Chapter 05: The New Student

"Let's see, today's class will be... an alcohol appreciation class."

Pyrrha Nikos wasn't the only to sigh at Professor Branwen's chosen subject. Just the quietest about it. Beside her, Yang herself was flat-out napping.

"Um..." Jaune exasperatedly raised a hand. "P-Professor Branwen, all of your classes have been 'alcohol appreciation' since you arrived..."

"But you see, today's bottle is vastly different from the average alcohol you'd find around." Branwen grinned eagerly as he gestured to a rather large plastic bottle on his table and an empty glass. "Today's subject is the 'Valean Oolong'."

"WHAT?!" Yang snapped awake at that moment, her eyes instantly zeroing in on the bottle. "Uncle Qrow, that shit's illegal everywhere but Vacuo!"

While once again wondering how casually Yang had gone from wanting to punch her fist through his torso to calling him uncle, Pyrrha winced at this new bit of info. "How did he get that without getting arrested?"

"Hold on, what's a Valean Oolong?" Ruby asked. "What makes it different from other alcohol?"

"That's because it's a drink that even civilians can make." Branwen chirped as he poured out a glass. "Valean Oolong was called such to it's color resembling actual oolong tea, being composed of 9 parts vodka and 1 part whiskey."

Branwen brought out a lighter and flickered it over the full glass's edge, causing the drink to immediately catch flame. "Isn't it just lovingly combustible?"

No wonder such a beverage got made illegal. Pyrrha couldn't even imagine the sheer alcohol percentage of such a flameable drink.

"How the fuck did you even get this past Headmaster Ozpin?" Jaune snapped, his usual conduct with teachers very absent when dealing with Branwen. "Or Professor Goodwitch as well?!"

"Well, dear old Glyn can't really stand to be in the same room as me." Branwen shrugged. "As for the Reaper, his words were: "As long as no student actually drinks whatever you give them, do whatever you want." So there you have it."

A knock came from the door at that moment, getting all of their attention and actually causing Branwen to put aside his smoking empty glass- Wait, when had he already drunk it?!

"Oh, right." Branwen cleared his throat and smacked his lips. "We'll be having three newbies in this class."

At that announcement, Pyrrha's eyes widened as a boy and a pair of twins entered into the classroom, moving so that they were beside Branwen.

"Woah, man. Twins!"

"Isn't that guy kinda cute? Especially with those freckles?"

"Huh. He's got that same cartoon skull emblem that the headmaster's got. You don't think..."

"These are Oscar Pine, and the Malachite twins, Melanie and Miltiades." Branwen introduced them. "I'm sure you're all going to be forming your own theories and the like, so I'll flat out say it."

Oscar grunted as Branwen dropped a heavy hand on his head.

"This guy's the Reaper's kid. Be sure to get along with him."

Pyrrha blinked before joining her class in the same reaction.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"

"Hello, Oscar, Melanie, Miltiades. My name's Jaune Arc."

Oscar looked up to see the first one who had stepped up to greet him. It was the male blond from before, an easygoing smile on his lips as he extended his hand for a shake. "Sorry if I come off as presumptuous, but please rely on me in case anything related school-related unsettles you."

"I appreciate the thought." Oscar shook the offered hand. "Jaune Arc, right? I heard that you were part of the group that avenged Professor Port."

"Well, in a manner of 'avenging'..." Jaune awkwardly looked to the side, which would've been confusing had Oscar not already known why.

"Well, I'm also part of that group!" A female blond bumped Jaune out of the way with her hip and thumbed at her impressive bust. "Name's Yang Xiao Long! It's okay to be awed, 'cause I'm the one who's gonna surpass Agni!"

"Agni?" Melanie raised a brow to Miltia who shrugged. "Who the hell's that?"

Oscar blinked before humming. "That's quite the gall to be claiming to surpass a deity."

Judging by the lack of surprise or mocking from the others, Oscar surmised that she must be suitably strong enough that nobody was able to properly dispute such a claim.

"And that's why I'm here, buddy." Yang leaned forward with a daring grin. "If I'm gonna be claiming that, I gotta start off somewhere, right?"

"Huh?" Oscar's pleasant mood evaporated as he glared at Yang, wisps of Nether Aura escaping him. "Did you just label me as a stepping stone?"

The class broke into excited murmuring as Oscar stood up from his seat into Yang's personal space to glare closer at her. "If you picking a fight with a death god, you're must not care much about how your soul will end up afterwards."

"Hold up." Jaune got in-between them, his hands raised up warily. "If you guys want to fight here, it can't be here."

"Unc- I mean, Professor's Branwen's right outside." Yang huffed as she pointed outside. "Since a staff member's necessary to oversee duels between two 'school Meisters, he can do ours. Plenty of space outside."

"Let's do it." Oscar's eyes narrowed. "I'll show you just blatant your mortality is."

"You, know..." Melanie stood up as well. "It's times like this I'm reminded that you're actually divinity, instead of some rich guy obsessed with being cool."

"I know, right?" Miltia walked over to Oscar's side, smirking at the ponytailed redhead that stepped up to Yang's side. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Yang, are you sure about this?" The redhead hissed.

Yang gave no answer, simply lifting her partner over her shoulder and ignoring her scream as she barged out the open window.

"...cool. Shortest route to destination." Barely holding back his grin, Oscar leapt right after her, already sure of his Weapons following him.

By the time Jaune Arc had gotten to the yard/battlefield, the area was awash with damage while Branwen stoically watched over it all.

"Oh, there you are." Branwen mumbled, still keeping his eyes on the fight as Jaune and Ruby reached his side. "Just in time to see my niece's ass getting kicked."

"Professor Branwen." Jaune frowned as Yang and Pyrrha double teamed Oscar, the latter's weapons both a sword and a gun. "Why isn't Pyrrha in Weapon form?"

"Allow me to answer your question with another." Branwen replied as Oscar dodged underneath Pyrrha's leg as it transformed into a chakram and fired into her unguarded stomach. "How would you fight a person who can wield two separate and different weapons so well at the same time?"

"...I can't." Jaune reluctantly replied. "Assuming that Oscar is as skilled as you say, I've always fought gunners and swordsmen with different tactics. If Oscar as easily utilize both archetypes that well, I guess that separating into two is the closest way to beating him."

"...good assessment, Jaune." Branwen said after some seconds. "By the way, wanna flex that Aura-sensitivity?"

"Eh?" Jaune looked away just as Oscar smoothly diverted Yang's flaming punch and backhanded her face viciously enough to make her spit blood while Ruby winced at the sight. "Um, okay?"

"Now, now, it's just a simple test." Branwen fished around in his pants and brought a flask, taking a swig before talking again. "Take a look at Oscar there with his Weapons. With such differences, how well do they sync up?"

"Oh..." Jaune looked back and brought up the strange feeling he'd achieved the night he'd met the man beside him. Feeling it again, Jaune opened his closed eyes.

Ignoring the faded form of Oscar Pine and his Weapons, Jaune focused more on the incredibly dense shadow that hovered there, wisps of jade Aura seamlessly interlocked with jet-black as it's form hovered like a massive cloak. At the Jade Reaper's sides, a pair of souls satellited it loyally, one a whitish blue dancer with a sword while the other was a reddish black dancer with a gun.

"...that's unbelievably stable." Jaune muttered in shock. "It should normally be impossible for two separate Auras to sync to a third, especially one as powerful as that. But not only is Oscar doing that very well, there's also a third bond directly with each other, albeit through him."

Right then, Oscar rushed forward while firing at Pyrrha, before fluidly switching into a slash close enough to cut a few strands of hair. Then, immediately responding to Yang's roar of rage, he used Melanie(sword) as a shield against her fist by placing it flat against his bicep.

"And they seem to share a respect for him, too... No, that's not it..." Jaune paused as he tried to peer deeper into their bond, feeling a little intrusive despite his curiosity. "Melanie... is grateful...? And Miltia... loves him...? No, not right either... Worship...?"

"Close enough. Full marks if I could grade that." Branwen commended. "The Malachite Twins, sword and gun duo. Those two girls were raised on the streets, so for someone like Oscar to prefer and wield them with such enthusiasm and proficiency, their respect is obvious. Add in Oscar's... surprising ability to connect with humans despite his divinity and... well, his predisposition to always try and come across as a figure larger than life, his ability to achieve dual {Aura Resonance} with them only raises their respect higher for a literal deity who apparently 'liked what he saw'."

Jaune nodded in agreement. That was the true essence of {Aura Resonance}, after all. One just couldn't do it with somebody you didn't like all aspects of, especially as it was a two-way street.

"URGH! I've had it!" Yang finally snapped. "Pyr, this ain't working! Let's do 'that'!"

"'That'?" Oscar questioned, with Jaune just as curious.

"Oh?" Pyrrha called out from Oscar's other side. "I thought you wanted our first time at a bigger event?"

"We're fighting a deity! Or a demigod or whatever!" Yang pumped her fists and pointed at Oscar. "No better stage that I know of, compared to waiting for some powerful Grimm to show up."

"Oh?" Oscar grinned. "In that case, bring it. I'll crush whatever you throw at me!"

"You'll be eating those words soon enough!" Yang yelled back as Pyrrha transformed while leaping towards her partner. Upon catching and donning Pyrrha(gauntlets), Yang struck a pose. "[Aura Resonance: Gauntlets]!"

Yang's eyes and body blazed goldem as her physical and spiritual power skyrocketed, Pyrrha(gauntlet)'s forms glowing crimson and tripling in size.

"Holy fudge!" Ruby exclaimed at the sight. "Since when could they do that?!"

"Bring it, mortals. I'll show just how far below me you are." Oscar held up Melanie(sword). "Just Melanie will be enough. [Aura Resonance]!"

The jade of Oscar's Aura surged along with Melanie's whitish blue, nearly snuffing out Miltia(gun)'s Aura as the Jade Reaper and the Cyan Dancer resonated to the limit, the blade growing and cracking until it could now be mistaken as a massive wing of steel with crackling arcs of black energy.

"Oh? Interesting." Branwen grinned at the sight. "Memorize this sight, Jaune, Ruby. Judging by your reactions, this is your first ever time seeing users of separate {Aura Resonance} clashing."

"Well, just those of my agemates..." Jaune gulped. Yang's {Aura Resonance} seemed impressive enough, but even without his foreknowledge of Oscar's physiology, he would still be very leery of Melanie(sword)'s new form as her crackles of energy kept making skull-like shapes for an instant. "However this goes, it'll be very quick at least."

Yang breathed heavily as the rush nearly threatened to overwhelm her. How the hell did Ruby and Jaune deal with this so easily?

Across from her, Oscar crouched into a ready stance with his own {Aura Resonance}, the massive sword held low and brimming with even more power than Pyrrha was.

"Are you ready?"

As if Pyrrha needed to ask!

The ground shattered as she and Oscar charged simultaneously, Pyrrha(gauntlet) and Melanie(sword) colliding with each other with enough force to mimic a sonic boom from the impact. Grimacing as she felt herself actually pushed back while the same hadn't occurred for her opponent, Yang roared as she swung her fist again, flames surging out the elbow side of Pyrrha(gauntlet) and boosting the attacks speed just as Oscar swung again from below.

Once again, the sonic boom that occurred ripped up the yard. However, this time, Yang found herself flung upwards high into the sky.

She didn't even get a chance to choke before Oscar had leapt after her, his hammer fist sinking deeply into her unprotected side from above and sending her spiraling towards the ground with enough force to shatter it as she became partially buried.

At that moment, {Aura Resonance} broke down, dispelling as Pyrrha reformed and hovered over protectively despite her own haggard state as Oscar landed with barely a ruffle and made a weird salute. "Látom."

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Yang growled as she forced herself into a sitting position.

"Congratulations." Oscar smiled as he approached, Melanie and Miltiades reforming into their human forms. "Very few people actually manage to make me need {Aura Resonance} to finish them off."

"What's with that complimentary tone?" Miltiades raised a brow, seeming to still be annoyed that she hadn't been chosen to end the fight. "You make it sound like they survived against {Trinity Resonance}."

{Trinity Resonance}?! What the hell was that?! Judging by the sound of it, it seemed to be something BIG.

"You were still holding back that much on me?!" Yang snapped as she got into Oscar's space, relishing the tiny victory of being taller so that she could glare down at him. "From now on, you're the rival of the one who will surpass Agni! I'm not gonna forgive you if you ever get beaten by someone before me!"

Oscar blinked incredulously at her before breaking into a wide grin and pumping his fists. "Awesome! School rival acquired!"

...eh?

Before Yang could vocalize that thought, a new figure made herself known.

"Yang!" Ruby tackled Yang out of nowhere, causing the blonde to eat dirt again. "You were so awesome! And what was that {Aura Resonance}?! Does Pyrrha have one for whichever weapon form she takes?!"

"That was pretty cool, you two." Jaune admitted as he approached. "But still..."

Pyrrha choked a little when Jaune suddenly pulled her arm over his shoulder, drawing her close so that she could lean against him. "You two need to meet Nurse Fall."

"I'm fin-" Whatever words Pyrrha were about to say got choked when Jaune's other arm wrapped around her waist and firmly held her close, her cheeks matching her hair.

Yang's lips twitched at the sight. Sure she already knew that her partner had the hots for Jaune, but she really didn't need to look so blatant about it.

Looking over at Ruby, and she could that the silver-eyed Weapon didn't even try to hide her case of the green eyed monster as her gaze was fixed on the hand rested low on the redhead's waist, inches from accidentally copping a feel that would've been happily permitted from either redhead. "Really?"

"...this gonna blow up one day." Yang murmured, shaking her head in amusement. "Whether in a crash, or in the nearest isolated space with clothes being ripped off."

And it wasn't even likely that Jaune would be the one ripping off the clothes.

"Well, that'll almost fun to watch."

Yang wasn't the only one to flinch at the sudden presence of Ozpin, the only not flinching being Oscar as he looked backwards.

"Father, did you see my match? Was I awesome?" Oscar beamed towards his parent. "What do you think?"

"I think that you'll be serving your very first detention on your very first day." Ozpin replied with a smile. A smile that twitched in the silence at the sound of one of the damaged walls finally breaking down from having a person kicked into it. "Yes, yes, that'll be so for you five."

"Um, Pyr and I need the infirmary so..." Yang inched way, only for a solid hand to clap on her shoulder.

"Then, tomorrow for you two." Ozpin chirped without a single miss in his beat, his grip on her shoulder tightening just a smidge. "As for my son and his Weapons, Port will be seeing you soon."

Oscar frowned as the other students winced in clear pity. "Is... Is that a bad teacher or something?"

"Not bad, per say..." Ruby tried to explain. "Just..."

"Don't let him try to tell you his stories, and you'll be fine." Yang bluntly stated.

Meanwhile, Jaune had a curious look while staring at Ozpin, his blue eyes glowing white as he donned a puzzled expression before shrugging.

Meanwhile, the titanic soul of Ozpin the Reaper loomed protectively over both Beacon and the entirety of the city of Vale, the Jade Reaper only ever noticed by a very few amount of people.

KingVessel: And thus, the initial battle ends a lot less humiliating for these guys. Leave a review!.