REVIEWS:
JackBlaze123: Fair be fair, Pyrrha is still a MAYBE for now. All I have to say.
mgasmsms: Nice attention to details.
Isaiah: Welp, welcome back.
Xerzo LotCN: Thank you for the shorter rev. Also, thanks you for liking the chapter.
ALRIGHT! This is the final chapter of this batch, so until the next one is finished, there won't be anymore updates for Arc of Hell. Can't promise when the next batch will be finished, so hang on tight guys.
Discord Link: /R25AmAG4Dg
The air of the early morning was cold, and Jaune's breath was more than visible in it. It has been a few days since they had guests in the form of Yang and Ruby coming over to greet them and wish them a warm welcome in the neighborhood. And currently, Jaune was doing something suggested by Justice, Modeus, and Yang, to some degree. Well, minus Yang, that is.
"Keep going, J! You are doing great!" Justice shouted from the side as she and Modeus watched him doing his hellish workout - which he finally managed to finish in full! But, since he didn't collapse, pass out, or tap out this time around, Judgement was increasing the demand. Luckily, for now, she only increased his weight by a few kilos, but he dreads to imagine what she might have in her devilish head.
"He is really working up a sweat … And his efforts are starting to show on his body now." Modeus remarked as she ogled Jaune, and the boy had to admit, hearing such words filled him with pride. True, he managed to build up a good amount of muscle in the short time since his journey down in Hell, but he still felt like he could do better. Way better.
But working out could only help him so much. He had to start working on something else as well. Autumn was slowly coming to a close, and judging by the air chilling by the day, winter was almost around the corner. Beacon begins next fall, so he had to be ready by then, meaning he needed a weapon, training for said weapon, and preferably, someone to train with. Or rather, train him. He already has a nice start using a sword and shield, and he doesn't want to throw that away, but at the same time, during his time reading about some stuff from the books Beel provided, he did start looking at Mechashift Weaponry.
As far as design goes, he has little idea of the concept, but he does have some ideas of what he'd like. Something similar to the armor he used in Hell, but different. He doesn't wish to use the magic of the girls for his entrance exam in Beacon, but rather, he wants to make it with his own hard work backing him up. Maybe Ruby or Yang could help? He does remember that Combat Schools, like Signal, highly encourage students to make their own weapons.
Odds are they know a thing or two about designing a weapon.
But then comes the issue of him finding a suitable teacher to train him. No Huntsman or Huntress would do, given his home situation and the fact that they might turn him down when they see his skill level being … Well, non-existent, really.
"Jaune?"
But who'd agree to train him? And should he first worry about his equipment, THEN find a suitable teacher? Or should he do it the other way around?
"Jaune."
He doesn't know where to even start, but-
"SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY!" Judgement's shouting snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to see her there, her usual jacket closed now due to the cold. "I've been calling out your name right in your face, yet you seemed to have zoned out. You beat your record, by the way."
"I did?" Jaune was currently working out with two weights in each hand, each weighing around 60 KG each. "H-how much?"
"Well, I did tell you to do 50 reps per arm, but you did around 70. Your form got a bit sloppy at the end but! Perhaps I should re-think your workout regime again, it seems you can take more now."
"W-wait, Judgement, before you change anything. I wanted to ask … Shouldn't I begin training to use weaponry?" His question seemed to entice the demoness' curiosity.
"Weapons? Like your sword and shield?" She got a nod in response. "Hmmm. True, I and Beel did do some research on the weapons humans use now. Very complex ones, but also versatile and powerful. You want to get one?"
"I think so, yeah. If I want to become a Huntsman, then I need a weapon." Jaune replied. "Crocea Mors … Is no longer suited for me."
"I see. Well, if that's the case, money is not an issue. But the design … " Judgement trailed off.
"I was thinking of asking our neighbors." Jaune added. "I assume they are Huntresses-in-training, at Signal, and they usually encourage students to make their own weapons."
"That is a solid point, and they are bound to have experience in this field as well. But ask Ruby first." She nodded to herself.
Jaune blinked. "What? Why her?"
"Her hands … " Judgement spoke as if that was all that needed to be said but seeing Jaune's face she explained more. "Both Yang and Ruby are fighters, not a match for me but still. I can see it in how they stand and in their hands. They have calluses from fighting and hard work, like you are getting, but Ruby has more. Not just ones of a fighter but a builder, a crafter. … Also she liked making those cookies so she might like making other things."
Jaune was a little surprised by her insight until he remembered he really shouldn't be. Like her namesake, she judged people. She was the High Prosecutor of Hell, of course, she would notice small details. "Right, I'll talk to her as soon as I can."
"Very well, if that's the case, you are excused for the rest of the day from training. Now, go and see about that weapon of yours, then come back here. I will see what Beel can do about building the weapon itself." Judgement stated, earning a smile from Jaune.
"Thanks, Judge. I promise not to take too long."
"You're welcome. Although, I admit to being surprised." Her statement confused the boy for a bit. "I thought you were going to go bare, using that semblance of yours. Or rather said, semblances."
Wait … That's right, Jaune had forgotten about it. Origin, as well as his semblances, Azuria's semblance - he had the power to gather semblances. To copy them, and make himself stronger over time. He knows he should worry about them too, and not neglect them, but … He never had a semblance until his journey in Hell began. Even now, he is unsure of how to make use of them. He does know HOW to use them. Azuria's, for one, has been pretty useful a few times already.
But if he got more? He … He is unsure. When thinking about getting more semblances, the few times he did, he always felt his hands itching. Like ants were crawling over them. He doesn't fully understand Origin ITSELF, though. Artorigus' journal did not contain a lot of information about the effects or side effects this semblance has on the user. He only knows they are supposed to be weaker than the originals, but … Something is odd.
He just doesn't know how to put it, really. He just has an odd feeling.
"I don't think that is a good idea." Jaune replied, trying to play it cool and smart. "I mean, more semblances means more training to master them, do they not? I'd rather keep things simple, at least at first."
"Wise choice. Anyway, be on your way. The days are growing shorter." Judgement replied, then Jaune made his way to the bathroom, washing away the sweat from his body and then grabbing a change of clothes. After he was all decent, with a pair of jeans and a warm jacket, he went out of the house, walking toward the main village on Patch.
The community was smaller than Ansel, true, but tightly united. Just like in Ansel, retired Hunstmen lived here, and many Huntsmen-in-training did too, given that Signal Academy was around. Grimm did exist here, but unlike settlements built on a large continent, their population was considerably lower. Beowolves all over, Ursa at best. He walked until he noticed a tree, marked by Beel.
Ah, so this is what is keeping them safe despite the sisters causing mounts of negativity. A barrier, set up by Beel, to keep the Grimm away. Several trees were marked, which act as the main points of the barrier. Magic is something else, Jaune would admit that much.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the main market, seeing the buzzing of life all over the place. There were a lot of people walking about, worrying about their own lives and families. But he was around for one person only, or rather, he was in need of more professional advice. One issue: He had no idea where Ruby and Yang lived.
He only realized this as he arrived in Patch's market, internally groaning from his mistake. Well, he wouldn't be Jaune Arc without forgetting something in the end, would he? Maybe he could ask around? That was always an option. With that thought in mind, he walked up to someone, seeing them coming out of a shop with two bags of groceries.
The man in question had blond hair and blue eyes like Jaune did. But it looked like the man combed as his hair was neater with the exception of having two small strands sticking out from the top. He had facial hair consisting of a soul patch and small stubble along his jawline. His hair was a far more subdued blond, likely due to age. Still, Jaune would admit the man looked well for his age, as he could tell he had quite the muscular structure to him.
He wore brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana on his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. He also wore armor, namely a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove all on his right arm. On that same arm he had a tattoo which resembles a heart. A Huntsman, either active or retired. Well, all the same for Jaune.
"Excuse me, Sir, mind if I ask you for some directions?" Jaune approached him, trying to be more confident and friendly in his approach. The man noticed him quickly, offering a kind smile.
"Sure, though, I must admit I never saw you around before. New to Patch?" The stranger asked.
"Yeah, moved here a short while ago but never really had a chance to get to know the community. I was on my way to meet with someone, who welcomed us on the island a few days ago. Do you know where I can find Ruby Rose?" Jaune asked and the stranger seemed to perk up somewhat, his expression hardening ever so slightly.
"And pray tell, what would you want with Ruby?" He asked, and Jaune could swear he detected a dangerous edge to the man's voice. One he recognized. His father had the same edge in his own voice when testing his older sister's boyfriends or girlfriends. Sapphire was the lucky one out of the bunch as so far she only had to go through the process once.
Still, Jaune knew this tone. It was a father's protective nature of his daughter.
A dangerous thing.
"N-nothing bad, I swear! I just wish to ask for her aid with designing my weapon, that's all." Jaune replied, and he saw the man's expression shift a bit, a hint of curiosity in his vision.
"You want to be a Huntsman? Shouldn't you already have one?" He asked, but Jaune was hesitant to offer a reply. The man hummed, gauging him out. Analysing him, Jaune knew. "You don't look half bad but still room for improvement … Did your old one break, or are you looking for a change of style?"
"Something like that, yeah." Jaune replied, thankful he was offered a way out of the awkward position he was in. No WAY he was going to admit to having under one year, Hell under ONE month, of training to anyone! "So, can you help me?"
"Help you? Kid, I can do more than just that." The man replied, and then he held one of the bags to Jaune. "Here, help me carry them back home."
"I'd love to help, Sir, truly, but I am in a bit of a hurry, and-"
"My name is Taiyang Xiao Long." The man replied, and Jaune immediately stopped in his tracks. Xiao Long? That was Yang's family name! And since she and Ruby were sisters, that meant the man before him was their father, which made a lot of sense in retrospect. "I see you recognize the name. So tell me what's yours?"
Jaune took the bag. "Jaune Arc sir."
Tai nodded his head at the confirmation of what he suspected. "My girls told me about you. They did say you and your … company are pretty unique."
"I guess, yeah. They are good people though, despite their eccentric behavior."
Tai chuckled at his words. "The words 'Blow smoke up your cunt, you ass' sounds more than eccentric to me."
Jaune sighed at that. "Yeah … The sisters, Malina and Zdrada need therapy, I know."
"So, tell me, Jaune. What made you want to be a Huntsman?" Tai asked, trying to know the boy.
"I always wanted to be one. Though to be honest, my father was never for the idea." Jaune admitted.
"Can imagine. Old Nick lost his edge over the years." Tai scoffed lightly.
The boy turned his head sharply at him. "You knew my father?"
"Studied at Beacon together, before he and his Team transferred to Haven. Fought against him during the Vytal too, and I daresay, royally kicked his ass." Tai's words got to him and now it was Jaune's turn to laugh, trying to restrain it, but failing. "So, imagine my surprise when I heard his son is around. And to hear you want to be a Huntsman means only one thing: You bailed, did you not?"
Jaune averted his gaze from Tai for a bit, but the older man was swift to reassure him.
"Hey now, no need to be shy about it. Look, I can understand the whole Arc legacy thing, and I know Nick has grown rusty in his older years, but I never imagined his own son would run … A son I know he wouldn't have trained."
"A-ah, well, you s-see, I-"
"Jaune, there is no need to lie to me. I am a teacher at Signal, meaning I teach kids like you - albeit younger - how to kill Grimm. Not to mention a Huntsman. Though I have to say, you do impress me. Given what I know, your build is more than what I had expected. Been training like there is no tomorrow, am I right?"
"I g-guess? Jud- Junie has been putting me through the wringer." Jaune replied, nerves not doing any favors to the boy.
"That's one of your roommates, correct?" Tai received a nod. "I see. Is she any good?"
"Well, I guess you could say that. Her father definitely has quite the build on him, so it might either be genetic or the two are just very good at keeping a good physique." Jaune told him the normal reasons. As it was that or, they were both using demonic means to both get and stay fit. One of the two.
"Her father? Is she your girlfriend or something?" Tai asked.
"N-no, I just met him a while back." He hesitated and stuttered for a bit, yes, but he couldn't tell the man that 'Junie', as well as the other women in the house, were all his lovers. If he didn't see it, he'd think he deserved to be in Hell for lying alone, but, Hell had no specific place for simple liars. Forgivable sin? Most likely. "He is as eccentric as his daughter … "
Tai laughed. "Sounds like quite the bunch you have on your hands. Though I cannot imagine living with so many women, which, this time, are not related to you, is easy. From what Yang told me, one of them is quite … something. Modeus, was it? She seemed very relaxed and open regarding certain … things. But then openly calls her a slut for suggesting something as simple hand holding? That seems … "
"Wired backward?" Jaune suggested.
"Yes. REALLY backward."
"That's just who Modeus is." Jaune replied, watching Tai laugh it off.
"Quite the bunch you found yourself with. But I think we sidetracked from the main point here, namely, you being a runaway from home, hiding here in Patch." Tai's expression grew more serious as he spoke, eyeing Jaune closely. "Listen, Jaune, I understand how much pressure and frustration you might have felt due to your father, but was that really all the reason you needed to run away?"
Jaune remained silent for a bit, pondering Tai's words. But then again, there wasn't much to ponder, was there? It might be rude to tell him nothing of his situation, and truthfully, Jaune could not tell him everything either as that would include hell. But he also couldn't tell Tai why he ran away either. At first, he planned to stay, but then … His father attempted to seal his aura. Could he tell Tai that? He knew his father, from what he said, but that might mean that, just like Nicholas Arc, Taiyang Xiao Long was a well-connected Huntsman.
Aura sealing, no matter the reasoning, is not something a person is expected to forgive. He couldn't tell Tai about it. It was not because Jaune was worrying about himself, but rather, he was worried for his family. His father was the main breadwinner back home, and if he was put away for his deed, then his family would quickly find itself in dire straits. He couldn't do that to them, no matter how much his soul cried for justice.
"No, but … Listen, Tai, you seem like a good man, but I cannot tell you the exact reason I left." He tried to be vague about it, not giving any hints. "Just … Promise me you won't do something akin to calling my family and telling them I'm here, please? I am just not prepared to face them again."
"Damn … " Tai said softly, then he let out a sigh. "I guess that, whatever did happen between you and your father, it must be THAT bad, huh?"
Jaune didn't reply verbally, just giving a nod of confirmation. The less Tai knew about that, the better.
"Alright. You are not my kid, so I cannot exactly tell you otherwise, not to mention you should be 18, so … Yeah, nothing much I can do, other than keeping your place here a secret."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me, trust me, it does." Jaune was grateful for Tai's understanding, and the fact he didn't dig further. However, they were so absorbed in their talk, that Jaune failed to realize that they arrived at a cabin, just a bit off the main road, surrounded by the woods. Looking to the side, Jaune could see a small shed housing a yellow bike inside, along with the owner of the bike in question, currently working on it.
"Yang! Come help with the groceries!" Tai called out to his daughter, who looked up from her bike to see them there. Jaune took in her current attire, consisting of a pair of long, black pants with a white tank top. Well, as white as it can get with the current stains on it from the work she did on her bike. She even had a stain on her face.
"Alright!" Yang ran over to them. "Oh, hey there Jaune. Fancy seeing you here, accompanying Dad. Come to visit?"
"Something like that." Jaune's hands had the groceries taken away from them as Yang reached for them. "I am actually here to see Ruby about something, or you, if you are up for it."
"Depends. Are you here for advice on bikes or weapons?"
"For a matter of fact, weapons."
Yang let out a small laugh. "Then Ruby's your girl. She is a total weapon nut, and trust me, there is no one like her anywhere else on Patch. I'll call her down for you, she should be in her room, doing some homework for Signal."
"And you aren't?" Jaune asked, getting a shrug from Yang.
"Fourth Years at Signal do not get homework," Tai answered. "Seeing as this is the last year they have in the Combat School, Fourth Year students are being solely trained on the essentials. Grimm Knowledge, Dust Usage, Weapons, and most important of all, Combat."
"And not to boast, but I am top of my class in combat!" Yang said with a proud smile.
"Yet, barely scraping by anywhere else." Tai's remark made Yang stick her tongue out to her father. Tai simply laughed it off, and then Yang went inside the cabin, Tai following suit. "Come in, Jaune. Whatever you and Ruby have to talk about, it surely can't be as bad as some of the weapon designs I've seen some students do."
"Sure, but … out of curiosity, how bad are we talking about?"
"Kid wanted his weapon 'Hyper-Loaded' but he didn't think through what would happen if the Dust Explosives got hit and all went off at once … " Tai shook his head. "Nearly took his arm off."
"Noted."
"Jaune!" Ruby was down fairly quickly, with Jaune just getting himself to sit down on the sofa inside their living room. It was a cozy place. The center of the living room was dominated by a light green rug, with a dark green couch and matching chair, and a wooden coffee table centered in the rug. Between the couch and chair is an end table with a lamp on it, and at the other end of the couch is a dog bed.
Jaune didn't know they had a dog, but he did now.
At the end of the rug was a wooden TV stand with a holographic projector lying on top of it and a potted plant at one end. On the wall behind the TV stood a doorway leading to the kitchen, a large portrait depicting a night scene, and a shelving unit containing numerous books.
To the left of the couch is a large brick fireplace with small pictures on the mantle and a large landscape featured above the grate. To the right of the couch is a corner staircase leading upstairs, with the door to a cabinet and a pair of small landscape pictures underneath. A low bookshelf and another green rug lie along the wall at the end of the staircase, topped by another lamp. A trio of landscapes are vertically stacked on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.
Behind the couch is the front door. A barrel is tucked in the corner of this wall, next to the fireplace. There are at least three windows in the room, all hung with matching green curtains.
Jaune could see a small preference for green, but he was not one to judge the taste of others. All and all it was a homely place. For now, he was here with a mission. "Hey, Ruby. Sorry to drop in unannounced, I heard you had homework."
"It's fine, I finished it not long ago." The girl went to him, jumping on the couch next to him. "So, Yang tells me you are here for weapon advice? I thought you already had a weapon."
"Well, I did … but not anymore. A long story, but truth be told, it was an oldie, and I think something new and up to date would do me better." Jaune replied, keeping his tone friendly.
"Oh! Well, that's great, but do you have the funds for one? Me and Yang didn't need to worry, as Signal provided all basic materials, but … "
"I know, I am not a Signal student. Don't worry about funds, Ruby, I got that front all covered." Jaune nodded. Between Lucifer likely having access to Hell's coffers, Baphomet and whatever her business was, and Monica's management skills on their finances, he dares to say he could afford the island!
Maybe. Don't quote him on that.
"Ha!" Yang let out a small laugh as she jumped on the edge of the sofa, standing on it like it was some kind of chair. "Can't be more expensive than Crescent Rose was."
"Yaaaannnngggg!" Ruby whined, likely to warn Yang about something.
"I mean, how many custom-made parts did you require for it again, Rubes? Pretty sure Uncle Qrow had to chip in a fair bit to afford all of that."
"W-well, at least I made my weapon by myself! Or do I need to remind you who helped you with Ember Celica?"
"Low blow, Rubes. Low blow."
"Ummm." Jaune cleared his throat. "Sorry if I seem to be in a hurry, but I'd like to return to my place before dark."
"Ah, right, sorry." Ruby apologized while Yang just turned on the TV. "Anyway, what did you have in mind?"
"Well, that's the thing: I never considered making a weapon before, nor do I have extensive knowledge of things. But … If I were to guess, and from the little I did research, I think a basic sword and gun combo would do me well."
"A good start." Ruby was vibrating with excitement, getting out a notebook to write down everything. "Gun model?"
"I am thinking … revolvers? Something similar, with a good amount of kick to it." Ruby wrote that down. "I do know a bit about shields, but I want to distance myself from my old weapon, so maybe make the main one a dual option?"
"A dual option … Oh! I have a great idea! You'll love it!" Ruby wrote down more stuff in her notebook. "What about defensive options?"
"Armor, definitely armor." Jaune replied, not even doubtful on that one. "And, if possible, maybe have it interact with the weapon more? As in, the armor is part of the weapon."
"Oh! Oh! I know!" Ruby wrote down more in her notebook and even began to sketch with impressive speed.
Jaune could swear he was seeing smoke rise.
Ruby took a quick glance at him. "You look like a heavy-weight fighter, so something extensive shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"With the training I am being put through? Ruby, I think Junie will have me lifting trucks in a few weeks."
"Now I have to see THAT!" Yang interjected.
"Anyhow … " Ruby ignored her sister. "How much do you know about Dust?"
"The bare basics? I never really made that much use of it." Jaune confessed since there was no use in lying about that part. Ruby, however, seemed to just nod her head, making a few last strokes with her pen.
"How about this?" Then she showed it to Jaune, who took the notebook in his hands to see the sketch. And he was amazed. Ruby knew how to draw if anything, but the sketch she drew him was more than that.
Before him, Jaune saw a suit of armor with a large chest plate that covered the chest area and stretched to the back, with a pauldron on the right shoulder connected via chainmail to the right gauntlet, but then the left side was asymmetric to the right, having no chainmail or pauldron, only a gauntlet with a small, bulkier part on it Jaune was curious about.
Going down, he noticed how the legs seemed to be fully encased in armor, giving the impression that they were made of metal or something. His gaze then shifted, looking at the other sketch of the weapon, and Jaune's eyes widened when he saw what was also there.
"A shield integrated into the left gauntlet?" He said softly, getting Ruby to smile.
"Yup! I thought that since you said you knew a bit about shields, you shouldn't just forget about them entirely, so I thought I'd integrate one into the armor's gauntlet." She stated proudly. Rightfully so.
Jaune read further, seeing the weapon she made. It was a weapon with 3 forms, Jaune noticed, with the planned base being 2 twin revolvers that could turn into twin blades. The third form, however, seemed fit for heavy strikes, as it involved the two swords combining to create a larger bastard sword.
The sketch looked simple in design, but Jaune knew it paled with the potential of the finished product.
Ruby, however, was not done. "The metal is meant to be made of Steel and Gravity Dust Alloy, to make it lighter whilst also retaining some strength into it, but feel free to make alterations to the materials. Except for a few, that is … Oh! I also integrated a small function into the guns, in case you lose them mid-battle, to be able to call them to your gauntlets with the use of Magnetic Dust!"
"Magnetic Dust?" Jaune echoed, confused.
Yang answered him. "A special mix of Gravity, Lightning, and Earth Dust! Depending on the ratio of the Gravity and Lightning, you get either negative or positive poles of attraction."
Ruby pouted as her sister stole her line, but then continued. "Yeah, using this, you can recall your weapons to you if they are not too far."
"Thanks, Ruby. Honestly, I expected this to take far longer." He replied, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"That's my Ruby for you." Tai said, having come into the living room. "A little weapons nut!"
The man then proceeded to ruffle his daughter's hair.
"Daaaaddd!" Ruby let out a cute whine once more. "Not my hair … "
"Still, I am surprised you are not integrating your semblance too, Jaune." Tai said, and at this, Jaune tensed up a little. "You do have a semblance, right?"
"I-I do. I call it Aura Overdrive."
"Quite the name there." Yang shifted her attention to him. "What does it do?"
"Ummm. I am not sure I am supposed to share such information." Jaune was a bit nervous about telling others that. Or half of that information, really. Origin and his other semblance still being a thing.
"How about we share ours? Mine's called Burn, and it allows me to pretty much take damage and then dish it out twice as hard!" Yang said, making a few motions with her fists. "Ruby here turns into this burst of petals. I think she called it Rose Burst. Anyway, she becomes crazy fast."
"Yang!" Ruby half-shouted at her sister for saying that out loud.
"Yang, don't share your sister's semblance like that." Tai scolded Yang lightly, but then he turned to Jaune. "Mine's called Heart Burn."
"That's quite the name as well." Jaune remarked.
"It's not much." Tai shrugged. "It allows me to convert my aura into stamina. Lets me fight for longer periods of time, and when I need a boost of energy, it is the perfect thing."
"Among being useful for other things … " Yang hinted slyly, making Tai blush at the implication. Jaune also caught on but chose to ignore it. "So, what does Aura Overdrive do?"
"I mean … Would you believe me when I say it makes my aura twice as powerful, lets me amplify the aura of others, leading to boosting their semblance's power, and on top of that it accelerates the recovery rate like crazy?" Jaune said quickly, watching their faces blank out for a bit. However, Tai was quick to break the silence.
"Holy fuck, Nicholas you idiot!"
Ruby gasped. "Swear!"
Then she vanished in a burst of roses, returning with a jar of some kind. Tai grabbed a lien card from his pocket, throwing it in. Ah, Jaune recognised it, the classic swear jar.
"Sorry, but … Damn. Jaune, your father must be a bigger fool than I originally thought to keep you locked up with such a semblance under your belt!" Tai finished. Jaune felt an uncomfortable feeling run through his body as he heard the word lock. For a second he swore he could feel someone grabbing onto his hands. He was able to keep it from showing on his face though.
"Wait, what is this about Jaune's father?" Ruby asked, catching on to that detail. Luckily for Jaune, someone else butted in.
"Forget that! Daddy issues aside, you said you could also amplify the aura of others along with their semblances, correct? Oh man, you HAVE to use on me!" Yang was up in Jaune's face, looking at him with excited eyes. "Or better yet! When we get to Beacon, I could make you my partner! I can already imagine just … PUNCHING through mountains!"
"And I can imagine the damage fines … " Tai dryly remarked, which seemed to reel his daughter back a little. "Still, that is a very powerful semblance. Have you made any use of it yet? Or, rather, does it have any tricks to it?"
"Well … The recovery part heavily relies on my emotional state, from what I learned. High spirits can mean I could potentially never run out of aura, whilst being down in the gutter could lead to me recovering my aura even slower than normal." Jaune explained, using the same concept given to him by Leon.
"A double-edged sword," Tai remarked. "I see."
"I haven't used it much, lately. I mainly use it to let me recover faster after training." Jaune had that along with angelic healing magic. "Thanks for sharing your semblances, by the way."
"No problem, just make sure to keep them a secret," Tai added, and then he looked at the time. "It's almost sundown. You should be on your way, Jaune."
"Yeah, I should." He looked down at the sketch. "Mind if I take this with me, Ruby?"
"Not at all! Just make sure to return it later."
"Will do." Jaune nodded and stood. Tai led him to the door and outside, where the boy took in the orange hue of the coming evening. The two stood at the door for a bit, and then Jaune turned to Tai. "Thanks for having me, even if briefly."
"Don't mention it, feel free to drop by again soon. And who knows? Maybe bring one of your friends over too. Provided they are not the more … troublesome ones."
"Will do." Jaune laughed a bit. However, before he could leave, he noticed something at Tai's feet. A small, grey corgi. "Is this your dog?"
"Yup, this is Zwei." Tai said, picking up the dog, who had a smile on its snout. "Got it after … things … went down, and he has been helping me keep my head in the game. Huntsman life is stressful."
"I can imagine. Hey boy-" Jaune brought his hand towards Zwei slowly, however, when the dog sniffed his hand, it suddenly lunged and bit at his hand.
"Ow!" Jaune pulled back, with Tai doing the same with Zwei, who was now barking at Jaune pretty aggressively.
"I'm sorry! He never did this before, I swear! He is usually a very friendly dog, even to strangers!" Tai was quick to defend Zwei. "Bad dog! Bad! No biting!"
However, Zwei simply stopped growling, but both of them could tell he was still harboring aggression to Jaune.
"I'm sorry again. Here, let me look. Zwei has an aura, so his bite is stronger than your average corgi." Tai put the mentioned dog down, Jaune extended his hand to Tai so the older man could look it over. However, at that moment, he felt something. It was like a warm feeling, coursing through him, from his hand up his arm, and them nestling into his very core. Tai didn't seem to notice, simply inspecting the wound. "Seems fine. Your aura worked fast to heal it."
"Yeah, I guess it did." Jaune said softly, he didn't bring his aura up in time to defend against the attack. That was something he needed to work on too. He looked at the sun. "I should go. Thank you again for having me, and tell Ruby I am grateful for the sketch as well. I will make sure to contact her when I begin work on the actual stuff."
"Alright. Stay safe!" Tai then waved to Jaune as the boy walked away from the cabin. The older man felt like he made the right decision to bring Jaune here. Yes, a part of him didn't like a boy being around his daughters but he couldn't keep them away forever. He reminded himself they could take care of themselves more everyday and they could handle someone with Jaune's level of skill if he tried anything. Being in the next room helped him stay calm too.
It was that knowledge and the opportunity for Ruby to make a friend that made Tai bring the boy home. His little rose, bless her heart for trying so hard, had trouble making friends. The ones she did have weren't the type that lasted. Maybe these new neighbors, odd as they were, would be a good chance for her to expand her horizons. Plus she wouldn't have forgiven him if she found out he turned away someone who wanted help with a weapon. Tai shook his head and went back into his house.
Deep in the woods, close to his own abode, Jaune found himself looking down at his hands. He felt something was off, he tried sensing within himself. And he found it. He could feel it - something was new. He felt Azuria's semblance there, waiting for him to command it, but now there was another one too. Aside from Aura Overdrive and Origin, Jaune felt a new, fifth semblance.
He felt Heart Burn.
Omake
What are friends for?
Ruby tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. It was happening again. She was standing by a tree just outside her school. Near her were three girls she went to said school with. The others were all under the shade of the tree making them look like silhouettes or insignificant background characters.
"You know you are never going to graduate, right? How many times have I beat you? There's been so many I've lost count. You remember you're a loser right? I can beat you in my sleep."
"Y-yeah? You d-didn't sound so confident after o-our last spar." Ruby had thought after beating them they would stop. But it was wishful thinking. She looked at the three girls in front of her. Bullies, it seemed, didn't like getting their egos bruised and were upping their efforts.
The lead girl glared at Ruby. "You might have improved over the last year but one win is nothing. When we both go to Beacon in three years I'm still going to be beating your ass into the ground."
Ruby looked down. Her uncle had been training her since she started at Signal and she was improving at an impressive rate according to him and her dad. But being bullied for a year for being the worst in her class wasn't something she could get over in a day though. Thus she lost the fight against the tears.
"Oh look she's crying!" The first lackey mocked. "She knows it's true."
The leader smiled. "You're at the bottom and you'll always stay there. How many times have you used your semblance to run off the arena and into a wall? Every time you've lost your weapon you just give up. What a great huntress you'll be."
"Why do public education systems create such cruel children?" Ruby lamented, she just wanted to have fun, why didn't everyone else?
"Not to mention that scythes are stupid." The second lackey laughed. "We are meant to fight monsters and the best you could come up with for a weapon was a gardening tool?"
Ruby could tolerate a lot of things and them calling her names wasn't anything new. But they just insulted her baby! They DARED to bad mouth her perfect and beautiful Crescent Rose. Such a transgression couldn't be forgiven. There was only one reasonable course of action.
Ruby put her fingers to her lips and let out a loud whistle.
All the other girls blinked at the odd response. They were about to ask what that was supposed to do when a loud noise startled them.
"RUBY!"
The bullies jumped as three identical wolf faunus girls appeared out of nowhere.
"We heard your call! And came as fa-" The first Cerberus stopped as she looked at her friend.
The second Cerberus gasped. "Ruby! Why are you crying?"
"What happened?" The third Cerberus hugged her, and the others followed suit and surrounded her.
Ruby pointed a shaky finger at her bullies, ready to damn them to suffer for saying such blasphemy!
"They-" Ruby sniffled. "Said cats are better than dogs."
The lead bully looked at her in utter confusion momentarily before she spoke. "What? No I di-"
"You."
All three girls lost the ability to speak as their bodies tensed and began to shiver uncontrollably. The faunus girls had their wolf ears pointing forward as they bared their teeth.
"Deserve."
The bullies took a step back not noticing how wet their pants had gotten all of a sudden. None of them were religious but they swore they could see hell itself in those eyes.
"Pain!"
And thus on that fateful day.
Screams of terror and agony were heard all throughout Signal Academy. After that day everyone learned two important facts that they would never forget.
One, don't pick on Ruby Rose.
Two, dogs are better than cats. And don't you say a DAMN thing otherwise!