It was late morning. The sun hung high in the sky, no clouds in sight, but the chill of the morning dew still clung in the air.
Jade couldn't help but shiver from the cold as she peered at the scene before her. She was standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking a large dense forest which appears enclosed by mountains. A number of ruin-like structures and rocky formations dot the sea of trees, but other than that, it appeared to be just a normal forest.
Stood in a line alongside her was a small portion of the new students who, during the morning assembly, were divided into smaller groups for the test. Luckily for her, she was placed in the same group as Yu, Amy, and Diamon. But that wasn't all. At the far end of the line…
...Joker stood solemnly alongside the other three members of the Royal Flush.
As if aware of eyes on her, Joker turned her head in Jade's direction, to which Jade quickly snapped her head back behind the countless bodies between them. She tried to reach out to Joker this morning, but, whether she was unlucky or Joker was avoiding her, Jade hadn't seen her at all until they came here.
After a few moments to catch her breath, Jade returned her attention to the two adults in front of them: Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch.
Ozpin stood relaxed, a cup of coffee in his hand, as he calmly surveyed the group before him. Meanwhile, Goodwitch busily tapped away at her large tablet, her already sharp gaze point intensely at the task she was performing.
Now that Jade got a good look at her, Professor Goodwitch does appear young, older than her but not by much. If anything, she was most likely a recent graduate who decided to work at the school.
As Jade scrutinized Ms. Goodwitch, she suddenly lifted her head from her pad and gave Ozpin a nod. Receiving this cue, he cleared his throat and started speaking.
"Good morning students. How was your rest?"
A few positive murmurs came from the students.
"Hmmm, good."
Ozpin takes a sip of coffee from his mug before continuing.
"Today, your abilities will be evaluated here in the Emerald Forest. Based on your performance, you will be assigned to a class that meets your skill level. Now, as some of you may be aware, Huntsmen operate in a team of four and you may wonder how teams are assigned. Well, let me dispel any confusion: each of you will be given teammates...today."
A rumbling of whispers spread throughout the students. Some, nervous, while others, excited.
On the other hand, Ozpin maintained his calm dignity and took another sip of his coffee.
"I would like each of you to take a good look at your fellow students here. By the end of today, three of them will be a part of your team."
Everyone proceeded to take a good look at each other. There were 32 students present, so by the end there will be eight teams of four.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. And if you are worried about being paired with strangers that may not work well with you, do not fear. The groups were not selected arbitrarily."
Ozpin raised his hand with two fingers held out.
"The groups were decided upon following two criteria. First, you were split based on personal connections whether that be friends from before you came to Beacon, acquaintances met during your arrival, or in some cases…"
Ozpin gaze subtly shifted towards Jade and Yu
"...even relatives."
Jade felt her cheeks warm up after being called out like that.
"The second criteria is my personal evaluation of your abilities. From your semblance to your psyche profile, I made sure that each and every one of you will find partners that will...how should I put...complement your particular personalities and skills."
With that, he lowered his hand and strolled over to Professor Goodwitch. He whispered something to her and she gave a nod before quickening her tapping on the screen.
"Now before I explain how you will be matched with your teammates, let me explain what you will be doing today. Normally, the evaluation involves retrieving a relic from a location within the forest and returning to the cliff, but this year will be different."
Again, the students grew restless. Tension filled the air as they eagerly awaited what changes will be made to the evaluation. It was clear to Jade this was something many looked forward to do.
"Instead of one central location, there will be eight shrines in the forest with a pair of relics. However, you will not be able to retrieve these relics until there are four students present at the shrine. Those who unlock a relic together will be your teammate for the four years at this school."
Jade sighed in relief. Based on this information, there is some room to choose the teammates you want. Once someone finds a shrine they will have to wait until there are four students present. And for those who arrive at a shrine with someone already present, they can choose whether to join them or not. That means that as long as she can find which shrine her brother ends up at, as long as there is still room, they can be in the same team.
However, Ozpin wasn't done talking.
"Once your team acquires the relic, you will be given a puzzle. The puzzle will lead you to a lock at a separate location where you must use the relics as a key to open it. When the lock is opened a signal will be sent to us indicating that you have completed this challenge. Once all four locks are opened, the exam will end."
Suddenly, a student called out from the crowd.
"W-wait, four? Don't you mean eight?"
"No, I meant what I said."
"But, you just said there were eight shrines, meaning eight teams. That means four teams won't be able to complete the challenge."
To this, Ozpin gave a smile.
"Very astute. You are correct in that only four teams will complete this task. The eight shrines will each have a clue, but the clues will only lead you to one of four locations. You will face plenty of obstacles in the Emerald Forest, but this year, you are also racing each other towards the finish line."
"What will happen to those who don't finish?"
It was Jade who spoke up this time. Hearing that the exam will be a competition put a hamper to her plans. She still wanted to team up with her brother, but at the same time didn't want to be a burden to him. Compared to everyone here she was most likely the weakest. She knew that all too well and if that will become a detriment to Yu, then maybe it was best not to be by his side.
Ozpin gave a knowingly look to Jade. He still held the same calm smile that he always had, even back when they first met.
"I will decide that when the time comes. But I will have you know, completing the challenge is not synonymous to a high evaluation. It will certainly help in your placements, but it is ultimately your performance and teamwork that we are looking for."
He paused to let the information sink in. During this intermission, one student raised his hand.
"What are the relics we are searching for?"
"I'm glad you asked."
From his pocket, he withdrew a small red object. It was cylindrical with a crystalline structure and a shiny glass-like surface. When held under the sun, its many facets sparkled brightly, momentarily dazzling those who witnessed it.
"Does anyone know what this is?"
The answer seemed obvious. This crystal was something that anyone on Remnant would recognize. A material that protected humanity those far. It was…
"Dust."
A voice called out from the crowd.
However, to everyone's surprise, Ozpin shook his head, leading to a mass confusion.
But one person was not fazed by this turn of events.
"It's a gem, a ruby to be exact."
Those words came from the boy standing a few meters away from Jade. It came from none other than Diamon Prisma.
"That's correct," Ozpin remarked with a grin, as if he was expecting this result. "As expected of the heir to Prisma Jewelry Inc."
This came as a huge surprise to Jade. He gave the tall man a wide eye look, to which he only responded with an embarrassed shrug.
Jade wasn't the only one, though. Many of the students had their attention drawn to the large man, some with what can only be considered sparkly eye adoration. A response often seen in the presence of a celebrity.
"Care to elaborate further?" Ozpin urged.
This caused Diamon to enter some sort of lecture mode.
Thankfully, he didn't go on a long spiel and only covered the difference between gems and Dust. Gems, like Dust in its crystalline form, share many of the same physical characteristics which is one reason why they can be easily mistaken as Dust. The most important difference is that gems lack energy typically found in Dust crystals. This trait makes gems much less useful than Dust, which is the main reason why gems aren't well known, but they are hardly useless. Their density and hardness makes them useful in tools and their luster is much more significant than Dust, making them a cheaper alternative for jewelry.
It did look like Diamon had more to say, but Ozpin cut him off there.
"The relics you are seeking will be a pair of gems and dust. Combining the two will form the key needed for the second half of the exam."
At this point, his demeanor turned grave.
"Before I send you off, there is one last thing. Once you have formed your team and acquired the relics, it is free rein. That means you are free to attack another team as long as they also have gotten their relics. But be warned, once your aura drops to the critical range you are considered 'out' and attacking someone who is 'out' will result in a disqualification. We are Huntsman, but you will find, in due time, that your enemies aren't always Grimm. This is a lesson to teach you when and where to show restraint. There will be faculty monitoring the situation from a distance, so make sure you don't make decisions you will regret. Are there any more questions?"
The students remained silent. The serious aura around Ozpin dissipated and he took another sip of his coffee.
"Good. Prepare your Landing Strategy. You will be sent in just a moment."
With all the explanation out of the way, everyone tensed up in preparation for the start. Jade was no exception as she went into a ready position.
But something dawned on her. She quickly turned to Yu in a panic.
"What's a Landing Strategy?"
Yu gave her a look that can only be described as a cross between concern and disgust. As if he was saying 'How did you even get here without that knowledge?'
"Just don't hit the ground too hard."
He let his words sink in before turning his focus back to the forest beyond the cliff.
"What's that supposed to…AAAAHHHHHH"
Without warning, Jade was suddenly launched into the air.
For a few moments, the only thing she could perceive was the whistling of the wind and her own high pitch scream. When her brain finally caught up with reality, she righted her tumbling body to get a better grasp of the situation. First, she noticed every student on the cliffside had been launched in a similar fashion, but based on their location, everyone was launched at different times and at a different trajectory. Next, she examined the forest she was falling towards. Taking into account the height of the cliff, it will take around thirty seconds to hit the treeline. That means thirty seconds to break her fall.
But that was the problem. She didn't have a way to completely stop her fall. Sure her semblance was wind, but she knew it wasn't powerful enough to stop her velocity or even dampen it by much.
Yet, she still needed to do something.
From the holster on her back, she withdrew two fans. It was not the fans she used the previous day, but her actual weapon. The exterior was made of a metallic black alloy and, when unfurled, the many panes that make up the interior were of a glowing green make.
She concentrated her aura into the fans and the green section pulsed warmly. The wind around her suddenly changed in response to the glow and she felt herself being surrounded by it. Then, with one large movement she swept her fans like a bird flapping its wings, using the wind to propel forward.
Jade felt her downward momentum ease up for a moment. But only for a moment before gravity overcame her pitiful defiance.
She was now below the cliff edge and the ground was rapidly approaching.
She examined her surroundings once more. Perhaps she could use the environment to her advantage. That's when she noticed a small lake some distance away.
Changing her tactics, Jade flapped her fans once more, but this time to push herself into a glide rather than resisting her fall. If she can reach the lake, perhaps the water can dampen the impact at this speed. At least that's what she hoped.
"Come on, come on, come on," she urged herself as she put her all into the glide.
The small lake grew larger and larger as she approached, but soon she realized a fatal error. She had forgotten to take into account the treeline during her descent. While she was correct in assuming she will make it to the lake, she will hit the trees before she can reach it. But there is nothing that can be done at this point.
Jade gritted her teeth and tensed up in anticipation of the impact, with the faint hope that her aura could stay intact until she reached the lake.
She closed her eyes as she was about to enter the thicket…
...And nothing happened.
Well, not exactly nothing. As she held her eyes shut, she suddenly felt a tug on her back and the downward momentum she felt suddenly shifted.
"Gotcha," a female voice exclaimed.
At this point, that voice had grown familiar to her. Opening her eyes and turning to face the person in question confirmed her guess.
"Amy!"
It was the same pink haired bright eye girl that Jade had spent the last day with. She had grabbed her before she plummeted into the trees and now gently fluttered to the banks of the lake where she finally let go.
"Thanks for saving me. I thought I was done for."
"No biggie. Although, I was trying to catch up with Diamon, but when I saw you in trouble, I just instinctually followed after you."
"Sorry…"
"Haha, like I said it's no problem," Amy reiterated as she slowly fluttered closer to the ground.
Flutter?
Now that Jade had collected herself, she realized Amy was floating off the ground with a slightly different attire than yesterday. It was the same frilly lavender dress, but somehow it seemed thinner and more exposed. And on her back was a pair of translucent fairy wings twinkling on her back.
"Is that…?" Jade stuttered at the odd sight before her. She already thought Amy looked like some anachronistic princess, but now she looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Noticing Jade's confusion, Amy gave an chuckle. Suddenly, a bright glow surrounded her and her clothes seemed to transmute into light particles. At first, her dress of light was about to burst and disappear, but it slowly changed form, shifting its shape before shattering into tiny sparkles of light and revealing the dress that she normally wears.
"Was that your semblance?" Jade gawked, still surprised at the transformation.
"Yup," Amy nodded. "Seamstress, I call it. I can manipulate fabric to take any form I want."
"But..the wings…how?"
"Oh, that?"
Amy turned around to show off her pink bow around her waist. It was made of some gossamer material, but upon closer inspection, there were rune-like etchings along it.
"I've sewn in some gravity manipulation Dust and some wind Dust. I can then use my semblance to distribute the Dust infuse fabric throughout my body so I can fly. Oh and the wings, it's not actually necessary, I just thought it was cute that's all."
Amy twirled around a few more times to give Jade a better look. After she seemed satisfied with herself, she turned her gaze south.
"Hmmm, last I checked, Diamon was falling that way. There was some sort of ruined temple in that direction so that must be his destination."
Amy turned to look at Jade, who fidgeted as if unsure what to do next, and tilted her head in the direction she was looking at to catch her attention.
"Let's go that way, ok?"
"..."
Amy chuckled at her restlessness.
"Thinking about where your brother might be?"
Jade perked up, startled that she mentioned her brother, before slouching a bit in embarrassment. This was particularly amusing to Amy.
"Hehe, hey come on, we might meet him along the way. Remember this is a test, everyone is heading to one of eight spots in this forest, so we're bound to meet him, right?"
This seemed to assure Jade slightly. She nodded and fell in line behind Amy as the two walked deeper into the woods in search of a shrine.
Minutes passed in silence as the two trudged through the uneven ground. All that could be heard was the whistling of birds in the air and the rustling of trees in the wind. While it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, in fact Jade particularly enjoyed listening to the sound of nature, she felt the need to say something. This was as good a time as any since something was on her mind before she was launched into the forest, which she just now recalled.
"Hey, Amy?"
"Hmmm, what is it?"
"Diamon. He's...really well known isn't he?"
"Haha, I guess he is to a degree."
"Then, what about you? Are you, you know, like that, too?"
Amy halted and gave Jade a cryptic look.
"What do you think?"
Jade didn't know how to answer that question. She tried to think about it, but Amy continued talking.
"You thought Diamon was my butler or something, right?"
"Eh, how did you know?" Jade cried out in astonishment.
This gave Amy a good laugh.
"Everyone who doesn't know him thinks the same thing. I can't really blame them though. But the reality is much different than what you think. Here, let me introduce myself again...properly."
Amy did a small twirl to face Jade. She crossed her legs and lifted the side of her skirt while courteously bowing.
"My name is Amethyst Kreiss. First year student at Beacon Academy and...Diamon Prisma's personal maid. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
If Jade's jaw wasn't connected to her skull, it would've surely fell to the ground. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect this kind of revelation.
"But...but…"
The gears in Jade's head were spinning rapidly, trying to comprehend this information. And when no solution could be found, it overheated, causing visible steam to rise from her temple.
Amy found Jade's reaction far too amusing, just like she hoped it would.
"Didn't expect that did ya?"
"But…"
"Why don't I act the part?"
Jade nodded. Not the words she would use, but the idea is the same.
"Well, Diamon and my relationship is a bit...complicated. You see, my mom became the Prisma family physician after she saved Diamon's father's life when he fell ill during a trip. We were sorta poor at the time, so as a sign of gratitude, we were 'adopted' by the Prismas. My mom became their physician and I was given the task of looking after Diamon. I was officially recognized as his maid, but since I was around his same age, I was more...someone for him to talk with. A friend."
Amy smiled, lost in her thoughts.
"However, once I started learning maid duties, things started to change. I was just so bad at everything. I always left his room in more of a mess than before, I always forget to separate colors for laundry, and I'm not even willing to eat the meals I make. Heh, but you know, he was never bothered by that. Sure, when I messed up his breakfast, he accosted me for being useless, but then he would immediately take it upon himself to make something delicious for the both of us. All the while having this smug smile as if he was trying to impress me."
Amy chuckled when she recalled that moment.
"It was the same for everything else. He was always there whenever I needed help. And eventually, we just fell into this pattern."
As Jade watched her reminisce, she noticed that her smiling expression was different from before. It wasn't the happy-go-lucky expression from when they first met nor was it the melancholy one last night. If she tried to describe it, it was one of warmth. One that seems to affect Jade with its radiance.
It would take an idiot not to recognize what Amy was feeling.
However, the ground started to rumble, disrupting their conversation
It wasn't the rumbling of an earthquake. No, the shaking was very slight, but at a constant pulse. If anything, it was the tremors of massive footsteps.
"Incoming!"
Amy cried out as she got into a fighting stance, drawing out a wand with purple gem at its tip with wing-like appendages surrounding it.
Jade faced the direction that Amy was looking and made out three figures beyond the foliage. They were large lumbering husks covered with a black misty coat, with blazing red eyes and bone white appendages along their body like armor plates.
They were Ursas.
The three beasts let out a low guttural growl as they approach. Jade and Amy cautiously backed away, maintaining a set distance from the creatures.
Then, with a roar, all three Grimm pounced at their prey. But the two girls were prepared. They lept to the side just as the beast landed on the area they were standing, but they leapt in opposite directions, causing them to be split apart. Two Ursi turned to face Amy while one turned to Jade.
"I can take care of these two, are you going to be okay?" Amy shouted from across the enemies.
"I think I can manage," Jade unconfidently called out.
She has seen Grimm before, but this was the first time she was up close to one. The suffocating black aura and the putrid smell of their heaving breaths was more than enough to overwhelm Jade with a sense of dread. Sweat began to pour from her brow and her hands began to shake as she stared down this beast of darkness.
Is this what Yu... what all Huntsman must deal with? Jade thought.
The Ursa let out a bellowing roar as it stood on its hind legs and swiped at Jade.
She nimbly ducked under the attack and charged the grim with her fans held forward. The sharp end of her weapon slashed across the beast multiple times, tearing through its black fur. A dark fluid sprayed from these wounds, but otherwise, the beast looked unharmed.
The Ursa roared in defiance and attempted to attack Jade again, but she twirled out of its reach. As she spun, she gathered the wind around her and channeled it into her fans, which glowed bright green in response. Then, swinging her arms in an arc, the wind shot forth in two scythe like shapes that struck the Ursa in the chest.
The force of the attack toppled the bear, but again, it didn't seem to leave any major damage.
"Damn it."
Jade cursed her own ineffective attacks. She wasn't used to attacking living things. When she practiced, it was always against wooden posts. But against moving breathing beings, something about the feeling of her blades sinking into the thick sinew of muscle unnerved her, causing her to not follow through. Even if it's against the minions of darkness.
Meanwhile, on Amy's side, colorful explosions can be seen striking the pair of Ursi. It seems she has everything under control.
This made Jade clutch her fans more intently. If Amy can handle two of these creatures by herself, she should at least manage one.
Jade inspected her opponent once more. The Ursa was now on all fours with a death-like stare, more cautious than before. Its nose flared angrily as it tries to find a moment to attack.
If she can't beat it through normal means, then she just needed to change her tactics.
Again, Jade's fan glowed bright green, but instead of firing a scythe of wind, she threw both fans. They arced towards Ursa while shrouded in a torrenting wind that somewhat distorted the image of the fans. The Ursa braced itself for the attack, but the spinning fans didn't strik it, at least not directly. They brushed the bear, leaving shallow cuts as the sharp wind brushed against its black skin, before zooming behind it. Wary about the fans, the bear turned to face where the speeding weapons were going, but that was its fatal mistake.
Now that the Grimm was distracted with her fans, Jade launched herself forward. Her flying fans, in response, spun in a large arc and began returning to their owners. The Ursa, mistaking the trajectory of the fans, stood up and attempted to swat at them only to miss completely as they land safely in Jade's hand.
Without breaking out of her running gait, she smoothly transitioned into a slide and slid between the Ursa's legs, doing a few quick swipes as she passed. Then, without a pause, she faced the Ursa once more, her arms crossed at her hips.
The two combatants faced each other once more before they both launched their attacks, the Ursa swinging its claws and Jade lunging forward. For a brief second, it looked like the bear's claws would reach Jade first, but before they could connect, Jade kicked off the ground, assisted by her wind, and used her momentum to avoid its attack. Then, she swung both fans wide, the bladed edge of her fan digging into flesh.
Her hands tensed as she felt her blade sink into the meaty underbelly of the bear, but she knew now wasn't the time to feel squeamish. She mustered all the wind she could handle and channel it through her blade.
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
Jade screamed as she let loose all that concentrated wind along the tip of her fan.
Two large arcs of wind sliced the Ursa and it was launched back several feet, black ooze spilling from the gash it created.
It wasn't the result Jade was expecting - she thought that she could slice through the beast - but it worked out nonetheless.
Jade let out a sigh of relief, but her respite was short.
The prone Ursa, while extremely bloodied, was still alive. It let out a weak gurgle as it awkwardly tried to get back on its legs.
"Seriously?" Jade moaned, exhaustion clear in her voice. "How much damage can you take?"
She sluggishly readied herself once more to take it on, but it wasn't necessary.
Out of nowhere, a silver spear struck the side of the Ursa and pinned it to a nearby tree. With one final twitch, the Grimm finally fell limp and disintegrated into fine black powder.
Once the Grimm completely faded away, the spear quivered and detached itself from the tree, returning to its owner: Amy.
In her hands, the spear looked familiar somehow. It had a two-pronged tip with a jewel in the middle. However, in the middle of her thoughts, the spear transformed. The two prongs folded outward and the long shaft collapsed into a short rod, changing from the spear to the recognizable wand that she held earlier.
"Was that the first time you fought a Grimm?" Amy asked as she stowed her rod.
Jade drooped her head disappointingly. Sensing that her words might have hit a nerve, Amy played it off with a nervous laugh.
"Ahaha, fighting a Grimm for the first time can be difficult, but you definitely held your own."
Amy's compliment helped her mood, but she still felt that being able to defeat at least one Grimm was well within her ability as a Huntress. Realizing that she needed help just for a common Grimm like the Ursa damaged her confidence.
"I thought I could do it," Jade mumbled as she sat on the ground, face buried in her knees. "I thought maybe Professor Ozpin saw something in me that I didn't realize myself. And yet, after all that time preparing for this moment, I can't get a single thing right. Maybe it was a bad idea to come to Beacon after all."
Amy started to panic after seeing Jade fall into such a depressed state. She nervously fidgeted around trying to figure out what to say, but nothing came to mind. However, she knew she had to do something. So, she took a deep breath, slapped herself on the cheeks, and decided to just be herself.
"Don't say something like that. You are plenty qualified to be here. Like that move you did earlier, it was very effective!"
"Move? What do you mean?"
"You know, when you threw your fans! Your semblance must be wind affinity, right? The way you controlled your fans' trajectory to attack and distract that Ursa. That kind of attack was really awesome."
"Yes, but my semblance is...weak. I couldn't even cut the Ursa deeply. Same thing when we were launched from the cliff, it wasn't enough to stop my fall."
Amy pouted and placed her hands on her hips.
"Nonsense. It's not weak. Every semblance can be powerful if you just apply it in the right way. Like mine, for example. Being able to weave fabric has no combat potential, but with a little help, I can use it to fly."
Suddenly, as if an imaginary light bulb suddenly lit up, an idea popped into Amy's head.
"But if you really want to make yourself stronger, I have an idea."
Jade's ears perked up.
"That move where you threw your fans, do you have a name for it?"
Jade didn't understand where she was trying to take it, but answered nonetheless.
"A name? Not really. But it is based on a dance move I used to do."
She drew out both of her fans again and tossed them into the air. The wind surrounded them and they spun as they elegantly swirled around her.
"I called it the Dancing Blossoms."
Amy shook her fist up and down in excitement.
"That's perfect! Now are you ready for what I'm about to tell you?"
Jade leaned close in anticipation.
In a low voice, as if revealing some dark secret, Amy whispered in Jade's ears.
"When you plan on using that move, imagine what the move does and then…"
Jade waited expectantly for what came next.
"...and then you yell out the name of that move!"
Jade gave her a look as if she went crazy.
"Trust me! See if you have a name attached to your signature attacks, you will have a stronger identity with that move, meaning that you can perform it much stronger than just doing it normally. The louder you shout, the stronger it is."
"Are you sure?" Jade asked skeptically.
"Definitely, I do it all the time," Amy replied, while nodding her head furiously.
Jade was still a little unsure, but she did have a point. When she was learning a dance, she often used names to associate with certain steps to make it easier to learn. Perhaps, that was the case with Huntsmen's as well.
Deciding to follow through with it, Jade took a deep breath a face a tree some distance away. She readied her fans to focus her wind in them. She pictured the movement of her fans in her mind and the name associated with the move. Then, releasing the build up of air in her lungs, she yelled out her attack.
"DANCING BLOSSOMS!"
Jade threw both fans and they whizzed through the air along the path she had imagined. They struck the tree she was facing, flew some distance further before returning back to her hands.
She did feel a surge of energy when she screamed out the move, but when inspecting the result, it didn't look like there was any major difference.
"Hmmm, I don't think it made any dif…"
Jade turned around to see Amy slamming her fist into a tree while suppressing her hysterical laughter.
A few minutes later.
"Hahaha, oooh, I can't believe you actually went through with that," Amy cried as she walked, wiping away the last bit of tears from laughing too hard.
Meanwhile, Jade was a few feet in front of her with her arms crossed and cheeks pouted.
"That was a mean thing to do. I actually believe you."
"Awww, I said I'm sorry. And besides…"
Amy got in front of Jade with her bright cheery grin.
"...it got your mind off of that depressing stuff, didn't it."
Jade couldn't refute that. After being deceived like that, she was too angry to be depressed by her own ineptitude. It was still in the back of her mind, but she can now focus on more pressing issues.
"So, you say a shrine is nearby?" Jade asked, changing the topic.
Amy nodded.
"Yup, it shouldn't be too far from here. Hopefully, Diamon will be there. Who knows maybe your brother as well."
"Yeah, hopefully."
From there, the two walked in silence, each thinking about the partner they came to Beacon with. Each hoping they are okay.
"Thirty one other students. Out of all that, he had to be the first one I saw. Oh, what inimical deed have I done to deserve such a fate."
These were the inner grumblings of one indignant Diamon as he strolled languishly through the forest.
Walking in front of him in a steady, purposeful pace, was a casually dressed boy with black disheveled hair. It was the last person he wished to come in contact with: Yu Evergreen.
How did he find himself in this predicament?
During his descent from the cliffs, he had spotted a clearing where a shrine was located and signalled to Amy rough coordinates where they should land. However, as they were approaching the tree line, she suddenly veered off course. Already too close to the ground, he was unable to react quick enough and they ended up separated. Once landed, he mulled over what his next plan of action will be and decided to head to the shrine he saw earlier. But that proved to be his fatal mistake. Not two minutes into his journey did he stumble across Yu who was standing by himself observing his surroundings.
Thus the two ended up together.
"Hmm, the location of the shrine appears farther than expected. Perhaps if we have a vantage point we can make out where we are going. What do you think?"
Even though Diamon directed his words at Yu, he wasn't interested in his opinion. He just wanted his silent companion to say something. Anything.
When the two first met up, Diamon had made many attempts to start a conversation. From trying to get to know him better to remarking about their surrounding, Diamon just wanted the mute boy to open up a little during their otherwise silent and dull journey. But Yu never reciprocated.
And this time, like every other attempt, Yu ignored Diamon.
Well, that wasn't 100% true. While he didn't verbally acknowledge his idea, Diamon noticed he subtly changed directions so that they are now heading up an incline.
So he's listening, just not responding.
Diamon wasn't sure whether to be glad or insulted by his behaviors.
The two continued their silent trek up the incline. Their pace wasn't any different from before, but Diamon can definitely feel the burn on his calves from the climb.
Soon, the forest started thinning as they climbed higher and a clearing could be seen a short distance away. Diamon's pace increased as he eagerly marched towards the crest of the hill, but as he was about to pass Yu, Yu reached out and blocked his path.
"Wha-"
Diamon's indignation was interrupted by a piercing howl. At first, he thought the howl belonged to a wolf, but after listening more closely, he knew that wasn't the case. It felt too sinister. Lacking any of the impartiality of normal wildlife.
The two Huntsmen were now alert and creeped up the last few meters of the hill before ducking behind a bush.
They were on the edge of a small cliff, the hillside eroded from flowing water. Below was a small open field with an indented lane of dirt and rocks, a riverbed created during the rainy season. However, what stood along the banks of the riverbed was what caught their attention.
There were 10 or so Beowolves, black wolf-like Grimm, staring at a crumpled form of a deer in the middle of the riverbed. The deer looked severely hurt with several bite marks, clearly from the Beowolves, along its torso. It seemed that as the deer fled from its assailant, it stumbled across the uneven rocky ground and fell on its side.
"A rather regrettable event we are witnessing," Diamon whispered solemnly as they watched the pack of Beowolves inch closer to the fallen deer. "But this does play to our advantage."
Diamon pointed left, down the dried riverbed where it curved behind a thicket of trees.
"I believe our destination is over there. If we hug along the cliffside while those beast are distracted, we should get there without any costly confrontations."
Without waiting for Yu's response, he started inching towards that direction.
"Are we just leaving the Grimm alone?"
This startled Diamon as it was the first time he heard Yu said anything to him. He found himself the target of an intense glare.
Annoyed by everything that had happened since they landed and that Yu took until now to say something, Diamon angrily shuffled back.
"Yes, because that is not our current assignment. If you recall, we are taking an exam. And that exam is to acquire a relic. If our task was to eliminate Grimm or they are obstructing our goal, gladly. But right now they are not in our way. Taking on extraneous obstacles will just hamper our evaluation."
The two were locked in a staring contest, but Yu suddenly dropped his gaze, then looked back at the scene below.
Feeling as if he won, he proudly puffed out his chest.
"Good, now follow me and we will be out of here in no time."
Without another look, Diamon returned to his original plan, failing to realize that Yu wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he was staring intently at the Beowolves.
The Beowolves have finally reach the fallen deer, forming a semi-circle around it. One amongst the Grimm stepped forward and took a sniff. In response, the injured deer's leg twitched in fright and its eyes bulged as it realized it imminent doom. It's chest heaved rapidly and a faint whimpering sound came from its mouth. Sensing the fear from its prey, the Beowolf arced its head high and issued a mighty howl, before lunging at it with its sharp fangs.
But before his fangs reached its target, its head suddenly shattered, spraying black ooze across the mud.
"What the-"
Diamon spun around at the sound of impact. Before him, stood Yu, upright, with a large compact bow drawn and his right hand pulled back as if just letting go of the bowstring. But what caught his attention the most were his maddened eyes, faintly glowing green, and a look that exudes primal fury.
"Yu, what-"
But it was too late to reason with him. With a bellowing scream, Yu leapt over the cliffside and pulled his bowstring once more. A silvery line formed between where he drew the bow and what appears to be a revolver cylinder above where his left hand held the bow. He released the bowstring and the silvery line shot forth straight into a companion of the beheaded Beowolf.
At this point, the Grimm were quite aware of Yu and prepared to strike back.
However, Yu didn't give them the initiative. He landed on the soft earth of the hill and went into a roll to break his fall. As he transitioned from his roll into a sprint, his bow collapsed, the two side folding inward while two blades extended forth, transforming into a two-pronged katar. Using the momentum, he drove his blade into the nearest Beowolf, the blade going completely through the beast's belly and out the beast's back. Without missing a beat, he did a quick spin, causing his blade to tear through the now dead Beowolf's side before finding its mark again on a nearby living one. Before he knew it, there were four dissolving Grimm corpses at his side.
Now it was the Grimm's turn to react. Seeing a lone prey amongst them, they all let out a nasty snarl and pounced at the seemingly vulnerable Yu.
But how wrong they were. As they approached, Yu's eyes darted rapidly, analyzing the movement of each leaping figure. Then, crouching down, he ran towards the nearest target. Everything after that went by in a flash.
Like chain lightning, Yu rapidly dashed between targets, striking each once before moving on to next. The Beowolves attempted to swipe at the nimble figure, but as if predicting their attacks, he dodged every swipe by a narrow margin.
There was no wasted movement in Yu's action. Everything planned, every strike clean. Nothing short of perfection.
When he finally stopped, all that remained was a lone Beowolf, tattered after enduring Yu's assault. It was backing away cautiously after witnessing his destructive force.
Yu transformed his Huntsman weapon back into a bow, not planning on letting the beast escape, but it turned out it wasn't necessary as Diamon came slamming down on the Beowolf's head.
On his right arm was a round shield made of white crackling energy. The energy seemed to originate from the gauntlet on his arm that has a circular bulge with a large cross-shaped diamond at the center.
The shield made a sparking sound as the edge impacted against the Beowolf's neck, snapping it, before it fell to the ground, dead.
Diamon got off the deceased Grimm, his expression livid.
"What in god's name was all that about!?"
Yu did not heed his outburst. Instead, he approached the fallen deer.
Upon closer inspection, it was more ragged than what he initially thought. Claw marks ran through its entire body and blood flowed from its wounds in short pulses, matching the rhythm of its heaving breath. It's eyes were murky and moved slowly as it tried to focus on the person before it. Its once kicking legs now only twitch from time to time.
Yu took all this in without a single change in expression. Then, with one swift motion, he plunged his weapon in the dying beast's chest and with one final twitch, the last ember of the deer's life faded away.
When he extricated his blade, a hand suddenly grasped the back of his hoodie and threw him backwards. His back struck the mudied ground, but using his training, he used the force of his fall to roll into a crouched position.
And then he made eye contact with Diamon, now glaring at him with such intense rage.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Why did you kill the deer? It was still alive! There was still a chance to save it."
Yu maintains his aloof demeanor, unflinched by Diamon's intensity. He took a brief glance at the carcass.
"It was already at death's door. What I did relieved it of its suffering."
"And you think that was the right thing to do?"
Diamon's current flustered face and tense breathing were uncharacteristic for his usual uptight and calm self. All the pent up frustration since landing had spilled forth when he witnessed Yu's action. And recognizing that he was being a little too animated, he took some deep breath to collect himself.
"Says the man who ignored the Grimm," Yu retorted under his breath. But Diamon heard it.
Diamon's chest rose as he was about to explode again, but kept himself in check. After taking another deep breath, he responded.
"A choice I made reluctantly. I believe my decision to be neither right nor wrong, but the result of our circumstances. I simply prioritized our evaluation, in which we were given a clear safe route, over a risky venture to play a hero that may or may not prove fruitless. Furthermore, costly engagements now will lessen our combat strength for the second portion of the test."
"So everything is just a number game to you?" Yu scoffed. "Typical businessman."
Diamon shot Yu a disgusted glare.
"That has nothing to do with this. I applaud your decision to take the more righteous route, I cannot condone your approach. If your goal was to rescue the deer, as thoughtless it may be, I would have lauded you. But look at the results. The deer is dead. This is the conclusion whether you jumped in or not."
He tightened his fist until the white of his knuckles were showing.
"Your action was meaningless. You might as well left it to the Grimm."
His last few words seemed to have gotten a reaction from Yu. His eyebrows furrowed and his usual deadpan expression shifted into a nasty snarl.
"Don't you dare patronize me. You who sit upon a silver throne will never understand the brutality of Grimm. What I did was a mercy."
"Perhaps that may be so, but I don't need my upbringing to understand you are unfit to be Huntsman. You are reckless and unsympathizing. Your purpose may be virtuous, but I can tell the path you walk are far from the pure ideals of a Huntsman."
He then pointed emphatically at Yu.
"You are the type of person I despise the most. You bring shame to the noble title of Huntsman."
"Tsk. Whatever. Like I care about what you think."
Fed up with the conversation, Yu turned to leave.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?"
Yu pause and gave Diamon a brief glance.
"Where I should have gone. To eliminate any Grimm in my path."
As he took his first step away, Diamon reached forward to grab his shoulder. However, sensing his approaching hand, Yu nimbly ducked from his grasp and spun around, his bow drawn...pointing at Diamon.
Instinctively, Diamon raised his gauntlet arm and the white shield made of energy crackled to life.
The two stood facing each other, stock still and tensed, waiting for the first move. Yu held his bow taunt, a glowing arrow made of light directed at Diamon's head, while Diamon ready his shield to block whatever projectile might fly his way. They stood like this in silence, the only sound being the rustling trees and the incessant cawing of a distant crow.
"Hmmph, ever since we've met, I had a feeling something like this might happen," Diamon huffed angrily.
"That makes two of us."
A minute passed with the two locked in their deadlock. But then, as the background noise faded, Yu released his fingers, sending his arrow loose.
