Eir X Jaune: The Little Arc That Can
Eir: Hmmm. That was better, but you still need to find your sweet spot.
Jaune: I'm sorry, my what?
Eir: Let me put it simply. Imagine a swarm of bees gathering at their hive. These hives have a sole entrance where the workers and soldiers can enter, and so it is there that they congregate. In a similar sense, when using a manual weapon such as a sword or a hammer, your Aura often tends to converge at a certain dimension where the damage output is at its maximum. That is a sweet spot.
Jaune: So, it's like wielding my sword at a certain angle to land a good hit.
Eir: Yes, good hits, heavy blows, and precise strikes. Sweet spots can differ, and the case of swords, they always occur in the blade, and in two parts: either the base or the tip. Marth's Falchion is a prime example of the latter, whereas Ike's Ragnell has its sweet spot at the base. Crocea Mors however, has a rather...elusive sweet spot.
Jaune: Maybe it's because I haven't developed my Aura yet. I mean, I haven't even unlocked my Semblance.
Eir: Impossible. The presence of a Semblance is entirely irrelevant to the location of your weapon's sweet spot, and Pyrrha informed me beforehand of your Aura's abundance. Even the smallest drop of Aura can boost the offensive properties of any technique. At this juncture, it's all about cultivating a sincere familiarization with your weapon. You must really look at Crocea Mors. Study its shape. Synchronize your movements with it.
Jaune: That's a lot to take in.
Eir: Trivial overall. No one becomes a veteran Huntsman in the span of a year. Korinna and I started when we were nine. Marth started when he was ten, and Ike when he was seven. And based on the data we've gathered about the possible participants for this years Vytal competition, we're far from peak performance.
Jaune: That's depressing.
Eir: You can see it that way, or you can make an example of us. Of your teammates. We all come from various walks of life and learned how we'd fare as fighters, but ultimately, we're all reaching for that one goal every student here in Beacon wants.
Jaune: (Marth's rubbed off on her, and I think I know where she's going with it.) Which is?
Eir: To figure out who they are as Huntsman. As Huntresses. To find their identity in a world ravaged by darkness. We are all defenders, but the question we all want the answer to is—
Jaune: Who am I? Yeah, I've been asking that question every single day.
Eir: Why would you though? You already have that answer.
Jaune: I-I do?
Eir: Oh Dust, now I've gone and said too much. Uh...er...this concludes today's session. We will resume next week. I have to attend some business with my team over the weekend. Excellent work as always *stops herself at the last second from using honorifics* Jaune. Just work on finding that sweet spot. You'll need it for the Vytal Festival.
Jaune: Got it. Thanks again Eir! See you next week!
Alright! A little lesson on Aura from Eir. But I've got the creeping feeling that the concept of a sweet spot isn't entirely something she authored. Anyways that's probably it. Yeah. A little mini-arc that spans two chapters. But hey, Beacon's got more than RWBY and JNPR. There are other faces that we haven't seen yet, and I'm sure you're all dying to know how they get along with KEIM. Well in the next chapter, we'll learn that while she's not the type to play favorites, a prominent staff member of Beacon sees promising potential in one of the team. Read on to find out who it is.