Intermission:

Mentors

"It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here!"

Raven Branwen's red eyes twitched from the annoying voice of the idiot teammate of hers, Taiyang Xiao Long constantly repeating itself as he danced around like an idiot, holding up…

"A book?" Her brother, Qrow groaned as he sat up on his bed. "You're prancing around like a little girl over a book?"

"This is no ordinary book, Qrow!" Tai shoved the book's cover right in Qrow's face. "This one of several books written by none other than Rashard Zangan!"

"Who?" Raven and Qrow asked at the same time.

While a third voice had an entirely different reaction. "RASHARD ZANGAN?!"

Summer Rose shot forward, her face coming right up to the book's cover, searing the title into her mind.

MASTER FISTS
By Rashard Zangan

"As in the great Barefisted Warrior Monk Rashard Zangan?!"

"The one and only!" Tai gushed, his smile as big and excited as Summer's.

"Just who the hell are you idiots fanboying over?" Raven grunted, unable to take the sheer stupidity any longer.

"How can you not have heard of Rashard Zangan?" Summer turned around, facing the Branwen twins. "He's a legend!"

"Evidently not if we've never heard of him." Qrow mumbled.

"Then I will correct this grave error." Tai cleared his throat. "Rashard Zangan is a Huntsman but no ordinary Huntsman. In all of Remnant, he is perhaps the only Huntsmen who does not fight with a weapon, Semblance or even Dust. A wandering martial arts master who has traveled all over Remnant who even trains free calisthenics to villages he comes across in his travels and he even takes in martial arts students who want to learn from him."

"His exploits are beyond awesome. They claim he once took down over a hundred Grimm in one night, single handedly." Summer threw in.

Raven and Qrow were skeptical but if this Zangan was as skilled their teammates believed it was something to note.

"I even once met him when I was little." Tai stated to which Summer gasped, turning to face him with starry silver eyes.

"YOU WHAT?!" Qrow and Raven both flinched from how high-pitched Summer's voice became.

"It's true. He came by and taught a free calisthenics class at Signal. My dad was a teacher there and I even joined in the class." Tai chuckled. "Too bad I wasn't chosen to be his student at the time, but my folks didn't want me traveling all over Remnant with a stranger, even a famous one."

Raven and Qrow were silent, sharing a look over what they had been told.

"I must admit, it's a surprise to see you of all people here."

Years from now, many would recognize Headmaster Ozpin for his silver-grey hair. However, those years were still far off, so his hair remained jet black. His attire at the time consisted of a black dress with green golden striped vest with a purple cross shaped on the black ascot around his neck. He wore black trousers with black dress shoes and a black belt with a golden buckle.

While at the same time, his visitor's short hair and beard would remain brunette until much later in his life. "I thought I would stop when I heard of a team managing to hold off Gilgamesh of all people."

Ozpin frowned. "How did you hear of that?"

"From a mutual acquaintance."

"…DiZ." Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "He was the one who hired Gilgamesh, wasn't he?"

"You ask me as if I am supposed to know."

"It's the only possible answer and I can't believe I didn't consider it sooner." Ozpin stood up from his chair and walked around his desk. "What was he thinking?"

"Again, you're asking as if I am supposed to know. You should by now, I take a back seat to these dealings."

Ozpin sighed and closed his eyes. "Did he say anything about why he did and what he might have offered Gilgamesh?"

"Only that he was as interested in this team's potential as you are."

Ozpin scowled. "And is that part of the reason you are here?"

"Let me stop there, Oz. I am not part of anyone's agenda, not even yours. I come here of my own volition and will leave just the same." The man stated sternly.

Ozpin and the man stared each other down until Ozpin finally relented. "All right, I am convinced but DiZ's agenda worries me. There is virtually nothing known about him and yet he knows more than he should."

"Perhaps he shares a connection with you in another way."

Ozpin considered it. "Perhaps…"

Later, Team STRQ were in the Combat class along with the same year students as them. Strangely it wasn't just students from their year that were gathered in the audience stands but practically all students not out on missions were gathered in the Combat class today. Curiously, Ozpin himself was present, down in the center of the class staring up at the student audience.

"Students, today we have a special guest." Ozpin began once everyone had assembled. "He is perhaps known by few of you. Some of you…more than others. Still, he is a special guest who has offered to share his own experience and wisdom in today's combat class so I trust you will treat him with the appropriate respect."

Raven simply crossed her arms, not in the mood to entertain some nobody guest teacher. Qrow shrugged, Summer simply smiled while Tai simply waited.

"May I present…Rashard Zangan." Ozpin announced as the doors behind him opened.

Tai's went wide as dinner plates and he was pretty sure his heart leapt up into his throat as the Rashard Zangan marched out into the combat arena, standing next to Ozpin. A few students muttered, some looking impressed by how muscular he appeared while others…

"Oh great. Another cape." Raven muttered, looking to the side as Summer threw a dirty look at her.

"Tai, isn't that the guy you were gushing over earlier?" Qrow asked his blond teammate who was in the process of stuttering, trying to come up with a single word.

"I-I-I…N-N-N…." Tai's mouth hung open and it looked like his jaw was about to hit the ground.

Rashard Zangan smiled as he looked up at the gathered students. "Hi, thanks for welcoming me here. Now, if someone would like to learn something or even has the idea they might be tough enough to take me on…Come on down and prove it."

"We-We-We-We…" Tai continued to sputter as Raven sighed in irritation, annoyed by how Tai was acting and stood up.

"I'll take you on." She said, pointing right down at Zangan who smiled up at her.

There was a quick run to the locker room and a moment later Raven was in the arena, wearing back and red kimono dress that was her signature Huntress outfit with her sword, Omen by her side in its sheathe.

"Ah, a nodachi user." Zangan commented, his analyzing eyes taking in every detail of his first opponent. "Athletic, lean, suggesting you rely on speed and agility and I suspect that you prefer to end your fights quickly as a show of your strength."

Raven said nothing, simply placing one hand on the hilt of her sword, waiting for Ozpin to begin the match.

Which he did by tapping his cane on the ground. "Begin."

She shot forward, hand gripping the hilt of her Omen and once she was in striking distance she drew her sword and preformed a singular horizontal slash at Zangan who simply waited for her. If this an opponent that her teammate Tai idolized, she didn't have to worry about holding back and if she did…

Well, she wasn't soft on opponents, no matter the reason and if he fell then it was his own fau-

CLANG!

Raven's eyes widened as her sword made contact with Zangan's arm that he used to block. It should have been a foolish move but aside from a brief flare of Aura, Zangan's arm was perfectly fine with not even a scratch present.

"As I said, quick, decisive, aiming to strike before your opponent can react." Zangan remarked with a impressed look on his face. "But lacking in sufficient arm strength. You rely on just your Aura to enhance the speed and strength of your attacks and maybe even to enhance your weapon. A mistake most modern Huntsmen are guilty of."

He shoved the sword away with such strength that Raven actually staggered back. She looked up at the monitor and saw there wasn't a single decline of Aura strength from Zangan.

Her sword hadn't even cause it to go one present down!

"Is that it?" Zangan asked with a smile. "Don't tell me simply blocking your sword has caused you to give up?"

Raven glared, sheathing her sword again.

No one accused her of giving up in the middle of a fight.

She charged again, preform three slashes at Zangan who simply raised his arms and blocked them easily. Raven jumped back, sheathing her sword and drawing it a second later, swing it out in a horizontal slash like before but this time, due to the Ice Dust surrounding her blade, spikes of ice traveled along the ground towards Zangan who simply took a stance with one hand held out in front with the palm facing the attack and the pulled back.

Just as the spikes neared him, he sent the rear hand forward with an open palm…

BREAK!

And completely shattered the ice all the way back to its creator, a golden of golden Aura flashing from the hand as it made contact with the ice.

"Impressive use of Dust." Zangan noted. "Swift, fast to the point that almost no opponent would have the time to dodge or block." Zangan's smiled widened slightly. "Almost no opponent."

Summer and Qrow were almost amazed beyond words to see this one man shrugging off Raven's attacks so easily.

It almost looked like he wasn't even trying!

Tai in the meantime was just staring at the match, his eyes completely focused as he took in everything. In the meantime, Raven found herself struggling to keep herself calm at how easily this old man was blocking her attacks. However, it was difficult to keep herself composed with the way this man was smiling at her.

He was treating it like a spectacle and not a fight!

"What is the matter?" Zangan asked, making Raven pause. "You are struggling to maintain emotional control, in light of how I have easily fended of your attempts to defeat me. You're definitely a prideful one, aren't you?"

Eyes narrowed; Raven gripped the handle of her sword.

"Why haven't you used your Semblance yet? In conjunction with your skills as a swordswoman, you might be able to take me by surprise. Unless…You either have not awakened your Semblance, you refuse to use it yet out of some misplaced pride, or you cannot use it in direct combat." Zangan noted, surprising Raven. "I've encountered many Huntsmen who have been over reliant on their Semblances, but you do not strike me as the type. So it's likely your Semblance cannot be used against me directly and thus is not suitable for combat."

"Whoa." Summer gulped with wide eyes. "He just figured out why Rae can't use her Semblance on him and he hasn't even seen it."

"Damn." Qrow muttered. "Who is this guy?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I cannot use my Semblance on you either." Zangan confessed, surprising Raven and the audience. "For I have not unlocked my own Semblance."

Raven's eyes went wide, surprised that this man would actually confess he had never unlocked his Semblance. Was he that confident in himself against an opponent he had only just met, even if she was still a student?

"You wonder why I would confess to never discovering my Semblance? It is because…" Zangan's eyes flashed and he disappeared, suddenly appearing behind Raven, shocking her. "In exchange for never knowing my Semblance, I trained and honed my Aura to the point I can take an attack as powerful as a bazooka and enhance my speed and strength to match almost any enhancing Semblance out there."

Raven hastily spun and swung her sword, but Zangan easily blocked her sword with a single backhand and launched an open palm right at Raven's chest. The attack was simple but released a golden shockwave that sent Raven flying across the arena and crashing into the wall.

"RAE!" Summer stood up, a fearful look on her face as she watched Raven slid down and hit the ground.

The monitor showed Raven's Aura rapidly decrease down to five percent, clearly in the red.

"Raven's Aura is in the red. Zangan is the winner of this fight." Ozpin called out, ending the match.

Raven grunted as she used her own sword to help stand back up on her feet, looking at Zangan with frustration…and contemplation.

'This man…is he what a Huntsman is supposed to be?'

She remembered Tai gushing like a little girl over buying a book supposedly made by this man, but she wrote him as being his usual idiotic self. Now she was seeing for the first time why Tai idolized this man.

This man, Zangan…

He was strength incarnate.

"Is there anyone else who would like to spar with our guests?" Ozpin asked.

"Me." A hand went up.

This hand in question belonged to a fourth-year student.

"Mr. Rainart." Ozpin nodded. "You wish to challenge Mr. Zangan."

"I do." Hazel Rainart stood up and a moment later he was in the arena, facing Zangan.

He wore a simple black shirt with a green coat, dark pants, and black steel toed boots. Covering his hands were a pair of knuckle busters with Dust spikes extending from each finger.

Ozpin tapped his cane. "Begin."

Hazel shot forward, aiming a fist right at Zangan who was more than ready. He batted the fist away with his forearm and launched his own at Hazel's face. Hazel blocked with his other hand, trying another fist aimed Zangan's stomach. Zangan twisted his body, allowing the fist to pass underneath his arm which he then grabbed onto. Hazel grunted, trying to pull his arm free but Zangan was too strong and he wasn't going to just wait for Hazel to try and break free.

He used his other arm and grabbed Hazel by the collar of his shirt and flung the student across the arena floor. Hazel grunted as he came to a stop, getting back on his feet a second later.

"Come on, Hazel!" A girl with matching skin and hair color shouted from the stands. "This won't slow you down."

"Pretty good." Zangan rolled his shoulders. "You've definitely got upper body strength. From the way you fight your fighting style is self-taught, likely from years spent fighting the Grimm in the wilds."

Hazel said nothing as he faced Zangan, ready to fight again.

"Ha, the strong silent type, I see." Zangan remarked with a smile as he settled into a fighting stance. "Very well. Our actions will speak louder than words."

Hazel nodded in agreement and charged at Zangan again. As the fight continued, an embittered Raven walked back up onto the stands, rejoining her team and sat down, crossing her arms as she glared down at the fight.

"You okay?" Summer asked carefully.

"I'm fine." Raven said stoically but there was a hint of anger leaking out.

"Oh boy." Qrow looked away.

He of all people knew what his sister was like when she got like this. She hadn't been this angry since that time Summer challenged her to fight for leadership of Team STRQ and Summer easily trounced her or when Tai made a bet that if he beat her in a spar, she would go on a date with him.

Spoiler alert: She lost that fight.

If there was one thing that Raven hated other than losing it was losing a fight and doing very little against an opponent who managed to best her.

And now, her fight with Rashard Zangan was the third fight where she had lost with having done so little damage.

She hated it when she felt like this.

She hated that she had lost to someone that she had written off as some faceless idol her teammate couldn't help but turn into a total fangirl over.

Wait, that's right.

Raven's eyes looked over to Tai who was still watching the fight. She had rarely seen him look so serious outside of a mission.

And he was watching a fight with his idol being one of the fighters.

"Hazel's Aura is in the red. Winner is Rashard Zangan." Raven looked down as soon as she heard Ozpin's voice, surprised to hear that the fight was over so quickly.

Zangan walked over to a downed Hazel and offered his hand. Hazel stared at the hand for a second but accepted it. Raven looked at the monitor again, seeing Zangan had barely lost any of his Aura reserves in this fight.

Just like her fight.

Raven watched as Zangan seemed to give that Hazel a few pointers like he tried to do with her and Hazel simply nodded.

"Well, that's two spars. Will there be-"

"Me!" Tai stood up, raising his hand. "I would like to try!"

Raven along with Qrow and Summer were surprised by how quickly Tai had spoken up. A moment later, Tai was in the ring, facing Zangan down. Tai looked focused, more focused than his teammates had even seen from him before.

Everyone waited with bated breath as Ozpin once again tapped the floor with his cane. "Begin."

Tai shot at Zangan, his fists a blur as he launched a complete barrage on Zangan who hastily blocked and returned several punches of his own. Everyone was seemingly on the edge of their seats as Tai and Zangan traded fists. Tai was quick, agile and struck with power behind his fists while Zangan was experienced, composed and his reflexes allowed him to easily block or dodge Tai's strikes. As this happened, Tai's form appear to let out a golden Aura glow that seemed to only intensify as he continued to fight.

'This boy, his strength is increasing as he fights.' Zangan noted as he blocked another punch. 'He has clearly been trained.'

Tai reared back a fist and Zangan prepared himself.

As Tai sent his first forward, Zangan responded with an open palm…

BOOM!

The result was a golden shockwave that actually knocked both fighters back. Tai flew back but managed to land on his feet while Zangan skidded several feet back. His Aura briefly shimmered as lifted his head up and stared Tai down. On the stands, Raven looked at the monitor and was shocked and what she saw.

Taiyang Xiao Long – Aura Reserves 70%

Rashard Zangan – Aura Reserves 90%

In just a brief fight, Tai had done more to bring down Zangan's Aura then her and that Hazel guy combined!

"So cool…" Summer whispered in awe.

Qrow was silent but he was staring with a calculative look now.

"You are pretty good. Your natural physical abilities, I would say you are only a few years away from your peak." Zangan finally spoke with a smile. "It's clear you've been trained and from the way you move, you've been training for a long time. Likely since childhood in the martial arts."

"Thanks." Tai rubbed his face. "I actually bought one of your books this morning."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I was inspired by the stories people said about you." Tai remarked. "They literally called you a one-man army."

"I may be one man, but I can hardly substitute an army." Zangan admitted. "Still, it pleases me to see one who is dedicated to mastering the physical aspects of a Huntsmen rather than just relying Aura, a Semblance or a weapon."

He then took a good look at Tai's hands and noticed something.

"So, your weapon is with you, but you do not use it." Zangan noted.

"Not for this fight." Tai said, settling into a fighting stance again.

Zangan grinned. "Are you sure that is smart?"

"Says the man who never relies on a weapon aside from his own fists." Tai retorted.

Zangan threw his head back and laughed. "True, true. So you are indeed well informed of me and my preference."

Zangan then took a deep breath, inhaling in and out as he moved his arms slowly. Tai's eyes narrowed as he felt something. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel as if he could literally see Zangan's own Aura shining brightly as he settled into a fighting stance.

A force of sheer willpower honed to the point it felt stronger than steel.

"Let me tell you something, boy. Years ago, I realized the dangers of complacency on our weapons, Semblances and even Aura. I realized that as defenders of humanity, Huntsmen were becoming dangerously complacent. I watched as some unlocked their Semblances but made no effort to push and evolve their Semblances." Zangan said, becoming stoic. "Why is it that we can upgrade our weapons but we never see fit to upgrade the power we have in our bodies? I was so riddled with these questions, I set out on a journey across Remnant with no weapon or Dust with me, believing the answer would come to me, even if I was slain by Grimm."

The entire class was now silent, taking in Zangan's words.

"I sought to reach the realm of the highest peak that could not be done relying on a weapon or Dust. So I climbed the highest mountain in Anima, I weathered the cold and relied on only my Aura to sustain me. Do you know what I once I reached the top of that mountain?" Zangan asked. "Each day for two years, I offered two thousand punches and for punch I followed with a prayer for an answer to my questions and meditation."

Tai and the rest of the class were flabbergasted by the idea of a man standing alone on a mountain in Anima for two years, doing nothing but punching, praying and meditating.

"I sought to not only master the physical aspect but to master the inner spiritual self, a part of ourselves that gives our Aura its power: the soul." Zangan's eyes flashed, and a golden aura surrounded him. "And ever since then, I have been grateful for the time I spent on that mountain. For my quest led me down that mountain, back to my home in Vacuo and now here in Beacon."

Tai watched as Zangan's muscles seemed to bulge and grow slightly. "Whoa."

"Now I want to see if someone other than me is capable of reaching the same enlightenment as me." Zangan's eyes narrowed, glaring at Tai. "Don't think I didn't notice out of the corner of my eyes how closely you were watching my last two spars."

Tai's eyes went wide from how Zangan just admitted that he knew how Tai had been watching.

"Whatever reason you have, I hope you find what you are looking for in this spar. Know now that I see enough of your potential to begin taking you a little more seriously. I see your Semblance somehow enhances your strength even as you fight, meaning it's an enhancing type of Semblance. So not only do your physical abilities reflect your nature as one who relies on close hand combat, your Semblances reflects that nature as well." Zangan continued. "But my question to you, boy is do you rely on your Semblance to fight every battle?"

Tai gulped but managed to remain composed. "Come at me and find out."

Zangan grinned. "Very well."

Both fighters were still and silent for a moment…

And then shot forward, letting out battle cries as they reared one fist back…

And as soon as they were within striking distance, they let loose their fists forward, right at each other's face.