A Cosmic Journey
A/N: Soooo, it has come to my attention that I committed an error of plot writing last chapter, and that the stinger detailing conversations with Amber and Cinder noted each having half of the Fall Maiden's power. As mentioned by a couple readers, the events of this story are currently that Cinder possesses none of the power, but it is true that both individuals are currently down an arm, and are looking for payback. I have already gone back to the last chapter and cleaned that part up so it fits, but hopefully that wasn't too jarring to any readers.
In other news, I have arrived at the point in the semester where the dates of my wonderful finals have been revealed. The bad news is that I will again have to take a brief break from chapter releases on May 5th. The good news is that the break this time only appears to be one week this time, and that I should be able to finish the current Beacon Volume 1 Arc before taking a week off. But we've still got a number of weeks until then, so let's enjoy how things progress, shall we? First reviews, then onto the good stuff.
Oblivious IJ: If the multiverse of deities exist on Remnant, there would be a good number of mythological figures and gods walking the earth, instead of the current one that Kouzai has the pleasure of dealing with.
HoldMyFOOF: Well, the downfall of most groups in TV shows, books, movies and other media tends to be lack of proper communication. Especially considering that Teams RWBY and JNPR aren't in a very talkative mood with each other, any such comparison of notes will likely be on the backburner. And regarding Mortem, there's two parts to the tool, being the Hard-Light Dust Crystal used and the Aura powering it. Both are finite resources that deplete the more that they're used, so the damage cap is in short however long the Dust is viable.
Raidentensho: I can't speak to the thoughts of the RWBY producers, but when it comes to Kouzai, let it be known that watching various media has given him some ideas on what to do with Mortem, given the time and know-how. Dexterity, however, is not something that Kouzai has in spades.
Bartholomew Black: Let it be known that all members of the potential Team HAMM would've rioted had Ozpin had the gumption to assign that name to them. And thanks for the compliment, hopefully the coolness keeps rising.
AlexFalTon: If the words "Battle Royale" are ever uttered while RWBY, JNPR and KMMI are present, he will give it his best effort to defuse things, and failing that, flee with every fiber of his being.
R26: Time management is a necessity that I'm currently treating like a suggestion, but I'm still making do for now. When it's needed though, rest assured that I'll pull everything together, but for now I'm content with what I've got on my plate. As for your other advice, I'll take the idea with Ilia into consideration, but we'll see how the characters progress throughout the volume. In terms of Kouzai's power rating, his fighting skill is competent, but definitely below the majority of RWBY's main characters. The only things that really give him an edge in a fight are his semblance, his knowledge of the show, and his arsenal. Chronometry is a good combat supplement, but as shown by Raven, among other characters, it has its weaknesses. Meanwhile, the usefulness of his foreknowledge is quickly dwindling, a fact that he is aware of. And when it comes to the contents of his arsenal, various factors intercede. Mortem is far from a finished product, and its flaws will make themselves known, while Corona's flaws could be fixed, but leave it's applicability quite limited. With the owner of such technology on both Ozpin's and Salem's radars, casual usage will have him in Ozpin's office or Salem's tower faster than Nora can eat a stack of pancakes.
FrozenTurkey: Thanks a bunch for vote of confidence, and hopefully the writing's worth the weekly wait.
PyromaniacRabbit: Yup, especially with the fights of initiation, I figured people might not want to dwell on how Team RWBY and JNPR fight even with different strategies, and give more focus to the new characters while giving enough vivid details about others to entice readers. And thank you kindly for noticing that I'd confused the narrative of events in the stinger. The writing has now been corrected, but it's good to know that such errors weren't a big deal, though I'll still be working double time to make sure no more pop up.
Gizmo Gear: Yup, Kouzai's strategy is to remove the elements of the canon plot that caused Remnant to fall into chaos. Even with his theorizing and planning, however, he can't fully understand the scope of connectivity of disparate events. There is certainly a heating pot, and Kouzai has definitely tossed explosives in. Time will tell exactly what level of reaction this stimulus can cause.
Metal4K: Well, it's good to know that I haven't made Kouzai objectively overpowered or a Marty Sue. And with his personality, ingratiating himself to all the main characters was a long shot among long shots.
Chapter 22: As One Door Shuts
Chapter Date: 02/10/2020
The walk up to the dorm roof was a silent one externally. Internally, I was running through every possibility in my head on what to expect. I didn't know how "Prim" had gotten my scroll number, or how she'd gotten a scroll, or how she even existed outside my head. So there was a lot to be wary of as I ascended the stairs towards the roof. For a brief moment though, as I opened the rooftop door and stepped outside, the view of Beacon at night had me entranced in all its realistic and yet fantastical architecture. Trust Ozpin to take a school meant for warriors and turn it into an art exhibit. Then again, that applied to most Huntsmen as-
"Took you long enough."
At those words, I slowly turned away from the view of Beacon towards the shingled roof. And seated on the roof, legs swinging absentmindedly, was Primordia.
Somehow, someway, the deity given physical form had traded her white sundress for a Beacon uniform, and her previously free-flowing electric-blue tresses were now tied in a ponytail. Electric-blue irises still gazed down on me with clear mirth though.
"Sorry, I was a bit busy trying to figure out when I gave a goddess my scroll number. Or, you know, dealing with the fact that you actually exist." Getting onto the roof was easy enough, and I took a cautious seat next to an amused Primordia.
"Why Kouzai, you didn't think that I was some fever dream cooked up in your intoxicated head at the time, did you?" My deadpan stare was answer enough. "Fair point, I'm not sure even you could've thought of something so crazy. Like I said before, I'm just as real as the two Horned idiots gallivanting somewhere in space, and just as capable of manifesting a body. I just figured that it'd be refreshing to switch up the pace, and get in touch the old-fashioned way. Oh, and while I'm in this body, call me Prim."
"Sure, Prim. Now, can we get to the part where you explain exactly why we needed to chat again? And why we're doing it on the roof where a certain bully can hear us and a certain immortal wizard can spy on us?" I looked around for any cameras within range as Prim unashamedly giggled.
"It's kind of funny how paranoid you can be at times. So long as we're not shouting, which I hope you don't do, there's no chance of Cardin Winchester eavesdropping on our conversation. I also think that you're perhaps overestimating Ozpin when it comes to his surveillance tactics, though. Cautious and careful he may be, but even he can't have every roof and building monitored at all times. How else do you think that Cinder managed to get away with her little rooftop running spree in Volume 2, without Ozpin's inner circle tracking her all the way to her dorm room?"
That…was a good point. "Ok, so he has even less of a handle on things than the show outwardly portrayed. That's certainly a confidence booster."
"You'll find that countless interactions and events unfold beyond the veneer of what you perceive and witness," Prim noted, legs swinging absentmindedly. "After all, you were rather surprised at the nature of Qrow and Winter's current relationship, to say nothing of the fight over the Fall Maiden's powers months ago."
"Yeah, well, I thought it'd take an act of a god to get those two to settle their differences. As for fight between STRQ and Cinder's group, why didn't you manifest sooner and tell me that things were going to get ugly? Or how things ended up like that?"
Prim's eyes flicked up towards the night sky. "Like I said before, part of the rules of you being here are that you have to be the one in the driver's seat, meaning that I can't backseat-driver you all the way to a perfect ending. That would defeat the purpose of my bringing you over to Remnant as a show that the Brothers made some terrible judgments. And as I mentioned earlier, the escalation of the fight over Amber Autumn's powers escalated due to decisions that you made, even if you didn't know how far they'd extend."
"My rant at Raven…and my talk with Qrow…that's why they and Tai were fighting alongside Amber that day?"
"In a word, yes."
"For the other side, Cinder knew that Qrow would be accompanying Amber, so she needed more firepower. That's where Roman, Neo, Adam and I guess Blake came in."
"Had it been just Qrow and Amber, Cinder would've likely triumphed and her plans to infiltrate Beacon would've gone unnoticed by any except you."
"But with Amber still alive, and more importantly, with their faces known to Ozpin's inner circle now, Cinder's crew has no chance of slipping into Beacon as students anymore, meaning that Amber and the Relic are safe for now…right?"
"For now. But remember, as one door shuts, another opens. That holds true for both sides." Prim stood up and brushed her skirt. "Now, let's get you back inside. We wouldn't want to be late to the first day of classes tomorrow, would we?"
"Who's we?" I grumbled, also rising to my feet, before the thought occurred to me. "You obviously know how to get in touch with me, but if I wanted to get in contact with you-"
"I'd avoid relying on me too heavily. After all, I'm just an omnipresent entity capable of multidimensional travel. But yes, if you need to speak with me, just think about it before falling asleep or use your scroll to contact me."
"I take it that messaging you on my scroll won't be so easy as 'messages by you are erased when others look at them', is it?"
Prim grinned. "Hope you're conscientious about your scroll security." Then, with a blink, she was gone, with only a singular blue butterfly fluttering away.
'Great…'
As I returned to my dorm room, my mind was occupied with Prim's last serious advice. 'Both sides…obviously both Ozpin and Salem need to recalculate their plans in the aftermath of the fight over Amber…but what could their plans be?'
I instinctively reached for the door handle to my room, before all preservation skills gained over decades of living tingled. Instead, I knocked and said, "Is everyone decent in there?"
"Yes."
"Uh-huh."
"HELL NO!"
I sighed, knowing exactly who that was, and took a seat in the hallway. 'That's right…our room…this'll take some getting used to…'
After a minute, the door opened and Melanie glared at me, with my only response to sigh and hold my hands up as I strolled back into the room. And thankfully, mercifully, all my teammates were dressed and I'd live to see another day.
"It's a good thing you knocked, otherwise I would've definitely stabbed you." Melanie, in another departure from Weiss, was dressed in a pajama set of pastel blue shirt and white pants.
"Don't be ridiculous, Mel, you were lazing on your bed in your underwear for gods knows how long. You should be thankful Kouzai was thoughtful enough to consider us first." Miltia adorned in a deep red nightgown, though of a shorter length than either Ruby or Weiss would've been comfortable with.
I'd already seen both twins in such states due to working with Junior. I turned to look at my partner, who was wearing a brown nightgown and appeared engrossed in a novel. However, her freckles were a vibrant pink.
'Oh yeahhhh…I nearly forgot about that…we're gonna have to work out a schedule of some sort, aren't we?' I went to change into my own nightwear, and upon stepping out of the bathroom was finally "noticed" by Ilia.
"So how was your evening walk?" Ilia asked, though her eyes were looking pointedly at my scroll. I inwardly winced at the unsubtle departure I'd made right after seeing Prim's message.
"The walk was good. It has occurred to me though that either Ozpin or Beacon's architect must've been high while designing the school, because some parts of it look straight from a fairy tale, especially at night." I was determined not to meet my partner's eyes as I made my way towards my bed.
"Oh, that does remind me though. Junior called Melanie and I to ask how initiation went, and he mentioned that he's been looking to speak with you," Miltia said, and I made a note to cross Junior off the list of possible alibis.
"We'll all likely see him again when we head into Vale this weekend after classes," I replied. "Now, let's get to sleep, or it'll be impossible to wake Melanie up tomorrow in time for classes."
"Hey, I'm not that much of a heavy sleeper!"
… … …
Morning came all too quickly and I sat up in my bed. Staring down at my scroll, I turned off the alarm before it could start ringing and stretched. 'Even before getting to Remnant, I'd wake up before the alarm. Guess some things don't change.' Turning to the side, I caught sight of Ilia already up and about, dressed in her Beacon uniform.
"Good morning, Kouzai," she greeted, before looking quizzically at my surprised face before she understood. "Since I've been travelling alone for a while, I've gotten used to waking early. Well, even before then, I had a lot of late nights and long hours."
"Fair point. I guess I'm just not used to anyone outside of Ren being up before me." Ilia and I both turned as sheets rustled, before Miltia sat up, rubbing her eyes as a few short strands of hair stuck up. Squinting through the morning light, she caught sight of Ilia and I staring at her before she mumbled something.
"I'm sorry, could you re-"
"Coffee." Ilia flinched at the visceral tone of the normally polite girl's speech, but I was already on the move, striding over to the coffee machine that the twins had hauled from their home. A minute later, I placed a steaming mug in Miltia's hands, and the sound of quiet sipping was all that was heard in the room for nearly half a minute.
"Ahhhhhhh…sorry about that, Ilia. I'm not quite a morning person, and need coffee in the morning to get started." Setting her mug down, Miltia made her way over to the bathroom.
"No problem…" Ilia trailed off as the bathroom closed before turning to me. "And you said that Melanie wasn't a morning person?"
"Neither of them are, but Melanie is worse by a mile," I chuckled, before gesturing to the other side of the room. "You might wanna stand over there while I do this; it tends to get ugly."
With those ominous words, I crept over to Melanie's bedside, where the long-haired twin was sleeping still as a statue. Raising my hands, I channeled Aura to my Aura shield and slipped my glasses off, placing them on my bed temporarily. With Chronometry active, I slowly moved my hand, reaching out with one finger to just barely touch her cheek.
THUD
Even in Chronometry, I watched the blur that was Melanie's leg collide with my side, and I flexed to absorb the impact. Turning back to Ilia, I gestured to Melanie's leg, still against my side. "When Melanie wakes up, she can be a bit-GUH…violent…" I sagged down onto my knees, staring down at the fist that had buried itself in my stomach. As I hit the ground, I was level with a pair of intensely-burning green eyes.
"Morn-AGH-ning…" I rocked back for a moment as I caught the backfist rocketing for my face. "Time to get up." A few minutes later, our last teammate finally mustered up her resolve.
"Hate..." Melanie begrudgingly rose up from the bed, her black curtain of hair making her look extremely similar to the creature from the Ring, which did wonders for my fear of all things horror.
"Yes yes, and the world will end in fire." Miltia slid out of the bathroom, dressed, rejuvenated and entirely nonchalant at the sight of her sister. "Kouzai, you hop into the shower considering you're fast, I'll load my sister up on coffee."
Keeping an eye on the clock, I was in and out of the shower very quickly, and stepped out as Melanie rocketed into the bathroom, the door slamming behind me. Turning to Miltia, I eyed the mug in her hand. "How much coffee did you give her, exactly?"
"Enough to get her up." Miltia set the mug down and looked up at the clock. "I'm supportive of being punctual, but don't we still have some time before our first class?"
"I'm factoring in time for us to grab our own breakfast, which I'll be doing in a second," I replied getting my shoes on. "I'm also considering how long it might take your sister to get ready."
Miltia paled at the latter part of my statement, stared at the clock, then turned to Ilia. "Maybe go with him to grab breakfast and bring it back. Melanie without breakfast in the mornings can be…difficult."
"The twins can be…a little high maintenance," I explained as we were grabbing plates of food to bring back. For her part, Ilia rolled her eyes.
"Trust me, it doesn't matter whether they're in a peaceful place or a battlefield; there will always be those who are absolute garbage in the mornings. I came across many of those while in…my old group." Ilia amended the last part of her statement as she glanced around at the increasing number of people streaming into the cafeteria.
"Yup. You'd think that people who work for Junior would be a little more awake, but no, the club atmosphere seems to really dictate their sleep schedules," I joked as we made our way back to the dorm room. After getting back into the room, I eyed the clock as we ate. With barely any time to spare, Melanie finally emerged and unceremoniously had breakfast thrust at her by Miltia.
"Not that I'm…complaining about…breakfast in bed…but what's the rush? We've still got some time left." Melanie was getting her shoes on, and I was shepherding us out the door shortly after. "I swear, if this is some sort of 'getting good seats' thing, you'll wake up being dangled out the window."
"While I love the enthusiasm and mob threats, I have a more logical reason for getting us to class quick." The dorm a fair bit behind us, I glanced at the remaining seconds before the possible event. "One more focused on self-preservation…"
"What do you mean by-"
"IT'S 8:55, YOU DUNCE!" Three heads turned back in the direction of the dorms, but one Kouzai made insistent strides towards the classroom.
"Who…was…" I ignored Miltia's trailing question as we entered the classroom, which was already mostly full. And towards the front of the classroom-
"HEY KOUZAI! OVER HEREEEEE!" This time, the whole team looked as Nora's distinctive shout rang up to us. A waving jovial Nora was point to four empty seats beside Team JNPR, which I gracefully accepted with ears towards the door and eyes on my friends.
"When did you guys get here? Ilia and I didn't see you while we were getting breakfast." I watched, puzzled, as JNPR sported grins of equal smugness, which was highly disconcerting coming from Ren and Pyrrha of all people.
"Well, it turns out that we're all kind of used to waking up early. Nora and Ren got the habit from you, and Jaune and I learned it from our highly regulated schedules," Pyrrha stated, to Melanie's general horror.
"Oh gods, are you telling me that I'm doomed to end up-"
BANG
The classroom door was nearly knocked off its hinges as all of RWBY spilled into the room, collapsing in a colorful pile. A yellow bracelet-clad arm was thrust upward.
"Made it!"
The girls picked themselves off the floor and began scanning for open seats, miraculously finding a row nearly entirely empty…except that it was the front row…and it was directly in front of my team and JNPR.
"OH HO! How wonderful to see such energy for education! Please, take your seats by the front so that I may begin imparting my wisdom unto you!" All four girls looked like they'd rather go twelve rounds with a Beringel, but Atlas would sooner thaw before Weiss Schnee would cause a disturbance in a class, and so I was met with three glares and one puppy-eyed look of disapproval as RWBY slid into the seats in the front row.
"Monsters…deeeemons…prowlers of the night…" Grimm Studies actually being one of my strong subjects, and knowing what Port's class could be like, I instead began spending the time working on potential plans that Cinder might come up with, and what counters might exist. The issue was, her initial plan was so expansive and intricate that to map out even one more contingency made for highly intellectual and theoretical work.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits!"
"I do, sir!"
"Well then, let's find out! Step forward, and face your opponent."
'Guess we're at this point of the class.' I put the notes into my pouch for now and chose to focus on Weiss' upcoming battle with a Boarbatusk. 'I wonder if Weiss' skills have changed any from canon.' As the class watched, Port took his weapon and smashed the crate's lock, as a rageful squeal emanated from within. As the Grimm burst out of the cage, the battle started exactly how it'd been in canon, with Weiss testing Myrtenaster against its armor to no avail.
"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath!" I looked down to see Ruby gesturing, and Weiss slowly turned to face her partner. But instead of snapping at her leader, Weiss instead nodded and turned back to the battle.
'Uhhhhh…' I looked to both sides to see if anyone was as confused as I was. "Since when does Weiss listen to Ruby's advice?"
"I'm not sure, but considering that Ruby listened to Weiss earlier when the heiress asked her to pay attention to class, it looks like she's not a hypocrite, at least." Ilia seemed reluctant to compliment Weiss in any way, shape or form, but I noted that any non-insult about a Schnee from her was worth its weight in Orichalculum.
"Yeah, but she stopped Ruby from drawing that funny picture of Port!" Nora hissed on my other side. "I would've paid her good money for that…"
SSHHHRRRING
I turned back to the battle as the Boarbatusk rammed into one of Weiss' protective Glyphs, before a propulsion Glyph beneath its feet launched it upwards. Crouching slightly, Weiss leapt off another propulsion Glyph and thrusted Myrtenaster straight into the Grimm's underside, a fading squeal the only sign of the creature's existence as it faded into ash.
"Bravo! Braa-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training! I'm afraid that's all the time we have today."
'Huh, I guess the better first impression between the two helped Weiss see past all the stereotypes that she was putting on Ruby in the beginning. I'll take it.' As we made our way to the next class, I kept my eye on the bumblebee pair behind the group of JNPR and KMMI. 'Now that's a troublesome duo for me. One who wants to unequivocally pound my face in, and one who can spill all my secrets and has subjectively justifiable reasons to do so.'
Getting off Team RWBY's collective shit list was definitely high on my list of priorities, but all extraneous thoughts were put aside as the green blur that was Oobleck sped into the classroom. I preemptively took off my glasses and prepared my fingers for fresh hell.
… … …
"My hands…"
"It wasn't that bad, Mel."
"How has the skin not been rubbed right off of yours?"
"The same reason why you weren't so tired from all that running yesterday. You have your legs, I have my arms."
Ilia and I laughed as the twins bantered back and forth, but I kept my arms in motion while walking to hide the fact that my hands were also twitching a slight bit.
'Oobleck's lecturing speed is insane! If I didn't have Chronometry to listen to him speak normally, I never would've gotten all those notes down.' I glanced sideways at JNPR, where Jaune and Nora were in a similar state to Melanie. Meanwhile, Ren appeared unflappable as always, while Pyrrha was still smiling after the two classes we just had.
"Good afternoon, class-"
"WOOHOO! Time to break some legs!" Nora finished her statement, revitalized by the start of sparring class, only to shrink back down in terror as Professor Goodwitch affixed her with a glare to melt steel.
"As I was saying, good afternoon, and welcome to Sparring class. I am your instructor, and will now detail how the class will be run." Goodwitch began explaining the ins and outs of sparring and tournament regulations, as I chanced a look at the other students around the room.
CRDL looked eager at the prospect of getting to the more physical aspect of the curriculum, though for students like Cardin, it was clearly less about the fight and more about the domination. Russel on the hand seemed to be all about the fight, judging by the grin on his face. Dove appeared more thoughtful, and Sky looked…apprehensive?
JNPR was all smiles save for Ren, and for good reason. Three of the team were absolute monsters on the battlefield, and Ren was just good enough to make one appreciate how skilled he was to keep up with said monsters.
RWBY was more divided. Ruby was openly grinning at the prospect of armed combat, while Weiss appeared indifferent but looked eager to prove herself. Blake actually was indifferent to the prospect of sparring, but kept her eyes locked towards Ilia and I. And Yang? Yeah, that woman was out for blood, and likely mine specifically.
"Now that the rules have been explained, we may conduct our first class. There will be a series of five-minute single-combatant spars, each with time for critiquing afterwards. The order-, yes Miss Xiao Long?"
"Can we request opponents?" Yang asked, with her eyes drifting towards me, and Melanie, and Pyrrha, and Nora…huh, maybe she was just looking for a fight.
"Spars will be determined either by a randomizer, or by matchups that I determine as necessary or beneficial to the combatants," Goodwitch briskly answered, before peering over her glasses to glare at Yang. "You would do well to dissuade yourself of any notions that Sparring class is meant to settle grudges, and any attempts to treat it as such will be harshly reprimanded. Is everyone clear?"
A sea of nods had her turning to the randomizer, much to our collective relief. "Now, the order of the matches will be determined by the randomizer today, and each team will send their leader and one non-partner team member up for selection, for a total of ten bouts."
Members were quickly chosen, as Ruby chose Yang, Jaune selected Nora, and I reluctantly went with Melanie. 'There's a less than zero chance that Yang gets an opponent that she'll want to tear to shreds. If she gets either Melanie or I, this could end badly. If she gets Nora, this will one hundred percent end catastrophically.'
Goodwitch also seemed to think so, judging by the glares she sent our way, but appeared resigned to the certainty of property damage as she started the randomizer. "Our first bout will be…"
And so sparring began in earnest. And for a combatant whose style revolved around countermeasures against opponents based on visualization and prior knowledge, this class was a treasure trove of information for me. It was also a series of spectacles that, despite having watched the show, dazzled me to watch the characters themselves fight in person.
There was Ruby in all her prodigious skill. With Petal Burst and Crescent Rose, she ran and carved flowery circles around her opponent, before taking her distance and using her superhuman kinetic vision to snipe her opponent's Aura below the regulation limit.
Jaune, by gods, Jaune. The Arc heir was indefinably strong compared to how he'd started out in the show. His strength was massive, constantly having the other fighter on the back foot. His skill and technique left a huntsmen-in-training with a superior weapon matchup grasping for strategies. And the one time that his opponent managed to find an opening through Crocea Mors and land a hit, Jaune's stupidly large Aura took the blow without an issue, before Jaune revealed the opening as a trap to lure the other combatant in before ending the match.
Cardin, on the other hand, had the universal misfortune of facing Yang. He turned his misfortune into his own stupid error by attempting to flirt with Yang, claiming his reluctance to hit 'such a pretty face.' Yang, already dealing with some irritation, proceeded to overpower Cardin's brute strength with her refined and honed power, pounding Ember Celica into Cardin's armor before nearly knocking Cardin's jaw loose with Burn.
Just as unbelievably, Nora was matched against Melanie, with both friends amused at the prospect of another fight. Well, Nora was amused. Melanie was putting up more of a brave front than anything else. The following fight was fierce, fast-paced, and closer than I expected. Melanie made up for her lack of educational acumen with battle instincts and smooth movements, weaving around Magnhild countless times to slice Nora with her heels. Even when Nora activated High Voltage to punch my teammate out to range, what ensued was a blistering exchange of explosives and Fire Dust shots. Eventually though, Melanie's lower Aura and lower firepower were the girl's undoing, but praise was doled out to both fighters by Goodwitch, right before criticism of their recklessness was dished out.
"Kouzai Higure vs. Sky Lark." I gazed over at the dark-haired member of CRDL, finding cautious blue eyes staring back at my shades. As we both made our way to the locker rooms to change as the current bout ran, I considered what my options were.
'I definitely have the edge in power and speed, not to mention my ranged abilities. Sky's got the edge in reach, but I can about match that with Mirror's Edge. But not to brag, but I don't think that Sky's exactly a match for me. That doesn't mean that the matchup has to be a waste though. How do I change things so that both him and I can get something out of it?' After a minute of though, the answer came to me, and I sported my own grin. 'This'll either go really well, or really shitty.'
After a few more minutes, I stepped out of the locker room and onto the arena, staring down Sky armed with Feather's Edge. As I walked towards the center of the arena, however, some whispers broke out, and the reason why was rather obvious.
"Mr. Higure, may I ask where your weapons are? You appear to be missing your main weapon and defensive option." The weight of Mirror's Edge was missing from my back, and my hands were free of my white gauntlet. Turning towards Goodwitch, I pulled out Luna from beneath my arm sheath and Luna from the holster on my back. Both white weapons shined and contrasted against my black clothing and sunglasses.
"I've got my weapons right here, professor." I kept my eyes on Sky as I spoke, and the man's face was one of disbelief at my choice. His thought process was rather obvious, given that a knife and pistol were commonly a poor matchup for a halberd and long-range firearm.
"I would advise against overconfidence, Mr. Higure. Such egos have been the fall of many huntsmen and huntresses." Goodwitch was not pleased, and her icy tone reflected as much.
"Well, isn't the point of this class to test our skills against those of other students in preparation for actual combat? Sometimes when we're out in the field, we'll be placed into unfavorable circumstances such as having lower Aura, a poor weapon matchup or having a weapon be nonfunctional or broken. Since I do have other weapons, why not test out using them in normally-unseen combinations and matchups." Goodwitch appeared to accept the logical nature of my argument, and I turned to Sky, knowing what I would say next would upset the polearm wielder.
"Besides, these weapons will be enough for this." True to form, Sky's face twisted into an expression of anger, and his hands tightened on Feather's Edge.
"…Very well. Both fighters, take your positions." It seemed that the goodwill I'd won with Goodwitch was lost from being cocky, as we both readied ourselves. "Begin."
I immediately dodged the opening shot from Feather's Edge, and began circling to the side opposite of Sky's front foot. The armored fighter had to pivot with his feet crossed, slowing his rate of rotation as I sped towards him with my movement like a spiral. I had the opaqueness of my sunglasses reduced slightly, so the rate of perception from Chronometry was higher, allowing me to plan a step ahead. 'Alright, I'm getting into his range soon, so the first thing that he'll try to do is…yup.'
I watched as Sky sharply pivoted to level the shaft of Feather's Edge at me. With a flash, a high-powered shot of Fire Dust streaked towards me, and I swayed out of the way and stepped into the halberd's range. Panicking, Sky thrusted towards my torso, and I tilted Luna while channeling Aura into the blade, causing the weapon to light up with hints of red, yellow and silver. With a shower of sparks, the knife collided with the shaft of Feather's Edge, and began sliding down the handle towards Sky's hands. Yanking his weapon back up to avoid getting sliced, Sky's attention was on my left hand instead of my right, and I took advantage of his inattention to level Corona at his unarmored stomach, letting loose three regular Lightning Dust shots. Each took a chunk of Sky's Aura, especially considering the expanse of armor on his chest, but as I kicked off I saw that the exchange had left Sky with some Aura left. The polearm user was now eyeing me warily, attempting to follow my every movement. Good.
Dashing forward again, I closed in on Sky's range, but right before I entered the weapon's radius, I aimed and threw Luna at Sky's head. The knife already past the halberd's edge, Sky was forced to retract his weapon back to guard with the weapon's shaft, but as Luna skidded off Sky's weapon, Sky's eyes widened once he saw that I was inches away from him. Planting my feet, I slugged Sky across the jaw before grabbing Feather's Edge, and as Sky's hand instinctively tightened against his weapon, I swung around and swept a leg out, upending Sky's posture. Using a momentary factor of Burst, I threw Sky into the air, letting the polearm user become aware of his precarious position by the arena's edge for the first time. As Sky attempted to right himself, I pulled Corona out again, and fired another three shots at him. So busy was he guarding against the first two that he had no chance of returning to the ring, and the third shot impacted against his Aura moments before he hit the ground. With a loud crash, Sky and Feather's Edge hit the ground before silence resounded.
"Winner by Aura level and ring-out, Kouzai Higure." I walked over the arena edge and hopped off, heading over towards a laid-out Sky to offer him a hand.
"Your speed and strength are rather decent, and your ranged option looks like it packs a punch. I'd mix some feints in to throw people off, and expand your awareness of the battlefield to make your defense tighter." Sky watched incredulously as I gave my analysis, before giving a begrudging smirk and taking my hand. Hauling the taller student to his feet, I waited for him to retrieve his weapon before we walked towards Goodwitch, taking a detour so that I could reclaim Luna.
"An astute analysis, Mr. Higure. I would also add for Mr. Lark to employ more unarmed techniques to expand his close-range potential." Sky nodded furiously at Goodwitch's words, as the professor turned to me. "As for you, Mr. Higure, you fought well, with efficient techniques and strategies. Furthermore, you did not rely on a singular method of victory and ensured your opponent was put in a situation of near-guaranteed loss. However, I would caution against the constant application of such a zealous method, as a lack of forethought could potentially lead to injuries against another student. Furthermore, note that you may not always be placed in a matchup wherein you can leverage your strengths to seize victory. I expect that future matchups should be fought with that respect and seriousness in mind."
"If there's something I've learned in the last five years, professor," I lowered my shades for a moment to stare at Goodwitch's green irises with my silver ones, "it's to always fight seriously. But as to what situation you find yourself, or place yourself in, that is something that I seek to leave to my discretion." Making my way back towards the stands, I took my seat as the next match's fighters stepped in.
"Damn, Kouzai! You were styling all over Sky during that match. I bet Little Birdy Winchester isn't too happy about that." Melanie was gleeful, despite moving her sore arms gingerly. A quick look across the stands confirmed that, yes, Cardin was not pleased with the double losses his team had sustained.
"It wasn't my intention to 'style', but there's been quite a few times where I've fought in less than optimal situations, so I figured that this class would be a good training ground to deal with some of those situations." I kept my eyes on Goodwitch, and on her tense posture as she observed the match before her. "It doesn't seem like the professor is too happy with my thought process though."
"You did look like you were holding back against Sky," Miltia replied, playfully poking Melanie's sore spots to elicit all manner of yelps and squeaks from her sister. "She might to look to take away your ability to do such a thing in the future."
"If it happens, it happens. But I'd hope that she considers the potential benefits to her students' education more than the loss of pride from those with hurt feelings." The last match finished, and as the students returned to the stands, Goodwitch turned to the class.
"Before we end class for the day, I have one more announcement to make. As part of a new initiative by Headmaster Ozpin, this class will be aided by a recently-licensed huntsman or huntress. This individual will be available both during class and off-class hours, and will serve as a marker and example to students of the level conduct and performance expected upon graduation."
'This…this never happened in the show…' I watched as a brown-cloaked individual stepped into the arena, coming to stand beside Goodwitch.
"Consequently, this individual will also be available as a sparring opponent, either selected by me during class or by appointment during select off-class hours. Keep in mind, this professor is a competent fighter, and should not be compared to the level of first, second, third or even fourth-year students.'
One hand appeared from inside the cloak, with a mocha skin tone and dressed in a white sleeve. The hand slowly reached up to pull the hood back, and my eyes widened. 'No way…'
Shoulder-length almond hair framed an elegant face with hazel eyes. One hand was placed on her hip, revealing her brown leather pants and white and gold top.
"Please welcome, Assistant Professor Amber Autumn."
As polite clapping rang out, the Fall Maiden looked around the room and smiled. "Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to an interesting time at Beacon."
… … …
… … …
SLASH
This city was a monument to the flawed nature of humanity.
STAB
A festering ground of their divides, despite continued failures.
BANG
Which is why humans needed to be taken care of, no matter the cost. It was all for the Faunus.
"Commander Taurus! I'd like to report."
Adam paused in his slaughter of the Grimm in this quadrant, only to realize that he'd already cleared the quadrant in his haze. He shook his head and turned to face a burly bear Faunus.
"Tell me, does the report involve details on the whereabouts of the Specter, or where he has taken Blake Belladona?"
"Umm…no sir. That task has been left to the brothers and sisters still in Vale. I-"
"All unrelated matters can be addressed by my lieutenant, Banesaw. If they are unrelated to the Specter or Blake, do not approach me again."
"But sir, there are operational issues that should be-"
"If I am approached again on news unrelated to what I have discussed, I will not stay my blade."
"U-understood."
The sounds of scampering quickly faded, and Adam turned back to the expanse of wasteland, and to his thoughts.
"Blake…where are you?"
A/N: Whew, another chapter down, and a stinger fixed. It seems like I'm covering multiple episodes of Volume 1 per chapter, so there'll likely be several chapters or more of original plot going. Sorry again for being a tad later than usual, and I'll see everyone next week.
-SE
Next Chapter Date: 02/17/2020