Sorry for my bad English.
Okay, the first you guys will notice it is that the write patern will change for the usual for how American books are writen.
The reason is that after getting tire of many people PM me about my gramar when scammers aren't trying to get my attention, I decide to follow the advice of one of the anonymous reviewer and give a try to an AI to fix the gramar.
Something I was with a back feet at first since I'm a writer myself even if is a fanfiction and rely on AI can be good to my reputation, as smaller as it is.
But again, after getting complains and a chat with some friends, I decide to give a try. That and I heard Japanese people are wanting to use AI to translate their animes to the rest of the world since localizers are transforming every word in something political, even here in Brazil.
Geez.
Anyway, give me the feedback about the gramar. If the feedback be positive, I may continue to use Chat GPT to fix the gramar of the gramar of my stories.
Staff lounge
Glynda was actually feeling good about herself.
After scanning the records of every student from Beacon and the other academies, she found the ones for the next fight of the Challenge.
After meticulously studying the duo's fighting capabilities, she found the perfect candidates. Arc was easy to find, but Forest took more time than she expected. He was a walking contradiction—his moves had no coordination, yet despite that, he somehow proved to be a capable fighter.
Still, she was confident in her choice.
One was from Mistral, and the other from Atlas. Despite the Challenge taking place in one academy, there was nothing in the rules stating that members from other academies couldn't be picked for the matches.
It was a little strange, but she didn't mind at the moment. Of course, they needed to accept first.
"So, they are your chosen ones," Ozpin stated, looking at their files. "Are you sure you want them?"
"Absolutely," Glynda answered. "I'm sure this will make the Challenge worthy of its name."
"Any special reason for choosing these two?" Oobleck asked.
"Now, why would I spoil the surprise?" Glynda responded.
"You sound really satisfied with your choice," Fernando spoke. "Remember that they still need to agree to participate in the Challenge."
"I'm well aware of that, Fernando," Glynda retorted. "But I'm sure they will find the opportunity to test themselves reason enough to accept."
"And any reason you sound so pleased with your choice?" Fernando asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because they are not ready for what is about to come," she answered, ignoring the looks she received from her coworkers.
"You purposely chose candidates who have some advantage over Arc and Forest?" Fernando asked.
"As future huntsmen, they need to learn how to surpass obstacles," Glynda began. "If they are not able to overcome this battle, then they still have a lot to learn."
This line left no room for argument. True to her words, huntsmen need to overcome whatever obstacles they face. They cannot afford the luxury of expecting everything to go their way or to always fight adversaries or Grimm they know how to handle.
So while some of them thought it was unfair, they knew Glynda was not wrong in her statement.
Yukino was at the counter, preparing her tea when she overheard the conversation, Blaze by her side with a cup of coffee in hand.
With all of them prepared, they went to work, molding the future defenders of Remnant.
Arena
"Mr. Forest, are you ready?" Glynda asked.
"Uuuhh... sure," Ryan answered.
She then turned to Russell.
"Mr. Thrush, are you ready?"
"I was born ready," Russell answered, clashing his daggers together.
It was the tenth time Russell leaped into the arena to fight Ryan, and the results were always the same. Even back in Vacuo, things were no different—Ryan kept winning, and Russell always demanded a rematch.
"Let the match... begin!" Glynda announced.
Russell rushed at full speed toward him. But a headbutt square to his forehead immediately ended the match, and all Russell saw before blacking out was Ryan frowning at him.
In Russell's mind, he was being looked down upon. That frown was a way of saying, You will never defeat me. So in his mind, he once again vowed that next time, he would make Ryan eat the dirt beneath his shoes.
But what Ryan was really thinking was:
"I sneezed," he thought, wiping his nose.
"Once again, Mr. Forest is the winner," Glynda announced, and Ryan blinked in confusion.
Back at the seats, the teams discussed what had just happened.
"So, how many times does this make now?" Yang asked.
"Also counting the unofficial matches outside of class? Seventeen," Weiss answered.
"Will he ever give up?" Blake asked.
"It's a rivalry thing," Ruby began. "He will never give up until his sworn rival recognizes him as an equal or superior opponent. And this blazing determination will keep burning until it is replaced with a flame of glory!"
"You seem to know a lot about this somehow," Chocolat commented.
"Of course! After all, we are rivals!" Ruby exclaimed.
"...We are?" Chocolat asked.
"Yes!"
"Oookay..." Chocolat said, unsure how to react to this information.
She was a little worried about the lengths Ruby would go to for this "rivalry." If she was anything like Russell, Chocolat might have to deal with four years of the little reaper glaring at her in the cafeteria, the library, and any other place she could think of.
Next, Jaune stepped into the arena, facing a student wielding a halberd.
Since their second victory in the Challenge, Jaune had grown more confident in his skills. The weight in his stomach that used to accompany every fight in the arena was no longer there.
His improving score also helped.
So, as his opponent thrust the pointed end of the halberd toward him, Jaune remembered to use some of his dancing skills to move around and avoid damage.
He recalled the three basic movements—parry, repel, and strike—using them to hit his opponent in the chest and send him flying backward.
"That's enough," Glynda said, stopping the match. "Excellent swordplay, Mr. Arc."
Is she actually complimenting me? Jaune couldn't help but think.
"If only some of my students could learn and not lose to non-students," Glynda continued. "It is embarrassing, really."
With that, Jaune's opponent glared at him, along with some members of the audience who had probably lost to him in previous matches.
"And there it is," he thought bitterly, knowing she had just put a target on his back.
Professor Port Class
When the duo attended Professor Port's class, it went as expected.
The duo lay on the ground, breathing heavily, as a tied-up Ursa loomed above them.
"And that, students, is how you deal with those nasty monsters while using the toilet!" Port declared to the class.
Some students actually started taking notes, while others simply smiled at the spectacle Professor Port usually put the duo through.
Doctor Oobleck Class
"My dear, what are you crafting there?" Ryan asked in an old man's tone, wearing a mustache, a top hat, and a monocle.
"Well, my dear," Jaune replied in a girly voice, dressed as an old lady, "I am sewing the flag that our army shall raise in the—"
"CUT!" Oobleck's voice rang out as he suddenly appeared between the duo in a blur, as always. "Mr. Forest, it is not crafting, it is sewing!"
The students chuckled at the scene, much to the duo's misfortune.
"Alright, from the start," Oobleck instructed. "And Mr. Arc, you're doing well."
Then, he disappeared just as suddenly, leaving Jaune wondering whether it was a compliment or not—especially since he was still wearing a dress.
Nurse's office
The day went relatively calmly for the students, so the duo spent their time cleaning the infirmary.
As usual, this was their favorite part of the daily job since Yukino was always fair with their workload. And anything else was welcome compared to wrestling with Grimm bare-handed or dressing in ridiculous costumes to roleplay historical scenes.
As Ryan tended to the beds, Jaune was at the sink, washing some bottles—something Ryan couldn't really do since he had a habit of breaking any type of glass just by holding it.
And their beds.
And the furniture.
And the cafeteria tables.
And the school's walls.
You get the idea.
Jaune checked the bottles to ensure no soap stains were left. After confirming they were clean, he put them all back in the cabinet.
"How did it go with the beds, Ryan?" Jaune asked.
"Well, I didn't break anything this time," Ryan replied.
Then the last bed collapsed.
Ryan groaned.
"Well, that happened," Yukino commented, holding some papers. "I think you guys are done for today. Just throw out the garbage, and you can go."
Jaune nodded and grabbed the garbage sack from the bin. As he walked toward the exit, Yukino passed by him. He and Ryan then made their way behind the academy, where the trash was stored.
"Well, that's it for today," Jaune said, stretching his arms. "Want to go to the movies? I still have those tickets for that new movie coming out."
"Weiss didn't want to go with you, did she?" Ryan asked.
"Could you just say yes or no?" Jaune groaned, dropping his head in frustration.
That's when Ryan noticed something.
"Jaune, you have a note on your hood," Ryan pointed out.
Jaune looked surprised and reached inside his hood. Sure enough, there was a note—a plain piece of paper with a few words written on it.
"'You guys are not ready,'" Jaune read aloud. "'Not ready'? For what?"
"The school dance?" Ryan suggested.
"Nah, that's still a while away. What about the Challenge?" Jaune asked as they started walking back to the academy.
"Why do you think it's related to the Challenge?" Ryan asked as he opened the doors.
"When it comes to us, what else would it be?" Jaune said as they walked through the corridors. "I mean, we heard that no one has ever gotten past the third fight, so it's safe to assume whoever left the note is telling us to improve."
"Well, I won't deny that, but without knowing what we'll be up against, figuring out where to improve will be a challenge in itself."
Their conversation continued into the cafeteria.
Jaune thought about his partner's words. It went without saying that Ryan had been helping him with his combat skills, but if all of his training wasn't enough to get him ready for the third round, what else could he do?
And if Ryan—who, despite everything, had proven to be a capable fighter—wasn't ready for what was coming, then what could he do?
What could they do?
Jaune was confused, uncertain of his next steps. And the last time he had felt like this, someone had given him good advice.
Fernando's Office
"Let me see if I got this straight," the blind professor began. "You two feel like you're not ready for the next round of the Challenge and are looking for someone to help you improve."
"Basically," Ryan answered.
"So, I was wondering if you could help us or at least point us to someone who can," Jaune stated.
Fernando thought for a moment. Glynda was a definite no since she was the one who chose their next opponents. He doubted any of the staff could help them with what they were about to face. The rules forbade disclosing their opponents before the match, so he couldn't just tell them outright.
But if no one inside the academy could help them...
"You mentioned Pyrrha asking you for help with some training, right?" Fernando asked, turning toward Jaune.
"Yes," Jaune answered.
"Then how about doing the same?" Fernando suggested. "Look for someone outside the academy to help improve your skills."
That was an interesting idea. Despite being more experienced, their opponents would still be students from one of the academies. A fresh perspective, a mentor outside the box, might give them the same advantage their opponents had.
"But how do we choose the right person?" Jaune asked.
"First, you both need to think about your weaknesses," Fernando explained. "Then, you must find someone who can help you overcome them."
"Does breaking things by accident count as a weakness?" Ryan asked.
"Lack of control is clearly a weakness, Forest," Fernando said. "So yes, you should find someone who can help you with that. As for you, Arc, you had your aura unlocked much later than the rest, meaning your control over it is still weaker than most."
"So, I need to find someone who can help me with aura control?" Jaune asked.
"Precisely," Fernando answered. "It's not a guaranteed solution to winning the next round of the Challenge, but it will at least make you stronger for what's to come."
It was the best they could do, Jaune supposed. But finding proper mentors was no easy task.
If there was someone in Vale who could help each of them with their weaknesses... who could it be?
That's all for now.
The duo get a clue about their next opponents and will seek help, but from who?
Keep following this story to find out. That's all folks, see you next time.