Here is the twelfth chapter in this series released in keeping with my self-imposed upload schedule for this series. The battle trial is over, as is their first proper day at U.A., but there is still another Hero Basic Training course to deal with before they can settle in and do normal school stuff and for some of the class this is might cause issues because it is time for Grimm Studies. That is all the administrative stuff I have and while there are no questions that need answers there are two guest reviews that deserve a response which I will do now. Do keep the reviews and PMs coming as I always like hearing how much y'all are enjoying my work.
To Guest (guest), thank you for your review, it is good to see your continued support and don't worry I am staying safe. Ruby and Weiss will argue no matter the universe to me, they're initial personalities are too contrasting not to but once that tsundere shell is cracked they can begin to get along whenever that happens. Noelle's power is there but she really needs her control and soon she'll get the first step to that in a long chapter that I added to my outline recently to address that, introduce some more side characters, and have some fun so plenty more to look forward to in the coming weeks.
To Guest (different guest), the Astelle ship has begun its work indeed but there is still a little more before the skeleton upon which it grows is there though that will come soon. I am sure Class 1-A's resident ship captain will have a good time when she realizes that along with another cinnamon bun ship that will of course develop over time as I am sticking to the MHA canon for that particular one as well. I wonder what would happen if the Izuocha captain met the Astelle captain, time will of course tell if that is the case. As for any other ships in port, I don't know what you're talking about there, but if there is another one that too will begin to develop over time but there's going to be some construction hiccups in the way first.
Anyway, that is it for this pre-chapter note which means that it is time to sit back and enjoy the twelfth chapter in Black RWBY Academia.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these three great franchises.
Chapter 12: Grimm Studies 101
Izuku took his seat without much fanfare after he entered the classroom later than most but still before homeroom started while some of the class chatted around him. He'd been a little later than usual because he'd had to swing by Recovery Girl after getting to school to make sure that his right arm was fully healed after breaking it the day before.
Unlike the other students who had suffered injuries in the battle trial they'd had during their first Hero Basic Training class, Izuku's had been more extensive given how badly he broke his bones when he used One for All. The burns on his left arm from Kacchan's explosion at the end and the other minor injuries he'd received in the match had been easily taken care of, but his arm needed another look. Thankfully, it was fine but still Izuku thought on it and all that had transpired in the wake of the battle trial.
He'd come to in the nurse's office to find that it was late afternoon and that he'd missed all of his afternoon classes which wasn't good but he'd been the worst injured and had been out of it after his initial healing. As such he'd been in the nurse's office until he woke up and was dispatched back to the classroom with the orders to come back the next morning to finish the job.
It was when he got back to the classroom that he learned that his performance had inspired several of the other members of the class to do their best, well after getting complimented by Kirishima, Ashido, Aoyama, Sero, and Sato for how well he'd done his battle. It actually helped as he was able to learn who they were in that moment as well as a few others in the class including the awkward moment of Asui asking him to call her Tsu, a shortening of her given which was hard to do given that he barely knew her and she was a girl.
Still, it was the first time that Izuku had had a good moment in a class, and he liked it, even if Ida was being Ida and getting into it with Tokoyami over sitting on the desk. Uraraka wasn't back but as soon as she was she came over as well to make sure that he was ok and asked him why he wasn't fully healed but as it had to do with his stamina he hadn't had enough for it. The support of his class had really helped him feel like he was a part of it and he was looking forward to getting to know them better but before he could do that he'd noticed that Kacchan had already left.
Uraraka told him that Kacchan had left already so Izuku hurried out to talk to him and managed to catch his childhood friend turned bully on the entrance way to U.A. as Kacchan was leaving to go home. It was there that they had some words about what had just happened.
Clearly Izuku's win over in the match had deeply wounded Kacchan's pride, it was his first such win over Kacchan, and he was still pissed at Izuku for hiding his Quirk. However, Izuku saw past that when Kacchan mentioned that he realized that he wasn't as good as either Todoroki in terms of skill or Silva in terms of raw power though she had no control, which Izuku didn't understand as he still didn't know what her Quirk was, and Izuku realized for the first time that Kacchan was faced with the fact that he wasn't the best in the class.
Izuku knew that in time Kacchan would get past it and use this to get stronger, he just needed to overcome this loss. He did try to offer an olive branch of sorts by explaining that he had a borrowed Quirk so he hadn't been lying about it but Kacchan seemed to be having none of it so Izuku left him to be comforted by All Might who appeared a moment later while some of the girls looked on though Izuku didn't see that. He was trying but Kacchan was still not there so Izuku just left it there before All Might asked him what they'd been talking about.
That had freaked Izuku out as he was sure he'd said a little too much to Kacchan, though thankfully the other boy hadn't believed him it seemed, so he told All Might that he'd forgotten and then changed the subject by asking about the other battles as he didn't know what had happened in them. That and he'd noted that none of the non-traditional branch students, who were in a matchup against each other, had been present when he'd returned to the classroom.
Thankfully All Might seemed to be fine with the change of topic and proceeded to explain the other battles though he mainly described the intense battle that had taken place third between the Quirk Knight kids and the Huntress ones. As with Izuku's match All Might had let that one go on when he probably shouldn't have, and it had led to multiple injures which he got told off for by Recovery Girl.
Apparently, Silva had almost drowned on her Quirk, that was when Izuku learned what it was and understood her lack of control but that she had been saved by Asta and Schnee working together to ensure it as All Might had wanted to make sure that they sorted it out themselves. He was ready to rush in and save Silva if she lost consciousness, but he trusted the kids to save her, and it paid off but was still reckless for which he got an earful from Recovery Girl as she had to heal three of the girls from that match.
However, despite this, apparently Silva was actually the least injured of the 5 as Schnee, Rose, and Nero had all ended up unconscious in the nurse's office afterwards. That had been why the first two hadn't been there as they'd been discharged and sent home while Nero and Asta had work on campus to attend to as part of their enrolment so they'd gone off to do that while Silva had just left apparently. Izuku understood that and asked about the other injuries that had been healed while he was passed out in the nurse's office.
Schnee had several cuts to her back from being blasted through a window and had passed out from a mix of blood loss and over straining her Quirk. Rose had taken the flat of Asta's sword to the head and that had concussed her which her subsequent Quirk use hadn't helped, especially as she'd reached her own limits there, and passed out at the end from it when she no longer had to stay conscious. Lastly Nero had been injured during Silva's loss of control and healed herself to finish the trial, but the physical strain had caught up with her at the end after she won it.
All three were fine now and had been healed and dismissed before Izuku woke up but it showed him just how intense the Hero Course was. The rest of the matches were straightforward though but still it just showed how tough it would be and this year was going to be for all of them and this was just the first week of their first year at U.A.
That had been yesterday and now Izuku was ready for another day at U.A. and what it might bring him as he began to prepare his books in his seat while some of the class continued to chat around him and Ida again got into it with Tokoyami over sitting on a desk. He was about to turn and do the same and chat with Asta to ask him for more details about his intense battle trial when the door opened, and Mr. Aizawa walked in. As soon as he was there the class shut up and those still not in their seats were now in them as they looked to the front of the class.
"Alright, that was some decent work on yesterday's combat training, some of you did really well, some average, and some of you have much to improve on but that is what training is for, to show you your weaknesses so that you can overcome them before you get into the field." Aizawa said as he reached the lectern and looked over the class. "I watched all the recordings of the matches and went over the results so as to give you detailed reports which I will do so tomorrow but there are a few things that I have to say first starting with Bakugo."
At that Aizawa looked to Bakugo who just looked back as he made a tsking sound at it. He was still pissed at his loss and Deku making a fool of him all these years, but he wasn't going to do more than scowl at his teacher as he got feedback.
"You're talented and you clearly know it." Aizawa said simply. "So don't sulk as if you're a child just because you lost. You will lose battles in this class, you all will, that is how you will grow in the end, ok?"
"Yeah sure." Bakugo said looking away knowing that it was the truth but still not wanted to admit it.
"Next, Midoriya." Aizawa said and Izuku tensed at that as he had a good feeling that he knew what was coming so he just looked down at his desk as he awaited his teacher's words. "I see that you only won that match by messing up your arm again. You may have been able to win it with one punch this time but that may not always be the case so work harder and don't give me the excuse that you don't have control over your Quirk because that's not going to fly anymore. You can't keep breaking yourself while training as there are long term consequences to that kind of damage. That said as you showed in your battle that you're Quirk will be really useful when you get a hold on it so show some urgency on that front."
"Right sir." Izuku said looking up at that and pleased at the praise as he'd been expecting only criticism, so it motivated him to continue getting better at controlling One for All.
"The same applies to you Silva." Aizawa said looking to Noelle at the back of the classroom. "You finally showed off your Quirk and its power, I can see why the Principal accepted you via his exemption and why you were placed in my class with Asta as well, it explains his uneven slots for recommended students though if the Principal decided that these were the best class breakdowns then I trust his judgement there. Regardless, you showed that you've got a lot of power, you just need to get it under control. As is the case with Midoriya it will serve you well when you get a handle on it so make sure you do and soon."
"I will sir." Noelle said, her old attitude was still there but she'd thawed a little after Asta's acceptance and knew she needed to get it under control she just didn't know where to start on that front, but she was going to do so by working with Asta from now on.
"Good, lastly, Schnee, don't toy with your opponent's again." Aizawa said looking to her. "You had Silva and Swallowtail in that matchup based on your combat skills compared to theirs, especially as a Huntress track student with weapon experience. I get that you were trying to help Silva and it did allow me to get a sense of her control problems but in the real world you may not get the chance to banter with a villain, they will more than likely just come at you, so best to bring the fight to them when they charge with hostile intent. Rose showed that in your match, I expect the same from you as well."
"Yes sir." Weiss said a little annoyed at that, but she did understand the criticism as it was fair, she had toyed with Noelle and Nero a little too much. "I'll work on it."
Still, she wasn't a big fan of being told that Rose's actions were better than hers as she didn't agree with them at all. She had told Rose that they could work together, they likely would have to as they were the only Huntress students in the class unless one of the others decided to change branches which did happen from time to time as some kids realized that they preferred or were better suited to the lesser populated branches rather than the normal branch of hero work but for now it was just her and Rose so they had to learn to get along.
Well, Weiss would try on that front but first she had to see how Rose performed or interacted with Grimm before she made a final assessment on the girl. That was their main mandate as Huntresses so understanding that was the key to understanding if they could work together and as their first class dealing with Grimm was going to be this afternoon it would give Weiss the perfect chance to evaluate Rose in the sense of a Huntress and not just normal hero training that they all had to go through.
"That is it for my initial feedback as no one else has anything glaring to work on right now but you will all get a detailed breakdown of your performance and a score for the class so you will know where to go from there as I expect you all to improve." Aizawa said bringing Weiss's mind back to the homeroom. "Regardless of how well you may have done yesterday."
"Yes sir." The class said as they understood that they'd get their results soon enough and learn where to improve from there.
"Right now, that that is over I'll finish homeroom by explaining what will happen after lunch for today's Hero Basic Training." Aizawa said as the class processed that they'd be getting feedback soon on their battle trials. "Today is your designated alternative branches education day."
"Sir what does that entail?" Ida asked his hand shooting in the air as he spoke. "By branches I assume you mean the Quirk Knight and Huntsman ones, right? All Might said yesterday that we'd be doing Grimm Studies today so…"
"Calm down Ida I'll get to it all in a moment." Aizawa said shutting up the over eager student and holding a hand up for silence. "Yes I mean those branches. Every year the Principal assesses how many first years have declared for those branches and decides the number of classes and specifics needed for the first semester and will adjust accordingly. With 9 total out of the 50 first years and 5 in this class it's once a week and will alternate between Huntsman branch classes and Quirk Knight ones with the Huntsman one going first today mainly because Huntsmen and Huntress have a specific mandate that you need to learn about and the two in this class need to really start working on handling that issue."
"Grimm." Ruby said.
"Correct Rose, Grimm are still a little known or understood phenomenon in Japan, but they are the primary reason why the Huntsman branch exists." Aizawa said. "As such today you will all have your first Grimm Studies class with Professor Port."
"Why do we need to understand them?" Kaminari asked. "Most of us aren't focused on dealing with that sorta stuff."
"Because they are still a real threat no matter the branch you are in." Aizawa said. "While it is true that most standard heroes don't really encounter them outside of the rural agencies as cities seem to not be targeted by the Grimm, likely due to population size, so you may end up encountering them. There is also always a chance that a villain could bring some in to wreak havoc in a city as civilians have no way to counter them and as most Huntsmen aren't based in major urban areas, they can cause serious problems. If that happens, and it does from time to time, then normal heroes have to be the front line until the nearest Huntsmen and Huntresses can be contacted and taken to the fight."
"Oh, ok sorry." Kaminari said.
"So yes these classes will be important for you to take and understand." Aizawa said. "In addition, these lessons will cover the main jobs of the Quirk Knights and their structure as they are the experts when it comes to rural work so you may work with them as well, especially when dealing with fugitives on the lam. It is important you know these so you can foster good relationships with the other branches beyond those you know here. All of us are heroes and we work together for the betterment of society no matter the branch. Remember that."
"Yes sir." The class said as one.
"Good now that is it for homeroom." Aizawa said as he headed to the door and it opened and Dr. Oobleck who was the history teacher in addition to his work as one of the Huntsmen on staff who'd be conducting some of those alternative lessons, strode in slugging from his thermos and his whole wired demeanor the exact opposite of Aizawa's tired one. "Now it is time for class, behave yourselves."
With that the normal classes began for the day and the kids of Class 1-A got down to learning. Still, many were keen to see what the later class would entail when they had their first Grimm Studies lesson.
"It's time for Grimm Studies." Aizawa said as the class settled down after lunch. "Professor Port has told me that today will be a standard lecture but with the potential for practical displays so you will need these just in case. Take your costume cases and proceed to the special lecture hall reserved for this class. Midoriya, your costume is in for repairs so you can bring your PE kit. Schnee, you had a spare costume so your damage one has been replaced."
With that Aizawa pressed a button and the panels that contained their costume cases slid out and the students got up to get them before heading out of the classroom without another word, well all but Izuku did as his wasn't there, so he just headed out with the others carrying his PE kit in his bag and chatted with Ida and Uraraka as they walked.
Most weren't sure what to expect from this class as other than those like Rose and Schnee who were training to face Grimm, or those like Asta, and while they didn't know it yet Shoji, who came from more backwater places the rest of the class hadn't even seen a Grimm before outside of images of them. As such they were for the most part in the dark about how to handle the strange creatures that often plagued the countryside and the waters that surrounded Japan.
Now, though, they were going to be actually be learning about them as there was a chance that they ran into some while in the field. It was exciting to say the least and Izuku, Uraraka, and Ida had spent lunch chatting with Rose, Asta, and Nero about Grimm and what to expect when it came to them.
Only Rose could really talk about them, apparently her hometown of Patch, and the island of the same name that it was on, occasionally had outbreaks of them hence why many who opted for the hero career that hailed from Patch ended up in the Huntsman branch from simple experience. As such Rose was able to give them a detailed accounting of her experiences with the various kinds of Grimm that she'd faced there.
It was fascinating to learn about them but still facing one would be a different ball game. At least they weren't technically alive, at least not in the traditional sense, and they weren't even classified as animals, so killing them was fair game and in fact the only way to do so as they didn't stop until they were down. That meant that they were going to be different for sure and Izuku at least was keen to learn more about them.
That time was now as they reached the special room in the main U.A. building that was reserved for this kind of lecture and entered it. It was very different to their homeroom and much more like the auditorium that they'd been in when they'd taken the entrance exam only it was smaller with steeper levels in them comprised of old school wooden benches on a semicircle around a large open area at the front of the room.
On the other side of the open area was a sprawling desk in front of several whiteboards filled with detailed, labeled, drawings of various Grimm that looked like animals such as snakes, scorpions, bears, boars, and anthropomorphic wolves only with additional features to them. It was certainly different to any of the other classes that they'd had so far.
Standing in the center of the room clearly waiting for them was a large man with gray hair shaved close on the sides and bushy grey eyebrows and mustache who looked past his prime as his broad body was more fat than muscle and he had a clear belly to him though he held himself with the confidence of a season fighter. He wore a burgundy double-breasted suit with gold piping and buttons with a matching burgundy cravat thing hiding most of his white shirt.
To complete the look, he wore olive cavalry boots of all things that his pants were tucked into giving him a more European look, where he was in fact from as he hailed from Moscow originally but had lived in Japan for almost his entire life. Hanging from his belt was, of all things, a blunderbuss with a double headed battle axe at the end that had to be his Huntsman weapon.
"Welcome Class 1-A to Grimm Studies 101, I am Professor Port, the Huntsman on staff who specializes in the ins and outs of Grimm and how to kill them." The man said in a booming voice that carried no trace of a Russian accent to his Japanese. "Please sit where you please, there is not seating chart and we will only be using this room sparingly during your time in this course so no need for one anyway."
The class just did as they were told and made their way up the stairs and filed into the various benches with Ruby leading Izuku, Uraraka and Ida into the front row and taking a seat near the end with a place open to her left as Izuku sat on her right followed by Uraraka and Ida. There was a space under the tabletop before them for her costume case, so she slid it in there and when she was done she looked over to blink as Weiss Schnee was now sitting next to her.
"Don't distract me Rose." Weiss said as she put away her case. "I'm here to learn more as there are plenty of Grimm species that I've never seen before, but we are the only ones currently confirmed as aspiring Huntress, so this makes sense."
Ruby wasn't really complaining, she wanted to get to know Schnee more, so this helped, and she pulled out a notebook for the upcoming class. She was still a little confused, but a look around told her that Silva had opted to sit next to Asta and Nero on one of the side benches while Momo was a level up next to Jiro showing that the trio of high-class girls were trying to make more friends in the class which was nice.
What Ruby didn't know was that during lunch Momo, who as with the day before had been sitting with Weiss and Noelle, had told the girls to sit with the others in their branches for this class as it made the most sense and would help them make more friends in the course. Noelle had been fine with that, she was warming up already to the idea of working more with Asta, she'd just not had the nerve to sit with him at lunch, but Weiss hadn't. She had explained that this would be her litmus test for Ruby and as such would wait until after the class to assess her more.
"I am sure many of you are wondering why you are here when you aren't likely to encounter Grimm if you are a normal hero." Professor Port said getting the class's attention once they were all settled. "And that is a fair query but as I am sure that Mr. Aizawa told you, you will run into them during your hero careers and as such knowing how to fight them is critical as a hero. This class will teach you not just the basics of what we know about the Grimm but also how to fight them with just Quirks and not the specialized weapons that Huntsmen and Huntresses wield that are designed for Grimm slaying as well as telling you about the several kinds of Grimm that can be found in Japan and how best to fight them."
This was all pretty obvious, so the class listened with some attentive making notes and some already starting to lose interest as Professor Port was already showing himself to be a bit of a bore after just one statement. Ruby was one of the latter ones, but she was trying her best to pay attention.
"As such this class, which meets twice a month as the other two weeks are devoted to the ins and outs of the Quirk Knights and how to work with them in the field, will be split between lectures with potential practical elements like this one and fully practical classes where you will be pitted against Grimm specially captured for training purposes." Professor Port continued. "This is still part of the Hero Basic Training course so you will be getting plenty of practical training in it that can help you in other aspects of your hero work."
"Sir." Ida said unable to avoid asking a question as his hand shot into the air the way it seemed to do when he was speaking despite not being called upon. "Surely that is dangerous to capture Grimm. I've heard that they can kill a person quite easily."
"That they can which is why in those situations myself or Dr. Oobleck, who as you know is the other Huntsman on staff, will be present and ready to act in an instant." Professor Port said as he tapped the weapon on his hip. "I assure you Mr. Ida that I am well versed in how to use Blowhard here."
"Blowhard?" Ida asked confused.
"The name of my weapon, all Huntsmen and Huntresses name their weapons because our weapons are unique to us and as such deserve a name to reflect that fact." Professor Port said. "Why Blowhard got her name one fine summer day some 40 years ago back in my own time at U.A. It was a good day; the breeze was just right as it came in through the window and I was working on perfecting her axe parts when…"
Professor Port proceeded to deviate into a long winded and boring tangent on the origin of his weapon's name that seemed to invoke his grandfather who smelled like cabbages for some reason that caused many of the students' eyes to glass over as he spoke. It was clear that the word blowhard might also apply to Professor Port and he was showing just that with this story, so much so that Ruby was fully distracted and began to amuse herself much to Weiss's annoyance next to her, and revolution when Ruby picked her nose.
The worse though was her drawing of Professor Port being a blowhard that she snickered at and showed Weiss who was actually making notes on what was going on even if it seemed to be useless. Weiss was about to whisper harshly at Ruby for it but then Professor Port came to the end of his story, and she was able to focus back on him again.
"…and thus, the name of my weapon was decided upon that fateful day." Professor Port said finishing his story though none in the class was going to remember it. "And that leads into the main purpose of this first class, an overview of the Grimm."
"Yes what actually are they?" Kirishima asked, he'd actually been paying attention to the story as to him it had been quite manly in the end though he was rapidly forgetting the fine details of it. "I've seen a few on TV but never faced one."
"Grimm come in all shapes and sizes and are, for the most part as Grimm like the Apathy are humanoid or the spirit-like Geist Grimm, based off animals though for some reason they are all black with white markings that are like bone with the exception of one of the heads of a King Taijitu Grimm that is white with black markings and they all have red eyes." Professor Port explained. "However, we don't actually know what they are. They appeared some 172 years ago, at least the first record of one is, and began to terrorize the countryside which is what led to the formation of the Huntsman branch as the Quirk Knights, the only heroic branch at the time, were not specifically equipped to deal with them."
"Why?" Kaminari asked.
"Because for the most part Quirk Knights do not fight with weapons but with their Quirks and the defensive nature of the bone-like armor most Grimm have is pretty good at withstanding most kinds of Quirk." Professor Port answered. "It was actually thanks to the Wizard King at the time, one Princia Funnybunny, who was a deadly warrior that wielded a sword in conjunction with her powerful Legion Quirk that we realized that weapons like swords and guns were the best way to handle Grimm especially when used in conjunction with Quirks hence why we make our own weapons as often times they work with our Quirks."
"Funnybunny?" Ashido asked trying not to snicker. "That was her name?"
"Do not laugh Miss Ashido, of all the Quirk Knights to hold the title of Wizard King she was the most feared when it came to martial might and is still to this day considered to have had the best fighting abilities of any person to have held the title of Wizard King." Professor Port said seriously. "Her combat skills, tactical mind, and Quirk that allowed her to create and control metal soldiers comparable in size and skill to a small nation's army made her a force to be reckoned with."
"Sorry, sir, but did I hear that correctly?" Noelle asked interrupting her teacher. "She had a Quirk that powerful that long ago? If Funnybunny's reign as Wizard King was that long ago then she'd have been around some 50 to 75 years after the Advent and Quirks weren't that well developed, or common, back then even within the powerful Quirk Knight families and I assure you that I've never heard of House Funnybunny."
"Wizard King Funnybunny was the last of her line though like all the old Quirk Knight Houses that worked with the Great Houses of Kira, Silva, and Vermillion to establish the order, House Funnybunny was formed because of an early Quirk user and it was through aggressive Quirk Marriages that led to her Quirk." Port explained. "While she would ultimately be stripped of her title and replaced due to her perceived cruelty it is still thanks to her example that the foundations of the four major Huntsman Agencies were laid. Over time the Huntsman branch was officially formed before being folded into the heroic umbrella after the Heroic Code was adopted but that is something Dr. Oobleck will teach you in time as that is his area of expertise, not mine. Any more questions before I move on?"
"Yes sir, you used the she pronoun for Wizard King Funnybunny?" Ida asked as his hand shot up though he did wait for Port to nod at him before he continued. "If that is the case then shouldn't that mean that she was the Wizard Queen and not Wizard King given that she was a woman?"
"Despite the word king being used for a male monarch, Wizard King is actually a gender neutral title used to acknowledge the strongest and thus the leader of the Quirk Knight branch." Professor Port explained. "The word king was used as the first to be recognized as such, after his death for that matter, was male while the word wizard was used as at the time we didn't even call Quirks Meta Abilities back then so his power was seen to be magical in some sense. Ever since then the title has stuck and when Funnybunny became the first woman to hold it she refused to change it on account of her gender thus setting the precedent for all future women who have held it to use the word king rather than queen."
"Um Professor, as interesting as this is I think we are off topic." Weiss said. "This is Grimm Studies not the history of the Quirk Knights."
"Right, you are Miss Schnee, so lets' bet back on topic." Professor Port said not really fazed by his tangent at all. "While we don't actually know what Grimm are, mainly because when one receives a fatal blow it disintegrates so we've never been able to study a dead one and as the live ones baring rare exceptions like the Apathy Grimm are violent, we do know a fair bit about them in general. We know that they are attracted to negative human emotions, but they will attack whenever they encounter humans in general even without negative emotions at play. We also know that they are soulless creatures driven only by evil hence why they have to be killed. We also know of the various types but that is basically it."
"Seems like not much to go on." Ida said.
"It's not but we have over a century and a half of data on fighting them so this course will specially deal with what we do know about them." Professor Port said as Ruby finished a second drawing of the professor much to Weiss's annoyance. "And on that front, would one of the two current Huntress track students care to show us a display of Grimm fighting? I have a freshly caught Boarbatusk ready to go, I just need a vol…"
"I'll do it." Weiss said thrusting her hand into the air before he'd even finished asking for one of them to volunteer.
"Excellent, then go and change Miss Schnee." Professor Port said pointing to a door in the wall to the right of the whiteboards by the entrance door. "There is a single person changing room right there for you to use. I'll go fetch your opponent. The rest of you should pay close attention to this when I get back."
Those still able to pay attention nodded at this, some of the class was outright asleep by this point thanks to the tangents that Professor Port had gone on, as Weiss got up, grabbed her case, and headed to the changing room. She was going to show not just Ruby how a Huntress should act but the whole class that she was competent at handling Grimm while Professor Port went to a large set of doors at the other side of the white boards and disappeared through them.
Ruby was now focused but because Weiss was going to represent their branch and was looking forward to seeing how she fought a Grimm as she used a different weapon to her so her style would be very different to her own. This was going to be good, and Ruby couldn't wait as the others chatted about what they'd been told and what they'd learn soon enough.
It only took Weiss a few minutes to change into her white Huntress outfit, this one brand new as yesterday's had been ruined, and return to stand in the center of the floor area of the lecture hall with Myrtenaster in her left hand pointing at the floor. She was glad for the healing she'd had after the battle trial yesterday as her back had been badly cut up but it was now fine with no scars so she had to give it to Recovery Girl, the old woman did great work with that Quirk of hers.
As Weiss had been changing Professor Port had shown that he still had plenty of muscle on his body as he hauled in a large, metal cage that was rattling but the heavy padlock on the side showed that it wasn't going to break open. It was clear what it contained, and Weiss was more than ready to face the Grimm inside even if she'd never actually faced a Boarbatusk Grimm before.
"Go Schnee!" Ruby cheered as Weiss turned sidewise and raised her sword in a ready stance to face the Grimm in the cage, something Asta took very careful note of as he was keen to see her sword skills and learn from them as best, he could despite their different styles of sword. "Fight well and represent us Huntresses!"
"Rose, will you be quiet, I'm trying to focus on the coming battle." Weiss snapped at her which caused Ruby to sink in her seat though Weiss didn't notice this as she turned back to face the cage. "I don't need any distractions right now."
"And begin!" Professor Port said as he struck off the padlock with the axe head of his weapon and the front of the cage fell down to reveal a Boarbatusk Grimm inside it.
The Boarbatusk snorted and then gave a roar before it charged out of the cage and right at Weiss. This really got the attention of the class as many had never seen a Grimm in person before, so they were instantly focused on it as the beast that resembled a large boar with extra-large, curved tusks and a lot of white bone-like armor on its face and body while built up speed as it ran at Weiss. Already some of the class, the more action orientated ones, were keen to try their own hands at facing a Grimm if this was an example of what they'd face.
For her part Weiss was unphased as she let the Grimm charge her, it clearly wasn't going at full speed before she leapt to the side and slashed at it with her sword only to strike the armor on its body rather than gouge a line in it as she'd intended that would slow it down. Well, that told Weiss a lot about the strength of its armor which was going to be useful in the battle.
Weiss just rolled over the ground undeterred from her attack before popping up to her feet as the Boarbatusk finished it's charge and began to turn around to face her. Her attack may have failed but it had done two important things. It had forced the Grimm to focus on her rather than the rest of the class and told her that its's armor was stronger than her sword's edge so slashing attacks wouldn't work in it.
"Wasn't expecting that now were you Miss Schnee." Professor Port said with a chuckle as Weiss took a stance again side on to the Boarbatusk as it looked at her and prepared its next charge. "That little blighter's got plenty of armor on it and it's a mature Boarbatusk so it's nice a tough. Boarbatusk Grimm are not uniform in their armor, it's something that makes them a challenge when dealing with a group of them and that's not factoring in what they can do with their bodies."
"Hang in there Schnee." Ruby called out from her seat. "You got this."
Weiss just ignored that as she created a line of glyphs on the floor and shot at the Grimm with the acceleration boost her Quirk gave her, sword point put and going for a quick, clean, kill with a stab to one of its lower eyes. That was a clear soft spot in the Grimm's defense as there was no armor over its four eyes so a stab through it to what would be the brain on a normal creature was a guaranteed kill as far as Weiss knew.
At least that was her plan as she shot over her glyphs faster than normal thanks to the acceleration boost her Quirk could give her but at the last moment the Grimm turned it's head to the side and back again quickly causing Weiss's sword to get stuck with the top part behind the right tusk and the guard of her sword in front of the left tusk. Though Weiss didn't know it, it was a similar lock to how Asta had locked his sword into Ruby's scythe the day before.
The result was her sword getting stuck and jarring Weiss as she flipped around in the air and barely kept her hand on the handle of Myrtenaster while spinning her legs wide and unfortunately flashing her matching white panties to the whole class before she got herself under control and landed on her feet before the Grimm with her knees bent. This was much to Mineta's extreme pleasure meaning she'd have to change to shorts in the future but for the moment she had to finish dealing with this Boarbatusk before she could change her outfit to protect her modesty next time something like this happened.
As such, as soon as Weiss was on solid ground again, she grabbed her sword with both hands and tried to pry it free knowing that as sharp as it was it couldn't slice through a Boarbatusk's tusk. She'd need her sword to kill it so she had to get it free and fast as getting disarmed would be bad and embarrassing.
"That is a bold new approach, I like it." Professor Port said unhelpfully. "Few opt to get up close and personal with a Boarbatusk, especially those who opt for sword-based weapons, but to each their own."
"Show it who's boss Schnee, don't let us Huntresses down." Ruby cheered. "I know that you can do it!"
Unfortunately for Ruby her cheer was not what Weiss needed at that moment as it distracted her and forced her to look at Ruby which gave the Boarbatusk the moment it needed to use its considerable strength to rip the sword from Weiss's hands. It then tossed it back behind it with a clatter before it struck Weiss in the chest on the back swing, thankfully with the blunt of the tusk as the curves ensured that the points were away from her and threw Weiss back to land on her hands and knees on the hard floor with a gasp as she felt a bruise form there but nothing felt broken which was good.
"What will you do now that you've been disarmed?" Professor Port asked as the Boarbatusk charged again. "Your Quirk isn't great at fighting an opponent head on if I recall, at least not in its current state."
Weiss didn't say anything to her teacher's words, she merely rolled to the side rather than get up so that the Boarbatusk rushed past her and hit the base of the lowest level of desks where it bounced off to the side putting more distance between itself and Weiss. That was just what she had planned, and she rose to run to her sword as a line of glyphs appeared to accelerate her to it and ensure she reached it before the Boarbatusk even turned around.
"Schnee, go for it's soft belly." Ruby called out trying to be helpful as Weiss slid over the ground to slide past her sword and picked it up as she did while the Boarbatusk completed its turn to face her once again. "There's no armor there so you can beat it that way with a rapier sword like yours."
"Stop telling me what to do Rose." Weiss yelled out at her as the Boarbatusk leapt up and into a ball before it started to spin really fast showing Weiss exactly what it could do with its body as Weiss got to her feet. "I know how to beat it and I'll do it right now."
Ruby just sank in her seat, the class did not miss that, as the Boarbatusk landed on the ground and spun in place in its ball for a moment before it shot at Weiss. This was better than it charging normally and when her eye strike failed Weiss had deduced that the belly was the best place to go for, though Rose had confirmed that to her. If the Boarbatusk had charged normally then she wouldn't be able to make this work as it wouldn't have enough speed for her plan to work but when it was in its deadly ball form this tactic would work perfectly.
A second later the Grimm charged at her in its rolling ball and Weiss made a flourish with her sword as she crouched down and formed a glyph in front of her to act as a shield. To add to it she flicked the switch in the handle of her sword to send out a line of hard light Dust into her glyph and change it into a full-on shield before her and ensure her plan worked as she intended.
Just as she'd knew it would, the hard light Dust enhanced her glyph and strengthened it to the point that the Boarbatusk bounced off the glyph as it was stronger than the Grimm's forward momentum and landed hard on it's back on the ground dazed for a moment with its legs kicking the air wildly. If it had run on the legs and not rolled as a ball it wouldn't have been fast enough but as a ball it was and as such it was now on its back presenting it's unprotected belly to Weiss.
That was exactly the opening that Weiss had wanted and she dismissed her glyph as she leapt as high as she could, showing off her agility as she backflipped right onto an angled glyph that she infused with gravity Dust as she flipped to turn black and hold her in place for a moment. Then she reversed the gravity to add to her speed as she launched herself off the glyph and down at the Grimm below her.
The Boarbatusk didn't even have a second to move to avoid the attack before Weiss was on it, the point of her sword driving right into its unprotected belly right where a heart would be on a normal boar. She drove her sword to the hilt in it, so much so that of burst through an armor plate and out of the back of the Grimm as she had the force to manage it thanks to her attack. She'd angled it such that rather than also drive the tip of her sword into the ground she simply scored a line on it as she and the squealing Grimm slide several feet over the floor before coming to a stop just before the cage.
"Bravo Miss Schnee, bravo." Professor Port said as Weiss panted on the ground and the Boarbatusk went limp next to her. "That is how you best a Boarbatusk Grimm when you don't have the force to break through its armor, you knock it on its back and pierce its belly. Well done."
"Aw man that was so manly." Kirishima said as Weiss got up and pulled her sword out of the Grimm as it began to disintegrate while ignoring the red-haired boy's statement because she was not a man. "I can't wait to test myself against a Grimm."
"And in time you will Mr. Kirishima, I believe you will find your Hardening Quirk rather useful against several kinds of Grimm that are out there." Professor Port said. "Miss Schnee, please take your seat again while I resume the rest of the lecture by going over the common Grimm that are in the areas near Musutafu and how best to handle them starting with the most common ones you are likely to find."
"Sir, before that I have a question?" Asta asked raising his hand as Weiss returned to her seat after her win over the Boarbatusk that was now just dust that was vanishing in the air following her stabbing of it.
"What is it, Asta, er, you don't have a family name do you?" Professor Port asked.
"No sir, I'm an orphan and I only had a given name." Asta confirmed. "So Asta is fine with me."
"Very well then what is your question?" Professor Port asked.
"Well after watching a Huntress in action and thinking back on the Boarbatusk that I faced near Hage several months ago I'm still confused." Asta began. "Are Grimm the products of Quirks or not? I thought they were, but no one has confirmed that to me."
"Honestly we aren't sure if they are made by a Quirk, made naturally and controlled by a Quirk, or some natural phenomenon that arose in the wake of the Advent of Quirks." Professor Port admitted. "As I said earlier, despite being around for a long time we still know very little about Grimm beyond what I've said as they disintegrate upon defeat so we can't study their biology in detail. Sure, there is a theory that they are, or at least were given that they've been a pest in this country for over a century at least and there's never been a recorded longevity Quirk, that they were made by a Quirk but they're numbers only seem to grow so there are few who subscribe to that theory due to the length of time they've existed for. Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's because when I was training after my Quirk manifested, I ran into a man fleeing one of those Boarbatusk things, so I swung my sword at it to protect him and the instant the edge hit it the Grimm just vanished." Asta explain which stopped Professor Port dead in his tracks and caused Ruby to turn and gape at Asta's words though Weiss had dismissed them back when he'd told her about it before the practical part of the entrance exam. "So I figured that they must be Quirks as my sword will nullify a Quirk or the product of a Quirk when it touches it."
"Are you sure that it's just that your sword is so sharp due to being the product of your Quirk that it bisected the Boarbatusk causing it to disintegrate quickly due to an overwhelming killing blow?" Professor Port asked trying to understand it. "I know from your records that your Quirk is called Anti-Quirk and allows you to create that sword but that is it."
"No sir because my sword doesn't have an edge to it." Asta said shaking his head. "It's a blunt weapon for some reason. Bedsides, the Grimm just vanished the moment that my sword made contact with it, I didn't cut into it at all."
"That is fascinating, but I will have to see it to believe it." Professor Port said knowing what he had to do. "Please, change into your hero attire and come down to the center of the classroom like Miss Schnee did while I go and retrieve another Boarbatusk. Thankfully, I always keep a few spare ones caged up just in case they're needed for extra demonstrations like this one."
Asta nodded at that as he got up, grabbed his costume case, and made his way to the changing room that was attached to the special lecture hall. At the same time Professor Port left through the door that was designed to bring in the cages that held the Grimm specimens to get one while taking out the empty one from Weiss's demonstration with him.
As this was happening the class just chatted amongst themselves about what they'd seen while Asta and Port sorted themselves out. During that time Ruby tried to talk to Weiss but she ignored her as she wasn't in a good mood with Ruby after her demonstration.
Ruby had shown Weiss that she wasn't mature enough for this and as such not worth Weiss's time though Ruby didn't know this and tried again but before she could Port returned with a new Grimm in a cage and Asta walked back into the classroom in his hero clothes, which here his normal non school ones, and grinning ready for the demonstration he was about to give.
"Alright Asta." Professor Port said as he raised his weapon to the lock on the now rattling cage for a second time that afternoon and brought it down. "Show me what you mean."
Once again a Boarbatusk Grimm was there that snarled as it charged out and right at Asta. The class could see that it had a different armor patter to it compared to the one that Weiss had faced, but Asta just ignored that as he grinned and held his right hand out not even trying to move out of the charging Grimm's way. The rend appeared in the air next to him and the handle of his sword appeared on it before he grabbed in his right hand and pulled it out in one smooth move.
To preserve the momentum, he just swung it from that position and at the Grimm as it charged him, his left hand going to it as well to stabilize his swing. Asta knew exactly what was going to happen as he sword cut through the air and intercepted the charging Grimm but to everyone else what happened next was an utter shock.
Rather that slam into the left tusk as that was the point of contact and throw the Grimm to the side with as much force as Asta could bring to bear, and maybe even breaking the Grimm's tusk in the process, the Grimm simply vanished the moment the edge of Asta's blade touched it. No explosion, no disintegration, nothing other than a complete vanishment of the Grimm happened as if it hadn't even been there or more accurately as if it had been nullified completely by Asta's sword.
For his part Asta just finished his swing so that the sword was now over his left side as he looked at the spot that the Grimm had been in for a moment to make sure that it was gone and then straightened up and hefted his sword onto his left shoulder. He had a wide grin on his face as he looked to his teacher who was just staring slack jawed and wide eyed at what he'd seen, as were both Weiss and Ruby who had believed that this kind of thing shouldn't have been possible. It seemed that Asta had been right all along about his experience with a Grimm.
"See sir, my sword nullifies them." Asta said as he dismissed his sword. "So does that mean that they are the products of a Quirk?"
"Um, well, it is certainly something that I've never seen before." Professor Port said as he recovered as best he could and coughed a little at that. "I will have to look into this more to confirm it, but this could be major if what this implies turns out to be true. Thank you for your demonstration Asta, please return to your seat."
Asta just nodded at that. He was glad that he'd showed off what he could do and how his sword affected the Grimm even if this wasn't the branch of hero work that he was planning on entering. He didn't know just how much something like that would change the understanding of Grimm for everyone.
"Right, back to the lesson." Professor Port said as he walked to the center of the classroom having fully recovered by this point. "In this part of Japan there are three primary kinds of Grimm; the Boarbatusks that you've just seen along with Ursa Grimm that appear like large bears with some being classified as Ursa Major Grimm based on their size, and Beowulf Grimm that are basically bipedal werewolf-like Grimm. There are others that can be found like the scorpion-like Death Stalker Grimm and the serpentine King Taijitu, but they are less common, as are avian Grimm such as the Nevermore but we will cover those in time. For now, we will focus on the three most common land ones and start with the smallest, the Boarbatusk. As you saw…"
At that Professor Port resumed his lecture on the Grimm with a detailed description of the anatomy of a Boarbatusk and how best to fight one both with weapons and with various kinds of Quirks that were similar to the ones that several students in the class had. The excitement of the class was over and the class slipped back into how it had been before Weiss's fight with a Boarbatusk as Professor Port finished the rest of the time out with his lecture on the Boarbatusk and how their next class would be a practical were all of them would get a chance to face some providing a full herd could be found for such a purpose.
The rest of the lecture took two more hours but as soon as the class ended after the lecture following Asta's display, which didn't fully confirm to Professor Port that Grimm were actually made by someone's Quirk though it was certainly a good possibility given what happened, Weiss stormed out. She didn't even look back or anything, just grabbed her stuff and left.
She'd not talked to Ruby at all after her showing against the Boarbatusk and the snap she had had at Ruby during it but the whole class could feel the awkwardness from it. Momo wanted to go after Weiss to make sure she was ok, and probably talk some sense into her, but Noelle surprised her by putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her as Ruby was already hurrying off after Weiss.
"Let Rose and Weiss sort this out." Noelle said simply. "This is a Huntress thing I feel, and they need to work it out together or else they may not be able to work together in the class and they're the only ones who are dedicated to joining that branch of hero work."
"I'm surprised." Momo admitted as the class got up and left to go home or train or whatever they had planned now that school was over for the day. "That's insightful coming from you Noelle. I wasn't expecting something like that from you after how you've been acting pretty much ever since I met you all those years ago."
"I, I kinda had a hard slap of reality yesterday." Noelle admitted as she looked around to make sure that no one else was there, especially not Asta as she didn't want him to know this though why she wasn't sure other than her pride, so she chalked it up to that. "After Asta saved me that is. He and Nero are the only other Quirk Knights in the class so I'll be working a lot with them going forward and while I can't promise that I'll be perfect I can at least try to be better after what they did and my, er, attitude at the start of the semester."
"No one is asking that of you Noelle." Momo said with a smile at Noelle's honesty and introspection into herself so that she could get better. "It will take time for you to warm up after everything but I'm happy to see that you're on the right path now."
"Yes, well sometimes you need the right words to help realize that it's not as bad as you've been told it was your whole life." Noelle said again looking around to make sure that Asta wasn't there. "And the right person. Weiss will get there as well, I know it, but she needs someone from her own branch to guide her be it Rose or a teacher. We can't help her right now."
Momo nodded as they girls left Ruby and Weiss to it and left to head to their respective homes. Unfortunately, it didn't help that they heard Weiss's raised voice as they left and passed Professor Port on the way out.
"Schnee, what the hell is wrong with you?" Ruby asked, almost shouted in fact, as Weiss rounded a corner in the building and began to walk down the corridor and away from Ruby as Ruby ran after her. "Why are you being mean again? I thought you said you'd be nicer."
"What's wrong with me?" Weiss asked as she turned to face Rose her anger at the other girl boiling up after Rose's attempts to help in the demonstration only distracted her from beating that Boarbatusk sooner, well the belly suggestion had helped but Weiss wasn't about to admit that. "What's wrong with you? You're a recommended student at U.A., the top Hero Course school in the nation, do you have any idea what that means? What that says about your talents and skills to not only be identified as worthy of a recommendation but to actually pass the exam? Huntsmen and Huntresses almost never get recommendations and yet you did but what have you done other than be a nuisance since starting here?"
"What, I've not been a nuisance." Ruby countered as she came to a stop at Schnee's words as they brought up all her insecurities surrounding her recommendation. "I'm just trying to help. We're the only Huntresses in the class, we're going to be working together so we should help each other out. I knew how to handle that Boarbatusk, so I was trying to give you support and pointers."
"That's the thing you don't realize it either." Weiss said giving into her frustrations and letting Rose have it. "You started by running into me and groping me while on top of me, which was really unprofessional, then during the battle trial you ran off, got disarmed, and almost knocked out. I don't care what Mr. Aizawa said this morning, that's not how a hero, Huntress or not, should act."
"I still saved you despite that when you got knocked out of the window." Ruby pointed out. "We need to work together. You said it yourself."
"No, we don't, not when you're still acting like a child." Weiss said shaking her head. "I had that Boarbatusk in that class and you were just distracting me."
"I'm sorry I was just trying to be helpful." Ruby said defensively. "It seemed like you didn't know that they have no armor on their bellies so I was telling you were to strike them. I wasn't telling you how to do it just where."
"Well, it wasn't." Weiss said. "There are only two Huntresses in the class, and I've studied and trained hard to get here, so I deserve better support than some hyperactive girl who can't pay attention and is always rushing into things. Frankly, Ozpin made a mistake recommending you for U.A."
With that Weiss turned and walked off as Ruby tried to reach out to her but just let her arm drop as she didn't have anything to say to the harsh words from Weiss Schnee. She wasn't sure what she'd done wrong though and this attitude did not help her feelings regarding her status. She'd earned it, right? She knew that and yet she still felt like she hadn't and Schnee had just said as much. All Ruby kept doing was messing things up, so she just turned to leave and almost ran into Professor Port standing there having heard it all.
"That didn't sound good Miss Rose." Professor Port said his tone soft and kind not like the boisterous one he'd had in class. "Are you ok?"
"Is, is she right?" Ruby asked the Huntsman as she looked up at him. "Did Ozpin make a mistake with my recommendation."
"In my opinion no he didn't." Professor Port said in a serious tone. "I've know Ozpin for many years now and he's never given me any reason to doubt him or his decisions on matters such as this. It is certainly rare for him to give out a recommendation, let alone two in one year which he did for you and Mr. Pine though I think that the latter is a special case, but he did and both of you passed the exam. In my time as a teacher no one he's chosen to recommend to U.A., and there have only been a few who he has recommended mind you, has failed the exam. That is how good a judge of character he is."
"Oh, really?" Ruby asked surprised feeling a little better at what Professor Port was saying.
"Yes really." Professor Port said with a nod. "Besides, it's only been a few days, Huntresses aren't made overnight just ask your sister about her adjustments here. We really had to do some rebudgeting over the first few weeks as she kept using her Quirk and breaking more than was expected. She's still growing and learning and she's been here for two years. You've got plenty of time to grow into the Huntress that Ozpin saw so much potential in to recommend."
"That does sound like Yang." Ruby said with a small laugh.
"Just keep doing what you're doing, and you will be fine." Professor Port said as he made to move past Ruby. "It will all come in time, that is what school is for after all."
With that the Huntsman teacher left Ruby there thinking on what he'd said. It had helped her, but she still needed to find a common ground with Schnee if she could. They were Huntresses in the same class, the only ones, so she needed to do that. If that meant shaping up and getting a bit more serious about her work, then so be it. With that resolve Ruby headed off to start work on that right away.
For his part, Professor Port just kept walking as he was heading to the teacher's lounge to see if Aizawa was there. After what Asta had shown in class he needed to have a word with the Erasure Hero to see if Aizawa could shed some light on the situation as well and as he was a normal hero the man had probably never thought about this kinda thing. It was as he was walking that he rounded a corner and found Weiss Schnee just standing there looking out of the floor to ceiling windows and over some of the training grounds at U.A. clearly deep in thought.
Weiss knew that her words to Rose had been harsh, but she'd needed to hear them. The hyperactive girl wasn't taking this seriously and didn't seem to think things through. Yes she had talent, the girl was a recommended student and that's not a small feat which Weiss couldn't overlook, but she lacked the maturity in Weiss's eyes, and Weiss had the scar over one of her eyes as a testament to that, hence why she'd snapped at her. If Rose wanted to be a good Huntress, then she needed to really shape up to be so.
It was as she was thinking this while looking out over the training areas and deciding what to do next now that the school day was over that she noticed Professor Port round the corner. She'd enjoyed his lecture and did want to have a word with him so now was as good a time as ever she guessed.
"Professor Port, I was hoping to see you sir." Weiss said as she turned to intercept him.
"Ah, Miss Schnee, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Professor Port asked though he had a good feeling he knew what she was going to say, and he'd already prepared some advice for her to follow as he felt that she needed to hear it.
"I enjoyed your lecture just now." Weiss admitted. "And the fact that there was a practical element to it really added to the learning experience."
"Of course, you did, you've got the blood of a true Huntress in you just like your sister and grandfather." Professor Port said with a small nod of his head. "You understand the value of what I have to teach and show it in class."
"Thank you sir." Weiss said pleased to be compared to her sister and grandfather who'd been the one to forge their name into what it was today, but she was still feeling her argument with Ruby, and it was weighing on her mind.
"Something is troubling you however." Professor Port said as he watched Schnee closely. "I can see it on your face. What is it? Confess to me your problems child so that I may lay down my wisdom and advice you."
"Well, the thing is, I'm not sure that Rose deserved her recommendation." Weiss admitted ignoring the fact that he'd called her a child. "She's talented and likely would have passed the normal entrance exam like me as she'd be able to use that scythe of hers but she got a recommendation and it just seems like she's not on the same level as the other recommended students in the class. Admittedly there are only two others which is odd as the other class has six but I am sure they are more mature than she is as well."
"That's preposterous." Professor Port said with a slight chuckle. "Miss Rose more than earned her recommendation and place at U.A. from it. As for the classes, Principal Nezu decided them and has in the past done lopsided recommended disbursement for his own reasons, with his Quirk it's impossible to tell what he's thinking so I wouldn't dwell on that."
"But you saw her in class just now." Weiss protested deciding that if the Principal, who was known for his forethought and intelligence, had decided that it would be like this then she should trust it. "Ozpin had to have…"
"Miss Schnee, I've known Ozpin for many years and while he's made his fair share of mistakes that he's more than willing to acknowledge, he doesn't make them with recommendations." Professor Port said his tone serious. "Not a single one that he's made of the roughly dozen or so that I know of in my time as a teacher at U.A. has failed the recommended exam, no other recommender is even close to 50% successful recommendations with similar numbers of total recommendations given. That is how good a judge of talent he is."
"So, you'd just blindly accept his decision despite that?" Weiss asked.
"Miss Schnee, you are an exceptionally talented young woman on the battlefield, that much is clear from what I saw today." Professor Port said. "But at the same time, you have an exceptionally poor attitude to match it, one that you need to overcome to maximize your potential as a Huntress."
"How dare you." Weiss said angrily.
"My point exactly." Professor Port said with a chuckle. "I look at you and I see a girl who's gotten everything she's ever wanted her entire life and now that she's faced with things beyond her control or her family's she's not handling it well."
"That, that's not true." Weiss said defensively as her anger began to wane, but Professor Port just quirked one of his bushy eyebrows and Weiss sighed at that as she accepted that she may have overreacted a bit. "Well, not entirely true. I wasn't denied going to U.A. and enrolling in the Hero Course here but I didn't get any support either because it wasn't my father's chosen path for me, or school for that matter as I was expected to attend Shiketsu and be in their Business or Support Course. I still had to earn my way into U.A. via the normal exam though."
"The recommended exam has it's own challenges, especially for a Huntress as weapons aren't allowed in that exam." Professor Port said. "But use how you got here as a start for your own journey rather than acting in this manner. You did defy your father and come to U.A. despite the Schnees' history with Shiketsu and earned your place just as much as Miss Rose did."
"Bu…" Weiss began but she was interrupted as her professor wasn't done giving her advice.
"Yes, Miss Rose has her own growth to achieve while she is here, all students here do such is the nature of being a student, but so do you." Professor Port continued. "Do not fret about the details of your respective enrollments, rather focus on your skills, hone them, and be the best Huntress you can be, be the best person that you can be. You and Miss Rose will be working together a lot this year as you are Huntress track students so work together because the Huntsman branch is honored to have two such fine aspiring Huntresses in it."
Weiss stared at her teacher as she heard his words and let them sink in as Professor Port left her there to think on them. He was right, she had been a brat, well he'd not said that she'd been one, but she knew he meant it and he was right, she'd not been truly fair to Rose or her skills. She needed to be better, to not be like her father. She's come to U.A. to make a name for herself, to restore the Schnee name from what her father, who'd married into the family for the name, had done to it, and it started now.
That meant that she had to go and find Rise and make it up to her. She wasn't very good with people, especially those outside her social class, but she'd do it, she swore it. She'd be the best person and Huntress she could be and support her fellow Huntress in anyway she could. She just needed to find Rose and have a private talk with her to make amends.
Port smiled at all this as he walked away glad that he'd been able to help though he did wish he'd told a story or two about his own school days where he'd faced his own share of problems to overcome or his ancestors and their actions at overcoming adversities that may have helped but still it was clear that Miss Schnee was a smart girl who understood what was being asked of her. Now though he had to find Aizawa and he continued his way to the faculty room to see if he was there.
Thankfully for him, Class 1-A's homeroom teacher was in the faculty room when Port walked in and to add to it, he was the only teacher present as the others were clearly busy at the moment. Aizawa was at his computer typing up his evaluations for his class having used the time he had during their Grimm Studies to do so. He was just about done when Professor Port reached him.
"Aizawa, may I have a moment of your time?" Port asked his fellow teacher.
"Huh, oh Port, yeah sure." Aizawa said looking up from his compute as he finished typing up Silva's report, the last one he had to do, and it had been a long one given what she'd done in her battle trial. "What's up? I hope my students didn't cause you a problem."
"Nothing that I couldn't handle on my own" Port said with a shake of his head which didn't put Aizawa at ease, but he let it slide as it wasn't his business unless it spilled over into his own teaching. "No, I was wondering about your experiences with Grimm. Have you ever used your Quirk on one?"
"No why?" Aizawa asked confused now as this wasn't what he'd expected to hear from the old Huntsman who'd been a teacher back when he was a student at U.A. "I've not had that much experience with them since I graduated U.A. I'll admit that I probably faced more back in your Grimm Studies class as a student then I have in the field, but that's mostly because my talents are in such high demand for villains and I'm not a Huntsman, so I rarely leave city settings. I've tangled with a few of those boar things and the werewolf ones, maybe a bear or two, but that's it. I usually just use my binding cloths to catch them and then stab the with my knife until they dissolve. Why?"
"A fine strategy against such creatures given your talents though the bigger ones would be an issue." Port said. "As for why, it's just that as you know Asta's Quirk is similar to yours and he claimed that Grimm were actually the products of a Quirk as he'd hit a Boarbatusk with his sword's edge before coming to U.A. and it just vanished, no dissolving or anything, just vanished as if nullified by his Quirk. That surprised me as it's never been proven that Grimm were made by a Quirk as we don't know where they come from so I had him show me and it did just as he said. I'd never seen a Grimm beaten that way before that's why I want to know about your experiences with them."
"Ah well even if I looked at them it wouldn't work that way if they are created by a Quirk." Aizawa said shaking his head as he understood where Port was coming from and why he'd come to Aizawa about it. "Erasure works differently to Anti-Quirk. Asta can directly affect the products of Quirks as well as the user so long as his sword touches them, I simply stop the Quirk genes from working when I look at someone. I have to see at least part of their physical body for it to work and there are some limitations with certain heteromorphs who's mutant Quirks aren't affected by Erasure. Just looking at a Grimm with Erasure won't work, however."
"I see." Port said stroking his mustache as he thought on the younger teacher's words. "But theoretically, if we did prove that someone out there was making these Grimm with a Quirk, a damned powerful one mind you given the number of Grimm that are out there, you could block his or her Quirk genes if you saw their body. Would that destroy all Grimm?"
"Possibly though we still don't know how they're made or if they are still active as part of this hypothetical's Quirk after he or she has made them." Aizawa said getting what Port was going on about. "If it is a Quirk and they are somehow tied to this person then yes, theoretically I should be able to do that if I see them. It's a tall task and we don't even know if this person exists. I know it would really help out the Huntsmen cause if this is the case, but I can't devote my time to this."
"I don't expect you but thank you for helping confirm this." Port said. "The new potential revelations from Asta really do help so I will run this by Ozpin when I next see him as he may know what to do with this information. It may be prudent to assign some Huntsmen and Huntresses to investigate the source of the Grimm as this could be great. If this is true then will you help us?"
"Of course, I am a hero and if it means ending the scourge of Grimm I'll do what I can." Aizawa said with a nod. "But I will leave this to the branch dedicated to it until such a time that I am needed."
"That is more than fair, thank you for your time." Port said before he turned and left as he had to prepare his lesson plans for the next few days, both Huntsmen ones and the normal classes he taught those at the school as well.
Aizawa just let the man leave but he thought on what he'd said. It was certainly plausible that this was the case and if so it would be great for Japan just to wipe out all Grimm in one go and force the person making them to restart, if they failed to capture that person which they'd try their hardest to do so, but that was a long shot that was beyond Aizawa's knowledge. He was going to focus on what he could do and let those with the expertise sort this out and as such he turned back to his reports.
Hopefully his class was growing as there were still some rough edges to work out, but he had faith in this class, they had a lot of potential and he was interested in seeing how they grew as the year progressed. Little did he know that the first great challenge that his class would face, the first domino to fall in what would occur over the coming year, was about to rear its ugly head and plunge his students into combat sooner than any first years had ever faced it before in the history of U.A.
Well there you have it, the class has experienced their first Grimm Studies lesson and it was as dramatic as the one in RWBY volume 1 and then some with Asta's little display at the end. There is still a lot to do on that front but he may have discovered something new about the Grimm that could be a game changer going forward. That will come in time though as that's a long range thing. First there is the whole Weiss needs to sort things out with Ruby which is next up as both girls need it. Thankfully Port helped out a lot (Ozpin isn't at U.A. in this story so he took both roles in this adaption of that part of RWBY) and now Weiss knows what to do. If you're wondering why I opted to have Port, be from Moscow originally, it's because his name is an allusion to Peter and the Wolf according to the RWBY creators and as that tale comes from Russia it made sense that he'd be from there and explain his non-Japanese name. Also, Princia Funnybunny is actually a Black Clover character and listed as the 11th Wizard King who is set to appear in the upcoming Black Clover film Sword of the Wizard King so I didn't make her up for this story though as an anime film character her canon status is unconfirmed as far as I am aware. Lastly, I know that I didn't address the whole media thing and the Class Rep where it happened in MHA but that was because I wanted to do the Grimm Studies stuff first to help that aspect of what is going on and finalize the main group's healing before addressing that so I've pushed it back though it is still coming up as it is an important and core part of the MHA canon so will be addressed. This is still at its heart an MHA story so anything that is critical to the MHA canon and not going to be affected by the changes to this world will still be there though of course there will be plenty of changes given how the worlds of RWBY and Black Clover have been integrated into this series and soon the full extent of that will be seen but as with everything it is coming in time. Anyway, that is all that I have for this story so I will leave this chapter off here. If you like this story please follow, favorite (this story and me) to keep up with it and leave a review or PM, your support is what helps motivate me to keep up this work and any questions posed before the next chapter is uploaded I will try to answer. Until next time.
Stringdog