Wazzuuuuuuuup! A new chapter is here!

Sorry it took so long, I've been reading other fanfics and not to mention I had school to deal with.

Spring Break just started for me so I'll have a lot more free time next week!

I've mostly been reading Demon Slayer stories, mainly for my own entertainment but also for new ideas and examples of good stories.

I think I just MIGHT be getting a clear idea of what works in a DS story and what doesn't. I also got inspired to write a new standalone DS story which I will be posting later today!

I haven't been reading much RWBYstories since not many, excluding crossovers, have caught my eye.

For some reason, over half of the ones I've seen were focused on Jaune and I could never really get invested.

Sorry guys, I don't really care enough about Jaune to read a hundred stories focusing on him. Not saying I don't like him as a character, those stories just aren't for me.

If you enjoy those stories, great! I'm sure a majority of them were made by talented writers who poured their hearts out into their stories. Honestly, I'm pretty sure most of those people have more talent than me.

Anyway, you're not here to hear me praise other authors and their stories. Let's get on to why you're really here, to read MY story!

I just want to thank you all for all the support and constructive criticism, I'll do my best to take it all into account.

Alright, time to address some reviews!

First off, I've noticed a lot of people asking when the two casts would meet.

I know I'm asking for a lot but please be patient, I'll get to the overlapping one of these days.

I don't know exactly how many chapters because I can never predict how much I will write each chapter.

There are some parts that I plan out in the future, but other than that, I'm mainly winging it.

I'm very sorry to make you all wait so long, I appreciate your patience and understanding. I promise it will be rewarded.

Next, I'd like to answer a question frommouseannnymous, who asked how Tanjiro charges his scroll.

And that's plot hole number 3! Honestly, this question almost gave me an ulcer. I completely forgot that scrolls needed to be charged.

They never really talk about scrolls having a battery or charger in the show so I guess I assumed they didn't need to be charged.

My original answer was "I DON'T F&! KNOW! This is my first story, get OFF my back!"

My final (and frankly, more respectful) answer is this, I like to think that scrolls have a solar power charge mode or that Tanjiro has a portable charger with him. Portable chargers could be a thing in the DSR world, right?

That's all I've got for now, if you guys have a better excuse, please let me know. I really feel stupid for making such a dumb mistake.

Welp! Nothing I can do now! Without further ado! Let's-a-F cking GOOOOOOOO ! ! !

*I do not own RWBY or Demon Slayer. Both shows/manga and all their characters belong to their respective owners.

"Tanjiro" = Talking

"Tanjiro" = Thinking

Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV

Vale - Middle Alignment = Location

"Tanjiro" = Flashback

Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect

Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art


Chapter 11 - Future Partners and Potential BFFs

Ruby Rose

Above Emerald Forest

"BIRDIE, NOOO!" Ruby cried out as she crashed into a crow mid-descent.

Despite the tragedy, Ruby put her focus back on landing. She activated Crescent Rose in Rifle Mode and fired four shots downward, the recoil slowing her fall.

Ruby then spun around and shifted her weapon into scythe mode. She spot a tree branch and planned to use the crescent of the blade to catch herself.

She succeeded as she spun around the branch by the crescent until she swung upwards.


Weiss Schnee

Breaking her fall was child's play for the heiress. As she began to descend, she summoned a white glyph to push upwards, decreasing her falling speed.


Lie Ren

Nora flew by as Ren targeted a tall tree and took out his weapons. He stuck the blades into the tree, the momentum causing him to move down the tree in a circular motion.

As Ren landed safely, he heard what sounded like gunshots. He looked up to see a Blonde girl with yellow gauntlets flying forward.


Yang Xiao Long

Yang was having the time of her life, shooting her gauntlets downwards to keep herself in the air.

She made sure that each shot was directed behind her to help her move at incredible speed.

She laughed with joy while screaming "Yeah!" and "Ali oop!" She then turned on her back and relaxed as the leaves from the trees slowed her down.

As she emerged from the endless volley of green, she pushed herself off of multiple trees before landing in a roll. "Nailed it!" She announced as she hit the ground running.


Jaune Arc

-One Minute Ago-

Jaune tumbled through the air, knowing that these would be his final moments on Remnant. He started questioning his life choices up to this point.

"Seriously? What kind of maniac launches a bunch of kids off of a freaking cliff? How have these people not been sued yet?" Jaune wondered while falling with little chance of survival.

"They're supposed to train us to survive, not kill us the first chance they get! What are they gonna do for graduation, set us on fire!?"

"Sigh…Maybe this is punishment for using those fake transcripts…I just hope Ruby and the others are okay…Oh who am I kidding, of course they are. Those guys actually earned their place here."

"I wish I could talk to mom and dad one last time, and my sisters too. I got in way over my head, huh? Hopefully, Ozpin will be nice enough to send my body home for a burial…or at least what's left of it."

Jaune was about to meet his maker when a spear came out of nowhere and pinned Jaune's hood. He soon realized that he was stuck in a tree.

He looked up to see a familiar red and yellow spear and knew immediately who his savior was. "Thank you!" Jaune yelled out.

"I'm sorry!" He heard Pyrrha shout. Sorry for what, though? She just saved his life!


Ruby

Emerald Forest

Ruby landed on the ground in a superhero pose, before looking up ahead like a total poser. She read way too many comic books.

As she landed, there was only one goal on the caped girl's mind. "Gotta find Yang." She said in her head before sprinting at max speed into the forest.

"Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find Yang. Gotta find-."

"YAAAAANG!" Ruby called out, "YAAAAAANG!" But there was no response, not even a bad pun or annoying compliment on her "adorableness".

"Oooh, this is bad. Really bad! What if I can't find her!? What if someone finds her first!?" Ruby went through all possibilities, not many of them were good.

"Sure, I have the relics and the Grimm to worry about, but the biggest problem for me is the whole pair thing."

"If I can't find Yang, I'm screwed!"

"Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice, and funny too!…Although, I don't think he'd be very good in a fight." Ruby started going through other potential candidates.

"Oh! What about Blake? So mysterious, sooo caaaalm…Plus, she seems to like books a lot! Then again…I don't think I'd be able to hold a conversation with her…"

Ruby shook herself out of her thoughts as she stopped running to clear her head and check her surroundings, she appeared to be in a small clearing that was darkened by the trees. "Ugh…Okay. So, Yang, Jaune, Blake, who else do I know in this school?"

Ruby's question was unfortunately answered when she noticed movement behind a nearby tree. Ruby looked to see a familiar white dress and cold eyes.

Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee made eye contact.

They stood in awkward silence before Weiss turned around and walked away from Ruby, who was both confused and grateful.

"D-Did she not notice me? Maybe she thought I was a shadow! Yeah, it's pretty dark here after all!" Ruby thought.

"And if she didn't see me, it doesn't count as eye contact! Yeah! If they ask, I'll just say I didn't see Weiss!"

Ruby let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and walked in the opposite direction of Weiss. "So what if it's against the rules? All that matters is that I find Yang and..."

"You and I are gonna become Huntresses and help people like we've always dreamed about, right?"

"..."

"Right..."

Weiss

"No…No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. NNNO! Absolutely not!" Weiss thought. "I will take literally ANYONE else other than that spaz!"

"It had to be my eyes playing tricks! There's no way fate would choose Weiss Schnee to be that BRAT'S partner!"

"Ugh. Come on, you stupid. Urg…come on! Agh…" Weiss heard a mumble from above, causing her to look up.

What she saw didn't really surprise her, Jaune was stuck to a tree by Pyrrha's spear. Jaune noticed Weiss and smiled like a doofus.

"WEISS! Oh, thank the Brothers! Sorry to bother you, but can you get me down?" Jaune asked while pointing to the spear.

"Pyrrha threw it to save me, but now I can't get down."

Weiss had no words, so she walked away.

"Um, Weiss? Wheeere are you going? Weiss? Weiss!? HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! IS THIS ABOUT THE SNOWFLAKE NICKNAME I GAVE YOU!? COME BAAAAAACK!"

After walking a decent distance, Weiss was already at her wit's end.

"No. Not in a million years...I am a Schnee, my partner must be the best of the best. I REFUSE to settle for a brat or a numbskull. I..."

Growl!

Weiss was shaken out of her thoughts by a growl behind her. She quickly turned around a saw a Beowolf standing above her.

Weiss jumped away before the beast struck the ground with its paw, leaving a crater in the spot where the heiress once stood.

Weiss took out her weapon, Myrtenaster, and smirked. "A Beowolf, huh? You've seem to have caught me at a bad time. I'm actually in quite the sour mood today."

The Beowolf let out a roar as it got down on all fours. The monster charged at Weiss, but she simply jumped to the right with ease.

Before the Beowolf could turn back around, Weiss leaped towards the beast and inhaled in a specific pattern with her weapon ready to thrust.

"Remember your training, Weiss. This will be child's play."

Total Concentration, Ice Breathing: First Form - Icicle Thrusts

Weiss exhaled a cold breath as her body temperature decreased. She unleashed eight quick-timed thrusts onto the Beowolf's back, causing it to howl in pain.

Sadly for it, Weiss wasn't finished. She crouched behind the beast, and twisting her body while holding Myrtenaster out.

Then, she jumped into the air, spinning like one of those ice skaters she used to see with her mother and sister. ( Those we're definitely happier times...)

Ice Breathing: Sixth Form - Twirling Blizzard

As she spun, Weiss still held out her weapon which allowed her to slash anything in her path, including the Beowolf that turned towards her just in time to be met with a tornado of slashes, leaving him with multiple fatal cuts.

The Beowolf fell back and slowly started to disintegrate, a sure sign that Weiss was the victor. "Hmph. I barely broke a sweat."

Crack!

Growl!

Weiss heard the sound of a tree branch breaking followed by another growl. Weiss turned her head to see another Beowolf about to swipe at her with its claws.

"Another one!? Crap, I let my guard down!" Weiss thought, knowing that she couldn't jump out of the way in time.

Instead, she activated her Aura and braced for impact. That was until she saw a bunch of Rose petals in front of her.

Slash!

Before the heiress knew it, the Grimm's head fell from its body which fell to the side. In front of her was the last person she would expect.

Ruby Rose...

The two girls stood in awkward silence, Ruby's back to Weiss. Soon, Ruby broke the ice.

"I really didn't want to partner up with you..." Ruby admitted, catching Weiss off guard.

"Huh!? You..." Weiss replied with wide eyes.

"Yeah, me..." Ruby answered quietly. "And I assume you felt the same. That's why we both pretended like we didn't lock eyes a few minutes ago."

Weiss remained silent.

"But...That's not fair. If I break the rules just because they don't suit me...I'll never become the kind of Huntress I want to be."

"That's why...whether we like it or not..." Ruby turned around and looked Weiss in the eye with a smile. "I'm stuck with you, and you're stuck with me."

Grr!

Roar!

Both Ruby and Weiss' eyes widened as they heard growls all around them. It didn't take them long to realize that they were surrounded by Beowolves.

The two Huntresses-in-training stood back to back with their weapons drawn. "There's so many..." Ruby said.

"By no means does this make us friends." Weiss said to Ruby who turned her head. "Prepare yourself, I will not tolerate a partner who slows me down."

Weiss turned her head towards Ruby and saw another smile form on her face. "That's my line, princess."

Weiss rolled her eyes and got ready to fight, her childish partner doing the same.


Tanjiro Kamado

As Tanjiro was sleeping, he had a dream of when he was younger.


Dream: Mt. Kumotori (Kamado House)

Kie had just finished singing a five-year old Nezuko, a three-year old Takeo, and the newborn Shigeru and Hanako, to sleep while a six-year old Tanjiro also got ready for bed.

He looked at his younger siblings and couldn't help but smile. He loved Nezuko and Takeo to bits, now he had two new siblings to love and take care of.

"It just warms your heart. Doesn't it, my son?" Tanjiro turned to see his father, Tanjuro, who was also smiling.

"Yeah, they're really cute when they're asleep." Tanjiro agreed.

"Yes, and you were pretty cute yourself at that age, you know?" Tanjuro stated as he patted his son's head.

"Oh come on, dad!" Tanjiro whined while laughing in embarrassment.

"What? I'm just telling the truth." Tanjuro said in defense. Suddenly, Tanjiro felt another hand on his head.

"He's not wrong, you were cute back then." Kie said as she was the one patting Tanjiro's head. "But then again, you're still cute to me. Now, get to bed, sweetie.

Tanjiro was flattered, if a little embarrassed. "Okay, okay." Tanjiro moved towards his futon next to his siblings before feeling pain in his shoulders as he tried to lay down.

He rubbed his left shoulder, hoping to make the pain go away. "Tanjiro, are you alright?" Kie asked with concern on her face.

Tanjiro just looked at his mother and responded with a bright smile. "Yep, I'm fine! My shoulders must be hurting from when I…" Tanjiro stopped himself, realizing his blunder.

Kie's concern turned into suspicion. "Hurting from when you what?" She asked as Tanjuro sighed.

"When um…Well, you see…It's like this and…Um, I don't…" Tanjiro's mouth betrayed him as he struggled to form a sentence. He turned his head in the opposite direction as he couldn't look his parents in the eyes.

"Tanjiro," he heard his mother say, "Were you trying to cut firewood with your father's axe again?" Tanjiro started sweating bullets as he felt an intimidating presence.

"Of…Of c-c-course n-not." Tanjiro strained to get those words out, avoiding eye contact.

"Tanjiro…look at me when I'm talking to you, mister." His mother commanded calmly yet menacingly. "Unless you want a headbutt."

Tanjiro froze, that was the last thing he wanted. His mother's forehead was as hard as a rock, making her headbutts well known.

Kie would often headbutt Tanjiro whenever he worked too hard on his chores and refused to relax.

Even though she held back a tremendous amount so as to not injure the boy who had a hard head himself and often apologized for being too harsh, her headbutts always resulted in a splitting headache.

Tanjiro did as he was told and looked at his parents. "I…I d-did not…chop f-f-f-firewood this…m-m-morning." Tanjiro's face was anything but cute.

His left eye was bugging out while his right squinted and kept twitching. He was gritting his teeth and veins were popping out of his forehead from the strain.

Ever since Tanjiro learned to talk, his parents taught him to never lie. That lesson was burned into his brain at age four.

He had become so honest that it was nearly impossible for him to lie. And every time he tried, he lost the ability to keep a straight face.

"Tanjiro…" Kie sighed as Tanjiro smelled a scent of pride mixed with irritation from her. "I've told you a thousand times that you are way too young for chores and yet you do half of ours almost everyday."

"It's getting to the point where we might have to tie you down so you can relax. I'm not saying I don't appreciate the help, but can't you just enjoy your childhood while it lasts?"

Tanjiro's face went back to normal, even though he looked sad. "I just want to help. Dad's sickness is getting worse, and I don't want to be a burden. I'm sorry…"

Kie and Tanjuro looked at the boy, astonished by his selflessness at such an early age. Kie kneeled down in front of Tanjiro and cupped his face with both hands.

"I know you're worried, Tanjiro. But you don't need to be. Your father is doing just fine, he's just been having a little difficulty lately. You should just focus on taking care of you and your siblings, that's more than enough." Kie assured the boy.

"But what happens if dad can't do chores anymore, I can't let you do it by yourself." Tanjiro argued, making the woman feel guilty before his father stepped in.

"I won't let that happen, Tanjiro. And neither will you." Tanjuro intervened with a smile. "As man of this house, it's my role to help my family in any way possible. One day, that role will be passed down to you."

"There will come a time when you have to pull your own weight, but just don't push yourself too hard. If not for me, do it for your mother and siblings. Can you do that for me, son?" Tanjuro asked, earning a smile from the boy.

"Yes, dad! I won't let you down!" Tanjiro announced proudly, trying his best not to wake up his siblings.

Tanjuro smiled warmly at the boy. "Good. Now, tell you what. How about I take you with me to town next time I go to sell coal tomorrow?" He offered.

"Really!?" Tanjiro started shaking with excitement, making the two parents smile.

"Of course, as long as your mother is okay with it." Tanjuro said before looking at his wife. Kie seemed hesitant to see her baby boy head down the mountain so young.

"Alright…I suppose it's good to start early. Just promise that you'll be careful and not push yourself." Kie sighed in defeat and agreed. Tanjiro nodded.

"I promise, mom! Thank you!" He said before giving both parents a quick hug and then laying down on his futon.

Despite his excitement, Tanjiro fell asleep quite easily. However, before he drifted off completely.

"He has a good heart." He heard his father whisper.

"They all do." His mother replied. "Sometimes, I wonder what we did to deserve such blessings."


Mt. Fujikasane

Tanjiro opened his eyes and looked around to see that it was day time. He was laying down on the branch of a large tree.

He picked that spot to sleep once he couldn't smell any hostiles, Urokodaki trained him so that his nose would wake him up if he was in danger.

After taking a sniff, Tanjiro figured he was safe. He got up and jumped off of the branch.

"It seems that this area is mostly safe, at least during day time. I'll be sure to remember this spot." Tanjiro thought as he memorized the scent of the clearing he was in.

He took out his scroll to look at the time. It was 9:34 AM. Tanjiro went to sleep at about 6 in the morning.

He wasn't surprised, Tanjiro was always more of a morning person than a night person, which was unfortunate considering that demons only come out at night.

Seeing as he had no reason to go anywhere, Tanjiro decided to practice Total Concentration. This is something he'd always done whenever he had free time.

He made sure not to activate his Aura by accident, he didn't know if meditating with Aura was against the rules but he didn't want to risk it.

While maintaining his breathing, Tanjiro thought back to his dream. The one where his father invited the boy to sell coal with him.

He remembered how excited he was, he'd only gone to see the town whenever his family made enough lien to eat out. It was the first time Tanjiro went there to help his family.

Tanjiro started becoming sad at the memory of his family. "Focus, Tanjiro. Don't lose control of your breathing." Tanjiro told himself.

He emptied his mind and focused on his breathing, trying to not worry about anything else until Noon. Then, Tanjiro would move to the west side of the mountain where the sunlight would last the longest.

That was Tanjiro's strategy. Move to the east during nighttime, and move to the west during daytime. This way, he could get the largest possible amount of sunlight.

But, there was no guarantee that this would work for the remaining seven days and six nights. He wouldn't let his guard down, which would turn out to be a wise choice in the long run.


Yang

Somewhere else in Emerald Forest

"Hellooooooo?" Yang called out while taking a nice stroll through the forest. "Is anyone out there? Helloooooooo?"

Yang stopped walking and looked to see if anyone or even anything was there. "I'm getting bored here." The blond stated as she threw her arms up. She then heard rustling behind her.

"Is someone there?" Yang asked as she turned around. She walked up to a bush that she thought the noise came from and moved it out of the way.

"Ruby, is that you?" Yang asked before finally noticing a Grimm snarling at her. ". . . . . . . . Nope."

Yang rolled to the left as an Ursa came charging at her. She readied Ember Celica as she heard another Ursa behind her.

She did a backflip to dodge its swipe and then the two Ursas prepared to attack again. The first Grimm made the first move.

Before it could swipe at Yang, however, she punched it in the belly and launched a shot from her gauntlets. The beast was knocked onto its back as the second Grimm charged.

This time, Yang gave the other Grimm a gunshot uppercut followed by a sidekick. The second Ursa was also launched back.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" The blond asked, earning a roar from one of the Ursas.

"Jeez, a simple no would suffice!" Yang exclaimed as the Grimm tried to scratch her with its right arm. Yang jumped back before the Ursa swiped at her again with the left arm.

Yang easily did a backflip to avoid the second attack, this was just too easy. "Hahahaha! Wow, you suck! You two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba-"

Before Yang could finish that sentence, she saw a single strand of yellow hair fall in front of her, HER hair. And just like that, the fate of these two Grimm was sealed.

"You…you sons of bitches…" Yang said under her breath as her eyes turned red. The two Ursas looked at each other, confused about what was happening, not knowing that they were absolutely FUCKED!

Yang's hair started glowing as she raised her arms and suddenly brought them down with great force. "You're DEAD ! ! !" Yang yelled out before shooting her gauntlets backwards, launching her forward.

With a battle cry, Yang launched herself at one of the Grimm and threw a gunshot left jab followed by a devastating uppercut. But she wasn't done.

Yang launched herself at the beast before it could hit the ground and threw a flurry of rage-fueled punches. She must've hit the bastard at least 26 times.

Finally, she delivered the finishing blow and launched the Ursa right through a tree. She then turned around to see the other Grimm charge at her.

"Come on! You want some too!? Let me warn you,you and your buddy aren't the first Ursa to piss me off!" Yang yelled, getting ready to beat the non living crap out of another Grimm.

Woosh! Slice!

Yang heard a slicing sound as the Ursa in front of her fell face first, revealing a black sword with a black string connected to it in its back.

On top of the fallen Grimm was a familiar face, the girl with a black bow, Blake Belladonna. She pulled the string attached to her weapon and pulled it back to her.

Yang's Semblance deactivated as she had time to calm down. As Blake sheathed her weapon, she threw a friendly smirk Yang's way.

Yang returned the smirk. "I could've taken him." She said as put her hands behind her head.

"I believe you." Said the blond's new partner.


Jaune

"Come on, damn you!"

Jaune continued his attempts to get Pyrrha's spear out of his hood. Sadly, his attempts bore no success.

Soon, Jaune gave up and decided to hang in there, no pun intended, until Pyrrha hopefully came back for her weapon.

Speaking of, he hoped she would be alright. The girl threw her only weapon away to save his sorry butt, that thought made Jaune feel extremely guilty.

But then, Jaune spotted red-hair among the trees as an armored figure stepped out of the shadows. Pyrrha looked at the blond with a smile.

Jaune was ecstatic as shown by his wide grin. "PYRRHA!"

"So, is there any room on Team Jaune?" Pyrrha teased, earning a blushing pout from Jaune.

"Yeah yeah...very funny. Can you get me down now?" Jaune asked with pleading eyes before Pyrrha jumped up onto the tree.

Before gravity took hold, she yanked her spear out of Jaune's hood, causing the boy to fall down, catching a tree branch to the face.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled with concern as Jaune landed face first. As he got up, he heard Pyrrha land next to him.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so rough!" Pyrrha exclaimed before Jaune waved it off.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just glad to finally be down." Jaune replied as he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. Pyrrha's eyes widened with even more concern.

"Jaune...You're hurt." Pyrrha stated as Jaune felt his forehead before finding a cut. Looks like that branch got him good.

"Heh, it's okay. Just a scratch." Jaune assured his new partner.

"Why didn't you activate your Aura?" Pyrrha asked.

"My what?" Jaune replied, having no clue what the girl was talking about.

"…Your Aura." Pyrrha repeated.

"Gesundheit." Jaune responded, thinking she had a cold. Pyrrha stood in shock.

"Jaune, do you…know what Aura is?" She asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice. Jaune simply scoffed in response.

"Of course I do…Do you know what Aura is?" Jaune asked, pointing to Pyrrha.

"Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts." Pyrrha started to explain.


Ren

Somewhere else else ELSE in Emerald Forest…

Ren walked throughout the forest, searching for a partner, preferably Nora. His childhood friend had her quirks, but she was quite a powerhouse and they both worked well together.

And while Ren would never admit this out loud, the orange-haired girl was pretty fun to be around sometimes.


(Author's Note: We're gonna be switching back and forth between Ren and Jaune's POV)

"Have you ever felt like you were being watched without knowing someone was there?" Pyrrha asked.

"Uhhh, yeah, I guess." Jaune responded.


Ren's superior senses picked up movement, and it was not one of his comrades.

He heard a slithering sound around him when suddenly, a giant black snake moved in circles around the young man at quick speeds.

This creature was a type of Grimm known as the King Taijitu. Ren got into a defensive stance. The Snake Grimm glared at the boy before lunging at him with its mouth wide open.


"With practice, our Aura can be our shield." Pyrrha explained. "Everyone has it, even animals."

"What about monsters?" Jaune asked as Pyrrha walked around him.

"No, the monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm." She replied.


Ren leaped back as the King Taijitu's head crashed into the ground where he was standing. Ren saw the snake move its head back before lunging at Ren again.

Ren was still in the air and could only block as the Grimm crashed into his body, knocking him into the ground.

Fortunately, Ren was nimble and managed to land on his feet. But, he looked up to see the snake starting to coil around him.


"The manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness, and we are the light." Pyrrha stated.

"Right, that's why we fight them." Jaune said.


Ren slid out his weapons and jumped into the air before the Grimm could trap him. He then twisted his body midair so that he was upside down.

He spun around and shot his dual guns at the giant snake. As he fell, the Grimm lunged at Ren once again.

But this time, the beast was met with a well timed sidekick to the head, knocking it back.

The snake's head fell onto the ground. Before it could get back up, Ren came in and sliced its neck with the blades of his weapons.

The King Taijitu slithered around the trees again before trying to crash into Ren, but it only ended up crashing into the ground again as Ren leaped into the air in a backflip.

Before the Grimm could recover, Ren landed on its head and delivered a major blow to its skull.


"It's not about why, it's about knowing." Pyrrha corrected. "Understanding both dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both."


Before Ren could celebrate his small victory, he heard more slithering noises as he sensed a new presence.

Ren turned to see a giant white snake lunge at him. Ren flipped to the right to avoid the attack and watched as the black snake actually recovered.

The two snakes moved around and revealed that their bodies were connected to each other. A drop of sweat moved down Ren's forehead as he got into a defensive stance.

The white half of the snake made the first move as it lunged at Ren, forcing the young man to side flip out of the way to the right.

The two halves of the snake both watched Ren as they bided their time, waiting to strike. Meanwhile, Ren prepared himself for another sudden attack.


"By having your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm." Pyrrha explained. "All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura.


The black snake charged at Ren as he jumped over it and ran down its long neck before jumping over an incline on its body.

As he landed on the King Taijitu's body, he started sliding while shooting both weapons at the white half which was coming after him.

The white snake then moved over the black half, intercepting Ren's path. However, Ren was able to jump over the white snake's neck as he continued to shoot at it.

But, the white snake charged and headbutted Ren's smaller body out of the air, this caused him to drop his weapons as he was rolling on the ground.

He silently cursed himself for being so reckless, but his attention was preoccupied with the black half of the snake Grimm.

As Ren got up, he looked to see the black snake lunge at Ren as it bared its fangs.

"No-!" Ren yelled, holding out his hands before the Grimm chomped down on its target.


"You protect yourself and your soul with fighting." Pyrrha said while Jaune looked deep in thought.

"Oh! I get it!" Jaune announced his realization. "It's like a force field!"

"Yes, if you want to look at it that way." Pyrrha said with a small smile.


The Grimm expected to eat the Huntsman-in-training in one fell swoop, but it underestimated its opponent.

Ren activated his Aura just in time to push back the two front fangs of the beast with his palms.

A small pink force field surrounded his hands as he pushed back the black snake. After a struggle, Ren managed to grab the fangs.

He proceeded to snap and tear out the fangs, causing the snake to reel his back back in pain while letting out a menacing growl.

It tried to lunge at Ren again, but this time he was ready. He sidestepped the attack, took the fangs in his hands, and stabbed the Grimm in the right eye.

Before the snake could recover, he threw a right palm strike to one of the fangs and used his Aura to send a shockwave through the fang to the head, causing it to explode.

He turned to the white snake who was still connected to its darker half. Ren ran toward it, ready to finish the job.


Pyrrha Nikos

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate." Pyrrha instructed Jaune as she put her left hand on his opposite cheek and her right hand on his chest.

"Uhhh…Okay." Jaune obeyed as he closed his eyes. Pyrrha did the same as she concentrated and activated her Aura.

A bright light enveloped the two teens as Pyrrha began the necessary chant. Around Pyrrha, a red light, around Jaune, a white light.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Pyrrha finished her chant as the glow around her vanished and she backed up, bent her body forward, and started breathing heavily.

"Pyrrha!?" Jaune called out, concern present in his voice. Fortunately, Pyrrha stood straight as soon as she got her bearings.

"It's alright," She assured, "I used my Aura to unlock yours. But, the energy that protects you now is your own."

Pyrrha smirked as she watched the cut on Jaune's cheek quickly heal up. "And you've got a lot of it." She stated.

Jaune returned the smile as he looked down at his body, finally noticing the light around his body. "Whoa!" He exclaimed as the light started to fade.

"Wooow." Jaune said in amazement while grinning like a child on Christmas. Pyrrha thought it was cute.


Ren

Ren stood atop the fading corpse of his slithery foe as he hid his weapons back into his sleeves. He dusted off of his arms before…

"Qrrraawww! Qrrraawww!" Ren suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of…a wild Nora.

He looked behind him to see his childhood friend hanging from a tree branch by her legs. "I still don't think that's what sloth sounds like." He said while giving her a small smile.

Nora took her index finger and "booped" Ren on the nose, he leaned back to play along.


Ozpin

Beacon Cliff

Ozpin observed his scroll which showed footage from the cameras hidden all across Emerald Forest, taking sips of coffee as Glynda approached him.

"It seems that all of the students have formed pairs, sir." She stated as she took out her own scroll. She pulled up footage showing the last pair of students.

"Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie," She stated as the latter student poked her new partner's nose. "Poor boy, I can't possibly imagine those two getting along."

Ozpin looked at the footage with a raised eyebrow. "They seem to get along fine to me." He thought as he took another sip of coffee.

"Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos." Glynda said as she switched her screen to show Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos. Ozpin gave "Hmm" as he looked at the Huntress.

"I don't care what his transcripts say, that Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." She said before closing her scroll and walked away from the cliff. "I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes."

"Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" Glynda asked as Ozpin was more absorbed in what was on his scroll.

"Professor Ozpin?" She called out his name. Ozpin stared at the footage showing Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee fighting off multiple Grimm.

"Ah, worried about our little grade skipper, are you?" Ozpin looked up at Glynda who noticed his scroll.

"I can't say I blame you..." She added with a hint of concern.

Ozpin looked back at the camera footage, hoping that Miss Rose and Miss Schnee would be able to work together.


Weiss

The fight with the horde of Beowolves was going well...Until it wasn't.

Ruby was moving around at impressive speeds, slashing through monsters left and right.

Weiss, on the other hand, combined breathing techniques with Dust attacks. She had just finished off another Beowolf before jumping back to avoid a swipe from another.

"Damn it all! There's too many!" Weiss thought frustratedly. She then switched Myrtenaster to fire Dust and charged at the Grimm who tried to attack her, preparing to cut the beast with a firey slash.

But then, Weiss quickly noticed a bunch of Rose petals gathering in front of the Grimm which was soon followed by Ruby who slashed the monster with her ridiculously huge scythe.

However, Ruby foolishly put herself in Weiss's line of fire. "Gotcha!" She yelled out as Weiss lost her balance and stumbled, trying to stop herself.

In the midst of her surprise, she accidentally swung her weapon too hard and launched a line of fire into the forest. Ruby looked in the direction of the fire.

The Beowolf in front of her took advantage of the distraction and swiped at Ruby. She barely managed to block the attack with her scythe before being pushed into Weiss.

Weiss stumbled back as Ruby fell on her knees. "Hey, watch it!" Ruby yelled at the heiress while shooting a small glare.

"Excuse me!? You attacked out of turn, I could have killed you!" Weiss shot back in defense, shooting off a glare of her own.

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that." Ruby muttered as the Grimm growled at the two girls. The monsters inched closer and closer.

Ruby dropped a magazine as she reloaded her weapon. She got into a battle stance and cocked the gun-scythe before a flaming tree fell in front of them.

Weiss noticed that the trees nearby were catching on fire from Weiss's whiffed attack. It wouldn't be long before they were surrounded by Grimm and fire.

Weiss took Ruby's arm. "We have to go!" She said, deciding that retreat was their best option. She started running away from the flames while pulling on Ruby's arm.

As they ran, the Grimm fell into a frenzy. They ran around in circles like headless horses. As they ran, Weiss could hear howling.

After getting a fair distance away, the two girls took a minute to catch their breaths.

Weiss glared daggers at her incompetent partner. "I TOLD you not to get in my way!" Weiss snapped to Ruby's surprise.

"Huh!? You stole my line again!" Ruby snapped back.

"This was clearly your fault!"

"I'm not the one that set the forest on fire!"

"Which wouldn't have HAPPENED if you hadn't thrown off my aim!"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that you were going to launch fire! Who goes by 'Snow Angel' and uses FIRE ATTACKS!

"First of all, Jaune came up with that nickname! Second, I use Myrtenaster to quickly switch between Dust ammunition. I use all kinds of Dust to create my perfect, all-powerful fighting style!"

"How is setting the forest on fire PERFECT! Myrtenaster!? More like MERE DISTASTER!"

"WHAT!?"

"..."

"..."

All was silent as Weiss clenched her fists and gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath.

"...This isn't going to work. I think it's best that we part ways." Weiss suggested, shocking her partner.

"Huh? But we're supposed to be-."

"Just because we're partners does NOT mean that we have to stay together the whole time. It's obvious that we are inefficient working together."

"Yeah, but..."

"Am I wrong?"

"..." Ruby lowered her head as Weiss began to walk away.

"You know, when I first heard someone managed to skip two grades to get into Beacon, part of me was excited." Weiss stated, not knowing if Ruby was looking at her.

"I thought you would be some prodigy that might've given the best students a run for their money. But now, I see that you are just a child that got extremely lucky."

"Until you grow up, Ruby Rose. We can never be partners."

And with that, Weiss left the younger girl. Or at least, that was the plan.

Screech!

Weiss turned around and looked into the sky. A large black figure shot out of the forest and rise above the trees.

It was a giant Nevermore.

"You've got to be kidding me!"


Alright, let's end things here. Again, sorry this chapter took so long. It's hard to keep a consistent upload schedule while having school and pursuing other interests in the process.

I hope you enjoyed the extra bit with Tanjiro, I'm trying my best to keep things interesting. That's why I've been reading other stories for ideas or examples of interesting writing styles.

I also hope you enjoyed the demonstration of Ice Breathing.

Before you ask, no, Weiss does not know about demons. Winter does, however, and in this world, is the creator of Ice Breathing.

I'm going to be coming up with more forms, and I hope you will share your own ideas with me. I plan on giving it eight to ten forms, with the possibility of new ones being created.

Make sure to follow, favorite, and review if you want more! Other than that, I don't have much to say.

Thanks for reading! See ya later!


Preview

*Play Taisho Kosokoso Gossip

*Manga flips to a page with panels of Nezuko and Ruby who jump out of the pages.

Nezuko: Hmmmm…?

Nezuko gives a concerned hum as Ruby pouts and crosses her arms.

Ruby: If you just asked if my initiation is going well, no, Nezuko, it is not…

Nezuko tries to cheer up Ruby with a supportive hum.

Nezuko: Hmmm Mmmmm ! ! !

Ruby smiles at the demon girl.

Ruby: Awww, thanks, Nezuko! I don't know what you said, but I'm sure it was sweet!

*screen cuts to Ruby's face

Ruby: Now it's time for another Taisho Era Secret!

Ruby leans in.

Ruby: About my sister's Semblance, Burn, which lets her absorb kinetic energy from blows to make her own attacks deal twice as much damage. Yang actually unlocked it in her second year at Signal.

Ruby: Some jerk was flirting with her, but she totally ignored him. Then, the guy pulled on her hair to get her attention and accidentally pulled out some of her hair.

Ruby: Of course, Yang wasn't very happy and knocked that kid into next week! He still walks with a limp! Yang was, of course, suspended for a week and grounded for a month.

*Screen cuts back to Ruby and Nezuko

Ruby: Man, older siblings are scary when they're made. Am I right, Nezuko?

Ruby nervously scratches the back of her head. Nezuko also gives a nervous response.

Nezuko: mmmmmmm…

Ruby: Wow, yours is that bad too, huh?

Both girls look forward at the screen.

Ruby: Next time, Chapter 12 - The Gang's All Here!

Ruby: Scary or not, it's nice knowing our families have our backs. We have to return the favor!

Nezuko: Mmmm Hmm!

Nezuko nods as the screen cuts away.

*Music ends

To Be Continued