Neo enjoyed her classes, how could she not? She had been raised and taught by these people all her life, and she had sat through these classes more than once, all told, Neo was quite content to listen to Rumpole go on about weapon maintenance, or Sino about the various types of Grimm and their abilities. Neo also very much enjoyed Combat class, She was top ranked in combat class back in Umbra, mainly due to her tutelage under her mother, it turns out, give someone roughly 20 years of fighting for their lives with a Scythe, and they become very good at it.
Neo loved combat class especially because she now had rose to boost her luck, though fighting with a voice in your head may seem like a downside, the upsides far out weighed the fact that her hearing was impaired, simple hopes like I hope he trips before he jumps or I hope she mistimes that swing and Neo gained the upper hand.
Neo very quickly skyrocketed to the top ranks of Shade, beating even most third and fourth years, though a few managed to trump her, either with raw power or through sheer luck. She was undefeated among the first and second years, her semblance making her very very tricky to fight.
Scarlet was also quite good at combat, though nowhere near Neo's level, she was still it the top ranks of the first years, due to her friendship with Neo, she had scored a few lessons from Rumpole and Sino, and had taken all her teachings to heart. Nebula and Dew were not quite so lucky, they struggled in their solo combat ranks, middling in the ranks among the other first years.
While Neo loved combat class, her favorite class was her mother's, The Art of the Semblance. This class was all about how to use your semblance, in and out of combat. Neo thoroughly enjoyed it, because she could experiment all she wanted, and also, when she was a kid she would participate in this class.
'Okay, Who here has a semblance that might help detect an opponent with an illusion semblance?' Aurum addressed the crowd
Several people raised their hands, and Aurum picked one, 'You whats your semblance?' 'hyper awareness, I have extremely heightened senses, if i want I can hear a mouse dig under the school.'
'Good enough, get down here, no weapon.' Aurum then glanced to her left, where an indent was in her cloak, reaching out of her cloak she ruffled midair, and a little girl appeared out of nowhere, 'mom stooooop' Aurum chuckled, 'Okay, this adorable little thing is Neo, my daughter, she has an illusion semblance, and for training, she's gonna try to put this cloth in your belt. Your job is to tag her before she gets the chance. Got it?'
The two went up on the stage, one a 3
rd year huntsman in training, and the other a 12 year old girl. The buzzer went off and Neo vanished from sight, the 3rd year glanced to his left and his eyes widened, he threw himself forwards, and scrambled to his feet, he then stood up and waited, occasionally glancing around the room, listening for the slightest whisper. And then the buzzer sounded. The little girl flashed into view with a bright smile on her face, and the third year looked down, sure enough hanging right above his right pocket was a multicolored cloth.
Neo chuckled to herself at the memory, she had participated in that class for 2 years helping her mother out with making people more aware. And now, here Neo sat in her mother's class once again, as her mother explained what her class was all about. Suddenly Neo was snapped out of her thoughts as Rose said, Your Mother apologizes, "Neo! Please come down here for a demonstration."
Neo's eyes widened, and she quietly panicked. She made her way down to the stage and stopped just before her mother, waiting for her to finish explaining the match, "So in this Match, I will be allowing Neo and myself full semblance use, but also, I will be unarmed, and she will have her weapon. We win by either ring out or aura drain, but since I am a nearly 40 year old veteran, and she is a first year, I'll set my limit at half, and hers at almost broken. Neo, if you would."
Neo glanced at her mother with a questioning look, but shrugged anyways and with a flash, both contestants were up on the stage.
Neo took up a ready stance, her cloak billowing out behind her, I hope I win this match You cannot make the same hope twice, it doesn't make your odds any better Neo gasped, Mom hoped for me to win? Yes, she hoped you would win every fight you ever got into, she did so when you were 8
Neo grinned, and watched as her mother, likely hoping she'd win the match, widened her eyes, and then glared at empty space.
You can not hope for one thing, then the opposite, it doesn't work that way.
Aurum took up a ready stance, and then on a timed buzzer, they began. Instantly Neo vanished from sight and Aurum listened in, waiting for the perfect moment... Aurum burst into golden petals, flying 4 feet up in the air, then she turned corporeal and grabbed thin air, A cloud of multicolored petals fell to the floor, and Neo appeared, held tight in a grapple, Neo then flashed brightly, and re appeared behind her mother, scythe already in full swing.
Aurum's eyes widened, and she turned to petals again, turning corporeal just outside of her daughter's range, watching the swing miss, she charged in, only to be met with the sword mode of Faceted Crescent, in a back swing off of the missed strike Neo had gotten her first hit off on her mother, taking out a 16th of her aura, wasting no time, Neo charged in with a flurry of slashes, hitting her mother once before she turned to petals once again, reforming behind her daughter and landing a kick, sending Neo tumbling across the ring, a solid chunk bit out of her aura.
Neo activated her semblance and flashed in midair, reappearing behind and to the left of her mother, weapon in Rifle mode, as she unloaded stun rounds into her, her mother, jumped, narrowly avoiding the first shots, and landing with her shoes on Neo's shoulders, jumping again, pushing all her weight into Neo, She watched as the girl crumpled, and then burst into rose petals. Aurum's eyes widened, and then she felt the Scythe on her back, Neo had used an illusion to get above Aurum while in midair and deliver a powerful descending strike, smiling to herself, she felt the weapon bite into her aura, taking her all the way, until she slammed into the ground full force, taking just under half of her aura out, and ending the match.
Neo retrieved her weapon, and Aurum stood up and brushed herself off, smiling at her daughter proudly. Then she turned to address the class, all of the first years were staring in awe, and most of the second years were also staring, the third years less and only one fourth year. She chuckled to herself, and turned to Neo, who was looking wide eyed at the crowd.
"All right all right, settle down, Now, can anyone point out any flaws in that combat sequence, on either of our parts?"
The class was dead silent. "No? Okay I'll start, Me and Neo both know each other's semblances intimately, so I know that she could have replaced herself with an illusion before I kicked her, she didn't, and she took a hit for it. Now anyone else?"
A few people raised their hands, mainly third and fourth years. "You, Miss Nari, what do you have to offer."
The girl in question put her hand down and spoke, "On that final hit, couldn't you have used petal burst to avoid that, I know your reaction time is faster than that."
Aurum laughed, "You overestimate me, and also don't realize a facet of my Semblance, you see Neo's Scythe had already touched me, and Neo was holding the scythe, in that case, turning to petals would have taken her and her weapon with me, only for her to attack once we were out."
The Girl had a confused look, but another person was called on before she could ask, luckily, the next person asked just what she was thinking, "But haven't we seen you Petal burst out of a grapple before? How does that work?"
Aurum laughed again, "Whenever I use Petal Burst, I can pull anyone into it, but if i use in in a short enough burst I can avoid it, using petal burst out of a grapple is a half a second long use... its not enough to pull my opponent in. However, in midair, after already being struck? That's at least a 2 second long commitment, more than enough time to pull someone else in."
The conversation continued, student pointing out flaws and alternate uses, Neo absorbing the information like a sponge.
Later as class was dismissed, Aurum pulled Neo aside, and pulled her into a big hug. "I'm proud of you kiddo, there are several 4th years that cant get me down to half unarmed, that took some real skill, and I assume some half from our mutual friend." Aurum Scowled, "When did I make that Hope? Do you know?"
Neo chuckled lightly, and sank into the hug, "When I was Eight, I assume when Granny Summer almost died."
Aurum laughed, "Well either way that was one hell of a match pipsqueak"
Neo then released herself from the hug with a flash, and then started on her way to next class, "Bye Mom, Love you!"
Aurum yelled back "Love you too!" And watched her daughter race down the halls of Shade to her next class, a proud smile on her face.
No chapter today, This will be replaced with an actual chapter tommorow or later today, I have things I need to do today, and I dont have the time to write out a 1k+ chapter. See Y'all tomorrow 1/7/22