"Jaune, I think it's time we had a little chat." The general stated.
The moment he spoke, Jaune's whole body froze.
Jaune wouldn't say he was intimately close to the feeling, but he had shaken it off more than once. Paralysis fueled by fear, like a deer in the headlights.
Jaune barely managed to realize the ability for what it was and try to resist it with his willpower.
"Ah-ah!" The general warned, pulling out a handgun and aiming it at Pyrrha's head. "Your partner here is unconscious and can't generate an aura. Be a good little soldier and follow orders."
When Jaune obliged, the general put his gun away once more.
Jaune could feel that while it caused him no physical pain, this wasn't something he would be able to escape easily. This was focused, concentrated. He would have to at least be capable of matching the general's power to break free.
"I suppose the secret is out now, though your friends here have known for a little while already. There's no need for this anymore." The general idly spoke to the room.
He reached down to his gloveless hand and removed a thin silver band from one of his fingers. The moment he did, the space above his head wobbled like a mirage.
Where it had once read 'Paladin', it now reads 'Blackguard'.
"Let me start by saying that I never wanted it to come to this. If you had just kept your noses clean, she would have killed the previous fall maiden. You could have all run away to fight another day. It was never my intention to get any students involved in this where I could avoid it."
Jaune felt the ability to move return ever so slightly. Just enough to move his lips to talk and wiggle his fingers, but not enough to break free.
"Nora… Ren… Are you okay?" Jaune grunted.
"Your friends are fine. They simply lack the resistance that you have and fell unconscious. I promise that if it is possible, they won't be harmed."
'If it's possible'. 'Never my intention'. He keeps acting like he doesn't have a choice.
"All this time… You've been with them… Oz trusted you." Jaune spat.
"Yes, he did. And I regret having to do this to a friend." The general replied.
"Friends don't… Betray friends."
The general sighed. "The world isn't so black and white Jaune. For years now I have done my best to help him where I was able. His vision and his dreams were ones I could get behind. It was his methods I could not agree with."
"Murder and terrorism… Are fine though?"
"No, I… I didn't mean that. You're right, what I've done and what I will do is morally reprehensible. But it is the lesser of two evils. I do not blame you for your ignorance. You haven't met her."
Her?
"Did Ozpin ever tell you how I lost my arm? How I became this freak amalgam of flesh and steel?"
The general took Jaune's silence as his answer.
"I suppose I don't blame him for not sharing. It's not something I've told most of my closest confidants." The general stated.
He calmly removed his glove, revealing the fully robotic limb beneath.
"It wasn't Grimm. I've fought A-tier guardians single-handedly. It wasn't terrorists or criminals either. I've survived bombings and assassinations. Hell, I was barely older than you when I was given my first command and led my men deep into Grimm territory. A landscape where even the air you breathe is trying to kill you. No, what did this to me was a lone woman, named Salem."
Jaune tried to conceal his aura, to use it without being seen. The mental paralysis struck too deep however and his control was nonexistent.
"This woman, I'd truly seen nothing like her before in my life. She carried no weapons and her skin was smooth and pale like she'd never seen a day's hard work in her life. By all rights, she was the type of woman to fall victim to Grimm in an emergency. Too weak to even run properly. Yet despite her fragile appearance, she walked through that warzone without a care."
Jaune felt the paralyzing fear weaken. But in its place, something cold and dark seeped into him. It gripped Jaune's heart like a dead hand and squeezed. Rather than shock, Jaune felt hopeless.
"She made me an offer, which at first I refused. 'Join her or die'. I thought she was overreaching and tried to deal with her. I was wrong. For the first time in my life, I learned to fear death. She tore me limb from limb with her bare hands. Aura meant nothing, dust was useless. You have to understand Jaune, I was level 120 at the time. It's no exaggeration to say I'm one of the strongest people in Remnant and she broke me like a child breaks a toy."
Shit. He 'was' level 120. How strong must he be now? If I attack him, will it even do anything?
"As I lay there bleeding out, she told me she'd be back if I survived. I knew she meant it too, for who could stop her. 3 years ago she appeared again, but with a new offer."
I need to work something out before it's too late. Maybe rather than trying to ward off this ability, I should try to neutralize it instead.
"Join her, and Atlas would be spared. I had, of course, already met Ozpin by this point. I knew who she was and what she wanted to do. The complete eradication of human life was her only goal. I knew first-hand that she could not be stopped. The world has inched closer towards victory over the decades. We have earned the right to 10% of the planet by fighting the Grimm. But their queen is so much further beyond any ordinary beast. I had the chance to save countless lives. How many people do you think live in Atlas today? Millions."
"But millions more… will die…" Jaune groaned.
"Yes. They will. But better to sacrifice the majority than the entirety."
"Better to… Sacrifice none. Just because… you were weak… doesn't mean we… can't win." Jaune replied.
"As much as I would like to agree with you, I can't take that risk. Where I could, I helped Ozpin fight her. Anything that didn't directly involve me, I offered my support. I was waiting for years to see his plans come to fruition but he does not fight to win. He fights to survive. Ozpin is losing, one battle at a time. If this situation itself isn't proof of that to you, I don't know what is. But trust me when I say there will come a day when the scales tip too far."
As the general talked, Jaune tried to motivate himself, to hype his sense of bravery. He directed the flow inwards, rather than outwards and it worked, if only slightly. The effects of the general's willpower within his body was weakened. Subtly from his position on the ground, Jaune wriggled his fingers.
"Let's cut to business though, shall we?" The general said, interrupting Jaune's concentration.
"What business?" Jaune replied.
Shit, I still need to pretend to be affected or he'll realize and tighten his defenses.
"When Ms. Nikos wakes up, she will participate in the final match, just as she had always been meant to."
"What if she… refuses?" Jaune asked, pretending to strain.
As he talked, he slowly moved closer to Nora an inch at a time as the general paced. He needed to know whether he could protect his team or if he was going to have to do this alone.
"If she refuses, then I shall simply order Pyrrha to behave, using you as hostages. The stress would distract her during her fight and who knows what could happen then. I may even have to hurt one of you to prove I mean business." The general flatly stated.
When Jaune was barely able to brush against one of her shoes with his foot, he tried to push his aura into her.
"Fine… When she wakes… I'll tell her. Just promise… She'll be safe." Jaune requested.
"I'm sorry. You're not going to be awake much longer. And… your partner is fated to die. The moment she became the maiden, my hands were tied. I can promise though that once the situation is under control, I will let you go unharmed. All of you."
"Wait, wait!" Jaune urged as he felt the general's sway over him grow.
Jaune desperately tried to resist. He pushed against the general's willpower with his own.
You have unlocked the [Aura of Courage] Skill.
[Aura of Courage: Level 0]
Use your willpower to protect yourself and your allies from the effects of fear.
Effect scales with aura used, level of Willpower, and level of Aura of Courage.
Maximum range: 10ft
The paralysis disappeared for an instant and Jaune tried to push himself to his feet.
But just as fast as it had disappeared, it came back twice as strong. Jaune's arms gave out underneath him, sending him crashing face-first to the ground once more.
"You're one in a million Jaune. But I've been using these techniques for decades. Even my Semblance is engineered to make me the perfect wielder of these abilities. You never stood a chance." The general somberly stated.
Jaune fell into unconsciousness.
/-/
Jaune awoke with a sudden start.
He jumped up, drawing his sword, and frantically looked around the room.
The bed that Pyrrha had been resting on was empty, the general was gone. Only Nora and Ren remained, still as unconscious as they had been.
How long has it been?
Jaune used his newly unlocked skill and let it wash over his teammates. They didn't immediately stir, so Jaune helped himself to Ren's scroll. The time read 3:50 pm.
Shit, it's already this late? Pyrrha's match will start in no time.
Jaune offered a short apology under his breath before slapping Ren. He woke instantly.
"Do you know what happened?" Jaune asked.
Ren blinked, looking around the room and rubbing his cheek. "The general-"
"Good, you know. He's gone and so is Pyrrha. Wake Nora and get yourselves ready." Jaune ordered.
Ren got to task waking up Nora in a more gentle manner. Meanwhile, Jaune used his scroll to message Ruby.
"Can't trust Atlas. Ironwood is a traitor. Have to stop Pyrrha's match. On our way. Jaune."
Jaune then forwarded that message to the professor.
Looking back, Nora and Ren were up and grabbing their weapons.
"The general was adamant about Pyrrha fighting in her match. We're going to either stop it entirely or interfere with whatever they have planned. Got it?" Jaune asked.
"Jaune, are you okay? We're with you, but you look…" Nora asked with concern.
"I'll be fine once I know we're all safe. Until then, you'll just have to ignore how I must look." Jaune replied.
Ignoring the nap I was forced to take, I've been racing around nonstop panicking for over an hour now. I must look like crap.
"We understand. Let's go." Ren stated.
They each nodded.
They sprinted down the hallway, reaching the elevator in under a minute. Unfortunately, the ride was considerably slower. Slow enough that Ruby had time to text him back.
"Jaune? What happened to you? I've been messaging you for hours and you weren't responding. I found out that it wasn't Mercury with the Semblance that got Yang. Coco saw things during her fight against Emerald. Mercury was on the other side of the arena busy fighting Fox. What do you mean Ironwood is a traitor? He just finished a speech with the professor." Ruby said with eight rapid-fire messages.
Jaune knew he didn't have the time for a full explanation. Even as slow as their ascent was, it wouldn't last much longer. He had to say something to get her focused.
"If you can't stop this match from happening your friend is going to die." Jaune handed the scroll back to Ren. "Here, it's yours."
Ren took it and put it away.
"Shouldn't you keep it? You're using it to stay in touch with the others, right?" he asked.
"I was, but I'd prefer you all to keep in touch with each other. I'll not deprive my teammate of that just because I was stupid enough to fall for the enemy's tricks. If I need to contact you all, I'll find a way." Jaune replied.
"What trick?" Nora asked.
Jaune explained how they had bugged his scroll and used it to monitor everything that they had gotten up to.
"You're not stupid for trying to be nice to someone you had no reason to suspect," Nora reassured.
Jaune didn't bother arguing.
"So I know we're going to try to stop the match. But what is the actual plan?" Ren asked.
Jaune had one. It was probably the stupidest plan he'd had since self-immolating, but it was a plan nonetheless.
"Since the general is involved, he probably has his guards positioned. No doubt 'to make sure nothing like the last match happens again'. Oz knows about the general now, so since he hasn't done anything, it's probably to avoid a diplomatic incident. We can't pick a fight with Atlas, even if we have the right." Jaune explained.
"Right, but what can we do though?" Nora asked.
They finally reached the ground floor and sped out of the building.
"Well… 'we' can't pick a fight with Atlas. But nobody would be surprised if the White Fang did. Make enough noise to raise an alarm and blame it on them. Get everyone to evacuate to avoid the threat of a terrorist attack and then regroup." Jaune finished.
"You hear that boss? This guy is unbelievable. First, he kills one of us, then he picks a dozen fights, and now he wants to blame his petty vandalism on us."
The trio stopped in their tracks upon hearing the comment. Just to the side of the building were three of the White Fang's soldiers, Adam's specialists. Jaune was certain the fourth was nearby too with his scope honed in on their position.
"Nora, Ren, get going," Jaune ordered.
"You think we're just going to-" The closest White Fang member started.
"I'm the one you want right?" Jaune pointed at the one wielding an axe. It seemed larger than before. "I'm just making your job easier by splitting my team up. Use that brain of yours for a second and realize that once you're done with me, you can chase down my teammates."
"That's the most obvious trap I've ever heard of." The woman with the oversized shotgun flatly stated.
"You're probably right. But so is he. We can either fight them as a group or pick them off one at a time." The axe-wielding Faunus replied.
"See? We're all in agreement." Jaune said with a fake smile. "Get going you two."
"Jaune…" Nora started.
"Let's go, Nora. Jaune knows what he is doing." Ren replied, dragging Nora by the wrist.
Thanks, Ren. Go keep my partner safe.
Jaune watched them leave, as did his opponents. It seemed everyone wanted to be sure that there wouldn't be any interruptions.
"So… It's not too late for you guys to turn yourselves in you know? As far as I'm aware, your crimes aren't even that bad. A bit of trespassing, assault, some theft, and admittedly some attempted murder. I'd even be willing to vouch for you guys. You can still turn over a new leaf." Jaune said.
If he could end this without fighting he would, but he was only offering them this one chance. He didn't have time for anything more.
"Cute. Now that he knows he's going to die, he's trying to negotiate." The woman laughed. "Too bad for you, we're calling the shots-"
Jaune had heard enough.
He was sure they'd seen his fight considering how widely televised it was. They hadn't realized just how quick he could move if he wanted to though.
Jaune dashed through the group straight towards the woman who had taunted him. She was one of two fighters who used a ranged weapon as her primary. Plus he was willing to bet that even terrorists had a level of chivalry to them.
Jaune brought Crocea Mors across the aura on her chest. The fact that she had reacted in time was proof that this group wasn't to be underestimated.
As she backstepped from Jaune in surprise, he circled her, placing the edge of his blade against her neck. He grabbed the tip with his shield hand and pulled it tight, sparking her aura, slowly draining it.
"Let's try this again. Give up now or things are going to end badly for you."
Jaune didn't want to hurt anyone where he could avoid it. Knocking her out would be preferable. But if he had learned one thing, it was that the professor's advice those many months ago was true.
Oz had warned that there would come a day when Jaune would have to take a life again. That it would once again be a choice between that of a criminal's or his teammates'.
This time though, Jaune would be ready. If he could spare them, he would. But he didn't have time to waste.
While his opponents were frozen in thought, Jaune activated his aura sight. If the sniper is here, being able to see the bullets once they left that sphere of non-detection would keep him safe.
Sure enough, the shot came. Based on its trajectory, it was aimed center-mass, probably to knock Jaune away. Unfortunately, that also placed the bullet at chest height for the woman who Jaune pushed in the road.
The round ripped through what little aura she had left before boring through her chest. It thudded uselessly into Jaune's chest plate on the other side. He'd barely even taken a few points of damage.
Jaune spared a second for the life of the woman that he released from his grasp. Then another for her blood which was now splattered over his armor.
No turning back now.
Jaune drew his shield and fended off a heavy blow from the axe-wielding terrorist who rushed at him. With a slash of his sword, he forced the barbarian to keep his distance, if only for a moment.
At that moment, Jaune broke away. With his speed that far exceeded theirs, Jaune dashed in the direction the shot had come from. Straight for the top of the inner ring of colonnades that circled Beacon's main avenue.
When he spotted a second shot, Jaune sidestepped, not wasting the time or effort to deflect or block. With his aura step, Jaune had little issue climbing the wall to reach him. It was far shorter than the CCT had been and with a simpler structure.
Semblance or no Semblance, the sniper was now right in front of Jaune. Wherever he aimed the large barrel of his rifle, Jaune would be ready to intercept.
His opponent fired two rounds, using the recoil to adjust his aim from hip to shoulder.
Jaune caught both with the flat of his sword, flicking them to his side and letting them both fly off behind him.
Jaune covered the remaining distance in a single bound. He brought his sword down on the man who in turn blocked with his rifle. It was large and sturdy enough to withstand the blow, but he lacked the strength to maintain his defense.
Jaune's sword pushed through his guard, cutting deeply into his opponent's aura, shattering it. The force of the blow pushed him backward.
He stumbled off the edge as he lost his footing and hit the ground with a sickening crunch a few seconds later.
For the second time in only a few minutes, Jaune's actions had taken the life of another person, if indirectly.
From his position atop the colonnade, Jaune watched the others scramble below him. He technically had the opportunity to outrace them and get away. His on foot running speed was better than most and certainly better than theirs.
He knew however that leaving them behind would only create issues later. They hadn't given up after any of their fights prior, they just kept coming back with more training each time.
Jaune's first two were accidents formed in self-defense. Whatever happened now was Jaune choosing to carry on the fight.
Jaune raced down the side of the closest column, sword at the ready. Once he was within a few meters, he jumped at them from above.
Unlike the first two though, they were ready for him and specialized in melee combat.
The barbarian caught Jaune's sword with the underside of his chainsaw. As a result, Jaune was thrown to the side as his sword caught in the teeth of the chain.
Jaune blocked an overhead axe strike with his shield, the force drove him to the ground. As soon as his feet touched, he rolled away.
"This ends now." Jaune threatened as he regained his stance.
"You're right." The barbarian replied, activating his rage.
"It does." The lumberjack agreed, transmuting his flesh into wood with his Semblance.
Time to see just how effective this can be.
Jaune condensed his aura and experimentally increased his strength to its usual limit. Jaune could feel the strength that he was familiar with. He could also feel that there was room for more. Jaune slowly pumped more aura into his muscles until he reached what he presumed to be his new limit.
His sword felt light as a feather, like he was swinging a toy replica. When he had fought Pyrrha to a near-draw just this morning, he had peaked around 175 strength. Now though, a quick calculation placed him over 560.
Though he was eager to see what this kind of power could do, Jaune waited for one of his opponents to strike first. The lumberjack, who had always been the most devoted with his hatred for Jaune, obliged.
Jaune waited for the blow to come down on him before stepping just to the side and bringing his sword up.
Jaune had twice tried to break the man's weapon, but it was made of steel and channeling aura. He knew of a much weaker spot to aim for and he wouldn't be held back by sympathy anymore.
Jaune separated the Faunus' hands from his arms at the wrist, just like he had been taught. The aura and wood-like armor only managed to create a slight drag on Jaune's movement.
"Aaaaaargh!" The lumberjack cried, falling to his knees in pain.
Jaune felt a tightness in his chest. He forced himself to ignore it though and faced his final opponent. He could process his emotions when this was all over.
Jaune raised his guard, ready to face the remaining Faunus.
"I-I surrender. We've only ever seen our leader pull off something like that, and only after charging up." The man declared, taking a step away from Jaune.
"Am I supposed to just believe that? I already gave you a chance and you tried to kill me." Jaune replied.
He took a step forward and the other man threw his weapon to the ground and took three steps back.
"Please!" the man begged. "I don't want to die."
Jaune frowned. This man was prepared to take lives but not give his own. Still, as much as Jaune had been prepared to do both, killing an opponent in cold blood was different.
"Tell me what the White Fang are planning then. If you do that, I'll let you go." Jaune bluffed. He was going to let him live either way, but this guy didn't know that.
"It's the same plan as the breach. We've been capturing Grimm and nightmare stones. This time we have loaded up Bullheads in the Forever Fall forest. When we get the signal, the final fight's ending, we were going to release them in the town. There's not even enough Grimm to do any real damage, just enough to create a scene. Adam wants to hunt down those girls who interrupted our plan from last time and needed an opening." The man visibly swallowed. "I swear that's all I know. We weren't even supposed to be here, but we overheard a conversation that you would. Everyone else is still out there in the forest."
Shit. If that's true, then this is about to be worse than I thought. Evacuating everyone won't do anything. Even stopping Pyrrha's fight will just end up kickstarting it all sooner.
Jaune flicked his blade free of blood as best he could and sheathed his sword. "Go turn yourself in, and tell the police everything you just told me. Tell them that you made a deal with Beacon and that the professor needs to know."
The man nodded, eager to show that he would do whatever was needed to keep his head on his shoulders.
If Jaune wanted to stop this, he would need his team, perhaps team RWBY too. It wouldn't end with this match, they needed to stop all of it.
Jaune made his way straight for the bullheads.
"Take me straight to the coliseum." Jaune requested.
The pilot stared back at Jaune for several seconds.
"What happened to you kid, you're covered in blood."
"It's not mine, just get moving," Jaune shouted.
"That's what I was worried about…" the pilot muttered under his breath.
/-/
As the ship descended, Jaune could see signs of his team's arrival. Several Atlas guards lay unconscious around the area.
I don't see any more guards around. Nora and Ren must have made it through.
Jaune raced into the building, following the signs of conflict.
Nora had taken her role seriously. It looked like a natural disaster had blown through the hallways. Jaune was about to go down that hallway when he heard the sounds of fighting from another direction.
Moving toward it, Jaune was able to overhear a conversation from just around the next corner.
"Hahaha! It's so freaky when you do that Em. She can't hear or see a thing other than what you want her to. I swear I'd have so much fun if I had your Semblance for a day."
"Shut up idiot. We have a job to do. Stop distracting me and finish her off so we can go deal with the others. Cinder will be pissed if we mess up."
"Nah, we have an uninvited guest. We're gonna have to take this nice and slow."
Shit.
Jaune hadn't been trying to move quietly and even if he had his metal boots on the flooring was anything but quiet.
Knowing that he'd been caught, Jaune didn't bother trying to sneak up and instead rounded the corner to face them.
As he'd thought he would based on their voices, Jaune came face to face with Mercury and Emerald. Behind them, Ruby was fighting an intense battle with the air itself. Jaune had no doubt she was being forced to see an image of an opponent that just wasn't there.
"Ruby! Snap out of it!" Jaune shouted.
"She can't hear you dumbass," Mercury said with a smirk. "She doesn't even know you're here."
Jaune knew he was right because Ruby didn't flinch or deviate from her fight at all.
Guess I'll have to break the illusion the hard way then.
Jaune activated his full power enhancement again. He dashed forward and slashed at Emerald just as he had the White Fang earlier.
"Woah now! Not so fast!" Mercury shouted as he suddenly appeared by Jaune's side.
Jaune could scarcely believe it after seeing it. Mercury had gotten to him before he'd finished his first step.
He planted his metal shin into Jaune's knee, causing his leg to buckle. Jaune tripped as his momentum carried him forward into the wall nearby.
"You know for a guy who seems to have everyone's attention, you're kind of a chump. You even stormed in here covered in blood like a badass. Do better this time, please." Mercury taunted.
He watched casually as Jaune picked himself back up.
"I mean, come on. What makes you so special? A couple of overlapping skills that make you stronger than normal? The observational skills of someone maybe a little above average? Nah. I think you've just skated by, having everyone underestimate you just enough to get by." He paused for a second. "You've even got me doing it. Damn, maybe you are good!"
He's fast enough to react to me at my top speed. He seems to be pretty proud of his observation skills so he is probably able to read ahead. I telegraph my moves too much at that speed.
If that's the case...
Jaune walked slowly, sword held down with the tip swinging like a pendulum beside him. Mercury smirked and just walked backward at the same pace.
"Mercury. Use your brain a little." Em warned.
He looked over his shoulder and realized how much ground he had given up already. Jaune could cover the ground between him and Emerald in a single leap if he wanted to.
But he didn't.
Jaune continued walking at his controlled pace. He kept his eyes locked on the silver-haired boy all the while.
"Enough joking, you think moving slower is going to change things? I was faster than you before, I'm even faster than you now." Mercury arrogantly spat.
He crossed the distance remaining and launched a high kick into Jaune's head.
There was a loud thud and Jaune's right ear was brought almost to his shoulder. But that was all.
Jaune had condensed his aura and funneled it into projecting an aura shield. Though Jaune hadn't planned for it, the additional benefit of a condensed aura shield was its toughness. It simply didn't give as much as regular aura did, functioning more like a solid barrier than a fluid.
His strength was boosted too and he had cushioned and resisted the force of Mercury's blow with his neck.
By the end of it, despite how fast Mercury could move, the damage itself was minimal. Neither his aura nor brain was disturbed enough to even register. It hadn't even stopped Jaune from taking another step forwards.
Mercury flew into overdrive. He kicked Jaune in the stomach, the knees, the temple, and the jaw. He even tried to kick Jaune's groin at one stage. That one had hurt the most. Even then, Mercury hadn't managed to stop Jaune from pacing forwards until he was two paces from Emerald.
"This isn't fun anymore. You're not even fighting back." Mercury coldly stated. His smirk was replaced by a look of utter disinterest.
Mercury's legs began to whir as he brought both feet off the ground and planted them into Jaune's face. Jaune could feel the heat from the machinery as they loaded and fired from point-blank range.
The explosion hurt and forced him to take several steps backward. The heat itself was tolerable, more so than he'd expected it to be. Mercury didn't use fire dust for his explosions and smokescreens. Instead, Jaune realized that the white smoke had been steam.
Still, despite the pain, Jaune had something to be happy about.
"What the fuck?" Mercury reacted.
Jaune had one of Mercury's legs trapped in his free hand.
"Tell me if you remember this one." Jaune finally taunted back.
With all of his improved strength, Jaune slammed him into the wall on his right. It crumbled completely from the force and gave way. Mercury's aura only shimmered slightly as he had used his hands to smother the impact.
With his second swing, he performed a full 360-degree spin. The spin built centrifugal force forcing his arms to flail above his head. Jaune slammed him into the ground and dragged him across the stonework into the corner of the wall on his left. Mercury wore most of the force with his face.
Jaune wanted to get some revenge for the petty insults from before. He wanted to ask what Mercury thought of him now. Jaune instead chose to bite down on that urge and focus on eliminating his opponents.
Jaune swung Mercury at his partner. She barely spotted his approach from her peripheral as she controlled Ruby.
She dodged his strike by jumping out of his reach.
"Jaune?" Ruby suddenly asked before disappearing entirely.
Emerald surrendered her control over Ruby. Instead, she was now focusing on keeping Jaune preoccupied. He was surrounded by 7 different versions of Mercury, all ready to attack.
"Correct me if I'm wrong here guys. But your illusions don't actually do anything right?" Jaune asked. "I can still feel your partner's leg in my hand which means I know none of this is real."
For good measure he slammed Mercury once more, confirming that he could feel the force of the impact.
The scenery snapped back to normal. Jaune was greeted with the sight of Ruby attacking Emerald with her scythe.
Jaune cataloged the fact that her illusions dropped when she moved. If she managed to evade Ruby, it was knowledge that could easily come in handy.
"Ruby, keep her moving. She has to stand still while maintaining her Semblance. I'll finish here." Jaune said, gesturing with Mercury's body.
Ruby nodded and chased her around a corner.
Looking at Mercury, Jaune could see a decent head wound had opened up from his last swing. His aura must have run out. Mercury barely even struggled, probably completely unconscious at this point. Compared to the fight he had put up before, he was practically lifeless.
Jaune's heart skipped a beat, fluttering enough to make Jaune's knees wobble. Jaune ignored it once more. Mentally, he was able to process this and live with himself, it seemed his body just needed to catch up.
Jaune placed the tip of his sword on Mercury's neck, just above where his zipper opened to bare skin.
"Oh Jaune, won't you be so kind as to let go of my teammate?" A sultry voice asked from behind.
Jaune turned, expecting to see Cinder. Instead, he was face to face with a short young woman with pink and brown hair. In her hand was a scroll with a video of Cinder wearing an intricate red dress instead of her usual clothes.
"You said it right? Kindness is my weakness. I don't think I'm feeling so kind anymore." Jaune replied.
The young girl feigned laughter in silence. Her hand rose to cover her mouth and her shoulders bounced.
"No, I suppose you're not. Perhaps you're more cut out for working with us than I'd first thought. Still, we each have something the other person wants, so how about a trade?" Cinder mouthed off, just as arrogantly casual as ever.
"What could you have that I'd ever be interested in?" Jaune spat.
"Jaune come now… I know you better than most, we've spent so much time together after all." She teased. "There's your team which I let you keep as a sign of good faith. Then there's team RWBY who are busy running around chasing shadows. There's your family of course, but we both know they're safe and sound across the country. And finally, there are your professors."
Cinder accentuated her little piece by stepping away from the camera. As she did, the unconscious bodies of both Ms. Goodwitch and Oz were revealed. They were bound to chairs within the cafeteria.
"How did you-" Jaune asked.
"Simple. I've had them for a few hours. The Ozpin you think you saw up there with the general was just our little friend here. Say hi Neo." The young girl waved and in a wave of energy, her body changed into that of the professor's.
"Fine! You can have your little sadist back. Just let them go." Jaune requested, tossing Mercury over to Neo.
One of his arms landed atop Neo's shoes. She screwed up her face and kicked it away in disgust.
"Well that's hardly fair, is it?" She asked with a smile.
Jaune gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"
"The Fall Maiden. If she survives her little match, you will send her to me. I'll be waiting on top of the CCT in the good headmaster's office. If she isn't there within 10 minutes from the end of her match, I'll have a good friend of ours finish them both off."
Jaune frowned when she mentioned 'a good friend'. He didn't like the sound of what must be happening in the arena right now either.
"Curious are you? Well wait no longer, I don't mind spoiling the surprise." Cinder wagged a finger. A disgruntled Adam walked into frame. "Oh, and I believe he said something about bringing one 'Blake Belladonna' along with you to meet him. He looks a bit angry, so I wouldn't test him."
Seeing no way out of this situation, Jaune hesitantly nodded.
"I need to hear you say it Jaune. I believe you have a cute little catchphrase and everything." Cinder further teased.
"I swear that I'll bring Pyrrha to you, and Blake to Adam… And an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune felt any love he had for the phrase die with those words.
"I'm glad to hear it Jaune. And remember, the offer still stands if you want to be on the winning team." She said before disconnecting.
The pink-haired girl hooked Mercury with the butt end of a parasol and dragged him away.
What the hell do I do now…
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Jaune Arc
Level 17 [+3]
Novice
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Strength: 30 (75)
Fortitude: 35 (88)
Dexterity: 23 (57)
Aura: 30/30 (100/100)
Base Aura Regeneration Rate: ~4/hour
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Known Skills
[Observe]
Focus on an item or willing creature to glean information about them.
[Construction: Level 0]
Reduced mistakes when performing construction or repair jobs.
An innate understanding of structures comes with skill level.
[Dedication] (Passive) (Class)
Double all base attributes.
Able to unlock all skills through training.
No benefits from leveling.
Semblance: Aura Amp
Increase the effect of aura skills by condensing aura.
Aura can be condensed x2(3.2) based on aura control.
Aura consumption is increased by the current aura density multiplier.
Effect of aura skills is increased by the current aura density multiplier.
Aura skills can gain unique features at higher levels of aura density.
Secondary pool of aura (70) can be used to refill or condense reserves.
[Aura Control: Level 6]
Able to feel and manipulate aura.
All stats increased by 26%
All Aura abilities are 60% more efficient.
[Aura Shielding: Level 4]
While active, aura will be absorbed to mitigate damage. 10 Aura: 14(22) Damage
Condensed aura shielding absorbs aura 20(32) % more efficiently.
Condensed aura shielding mitigates impact forces by 50%
[Aura Channelling: Level 4]
Aura can enhance weapon attacks. 1 Aura/minute: 14(22) % Increased weapon damage.
[Aura Healing: Level Max]
Passively siphon up to 50% of aura regeneration to heal injuries or recover stamina.
Active use of skill can siphon 200% faster.
Recovery speed is equal to +150(240)% per aura/hr drained.
Condensed aura healing heals twice as fast but consumes calories, stored glycogen, and muscle tissue to do so.
[Aura Awareness: Level 4]
You can feel the shape and movement of anything within the area covered by your aura.
Additionally, within the same radius, you can observe the aura of all creatures within.
Precision: Low.
Maximum Radius: 100(160) cm.
Drains 1 Aura/minute/meter when using aura.
[Aura Emission: Level 5]
Disconnect your aura from its source and project it outwards.
Aura Emission techniques cost 50% more aura.
Aura Emission techniques weaken over distance. 5% reduction over 1(1.6) meters.
Aura Slash: For each 1(1.5) points of aura used in this technique, deal base attack damage + base aura spent x0.6
[Aura Step: Level 5]
Channel aura through your feet into a surface to generate increased friction and force.
Error margin : 5%
[Aura Concealment: Level 0]
Aura Recovery while aura is concealed +10%
Internal aura skills efficiency increased by 10%
Aura awareness while aura is concealed improved by 10%
Concealed aura is harder to detect.
[Muscle Augmentation: Level 5]
Strength and/or Dexterity increased by 15(22) % per aura point used.
Aura depletes at 1 aura/minute while active.
If Strength and/or Dexterity exceed 2xFortitude, injury can occur.
Condensing aura increases the maximum limit and upkeep linearly. (6.4xFortitude and 3 aura/minute)
[Meditation: Level 8]
Aura Recovery Rate +180% while meditating.
Base Aura Recovery Rate +20%
[Footwork: Level 9] (Passive)
Affects hit and dodge rate.
[Sword Skill: Level 9] (Passive)
Increase damage with all sword-type weapons by 90%
Increase hit rate with all sword-type weapons by 9%
Increase parry efficiency with swords by 45%
[Shield Skill: Level 7] (Passive)
Increase damage reduction of blocked strikes by 70%
Increase damage with all shield attacks by 35%
[Hand to Hand Skill: Level 4] (Passive)
Increase damage with all unarmed attacks by 20%
Increase hit rate with all unarmed attacks by 4%
Increase unarmed defense efficiency by 20%
[Willpower: Level 1]
Force your will onto others through your aura.
Can simulate emotion or even cause a variety of mental conditions in the target.
Use of this skill is also the defense against this skill.
[Aura of Courage: Level 0]
Use your willpower to protect yourself and allies from the effects of fear.
Effect scales with aura used, level of Willpower, and level of Aura of Courage.
Maximum range: 10ft
[Heavy Strike]
Increase the force of your blows by using the full potential of your weapon's weight.
Deal 10% extra weapon damage per pound of your weapon's weight.
Cooldown 1 second.
Recharge 3 seconds.
[Leap Slam]
Jump and Strike! Put the weight of gravity behind your swings.
Leap a horizontal distance of up to 10% of your strength.
Upon landing, attack with increased damage. Damage increase is based on your weight.
Current damage increase: 20%
Current distance: 9 meters.
Cooldown 1 second.
[Coup de grâce!]
A finishing blow to an injured opponent.
Deal 2% bonus damage (max 50%) with a strike for every point of damage a target has taken.
Deal 100% bonus damage if target has an injury.
Cooldown 3 seconds.
Recharge 60 seconds.