Chapter 14

As Weiss's rapier, Myrtenaster, clanged off of Pyrrha's shield, it sent a shockwave down the heiress's arm. Her aura was reading low on her scroll. At the last second, she activated a glyph and slid away from the Amazon as Nora's hammer, Magnhild, obliterated the ground upon which she was just standing.

Neo's aura fared slightly better than Weiss's, but not by much. Her parasol was getting run through its paces as a shield, but she was having a hard time getting close enough to her opponents. The reach on Magnhild was incredible and the Amazon was north of six-feet tall. She thought she would have little problem dispatching either once she could get inside the girls' effective range, but she was taking a hellacious pounding until she could.

Bounding out of reach of Nora's follow up from her swing at Weiss, Neo landed directly in front of Weiss, back against the girl's chest. She's breathing heard. The JNPR fighters are taking their toll. Neo felt a breath against her ear. Weiss! This is hardly the time for that! she thought, enraged.

"Nora's going to come in hard and try to hit us both. I'll throw a glyph to block and take the impact, but you'll need to read the swing and slip past the glyph to strike."

Neo acknowledged Weiss's plan by closing her parasol and resting it on her shoulder as she arrogantly bowed to Nora. The angrier the girl was, the more likely she would over-commit and be unable to recover.

As expected, the enraged Valkyrie charged in as she shrieked "NORA SMASH!" The energetic redhead wound up for a killing shot coming in parallel to the ground from Neo and Weiss's left. Weiss threw a repulsion glyph and braced Myrtenaster in a defensive pose in case the glyph failed. Neo rolled to the left and sprung up like a cat inside of Nora's swing as it crashed against the glyph. Catching the Valkyrie in the throat with the parasol, Neo held it with her left arm as she swung herself behind Nora, wrapped her left leg around the girl's waist and grabbed the other end of the parasol with her right hand. Planting her right foot in the small of Nora's back, the small woman wrenched back with all of her might and pulled her already off-balanced attacker towards the ground.

Nora couldn't fight either the weight pulling her backwards or the rigid parasol against her throat. Neo landed on her back, doing her best to distribute the impact as broadly as she could, and used her right foot planted in Nora's back to throw her as she yanked down on the parasol. Nora's head snapped back and her body followed, feet in the air over her head, and she slammed hard into the ground. It was an impressive throw, Nora's petite body leaving an outsized hole in the ground as her aura dropped into the red and their referee, Blake, called her out.

Pyrrha was impressed as Neo kicked her legs into the air and snapped herself upright into a standing position with a calm defensive guard.

"Well done, Neo!" Pyrrha readied herself for the delightful challenge of two-on-one. "Now, if you and Weiss think you can take me, come and do so!"

Weiss flew across the ground towards Pyrrha and exchanged a rapid series of blows and blocks, rapier to sword. Neo watched as both girls spun rapidly and lashed out at each other with their blades. Metal clashes rang out in the courtyard. She waited: observing carefully to time her entry into the fray.

In an uncharacteristic move, Weiss swung downwards, as if her rapier was an axe. Pyrrha raised her left arm to block and readied a follow up strike with her sword, but she was never able to get the move off as she reflexively drew her right arm into her abdomen as Neo's parasol crashed into her left side, jamming her in the kidney. The unexpected blow knocked the wind out of her. Weiss rapidly spun clockwise as she leveled the edge of her blade against Pyrrha's undefended neck.

"Match!" Blake yelled out to close out the round.

Weiss's aura was barely a hit from the red zone; she breathed heavily and was barely able to celebrate her victory. Pyrrha smiled at her opponents and congratulated them on their hard-fought victory. Nora sat on the sidelines, as she muttered to herself over her early departure from the round. Neo was doubled over, head rested on the backs of her hands, which rested on the handle of her parasol with its tip against the ground.

Weiss and I make a surprisingly good team. Neo thought as she worked to calm herself. I can't believe we managed to fight off two opponents of such skill. Especially since our fighting style was not particularly well matched against theirs. Unfurling her body to a fully upright position, she took in the scene before her. We weren't exactly trying to kill each other. Yet sparring didn't feel like the game I thought it would be. If this was the level of expertise the students in this academy possessed, her former comrades are certainly going to be in trouble when they try to enact the next phase of their plans. Whatever they might be. She wished she knew more so that she could warn Weiss. Prove to her savior how appreciative she was. That she was on her side. That she owed her life to the girl. And Goodwitch and Ozpin.

She strode over to Weiss and wrapped the girl in a celebratory hug, slapped her on the back a couple times, and gave her a quick rub on top of her head. She was smiling like a fool the entire time. Weiss's face brightened into a toothy grin as she congratulated her teammate on such a "spectacular performance". The two teammates approached their rivals. Pyrrha, duly impressed by Neo and Weiss's teamwork, warmly embraced the tiny pair, wrapping them both up in one giant Amazonian hug.

"Well met, friends!" Pyrrha congratulated them as she released her grip. Turning serious, she extended a hand to Neo, "We are honored to have you to serve alongside us. I have no doubt that you will make for an exceptional Huntress."

Nora took advantage of Pyrrha's kind words as a distraction and snuck up behind the victors and gave each a forceful noogie. "I'll get you both next time! Why, Ren and I could take Neo AND the other four members of Team RWBY." A wicked smile crossed her features, "And the loser will make the winners a PANCAKE BREAKFAST!"

Neo looked from Weiss to Pyrrha over to Blake as she tried to figure out just how serious the energetic little Valkyrie was.

Weiss was rubbing her left bicep, still smarting from the vibration sent down it from the repetitive clashes against Pyrrha's sword and shield. "Knock it off, Nora. You guys wouldn't stand a chance against Neo and I, much less five-on-two."

Nora cocked an eyebrow in Weiss's direction, "A new challenger approaches, eh Weiss?"

"No, you little dolt! I'm just pointing out a fact, not trying to start another fight."

Neo put on a wide-eyed expression, hands held together with fingers towards the sky, her palms in at chest height, mock pleading with Weiss for a chance to take Nora up on her challenge.

Weiss turned with a huff as she rolled her eyes at her charge. "Thanks for the match, guys. Neo, we're heading back to the dorm before you and Nora agree to something stupid."