Ruby received Jaune's cry for help from the scroll and instantly acquired a serious expression.
"Sis?" Yang called her. "What happened?"
"The moment I feared the most" Ruby talked to Jaune through the scroll. "All right Jaune, it will be an arduous quest, since there is only one way way to defeat Ren now. Accross Vale, there are seven stones of mystical power. We have to gather them and complete the belt in order to extinguish evil and-"
"DEMON LORD, not SHADOW LORD" shouted Jaune through the scroll. "I don't have time to find the freaking belt of Deltora and he is pursuing me!"
BOOM
After hearing an explosion...
BANG BANG BANG
"Whyyy!" Jaune seemed more desperate. "Why couldn't he wield a cursed sword instead of guns?!"
BANG BANG BANG
"Mwahahahaha! Run as much as you want, Jaune!"
Ruby instantly ended the call.
Yang heard a girly cry from afar and got the gist of it.
"In which situation did he get himself into this time?"
While Pyrrha got confused, Ruby said:
"It seems Ren became evil... And is hunting Jaune right now".
Jaune's side...
"ALL HAIL THE KING OF HEARTS!"
'Oh god, how could this all happen?'
Jaune ran away, jumped through a window, grabbed a branch and started climbing a tree all the way up to the next floor.
But Ren's voice came from the floor bellow:
"I already know you contacted team RWBY!" He started climbing the tree. "It was futile, I already handled them!"
"What did you do?! You attacked them?"
"Please. I gave dating tips to Sun and Neptune!" Ren smiled insanely. "Right now they must be dating them!"
'He sure was well prepared' thought Jaune upon looking at the rooftop. 'Wait...'
"What about Ruby and Yang?"
"I have sent my agents! Mwahahaha! No one can handle my shipping powers!"
'Oh god' Jaune finally arrived at the rooftop. 'Ren makes fanfic writers look like noobs'.
Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha barely left the room and...
"Your eyes reminds me of the blood of the most powerful dragon!"
"Your hair reminds me of the blazing flames of the sun!"
"Your personality reminds me of a hot blooded warrior!"
Yang backed away and closed the door followed by Pyrrha and Ruby.
"This is bad... Ren trained those guys well".
Pyrrha looked at her confused.
"You weren't even blushing".
"I can handle a few compliments. But I highly doubt you two can".
Ruby thought about it a bit.
"The window!"
She barely opened the window and heard the sound of guitar being played.
"Girl of the red stone! Your eyes are more dazzling than the purest silver! Your cape-"
Ruby closed the window while blushing.
"What's wrong with Ren?! How did he even get that many followers in a single day?!"
Jaune and Ren looked at each other in the rooftop.
Ren's followers appeared in the entrance, but...
"Stop" Ren sneered. "This is a battle I can handle myself. Only interfere if he tries to run away".
Jaune looked at the sides.
'Followers blocking the entrance... Big boss in front of me... I guess I will need to fight...'
"Ren!" Nora's voice came from the crowd.
"Yes, Nora?"
"Can I take half of them and dance thriller?"
Ren sighed.
"Do what you want. Just don't interfere with my battle".
"Yay!"
After Nora left, Jaune looked at Ren.
"We don't have to do this".
But Ren only smiled.
"Talk as much as you want, I won't hold back!"
Ren revealed a multicolored block and Jaune was surprised.
"A Dust Catridge?!"
"One of the many presents my servants gave me. Get ready, Jaune!" Ren loaded his guns. "Dust in bullet! FLAME SHOT!"
A fireball was shot and Jaune blocked with his shield, the explosion sent him 2 meters back.
'What the heck?! He got that powerful?"
Pyrrha analysed the situation.
'Those boys are searching for single opponents... However, since I went out with Jaune...'
*BLUSH*
'Oh yes, I went out with him! Wait, does that mean we are dating? He asked me out and I am planning to ask him out... It's totally dating! I am dating him!'
Pyrrha shook her head as steam started to come out of her ears.
'Okay, not time for that! I can think about dates later. For now...'
"Ruby, Yang, I have a plan" the duo looked at her. "Boys have that code of honor, so... They must not be after me. I may be able to get out and help Jaune stop Ren if-"
"As if!" Said Yang.
"Negative" said Ruby.
Pyrrha didn't understand them.
"Why do you..."
"Pyrrha" Yang was the first to speak. "You see... If Jaune and Ren are fighting, at the end of this, Jaune will either win or lose. Both of those will be perfect oportunities to ask him out".
Ruby nodded.
"Here is what will happen. You will get out through that window, go to Vale and search a perfect place for a date. While you do that, Yang and me will try to find a way to deal with Ren's army".
"But I-"
Yang interrupted her:
"No 'but's. You are going out with him and I am not accepting any other way. We will have a tournament and stuff, so there may not be time later. This is a golden oportunity. You are going out!"
Pyrrha wanted to disagree, she really wanted, but...
"Fine" she looked at the sisters. "But should anything happen, you are calling me to help. I don't care about the date, if Ren really went insane and goes to far, I'd rather not date Jaune instead of seeing him in a hospital.
Yang though: 'a hospital visit would raise more flags, but...' She shook her head.
"Fine. Now, go!"
"Ah... Ah... Ah..." Jaune was breathing heavily.
"That's all?" Ren smiled mockingly. "I expected more".
'You chased me the whole school, what did you expect?' Jaune was getting at his limit.
Dark Ren was too much of an opponent. Even if it was Ren like before, Jaune didn't think he could beat him easily due to the distance advantage he could get.
Now, in addition to that, Dark Ren had Dust to power up his attacks. Fire Shots, Ice Blades, and...
"Dodge this!" Ren threw two crystals in the ground.
He jumped, spun and smashed the crystals with his feet, releasing electricity.
Following that...
"Gyahahahahaha!"
He spun releasing a series of kicks in a lightning tornado.
Jaune blocked with the shield and even tried to slash back with his sword, all the fail due to the powered legs.
"Take this!" Ren kicked Jaune.
"Argh!"
The electric kick pushed him through the air and shocked his body.
Upon crashing on the ground, even though he sustained damage...
'That's it!' Jaune had a wild idea.
From his pocket, he took out a Fire Dust crystal.
'Okay, I just hope my ancestors used Dust like this, otherwise I will be melting my sword!'
Using the crystal like a smithing stone, Jaune coated his blade with dust and...
"Impossible!" Ren couldn't believe it.
"It's a fire sword!" Neither could Jaune.
Crocea Mors was shining with the flames.
"Alright, Maou Ren! Round two!"
'This always works in the games!' Jaune slashed the air with the sword, making a fire slash in Ren's direction just like in the games.
"Pathetic!" Dark Ren avoided it. "Dust in bullet! Ice Shot!"
BANG BANG BANG
Three ice fangs were shot at Jaune.
'Please melt them, please melt them, please melt them!'
Jaune slashed the three bullets with the fire sword, evaporating them.
'That was awesome!'
However, in that moment...
"Argh!"
An electric kick shocked Jaune's hand and he let go of the sword.
Ren kicked Jaune in the chest, throwing him in the ground.
"It seems you are still too undisciplined, Jaune..."
"I still won't give up!"
But Ren didn't drop his smile.
"Even if I could grant you dreams beyond your desires?"
"..."
"Maybe a harem?"
Jaune opened his eyes wide. Dark Ren smiled and continued talking:
"That's right, a harem. In quite a few of my dreams, you get one. With my help, that is possible" Ren extended his hand. "Join me, Jaune. Join me and become the Harem King".
'A harem... A highschool boy's dream... But...'
Pyrrha's face appeared in Jaune's memories. A smile and fun he recently found out.
"Sorry, Ren..."
Ren dropped his smile in confusion.
"What... You refused my proposal?!"
"That's right..." Jaune go up. "Harem, a buch of girls, screw that! I still am trying to see if things can work out between me and Pyrrha, and I will not betray her!"
"Kuh... It seems you got much more mature in a single night".
"And you lost your sanity during the same time. You don't have to hide it, you wanted me to build a harem in order for you to not get one in the future! That won't work with me!"
Dark Ren backed away in anger.
"To think your love for Pyrrha would make you reject my plans!"
'Lo-love?!' Jaune blushed.
"Dude, I think it's too soon for that... I mean, we only went out once and, while it was pretty fun and worked out well, we kinda need to take it slowly while dating".
"So you admit you are dating her".
"Yes, that's right!" He answered full of conviction.
'Wait... I am dating Pyrrha?'
'I am... Dating Pyrrha...'
'I'm dating Pyrrha Nikkos...'
Jaune dropped to his knees.
"I AM DATING PYRRHA NIKKOS!" Jaune raised his fists to the air. "It feels great to be alive!"
But Ren's glare made Jaune lose all the happiness he recently acquired.
"Ha! Enjoy that sweet time. I will make you regret it" Dark Ren pointed at Jaune. "Now, you are unarmed. I will make sure you wake up in the hospital!"
"Unarmed?" Jaune got up with a smile in his face. "I still have one weapon".
Dark Ren acquired a face of fear. 'Can it be... His shield... It transforms?'
"That's right!" Jaune nodded upon holding his shield with both hands. "I still have my Smashing Board!"
Dark Ren blankly looked at it.
"That's a shield."
Jaune shook his head.
"Smashing Board".
"Gah! That's a shield! It's meant for defense! You can't attack me with a shield".
"Yes, I can't attack with a shield" Jaune agreed. "But this is a Smashig Boar-"
"IT'S A SHIELD!"
Ren advanced in a fit of rage.
At that moment...
"It's a SMASHING BOARD!"
Ren aimed with both of his guns:
"Dust in bullets! Fire and Ice Shots!"
"Well and I..." Jaune realized he didn't have an attack name. "Whatever, here goes!"
BANG BANG
CLANK!
BOOM!
.
.
.
.
.
"Argh!" Jaune crashed on the ground.
His right arm was frozen and his left one was burned.
However, on the other side...
Defeated and unconscious due to a heavy hit on the head, Ren's eyes were spinning.
"That... Was a shield..."
BLINK BLINK BLINK
Jaune couldn't believe it.
'I defeated Ren?'
Jaune got up and was amazed.
"I DEFEATED REN!"
'My first victory! It's amazing!' Jaune started commemorating.
"He defeated our leader!" Shouted one of the followers. "Kill him!"
'Oh god, no!' Jaune quickly ran, grabbed and readied his Smashing Board with his burned arm.
Dark Ren's army started to come at his direction, but...
"I believe that's enough" said an ominous voice. "Open the space".
Slow steps and a cheerfully smile. A girl that gave off a true boss feeling.
Jaune continued to remain in battle stance.
"Nora?"
Nora smiled.
"You did a good job Jaune. Without you, I would never be able to succeed".
"No... It can't be?!"
Jaun realized everything. 'Nora set me up against Ren in order for her to take over his army and conquer the school!'
"That's right" Nora nodded. "I was the one who sent you the emissary about Ren's rise of power. I took half of his forces, the boys that would act on impulse just for them to not attack you. I did everything for this very moment... Now... Ren is mine!"
"You will never- wait! What?"
'Ren is hers?'
Nora aproached Ren and princess-carried him.
"Now there are no potential enemies in the school that can try to get him, since I personally helped Ren in estabilishing all of the dangerous couples. And now, since he is wounded, I will be the only one who can help him in the infirmary".
Jaune dropped his shield while trying to understand everything.
"So, Ren went crazy..."
"Yep!"
"And took over the school with his shipping powers".
"Yep!"
"And you helped him all along just for him to be defeated".
"Yep!"
"All just to have a chance with him?! Just for that?!"
"Silence, fool!" Nora laughed like a maniac. "You have no idea of what me and Pyrrha had to handle with oblivious boys. It's always friendzone this and friendzone that. Team RWBY thought you were dense, but Ren is a diamond of density! Do you know how many plans I tried out? 87! EIGHTY-SEVEN PLANS! This is literally my last plan to escape the friendzone!"
"Okay, sorry!" Jaune was being scared by Nora.
Nora patted Jaune in the head as if nothing happened.
"Good that you understood".
'Did she just pat me on the head like a dog?'
"Now" Nora snapped her fingers and looked at Ren's followers. "The ones with healing powers, heal Jaune. Ren is mine, the one that dares to touch him will suffer the agony of seeing your very body be separated from the head!"
Many boys gulped and came to help Jaune. Nora them looked at him.
"By the way, I manipulated Blake and Sun's date a bit without telling Ren, they may bring new info on Jammer, sooo..."
Jaune nodded while still scared by how cunning Nora truly was.
"Got it, I will discuss strategies with them".
Nora smiled cheerfully.
"Good. See you in the dinner".
At dinner...
In many of the tables of the cafeteria, couples could be seen talking to each other and having fun together.
Jaune read a letter to Blake, Weiss, Sun and Neptune:
"It says: 'Ren and I will be busy. Don't worry'... Soo..."
"Dude!" Sun looked atthe bandages that covered both of Jaune's arms. "What happened?"
Jaune wanted to say that Ren became evil, but... 'If what Nora said is true...'
"So..." He looked at Neptune and Sun. "Do you know anybody who got good dating tips?"
Sun and Naptune looked at each other and nodded.
""Dude, you can't even begin to imagine it"".
"What?"
Sun spoke:
"You know Ren?"
"Uh huh..."
Neptune said:
"He is the best wingman I've ever met!"
"I know, right?" Sun agreed.
Jaune thought: 'better if I don't say that I beat up their wingman'.
"The guy is a genius!"
"I know right?"
Sun and Neptune continued talking about it and Jaune realized how bad of an idea it was to say the Ren wen evil overlord, took over the school, enstabilished a cult and manipulated Sun and Neptune to avoid getting a harem.
Jaune turned to the side and saw Weiss and Blake chatting.
'Probably about Ren...'
Weiss and Blake's side...
Blake was reading a message:
"Here says: 'We are being attacked by Ren's army and Pyrrha went out to find a good dating spot. Please help us!' Or something like that..."
Weiss gasped.
"Oh my god... Pyrrha is starting to take on the initiative!"
Blake felt a tear on the corner of her eye.
"They grow up so fast..."
Jaune's side...
Sun was speaking of his date with Blake:
"Then... We invaded Jammer! Assassin's Creed style! I mean, before that thing with boats and stuff".
Jaune was dumbfounded. 'Nora made them date in an enemy school? No, now is not the time for that'.
"Did you learn anything about their students in it?"
"Oh yeah, you guys will have a tournament against it, righr?" Sun started to sulk. "Man, I wanted to go too..."
Neptune laughed.
"Too bad we aren't original Beacon students..."
Jaune got interested.
"So, Sun. What did you get?"
Sun checked his scroll.
"A few things. I got info on their top three teams, but Blake told me you seemed interested in the Impaler Vampire, so I mainly researched about his team".
"Any names?"
"Mostly codenames".
Jaune hit the table with his head.
"Aww, man..."
"Dude" Neptune poked his shoulder. "What it the matter?"
"Everybody has those super cool names and I got a really simple one..."
Sun checked his scroll.
"White Knight of Treachery?"
Jaune opened his eyes wide.
"Wait... 'of Treachery'?"
"Yeah" Sun nodded. "You are currently known as a deceiver, who hides his true power with a good-lovable idiot personality. Here says even your sword is a fake weapon, and your shield has a function to turn it into a 'Smashing Board', that had enough power to defeat the most dangerous student in Beacon".
Jaune understood the misunderstanding right away. His battle against Evil Ren led to a sequence of misunderstandings.
"And the most dagerous student is..."
"Lotus King of Manipulation - Lie Ren" Even Sun got surprised upon reading it. "Here says his semblance is probably brainwashing... What the?!"
Neptune took Sun's scroll.
"Team JNPR is regarded as the most powerful team, but internal power struggles makes it rank as the second best. Currently, team RWBY is Beacon's best team and CRDL is the third. But JNPR is the top one in battle prowess due to underhanded methods and brainwashing... What?"
Jaune felt headaches.
"Okay... Forget it... What about the Impaler Vampire?"
"Gimme that!" Sun stole his scroll back. "He is currently the leader of Jammer's top first year team. We didn't get the team's name, but we got all of their codenames and the gist of their strength".
"Tell me!" Said Jaune withoud holding back his curiosity.
"Dude, calm down" said Neptune.
"Relax, I will tell" Sun checked his scroll again. "Okay, The Impaler Vampire... Semblance unknown, race is dubious, but seems to be human... Well, here says he looks like a vampire, hence half of the codename".
"And the other half?"
"Acquired due to the continuous pratice of impaling most of the grimm he kills solo. He even has a method to stop them from disintegrating, which seems to be extremely painful, but lacks a perfect ratio. He is responsible for impaling 314 grimm, but 114 of those disintegrated. Here says he left the other 200 in front of the academy as some sort of sign".
Neptune had a wry smile.
"Kind of a good sign to me".
"Me too" agreed Jaune.
"Me three" nodded Sun. "Well, at least he doesn't have a perfect battle record. His win ration is currently 64%".
"Oh thank god!" Jaune calmed down. "At least he isn't unbeatable".
"It's lower than Pyrrha's" pointed out Neptune. "Well, while the reputation seems pretty shady, he doesn't seem like too much of a problem. I guess I can handle him."
"Dude"
"Dude!"
Both Sun and Jaune had the same reaction, but Neptune said:
"Now, hear me out here. Don't you find pretty strange the leader of the top team having such a win ratio?"
Sun and Jaune looked at each other while understanding. Neptune continued:
"It's because they are mercenaries, right? Which means, whatever weakness the Impaler Vampire has, it can be AND was exploited by 36% of his opponents. Now, if we analyze the kills, all by impaling, we can guess that he fights mostly, if not only, in close range. Not only that, I can also deduce his weapon is some sort of spear, if not, the same stakes he used to kill the grimm".
"Wow..." Sun had his eyes wide open. "You..."
Jaune nodded.
"That was actually a very good reasoning".
Neptune smiled.
"I am an intellectual" then, he returned to his thinking. "Since the grimm were a sign, I can guess stakes aren't his true weapons, but tools he used solely to impale the grimm. So, I guess his true weapon is a spear".
Jaune started to think about it as well.
"I guess you are right. Any info on the rest of the team?"
"Mush less than their leader" said Sun. "The rest of their members codenames are: 'Silver-Clad Werewolf', 'The Creature of Stein' and 'Mummy of Impossible Defeat' or something like that."
Neptune was curious.
"Those names remind me of old horror movies".
Jaune smiled at that comment and asked:
"What did you get about them?"
"Silver-Clad Werewolf has a very high win ratio with only one defeat. The Creature of Stein has the worst ration of the four, but rumor has it that he has massive aura reserves. And Mummy of Impossible Defeat has a 100% victory ratio."
Neptune and Jaune's jaws dropped at the same time.
"O-okay" Jaune tried to calm himself down. "So, Neptune, what can you get from it?"
"What do you think I can get from it?!" Neptune was surprised just like him. "I only get that the last one is unbeatable!" He turned to Sun. "You have no info about that?"
Sun had a wry smile.
"Well, Blake wanted to know more about the Impaler Vampire, so I searched mostly on him and then returned to our date... Sorry..."
"Don't be" said Jaune. "You already helped out a lot".
Sun smiled, but suddenly seemed surprised.
"REEEN! How is it going?"
Jaune felt fear from the core of his souls as most of the students in the cafeteria, humans and faunus, men and women got up and...
"LONG LIVE OUR KING OF HEARTS!"
"ALL HAIL THE KING OF HEARTS!"
"IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK, LORD REN!"
Jaune slowly looked to that side and...
"Ah... Good to see you people..."
Walking slowly with Nora's help, Ren seemed back to normal with the exception of the bandages on his head.
He sat by Jaune's side.
"Jaune".
"Y-yes?!"
"Why is everyone treating me like a god?"
Jaune was surprised. 'He forgot?!'
"Ren, what is the last thing you remember?"
Ren put a hand on his forehead.
"I dunno, we were searching for Nora and Blake in the night? I also think Weiss exploded something with a wild chicken? Man, I feel as if somebody hit me with a frying pan in the head..."
"Ren" Neptune held his hand. "You are a genius!"
"... I am?"
Sun nodded.
"Dude, your tips were perfect!"
"... They were?"
Neptune nodded smiling.
"Dude, you are the best wingman somebody could ever ask for!"
"... I was your wingman?"
Ren seemed confused while looking around and people cheered for him. He then turned to Jaune.
"Did I eat something spoiled?"
Jaune had a wry smile.
"Let us say you went kind of crazy..."
"... What did I do?"
But Nora interfered cheerfully:
"Hey, where is Pyrrha?"
"Oh yeah..." Ren looked around as if he was drunk. "Where did she go?"
Weiss and Blake looked at each other and said:
""It's a secret!""
Ren seemed even more confused and turned to Jaune again.
"Is that something I forgot too?"
"Nah, it's one of those girl things".
Ren put his hand on the back of his head again.
"Man, I am so confused..."
"It's good to have you back, Ren".
Heretic Notes:
You ever woke up without any memory of what happened even though you don't drink and seemed to become a god or something?
Ren knows how you feel.
Well, I guess I wrapped things up pretty good this time around.
Put on a bit of foreshadowing and I think the comedy was pretty balanced with the references (my favorite one this time around was the Smashing Board followed by the Deltora one).
Next chapter will be the start of the first arc, by the way.
Hope you people enjoyed, until next time!
Heretic, out!