A/N: Erm, I think some of you might have misunderstood something. The "end of this arc" is actually quite a bit away. I estimate something like 5-6 full chapters (not parts). Therefore, this story will get updated for quite a while until I put it on hiatus.
I also just realized I screwed up on the fact that Jaune is actually currently still covered in mud. Let me retcon that back in. I wonder how many of you guys noticed lol.
Thanks for the reviews, please leave your thoughts, be it positive or negative!
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Jaune woke up sprawled on his bed, the barest of rays of sunshine peeking through his curtains. He yawned, stretching, letting his body slowly wake up from a good night's rest. Untangling himself from his sheets, he got up from his bed to open the curtains. It was a beautiful day outside.
Alright, what's my status?
Super powers - check. Haven't exactly figured out how to use them at will yet, but I have time. I thought from that boss fight the gods made me do that there would be a supervillain overlooking us the whole time - a sort of plot ticking clock. But, huh, it seems like a peaceful initiation to me… Other than the nightmare monsters.
Money… Paycheck's coming in a few days, including the extra hours I did to cover for a coworker, so plus that two hundred I should have more than enough for my share of the rent. I could probably even splurge a little bit for fancy food and entertainment.
Gods… Pretty much off my back. Dark's a good guy, if a little creepy, and Light - well, he's clearly there to scare me but I can't exactly say any real harm has been done. Other than the harm to my sanity…
He placed a hand on his chin with a grin. "Hey, life's pretty good! If I figure out how to use Aura at will, I'm pretty much set!" He said as he moved towards the kitchen.
Bang!
"Oh fuck!" He crouched, having banged his toe on the corner of his bed. "Fuck you, lemme have this at least, won't you? You bitch!"
/-/
Jaune winced as he arrived at his first class of the day. His big toe still hurt, which had been quite the pain as his path to university included a long walking segment at the start and at the end.
"Jaune!"
Ren was running towards him, a bit out of breath.
"Hey Ren, shouldn't you be at that psych class? It isn't something serious, is it?"
"No, no." His friend stopped a few steps away from him and took a breather. "Nothing bad. Just out of shape."
"...How are you out of shape when you live with Nora? Didn't she drag you out on that bike trip across the entire city to that town in the east in order to get some good shots of a temple?"
Color drained from Ren's expressionless face as he recollected the event. "They say that you build muscle after exercise …when you rest." He paused. "If there is rest."
Jaune approached to pat his back in sympathy.
Ren turned his head to face him. "I also haven't forgotten how you had a dance fighting class on that day either."
"Haha… But I wasn't lying..." Jaune took a few steps away. He felt bad for Ren, but not bad enough that he'd share in that hell. "So, why were you coming over in such a hurry?"
"You were asking me about passion, right?"
"Er, yes…" Jaune tilted his head. "What about it?" He was still thinking about it? Well, it is Ren. He has always been the more serious kind of person.
"I considered this question a little more yesterday, after the test. I pulled up some textbooks and did my research. I think I can give you a better answer."
To Jaune, it looked like Ren had come to a conclusion. There was a little more excitement in his friend's usual tired pose, a little more tension on his face. Perhaps he had something interesting to say. For the next five minutes, Jaune stayed a while, and listened.
When it was done and Ren left for his class, Jaune was finally left with a few answers to his questions.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
That night, Jaune woke up back on the log he had been sitting on. He glanced towards Cardin. Hm, I could ask him, but he did say he was a newspark too. I think I would get a better answer from the others. He abruptly stood up.
"Hm? Forgot something in the oven?" Cardin asked.
"Yes. Bye Cardin, thanks for the talk!"
Cardin stared at him from his laid down position as Jaune walked away, heading back to camp.
Now, to find them…
He first came across Pyrrha and Weiss right on the outskirts of their little fort. As they came into view, he caught a blur as Pyrrha threw her shield at a sprinting Weiss, knocking her off balance. No time was lost - As even before the shield had hit, Pyrrha had already dashed into Weiss' now open guard. As the shield ricocheted off its target, Pyrrha reconnected it to her arm and spun around, redirecting the momentum, and bashed it in Weiss' face with the same arm, sending her off her feet. Without a moment of respite, Pyrrha grabbed Weiss by her ankle and flipped her over to smash her into the ground. Then, she raised her spear… and threw it into the ground beside Weiss.
All in a single, smooth, continuous movement, done in a few seconds.
"...Weiss, you can't just go around pissing people off." Jaune said, approaching now that the show seemed to be over.
"Excuse me?" The white haired girl got up, helped by Pyrrha. "I requested this."
"Oh…" Jaune put a hand over his mouth. "Oh my."
Weiss harrumphed, patting the dirt off her Aura. "It's said that it's impossible to get away from that move of hers. I was skeptical, thinking it was a mere marketing technique, but…" She gave Pyrrha a glance. "You are very skilled with hitting with that shield. It feels as if it is homing onto me."
Pyrrha smiled, wiping her brow. Her cheeks were red from exertion. Seems like she has been training a lot.
"Then, after that first hit, the second comes in without you being able to react." Weiss stared at her, eyes narrowed in thought and hand on her waist. "Once she has you airborn, then it becomes impossible to act as there's no more leverage. Unless someone has a semblance or techniques that allow air mobility, I can't see how you could get out of this."
"So, basically… it's impossible to dodge?" Jaune asked skeptically.
"I wouldn't say impossible…" Pyrrha chimed in.
"You say that, but from what I remember you've never had an opponent that has dodged it."
"There was that faunus from Vacuo."
"That doesn't count." Weiss rolled her eyes. "He had a clone semblance."
Pyrrha chuckled gently.
"Anyways, I need a moment. I'll be right back." Weiss said and left to sit down on a nearby rock.
Oh… I want to speak to you, too, but Pyrrha's fine. He turned to her. "So, Pyrrha, I have some new questions."
"Ask away."
"Pyrrha… Why are you a huntsman?"
She blinked at it, a bit surprised. "That's… certainly a big question."
I'll be honest. When I half-assed Aura with music, I thought that perhaps that was the answer. However, it's not really reliable at all. Someone could break your phone, or maybe it's very noisy and you can't hear your music… or maybe you got bored of your songs. The problems are endless. This cheat… It isn't very good. Saved me that one time, but I can't keep doing that.
But finding my own conviction? It isn't something that simple. Nor can I say that I'm much of a philosopher. If I had to think - man, I think I may blow a blood vessel! This comes from the guy who barely passed grade 11 chem and realized that STEM was not his forte. At all.
Haha… ha… Nope, still can't laugh about that.
There's so many video games, movies, and books that romanticize the idea of the true self. They talk of it as if it is divine, celebrating who they are as if they are a god deserving of worship. I suppose the soul would even be included in that category.
But what if… being yourself is not right?
Isn't the glorification of 'me' also stagnation?
I'm just a regular guy… Can I really be a 'huntsman'?
What even is a huntsman?
What is conviction?
To find these answers… I need to listen.
"Jaune, by my guess, this must be for some kind of 'positive thinking' academic enrichment program?" Ren had said. "Then, if you want good marks, the first step is simple. You remember what I said to you in high school? Tests are not just about what is right, but what the teacher thinks is right. For classes that border strongly in the realm of human opinion, this is especially true."
"Hmmmm…" Pyrrha seemed to be considering his question, putting her thoughts together.
This game is made by that god. A reflection of his opinions on the world. As long as I am trapped in this place at night, bound by my purse strings, I am at the mercy of his whims. Does it matter if I don't think that reality matches with what he preaches? No.
Jaune watched her intently.
All that matters is to understand the rules that he's playing by.
Pyrrha opened her mouth. "...Because it's the right thing to do?"
"What?"
For a second, all Jaune could do was stand there.
"Seriously?" He said.
The right thing to do? How - How does that motivate anyone? I guess that's fine… Is it really fine?! I guess it would sound cool if you asked a superhero why he saves people and he says 'because it's the right thing'... But to gain conviction from that? I mean, don't you usually say stuff like 'I want to create a world without harm' or something grandiose like that?!
In fact, she didn't even look sure about it! Pyrrha is looking away, avoiding eye contact like I or my sisters nervously would whenever Mom or Dad called us out on something. He continued staring at her, completely in disbelief. Light, since I'm not able to consistently use Aura, are you saying that I don't even have that kind of half-assed conviction?!
Jaune placed a hand over his eyes.
I knew Light's a fraud.
He flinched.
There was no lightning.
The cooldown timer! Has it not passed yet? Ooof, lucky. Still, then what are the notifications popping up on my right -
[Relationships]: +1 reputation with Pyrrha Nikos.
[Relationships]: +1 reputation with Pyrrha Nikos.
[Relationships]: +1 reputation with Pyrrha Nikos.
"Sorry", Jaune thought he heard her mumble out, seeing her look away, a slight dusting of pink on her face. He winced. He didn't mean to insult her drive. What would his mother say, having made a person uncomfortable like this, basically publicly shaming them? He was raised better than this! He -
Wait.
Jaune took a double take, glancing back at the reputation notices for a moment. Yes, that was a plus reputation, not a minus. An increase, not a decrease. The hell?!
Ooookay? I think - no, I'm sure she heard me just now, so I should be losing reputation with her, not this. I straight up mocked her motivations - not that I meant to, I was talking to Light! Wait. Unless…
Jaune noticed a slight upward twitch at the edge of her lips, even as she looked away nervously.
She's… Is she into that?!
"Don't be so surprised." Came Weiss' voice. "The media paints huntsmen like great men in humanity's time of crisis, but many of us are quite down to earth."
Says the company heiress. He turned to her, very happy to move the conversation and his thoughts away from his and Pyrrha's current awkward - in one too many ways - exchange, only to do a double take as he realized Weiss was on her Scroll, typing away. He couldn't explain it, but the pose she was in gave him that classic feel of a texting teenager.
Does a prim and proper upbringing… I guess it doesn't really matter?
Weiss continued typing along. "What do you need in a huntress other than the willingness to fight for a good cause?"
I… I guess. Jaune gave Pyrrha yet another glance. At Weiss' comment, the girl looked away.
"I think her actions speak for themselves." Weiss stated.
Does Weiss mean how she can still use Aura? I don't get this… Still, I'm not entirely out of options to determine my conviction. Ren did talk about that other option…
"Then what about you, Weiss? Your very not boring books said at some point that Aura was about conviction, right? Then what drives you?"
"...Hmm… Passion, drive, dreams… These are things that you don't usually have only one of. But if I had to give an answer, I'd say I'm not so different from Pyrrha." Weiss tapped send and lowered her Scroll. Then, she paused, and chuckled. "There's a lot of similarities between us. That's why I was looking forward to having you as a partner, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha just nodded non-commitantly.
Weiss looked at Pyrrha a second longer, before she looked back down at her Scroll.
"Then, you'd say the same thing?" Jaune couldn't help but incredulously try to confirm. "That you are a huntress because you want to… do the right thing?" What is the right thing anyways? Isn't a farmer who feeds the huntsman technically also helping their war effort? What about the cows that poop and fertilize the fields?! Can you really become so certain in your actions that your soul starts manifesting in reality because of such a loose, undefined, idiotic reason?!
"There's a fire that burns in their hearts that others can never match."
Dark's words came to him and Jaune's hands tightened up into fists.
Only now did he realize that perhaps that was exactly what he, Jaune Arc, believed before. No, maybe not consciously, but if actions speak louder than words, then by half-heartedly asking others, rather than looking into himself, isn't that exactly what he was reinforcing? By blindly stumbling through life, wasn't that what he was doing? He could blame the system all he wanted, but part of him also knew that, truthfully, was there anything in him other than a man that wished to live his life out in peace?
I really am not something special. Is there really anything about me that stands out? My height or degree, that millions of others have? My personality, probably copy and pasted by Light from some general template? Dreams? Sure, I've got the standard. Goals? Again, what everyone else has.
He gritted his teeth.
That should be fine. I'm fine with that, right?
He had never thought about it, but now that he did, perhaps he did believe in Dark's words most out of everyone else that he had asked.
We are not like them.
Then, if I believed in Dark's words… then shouldn't I just give up on Light's game?
Jaune stared at the ground, brows furrowed.
Fuck no.
He had realized what he believed… and he hated it.
There was a desire within him. A voice that repeatedly told him that what he had was enough. That it's fine to stay in his dead end job, because it was society, and his upbringing, that forced his situation to happen. That it wasn't his fault. Logically, if he had expensive tutors while growing up, he wouldn't have ended up the same way. If he had connections like those damned rich brats, then he would have easily gotten a high up management role and spent the rest of his life micro-managing those who actually did any work.
However…
He growled.
If he just gave up, he could imagine that god looking down on him once more with his damned, smug face, full of condescension.
"Just a Mortal after all, huh?"
Oh fuck you! As if I'd let you win. I'm going to prove you wrong, you hear me!
[Admin]: Oh? Feel free.
"Graahhh!" He yelped. "You were listening?! I thought you were gone!"
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, surprised.
"We were right here… The whole time…" Weiss carefully said, as if she was speaking to a baby. "You sure you didn't hurt your head when you started thinking deeply, there?"
"Hey!"
Weiss looked at him carefully. "You've had a number of these strange moments, like when you were repeating 'manu', or something like that, before."
"Nope."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. You're crazy, Weiss. Crazy!"
"Back me up here, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha looked between them. "...Maybe you misheard?"
"Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, really!"
At that, she looked absolutely exasperated. "Sorry for caring."
"Yup… Nothing at all!" He waved it off, laughing it off. "Nevermind that, so what was your answer to my previous question?"
Weiss sighed. "Yes, my answer was yes. It drives me, for sure."
"Let me go ask Ruby then. Maybe her answer will be a little bet - er, would be more helpful."
"Suit yourself."
I'm going to get to the end of this if it's the last thing I do!
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
As Jaune left, he missed Weiss giving herself a little smirk as she whispers underneath her breath, still typing away on her Scroll. "The right thing to do…" She repeated. "Just one more reason to go ahead with the plan."
The wind blew some leaves past her, ruffling her hair.
"...Why are you saying ominous things like that, Weiss?" Pyrrha kindly asked.
Weiss looked up at Pyrrha, lowering her device again. "You don't get into these kinds of moods?"
"No, I do not."
"Hm…"
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
'Prove him wrong' are just words I'm telling myself. I need to actually put myself to the task. This time, I'm not just asking people. Jaune smiled to himself. I have a plan.
…
I have Ren's plan.
He checked the camp, looking for Ruby, but only found Cardin's teammates who were commandeering the game console this time. It seems like after the finals had finished, the party had split up to do their own things. Yang and Ren were nowhere in sight -
"...Don't you think our combination move could use more… pizazz?"
"I think there are already enough theatrics, Yang."
So they are somewhere on that side of the barricades…
He paused, listening to the ambient sound. There was the rambunctious laughter from Cardin's people, Yang and Ren's discussions, some crickets, maybe, and a number of high caliber gun shots. He rubbed his chin. Yeah, totally not Ruby.
He climbed awkwardly over the fort walls and ran towards the sound, where the bushes that led to the rest of the forest were.
A flash of red in the forest caught his eye.
"Is that you Ruby?"
There was silence.
"Ruby?"
"Yes. It's me." She whispered.
Jaune tilted his head. Ruby didn't sound very happy. Did she lose the tournament? "I have some questions for you, it's about Aura." He said.
"Can you look over at the camp for a second?"
Jaune turned his head and did as he was told, confused. Why are you also whispering…? "Yes…?" Their camp looked just as it was. Oh! Was she… Maybe I should give her some privacy. "...Are you done?"
Silence.
"Ruby?" Oh, she could have gone further. "Ruby!" He called louder. "You done?!"
"Never!"
What? …Never done what?! "Can I come over?"
"Yeah, of course!"
I'm so confused at what has just happened, but she sounds like she's done… "Hey Ruby, like I said, I had some questions about Aura. And please, be a little more precise than 'woosh smash boom' this time?" He moved through the bushes, parting them with his hands, to finally come across a small clearing. This one was basically just a section of a walkable trail.
Ruby had her sniper resting on a few rocks, looking through the scope down range. "Just a second!"
"You are practicing your shooting?"
"Nope! I'm in the middle of some calibrations. Calibrations are never done, you know!"
"Is that… Right?"
"Nah. I accidentally knocked something off when I was trying to add a small thing."
"Huh."
"Yeah, cause it exploded."
"Oh, so that's what this sear mark on the ground is."
"Yup! So what was your question?"
"Why did you become a huntsman?"
"Ah?!" She looked up abruptly. "What brought this up?"
He tilted his head. "You were telling me all about having conviction in my movements. Then, shouldn't you have expected me to ask what your drive is?"
There was a reason I didn't ask Light's game characters before. As realistic as they seem, there's a tendency for fiction to exaggerate characteristics in order to create a more entertaining medium. That's why frequently, if you analyze characters with a realistic lens, you'll sometimes realize they are a complete psychopath.
I'm not talking about Big Bang Theory.
I swear.
He chuckled at his own thoughts.
People like Kratos, Master Chief, and Shepard are one of a kind. It's difficult to learn anything from their motivations, because they are basically impossible to exist in real life.
However… I don't need to be exactly like them.
She let go of Crimson Rose, sitting back to face him. "Ha, you're right, just a little distracted! It's just…"
"It's just…?"
"No, no, I just need a sec to gather my thoughts…"
"I was thinking that since Aura usage depends on your conviction, then if you can use it so well, that must mean you have some really strong motivation, right?"
Ruby fiddled with the hem of her skirt.
"...Right?"
"Yeah!" She instantly answered. "Well, um…"
Jaune blinked.
"...Er…"
"Oh, sorry," He realized. "It must be something personal, right? That's fine, you don't need to tell me."
"It's not - well, sort of? But I can condense it, I think. Like you know how… there are bad guys, right?"
"Yes…?"
"Not that they are all bad… It's just, they do bad things… No matter the reason…"
"Yes…?" Jaune tilted his head.
Ruby's cheeks gained a bit of color to them. "And like… We need to do something…?"
"...Are you asking me or telling me?"
"Aawawargh," She pulled at her hair. "It's not what I meant! Retry, retry! I meant that the world is plagued with problems, right?!"
"Yes - "
"And we can't just let it be that way and always just let someone else more qualified resolve it!"
"What, so we should let our unqualified selves go and resolve it?"
"That's what armchair experts on the internet think, but no, I don't think so. What we should do - " She pointed a finger at Jaune's face.
"Woah!"
" - Is become qualified ourselves so that we can fix it!"
Jaune blinked at her resolute, firm expression.
"It's our responsibility, as part of the human race, to uphold our own safety. We can't just leave it to the others, those more heroic, more awesome huntsmen."
"And why not?" He retorted. "You're just a huntress-in-training and I'm just here because of Li - things!"
Ruby lowered her hand and gaze. "...Because heroes die."
Something caught in Jaune's throat.
"Those who meet our problems head-on are the ones most at risk. Be it death, disgrace, or poverty - it is their own fate that hangs in the balance. Heroes die - because they risk it all. Then, once our heroes are all dead… Who will save us then?"
Ruby turned around, facing away from him. "We must all do what we can."
Words that Ren had said came back to him.
"Jaune, my take on conviction is that it's not the anime protagonist screaming at the top of his lungs struggling against the physical manifestation of evil. That kind of conviction can appear in real life, but dies over a few days, like a new year's resolution forgotten after a month. Conviction, in reality, is something far more normal and everyday.
Conviction is when you wake up in the morning and brush your teeth. It is when you decide 'eh, I'll go to the gym today'. It is when you sigh, put down your phone, and refocus on your studies.
Conviction is the power to take the tiny steps you need everyday to, in a far off future, become extraordinary.
Once it becomes a daily ritual, you will move forward. And all you need to do, is no matter what pushes you back, be it even yourself - keep moving forward.
But where does the energy to form these habits, these rituals, come from?
An initial, burning spark."
"Ren, you beautiful bastard. That does sound far easier to do! Thanks!"
"No problem!"
Jaune understood that he won't be able to perfectly use these game NPC's motivations. What Ruby had just said made him laugh a little bit, honestly, because it sounded so grandiose. But even though it was grandiose, even if it was cheesy, there was still that tiny bit of a spark that was ignited within him.
Practice Aura a tiny bit everyday? That's easy! I wasn't able to get it within an hour, but it took Pyrrha years! Heh, I can do this, and in no time, I'll get it!
"Thanks Ruby, you helped a lot!" He turned to leave, sprinting back towards camp.
"Huh?" She turned around. "I - I did?"
After all, I have lots of time. There's no big evil villain - that I can see - putting the world on a timer. My quest objective right now is literally just 'pass initiation', and I've basically already finished! This is time to build my forces, get stronger, and beat the shit out of Salem once the story actually progresses! There has to be some kind of macguffin that can get past her invincibility!
"Jaune… There you are." Cardin walked up towards him as Jaune came out of the forest line. "I was thinking, you said you were a newspark, right? Have you gotten the hang of - "
Out from the right, a blur appeared from the bushes. It flew over several tens of meters of dry dirt. Before Jaune could call a warning, it slammed feet first into Cardin's face.
Cardin flew and smashed into a tree on the left.
Jaune froze, not sure what to do. The new person was a completely unknown huntsman-in-training, whose cloak covered most of his clothing. The person got up, before sprinting towards Jaune. All Jaune could do was barely raise up his hands to block before the cloaked figure smacked his hands away and decked him in the face so hard Jaune flipped over entirely. His body made a 270 degrees spin before landing on his face.
"The fuck!" Jaune spat out dirt.
The cloaked figure didn't say anything, as two more people revealed themselves from the right side. All of them were cloaked, with hoods shadowing their faces.
Cardin growled as he got back up. "Oh, it's you cosplaying shitheads. You back for more?" Then, he charged into the first man and rammed him away from Jaune. "Russel, Dove, Sky, to me!" He yelled.
Jaune reached down into his pocket and pulled out his Scroll, almost fumbling as his fingers almost slipped. "Music, music… Gah!" One of them slid over the earth and gave him a good kick in the stomach, winding him. His Scroll flew from his fingers, but not before music started playing. Jaune got off the ground, readying his fists. "Oh, now you're going down, and then explaining what the hell is happening!"
He engaged the unknown person with a fist, which was easily dodged. "Oh yeah, how 'bout this!" This time, Jaune launched a barrage, hoping to overwhelm them. However, the figure easily dodged all of them.
Wait…
This time, Jaune tried a set of more calculated, stronger punches. However, every time, the opponent evaded. Sometimes, he dodged even before Jaune threw a hit.
Don't tell me he has foresight?! That's a bullshit semblance!
Ruby leapt in with a boot to the man's face. "What's going on?!" She asked.
"I don't know! Cardin and I were talking when these three appeared! Help me bring them down and we can ask!"
"Alright…"
"Careful, he can see the future!"
"Huh?"
Jaune wasn't able to explain more as the third guy went after him. The one who had been fighting him recovered, this time going after Ruby.
Jaune ducked under a punch, feeling like a badass, before the second one caught him in the chin. It hurt, but with his huge pool of Aura, he just took it like a man before trying to headbut his foe. Again, just like the other opponent, the cloaked person ducked preemptively.
They ALL have foresight?!
"Jaune, stop following the music!" Ruby called, "You're following the rhythm - ow!" She flopped onto her back as her opponent landed an especially hard hit, before disappearing into petals as the cloaked figure she was fighting tried to stomp her. Her scythe was not out.
What? What do you mean?! I need the mus - Duck! - I need the music, or else my hits won't do anythi - Left, right, right! - Or else my hits won't have my Aura strength behind them!
"Boss, we're here!" The rest of Cardin's teammates arrived. Russel was the first, leaping over the fort walls. "Get away from Cardin, you bastards!"
Suddenly, without warning, all three cloaked figures disengaged from their opponents. They leapt back, creating space. Then, one of them waved his arms and a blue mist appeared before him. Another gesture and the mist flowed to the second figure, who then enclosed the mist with an orb of transparent material and sent it to the third man, who punched it. The orb blasted through the clearing, heading straight for Russel at lightning speed.
Russel's eyes widened. "Oh shi - "
"Oh no you don't!" Cardin leapt towards his friend.
The sphere exploded, covering the area in blue mist.
One of the cloaked men snorted audibly, before they all left for the trees.
Ruby finally took out her weapon. "I'll stand guard, you check on them!"
"Why weren't y- Why weren't any of us using weapons?!" Jaune asked at her, a little more intense than he meant, before doing as she said, not listening for her answer. "Cardin, Russel? You okay?!"
The others had arrived by then, having all heard the commotion. They were quite noisy, all asking for an answer. Jaune however, could only stare in confusion as the dust cleared.
Cardin laid on the ground in front of Russel, covered in blue paint.
"Cardin, you didn't have to do that!"
"What a bunch of dipshits." The red - blue? - head coughed. The paint covered a good amount of his face, hair, and chest. A little was on Russel. Cardin touched the paint with a finger. "Shit, it looks like the dust-infused kind that sticks to Aura. It's not coming off." He sat up.
"Some guys just came up and attacked us." Jaune explained to the rest. "Then, they, uh, I guess pranked Russel, but Cardin jumped into the way?"
"What? Why?" Weiss demanded.
"I told you." Cardin snorted. "Leave a bunch of teenagers running wild alone, and that's what you get."
"I think we would have heard if huntsmen initiates had made a mockery of Beacon initiation like this!"
Yang crossed her arms, also not happy. "A prank is one where both sides can laugh off. This doesn't count."
"Must be because this year is one of the few times where we had people from our school get into Beacon." Cardin stood up, grimacing. "This is going to require actual soap and water."
"There's a river down the cliff. You three should go wash up there." Yang suggested.
Jaune looked down at himself. There were some specks of blue paint there, resulting from him running into the cloud to check on the two. Not to mention the bits of mud that were still on him from when he was trying to hide from the Grimm. I had forgotten about that.
"I believe I have huntsmen-grade soap that I can let you borrow." Ren offered.
Huntsmen-grade?
"Thanks." Cardin sighed. "Come on, guys, let's go."
"Wait." Weiss stopped them. "Pyrrha, you should go with them. We should be fine with this many people up here, but they'll be vulnerable down there. And no one goes off alone, got it?"
Pyrrha paused, before nodding. "I'm fine with that."
Cardin looked at Weiss questioningly, but didn't voice a complaint.
"Then, we should - " Sky spoke up - a guy with combed back, long, dark blue hair.
"No, stay here." Cardin basically ordered. "Four and four, that should be a good split."
Sky backed down.
In a few minutes, they had grabbed the toiletries they needed. Cardin also told them to bring their swimsuits, which Jaune thought was understandable where water was involved. Then, they leapt down the cliff using their landing strategies.
"I need to get a real landing strategy as fast as I can." Jaune sighed.
"Why?" Pyrrha asked, putting him down from her princess carry.
"This is why!" Jaune sighed. "Are you sure you're fine? Seems like you've been doing some intense workouts."
"Yes, thanks for asking. This is what I usually do." Her cheeks were still red. "I've finished for today, though." Oddly enough, there was little sweat on her.
Do huntsmen not sweat as much? If that was a perk, I'd be quite happy.
Another thought about Pyrrha's behavior came to him. Wait, you don't think… I didn't pay attention, but where was she putting her hands…? She seems to be a bit like that, after all… He shivered.
"Nikos." Cardin addressed, surveying the area. There was a nice clearing that seemed to have been cleared out by explosives, which gave a nice open view and prevented any surprise attacks. "Why don't you station yourself somewhere there, like on top of that set of trees. Should give you a good look over the flattened areas."
"Ok. I will polish my weapons in the meantime, then."
"We can leave our stuff with the lady. Boys, let's go!"
"Yes, boss!" "Sure."
"You don't need to rush. Take your time."
Leaving the things like Scrolls by Pyrrha, the three guys leapt into the stream.
The water was cool, but not cold. It was quite refreshing, and Jaune sat down, letting it pour over him. It was kind of strange, as water ran over him without touching his skin and clothing due to Aura.
"Alright, here's the soap. Scrub it off, then we're leaving for the swimsuits."
Jaune took the soap bar he was offered. "...Right, you did tell me to also bring that. Wait, if we're grabbing the swimsuits after we clean up… Then what was the point of the swimsuits?"
"Taking off our armor, then changing and going in the river will get it dirty, dumbass." Russel answered.
"But won't we already be clean by then?"
Cardin placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. You still don't get it?"
"...No?"
"We're going for a swim, duh! Initiation is basically over, we can do whatever we want!"
Russel cheered.
We did spend all that time playing video games… And now we're going swimming - Is this really a monster hunting school?! Aren't these kids just treating it like a college dorm?!
Jaune's expression fell. He turned around and started scrubbing off the paint.
"...Jaune?"
'Kids'? They're barely four years younger! When did I get so old and depressing?! "Just lamenting how just as the leaves fall gently off the trees and the seasons change, time flies by and we're already an old man…"
Cardin smacked his back with a laugh. "Come on, man, where did that come from? Go wash off that dirt too, and we can have some fun."
Ah! Right. The mud that had been on him was pretty faded, so it should be an easy task. He rubbed a spot on his arm. It didn't come out as easily as he expected - in fact, it didn't rub off at all. It didn't take him long to figure out why, though, as he felt the soap glide over his Aura.
I got my Aura after I got dirty… So my Aura is subconsciously protecting dirt.
He flatly stared at the sky.
That's a stupid feature.
Now that he understood that, he tried to allow the soap through. It worked this time.
"Huh, then don't we technically not need swimsuits, then?"
Cardin answered him. "Aura will stop unexpected hits and things you believe are dangerous. The more you stay in the water, the more you'll get used to it, and then your clothing will get wet as you let your guard down." Cardin explained. "Plus, some people's Aura isn't automatic, and a brief lapse in concentration would get them wet. Not to mention that I want to actually feel the water rather than have my clothes repel it."
Jaune made a sound of acknowledgement.
The three finished cleaning up in no time, and went back to Pyrrha to grab their stuff to change. There were thick bushes that gave decent privacy, and after switching to their swimsuits, they met back underneath Pyrrha's chosen tree.
"Hey, Pyrrha, want to let loose a bit and join us?" Cardin called upwards.
Her hand stopped polishing her spear using a rag. She was sitting on a high up branch that gave a great view of the surrounding area. "...You wouldn't mind?"
"What? Of course not." Jaune said. If you don't do anything weird.
She looked down at them for a second, before she restarted her polishing. "Thank you for your offer, but I think I need… to finish this first. Sorry."
"Your loss." Cardin shrugged. "Let's also take this bag… Is everyone ready?"
"Just a second, I need to apply sunscreen and a moisturizer." Jaune felt his skin. The soap was pretty tough on it and while the sun had started to lower, it inconveniently still peaked out over the cliff's edge. He had forgotten the sunscreen in the morning, but since they were moving about out of the shade in a clearing most of the time, he might as well take the chance to do it.
Russel stared. "What kind of girly-ass ritual is that?"
"Skin cancer doesn't care if you are a girl or a boy… Unless Aura prevents skin cancer?"
"Of course it does!"
Cardin gave Russel a glance. "Does it?"
"Why wouldn't it? It protects us against everything else?"
"Saw a post on Anima that says a new study suggests that Aura doesn't. Who knows. It doesn't stop tans, though."
Jaune added in his two cents. "Tanning's from UV, right? Then isn't it proof that it doesn't prevent skin cancer?"
Cardin shrugged. "Supposedly there are two types of UV."
Jaune stared. This world has two types of UV? Why would you even - what is the lore of this world anyways? Don't tell me that the sun is different too.
The three of them left for the stream after that.
The water wasn't deep enough such that they could completely submerge while standing up, but for swimming, it was more than enough.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Pyrrha sighed as she listened to the distant laughing and splashing.
It would've been awkward with me there, anyways. And it's all men… Isn't being the only girl there… odd? It's not like we even really know each other… Though Jaune made friends with them really fast. She glanced behind her, where they were. It seemed like Cardin had brought water guns. …Did they come to Beacon to learn? Or maybe this is just normal?
Her head snapped up as movement entered her field of vision. A stream of petals. She waited till it coalesced back into Ruby, now sitting beside her.
"Hey… Pyrrha." She looked a little awkward, so Pyrrha automatically gave her one of her practice smiles.
"Hello again."
"Everything is fine? There's some noise, so I thought to check, but… Are they playing in the river?! Is that a HyperSoaker 7000?!"
Oh, maybe it's not that fine, if Ruby is reacting like such. We did spend a while on that game, shouldn't they be resuming their training?
Ruby pouted. "...And they didn't invite me…"
Or maybe it was that.
Pyrrha sighed again. But this time, it was because of something else. Another reason that made her a bit awkward to socialize with them.
Jaune's right. I'm not really a huntsman, just a girl playing as such. I would never admit this to anyone else…
…but I'm pretty sure I failed the written entrance exams.
I've never trained as a huntsman. I don't know how to hunt Grimm or save people - I only know how to take both down, a skill that has been ingrained in me all my life. Then how did I get into Beacon? Was it my parents' connections that got me in? Did a sponsor pull some strings? Did I miraculously guess enough right answers? I guess I'll never know...
Yes, while there are few people my age who can match me, but is beating people down really worth anything? Anybody can destroy - isn't protecting people more important?
The truth is, I do not have the kind of conviction, or goal, that these real huntsmen have. Look at Ruby - how her eyes shone with purpose before she expended almost all of her Aura to blow those Grimm away. Look at Weiss - you'd have to be a fool to not realize the kind of schemes that are hidden beneath that icy smile, though I would never want to be a part of them no matter her motivations. She'll want to use my fame, and I don't want that. I've been used enough.
She sighed yet again. I thought Beacon would be different… but perhaps it was never the environment.
Was it me?
Pyrrha picked up her shield and started polishing it, finding a bit of solace in the repeated actions.
"Erm… Well everything looks fine! So, uh, bye!"
"See you, Ruby."
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Weiss hummed at her Scroll. TAC Tech or Winchester Inc. TAC Tech or Winchester Inc. TAC Tech does have a larger market share in total due to their diversification initiative a few decades ago, but there's a Winchester the same age as me at Beacon, facilitating communication. Additionally, there is the consideration that TAC's model of hitting more markets with cheaper, less reliable products results in less technologies to harness. On the other hand, the Winchester reputation is at an all time low.
A stream of petals flowing into the camp caught her attention and she lowered her Scroll. "Everything fine down there?"
Ruby landed on her feet. "Yup! Looks like they went swimming."
"...There's nothing preventing them." Weiss stated. "Thank you. Apologies about your time, but your semblance is very convenient."
"No worries! But… I wonder why Pyrrha was blushing so much."
"Hm? It seems that she has quite the rigorous workout and a pale complexion. Quite the annoying combination. I can attest to that."
"Oh is that why? I can't believe the guys brought their swimsuits, though. Did they come to Beacon to play?!"
"That is certainly very… unprofessional. Not unallowed, however." Oh, so they were half-naked… and Pyrrha blushing… "What was Pyrrha doing?" Weiss asked just in case. She's Mistralian, they do strange things over there.
"Oh, she was polishing a spear… And sighing a lot while staring at her spear. Oh, don't worry Weiss, she wasn't slacking off on guard duty! She was glancing towards the others from time to time!"
Nothing wrong there.
"I had to leave before she started polishing her shield. I need to get back to my baby… Anything else? If not, I'll be off!"
"No, nothing, Ruby."
"Bye!"
Weiss lifted up her phone, ready to get back to work. Something bugged her, however.
Guys hanging out in the stream… Pyrrha's pale complexion letting redness seep through… Sighing…
Half-naked men… Pyrrha's red cheeks… sighing…
Weiss' fingers stopped.
'Pyrrha was just doing some weird stuff, don't mind it'. Jaune's words came back to her.
'I had to leave before she started polishing her shield.' Ruby had said.
Had? Why had? Polishing her shield -
Polishing her shield?!
She's Mistralian - is that a euphi -
"PYRRHA?!" Weiss cried, cheeks red.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Cardin flopped onto his back on the pebbles at the side of the stream, beside Russel and Jaune.
"Shit! You little bastards!" He laughed. "Teaming up against me?"
Russel shook Jaune's hand. "For a sissy, you ain't so bad."
"...That's rude."
They laid there for a bit. By now, the sun's rays had started to dim, letting the ravine become a cooler place. Jaune didn't feel cold though, when he had come out from the water, as his Aura seemed to have done something and he had quickly felt comfortable again.
"Hey, Cardin," Jaune spoke up.
"Yeah?"
"Those guys, you sounded like you knew them. Why were they after Russel?"
"Cause they're a bunch of wimps." Cardin growled. "Russel just said a few things that they couldn't accept, and they resorted straight to violence."
"Oh."
Cardin flipped over to his side, such that he faced Jaune. "I've also got a question for you. You still have trouble punching people with your Aura?"
"Not just punching. All of that 'Aura Evocation' stuff."
"...How the hell did you survive and get the relics?"
"I got carried."
"...That's not good. What happens if you get caught on your own?"
"Eh… I'll manage." Jaune stared up at the sky, not really caring.
Cardin was silent for a bit. "Do you want me to teach you the way I learned it?"
"Really? That'd be great!"
"Stand up."
Jaune glanced at Cardin. His tone was serious. "Erm, sure."
They both stood up.
Jaune was a bit confused. "So, then what - "
Cardin decked him in the face, sending him rolling in the water.
As much Aura as Jaune had, it could not create oxygen. He burst out of the surface, gasping for air. "Cardin?!" He said, shocked.
Russel had sat up, though remained watching.
"We're late." Cardin said as he approached, stepping into the stream. "When all the other huntsmen were learning new Aura techniques, we were still crying at the paper cut we got from homework. When they were slaying Beowolves and tracking Ursas, we were complaining about having to walk to school." He cracked his fists. "We're so fucking late, Jaune."
Jaune scampered backwards, starting a doggy paddle. His eyes glanced upwards at the tree where Pyrrha should have been, but to his surprise, she was gone. No, wait, there she was! His eyes found a small figure just as it climbed back up and over the cliff. Pyrrha, why?!
Cardin caught up to Jaune in his moment of distraction and he lifted him out of the water by his neck. "How can we match the conviction of people who have dedicated their whole lives to this art, Jaune?!"
Jaune grabbed at the hands around his neck, but they were like steel. Though the Aura wasn't glowing, he could feel its invisible strength. But Jaune's Aura didn't enhance his own. All it did was passively prevent Cardin from squeezing any harder. He then tried punching his opponent, but Cardin just took each hit in stride.
"..We have only one way… We cheat."
Cardin reared back, before throwing Jaune back into the water, back first.
The wind was blown out from his lungs by the impact, as pain made him gasp. As the water swallowed him whole he struggled to reorient himself now that Cardin's grip on him was gone. Frantic limbs flailed, trying to get a grip on anything, the water pushing him downstream. Soon enough, he found a rock, and then popped his head back out of the water, gasping for breath once more.
"W - Wait, Cardin! I don't need to learn Aura that fast! I have time, there's four years at Beacon!"
Cardin spat aside. "False. We're out of time. The enemy… Is already at our doorstep. And they're winning."
What? The Grimm?
"Don't listen to the dumb fucking media or their lies. Don't listen to your eyes that see the peace before you, for they deceive you with their illusions. Just because you can't see the enemy, doesn't mean that they aren't there!" He roared. "Engineering our downfall!" Cardin charged at him once more.
Wait, is he talking about - Oh fuck this, dodge! Jaune hurried and tried to get out of the way, but in the water, his mobility was greatly decreased. Cardin struck him with a headbutt in the center of his chest, this time sending Jaune rolling into shallower waters.
Jaune swore. He had landed on his side. His ribs throbbed.
"Luckily for us, everyone is born with one kind of conviction. Something that is deep inside you… and primal."
"The urge to beat up your face?"
Cardin scoffed. He stalked over to Jaune, who tried crawling back but slipped on the smooth rocks. He grabbed him by the throat once more, pulling their faces closer.
"The desire to live." He stated, and plunged Jaune into the water.
The water was supposed to be the birthplace of life. As Jaune's head was submerged in it, however, all he could think was death. A blue blackness of disorientations, as light shimmered somewhere distant and unreachable.
He struggled with all his might, but Cardin's death grip would not budge one bit.
As time ticked by, the worse his struggles got.
Someone was saying something above him. There was another form that had come. He couldn't hear it, beneath the muffling water.
All he cared about was air.
It was a single minded, concentrated, all-encompassing thought. Every muscle in his body, every neuron, every heartbeat, unified together into one. Then, in the darkness of the abyss, his Aura flared to life, like the blinding sun.
He burst free from Cardin's hold, throwing him aside.
Cardin didn't let up, getting up and charging back in to grapple him. With a furious yell, Jaune spun around and faced him head on. He caught Cardin's hands with his own, his Aura exploding in strength against Cardin's. "You fucking bitch!"
But on Cardin's face, all there was, was a smile. It wasn't a smirk, just a genuine smile. Then, as he let go, it turned into a laugh that shook his whole body. "You did it!"
Jaune narrowed his eyes, taking a few steps back.
"You did it! First try! It took me quite a few before I got out of my father's hold! Remember that feeling, Jaune, when you train. It'll accelerate your learning by a lot!"
"Did you have to almost kill me, though?"
"Don't worry." Cardin waved his worries away. "I would have let you go if you went unconscious. There was no real risk."
Russel stood beside them, a worried expression on his face that Jaune hadn't seen before.
"No hard feelings, Jaune?" Cardin asked, as though what happened had been the most normal of things.
Jaune decked him across the face.
Cardin stumbled back in the water. "...Fine, I deserved that. You feel better?"
"A little."
He punched him again.
"Ow, fuck! I don't have as much Aura as you!"
"Now, I feel better." Jaune sighed. At least I didn't have to respawn. And plus, it's not like my life was really at risk. Just my money. "Tell me about what you said."
Cardin held his cheek, wincing. "Yeah? Which part?"
"The hidden enemy." Did he say his dad did this to him? Holy shit, Cardin…
"Heh. So you're interested, huh? We all know of the Grimm. Monsters outside of our walls that threaten humanity. But, Jaune, have you noticed how they are of almost any shape, yet retain some animal characteristics?"
Jaune thought of the werewolf-like ones and the bear-like ones. "...Maybe?"
"There are some that also possess objects, adding them to their bodies. Usually, these create Grimm elemental golems."
"Sounds logical to me, I guess."
"But there's one type that is even more dangerous than the rest. Not because they are stronger, but because they are more insidious. They trick us into letting them into our walls, past our defenses, before knifing us in the back. They poison not your body, but your mind."
"...There's that kind of Grimm?"
Cardin nodded, solemnly. "Yes."
Salem… Is she of that type? "What are they called?"
"I'm talking about 'the Faunus'."
Jaune tilted his head. "Sounds dangerous."
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
A/N (4/24/2022): Yes. Cardin is still a racist.
Next Chapter: 5/29/2022