For those of you that have read up until my small hiatus, please note this is the same eighth chapter from back then. Please read the note at the bottom.


Do you feel empowered? Can you feel it? The gift I've bestowed upon you. You've judged and shaped your first mind for the better. Fulfilling, no? To enforce our wills upon them to make them understand. The power to control inanimate objects like puppets with strings... Their behavior was expected, and now look at them grovel.

This'll be a message to them. Let them see how they're not special. In the end, they're only human.

And all humans are bound to know their place.


Velvet eyed the vials of dust Jaune presented to her. She hesitantly reached her hands out and held the vials and inspected them. He understood why she looked so surprised and thankful, even how she pushed the vials back into her arms, shaking her head with such an innocent look on her face.

"Jaune, this is incredibly generous of you, but I can't accept this." Velvet looked as flustered as the first girl he'd ever flirted with. "Hard light dust is very expensive, and the two of us hardly know each other. I couldn't possibly-"

He returned the vials to her and maintained his demeanor. "I insist, Velvet. Think of it as an investment. You recall my comments on your fighting style when we first spoke to each other? I'm by no means the best fighter out there, but you're an interesting case. Not only are you a trump card of sorts, but you can help me handle various kinds of fighting styles. So, I'd be happy to help you acquire dust and photographs."

The girl really was fascinating. With the gifts she had, she chose to tread a path of a mild boaster. An excitable one eager to do the right thing. Yet she hesitated at times to demonstrate her place. She wasn't arrogant, thankfully, but her hesitation was an annoyance. He wanted to know more about her, how far he could push her until she changed. What made her tick?

Neo brought the dust he'd asked for, and even went along with the whole pizza delivery idea he came up with. He expected her to not bother, but she's full of surprises. The uniform was easy due to her semblance, but he didn't give her any extra lien to motivate her to go buy him lunch, despite how she ate most of it. Eh, pepperoni wasn't a complex order. Must've been easy to steal.

She appeared to be entertained after his display. He felt fulfilled when everyone was silent, in shock over how Glynda Goodwitch was just like all of them in the end. A human being without her semblance, one that relies to heavily on it. He'd expected it to be more difficult. Then again, the ones that rely on their semblance for their fighting style tended to be the most surprised to find it not working. He wondered how it would be for Velvet, considering she primarily used her skill in martial arts.

The aftermath of the spar was as expected. The medical staff were looking after the professor as the students answered what questions the faculty had. Word would spread that he had managed to defeat her, he was sure of it. The rumors may fudge the truth a bit, but he could improvise. The coward managing to win had more of an impact to it. He'd have to consider how Pyrrha may react, but that was something he'd planned for and would handle whenever necessary. A small part of him longed for a conversation with her.

He had a serious chat with the headmaster, but a man like that was quite busy. Jaune was too. He wanted to plant the seeds for Velvet and get started on Ruby afterwards. Nothing too complicated, just a proper introduction as the leader of Team Abyss. The way to get into her heart was by helping her older sister.

Honestly Yang, you're making this too easy.

Headmaster Ozpin was difficult to read as he spoke, but anything he had to say was easy to counter. All Jaune had to do was share his opinion on what a real fight was like out there in the real world. Goodwitch's idea of a fight as a sport was laughable, and how he was technically handicapped with Goodwitch's 'conditions'. Ozpin didn't appear to have the time or patience to deal with him at the moment. Jaune didn't fear expulsion. He had a plan for that should the scenario come to fruition.

Neo also delivered a message for Roman. She pantomimed how he was working on his own business and he was meeting Junior later that night, so he'd get the info Jaune wanted later. Neo would be their little messenger of course, which was a bit ironic, yet amusing.

Still, it was a surprise to see Yang go as far as to strip for strangers. He expected her to use her other assets, but her choice was her choice. He'd have to help her with that later. Let it sink in for now and take its toll. Now that he thought about it, she probably wasn't an enforcer because of how his semblance contributed to her injuries.

Velvet held the vials as if they were diamonds, which made sense. "These are incredibly expensive Jaune, and this looks more pure than what I usually use."

"Please don't think too much on the cost," he begged. "I assure you, it's no hindrance to me. If anything, your sheer gratitude is enough thanks for my gift. It'd be a shame to see you're true potential to go to waste."

"Th-Thank you..." she whispered. "My leader, Coco, usually tries to reserve me for emergencies, considering how expensive this dust is. Would you care to spar again? I'm... a little bit eager to use this," she admitted, cheeks flushed.

"Heh, you're so cute..." Velvet erected herself, eyes wide. Jaune internally sighed to himself. How easy was it to worm his way into this girl's heart, he wondered? It all starts with a few simple words. "Sure, let's go."


Weiss shuddered at the recollection of what had transpired in combat class just a few minutes ago. Arc had healed the professor of her wounds with his semblance. All he did was amplify her aura so she could heal herself. A healing semblance... How ironic for such a semblance to be on someone so destructive. She pictured how it could be if the two used their semblances together. Perhaps she'd be able to use her summoning if she had his assistance. In another world though. Another life besides this one. She couldn't muster up the bravery to even approach him again. He walked up to her, making her freeze. Behind that lazy smile was a man with a twisted way of life.

What could he possibly hope to achieve from all this? Injuring a professor like that? She wouldn't be surprised if he were expelled. Her team's name was now tarnished and dragged through the blood along with some traces of blood.

He only came for the girl next to her, which was a concern. It appeared that the two were acquainted with each other. The girl couldn't have been a civilian if she watched a display like that with no signs of discomfort. Even Weiss felt her stomach turn out of fear.

Who was Jaune Arc? Why was he even like this? To act like such an imbecile with no tact, only to play an esteemed huntress, a professor from Beacon in a game of his. What did he accomplish from this? He didn't have the greatest reputation among their peers, and now it was bound to be far worse.

Weiss felt a headache coming on. Arc had wandered off with the girl to who knows where. The professor was taken to the medical quarters, thankfully. This came with its whole slew of problems. Arc represented Abyss and this would reflect on them poorly. The professor was injured, which would affect how she viewed them as well. Weiss still couldn't get over how she hadn't properly defended herself with her aura.

Professor Goodwitch was a menace with her semblance. Without it, she had to know the issues that came along with it. Surely she had training in physical combat, but she appeared unready, which was a surprise. Arc won, but… he didn't stop. It's not against the rules, since she didn't surrender nor was her aura depleted to dangerous levels…

Why was she thinking about this? This was Arc's problem. His issues should be solved by himself. He was the one that was screwed up.

Weiss huffed as she made her way to the cafeteria. She was disappointed with the selection of food and their high sodium content, but it would suffice. She supposed her platter was a bit more sophisticated for her own good. She sat down on a nearby table by herself and picked at her food. She glanced at the group down the table. Around her age, happily talking amongst themselves.

She envied the camaraderie. Her team had a problem, a quiet one that's still missing, and a girl that believes partying was more important than lessons. Weiss felt a tang of guilt when something came across her mind. Perhaps Yang was trying to ease the pain by having fun and forcing a smile after what had happened during initiation. She'd have to speak with her later. Sad or not, she missed lessons.

"Ah!" A familiar voice cried. Weiss turned her head to a similar sight that made her bite her lip. "Please, stop…" It was the rabbit faunus from before. The same one Arc had helped for some reason.

An idea struck. Maybe she could get her thoughts on Arc. He went off with her all of a sudden. Maybe she could give some insight on the situation and offer what advice she could. Weiss stood up to stop the harassment, but sat back down, hesitant. She was being assaulted by some racists, so how would she react if Weiss Schnee approached her?

She didn't have the chance to change her mind. Arc brushed past from behind her and made his way to the altercation. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but it must've been foul with how Cardin scrunched his face. He didn't bother to start something though, likely remembering what happened earlier. Actually, Weiss realized Cardin wasn't actually there when Arc fought Goodwitch. He was still in the changing rooms, wasn't he?

Was it wrong for her to cheer on the possibility that Cardin would face Arc's potential? She didn't tolerate racism, but seeing Arc in a positive light just didn't feel natural.

Weiss watched as Arc made his way out of the cafeteria with the girl. Weiss' head fell into her hands as she groaned, another headache coming on.


Pyrrha wrote down the answer for the rather simple question. The material wasn't too complicated, thankfully. The quantity of work however, was a bit of an unfortunate aspect of the workload here. She kept scribbling on her paper as she raised her cup of tea with her other hand and brought it to her lips. Ren knew how to make a fine cup of tea, which wasn't a surprise.

She couldn't help but smile to herself as she partially listened to the antics Ren and the girl he was supposedly not together with. It was a cute sight, with how Nora brushed his hair while Ren gave the faintest of smiles.

She hadn't expected to not be on the same team as Jaune, which was a shame. She was still a bit bitter about it, but she didn't hold it against anyone. Perhaps the staff wanted students to have the partners from initiation on separate teams to build connections between teams. Jaune was only next door, so he was but a few feet away from her.

Would he appreciate a sudden visit? Pyrrha's grip tightened around her pencil. She wouldn't be intruding, would she? She got along with Ren, Nora, and Ruby just fine, but Jaune was the one to make her feel so… what was the right word?

Regardless, it's been a while since they last spoke. Their last proper conversation was when Professor Port took them out to the Emerald Forest for a hunt. Well, technically he invited himself to join the pair. She came up with the excuse and felt the need to carry the burden since she kept Jaune out past curfew.

Her mind stirred. What would her manager say about this? Her family too. She always obeyed the rules and was almost caught being caught with a boy. T-they weren't doing anything of a scandalous nature, but the implications were there. And she couldn't purge that from her head. She covered her face as her face flushed.

"You okay?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha noticed the girl had her crutches and was standing next to her. The girl was impressive with how she was accepted into Beacon two years early. Apparently Ozpin was impressed by her brave actions against some crooks before the semester.

She wondered how powerful the girl would be once she was Pyrrha's age. The potential she had surged.

"Oh, my apologies. I've just been spacing out."

"Is it about Blake?"

Ah, yes. That girl on Jaune's team. It was a bit of surprise to see someone else approach her, but that was because of her connection with Jaune. Hope was in the back of her mind. Maybe she made a new friend. Blake was… reserved though. She had hints of concern as she asked questions about Jaune.

She was hoping they'd be talking about movies, or maybe weapons like she does with Ruby. The topic of Jaune is no issue, it's just that the conversation had some foreboding mood to it. Maybe Jaune's antics were getting to her. He was unorthodox after all, not that she was complaining.

She stacked her papers and set them aside. "Yes, it is. I think I'll go see her for a moment." She noticed Ruby's frown. "It's nothing bad, I promise. Would you care to join me?"

Ruby pepped up. "Sure!"

The girl was optimism bundled up into a human being. It was quite impressive especially since she can't… fight properly…

Pyrrha eyed her cast and recalled initiation. The scene still bothered her, the uneasiness lingering in her. She should've stepped in. Ruby wouldn't be in such a state and her older sister wouldn't be crippled. Well, maybe she could've put that differently. Ruby focused on her speed while Yang needed her arms, and with them in such a state, they would be out of commission. She wasn't indirectly responsible for the extra stress they were bound to face if they weren't already, was she?

She shook her head. No, now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

Pyrrha held the door open for Ruby as she made her way out. The two walked to the next door and Pyrrha gently knocked on it. She smiled as Jaune answered it, but it was soon replaced with a frown.

Someone she didn't recognize was behind her. A faunus, given the ears. Not that she had any ill feelings towards them. She felt a bit of jealousy to see someone with Jaune besides her, especially a girl as pretty as her. Pyrrha mentally smacked herself and felt guilty for thinking of the girl like that.

The envy vanished when she noticed the girl had been crying. Heavily by the looks of it.


For those of you that have already reviewed this chapter when this was originally published, you'll be able to review normally again by the next chapter. Otherwise, just write a review as a guest.

The majority of you are aware that I took a break from writing due to some personal issues and threats I'd been getting. Well, I'm not back to my previous schedule, but I will be updating whenever I can. How often, I don't know. I'm still rather bitter about the part of the fandom that is toxic enough to send threats.

Now, I've decided to stick to my original plan of having Yang strip as a means to pay back Junior as the repercussions for trashing his bar. He is part of the mafia after all, and I like adding a pinch of reality to stories like this. Believe me, the mafia is bloody scary. This idea originally came from the Kaneshiro arc from Persona 5, but I'd never go as far as to have Yang prostitute herself.

No. Way. I'm not that cynical. And of course, there is a reason for me to go this route. I have plot points planned, relationships to explore, and I already know how the story is going to end. A good scene in a story is one that has purpose in the narrative.

Looking back, there is a lot I would like to correct or fix when it comes to the earlier chapters, like the pacing, but I'm not going to start over. That'd take too long. So, I'll be continuing as originally planned, but not as regularly, sadly. A few of you have offered some encouragement, which I appreciate. It's always a joy to see reviews breaking down what I'm going for with this tale. It was enough to convince me to stick with a grittier story.

I'm not sure when exactly the next chapter will be out, nor do I know how long this story will be, but I do want to complete it. I want to explain who Ashlynn is, what Jaune's endgame is, and why I intend to have the story end at the Vytal Festival. I'll get to all that! This just to let my fans know I intend to come back. I've made it a goal of mine to have the next chapter in a few days, but I don't know how often I'll be able to update.

For those of you that have been asking about it in PMs, I'll tell you that no, I have not read Coeur Al'Aran's story on nullification. Based on what I know, it's a much different story compared to what I'm gunning for. If I'm correct, it's comparing a revenge story to a story of seeking authenticity. The Jaune in this story is a different kind of twisted with a much different agenda. So, I'll be sure to read it after I've completed mine. Although I am rather eager to finish reading all his stories.

Anywho, that's all I have on my mind at the moment. If I have anything else to share, I'll have to remember it for next time. Thank you again for your patience.

Until then.

-Mute