Chapter 37
To Be A Knight (2)

"Hi-yah!"

Yang Xiao Long wasn't one to vocalize every attack she made, but she also wasn't one to abstain from it the action, either. It was fun to let loose on grimm, especially since they were supposed to be having their sparring class at the moment. A class she was looking forward to, namely because she wanted to see how she fared against her classmates; Pyrrha just got lucky last time! So yeah, she was a bit disappointed to hear that Ruby had volunteered them to help find Jaune, but the extra grimm in the woods made up for it.

As did the fancy dust magic that the Hall monitor gave them. She still wasn't quite sure how it worked, and Ruby had been hogging the magic book all morning, so it wasn't exactly something she could look up. But honestly, Yang didn't care too much about that part, and was content in simply punching flaming shotgun shells at her enemies.

Such as this Ursa that had stumbled upon them.

Another explosion rang out as she charged forward, the boost from Ember Celica magnified by elemental fire, leaving a charred ring of dirt in her wake as she sped towards her target. The Ursa, to its credit, didn't seem too surprised by this, raising up its claw in preparation for the blonde brawler's attack. Unfortunately for the beast of grimm, it was far outclassed, and three solid hits against its arm were more than enough to fend off its attempted attack. Not that Yang stopped there, of course.

Just as the Ursa staggered backwards, Yang fired off a concussive blast, powered by flame as it tore through the air, exploding against the lesser grimm's hide. The few plates of bone that this young monster had were no match for the blaze, and did little to protect it as the Ursa yelled out in pain and anger.

And that was its last mistake, as it gave the blonde beauty her opening. Dashing forward once again, Yang's explosive charge closed the distance almost instantly, as her fist shot up at the creature's head. And, in a single strike, it was... stunned.

Huh. Looks like the fancy magic wore off again. Too bad it didn't last longer... Oh well. The brawler didn't think too much of it, and simply finished off the Ursa with a final blast, her weapon unleashing painful shells of buckshot into the beast. A cloud of grimmsmoke signaled its demise, and she happily turned back to the rest of the group.

"So? How about it? Was I hot or what?" The huntress-in-training shot a playful grin to the rest of the group, earning her a collective sigh in return, as she waited for the rest of them to catch up.

"That was pretty bad, even for you." Blake quickly chirped up at her partner, giving the girl a slight smile before turning back to her book. Of course, Yang caught that smile, a rare expression from her partner that seemed to be growing more and more common these days. Honestly, the blonde was glad that her team was slowly opening up, both to each other and to her sister. "But at least you didn't go overboard with the magic, like Ruby."

Kind of like that, really.

"H-Hey! It's not like I'm only one who enjoyed it!" Ruby pouted at her teammates, cheeks puffing as she crossed her arms. Not that Yang blamed her for her enthusiasm, since her sister was always fond of being so... energetic. Coupled with the magic wind thing that Hall had used on her, and that made for a very hyperactive Ruby.

"No, but you were the only one who dashed into a tree on your first try." And, of course, Yang wasn't above teasing her sister, as she gave the girl a playful poke on her shoulder. "Not even Nora did that."

"That's because Nora got rid of all the trees!"

Yang waved off her sister's protests, making an exaggerated gesture of turning away as she waved her hand at the air. "Okay, okay. I'll give you that. Still, you should be more careful."

"... I wonder how Blake will react."

Now there's a question. Ruby's idle musings certainly got Yang's attention, and the blonde quickly turned her gaze to her black-haired partner. Would she try to act all calm and collected, like Weiss and Ren had? Or would she go all out with it, like Nora and Ruby? Heck, even Pyrrha was pleasantly surprised by the sudden magic, though she was probably just glad that it sped up their progress.

Speaking of progress, how far did that locker land?

Jaune did his best to pay attention to the fight.

Yet, there was something disheartening when you realize that the ghost of a Knight was somehow better at dealing with grimm than you were. Not that he was discounting Kali's very apparent skill, but... Weren't ghosts intangible? How was she still able to slash at the Ursa?

To some, this line of thought may seem trivial, but it was crucial to the Arc; his mind would wander if it didn't stay focused on the scene before him. He knew how worthless he was in this situation. Heck, if it wasn't for Kali, he probably would've joined her as a ghost... He was not prepared at all for the Ursa, and his amateur motions weren't nearly enough to deal with the threat. And this was something he was supposed to be prepared for.

What a joke.

The blonde swordsman couldn't help but let out a sigh, his attention turning back to the female knight. Unlike him, Kali's motions were much more precise, easily dodging away from the black grimm, wasting very little with her movements. Shift her body this way to avoid a swipe, or a step to the side that way to position herself away from a lunge. Followed it up with a single slash downwards, a clean retaliation.

The few motions she made were clear and decisive, and the Ursa clearly suffered from her numerous blows.

And they certainly were numerous. Kali stepped forward once more, her weapon darting out as another flash faded steel marked an attack, catching the grimm's forearm between the plates. A clean strike, and while the ethereal weapon didn't do much on its own, it still made a noticeable gash against the black fur. And that gash was nothing to scoff at when five more cuts followed the first, each precisely placed between the thick bone plates.

The Ursa was forced back, the ghost maiden's relentless assault keeping it on the defensive, unable to find the opportunity to bring forth its total strength. Instead, it could only ward off blows with an arm, or a snap of its jaws, while its other forearm lashed out haphazardly. A mistake, as the Knight drove her rapier forward, the blade sliding into the masked beast's shoulder, forcing the Ursa backwards once more as it let out an angry snarl.

These were motions that Jaune couldn't hope to replicate. He couldn't imagine himself ever using a rapier, especially not in the way that the Knight had; She was made the impossible seem possible, as she slashed out the thrusting weapon as cleanly as he did, accomplishing far more than he could hope for with Crocea Mors. Did it have something to do with her weapon being a ghostly sword? Or was he truly that incompetent, that the difference in weapon type didn't matter?

He shook his head, letting his mind wander once more as he tried to ignore those straggling thoughts. Jaune's eyes fell on Kali's armour, the blue plate with gold trim, pale and translucent, yet clear and distinctive in their own way, as her immaculate armour clearly outlined her slender form. He stopped himself before his teenage mind went further, knowing full well that grimm-infested woods were no place for hormones. Instead, he shifted his attention to her blade, catching sight of it just in time to see the metal shift to gleaming a bright red.

Wait. Bright red?

And just as that thought entered his mind, Kali drove her rapier downwards, causing an explosion of flame to shoot out from the base of her feet. A shockwave burst forth, catching both the grimm and Jaune unawares, and while he was perfectly fine, the sudden wave of heat lashed out at the Ursa. It tried to bring its own attack to bear, roaring instinctively at the sudden blaze, swiping at heated air.

It was awarded for its actions with a rapier to its eye.

Another angry snarl, another furious roar, but the Ursa could do nothing but screech out as Kali pressed the assault. Her stance shifted dramatically, no longer striking with counter-attacks alone, as her steps became more focused and directed. Now, she advanced on the bear, slashing at its weak points, her sword glowing white as she drove her rapier into its other eye. Then its open mouth. Then its throat, then shoulder, then neck. Then three more places, withdrawing her rapier each time, only to thrust it outwards once more in a lightning-fast motion.

Jaune was stunned.

He had no idea if this was honestly the proper way to use the blade, but he was simply too awestruck to care; within the span of two seconds, the ghostly maiden had struck out eight times at the grimm, all at critical points of its monstrous body. And while Jaune was humbled by the sight, the Ursa did not even have that luxury as it collapsed on the ground, dying in a wisp of black smoke, not even knowing how it had been felled.

There was a silent pause in the forest clearing, as Jaune's gaze turned to the Knight.

Kali, for her part, merely watched the creature's corpse fade into a black dust, following the smoke until it disappeared into the air. A few more seconds pass, before she turned around to face her companion. And, just like that, she reverted from being a serious warrior to a curious ghost, her face softening as she gave the teen a playful smile.

"So... Shall we get going, Mr. Jaune?"

Ozpin furrowed his brow.

Not for anything the students had done, mind you.

Honestly, his current expression wasn't due to anything any related to the children under his tutelage, nor had it been the result of the Hall monitor's antics. Sure, he did have some misgivings about his interactions with Team RWBY and (J)NPR, but certainly not enough to frown upon. Even the mysterious ghost girl was unrelated to the reasons why the Headmaster of Beacon had adopted an unsatisfactory expression.

No. The reasons for his current mood was because, at this very moment, Glynda Goodwitch was staring over his shoulder with a glare fixed on her face.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem. However, Ozpin had just been watching the little skirmish that Jaune and his ghostly lady friend had with the Ursa. And while the Headmaster had his reasons for allowing the young Arc into the academy, his associate didn't necessarily agree.

"Surely, you understand my position Ozpin." Glynda straightened her posture, pushing at the bridge of her glasses as she stared at the older man. "If Mr. Arc did not have the fortune to meet this... benefactor of his, then he would've been injured by the ordeal, likely permanently. Even if Hall and the students were close by," Glynda turned her attention to two other video feeds, showing the position of the rescue party relative to the crashed rocket locker, "there was no guarantee that Mr. Arc would've been able to survive the encounter."

"... I understand your concerns, Glynda, but I stand by my decision." And stand by it he did. Ozpin knew that, even if there hadn't been ghostly intervention, the young boy would've been perfectly safe. Well, not perfectly, but few things were perfect in this line of work. Still, the Ursa itself was underdeveloped, and despite their enthusiasms, the rescue group was still well within ear-shot. They would've stumbled upon each other before the worst would've happened.

Honestly, he was surprised that the two groups hadn't stumbled on each other already, but both parties had been subject to grimm encounters. An unusual amount of grimm encounters, maybe, but Ozpin knew that these were merely the stragglers from the horde earlier this month. Really, he was certain that an Ursa wouldn't have even attacked the Arc, were it not for the actions of the Scholar. Even now, Hall's antics were causing them no small trouble.

Ozpin let out a tired sigh.

However, Glynda was not privy to the inner workings of the Headmaster's mind, and gave the headmaster a chiding glare. "Please do not discount my worries so readily, Ozpin. You and I both know that Mr. Arc has performed less than adequately, at least from someone of his qualifications. I'm only pushing this issue because it I am concerned for his well-being."

"Again, I understand your position, but Mr. Arc has still performed at an acceptable level. And at the same time, it is his choice whether or not he wishes to pursue further assistance with his deficiencies." Ozpin's gaze shifted as he turned away from the security feed, glancing up to his colleague. "With any luck, this little adventure will push the young man to seek such assistance. However, even if he doesn't, as long as he continues to grow in his own way, we must respect his decision."

The headmaster took his mug once more, taking a quick sip from it as he tried to settle his thoughts, eyes falling back on the camera feeds.

"After all, for children in their position, decisions are a dwindling luxury."

"Do you think Jaune is okay?" Pyrrha's voice was heavy with concern as the group continued on.

They had been in these woods for most of the morning, and the sheer number of grimm they had encountered left the redhead feeling uneasy. They had just finished off another encounter, a moderately sized group of Beowolves. It was nothing they couldn't handle, of course, but the numbers were far higher than what she remembered, back when they were in this forest for their initiation exam.

Then again, that was before the whole... incident. Before the sudden appearance of more grimm. Were these grimm stragglers from nearly a month ago?

"I'm sure Jauney's fine." Nora's chipper voice quickly tore the girl from her thoughts. Unlike Pyrrha, the pink girl seemed completely unfazed by their leader's potential predicament. "He's always good at planning things, and he hasn't been doing thaaat badly in combat class."

Nora nodded to herself at that second statement, and Pyrrha couldn't help but agree. After all, while Jaune was a bit rough around the edges, and not quite there in some of his forms, he was constantly being called on to demonstrate things. This meant that, at the very least, their leader had some practice. At the same time, she wasn't sure if it was enough. And while she wouldn't diminish his accomplishments, she knew that there was plenty of room for improvement.

"I suppose you're right... But he's also been struggling in some areas. I wish he'd ask us for help." It was one thing she had noticed with her partner: He would accept some assistance, but never too much. Instead, he'd always try to finish the rest himself, and it was rare for him to seek out their help unless it was something that affected all of them. She still didn't understand why, but-

"Don't worry." Ren spoke up this time, taking his place beside his energetic partner as he turned to Pyrrha. Like his partner, he did a good job of distracting the redhead from her thoughts, though it was an action she was thankful for. "I'm sure Jaune understands his limits. If he needs our help, he'll ask us in time, and we'll be there to support him."

Sure, her teammates' words weren't enough to completely dispel Pyrrha's concerns, but... they helped. The redhead gave the two a grateful smile, giving out a quiet nod of understanding. She'd believe in Jaune for now. He was their leader, after all, and despite all of his potential shortcomings, he still meant well. Finally putting those thoughts to rest, the Mistrali champion turned her attention to the rest of the group.

And it seemed like the rest of the group were having their own little concerns.

Well, Blake Belladonna in particular.

That last encounter had been Blake's first attempt at using the elemental enchantments, and she was pleasantly surprised by its effectiveness. Wreathed in fire, her shadow clones adopted some of the effects, dashing forward with burning blades of their own, before dispelling in a flash of fire and ash. It was... different. Not only that, but she could also swear that the magic had an effect on her strikes, giving them more power than usual. Overall, it was certainly a new experience to fight under those condition.

Her natural curiosity got the better of her, and after the conflict, she turned to the Hall monitor to request another enchantment. She had figured that by itself was an innocuous request, but a voice of displeasure from her partner quickly dispelled that notion.

"... May I see how ice affects me next?"

"C'mon Blake! Give us a turn, too!" Her partner's voice was far from quiet, and Blake couldn't help but send the blonde a curious look.

"Didn't you already have your turn, though?"

"Yeah, but... There's an order to things! You just got your enchantment, so it should be Weiss's or Ruby's turn next!" Yang was persistent, and Blake was just about to respond before their Hall monitor friend decided to speak out.

"Actually, I'd like to save my dust in case of emergencies. We've used a fair amount, and I'd like to have some on hand in case something serious occurs."

And just like that, the magic disappeared. Of course, from an objective point of view, it made sense. There was no reason to consume supplies at the rate they had, especially with their threats being nothing more than lesser grimm. Honestly, their entire antics thus far, from a purely analytical point of view, were an inefficient waste of resources. And if Blake thought like that, she would've left it alone without a second thought.

But Blake didn't. She was the type of person to lose herself in books, and just like the rest of her team, the idea of magic had captivated her. Sure, she still understood the necessity of having to save supplies, and she knew that having something on-hand during emergencies was important... But she was still allowed to feel a little disappointed by things.

So, for a few short moments, she allowed herself that feeling. Those moments quickly passed, however, and she reluctantly turned her attention back to her books. But before she could fully settle in on her next bit of reading, a new voice sounded out. One belonging to the very person they were sent out here to find.

"O-oh. Hey guys!" Jaune Arc stepped out from the treeline, not expecting to stumble on the group, just as surprised as they were if his face was any indication. However, surprise quickly faded into curiosity, as eyes fell on Jaune's companion.

"Jaune? Who is this?"

And the most curious of all, was a certain partner named Pyrrha Nikos.

A/N: Sorry for the huge delay in update. However, things should stabilize now, so yay for that.