, this is becoming a battle of attrition, and it won't be long before Ruby is on the losing side.
Weiss could feel the flame that represented her partner's presence getting weaker with every passing second.
I have to do something. She clenched her hands over Myrtenaster's handle, hating having to stand back and watch. Help Ruby, even if just a little.
To compensate for the disadvantages created by her thoughtless use of power.
Fortunately, despite her depleted state, Weiss still had some Aura and Ki left, but...
I need more. She had her eyes focused on her hands and the tremor resulting from fatigue. So strong, yet so weak.
There was no other way to describe the tiny flame of life being carefully protected by her soul.
Even if slowly, Weiss could feel the power returning to her.
A few minutes, that's all I need. Her eyes were on her partner, on the way she was staying in the fight despite everything, to make sure she could still keep going. Hang in there, Ruby.
Soon, Weiss would have enough power to join the fight, and she would use everything she had to end this once and for all.
After all, she still had to find Vegeta and help the whole world.
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Dancing amidst the petals of her evolved Semblace, Ruby kept fighting against the largest fragment of darkness known to this world. Unfortunately, despite her confidence in taking Weiss' place, it wasn't going as she had hoped.
Strong! It was the only word she could use to describe this thing as she dodged the wind pressure resulting from one of its attacks. Its claws can dig into the earth and bring down trees dozens of meters away!
How absurd was that?!
And to think I let Weiss fight something scary like this on her own... Ruby had a bad taste in her mouth just thinking about what could have happened. At the same time, it also proves that getting Yang and Blake out of here was the right decision.
Otherwise, those two would be in mortal danger.
Seeing her beloved Crescent Rose lose the edge and even get nibbled, despite being reinforced by her power, only justified her choice.
It was almost as if Ruby was trying to cut through a monster made of steel!
Worse still, the world before her eyes no longer seemed frozen as she moved around, trying to cut through this thing.
The only thing that remained unchanged was the amount of detail her eyes could pick up and how rich the world was.
Unfortunately, this did little to help her, especially as it illustrated this Grimm's menacing form in a much more frightening way.
Ruby was sure that these memories would come back to haunt her in her nightmares later... if she survived.
In the next second, thorns were flying in all directions to bring to life the reason behind her apprehension.
Really, how had Weiss managed to fight this thing on her own?!
Speaking of her partner, Ruby had to worry about her too, as she moved to stop these thorns from getting to her.
I need to move away from here! Not only to keep her best friend safe, but also because the Nergigante was eating the ice and feeding its corrupted flame! Maybe if I catch Weiss and run, he'll chase me.
But what if he doesn't?
What would happen if he stayed behind to eat all the ice created by Weiss's power in this area?
How strong would he become as a result?
In the worst-case scenario, only Vegeta could destroy this thing, and consequently, something even worse could happen, especially if the Nergigante followed them into the walls of Vale.
I guess I have no choice but to fight then. Ruby clasped her hands over Crescent Rose and made up her mind, especially after noticing something that cheered her up a little. Weiss's flame... is getting stronger! Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her best friend meditating while she rested. Even now, she still wants to help...
Her partner's stubbornness was something Ruby could respect.
The two were similar in that regard.
In that case, Ruby needed to buy time for Weiss to recover as much as possible and stop the Nergigante from getting stronger.
After that, with the help of her partner, Ruby had something in mind that she had wanted to try since the moment she met Vegeta in that café.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to start a battle of attrition while focusing more on defense but attacking whenever an opening presented itself.
The strategy Ruby was using wasn't bad, targeting vital points such as the neck with the intention of causing some serious damage or decapitating, just as she had done with the Nervermore during the initiation.
Without the head, even a monster like this would die.
Too bad it wasn't possible.
Despite her strength and speed, Ruby couldn't overcome the armor of thorns that protected the Nergigant's neck.
Almost like the lion's mana! She grunted in frustration, especially as she felt her power diminishing with each attack and saw Crescent Rose being damaged even more. I need a different approach.
At first, Ruby considered using the petals of her Semblance based on what Weiss had told her earlier.
Each of these petals that she released in the form of flames of fire became as solid as metal and as sharp as a razor. If she could control these petals freely and attack, it would be an incredible ability to have and one that could turn the tables in her favor.
However, it was enough to imagine someone being attacked by a storm made up of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of these petals, that the idea became frightening.
What's more, considering that these petals were a by-product of her Semblance and made up of a combination of Aura and Ki, the Nergigante could try to eat them when attacked and become stronger.
That couldn't happen.
I hope my plan works... Ruby couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that everything might go wrong. The weight of being the team leader.
Her choices could result in death, and that scared her, especially after what happened last time at Mountain Glenn.
Not only was Weiss defeated, but Yang also lost and almost died that day.
At times like these, Ruby couldn't help but question her position as a leader, that perhaps she wasn't enough because she was unable to prevent other people from getting hurt.
The disaster in each of the battles fought against White Fang and Roman Torchwick spoke for itself.
While her team managed to foil plans, it wasn't without a price.
Ruby still clearly remembered the destruction caused by the fight against the Paladin in the middle of the city.
To this day, people still criticize the actions of the team involved and demand severe punishment.
If it hadn't been for Ozpin's unconditional support, not to say favoritism, Ruby might well have been expelled from Beacon and prevented from becoming a Huntress.
That would have been the end of her dream and the beginning of a nightmare.
Now, Ruby had the chance to do something good and prove herself against one of the world's greatest threats. However, it was easier said than done, where a single mistake could result in death. Not only hers and her best friend's, but also that of countless people, until Vegeta had the chance to get rid of this thing.
Getting lost in these possibilities was enough to validate the insecurity in her heart as she came face to face with the Nergigante's giant claws.
A split-second distraction was enough to put everything at risk, and Ruby could only curse her incompetence as she braced herself for the impact.
As expected, her body was hit with force and speed, but not in the way she expected, as a pair of arms squeezed her before she hit the ground, rolling in a combination of white and red.
"W-what...just?" She didn't understand what was happening, but only until she opened her eyes and saw the white embroidery in blue of her partner's hair. "W-Weiss? When did you..."
Her voice was cut off when a Glyph appeared to throw them out of the way just in time to avoid a second attack. Fury-fueled claws met the frozen ground almost at the same second, and a thunderous roar echoed to make that entire section of the forest tremble.
Using this opportunity and the cover provided by the dust cloud resulting from the impact, Weiss got as far away from the scene as she could by using the time dilation of her Semblance. In the next second, the two were hiding behind a rock almost a mile away.
Ruby could only look at Weiss and the way she was breathing heavily to feel her heart squeeze.
Once again, her partner had to come and save her.
How many times has this happened since the initiation?
Truly, more and more Ruby saw the error behind Ozpin's choice to make her the leader of this team when Weiss was so much better than her at practically everything.
"Ruby." Weiss finished catching her breath and immediately grabbed this girl by the collar of her dress, anger getting the best of her. "Can you explain to me what the hell you are doing?!"
Everything was going well until this girl's flame began to flicker with negativity.
Suddenly, she didn't even seem like the same determined person from a few minutes ago that Weiss was proudly praising!
"I'm sorry..." Ruby looked away, unable to do much more than that with this feeling of guilt taking hold of her. "For not being good enough..."
That and occupying a position she didn't deserve.
"What are you talking about?" Weiss didn't understand where this was coming from, only that this was no time for an existential crisis. "Ruby, listen to me. Right now, you and I are two of the most powerful people in this world." This wasn't arrogance or power going to her head, but a fact proven through combat on this day. "I don't know what got into you to think that, but if you're not enough, hardly anyone else in the world is!"
Truth be told, if anyone other than Vegeta had been in their place, that person would have become food for legendary Grimm in less than a minute!
"B-but you should be the leader!" Ruby decided to vocalize what was bothering her. "Even if what you said is true, it doesn't change the fact that you're much better and...that I stole your position!"
Things could have been different, better.
"Yeah, I know," Weiss couldn't help but agree, a part of her still hadn't gotten over that humiliation. "So what?" Ruby looked at her, confused and not without reason. "At first, I didn't understand the reason either, and I was...angry about it." Not one of her best moments, she would admit. "But then I noticed that Jaune had been made leader too when Pyrrha and Ren were infinitely better options." The boy improved significantly after a while, but the fact that he was inadequate from the start didn't change. "Just like you, he was put in this position of responsibility to be pushed to improve faster and catch up with the other students in the areas where he fell short." Weiss then looked at her first and only friend in this world with a note of pride. "All things considered, I'd say it worked like a charm."
While she still questioned the method Ozpin had used and resented the disregard for those truly qualified to take on the leadership position, the result spoke for itself, where even that clumsy boy had become something more...acceptable.
Although having Pyrrha as a partner and coach could work wonders.
Ruby, on the other hand, was even more conflicted about this than before.
Weiss's explanation, while convincing, only illustrated the fact that she wasn't adequate from the start.
She literally became a leader because she was less than her teammates.
How was that fair?
"I know what you're thinking, Ruby." Weiss could read this girl like an open book. "Don't go down that road; nothing good will come from it, especially now." She then focused her senses on the enemy and could feel that he was taking advantage of this opportunity to get stronger, and this couldn't go on. "Let's deal with the Nergigante first, and then we can talk about this calmly over tea and cookies." Her hand was outstretched, along with a rare smile on her part. "What do you say, partner?"
Ruby could feel tears forming in her eyes as she ignored the outstretched hand and went straight into a bear hug.
Now she could understand why Yang loved doing this so much.
"Yes," Ruby agreed as she felt warmth despite the chill her best friend emanated with her new power. "And I have a plan that might work." She then broke the embrace and looked away with uncertainty. "I mean... if you want to help, of course."
After this day, she would never try to make decisions again, but make suggestions that would only be considered if the whole team agreed, especially the girl who was supposed to be the leader.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't have one." Weiss stood up and held out her hand a second time to help her partner stand as well. "As for wanting to help, it will depend on the level of madness behind what you're about to suggest."
Honestly, Ruby might be inadequate as a leader in many ways, but at least she was creative.
Even an immature mind had its advantages.
Besides, considering what they were fighting against, perhaps a little madness was necessary.
Except sometimes, Weiss forgot who she was talking to and how reckless the little sister she never had could be.
The plan Ruby had in mind was just that dangerous.
"Okay, let's assume it works. Can you do it?" Weiss asked just to be sure, especially considering that they never had formal training with Vegeta. "Better yet, do you have enough power left to even try?"
After all that fighting, not one of them was in their best condition.
"I hope so." Ruby could still vividly feel her power burning inside her, even if it was only a third of what she had when she left Beacon. "What about you?"
The answer was clear, where she could feel her partner's dangerously weakened presence.
"To create an opening, I suppose I have enough." Weiss was almost at her limit, she knew, but somehow she was still able to keep fighting despite having only a little more than a drop of power. Ki and Aura are incredible on their own, but when combined, they become something else that grows exponentially. She could understand why even Vegeta would want to have his Aura unlocked when he was already so strong. "Besides, I still have some Dust to compensate."
Otherwise, she wouldn't even consider continuing to fight and would be suggesting a strategic retreat.
To tell the truth, even now, Weiss was hoping that Yang and Blake were rushing to Vegeta for help.
If that man showed up, it would be the same as divine intervention, and everything would be fine.
Too bad it was something uncertain that they couldn't blindly pin their hopes on.
"That'll do," Ruby affirmed, even though her confidence was no longer present in her words. "Let's do this before that monster gets even stronger."
Too late for that, Weiss wanted to say based on what she was feeling, but chose to remain quiet.
Ruby could also sense the presence of other powers and certainly knew that the enemy was even stronger now, but she clearly chose to try and maintain her usual optimism, even if the truth could not be more different.
After going over the details of the plan one last time and preparing, they could only use everything they had and hope for the best as they advanced toward that mass of darkness one last time.