Foreword: Done before the end of the month. Less than two weeks since the last update. Hopefully I can keep up the pace.
Enjoy the show.
Knight of the Covenant - 21
"Sidelines"
He could already feel the contempt his team leader is sending his way as he made his way up the stands. He lost again but at least it is someone like Jaune, so it's not much of a lost in his opinion. He is used to it especially since their team was formed and inaugurated by the headmaster.
He was one of the weakest fighter in class with his poor skill and performance. He had some limited training before coming to Beacon but it didn't amount to much compared to those who came from Combat School.
He had been improving since he came to Beacon and he haven't been lax in training, whenever he still have time after dealing with Rufus' requests. He had consistently risen in rank among his classmates but he's still in the lower bracket. And that is a source of contention between him and his team leader.
"That's was a good match, Rocco." His old friend, Misty, greeted him. "You didn't got beaten up too badly." She said teasingly.
Rocco laughed awkwardly but he smiled at her greeting nonetheless. He is glad that Misty is here, and is also his partner, since he has someone he could trust to have his back. He is disturbed from his thoughts when he his team leader spoke up.
"You call that a good match? The only thing good about it is that he wasn't stomped on." Erden scoffed at what he saw as Misty's misguided attempt to sooth Rocco's defeat. "The Arc boy didn't even have access to his bracer. He's down to only his sword. It should have been easy, even for you."
"It's not as easy as it looked." Rocco argued back as he sat down beside Misty. "He is still skilled in sword fighting and it showed. He is fast and quick to counter my punches. And that semblance of his really did me in." He tried explaining.
"You managed to get him down to below half his aura level. You had a chance of knocking him down." Erden countered dismissively and derided him. "But you didn't because you were too slow to take it."
"Didn't the Mistrali on Nikos' team beat you again because you were too slow to catch him." Misty told him, reminding her team leader of his defeat at the hands of what he viewed as a weak opponent.
"That's different." Erden rebuked irritably and glared at Misty's direction. He then stirred the conversation back to its original course. "Besides, you've heard the rumors about Arc. And Rocco's match with him seemed to prove it."
He is referring to the rumor about Jaune Arc that has going around Beacon through student forums and by word of mouth for a while now. The allegation being made against Jaune is that he cheated his way into Beacon and is hiding his weaknesses using that crystal bracer of his.
No one knew who started the rumor and few really believed it when it first came out. But whoever started it, the rumor continued to be spread around despite its proofs being questioned. He didn't bought to the rumor but he could see why Erden would believe it, since he had an axe to grind with Jaune as well. Him and few others for that matter.
"You do know those rumors are questionable at best right?" Marigold interjected as she talked with her partner. "I know that you take pride in your strength. But you should know better than to trust the words of gossipers."
"I know that." Erden replied defensively, lowering his tone when speaking with her. "I'm just saying that those rumors could have a basis considering today's match."
"It is strange to see Arc's aura level to drop that fast especially in a match where he is not facing a peer." She allowed with a slow nod. "But it is too early to make such judgements especially since he had just gotten a replacement. It would be best to wait until he faced someone close to his skill level." She explained to him.
He is thankful for Marigold's intervention, even if it's not necessarily for his benefit. She is more concerned with protecting the image of the team rather than empathy for its members. But at least she won't go out of her way to antagonize him or others. He didn't understand why the headmaster didn't made her team leader instead of Erden, though he supposed it's connected to his family heritage.
They continued watching a few more matches and Professor Goodwitch gave an ending lecture before dismissing them as the bell rang.
It didn't feel boredom as much as living beings do due to its nature as an inanimate relic. But it is feeling something a little close to it since it was left hidden behind the drawer of its captor. In addition to the wrapping around it, it only has a limited vision from what it could peek with its crystalline pommel.
Fortunately, it still heard and seen enough from the occupants of this room to mull about. This team is fractured to say the least but not something that couldn't be fixed. Erden Faust, the team leader, isn't even the main reason for the division but rather, it laid with the situation that its captor, Rocco Denver, had gotten himself into.
From it could gather from the conversation and arguments the team had in the privacy of their dorm, Denver had somehow cheated his way into Beacon and someone else found out. It suspected it to be TRME considering they're the mastermind of its capture. Regardless, he must still be skilled enough to pass the Initiation, a rather brutal screening process but required due to the nature of their profession. Anyone who survived that process have earned their keep, regardless of the legality of their invitation.
TRME had blackmailed Denver into doing their bidding until it is given to him after raiding and sabotaging Jaune's locker and equipment. No doubt Denver's silence is maintained with the threat of being outed as a faker, which spelled social ostracization from its peers and the upper class.
Blackmail... While a useful tool in politics and negotiation, it is still a coward's tool in its wizened opinion, especially in the context of the dilemma that Denver is in.
It haven't learned the about Denver's supposed illicit entry aside from Faust's derision of his performance in physical classes. It could assess his aura and physiology if it is held directly by Denver, more so if Denver made an attempt to attune with it.
It continued with its silent rumination as the day goes by from behind the cabinet until it heard the door opening. From what it could see, only Denver and Azure entered the sanctity of their dorm room and closed the door behind him.
It listened in on their conversation as the two began to talk once again, unaware of their audience.
He gave a tired sigh after closing the door behind him. He made his way towards his bed, dropping his bag and gauntlets on the floor, and fell on to his bed before groaning. His body ached from the intense training he had to endure earlier by fighting against training drones and his team.
He is able to throw powerful punches and kicks, thanks to his augmented strength, but he still lacked the skills to make use of them effectively. This earned him another round of tongue-lashing from an unsympathetic Erden, and he wished that he would at least give him pointers.
He is lagging behind and he could admit to that, but he blamed that squarely on Rufus and Emer. Those two have no care about the timing of their requests and how badly it is affecting his own studies and skills.
His team already knew about his situation with the TRME but are unwilling to help for the most part. Only Misty knew about the truth but not Erden and Marigold, and he feared how they would react.
He saw a moving shadow and felt the mattress moving as someone sat on the side of his bed.
"Don't mind him, Rocco. You should focus on your studies and training. Just be glad that he isn't pushing you too hard and restrained himself." Misty said to him in a soothing manner, trying to console him.
"He's not pushing me? I'm sorry, Misty. But I can't really believe that." He replied skeptically. Erden and Restraint doesn't mix well unless Erden is restraining someone else.
"He is, Rocco. He is just... upset with you because you have been neglecting your training lately." She gently told him. "I know he can be difficult to work with but he didn't want to break this team apart."
Rocco rolled his eyes, not believing what she had sent. Why is she even defending him in the first place?
Misty saw the irritation on his face and sighed sadly. She placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention, and said. "He regularly asked me where you were when you missed classes and training."
"You know why I'm away, Misty." He replied dimly and then frowned, recalling the requests Emer and Rufus wanted him to do. "I can't afford to anger them considering they have already floated out my blotted transcripts around as a threat." He is pissed about that but he couldn't do anything about it.
She sighed and said. "I know. But don't you think it's better to get help? If you don't trust Erden or Marigold, what about the professors?"
"I don't think the professors would take too kindly for someone like me in Beacon." Rocco interrupted her. "I would be kicked out as soon as I did that."
"Would that be so bad?" Misty patiently asked him. "You can return to your family and spend the time to train even more before going for another try."
"I can't do that, Misty. I ran away from home so I could become a huntsman because they didn't want me to." Rocco droned on. "Besides, I don't think I would have another chance at Beacon if I get kicked out."
"This can't go on forever, Rocco. Sooner or later, someone else will find out about it. And you'd be in bigger trouble." She glanced meaningfully towards the back of his drawer, and he quickly knew what he meant..
He sighed depressingly. He had almost forgotten about the sword with all the work and training he needed to do to catch up. He knew the only reason he is allowed to keep it is because they likely planned to use it as evidence against him.
He sat up from his bed and reached to the back of his drawer. He soon found what he was feeling for and gripped the wrapped weapon. He then took it out and placed it on his lap, looking down on it.
He felt guilty for having been involved in stealing from Jaune's locker but he had no choice but to obey, he was already on thin ice when he refused to do some tasks for TRME. He also took this task because they said that this would be their last request from him. He took it without much hesitation.
Misty also looked down on the wrapped weapon, and felt conflicted about her friend's situation. She wished she could do more to help Rocco but she don't know what she could do for him. She is glad that he is here with her, but she also feared for him since he's in way over his head. She knew being a huntsman has been long dream, and she didn't want to be the one to crush it.
Rocco slowly removed the wrapping from around the sword, revealing the decoratively engraved hilt and its smooth black sheath. Curiosity took over him as he gripped the handle before pulling the sword out of its sheath.
He raised the sword before him, and a feeling overcame him as he gazed at the sword, the blade shining under the light of the room. It is a beautiful sword and it felt wrong to hold in its hand. He then felt a faint soothing feeling over him, seeming to reassure him. It is a strange feeling but he welcomed it nonetheless.
Unbeknownst to him, the crystals on the pommel and quillion had a little shine in them as Old Silver began its investigation.
The last day of classes for the week started peacefully with the students waking up from late night studying, and then going through their morning routines to prepare for the day. They quietly ate their breakfast and headed to their respective classes.
They had an exam for history class under the careful watch of Doctor Oobleck, and is followed by a more relaxed lecture from Professor Peach. They finished their morning course by hitting the gym for another workout. Things began to change during lunch time while Jaune was waiting in line to get pick his food along with his teammates.
Some of the students have been looking in their direction, more specifically at Jaune, and are gossiping about with each other.
Jaune could hear the murmurs about him, or rather his performance in yesterday's match, and the comments have been unflattering to say the least. Many are becoming suspicious of his abilities.
"Do you think that the rumors are true?"
"I've heard that he lost more of his aura because he didn't have his special bracer."
"It's too early to say. Let's see how he fares next week."
"You think it was his transcript that got leaked?"
"I always knew there is something fishy with him"
He ignored them and picked up his lunch, thanking the server, before following after Weiss out of the counter queue. They headed towards the table where the others are already seated, and sat beside his partner. They started eating their lunch as they waited for their sister team to arrive since they're going to be late for lunch.
"Are you ready for your meeting tomorrow, Weiss?" Allaster started off, asking the heiress.
"I am." Weiss replied with a nod. "I have already prepared some offers that I could do using my position as heiress of the company."
"Won't your father be opposed to you doing business on the company's behalf?" Allaster asked her.
"He would be." Weiss admitted, much to her own annoyance. "But I can use my position to do so at a limited capacity, and I would using the few resources available to me for this. Besides, this would most likely be a preliminary negotiations to see what both sides can offer."
"I see." He said and looked up to see the rest of team PYRN heading towards their table, with a tray of food in their hands.
"Hey Jaune, have you heard about the rumors spreading around?" Yang asked as soon as she placed her tray on the table before sitting down.
"Which ones?" Jaune asked.
"You know... The ones about you supposedly cheating in combat schools." Yang clarified to him.
"Ah those." Jaune uttered. "Yeah I heard about them. I have already expected this to happen after yesterday."
"Shouldn't you try to dispel those rumors before they become widespread?" Pyrrha asked him. She knew how disruptive such rumors can be to one's life and career, being a celebrity in one kingdom.
"I agree with Pyr here. You should work stamping down on those rumors." Yang also said to him.
"I appreciate your concerns." Jaune gave them a small smile, showing his appreciation, before explaining. "But it wouldn't do much to stop the rumors from spreading even if I tried to counter it. Besides if I spoke out against it, it would only embolden my detractors even more. Especially since we don't know who has been spreading them in the first place."
"He also won his last match with a clear lead, and he still showed his skill despite being deprived of his favored weapon." Allaster added to the conversation.
"That clearly didn't stop others from talking about it." Yang pointed out, unsure about the lack of action, but conceded. "But I see your point. You would likely have to fight everyone else to prove a point.
"I think the fact that he is able to keep his position had garnered him detractors." Pyrrha said to them, citing their standings in combat class. She could understand Jaune's position, even if their situations are different.
Jaune continued to maintain his standing, and only rotated positions with a few students who are able to contest his skills. This essentially turned him into a sort of roadblock for the other students who wish to advance in standing. Just like with her position as the champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament where she gained her fame as the Invincible Girl.
They dropped the issue and talked about other things as they continued to eat their lunch. They soon finished eating, dropped off their used plates by the trash counter, and left the dining hall to prepare for the rest of the day.
The class is assembled one of the lecture halls of Beacon where Professor Calico would be making her review of their field exercise earlier in the week. There is an atmosphere of excitement among the students as they chatted with each other while waiting for the professor.
They quieted down when Professor Calico made her presence known upon entering the room. She sauntered down the steps towards the podium, accentuating her hips which didn't go unnoticed.
Yang clearly approved of the view, along with other students. She teasingly nudged her partner, waggling her eyebrows, and whispered something to her. Pyrrha blushed before slapping Yang's shoulder, not appreciating whatever her partner had said. This only earned a snicker and a grin from Yang, much to Pyrrha's chagrin.
Calico stood behind her table, looked up to her students and began her lecture. "As you all know, today I will be giving my evaluations of your performance and we will also be going through what went right and what went wrong."
A holographic screen appeared above her by the wall, showing still images of various clips of different teams.
"So listen up and listen well. I will not be repeating myself, and it falls upon each of you to heed these lessons." She announced to the class with clear and firm tone, different from her usual demeanor.
She looked at them all, studying each of their reactions, before she began the lecture. She chose one clips on screen and played it for the class to see.
Rocco watched the screen with growing apprehension when the professor as the video clip started playing. It showed him and his team going around the forest, ambushing and fighting other teams. It also showed Erden charging head on without care while the rest of them supported him from the flanks.
Erden had always been a hothead and entering into a fight like a wild dog, always seeking glory in battles like some conquering hero. They were doing good for the most part until they came upon the path of the rampaging PYRN.
He is unfortunate enough to face the blonde berserker because Erden is pre-occupied with fighting a green monk. He is able to match her punches, much to her surprise, and fought as long as he could, hoping someone to back him up. But no help came and he is soon launched towards a tree, smashing his back against it.
He grimaced at that, still feeling the pain he had felt when she punched him so hard to send him flying. To his side, he could also see Erden placing his face into his hands, likely embarrassed with how he lost the encounter.
"You did alright, Rocco." He turned to his side to look at Misty as she spoke again. "I'm surprised you lasted that long against her. I don't think I could have lasted that long against her."
He snorted, amused by what she said, and replied mirthfully. "At least you got to face the Invincible Girl. You seem to have surprised her with your semblance."
He is referring to the short part of the video that shows Misty fighting against Pyrrha Nikos.
Misty sighed sadly. "Yeah I know..."
It is the first time she managed to face the famous Mistrali champion, and fought her to the best of her abilities. She used her semblance to float the debris, such as stones and wood, around her to attack Pyrrha at different angles. She was able to get close to her but she only managed to touch her shield instead of her body. She quickly used her semblance to make the shield float away so that it can hamper her movements. At least that's what it is supposed to happen.
Pyrrha must have noticed the effect on her shield, and did something that she couldn't see. She began to contest her control over the shield, and is able to stabilize it. She transformed her weapon and extended into a rifle before placing over her shield like a gun mount.
She is jumped to the side as Pyrrha fired at her, narrowly dodging her shots. She isn't able to do anything else when Yang came at her and slammed her to the ground, knocking her out.
"It was a hard fight and I nearly got her." Misty said to him. She then leaned to her side towards him and whispered. "But I was able to learn a little about her semblance. I don't know what exactly it is but it seemed to be similar to my own."
Rocco nodded and whispered back. "That's good to know. Let's discuss that after class."
"Not everyone you faced in the field will so easily be toppled because you have overwhelming force. More likely than not, you will soon encounter a stronger foe who will be able to overwhelm you." Professor Calico said to the class. "Scout your surroundings and pick your battles according to your strengths."
The professor looked at her students, seeing some of the reactions she's getting. She could already guess the questions in their minds, judging by some of their faint murmurs. "In regards to team PYRN." She started. "Yes, they undertook the same actions that I have just told you all not to do. But they have taken a different approach and used their teamwork to distract their foes."
She pulled up another clip, this time from an aerial perspective, and showed team PYRN making their way through the forest. It showed the Miss Valkyrie firing dust grenades into the forest around them, creating showers of dust and smokescreens. Meanwhile, Miss Xiao Long could be seen firing into trees and bushes, setting up fire and smoke. The rest of the team kept pace with each other as they ran between the trees, fighting, or rather demolishing, through some unfortunate teams.
"As you can see here... Here... And here." She paused the video and highlighted different points on the screen through her tablet. "You can see teams who were likely planning to ambush team PYRN, but scattered as soon as the area around them got hit."
"This is great use of their strengths and created distractions at different areas that helped mask their positions. They also focused on their objective as PYRN rushed much of their opponents unless facing determined opposition."
She turned to them once again and stated. "While they have completed their task with this strategy, it is not an effective move nonetheless." This surprised some of the students, especially team PYRN. "They wasted too much resource for their plan. Resources, mind you, that are hard to come by during missions. And they relied too heavily on their strengths to deal with their opponents." She finished giving her critique.
She could see Miss Valkyrie sulking while being silently consoled by her partner. "In missions such as retrieval, the most effective way to complete your objectives is to go unnoticed. In that regard, I will be showing a team who I have judged to have performed this task admirably."
She chose an video on her tablet and the screen began showing an overhead view of another area of the forest. Markers highlighted the positions of the team who are sneaking their way through the forest, using trees and other shrubberies as cover. Other markers appeared, showing the other teams and their affiliation, and the team could be seen moving around them.
Different camera views are then shown, showing team ABAS moving like those SWAT teams or Special Forces in action movies. This caught the attention of the other teams, surprising some of them, and watched the presentation closely.
The video switched to another view showing one of the prefab buildings used as bases and the team members defending them, one could be seen watching from the roof. Something shot out of the forest canopy but it had gone unnoticed by the roof camper. The video switched to one of the drone cameras which showed Jaune Arc, bereft of his armor, jumping down from one glyph to another as soon as they appeared.
Arc soon reached the roof, and the roof watcher remained unaware of that fact. A few even noticed the said roof watcher, Emeric Drakon, watching the screen with a scowl on his face. Arc placed a hand behind his back and argent energy started gathering on it. He snuck close to Drakon before he pounced on him.
Arc slammed the sphere of energy in hand into Drakon's back, and Drakon dropped like a puppet whose strings were cut out. He caught his body and slowly placed him down but pressed Emer's body against him. They then watched Arc holding Drakon in a tight choke hold while firmly grasping Drakon's face, covering his nose and mouth that prevents him from breathing. This lasted for a short while before Drakon collapsed, and Arc laid him down before checking his pulse.
This intrigued many of the students, and a few nodded approvingly of his action, since not many of them are trained to use non-lethal take down, especially against aura users.
The rest of ABAS joined Arc on the roof in the same way as he did, gagged and retrained Drakon, and watched them talking about their next moves. The black dressed girl descended down the wall with the help of the Schnee's glyphs.
The camera switched again and they watched the ABAS infiltrator made her way into a room where a red-haired girl lazily guarding the room and just as inattentive as the one on the roof. She carefully checked the door before slowly opening the door. She quietly entered the room, partly closed the door behind her before she hid behind some furniture.
She crawled along the floor as she made her way towards the relic on the table. They watched her fiddled with something underneath the table before grabbing the relic. She hastily made her way out of the room, and the red haired guard still unaware of the theft, much to her own frustration, judging by how pissed she looked while watching herself fail.
The infiltrator left the building and returned to the roof using her teammate's glyphs. They then launched themselves off the roof using glyphs, and the people inside are none the wiser.
"That..." Professor Calico called out to the class as she pointed back to the screen, "That is an impressive display of execution, infiltration and stealth. You've seen them avoid other teams and sought as few engagements as possible. They then made a plan of action that made use of their individual talents to execute their mission quickly and quietly."
She paused as she gauged the reactions of her students. Many looked like they somewhat understood what she is telling them, and a few seemed to scoff, though it seemed to be directed at ABAS. She took note of those students in her mind before she continued.
"Many of your missions would require subtlety on your part and stealth as not to attract attention to your actions. Hunting missions may looked flashy and thrilling but for every one exciting mission, there would one or two quiet missions. This brings me to my next point." She gathered her breath before speaking once again.
"Be aware of your surroundings." She emphasized each word. "I have taught this to you before but it bears repeating. As you have watched earlier, threats can come from any direction. Be it on the ground, up in the sky or down sure to keep your eyes and ears open." She then gave them a clear warning. "Heed these words. For an unaware hunter is a dead hunter."
The classes are finally over for the day when they are dismissed from by the professors. They made their way out of the lecture halls and began to collect the rest of their things. Many began making plans for weekends.
Blake collected her notebooks and other things before stuffing them into her bag. She closed her locker and made sure that it is locked and secured, not wanting what happened to Jaune to happen to her. She might be paranoid, but she didn't survive this long without having a little paranoia about her surroundings.
She took out her book, opened it up to the page she had left off, and started walking away. As she made her way towards the exit, she stumbled and accidentally dropped her book when she felt someone bumped into her.
"Watch where you're going, you moron." Someone angrily berated her. She looked towards the person and she saw that it's Marsha, glaring back at her. She also had a vindictive smirk on her face.
She merely frowned at her, very annoyed at being disturbed from her reading. Marsha huffed back at her before walking past her, and Blake started looking for her book. She quickly found it but it's in the path of the redhead. She then saw her stomped on the exposed pages of her book while walking past it.
Anger boiled in her.
She can take insults, she can look away from faunus being bullied without being outed as a faunus herself. But no one ever messes with her book.
"Hey!" She angrily called out to Marsha who then looked back to her. "Why did you just stepped on my book when you clearly saw it?" She confronted her.
"If you don't want people stepping on it, then you shouldn't have left it lying on the floor." Marsha haughtily answered, and emphasized her point by stepping on her book, ruining the pages.
"That's because you bumped into me." Blake shot back at her.
"Then maybe you should have been watching your surroundings rather than reading your book." The redhead retorted mockingly, looking smug as she said that.
She pushed Marsha back and quickly snatched her ruined book from the floor. The redhead didn't took kindly to that and shouted. "How dare you!?"
"How dare me?! You ruined my book!" Blake countered and raised her book, showing the smudges and wrinkles on it. Marsha attempted to slap her but they were interrupted when another voice joined in.
"What's going on, Blake?" She heard Jaune asked just as he approached them, looking at the both of them. Though he looked more at the redhead rather than her.
"Tell your sloppy teammate to keep her things in her bag rather than leaving them on the floor." Marsha hotly said to Jaune, completely lying about the situation.
"You mean the book that fell after you bumped into her." Jaune pointed out, showing that he is more aware of the situation than expected.
"Oh I see how it is. You're gaslighting me to protect your teammate." Marsha cried out, acting as though she had been assaulted.
Jaune sighed irritably, and she could empathize, before saying. "Don't try changing the subject. I saw you run up from behind and bump into her."
"Are you calling me a liar?"
"Yeah. Why are you calling my partner a liar?" Another voiced chimed in as Emer made his presence known.
"You're partner is being petty about the results about Professor Calico's evaluation." Jaune remarked to him.
"Petty?! That hussy humiliated me in front of the entire class." The redhead angrily pointed at Blake.
"Humiliate you? You did it to yourself for not doing your own job." Blake retorted at her.
"So you're just being vindictive and took petty vengeance at Blake by bumping into her and destroying her personal property." Jaune stated.
"Shut the hell up, Arc. Why are you accusing my partner of starting this fight?" The other one rebuked.
"Because I saw Marsha intentionally bumping to Blake's back." Jaune told him.
"Hmph. Likely story. Why should I believe a cheater like you about what really happened?" Emer dismissed his accusation about Marsha.
Jaune's eyes narrowed just a little and questioned Emer. "And how do you say that? Can you even prove it?"
"I don't need to prove it. Everyone will see that you cheated especially now that you don't have that bracer of yours. In fact, everyone talking about it already."
"I am aware of the rumors. But none have been able to prove anything. All of it are just hot air." Jaune answered back.
"We'll see about that. I doubt you won't be able to do whatever you did to me again without your bracer." Emer cockily said.
"Oh?" Jaune raised an eyebrow at him. "Care for a demonstration?" He replied challengingly.
He stood up straighter as he placed his main hand behind his back, hiding it from view. Emer stiffened as he recognized the stance shown during the evaluations.
Jaune didn't say anything after that and only stared at Emer, who started to look hesitant about the situation. Emer tried to save face by turning away from Jaune with a huff.
"Let's go, Marsha. Let's leave these simpletons and get back with the others." Emer urged his partner.
Marsha looked like she didn't want to but conceded. She glared at Blake for the last time before leaving with Emer. They soon disappeared from view, much to the relief of both Blake and Jaune.
She gratefully looked at Jaune and said. "Thanks for the save."
"You're welcome." Jaune gave her a thumbs up. "I'm glad that I got to you before things escalated."
"It looked like it escalated anyway." Blake remarked.
"Yeah... That happened. But at least he backed off after realizing that I can still take him out without getting into a fight." Jaune said to her. He looked at the ruined book in Blake's hand and asked. "Would you be able to get that repaired?"
Blake sighed as she opened her book to check for damage. Much of the pages are ruined, and those are the chapters that she haven't even reached yet.
"No." She sadly replied. "I will have to buy a new copy but this series is hard to come by." She lamented of not being able to finish the series. She was also getting to the best parts too.
"I could get it repaired tomorrow." Jaune offered to her.
"Really?" Blake looked hopeful at that, even if she's skeptical about the offer.
Jaune nodded. "Sure. I am going to bring my own notes and books to Rochefort to be restored as well. I can just add your book for restoration service."
Things seemed to brighten for Blake, and is very glad that she had Jaune as a teammate.
It is late in the morning when Rocco is preparing for his trip today. Erden and Marigold already left for their own trips while Misty is out to fetch breakfast for the two of them from the cafeteria.
He finished packing the necessary things in his bag before looking at the sword he placed over his bed. He looked at the sword, thinking that it is such a waste to just sell it to a pawnshop. But he couldn't keep it here for long or Erden would find it. He is also worried that Rufus will suddenly rat him out, so he needs to get rid of it.
He picked up the sword, admiring the elegant weapon for one last time, and said. "I'm sorry about this. I hope you'll forgive me."
He was referring to Jaune at that moment, so he is shocked when someone replied.
"You can start by not sending me to moneymonger."
Rocco frantically looked around the room but he could see no one else with him. He checked out the window but still found no one.
"It's just stress, Rocco. Calm down. It's just stress." He muttered to himself as took deep breaths and repeated his mantra.
"I assure you that I'm not a figment of your distress."
Rocco looked around him, he's sure someone is in the room with him. Someone must be using a semblance, but who. Is he invisible or is someone messing with his senses.
"Show yourself! Stop hiding and face me."
"I am not hiding. You already saw me."
"Oh yeah? Where are you right now?" He challenged to the strange voice.
"Look down at your hands." The voice instructed.
Rocco looked skeptical at that but looked down anyways. He saw nothing else but the sword in his hands... His hands. Upon scrutiny, the sword seemed to be glowing as the crystal on the quillion seemed to be blinking with silvery light.
"Hello, Rocco Denver."
There is only one reasonble reaction that a normal person could do in this situation. No one could blame him considering what he is experiencing right now.
He screamed.
A/N:
[1] EMAD - Emerald
Things are unfolding now and the first big one had dropped. Old Silver had revealed itself to Rocco Denver. It's going to be a chaotic encounter.
Tensions between ABAS and TRME had risen now that Blake had gotten into the crossfire. CRDL is silent at the moment but they will be making their own moves soon. The fires needs more stoking anyways.
Professor Calico's evaluations will dampen some of those fires but nonetheless it will continue to blaze. No one would be willing to mess with someone who seemed to have military training and experience.
But as I've written, Jaune is seen as a roadblock by the more ambitious students so that earned him the ire of his classmates. I'm sure we recognize those kinds of stories in the movies and the news.
Next chapter would be a return to Rochefort but more things will be explored as ABAS interacted with the Conclave and the people at Mithrilworks. And things will escalate from that point on in regards to this arc.
Hope you enjoyed this update. Leave your reviews and share your thoughts.
See you next time.
Sincerely yours,
Sigma of Prisium