OZPIN'S OFFICE

"Well, you have to admit, Glynda, it's a resounding success," Ironwood said smugly, practically beaming.

"The success of this mission is irrelevant to the fact that you sent first-years into Mountain Glenn, a known death zone, on a barely disguised search-and-destroy mission!" Glynda retorted, her eyes blazing with indignation.

Ironwood grinned.

"Well, with Team JNPR, we had to skip the 'search' part. But boy, are they fantastic at destruction! Just look at that kill count!"

The Atlas General was practically drooling over the impressive string of zeros on the screen. He, along with Glynda and Ozpin, were in the Headmaster's office, watching a live stream of Team JNPR's "activities." The shuttle pilot had been instructed to stay with the team in case of an emergency. But after witnessing JNPR's antics, he couldn't resist streaming their fights. By the second day, a kill count had been added. Midway through the third, due to overwhelming viewer demand, the pilot enabled donations, with all proceeds going towards the team's Dust supplies.

"Even a team of seasoned Hunters would struggle to achieve this level of devastation. I mean, they're promising, but I didn't expect them to take down a Goliath solo," Ozpin mused, his usual calm cracking into surprise.

"Are you serious? You let them face a Goliath, a known Hunter-killer Grimm?" Glynda shrieked, her voice reaching a pitch that could shatter glass. "Do you have a death wish for them?"

Ozpin winced at the aura of fury radiating from his colleague and tried to mollify his deputy. "To be fair, it was more a case of a Grimm in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, it did wander into one of Nora's test zones."

ON SITE

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Pyrrha had joined the rest of Team JNPR in their destructive spree, bringing an unexpected level of artistry to their chaos.

To the bafflement of Jaune, Nora, and Ren, Pyrrha revealed she'd never been into combat sports. Growing up, she'd been fascinated by a traveling circus and had dreamed of joining it. However, her family's warrior legacy crushed those dreams, limiting her to acrobatics in her fighting style and forbidding her from even practicing juggling. But now, with her newfound "Dust calling," Pyrrha was free to live out her circus fantasies.

As a Boarbatusk charged at her, Pyrrha deftly backflipped onto its rolling back, nearly toppling but quickly gaining her balance. With a mischievous grin, she pulled six grenades from her belt and began juggling them.

"Come on, guys, let's race!" she called out, her eyes twinkling with playful mischief.

"You're on!" Nora shouted, jolting awake an Ursa she had been lounging on. The giant Grimm growled, but a "gentle" hammer tap convinced it to cooperate. She hopped onto the Ursa, pulling Ren up with her.

"Let's go!" Jaune yelled.

Pyrrha spun her Boarbatusk down the boulevard they had chosen as their racetrack. Nora whipped her Ursa into action, Ren clinging to her waist. Jaune sprinted forward, tossed his shield on the ground, and jumped on it like a snowboard. A quick kick activated a hidden Dust booster, launching him forward at breakneck speed.

"Good day, race fans! This is your pilot and commentator bringing you the thrilling action live from the first Mountain Glenn race! Pyrrha Nikos is currently in the lead on a Boarbatusk. A good choice, given their sprinting speed, but we'll see if it can last the whole course!"*

*"Currently leading the pack is Pyrrha Nikos, riding a Boarbatusk. It's a smart choice for its speed, but let's see if it can go the distance! In second place, we had Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, but Jaune Arc has just swooped in and snagged second, riding his shield! Originally designed as reactive armor, Jaune's turned it into a high-speed slideboard after tests showed the recoil to be too strong. You've got to admire the creativity!"

"And they're off! Our racers have just cleared the first turn. The straightaway was easy, but now the real challenge begins as they navigate a minefield of debris and potholes. Close call for Pyrrha there, but she holds her lead! And would you look at that—Jaune is grinding along the security rail! Didn't see that coming! Meanwhile, Nora's Ursa is plowing through everything like a battering ram, taking the lead as Pyrrha and Jaune maneuver around the obstacles!"

"We're now entering the final stretch—the narrow, winding turns of a former housing project. This is where things get tricky! Nora and Ren take the first turn, with Ren anchoring down and Nora firing a barrage to help swing the Ursa around. Jaune follows suit, bouncing off a building corner and firing a shot to steady himself. Pyrrha is in last place but catching up fast! She's doing something totally different—leveraging her Polarity Semblance to levitate her shield at an angle, helping her Boarbatusk take the turn at full speed. It's paying off as she's already overtaken Jaune and is closing in on Nora!"

"And here we go, into the second turn! Nora pulls off another flawless maneuver, staying in the lead. Oh, and she's playing dirty! Blowing holes in the concrete to slow down her teammates! But Pyrrha isn't fazed—she's using her shield as a springboard to leap over the craters. Jaune, however, is struggling with the terrain. Wait a second... he's airborne! And it looks like he wants to keep it that way as he keeps detonating his shield!"

"They're approaching the finish line—it's neck and neck! Oh no, Pyrrha's Boarbatusk is out of steam! She's sliding off but she recalls her shield and is pulling a Jaune, actually using her Polarity to propel herself forward! But Nora's not done either! She's ditched her Ursa, using her hammer's explosion to launch herself and Ren forward! Aaaand, they've crossed the finish line! What a beautiful finale! I honestly can't tell who won; it seems they all crossed the final line at the same time from my angle."

"That wraps up today's incredible race! Stay tuned for the best moments, and we'll see you all tomorrow for more action-packed events! Thanks for watching!"

OZPIN'S OFFICE

Ozpin leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. "I wonder if we could make such a trial part of the upcoming Vytal Festival..."

"Don't you dare," Glynda growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.