He it is, the time of reckoning. The fight which shall decide who wins the Battle of Beacon. Enjoy.
Pyrrha was conflicted; she was in the presence of the one of Remnant's greatest legends, The Wandering Immortal, yet she didn't feel like this was him.
She had seen him, she had been saved by him before.
The man in the elevator with her and Mrs. Goodwitch had the full look of the Immortal, yet he didn't act like his portrayal in the many stories about him.
Perhaps the reason he was seen as a quiet man who never stayed too long was because it held more favor than a cynical and blunt man with dead eyes.
But she didn't dare bring this up, there was more important things too deal with, starting with how to defeat that woman.
"Alright, here's the plan" The Immortal spoke up, breaking the silence of the elevator.
Mrs. Goodwitch and I looked at him, curious to what he had thought up of.
"Once the doors open I rush in and push the offensive, not gonna give the bitch a single opportunity, while the two of you keep to the back, Ozpin might be injured and the bitch probably has the maiden's powers by now so don't get involved unless absolutely necessary" The Immortal explained.
If she had any complaints she pushed them down, the plan made since, but the Immortal seemed quite forceful with the two of us not getting involved.
It was then the door opened before she could ask the man a question, and he rushed out like a bat out of hell.
Jaune gave no time for hesitation, the moment the door was open enough he rushed out with Drachenzunge in hand and moved to cut down the bitch.
She just barely dodged as the blade sliced the ground where she had just stood.
He spared a glare in her direction before pressing the attack.
Pyrrha and Glynda stayed far away, the former helping Ozpin out of the wreckage while the latter flung debris.
Jaune slashed wildly, destroying large portions of the ground beneath his feet, while throwing in the odd jab or punch towards Cinder.
Cinder for her part was holding well.
She couldn't very well hurt him, he was an immortal much like her mistress after all, but she was not one too let someone walk all over her.
This line of thought was stopped as a massive slab of rubble collided with her back, allowing Jaune too grab her right arm.
The scene turned gritty as Jaune held Drachenzunge over his head and drove it through Cinder's left palm, her strengthened aura doing little to stop the sheer force of the weapon from piercing her hand.
She let out a hellish wail as Drachenzunge cut into her left hand, and split it in two as it was pulled back.
All who had witnessed this, sans the one who did it, just gasped in horror at the sheer brutality Jaune was willing too bring.
Cinder barely recovered before his fist shattered part of her pelvis.
All feeling cut out in Cinder's legs as the immortal man held her as though she was nothing more than a ragdoll.
Her pain soon turned too hatred as she met his glare with one of her own.
"Why do you fight against me, Immortal?" she asked, pain numbing much of her body by now.
"Why do you resist?" was her first question, Jaune merely met her gaze at this.
"Why do you act so callous and brutal to those you hate?" His glance became a deadpan stare at this.
"Why do you defend those who would turn their backs on you? Why not just take all this power for yourself?" The woman continued, Jaune considered just zoning her out and just making her death quick but a glance at the other occupants of the room gave him a different idea.
"Why do I fight? that is what you ask" Jaune started, his hand now holding Cinder by her right hand's wrist.
"Well-" he paused for a second as he took another glance at the others in the room "-because I feel as though it is my duty, nothing more nothing less" he answered before posing Drachenzunge for another strike.
The attack never hit; Jaune should have know the bitch was just stalling, or maybe he did and just didn't care, not even he knew.
A blast of fire swept over his form as Cinder channelled everything she had against the immortal.
Metal melted, stone cracked, and the inferno made it impossible for the other too intervene.
Cinder was proud of herself, she was punishing insolence in her mistresses' name, after all, why not just burn him faster than he could heal.
She would come to regret this as the now blazing hot blade of Drachenzunge plunged into her shoulder, the sharp cut of bone and the sizzling of flesh instant.
She would not get to scream as his hand left her wrist and slammed into her face.
The grip strength began crushing her head.
" and another thing-" he spoke while calmly squeezing harder.
"you should know that you are incapable of reaching the true potential of the maiden's power" he explained, enjoying as Cinder could only looked through his fingers with confusion.
"Magic works through emotions, it's why my magic is known as a field of despair as it needs my darkest times to form. You burn with blazing fire yet you were given the wandering breeze" Jaune said calmly, taking another look at the trio.
"The reason why Ozpin saw Pyrrha as the best candidate was because her personality and semblance would sinc well with the maiden's strengths" he said as black whisps of fire began leaving his body.
"I am a man who constantly lives in the past, so my past flows with me into my magic, while my present flows out as power in my semblance" His grip tightened further, blood now leaked out of Cinder's skull as any resistance faded with each word.
"You burn bright, bright like the summer sun, you shape and melt what you desire while you own determination blazes like a bonfire" Hope seemed to kindle for a moment in Cinder's eyes at that point.
"Yet your master made you take what could not line up with you, what would never reach its true strength no matter how hard you tried" he would never say how much joy he felt as all hope was dashed from Cinder's eyes.
"Goodbye Cinder, die knowing that your mistress never wanted to give you true power, just that she wanted a weak enough pawn that she could get rid of at anytime" he finished.
With that her death was quick, his hand gripped her skull with force greater than any man alive, the others watching could only compare it to the sound of a melon being crushed.
For the nature of the death it was quite clean, his finger turned from vices too daggers as they crushed and stabbed through Cinder's skull.
Pyrrha just watched in horror at the women's death, not even seeing as a great flowing energy left Cinder's body and entered her own.
Glynda just watched, her face solemn yet her mind wretched with fear and disgust.
Ozpin was understanding, he knew it had to be done, but done in front of a star candidate and his deputy was not what he was expecting.
Much less the sheer scale of enjoyment Jaune had as he tore down Cinder's will with words of truth and despair.
Jaune let go of the now dead woman and turned back to the trio; "Best get moving, she may be dead but the White Fang are still swarming around Beacon".
He then walked towards Amber's container, snapping the arrow in half before opening the door, and letting Amber out gently.
He closed her eyes and let her rest on the floor.
He silently walked back to the elevator as the trio had already gotten in.
"Just for the record, I didn't go through with the first plan, I decided that it was best to search for the false one before trying anything too drastic" Ozpin explained.
"I don't doubt you, but you were to slow to see that the nest was already infested" Jaune responded before the ride returned to silence.
The elevator finally opened and the group left.
"When this is all over we're going to have a long talk" Jaune stated before rushing back out into the fray.
Let it be known in the history books that the Battle of Beacon was a president to many events in the future; it led to the culling of many White Fang cells, the greater call for military armament against the grimm, and a dark month of martial law in the city of Vale.
One large effect of the battle was a great turnover of many future Huntsmen and Huntresses, either being forced to leave the occupation due to injuries and scars or just loosing the fortitude to pursue this line of work.
Jaune sat calmly at a table, across from him sat Adam Taurus and a sleeping Yang, a air of the room was that of concern as an injured blake lay asleep in a nearby bed.
"So, how have you been?" Jaune asked, breaking the silence the room held.
"Good, been following your words of advice, made my own mark within the underworld" Adam responded, getting Jaune's interest.
"So, what's your code?" Jaune questioned.
"Crimson Moon, not original but it works" Adam answered.
"I remember that name, Neo said she teamed but with a bull faunus to tear through a slaver's den, didn't realise it was you" Jaune quipped.
"The Icecream girl, you know that little sadist" Adam shot back.
"Yep, knew her long before she became part of the underworld" Jaune smiled as he it brought up fond memories.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of groaning as Yang woke up.
The two turned to find Yang rising from her sleep, stress still evident on her face.
"Did I miss something?" she asked, looking between the two of them.
Not much, just some chatting between two guys" Jaune answered as he stood up.
"I'm be going now, gotta check on Oscar's condition" Jaune said as he stepped out of the room.
He walked for some time before reaching Oscar's bedside, finding a half-awake Ruby resting near his bandage covered form.
"Hey Ruby, glad to see you're alright" Jaune spoke while resting his hand on his niece's head and patting her.
She jerked slightly at this and looked up, Jaune felt his heart pang as Ruby's eyes were red from crying.
He pulled her closer as she rapped her arms around him, her breathing was erratic while she held him close.
"Its ok, you can rest" Jaune comforted her as she relaxed in his arms.
"I'm just worried, Oscar fought toe to toe with one of those mechs, and look at him" she gestured to his unconscious form as she said this.
"You're worried for someone you love, there's no shame in that" Jaune reassured her as Oscar woke up.
"Ruby, Sensei" Oscar groaned out as he took in his surroundings.
"It's alright Oscar, take it slowly, you fought several tons of metal and weaponry by yourself and survived" Jaune said.
"How am I alive?" Oscar questioned.
"Your girlfriend pulled you out of the fray when she saw the machine punch you into the sidewalk" Jaune stated bluntly, smiling as the two teens faces became blushed.
"Anyway, the fact that you're alive and somewhat well despite what hit you is reassuring" Jaune continued as he let Ruby rest at Oscar's bedside.
"Get some rest you two, I'm going to check on the rest of your teams, see you guys later" he said while walking away, the two just nodding before Ruby embraced Oscar.
Jaune smiled solemnly as he looked at the two and headed for the place the rest were calmly residing.
Weiss and her older sister Winter were taking a much needed break in the mess hall while the Ren and Nora sat at another table just eating a provided breakfast.
Jaune walked to the schnee sisters and greeted them.
He ignored their partial shock and struck up a conversation.
"Long time no see Winter, good to see you're all right Weiss" he said, breaking them out of their silence.
"Ye-yeah long time no see old hunter" Winter started.
"I'm alright" Weiss said.
"Its quite nice that we could talk again, though the circumstances could have been better" Jaune said.
"Yeah, we could have had a talk before all this happened" Winter spoke.
"Could have been a calm day, best not to dwell on it; so what have you been doing?" Jaune questioned.
"I'm now a military specialist in the Atlasien Military" Winter stated.
"I was training to be a huntress" Weiss said.
"Good, good,-" Jaune took a quick glance over towards Ren and Nora "time is a bit sensitive for me so it's best if I meet with the others before getting too my duty" with that he stood up and waved the two goodbye.
He walked too Ren and Nora and waved hello.
Their response was less surprise and more thankfulness.
"Oh, it's you, the guy who stopped the woman" Nora bluntly stated.
Ren was about to shake her but was stopped as Jaune chuckled.
"Yeah, she was a thorn in my side for a long time" Jaune responded.
"But that's besides the point, have we met before?" Ren asked.
Jaune chuckled once more and nodded; "Yes we have, I still have one more person to check on so we best be quick".
"You talking about Pyrrha?" Nora asked.
"Yes" Jaune answered.
"Did something happen to her?" Ren asked.
Jaune nodded; "Yes, she had taken quite the hit fighting the woman and is resting in a different tent" he answered.
"Then one last question" Ren stated.
"alright" Jaune said.
"Where did we meet you before?" he asked.
Jaune snorted before speaking; "That's for you two to remember, it was quite the day after all".
With that he walked away, leaving the pair to ponder on just when they had met him.
Jaune walked out of the medical tent, making sure to put on his coat and cape before he left it, and walked to a more militarily tent.
Pushing past the tarp he saw several beds, many a veteran hunter lay in each, and pasted them by.
He came to the second part of the tent; within lay an bandaged Ozpin, a stress sleeping Pyrrha, and the other members of Oz's inner circle chatting about.
Not far Jaune could see both Amber and Cinder's bodies strewn under blankets, one given great respect and caution while the other was haphazardly covered.
He calmly walked in, glancing over at Ironwood and Glynda and nodding at Qrow, before he sat down next to Ozpin's bed.
"So, about our talk Oz, one thing I would like to throw in" Jaune started the conversation.
"Yes, your standard talk with each newly chosen maiden" Oz said.
"And the training" Jaune added.
"Yes, the training too" Ozpin said.
Jaune looked over at Pyrrha before turning back to Ozpin.
"The world is changing Oz, this is just the beginning" he stated.
"Yes indeed, but in what way will it change" Ozpin shot back.
"The same way it always has, with someone spear heading it while chaos rains overhead" Jaune said frankly.
"Now then, to own conversation Oz" Jaune said.
And that's it, that's this month's work. late like before and much shorter than usual.
I feel as though a good amount of you may be disappointed with how the fight let out but hey, he's immortal was it going to end any other way.
Either way, have a good day all of you, see you next month.