Author Note: Hello again! Enjoy the chapter!

The Battle Of Beacon Tower

'I can't lose here, I have to win! '

Jaune Arc thought as he held his shoulder and saw crimson red blood stains on his gloves. Cinder Fall was in front of him, the instigator; she wore a tight fitting red dress and had a blade outstretched which was made of what seemed to be glass.

Jaune was thinking of a plan, any plan really. In front of him was some sort of magical power which seemed stronger than his own magic-like Aether.

Cinder seemed to be boasting about her ability to cut through aura but Jaune paid no attention to whatever she was saying. He was focused on the weapons in her hand.

"Glass, ain't it" he said as he dashed forward with his chain scythes which were enveloped in Aether. The scythes grabbed onto Cinder's weapons, Jaune would've used this chance to attack.

If only Cinder hadn't anticipated it and let go of her weapons, letting them disintegrate to dust. "Nice attempt, Arc. But that disarming trick won't work" she said as she smiled and made another pair.

"Hm, this is getting interesting" Jaune carefully assessed his situation as he backed up. 'She's... not moving or is in a defensive stance... Is she that confident?'

Jaune decided he had had enough and threw caution to the wind with a dash forward and an Aether infused slash with his chain scythe. Cinder knew of its danger and managed to block with her own weapon.

"Light strikes, pathetic indeed" she said as she lifter her glass blade toward Jaune. "I'll show you what real strikes are"

Cinder dashed forward and struck Jaune up front, Jaune blocked by crossing both chain scythes in front of him. The force of the strike made him get pushed back a little.

"Not gonna lie, that was kinda heavy" Jaune said as his weapon disappeared and Cinder stepped forward catching herself from her own momentum.

Jaune jumped back and with his broadsword out now, swung a hefty overhead strike. Crashing onto Cinder's already ready blade, his strike was redirected to the ground.

"Foolish" she said as she was about to strike at Jaune again. Jaune however noticed that she had slowed down her tempo, and decided an Aura and Aether powered right kick to the stomach was good.

As it was, because it took Cinder by surprise and knocked her back a few steps. "Not so foolish now, eh flame witch?" Jaune smiled and readied his sword.

Cinder stepped up sending a strong diagonal slash which was redirected by Jaune's broadsword. Cinder then stabbed Jaune with her other blade causing him to side step and send a slash toward Cinder.

Cinder ducked and charged forward once more, crossing her blades in a scissor like slash. Jaune was just getting his footing back and blocked her strike. In the process he got his broadsword stuck between the two blades.

Both combatants were unwilling to move, Jaune didn't want to let up the pressure and so did Cinder. Jaune then put Aether and Aura into his arms and pushed forward, causing Cinder to be forced to jump back.

Cinder wasn't done and rushed Jaune once again with fluid strikes, Jaune was blocking like his life depended on it. Because it did, if he got hit he knew he'd take more damage than he cared to take.

Jaune kicked forward as Cinder was about to start a new attack. Cinder dodged and sent a strike to Jaune's chest.

Jaune was only barely able to dodge, which left a horizontal cut on his shirt and chest. 'shit...' he thought as his cut healed through aura.

Jaune had to switch up his style, Jaune started running away from Cinder. "Are you scared?" she said smiling in the center of the office.

Jaune then jumped toward her with his repeaters out. "No, just being smart" and he shot toward her with Aether infused pellets.

Cinder clicked her tongue and tried to deflect each shot but it was in vain as she saw multiple wounds on her body. He was chipping away at her aura, Cinder knew this as much and charged toward him.

Only for Jaune to dash sideways and shot an empowered shot to her back, which she recoiled from and hit the floor. The searing pain where Jaune shot was like Cinder being branded by hot iron.

She looked at Jaune with anger in her eyes and furiously dashed toward him. Jaune let out another shot but Cinder already dodged it and kicked his face.

This sent him a few steps back and Cinder followed up with a quick sweep to the legs, sending Jaune to the floor. She then thrust her blade forward, aiming at Jaune's heart.

Only for it to miss and hit his shoulder. Jaune screamed in pain and quickly kicked her off. Jaune was holding onto the bleeding wound near his collar bone and was helping it get healed by applying more aura in that area.

"Did that hurt?" Cinder asked spitefully as she twirled both her blades. "Because that shot hurt as well, I'm just returning the favor"

Jaune then stood up once again, a fire lit in his eyes. "It did, you aren't getting another one though" he said as he brought out his broadsword again.

Jaune then charged at Cinder with renewed vigour and threw precise strikes with his heavy bladed sword. Cinder was not on the ropes as she had to block each strike Jaune threw with utmost caution.

Jaune was quite honestly at 50% aura and right now was quite panicked. This didn't stop him from being methodical and planned each attack according to Cinder's reactions. Jaune threw an overhead slash and Cinder dodged.

But what Jaune did was just a feint, and he instead jumping knee'd her chin sending her stumbling back. Jaune sent a horizontal slash toward her, Cinder blocked and was blown back.

Cinder had enough of Jaune's shennanigans and formed a bow. She shot at Jaune with glass arrows.

Jaune dodged them effortlessly and after each shot he got closer. The closer he got the more Cinder felt doom.

Jaune had gotten within striking range and slashed at Cinder with his sword. But it was dodged and Cinder slashed his side with her blade.

Jaune ignored it and quickly followed up with a shoulder bash toward Cinder who got hit. Jaune then slashed at her, hitting her forearm which caused her to bleed.

Both of them were low on aura and Jaune wasn't going to give up until either he was dead, or she was.

Jaune leapt forward and slashed at Cinder with his sword once again but to his surprise, she jumped back quite a distance. She shot an arrow toward him hitting his right bicep.

Jaune felt the pain coursing through his entire body, but he ignored it and faced forward. He switched to his war pike and charged toward Cinder, twirling it with so muh force that he knocked Cinder's weapons to the side and slashing her from collar bone to the center of her chest.

The wound itself would've been fatal if Cinder hadn't leapt back in time. Jaune was still and panting "I'm not done" he said his vision was darkening and the pain throbbing from his wounds did not help.

"Oh, but you are now"

Jaune looked down to his chest and saw an arrow sticking out of him, this isn't right...

He looked back to Cinder who had a bow drawn. "You're finished, Arc"

He fell to his knees hand planted on the ground, his weapon hit the floor with a loud clang. Is this it? he thought sadly as he looked at Cinder with hatred in his eyes.

I'm sorry Pyrrha, I failed quite miserably...

Jaune knelt there, unmoving. As if he himself was a statue. He wasn't dead yet, but he sure as hell was close.

Pyrrha and Ruby finally made it to the Tower. Pyrrha climbed with Ruby, she used destroyed gears as her ride while Ruby ran up the wall.

The scene they saw terrified them, Jaune Arc leapt back. He then looked back to Cinder who instantly shot him with an arrow, straight to the heart. This shook them to the core, they both shouted...

"JAUNE!"

Author note: Thaaaats a wrap! Didn't wana end this yet with this chapter, Ill finish this arc properly. Anyway I'm sorry for leaving with a cliffhange