Beacon Academy. The most prestigious school for huntsmen and huntresses in Vale, where students learned the skills necessary to combat the forces of darkness: the evil known as Grimm. From its alabaster gates, many had set forth and made names for themselves as defenders of the light. And throughout its history, through times of conflict and peace, it always stood proudly, unchanged and unblemished, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the City of Vale.

The school was a grandeur to behold. White buildings that dotted the campus shone with a luster unbefitting their age, wreathed by verdant landscape teaming with the music of life. At its gate, stood a magnificent fountain where dancing lights sparkled across the rippling water under the midday sun. However, all these extraordinary landmarks were overshadowed by the massive clock tower at the center, which pierced the sky with its sharp steeple. Several floating lights within this massive tower poured forth a warm glow, clearly seen even in daylight, like a beacon which the school was aptly named.

This was all visible from an airfield a short distance from the school. Normally a quiet location during the majority of summer, but today that was not the case. A fleet of air carriers loomed above the black tarmac, their jet engines screaming loudly, and slowly descended one by one to designated landing zones. The reason was simple. Summer was nearing its conclusion and students were arriving to greet the start of autumn.

One carrier touched down on the far end of the airfield - right on the edge of the cliff - and from the passenger door, Jade burst forth and witnessed the glory of the school. Her eyes gleamed in excitement and her raven black hair, tied in a high ponytail, bobbed in the restless wind almost like an excited dog's tail.

"Wow, it's beautiful."

It was the best way she could describe it. Her only experience with Beacon prior to today was through pictures and hologram videos that are often projected in the cities, but actually seeing the school with her own eyes had her rooted to the spot in wonder.

Wanting to take more in, she closed her eyes, tuning out all the bustle of people and the roar of the jet engines, and felt the wind blowing past her. She held out her hand as if caressing the wind.

"Blue. Strong and consistent," she murmured quietly. "A good wind for a good day."

While she stood there, lost in thought, other passengers began pouring from the shuttle. As they passed her, some gave her a curious look, but not because she was obstructing the path, although that was part of the reason. No, it was because her attire was somewhat...unique.

She wore an exotic green dress. A one piece dress that's tight fitting from the waist up, with short sleeves and raised collars and a long flowing skirt that reaches the ankles with a large slit on the right, revealing her leg up to her upper thighs. The edges were embroidered with gold threads and many intricate floral designs raced along its full length. It was clearly a dress from the Eastern Kingdom of Mistral, not something found easily in Vale.

Unfortunately, despite being such a visible figure to others, one passenger - a girl - was completely oblivious to what was in front of her, and collided into her.

With a startled yelp, Jade collapsed to the ground alongside the assailant.

"Owwie…" The other passenger moaned, her voice high and squeaky.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that, I shouldn't be standing in front of the shuttle...," Jade tried to apologize as she turned to face the girl.

However, one look at the girl caused her to stop in surprise. The reason being the way she dressed was outrageous! While Jade's attire was certainly out of the ordinary, this was on a whole different level. If Jade's dress was compared to a pristine ocean wave, this girl's dress would be a tsunami.

It was an extravagant lavender dress full of frills, especially the skirt, which was lasciviously short and puffy. Multiple pink bows were tied around her dress and a large flowing one was tied around her waist which looked conspicuously like wings. It was the kind of thing you would see being worn by dolls instead of a human being.

But that wasn't the only thing Jade focused on.

A purple wind. Jade couldn't help but comment on the colors around her. A mix of fiery red and gentle blue.

This odd girl, her head still lowered, shook her head. Her pinkish hair, tied in twintails, bobbed wildly with each shake.

"No, no, no. I'm the one that should be apologizing here. Didn't mean to run into ya like that."

She lifted her gaze to see Jade. However, when her eyes fell upon her, the girl suddenly froze and her eyes widened in shock.

"OOOOOHHHHHHH!"

Before Jade had time to react, the strange girl came in close, her hands clasping Jade's shoulders.

"Eh!?"

"Oh wow, it's a Mistral qipao! I always wanted to see one in person! I can't believe I ran into someone wearing one in Vale of all places. And it looks so CUTE on you, too! Ooouuu, the texture is soooo soft! The embroidery is beautiful. Kyaah, this is the best day ever."

The girl babbled excitedly as she ran her hands all over Jade's clothes. Jade let out a small yelp and tried to resist the girls probing, but her grip was too strong. The girl wasn't necessarily doing anything inappropriate, merely feeling the fabric on her clothes, but her closeness was extremely nerve racking.

"Dear god Amethyst, I take my eyes off you for one second and you attack some poor, innocent girl. I thought I told you specifically not to make a scene on arrival."

A large figure appeared behind the weird girl, grasped her collar, and yanked her off Jade. While suspended in the air, the girl pouted and flailed wildly. It reminded Jade of a cat being lifted without its permission.

"I know, I know. But….but…..I can't ignore something so adorable when it's right in front of my eyes," the girl whined, still in her vulnerable position.

The man let out a long sigh. He turned around and placed the girl named Amethyst on top of a pile of luggage sitting behind him. Amethyst let out a cry of indignation for being treated like cargo, but the guy ignored her and turned back to face Jade. Now that Jade got a good look at this guy, she could tell that he was at least 6 feet tall. But more than that, what stood out more was his casually worn white suit and slicked-back sky blue hair. It made him look either like a sleazy businessman or a dapper gangster. But, when paired up with the glamorously dressed girl beside him, they look like a pair of aristocrats attending a ball.

"Apologies for my compatriot's…" He rolled the words around his tongue as he tried to find the appropriate word. "...quirks. I swear she means no harm."

"Oh no, no, no. It's fine. I was just a bit shocked that's all. Anyways, this all happened because I was being careless standing in the middle of the walkway like that."

"Please, no need to apologize, Miss..."

"Jade. My name is Jade Evergreen."

"...Miss Evergreen. A lovely name, that is. But how rude of me not to introduce myself first."

The man made a grand gesture before going into a bow again.

"The name is Diamon. Diamon D. Prisma the Third. Hailing from Crystallia in Western Vale. And my friend here..."

Diamon gestured to the girl she placed on top of the luggage. She waved cheerfully at Jade.

"...she's Amethyst."

Amethyst gave Diamon a cold glare for such a dismissive introduction, but quickly returned to her normal self.

"Hello, you can call me Amy. Saying Amethyst is quite a mouthful, right? Anyways, sorry about all that, I just get REALLY excited when I see something cute."

"A trait that's been a constant headache for me," Diamon mumbled as he rubbed his temples.

Amethyst gave another glare at Diamon's snarky comment, but he quickly continued speaking to avoid retaliation.

"Anyways, please allow me to assist you as an apology for my companion's overzealousness. It is unbecoming for a fine lady such as yourself to sit on such filthy ground."

Diamon offered his hand to help Jade up, while Amethyst, unseen by Diamon, made retching motions at Diamon's flowery words. Jade looked at the hand, then at the man offering it.

"White...with a mix of light blue…" Jade unconsciously blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, nothing." Jade quickly covered her mouth. In a daze, she accidentally said out loud the color she saw around him. Slightly embarrassed at her own action and his ostentatious gestures, Jade tried to refuse Diamon's offer, stating she was capable herself. However, Diamon was insistent and came in close to grab Jade's hand.

At that instance…

Another hand shot out and grabbed Diamon's arm tightly, stopping his advance. Diamon looked at the hand in surprise before following it up to the person it belonged to. Standing beside him was a young man with a hostile look in his eyes. His appearance was shabby. He wore a green zip up hoodie and a pair of loose light brown cargo pants. He had messy medium-long hair that draped over his face like a wet mop. His left eye was partially covered by his hair, but his right eye glowed yellowish-green as he stared hard at Diamon.

"...Excuse me, I know naught why you grabbed me so, but I politely ask you to unhand me."

Diamon accosted the shabby young man as he reciprocated with a glare of confusion and wariness. The guy managed to sneak up on him, past Amethyst too, unnoticed and grabbed him with such strength as to prevent him from moving his arm. Diamon fancied himself stronger than most, so to be able to match his own strength made him cautious.

The atmosphere grew heavy. Their deadlock glare was so fierce you can almost see the sparks flying between their gazes. From a distance, it almost looked like two men locked in a fierce arm wrestling contest.

However, it was Jade that broke the tension. She quickly got up and pulled on the young man's arm.

"YU! That's enough. You're misunderstanding the situation. He was only trying to help me."

Yu looked at Jade, then back at Diamon. He slowly let go of Diamon's arm, but still glared at him full of hostility. Seeing Yu had no intention of apologizing, Jade bowed on his behalf.

"I'm so sorry about that. This is my twin brother, Yu. He's just a little protective, that's all."

Now standing side by side, it was clear the two were related. They had the same fair colored skin and sported the same bone structure, high cheekbones and sharp chin. Their eyes were shiny green and complemented their raven black color. They even shared a streak of green hair along their bangs, which yawned right on Jade while Yu's went to the left. However, while their appearance may be similar, it cannot be said about the way they carry themselves. Jade's light, cheery mood completely juxtaposed Yu's dark and brooding one like day and night.

"Oh, is that so? Now, that I have a good look at the two of you the resemblance is striking. Well, I apologize for causing some misunderstanding with your brother."

Diamon gave a short bow, which Jade embarrassingly returned as if this was some sort of bowing competition. Diamon peaked at Yu as he raised his posture, who gazed at him with wary aloofness. His rude attitude somewhat annoyed Diamon, but he didn't voice it any further as to not cause more trouble for Jade.

"Are you two first years as well?" Diamon asked, trying to dispel the remnants of hostility in the air. "By the way you two look, you must've came from Mistral, am I correct?"

"Yes, we were invited personally by the headmaster through the scholarship program."

Diamon's eyebrow rose in interest.

"Oh, really? I have heard that there were several students this year who were invited to the school through this scholarship. Honestly, I don't understand the criteria to meet it. Some years there are several who were invited while others none. It's as if the headmaster is just handing it out on a personal whim. But whatever the reason, it must mean you two are quite talented to attract the eye of the headmaster."

Jade laughed awkwardly. She agreed that the scholarship was handed out rather randomly. After all, how could two village nobodies from another country catch the eye of a headmaster of a famous Huntsmen School when there must be plenty of qualified candidates much closer to home. And if it was for talent as Diamon mentioned, then that would only apply to one of them…

"Well, as much as we love to chat further, I'm afraid we must depart for now. We have a terribly large amount of luggage to handle."

Diamon's word cut through Jade's slowly spoiling mood as he pointed at a stack of luggage sitting off to the side. It definitely looked more than the two of them could carry, but they soon noticed what seemed like a hopper approach and began helping load it onto a cart.

"Oh, okay then," Jade said back, a somewhat forced smile plastered on her face.

"It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. Hopefully we can meet again when things aren't so hectic."

He made a gesture as if tipping off his hat to Jade. Then, he looked at Yu, still keeping his watchful gaze on him, and cleared his throat before turning back to his luggage. Amethyst had already gotten her stuff loaded onto the cart and the two made their way towards the school.

Jade waved them off as they walked down the large boulevard. Once they were mixed with the crowd, her shoulders drooped as if a huge weight was placed on them and she let out a depressed sigh. She turned her head to the transport's exit ramp, which they thankfully moved away from to avoid congesting the passengers, and noticed several students whispering among themselves while watching them with the corner of their eyes. They were most certainly gossiping about what just transpired these last few minutes. And who could blame them? A girl straddling another and two boys almost on the brink of afight in a high traffic area certainly would catch a lot of attention.

"Great, my first day at Beacon and it's already going poorly."

Yu, ignoring Jade's lamentation, grabbed his bag and started heading towards the school. However, as he passed his sister, she grabbed him by the sleeves.

"Hey, don't walk away like this isn't your fault."

Yu peered back at her, his expression completely neutral.

"Sorry…," he mumbled before continuing on his way.

His actions were curt and dismissive. To anyone, it was blatantly obvious how insincere he sounded. However, Jade didn't mind at all. She was used to it. She knew, more than anyone else, that this was just the way he talked. It was the same way he always talked to her for the last two years. Ever since they reunited…

Jade shook her head violently, getting rid of the welling emotions that were about to surface. This was no time to get melancholy. It was the start of a new year at a new school. The start to her new life. Slapping her to calm herself down, she hurried forward to catch up to Yu.

"You know, you can at least try to be friendlier. You're not going to make any friends if you always look like you're ready for a fight." Jade tried to make some small talk to lighten the mood, but quickly realized she was just lecturing him. It wasn't like Jade was one to talk, either. She hardly had any friends when she was in school or performing for a troupe. But for a completely different reason.

Yu doesn't respond, which Jade expected. Since she doesn't know what else to talk about, the conversation died there and they walked in silence.

They soon traded the black asphalt of the airfield for the smooth stone boulevard that led to the school entrance. Yu walked ahead of Jade, his gaze fixed straight and his gait purposeful. Meanwhile, Jade followed behind, her eyes darting left and right to take as much of the scenery as she can.

The road they were on was wide. Wide enough to support the large number of students with their variety of luggage and still have a decent amount of breathing space. Along the edge of the road on either side, tall elegant lamp posts sat at a uniform distance from each other all the way to the school. Beyond them, stood a large verdant lawn dotted with trees and shrubbery.

This place would probably look spectacular at night, Jade thought. She tried to imagine it. Warm yellow orbs illuminating the darkness as they directed people to the castle-like school, which in turn, was lit brightly against the dark blue backdrop that is the night. Overhead, thousands of stars twinkle brightly, adding brilliance to the already perfect image. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

However, before she could daydream further, she noticed they had already arrived at the fountain in front of the school. An impatient Yu was standing beside the fountain, suggesting that she had walked slower than she thought. But there was still more that she wanted to see.

Looking around to see any other sights to explore, Jade noticed a field of tightly packed trees, their leaves bright orange in the autumn air, surrounding the outer wall of the school. During their walk towards the school, the trees were sparse and widely space, giving the feeling of an open lawn perfect for a picnic. However, here the trees here were packed like a wall, hiding whatever may be within. It gave off a mysterious and somewhat spooky vibe. A perfect place to explore.

Luckily, there seemed to be a small dirt path leading into this small forest.

Jade quickly rushed over to Yu and pointed at the path she found.

"Hey, why don't we take a small detour?".

Yu looked at where she was pointing then shot her a glance as if she were talking nonsense.

"Come on. There is still some time before the opening ceremony and I want to look around for a bit. Besides, you owe me for causing a scene earlier."

Yu just stared at his sister for a moment before rolling his eyes. There was no need for words. Jade had grown accustomed to her brother's many body motions to understand she had his approval. Well, disgruntled approval, but it's not like he enthusiastically agrees to anything Jade does. Or anyone else for that matter.

Clapping her hands, Jade rushed towards the mysterious woods, dragging his brother along.

As they entered the thicket, the atmosphere changed drastically. The bright sunny day was replaced by a thick ceiling of leaves with only pockets of bright light piercing the canvas. The bustle of students was replaced by the song of birds and swaying foliage. It's as if they were transported to a different world.

A short distance later, the thicket of trees opened up to reveal a small grassy clearing with an assortment of different types of trees along the edge, each with their own color of leaves ranging from golden brown to mellow red. Their leaves were also scattered across the grassy ground and more followed, rocking back and forth with the wind current as they slowly drift to the ground where they rest with their brethrens.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! I can't believe such a place exists here."

Jade held out her hands, feeling the wind brush against her skin. As if in response, a small gust swirled around her.

"The wind. It's so lively here. Oh, how it reminds me of the forest back in Mistral."

With a giggle, she skipped merrily across the grass, humming a soft tune while twirling with the rhythm. She felt like she was on the stage again, dancing and singing to orchestration, except the orchestration here was the sound of swaying leaves.

However, not everyone in this secret garden was amused.

Yu, who was leaning against a tree at the edge of the garden, stared intently at his sister, a furrow in his brow. There was something he was meaning to ask her for a while, but they were so busy moving from Mistral to Vale, he had put it off. However, watching her skip across the grass, it reminded him what was on his mind.

"Hey, Jade…."

Jade froze in the middle of her dance, somewhat shocked that Yu tried to start a conversation.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Without any context, Yu's word could mean anything, but Jade immediately understood what he was asking. In fact, it was something that she was expected Yu to confront her about ever since they left for Beacon.

This was about her dancing. About why she suddenly ended her prospering career as a dancer to become a huntress.

"Yes. I've told you many times before. This is what I've decided and I am going to stick to it."

"But why? You had everything you wanted. Fame. Success. Going to that performing art school you always wanted to go. Why give it up for this?"

Yu's eyes narrowed as he tried to pry into his sister's reasoning. Jade lowered her gaze to avoid his piercing stare, both out of embarrassment and fear he might see right through her.

"Was it because the Grimm... destroyed our home?"

Jade froze. Hearing the word "Grimm" caused her heart to skip a beat. Not because it meant anything to her, but hearing her brother mentioning it. She peered at her brother, to see hints of pain and anger within his bright green eyes. It was enough to cause her chest to tighten, reminding her of times she would rather forget. She grabbed her chest to calm the welling emotions.

"If it is, I suggest you stop. This is not your fight. You have no reason to give up everything for this."

"No...that's not it…" Jade muttered, unable to say anything else.

She had no answer for Yu. Everything he said was right. It was true that she had a happy life as a dancer before becoming a huntress. Not just a dancer, but a well known one with several large performances under her belt. There was no reason for her to change profession just because her home was destroyed. It's a common occurrence, especially in the frontier. Whether it be from Grimm, bandits, or even natural disasters, villages life can be fleeting. Like footprints on the beach where the waves land. One moment it's there, the next, washed away. We mourn, we rebuild, we forget. All the while praying we aren't so unfortunate that it happens again. But Jade didn't throw everything away just because her home was gone. No, there was a reason why she did it, but it was complicated and she couldn't find the right words to express it.

Seeing her sister in panic, Yu sighed and decided not to pursue any further. He knew she was hiding something, but despite his previous hostility, he trusted her enough not to pry any further. He may be abrasive, but can be sensitive at times, especially for his sister. If she was uncomfortable telling him everything now, he can wait.

"Forget it. It's not like I'm dying to know why. I just need to know if you can handle your own in a fight. I don't want to be dragged back because of your incompetence."

Jade sighed in relief that he dropped the conversation. However, it's not as if she doesn't want to tell him, she just wanted to find the right time. With a shake of her head, she got rid of any lingering thought on the matter and returned to her usual cheerful self.

"Wow, that is a rather harsh thing to say to your OLDER sister."

Yu huffed and looked away angrily.

"Just because you were born 10 minutes earlier.." he muttered under his breath.

Jade let out a giggle. Sometimes, Yu can be adorable under that scowl.

"How about this, if you don't trust my skills, why don't I show you the fruit of my training?"

Despite only being a short one and a half since she returned home, she did receive some Huntsmen training from their local Huntsmen, Basara, who helped protect and evacuate their hometown during the attack. It was only a crash course and covered most of the basics, but Jade was a sharp student and picked up most of the lessons quickly.

She reached behind her, where a black lacquer case hung on the small of her back. From it, she withdrew two oblong wooden rods from it. With a flick of her wrists, the rods in both hands unfurled into green hand fans. From a glance, these fans don't appear extraordinary. Other than the intricate designs on the thick paper, it was just a pair of normal wooden fans one would find in an antique shop.

"Are those...your weapons?" Yu asked, befuddled at such flimsy tools.

Jade shook her head.

"Nope. These are just my practice fans. I use these whenever..."

She paused. Memory of the last time she held them like this flooded her mind as she ran her fingers across the smooth lacquer finish. When was it the last time she held these in earnest? It was certainly more than two years ago.

"...whenever I practice...I guess."

She pointed to another part of the holster on her back. There was another compartment to it, where the green metallic frame of another set of fans were neatly tucked.

"These are the real deal. I'll use them for combat. But for now these will do. Watch and see what I have been practicing for this past year."

With that, Jade confidently strode to the center of the field, the fans unfurled. Once she found her positioning, she spread her arms wide and closed her eyes, concentrating on the movement of the wind. The wind had shifted during the time they entered this little grove so she evaluated the flow to adjust the centerpiece of her showcase: her semblance.

"A gentle, warm breeze…" she muttered under her breath. "Orange as the autumn leaves. Perfect."

A soft glow emanated from her. At first, nothing happened. But soon, there was a perceivable change to the environment. It started with a moment of stillness, where the wind hushed and the surrounding went quite. Then, little by little, the wind started to pick up, swirling around Jade like a vortex. The orange leaves, silently resting on the grass earlier, were drawn to the wind and slowly began shuffling along, forming a ring around her.

Her semblance was the power to control the wind. Sadly, it was not a particularly powerful skill compared to most. At her max power, she can only create an intense gust that causes people to stumble or generate a flow that can lift small objects. However, it was all she needed. Ever since she began dancing, she had always used her wind to create breathtaking effects and dazzling spectacles. To her, the quality was more important than the quantity. And that prowess she honed for years was what she was displaying.

Once the wind stabilized, Jade formed a pose resembling a tree, her legs entwined like sturdy roots and her arms outstretched like branches. Then, slowly, her arms began to move, tracing a small pattern in the air. The wind followed her movement and the leaves quivered in anticipation for the next move.

She suddenly stopped and the wind pulsed in confusion. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at the empty field. But it wasn't empty to her. In front of her, was concert hall, brimming with seats filled with watchers. And she...she stood on the grand stage, the center of attention. A smile crept up her lips...

...And her arm violently swung down.

There was a rush of wind and the leaves scattered wildly into the air like confetti before slowly fluttering down to the ground. But Jade won't let them. Her legs began to move, gliding across soil without a single bounce, while her twist in intricate patterns. The leaves, picking up these movements, followed like ducklings to their mother. First, they were following her hand movements, but then Jade began twirling and the leaves started twisting, creating double helix patterns in her wake.

Yu watched this from his spot at the edge, unamused. He had seen this before, at least something similar. Jade was performing a dance like the ones she had done on stage years ago. While it was a good show of her finesse in controlling her semblance, Yu cannot fathom how this dance can even be considered practical in combat.

Her dance started to pick up. Her movements became more wild and the leaves swarmed around her like a hive of angry bees. Serenity became chaos, yet despite that, she gave the impression of being in control. Then, for just a moment, everything became still. The feeling of rushing winds stopped and the leaves froze before slowly drifting down. It was the calm before the storm.

Just before the first leaf touched the ground, she began to move again. First, her eyes darted rapidly to take account of the leaves fluttering before her. With a wide scything motion, her fan sliced through the air like blades cutting the wind. One. Two. Three. Four. Leaves suddenly separated from the pack, cleanly bifurcated down the stem. But she didn't stop there. Calling upon her semblance again, she formed a small tornado that swallowed the remainder of the leaves.

Jade swivelled again and rushed at her creation. Fast as lightning, she passed through the mass of wind several times, her fans forming crescent moons as they arc through the storm. To an audience, it was hard to tell whether she was fighting or dancing with the storm of leaves. If anything, it was both. Her fan movement was entrusted with such elegance and intensity that it was hard to distinguish animosity and tenderness from them. Regardless, with each pass, more leaves fell from the tornado, cut cleanly like their brethrens before.

The tornado soon started thinning out, signalling the final movement of her dance. With a sweeping motion, Jade leapt into the air, scattering the remaining leaves in the dying seemed to float at the pinnacle, her expression serene and her posture calm, like an angel looking down from the heavens. But as gravity began pulling her back to Earth, her expression tensed up. With a deft flick of her wrist, she threw both of her fans at the descending leaves. Her fans, spinning so fast that they were indistinguishable from green disks, made a fwoo sound as they cut through the last of them.

As Jade gracefully landed upon the soft soil, she made one final pose with hands outstretched, similar to how she started the dance, and, as if beckoned by its master, the fans obediently returned.

There was a moment of silence. Then, the trees behind her, by coincidence or on purpose, rustled loudly as if they were applauding her performance. This brought a smile to Jade's lips, as it reminded her how much fun she had back in the old days, dancing in front of a large audience. Hearing the thundering applause at the end. Then, reality came back to her and she realized this wasn't a stage and there were no audience other than his brother, which made her smile turn sullen.

Suddenly, a real set applause can be heard from within the trees, startling both Jade and Yu. They turned their heads to face the direction of the sound and out from the trees walked two figures. More specifically, two girls, one of shorter than average height and the other a lanky girl wearing eyeglasses.

"That was splendid! An amazing dance! Edge of my seat the whole time! 10 out of 10!"

This stream of compliments came from the shorter of the two girls, who also happen to be the one clapping earlier.

Upon realizing others had witnessed her dance, Jade's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. It was one of her odd quirks. She may appear confident and tough on stage, but the moment she steps off, she can become shy to the stare of strangers.

"Oh, thank...you. Ummm… how long have you been watching?" Jade said quietly with an embarrassed laugh.

The short girl placed a finger on her temples and shut her eyes tight, as if thinking hard.

"Since right before you started dancing! Hahaha."

The girl started laughing loudly as if she told a funny joke.

Incidentally, these two girls looked different from the other students at the school. They wore formal uniforms. Not the ones issued by Beacon, but regal-looking ones, like military uniforms. The uniform was dark red, lined in black, and had two columns of golden buttons running down the middle. And the skirt reached just above the knee and were a mix of the same maroon and black colors of the uniform.

Furthermore, the shorter girl had a black cap on top of her short flaming red hair, which complimented her overall wardrobe. On her shoulders, hung a large overcoat - perhaps a size too large for her small frame - with golden pauldrons. Instead of being worn, it was draped around her like a cape.

Jade looked at Yu for some support dealing with the laughing girl before her, but all he did was shrug.

"Sorry about peaking in on your little dance. I was gonna call out to you, but when you started dancing, I just couldn't help but watch. It was quite enthralling. Truly a performance worthy of the stage."

"Hahaha, thank you," Jade repeated. "I used to be a performer, that's why."

"Ah, that makes sense. A talent you have cultivated well."

"Umm…" Jade fidgeted shyly as she's assailed by these compliments, trying to find the right words to talk back without sounding too rude. "By the way, who are you?"

The girl gave a look of utter shock.

"Oh I haven't introduced myself yet? Well I probably should, shouldn't I?"

The girl ruminated for a second. Then, after coming upon with something, she pointed at herself haughtily.

"Behold, you stand before Joker the Defender of the Weak, the Protector of the Peace, and the Light that Shines through Darkness. I'm here to conquer this school and claim the number one spot. So you better watch out or else you'll get burned!"

"…"

Jade gave this so-called Joker a funny look. Guardian of Light? Ally of Justice? She couldn't make heads or tails about the girl's introduction. The way she presented herself felt like someone from a cheesy hero cartoon. It's not like she thought Joker was lying about herself, but something about the way she presented herself felt like she was acting out a personality.

An awkward silence ensued, in which Joker made a nervous chuckled and rubbed her head in embarrassment.

Thankfully, the bespectacled girl came to her rescue. She stepped forward and gave a deep bow, causing her long knotted black hair to dip close to the ground. Her expression had remained calm and stoic throughout their conversation, making it hard to tell what is going on in her mind. Added with the sharp glare she gave through her glasses, she gave off a cold unapproachable feeling.

Kind of like Yu, Jade unconsciously thought. However, she immediately regretted having such a rude thought and decided to apologize in her head. To both Yu and the girl.

"Forgive my lady's behavior. She tends to have a flair for theatrics. My name is Queen and we are both new students at Beacon. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"My lady?" Jade asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yes, I serve as my lady's retainer." The glasses girl stated it so matter-of-factly as if it was the most common thing in the world.

"Oh…"

The pair was getting stranger and stranger as they spoke.

"Geez, Queenie," the Joker whined. "Way to ruin my grand entrance. I spent so long working on that."

"Apologies my lady, but it seems your silly introduction just confused our company."

Joker let out a pout at her introduction being called "silly."

"Well...Joker. Queen. It's nice to meet you, too. My name is Jade and the guy standing there…"

She nodded her head towards Yu, who was still leaning against the tree with an antagonistic look on him.

"..is my twin brother, Yu. We're first years as well."

Yu, as usual, didn't make any effort to acknowledge them.

Joker peered at Jade and Yu and gave a good inspection of them before nodding knowingly, as if evaluating them.

"So, what were you doing out here in the forest?" Jade continued.

"Mmmmm, nothing really. Just getting the lay of the land. Scouting the enemy territory if I should say."

"Enemy territory?"

This seemed to trigger something within Joker as she bounced up with starry eyes.

"That's right! If I'm going to reach the top, I have to treat every student here as my enemy and never let your guard down. Ah, but that doesn't include you guys. Now that we have shared names, we are friends! I hear teams are formed in pairs of four so if fortune favors us, we can rule this school together!"

"!"

Jade couldn't help but linger on something Joker just said. Friends. Even though Joker has her oddities, hearing the word 'friend' directed to her gave her a warm fluttering feeling

"Ehhh, we're friends...already?"

"Hehe, of course!"

Her words were spoken casually, but for Jade, her words held weight. Perhaps having someone call her a friend was something she always craved for. After all, back when she was in fine art school, the only thing everyone cared about was beating the competition. There were no friends or classmates, just rivals and enemies. But here, at Beacon, she has a chance for the school experience she always dreamed about.

However, a chime rang in the distance, distracting the four from their current activities. A voice, projected by speakers, can be heard.

"Attention all new students. Orientation begins in 10 minutes. Please make your way to the auditorium now if you haven't done so already. Thank you."

There was another chime to mark the end of the announcement and the sound of nature returned.

"Well, it looks like the next step in our journey of becoming huntsmen is about to start," Joker remarked. "Let's head back together, how about it? Don't want to delay the party any longer."

Jade nodded. She looked at Yu for confirmation, but he gave none in return. He just got up from his position on the tree and headed towards the group. Together with Yu, she eagerly followed her two friends back to the front gate. However, in her haste and joy, she failed to notice something.

While Jade can unwittingly notice the color of the wind around others, there was a surprising lack of color from those two. It was more like they had colorless "normal" wind around them, but because it wasn't noticeable, invisible to be more accurate, Jade paid it no mind and continued her lively stroll to the main hall of Beacon Academy where her new adventure was about to begin.