Well then, better late than ne- oh who am I kiddin. Please enjoy the chapter.
Even within the thick walls of Vytal's prepping rooms, Jaune could hear the deafening chants leak through like a low, insistent hum. Amity island was huge, probably around the size of Beacon itself. The size meant that there was enough room for thousands of people to be seated. Thousands of screaming, excited fans who had come to watch them fight, watch him fight.
After her own battle, Yang had mentioned that the cheers from the crowd felt empowering, exhilarating even.
Jaune didn't feel very empowered…
Call him dramatic, but the thought of having that many eyes on him was terrifying. He was always nervous enough when sparring against Cardin in front of his friends. This? It was on a different level entirely. Not including the thousands of civilians, this was televised all across Remnant. It was entirely possible that maybe even his parents were watching.
What if he screwed up? Choked under the pressure? He wouldn't just disappoint himself, he'd disappoint his friends, his team, his teachers, along with Cinder.
A sudden fist met his shoulder and dispersed his thoughts like a wrecking ball through concrete. In fact, it nearly sent him sprawling to the ground. He shot his gaze in the direction of the iron fist, only for Nora to gaze back at him with a sheepish grin.
"What?" She asked innocently, resting her hands at her hips. "You looked like you were about to wither up and die! I couldn't just let my fearless leader suffer in silence like that."
Jaune groaned and rolled his shoulder. "What made you think that? I'm totally fine."
Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren all sent him incredulous looks.
Jaune buckled under their gaze and looked away. "I'm fine! Really! Just… a little nervous. There's a lot of people watching us, I don't get how any of you aren't worried." He muttered, with something of a pout at his lips.
At their confused expressions, he continued. "I mean, I get Pyrrha- she's been doing tournament fights for years. But what about you guys?" He gestured towards Ren and Nora. "We've never done anything like this before, aren't you two at least a little nervous?"
Nora snorted and waved him off. "Psh! We'll be fine, I know I will. I don't choke in the clutch! I'll solo carry you all if I have to!"
Jaune sent Ren a questioning look, to which the dark haired boy merely sighed. "She's been playing too many sports games with Yang." Ren answered. "And… I suppose part of me is a little nervous. But at the end of the day, I'd like to view this as a learning experience. I wish for us to win, but I do understand that things don't always work out the way we want them to. And even if we fail now- the opportunity will arise again in time."
That… made sense, even if they didn't succeed Vytal this time, they'd grow from this. But it didn't change the fact that he was nervous. He understood that Ren was right- sometimes people just didn't get what they wanted- no matter how hard they fought, trained, bled, and cried for it. Sometimes… things were just out of reach.
Yet, he didn't want to accept that reality. Maybe he was just clinging to some idealistic dream, or perhaps he simply wished to show that he really did belong at Beacon; that he was good enough to hang in with everyone else. It was all derived from the same thing; the need-the desire, to prove his worth to both himself and to everyone else.
His friends might argue that he had already done that, and maybe they were even right. He had beaten Cardin, he had been a half decent leader, and he had even managed to do well protecting that village with Weiss and Ruby. But… it wasn't enough, at least, just not yet.
He wasn't sure when it would ever be enough.
Finally, Pyrrha spoke next. Tone even, yet soft. "We have faith in you, Jaune." She said, like a teacher would to a nervous student before a test. Supportive, like a gentle, guiding hand. "If you doubt yourself now, you'll freeze up when the time comes. Be confident in yourself, like we're confident in you."
It was easier said than done of course, but deep down, he knew that she was right. No matter how good or bad he was, he was the leader of team Juniper. Whether he delivered or not was up to him, and allowing his emotions to get the best of him now would only put his team at risk.
Ultimately, the blonde sighed. "You're right, all you guys are. Sorry, I guess I was just a little… angsty."
Pyrrha's smile was unwavering. "Of course, we understand."
He returned her smile with equal vigor. "Right! Well… let's do this then. Are we ready?"
Nora hooked her arms around Ren and Pyrrha's shoulders, pumping them against her petite and yet powerful body. "Heck yeah!" She chanted.
As if on cue, the prep room doors slid open, and the noise from outside filtered in.
He could do this.
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He couldn't do this!
If the screams of the crowds were deafening before, then they were downright disorientating now. It was like having one thousand car horns lined up and blown directly into his ear drums, and had them reverberate back.
He chanced a look at the crowd he had been avoiding. There were… so many of them. Countless bodies which congested together into one grand sea of faceless people. His gaze skimmed across the student seats, where he spotted a cheering Yang and Ruby. He forced a smile for them, though it came out as more of a grimmance. But he didn't stop there; he continued to search, continued to look. Until eventually… he spotted her.
From this distance, she was little more than a dark haired blob, yet even so… he knew that he could never mistake her. Not for anyone else. She wasn't cheering erratically like the others, but she was watching, aptly.
He didn't want to disappoint her.
He turned ahead just in time for the other team to approach- FNKI if he remembered correctly. According to Weiss, they were from Atlas. Rather than trade barbs with them like Yang likely would, Jaune opted to greet them with a small wave. "Uh, hi."
"Yo," The one standing in the middle responded casually. He was dressed in a black vest, with an undone blue tie slung around his collar. "No hard feelings, yeah?" He asked with a smile. "May the best team win, and all that."
He was briefly surprised by the politeness. It wasn't that he expected the other teams to all be jerks, but there was always some old-fashioned friendly competition, which tended to loosen people's mouths a little. Well, if nothing else, he could appreciate that.
"Right, we'll be-"
"And that'll be us!" Nora interrupted, slugging her hammer over her shoulder. "Team Juniper's gonna win this whole thing! You guys don't stand a chance."
Jaune cursed, Nora could always be… excitable when it came to fights. Sometimes not even Ren could soothe her fiery spirit when it came to these things. He tried to apologize to the other team, but was interrupted once more, this time by team FNKI's resident ginger.
"Pfft. As if!" The cat girl snorted. "Having the 'invincible girl' on your team isn't a ticket to victory. Flynt and I are more than enough to take you all out, shortie."
The effect was instantaneous. Nora's frowning face- unabashedly clear in what she wanted to use her hammer for- Pyrrha's withering expression, and Ren's narrowing eyes.
He wanted to speak, but the countdown had already started, there was no more time for talk.
3
He turned to Pyrrha and offered her his best smile, which she returned.
2
Crocea Mors sang a song of steel as he tore his sword from its scabbard. "We can do this, guys."
1
A thick bead of sweat dragged down his cheek. He chanced one final look at Cinder, just before the match began.
0
He'd fought in sanctioned fights before, but never in a team battle like the Vytal festival. It completely changed things with eight many combatants at once.
It was chaos.
Ren darted around the enemy team in a semi-circle, while Nora let out a battle cry and lunged at them with her hammer raised. He and Pyrrha both steered to the right with their shields raised, expectant of ammo headed their way.
None of it mattered.
The two remaining members of team FNKI covered for Flynt, and protected him from Nora and Ren. The reason as to why became obvious a moment later, when three of him suddenly materialized from mid air, and raised their trumpets in unison.
Jaune had a split second to curse and raise his shield, as an array of multi-coloured waves crashed into his shield. His forearms buckled under the attack as his legs gave out under him, tossing him back like a rag doll.
His back slammed into a bed of soft grass, but the force caused him to carry over and roll onto his knees, sword and shield already raised in defense. At his side, Pyrrha promptly landed in a roll and stood with her weapons ready.
"Nora was hit the worst!" Pyrrha exclaimed, and she was right. She had leaped directly into the attack, and had been thrown into the artificial forest behind them. The only one spared of the attack had been Ren, who managed to run around the attack before it could strike him. Though without his team for backup, he withdrew from the offense and leaped after them.
"Dammit, is everyone okay? Nora!"
"I'm fine!" Came a roar from the forest, she broke from the clearing a moment later, sprinting across the plains to reach them. "Tis but a scratch!"
A quick glance at the screens told them that she'd lost around fifthteen percent aura from that attack alone. Which was bad… but she was fine, save for the dozens of twigs and dirt which now matted her bright orange hair.
"A frontal attack won't do," Jaune supplied rather plainly. "Dammit, and flanking from the sides is difficult with the additional support from his team. We… we can't even get close."
And it wasn't like the other team looked particularly bothered by their willingness to hold back and wait. They were playing defensively, content to simply hold back and counter attack. Flynt's semblance was nearly impossible to overcome directly, like weathering a blow from Yang. Add on the fact that his team was proficient at keeping their sides covered, while they hadn't even seen what the Neon could do…
Shit, they were just bathing in the cheer of the crowd. They were losing and the fight had just started.
He had to think! Desperately, Jaune's eyes flickered across the playing field. Half of the stadium was split in landscape, with their side being a forestry area, and team FNKI's being a mountainous cliffside area. Using the trees for cover would've been doable against a sniper, but not against a semblance that could just clear out the entire forest.
They needed to push them back, and break their flank, or maybe…
"Spread out! Ren! Take the right and I'll take the left! Pyrrha, cut straight towards the middle with Nora!"
There were no responses, no words of affirmation. They knew his orders and trusted him to know what he was doing.
He wished he shared their levels of confidence.
Ren raced towards the right while he took towards the left, once again headed towards their flanks. But rather than attack directly, Ren pelted their sides with ammunition, while he deflected any sent his way with his sword and shield- but retained his distance. Their separation meant that a direct attack from Flynt's semblance left him vulnerable- and it was obvious that they were focused on keeping Pyrrha busy. He couldn't face them with Nora and Pyrrha headed towards them.
They were overlooking the rest of them.
"Pyrrha! Nora! Thunder Queen!"
Nora slowed her pace while Pyrrha continued to gallop forwards. The second that Flynt raised his trumpets to his lips, Pyrrha halted her momentum and kneeled down, propping her shield above her head. Nora leaped up and landed directly atop the shield, allowing Pyrrha to quickly stand and hurl Nora's tiny body up into the air.
Rather than the movement being aimed at throwing Nora at their enemies, it was actually aimed at throwing her above them. The speed in which it happened- along with the trajectory- meant that shooting at Nora mid air would be difficult. Of course, it also looked as though Nora was simply being thrown over their enemies.
That is, until Pyrrha used her semblance on Nora's hammer while she was directly above them, and spiked her down like a hammer from the gods.
Flynt cursed, and made to raise his trumpet skyward towards Nora, but he was promptly interrupted by Pyrrha shifting her spear into a rifle and shooting at him.
"Shit, scatter!"
Team FNKI leaped away in every possible direction. While Nora came down from the skies like a pink bolt of calamitous lighting. Her hammer struck the ground thunderously, splintering the concrete below and shaking the arena under the might of her strike. A surge of spiked lightning curled and curved within the air, releasing a grand roar which silenced even the crowds.
Cheesy nicknames aside, the attack was devastating.
"Now!" Jaune roared. "Pressure them!"
They gunned towards the now disassembled team FNKI; each and every member was at least partially distanced from one another, neutralizing Flynt's strategy of just keeping distance and blowing them all away.
Jaune lunged towards Flynt, determined to keep him busy while the others would take care of the rest.
A sudden blur of multicolored light filled his vision.
Jaune instinctively halted his momentum and raised his shield to block any incoming attacks, yet none came.
A cry left his lips, as a sudden slam struck his shoulder and caused an icy feeling to spread along his back.
He stomped his foot and spun around, cleaving his blade through the air in an attempt to cut straight through whoever stood behind him. Yet, the point of Crocea Mors found nothing but more air. From the corner of his vision, an orange blur caught his eye.
"Neon!" Jaune shouted. "Guys!"
Ren barreled towards him and somersaulted over him, contorting his body through the air with enough agility to make even Blake envious. He brought his leg down in an ax kick, as precise and sharp as a sword swing.
Neon side-stepped it all the same, rainbows following in the wake of her movements. All while wearing a devious expression plastered across her face. And to add insult to injury, she was chanting some weird rhyme.
"Hah!" He leaped forward and swung his blade towards her shoulder, though the girl side stepped and moved behind him. She would have struck him too, had it not been for Ren leaping forward with a kick aimed towards her back, one that she promptly dodged with a well-timed flip.
Jaune grit his teeth and moved towards her left. He kept his body low and attempted to thrust into her hip, while chambering his shield at his side. Similarly, Ren brought his blades down to her right.
Neon simply vaulted over his back, escaping like a rose petal between their fingers.
"Neon!" Flynt commanded. "Back!"
That was the only warning Jaune had to step in front of Ren and raise his shield, before his entire world was shaken.
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Her nails dug into her legs, piercing skin had it not been for her aura. Yet, Cinder could hardly feel the sensation.
The pink haired Faunus was as agile as the Belladonna girl whom Adam was so fond of, yet as quick on her feet as the silver eyed girl. Jaune had risen dramatically in skill over the past several months, yet his speed remained a weak point for him. He could keep up with a frontal assault by parrying and counter attacking aggressive opposition, yet being pressured by a combatant who specialized in counter attacking was… out of his capabilities as of right now. Perhaps with time he could catch her off guard with a well timed blow, or quick thinking, but in a team based environment… finding such an opening would be strenuous and scarce.
Her thinking was proven not a moment later, as the dark skinned boy aided her frontal assault by blasting them with yet another wave of high frequency aura, sending both Jaune and his teammate dangerously close to the bounds of the arena.
Her heart skipped a beat once she saw the Faunus sprint their way- likely in an attempt to throw both out before they could regain their bearings- but her fears were thankfully thwarted by Nikos of all people. The crimson haired girl rolled in front of them and engaged the multi-coloured Atlesian directly, to which the girl responded by going on the defensive.
'Those two would likely keep one another busy.' The Faunus was too fast for Nikos to finish off in one go, but Nikos was too skilled for the Faunus to blatantly overwhelm with speed. It would be a battle of who made the first mistake, and while it was unlikely for Jaune's little friend to be that person, it wouldn't be a short battle.
The other two members of the Atlesian team engaged the rest of Jaune's team, leaving Jaune to deal with their most bothersome member— Flynt Coal.
From what she briefly gathered, he possessed a semblance which granted him the capability of summoning clones which copied his movements, similar to reflections, or 'echos' almost. While his weapon allowed him to release powerful blasts of high frequency sounds that reverberated across the arena unchallenged.
Theoretically, Nikos could oppose his semblance by tearing his weapon cleanly past his grasp, yet their reluctance for doing so was clear. Her semblance was… unknown to the public. She used it subtlety, and scarcely. They were likely planning to save it for the latter rounds, using it so boldly now would only ruin the secrecy, and their strategy.
A heated curse left her lips, like smoke past a dragon's maw. The anxiousness which claimed her body was foreign… yet she had become self aware enough to understand why she felt it. At times, she wondered if it was better to have never met him. If she hadn't, then these alien emotions would plague her less. She would care for only herself, and not the well-being of another.
A pointless thought, and one that she already knew the answer to.
She bit her lip at the sight of Jaune hesitantly circling his opponent, frame low and shield high. The Atlesian stood back with a relaxed posture, his silver trumpet held lazily over one shoulder. The sight caused another wave of emotion to dig its infernal nails through her core— this time anger. Irritation at how easily the Atlesian wrote him off, annoyance that he believed himself better than his opposition, than Jaune.
She supposed she shouldn't have expected anything different from Atlas.
Before the alluring temptation to burn a molten hand through his skull could increase, Jaune darted forward, body low to the ground. That seemed to earn him a reaction from the Atlesian, who raised his trumpet and released a short blast of sound currency his way. Seemingly expectant of such an attack, he leaped to the side before it could slam into him, and landed on one shoulder before immediately rolling onto his feet, continuing on his pursuit.
That seemed to coax a reaction out of him, for he rolled his shoulders in dismissal, and released another blast from his trumpet, this time aimed at the floor near Jaune's feet. Cinder grit her teeth as she watched the surge of energy erupt against the earth with a mighty roar, tearing apart concrete and launching Jaune's frame several meters away. He landed with a mighty thud, but pushed himself up not a moment later.
He never gave up, she knew he wouldn't. But the sight still made a proud grin curl along her lips.
Rather than focus on Jaune however, Flynt trailed a hand down to his waist, and grasped at something near his belt. He turned away from the Knight, and focussed his attention away.
On Nikos.
He tossed what he had grabbed into the air, and released a wave of sound just as it came tumbling down.
A wave of raging fire followed.
Nikos- who had been pressuring the Faunus back towards the bounds of the arena- turned towards the flames which hurled in her direction. From the massive screen, Cinder watched as the Spartan's eyes widened in surprise, before she fell to one knee and held her shield before her. The flames smacked against her weapon, unable to get through, yet curling along the circular piece of metal in order to lick her forearms with raging embers. The damage was minimal, yet it had fulfilled its intended purpose- distract her, and save his teammate.
The Atlesian made to repeat the attack with Jaune's other teammates, but before he could, a fierce roar came from behind him, and Flynt turned and leaped away just in time to avoid being cleaved in two by Crocea Mors. But Jaune followed after him like a man possessed, the desperation and conviction practically leaking off of him like steam from a raging waterfall.
Good, that was how he needed to fight, how he had to fight. Anger could lead to one making mistakes, yet controlled rage had a benefit of its own. He had to let it coat his body, like a blanket of fire. It was how she battled, so that every thrust and swing of her blades were practically secreted in emotion. It was part of what gave her strength, part of what made her powerful. By allowing his anger to fuel him, he fought harder, but could control his rationality.
Flynt rolled his shoulder forwards and evaded a sword thrust, then hopped back before the same thrust could turn into a devastating swing. He utilized this newfound distance to raise his trumpet to his lips, and release another short wave of sound directly at Jaune. Ordinarily, the attack would push Jaune back and grant him more distance, yet..
An entirely different situation occurred.
A bright wave of light echoed along Jaune's body, the same maneuver that she had seen him use countless times prior. It curved along his frame and moved like light reflected off of glass. The wave of sound struck, yet the desired effect was never found. Jaune stood, as though the wave of sound had been a mere breeze of wind.
She could see the faces of the crowd twist and contort in surprise, see his teammates visibly react to the unexpected maneuver from afar— even while dealing with their own opposition, and finally… she saw the Atlesian's smug expression crash and burn.
Jaune was on him not a moment later, utilizing the Atlesian's lapse in attention to unload a flurry of offensive slashes and relentless thrusts. Some of which skinned and connected with his opponent, tearing out chunks of his aura. The Atlesian was powerful, but within a close quarters encounter… he was outmatched.
Flynt ducked under a particularly fierce swing, but was unable to avoid the knee which crashed into his chin, throwing him onto his back.
A wave of excitement crashed through her as Jaune stepped over him and brought down his blade, though it was short lived. The end of his weapon halted just before it could strike, meeting the sound currents of the Atlesian's raised weapon. A brief standoff was held with Jaune pushing his blade down, and Flynt releasing his currents skyward. But once the boy applied a little more force…
Jaune's entire body shot up in the air, as though it had been flicked by a giant. She watched in slow motion, as his frame dipped and fell back down, crashing into the earth with a shattering roar.
The entire time, she kept her expression into a frozen mask for those who surrounded her, but she couldn't stop the knot of pure molten heat which coiled at her core.
A shout came from all three of his teammates, though neither were able to assist while being pressured by the others. He slowly picked himself back up, holding onto his sword for some sort of support, though he remained on one knee.
"Ouch," Mercury supplied with snark. "That one looked like it hurt."
She resisted the urge to dig her fingers through his throat, and focused on the battle instead. Jaune had picked himself up, though he made no effort to move forward. Was he too hurt to initiate another offensive maneuver? Or was he simply at a loss as to how he should even attempt one?
The Atlesian treaded towards him once more, posture confident, and yet more guarded than before. He focussed his full attention on him, seemingly aware that the Knight was not as much of a joke as he had first assumed.
She could see their lips move on the screen, though from this distance she couldn't deduce what their exchange of words consisted of. Several seconds passed with neither fighter moving, until finally, Jaune stood, shield at his side, and sword held out. The Atlesian appeared to smirk and utter a final remark, before he stepped back and raised his trumpet once more.
This would be their final clash.
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His head throbbed in agony, as a low, insistent blare tolled within his mind. It was as though his brain had been replaced by a raging bell, one which swung and crashed into either side of his skull. Pain exploded in each and every part of his frame, digging its malicious nails into his flesh and setting his soul aflame. He blinked his unfocused gaze, and concentrated on the blurry spots which his eyes managed to absorb. The longer his vision focussed on them, the more they began to fill in with shade and texture, with shape and color. Hazily, he realized that he was standing in the middle of a raging stadium.
It was almost embarrassing to admit how long it took for him to remember where he was.
His hands found the handle of his sword, perhaps by luck, or maybe by the instinct which had been drilled into his mind like an endless chorus. He stabbed the end of his blade into the ground and willed himself to stand, but found that his arms buckled despite his command, and that his feet simply couldn't find solace beneath him.
"—For it?"
A hazy sound managed to scurry past the insistent blare within his ears, prompting Jaune to raise his gaze. Several meters ahead of him, stood his opponent. Hurt, but clearly in far better shape than he was.
"Huh?" He questioned, and strained his mind in an effort to hear the response.
"I said-" The boy began, an odd smile on his lips. "-You did better than I expected, man. But I'm not giving up so easily. I'm giving you the chance to surrender, or to keep fighting if you're up for it."
The question was asked in earnest, yet he couldn't help but take it with hurt. Flynt thought that he did well, and was clearly taken aback by how close their fight had been, but…
He believed their battle was over, and that even if his heart managed to carry him a little further… it wouldn't be enough to earn him a win.
He had been the weak link for the entire fight, and now he'd be the first one out, too. He knew it, and even his opponent expected it. In the end, all that he had was his will to keep fighting, and to keep moving forward.
He hadn't lost it before, and he'd be damned if he had lost it now.
He dug his fingers into the leather of Crocea Mors' handle, and gripped the pommel with every ounce of strength that he could possibly muster. A heaving breath escaped his lips, as he willed himself to stand despite every bone in his body crying out in harmonious pain. A thick bead of sweat dragged down his flesh and burned his cobalt eyes, his feet swayed with unsteadiness, and his arms screamed in dull, constant pain. He chose to focus on his labored breathing, to squash it before he could collapse.
He was tired, and in the end he knew that If he collapsed right now… no one would be hurt. His team wouldn't blame him, and they'd be happy that he managed to fight this well.
But would he be happy?
Would being tired be an excuse for the kid he let die because he couldn't save them from Grimm? Would it be an excuse when the lives of his loved ones were in danger, and he couldn't do anything to stop it?
Could he look Cinder in the eyes as her life was stolen from her, and do nothing but watch?
The answer came with complete certainty, and caused a small, resolute smile to gently cross his lips.
Jaune's front foot slid forward, while his shield was hoisted to his side— held with unbreakable firmness. He rolled his shoulder, and swept his sword through the air, as though he were cleaving the question which had been poised in two. From there, he raised the end of his blade towards a surprised Flynt, and focussed his resolute eyes on his opposition.
"Yeah… sorry man, but I'm gonna keep fighting you."
The Atlesian, to his credit, didn't look disappointed in the slightest. In fact, he almost appeared… happy? He returned Jaune's smile with one of his own, and raised his trumpet.
"Heh, I was hoping you'd say that. May the best man win, yeah?"
"Absolutely."
The Atlesian took several steps back and readied himself. With a look of palpable confidence, several clones of his person manifested at his sides, all of which were wearing the same smile. He raised his trumpet to his lips, causing his clones to follow his movement in unison.
He… couldn't just evade to one side in order to avoid the attack, since his clones covered an almost complete range of space. And utilizing his semblance like before wasn't possible either, the only reason that had worked previously was because the attack he tanked had been a short burst. Now, Flynt possessed both the distance and the time to produce whatever attacked, one which would simply continue even after his semblances' initial use.
The truth was, their brief exchange from before had been his best chance to take him out. He needed something which could survive a constant hail of fire, he wouldn't be able to just walk through that attack with his shield raised.
Shit. His options weren't just limited, they were non-existent.
"But how would that be any help?" Came a groan within the depths of his mind. "How would that be any use in a fight?"
"If you're being shot at by automatic fire." Supplied a distant voice, words matter of fact, tone simple.
"Or walking through a fiery landscape."
Jaune's eyes widened.
He lowered his sword, gripping it by the edge. With a huff, he spiked it high into the air, directed to fly above Flynt. Seemingly not willing to let the same trick play out again, the Atlesian and his clones blasted their trumpets and blasted the sword out of the sky.
Only for him to lower his gaze, and see Jaune barrelling towards him like a freight train.
The distance he had crossed in that brief lapse of time hadn't been great by any means, nor would disarming himself bestow upon him any advantages, yet it had taken Flynt aback all the same.
In any case, he firmly planted both feet upon the ground, with all of his clones repeating in the same motion. Finally, with a great breath of air, he, and all of his clones, blew into their trumpets.
A myriad of colors shot forward, the currencies themselves curving and shattering the earth before them. All of which, directed towards Jaune with unstoppable force and inescapable reach. Not even someone like Yang could stand in front of a blast and keep herself steady, all would fall and collapse against such an attack, swept up in its limitless reach.
Jaune merely closed his eyes, and ran directly into the blast. To some, it would've likely been suicidal, or a last ditch attempt to appear corageous before the cameras.
But there were those who knew, that when his back was against the wall and every option was taken… to never bet against him.
Light did not simply pour from his body, rather it surged like endless waves cascading from a demolished dam. The luminescence exploded in unchallenged might towards every direction, not unlike a supernova. Unimaginable radiance forged by pure energy coated his full body like a second suit of armor. The subsequent resonance which rang from the clash of his frame with the myriad of sound, caused a deafening boom which silenced the entire arena.
Ordinarily, the surge of his semblance held little longevity. It was like a quick flash of light, or a sudden spark. Fast, and a mere flicker in a moment of desperation.
This was anything but.
Rather than a sudden spark or flash, this was an untameable blaze which continued to burn despite the initial point of impact. The energy which radiated off of him appeared less like the gleaming reflection of glass, and more like an inferno of blazing, platinum fire. He stood in the midst of Flynt's attack, yet his body was not pushed back. Even as the earth shattered around him under the overwhelming ferocity of Flynt's blast, even as the sound traveled further and cleared out the forest which stood behind him...
He stood unshaken. Like a behemoth mountain being struck by unfathomable waves, bearing down on him with its full might, yet unwilling to be weathered.
Jaune took a step forwards, and then another, and then another. He could see the explosion of multi-coloured sound fill his vision, even through the sheen of bright light which he wore around his body. Yet… he couldn't feel a thing. It was as though it didn't even touch him. In fact… he couldn't even feel the injuries which once marked his body.
He felt nothing, besides the tranquility of his soul.
Jaune laughed. Laughed in happiness, laughed in the proof of his own progression, and laughed in the euphoric burst which erupted at his core. His slow steps increased in pace, placing him at the storm's eye of Flynt's relentless wave. He was close enough to see the silver weapon through the constant release of colors. He was close enough to see the panicked look contort across the Atlesian's features, the shaking of his hands at his weapon, and the exertion on his face.
Jaune took a final, unmovable step forward, and reached towards Flynt's trumpet.
This… was it.
Jaune reached out blindly, unable to see due to the surge of color which filled his senses, and unable to hear under the eruption of both his semblance and the sound of Flynt's currencies. His hand managed to find what felt like Flynt's collar, and he made sure to get a firm grip.
With a final thrust of his arm, he shoved his semblance-infused fist into the epicenter of Flynt's weapon.
If the explosion which had occurred due to their initial clash was great, this was… gargantuan. An explosion of rainbow colored light erupted in every direction, shattering everything which stood around it like a ground zero explosion, and causing a monumental quantity of dust and grime to be kicked up in its radius.
The cameras zoomed in, the crowd held their breath, and in the end… the wind slowly dragged a calm hand through the dust. Gently prying away the secrets which it held beneath its fingertips.
Jaune stood with a wavering frame, the once gleaming light which bathed his body now completely absent. While Flynt… was on his knees before him, his collar gripped firmly within Jaune's fist. While his trumpet lay by his side, shattered into countless pieces.
The two men held one another's gazes, both with heaving chests and blurred vision. Neither knew who should speak first, until finally… The Atlesian broke the grating silence.
"H-how…" He rasped, breath feeble and weak. "How did you… do that?"
He received no response for several moments. Perhaps Jaune simply didn't know how to respond, or perhaps he simply couldn't— still far too fatigued to form the necessary movements from his lips.
Until finally, he breathed in a ceremonious breath, and began. "I… I don't know." He found himself admitting. "My… My semblance works in short surges usually. But.. a friend gave me the idea of having it last a little longer, even if I can't make quick movements. I… I've been training to do that, but I've only ever managed five seconds or so…" He had managed far longer this time, maybe a full fifthteen seconds.
To him, it had felt like an eternity.
"Then how… how did you know that it'd work?"
"I didn't," He admitted once more, forcing a weak smile to take shape across his lips. "I just… needed to shorten the distance between us." Using his sword as a distraction was the first thing that came to mind. "Anything to give me a few more steps in your direction. Then I just… gave it my all."
The boy's face appeared incredulous with his response, almost unbelieving. "Then why…the hell would you ever try that? You didn't even know if it would work."
Jaune released the boy with a sigh, before taking a step back. "I just… had to try my best."
"You're insane," Flynt laughed and collapsed onto his back, arms held wide and a broad smile on his face. "Hah… gotta respect it."
Jaune took a step back, and raised an unsteady arm to grip his throbbing shoulder. Now that his semblance no longer embraced him… all of the former pain came back all at once. He chanced a look at the scoreboards.
Flynt's aura was his ten percent, his was at twenty five, and…
Wait…
He spun around, only to find the rest of his team watching him with intensely different expressions. Ren looked surprised, but happy. Nora appeared ecstatic, and Pyrrha practically radiated happiness and pride.
Jaune, meanwhile, simply looked confused. "W-why the hell didn't you guys help me?!" Neon was out of bounds, while Ren and Nora's opponents were both down for the count. They could have easily jumped in at any time. "I was getting my ass kicked!"
"Pfft! Are you crazy?" Nora roared. "That was awesome! That was one of the coolest fights I've seen all year!"
"We… wished to let you handle your own battles." Ren supplied. "Our opponents were dealt with. He was not our fight, he was yours."
"We believed that you could do it, and clearly… we were right." Pyrrha grinned.
There were many things he could've said, asked, or done. But in the end, all Jaune did was smile, and turn towards the crowd with a raised fist.
The cheers were deafening.
Well then, that was certainly something huh? Originally, I planned on Jaune coming up with some crazy strategy, and having this planned for some other, future fight. Buuut I ended up coming up with something else for that fight, and used the longer use of his semblance for this one. After all, I know how much you all seem to enjoy Jaune using his semblance in different ways from canon. Even still, I hoped I displayed a good balance between Jaune using his head, and Jaune exploring his semblance in order to win. I'm sure a certain someone will be happy with the extra semblance use *cough* Luffy *cough*
Though, I'm sure you can basically feel the cobwebs in this chapter. I'm pretty damn rusty, but if there's a chapter to be rusty on, it's this one. Almost every chapter from now on to the finale will hold some sort of importance greater than this one. Speaking of, we are getting closer and closer to the finale, aren't we?
Originally, this chapter was supposed to include a Jaune/Cinder interaction, and Minaris even suggested that I do that upon checking out the chapter. But along with me believing that this was sort of the natural end to the chapter, I also believe that their interaction next chapter will hold more weight due to what I have planned for it.
Next up… my absence. I'd like to apologize to all of my readers. There were a few factors, not including a writer's block. Though it really can all be summed up with, well, "life." Even still, I thank all of you who continue to wait for this fic to update. It really means a lot that I have readers who will continue to hold on despite the waits.
I'd like to send a special thank you to Obsequium Minaris. Not only is he the biggest bro, but he's been incredibly helpful with my progress of this fic since the beginning. He gave this chapter a brief read through before the edits and gave me his thoughts, so if there's anything you don't like about this chapter, uh… blame him?
Also, he's published yet another new book. Dead World. By John Haruspex. You can find it on Amazon, it's a great story.
Well then, until the next chapter.
That's all, folks.