Please read the author's notes at the end of the chapter.
[Part-1]
Before the tournament began, it wasn't Sherlock Holmes- the announcer of the tournament, rather the King- Gabriel Pendragon himself made the announcement.
"While in due time traditions change, some things are better left as they originated. Such as this tournament, it was bloody once it was announced, it will be bloody now as well- regardless of the time. It is possible for you to get hurt, no- that is me putting it in a digestible manner, in reality…you could lose arms, legs, eyes, become paralyzed, no longer be able to perform any functions, or simply die in this tournament. Should not be able to generate such courage, you will not be frowned upon. Living takes courage too! However, when the prize of the victor is- any wish you make shall be fulfilled for you- you must take the risks. With that, let the tournament begin!"
"Well, it could have been worse." Lancelot tried to console.
"Dammit…are all the strong ones in this group?"
"Well, with so many contenders, have some faith, it's not like you would go first."
"That's true."
Sherlock made the announcement.
"So, the first battle would be…
Jaune Arc Vs. Karna Vasusena
"…..Fuck…."
7th June, Monday- RX21, 10:45
{Bout 1: Jaune Arc Vs. Karna Vasusena}
Alright!
If gods really existed, they weren't favoring Jaune at all. Of all the competitors, he had to be the first one to take the leap.
"Do you know something about the guy? Karna?"
Lancelot gave Jaune a knowing look, "I consider him one of the five people who could win the tournament."
Just fucking great. Life has a way to make you realize that no good moment lasts forever.
"So, he's that strong?"
"Well, they call him [Blazing Sun of Vacuo] for a reason. Undefeated. So, the best advice I can give you now is to survive. Learn from this fight- I don't expect you to win…however, this does not mean that you won't put up a good front. Better yet, think of this as deadly training, it's better this way. Consider this good luck."
"How the hell is this good luck if I am fighting someone who could be considered one of the guys who would win the tournament?!"
"It's simple Jaune, very simple…for you to grow faster than anyone else, you need to give it all and much harder than others to bridge the gap. Right now, this is where you go all out with your fighting abilities. Fail. Improve. Fight in with people who are leagues above you, only then you could cross the ocean, get it?"
Jaune nodded.
Well, time to get at it.
Just as when Jaune was about to leave…
Chu.
Jaune Arc was surprised. No more than that, he was blushing! Who kissed him!
"Tis a good luck charm." Artoria Pendragon winked.
"Lancelot, I will give it my all…"
"Haaa…. young men…" Lancelot sighed as he massaged his forehead.
The center of the colosseum, with eyes on Jaune Arc, first time in a place like this. His heartbeat was going crazy.
Perhaps this is what Pyrrha might have felt when she gave her first tournament?
Finally, Jaune saw who he was up against. Handsome, lean- leaner than Jaune in a way, and yet he could be called shredded. Jaune was surprised, for someone living in Vacuo the guy's skin was white so was his spiky hair, white as snow- no, just as snow. Sharp jaw, and blue eyes just like his. The man wore a black suit, tight-fitting that covered his body except for his neck and chest. He had a red-sun tattoo? On his chest as well. His arms and legs were laced with golden armor, but just arms and legs. Also, there were two halo armors shaped like the sun? floating over his shoulders and finally, a pinkish-red fur overcoat that acted more as a cape.
Finally, his weapon, a golden spear? Which had the tip shaped like a sun then the blade of the spear attached to it. The spear felt different, it gave radiance similar to Artoria's weapon.
Damn, this guy's fashion sense is all over the place.
"My name is Karna Vasusena, the warrior who faces me…tell me your name."
Jaune blinked, but he complied, "My name is Jaune Arc…but you knew that?"
"I wish to hear that from the foe I face, not from a screen. A battle is to be fought face to face."
Something about this guy felt different. He wasn't looking down on Jaune, he was accessing him- considering him that he might be equal or at least treat him like one.
Sherlock stood on the podium, he spoke after puffing another whiff of the smoke, "The battle ends when the other party admits defeat or is unable to move. Even after the shattering of aura, you are allowed to fight…well then, contenders…are you both ready?"
A nod from both, Karna and Jaune.
"Let's go ahead!"
Jaune expected many things. A long-range attack. Or the man would just throw his spear.
What Jaune Arc did not expect was that Karna would invade his personal territory instantly- he didn't even have the time to react!
Karna swung his spear, with the intention of sliceing off Jaune's head.
If it wasn't for Jaune's reflex and his new form of fighting, Jaune would have lost his head that very instant. Or would have tried to block it with a non-existing shield.
With the perfect flow of a dancer, Jaune used the very basic movement of calisthenics to his advantage- the sissy squat, to the point, that his knees bent to the fullest and his back was touching the ground.
Jaune Arc narrowed his eyes.
If Karna didn't hesitate, so Jaune won't either. Concentrating aura on his sword, Jaune used his hand to grip the handle tighter and his palm to give the sword more push to puncture Karna's chest.
However, it didn't make it past that. Jaune's sword touched Karna's chest- however, it did not puncture it as intended- something blocked him
His aura!
Jaune didn't have time- as Karna kicked him off right at his ribs.
CRACK!
He felt it, Karna with a sweep broke a few of Jaune's ribs easily- for someone skinny and bit shredded, that kick felt as if Jaune was hit by a truck at a full speed.
And his aura! Jaune really didn't want to compare- but Karna's aura pool was larger than Artoria's. If he had to guess, four or five times larger. This was bad.
Keeping up with Artoria was hard- but one of the base reasons why he could do that was Artoria was more of a technique-based fighter…Karna on the other hand has both power and technique, it's even trouble keeping up with him and he isn't bulky like Cardin- predicting his next movements is really…really difficult.
Jaune was completely on the defensive.
CLANG!
The land shattered as Jaune is thrown with it, he tanked the attack, but aura took the hit for him.
Dammit!
This was bad, the spear being a mid-range weapon too, the rain of those attacks. Karna wasn't holding back, or was he?
The base problem still lies, what is Karna's semblance? During the time when Jaune planned to stab Karna's chest, there was a bit of fire when his aura shielded him.
Does Karna's ability have anything to do with it? If so, how is he this strong physically?
CLANG!
"Guh!"
Jaune vomited a mouthful of blood, the place where Karna stabbed was his underbelly…thanks to aura, he is saved…thanks to his newfound aura pool, he somehow tanked it.
Karna was surprised.
"I commend you."
It was Jaune's turn to be surprised.
"What?"
"I commend you; didn't you hear?"
"I did…but why?"
Karna didn't say anything else, but once again closed the distance. This time Jaune had no choice but to use the blade of the sword as support making him use an irregular guard against Karan's attack as he fell to his knees blocking the attack with the pressure behind it.
"This is why I commend you," Karna continued, "The way you moved unlike the rest of us here. You weren't prepared for this."
Jaune widens his eyes in realization.
He knows!
"Yet you fought. I indeed find you impressive, someone who wasn't prepared I intended to finish you in my first strike- perhaps it was my prejudice thinking that you were mocking us, warriors, by not training- however that was not the case, you survived this long- had you been trained from the start, it would have been I that would have faced the difficulties."
"How…did you know?"
"It's not that hard, a veteran eye can scan as it pleases and the battle-lidded ones like mine can state that very easily. If perhaps someone else, you could have won unfortunately for you- are up against me."
Karna raised his fist, aura induced- he was about to punch Jaune- but
DON!
Jaune was faster, using the upper area of his head, coating it with aura, he slammed Karna right towards his chin.
It didn't end there, he needed to take advantage of the haywire, as such he forced his body to ignore the healing portion.
DON! SLICE! DON! SLICE!
Coating his blade and his fist only with aura, Jaune attacked relentlessly- he did not hesitate, even if he is bleeding. The dance of quickstep, applied all over his body as Jaune made sure his fist and swords are fast.
DON!
"Guh!" Air left Jaune's lungs, he did not anticipate a punch this quick! However, that wasn't the end.
SHIN! SHIN! SHIN! SHIN! SHIN! SHIN!
As if it was raining, Karna didn't stop the spear stabs and since Jaune focused his aura on the offensive part, his body was left defenseless.
As such-
SPURT!
Jaune's aura started crackling, he could hear his friends from Beacon, screaming at him…
Dammit!
There was only so much he could do, even if he covered his body with aura to cushion the rest of the damage, this is where it gets tricky.
Well then, all in or none.
Jaune dashed towards the spear- Karna was surprised- was the boy stupid? Or suicidal?
Karna could easily deflect or damage or do even both and that's where he was wrong.
SLIDE!
Karna did not expect, Jaune throwing his sword right towards his face, Karna with quick movement brought his spear closer and swatted Jaune's sword in the air…but at the exact moment.
Training with Artoria who was quick on her feet, made Jaune improve as well.
Grabbing onto Karna's spear arm and stomping on his left leg, Jaune put Karna in almost a chokehold, concentrating once again on the offense, Jaune launched his attacks-
DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON!
Pyrrha Nikos always expected Jaune to improve. She always thought that Jaune had hidden potential and that he will achieve great things if he puts his mind to it.
She did not expect him to get this strong this quick, she dares say he's just as strong as her. Even if he didn't do much damage and took most of it- he was up against someone who could potentially win the tournament and still kept up and now?
He's punching Karna's face without stopping!
And her leader looked damn cool!
Karna expected many things to come here. Disappointing bouts. Annoying people. Stupid SJW's. Idiotic warriors, who "claim" to be warriors but in reality, they think they could win because they have so-called "trained" for so long.
Karna considered Jaune Arc to be one of those too. Jaune wasn't.
Jaune knew he couldn't defeat Karna. Karna knew that too. So, what did Jaune do in return?
The second-best thing. Giving it all without backing down, while it may sound stupid and dangerous it was Karna who was getting the punches.
SPURT!
Finally!
He bled. Karna bled through his nose, wasn't enough but still, it progressed, maybe Jaune can still win-
BOOM!
A blast! Acting on instinct Jaune coated himself with aura once again, burns through his body passing his weakened aura easily.
Karna was covered in dazzling red flames.
"I…was forced to use my semblance. I am amazed Jaune Arc. I really am, usually, it's depending upon the situation, I use my semblance, it is destructive- it ends up destroying anything in its path. You made me use it."
Karna smirked, he closed his left eye as he pointed his spear towards Jaune, "My semblance's name is [Surya Shakti], Jaune Arc…let's see if you are strong enough to face its force!"
Heat! The heat was as if the sun came down itself.
The fire that surrounded Karan appeared to take the form of the sun. The majestic source of light and heat.
Is…this…?
"That's fine, I just wanted you to know about it. I don't preach about this much, but it is what it is- however, do remember something, should you want to make it past us, you need to climb the mountain top, and you aren't ready for it."
Just as Ozymandias had told. The mountain top.
This is different.
This isn't those fights held in combat class. This isn't standing up to the bully. This isn't fighting Grimm.
This is a threat. A realization of the stronger people out there. Someone strong enough to wipe out armadas. A one-man army.
If that is the case then-
Pulling every ounce into defense, Jaune Arc prepared himself…not to run or hide.
He will face the sun if he must!
Karna smirked, a worthy opponent.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The surrounding shattered, the flames erupted and beamed towards Jaune engulfing him instantly- destroying the colosseum's portion behind Jaune's back as well.
"JAUNE!"
Screams, from the Beacon side. From his friends, those who once bullied him now were scared at the thought of Jaune dying.
The land had burnt a portion of the stadium was destroyed. Karna Vasusena was truly a monster to behold.
The smoke cleared itself.
The result? Was as expected- burns everywhere, the body looked charred as Jaune's aura had shattered. Falling on the knees, there was barely any breath- just a charred black and burnt body.
Karna won.
Or so he thought.
"W…wait," burnt Jaune, breathing spoke, "I…am still breathing, not…given up….yet…knock me out…"
Karna blinked. So did everyone…
Even in that state, Jaune Arc refused to give it up.
The tenacity.
It would be so simple, just to walk up there and gauge the spear, ending the fight. And yet, Karna couldn't!
Raising his hand, Karna stared at Sherlock, "I, forfeit."
The stadium was filled with silence, not much shock from other than Jaune Arc himself.
"Are…you…. pitying me…?" Jaune spoke as he fell to the ground completely.
On the contrary, Karna smiled, "If you could keep up with me, tank the attack with such low aura…defeating you now, will not have any value. Snuffing out a flame-like you, when you have the ability to turn into a wildfire, no. Defeating you now, would not mean anything. Get in the top 14 Jaune Arc…defeating you there, now that would be the greatest treat I could have. For the first time, I would see someone like you. Jaune Arc, I am interested in how far you would go."
Jaune Arc had already passed out.
"Karna Vasusnena forfeited! The winner of the first bout is Jaune Arc!"
[Part-2]
7th June, Monday- RX21, 11:00
Jaune Arc was breathing albeit barely. Low pulse, by all means…this should end his life.
Pyrrha was losing her mind, Barnabas was sure Pyrrha would kill someone now. Team CRDL and CFVY were concerned…on the contrary, Lancelot looked fine, as if nothing big occurred.
The reason? This big event wouldn't have been held without a medic after all.
And the best medic throughout the Remnant is a single Faunus.
Pitou.
"Give me space, I'll deal with this."
Pitou stared at Jaune, her tail wiggling. Honestly, she thought Jaune wouldn't last in the preliminaries added to the fact that he was up against someone so strong and yet- he somehow won.
Strangely enough, Pitou was charmed by him.
"[Imhotep Asclepius]" Pitou's tail wiggled faster, all of the aurae in her body was now induced in just her tail- from the tip of the tail, with the sheer amount of aura an object was constructed?
It looked like a doll? An oversized doll, who had an appearance of a grandma, with an oversized head. Through the doll's arms, every possible piece of surgical equipment was generated.
Every equipment worked faster than the eye could even comprehend, Jaune was healing- his aura was regenerating with it as well. Every burnt skin was removed and was being replaced with healed ones no scars left behind…it was as if the healing process has been accelerated a few thousand times faster.
Watching the dumbfounded expression of Beacon Students, Pitou decided it would rather be best if she explains how her semblance functions.
"You see children," Pitou spoke gaining the attention of everyone, "My semblance when I first discovered it- it was slow, so slow that I couldn't save…the person I wanted to save. However, in due time, practicing surgery, learning medical ways, and learning about human and Faunus physiology, their diseases, what could occur to them, what could be expected of them- I have learned the body from inside out, I have learned about every injury, diseases and aura problems a body can cause. With that combined knowledge and my semblance's ability to amplify the healing process and cure anything, anything at all…there is no disability that I can't fix, except for of course what comes from the mind- I am the greatest doctor."
Everyone was silent.
'Wait! Did I do this wrong? Is my social tact so low that no one is responding to me?! Wasn't this supposed to be cool? Dammit! The only ones that could openly talk to me is Lancelot and Artoria….and Jaune. Was I not, cool enough?'
While Pitou was having an existential crisis that once again her social tact failed, the students from Beacon on the other hand were actually impressed, so much so that they couldn't speak.
"Pyrrha, if your boyfriend is okay, come with me, now, Brother Lucius calling for all of us."
Minerva Olympus, Pyrrha's sister snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
Call Dove dumb but he was in love. First sight.
The long brownish-black hair, the cyan eyes, the creamy skin, and her outfit! Damn…perhaps he should ask her out!
Shove!
It was Russel, fingers on his lips stating to be kept quiet. Dove was confused however, was this not what he was supposed to do? Ask a woman out?
Cardin closed in and whispered, "Buddy, look at the level…not now…even I know she is wayyy out of your league, take a look- that's a high nobility, and we, my friend aren't- we are nobility, not that high- spread your wings as much as it could, not too much where it would break, yeah?"
When did Cardin get so…knowledgeable? Wait…that wasn't the point according to Dove, however- Cardin did raise an interesting point.
Huh, so give up?
"Ask her some different time, yeah? Right now, it's kind of a…what do I say, we are in a middle of a tournament and our classmate is burnt, so later?"
Well, the world might just be coming to an end because Cardin Winchester was making sense.
Pyrrha was about to state something when-
"Aaaah!"
Jolt action and Jaune Arc woke up.
"Oh…my…god…what happens? The fight?...what?!"
Jaune Arc was confused, to say the least, about what was going on, the last he remembered falling and being burnt to a crisp by Karna and holy shit was that attack hot. The correct terminology to explain what occurred would be someone poured raging hot magma directly on Jaune's bare skin- with no armor, aura, or any form of protection whatsoever.
Jaune was sure he would die, and perhaps if he was someone from the beginning of Beacon, he could have. Perhaps the best decision was true, making sure that Jaune took in the training seriously or else, burns would have been the least of his concerns.
"JAUNE!" Pyrrha practically screamed as she lunged forward and hugged Jaune with perhaps the strength of a bear, the hug which could even give Nora a run for her money and that indicates the power of her hug.
"Holy shit Pyrrha, I'm alive…but if you don't leave me now, I will die surely-"
"You idiot, why you gotta be so reckless."
"I mean…it is a tournament, is it not?"
Pyrrha glared hard, if possible, her glare was the one that hurt Jaune even more.
"Alright sister, I think that's enough, we must return to our place, you can worry about your boyfriend later, after today's action is done, yeah?"
Now, who is this? She looked like Pyrrha, but she…had black hair? Will different color eyes as well- wait-
"Minerva!" Pyrrha's cheeks were red, Minerva- the girl's name chuckled, "Thanks for taking care of my sister at Beacon, she talks a lot about you."
She doesn't speak anything about you though. Jaune wanted to say that, however refrained from doing so as he noticed the uncomfortable look on Pyrrha's face.
"Yeah, I mean, she is the one who takes care of me after all, so…"
"Well, we'll meet you later, yes?" Minerva spoke, as Pyrrha bid everyone a small bye too.
"Good shit, hot stuff, didn't know you could tank fire."
"That was indeed impressive."
"Congratulations, Mr. Jaune!"
Jaune on the other hand knew exactly who these people were. Mereoleona, Sigurd and Brynhild.
"Shut up woman, pick me up." Even though Jaune was perfectly capable of picking himself up, Mereoleona on the other hand just snickered and aided him.
"Well considering you were up against someone of his caliber, you did quite well for yourself."
"Sigurd…place yourself in my shoes, and face that."
"Well, I would've done better."
"Sigurd! Be nice also, Mr. Jaune, did you thank Pitou?"
"What for?"
"Exactly, why would you thank me, after all, all I did was…gee I don't know, save your life I guess!?"
Jaune didn't look convinced, well he knew it was Pitou because he had heard from Lancelot that it was Pitou who had healed him first when he arrived here.
While the banter was going on, team CRDL and CFVY were staring at the said banter-
"Have I missed some character development? Since when did Arc get so social?" Cardin was surprised- now that he looks back at it, Arc was also a bit taller? He looked more refined as well, as if he was sure of what he was doing, has he changed that much?
Cardin blinked- he, Jaune Arc fought against someone way above Nikos's level, Cardin knew that, he saw Karna's power first hand, how destructive it was and yet there Jaune stood, he was fine.
Has he changed that much? So how much does Cardin himself fare?
"Yeah, he is surrounded by hot chicks."
And Dove had to ruin that.
Coco on the other hand, "Hey, isn't that the…youngest specialist from Atlas?"
"Oh…yeah! Sigurd Sonne and that Faunus girl, she is The Beast Mereoleona Vermillion, heard of her too, she is an external huntsman, youngest one- works directly under Atlas, for the people of Mantle specifically." Velvet replied.
"It started as a joke, but for some reason, I'm starting to think that Arc has some sort of magnet attached to him, he is attracting famous people, even the princess."
"You are just jealous Dove."
"Of course, I am."
The banter on the other hand did not end.
Jaune gave a snide remark, "If you are so good, how about you go next, huh, Sigurd?"
The universe responded.
"The next match would be-
Sigurd Sonne Vs Arjuna Savyasachi
Sigurd smirked, "You know what Jaune, maybe I will."
[Part-3]
7th June, Monday- RX21, 11:30
{Bout 2: Sigurd Sonne Vs Arjuna Savyasachi}
Sigurd released his breath, as he stood over the now fixed stadium, one of the members of the King's court had the ability quite similar to telekinesis, a different variant but telekinesis nonetheless.
As much as Sigurd would love to deny it- he thought less of Jaune Arc when he first saw him. As a human, as a person, he wasn't bad, rather a good-hearted guy, but to him, his first impression was, he wasn't cut out to be here- he didn't have proper training and he lacked skills. Then the incident with Gilgamesh occurred.
And yet today, just after ten days, Sigurd had to eat his own words- it was impossible the way he improved, was drastic. Something about Jaune was making him feel weird- and not in a sexual kind of way.
The thing was…Jaune Arc was different somehow and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was, but something about him was attractive- perhaps it was his charisma?
Sigurd smirked and shook his head, now is not the time to lost in thoughts of Jaune Arc, his girlfriend would surely be pissed lately he has been thinking more about Jaune rather than his girlfriend, and perhaps Brynhild was having this wild thought that he was having an affair.
He chuckled. Well, it's action time now.
Sigurd wore his specialist attire- unlike most in Atlas who preferred white, Sigurd's was black. The base of the attire was black, a skin-tight suit, made especially for his use. Followed by titanium alloyed vambrace and greaves. He had the same metal-based pauldron which was shaped as spikes on a semi-circle. He had a metallic holster that held on to two of his guns- [Ridill] and [Hrotti] and finally over his metallic belt, rested his own forged Hard-light, aura dense sword, [Gram].
Sigurd fixed his glasses, he was prepared.
Arjuna walked towards the stadium. Their team received their first loss, well- everyone was individual but, it is what it is. Perhaps to some extent, Arjuna understood why his team leader did what he did against Jaune Arc during their match-up.
From the start, as much as one would hate to deny it- Karna was on a different level, he was humoring Jaune. If Karna was serious, or rather he wanted to end this as fast as possible, there were attacks in his arsenal that could have simply destroyed Jaune Arc.
Instead, he opted to see what could Jaune do on the battlefield and as much as Arjuna hated, Jaune Arc did impress. He clicked his tongue, unlike Karna who was charitable by nature- he wasn't. Arjuna forced himself to be charitable. If he was on the battlefield, he would have done everything to destroy Jaune Arc rather than give him a chance to grow.
Karna's nature is what always pissed Arjuna, always charitable, always aiding others- in a way he was the most selfish guy in the team, the fact that he was also the leader made it even worse- but then it was always Arjuna who chased his shadow.
No more. He will win. Arjuna's silver eyes glowed, he was ready.
Arjuna's attire was the same as before, he wore a violet tank top, covered by a white long overcoat that reached till his knees, decorated by chains, and to complement the outfit a blueish-white serape. Holding on to his long metallic bow, which had long upper and lower limbs, almost the similar length as him, the sight window had an appearance of a twisted bident, however, there was no string- because he did not need one. His trusty weapon, [Gandiva].
Patting on his waist was the long metallic shine- rectangle sheathe, which people at first glance thought of as his quiver, but the reality is much more different than that. He does not use any normal arrows.
As for the closed box quiver? It didn't have arrows; it was meant for a different purpose- [Vayu] its name.
Arjuna tapped his shoulders, he was prepared.
Once Jaune had healed, Lancelot called him, Jaune, Lancelot, and Pitou were now standing at a much higher place- joined by Artoria as well, who gave her praises to Jaune for his pyrrhic victory- even though to Artoria it wasn't, to Jaune it was.
However, there was a different reason why they were taking the high place to watch this match.
"Listen carefully Jaune, whatever you could see- you need to see, concentrate your aura and focus on the battle that is about to occur, you will learn a lot from here- every battle taken place, is a lesson in your book remember that."
Instead of any further question, Jaune simply nodded and prepared for the action.
Sherlock once again puffed smoke off his lips, standing on the Podium he repeats his words- "The battle ends when the other party admits defeat or is unable to move. Even after the shattering of aura, you are allowed to fight…well then, contenders…are you both ready?"
A nod from both, Sigurd and Arjuna.
"Let's go ahead!"
Sigurd was about to make the first move- even before he decided what to do something held him in his place.
Rustle!
Below Sigurd's feel, roots of a tree?!- the roots had broken through the concrete of the ground and had held on firmly holding him on a vice grip.
Acting purely on instinct, Sigurd drew out his sword, [Gram], concerting it with aura, sliced right in front of him- what cut down was an arrow.
An arrow made of black-colored aura. Arjuna didn't use conventional forms of arrow or dust arrows- his precision with aura is great enough to construct an arrow and shoot.
"Let's see if the youngest specialist lives up to the hype of his title." Arjuna casually remarked as he gently pressed his palm on the ground.
"[Aura Zone: Lonely Forest]" Arjuna muttered aloud as Sigurd's eyes widened-
DOOOOOOOOON!
The ground surrounding Sigurd broke down, as trees, tall dark oak trees, replaced it surrounding Sigurd completely. Arjuna was out of sight. No not just Arjuna, Sigurd found himself trapped within the forest created by his opponent.
He couldn't see the spectators as well- the sky was now what could be covered with dark oak leaves.
Rustle!
Sigurd prepared himself.
Swoosh!
Sigurd, even though attached to the ground, cut the aura arrow, but that wasn't the end, it was as if a trigger.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Aura Arrows rained down on him- to any other hunters, even veterans it would be difficult to spot those arrows, within the conditions where the environment was against them, and the dense black aura arrows merged with the environment, the camouflage.
This would mean death for the opponent, any-other opponent.
Sigurd wasn't just anybody.
Arjuna miscalculated, it's just that aura arrows are used by Sigurd as well, the difference being- those are aura bullets.
[Ridill] and [Hrotti], the white and the black revolver, made with an induced grip that absorbs aura and shoots, essentially if Arjuna could shoot aura arrows, then Sigurd could shoot aura bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sigurd knew, unlike Arjuna's arrow, which had both strength and precision, his bullets had speed and precision, and better range- however, it lacked strength, or rather Sigurd didn't develop them to have strength in the first place.
Since, his bullets didn't consume much aura, with enough precision and kinesthetic movement mastered, he deflected each of the arrows with ease.
However, detecting Arjuna is next to impossible when he is hiding within the shadows of the forest, a troublesome semblance indeed, the problematic equation was due to the nature of aura, it appeared as if Arjuna was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, his semblance made it sure that he is camouflaged perfectly.
A hunter hunting prey.
Sigurd smirked.
"You underestimate me, I did not get the title because of nepotism, I earned it, allow me to demonstrate it to you."
Sigurd holstered his guns back, his aura condensed- slowly but surely the atmosphere changed, the surrounding concentrated- it became cold.
Sigurd's eyes glowed.
"[Aura Zone: Zero Point Break]"
A second later, as if mimicking an explosion, a pulse revered and, in an instant, -
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-
The forest created by Arjuna was now covered in a thick layer of ice, not soft snow, nor breakable, deep blueish-green ice, solid ice covered the forest.
What once was Arjuna's field now turned into Sigurd's- and he was the hunter now.
Prey is in his sights.
The people were quiet, marveled at the spectacle performance- matching them would be impossible.
Jaune felt it, something in the atmosphere changed when Arjuna muttered those words. It changed once again when Sigurd muttered those words. It was as if something was sucked off the environment itself.
"Is Lonely Forest and Zero-point break, their respective names for their semblances?" Jaune queried, the thought of muttering out the name of the semblance seemed bizarre to him. Why would they do something like that?
It was Artoria who answered the question, "It wasn't their semblance, rather an ability of their semblance- no, an advanced ability of their semblance."
Jaune was still confused, watching that, Lancelot took it upon himself to explain it because he knew, both Pitou and Artoria would be plenty bad at it.
"Listen Jaune- each semblance has its respective way of being used. Each have their ability, however, unless it's a passive ability, every ability used under semblance or even the semblance itself consumes aura. You can say, semblance is a car and aura are the diesel-dust for the car. It needs the fuel to work, same as semblance who need aura to work. However, sometimes for activation for certain abilities, the body aura is not enough or simply to conserve the aura from the body or even use up the aura from the body- in addition with the aura present in the nature, in the environment itself."
"Wait, there is aura in the environment surrounding us?"
"Except for the Grimm, the aura is everywhere- even in people who have not unlocked the physical means to use aura, the aura is ever-present. If it breathes and it lives, it has an aura. Using 'Aura Zone', means making a pact or a deal with nature itself. When done in exchange of aura or base trigger aura, the ability of semblance is activated."
Lancelot spoke funny words, he understood why it exists, or perhaps used but still, there was more to it, wasn't there?
Seeing Jaune's expression, Lancelot replied, "There is more to 'Aura Zone', however, right now, focus on their fight, in the next training session, I will explain to you in detail."
Jaune simply nodded and his eyes set on the match.
[Part-4]
7th June, Monday- RX21, 11:45
Sigurd had Arjuna, now that the forest was covered, above on the left tree, his legs frozen, Sigurd broke through his binds that were frozen and covered the distance at an incredible speed- moving as close to his target as possible and he did.
Arjuna was caught off-guard by Sigurd's ability and his skill to use Aura Zone. He did not expect this to occur nor did he expect Sigurd to have an ability similar to Karna's. Instead of fire, it's ice.
Sigurd's fist was coated with aura, ready to bash in Arjuna's skull- however, Arjuna's skill did not falter, he knew the difference between his and Sigurd's aura use- Sigurd was superior.
However,
ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A blast of wind!
Wind dust right at Sigurd's face, dismantling him for just a second, second enough for Arjuna to use another device. The Vertical maneuvering equipment- [Vayu], with the surge of aura passing through its rear, Arjuna escaped and was now floating in the air with its aid- or rather maneuvering- but-
Sigurd smirked.
Arjuna's eyes widen.
A little shock traveled through Sigurd's palm, he closed his fist and-
DOOOOOON!
Right at Arjuna's gut at a fast pace, what hit was Sigurd's sword [Gram] which he purposefully left behind. The material on [Gram]'s hilt and handle, and the material on Sigurd's vambrace and greaves were the same however, they had a similar property to the nature of magnetism. The north pole and the south pole- the law of attraction and repulsion, however, in this case, the sword and suit are used in a different manner.
What that manner was, Arjuna didn't know, or Sigurd would not give him the time to figure it out anyway.
Even before Arjuna had the chance to retaliate-
DON!
Sigurd with his absurd maneuver, punched him right in the face- sending him off and breaking the tree that had turned to ice- even if it was for an instant, Sigurd could see the difference- that punch did more damage.
In short, in terms of aura output and strength, Sigurd has Arjuna beat.
Leaving the sword behind once again, Sigurd dashed for Arjuna, pulling out his guns- he started his relentless shootings-
CRACKKKKKKKKKKKK!
Through the ice broke another large tree, not as big as the oak trees- yet it was fairly large, however, its bark was much thicker- a banyan tree, a religious tree of Vacuo, known for its thick and dense bark and long roots- roots that now launched towards, Sigurd.
On the high branch, Arjuna once again aimed- however this time, the tip of his arrows were spherical in shape?
'Are they going to explode, in contact? That's not possible, that's not his attribute,'
Sigurd thought that for a moment but was dodging the roots, however, something about that aura arrow was weird.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Multiple aura arrows with spherical arrows were shot, however, unlike the previous ones they were a tad bit slower. Sigurd caught on to that.
Calling upon his sword, he holstered his guns back, he'll just get into Arjuna's personal space once again.
[Gram] in his hand once again, he rushed- those spherical arrows? Sigurd dodged them all with effective ease, it would seem that those arrows were made for damage, but if it won't hit, what's the point it?
Just as Sigurd was about to jump onto the branch, Arjuna used [Vayu] to fly backward, but before that-
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
He shot the black aura arrows, denser and faster this time- unlike those spherical ones.
However, Sigurd predicted Arjuna would do something of this nature, as such, concentrating aura, then deflecting three of the arrows and jumping right at Arjuna by dodging the other four.
Arjuna smirked.
It was for a moment, but even in mid-air, Sigurd felt compelled to look back.
The spherical arrows from earlier- they were floating, just in the shape of a well, sphere- however, the seven arrows that Arjuna shot just now, the once which Sigurd deflected and dodged, were…all of the arrows were being reflected, bouncing around each other and then-
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Sigurd was a tad bit slow, as all the arrows hit his back and dispersed, since it was made of pure aura, it penetrated the suit.
"Agh!"
No time given, Arjuna launched a barrage of aura arrows- piercing sides, shoulders, chest, legs, and Sigurd's face.
"Haaa!"
Slamming his longbow, Arjuna dunked Sigurd right back at the banyan trees, whose roots surrounded and held Sigurd in a vice grip.
With the aid of [Vayu] Arjuna levitated, to him and perhaps everyone else, it was his victory.
"Specialist, there is no shame in giving up. You are simply outmatched."
Arjuna prepared his arrow once again, if anything he knew people from Atlas were damn stubborn. Well, his loss- Arjuna thought but before he could launch the attack that would ensure his victory, he noticed the sparks on Sigurd's gauntlets.
Immediately he twisted himself and kicked off Sigurd's sword high up in the sky.
"Did you think the same trick would work on me twice?"
This time it was Sigurd's turn to smirk, the same smirk that Arjuna presented to him.
KRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
!?
Arjuna was caught off guard, a pillar of ice was generated right in front of him, not just that-
KRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
Multiple of them- it was then he realized, the ice- Sigurd too could control it freely, but it didn't matter-Arjuna stared as Sigurd froze the banyan tree and glared- which was reciprocated as well.
Arjuna stared as he saw Sigurd covering his arms and only arms with aura. He was preparing to finish this- then so would he?
Those orbs surrounded Arjuna again, this time he shot fourteen-
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Fourteen aura arrows, and with reflecting among themselves as their damage and speed increase, their target was one.
The Specialist Sigurd Sonne.
Then- the arrows rained down on him- Sigurd Sonne did not run, he did not summon the ice, neither did he use his guns instead-
DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON!
With his punches- with his heavy aura induced punches, he punched the arrows, Arjuna's aura arrows which had increased speed and damage right back at him- the latter had barely time to even dodge- however, enough to see that the sword that was kicked off at the sky was now falling towards Sigurd.
As if on instinct hiding behind the pillars generated by Sigurd's semblance, he called upon his own as well- an orb that soon, became a cocoon of wood for protection.
It was as if Sigurd won a toss.
All of his aurae was concentrated on his left arm, his muscles he could feel them tearing themselves up- no it was so dense that his suit started to tear, but he did not care, instead, it appeared as if Sigurd won a toss.
From the sky, when his sword came back as if on command, presented its hilt towards Sigurd and without any second thought he-
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!
Punched.
And he punched hard, hard enough to shatter the land with impact crate, enough to break through the aura-induced ice pillars- enough to get inside Arjuna's cocoon of wood.
Enough to tear off Arjuna's archer arm.
Slamming and plummeting down, Arjuna's aura shattered as he, tiered and broken glared Sigurd- knowing one thing is clear.
Sigurd fixed his glasses, he speaks-
"Huntsman, there is no shame in giving up. You are simply outmatched."
Arjuna lost his consciousness.
Sherlock's voice echoed, "Arjuna Savyasachi has lost consciousness and can no longer fight. The winner of the second bout is Sigurd Sonne!"
[Part-5]
7th June, Monday- RX21, 11:55
Pitou had gone off to heal Arjuna and Sigurd, Jaune saw Brynhild and some other candidates from Atlas? And what would appear Arjuna's team- with Pitou.
Jaune on the other hand felt his throat dry. Now it was clear as day, how much Karna was holding back against him. Jaune would have died if Karna would have gone all out- he would have turned to dust- he didn't have semblances like Sigurd or Arjuna.
Hell, Sigurd's aura output puts Yang to shame.
Is…this…?
"Yes, Jaune, power attracts power," Artoria spoke.
Jaune glanced, Artoria continued, "This is what this tournament is all about, this tournament- where stakes are high- where restrictions are removed, you get to see the warrior's wild side. You get to see what happens when the shackles are finally removed and they ascended- in battle."
Jaune kept quiet, however. Still processing, he felt he has gotten stronger, only to realize there is still a long way to go.
"What did you learn from the fight, Jaune?" Lancelot queried, staring as the stadium was being fixed by one of the kings' men, with the aura gone- the trees and the ice disappeared as well as if they never existed in the first place. The plants withered died and the ice evaporated.
"It's not just about strength and aura, is it?"
Lancelot nodded.
"Indeed. It's not about strength and aura- they do play an important factor, but they aren't the only factors during a battle. Consistency, endurance, agility, environmental awareness, intelligence, skills, plans, traps- you can't just win a battle because you have a high aura or strength- Arjuna had a well-set trap, abilities, and even tactics- in fact much better than that of an average huntsman, average veteran huntsman. However,"
"Sigurd out skilled and outsmarted him."
"Indeed, young Sigurd is indeed a force to be reckoned with, not just body but the mind as well."
"Was Sigurd one of your candidates that would have won?"
"He is up there, yes, but he isn't in the five I think would win."
Jaune was surprised, even with Sigurd's performance, it did not satisfy Lancelot? For some reason, Artoria seemed calm.
"Who do you think would win?"
"Eh, hard to tell, too many factors, but, after the preliminaries, it would be clear to me."
Somehow, Jaune felt that Lancelot was lying.
"The next match would be-
Pyrrha Nikos Vs Jolyne Xavier"
Jaune's ears perked up, he had seen Pyrrha beating everyone at Beacon, but how would she fare here? Perhaps he should go and wish her luck by himself.
Scanning a little he found her, she was still with her uncle and her sister, and there were three other guys and another girl as well. The three men walked off; the other girl just sat a little far away. However- Jaune could have sworn that the three of them were staring at him and the oldest one even glared. Perhaps he was thinking too much.
"I'll just cheer, Pyrrha, and return, wait for me, kay!" stated it to Lancelot and Artoria, he walked off.
However, Artoria on the other hand, watching Jaune go, contemplated on the girl's name.
"Do you have any clue as to why the Olympus's family's elder was for better or for worse glaring Jaune?"
"Hm, no clue, must be looking at Jaune, man relished that his teenage years are gone." Lancelot knew that wasn't the answer and for some reason, he knew that Artoria is involved in this, somehow.
The princess was involved with the peasant, oh the paparazzi.
"Jolyne Xavier, isn't she- "
Lancelot nodded, "Indeed, she is Ozpin's daughter, the resemblance is uncanny, well her hair- she might be taking that after her mother."
"I mean I know you don't need it, but still, best of luck, Pyr."
Her leader smiled, one of the few that makes her heart flutter and mind at peace. Pyrrha could feel the blush and smile- also the almost teasing look of her sister Minerva and her Uncle Barnabas.
"Thank you, Jaune, I will do my best."
Just as she was about to leave for the stadium-
"Please, wait- Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc."
The form of a tall, muscular man, just as tall as Lancelot- covered with battle scars throughout his body. The most notable scar would be a rather small one on his right cheek. He has waist-long dark hair which is tied into a bun and adorned with two golden antennae-like pheasant tail feathers. He has an Eastern dragon tattoo across the front and back of his torso and shoulders, and 「飛將」 ("Flying General") tattooed on the right side of his body. He also has a goatee and no eyebrows. no clothing on his upper body and no footwear. He wears white baggy pants and a piece of fabric that resembles dragon scales, which are tied by a belt with a large decorated golden lion head buckle.
It was as if Jaune and Pyrrha had a conversation through their eyes.
Who did you piss off?
Me? Why is it that on instinct, I am blamed, he asked you too, he must be your fan or something.
Well, do something about it.
What can I do?
You are the leader after all.
Hey, don't you dare pull that card-
The man gently half bowed, even with that scary expression, he bowed- Jaune and Pyrrha on the other hand were quite confused by the man's action.
"My name is Lü Bu, you both might not know me, but Nora and Ren do speak a lot about both of you."
The names of their teammates finally led both of them to connect the dots.
"So, you are Ren and Nora's family?" Jaune asked, he looked a bit unsure, Ren and Nora- they weren't really open about their past, well neither was Jaune nor Pyrrha- holy shit, Jaune just realized.
Even if team JNPR knew each other well, they didn't exactly know each other that well, like Team RWBY, perhaps Jaune should have been more insistent, but he didn't want to pry, the past is, in the end, each individual's business.
But, somewhere in Jaune's heart- it still hurt that, he and his teammates weren't close enough for sharing secrets.
"Not by blood, no, but I am their older brother in a sense, older brother figure would be the best way to describe my relationship with them. Ren and Nora, for the longest time they just had each other, even with me around, in a way, Nora was the only person Ren opened up, talked and in a way…loved. Reading Nora's letters of her new family in Beacon, how much kindness you showed them. Even Ren wrote me letters and if you get to know him, the kind of lazy guy he is that is a big deal. I wanted to meet you, but since you were injured from the first match, I refrained. I just wish to say, thank you, thank you for making me feel Ren and Nora home at Beacon, that their smiles still shine bright."
Jaune and Pyrrha gave bright smiles as well, and Jaune's heart found the peace that Nora and Ren do consider him and Pyrrha family and that's more than enough for him.
Lü Bu spoke, "And good luck to you, Pyrrha Nikos."
"Yes, thank you."
Pyrrha's opponent was a bit stylish if, her attire was anything to go by. She was a young woman of above-average height and slim to athletic build. Bold-eyed, she wears her hair in two "layers": A dark base including two large buns atop her head and a short length going down her neck; above which, lightly dyed or bleached, she keeps a plait or braid that winds around both buns, joining in a short length at back, and bangs that frame her face and has tattooed on the top of her left forearm the image of butterfly wings superimposed with a downward-pointing dagger, which reappears on the chest of her outfits.
Strange she looked a lot like…Headmaster Ozpin? Maybe Pyrrha was reading too much into this, the other thing bizarre about this girl was she for some reason carried absolutely no weapons- none at all.
Pyrrha's semblance [Polarity] when actively not used, has a passive skill- which required a little aura to use, within 300 meters, she can sense both magnetic and non-magnetic substances.
Jolyne Xavier did not carry any weapon, nor any dust on her as well. Pyrrha on the other hand was well equipped and had additional explosive dust as well. To others it may have appeared that Jolyne was acting cocky- however, Pyrrha knew better, something was off, something about this girl was clearly off.
Someone who had clear faith in hand-to-hand, even after witnessing Sigurd and Arjuna? Either she is stronger than them or she is quite the trickster.
Either way, Pyrrha will not underestimate her.
{Bout-3: Pyrrha Nikos Vs Jolyne Xavier}
Sherlock once again puffed smoke off his lips, standing on the Podium he repeats his words, for the third time- "The battle ends when the other party admits defeat or is unable to move. Even after the shattering of aura, you are allowed to fight…well then, contenders…are you both ready?"
A nod from both, Pyrrha and Jolyne. The former was prepared, the latter looked rather arrogant.
"Let's go ahead!"
Both, Pyrrha and Jolyne, circled each other, neither of them moving in closer or running too far off, Pyrrha's eyes were scanning Jolyne's body- making sure that whatever she does, Pyrrha would have a countered prepared.
Until she blinked, once, twice- something was wrong.
Jolyne…Jolyne had four arms? Two normal and two, almost looked blue ethereal arms?
Dash!
Concentrating aura on her feet Jolyne dashed, closing the distance, she was fast- however, her speed was comparable to Pyrrha, as such-
DON!
The punch thrown by Jolyne was blocked by Pyrrha's shield [Akoúo̱], however- Pyrrha could feel the power behind that punch, her brain would have rattled out had she tanked the attack- however,
GRAB!
The other two ethereal arms of Jolyne finally revealed themselves, separating themselves from Jolyne and finally taking a form-
A humanoid figure of a height and build similar to Jolyne's.
It wears what appears to be a pair of sunglasses varying in darkness, obscuring vertically ridged eyes. Four blade-like protrusions run over its head from the top of the jaw to the back of its neck, bordering the sides of both eyes. Cones truncated at a length of one-third the width of its head protrudes from the region of the ears.
It wears elliptical shoulder pads with a snakeskin pattern and hexagonal knee pads. Several patches of its lightly-shaded body reveal a fibrous interior, wound horizontally. Its forehead, neck, arms, and the area from its midriff to the top of its feet bear small, evenly spaced studs/bumps.
That figure grabbed on to [Akoúo̱] and threw to a different side- partially Pyrrha let her do that.
In an instant, it hit Pyrrha, what this was. Jolyne Xavier had a Stand-in based semblance, however, to her knowledge most Stand-in Semblance users, tend to keep their semblance a secret, however, Jolyne appeared to be a bold one- she showed her without any hesitation. Pyrrha deduced due to the nature of Jolyne's semblance, she did not need any weapons.
Using her agility, Pyrrha took multiple steps back and [Miló] took the rifle mode. Jolyne's semblance had power if Pyrrha had to put it, two levels above Yang's semblance power output- Not as strong as Karna's or Sigurd's. However, certainly stronger than hers.
Aiming, Pyrrha took the shot-
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Pyrrha emptied the magazine of the high-impact rounds, Jolyne's stand on the other hand, effectively deflected most of them and aided Jolyne to dodge the rest- however, Pyrrha could see the red markings on Jolyne's hand.
The greatest weakness of having the Stand-in based semblance is whatever damage is done to the Stand, is reflected upon the user as well. Jolyne's semblance might not have much persistence, Pyrrha could use this to her advantage.
SSsrrrrr!
Pyrrha was surprised- her hand which held on to [Miló], was now tied with a blueish-white rope? No strings, multiple strings attached to her roping her right hand and [Miló] together.
Looking up, Pyrrha saw Jolyne smirking, one of the arms of Jolyne's Stand, had turned into strings, holding on to her- "Caught you." Jolyne commented.
So this was Jolyne's Stand's ability String Decomposition.
The string pulled Pyrrha, so fast- she didn't have the time to plant her feet, however, Jolyne was not idle either, she dashed as well, with technique and precision, before two meters of contact, Jolyne took back the string and then-
DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON!
Barraged Pyrrha with her Stand's punches, so much so- that
"AAgh!" Pyrrha bled from her nose and mouth, however-
DON!
"AAgh!"
It wasn't Pyrrha, it was Jolyne- watching the last match between Sigurd and Arjuna and how Sigurd used his sword- even if it wasn't Sigurd's semblance, and was the ability of the suit, Sigurd was impressive.
Pyrrha copied that- her way of fight requires, a sword or javelin and a shield- a shield that Jolyne had thrown away, since Pyrrha didn't reveal [Polarity], it completely caught Jolyne off guard as to the sudden attack behind her back through the shield.
A technique Pyrrha learned by watching Sigurd's battle.
[Miló] converted into javelin and using [Polarity] Pyrrha brought the shield, [Akoúo̱] and readied herself, in the traditional spartan position, shield front, and javelin ready to pierce. However, her mind was still shaken and everything looked a bit blurry as well- one of Jolyne's punches landed on her chin, so as much as it hurt her to say- she had taken more damage than dishing it out.
Even if Pyrrha knew that Jolyne wasn't that protected behind the back of her head, she still tanked it. Her aura is impressive.
Jolyne shook her head- she glared- something that Pyrrha felt-
The same feeling, it was as if both of them were the same and different.
"Haah!"
Pyrrha dashed, using her shield she went for a bash, but Jolyne's Stand punched it back-
DON!
Pyrrha expected that- dropping [Akoúo̱] instantly, she backflipped and [Miló] form converted to that of a sword she struck Jolyne-
SLICE!
Jolyne winced- her Stand's army was sliced, it wasn't severed off, however, Pyrrha did leave a deep cut that bled- she had put quite the amount of aura behind her attack.
Pyrrha relentlessly used swords to slice- and Jolyne parried them by launching her attacks as well-
Jolyne noticed, Pyrrha's left arm, glowing grey- in an instant-
DON!
With the help of her Stand, with enough power, Jolyne threw away [Akoúo̱] at a farther distance, Jolyne smirked- "Same trick won't work twice-"
It was Pyrrha who was smirking, [Miló] was in rifle form and now near Jolyne's face, in an instant Jolyne expected the point black attack and her stand defended her face- however-
It was at this moment, Jolyne fell for Pyrrha's trap- [Miló]'s rifle tank was empty and there was no attack- No, the real attack was-
Using [Polarity] at its fullest- Pyrrha brought [Akoúo̱] back and-
SLAM!
"AARGH!" slammed it right at Jolyne's Stand's nape and Jolyne felt the damage-
Pyrrha dropped [Miló] and then-
DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON!
With aura-induced punches, Pyrrha returned the favor.
SSRRK!
"!?"
Pyrrha was caught off guard, Jolyne's arm had turned into strings, both of them?! No, it was her stand, her stand's ability is to manipulate strings- it also applied to Jolyne's physiology as well-
Converting her arms into strings, tight strigs that could even cut stone- Pyrrha concentrated aura on her arms, she felt as if Jolyne was trying to sever them.
"I refuse to lose to the likes of you." Jolyne spat with venom, that caught Pyrrha off-guard.
"What?" She didn't understand, what did she do to earn her ire.
"Do you know the name of my semblance? The name of my Stand? It's [Stone Free]- it represents my liberty, my freedom, my destiny that I choose!"
Pyrrha's eye widen, Jolyne's glare didn't disappear, she continued,
"You on the other hand- I have seen those eyes. I know those eyes- you are a prisoner! And I refuse, refuse to lose to the likes of you, to the likes of a prisoner!"
Pyrrha's eyes widen.
"Remember, I do not care about your decision, your destiny is not yours to make. You are just clay, in my hands and I will mold you to a shape that I see fit. Be grateful that you are even allowed to visit me after you pulled the stunt of not going to Haven, but Beacon. My name, Hera Olympus, is not just a name. It is Mistral itself. Elections are up, and I need to make sure that I get the most power out of the rest of the countries. As such, this marriage will aid me, the family is grateful for that, do you understand?"
DON!
Jolyne headbutted Pyrrha.
DON!
Again.
DON!
Again.
DON!
And again.
Till Pyrrha's eyes were red and she was bleeding from everywhere from her face- however, Jolyne's head had taken damage too.
Jolyne separated herself and took distance- with the remaining ounce of aura, Pyrrha retreated and called in [Miló] and [Akoúo̱].
Pyrrha and Jolyne had one target and few remains of aura- they both concentrated it.
Jolyne's Stand-in semblance [Stone Free] disappeared, instead, her own arms appeared to be like that of her Stand- brimming with aura.
Pyrrha did the same with [Miló] and [Akoúo̱], covering them up with aura, every last ounce, and prepared herself.
They dashed towards each other, with everything they got.
Pyrrha now understood why Jolyne and her were different.
[Miló] punctured Jolyne's right arm, it went straight in, through the knuckles- Jolyne felt the pain.
Jolyne was free and Pyrrha was not, Pyrrha understood that.
DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!
Jolyne's left arm, however, slammed Pyrrha right on her face, on the groundbreaking her nose, lips, forehead- shattering her aura.
This is what was bothering Pyrrha. She was bounded by destiny. Jolyne made her own destiny.
Sherlock's voice echoed, "Pyrrha Nikos has lost consciousness and can no longer fight. The winner of the third bout is Jolyne Xavier!"
Author's Notes:
Happy belated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year. Sorry didn't post for very long, as well, irl problems and well exams were killing me- man I love my subjects but damn gotta grind hard as well.
Well, I'm back now, exams aren't over, but I can post another chapter within, 8 days this time? Max would be 10 but you guys would get another chapter.
Enough about my problems. Let's talk about the story.
Now, the next chapter would be the last one for preliminaries, I won't do all the fights, I will just do the important ones. And as for the new stuff and abilities that you guys read, it will be explained in the third or the fourth setting on this volume so, be ready for that. I also enjoyed writing this chapter very much.
Meanwhile, a little bit of database.
Note: - the strength of semblance does not equate to skills or ability to use. these are general parameters of semblance, it's not the description of their ability. The description of their ability will be explained in the story and once again will be provided at the end of the volume.
Remained, that power does not equivalent to victory, these are just the parameters of their semblance.
Name- Neferou Pitou
Semblance- Imhotep Asclepius
A Unique Semblance
Destructive Power- (Nil)
Speed- (Nil) [Stationery Position]- EX+ (While working on surgery)
Range- E
Persistence- EX+
Precision- EX++
Development Potential- (Nil)
Name- Karna Vasusena
Semblance- Surya Shakti
Weapon- Mid to Long-range Spear- [Vasavi Shakti]
Destructive Power- EX
Speed- A
Range- A
Persistence- B
Precision- A
Development Potential- F
Name- Arjuna Savyasachi
Semblance- Khandavaprastha
Weapon- Long Bow- [Gandiva]
Vertical maneuvering equipment- [Vayu]
Destructive Power- C
Speed- A
Range- EX
Persistence- EX
Precision- EX
Development Potential- S
Name- Sigurd Sonne
Semblance- White Album
Weapon- Hard-Light Aura Induced Sword with broad hilt- [Gram]
Dual Revolvers Aura based bullet chambers- [Ridill] and [Hrotti]
Destructive Power- S
Speed- A
Range- EX
Persistence- S
Precision- B
Development Potential- S
Name- Pyrrha Nikos
Semblance- Polarity
Weapon- Javelin-Sword-Rifle- [Miló]
Spartan Shield- [Akoúo̱]
Destructive Power- C
Speed- A
Range- S
Persistence- A
Precision- S
Development Potential- S
Name- Jolyne Xavier
Semblance- Stone Free
A Stand-in (Stand) based semblance
Weapon- None
Destructive Power- B F {String Form}
Speed- C A {String Form}
Range- C S {String Form}
Persistence- A C {String Form}
Precision- C A {String Form}
Development Potential- A