Previously on RWBY: No I in Team
*Shink*
Blake's bow twitched as her sensitive ears picked up on the sound of steps on snow. Turning to the source, she saw their professor looking off into the sound's direction. Having enough of her teammates celebrations, she quickly shushed them.
"What?" Yang whisper yelled at the cat faunus who in turn just pointed to the Hunter's figure. The rest of the two teams immediately fell quiet as they gazed at their professor, standing still as if he couldn't move.
A cold sweat ran down Icary's forehead as the footsteps continued to sound closer. His grip on his blades tightened out of fear as the bravado he had yesterday got swept away like a leaf in a river. The moment he saw the silhouette, he knew what he had to do.
"Jaune! Call for he-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as a wave of struck up snow came from the woods, exploding once it made contact with the orange haired hunter.
Chapter 7
The Knight's Shadow
The blurred form of Icary Esthus shot out of the snow cloud before tumbling on the ground, groaning in pain. His students immediately rushed to his side, wondering what had happened only to get a negative response.
"Don't come any closer! Retreat and signal for help! NOW!" Icary struggled to shout, his voice shaky yet still held a superior tone. As the cloud, they finally managed to get a good look of their assailant.
A man standing at a staggering 7 feet walked out of the white cloud deep purple scarf and hood hid his face while an onyx colored breastplate covered his torso shaped to make his shoulders look bigger. His bare arms adorned with a black spiraling accessory that started from his wrist and stopped short of his elbow and Black metallic leggings that also acted as boots. He really looked like a black knight and the gigantic sword in his hands only further emphasized his image. Ruby's eyes immediately fixed on the knight in black's greatsword.
It was a silver blade with a round section cut off near the tip connected to a brass colored cutlass style hilt that extended and covered the blade's blunt side. Some sort of gear like gadget was placed on the arm guard connecting the blunt side of the blade. Ruby could see some sort of bolt action mechanism on the handle and there was a hole big enough to be a gun barrel at the end of the blunt side and she could see the trigger on the blade's handle to prove that it was. Breaking out of her trance she immediately noticed their professor standing up with one of his blades acting as an extra foothold.
"What are you standing there for!?" Icary's voice boomed out. "RETREAT!" He ordered once more, reluctantly JNPR and RWBY did as they were told with Ruby leaving last.
"You're pretty brave, trying to take me on alone." The man's deep gruff voice entered Icary's ear. "So what's your plan? Stall me for a few minutes before retreating yourself or do you really plan on taking me out?" He asked the orange haired hunter. Icary didn't bother to answer as he supplied his body with aura, healing him from the hit he took a few moments ago courtesy of the man in front of him. "To be honest, I am surprised you aren't scared. I am sure that you have heard of what I am capable of doing." The man spoke sounding proud of having killed 7 hunters and huntresses in one night.
"Quit talking, you're annoying me." Icary finally replied. In reality he was actually scared of facing against the Knight's Shadow, he had heard of stories about him ever since he first got into Beacon and forgot about him until recently but Icary had learned how to deal with fear...
Forcing his aura into his body, he activated his semblance. A tingling sensation enveloped his body as he stood still.
Before disappearing in a cloud of snow.
Appearing and disappearing around, the knight in black couldn't help a smile that threatened to split his face. He could tell that this kid was going to be a good warm up before trying out the other 8 that ran away. A sense he had developed against speed type opponents rang as he held his blade in front of him.
*Clang*
A spark signified that he had struck. 'He plans on attacking without stopping his movement huh?' the giant man mused as he continued to block Icary's lightning quick strikes with ease.
'Just how strong is this guy!?' Icary asked himself in shock as he continued his relentless attacks. 'I'll run out of Aura before I hit him at this ra-' That train of thought was broken when he felt a train hit him straight in the face causing the young hunter to spiral out of control before skidding off the snow, leaving him dazed and slightly pained. 'Ugh...thank Monty I have that habit of surrounding myself with Aura whenever I accelera-' His danger sense rung before he could finish as he launched himself to the side with a flip.
The blade swinging down mere centimeters from his face almost made his heart drop. A few strands of his hair got cut in a neat fashion, proving just how sharp his great sword is. Not wanting to wait for a follow up, Icary landed on one feet before hopping away as quickly as he can without using his semblance. Skidding off the snow slighly, the young hunter stabbed his blade firmly to the ground to try and calm the erratic beating of his heart.
'I keep stopping so I can change the direction of my attacks...' Icary observed, gritting his teeth at the discovery of his own weakness. 'I need to change my direction without...' his train of thought was cut off as he looked at his blade that was firm on the ground before epiphany hit him along with a grin that bordered a smirk. 'Bingo'
Drawing his blade from the ground, he prepped for another acceleration. Gaining a dim silver glow before dashing off, instead of dashing around in an attempt to confuse him Icary decided to go in head first. A spark and the sound of metal against metal resounded in the woods, having had enough the black knight decided to retaliate...
Before his sense rung once again, causing him to raise his sword.
*Clang*
The sound of metal against metal repeated, then another, then another. The attacks kept coming, leaving the black knight no time to wind up his attack.
'How is he turning!? How can he change directions without losing an inkling of his speed!?' The black knight thought, baffled at the streams of attack aimed at him. He was starting to have difficulty in blocking his attacks, each attack left him no time to retaliate without the risk of getting hit himself. A few strikes further, the black knight made a dreadful realization.
He was getting faster...
The gap between each attack were getting thinner and thinner as he started having more and more difficulty in blocking the quick hunter's attacks until he finally made a fumble. A block had made him raise his sword too high, and he knew it.
'Shit!' he mentally cursed.
'Now!' Icary shouted in his mind as he caught sight of his opponent's mistake. Planting his blade to the ground, the young hunter shifted his center of gravity to spin using his blade as a pivot point. Making a complete 180 degree spin before pulling his blade out to launch back. Heading in feet first, Icary shifted once again to turn his body so that he was now facing the knight in black. 'I am running low on Aura... I need to finish this now!' Pushing all of his reserve aura into his body, Icary stopped in front of his target. The knight in black dropped his sword and put his arms on a cross guard.
Streams of gold gleamed around Icary as he seemed to become a blur. By forcing more Aura onto his body, Icary is able to gain speed at a faster rate. In this scenario, Icary is using up all his Aura in order to instantaneously accelerate his body to allow him to basically land as much hits as humanly possible.
The knight in black remained steady as he took the brunt of the assault. His arms glowing an eerie purple as he continued to guard against it with his own aura.
Icary could feel himself getting slower and slower as he started reaching his limit. 'All or nothing!' He resolved before dropping one of his blades and rearing his fist back. A bright silver light emanated from the hunter's fist, making it look like a ball of silver light as he poured every ounce of his aura into this one attack. His sight started to blur... he could feel his lungs struggle for air before launching his fist forward.
Silver and Violet collided as the knight in black poured more aura onto his arms. Icary gritted his teeth as he tried to push his attack further by force, every centimeter he got closer, the stronger the resistance became. Icary failed to realize the aura forming on his opponent's feet.
A pulse of purple aura sprang from the ground, the force stopping his attack and causing him to fly backwards. He felt his world crumble around him as he soared... After putting everything I got...it wasn't enough?; He thought in shock before he felt a tree stop his flight and his face met with the cold snow paved ground.
"I'll admit you had me scared there for a second... but in the end you didn't even come close." The man taunted as he picked up his silver blade. The orange hunter hoisted himself up, his hands shaking as he held himself up against the ground and with his lungs desperate for air, the hunter could only rasp as he tried to regain his breath. Raising his head up, his eyes could only see a black blur getting closer and closer to him.
'This is it huh?... This is the end of my story... I just wish I could have made her wish come true...' Icary could only think solemnly as his head hung low once again. He tried to think of a way to fight back... he counted every possible variable... but there was no way... no way he would get out of this situation, alive that is.
Before the image of her white cloak flashed in his mind. The person that taught him, the reason he wanted to become a responsible hunter.
'No... I refuse...'
The man wasn't surprised to see the boy struggling to stand back up. He thought that he would make a desperate attempt at running away but he was proven wrong when the young hunter picked up his swords and went into a combat stance. His eyes gleamed with what didn't seem to be desperation but resolution.
"Even after all of this? You still want to fight? This isn't a TV show kid... There is no happy ending for you." The man spoke as he continued his pace towards the orange hunter.
Icary's legs shook as he struggled to keep himself standing. 'I don't have anymore Aura... I barely have the strength to stand up...but I refuse... I refuse to lay down like a dog... I'll fight...' His teeth grit, his grip tightened, and the pain became more bearable. He knew that this would happen eventually, so what was he so scared of? He knew what he signed up for and he will continue doing so until his final breath... until... until...
"Until I die!" The hunter roared as he dashed through the snow. Every step sent an excruciating jolt of white hot pain on his legs but he persevered. Every movement he made caused his eyes to blur, fine... he didn't need to see clearly. He was getting close, he could tell but before he could attack he felt a slender arm wrap around his stomach.
Next thing he knew he was back from where he started with 8 white cloaked figures in front of him with one holding him by the back of his head as she laid him against a tree and one red cloaked figure in the middle. He didn't need anything else to figure out who they were.
"I..." He breathing became ragged as the adrenaline began to wear off. "I told...retreat..." He huffed before he felt all of the strength in his body evaporate along with his consciousness.
Blake gently laid their instructor against the tree before turning to her friends and teammates. The Black Knight threw his hood back, revealing a man with deep purple hair that matched his own eyes. A diagonal scar adorned on his forehead that stretched to his cheek along with a sadistic grin etched on his face. No words were spoken as the eight drew their own weapons. His hands trembled, not with fear, but with blood lust. If these eight were as good as that orange one then he'll be thrilled to take their heads one by one.
Surprisingly, Jaune was the first to make a move. The training he received with Pyrrah took over as he ran with his shield raised in front of him and blade pointed to the side, poised to strike. He had trouble with the Beowolves because of numbers, but he was confident that he can fight one.
The man raised his giant blade to the right and blocked the blonde's flick swing only for Jaune to use the recoil from hitting the bigger man's defense to spin his body to the other direction for a back hand swing from the opposite side. Jaune's surprise attack failed as the Black Knight raised his left arm, allowing the sword to make contact with his arm guard. He expected the kid to withdraw but was surprised when he kept pushing his sword against him. The difference in strength was too much as Jaune felt himself get knocked away with a kick to the back.
When he felt a hand land on his shoulder for support and a gold and red blur, he knew that this guy was in for the fight of his life.
Whew! Finally managed to get this chapter out. I am not really good at fight scenes (although it's what I am currently best at when it comes to writing in my opinion). Around 2 months left before summer and before I make a strict writing schedule (Hopefully something I can follow completely) for those 2 months of free time. Expect slightly faster updates around the middle of March until June.
Read and Review, I accept constructive criticism! It can help me improve.
