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Familia
Zapdos -› 'Seven Deadly Sisters (And One Baby Brother)' | Saturday, 16:36
‹Zapdos› situation's handled. jaune is a bit out of it but he did a good job.
‹Gardevoir› Thank you for the update, Violet. Please ask Jaune to check in when he's feeling better.
‹Moltres› Was he hurt
‹Zapdos› no, he was holding his own against samiri. dunno if he could've won alone but he was doing good.
‹Zapdos› and as far as I can tell there was only one casualty after the crash. kept calm, took charge, did the healing, prevented a mood spiral. he did a really impressive job for a rookie.
‹Zapdos› hell, he did an impressive job for a professional.
‹Ampharos› Bravo Zulu, Jaune.
‹Gardevoir› Does it seem as though he'll be ready to test into Beacon in the Spring, then?
‹Zapdos› ready, shit, he could probably test in right now. or they might give him a pass since he, you know, killed two named grimm in the past three months.
‹Gengar› hope ur redy 2 buy him tht wpn via
I sighed, but gamely pulled my snarky attitude back into place.
‹Aegislash› 2 down, 10 to go
‹Aegislash› and yeah, I'm working on a design
‹Zapdos› you said that earlier. that had better not mean you're intending on going after the other named grimm by yourself.
‹Aegislash› by myself? prolly not, they won't all have obvious weaknesses like that one
‹Aegislash› hell, I'm still not actually sure what all of them are
‹Aegislash› but going after them? fuck yes, I'm going after them
Several people are typing…
‹Moltres› Dont get cocky
‹Aegislash› not right this second, I'm still going to Beacon
‹Aegislash› but frankly, they've been running around too long
‹Aegislash› someone needs to kill them; it might as well be me
‹Moltres› Gonna give me a heart attack
‹Gengar› …call me when u go after maahes
‹Aegislash› noted
‹Zapdos› get off your scroll and shower, jaune; grandma wants to see you
I was actually texting from the shower, but I didn't bother correcting Violet; just closed the chat window and started rinsing the shampoo out of my hair. Fortunately, I'd just packed my preferred hair products in my [Inventory] before flying out of Vale, so I didn't have to borrow anybody else's.
Violet had brought me back to what she called 'Grandma's house', which I thought failed to do justice to the three-story mansion set two-thirds of the way up (and halfway into) the mountain on which the city of Mistral was built, a fairly short walk from where Haven lay at the peak. The front of the mansion faced West, as did the windows in the guest room I was brought to, so the setting sun poked me in the eyes when I stepped back out of the bathroom, dried off and with a towel around my waist.
"Get dressed in the best clothes you have," Violet ordered without looking up from her Scroll. "And hurry up, I don't wanna see you naked."
"Then get the fuck out of my room, Vi," I shot back, rolling my eyes. Equipping my Nice outfit was trivial, leaving me holding the damp towel and finger-combing my hair back. "There, I've got this outfit I forced Sienna to buy me. Best I can do."
Violet glanced me over. "That's fine." She straightened up, and I saw she was also wearing different clothes — or at least, a different jacket; one that covered her tattoos and closed over her torso — and her arm seemed to be back to normal. "Let's not keep Grandma waiting."
Sighing, I tossed the towel to hang over the top of the bathroom door and followed Violet as she tucked her Scroll away. "So does Grandma have a name that I get to know ahead of time?" I asked, not being delicate in reminding her that I had 'amnesia'.
Violet seemed briefly taken aback as she looked at me, but nodded shortly. "Her name's Jeanne, but she always told us to call her Grandma. We're not actually dressing up for her sake, she gives no fucks, but since you're being introduced to the Familias, it's best to make a good impression."
"Sorry, what Familias?"
"I thought Olivia said you were reading up on history?" Violet complained, heading down the main staircase.
"I am," I replied, annoyed. "I'm up to about the Faunus Rights Revolution in a Valic encyclopedia. Funnily enough, the author didn't think to include a primer on the politics of a different Kingdom twenty years in the future."
Violet sighed, leading me to what looked like a ballroom, where I could hear the murmur of voices. "Mistral is controlled by the four richest families in the city," she summarized. "It's Grandma's turn to host dinner, so get ready to memorize some important names."
Without another word, she gave a soft tap on the door, and it was opened by a man dressed like a waiter. Recognizing her, he nodded, and announced grandly, "Lady Roma's grandchildren, the slayers of Samiri, have arrived!"
Guess we're not keeping this one quiet, I sighed, before hitching a confident smile onto my face and popping [Eagle's Splendor] as the herald swung the door wide. With all the buffs and gains after Samiri, my buffed CHA was around 69 — Nice. — which was way higher than before, and turned my casual walk into not quite a swagger.
There was some scattered applause and interested murmurs as we stepped forward, but fortunately there weren't as many people present as I had expected. Nearest to us was a pair of empty seats on either side of a small, grey-haired woman who stood to greet us. She was a little stooped, but aside from that and some crow's feet she barely showed her age, and could have easily passed for her late 40s if I hadn't known that my oldest sister, Bianca, was 32.
‹?›
LV ?
Jeanne Roma
"There you two are," she said, glancing at my sister before looking me up and down more carefully. "Come and sit, Jaune, Violet." She indicated the place to her right when she said my name. "It's not much of a celebration when we were already meeting, but I had the help start on a few sweets for after dinner. Let me introduce you."
Starting from her left, she went around the table introducing first her fellow oligarchs, and then their guests; I smiled and inclined my head politely to each, double-checking their names and — for those I could see — their titles. "This is Harbard Argos, the old voyeur, and his son Phol, set to inherit the Kingdom's largest fisheries."
‹The Watcher On the Walls›
LV 21
Harbard Argos
‹Tears For the Fallen›
LV 19
Phol Argos
"Ah, must you speak so harshly, Jeanne?" Harbard stroked his grey beard as he fixed me with the eye not covered by a patch. "Good to meet you, lad; had you come by sea, you'd have arrived through my family's port in Argus."
"But then he wouldn't have been there to kill Samiri," Phol added. He looked about twenty-five, his round face showing surprising eagerness as he leaned forward. "It's really amazing! Anyway, please call me Shadow."
Welp, I've got a fanboy. That's… uncomfortable. Regardless, I kept a friendly smile on. No need to be rude. Although I don't know if I can bring myself to call him 'Shadow'.
Jeanne next inclined her head to the man sitting opposite her. "Ogodei Khagan; if your mother still cooks Mistrali food, his family probably sold her the spices."
‹Contraction of the Road›
LV 17
Ogodei Khagan
"A pleasure." Ogodei's dark, slanted eyes glittered as he spoke, his voice low and oily. He was alone, though there was an empty chair beside him.
"Likewise," I replied. "I enjoy cooking myself; maybe we can swap recipes."
"And finally, Anicetus Alexandria, the Commander of the Home Guard," Jeanne continued.
‹?›
LV ?
Anicetus Alexandria
Anicetus was a giant of a man; taller than me standing even while sitting, and more than twice as broad in the shoulder as I was. He was also the only one visibly armed, with a pair of knuckledusters attached to his belt. Lifting his proportionally-enormous mug, he toasted me before taking a long draft.
"Well met!" the man all but bellowed. His fellows' twitching smiles suggested this was his usual volume.
"Charmed," I responded. "Jaune Arc of Vale."
"Aye, your grandmother and I go way back. I've been hearing about you since you were born," Anicetus grunted, setting his mug to the side so a servant could refill it. "Heard all about it when you got yourself hurt. Nearly shit when I heard you did in Krios a few months back."
My own eye twitched when he said that, not least because Phol's gaze grew even more worshipful. So much for keeping it secret!
Anicetus didn't seem to notice as he took over introducing his own companions. "My niece Thetis, and my goddaughter, Pyrrha." Sure enough, seated on either side of Anicetus was a pretty teen my age, and a gorgeous woman who had to be her mother.
‹The Terror of the Sea of Monsters›
LV 71
Thetis Nikos
‹Afar With The Dawning›
LV 31
Pyrrha Nikos
"Well met," Thetis echoed her uncle from his far side. She was a bit shorter than her daughter, with bobbed hair and thick-framed spectacles, but the evening dress she wore revealed a spectacular figure, even if it was rather conservative. She wasn't quite as cut as Bia, but if I wanted to be crude, she was definitely a MILF. "You should be about the same age as my daughter?" She smiled, indicating the girl beside me.
"I'm sure you've heard of the Invincible Girl!" piped up 'Shadow' from across the table. He didn't seem to notice Pyrrha's expression become rather wooden.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Pyrrha said, offering a hand from the seat next to me.
I took it, and rather than shake, brought her knuckles to my lips. She erupted in a blush. "The pleasure's mine. I actually just met your cousin in Atlas."
I wonder why 'Invincible Girl' isn't her actual title, when it's something people literally call her. Or is it not that because she hates it? And damn, she's already as strong as a sophomore, too?
"And how is dear Bia?" Thetis asked, lips twitching at the frozen expression on her daughter's face.
"Doing well, I think. She's partnered with my sister Sienna, so I crashed at their place while visiting. She's squatting over eight hundred kilo as of last week, even if she still freezes at the bottom of each rep."
"That's because of her Semblance," Pyrrha muttered, obviously trying to reenter the conversation.
"Oh? She didn't mention that," I hummed, facing forward as Grandma clapped and a plate was placed in front of me.
…Interesting. Mistral in the show had seemed like an odd blend of Greek and Japanese influences, and the meal in front of me reflected that: skewers of grilled chicken with a savory sauce laid over a sort of pilaf, served with flatbread and a yogurt sauce, fingerling potatoes that seemed to have been battered before frying and drizzled in a lemon sauce, and grape leaves that smelled like they were stuffed with pork, scallions, and mushrooms. My continued raising of [Cooking] gave me an idea what I was seeing, at least in relation to the cuisine I was more familiar with from Earth. Souvlaki with a yakitori glaze. Rice as the main carb despite still having pita and tzatziki. Tempura potatoes. Dolmades with shumai filling. Weird, but it all kinda works.
It was all excellent, and I made note of how certain flavor combinations stood out, especially on the chicken; this must have been what Jeanne meant about the spices in Mistrali food. It wasn't solely about capsaicin, there were lots of savory and subtle interactions, and as odd as it was to taste oregano and shiso in the same dish, it came together surprisingly well.
I was about to turn back to Pyrrha when the door opened again, and a man bustled in. "Terribly sorry I'm late, Lady Roma, the issue with Spider just keeps getting worse." He looked middle-aged — so was probably quite a bit older — with a mane of brown hair and a thick beard that were both beginning to grey. He had a tanned complexion, and worried brown eyes that swept over the table before alighting on me. "Ah, and this must be our guest of honor."
"Yes, indeed," Grandma replied. "Jaune, meet the headmaster of Haven Academy."
‹?›
LV ?
Leonardo Lionheart
"Jaune Arc," I stood and extended a hand, which he shook with both of his own.
"You've done Mistral, and Remnant, a great service, young man," he said earnestly. His voice was deep, grave, and carried considerable charisma. Out of curiosity, I tried to [Observe] him, but as I'd half-expected, nothing was visible.
No freebies, huh? I guess just because he's a coward doesn't mean he's weak or incautious. Aloud, I said, "I just did what I thought was right. My best wasn't good enough, but that's just something to work on going forward."
"Well said." He released my hand and made his way over to the open seat beside Ogodei. "Please, don't hold up your meals on my account."
I should figure out a way to warn Ozpin about the traitor, I thought, trying to keep the worry off my face. But… do I even know if he's turned, yet? Even if he is, I don't have any proof. Damn it, I don't even know what made him give up hope and start sending Hunters to their deaths. I'll have to look into those recent losses and see if there's an angle…
Perhaps unsurprisingly, spending the whole of dinner stressing about Lionheart's potential betrayal, and how I could possibly offset some of Salem's momentum, didn't lead to the most relaxing evening, but I did my best to keep it off my face, popping [Eagle's Splendor] whenever someone besides Pyrrha addressed me directly. I expected to be cornered by Grandma after dessert, but she just shooed me off to bed.
I didn't worry about dreaming — hadn't since arriving on Remnant, what with my Semblance just asking how long I wanted to sleep — so I decided to give myself nine hours instead of my usual six. No one came to wake me up, so I considered it earned.
One I awoke, I went looking for the kitchen to make breakfast, and found myself politely but firmly escorted out of the kitchen and over to a smaller dining room where Violet was nursing a cup of coffee and back in a sleeveless crop-top.
"Were you trying to cook?" she asked incredulously.
"I have forty-five points in [Cooking]," I grumbled, after checking with [Detect Aura] that nobody was close enough to hear. "Indigo and Olivia don't complain when I cook breakfast. Fucking noble house bullshit, 'oh no, young master, we couldn't possibly~'. I'm not some helpless bougie fuckin' rich kid. Ugh." With a final noise of disgust, I dropped into a seat.
"Coffee?" Violet was plainly trying not to laugh at me.
"Cream, then coffee, no sugar," I requested, rubbing my eyes. "What's the plan today?"
Violet shrugged. "Go sightseeing? What were you planning to do here?"
"I didn't even know I was coming here until Azure told me literally minutes before getting on the plane that Grandma wanted to meet me," I complained, then paused. "I guess she must have booked it earlier, though, or there's no way Watts could have known where I was going when I didn't."
"Who?"
"Arthur Watts. The guy we arrested who sabotaged the plane."
Violet set her coffee down, staring at me. "Your text yesterday said sabotage, but I thought you were guessing."
"Hardly," I scoffed. "I got a quest at the beginning of the week to stop this researcher from using a computer worm he'd written against the Atlas military. Azure and I called in backup from Sienna's partner and her girlfriend — also a Specialist — to arrest him. But his emblem appeared on the plane's screens right before it crashed. Which was immediately after reentering CCT range."
Violet frowned. "I guess he must have escaped custody, somehow. I'd have thought someone would tell you, but then, this is Atlas we're talking about. They're never honest about anything that doesn't make them look good. Did you ask Sienna?"
"Not yet," I shook my head. "Shit, I should've said something yesterday, he could've set something up for them, too." Shooting a text to the group only took a second, but it didn't look like anybody else was up yet — everyone else was three, six, or nine hours behind us in Atlas, Vale, and Vacuo respectively. "I hope it's not too late for the warning."
"I'm sure Azure and Sienna can handle themselves," Violet replied. "But if this guy keeps causing trouble, maybe I'll take some vacation time and go deal with him." Her free hand tightened, causing her knuckles to pop as sparks crackled over her skin. "No one fucks with family."
"Oh, speaking of family," I mused aloud, remembering a lingering quest. "That Watts guy mentioned something I tried to look up, but couldn't find anything on. The Beaufort Tragedy?" I had searched the internet that night, but aside from a few scattered mentions in forums and the like, there was no explanation of what it actually was.
Violet's hands clenched, and the coffee cup shattered. "You don't need to know anything about that," she hissed.
I frowned. "Okaaay, getting that this is a sensitive subject, but you do remember I have amnesia, right? Can't you give me an outline?"
"Not just no, but fuck no." She brought her empty hand down on the table, and it shuddered like it too was near breaking. "Don't fucking talk about that. Am I fucking clear, Runt?"
Now I was getting angry, too, though with [Gamer's Mind] I managed to stay articulate. "And here I thought yesterday proved I don't need to be babied. But sure, go right back to sheltering widdle baby Jaune, his delicate sensibilities obviously can't handle a bad ending."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Violet snapped.
"I know!" I snapped right back. "That's why I fucking asked!"
"That's quite enough sibling rivalry," Grandma announced as she swept into the room. "Violet, go and oversee the retrieval of the crashed plane; the rest of the council wants to see the black box to verify Jaune's claim of sabotage."
I didn't say that with her around. Did she hear that from my text yesterday or is this room bugged?
"Jaune, I've arranged a show-match with young Pyrrha for you this afternoon," she went on.
"Thanks for asking," I replied, making no effort to hide the sarcasm as Vi stalked out. I've definitely been too easy-going for too long if people are just making plans without even fucking telling me.
Jeanne's eyes narrowed, but she continued smoothly, "You should use this morning to prepare yourself."
With a swipe of my hand, I retrieved my shield from my [Inventory], letting it clatter on the table. It was still open, and still severely dented from Samiri's horns. "I'll need this repaired."
"Easily done," Grandma said, picking it up and looking it over. "There shouldn't be any difficulty, though it's unlikely to be ready today. You'll have to fight without it."
"Fine." I drained my coffee and pushed myself back from the table. "I'll get breakfast in town. Text me where to go for the fight."
A few hours of walking around playing tourist found me calmer, if still exasperated. Obviously I'm going to have to look into this Beaufort bullshit myself. Hopefully I can find someone who's heard of it who can just answer some fucking questions. Just wish that name meant anything to me other than the names of a few cities on Earth.
I was heading for the arena that Grandma had booked for my duel with Pyrrha — I presumed it was going to be a Duel, since I didn't have a quest at the moment — and was in the right area, but having trouble finding the exact building. I was looking up and around when someone brushed past me, murmuring an apology.
"No, it's my fault," I said, turning toward the tanned, green-haired girl I'd bumped into. "Sorry, but do you know where to find this place?" I held up my Scroll.
She hesitated, obviously in a hurry, but glanced at it anyway. "Oh, yeah, it's right up there. Take the next left and you can't miss it."
"Thanks," I said, glancing the way she'd pointed. "By the way, I was only carrying five hundred, and you're welcome to take it and get yourself a good meal, but could I please have my wallet back?"
‹The Thief›
LV 49
Emerald Sustrai
Her eyes widened, and she bolted without another word, dodging around people and ducking down an alley without glancing back. If she had, she would have noticed I wasn't chasing her.
"Guess not," I sighed. Oh well, I wasn't that attached to it. ID in Remnant was all digital, so the wallet wasn't much more than a billfold. I'll buy a new one after the fight, I guess. Turning to follow the directions she'd given, I dismissed the notification that had tipped me off.
[Your wallet has been stolen. Lost 500L.]
Her [Sleight of Hand] must be way higher than mine, I mused, turning the corner and spotting the correct building. Righto, let's get this over with.
Checking in was easy enough, and I soon found myself ushered into a locker room. Shrugging and equipping my Combat set, I found the Family Sword directly in my hand since I didn't have a sheath at the moment. I decided to hold it by the ricasso in my left hand, blade down, so I didn't come out looking incredibly aggro. Since changing only took that long, I continued across the locker room without breaking stride and exited through the opposite door, into the arena proper.
There were about half a dozen rows of seats, and they were all packed. The sounds of the crowd echoed around the room, but wasn't quite as cacophonous as I would have expected. Remnant once again proves to have good soundproofing.
The noise redoubled when I walked out, and I waved idly. I met Pyrrha's eye, as she was already present, dressed in her Volume 1 outfit with her weapons on her back. "Yo."
"Hello again," she gave a tight smile.
"Good day?" I asked. "Sorry about this, by the way," I waved my sword's hilt. "Samiri damaged my shield, and it won't fold back into a sheath until I can get it repaired."
"Oh, that's fine; I'll just use my weapon as well," she said immediately. "I hope we have a good match."
The announcer started hyping the crowd up even more, talking about the plane crash and my killing Samiri yesterday, to my annoyance. Then he switched to talking about Pyrrha's tournament record, causing her eye to twitch.
"Hey," I said. "Let's just focus on the fight and try to have some fun. Okay?"
She drew a breath and nodded, her smile becoming a little less fake.
The announcer was still wittering on, so I took the moment to [Observe] my opponent properly.
[Name: Pyrrha Nikos]
[LV 31]
[Title: Afar With The Dawning]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17]
[Job: Tournament Champion]
[Class: Gladiator]
[Semblance: Polarity]
[Stats: 41 STR, 26 CON, 39 DEX, 14 INT, 11 WIS, 24 CHA]
[Background: Born and raised in the town of Argus, Mistral, despite being descended from the Alexandria Familia. She recently graduated Sanctum Academy as Valedictorian. Three-time winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament, in which she is undefeated, and favored for a record-breaking fourth win.]
[Emotions: Excited, frustrated, lonely.]
I could more or less guess what her emotions were about, and her background didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but what took me aback were her stats. She's… not stronger than me? That doesn't seem right…
[Duel Alert!]
[Combatants: Jaune Arc vs Pyrrha Nikos]
[Victory Conditions: Reduce Pyrrha Nikos' HP to 25% or force a surrender]
[Loss Conditions: Surrender, be reduced to 25% MP]
[Victory: 10,000 EXP, increased closeness with Pyrrha Nikos, decreased reputation with Mistral]
[Loss: 5000 EXP, increased closeness with Pyrrha Nikos, ?]
Oh, is it finally starting? I mentally hit accept. Increased closeness with Pyrrha either way, huh? Is that because my Semblance assumes I'll give her a good fight, or be a good sport, or whatever it is she'll like?
"May the best fighter win," Pyrrha said, dropping into a two-handed stance with her weapon extended into a spear.
I snorted, shifting the Family Sword to my right hand. "Don't worry, you will. But I promise to make you work for it."
She frowned at my apparent pessimism, but right at that moment the announcer called, "Begin!", and I popped [Cat's Grace], [Bull's Strength], and [Reinforcement], and lunged forward to seize the initiative with an overhead slash. My STR was near 100, and my DEX exceeded it, so I definitely caught her by surprise.
Pyrrha's spear came up smoothly to block regardless, but her eyes widened when I pulled the blow at the last minute and planted a thrust kick in her stomach instead for first 'blood'. Her Aura held, and she only took a single step back as a result, but by then I was already attacking again. This time she slid away from me, matching my momentum, and returned a thrust, twisting her torso to extend the blow with one arm.
Used to sparring with Indigo, I triggered [Parry] and slapped her spear aside with the back of my offhand, just as I would have with my shield. Since I didn't have the shield, though, for the first time I activated [Aura].
A white-gold glow shimmered around me at the point of contact, and my MP dropped slightly, and stopped refilling. Some quick mental math said these four buffs would hold out for about fifteen minutes with my MP not regenerating thanks to [Aura]'s active effect, though that would go down if I used MP for anything else… such as [Parry]. Fourteen minutes, then.
Pyrrha stumbled slightly, and I brought a knee up into her gut, which she again shielded perfectly with her Aura. I started to swing at her flank, but her own free hand reached for the Family Sword, and I decided to pull the attack, spinning away.
That slight break in my momentum was enough for Pyrrha to catch her breath, and she struck again, using shorter thrusts of the spear and keeping both hands on it so I couldn't rob her of balance so easily. Keeping choked up on the weapon, she started making slashing movements with the end of her spear to meet my swings of the sword, and started nicking my arms and hands about as often as I caught hers, both our Auras flickering often.
‹Afar With The Dawning›
LV 31
Pyrrha Nikos
HP: [86%]
Whether the crowd had fallen silent or I just wasn't paying attention, I wasn't sure at the moment, but my focus was all on my opponent, whose look of concentration was slowly morphing into a fierce grin as we went through a few more exchanges over the next minute. She wasn't as fast or as strong as me, but she made up the difference in skill.
Both times I'd solidly hit her were from feinting and taking advantage of my better stats. Frankly, those hits were mostly attributable to my familiarity with sparring against a thrusting weapon, and the fact that Pyrrha wasn't as good with one as Indigo. Not to mention I had to keep pulling back to make sure she didn't touch my sword or breastplate and tag them with her Semblance.
At least none of her attacks have connected solidly enough to deal more than 1% of my MP. Not only is my HP still topped up, but I think she might notice if she started drawing blood.
Apparently deciding it was time for a change, Pyrrha stepped back from our most recent clash and triggered the shift on her weapon, turning the spear into a sword. The xiphos was maybe half a foot shorter than the my knightly arming sword, but the shorter length compared to the spear meant her maneuverability improved sharply. She continued guiding the slashes with her free hand, occasionally causing me to jerk back from a certain hit so she wouldn't brush my blade with her fingers.
After about a minute of back-and-forth, wherein I took probably twice as many glancing hits as she did, Pyrrha forced me back with a swipe at my knee and stepped back herself.
"You figured out my Semblance," she sounded torn between impressed and accusatory.
"Was I not supposed to?" I was panting slightly. Keeping [Aura] active seemed to drain my unseen Stamina bar, and did so faster when I was actively blocking damage with it.
"No one has yet, as far as I know," she replied. "Did someone tell you?"
"No, but there wasn't another reason for you to keep trying to touch my sword." I gave the Family Sword a twirl, but at that moment my buffs renewed, draining my MP again, and I decided not to waste any more time. Especially since I forgot to reequip my Initiate title. Damn! Grimm Slayer doesn't get me anything in this fight; I could be extending my buffs right now!
Correcting that oversight with a moment's concentration, I went on the attack once more, trying to focus on how Pyrrha held and moved her sword and apply what I'd learned from sparring with my sisters, but I wasn't gaining any ground. I did manage to spot some openings, usually when Pyrrha went for a flashy maneuver — she did a lot of jumping, both around and over me, and tended to flourish her weapon before striking — but she was so smooth about it that she slipped away from most of my counterattacks.
I finally caught her during yet another leap, sliding the Family Sword past her swipe and catching her leg solidly enough that she tumbled and had to roll away. I dashed forward before she could kip up, but stopped short at the loud, shrill sound of a blown whistle. Blinking, I looked around, paying attention to the screaming crowd and the fight announcer once more.
She's only at half HP though…
"And that's match!" the latter was saying. "After a hard-fought bout, the winner is our hometown's Pyrrha Nikos!"
What the fuck? Looking up, I spotted our respective Aura bars on the jumbotron, hers half-depleted and showing in yellow, while mine was three-quarters empty and red. I double-checked my HUD. My HP is fucking full, why the hell did I lose?
[Duel Alert!: Jaune Arc vs. Pyrrha Nikos]
[Result: Defeat by MP depletion]
[You have gained 5750 EXP! Increased closeness with Pyrrha Nikos.]
[Level up! Your level has increased by 1!]
[Reinforcement has increased by 1! Bull's Strength has increased by 1! Cat's Grace has increased by 1! Aura has increased by 1! Aura has increased by 1! Aura has increased by 1! Parry has increased by 1! Sword Mastery has increased by 1! Aura has increased by 1! Nimble has increased by 1! Nimble has increased by 1! Melee Combat Mastery has increased by 1! Aura has increased by 1! Enlightened has increased by 1!]
MP depletion? I looked back at the original Duel Alert, and spotted what I'd overlooked. They're measuring my MP as Aura, when the Aura used for self-defense is HP for everyone else. Since I spent all my MP on buffs, they just detected my Aura going down and assumed I was in danger of getting actually hurt. I fucking drained myself to a loss with my HP still full.
"You're easily the fastest opponent my age I've ever fought," Pyrrha commented, extending a hand for me to shake. "But your Aura seems to drain pretty quickly. Maybe we can do this again?" She sounded hopeful.
"Sure, I'd be willing," I agreed, shaking off my frustration. "I guess I'll have to use less Aura buffing myself."
The announcer was still going on, but most of the crowd was dispersing, so Pyrrha and I moved to lean against the wall. "Buffing yourself?" she echoed, sounding confused.
"I was burning my Aura to increase my physical abilities," I explained. "More than it does already, I mean."
"By how much?"
I glanced at my skill page to confirm the numbers. "Fiftyish percent, I guess?" At least, just from [Reinforcement] and the animal buffs.
"Oh, is that your Semblance?" she wondered. "I've heard of Personal Enhancement like that before."
…I guess fair's fair, since I figured out hers. "No, my Semblance is healing," I told my usual misdirection.
[Acting has increased by 1!]
Even though a quest demanded to keep it a secret. Fuck off. "This is just something I learned how to do. I didn't even think about the fact that I'd get retired for using up my Aura; this is my first tournament-style match."
Pyrrha looked intrigued at my Skills, but didn't pry. "You don't monitor your Aura when training?"
"Most of my training is either Hunting, where I usually don't use the buffs, or sparring with my sisters, who don't care if my Aura breaks and will keep thrashing me until I cry uncle," I shrugged.
"What about when you fought– Never mind." I guessed she remembered how annoyed I looked when people brought up the Named Grimm I'd killed.
"I did use them against Krios and Samiri," I said. "But like I said, I haven't done a tournament-style bout before. It's a different set of constraints that I need to be aware of." I squinted at the hesitant expression on her face. "I'm not upset you brought it up."
"I-" she stammered. "I know it can be… awkward, when it feels like you're being placed on a pedestal."
"Speaking from experience?" I knew she was, from the show, but I was curious how she would react to being called on it.
Pyrrha flushed, and she refused to meet my eye, but she did answer in a mutter, "Just a bit…"
Shifting the Family Sword back to my left hand, I held out a fist. "We'll have to keep each other's egos in check then, hm?"
She blinked, but figured out what I wanted and completed the fistbump, a smile spreading over her face. "I'll do my best to keep you grounded."
[Increased closeness with Pyrrha Nikos! Increased reputation with Mistral for being a good sport!]
Two days of intermittently wandering the city and sparring with Violet — also known as getting my ass kicked — later, Grandma returned my shield fully repaired and even freshly painted. I asked about the price, but she just scoffed and changed the subject, so I shrugged and put it out of my mind.
At that point, there really wasn't much reason to stay in Mistral, and once I mentioned I was planning to attend Beacon rather than Haven, Grandma recommended I return to Vale the following morning on her way out the door.
"Why, exactly? That eager to get rid of me?"
"It's been nice to see you and I hope you visit again," Violet spoke up, returning her mace, Eos, to her hip. "But hanging around this Kingdom isn't the best idea. It's… rough here for outsiders."
"I can take care of myself, you know," I frowned. "You said yourself I'm physically stronger than most students, and my skills are catching up to where I should be."
"Yes, but even the Roma Familia name can't protect you from the Mob, Jaune. If Lil' Miss Malachite decides she wants a piece of the Kingdom's new hero…"
Malachite? Like those twins in Vale who work for Junior? I hadn't gone near his club, but I was pretty sure the timeframe for the Yellow Trailer was coming up soon.
I raised an eyebrow. "Setting aside that you just know who the local mob boss is, am I supposed to believe you wouldn't raise hell getting me back?"
Violet scoffed. "Of course I would. But that's still borrowing trouble. If you don't plan to live here, you really should head back."
Actually, isn't Cinder in Mistral right now? I already ran into Emerald, and rumors about me killing Samiri have thoroughly spread by now. Getting out of the city before Salem tells her to investigate me miiight be the right call.
"All right, you don't have to try this hard to kick me out, Vi."
"Are you sure? I can help you grind that electricity resistance some more," Violet 'offered', lightning crackling around her fingers.
"Later, children," Grandma spoke up, returning from wherever she'd stepped out to. "Jaune, if you're certain you're ready to enter an Academy, then I will help you to confirm it."
I glanced over, and found she'd removed her jacket and retrieved a halberd as tall as I was. Seeing as Jeanne herself was around 5'4", it might have looked comical, but the ease with which she handled it, and the fact that I still only saw question marks over her head, hinted that this wasn't going to be fun. The haste with which Violet backed off only added to the ominous feeling.
"I may be able to whittle down a Grimm, but I'm nowhere near taking you," I admitted freely. "I don't know what my Semblance would consider your level to be, because it's so high I can't see it."
"It matters little," Grandma replied, strolling into the center of the training ground with her weapon set casually over her shoulder. "I do not expect you to win; I expect you to show me that your feats against the so-called Named Grimm were no flukes. Violet has spoken of your strength, but I am aware that your mother and her husband did not have you trained, so I will determine where your skills need work."
"I can check my [Skills] screen to see what needs to be raised–" I tried to deflect, but Jeanne twirled her weapon as if it weighed nothing, and settled it in an aggressive stance, point low.
"Defend yourself," she warned, before rocketing at me, forcing me to equip my Combat armor set with a thought and deploy the Family Sword and newly-repaired shield.
[BGM Unlocked! Roma FamiliaTraining theme – "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor]
Dammit.
Name: Jaune Arc
Level: 30 (Next: 6.43%)
Title: Initiate
Race: Human
Age: 17
Job: Tyro Huntsman
Class: Paladin
Semblance: The Gamer
HP: 2345/2345
MP: 1795/1795
STR: 69.9 (52)
CON: 69.3 (50)
DEX: 87.2 (53)
INT: 52.3 (41)
WIS: 67.3 (52)
CHA: 54.3 (33)
Points: 78
Money: 143198L
Status: Cursed – Yellow Death [High]
A/N: Posted today (22 June) in honor of Monty's birthday, again. Two years I've been writing this, huh? Doesn't feel that long. Speaking of, not only is this my longest fic as of Chapter 10, we just broke 100k words in this one. …Neat.
"Bravo Zulu" means 'well done'. I'm probably mixing jargon from different military branches with Bianca's texts, but let's just handwave that.
Tweaked several of the names of Mistrali characters to not-quite-so-blatantly rip off Ryuugi's worldbuilding, even if it's similar (right down to Granny Givenofucks). In my defense, RT's own [semi-canon] worldbuilding in the novels and D&D campaign seems to corroborate it, so here we are.
I actually have a time zone map for Remnant that I reference whenever that comes up, but tl;dr: Vacuo is 3 hours ahead of Vale is 3 hours ahead of Atlas is 3 hours ahead of Mistral is 2 hours ahead of Kuo Kuana. This means that if Vacuo were in California, Vale's corresponding distance would place it in the same time zone as New York, Atlas the same as [most of] Greenland, Mistral the same as Western Europe, and Kuo Kuana as Madagascar.
(That's only in terms of longitudinal distance, though. The latitudes don't match up.)
Side note: As drawn, I don't think Remnant can possibly be the same size as Earth, but fixing that would be a little outside the scope of the story I'm trying to tell, so I'm not going to bother.
For those concerned about the timeframe, worry not: We're going back to Vale next time and probably skipping all the way to the entrance exam in that chapter or the one after, as long as character interactions don't drag out too long.
