Part 3 Final Boss Fiesta (Ruby)

The mall was alive with its usual evening buzz. The faint hum of escalators, music from clothing stores blending into an unintentional symphony, the smell of fried food and perfume battling for dominance. It wasn’t exactly the kind of battlefield Ruby was used to, but she navigated it with the confidence of a veteran hunter.

Shopping bag in each hand, another hooked on her elbow, and one more clenched between her teeth, she strutted down the polished hallway like it was a victory parade. The fluorescent lights glinted faintly off the black sclera in her right eye, a trace of her dragon heritage that most people mistook for contact lenses. Though she had no idea why people just liked to blatantly ignore her massive redblack horns and tail. 

“Alright,” she muttered to herself, adjusting a bag to her hip. “New boots, new jacket, two… okay, three new tops, and that one dress I definitely don’t need but look amazing in. Productive hunt.”

She paused in front of a mirror display, checking her reflection. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy tail, her jacket half-zipped, her grin self-satisfied. “Still got it,” she said, giving herself a little finger gun.

The shop clerk behind her rolled her eyes but smiled. “You know those aren’t paid for yet, right, Ruby?”

“Oh, I know,” Ruby said breezily, waving a hand. “I’ll get my next job in a few days. Monster hunting’s just been a little slow lately. You know how it is… demons go into hibernation, ghosts take holidays…”

The clerk sighed but didn’t argue. Ruby had a way of talking herself into and out of most things. Everyone in the mall knew her by now, the “get now, buy later” regular with just enough charm to make it work.

She strolled into another store, immediately greeted by the owner. “Ruby, you’re not still running a tab, are you?”

“Running? Please. It’s pacing itself.” She flashed him a grin, placing a new hat on her head and turning to the mirror. “See? I’m practically advertising for you.”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, a reminder she’d long since ignored. She pulled it out, saw the time, and blinked.

“Wait, seriously? Eleven fifty-seven?”

She looked up toward the skylight at the center of the mall. The moon hung low and red-tinged on the horizon, its light spilling faintly through the glass dome. “Wow. Guess I shopped ‘til I dropped. Or until rent’s due. Whichever comes first.”

Ruby laughed softly to herself, brushing hair from her face. The crowds had thinned to almost nothing now. Even the food court was dark except for a few flickering signs. But the stillness didn’t bother her as she’d always liked being one of the last people awake.

She leaned on the railing overlooking the atrium, smiling faintly at her reflection in the marble floor far below. “Yeah,” she murmured. “Quiet’s not so bad once in a while. Although…”

The mall’s music had faded to a sleepy whisper, the kind of low-volume playlist that lulled employees into closing mode. Then, without warning, the lights flickered.

For a heartbeat, everything stilled. The hum of the vents died. The screens on the shop displays froze mid-animation.

And then the moonlight turned crimson.

It poured through the skylight like blood through a crack, painting the marble floor in deep red. Ruby squinted upward, one hand shading her eyes. “Huh. That’s… probably not good.”

The glass above her shuddered. Once, twice… before a massive crash shattered the dome. Shards of crystal rained down like diamonds, followed by a blast of heat and wind that sent shopping bags flying. A shadow dropped through the ceiling, heavy and radiant, landing in the center of the atrium with enough force to crack the tiles.

When the smoke cleared, she stood there.

A towering figure clad in black and crimson armor, wings folded tight, scales glinting between the gaps in her plates. Her horns gleamed like polished obsidian, and her golden eyes blazed with command.

“I am Antonia,” she declared, her voice echoing through the hall. “Evil Dragon Knight of the Crimson Moon. I seek a worthy challenge!”

Most of the mall-goers didn’t wait for a second invitation. Screams erupted, shoes clattered against tile, and in less than a minute, the only sound was the echo of fleeing footsteps and the crash of dropped merchandise.

Ruby stood alone amid the chaos, clutching her shopping bags. She blinked once, twice, then sighed.

“Well,” she said, exhaling through her nose, “I didn’t think paying for my stuff would literally come crashing through the ceiling.”

She turned to the nearest cashier, the same one who’d been tolerating her tab all night, and tossed over her armload of bags. “Hold these for me, will you? Don’t worry, I’ll earn the cash to cover them in, like, five minutes.”

Before the poor clerk could respond, Ruby was already stepping forward, cracking her neck.

Antonia’s gaze tracked her movement. Her eyes rose, and her voice lowered, curious. “You. The way you move… that aura. Are you…” she squinted, eyes narrowing at Ruby’s tail flicking lazily behind her, her faint horns half-hidden beneath her messy hair, and the subtle, golden gleam in her right eye. “part dragon?”

Ruby grinned, hands on her hips. “Finally! Someone notices. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for someone to point that out? Everyone else just assumes it’s some weird fashion thing!”

Antonia blinked. “Fashion… thing?”

“Yeah, y’know,” Ruby gestured to her horns. “They think these are accessories! Like I glued them on for a convention or something. And don’t even get me started on the tail.”

The Dragon Knight tilted her head, her expression a mix of amusement and faint disbelief. “You are… strange.”

Ruby shrugged. “You’re one to talk, busting into a mall like you’re announcing the apocalypse sale.”

That earned a chuckle from Antonia, low and rumbling. “You have spirit. Good. I came seeking a challenge worthy of my strength. Perhaps a duel between dragon and dragon will decide whether you are as sharp-tongued as you are brave.”

Ruby’s grin widened. “Oh, I’m definitely both. And if kicking your armored butt gets me a discount, then count me in.”

Antonia spread her wings, their span blotting out the red light above. “Then prepare yourself, half-blood. Let this battle decide your worth beneath the crimson moon.”

Ruby cracked her knuckles, the faint shimmer of heat rippling through her palms. “Lady, you picked the wrong mall to mess with.”

With that, the two lunged and the midnight shopping spree became a battleground of wings, claws, and firelight.

The air between them cracked with the first clash. Antonia’s blade came down in a flash of molten red, sparks jumping where steel met tile. Ruby brought up her forearm, blocking with a bracer that hissed from the heat.

“Whoa, easy there!” she shouted, pushing back against the blade. “They just waxed these floors!”

Antonia didn’t answer, wings snapping open as she pressed forward. Ruby ducked, spun, and drove a punch into the side of Antonia’s armor. The impact rang like a gong. Antonia slid back a step, more surprised than hurt.

“Not bad,” the Dragon Knight said, grinning. “You’ve got bite.”

“Thanks,” Ruby quipped, flexing her hand, “but I’m charging extra for knuckle imprints.”

They circled each other, the glow of the crimson moon filtering through the shattered skylight and painting the whole mall in a red haze. Antonia lunged again, this time faster. Ruby met her halfway, blocking the sword with both arms, but the force sent her skidding backward through a cluster of mannequins.

“Hey!” Ruby snapped, brushing plastic limbs off herself. “That was designer!”

Antonia chuckled, lowering her sword for a heartbeat. “You’re amusing, little dragon. Don’t make me—”

She cut herself off as Ruby charged again. Their blades met, a burst of sparks lighting their faces. Antonia shifted her stance, deflecting the blow, and, without meaning to, brushed her armored gauntlet against Ruby’s forehead in a flicking motion. A spark of crimson light leapt from her hand to Ruby’s skin.

Antonia froze, eyes widening. “Oh. Oh no.”

Ruby blinked, shaking her head. “What the—?”

Then the energy spread.

It rippled through her like lightning under the skin, leaving trails of red glow. Her breath hitched as the warmth turned cold, her veins burning like frozen fire. The flush in her cheeks faded, her skin paling to a porcelain hue that caught the moonlight like glass.

Her eyes, one black one blue, both bled into deep crimson. When she grinned, her canines glinted sharper, more pronounced. Even her aura shifted, becoming less of a vibrant flame, and more of an elegant menace.

Antonia took a slow step back, lowering her sword slightly. “That… was not my intent.”

Ruby looked down at herself, then up at Antonia, smirking. “I feel fine. Better than fine, actually. Is this what you call a power-up? Because I can work with this.”

She lunged forward again, moving faster, her strikes cleaner, more precise. Every blow landed with a rhythm, controlled, almost graceful, but each impact echoed like a heartbeat in the dark. With every clash, her silhouette seemed to sharpen; the shadows clung tighter to her, outlining her with a faint aura of red-black energy.

Antonia laughed, exhilarated despite herself. “You’re a menace.”

“Aw, thanks,” Ruby said, kicking off the edge of a fountain and spinning into a high strike. “But you have seen nothing yet! You should see me on clearance day.”

They locked blades again, grinning at each other through the shimmer of heat and moonlight. Antonia couldn’t decide if she’d made a terrible mistake or the best one of the night. Either way, she wasn’t about to stop.

The red moon above pulsed brighter, as if enjoying the show. Antonia felt it first, a hum in the air, a weight that pressed down on her wings. She looked up just in time to see Ruby freeze mid-motion, her crimson eyes drawn helplessly skyward.

Both warrior and moon seemed to understand what came next.

The crimson light cascaded down like a waterfall, swallowing Ruby whole. For a heartbeat the air was still, and then a rush of power exploded outward, sending ripples through the shattered glass and overturned displays.

Ruby gasped, every fiber of her body alight. Her casual clothes tore away in a burst of radiant wind, but instead of scattering, they floated gently aside, folding themselves neatly on a nearby bench as if a polite but invisible maid had taken them.

In their place, a new outfit began to form, thread by thread, shimmer by shimmer. A dress of black and gold armor plates fitted itself to her figure, layered with flowing crimson fabric that moved as if it had a mind of its own. A golden brooch shaped like a bat’s wing pinned a scarlet cloak to her shoulders, and in her right hand, a sword materialized, a sleek, slender blade that drank in the moonlight rather than reflected it.

Her canines lengthened further, sharp and regal. A chorus of wings filled the air as a swarm of bats spiraled around her, orbiting like servants awaiting orders. When the last of the moonlight settled, the creature standing there was no longer Ruby the huntress but something infinitely grander: a Vampire War Queen crowned by the red moon.

She looked herself over, exhaled, and then, because she was still Ruby, gave an unimpressed shrug. “Apologies for the wardrobe change,” she said, her voice smooth and commanding, carrying an unmistakable note of sass. “One does like to make an entrance, even mid-battle.”

Antonia sighed, lowering her weapon. “Dang it. I didn't mean to… Haaaaa… You’ve become a Final Boss, haven’t you?”

Ruby tilted her head. “That bad, huh?”

“Unfortunately,” Antonia replied, straightening her back. “Final Bosses cannot duel one another until Halloween’s end. Those are the rules and they are… inconvenient.”

Ruby groaned, lowering her sword. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I finally get a decent fight and a power-up, and now I’m grounded by monster bureaucracy?”

Antonia offered a small, knowing smile. “Consider it… a promotion. You’ve earned your place.”

And with that, she stepped backward into the air, her form dissolving into red mist that drifted upward toward the crimson sky. Within seconds, she was gone.

Ruby stood alone in the wrecked mall, the sound of dripping water and fluttering bats her only company. After a moment, she groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Great,” Ruby muttered, surveying the wrecked mall. “No monster-hunting money, a roof to pay for, and a dress that screams royal budget.”

Her crimson eyes shifted toward the nearest counter, where the poor clerk she’d handed her bags to earlier was still frozen in place, trembling behind the register.

Ruby smiled pleasantly, fangs glinting. “Oh! You’re still here. Excellent.”

She snapped her fingers, and her swarm of bats fluttered forward at once, their wings a flurry of red and black. They swooped around the bench, neatly collecting every single shopping bag by their handles and lifting them effortlessly into the air like obedient attendants.

“There,” Ruby said, brushing her hands together and patting one of the bats. “You guys are stronger than I expected. Didn’t know you were such great buttlers. Love that for me.”

The clerk’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

Ruby rested one hand on her hip, the other lightly on the hilt of her sword. “Now then. About payment.” She gave a slow, royal sigh, the kind of sigh that made chandeliers tremble. “I don’t technically have the funds at this exact moment, and it would be beneath my dignity to simply steal what I owe.”

She leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming. “So here’s what we’ll do. You just… wait here for a few hours. I’m going to go invade a city, maybe two, collect some funds, and I’ll be back before dawn. Promise.”

The clerk blinked. “Invade a… what?”

Ruby waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry! I’ll only take what’s reasonable. It’s called taxation, darling.”

Her bats gave a unified screech of agreement, tightening their hold on the shopping bags.

Ruby took one last look around the destroyed atrium, satisfied, and turned toward the shattered skylight. “Now then,” she said with a grin that could’ve melted marble, “time to find a city that looks rich enough for my next shopping trip.”

With a flick of her wrist, her form dissolved into crimson mist. The bats followed, streaming after her in a spiral of red haze that trailed toward the sky. Within seconds, the mall was empty again, save for the trembling clerk, who could only whisper, “She said she’d be back?”

Outside, the night shimmered as the Vampire War Queen took flight, laughter echoing faintly on the wind.

Halloween’s night was far from over and the Final Boss count had just grown again.