Author's Note
Reviewer Responses
Holl0w Dan: Crocea Mors is the pre-volume 4 version. I haven't really put much thought about what armor he will specifically have, but most likely, it will be the canon armor. (The simple reason being that I am absolutely atrocious in coordinating any form of clothes. I can't think of an outfit even if my life depended on it.)
Jdkdbddd: I don't have an exact update schedule, but I try to update once every two weeks at the very least. Also, Jaune's father's name is Nicola, based off of my friend. I tried to think of many names and idk, it seemed that Nicola fitted the most.
Thank you for the support that you guys show!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
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A loud groan escaped Jaune's mouth as light leaked into his room. His closed eyes registered the light and woke him up. Letting out a loud yawn while stretching his arms above his head, Jaune lazily switched positions. He sat on his bed, eyes still closed. He clumsily fumbled for his scroll. He made another loud noise as he saw the time.
Because of his mental ordeal last night, he couldn't sleep. He barely got a few hours of sleep because of it. He woke up early because he still thought of the problem. Jaune stood up, walking towards the bathroom to take a shower. He took off his clothes and reached into the stall, waiting for the water to heat up. Once it reached a satisfactory temperature, Jaune walked in. He let the hot water flatten his hair.
He stood still in the stall, shaking his head lightly. A content sigh was heard as Jaune washed his body. Brooding and pondering upon a question wouldn't help at all. He would try and dismiss the thought for now. Jaune quickly finished, walking outside the room to greet the owner. If he remembered clearly, the owner would provide food while they stayed, in exchange for his dad's service.
Noticing that the house was quiet, Jaune walked around, searching. He searched around the halls and rooms. He was all alone in the house. Jaune hummed as he walked towards the kitchen. Luckily for him, there was some food prepared for him. It was basic, consisting of the native food. Dry fruits, vegetables, and assortments of meat were gathered into a bowl.
Having just woken up, Jaune decided to skip the meat, instead grabbing at the vegetables. He absentmindedly chewed, staring outside the windows as he ate. He hadn't noticed before, but the small village was calming. While the land was still that of a desert environment, there were some signs of vegetation. It was mostly because of the farms, but the lands were eve and flat.
The morning sun was rising higher as time passed by. Jaune brought out his scroll again as he continued to eat. His dad said that he would be back by the afternoon, but Jaune still wanted to call him. Knowing that his dad was killing the creatures called Grimm, it would be quite stupid of him to call. His call could cause major trouble if he managed to call at the wrong time.
Instead, Jaune punched the numbers of his mother's scroll. It was still early in the morning, so there was a chance that she was still sleeping. Knowing his mom, she would be awake. She always woke up early. True to his words, he soon saw the face of his loving mother. A smile broke its way towards his mouth.
"Hi." It was the only word that he said. It was enough for his mother as she smiled back.
"Isn't this amazing, seeing you wake up early in the morning." She replied back. Jaune grinned as he listened.
"How's everyone else doing?" Jaune asked.
"They're all sleeping right now. In fact, I just checked on all of them." Joanne said. Jaune crossed his arms over the table, resting his head on top. He leaned his head sideways, cheek resting on top of his arms. He snorted. His sisters had no right to call him lazy.
"Hey mom?" Jaune called out, causing her to focus on his face. She raised her eyes, signalling him to ask the question.
"Why did dad not want any of us to know that he's a huntsman?" It was his turn to raise his eyebrows, only in amusement. His mom was in a coughing fit. Joanne tapped her chest with her fists, hoping that the action would cease the coughs. So Jaune knew? Of course, it was obvious that he would figure it out sometime. She just didn't expect him to know so soon. Why didn't Nicola at least tell her?
"You were always like that ever since you were young, you know? Heading straight to the point. You do it so suddenly that it's unexpected." She said. Jaune scratched his head in response. He wasn't exactly the greatest in holding a conversation. It was one of the traits of a young adult that suffered the effects of war.
"Sorry about that." Jaune muttered his apology as he barely frowned. Joanne noticed his sudden change and raised her hands to assure him.
"Nothing's wrong about that! It's just… so sudden sometimes. It's not bad to go straight to the point, don't worry about it. Actually, some women love men who skip the small talk." She sputtered, making Jaune smile again.
"I'll hold you to that last sentence." Jaune shot back playfully. His mom let out a small laugh, face turning serious as she responded to his question.
"Let me answer your question with a question of my own. What do you think about your dad being a huntsman?" Jaune scrunched up his face.
"I hate it. Sure, it's noble of him to fight like a hero. But what does it matter? If what he said about Grimm is true, then it doesn't matter in the end until the hunters find a way to permanently exterminate the Grimm. Until then, people will rely on hunters like my dad without even caring about the safety of the hunters." His voice was slowly being filled with venom.
Jaune walked forward as the king called his name. He took a deep gulp of his salive. He wasn't good with crowds. Still, it was a direct order from the king. He had no choice but to follow. Taking small steps, Jaune stepped to the front of the balcony. His eyes widened as he saw the large crowd gathered on the kingdom grounds.
They applauded and cheered for their hero that would exorcise the demons from their world. They were cheering for their sacrificial lamb.
Jaune stared into each and every face that was in the crowd. A frown was shown on his face as he recognized some people. They were the same people that cursed him for being an orphan not long ago. They were the same people that ignored them and treated them unfairly not long ago.
Now? Now they had the gall to smile and cheer for him? He should be happy that they were cheering. He should be embellishing in the attention that he was receiving. Yet his knuckles were turning white because of the force he was applying to his fists.
"Hell, how many people in the world even know the names of the hunters that protect them? I'm guessing that almost no one does! Who's going to be the one that gets the blame when a mission goes wrong? When Grimm kills the civilians? The hunters! That'll be when people actually try to learn the names of the hunters! And when dad forfeits his title as a huntsman, the people will blindly rely on the next huntsman." His rant died off as his voice reduced to a whisper towards the end.
He felt like shit. They failed. They were outsmarted by the enemies. They won the skirmish, but overall? They were the ones that received a heavy blow. The village was supposed to be safe. The village was supposed to be protected by them. But they failed. Too focused on the fight, Jaune failed to notice the flank. Because of his mistake, hundreds of lives were lost.
He stared at the kingdom gates with tired eyes. No doubt that news of their failure spread already. Jaune and his army marched inside, heading towards the castle. All he wanted was some rest. He would come up with a plan aft-
Crack.
His face was forced to tilt to the side as he felt an object make contact with his head. Jaune slowly turned his head around as he wiped the liquid that was dripping down from his hair. Glancing at his hands, he noticed that the civilian threw a raw egg at him. He scoffed. He didn't deserve to deal with this shit.
"How could you let them all die!? You're the hero! Are you going to let them kill all of us too?!" A growl escaped Jaune's throat as he turned his head around to face the civilian. The words triggered the next action. A wide variety of items were thrown towards the army. Curses and words of condemnation were thrown towards him. Jaune gritted his teeth as he ordered everyone to continue marching.
He didn't deserve this.
Jaune pressed his forehead against his arms, taking slow breaths. Everything he said was true. He experienced it first hand. No one cared about the safety of the hero. All they cared about was results. They cared about their own safety. If something went wrong, they all turned their accusing hands towards them. It was why he wanted to escape the spotlight.
Joanne stared at the leaning head of Jaune. Jaune… he almost always showed signs of maturity. Maturity that far exceeded someone who should be a young boy. What kind of fifteen year old boy would be able point out the problems that he had? How did he even know about the problems that hunters faced?
"Jaune… do you not want to be a huntsman?" She asked slowly. The answer was obvious. But she wanted to confirm it. Often, it was the parents that inspired their children to become huntsman and huntresses. Watching their parents be labeled as a noble hero often sparked the light.
"No. Hell no." She closed her eyes as she let out a small sigh of relief. It was selfish of her, but she didn't want to live everyday praying for her children's safety. It was already enough with Nicola…
"And I hate that." Joanna opened her eyes in surprise, staring into Jaune's face. What did he mean?
"Here I am, sitting comfortably in a house while dad is out fighting Grimm right now. Even when I know that dad is going through all the horrible things I said right now, I still don't want to become a huntsman." Jaune said.
"You feel guilty?" Jaune raised his head, eyes locking on to his mother. "You feel guilty that you're avoiding all the things you're that Nicola is going through, aren't you? That you're letting him shoulder all of it on his own. You feel the need to help because you're his son."
"Yeah." Jaune croaked. A reassuring smile was put on Joanne's face.
"Jaune, you don't need to feel the need to become a huntsman just because Nicola is. He knew what was in store for him. He knows the best out of all of us the responsibilities that he has. In fact, he's a huntsman because he wants to create a safe world for you and your sisters. He'll probably be more worried if you decided to become a huntsman. The best you can do for him is to live a life that you're content with." Jaune felt the tension in his body loosen.
This was what he wanted to hear. That he shouldn't feel guilty. That he could live how he wanted to. He smiled as he glanced down towards the table. This is what it felt like to have the support of a loving parent. A warm feeling spread throughout his body. It was as if a weight was lifted.
"Thank you." Jaune whispered.
"No problem. Oh! I think someone woke up! Do you want to talk to them?" Joanne asked. Jaune nodded his head sideways, declining the offer.
"Not right now. I'll call again sometime and talk with my troublesome sisters then." Jaune said his farewell, watching his mother until she ended the call. He stared at the black screen of his scroll. A while later, Jaune walked back into his room and jumped on the bed, staring at the ceiling. A smile spread on his face as he closed his eyes, enjoying the warm light of the sun.
No longer feeling any guilt, the lull of sleep embraced him.
/-/Reincarnated in Remnant/-/
Schlick! Blood sprayed on his cheeks as Nicola removed the sword from the slain Grimm. How many Grimm had he killed now? He lost count long ago now that he thought about it. It was a strange habit that he had. To keep a number in his head, even if it wasn't accurate.
A sigh escaped his lips as glanced around to find his next target. Initially, he was worried that he would have to face Grimm of the higher tier classes. If he did, he would have to completely change his actions. Tracking one down and fighting one by himself would take some time.
Thankfully, the area consisted mostly of the weakest Grimm. Beowolves, Ursas, and Boarbatusks littered the area. With his skillset and experience, he was able to make quick work of them, even if they traveled in groups. This raised the question, why was he called for this job?
The job had minor difficulty, it was one that was perfect for a rookie huntsman or huntress. Was it simply because he was the closest in the vicinity? While it was true that the scarce amounts of hunters caused them to spread thinly throughout the world, Nicola was certain that there would be a hunter in the main city. It was common procedure. Even in Vale, there was always a hunter stationed in the main city in case for a job or emergency.
Oh well. There was no point of pondering about it now. He was here to do the job assigned to him. He continued to trudge his way through the desert. He was fairly certain that he got most of the Grimm in the designated area.
Nicola fumbled for his scroll as it started to vibrate. His eyes narrowed as he read the name that was reflected on his scroll. With a grunt, Nicola flicked his finger across the screen, starting the call.
"Nicola." A voice sounded out.
"Ozpin." He answered back.
"How's the job going?" Ozpin asked. Nicola rolled his eyes as he heard a sipping noise from the other end. Ozpin and his coffee.
Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy, representative huntsman of Vale, leader of the Vale society. The man on the other end of the phone was the one who gave orders and organized all the activities of the hunters that were of 'Vale property'. While the name sounded cruel, making it seem that hunters were objects, it was a title that was needed.
The shortage of hunters, combined with the need to defend one's own kingdom caused the slang term to be formed. A hunter's job was to help eradicate Grimm around the world. But people prioritized the safety of their own kingdom first. They didn't want their hunters off in another land while a threat could rise in their own lands.
Due to this, it was universally agreed upon the four kingdoms that a system would be arranged to avoid such a problem from happening. Huntsman and huntresses would be assigned to a kingdom based on a few things. Which academy they graduated from, which kingdom had the least amount of hunters, etc.
So even if Nicola was on the land of Vacuo, he still received his mission from Ozpin, because he was 'Vale property'. It was Ozpin's job to assign him to missions while he traveled with Jaune. Ozpin initially was against the idea of him travelling, but eventually caved in. It was a good opportunity for Ozpin to obtain some debts in his favor by helping the other kingdoms.
"Because of how simple the job is, everything is all fine." Nicola replied, continuing his march.
"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I secured an easy mission because you are traveling with your son. Speaking of which, are you going to introduce him to me sometime in the future?" Ozpin asked.
Nicola sighed as he walked. Even if Ozpin tried hard to hide his curiosity, Nicola would always notice. The man wanted to meet his son. Nicola didn't exactly hate Ozpin. In fact, he felt respect for the younger man. Ozpin had quite literally rose the ranks out of nowhere, displaying excellent intelligence and leadership.
The problem lied on the personality of Ozpin. The man kept secrets. Too many. Ozpin always seemed to be thinking multiple steps ahead of everyone else. While Nicola appreciated the specific trait, he feared what would happen if the headmaster of Beacon shifted his focus onto his family.
It was happening right now. Considering his accomplishments as a veteran huntsman, Ozpin was definitely expecting similar traits from Jaune. If Ozpin figures out that Jaune had white aura, the man would no doubt try to recruit Jaune.
"That explains why I got this easy job. And for your question, maybe." Nicola answered vaguely. It was thoughtful of Ozpin to give him a simple job. He was about to speak again, but was interrupted as a loud shriek echoed across the clearing.
Nicola cursed as he recognized the sound. It was a Nevermore. Considering the low pitch noise and the volume of the shriek, he deduced that it was a high class Grimm. One that was naturally larger than its kind. His inquiry was proven correct as he saw the large Grimm fly past him off in the distance.
"A Giant Nevermore?" Nicola muttered. His eyes widened as he recognized the direction that the Grimm was flying. It was heading towards the village where Jaune resided at. His eyes shot downwards towards the scroll as he heard a loud noise come from the other end.
"Nicola, I just got another transmission from Vacuo. It seems that the scouting team in Vacuo incorrectly estimated the amount of Grimm that was in the area. Apparently, a large number of Grimm are heading towards the nearest village." Ozpin hurriedly briefed. Nicola gritted his teeth as he sprinted towards his vehicle. He had parked the vehicle a short distance away.
"I don't think I can make it to the village in time to stop them from breaking through. Can they send someone else to help?" Nicola roared. Scouting reports weren't perfect. In fact, they were more often wrong then correct. Grimm displayed irregular behaviors in a daily basis. One moment, there could be a small herd of Grimm in a area. A few hours later, and there would be a completely different amount of Grimm. Still, it was the only precaution that existed for huntsman and huntresses.
Nicola could hear multiple sounds of clicking and tapping as Ozpin relayed his message to Vacuo. He heard a scoff come from ozpin. Most likely, it was bad news.
"I'm afraid you're on your own for this one." Ozpin answered curtly. Nicola reflected Ozpin's actions, letting out a scoff of his own. His fists were turning white as he gripped his own hands.
Jaune.
It was the only thought that crossed his mind. His son needed to be safe. His son needed to last until he got to the village. He prayed that he would make it in time.
/-/Reincarnated in Remnant/-/
His moment of peaceful sleep was short lived as a loud sound entered his ears. His ears felt like they were bleeding because of the noise. A siren was ringing. He let out a growl of annoyance as he left the bed. Confused, Jaune stepped out of the house as he covered his ears.
He glanced around his surroundings. There was nothing noticeably strange, so why was the siren ringing? His answer came a moment after. Large crowds of people were running towards his way. Jaune held his ground. He was still confused. His confusion was further increased as the villagers ran past him. He noticed that the people were crying out with panic.
Jaune wasn't an idiot. From the expressions of the people, Jaune knew that something was terribly wrong. His curiosity wanted him to head towards the direction that the people were running away from. But he stopped himself, quickly turning around to follow the group of people that were running.
Feral growling caused Jaune to look behind him. His run slowed down to a stop as he stared at the multitude of black shades that were running towards them. Off in the distance, near the northern entrance of the village, Grimm of different variety were streaming in. The village wasn't exactly heavily guarded, but it had a small fence around it to drive away stray Grimm. The last defense line was broken, and the Grimm were taking that opportunity to attack. Wasn't his dad here specifically to eliminate them? If the Grimm were here right now…
No.
His dad wasn't dead. The man had promised to return alive. He licked his dry lips and continued to run. It didn't take long for the Grimm to catch up to the running civilians. The speed of the feral beasts was much faster than the speed of humans. Cries of fear rang out through the village and Jaune noticed that some people turned around to fight. Others attempted to hide inside their homes.
A shiver traveled through his spine, causing him to act quickly. It was a shiver that didn't indicate fear. It was a shiver that indicated danger. Following his instincts, Jaune rolled forward. His instincts saved him as a large claw swiped at the spot he was just moments before. A bear resembling Grimm was eyeing him, and Jaune quickly entered into a sprint. From the loud thuds that were being produced behind him, Jaune guessed that the Grimm was chasing him.
Large creatures were weak to sudden changes in direction. Knowing this, Jaune pressed his left foot into the ground, turning it into a pivot foot. He pushed all his weight, allowing him to change direction without losing much momentum. The Grimm couldn't change direction as fast, but was able to change direction after running a wide arc.
Jaune gritted his teeth in annoyance as he proceeded to run. He flew past multiple people and houses. It seemed that the Grimm was adamant on focusing on him. The Grimm was able to catch up again, and Jaune hurriedly ducked as another swipe was made. Jaune winced as he heard a large crashing sound. He dared to peek behind him.
His blue eyes widened. The Grimm had managed to destroy the walls of the house with a single attack. Luckily for Jaune, this caused the wall to crash on the Grimm. The Grimm was buried underneath the rubble of the broken house. Jaune didn't wait to see if the Grimm was actually dead. He instantly resumed his sprint. Judging by how everyone ran towards a similar direction, Jaune concluded that there was some kind of safehouse that existed. Right now, he needed to escape from the sudden outbreak and contact his dad.
A deafening loud cry forced Jaune to snap his head to the side. The volume of the cry indicated that the person was nearby. His eyes roamed around the village. Debris of broken houses were spread over the floors, bodies were scattered, and blood painted the ground. It was almost an exact replica of a battlefield.
He continued his search for the source of the sound as he held his head. A headache was slowly building up. This was the exact situation that he wanted to avoid. His eyes found a teen similar to his age buried under debris. The lower half of his body was held in place by the large pieces of building material. The boy's arms were desperately pushing onto the debris in hope of pushing it off. There was no way that it would happen.
The boy managed to find Jaune and their eyes locked. It was as if time stopped for Jaune. Everything moved slowly around him. The desperate eyes of the boy continued to stare at the cold blue eyes of his. The boy's mouth moved slowly as it formed a single word. The loud sounds of the battlefield muffled it out, but Jaune knew what the boy was saying.
Help.
Jaune's eyes snapped upwards towards the tens and tens of Grimm that were galloping towards them. His eyes then flicked back towards the boy. There was no way that the two of them could lift the debris off. Hell, even an adult wouldn't be able to. To ask him, another fifteen year old boy to try and lift the debris would be asking for the greatest miracle. His headache roared as a memory resurfaced. The world had to be fucking with him.
Jaune was rushing towards the soldier that was begging for his help. The man would no doubt be killed off by the demons. Jaune had to help him. He didn't want the man to suffer death under the demons. His eyes widened with surprise as he felt large arms slam into his chest.
"What the fuck are you doing?" The knight asked.
"I'm trying to help the man over there!" Jaune cried back, pointing towards the man that was buried under the rubble. It was his responsibility to help the soldier that was under his command, right? He pushed away the arms of the knight and continued to march towards the man, slashing his sword to kill the demons that were in his path.
"Hero, are you insane?!" The knight roared, rushing forward to block Jaune's path. Jaune narrowed his eyes and stared at the knight. It was a someone who the king employed to fight by his side, to aid him. It was ironic, how the man was calling him a hero, yet stopping him from saving someone.
"Stop being so naive! This is the battlefield, lives actually have worth depending on who you are! Does it make sense for you that the hero would risk his own life for a common foot soldier? If you fall, morale, everything will go to hell! The life of a single soldier who can't replace you shouldn't even be worth considering to save! Your life is worth more than the lives of hundreds of soldiers!" The knight said as he jabbed his finger into Jaune's chest.
Jaune stared back with anger, eyes flicking back and forth between the soldier and the knight. It angered him that the knight's words were correct. It was immoral, but his life was worth more than that of a common soldier's. He was forcefully dragged away as Jaune continued to look towards the soldier. A demon slowly walked up towards the man, raising its arms to deliver the final blow. Jaune stared as the soldier was impaled.
The now emotionless eyes of the deceased soldier seemed to mock him. It continued to maintain eye contact with him. Jaune forcefully turned around. He tried his best to get the sight out of his head. But the damage was already done. It was as if a picture was plastered in front of him. The image of the soldier continued to haunt him.
The memory ended, and Jaune was brought back to his reality. It was almost the same situation as back then. In the beginning of the war, after he was given the title of hero, Jaune tried to save as many people as he could. He wasn't a fool, he knew that it was impossible to save everyone. But he wanted to save those that he could. As the days went by and more battles were fought, his views changed.
The words of the knight rang in his head whenever he saw someone in danger. He weighed the 'worth' of his life compared to others. He didn't dive head first into battle to save the lives of the soldiers under his command. The only lives he would save without thinking was the lives of his close comrades, his friends.
Yet ironically, it was the lives of his friends that he could never save.
The child was still staring at him with hope. Jaune glanced around. No one was going to help the child, so why should he? Everyone else was busy saving their own asses. Survival of the fittest, it was the phrase that the citizens of Vacuo lived by. If Jaune was in the same situation as the child, he was certain that no one would help him. So he steeled his will, staring back into the child's eyes.
"Sorry." The words left his lips in barely a whisper. Again, the words were most likely drowned out by the sounds in the background. The expression of Jaune's face told the child all he needed to know.
The boy started to cry, reaching his arms out towards Jaune for anything. His wails increased as he saw his only hope turn around to leave him there. Busy with his desperate cries, the boy didn't even notice the large Grimm that stood above him. He cried one last time, but he was interrupted as blood erupted from his mouth.
His hands twitched as they still tried desperately dug into the ground. His vision was getting blurry. Tears streamed down his face as all movement stopped. All strength soon faded from his body, and only darkness filled his vision.
Jaune ran as he listened to the strangled cry of the child he left behind. It was cruel of him to leave the child behind. It was cruel of him to not even attempt to help the child. But he knew it was futile, that even if he helped, the outcome wouldn't change. If he stayed, he would most likely get killed too. He wasn't a hero, nor was he ever. This was his second life, a chance that he earned. This would be a life where he would live to satisfy himself. He needed to return to his dad, his family.
More havoc was caused by the Grimm. A large shadow fell upon Jaune as he ran, causing him to look upwards.
"Shit!" Jaune cried as he saw a large building fall down. It was one of the taller buildings in the small village. He had two choices. To try and run to the other side before the building completely collapsed in front of him, or to step back and go around it. If he failed to run to the other side, the debris would crush him under its weight. He didn't trust aura enough to protect him.
On the other hand, waiting for the building to collapse would close the road to where everyone else was heading. He would lose time and be forced to climb on top of the debris or walk around. Jaune skidded to a halt, covering his face as the building crashed into the ground. Dust and wind caused his hair to wave everywhere. He gritted his teeth as he felt small rocks scratch his arms.
He coughed multiple times as he breathed in dust. This wasn't the time for rest though. He waved his hand in front of him to try and clear the dust that was clouding his vision. He could try and climb on top of the debris. But could he outrun the Grimm then? Likely not. The Grimm were larger and stronger. They would be able to climb vertically much faster than he could.
He quickly decided to run horizontally around the fallen building. As he ran, Jaune noticed that few Grimm chased him. Most of the Grimm continued to climb over the debris, running in the direction where most of the other civilians were at. He dismissed the thought. He could get answers later. It was his opportunity to get away.
Jaune jumped over the obstacles in front of him, running towards the open desert. He didn't want to fight. He seriously didn't want to. But his survival depended on it right now. He wasn't stupid or stubborn enough to die without fighting back, just because he wanted to avoid fighting. His survival was his only priority.
If he could, he would run. But his stamina was limited. He wouldn't be able to avoid the pursuing Grimm forever. Sooner or later, they would catch up to him. The result of him having to fight back no matter what was the same. He gnashed his teeth in frustration. This fight was inevitable. And he hated that fact. He loathed it. He had tried to avoid fighting for as long as he could by running. It was time for that to end.
After running for a few more minutes, Jaune turned around to face his pursuers. Three Grimm, that was all there was. The rest of them were off in another place. If he killed these goddamn creatures, then he could hide.
"You pieces of shit." Jaune growled as he let his experience take over. He didn't have a weapon with him. But he knew how to fight with his fists. He was forced to learn as a last resort in his previous life. If he somehow lost his weapon during a fight, he would convert to fighting with his fists. Luckily, he never had to.
The movement of the Grimm were fairly predictable so far. They acted upon instinct and not intelligence. Easy opponent of a seasoned veteran like himself. The wolf like creature leaped towards him with its jaws agape.
The three Grimm didn't work in coordination, they blindly charged towards him. Jaune nimbly sidestepped the attack, repositioning himself. His body was in the perfect position to strike as the Grimm passed by. After rearing his arm back, Jaune struck out his palm, striking the side of the Grimm. The Grimm howled in response as it was flung into the clearing. Jaune growled in annoyance as he saw the Grimm stand up.
It was to be expected. He had the body of a fifteen year old boy. Close combat was the use of transferring weight and using it to apply more force into the attacks. Even if he used all of his strength on the blow, it would barely amount to 120 pounds of force. It was enough to cause damage, but not enough to kill. Jaune jumped back to gain some distance.
It was time to figure out how to use his aura. His dad mentioned that it could reinforce attacks. Maybe it would be enough to kill the beowolves in front of him. Jaune continued to buy himself time by striking at the beowolves. During that time, he tried whatever method he could to try and bring out his aura.
He tried gripping his hands tight, he tried to mentally focus on his hands, anything. They all failed. He tried to recall the warm spread that he felt once his dad unlocked his aura. Yet he still felt nothing.
Aura heals small wounds.
It was the words of his dad. Jaune scoffed at himself as he thought of a plan. It was quite stupid, but it was worth trying out. When a beowolf jumped towards him to clamp his jaws, Jaune didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his arms and let the Grimm sink its teeth into his arms.
Small white specks entered his vision as he felt the nerves on his arm burn in pain. It was an all too familiar feeling of getting injured. He glanced towards his arm, eyes widening as he felt his aura go to work. White light enveloped his arm as it tried to heal his arm. No matter how hard his aura tried, it wouldn't be able to heal him as long as the teeth of the beowolf was still buried in him.
A sudden epiphany hit Jaune as he reared his free arm back. Aura was the manifestation of the soul. It was an extension of his own self. It made sense as to why his aura didn't respond to his previous actions. He was approaching it the wrong way. The only thing he needed to focus on was his will. His will to kill the Grimm. To kill the son of a bitch that was biting his arm.
Jaune sneered as he felt his arm get encased with the feeling of aura. He roared as he rocketed his fist forward, making contact with the Grimm that was still biting onto him. Immediately, blood splattered from the beowolf's snout. The Grimm's face had an indent of his fist on its face. It howled in pain as it flailed around on the ground.
Jaune shifted his focus onto the other Grimm. He wiped the blood that was splattered over his face. He raised his left arm, watching his aura. His aura was trying to heal his wounds. Blood was spilling from the large holes on his arm. It seemed that aura didn't heal these wounds instantly. It would be too good to be true if it healed all wounds instantly.
Even with his aura infused fists, it wasn't enough to kill the Grimm. The damage had been significantly increased however. What about kicks then? Kicks applied much more force than punches. If his attacks landed directly, it could possibly be enough to be fatal. His right foot was encased a second later, and Jaune ran towards the Grimm on the left, planting his left foot firmly on the ground. He twisted his body, thrusting his leg horizontally.
The face of the beowolf bent on an unnatural angle as a loud cracking noise accompanied it. A kick was enough to kill the Grimm. It was all the information that Jaune needed. The body fell towards the ground. Jaune instantly closed the distance onto the next Grimm, attempting to repeat the action. His foot received the feedback of making contact.
He wasn't fortunate enough to snap the neck in one hit as he had done just seconds ago. He didn't show any mercy towards the Grimm. He rushed forward, punting the head of the stunned Grimm. A cacophony of disgusting noises accompanied his final attack. He didn't even need to check to see if the Grimm was dead. It was glaringly obvious that his attack ended the Grimm.
The Grimm that bit into his arm was the only one left alive. Jaune took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his hair. He walked slowly towards the Grimm that was still lying on the ground writhing in pain. Jaune glared towards the Grimm, raising his right foot over the head. Making sure that no aura was reinforcing his foot, Jaune stomped at the Grimm, smiling as the sounds of wailing entered his ears.
"So you guys can feel fear too, can you?" Jaune sneered in amusement as he stomped again. The Grimm was whimpering, and pure fear was reflected on the eyes of the feral creature. Cracking of bones, splattering noises of blood, multitudes of disgusting noises were being produced every time he stomped on the head.
"Fucking." Jaune started, raising his foot once more.
"Filth!" He yelled out as he slammed it down onto his victim. He was making sure that the Grimm was suffering. He just wanted some fucking peace. But of course it was interrupted by some divine intervention. He wanted to live a life of peace but here he was, forced to fight in order to save his own life.
Blood was pooling on the ground and drenching his shoes. Jaune didn't even realise that a maniacal smile was plastered across his face. His eyes were bloodshot red. It didn't take much longer for Jaune to widen his eyes in denial.
No. He hated fighting. He despised any and every kind of battle. He faced hell because of it. It was what he told himself all along.
So what was this familiar and comfortable feeling that rested on his heart right now? The familiar feeling of adrenaline coursing through each and every vein in his body? The specific feeling of excitement that could only be felt in the battlefield? The answer was disgustingly simple.
He missed the feeling of war.
Not because he enjoyed participating in them, but because he was so used to that feeling. He spent years and years in war. If it was possible, his mind was overdosed with adrenaline. It was a feeling that was almost second nature to him. It was a feeling that he didn't feel for fifteen years. Now that he was forced to defend himself, the feeling struck back at him. Jaune understood now why he felt like something was missing for the past fifteen years.
It felt wrong of him to not feel the threat of death every day in his life. The feeling of uncertainty in whether he would be able survive for another day. The feeling of peace that he experienced so far felt foreign to him. It felt wrong that he lived in such a safe environment. To feel protected, to feel safe, it felt so wrong to him, someone who faced death every day.
He was so fucked up in the head because of the war.
Jaune felt his body shake as laughter bubbled its way up his throat. It was hilarious to him. He wanted to avoid fighting, yet it was fighting that made him feel like himself. It was a serious conundrum now, wasn't it? What to do… What to do…
He already had an answer. An answer that he formed fifteen years ago. To avoid violence. Even if he didn't feel like himself, he would avoid all fights and wars. The only times he would fight would be times when he needs to defend himself. Times like right now.
With one final slam, the Grimm underneath his foot was finally killed. The body twitched multiple times before it finally ceased of all movement. Jaune sighed as he searched for a hiding place. Even with fifteen years of living a lazy lifestyle, muscle memory was still strong. Well, it was technically just memories and experience. His current body didn't go through the war. All the experience and techniques that were in his memories helped him achieve his victory.
"Grimm aren't that bad." Jaune muttered under his breath. While it was his first encounter and live experience fighting a Grimm, he needed to be judged in a different standard. He had years and years of experience under him. Killing three Grimm wasn't much of an accomplishment when considering that. Jaune smirked. If he ever decided to become a huntsman, he would make a great one. Not that he would ever think of becoming a huntsman, of course.
Speaking of which, where the fuck were the hunters at? Jaune doubted that this was the first time a village was attacked by Grimm. While he understood that reinforcements didn't come instantly, he expected them to come some time soon. In fact, didn't they know that a large amount of Grimm were gathered near the area? Wasn't that why they contacted his dad in the first place?
His dad had told him that hunters were a rare sight to see. Did they seriously lack this much in numbers?
A loud screech interrupted his thoughts. Jaune glanced up towards the air as a large shadow was casted near him. His eyes widened as an oversized bird was hovering above him. It wasn't over yet.
"What the hell? Seriously, why me?" Jaune cried out in exasperation as he saw large feathers rain down towards his direction. He rolled forward, eyes filled with shock as he saw the feathers buried in front of him. Each individual feather was taller than himself. If one of them landed, it wouldn't end well for him.
He didn't have many options available. He couldn't turn back towards the village, the place was infested with Grimm. He couldn't run towards the suspected safehouse, Grimm were going to surround the area, making it impossible for him to head inside. He was only left with the option to run forwards. So he did. He continued his sprint, feeling fatigue build up. He had been running for tens of minutes now.
He was forced to stop as he the ground in front of him disappeared. To be precise, he was on top of a canyon, and his only way to move forward was to climb down the large cliff.
"Shit!" Jaune cursed as tried to think of a way to escape his predicament. His enemy was an overgrown chicken that had the ability to fly. There was no way that he could fight back, he couldn't reach a flying enemy with his bare hands. There was literally nothing he could do.
He flung himself sideways as the Grimm launched more feathers at him. He avoided the onslaught of arrows, but there was something else he needed to worry about. The land he stood on was near the edge of a cliff. The large feathers cracked the ground as they landed. The ground under him was collapsing as it couldn't support the weight anymore.
The ground below him slowly collapsed. The force of the attack caused the thin land under him to break. Jaune rushed forward with his arms outstretched. He tried to outrun the collapsing ground. A frustrated cry left his mouth as he managed to grab onto the edge. His body was dangling over the edge. His breaths sped up as he glanced towards the ground. He didn't even have time to think as he felt the rock he had a grip on break.
Jaune gritted his teeth as he felt his body free fall towards the ground of the canyon. Wind blew past his face, and the torrent of moving air deafened his ears. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the flying Grimm launch its final attack. Projectiles were aimed towards him. He activated his aura, willing protection upon his body. It was his only chance of surviving the the attack and fall. He felt the warm feeling spread.
Pain flared near his right shoulder as one of the projectiles struck him in the shoulder. Nausea hit him as he felt his body suddenly spin midair. His aura had protected him from being impaled, but the momentum of the feather was transferred to him. His body was spinning out of control because of it. Seconds passed as he continued to fall. The world was continuing to spin in the perspective of his vision.
He didn't even have time to think about the past fifteen years. He wasn't even able to thank his family as darkness blinded his vision. He fainted instantly as his body hit the bottom of the cliff.
/-/Reincarnated in Remnant/-/
Afternote
Thank you, and I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter!