King: Anyone noticing anything weird in this? I can't put my finger on it... but something just feels like its changing. Weird... Right, let's get to the chapter.

Inspiration: For Honor

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The screen though to itself for a while. Hey, King!

What?

Want to go back to that Honor game you've been playing?

Sure. Why not?

The screen opened to a large red gate-like structure with white cording wrapping around the two columns.

Ruby was wide eyed, "Woah! That looks so cool! I've never seen something like that before!"

Kali chuckled at Ruby's actions, "We actually have similar items in Menagerie. Though, not as large. They're often in front of temples or gathering areas."

A voice over played through the screen. "Those who wish to pass through the gates of Menagerie, must first pass through its keeper."

Eyes turned toward Kali. She was a speaker in this world. She giggled to herself, happy to have made an appearance of sorts.

The screen moved back along the ground to show a pair of wooden sandals with thick tabi socks. The pants above were traditional of Menagerie's old era. One foot moved forward, then the other.

"These are our guardians, immovable objects to defend their people."

The screen moved up and back to show the man's form. He was large. Very large. Both tall and wide. They saw blonde hair resting on the shoulders of the man.

Sun raised an eyebrow, "Okay… So, Jaune is a big guy is this?"

Neptune winced a bit. "Went from scraggly to huge…"

Yang chuckled a little.

Gira raised an eyebrow. The version on screen was both large in mass, but also rather muscular. What is he?

The camera pulled to the back of the man and showed a giant spiked club dragging across the ground.

"Those who would dare to threaten us…"

The figure stopped and the camera moved up to show a white, demonic mask with teeth extending up from its lower jaw and off to either side. He held his club up and slammed the end onto the ground.

"…must face the wrath of the Shugoki."

Yang whistled seeing that. "Damn. That's a freaky mask."

Blake thought back to her childhood for a moment, "We have similar masks in Menagerie. But, less defined. They're supposed to ward off negativity."

Gira shook his head. "This is different. This mask represents it. A demon pretending to be a man."

The camera moved to show Kali standing opposite Jaune in full samurai armor. The sword she wielded was nearly as tall as she was.

Ruby gasped, "Woah! A nodachi! That's so cool!"

Blake turned to her mother, "You have one of those?"

Kali chuckled, "Don't see silly. I'm not skilled enough to use a nodachi effectively. I have a katana."

Blake was learning more than she expected about her parents.

Jaune reached up and scratched the back of his head, "What brings a Kensei to my gate?"

Kali froze for a moment. "I'm… a Kensei?"

Ruby turned to her, "What is that?"

Kali was too awestruck, so Gira explained, "It's what's known as a Sword Saint. Said to be a rank of exceptional skill and talent. Many train their entire lives and are never good enough to become Kensei."

"Wow…"

Kali looked up toward Jaune, looking him in the eye. "Our people are need of your power."

Jaune sighed behind his mask. "No one ever visits just to say hi." He hoisted his club onto his shoulder. "Alright. Lead the way."

Kali nodded and turned. She led him from the gate and down to the valley below. People were crowding around to see the massive man from the mountain. Jaune rarely spent time in the valley, needing intense bouts of training and focus. He was led through the crowd and toward a massive field. Opposite them was a giant castle flying the banner of the White Fang insurgency.

Jaune chuckled. "So, they made their move then?"

Kali nodded. "Cowardly tactics and dishonorable soldiers. They took over the castle while we were focusing on the war effort. The war ended, only to have a new foe before at our doorstep."

"More like in your house."

Yang shrug, "He's not wrong."

Kali groaned and placed her head in her hand. The idea of someone taking over her home was ludicrous. Then again, she wasn't a Kensei or live in a castle.

Kali conceded the point. "Fair. Will you help us?"

Jaune slammed his club onto the ground. "Is that a joke?" Jaune started to walk off to the castle. The Fang remained behind their gates. If they opened the massive wooden door, they'd be overrun by the larger, better trained soldiers outside. Jaune walked up to the gate and nodded. "Alright." He slammed his club into the ground hard enough to bury it slightly and keep it upright. He cracked his neck and rubbed his hands together. He squatted down and griped the bottom of the gate. His muscles strained, and the gate lurched up an inch.

Everyone jumped a bit as the dirt on the bottom of the gate was disturbed.

Yang's jaw dropped, "Damn! Strong one this time."

Jaune lifted the massive barrier off the ground. Kali's army started to move toward the door, waiting for the obstacle was lifted off the ground. Each was amazed, but they could gush later. Right now, they had a home to reclaim. Jaune lifted the door over his head. "Door's open!"

The Fang retreated to an inner gate, but many were caught by Kali's soldiers. Unfortunately, the Fang had generals to spur their morale. Sitting in the throne room was Sienna Kahn, adorned with lavish armor of a warlord. She was leaning onto one of the throne's arm rests. "This is unfortunate…" Kneeling before her was Ilia, dressed in form fitting attire with twin sickles in either hand, and Adam, dressed in lacquered armor with a katana at his side. Sienna's eyes narrowed, "Kali has called on the monster from the mountain." Sienna turned to Ilia. "Ilia, you will deal with this annoyance. Adam, you will take over the defense of the inner wall." They bowed their heads and left.

Sienna felt a little bad. She considered Kali an old friend, though a distant one these days. To be on opposing sides like that hurt a bit.

Ilia wasn't sure what to feel. He was loyal to Sienna but, the way this story was playing out, she was clearly the one in the wrong at the time.

Ilia made her way along the walls and found Jaune in the main courtyard. He slammed his club into a man's head and sent him flying to the side. Jaune stormed onward toward one of the commanding officers. The man shook in place but remained defiant. Jaune was standing right in front of him and glared down at him. "Run." With Jaune's word, the commander scrambled to escape.

Ilia glared to the man. I'll deal with him later. She leapt off the wall and raked her blades down his back. His armor was too thick to actually do too much damage and just alerted him to her presence. She growled and leapt back a few feet.

Jaune turned back to her and growled through his mask.

Yang grinned, "This can only end well."

Ilia held her blades out at the ready. "I don't care what they call you, you're nothing special! I'll finish you off right here for Lady Sienna!"

Jaune chuckled as the camera pulled off from them.

Tai chuckled, "We don't get to see the fight?"

Nora laughed, "We all know who would win anyway!"

The screen changed to show Kali running in through the inner gate. She slowed as one of her soldiers flew passed her, his arm missing. She looked from him to the cause. Adam stood in the center of the chamber with a bloody katana. Kali stepped forward with a glare. "You will pay in blood for what you've done to our people."

Adam grinned behind his mask, "I do what is best for Menagerie. We must become strong and united under Lady Sienna's banner." He drew his katana and leveled the blade, ready to strike. "And I won't let you get through me so easily." He was suddenly flung back as a body flew into him. Ilia had been tossed through the door and narrowly missed his blade, knocking him down.

Ilia jumped seeing that. "How in the…"

Jaune walked through the door, dragging his club on the ground. "I'll deal with these two. You take care of Sienna."

Kali turned toward him for a moment, "You can't be serious."

Jaune slammed his weapon into the floor. "Move. I've nothing to fear from these two."

Sienna raised an eyebrow. "It's difficult to tell if he's overconfident or simply that powerful."

Kali took a breath and nodded. She took off through the other side and off to the throne room, leaving Jaune to fight Ilia and Adam alone.

Jaune watched as the two White Fang generals got to their feet again. "Kali would want to give you the chance to redeem yourselves." Jaune lifted his weapon off the ground and took some wooden splinters up with him. "But I know better than to ask this of you. Your hearts are loyal to your Lady, almost fanatical." He held his club up and pointed the end toward them. "This will end only with you either broken of spirit or of body."

Adam glared and dropped his stance. A moment later and he charged Jaune, trying to slash at him. But all he met was an open palm to the face. He twisted under the strike and flew back before dragging on the ground. I growled and spun himself back onto his feet.

Jaune turned back to Adam, catching Ilia's sneak attack without looking. "You are weak." Jaune tossed Ilia into the side wall and started to walk toward Adam. Adam tried to slash him, but he caught the blade with his armored hand. He squeezed the metal and snapped the blade in half.

Gira raised an eyebrow. In his early days, he'd attempted to be able to do that, but found it impossible for him. This made him wonder, What is this boy really?

Yang was getting excited seeing that, "Oh! That's so awesome! I've got to learn how to that!"

Tai chuckled, "Then you better put more armor on your gauntlets. Don't want to cut your fingers off trying that."

Jaune grabbed Adam by the collar of his armor and pulled up him to headbutt the shorter man. Adam tried to stand again, but a foot held him on the ground. Jaune placed more of his weight onto Adam's spine, "Now, which has broken?"

Adam glared up toward him, "I will never betray my duty to the White Fang!"

Jaune took a deep breath.

Ilia shook her head and pulled herself out of the wall in time to see Jaune rear his leg up and slam it down, popping Adam's head like a grape.

Ilia went stiff. "Holy…"

The students were getting used to this to the point where they didn't puke, but they still felt sick seeing something that messed up.

Ilia was in shock. No way a human should be able to do something like that so easily. She ran off back to the throne room.

Jaune watched as she left. "One of body, the other of spirit." Jaune just slowly made his way after her.

Ilia moved in shadows to eventually reach the throne room. Inside, however, was not a scene she enjoyed seeing. Kali was pushing Sienna back with each motion, breaking her guard and leaving small wounds to make her cede. Soon, Kali struck at Sienna's legs and forced her onto her knees. Sienna looked up to see Kali's blade pointed at her throat.

Sun grinned, "Damn! Go Mrs. B!"

Kali chuckled hearing that.

Gira groaned.

Blake… was still getting used to seeing her mother as a fighter.

Kali showed no hate, no anger. Only concern and pity. "There's still a chance for you, Sienna. End this madness and return to the Menagerie guard. Swear to our people…"

Sienna spit onto the ground. "I've made my choice. I was doing right by my people!"

Kali sighed. "You were once like a sister to me. I shall remember you as you were." Kali slid a foot to the side and her blade swung around and lopped Sienna's head clean off her body.

Sienna's soul fell in that moment. To be like a sister to one she called a hero… It was the worst feeling knowing she'd betrayed her. Getting decapitated wasn't exactly fun to see either.

Ilia turned to try to escape again, only to be pushed back into the room by a waiting Jaune. Ilia scrambled back, away from the man that turned Adam's head into a strain on the floor but backed into Kali.

The Kensei looked down to the shinobi, "Child. I offer you this choice. Will you turn your back on the White Fang, and swear loyalty to Menagerie?"

Ilia saw no way out. She wanted to do what was right for the people anyway, but without her Lady, she was alone. Ilia turned her body and sat on her knees. She bent down, kowtowing to Kali. "I swear on my life, to be loyal only to Menagerie."

Ilia wanted nothing more than to do what she felt was right. After her parents died in the mining collapse, she felt it was best to join the White Fang and force the humans to see them as equals! By force if necessary.

The screen pulled away as Kali's voice over returned. "It has been many years since that battle. We remain at peace with yourselves, but our peace with the outside world is tenuous at best. The Shugoki, our guardian demon, returned to his mountain.And no one had seen him since. He's always there when we'll need him."

A young Blake walked up along the path from the beginning.

Kali chuckled seeing the little Blake. "It's always nice to see Blake when she was so cute~!"

Blake groaned, "Mom!"

Kali just giggled at her daughter's embarrassment.

Blake walked up the mountain path. As she approached, she saw that no one was around. She looked up to the gate for a moment before her sight returned to the ground. She jumped back a bit. Jaune was suddenly sitting beneath the gate, appearing from nowhere.

Yang blinked for a moment, "How did he get there…?"

Jaune's club was lying beside him. "Hello, child."

Blake took a step forward. "Uh… Hi."

"What brings you to my gate? What is it you need of me?"

"I… My mom told me about how you helped her during the White Fang attack. I wanted to meet you."

Yang chuckles, "Someone finally came up to say hi."

Jaune chuckled and gestured in front of his gate. "Then sit, child."

Blake walked over and sat down before the guardian.

"But few ever realize what it is that we have."

Jaune was suddenly unmasked. He seemed perfectly normal, save for the pair of Oni horns sticking up from his hair.

"He is a true Shugoki."

Gira's eyes went wide. "He was actually…"

Ruby turned to the large man, "Actually what?"

Gira took a breath. "He… Shugoki means Gaurdian Demon. And it seems to actually be such."

"Woah…"

The screen moved along and back to show Jaune's club resting on the ground.