So, I took a break about two weeks ago from writing just to have some time off. Things have been pretty busy with writing and work, and I didn't want to get burnt out.

However, there is one thing I want to ask the audience. I have been playing with the idea of making this fic a Jaune x Ruby/Weiss. So a Lancaster White Knight. I already threw the idea around to Dark White Fang and he seemed to like and gave a pretty good reasoning for it to take place alongside Jaune and Weiss' already forming relationship.

As of now, Ruby and Jaune have the framework already set up to form a romantic relationship. Jaune does kinda see her as an attractive young woman right now, but doesn't have the feelings for her due to what I've explained in chapter 8. (Age difference mainly) The two have similar interests such as being heroes and weapons, but they also hang out a lot and are becoming fairly good friends.

From this, I can see the two building up feelings for each other. For Ruby, Jaune's her first male friend and is hanging out with him a lot. (The proximity of the two would in real life help to form a relationship as would Jaune and Weiss) Going off of this, I will work to create her own reasoning to fall for Jaune as I will for Weiss.

Throw in some of the Subaru Experience Jaune's going to get put through, and I will make their bond iron clad. For all three of the characters. ( No Ruby x Weiss for this. I want them solely focused on Jaune but they will be BFF's)

So, I'm wondering what everyone else thinks of it. I like it. But I like many ships in the Jaune x PRWBY / White Rose/ Bumble Bee area. (I'm a bit of a multi shipper at heart) So, I'm kind of biased here.

No Jaune x Nora though. I'm a Renora shipper when it comes to her.

Leaving the administrative building, Jaune walked out onto the main courtyard of Beacon. The cool morning air graced his lungs immediately upon his first breath. It was a relieving sensation, reinvigorating his body with some of the strength he lost.

It didn't hit Jaune until a few minutes ago just how tired he was. He figured it was about five or six in the morning now. They had just gotten back to the Academy after midnight, and then the battle along with the aftermath took a few more hours to sort out. All of this chaos distracted him from focusing on little things like sleep. Now that his body was succumbing to the forces of melatonin and his other hormones, Jaune was really beginning to feel the sleep pressure.

Don't think about it, Jaune! Need to see Weiss first then Ruby.

He shook his head like a dog trying to get water out of its fur. The shock to his brain managed to clear his mind enough to focus. It did nothing to relieve the aches and pains his body was feeling, but it was enough to get Jaune where he needed to go.

Around the courtyard were some of the other students hanging out until they got instructions to do otherwise. Most were the ones that didn't go chasing after the soldiers; however, Jaune noticed a few of the knights that had gone into the city. Everyone was looking pretty ancy, waiting for something or anything to happen. All had their weapons in hand or one resting on the pommel of a sword, ready to unleash it a moment's notice.

None of the other students paid any mind to him, however. They all had more important things to focus on other than him. Not that Jaune complained. Being the centre of attention among the heads of Beacon Academy made him want to scurry off and out of the limelight. Jaune felt that him being a paladin wouldn't come up anytime soon either.

His mind didn't really care about any of that stuff as well. Jaune was still trying to wrap his head around what Ozpin and Goodwitch had told him. There was a lot at a single time, but he felt like he understood the gist of it. He was surprised they had come up with their conclusions so quickly, though. Jaune wasn't sure where they got most of their information, and a part of him didn't want to know.

I doubt they can find anybody who would know about the box...

Jaune wasn't sure why they did suspect the box of anything. From the way they described it, the container didn't seem all that special. Maybe something Weiss would own. She would probably have it filled to the brim with jewellery or the like. However, even Professor Ozpin had no idea what was so unique about it.

If they couldn't sense anything coming from it, then there wouldn't be much of a reason to suspect it to be dangerous. Supposedly, Ozpin was one of the world's foremost authorities on magic, so he would have been able to suss out the truth. If he couldn't find something wrong with it, then who would? That was the part that confused Jaune the most.

Maybe whoever made the box had mages in mind?

Jaune felt that would be the case. To keep something so valuable out of the hands of a mage, they would have to ensure no mage could discern anything from the box. It was surely important enough to the army that they attacked one of the most dangerous places on Remnant to get it back from the mages who held it. So, it made sense they would take the time to lay a camouflage to conceal anything important from those who had no business toying with it.

If I got a hold of the box, maybe I could see what they were trying to hide?

It was certainly a longshot. Since Jaune could now see the enchantments on weapons and armour, he might be able to figure out the box. That's if he looked at it through the same method a blacksmith would. Something mages weren't readily capable of.

Then again, for whoever made the box, they probably took something like that into account. If a younger Jaune had stumbled onto the box and tried the same thing, it was possible he could summon some giant monster from within it. Any large organisation like the one Ozpin suspected would have people smart enough to ensure such things couldn't happen.

Yeah, sounds a little stupid now that I think about it... I don't even know where we could find the box. The thieves probably already left the region by now.

Maybe I should ask Weiss.

Jaune remembered the order to keep things silent on this matter, but if Weiss and Ruby were going to be questioned about this, then he was going to tell them. It would be pointless to keep either of them in the dark and entirely unfair for the girls. They both risked their lives to save everyone, and they have the right to know what they might be getting themselves into.

Not that we should share this with anybody else. Maybe Blake or Ren, but that's probably the limit of who I should tell.

Those two would make good allies to keep in his back pocket for now. The rest of his friends were just as easily capable enough to work with, but Jaune knew the ravenettes were of a different cut. Their guile would make them extremely useful if the Paladin were tasked with anything related to the box.

However, before Jaune's mind could go any farther with this train of thought, he walked into the face of a large door. The closed hatch met his forehead without mercy, causing pain to shoot deeply through his upper body. He quickly brought his hands up to his face to massage the wound.

"Owwwwww-how-how-hoooooooooowwwwww... That hurt," Jaune groaned out in pain.

Stupid, you need to watch where you're going!

Jaune had gotten enough bruises on his face already. Anymore, and he'd be close to looking like the last time he fought a hobgoblin. Except for this time, he hadn't gotten the absolute crap beaten out of him. His Aura was only at forty per cent and still climbing, which meant his wounds would be healed in a day or two completely.

Even with his current Constitution, Jaune hadn't yet put on the necklace he'd gotten from the vault. He didn't think about wearing it at the moment, stuffing it into a case on his belt, so he could show it off to his friends when he saw them.

After finally rubbing the pain out of his forehead, Jaune looked up to see his intended destination. The infirmary had indeed snuck up on him and clocked the boy in the face when he wasn't looking. A crafty building that could hide in plain sight and still catch you off-guard. Not to speak of the denizens that inhabited this place.

Jaune got chills just thinking about the Priestess chewing him out again. Though she probably had more important things to care about at the moment. So, Jaune might be able to get off without being noticed by her.

Okay, let's go see how Weiss is doing.

The Paladin reached for the door handle and pulled open the large hatch. Several hundred pounds of wood and metal all moved at once with surprising ease. The door was as sturdy as they came but without the weight holding it down. Something was definitely off about it.

Jaune didn't think any more about it as he slipped inside the infirmary. The entire building was a beehive of activity with people moving about in all directions. Some were moving gurneys carrying wounded, or others were rushing to assist someone else in an attempt to stabilise a patient. Jaune tried his best to not get in anybody's way, sticking to a wall where there seemed to be a path. The boy had to cross his arms to create enough room where someone wouldn't walk into him.

Wandering around, Jaune went through the halls trying to find Weiss. Along the way, he took a glance at the wounded and their conditions. Most were minor cuts and bruises that needed to be treated still, but others were far worse. There were kids with limbs missing, crying out in pain as the staff worked their magic. Another run through the chest with a sword poking out from his back. A girl with a sword wound splitting open her skull, exposing the bone within.

They were too far gone to recover from their injuries entirely and still be adventurers. Most would probably be sent home. Jaune suspected a few might die from the severity of their wounds as some were not aided fast enough. His own confidence in healing magic wasn't enough to think there was anything he could do. Jaune only healed minor wounds, not reattaching lost limbs. He could only leave this to the professionals and hope they were able to do something here.

It made his heart ache, seeing the state many of these students were in. Jaune couldn't begin to understand how they must have felt. Their lives probably over and their dreams crushed in one night. Such a scenario would easily be enough to break Jaune under that kind of pressure, knowing everything he had worked for was over.

Even the thought of being forced back into his old life made the boy anxious. Having to return to the disappointed looks from the parents he left behind only to see the younger sister given everything succeed. That idea made Jaune angry in contrast. Rage seething from within a dark place deep inside the Paladin's stomach. His fist clenched tight, causing the leather from his glove to cry out.

Don't think about it, Jaune...

Jaune took a deep breath to calm himself down. Everything in this room getting to him once more. The air tasting stagnant with a hint of blood. It almost made him want to retch as the metallic sensation reached his buds. He put a hand over his mouth to force the urge down enough to focus.

Come on, Jaune... Need to find Weiss. Have to make sure she's all right.

He walked past the operation wing and into a less crowded part of the building. This area seemed to be dedicated to patients receiving long-term care. Rooms set up with a bed and table to see the needs of those housed within. Several were filled with students resting their heads and trying to recover from their injuries.

It was just about as good a place to start looking as anywhere else. Jaune didn't think Weiss would be helping out with the wounded, so she would probably be here trying to rest. If not, then he would be back to square one.

The rooms had a small window to see inside, so Jaune peeked through each to figure out where Weiss was. One or two had a curtain drawn over the port for privacy's sake; however, many were empty and devoid of any life. Jaune guessed those who could move were sent back to the dorms to get some sleep.

Reaching the final room at the end of the hallway, Jaune looked inside the window to find Weiss passed out in the bed. The small form of her body barely showing beneath the blankets. She had removed the outer robes she usually wore in favour of her more form-fitting grey and white shirt plus trousers.

A part of Jaune's mind told him to keep out and go see Ruby, but he needed to make sure Weiss was definitely okay. He went through all of the trouble to find her, so there was no point in backing out anyway. Not to mention Jaune was still carrying Myrtenaster on his side. The way Weiss glued herself to the blade was like a milder form of Ruby's own weapon mania. She would have wanted it back as it seemed so valuable to her.

He reached for the handle, turning it gently as to not startle the Heiress. Jaune was going to do that anyway but was trying to be polite about it. He wasn't sure about the state of her mood and did not wish to further agitate the girl. Although, any friendly face she saw may have been enough to change her attitude.

Better than her seeing Blake.

Knowing those two, they're one argument away from tearing the courtyard apart...

Leaving the door open behind him, Jaune took his first few steps into the room. He placed his feet carefully as to not give away his presence—the footsteps of the hunter stalking his prey. Only this time, it wasn't a monster, but a more dangerous predator.

Standing at the side of the bed, Jaune reached over to give a light shake of her shoulder. The touch of his hand was enough to cause the girl to tense up slightly. An unconscious reaction to someone probably still in their fight or flight mode. Putting in more force to his efforts got Weiss to suddenly jolt awake, startling Jaune at the explosive reaction.

She let out a fearful yelp, leaping into a sitting position and pointing her hand straight at his chest. It looked as though she was about to cast a spell to send the boy off into the next room. Jaune was even afraid that she may freeze him solid instead.

However, before anything else could happen, Jaune yelled back in fear. He turned his face away from the danger and shielded his head with an arm.

"WEISS, IT'S ME, I'M SORRY," he spat out. The words weren't immediately followed with a spell, so he poked his head out a little to look at the girl.

She was still sitting up, holding her hand out at him. Weiss' expression was on the verge of red hot anger. The fact she hadn't done anything yet told Jaune she had recognised him. Her mind was still trying to play catch up as her body was ready to hit Jaune with everything she had.

"Weiss?"

This got her to snap out of whatever trance she was in. Her hand dropped to the side, and her expression relaxed a little bit. From the looked of things, Weiss still wasn't a hundred per cent either. Frankly, her condition looked worse than Jaune's.

A large bruise had taken over most her right cheek, swelling up almost an inch. The dark colour from the wound made a sharp contrast to Weiss' pale white skin, making it more visible to any onlookers. It did almost nothing to reduce her beauty, however. Even her broken nose, continuing to swell along the bridge barely defacing this perfection.

Looking beyond that, her skin was unnaturally pale. In fact, Weiss looked sick. Something that would happen with the flu or the like. Jaune only remembering the time he caught an illness bad enough to nearly kill him one winter. The puffy redness under her eyes and the drained vigour from her body was most apparent aside from her ghostly complexion.

"You scared me," Weiss said back, looking away and not meeting his eyes. The energy to even muster a proper Weiss Schnee greeting couldn't be done.

"Heh, glad to see you're all right," Jaune continued, sitting down across from her. "Kinda scared me when you got knocked out." He glanced over at her robes with a wandering eye.

The expensive-looking fabric was crumpled up and tossed onto a chair—a rather lacklustre position for something so nice to rest in. However, Jaune focused more on the bloodstains littering the front side of the garment. The cloak was soaked in the gore. Far too much for the broken nose Weiss was sporting.

Something Jaune was well versed in at this point.

"But, what's this," Jaune asked, grabbing the cloak and pointing towards the blood. "That's too much blood for a broken nose, Weiss..."

Jaune was afraid something else was happening to her alongside her injuries. Like she was suffering from an unknown ailment that was being kept secret. Something chronic. This kind of thing didn't happen on any of their previous quests, so what made Weiss bleed so much?

"Yes," Weiss answered meekly. "Plenty of experience with that, I guess. Heh..." She brought a hand up to wipe her nose. "That's from the worst form of magicka exhaustion a mage can get. I used up so much keeping my spell intact it began to drain my Aura. You know about the exhaustion, but then comes the bleeding and then you die..."

She was dying...

A chill ran up his spine just thinking about it. Weiss could have died tonight without even receiving a wound. Jaune wouldn't have noticed until he found her body lying at his feet.

I can't let her do that again. I don't care what she says...

"How are you doing now," Jaune asked, redirecting the conversation to something else. He set the robes back onto the chair. "Can I use my healing spells to help?"

"I'm better," Weiss said weakly in response. Both of her hands were fidgeting with each other. "I couldn't walk on my own when Belladonna left me here." Weiss stared Jaune directly in the eyes. "She didn't even bother finding a healer..."

The venom within Weiss' voice became papable in the air. That feeling of helplessness the Mage possessed would have been frightening. Anybody would be angry at that point, just being left to fend for themselves when they could do nothing to provide. Jaune surely would, and had been in that position before. It's what brought him here, to begin with.

"At least you offered to help," Weiss continued. Her emotions were beginning to boil over now. It looked as though she were going to cry. "Even if it wouldn't work on me right now..."

She's got the debuff...

Great, she's stuck like this now.

"But what about Ruby," Weiss asked, choking back some of her emotions. "Why's she not with you?"

Hoping to make this easier on her... Guess things aren't going according to plan now.

Weiss and Ruby had been getting close lately. Before, the noonwraith quest, the two pretty much tolerated one another's presence. Now they were hanging out together and seemed to become the best of friends. It looked as though the two found some sort of common ground and stuck together from that point on. Aside from Jaune, Ruby was looking to latch onto anybody else she could call a friend. Weiss happened to be the one in this case.

"Weiss..." Jaune said, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his head. "Ruby's fine... But tonight she killed someone for the first time. Blake said she's not taking it well. Yang and Pyrrha are trying to do what they can for her."

The colour seemed to drain from Weiss' face even further. It defied any shade of skin tone any human or faunus could manage. The thought of Ruby's breakdown terrified Weiss to a degree. Jaune could see it all in her eyes. Hundreds of thoughts and feelings were already moving through that brain of hers, pouring over the scenario and all the related facts before her.

"W-We should go see her," Weiss stated with a stutter, pushing herself off the bed.

As Weiss reached a full standing height, her knees buckled and gave out under the girl's weight. There was no strength in her body to continue this charade. Her leg muscles just seemed to switch off like that. The girl's consciousness suffered as well, seemingly passing out at the same moment.

Shit!

Jaune was right there to catch her. He dove across the room, dropping to his knees to receive Weiss in an embrace. The girl's head slumped against his chest and pressing her entire weight upon his body. Weiss seemed to be in more of a daze than wholly conscious now. Standing up too quickly must have brought this on.

Okay, back to bed for you, Weiss...

You're not well enough to leave this room. Doctor's orders...

He immediately lifted her back up onto the bed and laid the Mage down. Weiss' breathing filled his ears as he kept her close. These breaths were weak and ragged. Like she'd put forth everything she had into every single gasp for air. It just went to show how bad her condition really was.

Jaune's tussle with the hobgoblin wasn't nearly as serious as this. Weiss' body was on the verge of shutting down, and she was trying to get up like nothing happened. Jaune may have been stubborn to the point of stupidity with injuries, but he didn't try to ignore the pain.

One of his hands went to feel her forehead instinctively. Even through the glove, Jaune could feel Weiss was burning up. Her temperature was probably well over a hundred degrees by now. Well enough to concern Jaune even further. This knowledge leaving him with a dilemma.

Go find Ruby or stay here with Weiss.

Jaune didn't think he could stay awake long enough to make sure Weiss was all right. If he sat down right now, Jaune would only risk sleeping through any attempts from Weiss to wake him up. So, he didn't even think about it, getting up from the bed and stepping away.

"Okay, Weiss," Jaune began, pulling Myrtenaster off his side and setting it against the table. "Ummm... I'm going to find Ruby and bring her back here. I need to make sure she's all right, but I'll let a nurse now what happened so someone can check on you."

He didn't get a response from the Heiress. Only her soft breathing filled the room. Jaune didn't bother to get an answer, taking the blankets and draping them over Weiss so she wouldn't get cold. After he tucked her in, Jaune turned around and left the room.

[Women's Dorms]

Jaune had taken off into a light jog, making his way over to the dorms in a few minutes. His body attempted to tell him to stop along the way, but he ignored it the best he could. Frankly, there were more important things going on than whatever his muscles wanted.

Outside the dorms, the same situation was taking place as the front gate. People were crowded outside talking to their friends or having nervous breakdowns and being comforted. It was pure chaos right now. Jaune didn't attempt to take in all of the stimuli lest he get burnt out from it all.

Both men and woman were passing through the front door without pause, so Jaune followed suit. These students didn't seem to care about the rules right now, and neither did he. Heck, none of them were afraid of Goodwitch showing up and getting in trouble. With the Sorceress indisposed at the moment, the risk wasn't there.

Okay, where's Ruby?

Jaune made his way through the crowd to see if he could find her. The Reaper's height not doing him any favours in that regard. She may have been only an inch taller then Weiss, but it was still easy to lose her when almost everyone towered over the girl. More so, since her outfit helped her blend in whereas Weiss stuck out.

Had Weiss not been so sick right now, Jaune would have waited for the crowds to disperse. He was confident enough in Yang's abilities to take care of her little sister that he wasn't overly concerned. However, it still didn't take the edge off, seeing how she reacted after the battle was over. Jaune only wanted to make sure of it himself. Only then, his mind would be at rest.

Pushing past a few groups, Jaune found the beds Ruby and the rest of their friends used. Nora was taking care of a bandaged Ren that was laying on her bed. Pyrrha was sitting right alongside them, giving the boy something to drink. Yang was nowhere to be found, and so was Blake.

Taking a closer look at his male counterpart, Ren seemed to have taken a sword or arrow to the stomach. The bandages around his stomach were stained in some blood, but it was under control. However, the boy was in pain from the looks of it. He couldn't raise his upper body up very high lest he angered the wound.

Pyrrha was the first to notice his presence, turning to him.

"Hello again, Jaune," she said in that cheery sing-song voice. The Spartan offered him a light wave with a smile.

Nice to see someone doing well...

"Hey, guys," Jaune said back. He looked to Ren. "Got pretty two girls taking care of you? Really hamming it up there, dude."

The jest brought out a painful laugh from the boy. It started out normally, before devolving into a coughing fit where Ren grabbed his abs to soothe the pain. Nora had to sit him back down as he tried to get up, which earned Jaune a glare from the Berserker.

Ren settled for laying back down, only looking at the blonde with a grimaced smile on his face.

"You know it," he joked through the pain, making Pyrrha and Nora blush lightly. The Valkyrie was about to hit him but held back her righteous fury.

Jaune offered up a light smile to his friends. It was nice to see them doing all right at the moment. They were still licking their wounds, but at least their spirits were still high. Hopefully, Ruby would reflect that mood to some degree.

"Have you guys seen Ruby at all," Jaune followed up with a question. "Blake said she was with Yang."

That inquiry seemed to have sucked the uplifting sensation from the group. Each of the students grew silent, and their smiles vanished in only an instant. Nora looked away, clearly trying to contemplate what to say or dodging the question. Pyrrha however, stood up and brushed herself off, turning to a nearby set of stairs.

"She's up on the roof, I think," Pyrrha explained, pointing Jaune in the direction he needed to go. "We tried talking to her, but couldn't get through. Maybe you could do something to cheer her up?"

So, Yang didn't work?

Jaune's mood soured just a bit more, knowing that. However, the slight smile Pyrrha had managed to dull the whole doom and gloom of today just a little. Enough to uplift his attitude to something more positive. Its radiance giving him the confidence he needed.

While his concerns had not changed, the boy moved a little faster to climb those stairs in search of her. Jaune pushing past a pair of students heading down despite their outcry. Frankly, he didn't care all that much about them right now.

He ascended several floors until reaching what seemed to be the height of the interior. Mostly storage space, but there were a few rooms where some of the older students would have slept in. Jaune ran about the area in search of a door leading to the roof. After only a few seconds of searching, he found a door—one with Yang sitting next to it.

The blonde had pulled her knees close to her chest and buried her face into them. From where Jaune stood, it didn't seem like Yang was crying at all. She was eerily still, not moving a muscle even to breathe. Jaune approached carefully, not attempting to provoke a wrathful outburst from the girl.

Yang?

He kneeled down in front of her, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder to get the girl's attention. The slight touch was enough to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. Yang jumping, suddenly raising her head to look at him with a sharp breath. The girl's eyes bloodshot and dilated widely.

"I'm awake," Yang spat mindlessly, not having realised Jaune was staring directly at her. Once, her brain caught up with what was in front of her, she quickly rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them.

"Sup, Jaune," she continued, getting up from where she was sitting. "I was just resting my eyes! Did you need something?"

Yang looked tired. It was written all over her face. Jaune guessed tonight had taken a lot out of her. Having to deal with her younger sister breaking down the way she did would have worn anybody down. More so, given how close the two were.

"Yeah..." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I was gonna go talk to Ruby... Blake mentioned how she was doing, and I wanted to make sure she was all right. Weiss is also dealing with her magicka exhaustion, and Ruby's gonna want to be there for her..."

Yang's expression relaxed slightly. The stress that had built up in the last few hours wasn't even close to melting away, though. Jaune could clearly see the older sibling that was terrified for their younger. Yang was just terrible at hiding it also though she put a strong face.

From one older sibling to another, Jaune's heart went out to her.

"Rubes said she wanted some time alone," Yang explained with a shrug, gesturing to the door. "If you wanna talk to her, I think it's going to help her out a lot. Just... thank her for saving your ass, though." The blonde gave a light shove to Jaune, pushing him over to the door. "So, go get 'em, tiger!"

Thanks...

...

Jaune stepped out onto the roof, getting a view of the entire courtyard and most of Vale. The sun was beginning to crest the horizon now, amplifying the sheer beauty of the city. If only the reason for coming up wasn't related to the slaughter that had taken place a few hours ago. Then, it would have been an excellent way to spend the waking hours of the day.

However, Jaune laid eyes on Ruby shortly after scanning the peaked roof. The sight of the girl caused Jaune's heartbeat to begin skyrocketing.

*Ta-thump Ta-thump Ta-thump*

He could feel it beating out of his chest - within his ears. The sound filling his entire head, clearing out any other thoughts he may have begun to form. Jaune's entire speech that he was piecing together was forgotten in a moment.

Okay, Jaune... Just... Talk to her...

From where he was standing, Jaune could tell she was still soaked in blood. The gore was matted into Ruby's hair, turning the blackened locks entirely red. Her cloak and shirt were not as visible, but they were weighed down from the blood seeping into the fabric.

Jaune didn't feel afraid of going to sit down right next to her. He didn't feel anything at all, in fact. The boy was so exhausted at this point, his body wasn't even trying to elicit an emotional response. He knew he was nervous, but couldn't quite feel that way.

Screw it...

Jaune walked right over to where Ruby sat and plopped himself down on the ledge she was sitting on. His legs swung freely over the side of the building, and he kicked them slightly in a mindless fidget. Yet, Ruby hadn't immediately acknowledged his presence.

He looked over at the girl to see her staring down at the scythe in her hands. Ruby was polishing Cresent Rose in a trance, not paying attention to the world around her. Ruby's mind in a completely different plane of existence now. Enough so, she hadn't realised the cloth she was using to clean Cresent Rose was soaked in blood. She was just smearing it at this point.

"Hey, Ruby," Jaune spoke up softly.

His voice got the girl to perk up slightly. Ruby seemed to realise she was just lost in her own thoughts and looked around only to settle on Jaune. Her eyes were bloodshot like Yangs, but from crying instead of being pressed upon by her arms.

Jaune quickly went into a case on his belt to pull out a cloth. Taking the piece in his hand, he offered it over to the girl to replace the one she was using. Ruby set the original off to the side and weakly took the one given. A few swipes of the cloth took some more of the remaining blood off the steel blade.

"Ruby..." Jaune spoke up once more, losing his tongue just after starting.

His mind couldn't come up with the right words for this. With Weiss, it had been easy. She was just hurt, but still level-headed. Ruby, on the other hand, had just killed someone for the first time. Something that was tearing her apart from the inside.

"Thanks for saving me," he said, glancing away from her. "If you hadn't gotten everybody to the front gate, Weiss and I would be dead..."

Why is this so hard?

Ruby nodded her head slightly, understanding Jaune's words. However, as the mind behind the veil pondered them, a few bad memories started returning to the surface. The tears trickled out slowly, rolling down her cheeks. Ruby had to set Cresent Rose off to the side so she could rub her eyes.

"I know," Ruby replied in a hoarse voice. "I-I just hate how it makes me feel."

She was talking about killing people. Jaune knew it immediately. There was no question about that.

"I-" A sob escaped her lips, cutting off whatever she was going to say.

Beyond that point, the floodgates had opened once more. Ruby started crying almost uncontrollably. She attempted to use her sleeves to wipe away the tears to no avail. Only the blood on her hands and clothes became transferred to her cheeks.

Jaune did not even think about it as he wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders. He drew her in for a side hug, allowing her to lean against him—Ruby's entire body, losing the capacity to support itself. Her weight rested on his side, holding the young girl up from merely falling over.

It's okay, Ruby...

It's okay...

So, Ruby is still hurting pretty bad. Jaune's about as useful as a potato right now when it comes to a speech to cheer her up, but Ruby doesn't need that. She just needs her friend's support.

Also, if you're wondering why Jaune didn't ask if she was okay, it's because he knows she's most definitely not. There would be no point in trying to do so.

If nothing else.

Eat ass and finger blast your way across this beautiful world, baby birds!

Class: Paladin

"Gather 'round, Paladins!"

"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"

"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"

"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"

Level Twenty Three

Strength 43 (+7)

Agility 23 (+4)

Defence 30 (+5)

Perception 35 (+6)

Constitution 42 (+7)

Intelligence 48 (+5)

Charisma 26 (+3)

Willpower 19 (+3)

...

Abilities

Arclight

A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

Longinuslanze Testament

A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.

It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.

In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

White Hawk

This aethereal hawk shall be forever bound to you. As its master, only you may give direction to this bird of prey. Whether it be scouting the path ahead or distracting your enemies.

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Passive: Magister's Lament

Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.

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Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.

Monster Slayer

Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.

Armour and Weapons Smith

Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.

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Gear:

Jaune's Breastplate

Level Seventeen

Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 32

Agility: 16

Defence: 22

Constitution: 30

Eagle's Armour

Level Twenty Eight

Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 57

Agility: 25

Defence: 30

Constitution: 39

Buffs:

This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.

This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.

Necklace of the Bulwark

+25% Bonus to Constitution