Jade awakens to a strip of sunlight leaking through the curtains. The last fragments of her dream dissipates from her memory leaving only a bittersweet feeling in her chest. In her half-sleep stupor, she tiredly crawled out of her bed only to find that the room was completely foreign to her.
Well, not completely foreign as there was a faint feeling of familiarity tugging the back of her mind.
However, what drew her attention was the large curtain that ran perpendicular to the window and essentially bifurcating the room. Still in a haze, she clumsily got out of bed and pulled the curtain…
And witness two half naked men in the middle of changing.
Jade's eyes linger on their toned abdominals before lifting her eyes up to see two familiar faces frozen in surprise. A tall man with slicked back light blue hair and a messy black haired man with sharp green eyes.
Diamon and her own twin brother Yu.
"Wah, I'm so sorry!" Jade cried as the shock of the image jolted her brain into full operation. She quickly covered the blinds again and collapsed on the ground, her hand over her face to cover her embarrassment.
A snicker can be heard on the bed above her's as the head of a girl with lavender hair poked out from the bed railing.
"Did you enjoy the view?" she asked while having a devilishly smug look on her face.
Jade's face flushed a deeper shade of red as she tossed her pillow at the jokester above her, only to have her retract her head to avoid the projectile.
How did she get into this situation?
Now that Jade had full control of her mental acuity, she finally recalled.
She was at Beacon Academy, a school dedicated to training Huntsmen. Along with her twin brother Yu, she participated in a combat exam yesterday and ended up in a team with her brother and two other individuals, Diamon and Amethyst (or Amy as she fervently insisted). Not only that, she was appointed as the leader of the team, which completely took her by surprise.
Afterwards, they were assigned their rooms, but…
"Eh, the rooms are co-ed?" Jade could not help but express her surprise.
"Hmm, that's a bit troublesome. But look, it seems the school at least gave us a little bit of consideration."
Diamon points to the roof where a curtain was set up to run across the middle of the room, effectively dividing the room in half. Furthermore, the room had bunk beds set up so to efficiently use the space available.
"Sweet, I call top bunk, then."
Amy jovially rushed in, seemingly completely satisfied with the solution to the co-ed problem, and leapt on to the left bunk bed which gave a creak under the added weight.
However, Jade was still not satisfied.
"I don't know. Maybe we were just assigned the wrong room. I'm sure there are dorms with separate rooms, right?"
She turned to the two men of the team for an answer, but their looks weren't promising.
"I highly doubt the school management would be that terrible for such a mistake to occur." Diamon shrugged in defeat. He also pointed at the stack of all their luggage in the corner of the room to emphasize that the choice was deliberate and not some logistical failure.
Meanwhile, Yu had an expression of discomfort, but quickly let out a sign and went to pull on the curtains. It slid effortlessly across the steel beam and when fully extended covered nearly two-thirds of the room and completely blocked the view of the other bed. Seeing that the curtain served its purpose fine, Yu plopped his stuff next to the bottom bunk on the right side and rested on the bed.
"I don't see any problems with it, either."
"Ah...mmmm…."
Seeing as her entire team has gotten over this issue already, Jade conceded reluctantly. Their autonomy in accepting the situation also made her aware of her own leadership abilities, or more specifically, the lack of it, but she slapped her cheeks to keep it from affecting her mood too much. Now wasn't the time to get hung up on confidence issues. It was already dark outside and they have a busy schedule tomorrow, so with one final sigh she grabbed all her luggage and prepared for the night.
And that was how Jade ended up in her current situation.
Now that her memories are all up to date, she realized that classes were going to start today. She looked at the clock hanging near the door and it displayed 8:30. Thirty minutes before class starts. That explains why she caught the guys in her team half-naked.
She peered over to the coat hanger at the side of the bunk beds. On it hung a three-piece school uniform consisting of a white blouse with a dark maroon coat jacket and a red plaid skirt. As far as uniform goes, it wasn't particularly gaudy like what she wore during her days in the fine arts school, nor like the militaristic style that Jaq seemed to wear. It was a nice blend of casual and strict.
Not wanting to waste another minute or else risking being late, Jade grabbed the uniform and began changing. However, as she stripped off her pajamas, she suddenly felt a bit embarrassed to be so exposed, given that two males were only 10 feet away with a flimsy barrier separating them as she so aptly demonstrated not a few minutes ago. But then again, she was the one who broke the "absolute barrier" of the dorm first so she guessed that it's only natural they get a free pass as punishment. Not like she believes those two are the type of people who would do such a thing.
While she was thinking of this while changing, she also noticed that Amy was changing into her uniform while still lying in bed. It appeared when the "incident" occurred she was already in the process of getting into her uniform, which gave her a sense of relief that she didn't need to step up as the leader of the team and remind her to change. If anything, Jade herself was the last one to get into her uniform.
It took about 10 minutes for everyone to get in uniform, pack their school bags, (apply a bit of make-up for some in the team), and get ready to head out.
"Everyone ready for their first day of classes?" Jade cheerfully called out to her team, wanting to at least appear like a leader, despite being the last one to finish.
"Ready when you are."
"Wooooh, let's go!"
"..."
The cheery response of her teammates, besides her brother, gave her hope that they didn't mind her first mistake as leader. However, she was a little disappointed Yu didn't give more than his usual quiet response. She really thought that after the exam yesterday where she was able to see a more expressive side of her brother when she collapsed, he would be more open to her and the team, but he has reverted back to his mute self again. But, the school year just started and Jade believe that there will be plenty of opportunities for their team to get closer and her brother to open his shell. After all that was one of the reasons she came here.
With that train of thought out of the way, she opened the door to start their first official school day at Beacon.
"Wah!"
Immediately after opening the door, she was stopped as a girl was standing in the way.
The girl had flaming red hair of shoulder length and a fiery smile. She wore the same Beacon uniform, but also had an oversized black and red overcoat hung around her shoulder like a cape and beret-like hat on her head. It was the strange girl that she encountered the day before.
Jaq Hart. A girl of enormous strength and fame.
"Good morning. Thought I drop by and say hello since we're neighbors and all."
Jaq greeted as she pointed her thumb at a door on the opposite wall a short walk down, indicating it as her team's room.
Jade thought the coincidence was too great to be true, but then quickly realized that her team also consists of mixed gender, which made it likely they would be assigned to similar dorms.
"Oh, ah, good morning…" Jade gave a feeble response.
"I wanted to ask if you guys want to walk to class together since it looks like we are in the same homeroom." Jaq continued. Jade thought back to the class roster they all received and verified that what she said was true.
"Wasn't sure if you guys were here still so I was planning on knocking, but it seems like my timing was perfect. Haha."
"Ah, yeah, haha…"
The way Jaq talked to her in such a friendly and casual way made her look like just a normal girl you would see anywhere, but Jade knew better. She couldn't help but shiver recalling the intense and heavy aura she gave off when they fought the other day. It was difficult for her to act normal in front of her after seeing that. A quick glance back at her team's tense expression proved they felt the same way.
Seeing their reticence, whether she knew the exact reason or thinking it was just from her upfront behavior, Jaq grabbed Jade's hand and led her out of the dorm as if they were close friends.
"Ah…"
"Come on, if you're going to stand there all day, you'll be late to class. You've met my team. Queenie, Ace, and Kingsley."
As they got further out into the hall, Jade saw the three teammates of Jaq, standing by the wall near their room. They each gave a greeting as she passed by and she gave one back instinctively despite being dragged by Jaq.
"Come on, come on, we don't want to be late on the first day do we? Let's go! Full speed ahead!"
Jaq kept saying stuff like that while dragging Jade behind her. Following her words, Jaq's team also followed behind at a slower pace. Meanwhile, Jade gave a pleading look to her own team who just spectated as she was dragged away, but they have accepted the situation as what it is and decided it was best to just go with it.
And thus, the two teams of four left the dorm.
Thankfully for them all, their homeroom class wasn't too far and they all managed to reach the spacious lecture hall with 5 minutes to spare.
The lecture hall was ovular in shape with three columns of long wooden desks angled to point at the center podium. The desks were placed on rising platforms and it reminds Jade of a small theater.
From a quick glance, the hall feels a bit empty. There were a few teams already seated, but that only accounted for about half of the seating capacity. Jade wonders if this means that there many for teams coming in later than them or this is just the standard classroom size.
The eight of them were at the front of the classroom near the entrance deciding where to sit when suddenly another group of students came in after them and deliberately pushed past Jade who was the closest to the door.
"Geez, if you guys are going to stand in front of the classroom like that, at least try not be a nuisance to the rest of us."
"Yeah, dumbass."
Two students with menacing looks and sloppily worn uniforms sneered at them as they passed by. Everything about the way they act and look gave the vibe of delinquents. Incidentally, despite the two's harsh words, they weren't even obstructing the path that much. Sure, as a party of eight they took up quite some space, but they were considerate enough to stand at the corner of the room to not block the entrance too much. If the two rude students simply walked around them to reach the steps up the lecture hall all this would have been avoided. Yet, they deliberately push through them for the shortest path to the seats.
Behind them, what could be assumed as the other two members of their team, follow suit but they weren't as belligerent as the first pair. One just brushes by without another look as if he's ignoring everything around him. However, the other, a timid looking boy with ashy gray hair, paused for a moment and gave the group an apologetic look before bowing in apology as he trailed behind.
"Man, I thought I would be done with assholes here, but I guess they are an inevitability," Amy commented under her breath, which resulted in a harsh look from Diamon. "What, I'm speaking truths here."
"Even if it is true, there is a time and place for that kind of discussion," Diamon chided in. "Come on class is starting soon let's sit over there."
Diamon points a row of seats near the back that haven't been taken yet. Perfectly enough, there were eight seats free, four on either side of the stairway. The moment they took a seat, the bell rang signalling the start of class and not a minute later, the homeroom teacher walked in.
The teacher was a beautiful woman, somewhat on the younger side possibly in the late 20's, with dark reddish brown hair like autumn leaves and wore an elegant brown dress suit that compliments her hair. It was a nice blend of professionalism and appeal.
She strode confidently to the lecturer podium, adjusted a pair of black rimmed glasses on her nose, and surveyed the class with a cheery attitude.
"Good morning, students. I hope you all had a wonderful morning."
Her voice was soft, but had a wispy jingle like wind chimes in a breeze. It felt very fragile as if any louder and her voice would crack.
"My name is Aki Woods, but you can just call me Aki. I will be your homeroom teacher and your teacher for Aura Training. It is a pleasure to meet you all."
She gave a curt bow and gave a beaming smile at her students. It was such a bright smile that one could almost feel an aura of shiny light encompass her. Such pureness was hard to imagine from any individual yet there she stood, an expression more poise than any princess and more innocent than any toddler to the point that it was hard to believe she was older than them.
"It's so white…"
Jade couldn't help but wonder out loud and for the first time her team nodded in agreement, even if they didn't completely understand what she was saying since they were mesmerized by their teacher's presence.
But they weren't the only ones. A slew of greetings followed Aki's, several of them sounding like mumbled gibberish, which confirmed that many were also caught up in her spell.
However, Aki was unaware of the reaction she caused and continued at her own pace.
"Hmm, maybe I should say a bit more about myself. Ah, let's see. Yes, I was an Aura and Semblance researcher at Vale's Dust Advancement Research Center prior to working at Beacon. My research generally focused on how Semblance manifests itself, how they progress as we grow, and unique Semblance cases. It is quite a fascinating topic…"
She started rambling on about some advanced topics and theories pertaining to her old job. It was generally difficult to follow and went completely over everyone's head, but she kept going with such passion and fervor. It took a moment before she realize that she was getting too enthralled in her own speech, so she cleared her throat.
"...but that can be a discussion for another time. Before I worked there, I was a student here, just like all of you. In fact, I've been in Vale all my life. Never really left for any extended period of time. Let's see what else…"
"Do you have a boyfriend!?"
A male voice cut through the lecture hall, startling Aki, who seemed in the middle of thinking of what to say next, as well as most of the other students.
Jade couldn't tell where the voice came from, but all she knew that it wasn't any voice she recognized.
Aki blinked several times, an expression bordering shock and confusion as if troubled by how to respond. However, out of nowhere, she gave another blinding expression, one of pure bliss and happiness as she raised her right hand, which was hidden behind the podium, to reveal a silver ring on her finger.
"Yes. I'm happily married to my loving husband. Sorry to disappoint some of you." She followed the statement with a playful wink and a bit of her tongue sticking out as if rubbing it in.
A wave of groans, albeit a minority of the entire class, swept across the room. They were mostly the boys in the class, but Jade swore she heard a few girls as well, which garnered a chuckle from Aki who aimed for this exact response.
Truly a scary woman. A face of an angel, but the playfulness of a devil.
"But enough about me. I would like to hear more about all of you. I'm sure many of you haven't gotten to know each other yet, some of you might not have gotten to know your teammates much either."
Jade snuck a peak at the two members of her team other than her brother. While they did get to know each other a bit before and during the placement exam, the teacher's words stung a little as they haven't talked much after. Things like hobbies, favorite things, or really any interesting tidbits about their past. Another failure as a leader.
"It's a good idea to form connections now," Aki continued. "You guys will be seeing a lot of each other during your time at Beacon and even beyond. Perhaps one day these connections will help you reach the goals you are aiming for."
Aki then looked down at the booklet she brought with her.
"Hmmm, how about something simple? State your name, your semblance, and a goal for your time at Beacon."
At this point, Ace let out a small cough to get the teacher's attention as his hand shot up in the air.
"Do you have a question?" Aki asked.
"Yes. I'm sure I will be speaking for many of you, but what should we do if our semblance is a bit...complicated to explain or even prefer to not reveal everything about our abilities?"
Aki gave a troubled expression.
"While I don't see why you would hide your abilities from your peers, I will allow you the choice to talk about your ability or not. If you do, a simple description is enough, nothing detailed. How about that?"
"That sounds fine to me." Ace shrugged with a smirk.
"Good. Since you have taken the time to speak first, why don't we start with you."
Ace had no objections with this arrangement and stood up with all the cocky confidence he can muster, even crossing his arms as if a king looking down upon his subjects.
As everyone turned their attention to the silver haired boy with the eyepatch, several girl's voices could be heard whispering amongst each other.
"Wow, he's kinda hot, isn't he?"
"I wonder if he has a girlfriend."
"He's totally my type."
"Mhmmm, I wonder what his armpits smell like."
Other than that strange last strange comment, the general census was the girls of the class were attracted by his physical appearance.
"Behold, you are in the presence of Ace of House Spades! Purveyor of Justice and Vanquisher of Darkness. I have one goal in life and that is the complete destruction of all that is evil in this world. This school is but a means to an end, so that I can obtain the forbidden fruit of knowledge necessary for my crusade."
Immediately after he started his introduction, the mood of those who fawned over him earlier quickly took a turn.
"Ah, so he's that kind of guy."
"What a shame, he was so hot, though."
However, despite that, there were still a few who were into him, if not more so after that outburst.
Ace continued on, switching posture to have a hand cover his eye patched eye.
"As for my Semblance, I only have half available to me as I have locked most of it with this seal upon my right eye. It holds back power beyond imagination. To have it revealed will spell certain doom to the world and so I did what I must to save the world."
It was quite clear to everyone that everything Ace said just now was a bunch of nonsense, but for some reason, Yu tensed up at the mention of the eyepatch.
"However, as for what I can actually do…"
Ace mellowed out for a moment to take out a silver coin from his pocket.
"It's called Displacement. Within me is the power to swap positions of any two objects."
He tossed the coin high in the air, the silver surface glinting as it spun. He held out his hand as if to catch the coin, but as it was nearing his palms, there was an odd distortion around the coin and suddenly the notebook on his table suddenly took its place. Meanwhile, the coin clacked loudly as it struck the spot where the notebook should have been.
Ace made a flourished bow to signal the end of his introduction, which was then met with a scatter of applause.
"That was certainly an interesting introduction," Aki remarked with a chuckle. The poker face-like smile made it hard to judge if she was being genuine or facetious. "Well, then why don't we continue down the row then."
That means the next person will be Kingsley.
"Yo, the name's Kingsley. Kingsley Diam"
Kingsley's calm and casual greeting juxtaposed Ace's wild boisterous one.
"Lets see. My Semblance is called Bulwark. I basically strengthen my body to the point of being able to lift 10 times my body weight and endure just as much force. As for goals, I guess it's to become a decent Huntsmen so I can support Ace in the future. Let's leave it at that."
Another round of applause as Kingsley took a seat and the person beside him stood.
"I'm Queen Spades. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My Semblance is Illusions. I can make things appear different than they are. And a goal during my stay here is to uphold my duty as Jaquelyn's retainer while maintain upstanding academics."
Queen's introduction was short and simple as well. Applause followed as well, but her last sentence caused a stir among the students since they were confused as to what she meant by a retainer. This led Jaq to duck her head a little to hide the redness on her cheeks from embarrassment.
However, she was next, so she quickly shot up from her seat to refocus the attention of the students.
"Hi, my name is Jok-, er, I mean Jaquelyn. Yes, the one that Queenie mentioned, but you can just call me Jaq."
It was strange. The awkwardness Jaq displayed here was completely different from when Jade first met her. The Jaq she first met felt so confident and so in control, but the Jaq right now felt like any other shy girl being called out by the class. It just goes to show how much she was hiding her true self before, which caused an unsettling feeling in Jade's chest. How much about her does she really know?
"My Semblance is, uh…"
At this point, Jade felt a strange mood from Team JAQK. Jaq struggled to find how to say what she wanted next. She had an almost pained expression, as if she really did not want to say it. She had the option to skip it, but for some reason she was intent on revealing it. Meanwhile, Ace had a scary expression, the complete opposite of his usual lax attitude, as if disapproving of Jaq's choice. The two of them seemed to have some silent dialogue with just their expression alone, but with a deep breath, Jaq decided to continue, much to Ace's chagrin.
"Well, my Semblance is Time Dilation."
Another stir suddenly broke out, but for a different reason. How could it not have? Something as powerful as the ability to manipulate time would surely have caused an uproar anywhere. It was more of a surprise that she wasn't more known to the public as there are communities out there whose sole purpose is disseminate hearsay of powerful Semblance owners.
"Ah, but it isn't as powerful as you might make it out to be. I can only affect those in close proximity or those who make eye contact." Jaq clarified as she waved her hand embarrassingly to calm the crowd.
Ah. Jade had a revelation. That weird feeling when she fought Jaq in the forest. The sluggish tired feeling when she looked into Jaq's eyes right at the end of the exam. Now that she explained her ability, Jade realized it was actually from her Semblance. It all made sense why she suddenly conceded during their duel. But still, knowing that she could manipulate time, even if limited in its use, is still a fearsome power. As expected of someone from the Royal Flush.
But, her introduction isn't over just yet.
"Lastly is my goal, huh?" She thought long and hard. Far longer that she should for such a simple question. And her response was..
"I guess, I just wanted to be an ally of justice. A hero if you must. It may feel a little presumptuous for me to say that, but it's the only way I can phrase it. I want to be someone who does the right thing and helps anyone in trouble. Whether that be defending people from the Grimm or simply helping an old lady with a chore. And I believe that training here will be the best way to reach that end."
Compared to her fellow teammates, her goals were actually inspiring, especially following the bombshell she dropped.
But the whispers did not stop.
However, instead of being about her semblance the topic shifted more towards her as a person.
"Hey, they look familiar..."
"Yeah, now that I think about it, we saw them yesterday. They're the Royal Flush."
"Aren't they the rumored group of Hunters…"
"You mean, THE Hunters. No way, that's just a fairy tale."
Jade's ears perked up.
Hunters. That word appeared again. Jade remembered Jaq's words when they dueled in the forest yesterday. She said something about her ancestors being Hunters and something about a code. She didn't give it much thought about it back then because she assumed it was some group that served as Huntsmen before the formation of the Academy, but it seems to be something more. And it is something that definitely exists unlike what the other students are whispering if Jaq's words are to be believed.
This made Jade even more curious about Jaq's background. Not only is she from a well known family, but they are members of some mythical group.
"Thank you for sharing Team...JAQK." Aki consulted her booklet for the team name and added a check by their names. "Since we're at it, why don't the team sitting next to you introduce themselves together."
Jade was jolted from her thoughts when the teacher directed her words at her. She shuffled her questions to the back of her mind and prepared to introduce herself.
"Ah, hello my name is Jade Evergreen. My Semblance is, um, well, I don't really have a name for it since there are two parts to it."
This drew a lot of curious looks, especially from Aki.
"First, I have the ability to manipulate wind. It's not very powerful, but it can be used to control some medium sized objects. The second is, well I'm not exactly sure if it's part of my Semblance or not, but I can see color in the wind. The color usually comes from the Aura of the people around me."
"So, you can see the color of people's Aura, is that right?" Aki remarked.
"When you put it like that, I guess it's something like that."
To be honest, even Jade wasn't sure about her own Semblance. It was always difficult to explain it to others and this was the best way she could describe it. It felt like she was seeing and controlling the wind and so that was what it was.
"Interesting," Aki mumbled out of everyone's earshot, lost in thought for a moment before quickly recovering. "Sorry for interrupting, please continue."
The next part would be…
"My goal…"
She stopped herself. What should she say?
She could say that she was here to support her brother. However, that doesn't feel quite right considering Queen and Kingsley said pretty much the same thing. Those two pairs have a much different relationship than her and her brother. She wasn't going to delude herself further in thinking that her goal at Beacon was to help her brother succeed. She only ended up here because of a need of purpose and a surprising opportunity. There was no strong sense of duty or purpose that led her here.
The other thing she could say was her newfound resolve to continue dancing during the placement exams. That seemed like a perfect answer in this situation, but she was hesitant to mention something completely unrelated to being a Huntsmen and she was still unsure how to relate her dancing to her current education.
But it was the best thing she could come up with, so, with a deep breath, she spoke as frankly as possible
"...to be honest, I'm still unsure what I want to do at Beacon. I gave up dancing a few years back and came here just to search for something to occupy myself with. I never gave much thought about what it meant to be a Huntsman and thought I could get through Beacon as if it was a normal school."
Jade clenched her fist as she was reminded of her listless past.
"But, recently, things have changed. I realized that I still have a strong desire to dance, but I don't want to give up being a Huntsmen either. I get the feeling that the things taught here will help me discover who I want to be. So, I guess my goal is to discover how to use my dance to protect others."
The crowd was silent. Jade tensed. It was the same feeling as the silence after the end of a dance and before the sound of applause. A fearful moment.
However, what came after wasn't applause, but a scoff from a seat further down.
"You jokin' right? You realize that Beacon is meant to train Huntsmen? You know, fighting Grimm, that kind of thing. This ain't the place to prance around in a tutu. If you want to dance, go to a fine arts school."
As it happens, the person who rudely interrupted Jade was the same person that ran into them during the start of class.
Amy had an intense look that suggested she was about to loudly lash back, but thankfully, the teacher beat her to it.
"Ehem, I would advise being respectful to your fellow students. I will excuse it this time since it's the first day, but any unwanted outburst like that will result in harsh punishment, understand?"
Aki's brow was furrowed in anger, but her pure, youthful expression dulled the gravity of her words. Nevertheless, the student, still exasperated, mumbled an half-hearted apology and slouched back in his seat.
"That being said, I would like to clarify that Beacon is not just a school to train Huntsmen. While that is its main purpose, we are here to cultivate students in fields for the betterment of the Kingdom."
She placed a hand on her chest and gave Jade a reassuring smile.
"For example, I am a graduate from this school and I can tell you that I have never fought a Grimm unless it was in self-defense. So, I think you have a wonderful goal and I hope you find what you are looking for here."
Aki's praise was enough to make Jade happy.
With her introduction concluded, she sat back down and let the rest of her team talk.
Next up was her brother.
"Yu Evergreen. Ability: Foresight. I can see the position of Aura and other energy sources in the near future."
Yu kept his introduction short and sweet, spending as little words as possible to get his point across. However, what followed was...
"My goal is to wipe out the Grimm."
There was a long silence followed. Many students were unsure of how to react to such a statement. Should it be taken figuratively or literally, because as much as it is the duty of Huntsmen to fight the Grimm, to eliminate them completely is like trying to count the sand on the beach.
"That's all." Yu took a seat, ignoring all the strange look he received.
While Yu didn't seem to care about the perception of his peers, Jade couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed by her brother's lack of tack.
"Wow, so the two of you are twins. That must be nice," Professor Aki interjected to clear the awkward atmosphere, whether purposefully or it was simply her personality
Following Yu was Diamon and Amy. They gave normal introductions that conformed to what they told her during the placement exams.
Amy's ability is Seamstress, which allows her to manipulate fabric with a touch. As for her goal, she jokingly mentions she wanted to get better at household chores before giving a serious answer of wanting to become a fashion designer. However, Jade figured that her "joke" about getting better at chores was actually a serious answer about getting better at her duties for the Prisma family.
As for Diamon, his ability is called Jewel Memory. He is able to impart power and purpose into gems based on the gem's history and meaning behind them, allowing them to function like Dust. As for his goals, he wants to grow in strength and knowledge to become the next head of his family company.
By this point, only ten minutes had passed since class started and only one row of students introduced themselves. There were a total of eight teams in the class so it took another 30 minutes of introductions before everyone had their turn to talk.
To be perfectly honest, despite her best attempt at paying attention to everyone's introduction, she quickly forgot most of them immediately after, mainly due to her attention being drawn elsewhere, mainly on Team JAQK. Most of the teams went for the generic introductions, which did not leave any impression on her at all. Some attempted humor, but they all fell flat for Jade. All she got out of the first half of class were the faces of her classmates.
Everything beyond that went back like a blur. There was a discussion about schedule and curriculum and some passing of paperwork. Before she knew it, the bell rang and class ended.
Following the homeroom class was brunch. Professor Aki guided the students to the dining hall, which was just as grand as one would imagine it to be.
Many rows of long tables that lined the spacious hall were filled with all sorts of delicious looking food, which were enhanced by the ambience provided back glittering chandeliers hanging from the roof and the sunlight streaming from the many paned glass windows surrounding the hall. It gave off the feeling of a lavish cathedral interior than what it actually is: a cafeteria.
When they arrived there were already students sitting down and eating, so it wasn't some formal event where they had to wait for everyone to arrive in order to start. Still, Aki led the students in her class with diligence to the section of the hall designated for the first years and told them to wait until everyone was seated before starting to eat.
Luckily for Jade, they had found a seat close to Jaq, who was sitting on their side of the table a couple meters aways, and she planned to go talk to her as soon as they were free to eat. However, the moment Aki gave the okay, a swarm of people got up and crowded around Jaq and her team. It got so crowded so fast, that she hardly had enough room to get out from her seat.
"Popular, aren't they?" Amy commented with her arm on the table and hands on her cheeks while shovelling a few biscuits onto her plate.
"What did you expect?" Diamon replied. "I'm sure there are many who wanted an opportunity to meet the Royal Flush. This is the perfect opportunity as it really is the first time we have free time for ourselves."
Diamon made some logical reasoning of the situation, but Jade couldn't help but feel a little targeted since she thought exactly that and didn't think that there would be others with the same thought.
Looks like finding time to talk to Jaq would be harder than she thought.
But there was something still eating at her thoughts.
"What are Hunters?" she asked, not directed at anyone in particular, but just speaking her thoughts.
However, this got the attention of Diamon.
"Huh, do you actually believe that rumor?" He had an expression of disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know the story?"
Jade shook her head.
"Ah, sorry. I forgot you're from Mantle. I assumed the story is universal but I guess it's just a Vallian tale."
Jade tilted her head in confusion.
"Let me explain. The Royal Flush were rumored to be Hunters, but there are two instances of the name 'Hunters' appearing in Vallian history. One is a fictitious shadow organization called the Grimm Hunters, colloquially shortened to Hunters, who were essentially Grimm assassins who go out of their way to kill Grimm. This is the one that most people believe they came from."
Diamon stance on this was really clear by the way he emphasized the word "fictitious."
"The other is an old fairy tale called 'The Hunter.'"
"Are the two related to each other?"
Diamon made a complicated expression.
"Yes and no. While it is likely that the Grimm Hunters derived their name from the fairy tale, it's all based on word of mouth since no one ever ascertained the existence of such an organization. Hence, it's easy for people to ascribe rumors as truth if enough people believe it."
"So, then what is this fairy tale?"
This time, it was Amy who jumped at the opportunity to speak.
"Ooh, ooh, can I tell the story? Please, please, pretty please."
Diamon made a difficult phase, but resigned himself to Amy's pestering.
"Haa, fine. Go ahead."
Jade perked up to listen to the story. Yu seemed to remain indifferent to all this talk about Hunters, but Jade could tell that he was curious as well.
Amy gave a boisterous smile as she started the story as dramatically as she could.
Once upon a time, there was a hunter who lived at the edge of a small town with his lovely wife and two kids. Everyday, he goes into the woods to hunt for food using his trusty bow and arrow. He brings back the fruit of his labor for his family and sells the excess to a nearby village. It was a simple, but fulfilling life. He was a kind soul and gentle soul and everyone appreciated his work.
However, on a particularly misty day after a successful hunt, he returned to his humble home to find it razed and his family killed. And standing on top of their corpses was a large vicious beast and its pack, their maw fresh with the blood of their victims.
It was then that a new feeling emerged from within, one he never felt before: hate.
However, no matter how strong his hate was, he could not triumph over the beasts. He chased them off, but was left barely alive, with arms and legs torn to shreds and an eye missing from its socket.
He waited for death to take him, but fate had other plans. For within the misty woods emerged a woman both beautiful and sinister. She was the Witch of the Forest and she approached the dying hunter with a smile.
"The stench of malice and death lingers heavy in the air. To think it came from such a pitiful man."
The man uttered no words, too weak and broken to reply, but the witch knew what he was feeling in his heart.
"Do you wish for revenge? Do you want to kill the beasts that stole your normal life?"
Hearing her words, the hunter, his eyes full of rage and eyes filled with malice, pulled himself from the clutches of death to speak a single word.
"Yes."
And so, the Witch drew from her dark powers and gave the hunter new limbs, just like what it once was, and filled his empty socket with a new eye, pupil glowing brilliant gold.
"And so the oath is taken. I offer you a second chance at life, with far more power than before, and the price I ask is only your unwavering thirst for vengeance. Show those who robbed you of your happiness the same cruelty they inflict upon you. Unleash all your hatred upon those you deemed deserving of it. But remember this. An oath sworn cannot be broken. Break it and suffer a fate worse than death."
With that, the Witch disappeared back into the mist, leaving the renewed hunter with his new fate.
And he spent no time exacting his revenge.
With only his bow and his new found power, he disappeared into the wild hunting the beast that murdered his family. For many years, he dedicated himself to his art, even targeting beasts that were not part of his revenge, but posed a threat to others.
And then one day, he accomplished his task. Years of hunting have driven all the foul beasts into extinction and with nothing left to drive him, he decided to rest. He put away his bow, returned to the comforts of civilization, and eventually, started a new family.
He was finally at peace.
But no matter how much he wants to put behind his old life, it will not abandon him.
One dreary night, the Witch appeared before him as he took a stroll through the moonlight and she was not happy.
"Where is your hate? Where is your vengeance? Have you forgotten the oath you have made?"
"Please have mercy," the Hunter pleaded. "I have done what you asked. I have sought out my revenge across the land. But the source of my fury is all gone, there is nothing left to hunt. All I want now is to live a normal life."
But the Witch was not swayed.
"You are not normal and never shall be normal. If you cannot find a source for your hate, then I shall provide you with one."
The Witch disappeared after leaving those ominous words.
The Hunter feared what the Witch had planned, so he rushed back home with a knot in his stomach.
However, when he returned, he found it torn apart by sinister beasts, the same one that he hunted in his previous life, but they don't look the same as they did before.
Their bodies were shrouded by darkness, their faces a horrific skeletal visage, and their eyes were glowing red orbs of undeath.
The Hunter did not hesitate in rushing at them, his years of experience still remained undulled, but he did not fight with hate or anger in his heart. Rather, all he felt was sadness and fear.
When he finally eliminated them all, he searched his ruined home and found it empty, his family nowhere in sight.
Then, in the distance, another dark beast, larger than the rest, emerged from the woods and spoke in an infernal tone.
"The Witch's Oath must be fulfilled. Come, little Hunter, let us feel your hate, your sadness, and all your suffering for the rest of Eternity."
With that, it disappeared back in the forest, leaving the Hunter all to his lonesome.
The Hunter screamed into the night, cursing his fate and the oath he made. He tried to take his own life, but he could not die. Just as the beast said, he was bound for eternity. So, without any other choice, he grabbed his bow and disappeared into the woods, forever hunting, forever searching for the Witch so that he may end his curse.
"Well, how ya like the story?" Amy boasted.
"Mmmh, how should I put it? It's a bit...morbid, isn't it?"
"That's because it is," Diamon chimed in. "Whoever came up with a tale like this must have a few screw loose in his head."
Diamon gave Amy a disapproving look, to which she responded with an exasperated shrug as if she didn't know what she did wrong.
"At least, the original story was," Diamon continued. "The whole killing and eternal hunting was changed to something more tame when it was used as a story to tell childrens to keep their promises. But that's not what we're talking about right now."
Diamon quickly finished the last bit of bread on his plate, before returning to the discussion on Hunters.
"As the rumors went, the Grimm Hunters were either descendants of the Hunter or at least those who followed in his hunt for the dark beast. The Royal Flush just happens to be easily associated with them since they were renowned for their Grimm huntings skills and their school to teach how to fight Grimm."
Diamon sighed as he finished his explanation.
"..."
Jade was lost in thought. Diamon's explanation makes sense, but she definitely recalled Jaq mentioning something about The Hunter's Code. Did she recall incorrectly? Or maybe the name is just a coincidence?
"Say, does 'The Code of the Hunters' mean anything to you?" Jade decided to at least make sure.
"Hmm, that doesn't strike any bells, but if this is related to our discussion on the Hunters, let me just say this: the Royal Flush schools are the archetype in which Huntsmen Academy were modelled after. They are by definition the original Huntsmen. And the only thing Hunters and Huntsmen have in common is fighting the Grimm. Whereas the Hunters actively seek the destruction of Grimm, the Royal Flush and the Huntsmen teach to protect those who can't protect themselves from them."
The phrase "defender of the weak and the protector of the peace" suddenly appeared in Jade's mind.
"I don't know where you heard such a phrase, but the Royal Flush is very, how should I put it, traditional in their teaching. I wouldn't be surprised if they have some sort of strict code they abide by. As for the name, it's either coincidental or popularized by an outsider."
After hearing all that, Jade was more convinced on Diamon's arguments. They all sound very reasonable, but there were still doubts in the back of her mind. Surprisingly, the answer to her doubts came from Yu.
"Does it matter?"
"Pardon?" Diamon asked with visible confusion.
"I mean, does it matter if people believe they are related to these Hunters, or not?"
Yu pushed away his empty plate, having finished eating, and stood up.
"The way I see it, if they were really that powerful to the point of associating them with myths and legends, they might as well be. When people see things they find unnatural, it is easier to invent a reason than accept the truth. We all saw what they can do yesterday."
Yu's expression tightened and he clenched his fist.
"Even I…" he muttered something under his breath, but did not finish his sentence.
"Yu…" Jade gave a worried glance at her brother. She felt the wind around her brother darken, but only momentarily. Even without her semblance she can see, no, feel his turmoil.
"But honestly, I think it's better if it was true. It would at least give me a peace of mind."
Diamon and Amy looked confused at Yu's final words, but he did not elaborate further. Jade had a hint at what he may be referring to, but did not say anything. Without another word, he just left the dining hall.
"Hmmm, 'the strength to make falsehood seem like the truth' or something along those lines, is it? Not a bad interpretation if I say so myself. If I wasn't much of a skeptic, such a line of reasoning would be convincing."
"Hey, shouldn't you be worried about your teammate? Didn't Yu look kinda depressed?" Amy accosted Diamon for his lack of tact.
"Huh, depressed? What are you talking about? Doesn't he always look like that," Diamon replied back in shock.
"Argh, this guy!" Amy scrambled her hair in frustration. "What about you Jade? You know him better than us. Is he okay?"
"Huh, un, yeah I think he's fine for now."
Jade forced a smile to relieve her teammates. She wasn't lying, but she does understand where her teammate's coming from. Amy heard bits of their past so she has an idea, but there are things left unsaid to prevent them from worrying too much.
"Well, if we're all done talking and eating, shouldn't we depart as well," Diamon interject himself back in the conversation. "Brunch is almost over and I would hate to miss class over talks of fact or fiction."
However, as he stood to leave, he bumped into a girl who was standing right behind him, completely unnoticed by him or his teammates.
"Oh, excuse me, miss. It was my fault for not noticing you earlier. Are you alright?"
Diamon offered a hand to help her, but she shrunk back a bit, her face flushed red.
"Um, if it's ok…"
The girl fidgeted, clutching a magazine tightly to her chest. She shook her to build up courage and thrust the magazine at Diamon. On the cover was a picture of Diamon and an older man, presumably his father, with the headline saying "The Gentlemanly Heir"
"Can I get your autograph? I-I'm from Crystallia, too, a-and I read about all the stuff you did. The way you help the community and all the kind things you've done. I think you're a really amazing person and my role model and...I'M A BIG FAN OF YOURS."
Diamon was dumbstruck at the sheer fervor this girl exuded, but quickly adopted a professional attitude.
"Oh dear, I am flattered by your passion. Of course, I can give you my autograph, Miss…"
"Lily. My name is Lily!" The girl's eyes were shimmering as if on the verge of tears after having been acknowledged by her idol.
Diamon took the magazine along with a sharpie accompanying it and made ostentatious flourish on the cover, imprinting it with his stylish signature.
"Well, Miss Lily. It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful blooming flower such as yourself at Beacon. I hope you the best of luck in your education and may our path cross in the future."
Diamon, with such a radiant aura that you can almost see sparkles surrounding him, took the girl's hand and took a bow, almost as if going to kiss her hand, before giving back her magazine. The girl squealed in ecstasy and quickly fled to hide her embarrassment.
The way Diamon acted made Jade remember when they met a couple days ago. She recalled the same sparkling aura and regal personality as he reached out to help her, but since then, she hasn't seen that side of him, at least to her knowledge. It made her wonder whether he acted this way to people he just met or she just got used to it.
However, there was one person who had a sour mood.
"Would you look at that, it seems like the Royal Flushes aren't the only ones who are popular around here."
Amy's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, of course. It is hardly surprising there might be students who are aware of our company and myself. It is an international company after all."
Diamon completely failed to read between the lines, which left Amy more exasperated.
"Whatever, it's not like I care anyways. Come on, let's get outta here. Weren't you the one who wanted to get to the next class?"
She got out of her seat, also finished eating, and started shoving Diamon towards the exit despite his protest.
Jade followed along not wanting to be left behind, but before she left the dining hall, she took one final look back at Jaq and her team. The crowd around them was much smaller now, but still present. Jaq had a tired smile as she dealt with the constant social interaction. It made her wonder why she was so interested in her. Perhaps it was that she somehow reminded her of her past self. She's not sure what specifically, but there's a definite connection she felt with her and she's sure Jaq felt the same. However, not wanting Jaw to catch her staring, she left it at that and left the dining hall.
