Noel dodged a shot from his opponent's weapon, that aimed at his waist, his opponent

didn't stop shooting at him despite his action some bullets landed, the aura blocked then, but it was annoying, he wanted to conserve aura, it would be easier if speed were his expertise.

Noel getting tired of the chase dashed forward aided by his aura and on the way, he turned his fingers of his right arm into blades

His opponent, push the switch on his weapon, changing the heavy assault rifle that he carried into a huge sword that he could move like a toy.

The flat of the blade swung towards Noel, and the blonde dogged the attack by jumping. Sadly, it wasn't quick enough, and his enemy managed to hit his legs mid-jump, making noel fell to the ground sideways.

He reacted quickly using his left arm to absorb the impact, he quickly recovered and promptly jumped backward evading another swing.

The transmigrant was still slow compared to his classmate which quickly chased him down and charged at him relentlessly not giving him any chance to fight back.

The blonde was capable to avoid some of the strikes of the onslaught of swings but, some were by pure luck, others by a quick reaction, he saw minor windows to retaliate.

However his adversary was either too quick for him or he was too slow to properly land a blow that wasn't a glancing one, he needed to change this quick, luckily he had an idea.

The blonde blocked the first two swings of the flurry of blows with his weapon arm, the third one with his practice Tonfa, but the fourth strike nearly made his prosthesis lose cohesion.

During the fifth attack, he quickly transformed the tonfa on his left arm into his SMG taking advantage of the melee range, he fired, reducing his classmate's aura. Thanks to the momentary distraction, he took the chance and kicked him in the stomach disorienting him giving Noel a breathing room

He transformed his tonfa back into weapon mode, his fingers into blades and he pounced at his partner. Noel attacked with his tonfa first, his partner was quickly at getting his senses back and raise his sword to parry a strike that never came, for it, was a fain.

The real attack was Noel hitting him with his clawed hand just at the liver level, which left a patch of green moss over it.

The strike hit with enough force to daze his enemy, which supported himself on his sword to not fall to the ground, aura might protect your skin and internal organs from damage but the pain receptors were still at play.

Noel was about to strike him with the tonfa raised but before he could land the blow.

His enemy roared a soul-enhanced Howl that hit him dry in the stomach, stealing his breath, and send Noel flying at the edge of the arena.

The paint distracting enough for him not to feel how his arm was becoming slightly more hobble during the battle

When he landed he started coughing, his everything hurt, fortunately, It also didn't do nearly as much damage.

This is why he was slightly thankful for his condition with Teresa since it gave him more aura to work with, although he feels that the attack his opponent did. reduce his reserves he, checked his bracelet on his left hand, it was in yellow.

" Fucking soul howl," Noel thought those attacks practiced by the people that wanted to know the few reclaimed lost soul arts were very annoying for him.

His opponent also recovered, he got up with his massive sword he put in a stance in front of him with a stoic expression on his face.

Noel was about to dash at his opponent went.

" Wait"the pseudo Tsukumogami warned him.

" Tch why-" he was about to complain.

"I told you to wait " The bluenette replied cutting him with an authoritative tone.

Despite his feeling over the situation, he accepted Teresa's order and waited

The enemy was about to move forward, only for all of a sudden to be covered in vines, all of them coming from the area in which the patch of moss was. he realized he was being trapped he frantically tried to cut the vines to no avail getting locked in place.

" you are really stubborn, " said Teresa annoyed at his partner's impetuous intend.

Noel clicked his tongue and bolted forward, seizing this chance, he shot a hail of bullets towards his opponent, the majority of his shots landed but others went askew.

After that, he changed his SMG back into tonfa mode wailed on his enemy with it, alongside punches, and kicks, his adversary was still capable to defend himself from the onslaught but barely so.

And Noel was about to finish all up. he quickly transformed his arm into a lance, aiming at his opponent's chest, he held back little since he didn't want to injure him badly.

Unfortunately for our duo, Their opponent had enough aura to activate his semblance, he disappeared as he wasn't even there, only leaving a pile of vines.

"Behind you!" Teresa warned against the next attack, as her instinct told her to dodge.

Noel obliged, jumping to dodge the attack, and turned towards his foe.

" Teleporting jerk," thought the blonde, it was a very annoying ability his opponent, tended to use it to attack him on his blind spots, however, he rarely used it, Noel and Teresa concluded that this ability consumed too much out of his aura reserves, but it didn't mean that the battle was easier.

Noel fell stung on his right shoulder, this made him look at his right arm, it was laid on the ground and the trail ended on his wrist being grabbed by his foe.

In a panic, he tried to pull his arm back, but his adversary was firmly holding it, along with burying his sword on the ground as an anchor.

During the tug of war, the blonde turned his tonfa again and attended to spray him with bullets, he pulled the trigger spewing lead, eventually, Noel heard a hollow click on his weapon, and his adversary despite dancing a little for the shots didn't move from his post.

" Fuck it" The blonde thought in frustration and impulsively run towards his opponent, which had a smile on his face.

" Don't!" Teresa yelled mentally in an attend to stop his partner from realizing too late what his enemy wanted to do.

The moment Noel stopped resisting the pull, his opponent yanked his arm violently to the left, making Noel suddenly thrown towards a wall of the arena.

And his foe didn't stop he moved the noodle-like arm like it was a whip in a different direction and Noel soon lost sense of where he was, the world became a blur for the blonde.

Until it finally stopped, the sealing of the arena being the first thing he distinguished. still dazed he attended to get up till he heard a claxon.

" Another lost hu?" he mumbled his face in a frown, he was a little bit frustrated that it happened again.

He feels a voice sigh on his mind, followed by a cold sensation and silence, it was most likely Teresa's frustration towards the battle in general, Noel could understand to a certain extend, he participated in the battle too after all, but that was it, he lacked the same amount competitive passion she had.

" Hey, want a hand?" his opponent extended his hand that was covered in a green glove, while he had a smile on his face.

Noel gave his hand making him stand on he was still a little dizzy though so he wasn't standing normally, it didn't deter the alumni to give him back his, freakishly stretched arm back.

" You almost got me there, you know," the tanned Faunus said good naturally.

This made Noel sees the screen that was in the arena for sparring matches, the face of the Faunus he fought and he was present there with the bars at the bottom.

While Noel had his bar completely drained, his opponent was only Indicated by the color red.

Although it was true that Noel lacked the same passion as Teresas, another thing was performance and progress.

" Tch, Ha dammit," Noel muttered

" Hey, don't be like that you manage to put up a good fight" he tried to lift his spirit.

" That ended with my ass handed to me?" Noel asked sarcastically while he was picking up his extended arm, while it was true that, it was a near victory, Noel perceived as a poor result.

" And what did you learn about it?" an adult voice of young energy got into the conversation that the two hunters had, promptly cutting Noel negative train of thought. "and please don't say obscenities"

That man was Taiyang Xialong and not far behind there was Qrow Branwen which was significantly dourer than the animated professor, despite that he didn't seem to be in a bad mood.

" Umm," He was about to let Teresa respond went.

" Hey, kid don't cheat with the miss on your head" Qrow Branwen called him out before he could do it.

Some of the alumni laughed while he gave the teacher a face, the only reason why he didn't reply to the Corvid, was the simple fact that he indeed tried to do that without then realizing. only for being discovered by Taiyang that day.

In Noel's opinion, this was like a father knowing somehow his child lies to their faces, or because he was easy to read the past week.

The blue-eyed blonde focused on Taiyangs questions, he thought for a full minute. Many answers came forwards, some were in his opinion too obvious, others were extremely far-fetched and finally one of the answers he had many doubts about.

"Mmmm I underestimate him?" the answer came out of his mouth with a grimace of demur.

The blonde Profesor tilted his head on the side frowned a little and said " more or less" with his hand making a gesture that universally means "eh"

Noel didn't make any expression; he expected the answer to be wrong, he was kinda relieved that he wasn't completely of the mark.

" While it's true that you were too confident went you fought Remi.." he said raising a finger on his right hand " you use all your bullets. "

" Ah yeah I should have paid attention to the magazine during that" Noel confessed

"It's vital in some battles to be aware of the number of bullets in one's magazine, this doesn't change even if the gun mode is an SMG." The elder Xiaolong said, " at the same time you also need to work more over the control on your arm"

Noel looked at his noodle arm for a brief moment, and he looked back at Ruby's rose father and nodded, which was returned with a smile from him.

" As for anything else you did give a good fight, and your arm strength is good, you form is ok although you need to add variety to it, went you release a punch I notice that you are far too rigid" the teacher continued uninterrupted " as for your strategies, you have a tendency to think then quickly on the spot while that's good, your strategies have holes"

" And kid you need to be more willing to be dirty, I saw how you do things like Tai said you have a good head on your shoulders, but you could have done several things like throwing dust on his face, or trip him up also you get annoyed and panic far too quickly." Branwen followed up into what his brother in arms said, " that being said your speed is still largely garbage, by my point of view you may as well be as a snail... "

Taiyang just laughed nervously at his coworker and brother in law commentary.

Noel reacted by just giving the Brother or Raven a deadpan expression and rolling his eyes.

"you are never going to stop pointing that out do you?" The reincarnated youth replied slightly annoyed at the remark "yeah, yeah my speed is bad, but at least I am not bad an endurance"

" Hey! just pointing what I see," said the teacher with a sardonic smile on his face" also your endurance? Kid Remi sent you flying with your arm, and let me tell yah kiddo that nonsense he pulled? is no way near as insane as other hunters can pull off "

Noel accepted the criticism with the poker face still in there, to be honest to Himself he was getting overestimating that part of himself a little too much, perhaps because his aura wasn't easy to break.

that being said the darker parts of his psyche thought that Qrow was a sarcastic fuck.

"Qrow don't be mean with the students," said Taiyang to his teammate

"Tai if you don't tell them directly what to do into their thick heads," Qrow said pointing at some of the students that were ticked off by the gesture" they would not be good hunter material in the future, plush the world outside is...Harsh"

for a brief moment, some of the shine Taiyang had previously diminished substantially almost as he was reminded of a bad memory, only to return just as quick, although with not the same luster.

"I understand that, but" he looked bad at the students with an expression on his face that was returned in kind " look is just one week ok?"

Qrow just hummed and mumbled a complaint about forever happy blondes.

that little interaction made Noel remember their personal tragedy, and why Qrow was the way he was.

and made him feel a little bit like shit for referring to Qrow in a disrespectful manner earlier. he sometimes wished he didn't know that much about then

Eventually, the class finished letting then go into a recess, his arm returned to normal and he found his brother going out of the class section of dust and soul art studies, he looked seemingly more animated, at least much better than the battle practice he participated previously went the teachers tried to gouge out what each student was good at.

after eating the two brothers just sad on one of the many desks of the cafeteria.

" So how was the class?" Noel started the conversation "hope you didn't sleep in class"

"says the guy that did just that, on the third day of class, in remnant history and was punished to stand outside upright form an our" His sibling responded with a backhanded reply " and It was good, and I may not have slept, however, it was…."

" Boring?" Noel ended his sentences ignoring the quip his brother aimed at him while Jaune just nodded at his answer " I thought with all those X-ray and Vav comic and books you read you wouldn't get bored out of your mind"

" Ok first that's very different and second they aren't tedious books" Jaune was quick to point out the difference between the glorious comics and how tedious the class was, not to mention daring to compare his favorite comic book with that, the heretic " I need to admit that dust and soul arts are awesome thing is all of those books made me wanna sleep"

" I get your point simple works could be useful to explain those" Noel said remembering the moment he asked why those scientific works were necessary for animals and an assortment of other things back in his world, he really didn't get it too much

" I know right? , by the way how was your practice?" it was his brother turn to ask " I meant it should have been better than mine at least"

" nope" Noel responded quickly " I have been used a boulder to open craters on the arena"

" O-Oh another loss" Jaune just winced imagining how painful that has to be " that would leave a mark"

" Meh at least I got him at red, and yes is frustrating" Noel close his eyes in an attend to relax" it makes me think I am not fit for combat sometimes

"hey don't sell yourself short, " Said the Younger arc with a smile " you are at least better than me at melee"

"says the strategist that at least won one spar by just thinking hard enough" he shot back the complement of his brother with another one, how dare he raise his spirit.

" Thinking hard enough doesn't suddenly materialize into a punch or a shield to escape a hail of bullets" He replied with a full deadpan tone that was ruined when his voice cracked making him sound like a chicken and the pout at the end didn't help his image. " but thanks anyway"

Noel chuckled at his brother's reaction. He loved this interaction with him, this distracted his mind from his dour mindset and….

" oh, I again forgot to ask then" when he remembered that it got an instinctual reaction out of him, which was his palm and his face meeting violently with each other.

the harsh way he did it echoed across the cafeteria making some students watch him like he had dementia on top of that (though Noel didn't care) it was a bit painful.

Jaune for his part reacted surprised and then with some anger because of it." what the heck, wrong with you!"

" sorry is just I. I just do it ok" Noel said with some apprehension while his hand was still on his face " I just remember that I forgot something I needed to do the first day in class"

" Ok, but stop doing that.," Jaune said more than a little bit worried about his brother, and he thought his self-doubt was bad.

"Also I need to remind you please don't use me that way" Teresa complained.

that last commentary just server to Make Noel more guilty how he acted " don't say sorry, that shit is not gonna work"

" yeah I should control that" Noel said dragging some of the words almost like He didn't know what to say " I meant is just by instinct"

His brother looked at him with a full-on deadpan expression, " you know that makes me ask if you are actually sane"

Noel just looked at him" eh more or less?"

" that doesn't fill me with confidence" Jaune responded with some concern.

" It wasn't meant too" what the snarky reply from his big brother.

"ok, you need to think more positively " He pointed his index finger at his brother when he said that.

" with your sense of humor, I doubt it," Noel said half-jokingly " my dear little brother"

" ok that creepy" The younger arc said more than a little bit put off by what his brother said " don't ever say that again"

" what was creepy?" Noel asked with genuine innocence which made the Younger brother look with a are you kidding me face, these are the moments that made Jaune Think if his brother was doing this on purpose or simply he was that clueless.

" It was the My dear little brother commentary isn't it?" or maybe he wasn't. " oh sorry"

" Just don't worry," He said trying to reassure him " Just don't say That ever"

they heard a ring when the conversation ended, they both got up from their seats, took their backpacks, and Noel carried a strained backpack full of books.

" Uh I know that the backpack weight is not going to register on you," Jaune said " but don't you think you are exaggerating a bit"

" its for me to not forget a book by accident" Noel responded " just in case, nobody got harm by being prepared"

"ok if you say so," Jaune remarked," though not all students carry a backpack that can break heads"

" you know that's a good suggestion for an improvised weapon," Noel Joked and then put his backpack " ok so good luck and your class"

"you too brother."

and so they parted ways to their respective classrooms.

Went school finally ended, Noel was walking on one of the school's hallways along with a mass of people, He was trying to find the teachers Qrow and Taiyang.

It was according to what that secretary said to him that the teacher's classroom would be here.

He needed to ask a certain question about an immortal witch, one question he intended to ask in the past week but his sheer lack of organization made him forget or simply don't have an opportunity to ask for that.

Plush would also reaffirm if she existed or not, given the fact that magic was a thing thanks to the soul's arts, one of many things that freak him out given the title of those things.

That and the fact that those teachers were a thing here, that came as a surprise that also made his first impression with Taiyang awkward that the in Noel first day on the school he looked at Taiyang with eyes like saucers with his jaw metaphorically touching the ground.

Which made him more insecure about his knowledge further, it also made him gain a reputation of a hysterical lunatic, and a weirdo that to be fair was his own fault.

" Yeah, why didn't I at least put all the crap I knew in notes," Noel said to himself. " Oh yeah because I thought my head would be better at saving then"

" I reminded you of this constantly over the week," Teresa said disgruntled " this only tells me you have an awful memory"

" Tell me something I don't know already," Noel said fully accepting Teresa's discontent with him " at least I am doing it now"

" well if anything I could say you are trying to be responsible, " the Bluenedte remarked

The only answer from the Arc was a frown and grunt, Not really responding to that answer, he didn't have any words on how to reply to that.

He continued walking until he found the teachers classroom, he knocked on the wooden door, one of the professors came out and asked what he wanted, Noel responded by telling him that he wanted to talk with Professor Taiyang and Qrow in private regarding his own behavior on class (it helped that he was genuinely insecure about that), if they were there.

The teacher told him that he was in luck since they were about to go to their homes, the Teacher entered the classroom telling him to wait.

After some time, the two professors got out of the classroom.

"So any way you wanna hear about your own behavior?" inquired the dusty Qrow " as far as I can say you are alright, Thought you could do something about that mosquito brain of yours"

"...shit" Noel cursed and held back a "shut the fuck up" for Qrow he didn't want to get in trouble for that " well is nice to now I am still clueless,"

" Qrow don't insult the student, Noel again don't swear" Taiyang got into dad mode again " and yeah you need to work on focusing on class, at least you stopped using your scroll"

"well I don't feel like I am doing ok, " Noel said he really didn't feel any different from back then, it might be his own sense of dissatisfaction, but he always has that feeling that he wasn't doing enough " Hmm, I meant I just feel, How do I put it?..."

" Inadequate?" Teresa Helped him.

" Inadequate" he repeated what his partner said.

Qrow rolled his eyes and Taiyang just signed, it wasn't their first rodeo with an insecure student.

" Noel just perish the thought, you are good believe it," said The elder Xiaolong.

" Get that into your thick skull kiddo, despite you having some issues you are learning" Qrow followed up " ain't nobody becoming a hunter or going to beacon in one day, just relax and stop accelerating, you are gonna crash if you don't stop putting the pedal to the metal"

Noel just put on a troubled expression their words resonated too much like what his Fathers and his grandmother tell him in his past life, it was nostalgic but kinda painful " stop, thinking like that and Focus, Now you need to ask then about Salem"

Anxiety ran through all of his body with a sense of foreboding, his head filled up with several what-if questions, but he ignores them, he had his objective right now, he couldn't be a coward.

" So do any of you know about a Witch?" He asked " One with the name Salem?"

Went he said that the atmosphere of the hallway changed from a lukewarm one to glacial temperature, Taiyang stood at such an angle that the bangs of her hair hid his haunted expression into a shadow, and Qrow throws him a stern look as if he said a Blasphemous word.

Everything was in an uncomfortable silence that continued for two minutes, which may as well be an eternity for Noel.

Eventually, I got broken by Qrow.

"Kid," He said with a Grimm intent behind his voice " Can you please tell us, How do you know That name?"

"I-I don't know if you will believe me but" Noel tried to gain rain on his tremulous voice It was now or never now, after this, there wasn't any going back, and he probably would gonna end up drafted into this conflict.

One part of him didn't want to be into this, he truly didn't, however, his sense of duty screamed at him to help then, even if it was a long shot.

He didn't want to hate himself more than he already did.

" I reincarnated into the arc family, I got my memories back thanks to an accident" He continued " My real age at least mentally is 39 years old and well,

He paused to see their reactions Qrow keep his steely expression on his face but he could swear that his eyes bulged a little, The elder Xiao long face morphed from Haunted to a frown probably more than confused by Noels claims.

" The reason I know about that witch" He once again reined the fear that was going through his bones a nervous laugh go out before declaring." is even more nuts"