On Remnant, all living things have aura. Aura is known to be the manifestation of one's soul. During my time here, I have observed that only humans and Faunus have learned to utilize their auras for offensive and defensive purposes. That such a unique power has to ultimately be used for conflict and destruction is sad, but necessary. The creatures of Grimm, who happen to lack aura, do all in their power to kill off human and faunus alike. Whether out of envy for those who do have aura and the knowledge to make use of it, or just a drive to kill everything in sight, it makes no difference. Everyone fights to survive, or dies.
As it turns out, getting into Beacon Academy is more difficult than I thought. To get into Beacon, one had to pass a rigorous entrance exam, involving written and practical parts. The written part was hard, but manageable according to comments by those who had passed it. The practical part of the exam was said to be extremely difficult, such that to prepare for it applicants had to spend years training at combat schools.
Unfortunately for me, I attended a regular civilian school. My grades weren't too bad, but I had very little combat experience. Thus, the practical part might be an issue.
Despite that fact, I felt I still had to try.
One may ask why I still wanted to go to Beacon after learning about the obstacles in my way. Honestly, I don't really know. Maybe I just wanted to break out of my ordinary life to achieve the extraordinary. Maybe I wanted to live up to the legacy that my family has built. Or maybe it was all just a desperate attempt to find friends. Whatever the case, I was going to do my absolute best to get into Beacon.
So, I signed up for the examination and spent the weeks before the test date doing intensive studying and training. For the theoretical part, I read as many books as I could bear on various subjects, trying to cram all that information into my head. I also went through several books of practice test booklets, getting several cramps in the process.
For the practical part, I read basic training manuals only. There was just no way I was going to be able to do all the advanced stuff such as Dust manipulation or powerful combat techniques, so I would just have build up the basics and try to be smart in how I approached fights.
There was stuff about Aura, which was very enlightening, but I had no way of unlocking my own Aura by myself. I could have asked my parents to help me, but then they would ask why I needed my Aura unlocked, and that would just lead to a bunch of questions I didn't want to answer.
I would just have to do without it for now.
I went out for long runs to increase my stamina. I practiced with the sword, Crocea Mors, that I "borrowed" from the chest my parents kept family heirlooms in. Actually, the sword turned out to be in exceptionally good shape. The thing must be well made to last this long in such a condition. The shield worked fine as well.
I didn't tell my parents about all of this; no need for them get their hopes up for something only to be disappointed if I failed. They were really busy anyway, so it wasn't like they would notice.
Finally, the day of the examination came. It was on a weekday, so I had to inform my teacher that I wouldn't be able to attend class that day. Once that was taken care of, I went on my way to the testing location. It turned out to be a nondescript grey building in the middle of the city of Vale.
The place was packed with other applicants like me, raring at the chance to get into Beacon. I guess the high failure rate didn't deter them. I checked in at the front counter and went to the assigned room for the written exam. Hopefully, this wouldn't go too badly.
After a few of the most agonizing hours of my life, I left the room and sat in the waiting area for those about to take the practical part of the exam. I think my brain was starting to melt from all those questions. I will be eternally glad if I never see one of those cursed test booklets ever again.
"Jaune Arc! Please report to the examination floor!"
Time to go. I got up and made my way over to the entrance. As I passed through the doorway to the floor, the doors slammed shut with a loud thud.
Nothing ominous about that, right?
The examination floor turned out to be located in some sort of arena-like room. Surrounding the room was a balcony on which two people were situated. When I got closer to the center of the room, I was able to identify the people who were here to oversee the exams. It was none other than Headmaster Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon Academy.
This realization came as somewhat of a surprise to me. After all, why would such prominent faculty members of Beacon come to supervise these exams? Shouldn't they have more important things to do?
My internal musings were interrupted by a sudden and loud announcement by Headmaster Ozpin.
"Greetings, Mr. Arc. Today your skills and competence will be evaluated to determine whether or not you meet the standards required to enter Beacon Academy. This test will not be easy, so don't hold anything back."
He paused for a moment before asking me another question.
"By the way, did you sign the waiver?"
I gave a short nod in response. It was part of the paperwork I had to fill out when I checked in.
Ozpin then took a sip from the mug he was holding and continued.
"Good. It's always nice to have the paperwork out of the way. Less trouble for us if something bad were to happen. Well, let's start the exam."
Wait, what?
Before I could voice my concern, the screech of moving machinery filled the arena. The floor in front of me split to reveal a snarling and presumably angry Beowolf in a cage being lifted to the top.
"The first stage of the exam will test your ability to handle a one-on-one fight with a single Grimm. Begin."
With that, the door to the cage opened, and in that moment I regretted my decision to come here.
The Beowolf wasted no time charging out and trying to claw my face off. I threw myself backwards to avoid the attack, and managed to keep my face in one piece for a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, the Beowolf did not let up in its attempts to kill me, and rushed forward again.
I immediately rolled off to the side to avoid being stomped on, and sprung up onto my feet. As the Beowolf turned around, I drew Crocea Mors and took a defensive stance.
At that moment, it was like everything slowed down. It was likely the adrenaline pumping throughout my body to put myself into a more active state. I saw the Beowolf raise its claws in preparation for another strike. I saw the enraged snarl etched on its face. And I saw how and where to attack it.
The Beowolf moved forward, claws swinging through the air.
I sidestepped, ducked under its arms, and brought Crocea Mors down on the Beowolf's neck, cutting deep. It fell to its knees, giving off a short whimper before I pulled the sword out and swung again, this time cutting right through the neck and decapitating the Beowolf.
Its corpse fell to the ground, and I stood there for a moment trying to catch my breath.
That thing was way too angry for its own good.
Ozpin interrupted my thoughts to make another announcement.
"The next stage will test your ability to handle multiple opponents simultaneously."
Like before, the floor opened up. Only this time, there was more than one cage.
Five cages, all containing Beowolves. And they looked angrier than usual, probably due to sight of the corpse at my feet. Maybe if I pretend I didn't do it they'll leave me alone.
"Begin."
The cages opened, and the Beowolves stalked out. They definitely were not going to buy my act of innocence, and unlike their deceased friend they appeared to be taking a more cautious approach.
Great, Grimm that actually give a damn about strategy. What else could go wrong today?
As they neared, I tried to come up with a plan to take them down. I also pulled out my shield. I would need everything I had to stay alive at the very least.
The Beowolves have the advantage in numbers, so I have to finish this before they surround and kill me.
The closest one hasn't raised its claws to attack yet.
I dashed forward with Crocea Mors held in front of me, moving just fast enough so it couldn't react in time and stabbed it in the throat.
Two of the remaining Beowolves rushed forward, their aggression incited by my attack. I kicked the dying Grimm into their path.
One went off to the side, while the other jumped high over.
Perfect. I held my shield above me to block its attack. The Beowolf slammed into my shield and fell off to the side. Before it could get back on its feet, I lunged forward and stabbed it in the back of the neck. My shield arm was a little sore, but I could still use it.
Right before the other Beowolf reached me, I spun around and slashed it across the eyes. Blinded, the Beowulf stumbled around trying to hit me. I waited for an opening to get in close and stab through its eye socket, finishing it for good.
The last two Beowolves simply watched, probably revising their plan to end my existence. I pulled Crocea Mors out and approached slowly. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I felt ready for anything.
One of the Beowolves slowly circled around to get on my other side. I stepped forward, and both simply moved to keep me in the middle. Damn it, they were going for a pincer attack. I would have to act before they closed the distance.
With that thought, I broke into a head-on charge at the one on the left. It immediately got into a crouching stance, ready to exploit what it probably thought was a stupid move on my part. Right when I was about to run into its claws, I dropped and slid between its legs, using my shield to block its claw strikes. Before it could turn to face me, I was on my feet and thrusting Crocea Mors forward to stab it in the back of the neck.
The last Beowolf just growled angrily before backing up against one of the walls of the arena. It didn't look like it was going to move of its own accord, so I decided to go over to it. I walked with my shield up, but the Beowolf didn't charge forward. It probably was waiting for me to try a charge.
Too bad that wasn't my plan this time. When I was close enough, I lunged forward to bash it in the head with my shield. It dodged, but I pulled back and tried again and again. I eventually managed to land a solid hit, and when the Beowolf tried to deal with the consequent concussion, I stabbed it in the throat.
Finally, I stopped to catch my breath again. The whole fight took a lot of stamina.
"Congratulations, you made it past the second stage of the exam."
I looked up at Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch. They were still just sitting up there on the balcony. I looked around at the arena. The Beowolves' bodies were already dissolving into black smoke. I took the chance to ask a simple question.
"What's next?"
I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think Ozpin may have smiled a little. It must have been a trick of the light, because a second later his face was as neutral as ever.
Never mind.
Ozpin spoke up. "The final stage of the exam will be different from what you have just faced."
As he was explaining, the doors at the far end of the arena opened. Ozpin gestured to them.
"Head through those doors to the final part of your exam."
I complied, and found myself in another arena. Nothing here except some guy in grey clothes on the other end. Ozpin spoke up again.
"You will face off against another candidate who has made it as far as you have. Here, it doesn't really matter whether or not you win the match, so long as you show you can handle a fight with an opponent who possesses an aura and skills like yourself."
Ozpin paused to adjust his glasses.
"Combatants Gris and Arc. You may begin the match."
The other guy drew his claymore and began to advance. Likewise, I tightened my grip on Crocea Mors before stepping forward as well. All my worries were pushed aside as I got ready to fight again.
My opponent started the fight by raising his claymore and stabbing it into the ground. I saw a pulse of energy travel along the floor before rocks appeared out of nowhere to encase my feet, leaving me stuck in place.
Well, this is going to suck.
While I struggled to break the stone restraints on my feet, Gris pulled his weapon out of the ground and began to casually walk over to my location. A few seconds of shaking my legs and chipping away with Crocea Mors and it was clear these stupid rocks were not going to come off easily.
My opponent drew even closer, seemingly relishing my apparent helplessness. Right as he reached me, he drew his weapon back, probably to unleash a powerful strike. I raised my shield and caught the blow on it. It wasn't enough, and I got flung back against the wall, knocking the wind out of me.
On the bright side, the stone restraints broke.
While I struggled to breathe, I noticed Gris positioning his claymore over the ground again. It was obvious that he was going to do that trick with the rocks, and I would not be able to deal with it a second time.
So, I threw Crocea Mors at him. It spun through the air, going right for his head. He spotted it coming and easily dodged it though.
I used the brief moment he used to evade to get up close with my shield and try to shield-bash him.
Unfortunately, he seemed really resistant to my attempts to smash his face in, and simply pushed me back. At this point, my arms were sore and tired from all the slashing, smashing, and blocking I had done, so I dropped my shield.
I had reached my limit. So I did the only thing I could do now.
"I surrender."
Gris actually seemed taken aback by this sudden move, and stopped moving. It was silent for a moment before Ozpin spoke up.
"The match is over. Combatants, please head back to the waiting area. You will eventually be called up to receive your score report."
With that, both Ozpin and Goodwitch left. I went to pick up my shield and Crocea Mors, but took one last glance at Gris.
He was walking over to the exit, but for some reason he looked back about me and narrowed his eyes. A moment passed, and he was out the door.
That guy gives me the chills for some reason.
As I headed for the exit as well, I had a nagging thought. Earlier, I had attributed my surprisingly adequate combat capabilities (enough to keep me alive) to adrenaline and possibly natural talent. But was that really it?
Well, it doesn't matter now. Even with all the effort, I wasn't able to beat the final part of the exam. Better go get my score and hang my head in shame now.
I went to pick up my score report at the front counter, and thanked the receptionist. Exiting the building, I took a moment to open it and read it. I nearly dropped the paper in shock.
Name: Jaune Arc
Evaluation: Candidate shows some combat prowess when facing Grimm, but doesn't quite match up to peers at his age level. However, he has demonstrated strategic capabilities and knowledge of his own limits. Given the chance and proper training, he very likely will develop into a formidable Hunter.
Status: Accepted
This was it. I'm going to Beacon.
Aura really is a wonderful thing. It has such versatility, and should one be trained enough in its use, grants abilities unique to each person. In a simple fight between those who employ Aura and those who don't or can't, the odds are usually tipped in favor of the former. However, Aura is not without it shortcomings or flaws. It can sometimes give the illusion of perfection and control to one sufficiently trained in its usage. The truth is, on Remnant humanity is still heavily outnumbered by the Grimm. And on top of that, they still have not realized that the Grimm are not the only things to worry about here.