Chapter 10: Shields and Cowards
With a piercing ring, the bell
"Remember students, always be careful with dust because even when diluted Dust can be harmful. Have a nice day now!" lectured Professor Peach with a smile as we made it out the doors.
It's been about a week since the talk with Weiss and it seemed to have worked. She and Ruby are speaking again with only a few complaints now, so to me that's progress! Ruby has even started reviewing notes with her just to make sure she understood the lessons correctly.
"So Ulric, you ready for some close and personal fun today?" Yang wraps an arm around my neck pulling me into her chest as I try to stay cool for the proximity.
"I hope you mean combat class, Yang…and yeah I'm excited for it," While removing her arm, with some help from Ruby and Weiss, I noticed Blake smirking towards me.
"You know, you could've have helped," I say with a deadpanned look across my face as she only shrugs.
"You seemed to be okay with it," she looks to me with a small smile. "Or am I wrong?" I open my mouth to defend myself before slumping forward in defeat as we kept walking, making her laugh even as we all made it inside the training hall.
"Hey, over here guys!" Nora jumps up in the stands, both arms flailing for our attention.
"I think they see us, Nora," Ren was trying to stop her as usual while Jaune and Pyrrha seemed amused.
Taking the seats they saved for us, we quickly got settled in.
"Ready to break some legs?!" Nora nearly shouted out. An equally jovial Yang met her hand in a high five.
"Really, Yang? You shouldn't encourage her like that…" Weiss lectures her only for Yang to just shrug it off.
"Oh, lighten up, Weiss-Cream. Goodwitch would stop us if we tried," The rest of us shudder in agreement when we remember the first time we saw her punish a child for being too reckless around her.
Our talking continues for a bit longer until professor Goodwitch came out to the arena floor. "Hello class, welcome to the first day of combat training. I have a few things to discuss before we begin today,"
She hits a button as a hologram starts to list of rules and emergency procedures as I looked over to Jaune who looked like he was praying. I turned back to Goodwitch as she finished up.
"Finally, there will be no maiming of students. Is that clear?" We nod in mock acceptance as she looked to her scroll. "Okay then, will Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc come down here?" I look over to see Jaune pale while Cardin was smiling like he won the lottery.
I was feeling kinda sad when that same pinging sound came.
[Quest: Bully This!]
Task: Take Jaune's place for the match
Reward:
Likeness from Jaune increased
25,000 Exp
Failure/Denial
Jaune battles instead
Yes or No?
I quickly accepted the quest and subtly tripped Jaune as he passed me. 'Sorry Jaune…' I quickly went to him, helping him up while I looked to Goodwitch. "Miss Goodwitch, I think Jaune isn't feeling well right now, but I could take his place if you wish?"
Jaune looked surprised at what I'm doing while Goodwitch stared at me. "He does seem rather pale…okay Ulric, if you wish to you may," She begins to change the info as my info replaces Jaune on the scoreboard.
"Thanks…" Jaune mumbles as I sit him down by Pyrrha.
I pat his shoulder as I walk down. "No need Jaune. You do look sick so I'll take this one, just focus on getting better," I smile giving him a thumbs up before Ruby speaks up.
"Good luck Ulric!" she happily cheers out as Blake and Yang holding RUWBY signs wishing me luck. 'Who made those?!'
"Yes Ulric, take care not to soil our name. Our reputation is at stake," Weiss strictly reminds me, but smiles just the same as the others as I nod to them.
"Thanks team, I won't let you down," With a final wave I jump over the safety rail and enter the ring while Cardin mirrored me on the other end. His face never dropped from its confident smirk
"So instead of that wimp I get you instead?" His words filled with bravado as I simply shrugged, twirling Dawn Cleaver and resting it on my shoulder.
"I guess so…but you shouldn't call me that. Only Yang gets to and she gets upset when others use it," I quipped back, causing his eyes to glare at me.
"Big talk from a guy who failed the entrance test," He smiles at me, obviously trying to rouse my ire. The only reaction he gains is me lowering my helmet's visor.
"Guess I'm just lucky," I shrug as I prep my form, glaive pointed at him. "Good luck to you, bird brain," I snicker just loud enough for him to hear as he growls, tightening the grip on his mace as Goodwitch speaks up.
"Remember, you lose if your aura drops into the red or you leave the arena," She hits a button before signaling the start. "BEGIN!"
Cardin Winchester
[Leader of CRDL]
Level 36
Well at least he was strong enough to reach his position… too bad I trained slightly more. I grin as I observe him.
We slowly inspect the other until without reason he ran forward with the first swing. The mace collided with my shield as I stop it dead as he proceeds to beat into it.
The clanging grew louder with each hit, but I didn't falter. After I had had enough I shoved the shield into him, forcing him to back away. My own swing forces him back, his mace rising to deflect the blow.
He used the head of the mace to stop the momentum, but I was able to knock him off the side as he skidded a few feet back.
"Not bad," I said mockingly as he grunts in anger before trying to wail on my shield again. However he got the same result of the shield bouncing his attack harmlessly away.
"Hiding behind a shield? What, can't handle a hit!?" he taunts at me taking a breath as I look at him confused.
"Hiding? That's not what a shield is for," I dash him as my shield covers his vision. "It's a Weapon with very good practical uses like this!" I shift into sword mode and surprise him with a upward slash that grazes his chest forcing him back from the blow.
However I didn't give him time to breathe as I used my shield to force his mace away as I once again slashed into his side this time, causing him to fall to his knee.
"Gah! You're so annoying with that thing!" he screams as his mace glows red with him winding up a swing at me once more.
Once it connected an explosion blasted me back and my shield off my arm as my defense coupled under the attack.
"Now that's a surprise," I say, angling my blade towards him while he walks up smugly. I looked to the board, to see that we were both in the yellow.
"It's not surprising that you're losing," He smirks as he lifts up his mace. "Now let's end this."
He charges with his glowing mace as I in turn dodge to the left. "What's the matter, afraid of me?" he spits out with venom as I lower my blade.
"Afraid?" I drop my arms to my sides I chuckle outside of my character before peering at him through my helmet.
"I forgot that feeling years ago…" with a low and harsh voice unlike mine as I charged at him.
I switched my blade into its glaive form as I swung down at him with full force. I decided to test out multiple attacks in one skill. Combing devastating and armor breaker into one caused my blade to glow a very eerie shade of blue.
Cardin tried to bash at the blade with his strength. For a split second, our weapons met and stopped between us, before my strike won and pushed through his defense.
Panicked screams could be heard as smoke spewed around the area. The monitor showed that we both used our entire aura reserves which raised some alarms. Glynda at this point used her powers to clear the smoke only cause gasps from the stands.
On the ground was Cardin clutching his arm like it was broken. His mace laid next to him in the same manner, destroyed and splintered.
I meanwhile just stood there looking down at him, and gazing at the one before me. My blade lost its shine and the edge was chipped, but that wasn't why people were shocked.
Embedded in my chest and stomach were fragments of Cardin's weapon. I was breathing but blood escaped from my mouth and the penetrating debris.
"You two don't move!" Goodwitch commanded as she used her scroll to call the infirmary.
I wasn't responsive as I kept staring at my blade. 'What was that? Before the attacked finished that light became…' I was pulled from my thoughts as Yang was shaking me, tears in her eyes.
"Ulric please answer us!" Yang was yelling but to me it was muffled and distant. "Why isn't he responding!?"
Weiss looked rather concerned as she and a crying Ruby inspected my wounds.
"Ruby, you need to calm down," Weiss was trying to hide her own worry by clenching a fist.
Blake I noticed was holding my shield as she too held a pained look in her eyes as she joined with Yang. "You need to calm down, he's breathing and the doctors will be here soon…" But it wasn't stopping Yang from crying.
It honestly felt like I was burning inside, but I didn't know if it was form pain, or something else. Seeing that my team was worried I knew I had to respond to them.
"I'll be okay, girls. The medics are on their way."
It seemed to work as they sighed in relief but still had some tears flowing. Yang wrapped me into a soundless hug. Eventually, she whispered into my ear. "Answer me next time you idiot…" she held my hand as I held hers as tight as I could at the moment.
"Sorry 'bout that," I smile at her and everyone else as the world faded to black.
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It took a few minutes for the medics to arrive and take Cardin and I over. Apparently his arm was badly smashed up from the Impact. I meanwhile got the shockwave and debris when it flew at me; luckily my armor was hard enough to stop the shrapnel from passing through fully.
I woke up a day after the surgery and would be fully healed within a week, without heavy training. As soon as the doctors told me that they said I had some guests and left.
"Ulric!" is the first word I hear as the door flies open to a red blur slams into me.
"Hey Ruby, how are you?" I said with a groan since she decided a hug to my chest was a great idea.
She jumped back hearing that and blushed. "Sorry, sorry," She stammered for a bit until the rest of the girls followed in.
"Ruby slow down, He isn't going anywhere," Yang says in a far better mood than I saw. Blake and Weiss seemed so as well which made feel relieved.
"Yes Ruby, don't rush him. He needs to heal," Weiss walked up with a basket of fruit, placing them on the table by the bed. "Here you go Ulric; I thought you'd want something to eat while you're here,"
"Thank you, Weiss, that is rather sweet," I smile as she coughs into her fist with a light pink tint dusting on her cheeks as Blake enters the room.
"They told us you'll be good to go in a few hours of paperwork," Blake explained, taking a chair next to me, and began to read her book.
"That's good to hear I guess," I lay back onto my pillow as Ruby speaks up again.
"What was that by the way Ulric?" Her eyes grew as they sparkled. "I didn't know your weapon could glow like that, was it a new move!?" She began to question me nonstop as I tried to tell her.
"I guess it was, didn't know that would happen though to be honest," I scratched my head as Weiss grabs a fruit.
"Then next time, don't use a technique until you've practiced it. I don't want to be back here again for a while, understood?" she glares at me as I awkwardly laugh and nod as she begins to peel an apple. "Eat this; you probably haven't eaten yet,"
"Thanks," She holds an apple slice out to me, as I lean over and bite it. It seemed that was a bad idea…
"What are you doing you idiot! You were to take it!" she yells as I shrink in fear.
"Well if Weiss doesn't want to I will~" Yang says with a teasing tone, getting another slice for me. "Say Ahh~" She opens her own mouth in mock as I look at her with an annoyed expression. "Aww come on, you did it for Weiss…" She pouts until I sigh and comply.
"Oh me too!" Ruby now with another fruit slice as I just look at her with disbelief. "Is that a no?" her face forming a very sad look in her eyes, making me reluctantly fill my mouth with another piece.
"Now unless Blake wants to do it as well..," I swallow the apple slices as Blake nods no. "Then I think I got it,"
They all laugh as I just shake my head with my own smile plastered on my face as they told me about the classes I missed. Weiss had notes for me, which I thanked her deeply for. No way am I missing a lecture from Oobleck.
The nurse came back a little after that to release me. It felt rather nice to walk around again. We were having a chat back to our Dorm when Pyrrha passed us in a hurry. "Something wrong, Pyrrha?" I ask as she turns back to me with what I see is worry in her eyes.
"Ulric…Jaune hasn't comeback in a while and isn't responding to my calls…If you or anyone sees him will you let us know?" We nod to her as she tries to from a smile. "Thank you…" She bows before dashing down the hall and out of sight.
"Hope he hasn't got into trouble," Ruby says with her own worry as I pat her head.
"Jaune is the last person to go looking for it, so I wouldn't worry," I assure her as we head inside and I reviewed Weiss' notes until the sun had set. The girls quickly went out like lights from the amount of bookwork we did, leaving me the only one up.
'Time to find that blonde dork,' I think to myself before changing and heading out quietly. I had a good feeling where he was at this hour so I checked there and immediately felt success, seeing him stand on the rooftop looking to the Moon.
"Hey, Jaune!" I say from behind him, watching him jump into the air in panic before seeing me.
"Oh Ulric, you shouldn't do that!" he complains but there wasn't any feeling in his voice as I walk up to him. "Something you need?" he asks as I stop to his side.
"Well not me, but your team seem to think you've gone off on an adventure. Nora was about to go blast walls open to find you, until Ren took her hammer away," I chuckle at the thought as Jaune sighs loudly.
"That sounds like them. You don't have to worry, I'll message them soon…" He feels distant as I see some form a doubt in his eyes. "Hey Ulric…" he turns to me as I look straight at him. "Should someone like me be here?"
I look at him for a moment before answering. "Here? Like the roof? Because I don't see why not," He shakes his head to my answer.
"I mean here, like Beacon…I don't honestly feel worthy enough for being here," He says as his voice lowers.
"You survived the test, didn't you? That alone is proof to making it into Beacon," I lay a hand on his shoulder as he sighs.
"But you saw me out there…I could barely do anything to help…I don't even think I can't even use a shield right like you!" his voices raises with self-doubt as shake my head slowly.
"Jaune, what is a shield for?" I ask as he thinks on it.
"Isn't it to hide from attacks?" I laugh from his answer as he frowns.
"I'm sorry Jaune, but no it isn't to hide…Jaune stand there for a moment," I gesture to an area on the roof as he slowly shuffles over. "Okay I'm gonna hit you Jaune," His eyes widen as I wind my fist up.
"Imagine you can't move…not Because of an injury, but picture the things you care for," I see him think of an answer. "Now if you don't block, my attack will destroy whatever you hold dear in your heart,"
My fist flies at Jaune as his eyes show a more resolute look than a few seconds ago as he only slides a few inches back.
"Ow, ow, ow!" He rubs his arm as I smile at him, placing my fist to his chest.
"That is what a shield is for. It isn't to hide behind Jaune; it's to protect what you love," Slowly his own smile appears to his face as we laugh.
"Thanks Ulric…I needed that…I just hope I don't let them down…" Just like that his self-doubt kicked in as a screen appeared.
[Quest Chronicle: Squire Jaune]
Task: Get Jaune to agree to train with you.
Reward:
Increased likeness from Jaune
Increased Likeness from JNPR
25,000 Exp
I nod to approve the quest as I place a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "You won't let them down; I can help train you to be stronger, Jaune," I give him a smile as he seemed to get upset.
"That's just it! I can't ask for help form you or anywhere or else I'm admitting I'm weak!" his voice isn't contained anymore before I grow a furrow in my brow and clonk him good with my fist.
"Ow! What was that for!?" He rubs his head as I keep my glare.
"Because you're an idiot, Jaune…" I hold him by his shirt as I speak sharply. "Asking for help is never a sign of weakness. Everyone has areas they need friends. To do things they can't do alone. Me training your or someone else helping is not bad! That's just your pride speaking, and my friend Jaune who just showed me the strength in his heart to become a huntsman…a hero,"
I let go of him as his eyes waiver in answer. "So tell me Jaune, do you want to become stronger?" I hold a hand out as he hesitantly lifts his up. Slowly he clasps my hand as I smile pulling him into a hug, noticing Pyrrha at the door with a big smile before leaving.
[Quest: Jaune the Squire] Completed
Likeness from Jaune Increased
Likeness from JNPR Increased
Gained 25,000 Exp
[Quest Chronicle Part 2: Arcing Hope]
Task: Raise Jaune to level 30 by midterms
Rewards:
Increased likeness from Jaune.
Secret bonus
"Good," I release him as we start to walk down the stairs. "We'll begin tomorrow at 8 up here every day. I'll show you my family's special training method. We'll either break or make you into a hero," I laugh as he gulps in fear to what he signed up for as we head our own ways to bed.
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So After the next chapter at 10 is fully up the poll will be closed as I make my decision then. For any new readers to old please check my page to find the poll.
Sorry if this felt late. It wasn't meant to be a long chapter at all…you could say it was a small character 'Arc'…Ulric has been around Yang too long…
Anyways there were delays on this side so sorry for any of you who enjoy reading this.
Feedback:
iLoveA51ans: Thanks I enjoyed writing the fight between such great hunters.
kumbrakarna: Ulric didn't get this far without some wits haha. Although he can be barbaric when it comes down to a slugfest and maybe…if he reaches that high of dex.
Squadpunk 2.0: Haha edgar lives on!
Lexus-Regis: Thanks, I try to add my own little points into the story.
King Kimi: True a lot could be used. All of you have fun with ship names…I have an omake for this later.
Dragon of the Blazeing Stars: Just glad you read it lol and thank you.
Cf96: Cool indeed