Heated Exchange

Yang

Yang's back slammed into the wall. The impact jarred her, and she barely avoided the blade swinging for her head. She tried to gain distance and reestablish some sort of control over the flow of the fight but nothing worked. At each step, each turn, she was driven further into a corner. She blocked a powerful swing with her gauntlets, the screaming of steel rang out across the room, and the impact sent a thrill down her spine like an electric charge. The kick that met her stomach caused her Aura to flicker and the shield that bashed under her chin shattered it entirely. Another powerful kick sent her sprawling onto the ground, she sputtered for breath.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Pyrrha cried out. "I got carried away."

The redhead was by Yang's side in a heartbeat, gently helping her to her feet. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard. Are you alright?"

Yang waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, I'm good. Didn't expect to take such a thrashing though. That's a former champ for you huh?" She rubbed her stomach gently; she could feel the blossoming of a fresh bruise.

Pyrrha's face flushed with relief. "You put up a good fight if it's any consolation."

It wasn't. Losing left a bitter taste in Yang's mouth. "You really don't hold back, do you? Not even during training."

"Well, when you came at me, I just acted out of reflex. It was a very good fight though." Pyrrha said as they both took a small break. Yang took a long drink from her water as she eyed Pyrrha. 'She's not even that winded.'

The spar had been quick and decisive. Pyrrha moved with the grace and ferocity of a full-grown tiger. Her years of combat experience in tournaments had allowed her to read Yang like an open book. Even Yang's fiercest combinations had been countered and exploited by the girl, once Pyrrha had shed her typical kindness and timidity what remained was a hungry green-eyed beast.

"I thought your punches were spectacular." Pyrrha bit her lip.

"But?" Yang led on, for all her strength Pyrrha had a hard time properly expressing herself. Pyrrha cleared her throat.

"It's just that you put enough effort into your punches, but they don't flow properly so it leaves a small opening each time. That's how I was able to get inside your guard so quickly. Then when you try to gain more space, you have a bad habit of stepping back with your lead foot, it puts you off balance. Also, when you get stuck you tend to get sloppy."

"Oh? And what do you recommend?" It was always important to lead a conversation with Pyrrha or else she would assume something was wrong and go silent. Yang didn't mind, in fact, it was always fun to see her face light up when she was able to talk freely.

Pyrrha paused for a moment to consider her next words. "Well, we could always run through a few light sessions." That spark of competitiveness came alive in Pyrrha's eyes. "That is if you think you're up for it?"

"Oh, it is on!" Yang felt her own surge of competitiveness wash away the aches in her body.

The two went at it. For each mistake, Pyrrha would capitalize and punish Yang. Then they would run through the whole exchange again, offering improvements and recommendations. Yang hated getting her butt busted repeatedly, but she was at the same time grateful Pyrrha was so accommodating in helping her improve. Despite the clear experience gap Yang managed to land a few solid hits, not enough to take a win but enough to show she was just as capable of dishing out punishment as she was taking one.

By the time they had finished, the sun had set and both were exhausted. They collected their gear and walked together casually back to their dorms. It had become an unofficial routine for the two. They would train together in the evenings at least a few times a week. Ever since their first chance meeting, the two had hit it off surprisingly well. Pyrrha was much more than just a strong sparring partner, she was also a welcomed reprieve from her teammate when the situation called for it.

"I was talking to Ruby just yesterday," Pyrrha said. "She said that things with Weiss have been improving as of late."

"Yeah, it's been a welcome change. The dorms are a lot more lively now. Not really sure what happened but Wiess has been a lot less crabby. And even Blake has been hanging around with us a lot more. It feels like we're finally becoming a team y'know?

"I never doubted you would all come together." Pyrrha smiled. "It has been a rather unexpected start to our school life don't you think?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Yang sighed and ran a hand through her long hair, a habit she had picked up as a child. Summer would run her hands through Yang's long hair whenever she was upset. Summer was long gone but Yang had never quite lost the practice. "Our old man has been calling us daily since Beacon put out that announcement about Initiation. I swear he worries too much."

Beacon had finally put out an official public notice about the casualties during Initiation. They had withheld names, but the backlash was intense. Earlier that morning Yang had seen massive swarms of journalists, tabloid writers, and photographers all corralled near the loading bays at the front of the school. Each were trying to get exclusive insight and even attempted to flag her down for comment. They had been stopped by security drones, but it was clear the news had spread like wildfire. Teachers had instructed students not to engage with any unknown people and even visitation passes had been revoked to students and families. No one was permitted to enter or leave the campus who was not of Huntsman status or Beacon Staff Beacon was a hotbed of discontent and uncertainty from the city of Vale and surrounding areas.

Pyrrha giggled. "I know the feeling, my parents were inconsolable when they found out about the accident. I had to tell them I wasn't anywhere near when it happened."

That piqued Yang's interest, and she felt a grin slide across her face. "Oh? Lying to our family, are we? Pyrrha I never expected that from you of all people."

The girl's face erupted in shame. "It's not like I really lied. I just held off on telling them the whole truth."

"You didn't want to tell them you kicked major Grimm butt with your totally awesome friends?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "My parents were worried about me coming here. They were frightened that if I went so far from home and I ran into the same problems I did in Argos that I'd fall apart. I never expected to meet so many wonderful people, and I was worried that if I told them what really happened that they would force me to go back."

"Well, it's their job to worry," Yang couldn't even count the number of times Ruby had scared her half to death by just playing around the house. She hadn't the faintest idea what it would feel like if she was halfway across the world.

"And I understand that, but I'm happy where I am. I'd like to see this decision of mine through to the end." Pyrrha's face had sunk low, and Yang didn't particularly care for the negative mood. She reached her hand out and pushed Pyrrha's head lightly. The redhead met her gaze and Yang flashed her signature smile.

"Don't worry so much. Like we'd ever let them take you out of Beacon. Nora would probably break someone's legs, and Ruby can be all kinds of stubborn. Besides, until I beat you there's no way I'm letting you go anywhere."

Pyrrha laughed, and Yang was grateful it was sincere. "I'm sorry for bringing the mood down." Honestly, Pyrrha apologized too much. Just the other day she apologized to the lunch lady when she had been given too much seasoning. She apologized to them. Before Yang could comment they arrived at their dorms. Yang liked having their rooms across from each other, it made these nightly walks back a lot more convenient for them both.

The two said their goodbyes and promised to train again the next night. Yang watched Pyrrha disappear into her own room before she did the same. All three of her teammates were present, a welcomed difference from their first day. Weiss was looming over Ruby as the younger girl frantically tried to finish her homework. The two weren't necessarily friends just yet but after Weiss had apologized, they were slowly bridging the gap.

Ruby cheerfully greeted her as she strode into the room, only for Weiss to snap at her. Yang decided to let the two work out their relationship for themselves, she trusted Ruby to take care of herself. Though she was unsure of her own willingness to really commit to a hands-off approach.

Yang casually stripped off her gauntlets and tossed them up onto her bunk, she would do maintenance later, now all she longed for was a nice hot shower. In a room full of all girls, it was hard to gain any real moments of peace. She waved at Blake who had laid herself comfortably on her bed with a book in her hands. Blake offered her nod of acknowledgment.

She stepped into the bathroom and stripped down. It felt good to relax after a hard workout and she relished in the feelings of the water searing away all the hard work of the day.

Afterward, she threw on the first comfortable pieces of clothing she could find, and eagerly hopped into her bed. The entire structure shook dangerously, and Yang laughed in delight at Blakes's nervousness as the bed threatened to collapse. The dark-haired girl shot her a glare that Yang deflected by sticking out her tongue. Ruby and Weiss were still hard at work, or rather Ruby was flustering as Weiss continued her strict reprimand. Yang smiled as they went back and forth. She laid back in her bed and snuggled into the sheets with a content sigh. It was finally all coming together.

Yang woke with a loud groan as the alarm blared across the room. She shuffled her way out of her warm blankets and stretched, delighting in the feeling of her muscles releasing and popping. She rubbed her bleary eyes. Taking those precious few moments, she then hopped from her bed. She landed with style, 'A perfect ten if I do say so.'

Blake was nowhere to be seen, though Yang could hear the shower running. She wasn't entirely familiar with her partner yet, but it seemed that Blake was warming up to them all. It was hard to really say though, she was so sullen and barely talked. Yang figured she would simply have to try harder, whether Blake liked it or not.

Weiss was already dressed and prepared. The girl had probably gotten up an hour ago, she was always first to rise. Weiss said it was necessary to ensure she had time to properly orient herself for the day. Yang had a sneaking suspicion that Weiss just didn't want to come in second in anything, even getting up. The girl was desperately shaking Ruby. Yang knew better than anyone that Ruby slept harder than the dead and with a smug grin wished Weiss the best of luck.

Yang took to the shower after Blake had finished and began the long routine of tending to her prized possession, her hair. Yang wasn't vain, but she definitely knew she had several good features. She was tall, athletic, and had a winning smile, but her hair had always been her most stand-out trait, both to her and others. The long golden locks were almost synonymous with Yang Xiao Long. So she made sure to go the extra mile to tend to it. It was a habit she had taken to performing at least twice a day. It took time and special care, but it was important to her. Summer had used to comb her hair, she would always gush over how pretty it was and so Yang would make sure to keep it that way.

She toweled off and exited the bathroom. She found Ruby up but not quite awake just yet.

"M'woning sis," Ruby yawned.

"Good morning little sis," Yang said as she ruffled Ruby's hair. Ruby aggravatedly batted her hand away. Ruby made her way into the bathroom to get ready despite Weiss's urging to hurry.

"Make sure to brush your teeth," Yang called out.

"I'm not a little kid." Ruby snapped and closed the door, leaving Yang laughing. Satisfied, she sat down on Blake's bed. The other girl eyed her warily, but Yang simply ignored her as she brushed her hair. Weiss was fussing about, complaining about how late they would be, but Yang wasn't worried, she felt that if it happened it happened. There was no real need to sweat the small stuff.

She had just finished putting on her uniform when Ruby emerged with her hood flapping from the fan, she no doubt turned on for dramatic effect. With her typical exuberance, she loudly declared, "Team RWBY! Onward!"

Yang played along with a holler while Blake raised a fist in agreement. Weiss simply groaned in embarrassment but begrudgingly also joined in.

School was not exactly Yang's favorite thing in the world. She wasn't dumb by any standard, but she had always taken to real world experience far more than relentless studying. When classes became boring or hard to follow the room suddenly felt like prison, and time itself seemed to slow down to a crawl. That however did not seem to be the case with their professor. Oobleck was eccentric, to say the least. Dressed in messy formal attire and wild unkempt green hair, he sped about the classroom like a jackrabbit on a kick. He spoke fast and moved faster. It seemed like if he stood in one place for any amount of time he might explode. Yang had long since given up trying to follow, it was a lost cause in her book. She would look at Weiss's or Blake's notes later, though it seemed Weiss was having just as much trouble following along. She looked over to Ruby and was a bit surprised to see her attempting to listen.

The new school, mixed with jumping a grade ahead had scared Ruby as much as it excited Yang. She worried that Ruby wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of grades and leadership. Despite it all though Ruby had proven unwilling to back down from a challenge. She started coming to Weiss more often with schoolwork, the Princess would grumble and complain, but help nonetheless. Yang would never hesitate for even a moment to say she was proud of the young woman her sister was becoming.

Yet all the pride in the world could not stave off her boredom as Oobleck droned on about Faunus and human hostilities before the era of the Great War.

"The rebellion of Faunus throughout the world in the wake of the Great War had caused the great councils of the major nation cities to repurpose the harsh continent of Menagerie in all its inhabitable land and Grimm infested shores for an appeasement of the Faunus kind. The Faunus leadership refused the gesture but a brutal defeat after the war forced them into an agreement with unfavorable terms." It was so dull Yang could feel her eyes drooping.

Combat Class, however, fully re-energized Yang. It was without question her favorite part of the day. It was where she thrived and where she felt the most like a proud upcoming Huntress. The thrill of a fight had always burned brightest in Yang. Responsibility, duty, and honor were all noble traits sure, but the freedom of choice always spoke loudest in her ears. There was no worry over who was right or wrong and she had no burden to carry in a fight. She was finally able to shed her big sister skin and become Yang Xiao Long.

As she sat in her chair waiting for the class to begin, she couldn't help the jitteriness in her body. She was desperate to let loose. Always moving, always going somewhere was Yang's dream. She wanted freedom above all else and having to always wait for it was a struggle she had faced all her life. Her attention snapped to the front of the class as their teacher walked in.

Glynda Goodwitch was a tall, attractive woman. She walked with confidence that permeated the classroom. In an instant, the class quieted to stillness like nothing else. Goodwitch was as strict a teacher as they came, and no one was willing to test her patience.

"Now then," She started. "You are all familiar with the rules of this class, I am sure. We will be splitting off into individual spars today. I shall determine pairings, so there will be no complaints. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." The class said in unison.

"Good." She adjusted her glasses. "The first spar shall be Lie Ren and Blake Belladonna."

'This should be good', Yang thought. Her partner was as elusive a fighter as they came. Preferring to bait and attack, Blake rarely ever engaged an opponent head on. The same could be said for her opponent though. Yang eyed the two as they met in the center of the large room. All eyes were upon them as the lights dimmed, highlighting only the arena and its willing participants. The traditionally clad boy bowed respectfully to Blake and the girl looked uncomfortable with the formality. She awkwardly returned the gesture and the alarm blared for them to begin. Their images appeared on the main screen above the ring, showing their likeness and a green gauge under their names. It was to mark the status of their aura. The first to be reduced to red, or the first to submit would be the loser.

The fight was unexpectedly tedious. Both fighters were unwilling to pursue an attack. They would fire from a distance, Ren with his pair of semi-automatic pistols, and Blake with her own weapon. They poked and prodded at each other at range, then in a moment of intensity lunged at each other, exchanging vicious blows and strikes before disengaging. It was a back and forth that ultimately ended when Blake used the ribbon attached to her weapon to shrink the distance, trap the boy and finish with a hard strike of her blade. Ren grunted as he fell from the blow and the screen again blared, marking Blake as the winner.

Goodwitch congratulated the pair as was typical before addressing the class. She reviewed the bout and marked improvements for both. She engaged with the class, asking for input and instructing habits and tricks to look for in similar situations. Then as the two fighters took to their seats, she selected another pair.

And so it went, fights were announced, won or lost, and then reviewed in front of the class. Yang shifted in her seat yearning for a chance to fight. She wanted to be set free, like an animal finally being let off the leash. Her prayers were finally answered.

"Now for the last match of the class," Goodwitch paused. "We shall have Yang Xiao Long and Jaune Arc. You are cleared for training are you not Arc?"

"Yes, I am." The boy said. Yang felt all the weariness from the days dragging melt away in her excitement. It didn't particularly matter who she was up against, she would give it all she had. Her gauntlets, Ember Celica, slid open and engaged over her fists. The cool metal felt refreshing and the weight, as she walked onto the ring, felt reassuring. The boy made his way across from her and Yang was suddenly reminded of why she had such an immediate disdain for him. His eyes were the problem. When he walked around and talked to others, they had a haggardness to them. Just like that of her father when he had gone through the loss of Summer. They were empty and seemed to be looking at something far away, never what was directly in front of him. It made Yang's skin crawl. It wasn't fair perhaps, but she couldn't simply ignore the feelings that rose in her. However, as he settled into a stance his eyes changed. They suddenly regained a clear, sharp focus. His face tightened and his posture became far more rigid. She had seen that look at Signal from the instructors when they fought Grimm. She had seen it on her Uncle Qrow when he saved both her and Ruby in the forest. Yang felt unsettled by his sudden change, but there was no way she would back down now.

The boy had changed out gear since Initiation. Instead of that old beaten armor, he had initially, he now wore a multi-faceted chest plate over a thick jacket. His jeans were replaced in favor of thick pants with sectioned armor plating. His hands were now encased with heavy-looking gauntlets. Not quite like her own, as his covered the fingers. Yang noticed as they prepared to fight that the left one had a knife fastened to its underside. He looked a sight more imposing than before, even with the brighter color palette. Where he had been gray and plain before his armor shined with whitened accents. All in all, it looked like an absolute pain to Yang.

Jaune expanded his shield and Yang loaded her gauntlets. The buzzer sounded and Yang leaped forward with an intent to seize the initiative. She was immediately thrown back as a gunshot rang out. The fiery sparks danced off Ember Celica as she guarded her face. Another shot followed, and Yang tightened her defense as her Aura took the brunt of it. The pounding of the bullets chipped away at her little by little. The impact kept her stationary and she willed herself to hold, all that she needed was a moment.

The moment came in the split moment of a reload. As the bullets stopped and the magazine dropped Yang surged forward in a path of fiery retribution. She closed the distance and tore the weapon from Jaunes hands. He released it at the same moment and shoved his shield into Yang's chest to create space.

Yang swung her fist at his head, the boy ducked and drew his sword. He swung at Yang's arm. She pulled back and slammed her other fist into his exposed side. He buckled but tried for an awkward swing at her legs. Yang was forced to step back, and he was already at her again. He swung his blade repeatedly. He swung for her arms, torso, and legs. Yang moved out of the path of his swings, landing hits where she could force them. Even as a dust round from her weapon exploded in his face Jaune kept the advance, he refused to give her any space and Yang was getting frustrated. It wasn't simply his relentlessness; it was the fact his swings weren't normal.

Yang had a certain amount of pride in her strength. She had been one of the best combatants at Signal, very near the top of her class. She knew the ins and outs of fighting, she thrived in close range combat. Pyrrha was absurdly adept at fighting and Yang knew it was a matter of experience and intuition that separated them. This was different though. Pyrrha knew fighting like a sixth sense, the boy in front of her, however…

"Who the hell are you fighting?" She said as she managed a full hit to his jaw. His head snapped back but his blade still swung into her leg and caused her to stumble. His shield rammed into her again as he recovered, and she was forced to roll away.

He wasn't fighting her like a person, he was coming at her like she was some sort of…Grimm? Her eyes narrowed as she stood back up. They both paused for a moment and Yang locked eyes with him. They were fierce, hardened cobalt blue. They showed a willingness to fight that matched her own, but they weren't looking at her, they were looking through her and someplace much farther away.

"Just where are you looking?" She was angry now. It was as if he was making fun of her. If he wasn't going to take this fight seriously then she would just have to force him to surrender. She set her jaw and fired two rounds of Ember Cecilia behind her, the force launched her forward in a blaze of fire. Her fist smashed into his raised shield, but she pushed into his guard and her follow through drove into his stomach. He lurched forward and she began a brutal combination. She slammed into his open jaw, his liver, his body. No matter what she hit him with he stared straight through her with that same brutal expression. As she reeled back for another punch his head collided with hers. She stumbled and was met with the backside of his blade colliding into her open side. She sputtered but held firm, the hit was shallow. She tried to reengage, but her blows were stopped short by that stupid shield. He turtled behind it refusing to give her another opening.

If this turned into a battle of attrition Yang knew she would falter first. Fast and hard had always been her motto. She wasn't able to pierce his defense and suddenly she remembered some of her training with Pyrrha, the girl would spring and glide around her, and a thought occurred. She fired one more round against his shield. It was a hard hit that caused him to skid back, 'Perfect'. Yang fired another shot at his feet. The arena exploded underneath him and Jaune was thrown. Yang stepped in and landed a kick into his stomach sending him back.

This was her moment and Yang leaped forward ready to finish the fight. She was caught off guard when Jaune met her head on with a roar. She blocked his blade with her gauntlets, but his armored fist hit her across the face. He had lost the shield, but his attack hadn't stopped. He wasn't a match for her in close combat, his swing was too wide, and she easily passed his attacks, but he was eager to exchange hits. He would land a hit for every three of hers. She struck him back with an explosion from her weapon. His aura flickered and faded at last, and Yang sighed in relief. The buzzer sounded once more, it sounded sweet to Yang's ears. She was surprised when the smoke cleared and Jaunes shield came skidding to a halt by her feet. She was equally surprised when the explosives rigged to its frame set off. The following eruption of flames clouded the arena in a wave of fire. Yang coughed and hacked as the dust cleared around her. She caught a glimpse of shadows and from the remaining flames Jaune emerged, the flames licking off his sword. He was caught mid-swing by a purple symbol catching the end of his blade.

The arena was cleared with a burst of wind. It swept across the area and into the stands. Yang had to cover her eyes from the force of it. There in the middle of the room stood Glynda. Jaune finally snapped back out of whatever daze he had been in. He looked suddenly ashamed, and Yang didn't quite fault him. She wasn't particularly upset about the last attack. If anything, the willingness to keep going was a feeling she understood. She had been guilty of it way back in her first years at Signal. When she had been caring for Ruby by herself, while their father looked for a job, she had attacked another girl in her class during training. No, she understood losing ones cool in the middle of a fight. What really got to her was the glare Goodwitch was giving them both, and the dead silence of the room.

"Now class," Goodwitch said slowly drawing each word out, "What can we learn from this little spat."

"Oh! Oh! Don't set the arena on fire?" Nora added helpfully.

"Not quite Ms. Valkyrie. What we learned is that combat is not the time nor place to get carried away." She said, her eyes cold like ice. "When you become carried away you take bigger and bigger risks. Not all of those risks are necessary and could very well harm others. Mr. Arc if you ever pull a stunt like that again I will personally see you expelled from this institution. This is not a game, and endangering others for your personal vendetta will not be tolerated. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am," Jaune said sullenly. Goodwitch's eyes lingered on him a moment longer before she turned her attention to Yang.

"And you Ms. Xiao Long. Do not take others' taunts and lose your own composure. If you cannot keep a level head at all times in here, in an enclosed environment I shudder to think what you'll do while on your own. I repeat, children, this is not a game. You will conduct yourselves as proper future Huntsman and Huntresses or you will not be allowed to study here. Now you will both stay after class to clean this mess." Both protested but a swift smack of Godwitch's lash silenced them both. "I will have no complaints. This is a school, not a playground, you are expected to clean up your own messes." She turned to face the rest of the class. "Class you are dismissed for the day."

As the class shuffled out of the room Yang was handed a broom by Goodwitch and lethargically started to sweep up the ruins of the arena. She was a bit surprised when Pyrrha came down to talk to her. Yang waved off her team as they passed. She promised to meet them in the dorm before dinner, as they left she turned back to Pyrrha.

"I take it you saw as well?" Pyrrha asked and Yang was confused.

"Saw what?"

Pyrrha looked over her shoulder towards Jaune who was begrudgingly sweeping at the other end of the arena. "The way he fights is," She searched for the words. "Concerning."

"He came at me like I was a Grimm. It didn't even feel like he was really fighting me." Yang said. "I'm not really sure how to put it."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "It's been a problem during team training every morning. We, the team, are having trouble coordinating with him. I'm not quite sure what to do, I don't want to upset him."

Yang held up a hand. "You have to be assertive, lay it all out. Don't be a pushover and let him do whatever he wants. You are the leader of JNPR right?"

Pyrrha bit at her lip. "It's not that easy for me to do."

"Sure it is!" Yang laughed in response. "Just a little courage and a bit of confidence and you'll be fine. You should talk to him before it turns into a problem."

Pyrrha nodded. "You're right. I'll try to bring it up tomorrow during training."

"Good on ya." Yang was interrupted by someone coughing behind her, she felt an icy shiver run up her spine.

"I believe you were told to finish cleaning Ms. Xiao Long. At no point in my instruction do I believe I said conversing with friends was allowed. Now Ms. Nikos you may leave or perhaps you would also like to help clean up the smoldering remains of my classroom?"

Pyrrha declined politely and apologized for intruding. As she turned to leave, she glanced at Yang once more. "Training tonight?

"I'll see you there," Yang said as Pyrrha scurried away from the ire of their teacher. Yang sighed softly and went back to cleaning up the damage she had caused.

A.N: Hey! Well, here we are. Not really much of a plot chapter but the groundwork is being laid. We should be sprinting into the next story arc in a few chapters or so. Yang is a challenge. I can't quite get a read on her fully, in all honesty, Blake and Yang are proving real hassles. Regardless this was fun to write and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Again all the praise goes to Commisar Arty for being a fantastic Beta! If you haven't please give them a follow. These chapters would never make it here without their help. For all of those who commented and followed thank you. I never expected the story to gain any following and I am constantly blown away by all the support. I hope I can make this story worth your time and I am glad you guys are here for the ride. How was the chapter? I tried something new with the fights. I tried to be more direct and blunt, I hope it came out well.

Regardless, thank you all again and I hope to see you next week! We get a Jaune flashback and chapter! Then after that is a new POV that I am exceptionally excited for!

Maverick

Thank you so much for the kind words! When I wrote the chapter I really tried to think who would be best for a pep talk, and the first one I thought of was Nora. It just seemed like a great match, not only in dynamics but because I feel Nora can be surprisingly insightful when allowed. Also, she's a joy to write and serves as such a counter to Weiss. I hope I can live up to my ambition by exploring the main themes of the story, but I guess only time can tell. Thank you so much for the review and I hope enjoyed!

Guest

Thank you so much. Nora has been surprisingly satisfying to write for. And I have a greater appreciation for Weiss after the last chapter. I never gave much thought to her arc and how much nuance is actually there. Thank you so much for the review and I hope you enjoyed!

Crimson Shikyo

Hey glad to see you! I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the support! Please take care!

Kabuto S. Inferno

Weiss was surprisingly engaging to write. I think her POV has given me a greater appreciation for her character arc and narrative weight. She serves as such a fantastic branching out point for worldbuilding, same with Blake. Her struggles and insecurities are so very personal and easy to relate to even if her setting is not. Contrarily I have the greatest trouble relating to Blake's personality, though her overall struggle is easy to grasp. Similar issues have arisen with Yang, I can't quite get her down, her personality is so vastly different than mine that I wonder if it comes through well enough.

Alternatively, Nora has been a real joy to write. While her dialogue is a bit difficult I always have the most fun in her parts. I am unsure how her POV chapter will play out but one problem t a time I suppose. Port is another character I had a surprising amount of fun with. I would absolutely write an entire story from his sole perspective. What a trip that would be.

This particular saga is geared more toward characters and their relationships than outright plot building and I am eager to get to certain points. Blakes and by extension the White Fangs story are integral to what I have planned. The darker thematic elements of this story will drag down certain characters. Weiss may very well take on a more substantial role with the White Fang, though not in the way most might think. And there is a particular POV I am exceptionally excited about that I hope will add more complexity to the story.

Fanbases are the best and worst parts of the series I feel. Just the simple fact that Berserk is continuing feels so right. To continue on despite the circumstances and to overcome any hardship without caving in to causality. Miuras assistants and Mori have done right by the fans in my mind. They have given so much attention and care and I am so excited to see where Berserk will go next. I understand the uneasiness of having someone else finish the work, but Mori is more tied to the concept of Berserk than anyone else alive on this planet. If he can't guide the story faithfully I feel no one else could, least of the fans dictating narrative beats behind a keyboard. I love this series so much, and I want to see them see it through, I want to be there every step of the way. But that's my spiel.

Thank you again for all of your in-depth comments. It's always great to hear your thoughts and I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. I tried a new style with the combat scenes and I'm eager to hear your thoughts.

Gonsmoss

I'm glad you stuck around! I really want to put Jaune through the wringer in this story, and I want him to overcome it through his own ability and skills. Even if he wins I want it to come at a cost. I never set out with the intention of making this a power fantasy, I want characters to fight, survive, and overcome their own personal faults and adversaries. Though not all POV will be heroes. I also found that Nora is a lot of fun to have around. She has more depth than most think and I want to explore that a bit. Thank you for the review and I hope you ejoyed the chapter, take care!