The Reviews!
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Phantom117a: Indeed he did, just because he's not as powerful as other Headmaster Ranked Huntsmen, trust me, don't take him lightly.
Robbeeyy: Yeah, but hopefully he won't find that out because He'll just kill Penny and Pietro since they no longer hold value in his plans, so hopefully Jaune and the others will stop him before he finds out.
Reader: Thank you! Hope you like this one!
Ceghjjhh: Yes, I'll update it soon!
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Back on Vytal Island, Betty looked at Sun and Arslan with a smile as the two looked almost worn out but she could see the determination in their eyes. She saw they didn't want to give up, even if their bodies were screaming to give up and rest, they knew they couldn't, they needed to break past their limits, to get stronger.
"You two are something else! No wonder you two have Kings' Aura!" She said with glee.
Sun smiled a little, "Th-Thanks," He said.
Betty nodded and looked at Arslan, "I'm very proud of you, Arslan, it seems like my grandson picked one hell of a girl!"
Arslan blushed and felt a wave of joy inside of her, hearing not just praise from a legendary huntress, but her boyfriend's grandmother, "Thank you, Mrs. Arc," She said.
"Both of you are going to stand next to Jaune in the future, you'll be his wings!" She said with pride, "Sun, you still need to unlock the evolved form of you're semblance, because from what I saw... I don't think your evolved semblance is just cloning yourself and objects, might be something more, but your control over Kings' Aura is amazing and I'm sure you'll master it soon," She said.
Sun felt good hearing that but also wondered what his actual evolved semblance could be, if Betty didn't think it was just cloning himself and Aura, then what could it be?
Betty then looked at Arslan, "While you may have evolved your semblance, trust me, you've only touched the tip of the iceberg, but your Aura techniques and fighting skills are impressive, but can still use some work" Betty told her.
Arslan nodded, and had a similar thought to Sun, wondering what else she could do with her evolved semblance.
Betty smiled only to hear her Scroll ring and she picked it up to see that it was Ozpin, and she answered the call.
"Oz?"
[Betty, the situation in Atlas has gotten worse] Ozpin told her on the other end.
Betty began to worry, "What's happened?" she asked.
[James had been defeated at Hades is now in control of Atlas Academy] Ozpin said [We've received word that Jaune and the rest are dealing with Hades' rouges... if they can't stop him in time-]
"They will," Betty cut him off, "You place your faith in Jaune, don't lose it now, he'll get it done, he'll win... I know he will,"
Ozpin sighed on the other end, [You're right Betty, but should the worst come to pass...]
Betty nodded, "If that happens if Jaune somehow loses... I'll make sure Hades wishes he was dead," Betty said coldly
[I know you will Betty] Ozpin said in a low tone, [Let's hope that your grandson and once again, do the impossible]
Betty smiled softly, "I'm sure he will, he's my blood after all, there's no wall we can't break through," She said.
The call ended and she turned to see Sun and Arslan looked at her with some worried looks.
"Was that about Jaune?" Arslan asked.
Betty nodded, "It was," She replied
"Is it over?" Sun asked. "Did he beat that Hades guy?"
Betty shook her head. "No, the situation's got a little worse," Betty replied
Arslan became more worried, "What's going on!?" She asked.
"Hades has taken over Atlas Academy and defeated Ironwood, and Jaune and the rest of them are dealing with Hades' pawns,"
Arslan was about to open her mouth only for Sun to put his hand on her shoulder, "Jaune's gonna be fine, Ars," He told her. "If anyone can beat Hades, it's Jaune, he'll come back, trust me," Sun said.
Arslan sighed, "I know, I know," She replied, "I just... Ugh! Why can't that idiot stay out of trouble!?" She groaned.
Betty chuckled, "Trust me, I thought the same about his grandfather and he did the same about me, but trouble always seems to find us Arcs or we find it," She said. "Yet, we always make sure we get out of it, one way, or another,"
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Brian looked at the two teens with a grin, "Looks like I get to kill the Hero of Vale, what a lucky day for me," He said.
Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors and activated his shield, glaring at the rouge huntsman, "Where's Penny!? Where's her dad!?" Jaune asked.
"With Hades," Brian said, "But they aren't here,"
Ceil activated her hard light blades and glared at Brian, "Where. Are. They?" she asked.
Brian smiled, "Atlas Academy," Brian replied. "Hades needs the rest of the files on the P3NNY Unit to create more before he accomplishes his ultimate goal,"
Jaune and Ciel were angry that they missed Hades and that he was now at Atlas Academy, where he might have just gotten what he wanted.
Brian then took a fighting stance and looked at the two, his arms held up as if his arms were blades themselves. "Now, let's dance, shall we?"
Ciel and Jaune charged at Brian, one went low, while the other went high, but the rouge huntsman managed to dodge their attacks, and when he found an opening, he struck both of them with his bare hands, sending the two stumbling back, however, Ciel noticed something about the way he attacked.
'When he strikes, it's as if his arm is a sword, and slashes or chops, never punches or slaps,' Ciel thought as she glared at the man. 'Could it be an Aura technique or his Semblance?' Ciel asked.
Jaune charged at Brian once more and went in for a strike, however, Brian blocked the attack with his arm and then used his other arm to slash Jaune across his gut, hitting his aura and making the blonde boy grunt in pain. Brian then kicked Jaune in the chest and backed away, sending the teen stumbling back, but Jaune quickly sent, and Arcus Mortis his way, and Brian narrowly dodged it.
As Brian was far from the blonde, Ciel raced up to the blonde and looked at him, "You ok?" She asked.
Jaune gave her a quick nod, "I'm fine," he said.
Ciel nodded, "Good," She said, "When he hit you, did it feel like being hit by a hand or a blade?" Ciel asked.
"Like a blade," Jaune quickly answered.
"Semblance or Aura Technique?" Ciel asked.
"My lien's on Semblance, I never heard of an Aura technique that can make an arm as sharp as a blade," Jaune replied.
Ciel nodded, "I see... I need you to get out of here," She told him.
Jaune looked at her with a confused and shocked look, "What!? Why!?" he asked.
Ciel looked back at him, "Because we need you at the endgame," Ciel told him, "Go ahead and get back to Atlas Academy, I'll take care of him," Ciel told him.
Jaune looked at her and saw she was serious and while it didn't sit right with him, leaving her behind and not helping her fight, he deactivated his shield and sheathed his sword.
"Please be careful, Ciel," He told her
"I promise," Ciel told him.
Jaune nodded and he ran out of the room.
Brian saw Jaune running and quickly chased after him, the rouge's arm was pulled back as if pulling back a sword. "Where do you think you're going!?" He asked.
Ciel jumped in front of him and activated her hard-light wrist blades and blocked his attack and glared at him, she then pushed his arm away with her blades and he stumbled back but Ciel quickly shot forward and swung her blades, trying to land a hit, however, the rouge simply managed to block and deflect most of her swings, and then tried to strike her, but she managed to narrowly avoid the attack before they both decided to jump back and gain some distance.
Brian smiled at the young cadet, "You think that kid stands a chance against Hades?" He asked with a smirk, "Kid may be the "Hero of Vale" but he doesn't stand a chance against Hades, because he's merely a child and Hades is a Solider,"
Ciel glared at Brian, "Soldiers don't kidnap people," Ciel told him.
Brian chuckled, "What we took wasn't a person, it was a thing, a robot, made of metal and wires, not bones and blood," he told her.
Ciel's anger rose, "Penny is a person," she stated. "She has Aura, she has a soul, the only person who doesn't have a soul is that boss of yours, he's no solider, he's a damn monster,"
Brian glared at the teen girl. "He's a soldier!" Brian cried, "A soldier who knows that sacrifices must be made to create a safe and better world! He sees the bigger picture!"
Ciel glared at him with a raised brow, "And what big picture is that?" She asked.
"The safety of the world!" Brian cried.
Brian then charged at her, but Ciel quickly turned her blades into bows and arrows and fired 5 arrows at him and he deflected the first two, but the rest managed to land, sending him flying back.
Ciel then changed back to her blades and quickly charged at him, however, Brian saw her coming and he stopped himself and went in for a kick, managing to strike Ciel in the side and send her flying to the side, but she stabbed her blades into the floor and stopped herself.
'Again, that kick didn't feel like a kick, felt like being struck with a sword,' Ciel thought, 'It has to be his Semblance, he may be able to sharpen his aura in the form of a "blade", and it appears he can make both of his arms and legs into a blade, so I have to be careful,' Ciel thought.
Brian looked at Ciel, "Hades has a duty! A Soldiers Duty! Do you know what a soldier's duty is!? It is to do as they are ordered" He began, "It does not matter what that Order is, sabotage something, slaughter our enemies, sacrifice what matters the most! it doesn't matter what the order is, a soldier's duty is to follow orders! TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE! TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE!"
Brian charged at her again and swung his arm at her, she managed to duck under the attack and tried to go for his leg, but he jumped up and over her to kick her in the back. She fell forward and tried to move only for the rouge to step on her back and pin her to the floor.
Brian pulled his arm back and activated his semblance, prepared to strike her until her aura broke and he killed her. "And like any good soldier, I'm following my orders," the rouge told her.
Ciel grunted in anger as she tried to get up, 'Follow orders huh?' Ciel thought.
The image of her father popped into her head just as she left for Atlas Academy, dressed in her uniform. She remembered the words he had spoken before she had left...
"Ciel, do your duty as a soldier, do what a solider is meant to do, stand up and fight, but protect those weaker than yourself and do what is right no matter the cost," Her father told her, "They may hate you and despise you, but in the end, you've done the right thing, which will always be the hard thing,"
Ciel had seen all the cowards who hid behind their orders, who did what they were told instead of the right thing, and she despised them. They weren't soldiers, just cowards wearing a uniform that didn't mean anything to them, unfeeling men and women who couldn't understand what it meant to protect and care about something, and humans and faunus who only cared about saving their skin.
'Do my duty as a soldier... do what is right... no matter the cost,' Ciel told herself. She turned her head and had her eyes look up at Brian, "A good soldier follows orders? No, a good soldier does what is right, no matter the cost, I don't care if I am hated, despised, or even killed, in the end, I know that I've done what is right and I'll never regret that choice!"
Brian glared but smiled at her, "Then I hope you feel good about dying today!" He said as he raised his blade in the air and prepared to strike Ciel.
However...
Time froze and Brian couldn't move, nor could he tell what was happening to him. Ciel got up and out from under Brian's foot, got off the ground, activated her weapon, and looked at him with nothing but contempt.
"You talked about a Soldiers Duty is to follow orders no matter what it is or the cost, but that isn't my duty as a solider... my duty and my only duty is to protect my family and my friends, who are the only things that matter to me," Ciel told him, "That is MY duty and right now... you're in the way of it," Ciel said.
There was no response from Brian.
Ciel pulled back her weapon and glared at him, "I already told Winter this, but when my semblance is activated and time is frozen, you can't react, you can't see, you can't even hear me, and that goes for your Aura as well, So until time starts up again, you won't even realize... you're already dead.
Ciel thrusted her blade forward and she stabbed him in the neck and then pulled the blade out.
"1 minute has passed," Ciel said and time resumed.
Suddenly, time started up again, and as soon as it did, Brian felt the blood leave his neck and felt the extreme pain in his neck as the blood flowed out rapidly and he fell to his knees, gargling and holding his wound.
"Wh-Wh-Agghh!?" He spewed out as he choked on his blood.
he looked up to see Ciel standing in front of him and he tried to grab her but Ciel simply stepped back as he fell forward and died.
"I'll make sure that Hades will join you," Ciel said. Ciel began to walk away but fell to her knees and began breathing heavily, she felt tired and almost couldn't move. "D-Damn it... even if it was just a minute, it took a lot out of me!" Ciel cried.
Ciel tried to get up but she was too weak to move at the moment, as she tried to move and leave the room to go with Jaune back to Atlas Academy, she remembered as she watched Penny charge at Hades, she watched as the rouge Headmaster grabbed Penny by the arm and tore her arm off.
She felt horror and anger in that moment. She would never forgive Hades for that moment, for hurting Penny, She was going to save her friend, and she was going to make Hades pay.
Ciel groaned in anger and she glared as she tried to move, "I-I have to get there... I have to save Penny..." Ciel groaned as she struggled to stay awake. "I-I have to make Hades regret what he's done!" She groaned.
However, despite how much she tried, Ciel's eyes felt heavy and she fell to the ground, and everything went black...
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Seems like Sun and Arslan are getting that training arc! Ciel won and seems to want revenge on Hades but has passed out, hopefully in the future, her Semblance won't take so much out of her.
Here's what's going to happen in Chapter 44! Raging Sea!
Neptune and Elm face off against Bella, but can they beat her as she keeps teleporting all over the place!? Neptune fully goes all in and embraces who he must become to stand alongside those he fights with!