Ephemeral Dream
Summary: Jaune Arc isn't strong, smart, or skilled. Even so, he dreams of a future in which he is a Huntsman. He dreams of friendship, combat, and love. But every dreamer must wake. "Not yet…" He whispered, tears of blood streaking down his cheeks. "I can't let this dream end… Until I've turned it to reality." Gamer Jaune!
Warnings: Crossovers, strong and smart Jaune, later quite OP. Possible Harem.
VII: Confrontations
I couldn't stop myself from staring at Neo as she lay on my bed, staring up at me with that almost star struck gaze, while mentally kicking myself.
How could I have been so stupid? I knew exposure to my Sky Flames could forge a Guardian Bond! Neo had already been exposed to one huge burst back underground; the small flame I'd used just now to observe it must have finished it off!
I grimaced, knowing this one was completely on me. I really needed to be more careful in the future.
"Okay…" I took a breath. "Okay… First things first… Can you talk, or are you mute?"
Neo stared at me, before raising a single finger.
"You can talk?" I asked just to clarify.
She nodded.
"… Are you going to?"
She shook her head.
"Right… Okay…" That was going to make things more annoying… "Can you use your illusions to make words in the air so you can respond to my questions?"
She tilted her head, as if contemplating such a thing, before bright pink words appeared in front of my face.
'Yes.'
"Okay, that makes things easier…" I looked at her. "What are you doing?" I asked her.
'I'm lying on your bed with my head on your lap… Was that not obvious?'
"Let me change the question," I said. "Why are you doing this?"
She stared at me… And then the cutest, most horrifying smile I'd ever seen came to her face.
'Because you saved me… I was so cold in that dark place… But then you appeared… My light in the darkness… You saved me…'
If my blood was cold before, it all but froze now.
Do not go full Yandere, do not go full Yandere!
"What do you want?"
'I want to stay with you. Can I?'
I hid a grimace.
Technically speaking, Neo could stay with me. If I turned all my Gold to Lien, I'd have twenty million. That was enough to buy a house, get Neo a new wardrobe, make her a good weapon, and hire some tutors for her to catch up and enrol in Signal next year. With more than enough money left over for other things.
But should she stay with me?
I bit my lip as I thought about it… Before I took a breath and made my choice.
"Neo…" I said slowly. "I can't give you a concrete answer right now. I've got a lot of family drama to deal with tomorrow, before I can make a commitment like taking you in, so I'll make you a deal. How many more days are you going to be here?"
I watched her frown at my lack of a solid answer, before she became contemplative. 'Three or four days… I was living on the streets before I was kidnapped, so I have lots of damages from there that the Doctors are taking care of before I can leave.'
"If you wait those three to four days, I can give you a more solid answer on if you can stay with me. Is that acceptable?"
'… You promise I'll get an answer in three to four days?'
I nodded. "I'll do you one better. I promise, even if I don't let you stay with me, that I'll still be around so you never have to be alone again…" I wanted to bite my tongue as I said that, as I could feel that was the influence of the Guardian Bond affecting me.
I couldn't even feel mad that I'd said it, it was the right thing to do.
Her eyes lit up and she nodded. 'Okay! Just remember, you promised!' She leaned up and kissed my cheek again, causing me to turn my head away as I blushed.
Well, this was one promise I wasn't going to break… I may not be pleased with my family, but I was still an Arc. And an Arc never goes back on their word… Unless it was made under false believes and pretences, then it was fine.
As Neo snuggled into my lap and got comfortable, I opened up the Perk menu.
[Perks]
[Owned Perks]
[Magic Circuits]
Pathways lain upon the soul that allow the owner to access and channel their Magecraft.
[Soul Fire]
The flames that burn within your soul, given form through the resolve to fulfil your desire, even to death.
Perk Points: 1
Two perks. One was obtained by spending a perk point, and the other was obtained through natural means. That told me that just because something was in the Perks menu, didn't mean I couldn't obtain it on my own.
Where there was a will, there was a way. But it didn't hurt to be prepared, and I filtered through the perks for perks only costing a single point.
[Sharingan]
A special ocular eye. One who possesses this eye will always remember what they see while it is active, be able to cast illusions more easily through eye contact, and may even be able to see a few moments into the future. This eye contains untold potential, just waiting to be unleashed
Cost: 1 Perk Point
[Curse of the Revenant]
A being similar in nature to a vampire, but more specialised. You drink blood to survive and by drinking the blood of certain individuals, you can gain access to the powers and abilities of others. Be warned, however, as the Queen awaits a new awakening…
Cost: 1 Perk Point
[Power of the General]
The power of the Great General that leads Samurai into battle. By kissing those of the opposite gender, they obtain the power of a Master Samurai, beyond normal human comprehension. Be warned, however, that the General finds themselves restricted when their Samurai do battle.
Cost: 1 Perk Point
I blushed as I read [Power of the General] and was glad that Neo was more focused on relaxing on me than staring at my face. The hell kind of Perk was that!? By kissing me, women suddenly get a huge power boost!? That was one of the most embarrassing powers I'd ever read in my life!
The other two were also interesting, so I decided to bookmark those for later. The next one I read, however, caught my attention.
[Contracted Servant]
A Sacred Covenant contracting a Hero from the past to their master. A sacred partnership, enforced by the power of command seals.
Cost: 1 Perk Point per Servant
Hero from the past? As in… I could summon a great figure from the past to help me fight?
That was… That was…
That was so fucking cool! There were so many awesome heroes I would love to summon! I bookmarked it for later, who knows who the heck I could summon if I picked that!?
I continued to scroll through the list of available perks for one point, but only one of them caught my eye.
[Majin]
The Majin are a race from another world, known as a demonic people that are amongst the most powerful beings in the Universe. Now, you walk amongst the stars as a member of the Majin: one of the strongest beings to ever exist.
Cost: 1 Perk Point
… That one was tempting. Walking amongst the stars was a tempting line, but the fact they were known as a 'Demonic People' had me hesitating.
Ultimately, I decided to bookmark that one too. I never knew when I might need something like that, after all.
I blinked when I felt my nose get poked, banishing the screens and locking eyes with Neo.
'You were staring into space,' she spelt out for me. 'Were you thinking of something?'
"Was just lost in thought," I told her… It wasn't a lie; I was thinking about which perk I should take.
She just nodded, continuing to stare at me. 'Could you… Show me that fire again?'
I raised an eye, confused… But she was already locked in a Guardian Bond with me, it wouldn't hurt to bring it out at this point. I lifted my hand, letting the Sky Flames blaze to life in my palm.
I noticed that she seemed to visibly relax in the orange glow of the flame, snuggling against me more firmly as she stared at it, seemingly in awe.
I raised an eye, opening up my skill list to read about the flames.
[Sky Flames (Active) – Rank B – Lv. 50]
Dying Will Flames of the Sky. The rarest type of flames, determining the one who holds them as a natural born leader. Sky Flames possess the factor of Harmony. The stronger the user's will, the more intense the flames.
Harmony? What did it mean that Sky Flames possessed the factor of Harmony…?
As in… Balance?
Wait!
I stared at the other flames that were locked, but available. There were eight flames… Did that mean each flame possessed a different factor? And sky flames brought balance to them?
I opened my bonds menu to look at my relationship with Neo.
Guardian Bond – Neopolitan – Mist – Rank C
Mist.
Blake's bond listed Cloud. I hadn't thought anything of it before, but they lined up with the Dying Will Flames. Neo was listed as Mist Flames; Blake was listed as Cloud Flames.
Did that mean that they both possessed those kinds of flames?
… I had to know.
"Do you want to know how to do this?" I asked Neo.
Her eyes lit up and she looked at me, an excited smile on her face… But she tiled her head, curious.
"I'm not really sure how to describe this," I told her, my mind flashing to how the perk was described. "But these are called Dying Will Flames. They are born from my resolve, and are given form through my determination to fulfil my desire… Even if it means my death."
She stared at me for a short while… 'So… I have to find my resolve, and be determined to follow through with it, even if it means I die?'
"Well… That's how I awoke my flames," I told her. "It could work differently for everyone, but it doesn't hurt to try right?"
She let out a soft humming noise in the back of her throat, before she nodded and lifted her hand, closing her eyes.
Moments later, I felt my eyes widen as indigo flames burst to life on her hands, getting whiter the closer to the flame got to the centre. Neo's own eyes widened, and I watched her eyes visibly widen before she gave me a brilliant grin.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.
Maybe this Guardian bond wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be. At the very least, it made sure I had more friends… Friends I knew wouldn't discourage me from my dream.
~~Ephemeral Dream~~
The next day, I met Saphron at the reception. She was smiling in relief when she saw me. I wasn't.
"Saph," I greeted her curtly.
Her smile faded. "Jaune, are you okay?" She asked, put off by my tone.
"That remains to be seen," I told her.
"… Jaune, did something happen?"
I gave her a look that told her how insensitive and stupid that statement was.
She winced as she realised it. "W- Well… L- Let's go home…" She said, finishing filling out the paperwork, before placing her hand on my shoulder and beginning to lead me home.
We walked home in silence.
The entire walk there, I ran over possible scenarios in my mind for what was to come. I was going to confront my mother over what she'd tried to do to me, and I was going to get my answers whether she liked it or not.
I would do anything I had to for the answers I was deserved.
Saphron opened the door, letting me in first, before she closed the door behind her.
I made my way to the living area, where my siblings and parents were waiting. My siblings all looked relieved, as did my father. My mother appeared relieved… But there was something in her gaze that made me angry.
"Mother," I spat. "Care to tell me why you tried to seal my aura?"
I heard gasps from everyone.
"Son," my father spoke in shock… Was it because she was caught? "Why would you even suggest she'd do such a thing?"
"During the three days I was unconscious, Blake was woken up several times. Both in the early hours of the morning, and in the later hours of the night. She said she saw mum with her hands on me, mumbling something under her breath. She then pulled her hands back and look satisfied, before looking shocked."
"That could be-!" My dad tried, before I cut him off.
"The Doctor's said my aura showed signs of being sealed," I said, making everyone's eyes widened… Except my mother's. She just looked annoyed. "Considering my aura has been completely fine until just after that kidnapping, and my mother is the only one outside of the Doctor and Nurses that laid hands on me in that time…" I glared at her. "I'll ask you again, mother:
"Why did you try to seal my aura?"
There was silence…
And then my mother laughed. My father shot a confused look at her, backing away. My sisters did the same, looking at her in concern, and worry.
"It was for your sake," she said. "I told you, didn't I? You don't have the aptitude to be a Huntsman. We held that intervention for you, to make sure you wouldn't go down that cursed path. You could live a normal life, and get a normal job like your father, like me, like your sisters! But no, you were so determined to be a Huntsman!"
"And what's wrong with me following my dream?" I demanded.
"It will lead only to your death," she spat. "I had a sister once, you know! She was my best friend, my light in the darkness! I could rely on her for anything and everything! When she went to become a Huntress, I was so happy for her! My big sister was great, and now she was going to be even cooler since she was training to be a Huntress! I never saw her again after she left for Beacon, because she died! I grew to hate Huntsman and Huntresses, they're stupid façade of being perfect, of not having issues, is what drove my sister to such a 'perfect' life and caused her death!"
"You're wrong!" I argued, stepping forwards. "Your sister chose that life because she wanted to help people! You're just pushing your anger and sadness at her death onto others!"
… Much like what I was doing with the System.
I wasn't stupid. I was well aware I was pushing my anger at my arrogance towards the System, when it should be aimed solely at myself.
… I suppose I wasn't so different than my mother in some ways.
"Don't speak in that tone with me," she growled. "Everything I'm doing is for your sake! But for some reason, I can't seal your blasted aura!"
"It would cripple him!" My father yelled. "It would damage both his mind and soul, why on earth would you do that to our son!? I don't want him to be a Huntsman, yes, but to this extent!? You're pushing things too far!"
"I. Don't. Care!" She hissed. "I would rather have a crippled son than a dead one!"
I couldn't contain my rage, as my flames burst to life all around me, making my family yelp and stumble back.
"So, you're saying I'd be better off living with a fractured mind and a broken soul!?" I yelled at her. "You'd rather I become another Jack the Ripper than be a Huntsman!? Well, fuck you then! I don't need you! I don't need this!" I marched towards the stairs.
"Where are you going!?" My mother demanded.
"I'm going to pack my shit!" I told her. "I'm leaving!"
"Oh no, you aren't!" She growled. "I, Aurelia Celestine Arc, invoke the Covenant!"
There was a flash of white, and I felt my blood run cold as I turned to her.
She had a smug smile on her face. I could see, over her shoulder, the family looked equally as horrified.
The Arc Covenant. In the days of the first Arcs, one possessed a powerful semblance. Using it, they bound the Arc Covenant to his bloodline. It was essentially a battle, to the death or until one couldn't continue, to settle disputes.
A wager was set for both sides. The loser would be compelled by their blood to follow through on their side of the deal, it would be impossible to disobey. Nobody could interfere, it would just be the two.
"Name your terms," I grit my teeth.
"Aurelia, this is too much!" My dad yelled.
"He's right, mum!" Saphron yelled. "This is way too far!"
"Silence!" She snapped back at them, before turning to me. "If I win, you will never follow the path of a Huntsman, or anything even remotely similar!"
"And if I win," I snarled at her. "You will never interfere with my wishes or desires ever again."
There was another flash of white light, sealing the terms of battle.
She smirked victoriously, as if she had won the battle before it had even begun.
It didn't take long for all of us to be standing out in the backyard. It was large enough for us to fight, hopefully without damaging the house. My siblings and father watched from nearby, all of them looking incredibly worried at what was going to happen.
"You should just give up," my mother said to me. "You'll never win."
"Never," I growled at her. "Accelerate! [Projection!]"
I heard gasps, and took satisfaction from my mother's eyes widening as a sword appeared in my hands. It was only D Rank, but it would hopefully last long enough for the fight.
"How is that possible?" She frowned. "Is your semblance not those flames?"
"Who knows?" I asked. "Now, draw your weapon."
She scowled at me once again, before she held her hand to the side. It rippled into nothing, before she pulled out a sword.
That was my mother's semblance: Dimensional Storage. It was similar in nature to the inventory, but she had a limit on what she could store in there. I had no such limit.
"You should have given up-!" She began to yell, but I was done talking.
[Aura Channelling has been activated.]
'Seismic Steps: Advance!'
I vanished, appearing in front of her and swinging my sword down.
Her eyes widened, but she quickly brought her own weapon up to block my sword.
"How did-!" She began to say… But like I said, I was done talking.
'Seismic Steps: Advance!'
I vanished from in front of her, rounding behind her as I swung my sword down towards her again.
Clearly my mother had been holding back a bit of her own training, before she turned around and blocked my swing before spinning and kicking me in the stomach, sending my skidding a few feet away.
She didn't waste her chance and charged in, going for a stab at my stomach.
'Seismic Steps: Evade!'
I swerved out of the way of her swing, once again ending up behind her.
'Pulse Breath!'
I slammed my hand against her back, satisfied with the yell of pain she gave as a shockwave rippled through her body, sending her flying forwards.
Still, she managed to somehow twist in mid-air and recover, rubbing her back as the other hand held her sword ready. "Okay…" She frowned. "Maybe I underestimated you a bit, son."
"Don't call me that," I told her. "My mother was a kind, gentle woman. Not the kind who would try to cripple her own flesh and blood."
She growled. "You'll understand some day, when you're a parent!" She charged right back in, bringing her sword down in an overhead swing.
'Shockwave Fist!'
I punched the air, a shockwave rippling from my hand and spreading around me in a 5-meter radius, causing my mum to exclaim and raise her arms to defend herself from it, her sword going flying in the process.
'Advance! Sickle Kick!'
I closed the gap with Advance, before I threw a feint with a reverse kick, using that leg to snake into her guard, before giving the leg a sharp tug, forcing her arms down.
'Round Kick!'
I did a full spin, lifting my leg high as I landed a solid roundhouse kick right against my mother's cheek, sending her spiralling to the side where she crashed into the ground, a small dust cloud kicking up around her.
Even so, I didn't drop my guard for even an instant, staying in a ready stance for when she- inevitably- got up and came out of that dust cloud.
I didn't have to wait long as she rushed out, except now she was wearing gauntlets on her arms.
Not wanting to get into close combat, I projected a dozen swords and fired them at her, only for her to bat them aside with her gauntlets as if they were sponge balls thrown underarm.
'Retreat!'
I tried to back up but she suddenly got a boost in speed and closed the gap- 'Aura Channelling,' I thought absentmindedly- before she grabbed me by my throat.
I let out a gasp, dropping my sword in surprise, before coughing up spit as she punched me hard in the stomach.
"I was trying to be nice," she growled. "I was trying to take it easy on you! And here you are, being a stubborn brat and forcing me to use everything I have to make sure I can keep you safe in the end!"
She landed another blow to my stomach, making me cough harder from the pain, clawing at her hands to try and free myself from her grasp. I could feel myself starting to choke as I lost Oxygen.
"Just pass out," she said solemnly. "This is for your own sake, son. You aren't going to be a Huntsman. You are going to have a normal job, away from that awful life, and you are going to be happy with it."
"N- Nev… Er…" I choked out. "I… Am going… To… B- be a Hunt… Sman… And I… Am going to… S- Save… The World!"
I forced a scream from my throat as I unleashed my fire, causing her to yelp in surprise and loosed her grip on my throat. The intake of oxygen let me quickly know what to do.
I pressed my hand against the side of her arm. 'Pulse Breath!'
Her arm jerked to the side, her looser grip causing her to accidentally toss me to the side, where I landed on my arm but shakily got up, greedily breathing in for more air.
"You stubborn…!" She growled, her aura manifesting around her in a bright golden glow. "Fine then! I'll just have to knock you out with one punch!" She charged forwards, her arms glowing a brilliant gold.
I began to rapidly use Evade, weaving in and out of her attacks. I was hoping I could outlast her using evade… But it wasn't meant to be.
When using evade, I slipped as I prepared to use the next one, and that was when it hit me. A powerful blow on my stomach that knocked the wind right out of me, sending me flying across our back yard and crashing against the fence with a hard thud, falling forwards onto my torso.
The force of that blow was beginning to cause the world around me to fade to black, my consciousness starting to slip away.
'Is this it…?' I thought to myself. 'Is this the end for me…? Is my dream… Going to die here…? Before I've even had the System for a full week…?'
For a moment, I almost succumb to the darkness. I almost gave up, and almost ended the tale of my journey before it could even begin, right then and there…
"We shall always be with you. Forever."
… Almost.
'No…' I told myself. 'I won't let it end here… I can't… If… If I can't beat my mother as I am now… Then… What about… A hero…?'
The Perk Menu opened in front of my eyes, my eyes groggily zeroing in on the bookmark.
[Are you sure you want to buy Contracted Servant?]
[You have received the Perk 'Contracted Servant.']
[You have learned the skill 'Servant Summon.']
'Servant… Summon huh…?'
I slowly rose up to my knees, able to see my mother approaching calmly as she no doubt believed she had already one.
"Silver… And Iron to Origin…" I whispered. "Gem and Archduke… Cornerstone…"
Words filled my mind, and I could do nothing but repeat them in the broken manner I already was.
"Alighted Winds… Become a wall… Four Gates… Shut… Three-Forked Road… Leading to the Kingdom…!"
I slammed my fist on the ground as I shakily began to rise.
"Give up, Jaune," my mother said, as she got closer. "You can't beat me; you should know that by now."
"Shut… Shut… Shut… Shut… Shut…" I breathed. "Five… Times… Shatter… Set…"
I slowly rose to my feed, a trail of blood falling from my mouth.
"You are… Under me… My fate… Is your sword… If you abide… By this feeling… then answer…!"
My mother frowned, stopping. "What are you mumbling about?"
"I swear... An oath!" I exclaimed, slapping myself across the face to keep myself awake. I wouldn't let myself pass out. I would stay up, and finish this!
"You…!" My mother growled, but didn't move. "Fine! You must be charging some kind of attack! I'll let you do so, and I'll show you how futile your dream is!"
"I will be… All good in the world…! I shall destroy… All Evil…! Seven clad… In three words of power…!"
I gripped my chest, feeling a burning on the back of my hand… And I reached the end of the incantation.
"Arrive… Keeper of the Balance!"
There was a blinding flash of light.
… And, when it faded, a figure stood there with their back to me. I barely got to get a good look at them before they vanished from view, and I heard my mother yell in pain and fall to the ground, unconscious.
There was a golden glow over my mother, before it was overwhelmed by light as the Covenant took hold.
I cast my gaze to the figure, my vision still blurry… But I could make out some features.
They wore a laced-waist cinder over a long blue tunic with a dark grey hemline that fell over a dark teal shirt that also had the same grey hue. A hood was over their head, obscuring her hair from view, and in either of their hands were weapons, short scythes…
But what caught my attention was the ornate skull mask that covered their face save their lower jaw…
And the silver eyes that stared from behind it.
"In accordance with your wishes," she spoke up. "Servant Lancer has answered your call…" I almost swore I could see a smirk on her face. "Nice to meet you, Master."
I could barely nod before I fell forwards, the world fading around me…
Publish Date: 25th September 2020
Word Count: 4,568
HAHAHAHAHA!
I told you none of you would guess it!
Yes, yes, yes! The Servant Jaune summoned was indeed Maria Calavera, the Grim Reaper!
Now, before a lot of you complain saying 'Maria is alive though, how can she be a Servant?' Keep in mind that is in the ORIGINAL RWBY world, not this one. In this one, she's dead, and thus can be summoned as a Servant. So I don't want to see any damned reviews going on about how she's alive and can't be a Servant.
Now, admittedly, I was originally going to have Jaune summon Caenis since I feel I haven't seen her around a lot and I'm a big fan of Caenis. But I then changed my mind to Maria as I wanted to keep the Servant in the RWBYverse, because that way she has more of an impact since she was known. Whereas Caenis or someone from the Fateverse would be completely unknown to others, and wouldn't have as much of an impact if faced with them.
I hope everyone is satisfied with how I played his mother and the family. They just didn't want him to be a Huntsman, they thought the aura sealing was going too far and were horrified once they found out and it was confirmed by his mother that she didn't care if he was crippled so long as she didn't become a Huntsman.
His mother, on the other hand, was fucking batshit crazy due to her irrational hatred against Huntsman. It is meant to parallel Jaune's supposed 'Hatred' of the System, in that he is shoving the blame off of himself to something else, where she shoved the blame onto all Huntsman and Huntresses. This is to nip the bud of Jaune hating the System considering it has done nothing wrong. It even offered to delete itself, not as a way to be malicious, but as a way to show him that he had a choice. Everything else he said was only an assumption, he had no way of knowing if that was true.
And yes, I intentionally had his mother as so crazy she was even willing to beat up her son and force him to obey via what effectively amounts to a blood curse. Thankfully, Jaune managed to summon a Servant, and his mother's own arrogance of taking the 'attack' she thought he was preparing led to her downfall.
Before people ask 'Why didn't Jaune lose if he summoned Maria?'
And that's your answer. He summoned her. She technically isn't a living body, but a mana construct given form using Jaune's MP. She uses Jaune's MP to fight, and was created by his MP since there is no holy grail. Therefore, she skims by the rules and could end the fight in his place.
Maria's Servant Stats will be at the bottom of the chapter. And now, time to respond to some reviews!
Reader0007: I'll just clarify here for everyone, he's blame shifting. The blame is with himself, but he's blame shifting to the System so that he doesn't feel as bad. But, after this confrontation with his mother, he's going to have to face the facts the he is the one at fault, and he finally needs to take responsibility and not blame the System for what amounts to his own arrogance.
NyaNyaKittyFace: Yes, as in the Dagger Knight Slayer from Solo Levelling. It's been ranked down just to set a level for the prices. Yes, Jaune is aware of his own faults with using Sky Flames so casually. He's going to be very careful from now on, but keep in mind that the sky flames are just a manifestation of Jaune's will. If he spends enough time with anyone and bonds with them enough, it will lead to a Guardian Bond.
InfinityZeroDweller: I appreciate the idea, but I'm only going to have Sky Flames in this fic. Like, 8 flames is going to be a handful on their own. To add in another 15 if I include things like Earth Flames and Ocean Flames? Too much. Jaune will only have 7 Guardians, with him being as the Sky that they all reside around.
And that's it for me guys! This is Ezras Hargrave, signing off!
True Name: Maria Calavera
Class: Lancer/Assassin (Dual Class)
Alias: "Grim Reaper"
Gender: Female
Height: 5'9
Weight: 156lbs
Origins
Region: Mistral
Source: Mistral, Embellished Stories
Alignment: True Neutral
Parameters
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A+
Mana: C
Luck: E
N.P: C
Skills
Magic Resistance: D
Aura is a natural shield. As such, Maria has a natural resistance to many forms of attacks, though it isn't as high as it could be as her aura capacity is fairly average.
Presence Concealment: B
Befitting of one called the 'Grim Reaper,' Maria possesses the power to hide her presence incredibly well, and thus conceal her presence for when she must strike.
Preflexes: A+
Maria's semblance, granting her almost superhuman instincts and allowing her to sense everything better than most people, often letting her react to attacks almost before they have even happened!
Grim Reaper: B
A fierce reputation that turned her into a legend, merely the mention of the Grim Reaper is enough to send shudders down people's spines. When faced with the living legend herself, people feel an overwhelming sense of fear overcome them.
Silver Eyes: C
An ocular ability she has possessed from birth, Maria holds an intimate understanding of the power of Silver Eyes and how to use them far beyond others understanding, making her the greatest enemy of the Grimm. Against normal humans, however, the eyes are next to useless save for a brief flash to blind them.
Noble Phantasms
Reaper's Touch – Kneel Before Death: D
Renown for her incredible use of Gravity Dust, it sprouted forth a legend that in the presence of the Grimm Reaper, you will kneel and be helpless before her. By blanketing the area with mana, Maria can force those around her to kneel and bow to her strength, though those with a powerful enough will or a high enough resistance can stay standing and fight.
Life and Death (Weapons): C
Dual Kamas that can combine into a scythe and fire bullets from them. The weapons are attracted to one another, able to physically drag people along with them if they are holding onto one of them.
Death's Incarnation – The Embrace of the End: B
The Noble Phantasm of Maria Calavera. Not a weapon or ability, but a technique that ended many man and beasts alike. None who bear witness to this attack live through it. An almighty technique that cannot be dodged, and cannot be blocked. The very incarnation of death, given form to reap souls.