DarkDragon472: Haha, yep! Sirius is no casanova, and considering the attractive female roster of RWBY, he's gonna have more panicky moments like that, trust me!

And your harem suggestions are noted!

Dreadix: Yeah, Sirius won't be be gaining aura or a Semblance. But that doesn't mean he's completely excluded from combat classes in Glynda's class, nor is he gonna be entirely defenseless... in the future. He still has no combat training or experience as of late.

Guest 1: Noted.

Yang34: There won't be any lemon chapters for a while--we're still early in the game. But your harem suggestions are acknowledged!

XxEnderhunterxX: Hiya! Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot, and it's perfectly fine if the review is long. I pretty much read every single review anyway! As for his powers, I can't say much for spoiler reasons, but the abilities he's showcased so far have been super-strength, speed, durability, and accelerated healing. Whatever else he has, you'll have to keep reading to find out. Don't worry though, he isn't going to be ridiculously OP or anything, though.

Characters are going to be getting buffs down the line, anyway...

In regards to harems, my apprehension mainly stems from deterring people from the story or disliking Sirius as a character because multiple girls are infatuated with him. And I personally like harem stories if they're done right. Considering the majority are pining for a harem, though, that's likely the route I'll be going with. I just hope I can make a compelling and believable relationship with these characters.

Again, thank you for the kind review! And I hope you enjoy what I have planned for the future of this story!

Chapter 4: The Goddess of Victory

"Rise and SHINE, Team RWBY!... plus Sirius!"

Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Sirius collectively groaned in misery at Ruby's loud and energetic wake up call. All three girls and the sole boy in the room slowly sat up and rubbed at their eyes in sync. Weiss glared lightly at her partner.

"Do you have to be so loud this early in the morning?" Weiss hissed out, glowering.

"Weeell~" A sadistic gleam appeared in Ruby's eyes as a large, toothy grin crept up her face. "I can always get the airhorn if this isn't enough for you~"

An instant chill ran up Weiss, Blake, and Yang's spines and they immediately shrieked out, "NO!" in unison. Sirius couldn't help but wince at their volume.

Ruby giggled and nodded. "Well, then! Up and at 'em! We got a busy day ahead of us, gang!"

"Aiye aiye, captain..."

The rest of her team grumbled under their breaths as they climbed out of their beds, shuffling through the room like limping corpses as they gathered their bearings. Sirius yawned and slowly sat up himself, stretching. Ruby walked up to him, folding her arms behind her. "Sleep well?"

"... Kinda?" Sirius mumbled sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. He did not want to admit he spent the first 3 hours of the night panicking about being in a room with 4 girls before eventually passing out... "How about you?"

"Slept like a baby!" Ruby beamed, thrusting a fist into the air. "Now I'm all charged up and ready to start the day!"

Sirius grinned softly. Her energy was contagious. "That right?"

"I wish I had your energy..." Blake grumbled, rubbing at the bags under her eyes.

"You and me both..." Yang stretched with a yawn. The action made her bosom bounce energetically behind her tanktop, drawing Sirius' leering gaze for a fraction of a second before looking anywhere else.

Weiss slumped against the wall with a miserable groan.

Before any further action could commence, there was a brief knocking on the door. They all paused and glanced at each other, and Ruby walked up to the door and opened it, blinking in surprise to see Glynda Goodwitch standing there, expression neutral.

"P-Professor Goodwitch!" Ruby yelped, stiffening under the woman's stern gaze. "Uhhhhhhhh... hi!"

Weiss facepalmed in the background.

"Greetings, Ms. Rose." Glynda greeted the girl calmly, eyes scanning the room and locking onto Sirius. "I'm here for Mr. Caelan."

"... Me?" Sirius pointed to himself, blinking in confusion. He got a nod in return.

"Indeed. Your dorm has been prepared. If you would come with me, we can get your settled in before your first class."

"Oh, okay!" Sirius nodded with a smile as Glynda turned to leave. He quickly rushed after her. But not before sending Team RWBY a cheerful wave. "See you guys in class!"

As Sirius departed, the four girls stood there in silence. That silence was broken once Yang abruptly grabbed her uniform and dashed into the bathroom without a second thought, much to their shock.

"Dibs on the first shower!"

"CURSE YOU, YANG!"

[HUNTER]

"Here is your scroll. Your student ID is built inside alongside your credentials. Your uniform and schedule is inside the dorm. And please, Mr. Caelan, take care of that scroll. It will be the only way for you to gain access to your dorm."

"Right, thanks, Ms. Goodwitch." Sirius nodded to the woman in thanks, glancing down a smooth, silver rectangular device in his hands.

Glynda nodded her head and turned away, walking off. Though, she paused in her steps and gave Sirius a stern glare, as well as a few parting words before leaving. "I expect you to freshen up and be in my class. On time."

Sirius gulped audibly and felt sweat roll down his cheek. Are all the women here scary...? He sighed and shook his head, looking at the scroll again. He frowned and tapped it, wondering how to activate it. "How do I work this stupid thing."

"You hold the button and pull both ends."

Sirius let out a yelp and whirled around to face the owner of the voice. He came face to face with a young woman, possibly a year or two older than himself with a pretty, round face, wearing the standard issue Beacon uniform for Beacon students that showed off her curvaceous, hourglass figure. Chocolate brown eyes filled with warmth and amusement, with matching long flowing brown hair. What caught Sirius' attention, however, was the bunny ears on top of her head.

"...Uhh..." Sirius stared at the girl dumbly, and quickly looked down at his scroll. He held the golden button and pulled both sides. His eyes widened in fascination as a glass screen, almost holographic, booted to life. "Woah..."

His naked awe caused the girl in front of him to giggle in amusement. He blinked, remembering her presence and blushing in embarrassment. "O-Oh! Thanks, uh..."

"Velvet Scarlatina." Velvet bowed her head with a small smile. "You're a 1st Year? I haven't seen you around."

"Oh, yeah. I was admitted recently my Ozpin.." Sirius nodded awkwardly, glancing around nervously. He smiled sheepishly. "I'm Sirius Caelan, by the way."

Velvet tilted her head as she watched Sirius body language and let out a small laugh, shaking her head and bowing once more. Then she walked along the hall. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Caelan." Before she turned the corner, she sent him a wink. "Perhaps I'll see you around."

Sirius blinked, staring at where Velvet left for what felt like an eternity, before one single thought came to mind and left his lips.

"... What just happened?"

[HUNTER]

[... And you're sure he's an Unknown. Another hasn't shown up in years, Oz.]

"Very much so. And he will need all the guidance he can get."

[I'm not a teacher. My time is better spent on the field, not looking after some brat.]

"And yet, you of all people know the dangers this world poses, more than anything else. Qrow can handle the reconnaissance, but I implore you to at the very least take it into consideration. I would train him myself, but I'm swamped with work, and his situation is... unique."

There was a withering sigh, and a long lull in silence as the clock ticked by. Eventually, the voice spoke up again.

[... Fine. I'll train the kid. But I'm telling you now, Ozpin, that if he's so much as a waste of time and effort, I'm leaving.]

"Understandable. You have my thanks... Vania."

[Whatever.]

As the call ended, Ozpin let out a long, winded sigh and rubbed at his temples as he tossed his scroll onto his desk. It was one thing after another. Something he was frighteningly used to, considering the circumstances. Nevertheless, this would be exactly what Sirius Caelan needed to prepare himself for what was beyond Beacon's borders. For both his own survival, and those he inevitably grows close with.

As Ozpin took a long sip of his coffee, and snapped to attention when the elevator door to his office opened. Glynda stepped through and the headmaster exhaled through his nose, leaning back in his seat.

"Glynda, to what do I owe the pleasure."

"I escorted the boy to his dorm. I'm getting prepared for my class now." Glynda sighed, giving Ozpin an exasperated stare. "I still haven't the foggiest idea why you let the boy enroll. The same with letting Ms. Rose in two years early. At the very least Ms. Rose is a prodigy, but it is clear that Mr. Caelan is not suited for this line of work. Even if he's one of... them."

Ozpin sighed, setting his cup down. "Yes. That much is clear. But." He folded his hands together, dawning a serious look as he gave Glynda is own leveled stare. "When I spoke to that young man, Glynda, do you know what I saw? A boy with drive, passion. A soul yearning for more with his life, to save others. He is a pure soul, and I believe with the right guidance, he can become a powerful warrior. The same goes for Ms. Rose, and all of my students."

Glynda's brows furrowed at Ozpin's words and she took in a slow breath, working her jaw silently before eventually sighing. "I... I am aware of his potential, Ozpin. I just do not wish to see another's life cut short because of our short-sightedness."

Summer Rose came to mind and it was as if a stake had been driven through his chest. Ozpin took in a slow breath and nodded, slowly rising from his seat and staring out the window. Through his many lives, he knew the pain of loss better than anyone. Each mistake he made led to the death of someone he grew close to. Grew to love. Every mistake gave Her an edge.

His grip on Long Memory tightened, and he closed his eyes, taking in a breath.

And if there was thing he learned... is that you don't get used to death.

You only grow to anticipate it.

"... I know."

He opened his eyes. They held a determined gleam, as if a spark had been ignited. His grip on Long Memory loosened, and he turned to face Glynda, his face set in a determined visage.

"That is why we will make sure not to repeat the same mistake again."

[HUNTER]

Fully dressed in the Beacon uniform, Sirius stared at his schedule and scroll with an irritated frown on his face. The white-haired boy stifled a groan and instead released a frustrated snort.

"This place is like a freaking MAZE! How does anyone navigate this place?!"

"It is quite daunting, isn't it?"

Sirius turned to see Team JNPR walk over to him. He blinked in surprise.

"Hello again~!" Pyrrha chorused with a bright smile.

"Hey, Sirius." Jaune smiled. "Having trouble finding your class?"

"... Yeah." Sirius seemed to deflate, but soon perked up with a grin. "Oh! Maybe you guys could help me out?"

"Oh! Sure!" Jaune seemed quick to agree, stepping forward. "Let me just--"

"Let's see here~!" Nora abruptly snatched Sirius' schedule, interrupting Jaune in the process. Much to the blonde's irritation. "Hmmm...~ OH! You share your first class with us! History with Professor Oobleck!"

Sirius could have sworn he heard someone scream "Doctor!" but he was sure he was just hearing things. Sirius chuckled and smiled. "Cool! I was hoping we could hang out more, anyway... how about we walk to class together?"

"Oh, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha clapped her hands together with a grin. Ren nodded silently in agreement.

"That's fine with me! Nothing wrong with walking with friends." Jaune nodded as well, smiling.

"AAAALRIGHT! ONWARD! TO CLASS!" With absurd strength for some of her stature, Nora, through impossible odds, lifted up not only the rest of her team, but Sirius as well, and dashed down the hall. Leaving the group to scream in shock as the world around them blurred. Jaune gagged and swiftly raised his hand to his mouth to avoid puking up his breakfast. Sirius screamed girlishly and covered his eyes.

The students that witnessed the tomfoolery that just transpired could only stand in the halls, utterly flabbergasted.

[HUNTER]

Sirius slammed his head against his desk and resisted the urge to groan. Jaune was in a similar position. Sirius didn't know what he was expecting from Professor Oobleck's class. Maybe boring, drawn out topics on Remnant's history. No. What he got instead was a literal bundle of energy slammed into a human skinsuit and given proper sentience. The man moved and talked at the speed of sound, so fast that Sirius was sure not even someone like Ruby could keep up. All of this culminated into him giving up halfway through.

At least I got some notes down... Sirius tiredly glanced down at his notebook, sighing. His heart practically soared when the bell rang, to the point where he nearly weeped in joy. Thank you, God!

"Ah! Well, that'd all for today, class! I expect a full page essay depicting the history and backgrounds of Mountain Glenn settlements during it's foundation by next week!"

That got a chorus of groans from everyone in the class, and Sirius felt as though his soul left his body as he stifled a cry of emotional pain by burying his face into his hands.

"Just fail me now... no way in Hell am I doing that..." Jaune mumbled, keeping his face planted against the desk.

"I think I'd rather fight another Nevermore."

"Hn."

"Come now, don't be like that! It isn't so bad." Pyrrha admonished Sirius, Jaune, and Ren lightly. "You can't just give up now. You have a grand future as a Huntsman to strive for! Right, Nor-?"

As the red-headed spartan turned towards the ginger-haired girl, her passionate face settled into one of disappointment and sorrow as she watched the normally hyperactive energy ball of JNPR snore loudly, blissfully unaware. She had fallen asleep the moment the lesson began.

Jaune lifted his head up with a half-lidded gaze, looked towards Nora, then at Pyrrha incredulously. "I think I agree with Nora."

[HUNTER]

"So, next up is Combat, right? What can I expect from that?"

"I think it's best if you wait and see for yourself."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders at Pyrrha's answer as both he and Team JNPR made their way to their next class, which was Combat. He didn't know what to really expect from it, but considering he was currently attending what could only be described as Sky High and Attack on Titan having a love child, he had the feeling it was going to end in explosions and multiple students being sent to the infirmary.

Where does that leave me, then? The disturbing thought caused Sirius to sweat. Bur he shook his head head and trudged on. No, no. It can't be that bad.

A few hours later...

It was that bad.

"NORA SMASH!!"

Sirius visibly winced as a pink explosion rocked the entire stadium. A howl of pain echoed throughout the room as a battered, beaten, and singed Russel Thrush flew fron out the mist of pink fog and crashed loudly against the wall and outside the ring. The holoboard declared Nora as the winner, and the ginger-haired girl let out a mighty roar of triumph, thrusting her hammer into the air as a sign of victory. There was a chorus of claps, Sirius was not among them.

"WHOO! You go girl!" Yang whooped and hollered, grinning broadly at the display of violence.

"Goooooooo, NORA!" Ruby jumped out of her seat with a cheer.

"A little too violent, but still a very good show!" Pyrrha applauded with a practiced smile.

A little? Sirius, Weiss, Blake, and Jaune found themselves thinking in unison, both confused and frightened. Mostly confused.

"Ms. Valkyrie is the winner." Glynda announced monotonously. "Team CRDL, please escort your teammate to the infirmary... and Ms. Valkyrie, while a wonderful display of combat ability, practice restraint. We do not wish to hospitalize students... or worse."

"Yes ma'am~!" Nora saluted with a goofy grin, whistling cheerfully as she skipped her way out of the arena while Team CRDL dragged Russel's motionless body away. Purposefully avoiding the girl.

"... She is terrifying." Sirius gulped with wide eyes.

"Let's just be glad she's a friend, and not an enemy." Jaune agreed, shuddering.

Ren could only nod silently in agreement, knowing firsthand how dangerous Nora could be if you were to earn her ire. The very thought made the boy cringe.

"Next, we have..." Glynda flicked her scroll, and the holoboard spun. The students that were selected were... "Yang Xiao Long and Pyrrha Nikos. Please come down to the stadium."

Several eyes widened and the class began to whisper amongst themselves. Yang grinned with excitement and practically bounced out of her seat, and leaping towards the stadium in a hurry. Pyrrha was quick to follow. There seemed to be a tense heat in the air as the mutterings continued, and it unnerved Sirius to no end. Setting his nerves on fire.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sirius winced.

"In only a few days, Yang and Pyrrha have cemented themselves at the top two students with the highest scores in Combat Class. It was only a matter of time before they were pit against each other." Blake had actually set her book down, and was paying keen attention to what was about to go down. "For it to be so soon, though..."

"Who do you think is gonna win?" Jaune asked absentmindedly, watching as the blonde and red-head respectively prepared their weapons.

"Pyrrha, obviously." Weiss' response was immediate at she folded her arms, eyes narrowing. Ruby looked affronted.

"Weiss?! How could you! Are you saying Yang can't win?!" Ruby pouted, slamming her hands down on the desk.

"You dolt, I'm saying the difference in skill between them is night and day." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Or have you forgotten Pyrrha's background?"

"... What's the difference between Yang and Pyrrha? They're both strong, right?" Sirius frowned in confusion, brows furrowing. Weiss nearly looked appalled, and she would have berated him, if she didn't know of his current circumstances beforehand.

"They're both strong, yes." Blake nodded, expression neutral. "But the difference is experience. Pyrrha is a once-in-a-generation prodigy. Stated to be one of the strongest rookies of our generation and year, she's also the four time running champion of the Mistral Fighting Tournament. Some have said she's even had experience on the field."

"All of this culminated into her earning the title the 'Goddess of Victory'. For she has never lost a single battle. As if she were blessed by the Brother Gods themselves." Weiss tapped her arm with furrowed brows and a stern frown. "I commend Yang's strength and skill, but compared to Pyrrha, they're leagues apart."

"Well I think Yang can win!" Ruby pumped her fists with a determined pout.

"Let's bet on it then!" Nora grinned and clashed her fist into her palm.

"E-Eh?!" Ruby yelped, eyes going wide with shock. "B-But I'm saving my allowance for the next Weapons Magazine issue..."

Nora's grin took on a mischievous edge. "Oh? I guess you're just scaaaaaaaared~"

The others looked towards Ruby with an incredulous stare, almost as if to say "Don't fall for it."

She fell for the bait near instantly.

"FINE!" Ruby growled and fished out some lien from her pocket, slamming it on the desk. "I bet Yang! Don't get mad when she kicks Pyrrha's butt!"

Nora let out a maniacal chuckle. "Then don't come crying to me when I take all your money! I bet Pyrrha!"

"Guys, c'mon... you shouldn't be betting..." Jaune paused, as eyes shifted towards him. Soon, he grinned, and slapped his own stack of lien down. "... without me! I place my bets on Pyrrha."

"Yang." Blake shrugged her shoulders idly, tossing her own cash in.

"You all are so childish." Weiss scoffed and closed her eyes for a moment... before cracking an eye open and smacking a fat wad of cash onto the pile. "Pyrrha."

Everyone began to make excited murmurs and were beginning to place in their own bets. The bets seemed to be even between Yang and Pyrrha, and Sirius sweat-dropped.

"... Yang." Ren pulled out a few lien and tossed them into the growing pile. The group sent him a look of shock. In response, he shrugged. "Rooting for a fellow martial artist."

They turned their attention to Sirius. He grinned nervously. "Uhh, I'm not liquid on funds right now... but I'll root for Yang as emotional support?"

Down at the stadium, Yang rolled her shoulders and smirked at the uproar they'd started. And they haven't even begun to fight. "Guess we got ourselves an audience, P-Money!"

"... P-Money?" Pyrrha raised an amused brow as she gripped tightly onto Akuo and Milo.

"New nickname I just thought up!" Yang grinned and activated Ember Celica, clashing her fists. "Ya likey?"

Pyrrha let out a soft chuckle. "Quite."

"We shall go by standard tournament rules." Glynda stated calmly. "Whoever knocks the opponent out of the ring first, wins. Or if the opposing fighter is too injured to continue, the battle will be stopped automatically. Understood?"

Yang and Pyrrha gave silent, affirmative eyes. Their eyes never leaving the other. It was a tense moment of silence as the timer ticked down. Pyrrha shifted her grip on her weapons. Yang adjusted her footing. Their eyes narrowed. The timer reached one...

And they shot off like human bullets. Yang roared and fired two shotgun rounds at Pyrrha, who used Milo to deflect them. She dashed forward and lunged at Yang with a spinning slash, forcing Yang to raise her gauntlets to block the strike, diverting Pyrrha's momentum with a shove and twisting her body, following into an elbow strike that was swiftly blocked by Pyrrha's shield.

Both fighters narrowed their eyes at each other and smirked. Pyrrha was the first to retaliate, driving a knee into Yang's sternum to force the blonde back. She performed a 360 spin and launched Akouo at the brawler. Yang ducked and took the opportunity to rush Pyrrha. Pyrrha shifted Milo into it's rifle mode and began to fire at the approaching blonde, forcing Yang to dodge and fire back.

Akouo bounced against the wall and ricocheted, flinging into Yang's back, forcing her to stumble. Pyrrha took her opportunity and rushed forward, catching her shield and slamming her knee into Yang's chin with a follow up kick to the stomach. She shifted Milo into it's xyphos mode and began assaulting the blonde with a clean barrage of slash attacks, before ending things off with a charged up aura slash.

Yang's eyes widened and raised her arms to block the hit. An explosion rocked the arena and generated a powerful shockwave that reached up to the stands. Sirius' eyes widened in shock, leaning forward in interest.

"What was that?!"

"An aura projection." Ren narrowed his eyes, cupping his chin in thought. "Skilled practitioners in manipulating aura can release it outwards into powerful techniques. This projectile was one of them. Aura Slash... it's an old Mistralian technique."

Jaune felt sweat roll down his cheek. "Holy crap... does that mean we can do that too?"

"Considering one of our classes is Aura Application, safe to assume that we will learn to."

C'mon, Yang...! Ruby bit the inside of her cheek, sweat rolling down her forehead.

The dust cleared to reveal Yang standing there relatively unscathed, save for a few scuff marks. Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise as the blonde grunting and rolled her shoulders. Yang popped her knuckles.

"Gotta try harder than that, P-Money."

Pyrrha felt her lips curl up into a grin. "If you insist."

Charging aura into her feet, Pyrrha launched herself at Yang with a newfound burst in speed. Thrusting Milo forward, Yang parried the strike and bat the weapon aside, throwing off Pyrrha's balance. She seized her chance to attack. Her hair burned gold and she rammed her fast into Pyrrha's chest. The spartan gagged and Yang felt a feral smirk tug at her cheeks as she continued her assault, slamming into Pyrrha with a barrage of punches, and ending it all with an uppercut.

Pyrrha's body sailed through the air and felt her brain vibrate in her skull. She grit her teeth and shook her head. Did her strikes get stronger?! It felt like I just tanked a hit from Arslan...! She flipped through the air and heard Ember Celica go off. Her instincts flared and she swiftly raised Akouo to block and shotgun-powered punch from Yang. Her back impacted the ground painfully as she skipped across the ground, stabbing Milo into the floor to halt herself and prevent herself from falling out of the ring.

Pyrrha grinned at the pain vibrating through her, at the adrenaline, and shot up to her feet. She banged Milo against Akouo and egged Yang on, her will manifesting itself within her aura, which rippled off her body in waves.

"COME ON!"

Landing on the ground, Yang snarled with an a thrilled grin. Her soothing violet eyes shifted into a blazing pool of crimson and she let out an intense roar. Her aura abruptly skyrocketed as her hair erupted into a cacophony of flames. Her Semblance flared, giving off an aura of intense heat and fire. Steam wafted off her body as she blasted off towards Pyrrha with a blast from Ember Celica, further boosting her speed in the air.

Pyrrha's aura flared brighter in response, boosting her parameters and swirling around her body. She met Yang head on. Shield and fist clashed and rang loudly through the arena. They punched and kicked, slashed and blocked. Sparks flew from their lightning fast strikes, causing their blows to blur. Pyrrha felt her bones rattle under Yang's fierce blows, yet she grinned all the same.

She was thrilled. She was excited at the challenge.

But she was not going to lose.

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed as she adjusted the angle of Akouo. As Yang's next strike came, she thrusted the shield upwards, sending Yang's arms up. Havign thrown all her momentum into her swings, Yang couldn't stop herself from stumbling and losing her balance. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed and she slammed the butt of Milo into her nose.

"FUCK! Sonova-!"

Pyrrha swiftly swept Yang off her feet and charged aura into her palm before driving it into her solar plexus. Yang wheezed and her eyes bulged outwards as the wind was knocked out of her. Her body was sent rocketing through the air, but Pyrrha didn't stop. Focusing aura into her shield, Pyrrha dug her feet into the floor and launched Akouo at Yang full force. With no time to defend, the shield slammed into her with the force of a freight-train.

Yang's body soared out of the ring and impacted the stadium wall before collapsing onto the floor outright. The buzzer ringed and Pyrrha was declared rhe winner. The spartan took in greedy gulps of air as she relaxed herself, easing her racing heart and catching Akouo with casual ease.

"An excellent display between Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Nikos. Take notes students, on the way they both flowed into each strike and did not give the other any reprieve." Glynda nodded in approval, adjusting her glasses. "When fighting an enemy, you must not give them time to rest. Even the slightest second can tip the scales of a battle."

There were groans of despair, mostly because of Yang's loss, which meant the loss of a good majority of the students funds. Nora's holler of victory didn't make it much better. But there were also sounds of acknowledgement. Glynda let out a sigh and shook her head, looking over at Yang.

"Ms. Xiao Long, do you need to be taken to the infirmary?"

"Ugh... nope. I'm good." Yang groaned and pushed herself up, nursing her stomach. "Shit, she hits harder..."

"I'm sorry."

Yang blinked and peered up to see Pyrrha offering her hand to her. The blonde brawler took it and hoisted herself up. Pyrrha smiled nervously. "I got a little carried away there."

"You kidding?!" Yang laughed, slapping a hand on Pyrrha's back, causing the red-head to blink in surprise at Yang's enthusiastic grin. "That was the most fun I had in like, ever?! We need to spar some more sometime!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened and her mouth was left agape for a moment. Then, she grinned softly and nodded. "I'd like that."

Yang's grinned widened as she punched Pyrrha's shoulder and jogged back up to the stands. "Don't think I'll lose to you the next time, though~!"

Pyrrha smiled and clenched a fist, shaking her head with a chuckle and following close behind. "Of course. I won't go easy, though."

As the two returned to their friends, Pyrrha was suddenly assault by a tackle hug from Nora. "PYRRHA~! YOU JUST MADE RICH!"

Pyrrha blinked in confusion, reflexively hugging Nora back. "W-What?"

"Everyone placed bets on who would win." Ren shrugged.

"Ohh..."

"Oh, way to rub salt in the wound." Yang quipped with a smirk. Then she blinked in confusion upon seeing Ruby's face buried in the desk, sobbing. "... What happened?"

"She put all of her savings into betting on you." Weiss drawled, expression incredulous. "And since you lost, all that money went to Nora."

"I'm never gonna get that weapons magazineeeeeeee..."

Yang snorted and walked up to Ruby, tugging the girl into a side hug and smilinf softly. "Thanks for rooting for me anyway, sis."

Ruby sniffled, pouting. "Mmm. You're welcome, I guess..."

Blake chuckled and smiled at her partner. "You did a good job."

"Awwwh, thanks Blake!"

"That doesn't mean you can hug me."

"DANG IT!"

The group laughed and Sirius smiled softly, resting his chin against his palm as he watched his friends laugh and chat with each other. He huffed softly, expressioning softening. Then he yelped when Nora slapped down half the earnings she got from the bets in front of him.

"W-What's this?" Sirius stammered, eyes widening.

"Your share! Duh!" Nora grinned and rolled her eyes, as if the boy failed to catch onto some joke.

Sirius blinked in surprise, looking down at the stacks of lien, then back to Nora. "N-Nora, you got all this stuff from the bets! I can't-"

"Buuuuut you said you weren't exactly liquid on money, right?" At Sirius' slow and hesitant nod, Nora beamed and continued. "Then you can have this! It's no big deal. Besides..."

Nora's expression softened, and there was a flurry of emotions that Sirius couldn't properly identify. But one of them was melancholy. "I know what it's like to not have much."

"Nora..."

Her happy smile returned as she placed her hands on her wide hips. "So take it! Don't spend all in one day though, or I'll break your legs~!"

The playful threat completely went over Sirius' head. He stared at Nora in shock, and felt the faintest traces of tears swell in his eyes at her kind hearted gesture. He choked back the urge to burst into tears, and quickly nodded his head, smiling shakily.

"O-Okay. Thank you, Nora."

"No problemo, friendo~!"

Sirius chuckled softly and wiped at his tears. His heart felt light and he as filled with so much joy, that he felt as though he may pass out from happiness. Absolutely nothing could ruin this moment for him.

"The last battle of the day... Sirius Caelan vs Cardin Winchester."

... He stood corrected.

And that's a wrap! We got some more character dynamics and interactions, and bonds are forming! How fun... but who was the mysterious individual Ozpin was speaking with? And what is their connection to Sirius?

That's for me to know and for you to find out~ which you will if you continue to read!

I hope I did the characters' personalities justice while giving them my own little flair. And can I just say that I love writing fight scenes? I had a blast writing that battle between Yang and Pyrrha.

The fights that happen later on are gonna go off the rails~.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time!