Author's Note: Any of you played the new Devil May Cry 5? The game is honestly so good, it left me depressed. The sheer amount of love, dedication and care that went into each and every detail is nothing short of stunning. I was crying inside. I'd at least suggest you check out gameplay and cutscenes on YouTube if you're at all interested in it.

On a different note, I see all these reviews, and it just shows me how much this version of Jaune has resonated with everyone. I think we've all been in a situation where our very best… simply wasn't enough. It's never enough, but I think there's a part of us that goes on, anyway. And maybe this is what makes a hero. Or I might be rambling. In any case, this story isn't meant to be depressing, and things certainly get better for our hero. So without further ado, on we continue!

Chapter 6: Scars and Hearts

Jaune leaned back. He was on the topmost row of the stands surrounding the arena in the Training Hall. It was Combat Class. While he was keeping track of the action using his able to sense Auras, he didn't bother to actually look often. The seats around him were empty, for several rows, and he was grateful for the solitude. The rest of the class was gathered close to the front, near the platform where the duels took place.

This was his newfound position in most classes. Right at the back, away from the others. This way, at least, he didn't feel as uncomfortable. Up-close, he was mostly subjected to people turning to stare at him every few seconds, or whispering to each other about him. While he wasn't a stranger to hatred, this new form of it, from people who were very much his own age, and some of whom he had been on friendly terms with until recently, was unfamiliar. It unsettled him. It was better to keep his distance, then, rather than force himself to face more of it.

Well, apart from the obvious fact that it was a bother, his actual performance in classes remained unaffected. He was top in most physical courses, and his theory scores were high as well, since he spent plenty of time studying on his own from the library's store of resources.

He directed his attention to the arena when he heard Goodwitch's voice, and became aware that she was making an announcement.

"... and so you will have your first field assignment this weekend. You will be heading into Forever Fall, from where your task is to gather the sap of the trees, a valuable resource with varied uses. Be prepared. As you are already aware, the forest is home to many Grimm, and the careless may meet an unfortunate fate. That is all for today. You will depart at 0800 hours this Saturday."

Well, that's interesting.

Truth be told, Jaune had been wanting to encounter some Grimm recently. While he had made plenty of efforts, he had not yet found anything from existing studies that brought him closer to understanding the nature of the beings. So, he had concluded that live observation was necessary. His first reaction to this, of course, was to steel himself and approach Professor Port, who taught the class on Anti-Grimm Tactics. While the man often kept individual live specimens in captivity, he unfortunately did not have any at the moment. Meaning, if Jaune wanted one, he would have to venture out and get it himself.

Good timing. I should probably talk to Ozpin about bringing one back alive though. Knowing how jumpy people are here, someone will probably shoot it dead if I don't take care.

He got up and made his way out alone through the topmost exit, which no one else was using.

Elsewhere

Team RWBY animatedly discussed the new announcement. While the visit to Forever Fall was supposed to be for a mission, it felt more like a field trip than anything. With that many students together in one place, it felt like it was going to be a fun outing.

"What a beautiful idea," said Yang.

"Feels like a picnic," agreed Ruby.

Right with them were also three-fourths of team JNPR. Over the past few weeks, they had gotten closer to team RWBY. But unlike them, there was an underlying unease to them.

"Is… this going to be okay?" muttered Nora. She wasn't happy. While her go-to method of dealing with struggle was with a smile on her face, she couldn't really do that given the situation with their leader. While she didn't like how far Jaune had gone during the spar with Cardin, she certainly didn't think he was some sort of bully, or even a stone-cold killing machine. Perhaps she was being naive, but a part of her believed that the optimistic, bright-hearted Jaune they had come to know and like was the true version of the boy. And if so, then they needed to bring that side back.

She wasn't alone in that feeling either.

Ren too had been taken aback by the episode, but he was not the sort of person to be swayed easily by the opinions of others. It occurred to him that Jaune had travelled the wilds alone. In that time, he had likely seen terrible things happen. It wasn't surprising that his method of dealing with bullies was harsher than appropriate for a school. Jaune's colder persona was intimidating. But Ren did not believe the boy was evil.

And finally, there was Pyrrha. Despite her level-headedness, she found herself unable to rationally think of the whole issue. Logically, she knew there were any number of possible explanations behind Jaune's behaviour. But they were all speculation. She knew next to nothing about his past, so she didn't know for sure what sort of person he truly was. But every instinct she had screamed that he was not a remorseless bully. Some sort of freak. Deep inside, she knew he had a good heart. And so, it hurt to see the way he was being painted as a villain by most students.

Above all, it hurt that he hadn't seen fit to share that burden with the rest of the team. With her.

It was true that she had been uncertain at first. Hesitant after seeing that side of him. And that had been her mistake. To doubt him. That doubt had burrowed into their relationship now. In front of everyone, she had hesitated to stand by him. And that hesitation had probably cost her his trust.

As she was about to exit the Hall, she turned, and saw his lone figure leaving as well.

This isn't right. I know it isn't.

As evening came, things only got more awkward. Lately, Jaune had taken to returning to dorm only when it was time to sleep. He was spending less and less time with them, and saying nothing unless he absolutely needed to. In public, he would walk and sit separately, always by himself. Pyrrha was reminded uncomfortably of her own life back in Mistral. As a tournament champion and celebrity, she had been alone, despite her best efforts to make herself approachable. If anything, Jaune's situation was even worse. She had been admired.
He was hated. It was hard to tell if the constant whispers and snide comments got to him. His face was impassive. If he was angry, if he was sad, if he was affected in any way, he gave no sign of it. He attended classes, and took part in exercises. If there were team activities, he led efficiently, but never stuck around once they were over.

It was likely he spent the evenings either on the grounds, gym or library. But it was raining heavily outside tonight, and even Jaune had opted to stay in. As a result, he was lying in bed reading a book.

The Grimm Bestiary, as researched, written and edited by William Warlock, was the go-to source of information on all but the rarest known Grimm. It wasn't exactly light reading, nor were any assignments due for the next day, but Jaune had it open in front of him now as he lay on his side.

It was awkward because Nora, Ren and Pyrrha were on their way to the RWBY dorm to play Cards Against Remnant. Within moments, the game would be underway, and it would get loud. Loud enough that Jaune would hear it even from this room. It would instantly be obvious that they were excluding him, had not invited him as well.

Pyrrha wondered for a moment if she should simply ask him if he wanted to come, the past few weeks notwithstanding. It would be less unpleasant than the alternative. But he looked completely focused on the book he was reading. She doubted very much that he would accept anyway.

Ultimately, unable to bring herself to say anything, she simply left with the others.

She felt at once relieved and guilty out in the hallway.

It can't go on like this.

They knocked on the door opposite their own, and Yang opened it.

" 'Sup?" she asked, moving aside to let them enter.

"Don't ask," muttered Pyrrha.

"This about you-know-who, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"You know," said Yang. "What he did set me off, sure. But… you guys know him better than I do. And… if you trust him, then you should be with him, you know? Talk to him. Shit. We never even asked him why he did that."

No one said a word.

At first, they had been too surprised by his actions to question him on his reasons. And then, once they were calm enough to think of that, it was already too late.

"I doubt he'd be interested in answering us now," Nora stated, uncharacteristically serious. "I mean… we pretty much left him high and dry, didn't we."

Pyrrha looked down, unable to raise her head in shame.

Jaune was many things, but he was not some common criminal or cheap thug. He deserved better than this.

"Can we… not talk about this?" she said. "I don't really know what I can even do, or how to even speak to him now."

By unspoken agreement, nothing more was said about Jaune for the moment, and the game soon started. When they had all gotten their cards, Pyrrha noticed that the Shinken was not the only one missing.

"Where's Weiss?" she asked.

Ruby was the one to answer. She looked slightly worried, brows furrowed.

"She said she had some things to take care of. I didn't push it. She's been out of it lately."

Even as these words were being said, the aforementioned Glyph-wielding Huntress was near the roof of the building. It was pouring heavily outside, so she was seated on the stairwell instead out on the roof itself.

Time and again, the meeting from weeks ago played in her head.

The tiny flicker of hurt that had crossed Jaune's face before he had hidden it.

I shouldn't have done that.

Even if Jaune was some sort of monster, he had been nothing but good to her. She really didn't have any grounds to treat him that way.

After she had asked him to leave, there had been a marked distance between them. With a cooler head, Weiss had planned to approach him the next day, and find out the truth, but he had looked at her as if she were a stranger.

That had hurt.

A small part of Weiss pointed out that if the persona he had shown at first was his true self, then he really was painfully shy around girls, not to mention the sort of person who didn't just go out of his way to talk to everyone. He had done that for her, only to be rebuffed in one of the coldest ways possible. She had abused the trust he'd put in her, and now would probably never have it again.

She wasn't sure why, but that fact caused her immense pain.

It was compounded by the fact that he wasn't some distant figure in her past. She saw him everyday. So close, yet so far.

In a show of grand irony, the so-called monster was taking his forced exile in rare style, displaying more composure and dignity than any of the people bad-mouthing him.

What have I done?

She hugged her knees to her chest.

This wasn't right.

Saturday came, and the first year teams gathered at the airfield to board the Bullheads that would transport them to Forever Fall. Weiss Schnee was among the students there. As always, she was clad in her white battledress, carrying Myrtenaster and her signature Dust rounds. Though she was equipped for a fight, her mind was distracted.

Again and again, she glanced at the lone figure sitting on one of the fences, away from everyone else. Jaune Souther was wearing the leather trousers and vest he always did during combat. A single metal shoulder pad covered his left deltoids. Weiss noticed his hair was slightly longer, and the beginnings of stubble were visible on his jaw. He looked over the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

I wonder what he's thinking about. Come to think: I've never asked him even once about himself, have I?

Soon enough, the call came to board the Bullheads. Weiss got on, proceeding towards the mission, but her heart wasn't in it.

Within moments, they were in the Forever Fall, the various teams heading out in different directions to extract the sap from the trees.

Jaune wordlessly walked with his team. His own mind, of course, was more focused on capturing and returning with a live Grimm. He had discussed it with both Goodwitch and Ozpin. He did suspect, however, that bringing one on board a Bullhead wouldn't improve his already poor reputation with the other students.

It didn't matter. He would need to do it nonetheless.

It was only a few minutes into the mission that Jaune sensed it.

There was a Grimm in range.

He could feel its Ki.

That should have been a good thing. He now had a mark.

Except…

This Ki… it's powerful.

The Grimm felt strong. Far above any other creature of its kind Jaune had encountered so far. It was also… different from the others. This Ki's flow was uniform, structured… disciplined. Almost as if it was being regulated consciously.

Jaune knew of only one other kind of organism that was capable of such a feat.

Human beings.

But the implication of that fact…

No. Can't jump to conclusions. Gotta take it down. NOW.

He turned to his teammates.

"There's a Grimm close by."

Immediately, they unsheathed their weapons, prepared for combat.

"Where?" asked Pyrrha.

"Due east from here. I'll go take care of it. It'll be an opportunity to scout the area too. Continue collecting the sap."

Pyrrha was about to protest, but Jaune had already turned and started to walk away. She bit her lip. It was at times like this that he could be unfair. Using his authority as leader to make sure they didn't get in the way of whatever scheme he had in mind. She had noticed it in some of their tactics classes and simulation exercises, where he wouldn't be satisfied with just the main objective. He would add in other tasks, which didn't make any sense to her. Of course, he would still ensure the main goal was achieved, so the team was never penalized for it.

But even so, she wondered sometimes if he was even interested in being a Huntsman.

"We're not going to let him go alone, are we?" asked Nora. In recent times, more and more of her bubbly, light hearted personality was overshadowed by worry for their leader.

Pyrrha forced herself to exhale.

"He issued a direct order. Can't go against that. And… Jaune isn't a fool. He wouldn't enter a fight he knows he can't win, all by himself. We just…" She hesitated. "We just have to trust him, I guess."

Ren said nothing. He stared in the direction Jaune had gone. Already, the trees and darkness obscured him.

Meanwhile, Weiss Schnee looked around. Although her hands held a jar perfectly steady as a drilled tap extracted and poured sap into it, her eyes darted in every direction, looking for him.

This is a waste of time. Come on, hurry up!

She wanted to be done collecting her minimum amount and hand the jar over to Ruby so that she could go find Jaune. Her guilt and unease had reached their peak. It was at the point where she couldn't go on like this.

I won't let it end like this. I'll find him, and apologize to him. I'll fix this.

The seconds ticked by, and her jar finished filling up. Screwing the lid shut, she handed it over to Ruby.

"Here. You can handle the rest from here. I've got something to take care of."

As she began to walk away briskly, Ruby called out to her, making her turn.

"Hey!"

"What?!"

The younger girl smiled and gave her a small thumbs up.

"Good luck. You believe in him, don't you? He needs someone like that. Go save him."

Weiss laughed mirthlessly.

"Save him from what? Have you seen him fight?"

Ruby's smile became sad.

"There's more than one kind of saving. Don't waste time here. Go."

She didn't need to be told twice.

She walked quickly, going in the direction she had last seen JNPR go. Even as she went, she kept glancing around, trying to spot him. Finally, she came across his team, just in time to see him walking away from them, deeper into the forest.

She narrowed her eyes.

What's he doing? Why's he going deeper in by himself?

If she wasted time asking the remaining three, she would lose sight of him. Thus, she decided to follow him, dashing quickly into the trees. Her intention was to catch up to him right away, but that was foiled when the boy jumped up onto the branches, and proceeded to travel by leaping from tree to tree. Cursing, Weiss sprinted, occasionally using her Glyphs to give herself launch pads to boost her speed. While on an open field she would probably be able to outpace him using her Glyphs to their full potential, here in the forest environs, Jaune's superior physical ability was evident. Leaping effortlessly and landing often on his toes without losing balance, flawlessly and smoothly hanging from branches and launching himself into flips, or even running vertically up tree trunks, he moved like a cross between athlete and animal, as if this was entirely natural for him.

What sort of training did you do, Jaune?

Who ARE you?

It was everything Weiss could do to keep up with him while trying to control her Semblance so that she didn't smash herself against trees. Finally, to her relief, he landed in the middle of a clearing, and stopped, rising to his full height.

Weiss herself stopped as well, breathing heavily, and fully intending to give him a piece of her mind for making her chase after him all this way.

"You have some… nerve… to make me chase after you like some kind of… animal…" she panted between words as she walked towards him. Despite her angry tone, however, inside, she was already starting to feel nervous. She was scared that he would push her away, like she had done to him. If he did, she certainly wouldn't be able to fault him for it.

But… if she wasn't even brave enough to take that chance, and risk rejection, then she was never going to fix this.

And fix this she would.

Steeling herself, she prepared to face him, as he turned around. Fully ready to see on his disdain, indifference, disgust, and even anger.

What she wasn't prepared for was dismay.

"Weiss? What are you doing here?"

He sounded genuinely surprised to find that she had followed him. Surprised, and more than a little worried. In truth, Jaune had been focusing so hard on tracking the Grimm's Aura, he had neglected to pay attention to other signatures, and thus, failed to notice Weiss.

The white clad Huntress was so relieved that the Jaune in front of her now looked, sounded and felt like the kind, open-hearted boy she had first grown fond of, and not the cold monster from that incident in the Training Hall, that she failed to properly understand why he was so worried. She mistook it for just some kind of sheepish apprehension at having been caught alone all the way out here, at most afraid of getting in trouble with Goodwitch. Perhaps he was simply trying to avoid her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, walking right up to him and jabbing him in the chest with her finger. "This isn't a picnic! Don't get separated from your team! What are you even-"

"You're not supposed to be here," Jaune said. "This is bad. This is really bad. Why did you follow me? Can't you just leave well enough alone?"

The words were exactly along the lines of what the young woman had expected. She thought this was him trying to distance himself from her after what she had said earlier. She had no idea, of course, that at the moment, Jaune had far more pressing concerns.

"No, I can't!" she replied. "I… I can't let things end like that! I know-" She bit her lip, and swallowed her pride, willing to do what she never did, and admit that she had been in the wrong. "I know I did something I shouldn't have. I… should have been there for you. But it's not too late. I… I'll fix this! I'll do better! So, please… don't cut me off like this."

The last words were uttered with such heartfelt pain, that even Jaune, in the middle of the combat situation, felt an actual twinge in his heart, and felt his shoulders drop. Weiss was looking him right in the eye, with no hesitation, a fire burning fiercely in her own. She was here, putting herself out for him.

Never before had anyone other than Kenshiro done that for him, and the context of that had been different. The bond between Master and Disciple.

This was a friend. Someone his own age. An equal.

In truth, his emotions were mixed.

He would be lying if he said it hadn't hurt when she had pushed him away. He would be lying if he said the past few weeks hadn't been difficult. If this had been any other time, there were many things he might have said.

But even so.

The fact that she had gone out of her way, had had the courage to approach him despite everything, knowing that he might had turned her away, knowing that being seen in his company would make her an outcast as well…

"I'm not cutting you off, but you need to run, now! This place isn't safe!"

Weiss' eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

In answer, something shot out from among the trees, right at her. It moved with incredible speed, registering only as a blur in Weiss' sight, as it travelled right towards her head. Before it could strike, however, Jaune's hand deflected it. With its path diverted, it struck a tree, quivering even as it embedded itself in its trunk.

A black arrow. Its white feather blew slightly as a a breeze rushed through the forest.

"Grimm," answered Jaune, as he ran. Keeping pace next to him, Weiss drew Myrtenaster.

"Grimm don't use weapons," she said.

"This one does."

It took less than a second for the implications of that to occur to her. Even as they did, a second arrow was shot. And a third. Both flew towards the air towards their respective targets, one aimed for Weiss, the other for Jaune. Both of them managed to dodge, and took cover behind tree trunks.

The shots had been accurate. If they hadn't moved out of the way, they would both have hit.

Weiss had no time to question Jaune's statement. For the moment, regardless of whether the archer was human or Grimm, it was clear they knew what they were doing. So far, they were behaving like textbook hidden marksmen. Keeping themselves hidden, attacking without revealing themselves. In addition, the first arrow had come from one direction, the second and third from another. He was moving around too. Meaning… they hadn't truly been able to take cover from him.

Realising this, Weiss immediately crouched, and it was a good thing she did: an arrow impaled itself into the bark right behind where her head had been less than a second ago.

"They're good," snarled Weiss as she stayed low, running forward and around, approaching the direction the shot had come from at an angle. Jaune knew she was trying to flank him. A sound strategy, since she would dash from tree to tree, minimizing chances of being hit while keeping the archer in her line of sight. In order to shoot, they would have to come out from behind cover and reveal themselves. While Weiss covered one side, Jaune could increase the effectiveness of the strategy by closing in from the other, forcing it to choose one target to focus on, and slow down how often it shot.

A sound strategy, but one that would fail in this case.

Jaune could sense the attacker's Ki, and was tracking his movements, which were fast. Much faster than the average Hunter. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be flanked.

So, instead of approaching from the other side, Jaune dashed forward, towards Weiss. The Huntress herself had been out-angled. The Grimm archer had circled around, and was currently aiming at her from her left, unnoticed by her.

There's no time.

Not enough time for Jaune to reach him and stop him from taking the shot.

He could see the Grimm. He (the creature appeared male), was definitely humanoid in shape. His body was in the shape of an athletic man, but of course, instead of exposed skin, it was covered all over in black fur, typical of many of its kind. A white bone mask hid its face, and its bow was simply an extension of its body, formed of organic growths that extended from its left arm. The same was true of the arrows, which were revealed to be free feathers from the folded wings on its back.

The drawn arrow was aimed right at Weiss, and Jaune already knew he was accurate.

You won't hurt her.

Sprinting forward, Jaune actually covered the twenty or so metres between himself and Weiss before the arrow could travel a similar distance, managing to interject himself… right in its path. Extending a hand, he casually parried the arrow, intending to divert it safely.
It would have worked on any arrow… except one such as this.

The moment his hand made contact with its shaft, it burst, throwing a shower of black dust into the air… some of which Jaune accidentally inhaled.

Not good…

Before he could do anything further, he felt his consciousness start to fade away.

"Jaune!"

As he struggled to stay conscious, he dropped to one knee. Weiss came forward, trying to hold him upright.

"Hey! Don't you dare pass out now!"

Even as she spoke, she realized it was likely pointless. There were a variety of Grimm with toxins, and most of them acted quickly and effectively on humans, since they existed specifically for that purpose.

"Nnghh… get out of here….", said Jaune, barely able to get the words out.

Weiss let go of him. For the moment, the priority was to kill the Grimm, and do it quickly, so that she could get Jaune medical attention. However, the few seconds she had spent trying to keep him conscious had already allowed the humanoid Grimm to change positions again. Now at Weiss' back, he shot yet another arrow. The only warning Weiss got was the whistling of air behind her, before she felt it slam against her Aura, nearly knocking her down. The arrow shattered on impact, and once more broke into bits of dust, which, as she struggled to keep her balance, she wasn't able to avoid breathing.

Almost immediately, she felt her eyes closing, felt herself getting drowsy.

"This… isn't a good way to die…"

Her eyes closed, and she collapsed on the forest floor, next to Jaune.

When she came to, she got to her feet quickly.

I'm… still alive?

Looking around, she found she could barely see. It was dark. Had night fallen already? In the distance, she could see a light. Since it was the only thing in sight and the only way to gauge distance, she began to walk towards it.

As she approached it, she was able to make out the source of the light.

It was a village, on fire.

Weiss' eyes widened. Gripping her weapon, she rushed in, entering the village. Summoning Ice Glyphs, she began to put out the flames, shouting all the while for the people to calm down. At this rate, they would draw Grimm here in no time.

It was pointless, terror had already consumed them.

They were scrambling over each other, trying to escape.

In the distance, she saw the lone familiar figure in this nightmare space.

But… he looked different. This Jaune was younger, and he didn't have the scar running across his left eye.

It took a moment before Weiss realized why that was. Suddenly, it made sense why none of the villagers seemed to be able to hear her.

She was inside a memory.

Jaune watched the villagers around him. Running around. Desperate, they cried out for family and friends as they ran. In their mad haste, they knocked each other over. In times of life or death, survival instincts took over, and the ugliest parts of people were revealed. Everyone wanted to get somehow escape the horrors that had gathered outside their home.

The young Shinken was frozen in place, unable to move. He didn't know.

He didn't know what to do.

If Kenshiro were here, his ever-stoic, calm, all-knowing presence would provide all the answers.

But he was not.

The man who had been more of a father to him than his own blood parent, wasn't here.

And more than ever before, Jaune was alone.

I don't understand.

There's too many of them. They won't listen to a word I say.

He was running out of time, while the maddened crowd rushed to their own demise. Their fear and panic drew the hordes of Grimm outside closer to the village. It would be impossible to evacuate them all. And even if he managed to somehow gather all the people in one place, he would not be able to protect them all.

I've failed.

I'm not worthy of Successor.

Jaune's resolve had not faltered when he had trained alone at the Arc home.

It had not faltered when he had set out with his master.

It had not faltered during the gruelling training of the Hokuto Shinken way.

But now, alone, without Kenshiro, for the first time in four years, he doubted himself.

His hands shook.

Not because he was afraid of dying. He had long accepted that death hovered over him. But the thought of being unable to bear the duty Kenshiro had trusted him with… that fear consumed him. What if he failed? What if everyone here died? A man with strength who fails to protect the weak… has no saving grace.

As he panicked, his own negative emotions were added to the swirling vortex of others', making the collection of despair ever more enticing for the Grimm, who even now, drew closer.

All the while, Weiss watched. She had always wondered about Jaune's past. Now she was seeing it right in front of her. She looked on, horrified, unable to do anything to help.

In the midst of his agony, he was broken out of his thoughts by a presence at his feet. Someone had tripped and fallen, right in front of him. Unaware of what exactly he was doing, he bent down to help them up.

It was a little girl. A tiny wisp of a girl, less than ten years of age. This village was right at the outskirts of civilization. Little grew in its farms, and it received little in the way of trade. Most lived in borderline poverty, and this young one was no exception. Nearly starved, her thin frame looked weak enough that a powerful breeze might blow her away. Her skin was dry, her blonde hair dirty, and her face streaked with tears.

As he pulled her to her feet, she grabbed desperately onto his arm.

Jaune was paralysed by that touch, and even more by the bright blue eyes that locked onto his own, shining like stars in the darkness of the night around him.

"Hey, mister. You're strong, aren't you? Then, please… you have to help… Please. Please help. My parents… they're trapped. You have to save them. Please…

Weiss covered her mouth. Not like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Perhaps it was the way the illusion was designed, but she could physically feel the terror and despair of all those people, pushing her down.

She pointed to a collapsed house. The wooden structure had fallen in ruins. It was hard to believe anyone trapped inside was still alive. Even if they were… they would be in no shape to survive this chaos.

But Jaune found himself getting to his feet.

Even before he knew what he was doing, he ran over to the ruins. Under the fallen logs, he could sense two living Ki signatures. They were still alive. Grabbing the bottom-most, largest logs, he lifted them, revealing what lay beneath.

His eyes widened, and he gave a silent prayer of thanks to whatever God was above.

Somehow, there was an open space. The support beams had protected the couple, who were holding onto each other tightly. Bleeding and hurt, but still, definitely alive.

"Mom! Dad!" The girl screamed.

"Stay back!" Jaune shouted. To the parents, he cried out. "You have to move. Now! This thing can collapse any moment!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling to their feet, they ran, and managed to get clear. Jaune dropped the remains of what had been their house. They stared in dismay at what was once their life, holding their daughter close. Once more, Jaune was reminded how incredibly fragile life was. How easily everything could be lost. How easily a bright spark, a living being, could be snuffed out.

This is all they have. Lost so easily… how is this fair? There's no justice here. Where are the Huntsmen? What sort of world is this, where the innocent must suffer?

And in that moment, one of the last things Kenshiro had said to him resonated in his very being.

"He who stands by in the presence of evil, nurtures it. The Shinken is the living God of War. And it his sworn duty to protect life."

He couldn't believe how pathetic he'd been mere seconds ago.

I feared living in shame?

What the hell does it matter? My shame doesn't matter. There are lives at stake, worth so much more than my peace of mind. And if I can help in any way…

Taking his fingers, he concentrated his Aura into them, and drove them into his own chest, marking himself with the pattern of the Big Dipper, the seven starred sign of the Hokuto Shinken, as Kenshiro had been.

This was the precise moment Weiss saw the events that made Jaune who he was. The moment he saw him making the choice to be the warrior she had met.

I swear it. As long as I draw breath, the innocent will not suffer.

I swear it.

In response, the immense Aura of the Arc bloodline, only a fraction of which he had been able to draw on before, was unleashed in full, channelled into the body strengthened by the Shinken art.

A glowing light, almost a flame, burned bright around his body as he stood tall. Within moments, its power engulfed the entire village, growing stronger with each passing second. Brighter and brighter it blazed, until a pillar of light ascended upwards, reaching to the heavens themselves.

The sheer power of it went beyond the ability to sense Aura through training. This was a force of nature, akin to an earthquake or a tidal wave. There was not a human soul in the village who did not sense it. Somehow, that immense power made them feel safe, and the desperate scramble stopped, as they stared at the one emitting it.

It was a beacon of hope to those struggling to survive, and a warning to those who would trample them.

The Grimm shrank away, terrified. Every fibre of their beings feared that light. The mere sight of it burned like fire.

Up above, in the skies, seven stars shone clearly, standing out in the pitch black canvas of the heavens.

A new Godfist had emerged on Remnant.

"AAAAARRRGH!"

Weiss awoke with a grunt of pain. Sweating wildly, she saw the Grimm archer standing with his hand outstretched inches from her face. But something had stopped him from continuing with what he was about to do.

Turning around, Weiss saw what it was.

Jaune was on his feet again.

He broke through the illusion with blunt mental force?

The Grimm hung back. Never before had its toxin and psychic manipulation failed in this way. Uncertain now, it reverted to its previous strategy, shooting arrows, trying to incapacitate them physically.

But both Jaune and Weiss were awake now, and effortlessly cut down whatever projectiles came towards them.

"I see now… you seal each of us in an illusion formed from memory. But… to make sure we can't break out, you place us in each other's memory."

Weiss' eyes widened.

So that was why she was in Jaune's memory. But that would mean… all this time… Jaune had been in one of hers.

"The trick is simple, isn't it? The key to breaking out is faith. The memory ends when the person who originally lived those events is able to finish them. Of course, whether or not they can do so doesn't depend on them, since they aren't real. It depends… on the image the trapped person has of them. In other words, if I didn't believe in Weiss, or she didn't believe in me, we'd be trapped there forever. A fine tactic, more evolved than I expected. Using humans' lack of faith in each other as a weapon."

Weiss realized that the events she saw… hadn't really ended the way she had witnessed. In the illusion, Jaune was able to save everyone… because that was how much she believed in him.

With a twinge of pain, she realized that if this was the painful memory the Grimm had chosen, then the true outcome had likely been much darker.

I see now. I can understand you… just a little bit.

It was only a little. But it was still a start.

"I've learnt enough from you. This is your ending."

Jaune dashed forward.

"Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist!"

Countless blows were delivered, with enough speed that Weiss could barely make out a fraction of them all. The entire sequence took around a second, and Jaune finished by driving his finger right through the Grimm's bone mask.

Vibrations ran through the monster's body, and it exploded, showering the forest in gore, which disintegrated quickly as all Grimm remains do.

Jaune exhaled.

"Well, that's it for now, I suppose."

Turning around, he looked at Weiss.

"You okay?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she stared into his eyes. The more she learnt about him, the more she wanted to know. But at the very least, she was glad to know that he wasn't some kind of murderer.

"Who are you, Jaune Souther?"