Ah, here we are folks. I am sick at the moment and a bit stressed out to be honest, but I shall persist in writing this next chapter to the best of my ability regardless. This should be an interesting one anyway, we got the rest of initiation, and then you can guess what comes after. Team making! Lets see how our characters will fair in this near future.
As for the responses to reviews, since I am sick and want to get straight into writing the story with the time that I have, I'll just answer you all at once, you know who you are you wonderful bastards. Love you all to death. I can't say that I am completely sorry for ruining some of your predictions, and while I am aware that with this partnerships, and the future teams that I am going to be making that a lot of cannon stuff are going to be altered and changed up. That's just how I roll with things, so bear with me for as long as you can and we'll see where it leads us. I see we have a returning reviewer, I welcome you back, and we have a few new ones! I welcome you to the story and I hope you enjoy your stay.
One more concern that I have here, some of you are assuming that since Blake is Kai's partner that she is automatically going to be his future girlfriend. Answer to that is just no, just because Blake is Kai's partner, doesn't mean that they're going to get together now. If that were the case, then I guess we're going to have Ren and Yang together, and Nora banging the shit out of Jaune. See how that works out. Romance is something I don't have a whole lot of experience with in writing, or even in real life for that matter. But I shall try my best.
With most of that out of the way, I thank you all for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Beta: Crowskull- "I'm back bitches!"
The Blind Huntsman
Chapter 39- Volume 1, Episode 6
Taking a Risk
Brick gasped out a curse as he jumped up into the air to avoid the diving Nevermore that seemingly came out of nowhere. The Beringel that he was fighting alongside Pyrrha missed it's attack widely, and rolled with its own momentum before coming to a stop before Orchid, who slashed at it with her great sword and created a smokescreen of black blood mixed with dirt as it roared in pain.
Ren jumped back up to his feet and fired his weapons at the Nevermore. But he didn't know how truly massive it was until he saw it fly in the sky. It had to be at least two dozen feet long, and it's wings flapping at it's sides made it look even more intimidating. Luckily, while his bullets simply bounced off it's hide, Weiss' fireball attack actually caused it to stagger mid air and redirect its own body as to not slam into the ground.
"We can't afford to split up!" Pyrrha shouted as she ran up to Orchids side, bringing up her shield to block the powerful attack the Beringel nearly landed on the magenta haired girl. "We must stick together, to spread apart would mean our death."
"The red haired one is correct." Orchid said in a different personality as she changed up her stance to one similar to that of a fencer. "A strong front is needed against these three beasts."
"I agree suddenly strategic Orchid!" Nora exclaimed as she shifted her greathammer into a grenade launcher and started firing grenades at the self healing Grimm Gorilla.
"Yeah, speaking of beasts, what are we supposed to do about the thing with wings!?" Brick asked, pointing to the black mass with wings and a beak flying up high in the air over their heads. "It's kinda a big problem, I feel the need to point that out."
"Me and my brother fight better if we're together!" Rick shouted from the other side of the battlefield, using his agility to weave around the claws of the Deathstalker and slash it's front left leg with his shortsword. He was about to be caught with a counter attack but Yang came in and punched it away with equal force, saving him.
The difference between this Grimm and the Beringel however, was noticeable. Instead of it's deep wounds closing up and healing all on it's own, the wounds stayed, and festered. Making the beast grow more tired and injured as the battle drew on.
"This one doesn't heal!" Ruby shouted out with a smile on her face. "I can kill it!"
She dashed out from behind her sister, and swung Crescent Rose close to her body and out to cut the Deathstalkers head in half. It would have been optimistic to say that she succeeded in this attack, but she failed to hear the Nevermore from above her screech and flap its wings in her direction. Sending dozens of sharp black feathers straight in her path to the Deathstalker.
"Watch out!" Jaune shouted as he speared Ruby in the side. It didn't hurt the red reaper as it did wind her as the blonde drove his shoulder into her hip, and forced her off of her current path. She rolled with the sudden shift in momentum, and tumbled away, catching herself on a rock when her feet hit the stone. She jumped up to her feet, and went to thank her would be savior.
Jaune struggled to pull his pant leg out from the jagged feather which pinned him to the ground. He was lucky enough to not take anything center mass, but with the Nevermore feather pinning him in place he could not get away from the hissing and chittering Deathstalker which started making its way toward him.
"Oh Gosh, oh no, I need help!" Jaune exclaimed as he brought his shield up and managed to get up to one knee. Though his stance was novice at best, and he was in a disadvantageous posture. Not to mention that he simply did not have the strength to completely block the Deathstalkers stinger which was most certainly going to break through his shield once it struck.
Ruby realized what was about to happen and tried to dash back in to save him, but the Nevermore continuously kept firing it's wildly in nearly all directions. Yang pulled her back by the hood before she could charge straight into the feathery storm of death.
The Deathstalker unfortunately reached its mark, and while Jaune was able to block and deflect it's first attack, it costed him his shield. It clittered away along the dirt just a few inches out of reach. Jaune looked up at his would be killer with fear in his eyes, and huddled up in a small ball in a panic. Not even noticing the pair of arms that was wrapped around his shoulders as the Deathstalker hissed in confusion and missed it's mark wildly.
When Jaune opened his eyes again, he found himself wondering, confused, and relieved as to why he was not in immense pain or even dead. But what he saw confused him even more, before he could ask what was going on, a hand clasped over his mouth.
"Be quiet." Ren's voice whispered to him, a face of black and white as he slowly went to work on the feather pinning Jaune to the ground with one of his weapons. "I'm using my semblance on you, the Deathstalker can't see us because I am negating our emotions." He explained quickly as he went to work on cutting off the feather right in front of the confused Deathstalker. Looking around with it's many eyes wondering where it's prey had went.
"Lightning bolt!" Rick was heard shouting right before a blue bolt of electricity struck the Deathstalker in the side, angering it and making it go after him instead of looking around for the blonde and black haired boys it just was about to kill beforehand.
"This is your semblance?" Jaune asked as he looked down at his own body, seeing it in a black and white color pallet and Ren's hand placed on his chest as he hacked away at the strong stem of the feather. "I… can't feel anything, not even fear." He muttered out loud. One second he was afraid for his life, and the next second he felt nothing. Just a void where he felt his emotions should be.
"Don't worry, it's not permanent." Ren said as he gave up and trying to hack it away, and shot the stem until it broke off. Pulling Jaune's pant leg over the spike and freeing him from his binding. "There, we can go help the others again now."
Suddenly, Jaune felt all of the emotions he felt before come crashing back down on him. Nearly falling forward even as he was being helped up by the boy who had just saved his life. He quickly wiped his face of the sweat and tears that nearly escaped from the corners of his eyes and looked into the other boys pink eyes.
"Thank you… I don't want to think about what could have happened if you didn't save me in time." Jaune said with a tired smile on his face.
"Then don't think about it, I was hardly going to sit and watch while I could do something about it." Ren replied. In truth, his weapons weren't doing anything to the large and durable beast that was the Beringel, and his bullets may as well have been plastic hitting against the feathers of the Nevermore. So when he saw the blonde knight spear the red and black haired girl out of the way of danger, he knew what he had to do. He placed his trust in his other allies and broke off to go and help the others in their time of need. Luckily, it paid off wonderfully. With the combined forces that were the three powerhouses of Pyrrha, Nora and Orchid, with the support of Brick and Weiss, the Beringel was actually pushed back nearer to the temple where Weiss could do more damage with her ranged abilities. Even if they couldn't kill the monster, they could at least drive it back and distract it from harming the others.
"Right, well, no more messing around here." Jaune said as he picked his shield back up. "I'm going to go help the others with the Deathstalker, once we kill this one, we should all be able to gang up on the Nevermore and whatever that thing is."
"Beringel." Ren helpfully informed.
"Yeah, that. If what that blue lightning guy said before was true, then maybe we should let him and his brother fight together. What do you think?"
"I think it's all we have to go on, really." Ren said with a sigh. "Very well, it's the only plan we have that might work. We'll just have to hope that those two are not all boasts and no results."
"You two can flirt with each other later!" Yang yelled at them as she reloaded Ember Celica. "You better have a plan for us after just standing there for a minute straight!"
"Let the twins fight with each other!" Jaune and Ren shouted back at the same time, surprising both of them as they looked to each other and gave an amused smirk.
"That's a plan I can get behind!" Brick said after overhearing them. "Can you three hold off without my lightning?"
His answer was Nora and Orchid locking arms together, and Pyrrha launching them both into the Beringel somehow with her shield. Knocking the beast down as Nora slammed her hammer into its face while Orchid stabbed down at it with her greatsword screaming like a banshee.
"..." Brick had no words.
"Just go you idiot!" Weiss said once she stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, activating her semblance and enhancing the speed of Pyrrha.
"Right, good idea." Brick said as he ran to catch up with his brother a good hundred feet before him. The Nevermore proved a nuisance, but with Ruby firing at it now with Crescent Rose it was being distracted. Ruby's bullets compared to any sniper rifle were heavily enhanced in calibre. She may as well be throwing trucks at the avian with the way it swerves everytime a bullet explodes against its side.
"Whoa!" He ducked as the Beringel managed to break free and made a swipe at him. It felt like slow motion to the Violet twin as the thick black arm soared above his face just a few mere inches away from the tip of his nose. Once the sun was visible again, Orchid slammed into it's back. Knocking it forward and giving Brick the opening to sprint the rest of the way with the two other beasts distracted.
Rick saw him getting closer, and broke off from Jaune and Yang in order to meet up with his brother in the middle. Leaving Jaune and Yang to face the Deathstalker alone, though they both knew that they didn't have to kill it, they just needed to distract it long enough for the twins to get together and fight as a unit. They did just that as Jaune took a low stance and slid next to Yang's leg, blocking the pincer that nearly crashed into his fellow blonde. She winked at him as thanks and the two held off the Deathstalker for a time.
Rick and Brick smiled as they grabbed each other's hands, red and blue lightning mixing into purple right as they activated their semblances with each other.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Both twins shouted at the same time as they activated their overclock abilities. "Move aside blondies!"
They didn't need to be told that twice, Yang grabbed Jaune by his hood and threw him back. His light weight making it all too easy for her to do so. Then she gave a thumbs up to the two twins as she ran past them.
"Can you guys take this thing on your own?" Yang asked once she helped the dazed Jaune up from his comfy place on the ground.
"Don't worry about us." Brick said as he returned the thumbs up gesture.
"We got this!" Rick added, throwing in a reciprocated gesture mirroring his twin.
"Right, well Vomit Boy, ready to go fight a Gorilla?" Yang asked with a smirk when she saw the tired look of the knight with a hoodie on.
"Not really…" Jaune replied honestly.
"Great! Because you're going to go help Ruby and Ren with the Nevermore."
"Wait, I only have a swor-"
"Really!? I would love some help!" Ruby shouted before he could finish his sentence.
"Mm." Ren hummed as he reloaded his weapons.
"But I only have a sword!" Jaune shouted back. "Yang, please I-" He turned to where the purple eyed girl once was, only to see an outline of where she should have been and then hearing a few battle cries and a roar of pain from the massive Grimm to his other side.
So he had two choices here, go and help fight against the Beringel that was currently holding off against four girls who were already stronger than him, not even including the constant fireballs and ice spikes boring into its body from the white haired angel that was Weiss Schnee or he could go be useless against the Avian Grimm that was the Nevermore flying around in the sky currently battling against a fifteen year old girl and a guy whose weapons do little to no damage, but at least he was trying. He pondered going back to assist against the Deathstalker, since he was actually able to survive against it, but those two lightning guys were already fighting it on their own, and winning for that matter.
"Full power combo attack!"
"Violet Tempest!"
"すてきなバイオレットライトニングの展示です。" (What a wonderful display of Violet Lighting!)
Especially when a purplish black hurricane of lighting seemingly came out of nowhere and completely engulfed the scorpion Grimm, he only really had one choice to choose from.
"Fine, Nevermore it is. I'm coming guys!" Jaune said as his feet started running at speeds he never thought he was capable of. This aura thing really was something to behold.
/-/
It was a battle that felt like was going on for hours, Brick and Rick were beating the Deathstalker, and was actually getting close to killing it. But the combined efforts of their semblances and overclocked abilities have been taking a lot out of them. They were going to win, that much was without question. But after that, they would be in critical aura levels, and low on stamina. The Nevermore in the sky landed and was battled against Jaune, Ren, and Ruby. With only one of them actually being able to injure the avian, they were making little progress and was little more than a distraction for the winged monster. Ren and Jaune were doing their best, but they weren't well equipped enough for a battle like this. On the other side of the battlefield, Orchid, Pyrrha, and Nora, and even Yang were starting to get exhausted fighting against the seemingly limitless stamina of the Grimm Beringel which kept fighting no matter what they did to it. They must have cut off it's arms a dozen times already, and each and every time the Beringel healed and grew back it's limbs. Weiss was doing her best to support all fields of battle, but she only had so much Dust and aura to spare. Her attacks were getting weaker and weaker as time went by.
"RAARRRGH!" Brick and Rick roared at the same time as the buried the short swords to the hilt into the Deathstalkers head, breaking through it's already damaged bone armour plating and into whatever lies beneath.
The Deathstalker hissed and chittered with such hatred, but ultimately flailed it's stinger one last time before slumping to the ground dead, four of its legs were missing, and one of it's pincers was blasted off by lightning, the durable beast finally met its end at the hands of the Violet twins.
"Ah… just gimme a second to rest…" Brick said with a daze voice as he let go of his sword and fell onto his back, his lightning aura flickering and crackling to indicate how low his aura has fallen.
"Yeah… just a second." Rick said as he to fell backward onto his butt, letting go of his sword and watching as the Deathstalker slowly began to fade away into nothingness.
"One down, two to go!" Ruby exclaimed as she used her semblance to duck and weave around the attacking beak of the Nevermore. Appearing again behind and above the creature and firing one of her rounds straight into the back of it's head. "We can do this!"
"Two of us are down as well, and we three are running out of steam." Ren pointed out as he rested down on one knee.
"I don't know how much I can keep going." Jaune said, barely holding his shield up in defense. Crocea Mors felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and his eyes were half lidded and exhausted.
"I don't understand… Grimm shouldn't be this strong." Ren said grimly as he forced himself back on his feet. He ran out of bullets long ago, but his blades were still sharp, and the Nevermore still needed more cutting.
"Ozpin, we have to send down Peter and Bart to go save them!" Glynda hissed at her headmaster, scroll squeezed so tightly in her hands as she watched the battle from the cameras it was a wonder how it hasn't shattered yet.
"They'll survive." Ozpin replied, smirk ever present on his face as he watched the battle unfold. "I know that they will find a way."
"How can you be so sure of that when we can both see that they are all losing this battle." Glynda shouted back. "I will not stand here while children die by the hands of those Grimm, if so much as a single one of them lose their aura, I do not care what you say, or about your plans. I will go down there and bring them all back if I must."
"Your nephews killed the Deathstalker on their own."
"Do you even hear yourself right now? No, I will not listen to any more of this. I am sending Peter down there right now to extract them." Glynda said as she started dialing a number on her personal scroll. Though before she could call the number she dialed in, Ozpin's cane rested on her wrist.
"Despite what you may believe, I do in fact care about these children's lives. I do want to make sure each and every one of them come out of this initiation alive. But I must have faith in them to come out of this on their own, because if we help them. They won't be allowed to get through this year, ten aspiring Huntsmen in training, including Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose, and even your nephews, Brick and Rick Violet." Ozpin said with a stern look on his face, silencing any argument Glynda might have had prepared for him.
"Besides, reinforcements are already on their way." He added at last, removing his cane from the end call button on Glynda's scroll and looking back down to his own.
Glynda let out a heavy sigh, and looked back down to her own. Seeing two figures not too far away from the battle her nephews have taken part in. In just a minute, they should become part of it very soon.
"You put too much faith in a single boy." Glynda said as she realized who it was.
"Sometimes faith is all you need to win a battle." Ozpin said with a shrug.
"In some cases, yes. But for some reason I believe it has more to do with his last name then anything else…"
Ozpin looked at Glynda from the corner of his eye, before looking back to the screen he had in his hand. He felt a rare flash of anger at the mentioning of one of his failures in this lifetime, the failure of losing Malikai Matsuoka as an ally.
"Perhaps." Is all he could respond with as he watched the scene before him with an observant eye.
Yang's feet skidded into the ground as she was pushed back after taking a full punch flush into her crossguard. With a growl, she activated her semblance, wondering why she hasn't decided to use it sooner. Orchid saw this activation from the corner of her eye, and backed off from the Beringel to give her space. Pyrrha, remembering this semblance from the tournament also backed off from the battle scene.
Nora however, did no such thing. She instead slammed her hammer into the Grimm's foot, making it cry out in pain as several of its toes were cracked and shattered and it only got worse when she also fired off a grenade at point blank range. A pink explosion in the shape of a heart was seen as Nora back flipped into the air with her hammer and own momentum and landed right beside the charging, raising an eyebrow when she saw the flaming hair that was Yang's head.
"Rargh!" Yang roared as she uppercutted the Beringel straight in the solar plexus. The Grimm coughed up blood and spit and spat out even more when Yang also fired off Ember Celica at the same time her punch connected with the Grimm.
It couldn't hope to fight back as the semblance enhanced Yang constantly pummeled away at it's midsection, side, and even face a few times. Every time it tried to throw an attack back, that attack would be met on more than an even playing field. Yang's strength was just too much for the Grimm to handle, for she has been storing up power in her semblance the entire initiation already.
It was sadly short lived however, Yang's flames were flickering already after just a minute of beating down the Beringel. The beast was bleeding from a hundred wounds on its body, and it had scorch marks all over its body as well because of the flames of Yang's semblance. It was about ready to be finished off, but right as Yang was about to land the finishing blow, her semblance timed out, and her punch did as much damage as one of her punches usually would, and all she could do was crack it's bone skull and nearly dislocate her own shoulder when she fired Ember Celica at the same time while at an awkward angle.
Luckily she had to sense to use that momentum to back off from the beast and land with her allies. Panting and out of breath, she didn't even realize that her knuckles were broken and bleeding because of the force of her own punches. Though it wasn't too bad, it was only about two or three knuckles with both hands put together, and the blood was barely seeping out of her self made wounds.
"You okay?" Orchid asked as she lifted her back up by her armpit. "You kicked that things ass, good job!"
"Yeah… thanks." Yang said as she clenched and unclenched her pained fists.
"It's… regenerating more slowly now." Pyrrha pointed out with narrowed eyes.
Everyone fighting the Beringel flashed with hope in their eyes as they saw the Beringel struggle to heal itself. Some of its wounds and cuts were able to heal up completely, but the wounds that were burned or caused by burning were struggling more. The cauterization was halting the healing process, leaving the wound open and steaming as it groaned angrily and with pain.
"We can beat it then!" Nora exclaimed, even though she was still down on one knee and holding herself up with her hammer.
"I must say that I share your enthusiasm, but at the same time I am also very tired." True Orchid replied as she held her greatsword over her shoulder. Something she only did when she was tired and not willing to hold the full weight of her sword with her hands.
"We have to do something, we can't let it heal up all the damage I did to it." Yang growled as she cocked her left arm's Ember Celica and prepared to run at it again.
"Together then." Pyrrha said, to which they all agreed too. As one, they all got back up on their feet, and Weiss took that as a signal that they're little break was over now. A minor boost to their aura was given to them after that moment's rest, and with rejuvenated spirits, they prepared to make their third wind against the Grimm monster. It was a wonder that not any more Grimm were being attracted to the battle, but that was something none of them were going to complain about as long as they didn't come right after the battle was finished.
Right as the Beringel stood back up and prepared to make another charge however, another girl suddenly dropped down in front of them all. A girl with black hair and a black bow to match, her yellow eyes bored into the Grimm as it noticed her, and started sprinting towards her on all fours.
Yang recognized that girl from somewhere, though she couldn't quite remember her name. But the fact that she was standing against the Grimm alone told her that she was about to get killed. If those four plus Weiss weren't able to take it down, then this girl was about to get plowed over.
"Get out of the way!" Yang shouted at her.
The girl looked back at her for a second, but looked back toward the Beringel, and to everyone's horror. She charged back at the beast. When the two met in the middle, the Beringel dove to try and grab the black haired girl, but the moment it made contact with her body, she completely faded away into a black mist, and Yang didn't know what was going on when she was suddenly pulled back by a black ribbon wrapped around her wrist.
"Ooo, it's you again black haired girl!" Orchid exclaimed in greeting.
"It's Blake." Blake corrected emotionlessly.
"Finally, some reinforcements. I was wondering when my hoo's for help was going to be answered." Nora said with sigh of relief along with a roll of her eyes.
During the moment of distraction, none of the other girls were able to say anything else as an arc of white light cut into the back of the Beringel, earning a deafening roar out of the monster that grew even louder when a figure landed on its shoulder, and stabbed it in the collarbone.
Kai twisted Silver Ebony as it glowed with a shining white light, and ripped it out. Creating a smokescreen of blood as he flipped forward, landed on the ground and then slashed at both of it's knees. He sensed that the Grimm was actually leaning forward to grab him, so right before the Beringel could wrap it's strong arms around his body, he blasted air into its chest. Forcing the Beringel back and jumping so that he would also be launched backward by his own attack. He landed in a skid right in front of his friends and partner and held Silver Ebony out to his side and prepared to throw another light attack at the monster.
"Kaizy! I knew you were going to come save us, I just knew it." A cheery Orchid boasted as she hugged her friend from behind.
"Sorry that I am late," Kai said in response, patting Orchids forearm as he kept sensing for what the Grimm was going to do next just in case. "I was sent much further away than anyone else, I only was able to sense you guys about ten minutes ago."
"That explains… so much." Bubbly Orchid said with a giggle as she released her partner from Signal. "So I'm guessing the nice black haired girl is your partner eh? Replacing me already, it hasn't even been a full day with you without me!" Hysterical Orchid exclaimed sadly, draping her forearm over her face for added dramatic effect.
Kai rolled his eyes underneath his blindfold as he stood back up, but kept most of his attention focused on the massive Grimm before him. Pounding on it's chest as some kind of dominance proving which doesn't matter to the blind boy. What Kai was more concentrated on was that his attacks from earlier didn't effect it the way he expected it to, the Beringel was as healthy as ever, if only with a few wounds here and there which didn't fully heal up yet.
"You missed a lot Kai, apparently this one can regenerate." Yang said.
"It's true, I did the same thing you did and caught it by surprise, but the wound healed up as if it was never there in the first place." Pyrrha added.
"Healing Grimm?" Kai asked out of disbelief, that was unheard of. He definitely haven't heard about any like that. But yet here one was, living proof. "How do I kill it then?"
"Well, you could use that thing…" Yang trailed off when Kai turned his head to face hers. "Y'know, the thing."
"What thing are you talking about?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's not important," Kai, Orchid, and Yang all said at the same time. Earning a raised eyebrow from both the spartan and Nora.
Blake had a feeling she knew what this thing could be, but didn't comment on it. She could hardly understand it as it was, and she saw it in action in person two years ago. Later she would ask about it, something like that isn't easily forgotten after all.
"I can't afford to reveal it here… not so soon." Kai said as he brought a hand up to trace around his eyes. He considered trying to use it for a moment, but what would that accomplish? Sure, he could just use his silver eyes and kill both of the Grimm in one flash, but no one would gain from it, and he would only be raising questions as to what that power could be. In a public battleground like this, he would only be exposing himself.
"What shall we do then, the Grimm isn't going to stand around forever." Blake pointed out.
"You're right, since this one is weakened though, I think I can take it down on my own. You should go help the others with the Nevermore." Kai chuckled nervously and scratched the side of his face. "Flying enemies aren't exactly my forté as you can imagine."
"Very well… Be safe." Blake said as she turned around, and flung herself using the ribbon of Gambol Shroud to attack the Nevermore. Earning a thanks out of Ruby as she saved her from being skewered.
"Kai, you can't seriously be thinking about fighting that thing alone right?" Yang asked. "Let's team up on it together, like a team."
Kai stuck his hand out to the side to stop Yang from passing him, and before she could ask him what that was for, he pushed her back gently. "In any other case, I would gladly take the help. But you're hurt, and exhausted, as is everyone else here." He pointed out, and then made a thumbs up gesture to them all. "Trust me, I'll take it from here."
"I... Ugh, fine, whatever." Yang growled and took a step back.
"Thank you." Kai said as he got into a stance, feeling his aura flow around his body and his muscles tensing up.
"It's weak to fire, I think." Orchid blurted out before Kai could burst forward. "It has burn marks on it's body that hasn't healed yet, you think that's something you can use right now?"
Kai hummed in thought for a second. "I am going to need a lot of fire for something this big."
"Meh, I'm sure you can handle it. Right Nora?"
"Yeah! Go get it bestfriend number two!"
"C'mon Pyrrha, support us here."
"I- uh, go Kai?"
"That's the spirit!"
Kai was already gone before he could be distracted any longer, he already sensed Blake and the others taking on the Nevermore. From the sound of it, they weren't losing, so he had to hold up his side of the bargain here. He could sense Weiss further up the hill in an exhausted puddle of her own sweat, but she was still standing. She would probably support him, which he would allow. He knows first hand how deadly her ranged attacks could be.
He sucked in air as his hair waved when he barely ducked between the Beringels legs when it tried to grab him. His feet twisted and turned to shift his momentum into a different direction, and while pumping aura through his sword he cut across the back of the Grimm's leg. But was forced to block the back of a large fist with one of his bracers when the beast didn't go down. He was forced back, but before he could get lifted off his feet he through his free arm behind himself and blasted air out of the palm of his hand. Reversing the momentum and landing with a roll not three feet away from the Grimm.
He rolled again to the side to avoid being crushed under the incredible strength that was both the Beringels fists that nearly turned his body into a bloody paste. He then sucked in air as he reversed Silver Ebony's grip in his hand, and fired off two arcs of pure white light into the beasts chest. Creating a burn mark in the form of an oddly shaped X in the center. The Beringel roared in pain, and Kai knew that his light attacks would be able to hurt it without it healing. Problem was that he couldn't fire too many of those lest he drain himself of his own aura.
The Beringel jumped at him with new speeds that Kai wasn't expecting. With his quick thinking and reflexes, he rose a stone wall out of the ground and reinforced it with even more rock and stopped the Beringel in its tracks. Making it literally run into a brick wall and hurt itself more than anything else.
Like he would do against a person, he kicked his leg forward and sent the middle part of the stone wall out and on top of the Beringel. Were it any normal person, they would have been crushed instantly. But the Beringel was very strong and large, and it caught and threw the wall to the side. Pounding its chest again as it lunged for Kai once more.
Kai was ready for it this time however, knowing the tendencies of the Grimm was handy in this situation as he used his air to blast himself into the air, and then throw Silver Ebony straight into the shoulder of the Grimm's back. The roar gave him a direction of where he should not land, and instead redirected himself in mid air so that he landed with a twist about a dozen feet away from the monster.
Slowly throughout the fight, he was using the device on both of his bracers to fuel use own semblance. The flame part that is. His arms were on fire with black flames, as was most of his body. He could feel and hear it crackling all around his body as he concentrated the flames into his two fingers on each of his hands.
"Gasp! Yang, he's doing the other thing!" Orchid cheered and wrapped an arm around the blondes shoulders and pulled her in to emphasize how excited she was.
"Oh yeah, I remember that move. He almost killed me with it once or twice." Yang said with a laugh as she remembered the time Kai went a little too overboard and nearly pierced through her heart with his fire beam. Of course she almost killed him a few times as well, her punches were strong enough to destroy a car in a single hit after all, but that memory had a special place in her heart because of how many times Kai apologized to her after that. After a year it just became more ammo to tease him with.
"Hah!" Kai thrusted one arm forward, and out of his two fingers came out a stream of black fire condensed into a tight beam which connected and exploded against the are over the Beringels heart.
It didn't die? Kai thought as he sensed the Beringel still standing, heart still beating and anger just rising.
The monster groaned in pain as a second one hit it in the face, and then another hit it in the stomach. "HAH, HAH, HAH!" Kai kept screaming each time he thrusted one of his arms forward. Firing off beams of black flames which all connected with the Beringels body. It was a very big target, and Kai had plenty of practice with aiming his attacks during the two years before he came to Beacon.
The Beringel struggled to protect its face and vital organs as one beam at a time kept on clashing with its body. The pace between each attack shortening each time one made contact with its body. One hit it in the eye purely out of luck, earning a pained screech as it lost its eye, and couldn't regenerate it back because of the instant. cauterization.
Kai panted for breath by the time he fired his thirtieth beam, and after running out of patience and now running low on aura. He clasped his hands together and created a large flame in the center of his hands. A black ball of fire formed in his hands, and it grew bigger by the second as the Beringel struggled to push itself back onto its feet after being blasted so many times.
"Ooo~, this is a new one." Orchid said as she slowly backed up.
"DIE!" Kai screamed as much larger beam of flames fired out of his hands, turning a bright white as his aura slowly started running out of reserves when the Beringel became completely engulfed in black flames. After just a few seconds of that, Kai halted his attack, and fell to his hands and knees coughing up a storm.
As the smoke cleared, the Beringel's scorched body was seen face down. It's body was scorched all over, and the proof of their victory was seen as the creature of Grimm slowly began to fade away into nothingness.
"Did… Did I get it?" Kai asked, not being able to see the fruits of his own labour.
"Yes, you did." Blake said as she jogged up to him, and helped him up.
"Blake? What about the Nevermore?"
"Dealt with already, your friends are much more competent than I thought." She replied, and Kai could imagine a small smile being on her face as she said that. "We killed ours right as you killed yours, the one with the scythe dealt the final blow."
"That's good." Kai said as he stood up with the help of Blake, and was able to keep himself up when she let go of him. He couldn't tell when the Nevermore was slain, though he could imagine it happened while he was fighting against the Beringel to finish it off. It was just his luck that he had to kill it on his own, but he couldn't blame anyone for his troubles. He thought about using his eyes once or twice, but thought against it in favour of winning using his own strength and semblance.
"Woohoo!" Orchid cheered as she tackled Kai into a hug, and lifted him off the ground while giggling. "That was awesome Kaizy! I didn't know you could do that."
"Y-yeah, me neither." Kai stammered as he struggled to breath. "Just had to kinda do it."
"Kai, did you see me kill the Nevermore?" Ruby asked as she sped up to their side covered in thick black blood, but smiling like a kid in a candy store despite all that. "I was like whoosh, and Blake was like whish, and Ren was like whoof, and then Jaune was like ahhh. It was amazing!"
"I'm sure it was…" Kai said as he was let down, letting Ruby have this one by not reminding her that he was blind and couldn't see anything she may or may not have done. Not to mention that he was also fighting against a Beringel at the time.
"Can't we got out of that all alive. Oh shi- Weiss! Are you still alive!?" Yang screamed up the mountain.
"Of course I am you dunce! Why would I be taken down by a meer Grimm?" Weiss called back, one of the relics in her hand.
"She was up there the entire fight." Yang whispered not so quietly, earning a few giggles from the rest of the party of friends.
"I'm awake!" Brick shouted as he jumped up to a sitting position.
"What's happening again?" Rick asked as he groggily sat back up, rubbing his head of a headache he felt coming in.
Kai shook his head with amusement as the group walked back up the mountain, and grabbed one of the relics. One for each of them. Blake walked with him as they went to go select there's, and with Kai being blind, he simply grabbed the first one he could sense. It felt odd, but if this was the relic he needed to get, he got it.
Now with a partner, a relic, and the rest of his friends. All they had to do next, was get back up the cliff.
Ozpin looked to Glynda with a smug look on his face, just daring his subordinate to talk back to him now. But instead, all he got was an intimidating glare he was forced to look away from and coughed meaningfully into his fist.
"Well, I should get back to the assembly room and make our teams for this year." He said, turning around and making his way back to the school itself. "Do make sure the rest of the students get out safely.
He could feel Glynda's glare the whole walk back, even when he rounded the corner.
/-/
"Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee, Brick Violet, and Yang Xiao Long. Each of you selected the white Bishop pieces, and so from now on you shall be known as Team RWBY, lead by Lie Ren." Ozpin said with a satisfied smile on his face as he nodded back to the mature young boy who nodded to him first with gratefulness more than apparent in his gesture. That team was one that he would have to keep tabs on, it was certainly and interesting team dynamic all being mixed in together.
And he couldn't hide his amusement when Ruby Rose gasped loudly as she realized there was a team that was named after her. In another life, perhaps she could have been a part of that team.
"Next up, we have Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Rick Violet." Each of those he called up rose from their seats, and in the correct order thankfully. "You have all selected the black Rook pieces, and so from this day forward you shall be known as Team JNPR, lead by Jaune Arc."
"W-what!? Me!?" Jaune asked and pointed to himself, he didn't feel like he did a whole lot, and he hoped that Ozpin was telling a joke but saw the smirk on the headmasters face. It didn't seem like one.
"Congratulations young man."
"Awe, I didn't get to be teamed up with my brother." Rick muttered as he was lead off the stage by his partner.
"I am sure you will be fine, as will he." Pyrrha said with a chuckle.
Ozpin looked through the crowd, and could imagine he was meeting eyes with Kai as he was sat in the front row. With a smile, he cleared his throat and spoke again.
"And lastly, but most certainly not least. Kai Matsuoka, Orchid Rosa, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby Rose, please come forward."
Orchid cheered after being announced that she was going to be on Kai's team, and practically dragged everyone up there herself. Kai kept a smile on his face, but he didn't fail to notice how Ozpin put Ruby on his team while they hardly worked together during Initiation, not that he was mad about it. He was glad he would be able to personally secure her safety since they were on a team together, but again he felt like Ozpin was playing some kind of game here.
"The four of you have all acquire the black Queen pieces, so from this moment forward, you shall be known as Team KRBR, lead by… Kai Matsuoka."
Kai widened his eyes underneath his blindfold as he was announced leader, not even hearing Orchid and Ruby's celebratory screeches for his sake. How he could be made a leader? He was blind! How would he be able to give out orders? Or even keep the team together? He wasn't a naturally born leader, he has never been, and yet here he was. The leader of his own team in Beacon Academy.
He forced a smile on his face and nodded his head toward his new teammates. But even though this was supposed to be a moment of celebration, he kept in mind that he should go have a nice talk with Ozpin about this decision. This was a much more aggressive play on the headmasters part.
He would play his part for now, or at least do his best at it.
It was the beginning of the year after all, what could go wrong?
Whelp, here we go. I suppose you can say that at this moment, this story as OFFICIALLY reached the Beacon saga. On the 39th chapter, we have made it passed initiation and to the team making. Whew, what a day this was. If you all don't know, I am sick at the moment, but I grinded this chapter out for you guys anyway. I am going to take a break this weekend, and we'll see what comes next for everyone.
To stray away any confusion, these are the teams for this storie's Beacon Arc:
Team RWBY, Ren, Weiss, Brick, and Yang
Team JNPR, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Rick
Team KRBR (Kraber), Kai, Orchid, Blake, and Ruby
Oh yeah, I named Kai's team after that bomb ass sniper rifle from Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends. How could I not when I had this perfect combination of letters? It was originally going to be Team Crowbar, but I changed my mind at the last second.
You better hope I feel clever for keeping the original team names but with different characters within them :).
So yeah, there we go guys. What a day. Love you all, and please review and tell me what you think of the story!
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