Chapter 8 Aura

POV Blake

I don't know what is going on. This man was crazy, or extremely lucky. He somehow lived, through that hell of an initiation. Without an aura, without proper gear, and what was this thing about being a Marine. Was he talking about a marine animal, was he a marine Fanus? If so what was his trait?

Then there was that looked he had when he grabbed Cardin. His eyes were void, like they had seen, and done things. Things of pain, suffering, unbelievable loss. But in the void that made up his eyes, was a base. A foundation of kindness, of loyalty, of unwavering promises.

Now he was standing in the ring with no aura, subpar gear, and an opponent that had everything he didn't.

Why was Miss. Goodwitch doing this, I know she said something about killing. Which made no sense, and she seemed to have a thing against John but this was beyond dangerous.

I looked at my teammates we were all in the front row. Waiting to see what was about to unravel, even team JNPR was next to us. The scary part was no said a word, the whole class was silent. Even the normally hype Nora, and the childlike antics of Ruby and Yang were nowhere to be seen. What was happening here?

I looked up at the man, he had taken up a position centered on the left side of the ring. Cardin mirrored him on the right. The air was tense, the only thing to be heard was the count down of the match timer. With the countdown ticking down on the screen that only showed Cardin's aura.

3

Cardin readied his mace, the malice, and intent clear to everyone. He was going to break John.

2

John calmly raised his rifle aiming down the sights. With the unnerving calm of someone who has seen death. Someone who had shaken death's hand, like meeting a friend in public.

1

This was not a spar.

CRACK

The bell was canceled out by the sound of John's rifle, and the class watched as Cardin rush forward. To get hit square in the knee, ripping his leg out from underneath him. Sending him to the ground hard, to shaking stand. The armor that protected his shin and knee falling off, shattered.

Shattered, what the hell? He had his aura up, right?

The gage for Cardin that was measuring his aura showed that he did. The shocking part was a quarter of it was drained. How could any round do that, what type of gun was that?

Then I remember the Deathstalker, and how it was killed in one shot. How one shot, into the armor eyes of that Grimm, still bore through it like butter. Was he using the same rounds, even Ruby's .50 cal dust rounds couldn't hit that hard.

Then I notice something, the smell, it was sulfur a dirty bittersweet smell. It was coming from his rifle. He wasn't using dust rounds?

CRACK

Cardin had charged again and without moving John set, his opponent spinning as the shot ripped his left pauldron apart. Once again bring aura down a quarter.

"How is he doing this, those rounds are way too strong." I heard Ruby say.

"What do you mean?" I asked the resident weapon expert. Turning to face the girl, who was entranced by the fight.

"Well, judging by the size of the rifle and its magazine. It could fire anything bigger than a 7.62 or .308. But a round like that doesn't have this sort of power, dust just put out that much power in that small quantity. That's why Cresent Rose is a .50, it needs the force and power that a larger amount of dust provides." She explained her eyes never leaving the fight.

"Does that mean he's not using dust?" I asked, turning back to the fight to see Cardin on the run. As John, now using his pistol to make the boy dance. The pistol was by no means as strong as the rifle, but it still took a chunk out of Cardin's aura when he didn't dodge fast enough.

"There's no way he's not using dust, there is nothing else he could be using?" Wiess fumed, obviously mad at how much damage this man was doing.

"Whatever he is using, he's got Cardin on the ropes," Yang said smiling with relief that the man wasn't actually getting killed." Hell at this rate he will probably win in WATCH OUT!"

The warning wasn't heard as, we watched Cardin's mace go flying through the air. To make contact with John's head, caving in the helmet.

John was knocked back, staggering on his feet but able to remain standing. Cardin however pressed his attack, and tackled John to the ground. Making him drop how weapons as he fell, and his helmet getting knocked off as well. I heard the gasps of air beside me, feeling one leave my lungs as well.

Cardin had started to pound on our new teammate. Hitting with all strength, against the ground with John guarding his face for arms. I could see blood flowing down his face, which was no clench in pain.

He was bleeding, he was in pain, he was had lost control of the fight. His eyes however gleamed, gleamed with an unworried assurance. His eyes told me that this was not the end.

I saw the force field drop, as Professor Goodwitch went to stop the fight. The fight however just started, when Cardin suddenly grabbed his throat and backed off John, after John had sent a punch that I all most didn't see be thrown. Who stood with blood down his face, his helmet long having fallen to the ground, his weapons also absent from his hands. Had his right hand in a fist, his left on his waist on the hilt of his knife.

He drew his knife as Cardin finally recover from the punch. Wasting no time to rear back to press his attack again. This time though John didn't give his opponent a chance. He lunged forward, catching Caridin's arm with his knife. Its blade digging into the boy's aura, before striking the boy once again the throat. Before Cardin could back of this time, John shot under his opponent's arm. Grabbing the arm with the back of his blade and his free hand, he used his shoulder to throw Cardin hard onto his back. Finishing the fight with a swift and powerful kick to Cardin's temple. Knock the kid unconscious and breaking his aura.

Silence blanketed the room, only the panting of John in the ring could be heard. Even Professor Goodwitch was silent, her normal neutral look replaced with one of shock and anger. Almost like she was expecting Cardin to win. The rest of the class seemed to have the same belief, a belief that our aura made us safe vs those who didn't have one.

It made me feel vulnerable, scared even though I had wanted John to win that he was able to do so without an aura. The very thing that protected us and gave us our semblance, could be beaten by something other than a Grimm or another aura.

I didn't notice John leave the ring carrying his gear. Nor did the rest of us apparently, we were too shocked. We didn't hear the door open as he left the room either, but its closing brought us back to the world.

"Team CRDL, take Mr. Winchester to the infirmary, team RWBY find Mr. Brewer and fo the same. The rest of you continue to your next class. I need to go speak with the Headmaster." Professor Goodwitch order, after recovering from the shock that we were all suffering from. While turning and leave the classroom through another door.

Team CRDL wasted no time in getting their leader out of the room along with the rest of the class filtering out leaving just my team and I. We all looked at each other silently, before wordlessly walking out of the room in what we assume was the direction John had taken.

Hopefully, when we found him we could get some answer to the many questions that we had.