Chapter 33

…

Blue and yellow sparks scattered about as her steel fist collided with his shield. He could feel the force travel all the way down to his feet, but he wasn't blown back, and it gave him an opportunity to strike back. And he did, but she, unsurprisingly to him, dodged his attack. Thereafter, her striking him back, but this time she used her real arm.

Bang!

His shield protected him from a round of her Ember Celica. A hot, empty shell was thrown out of the chamber, and she smirked, and attacked him again with a combination of two straight punches.

Bang, bang! Bang!

But he blocked three because she threw the last one to try and surprise him, but didn't succeed. A heartbeat later, him dodging a sweeping kick by quickly jumping back a couple of paces.

She lowered her guard for a moment.

"Damnit, blondey. You've become a bit too good at shielding and dodging attacks. It's almost boring to fight you now."

"Thanks, I guess. And to be fair, I'm just trying really hard not to die here."

She chuckled. "Well, you're doing a pretty good job I'd say."

"Guess I am." But on the flip side, I haven't really landed any of my own strikes, so that definitely sucks.

He thought to himself, and then tried to figure out what he could do to change that.

Unfortunately, she wasn't patient enough to let him brainstorm in peace, and he soon found himself fending against her attacks.

"Whoa!"

Just like she said, he was good at shielding and dodging attacks, but as a result, his own offensive work was lacking any vigor. And if taking in the bigger picture, it meant that ultimately, she didn't worry about her own defense, and was given aplenty of room to unleash absolute hell-storm upon him. Eventually, it overwhelmed him, and her punches and kicks started to land. And once they did, she made short work of him, and he was put flat on his back. Gasping for a breath, and aching all over the place, as if he was hit by a train.

She lowered her guard.

"This will do for today. You did well, Jaune."

"Did I, really?"

"Yes, you did." She answered, and in her opinion, he really did.

"…"

Somehow, he didn't really feel like saying anything. He just observed the night-sky instead. The starry night-sky. And then inhaled a less painful breath, and noted he could still move him arms. His head, legs and even his entire body, really. Plus, he still had some aura left within him.

Another breath.

He rose to his feet. Moreover, tightened his grip around the swords handle, and lifted his shield to his chest.

"Still not enough, eh?" She muttered in a quiet voice. Her answer being the determined glint in his blue, or just how madly focused it was.

Her lips an invisible smirk, she started on him with an intent to end this. But so, there was hope, perhaps even belief within her he wouldn't allow her that. At least not easily.

An array of sparks, blue and yellow, some almost red scattered about. Then she punched with her left, and a thunder followed, as well as a minuscule cloud of hot smoke. Her Ember Celica struck true at his chest-plate, and he was blown backwards and onto his back. However, he quickly rolled himself over, and was back on his feet. And the moment he was, he bee-lined towards her. His sword firmly gripped in his hand, a storm in his blue, and a certain voice awaking within him.

In a mere moment, they were within a striking distance.

Her fist was cocked back, and she was ready to strike him down, but just before she would, he did something incredible. Something incredibly stupid, that is.

He threw his shield away.

No, it wasn't a strategy. It wasn't something born in his mind. He merely heard that unfamiliar voice, and it told him to face her head on.

Because if you can do it, then so can I.

That was his own voice, and he then lifted his sword high above his head. Gripped the handle with both of his hands, and that foreign voice became one with his own, and it set itself free to be a mighty roar.

"I can do it!"

Enveloped in a faint, but still thoroughly brilliant light, he brought his sword down.

A lapse of judgement on her part. She tried to block his attack by lifting only one of her arms. In an instant, his strength overwhelmed her, and his sword struck true. And even though his attack wasn't powerful enough to cut through her aura, although it sapped an impressive amount of it, it most certainly left a deep, lasting impression on her. The sheer energy of his movements, the incredible strain on his face, and that battle-cry which seemed to be embodiment of pure determination and guts. By putting it all together, it created an experience she most certainly wouldn't forget any time soon.

"…"

Both of them were speechless for a moment. She still tried to fully comprehend what exactly just happened, while he was simply spent to his bone. So utterly exhausted, he collapsed to his knees, and couldn't even hold his face above the shoulders.

"…"

This silence lasted a couple more moments, before finally, she figured things out, and then offered him a hand.

"You know, Jaune," She started, and waited for him to notice her hand and accept it. And the moment he did, she helped him to his feet. "Had you been this strong back at Beacon, you'd be a tough match for just about anyone. Myself included."

"I think you're right," He said, and she was actually surprised that he agreed with her sentiment.

"Wait, did I just hear a half-decent confidence coming from you?" She even added, and was truly curious how'd he answer.

"Confidence, you say," He started with that, and after giving it some serious thought, moreover, reviewing that last attack which he made, something incredible started to dawn on him. "You know what, I think you're right. I genuinely believed in myself for a moment," He said incredulously, and then briefly cracked a brilliant, bright smile, even chuckled, actually.

She cracked a smile herself, although hers was soft and endearing. A gentle, meaningful curve in her lips which spoke of…it spoke of a certain, absolutely precious truth that she started grasp more and more with each new day.

"And how did it feel like? To genuinely believe in yourself, even if just for a moment."

"It felt great," He started his answer immediately. "It felt like I could do anything."

She cracked a sly smirk, crossing her arms under her chest. "Even something that I can't do?"

"Absolutely." He answered while cracking a sly smirk of his own.

"Get lost!" She exclaimed heartily, and gave him a push.

One, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but with how exhausted he was, it turned out to be a different story. Basically, her push made him fall backwards and down, but before he would hit the ground, he got hold of her hand, and made her fall with him. He landed flat on the ground, while she atop of him.

She let out a quiet chuckle. "You see, Jaune? If you can't even handle a tiniest push from me, there's no way you're capable to do something that I can't do."

He smiled, and then, as he fully noticed the beautiful, starry night-sky, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Didn't say anything for a moment, but simply enjoyed the lovely notion that she was in his arms. And only then, moments later, he parted his lips to say something.

"Yang?"

"…Yea?"

"Watching you overcome your weaknesses is what inspires me the most. And before I knew it, it also helped my confidence to improve. In other words, not only I knew I did the right thing, I was also certain I did the thing right. Does that make sense?"

"I think it does," She said, and then felt how he unwrapped his arms from around her waist. Moments later, her standing back on her feet, and she then helped him to his. "However, I have to add that your being with me is one of the biggest reasons I'm able to do what I do," She said, and didn't let go of his hand. "So really, as long as we stay together, there's still so much we can do. Even more than we can imagine, I think," She said with a smile, and he smiled back.

"I'm sure you're right," He said, and she could see bits of confidence glimmering deep in his blue.