Chapter 2: What will you do next?

Miles and Ruby had been brought to some sort of detention center after the little incident with the thieves was over. He had been personally put in a room that closely resembled police interrogation chamber in his world. At the start it seemed slightly off to him why they had been brought to a place like this, but if this world was any similar to his, then they would likely be charged acts of vigilantism or something similar.

There were only two chairs in the room, one on each side of a rectangular table, he could also see some security cameras in the corners of the ceiling, likely observing his every move, and the very famous dimmed glass window that could only be seen through the other side. The young man sighed, it had been some time since he had been placed here, he had seen how Ruby was taken to a similar room next to his, but apart from that, he didn't know much of what happened to her.

The ride to the place had been quiet for the most part, he only ever managed to exchange some small whispers with the ever excited girl before the blonde woman hushed them. When Ruby realized the woman was a proper Huntress, she had gotten pretty excited, but alas the woman was too cold was quick to make her tone down the enthusiasm. Well, a least he got an opportunity to look outside through the car's window, at the city of Vale, if he hadn't heard wrong.

During the way, Miles had stopped to consider some things. Firstly, he more or less wanted to punch himself. The former Kasatsu student had most likely broken the record of moving into a new world and getting into trouble the quickest, which was absolutely ridiculous to him. Still, he naturally believed that a good explanation and a handful of testimonies would likely allow him to evade the worst part of the trouble, therefore, he didn't find himself very preoccupied. Ruby, on the other hand, worried him a bit more, she was just a kid afterall.

Secondly, he thought that it had been good that only the red scythe wielder had seen the display of his abilities, although he couldn't discard the possibility that the thief and whoever was spewing flames at them had also seen him warp. Whilst he wasn't particularly fond of that possibility, a part of him was slightly thankful. Maybe by seeing what he was capable of, the thieves would reconsider assaulting a store like that again. Perhaps only for a while, but even so, it was a good first step. It was his new task to act as a hero for the world of Remnant anyways.

The other thing that bothered him was… well, boredom. After spending so much time without a thing to do, he began absentmindedly spinning between his fingers a 100-yen coin he had luckily found in his pocket. His phone was way past salvation and the remaining bills and cards in his wallet would likely be useless in this world, so he had thrown most of them away on a nearby trash bin, save for a few, like his IDs.

"Sorry, guys…" He bitterly muttered whilst looking at a small photo of his former classmates he kept inside his wallet. Miles was genuinely thankful the goddess had resurrected him with a repaired version of his combat outfit and whatever he had had in his pockets when he died. Even if he would never be able to see them personally again, he'd never want to forget their faces or the memories he built alongside them.

The van Astrea found himself sighing while he put the picture away. He perked up when he heard the sound of the door opening and the sight of two individuals walking in. "Mr. Astrea , is it?" Said a man who looked to be in his late thirties. His hair was completely greyed out, he wore circular glasses and he held what looked like a mug of… coffee in his hand. If it wasn't for the clear height difference, messy hairstyle, black suit, green scarf, and cane - which he completely assumed was also a gun - Miles would've said he resembled his fellow classmate Soma.

"I offer you salutations. My name is Ozpin." He said, with a slightly disinterested or rather, tired look on his face. "In some form, you could say I hold close ties with the council here at the city of Vale." A quick explanation of his position, Miles could appreciate people who went straight to the point. Despite the man's tired expression, he could feel Ozpin studying him thoroughly. Miles could also sense the subtle, but massive strength that emanated from the man, his alarms almost flaring as they once had done when he faced strong foes in his world.

He believed the blonde Huntress next to the man to be rather strong herself, but he was on an entirely different level. The young man couldn't entirely rule out the possibility of the man being as strong or stronger than his sister, perhaps even stronger than some of the legendary shadows his friends and himself had the displeasure of facing in their year as students of Kasatsu Academy.

"I see you don't seem very tense, that is fine, it will make further procedures move smoothly. Just for your information, by the way, you will not be charged for any trouble cause this evening." Miles narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, but decided against raising any suspicions in his mind for the time being.

"If I may ask, and knowing I won't be reprimanded for what went on tonight, why is it I am still being kept here? It's become slightly boring if I am entirely honest. I presume it relates to the procedures you mentioned, Mr. Ozpin?" Miles could see how the man placed his mug on the table and took out a device that resembled a smartphone or tablet, his brows rose up slightly when he saw the device open up and a transparent screen appeared on it.

"Indeed it does. There still remain some details I would like to confirm, . Please don't think I am here to interrogate you or anything similar, I merely wish to clarify such matters, as soon as that is done you can be on your way."

Miles thought about it for some moments. He assumed the fact that he hadn't been charged for at least damage to property likely fell on the man's shoulders and his influence, he understood he was in a position to simply refuse and walk away, but he believed in returning a favor and owing as few debts as possible. Plus, this could turn out to be a handy way to get some information regarding Remnant.

He, of course, wouldn't reveal his true origins. Whilst the goddess hadn't specifically prohibited him from doing so, he would likely be thought as insane if he did so. He would cooperate and relay as much information as he could, though. "Ask away, sir." The young man responded respectfully and clearly, Miles hoped that would speed up the process slightly.

Ozpin simply nodded, although Miles could detect a small faint of approval in his expression. "To start off, I would like to ask something simple. Who are you?" Miles blinked a couple of times, but it wasn't surprising to say he had expected something of the sorts. Ozpin continued, his gaze turned down to the screen of the device in his hand.

"There exists no record of an individual called Miles van Astrea in the kingdom of Vale." Miles thought he could get away by saying he was from a different kingdom, but the man quickly shot down his idea. "Or in any of the other three Kingdoms of Remnant. There simply is no record of your existence in any archive of the four major Kingdoms of this world, Mr. Astrea." The man finally looked up.

"With the accent you have… Can I assume you are from a settlement outside of the Kingdoms, perhaps near Atlas?"

'Accent?' It was then when Miles realized something odd… All this time, without realizing it, he had been speaking in English. He felt like an idiot for not noticing earlier, it had just come naturally after hearing Ruby speak, and. Yes, you could say his accent was slightly rough, as he had learned the language at the same time his sister taught him Dutch, the native tongue of their father.

"You're right." He decided to play along, this would likely be the best chance to justify his state as basically an "illegal" citizen in the city. "I was born elsewhere, it was until recently that I drifted towards Vale."

"Hm. If that is the case, then it would explain why you are an nonexistent man to this day." Ozpin nodded to himself and then turned to the blonde woman, she nodded back at him and he continued. "You say you 'drifted' here, … Can I assume you plan on staying in this city?"

Miles had absolutely no idea of this world's geography, if he went by the man's words and his own suppositions, the next Kingdom or proper settlement could easily be thousands of kilometers away from this one and knowing the "scourge" that plagues this world, he would certainly not like to make a trip like that. The van Astra simply nodded his head at the man.

"I see… If such is the case, then I would like to make you an offer, although it is more of a request."

'It wouldn't be the first one I listen to in the last 24 hours.' The young man sighed inwardly and responded. "Let's hear it, then." Maybe he would gain more than he would lose from this, though there wasn't much left for him to lose at this point.

Ozpin nodded his head and kept on speaking. "This evening you helped in the prevention of a major Dust theft at the hands of a particularly infamous thief." The man showed his tablet-like device, the name 'Roman Torchwick' was displayed, as well as a picture of the boss of the goons he had fought against earlier. "In light of this development, we would like to offer help in getting you formally registered as a citizen of Vale. As I said, it is more of a request, considering the care we need to have in these times. It would generally make things easier on you as well as for us. I have to ask though, is there any sort of ID we could use for reference?"

'It certainly sounds promising…' Miles didn't have to spend much time weighing the cons against the pros of this situation. Having a proper identification from a Kingdom would make the task of getting a job easier. He didn't entirely understand how the system of Hunters worked in this world, but he supposed that at the very least he'd need some sort of ID to register himself as one.

Thus came another problem. Yes, he did have not one, but two IDs in his person at the moment, neither were in English, though. One recognized him as a Japanese-born citizen and the other as a Dutch citizen, neither were in a language they would understand. Plus, having such a well made ID card as an "outsider" may raise more than a few more eyebrows than he was comfortable with. Miles opened his mouth to answer. "It's a good offer,Mr. Ozpin . I will gladly accept it. However, I don't have an ID with me, sorry. I am 17-years-old, if that's important."

"Just Ozpin is fine, Mr. Astrea ." He said. "And I understand, not many settlements outside of the Kingdoms make use of a formal way of registration or identifications." The man flicked the screen, closed the device and put it down on the table. He then proceeded to take his mug and zip from his coffee. "With that resolved, there is another matter I wish to address, it is regarding your Aura, which seems to be awakened."

And another complication arises. He feared he would be asked of a terminology he didn't know of, as feigning ignorance would likely not be effective. The former student of Kasatsu wanted to groan, but for the time being he decided to follow along. If he remembered correctly, Ruby had also mentioned Aura so at the very least he could assume it had something to do with his abilities or the abilities of the people in this world. "Yes, what about my Aura?"

"Your Aura is of a type that had never been discovered or at least recorded before today. As you may or may not know, every creature, be it human or animal has a particular colour of Aura that can be observed. Only one colour, as Aura represents their very being to the core, their soul if you will. Yours however, is multicolored, and I have to say it wasn't a mere error, we performed the test around five times and the five gave off the same result."

He drank some more coffee before resuming. "On one hand, the majority of its volume is silver, whilst the other, a smaller part is dark red with a streak of yellow. That tone of shiny silver is a mildly rare colour, but nothing out of the ordinary. The red part is odd on itself as it seems to also be multicoloured, though such an effect is almost too faint to notice. Now, combined with the fact that you also seem to possess a higher than average reserve of Aura, this whole ordeal hasn't left my mind since we discovered it. Do you have any idea of why all this may be?"

"..." Miles stood silent for a second as his brain tried to formulate an answer. It took him far more than he would've wished, but then he started to connect dots with what Minato, Elina, and Katia had taught him regarding Anima or Mana, as it was sometimes also called.

He could surmise that Aura in some way was an equivalent to Anima in his world. From the little theory of magecraft he remembered, every individual had an Element to their soul, to their magic, something that determined the affinity they had to casting a certain spell.

The same principle more or less applied to what Element each relic possessed, they were the physical manifestation of the soul, afterall. Magecraft of course, had been lost to time in his world and only very few practitioners remained, but he had been lucky enough to meet four of them. Though, one of them was technically a spirit so he wasn't sure it counted.

The van Astrea was the wielder of Soulcalibur, a holy blade that was known as The Sword of Absolute Balance. Formerly wielded by the knight of the round table, sir Lancelot, and sister to both Excalibur and the cursed Hellcalibur.

Soulcalibur was an extremely peculiar relic, it was the only known one ever recorded to possess not one element, but two: Life and Death. It was said that due to this peculiarity, its past wielders had been corrupted by the sword, their life being drained as Death entered their bodies to achieve a balance, but ultimately failing and making them pass away within months of first obtaining it.

Miles however, had been a different case. Around two years ago, when he had made a pact with a supernatural being he would eventually come to call Katia, his Element had been fused with hers, essentially corrupting his soul and achieving a balance within it that no other person could have ever had.

When he had gotten his relic, at the start of this year, he came to the realization that thanks to the innate corruption within him, the sword would not corrupt him further, as he was already internally "balanced" by the presence of Katia. And thus it became clear. His "Aura" was made of two colours because Miles van Astrea's soul itself was made two colours.

"I'm not entirely sure, sir. I didn't even know of that peculiarity either, I always thought it was the same as my peers." A brief pause. "I... might have an explanation, but it would likely take too much for me to elaborate on it." He answered honestly, he could come up with a reasonable explanation in due time, but as it stood, he would rather avoid the topic.

Ozpin nodded in understanding, but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Under normal circumstances, Miles might've not noticed, but his perception was higher than most. He could feel how the man seemed to keep evaluating him, to try and see past his words and catch deceit. Maybe he had expected the stranger to offer some sort of confirmation of his condition, but as he didn't detect any form of dishonesty from the young man's tone, his expression relaxed again.

"I certainly wish to hear more of this in the future,Mr. Astrea . I suppose there was an event in your life, or perhaps a certain experience that caused such a phenomena, if we look into it, as well as the way you awakened your Aura, I'm sure we will be able to come up with a definitive explanation." The man put down the coffee mug again.

'He is assuming we will have another talk like this, isn't he? This man definitely is as sly as he is powerful. It isn't surprising to know he likely holds a position of power in the city. Hm, now that I think about it, his presence does resemble the one of that man…" The stern look of Zettai Yoshikage flashed on his mind, the principal of Kasatsu Academy back in his world.

"That basically concludes the brief questioning I had for you." He looked down at his mug, but sighed when he realized he had run out of coffee. "There is one more thing I wish to know, actually."

"Yes? What is it?" Miles prepared himself for mostly anything he could ask, and yet, what came from the man's lips is something that he could've never expected. Perhaps it was the familiar tone or the wording, but even in another language, the same feeling came to him.

"What will you do next?" The man said with narrowed eyes and a tiny smile on his face.

"Only someone like him would choose a place like this…" Miles sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket. The worn down church in front of him welcomed the young man with open arms, if the wide open doors were anything to go by. He took in a deep breath and walked in, the inside would probably better than the cold winter air behind him.

"Psst, over here Milsey." A voice he knew well. It was the voice of Oshino Aragami, an experienced underground Hunter, as well as his legal guardian. The man was sitting on one of the church aisles, wearing his casual set of clothes. He wasn't working today it seems.

Miles made his way to the place in question and silently sat besides the Hunter. He had never personally particularly religious, but he would be as respectful as he could for the people who were offering their honest prayers in this holy place.

"Alright, then." He said, with a silent voice. "How about you tell me why I'm in a creepy old church talking to you?"

"Hey, can't I simply call my step son to talk without any ulterior motives?" The man grinned, but his expression quickly relaxed. "You're finishing junior highschool soon, right?" A mildly unexpected question.

Miles nodded. "Yeah, why are you asking?" Due to some very bizarre events, he had missed a year of junior high and ended up having to finish his education remotely, through education from home. It wasn't the cheapest thing in the world, but with Oshino being a particularly efficient Hunter, he had been given a pretty generous scholarship.

"I mean, do you have any plans for the foreseeable future? Any school in particular you'd like to attend or something like that?" Huh. Oshino had never been this involved in his life. Apart from the times the both of them went up to Hokkaido to fish for tuna or that one time where in a flash of inspiration the bastard decided to send Miles off to a military school some years ago, his legal guardian had always been pretty lax when it came to him and his step sister.

"Not really, I haven't given it much thought." The van Astrea shrugged. "Considering my situation, it might be better to just finish highschool virtually. I could try to apply for some culinary school out there." That was about the only thing that he spent his time on lately. "But I might be too late to apply for one." It was not like didn't have a drive or a passion for things, it was just that he hadn't genuinely stopped to think about it. There were still a couple of months until he graduated from junior high anyways.

"Then…" The man searched for something in the pockets on his coat. He pulled out some sort of envelope. It seemed simple at first, but at the same time there was something special about it, Miles could tell. "This, Milsey, is a recommendation for Kasatsu Academy, written by me of course." The boy rose a brow. Kasatsu Academy? "You do know what it is, right?" The man asked, seeing his son's confused expression.

Miles nodded again. "Of course, who doesn't? I don't really understand why you're giving this to me, though. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make a very good Hunter." The Aragami just grinned and shrugged.

"Graduating from that school opens up way too many opportunities, even if you don't feel like becoming a Hunter. The Academy gets a ridiculous amount of funding each year, there is a lot to learn and many of the clubs are even in a professional level." The man was explaining with a nostalgic look on his face. "I ain't gonna force you to go, I also told Maki and she turned it down." That wasn't much of a surprise, his step sister didn't seem like one to attend such a school, at least going by the very limited interactions they had over the years. "Plus, you'd get a relic." Oshino said, as if getting a relic was the most common thing on this Earth.

If Miles was completely honest, the sheer number of pros was too great to ignore over the few cons, but a couple things still remained. "What about my… circumstances?" He glanced down at his shadow, "she" seemed to be sleeping at the moment, thank the heavens. Oshino just chuckled and put a hand on Miles' shoulder.

"It's ok, kid. The principal of the school is an old bastard I know, I already talked about your little problem with him. He says they'll offer support in exchange for a little service from you." While he wasn't entirely comfortable with the man telling someone else, no matter who it was, about the problem he had, Miles could understand the situation. A thoughtful look appeared on his face, he was starting to seriously wager the option of attending Kasatsu Academy, the Kasatsu Academy.

"Well." The Hunter stood up. "I'll leave you with a question you'll have to consider well, Milsey. Since it'll pretty much help you set a path for your future. There're still some months left, but the Academy will eventually have to perform physical, psychological, and emotional tests on you should you like to enroll. Keep that in mind." With a calm step and a sly smile, the man started to walk to the exit of the church. "What will you do next?" With those words, he left.

"...Hehe." The young man couldn't help but chuckle lighty. No wonder the bastard had chosen this place to ask him that question. He looked down at the envelope in his hand, it would certainly take some time before he could decide. For now he would just silently think and try to consider every option he had available, the quiet environment of the church would help greatly...

No more than an hour passed before people saw the young man stand up and leave the holy place. It hadn't taken as much time to decide as he originally expected in the end.

Miles started thinking about the past. It hadn't been a year since another suspicious-looking man made him a question too similar to this one. He wished to sigh as memories of a promise he was unable to keep began to flood his mind.

He was dead, or at least he had died in his other world and nothing would be able to bring him back, not even Aiko's Resurrection of the Soul could, as his own core had been cursed by Hellcalibur during the final battle.

He knew the past was behind him, he knew it was futile to think of what-ifs, but it didn't make his situation less frustrating for himself. Silence had been prolonged as the boy seeked an answer within his heart. He realized however, that yes, he was dead, but at the same time, he was alive.

Miles van Astrea had been given a second chance and was now a part of this world. Furthermore, he had a goal to accomplish. The time to reflect would come later, he knew his next words would likely affect how his fate in the world of Remnant would play out. To be a hero was a mission he was given and, like in his own world, he had to take the first step to become one.

"I wish to become a Hunter, Ozpin." He admitted "However, I'm unfamiliar with the system of Vale or…" A pause. "If I'm frank, the system of Remnant as a whole. Back in my homeland I assisted a hunter training Academy to battle against the scourge, however…" He sighed. "I'm sure you can guess what happened." Miles had come to believe Ozpin was a smart man, that he calculated and analyzed his every thought and every bit of information he received, so the wielder of Soulcalibur knew that he was taking a gamble by appealing to the man's sympathy. Yet he knew that, without having to delve deeper into his made-up past, this was the best way to go about it.

"Yes, sorry for bringing up such memories." The man fixed his glasses, his look of slight worry dissipated as soon as it came, the same couldn't be said about the woman, her look reflected a small amount of pity towards him. "I did hear from of your prowess with the sword. I suppose that would explain it." The man looked around. "Although I wonder where your weapon went." Miles gulped, but relaxed when Ozpin continued. "Whatever be the case." He turned to look at the young man with a more serious look. "If you wish to become a Huntsman, then I have yet another offer."

Miles simply nodded for him to proceed, the man obliged. "I am the principal of Beacon Academy, the largest institution for Huntsmen preparation in the kingdom of Vale." The blonde woman who had mostly stayed with a poker face for the majority of the conversation suddenly shot a look of concern towards the man, but he seemed to ignore it. Miles more or less agreed with her, from her point of view he was a stranger, one who was quite suspicious and likely strong for a hunter in training. Even if she seemed to believe the story about his former Academy falling, the wielder of Soulcalibur couldn't exactly blame her for her wariness.

"Even if I accepted your offer, sir." Miles interjected, he could already guess where this was going. "I would have no means of paying for tuition. Right now my only belongings are my clothes, my sword, and a picture of my former schoolmates. Unless you allowed me to work to afford it, I'm afraid it would be impossible for me to enroll." He had been honest. In his mind he understood this likely would be a golden opportunity, however, he could feel the grey haired man plotting something inside his head. As matters currently stood, Miles still had to be slightly wary of Ozpin, owing him a favor might work against his own objectives in the future depending on the man's true nature.

"Please,Mr. Astrea , think of it as a personal interest of mine." Ozpin retorded "The payment for your tuition would be simply to allow us to conduct further studies regarding your Aura. My institution also researches the intricacies of Dust, Semblance, and Aura. Your peculiar condition coupled with your combat abilities would be akin to an investment I am willing to make for Beacon. Furthermore, it would be your easiest way to become a Huntsman."

The young man made a look of contemplation. At a simple glance, he couldn't find any deceit in the man's words. It still felt too good to be true, but there didn't seem to be any better alternatives, if there were any alternatives in the first place. "If those are the conditions…" Miles smiled in appreciation "Then I will take you up on it, sir." Only time and maybe Ozpin's smile could tell what the future would entail for Miles and Beacon.

"Very well, ." Ozpin offered his hand for a handshake. Miles stood up and shook it. "For now we need to get you sorted. Is there anything else I could help you with?"

"If it was possible, I would like a temporary place to stay. Don't worry, I'll eventually find a part-time job and get one for myself, but for now I suppose that would be it." He seemed honest. Miles could surmise that Beacon Academy likely had dormitories similar to the ones on Kasatsu, but he didn't exactly know how long it would take for classes to begin.

"Yes, of course. If you can wait for a couple of hours I can send the location of what will be your temporary housing." Ozpin noticed the various items laying in the trash bin "You don't happen to own a scroll, do you?"

A scroll? It was just a guess, but he concluded scrolls were similar to the smartphones of this world. To the question Miles simply shook his head. "It was broken during the fight." Another lie, well… technically a lie, his phone had been destroyed during a fight, just not the most recent one.

Ozpin simply nodded, he seemed to be patient enough. "Understood. Then I will also look into getting one for you. I will communicate the details of our future research via the scroll. As well as when the school year in Beacon begins." There was a brief pause as the principal of Beacon took his scroll and seamlessly tapped something on it. "Your transport should arrive soon." That was too fast, thought Miles as he blinked in surprise.

"Ozpin." The woman finally raised her voice. "I believe the matters here are resolved. We should head back and continue preparations for the new school year." She only spared Miles a glance and a bow with her head as she began to walk out, not waiting for an answer.

"Hmmm…" Ozpin seemed slightly disinterested, but relented. "Fine, Glynda, but you'll have to brew me some coffee later while we speak of that." The man glanced back to Miles. "Come on,Mr. Astrea , or is it perhaps that you grew fond of this interrogation room?" Ozpin said with the tiniest amused smile.

The comment caught Miles by surprise slightly, but it faded as he chuckled and stood up from his seat. "Didn't know you had a sense of humor, sir." With that said, both him and the principal of his new Academy exited the room together. When he did, Miles didn't see Ruby around, so he assumed had already gone elsewhere. For a second he wondered if the red girl would also assist Beacon, he could've asked Ozpin, but something told me it would be more pleasant to simply find out later.

Aura, Semblance, Dust… Grimm. Miles made some notes on a cheap notebook he had gotten off from a shop a few days ago. Lately, the former student of Kasatsu had been studying more and more about the world of Remnant, to the point where he had basically secluded himself in a local library.

His routine more or less consisted of him waking up, cooking up breakfast, training until he felt satisfied, and coming to the local library to read. He had also bought himself a change of clothes, which consisted of a pair of worn-out slim black jeans, a simple short sleeved white button shirt, coupled with some black socks and a pair of simple back shoes, too similar to what he wore back in his world. Miles frankly prefered to use casual clothes instead of the battle outfit his former legal guardian had made for him. He glanced back down at a history book.

'The similarities… are pretty freaky.' Miles wondered if the genesis of this world, of Remnant, might have been a parallel to his own world. Grimm resembled Shadows: they were physical manifestations of the negative emotions within mankind, or at least Shadows were. In the case of Grimm, they instead were monsters of unknown origin attracted to these feelings of grief, fear, sorrow, and hatred. One thing was certain though, and perhaps this was the biggest similarity between the two monsters: nor Grimm or Shadows had souls.

Miles found out that "supernatural" beings also existed, but in a different way than in his world. Instead of there being inherently magical creatures created alongside humans, they were a species of humans that likely mutated many years ago, thus separating both species. He wasn't entirely sure if they could be called "supernatural", either.

From the books he read about them and from what he heard on T.V, they were called "faunus" and just like the goddess had told him, they were severely discriminated against. Miles had personally seen it in the streets once, how a man almost brutalized a waiter faunus that apparently messed up his order. He was about to step in when a black blurr seemingly cut the guy's belt and his pants fell on the ground. The guy ended up just cursing his heart out and leaving the scene before any authorities popped up, the girl came out unscathed. He wondered what or who that black blur had been, but for now he concentrated on other matters.

Miles came to realize that while Remnant's geopolitical situation appeared to be in a more or less stable condition, there was a real possibility of the peace between Kingdoms being torn apart should an important enough world event occur that threatened it. This was another aspect of this world the young hunter would have to keep in mind for the future. He stretched his shoulders a little, a small amount of stress had been forming on them as delved deeper about Remnant's situation. Being a hero was no easy task, but the reality of it was finally starting to hit.

There remained concepts that the wielder of Soulcalibur couldn't entirely grasp: Aura and Semblance were far more confusing than what he first thought. Going by his own theory of Anima, he had originally thought Aura to be the same as Anima. Whilst they were mostly similar - both being able to achieve supernatural feats for example - Aura itself lacked "magic" or "magical energy". It was a different type of energy which curiously emanated from the same place of Anima: the soul. This in turn explained the Grimm's lack of Aura. The only theory Miles could come up with was that magic itself had likely once existed in Remnant, but eventually it was lost. Unlike his world though, the influence of magic didn't completely vanish and perhaps due to the resilient nature of life, Aura was born.

Semblance was even more strange. From what he could surmise, Miles understood the foreign concept as the manifestation of a person's soul into a specific ability, one that derived from Aura. In a relatively similar fashion to how Relics in his world were the materialization of a person's soul made into a tool of legend. One collected from the infinite consciousness of humanity, stored within the legendary Artifact, and capable of fending off the threat of Shadows.

Did that mean every person held within themselves a pseudo Artifact that activated such abilities? It was unlikely, he doubted they would have something as powerful. Still, it wouldn't entirely surprise him if Semblance, just like the Relics of his world, could evolve and potentially grow stronger. There was still much he didn't understand though. "I definitely should've asked more to the goddess…" He thought out loud before letting out a sigh and closing both the book and notebook in front of him.

In a way, this all led to Miles formulating a very interesting idea he could likely put into practice at a later moment, when it became necessary.

Finally, there was Dust. From what he read, Dust was a mineral that contained various elemental properties. Humanity had learned to harvest it and make use of it via their Aura against the threat of Grimm in the past. The mineral itself had come to be one the most vital parts of their battle for survival. Dust could be used in many ways, the most common currently being in the manufacture of ammunition and weaponry which Huntsmen made use of, as well as a valuable source of energy. Miles wondered if he could make use of Dust. While there certainly was a similarity between Aura and Anima - hence why they had likely detected his own with their devices - he wasn't entirely sure he could activate the elemental properties of the mineral. He'd just have to try it at a later date.

In any case, the safest comparison to make was to think of Dust as something akin to lead, oil, or TNT, or… Actually, there were many points of comparison. But in the end, it was safe to assume that Dust worked as the main source of energy in the world. Fortunately for Remnant, the mineral seemed to be highly abundant and signs of it becoming scarce were not clear, though he did read about the Kingdom of Vacuo becoming more protective about the resource. Large corporations such as the Schnee Dust Company provided an ample amount of the resource yearly to the public.

Something that concerned him was the recent Dust robberies in Vale. Why anyone would need such a ridiculous amount of Dust missed him. Perhaps someone was building a weapon, or purposely trying to elevate the market price of the resource. Maybe it was connected to the White Fang, an organization dedicated to the fight for "Faunus civil rights", even if their recent activities could be considered terrorism. This was just speculation though, as far as he knew, all the major Dust robberies were linked to Roman Torchwick, not the White Fang.

"It should be about time…" The former Kasatsu student checked the hour on his old wristwatch, another one of his possessions that the goddess had brought with him. Ozpin had told him to visit the airport to take a "bullhead" - apparently the air vehicle the thief had also escaped in - to Beacon Academy. Today would be the day tests regarding his Aura would commence. Incidentally, tomorrow classes began for Beacon as well. The young man was also instructed to pack the few belongings he had and bring them over, it would seem like his days at the small apartment he had would come to an end.

"..." Miles examined his surroundings, a faint sense of danger began looming over him. Before taking the transport, he decided to take a brief stroll through the outer parts of the city of Vale, his main intention being to come into first contact with the creatures of Grimm before he attended Beacon. The man had changed into his combat clothes, just in case he was unlucky enough to find a particularly strong Grimm.

Fortunately, he still had around an hour left before the appointed time and getting to the place in question would take less than half that time if he hurried slightly. "Hmm." The feeling he got was not one he wasn't used to. He could feel the stalking gazes of the Grimm preying on him, they waited for an optimal chance to attack, it resembled the presence of Shadows more than he would like to admit.

'It should be a pack of Beowolves.' He thought as leaves began to crack and bushes began to move around him, the gaze of Soulcalibur's wielder hardened as he prepared for what would come next. The air seemed to shift around him as he took in a deep breath and Awakened to his first phase. At the same time, the Sword of Soul's Balance materialized on his right hand, joined by a pair of black and white gloves. His now crimson eyes scanned around him and finally located the distinct figures of five different Grimm.

"I'll make this quick." And so, the carnage began. Miles gripped his sword with both hands and dashed with inhumane speed towards an unsuspecting Beowolf, in less than a second its head was flying out in the wind. Four sets of red eyes were now directly on him.

"Gaghhh!" The first pair of Beowolves rushed him without much of a warning. Their claws were sharp and aimed straight at his body. However, one second they were approaching him and the next both Grimm found themselves without their frontal limbs and impaled to the ground by copies of Soulcalibur that had been shot straight at them from above, two follow-up slashes was all it took to finish them off.

Miles' own deep red eyes simply stared at the remaining two Grimm, they had begun to walk back, clearly they weren't as unintelligent as some of the more weaker Shadows back in his world. However, all their luck had run out when they decided to attack him, the hunter-in-training would not let them live. He positioned himself in the stance he had practiced, fought, and survived with for the last year, his legs were lowered and his sword was with both hands at his side, pointing behind him.

"Warp… Strike!" The black and white blade flew as he flung it with a very moderate amount of strength, after this Miles simply concentrated and warped along his sword, which had stabbed itself cleanly on the chest of a beowolf that was backing off, he pushed back and pierced the creature completely, then he stepped back as it fell limply to the ground. "Hmm." Only one was left, but surprisingly to him, this last one had decided to confront him, it likely understood that was the only way to survive.

Alas, it all ended with a swift horizontal strike powered up with Life Anima. Perhaps due to the nature of the element, the creature had been sliced as cleanly and as easily as a hot knife with butter. "Hmmm…" Miles concentrated and halted his Awakening, but ended up deciding to keep Soulcalibur out just in case. After a quick inspection of the now fading corpses, he realized that he had taken out a group of young beowolves. Faced with the chance of more coming his way, the former Kasatsu student decided to make a quick exit.

'In the end they aren't much different from Shadows…' Was all he thought before leaving the husks of the Grimm behind.

Ozpin drank from his mug, next to him sat Bartholomew Oobleck, a scientist, teacher at his school, and fellow coffee connoisseur. The man in question seemed extremely intrigued at the readings on his screen, his hands furiously writing down data and his brain even more furiously trying to come up for an explanation for… for this. "Ozpin, where the heck did you say you found this kid again?" He spoke quickly, perhaps even quicker than normally.

"He and another new student got involved in a Dust robbery in the city. Can you believe that they took on fifteen men and not only dispatched them in record time, but also came out unscathed from the attack? Not to mention they were close to catching Roman Torchwick." Ozpin explained and poured down some more coffee down his throat, gods bless this addictive liquid.

One of the basic tests they had performed today was to simply tell the young man to activate his Aura. The screens on his device almost gave out for a second, before the levels of Aura stabilized to a more usual, albeit still impressive amount of it. This kid was incredibly weird. But going back to the conversation.

"I mean. Yes, I can believe it. Wouldn't pretty much any student in our school be able to deal with some thugs?" Oobleck certainly did not seem impressed, instead he focused on the abnormality of the readings in front of him. These levels of Aura at such a young age… were abnormal to say the least.

Ozpin couldn't resist a chuckle. "Well, the other new student in question is barely a 15-year-old girl. And this young man had absolutely no records of his existence when we found him." It was safe to say that Miles van Astrea had secrets he wasn't yet willing to tell, but if it meant that he could cultivate him into a warrior capable of fending off the strongest of the Witch's forces, he would treat the mysterious boy's affairs with patience. Afterall, it seemed like he genuinely did not know why his Aura was multicoloured, amongst other things.

"I see." Oobleck hastily replied, not really that interested in any further personal information regarding the new two st- wait a second. "Fifteen years old?!" Did someone that age even have the mental fortitude to become a Huntress? Sometimes even his brilliant mind could not unwrap what went on in Ozpin's head. Bartholomew just sighed and kept on working, looks like he'd pull an all-nighter tonight.

The scientist pressed a button and spoke into a microphone. "Young Miles, for the sake of this research I would like to see your Semblance in action." Oobleck saw how the student's expression suddenly turned into a conflicted one. 'Maybe he hasn't awoken a Semblance yet-?". Were all the thoughts he could formulate before he saw the kid pull out a sword from thin air, even Ozpin blinked in surprise at this, although a look of understanding was plastered in his face soon after. Oobleck could only stutter in surprise a bit before his brain finally gave up and his head fell on the keyboard in front of him.

'Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this kid?'

Hi again

First I want to start off by saying that at the time of me writting this A/N Soul Knight has reached 11 followers, 6 favorites and two reviews... to all of you who decided to follow or even just read this humble story, I can't formulate enough words of appreciation to thank you properly, just know that you really made my day and pushed me forward to finish this chapter as soon a I could :')

So, this chapter turned out to be a pretty heavy exposition dump in many ways. I'm kinda sorry for that, but naturalistic worldbuilding isn't my forte and I wanted to establish some concepts that weren't really established in the first seasons of RWBY early on (I'm not a RWBY worldmaster either, so any lore corrections are appreciated). I am using the fact that Miles is new to the world to kinda justify me pumping out concept after concept, but in case you're wondering, this probably will be the last chapter to be so in-your-face about it.

As for what comes next, I want to say that this fic is planned to encompass Volumes 1-3 of RWBY. I want to delve deeper into the whole character growth and school life of the show's main cast, as well as seeing Miles develop here too. As much as I love RWBY, there're some things I always wanted to see more of and this fic is my opportunity to explore and imagine such things. Depending on how much I enjoy myself writting this and how much people come to like it, I might go past the 3rd volume, but I'd wager there is still a long time 'till we get there.

I also want to say that chapter 3 will probably take a bit longer to come out than this one, since this chapter was more or less done when I published the first. I'll try my hardest to upload at least once every two weeks, but college takes most of my free time and I also have to plan DnD games for my friends xD

In any case, thanks again and sorry for the long A/N. Remember that I'm not a pro writer or anything like that, so any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated (spelling or grammar erros included pls). That should about it, hope ya'll have a great day and I hope to see you on the next chapter!

A/N 2: Made some changes to the Dust section of the library scene.