Kamen Rider Aurum

by Starpion

When an ancient threat reemerges in the world of Remnant, one young man rises to the challenge in order to become a hero and achieve victory! That hero's name? Kamen Rider Aurum!

7. Ready, Aim, Fire

"YOU'RE KIDDING!"

Jaune and his teammates were on the way to class, the four making simple small talk. At some point, the conversation turned to fighting games, Jaune and Nora gushing about their favorites while Ren would occasionally give his two cents. But when Jaune asked Pyrrha about her thoughts, she revealed she hadn't played a fighting game before, or any video games for that matter. This resulted in Nora's scream of disbelief that echoed through all of Beacon.

"I'm afraid not," said Pyrrha. "Even when I was young, I was always more interested in actual combat and sports. I never had an interest in video games."

"Well, if you're going to get into them, gen:LOCK is the perfect place to start!" said Jaune, turning around and walking backwards. "It has a decent roster size, combos that are simple enough for a new player, and it's a ton of fun! Maybe I can show you the ropes!"

"That sounds nice," said Pyrrha with a soft smile.

Jaune smiled back at her, only for her smile to fade away. "What's wrong?"

"Behind you," she said as she pointed behind him, Nora scowling and Ren narrowing his eyes. Jaune turned around only to get pushed back into Pyrrha.

"Ha! Nice catch, Nikos!" laughed Cardin. "Pass him back, would you?"

"Leave him alone, Cardin," muttered Pyrrha, Nora and Ren moving in front of Jaune. Jaune smiled as he saw his friends having his back. "Just let us get to class."

Cardin scoffed. "Hiding behind your friends again, Jauney-boy? That's sad. Guess your fossil of a shield isn't enough."

"Why do you keep picking on me?" asked Jaune. He was genuinely confused, as he barely knew the guy. And this had been going on for weeks. "If I did something to tick you off, then I'm sorry, okay?"

Cardin just walked up to JNPR. Pyrrha walked around her teammates and got in front of him to stop him from moving, but he just looked over her and pointed right at Jaune. "That's easy. The reason why I pick on you is the same reason I picked on that rabbit girl. You're the type of person that I hate with a passion."

"But I'm not a Faunus," said Jaune as he scratched his head.

"Not that, moron!" yelled Cardin. "You're a coward!"

"Jaune is no coward," said Ren.

"Oh, please! He's a complete wuss! He can talk up a big game, but when push comes to shove, he's nothing more than a spineless weakling! People like you make me sick! All you're good for as a Huntsman is standing around shaking in your boots, getting yourself and your friends killed by Grimm! I'm surprised you didn't piss your panties up on that cliff!"

Cardin smirked as he raised his arms in a shrug. "A REAL Huntsman is brave, never afraid in the face of danger. Somebody like that Aurum guy. He's a real hero. But you? The fact that you lasted this long is nothing short of a miracle."

Jaune averted his gaze, looking at the floor while Cardin continued. "So if you give a crap about these guys, do yourself a favor and take the next airship home. You're just getting in their way." With that said, he turned around and walked away while laughing to himself.

"If he only knew the truth," said Pyrrha as she turned back to Jaune. "Are you okay?"

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure you can!" said Nora with a slap on the shoulder that was harder than he'd like.

"Am… am I a coward?"

"Now look at what he's done," growled Pyrrha.

"Excuse me?"

"He has you second-guessing yourself," explained Pyrrha. "Jaune, you are far from a coward. Would a coward be willing to stand begging and fight off a dangerous Grimm by himself?"

"I guess not," said Jaune. "Thanks."

"Anytime," said Pyrrha. "Though you need to have more confidence in yourself."

"Hey, I'm plenty confident!" said Jaune with two thumbs up. "I can handle anything that's thrown my— gah!" He was cut off as he started walking to class, only to trip on one of his laces and hit the ground.

"Hmm, maybe a little TOO confident," said Ren.

"I'm okay," said Jaune as he clambered onto his feet. "Come on, let's get a move on." But as he said this, his Scroll started ringing. Pulling it out, he was surprised by the caller. "Professor Ozpin?"

"Must be something for…" Nora shifted her eyes back and forth sneakily, as if to confirm they were the only ones in the hall. "Aurum~," she finished, dragging out the last syllable.

"One way to find out," said Jaune as he answered the call. "Professor Ozpin, is something the matter?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Ozpin. "I've taken the liberty of accessing Vale's emergency reports to inform you of any Umbra attacks in the city. A report just came in that one is attacking the residential district. Get there as fast as you can and take it out!"

"I'm on it, sir!" said Jaune as he closed his Scroll. "I'll see you guys later. I've got a job to do!" With his teammates wishing him luck, he ran off for the nearest Bullhead to the city.

~KRA~

After landing in Vale and transforming in secret, Aurum was speeding towards the residential district on the HopperCycle. Finding out where the Umbra was wasn't an issue. All he had to do was follow the rising smoke. Once he arrived on the scene, he saw civilians screaming in terror as they ran from a humanoid figure. Said figure was laughing as flames spewed from his wrists, several buildings having caught fire already as firefighters were desperately trying to evacuate and extinguish them.

The monster was an Umbra, no doubt about it. He had a mask with no mouth, red flame-shaped markings around the bright yellow eyes and orange horns sticking out the top of his head. His chest and back were covered in silver armor pieces with small holes lining then, bronze spark wheels on his shoulders and around his ankles. Gray armor covered his arms and legs, and his fingers went from red to orange as they reached the tips. What looked like a bright red lighter was strapped to his waist on a grooved belt, and long nozzles went from his elbow to above his wrist.

"Run, mortals!" laughed the Lighter Umbra, shooting two short streams of flame from his wrist shooters and waving them side to side. "Let your screams rise with the smoke as I burn this city to ash!"

"That's not gonna happen while I'm here!" yelled Aurum as he revved up the accelerator, speeding towards the Umbra.

"Huh? Looks like some trash to burn just blew onto the street!" laughed the Grimm, firing two fireballs from his flamethrowers.

But as the blazing projectiles approached the racing Rider, he stood his bike on its rear tire. Mid-wheelie, he pushed a hidden button on the left handlebar. In an instant, the grasshopper legs over the rear tire straightened out, hitting the road and making the whole bike leap into the air, far over the blasts. The bike landed twenty feet away, speeding forward.

"What the?!" yelled the Umbra as Aurum drove right up to him. He smirked from behind his helmet as he leaned forward and kicked the ground, spinning the bike on its front wheel as the spinning rear wheel struck his enemy. The Lighter Umbra winced in pain as the tire scraped against his body, bypassing his Nether. Aurum hit the hidden button again as the mechanical legs kicked the Grimm forty feet away.

As the Lighter Umbra rolled along the pavement, Aurum collapsed his HopperCycle into its Huntsman Medal form and pocketed it. He immediately got into his signature pose. "The defender of justice, Kamen Rider Aurum, is here!" he announced as the Umbra climbed to his feet. The few bystanders who hadn't fled were watching him with awe and curiosity, at least from what he noticed.

"I was hoping for somebody who could give me a challenge," said the Lighter Umbra as he stood up, rolling his shoulders and grabbing the lighter from his belt, one that seemed to be twice the length of a normal one. "Looks like I finally got somebody! Let's see how you handle the heat!" With a push of a button, a column of fire burst from the tip. The flames seemed to freeze in place as they became a metal blade, the lighter being a hilt for this flame-like sword.

"You've got it!" said Aurum as he willed the Stag Saber and Beetle Sheald into his hands. He unsheathed his blade as he ran towards his opponent, the shield expanding just in time to block a fireball. The Umbra was running forward too, shooting bursts of fire from his free hand.

Once they had closed the distance between themselves, the Kamen Rider and Lighter Umbra swung their swords, sparks flying as the blades clashed. Aurum pulled his sword back and swung again, only to be blocked by the Umbra's blade. The two kept swinging, trying to land a blow. The Umbra gripped his sword with both hands and swung it down, only for Aurum to block it with his shield. But as the fire-shaped steel pushed against the Beetle Sheald, he heard a loud hissing as he saw steam emanating from the clash.

'That sword is red-hot!' thought Aurum as he pushed his opponent back, kicking him for good measure. 'If I'm not careful, he'll melt my armor down to slag!'

"Not bad with your sword there, but let's see how you handle this!" laughed the Lighter Umbra, shooting a stream of fire. The Rider quickly sidestepped the blast, running forward and beside the Grimm. He stabbed the Grimm in the side, then brought up his shield to block a swing from the fire sword.

But as he went to swing his sword again, he gasped in pain as a stream of fire was blasted at his chest. Holding his shield in front of him, Aurum grunted as he felt his shield becoming unbearably hot. He swung his sword upwards, the Lighter Umbra grunting as his arm was pushed up. He followed by bashing the Umbra with his red-hot shield and slashing across his torso.

"This is getting good," said the Umbra as the steel blade of his sword faded away in a flurry of embers. "I didn't think I'd have to pull out my secret weapon on a human. But you're making me pull out all the stops!"

'Secret weapon? I better finish this fight fast,' thought Aurum. He charged forward with his sword primed.

But as he swung his sword forward, the spark wheels on the monster's shoulders started to spin at high speed. A shower of sparks flew as they started to glow bright orange with thermal energy. "INFERNO ZONE!" cried the Lighter Umbra as an orange dome spread from his body, about two feet in radius. Aurum could feel an intense heat from the inside as the Stag Saber's blade began to glow red-hot, the same with the hilt just inches away from making contact.

"AH-HAHA!" shrieked Aurum as he dropped his weapon, pulling his glove out of the dome and backing up as fast as he could. He ended up tripping and landing on his rear. His armor was a fantastic conductor of heat, and he could feel his hand being burned underneath. If he had punched the thing, his whole arm would have been roasted.

"What's wrong, Kamen Rider?" laughed the Umbra, small flames flickering in the wrist blasters as he kicked the sword away. "If you can't take the heat, then get lost!" He blasted two jets of fire at the defender of justice, Aurum blocking the flow of flame with his shield. He kept backing away as the heater shield began living up to its name.

'Now what? I can't get close enough to hit him as long as that Inferno Zone is active! Unless…' As the torrents of fire stopped, he pulled out another Huntsman Medal. This one had an image of a Mistrali rhinoceros beetle on it. Pulling out the Stag Beetle Medal, he slid the new medal in.

RHINO BEETLE!

The Aura Driver's announcement was followed by the trumpet fanfare. Just about all the bystanders had fled save for those who had been evacuated from the burning buildings, though those few who did stick around were perplexed by the sounds. The same went for the Lighter Umbra, tilting his head in confusion.

'I have no idea if this is gonna work,' thought Aurum as his hand hovered over the activation lever. It trembled a little. 'We never had time to test the other two Huntsman Medals before now. But if I can't hit him with that furnace of a force field, then he's going to keep tormenting innocent people! Please work, please work!' And with that, he pushed the lever down.

But the beetle of energy and the transformation sound never appeared. Instead, golden bolts of energy covered his Driver, snaking up his body and causing him to scream in pain. The energy was unstable, unfocused, and way too much to handle. It hurt even more than the fire. In a flash of light, he was blown back as the Rhino Beetle Medal shot out like a rocket. Aurum hit the ground with a loud thud as the crackling energy died down, the medal falling by his side. It spun a little before it settled on his right. He grit his teeth behind his helmet and winced in pain, distraught due to the epic failure to transform.

"Hee hee hee hee!" laughed the Lighter Umbra, pointing at Aurum. This only made him feel even worse, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole. "I can't believe I thought that you'd be a challenge!" He turned around and sighed, the Inferno Zone disappearing. "What a disappointment! The spark died out for now. I'm out of here." And with that, the Umbra jumped into the air with his flamethrowers propelling him, bounding up and down the city.

Aurum groaned as he stood up, closing a fist around the Rhino Beetle Medal. 'You'll get him next time,' he thought to himself. But he wasn't sure this time.

"Are you okay?" Aurum looked up to see a fireman standing over him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Aurum as he stood up. "Sorry that I let that Umbra get away."

"Well, thanks to you, we were able to safely put out the fires and rescue the civilians. A few burns up to the second degree and some smoke inhalation, but no casualties or permanent damage. Your assistance is appreciated!" said the firefighter with a smile behind his face shield.

"Happy to help," said Aurum with a thumbs-up. "And I'll be sure to come back if that monster shows his face again." He took off in a sprint, not feeling confident in his ability to drive like this. Those words of thanks were appreciated, but they cut deep. In the end, he was useless. He was just a distraction at best, unable to protect anybody from danger. People could have been killed because he was useless against that lousy pyromaniac. He didn't deserve to call himself a hero, let alone a super one.

~KRA~

"And that's what happened." Pyrrha looked over her partner with worry as he sat on his bed, twiddling his thumbs and looking away from the group. Once he met back up with his team, he looked like he was going to break down in tears. Unfortunately, they had to wait until after they were in their dorms. Jaune's identity was still a secret, after all. And it seemed like being forced to wait like that only caused his self-loathing to fester. "Some hero I was, huh?"

"Jaune, I have a secret to tell you. Come here," said Nora. Jaune obliged as he put his ear to her, only for the hammer user to cup her hands around her mouth and lean in close. "STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF!"

"Waaaaah!" yelled Jaune as he fell off his bed, grabbing his ear. Pyrrha gave Nora a look, Ren doing the same as she looked guilty.

"As… blunt as she was, she has a point. We've been over this before, Jaune," said Pyrrha as she helped her partner back to his feet. "This isn't the end of the world."

"It's different this time," explained Jaune. Pyrrha's face fell as he looked away, digging into his pocket and pulling out a small pile of gold medals. "I couldn't even handle my own power out there. My Driver did more damage to me than the Umbra, who laughed at me and left because I was boring him!" His grip on the coins tightened. "How pathetic is that?!"

"I'm curious. How did your Driver backfire like that?" asked Ren.

"Well, it's because of these," said Jaune as he pulled two coins out of the pile. One had a rhinoceros beetle, the other a Hercules beetle. "These medals were found in the same place as my Stag Beetle Medal. The Rhino Beetle Medal and the Hercules Beetle Medal."

"Ooh, fancy!" said Nora. "So what do these guys do?"

"According to the pictures of the ruins they were found in," explained Jaune, "the three beetle Huntsman Medals were used by three different people. Friends, family, I'm not sure. My mentor, he believed that I could use them to access additional forms."

"Additional forms?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yeah, each with their own weapon," said Jaune. "The rhino beetle apparently used a gun, the Hercules beetle used a spear, and the stag beetle used a sword. I started with this one because he didn't want me using an identical weapon in another form.

"But here's the thing. From what we've seen, a person can only bond to one Huntsman Medal at a time. Today was the first time I tried using one, and it blew up in my face."

"Hmm, I think I know why," said Pyrrha. If her hunch was right, then Jaune might be able to overcome this roadblock.

"You do?" asked Jaune.

"Let me clarify something. You didn't have any difficulties with the Stag Beetle Medal?" she asked.

"No, it was the Driver that gave me trouble. But once it was finished, I transformed without a problem."

"And that's because it was your first medal, so it bonded with you. That's why your weapons in that form are nearly identical with the ones you already wield."

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"If we follow this logic, and the fact that your mentor wanted you to have alternate forms, then this rhino beetle medal would have the same weapon as the previous user's, or at least a similar one."

"That was the idea," said Jaune. "Since I had a strong connection with the Stag Beetle Medal already, he believed that the slightly weaker bond would result in weapons closer to what they had before instead of being overwritten. But we never had time to test it. He focused on testing the limits of my armor until I was sent here to Vale."

"Well, as you said, the weapon formed is what you're comfortable with. Jaune… are you comfortable with using a gun?"

"No way. I've never even touched one before. My mentor wanted me to master my own weapons before moving onto another."

"I see now," said Ren. "If Jaune isn't able to use the weapon of that form, then he won't be able to access the form itself."

"But if he knows how to use a gun…" said Nora.

"Then he'll be comfortable enough to access this alternate form!" finished Pyrrha.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Jaune.

"It seems logical to me," said Ren. "And the sooner that you can access this other form of yours, the better."

"Want some help? I could lend you Magnhild for a little while!" said Nora.

"Maybe we should start smaller," said Ren. "Not to mention that a grenade launcher isn't your typical gun."

Pyrrha was about to interject with her own offer, but she was interrupted by a "shave-and-a-haircut" knock on their door. "I'll get that," she said. As she opened the door, she found Ruby standing there with a gigantic smile. "Ruby? What brings you here?"

"Sorry to eavesdrop, but I was on my way back to my room when I heard that Jaune wants to learn how to use a gun."

"Less 'want,' more 'need,'" explained Jaune. "You see—"

"Gimme the details later!" said Ruby as she grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go!" Ruby started to pull him away, only to turn back, unlock her door, and drag him inside. None of JNPR knew how to react to any of this.

"Blake, can you come with me?"

"Where to? And why are you holding onto Jaune?"

"To the weapons locker, then the amphitheater! And I'll explain on the way! Come on, we're burning daylight!" A red blur sped out of RWBY's dorm room, streaks of yellow and black following it with a pair of screams.

"Do you think we should follow them?" asked Pyrrha. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ruby, but she'd prefer to be there for Jaune. Just to ensure her partner's safety.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Nora. "But hopefully our fearless leader turns out to be a crack shot. We've got a field trip tomorrow, remember?"

Pyrrha's eyes widened in recognition. That's right, they were going to Forever Fall tomorrow. The last thing that poor Jaune needed was self-doubt AND fatigue.

"Don't worry about our leader," said Ren as he put his hand on her shoulder. She felt a bit calmer as he did. "He's in capable hands."

"If you say so," she replied. As he walked over to the bookshelf, her eyes couldn't help but linger on the door. 'Please be careful, Jaune.'

~KRA~

Roman hummed to himself as he walked into the warehouse he called his base of operations. It was an empty, dirty place that nobody bothered to look into. In other words, it was perfect. Though recently, it was much louder than usual, no doubt due to the woman who he found himself employed to and her little tagalongs. And said woman was currently blasting a giant walking lighter into an empty crate with fireballs.

"You smug, incompetent fool!" screamed Cinder. Small flames were trailing from her eyes, her dress lighting up like the night sky as a sphere of flame hovered in her palm. She threw it at the Lighter Umbra, causing him to shriek in pain. "You had that Kamen Rider dead to rights and the city at your mercy! And you ran away?!"

"I wanted a challenge, somebody who I could make scream for hours as I burn them to ash! What fun is it to fight somebody who can't even handle his own gear?" complained the Umbra.

"Your mission isn't to have a challenge, Lighter Umbra! It's to cause as much suffering as possible! And if you don't get that through that thick skull of yours, then you'll be the only one who burns to ash!" Ah, Cinder Fall. What a way with words she had. The only reason he put up with that megalomaniac was because he wasn't stupid enough to defy somebody that could cremate him where he stood. Well, that and she paid him handsomely.

"How insufferable," muttered Emerald with crossed arms. "You'd never see me defying Cinder like that."

"What do you expect? His body is made out of something Torchwick had on him," said Mercury as he held a hand out to the Lighter Umbra, under attack from another barrage of fireballs.

"My ears are burning more than he is," said Roman. The two brats turned around in surprise, then looked like they smelled something rotten. He had that effect on people. "If it isn't the freeloaders! Good afternoon, riffraff," he said to Mercury before turning to Emerald, "street rat."

"Bite me, scoundrel," said Emerald.

"Ah, Roman, right on time," said Cinder as she turned to him. The Umbra breathed heavily as he dropped to his hands and knees.

"So, Cinder, what's my next mission? I've hit just about every Dust shop in the city."

"And you'll keep going. This upcoming operation of ours is going to need a LOT of Dust," said Cinder. "And your efforts have paid off. With the shortage your larcenies have caused, a shipment from Atlas is due to arrive in a week. This will be the ultimate test of your abilities. Think you're up to the task, Roman?"

"I can handle it in my sleep, provided you got my request," said Roman with a smirk. He spun around his cane, Melodic Cudgel, before resting it on his shoulder.

"I have requested reinforcements," responded the fiery woman. "Just ensure that this operation will go without a hitch. Its success is critical to our mission, and failure is NOT an option."

"If there's a paycheck involved, I'm the most dependable man on the planet," bragged Roman with a tip of his hat.

"Oh god," muttered Mercury.

"As for you," hissed Cinder as she turned to the Lighter Umbra, "I've received word from a spy that some of the first-years are taking a trip to the Forever Fall forest. And you'll be there too. Do NOT screw this up!"

"You've got it, master!" said the Umbra as he shot two towers of fire from his wrist shooters. "I'll light the place ablaze and snuff out the wannabe Huntsmen for good!"

Roman smirked as he pulled out his own lighter and lit a cigar. 'Have to give them one thing. Ever since she and the kids showed up, things have been a lot more exciting.'

~KRA~

"Uh, Ruby? What is this?"

Ruby just smiled at Jaune's confusion. The three were on the stage of the amphitheater, Ruby facing the rest of the room while Jaune and Blake were facing her. She had a bag filled with empty soda cans behind her, and to her left were five wooden pillars of equal height, around Jaune's shoulder height-wise. An empty can was placed on each of the pillars.

Ruby held her hand out and gestured to the setup. "What is this, you ask? This is Professor Rose's classroom for her crash course in gun use and marksmanship! And you're gonna pass with all A's as long as I'm here!"

"I think I'll settle for C's," said Jaune.

"Nope!" countered Ruby. "You either get all A's or fail! I only accept the best!"

"It doesn't really work like that," said Blake.

"Where did she even get the pillars?" Ruby heard Jaune whisper to Blake.

"In this case, ignorance is bliss," replied her teammate. Ruby just huffed. They didn't understand her vision!

"Anyway, this is how my class will work!" said Ruby as she loudly clapped her hands, getting her friends' attention. "Each of these cans is a target, and you'll be shooting each of them from that line." She pointed at the floor, a line of duct tape in front of their feet a good distance from the targets. "You'll be trying to shoot each of them off the pillar. If you miss or don't land a shot that's direct enough, then move on to the next can and don't try again. You'll pass the class once you've managed to knock all five off without a mistake. If we have time and cans left, we can practice with moving targets. Sounds simple enough, right?"

"That seems fair," said Jaune.

"I still don't know why I'm here," said Blake as she walked up to Ruby.

"That's easy! First lesson, Jaune; not all guns are the same. And since we don't know what kind of gun your new form will use, we'll be practicing with two different types of light weapons. First is the handgun, and next is the rifle. Think you can pass the test with both, Jaune?"

"I'll try," said Jaune.

"Okay! Then let's start with the handgun. And the perfect example is Blake's weapon, a variant ballistic chain scythe!"

"You mean Gambol Shroud?" asked Blake as she drew her sword. The blade folded up and tilted back, her weapon becoming a pistol with a sickle blade.

"Ooh, I love that name!" said Ruby as she fawned over the weapon. So cool! She coughed as she regained her composure. Help Jaune now, geek out later. "Anyway, this is a simple enough weapon to use. You'll be starting with this for now."

"And I'll be using your weapon for the rifle practice, right?" asked Jaune.

Ruby bit her lip. That was the plan, but she was a bit hesitant to fork over Crescent Rose, even to a friend. In hindsight, she should've invited Pyrrha over. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. First of all, let's get yourself familiar with your weapon."

Ruby and Blake walked up to Jaune as Blake handed him the weapon. The boy reached for it carefully as if it would bite him. "Okay, the first thing is safety. Like every weapon, guns are dangerous if you don't know how to use them. But lucky you, I'm an expert! Anyway, make sure that when you're holding it, only put your finger on the trigger when you're about to shoot."

"Got it," said Jaune as he grabbed the handle in a tight fist. "Is this thing even loaded?" Then Ruby nearly had a heart attack when he looked right down the barrel.

"STOP!" she yelled. Jaune immediately looked at her. "Don't ever, EVER do something like that! You have to treat a gun very carefully! Even an empty one should be treated like it's loaded!"

"Sorry, sorry!" he said as he went back to pointing it at the ground, finger still off the trigger. Ruby and Blake let out sighs of relief.

"Okay, let's move onto anatomy," said Ruby. "What you're holding onto is the grip of the gun, where the trigger is located. That model has its ammo in the grip, with a small lever to release the clip."

"Like this?" asked Jaune as he held a hand under the grip and pushed a small switch down with his thumb. The black magazine slid out the bottom and into his palm.

"See, you're learning already! Okay, next is loading. That type of gun uses a striker. See the back part underneath the blade? You pull that back, and when it snaps into place, the firing pin stays back with springs. This also ejects the outer casing of the last bullet fired and pushes the next one up."

"It's semi-automatic, so you only have to pull it back when you reload it. I already took out the bullet in the chamber," explained Blake, "so there's nothing to eject. And don't assume your weapon will be the same."

"Right, teaching assistant Blake!" said Ruby, ignoring the eyebrow that the girl raised at her. "My baby uses a bolt, for example. Some guns use hammers, and some are automatic or semi-automatic with safety switches. And some guns require reloading after only one shot! Crazy, huh?"

"I guess," said Jaune as he practiced pulling the striker back and firing the empty pistol at the ground. After a while, he put the magazine back in. "And the trigger releases that pin?"

"You catch on quick, young Padawan!" said Ruby. "Depending on the gun, that either pushes the bullet forward or pierces it to activate the propellant, typically filtered Dust separate from the Dust at the front. It travels through the barrel to make sure it has a straight path, then comes out through the muzzle. And that's all there is to know about the basics!"

"Gambol Shroud's design prevents me from using a typical scope or sight, but I use the blade as a guide," said Blake. "And one last thing before you start. Pistols like mine are usually able to be handled with either one or two hands, but since mine has a fairly high recoil and this is your first time shooting, your best bet is to use both hands to steady it."

"Thanks, Blake," said Jaune.

"Okay, let's get to the main event!" Ruby and Blake stood behind Jaune on the edge of the stage, well out of the range of friendly fire. "Start with the one furthest to the left. If you don't knock it off, just move on to the next one. You've got this!"

"Yeah, I've got this," said Jaune, though Ruby didn't feel any enthusiasm from his words. He slowly lifted Gambol Shroud at eye level, pulling back the striker and pointing it at the first can. She could see his hands trembling, both with a tight grip on the… grip. Finally, his right index finger moved to the trigger, his eyes squeezing shut as he pulled it.

The bullet shot out with a fairly loud "bang," Jaune moving back from the recoil and the empty casing being spat out from the side. Ruby watched as the bullet soared towards the can, only to whizz a good six inches over it and hit the bulletproof backdrop behind it. The bullet fell onto the ground, Ruby looking at it in disappointment.

"Did I hit it?" asked Jaune as he opened his eyes.

"No," said Blake.

"Oh," he said in disappointment. "Was I close?"

"Well…" said Ruby, trying to salvage her student's confidence.

"Not really," interrupted Blake, her words a direct hit. Jaune slumped over.

"It's okay, Jaune! That was just your first shot! When I was practicing with my Uncle Qrow, I hit the edge of the target… that was two spaces away from the one that I was trying to hit," she said as she patted him on the shoulder. "Let's move on to the second one! And try to keep calm. If your hands shake even a millimeter, that'll throw your aim off a lot more."

"Thanks for the advice," he said with a forced smile. As he pointed the gun at his next target, Ruby turned to Blake. Her fellow black-haired Huntress in training gave her a deadpan look as he once more whiffed the shot. He did the same with the next. She smiled hopefully when he grazed the fourth can and knocked it off, only to hit the pillar of the fifth can instead. One out of five; hardly a passing grade.

"Let's try again!" said Ruby as she sped over to the bag, replacing the one damaged can and scooping up the bullets to throw them out. "You've got this!" But just in case, she pulled out her Scroll to send a message. Backup would be appreciated.

~KRA~

"So how do you think he's doing?" asked Nora as she bounced on her bed.

"He's attempting to master a skill he's never attempted, but he has a self-acclaimed expert teaching him," said Ren as he looked over StormFlower. "So we can't be certain."

"That isn't the only concern," said Pyrrha as she looked up from her book. "He's still lacking confidence from his earlier battle. And if he doesn't believe that he can succeed, then he'll never be able to."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Nora as she stopped jumping, landing on her side.

As Pyrrha looked back to her book, she heard a notification from her Scroll. Opening it, she read the message.

Ruby: Can u plz get ur weapon and help Jaune? Thx! :D

After reading it and reading it again to try and translate it, she closed her Scroll and got up. "Jaune needs my help," she said. "We'll be back."

"Tell him I said good luck!" said Nora with Ren nodding in agreement.

"I will," said the champion as she made her way to the lockers without a moment to spare.

~KRA~

Jaune groaned as he looked over his latest attempt. He wasn't sure of the number, as he gave up counting after the tenth. Not a single can had fallen this round, the one he actually hit only getting grazed along the upper rim. He had actually gotten worse.

"Don't worry, you're still only learning!" said Ruby. "Once you get this down, you'll be able to blast those cans dead center from fifty paces!"

"Hopefully," said Blake. Jaune had no doubt she was worried about how much of her ammo he was wasting with his lousy marksmanship.

"Look, maybe I'm a lost cause," said Jaune as he looked at the much emptier bag of cans. "We've been at this for an hour or so, and I still suck as much as I did at the start. I'm a failure at this, just like I'm a failure at being a Kamen Rider." He turned to hand Gambol Shroud back to somebody who could use it.

"Nope!"

Jaune turned around to see Ruby with a cheerful, yet stern smile on her face and crossed arms. "'Nope?'" he repeated in confusion.

"Nope!" said Ruby, poking him in the chest. "You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."

Jaune just looked at her, then at the ground as he held Gambol Shroud in both hands. "But what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"

Ruby seemed to think it over, then looked back at him. "Nope!"

Jaune couldn't help but laugh at her answer, especially how cheerfully she gave it. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

"Nope!" said Ruby and Blake in unison, the taller girl moving into his view with a small smile.

"Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid," said Ruby. "You might've even been a failure the first day we met!" Jaune just groaned. If this was supposed to cheer him up, it was doing an awful job. "But you can't be one now. You know why?"

Jaune was puzzled. "Uh, because?" he asked, hoping the question was rhetorical. Fortunately, it was.

"Because it's not just about YOU anymore. You've got a team now. We both do!" She gestured to Blake. "And you're a superhero to boot! We both have people counting on us, and if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us," she reminded him. Ruby put her hands on her hips. "We have to put others first and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, and the world deserves a great hero. And I think that you can be both of those things."

"You really think so?" asked Jaune. He smiled with newfound energy.

"I do too," admitted Blake, "even if I haven't shown it much. What's important isn't just that we believe this, though. You have to believe it as well."

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Jaune turned around to see Pyrrha waving at him. "Pyrrha?"

"Hello!" she said with a wave, becoming more serious as she walked up to the stage. "Being confident is more than just putting on a brave face. You have to believe that you can accomplish what you're trying to do. No matter how much others like Cardin and the Umbrae say that you can't, you can't tell yourself you can't even when your abilities say otherwise. And it's through this self-confidence that you can do anything you set your mind to. So stop saying you can't, and start saying you can."

Jaune didn't know what to say as he looked at her smiling face. He returned her smile. "Thanks, Pyrr."

"Anytime. Now then, let's do this together." Jaune nodded as he pointed the gun at the first can. "Fix your stance. You need to be able to handle the recoil. Plant your feet firmly." He did as instructed. "Now then, relax a bit. Keep your hands steady." She put her hands under the barrel, Jaune doing his best to avoid shaking. "Now take the shot!"

*bang*

The bullet flew across the stage and hit the can right in the center, piercing a hole through it and crumping the aluminum. The ruined can flew off the pillar and clattered on the ground.

"You did it!" cheered Ruby. As he looked at his handiwork, Jaune couldn't help but smile. He had pulled it off! "Now for the next one!"

"Do you think you can do it by yourself?" asked Pyrrha.

"I think so," said Jaune. Pointing the gun at the next can, he steadied his grip. 'I can do this,' he thought as he pulled the trigger, blasting the can off its pedestal. The third one he only grazed, but the other two fell off no problem. And after Ruby set up the cans for his next attempt, he slowly but surely shot each can off its pillar.

"You did it!" cheered Ruby as she threw her hands in the air, Pyrrha patting him on the back. "You passed the exam with flying colors!"

"I knew that you could do it," said Pyrrha as Jaune handed Gambol Shroud back to Blake.

"Yeah, and I guess I do now," said Jaune.

"You've done well, young Padawan, but now it's time to move on to something a little bigger!" said Ruby as Blake made her way back, her job accomplished. "Pyrrha, you brought your weapon, right?"

"Yes," said Pyrrha as she switched Miló into its rifle mode.

As she helped Jaune familiarize himself with the gun's structure, he felt proud of himself for the first time all day.

~KRA~

The following day, Pyrrha was awestruck as she took in the sights of Forever Fall. It was a beautiful forest inside a mountainous region along the north coast of Vale, its special trees not found anywhere else on Remnant. Said trees had gray trunks and bright red leaves, leaves that purportedly kept their color year-round. Even the grass was a bright crimson, as though the sunset had dyed every plant in the area. It was a wonderful sight that she'd never forget.

"Yes, students," said Glynda as she addressed JNPR, RWBY, and CRDL, "the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sightsee. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

The group came to a stop as Jaune stumbled a bit, carrying a large case with four empty jars balanced on top. Ruby and Cardin were doing the same, though Cardin had five jars instead. Pyrrha wasn't sure why.

She turned back to Glynda as she continued her lecture, holding a glass jar of her own. This one was filled to the brim with a thick red substance. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"

"Come on, guys, let's go," said Jaune with a strained voice. One of the jars fell, causing him to yelp before Pyrrha caught it.

"No rush, we have a few hours," said Pyrrha. "Do you want some help?"

"I've got it, don't worry," said Jaune. Pyrrha smiled as she put the jar back on. The four teammates wandered deep into the forest, taking a good amount of time until they found a decent spot by a cliff.

"This seems like a good spot," said Ren.

"As good as any," said Jaune as he set the case down, grabbing a jar. "Everybody grab a jar and get to work!"

Pyrrha wasted no time in getting her jar and moving over to a fine-looking tree. Drawing Miló in its sword form, she swung at the trunk, leaving a shallow cut in the sturdy bark. With a cry of effort, she slashed her sword at the same spot, deepening the cut. She was rewarded for her efforts when the viscous sap flowed from the mark. Unscrewing the lid, she put her jar against the trunk as it slowly started filling the container.

"Alright! I've got a… ah… Ah-CHOO!" sneezed Jaune. Pyrrha turned to see him rubbing his hand under his nose as sap started oozing from his own gash in a tree. "Ugh, I think I'm allergic to this stuff," he said nasally.

"Let me help," said Pyrrha as the sap from her tree stopped flowing and she closed her jar. She walked over as Jaune went to give her the jar, only to sheathe his sword and hand it to her with the hand he hadn't wiped his nose with.

"Thanks," he said as he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose. "I'm gonna go for a little bit, get away from all this sap. Keep an eye on my jar until I come back, okay?"

"I'll go with you," said Pyrrha. "Professor Goodwitch said to stay with our team."

"It's fine. Besides, you still need to fill your jar."

"What are you talking about? I've already—" But when Pyrrha turned around, her jar was on its side with the lid off, licked clean. "What happened?" That's when she heard slurping sounds and a belch.

"NORA!" yelled Ren, Pyrrha and Jaune turning to see the girl in question covered in red, an empty jar in her hands and an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" said Nora as she gave him the jar. "It smelled soooooo good!"

"Please be careful out there. Keep in touch with us," said Pyrrha as Jaune wiped his nose again. He gave her a thumbs-up and walked out of view.

As she walked up to Ren and Nora, the boy in green sighed. "Nora, could you please try to control your sweet tooth until we've given the samples to the professor?"

"He has a point," said Pyrrha as she showed off her empty jar. "I don't think she'll be too pleased if all we've managed to collect is your spit from licking these clean."

"I'll try my best," said Nora.

"Tell you what, Nora," said Ren. "I'll get another two jars, and after we go back to Beacon, I'll use them to make syrup. Do you think you can control yourself until then?"

Nora's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect of pancakes with red sap syrup. She gave her best friend a salute. "You can count on me, Ren! I'll make my will as strong as steel!"

"Just make sure that Jaune doesn't have any of the red sap syrup," said Pyrrha with a smile as she went to her tree, stabbing her sword into the cut to restart the flow. But as she filled the jar, she couldn't help but feel as though something was wrong. It was as if… she was in danger.

~KRA~

"Stupid sap," muttered Jaune as he wiped his nose. It was hard to appreciate the beauty of this place when you couldn't breathe through your nose. As he felt his sinuses return to normal, he sighed. "Maybe I should stay here until my team's finished. Then we can explore a little."

"I don't get it, Cardin." Jaune's ears perked as he heard Dove's voice from deeper in the forest. He turned to see CRDL walking where his team was, Dove and Sky holding a jar in each hand and Russell holding some cardboard box with a "W" written on it. Cardin was leading his team, tossing a jar up and down in his hands. "Why did we get five jars when we only need four?"

"Come with me and you'll find out," said Cardin with a smirk.

'Whatever they're up to, it can't be good,' thought Jaune as he followed them from the cover of the trees. He saw the four head to the hilltop overlooking his team. 'DEFINITELY can't be good.' He peeked out from behind a tree, listening in on their conversation as they looked over the crest of the cliff.

"So what's the deal?" asked Sky.

"Payback." Cardin pointed to somebody. "See her over there?"

"Pyrrha? What about her?" asked Sky, scratching his head.

'Pyrrha?!' thought Jaune from his cover.

"That's the girl," growled Cardin as he punched the ground. "Red-haired know-it-all, thinks she's SO smart. And she keeps sticking up for that little weak link of a leader she has. Russell, you got the box of Rapier Wasps?"

"Yeah, with really big stingers like you asked," said Russell as he pulled out the box. He shook it lightly, the quiet buzzing from inside becoming a lot louder. "Took my Aura an hour to heal from all the stinging."

Jaune immediately put two and two together, though Cardin explained it to his team. "Now, according to one of the essays I worked on last week, these nasty things LOOOOVE sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach HER a thing or two."

"No you don't!" Jaune took this moment to get out of his hiding place, CRDL standing up and turning to face him. Most of them looked annoyed, but Cardin just gave him an unnerving smirk. But he wasn't about to back down. "I won't let you throw that sap at Pyrrha!"

"Oh, Jaune, buddy," said Cardin as he walked up to his fellow team leader, putting a firm hand on his shoulder. "Relax! I'm not gonna throw it at her, and neither are my friends here!"

"You're not?" asked Jaune. He was confused until he felt something being forced into his hands. Looking down, it was the sap.

"No. You are!"

"What?! You're out of your mind!" said Jaune. "There's no way!"

"I wouldn't say that," said Cardin. "You see, Jauney-boy, I know you. You can talk big all you want, but when push comes to shove, you end up quaking in your boots. So you're gonna do this for me, or Goodwitch will be taking you back to Beacon in a stretcher. I think we both know the smart play here, don't you, boys?" He turned to his lackeys, each smirking at Jaune.

Jaune just swallowed as Cardin pushed him to the edge of the cliff. He looked down at an oblivious Pyrrha, having finished refilling her jar and smiling at her work. Then he looked down at the jar in his hands. Gripping the jar as he worked up his nerves, he knew exactly what he was gonna do.

"Well? Get the lead out, Jauney-boy! I don't have all day!"

"No."

"What did you say?" asked Cardin.

"I said… NO!" Jaune whipped around and threw the jar at Cardin. The glass shattered on impact and the sticky sap inside coated his breastplate. "I'm fed up with you picking on me, Cardin! And you just crossed a line! This ends now!"

Cardin just laughed at him, looking down at his armor and back at Jaune. His teammates looked thoroughly furious with him. "Oh, you've done it now," he said with barely restrained anger. "Dove, Sky, grab him.

The two followed their orders and grabbed Jaune's shoulders before he could react, pulling him closer. He laughed nervously as they dragged him to their leader, who was pulling his arm back for a punch. "Who's the one hiding behind his teammates now?" Cardin just snarled, Jaune activating his Aura just before a fist collided with his face.

~KRA~

Cardin smirked as he punched Jaune to the ground. Just as he expected, all his talk was just a bluff. He was almost proud of him for a second back there. After all, with Grimm attracted to negativity like fear, it stood to reason that a Huntsman had to be brave. So cowards like Jaune had no place here. Standing up for him like that was pretty brave, though.

But he made one mistake in showing his bravery. By messing with his plans and chucking that sap at him, he pissed him off something fierce. And there was no way that he was going to let him get away with that.

Cardin grinned as he picked up Jaune, the coward not even trying to fight back. He was finally showing his true colors. Cardin punched him back to the ground where he belonged. "You KNOW that wasn't very smart, Jauney-boy," said Cardin. He picked up the scraggly excuse for a leader, now sporting a black eye. His teammates were no doubt smiling at seeing the little punk get his. "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny, tiny pieces."

"I don't care what you do to me," said Jaune as he glared at Cardin furiously, catching him off guard, "but you are NOT messing with my team."

Cardin was honestly a little impressed. Guess Jaune had a spine after all. But that didn't give him a free pass. He had to pay for crossing him like that.

"What, you think talk like that makes you tough?" asked Cardin. "You think you're a big, strong man now?" Jaune just smiled at him defiantly, enraging Cardin. He roared as he swung his fist again, aiming to shut him up. As his fist made contact, a cry of pain rang out.

But it wasn't from Jaune.

"Gah!" cried Cardin as he let go of Jaune, holding his hand in pain. What the hell was that? Some bright flash of light appeared right before he could knock Jaune's lights out, and the next thing he knew, it was like he had punched a steel wall. Looking down at Jaune, the blonde was sitting up and looking at his hands, which were glowing with Aura. He was also completely healed from the beatdown he just received. Was this his Semblance? Or was his Aura just that strong?

As Sky kicked Jaune to the ground, Cardin realized that he didn't care. He walked up to Jaune, who was looking up at him. "Let's see how much of a man you really are."

But before he could continue Jaune's little lesson in knowing his place, he heard a low growl coming from behind him. He and his team turned around to see an Ursa approaching from the woods, albeit one much bigger and badder than he had ever seen. For one, it was huge, at least twice as big as a normal Ursa. It also had longer spikes jutting out of its back and more armor plates along its legs and back, ones that looked thick enough to stop a bullet. Cardin recalled hearing about this thing in Grimm Studies, a more dangerous variety that was fittingly called an Ursa Major.

"That's a big Ursa!" shouted Russell, backing up a bit. Cardin saw Jaune get back up, him and his teammates staring at the bear-like Grimm in shock as it stood on its hind legs and sniffed the air. It suddenly seemed to look right at Cardin. His eyes widened as it dawned on him; he still had sap on his armor. "What do we do, Cardin?"

"Just get out of here! I can handle this thing myself!" shouted Cardin as the Ursa Major fell back onto all four legs and let out a deafening roar.

"Have you cracked?! You'll get mauled without help!" argued Dove.

"I said I've got it!" yelled Cardin. He had a sneaking suspicion this thing was targeting him due to the sap, and he wasn't about to put his friends in danger. "Now get to safety, you idiots!"

"We'll get help!" said Sky as the three took off.

Cardin turned back to the hulking beast, reaching for The Executioner. But before he had a chance to draw his weapon, a massive paw with claws like spears slammed into his body and sent him flying. Cardin winced as he hit the ground, skidding against the red grass.

He looked up to see the Ursa lumbering over to Jaune, smelling him. The blonde looked like he hadn't decided on fight or flight yet, hands on his sheath. But the Grimm turned away from him and began walking towards Cardin. Just as he thought, that monster was focused on the sap. But he wasn't about to back down.

Cardin pulled out his mace, ready to smash its face in as it moved right in front of him. But the Ursa Major just swatted his weapon out of his hand, right by Jaune's feet. At this moment, he realized that he might have acted a little hastily when he sent his team away.

~KRA~

Pyrrha's ears perked up as she heard a loud roar from deeper in the forest. She wasn't the only one as her teammates and RWBY looked around.

"Did you guys hear that?" asked Ruby as she stood up, a concerned look on her face as she stared at the heart of the woods. That was when three of the four members of CRDL burst out of the thicket.

"Ursa! Ursa!" screamed Russell as he ran through the group. Not looking at where he was going, he ended up crashing into Yang, who lifted him by the collar.

"What?! Where?"

"Back there!" he yelled as he pointed back where he came from. "It's got Cardin!"

Pyrrha dropped the jar in her hands. "Jaune!" Her partner had been gone for much longer than she anticipated. If he ran into CRDL, then he was in just as much danger.

"Yang!" declared Ruby. "You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" Her sister dropped Russell as she and Blake took off, the rest of CRDL following close behind. Rather than follow, Ruby activated her weapon.

"You two, go with them!" said Pyrrha as she drew Miló and Akoúo, addressing Nora and Ren. "There could be more!" The two nodded and followed the others. Pyrrha and Ruby instead ran deeper into the woods where Russell and company had come from, Weiss tagging along with her rapier drawn.

Before long, they found a clearing on a hill where Jaune and Cardin were. They arrived just in time to see the biggest Ursa Pyrrha had ever seen jump over Cardin and smack him to the ground. The bully lifted his head, sprawled out on his back. "Crap, crap crap!" he said as he tried to crawl away backwards. And Jaune was standing there, seemingly paralyzed.

"Oh, no!" said Pyrrha as she looked at the scene through the bushes, the gigantic Ursa walking up to its prey. It growled as it stood over the unarmed Cardin on its hind legs, raising a paw overhead to finish him off. With tremendous strength, it brought it down.

But the blow never hit Cardin. Pyrrha sighed in relief as she saw Jaune pushing the claws back with his shield. It tried to push him down, but he just pushed back.

Seeing Weiss lifting her sword, she held a hand out. "Wait!" she said. Of course she wanted to help Jaune, but doing so might cause his confidence to tank. Having him take this monster out himself would ensure that he was out of his funk, only stepping in if it was absolutely necessary.

~KRA~

Jaune grunted as he held back the Ursa Major. Glancing behind him, he saw Cardin staring back in disbelief. It was hard to blame him. After all the crap that he had put him through this semester, a lesser man would have left him for dead. But that wasn't the way of a Huntsman, a hero. Jaune gripped his sword in determination. He wanted to be somebody who could save everyone, even people he didn't like.

Pushing the paw back, he slashed at the Ursa Major's stomach, causing it to back up. The monster let out a furious roar as it swiped its paw at him, only for Jaune to roll out of the way. He jumped over a second swipe and went to attack, only for a third blow to take him by surprise and hit him in the chest. The hit knocked him back, but he rolled back and got back on his feet.

Jaune charged the Ursa, sprinting past Cardin and going for a leaping slash. Unfortunately, the behemoth swung its paw and hit him from behind, knocking him back. Jaune shook his head as he got back up, checking his Scroll from behind his shield. His Aura had dropped to the red, so the next hit could take him out. Gritting his teeth and raising his shield, Jaune charged forward as the Ursa Major did the same. This fight ended now!

~KRA~

Pyrrha was nervous as she watched the two charge at each other. Jaune seemed to be on the defensive, but the Ursa had its paw moving downward. His shield was far too low to block that, and another hit from that giant Grimm could prove fatal. It looked like she would have to get involved after all, but that didn't mean she couldn't do it discreetly.

Raising her hand out to him, she concentrated as a black aura covered her arm. Right when the Ursa was about to strike, the same glow covered Jaune's shield. It lifted just in time to block the swing. With the attack blocked, Jaune leaned down and pushed his shield back, leaving the Grimm wide open. He swung his sword to the left, cleaving through the monster's neck as the head fell to the ground. The body followed with a heavy thud, Jaune sheathing his sword. The black glow went away as Pyrrha smiled in satisfaction. He did it. THEY did it.

"Uh, what?" asked Ruby, looking at Pyrrha in amazement.

"How did you…?" asked Weiss.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs," said Pyrrha. "My Semblance is polarity."

"Whoa, you can control POLES…" said Ruby, awestruck. Pyrrha had to bite her tongue to hold back her laughter.

"No, you dunce!" corrected Weiss. "It means she has control over magnetism!"

"Magnets are cool, too…" whispered Ruby in an attempt to save face.

Satisfied with Jaune's work, she turned around and started to walk away. "Wait, where are you going?" asked Weiss.

"Yeah!" agreed Ruby. "We gotta tell them what happened!"

"We could…" said Pyrrha. "Or perhaps we could keep this our little secret?" But before she could walk away, she heard a loud, slow clap. Turning back around, she gasped as she saw an Umbra walking up to Jaune and the now-standing Cardin. Apparently, their fight wasn't over just yet.

~KRA~

As the body of the Ursa Major fell, Jaune collapsed and sheathed Crocea Mors, turning to Cardin. The bully was still on the ground, having watched the fight in awe. Jaune walked up to him and offered a hand. With a smile, one that was much more grateful than smug, Cardin took it and was hoisted onto his feet.

"Holy crap, Jaune!" said Cardin.

But Jaune had something else to say as he glared at his tormentor. "Don't EVER mess with my team - my FRIENDS - ever again. Got it?" Cardin just looked at him, either intimidated or apologetic, but he didn't speak. He just nodded. "Good."

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Jaune and Cardin turned to face the sarcastic clapping, and the former's eyes widened as he saw the Lighter Umbra step into view. 'What's he doing here?!'

"Not bad, not bad at all. I was going to ambush your little spat, but that Ursa Major beat me to it. I was willing to let it soften you up, but I was really hoping you'd kill it. After all, I'm dying for an opponent who can push me to my limit, one whose screams will last for more than a few seconds."

"What the heck is that thing?" asked Cardin as he picked up his mace.

"It's an Umbra, a really nasty type of Grimm," said Jaune. "Get out of here, I can handle this guy!" 'And I don't want to transform while you're here.'

"No can do, Jauney-boy," said Cardin as he hefted his mace onto his shoulder. "You hauled my ass out of the fire, so I'm gonna return the favor!" Before Jaune could stop him, he let out a raging cry as he ran up to the Lighter Umbra.

The Grimm fired a couple fireballs at the charging Huntsman in training, but he just batted them away with his mace. Once he was close, he lifted the heavy weapon and clubbed the Umbra on the head. But to Cardin's surprise and Jaune's concern, while the hit certainly knocked the Umbra for a loop, the top of his head was covered with Nether to block the blow.

Cardin growled as he pulled his mace back and went for another swing. This one was aimed at the chest, but the Lighter Umbra blocked the hit with his arms. But it seemed Cardin was prepared for this as he pulled a hidden trigger on the shaft of his weapon. The head of the mace suddenly released a small explosion courtesy of the Fire Dust inside, pushing back his opponent. But it still didn't scratch the Umbra's body.

"What the?" asked Cardin. He went for another swing, but a double punch to the chest stopped him.

"What a disappointment," muttered the Lighter Umbra as he fired a double blast of flame, sending Cardin flying.

"Cardin!" yelled Jaune as he ran up to him. Cardin was slowly getting up, breathing heavy as he glared at the Umbra. If it was any consolation, the sap was off him now.

"Guess I'll never end up getting that challenge," said the Umbra. He swept short streams of fire over the grass as he approached, lighting it ablaze. "But I'll be sure to scorch this place and everything in it! Starting with you two!"

But before he could incinerate them, two bullets barreled into his head, stopping his approach. Jaune turned to see Ruby and Pyrrha leap out of the bushes with their rifles smoking, Weiss running up to the boys. "Not while we're here to stop you!" said Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss!" said Jaune in relief. "What are you three doing here?"

"We heard about the danger from his team," said Weiss, nodding in Cardin's direction as she spun her weapon's cylinder to the blue chamber. With a wave of it, glyphs appeared under the flames that released small pillars of ice, ice that melted and doused the fire before it could spread. "We just arrived."

"You should head back to your team," said Ruby to Cardin. "We can take it from here."

"Not a chance! I've never run from a fight before, and I'm not about to start now!" declared Cardin.

"Stubborn to the end, I see," said the Lighter Umbra as he formed his sword. "Good. More kindling!"

Jaune sighed. There wasn't a way out of this. 'Of all the people in the world, why him?' he thought as he pulled out the Aura Driver and the Stag Beetle Huntsman Medal.

"If you're going to stick around," said Jaune as he flipped the medal into the air, attaching the driver to his waist, "then you better be able to keep up with us!" He caught the medal with his right hand and pushed it into the driver.

STAG BEETLE!

The familiar fanfare started playing, with Cardin staring at him with his jaw hanging open. "Jaune? You're-"

"Henshin!" shouted Jaune as he pulled the lever, the beetle appearing and forming his armor.

ARMOR UP! STAG BEETLE! GLEAMING GOLD!

"Jaune is…" said Cardin in disbelief as Aurum did his signature peace sign. "Aurum is… oh my god!"

"Yeah, that's pretty much my reaction," said Ruby.

"But Aurum's so courageous, so heroic! And Jaune is-"

"Just as much so," said Pyrrha.

Cardin shook his head as if he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Once he seemed convinced, he turned back to the Umbra. "Guess I had you pegged all wrong, Jaune."

"Call me Aurum. And we'll talk after we've dealt with this firestarter over here."

"I'll happily give you a rematch, Kamen Rider," said the Lighter Umbra. "But the other humans aren't worth my time. Penumbrae, deal with them." With a snap of his fingers, an army of Penumbrae formed from the shadows and started to approach the five.

"Looks like trouble," said Ruby as she unfolded her weapon into its scythe mode.

"I can only hope that the others don't have to deal with this," said Weiss. As Aurum willed his sword and sheath, he could only agree with her.

~KRA~

"Come on, this way!" said Yang as she led Glynda through the forest. The vice headmistress was concerned, though her face didn't show it. Not long ago, half of the students came running to tell her about a giant Ursa attacking Jaune and Cardin, and the urgency increased when she saw a plume of smoke rising from the forest. As her students led her to the danger, she could only hope that her students were safe.

Unfortunately, their path was soon blocked off by a pack of Beowolves, no doubt attracted by her students' panic. The horde soon surrounded the eight, no way out in sight.

"What do we do?" asked Sky as he held his weapon closely.

"We do what you're training for," said Glynda as she grabbed her riding crop, The Disciplinarian, from her boot. She flicked her wrist to extend it to its full length. "We stand and fight. Keep together now, and don't let them get behind you!" With a wave of her crop, a purple glyph materialized and fired three darts of energy. The brilliant projectiles flew through the air, trailing up and down, before they homed in on one of the Beowolves and hit it, sending the beast flying.

'I can only hope my students can protect themselves until we can help them,' thought Glynda with a lash of her crop.

~KRA~

Back with the others, Pyrrha blasted an approaching Penumbra between the eyes with Miló, killing it. Another was quick to approach, the redhead blocking its furious claw swipes with Akoúo. While she defended, she shifted her weapon into its sword mode and slashed at her opponent's chest several times the second she had an opening. She heard the sound of a Penumbra charging a blast as she turned around, blocking the attack just in time. Two more charged Pyrrha, causing her to follow suit and shift Miló into its javelin configuration. She quickly spun her javelin into reverse grip and thrusted it into the head of one Penumbra, blocking a slash from the other with her shield.

Seeing that the Penumbra that shot at her was charging another blast, she threw Akoúo like a discus before piercing the other in the stomach. The shield spun through the air and right through the neck of the Grimm before it had a chance to attack. Using her Semblance to pull her shield back and remove Miló from the corpse it was embedded in, she caught it just in time to block two more Penumbrae. Shifting Miló from spear to sword in an instant, she slit the throat of one and decapitated the other in one swipe. Noticing another about to blast her, she shifted her weapon back to javelin mode and threw it, the recoil-assisted toss running through its chest armor and putting it down.

Meanwhile, Ruby had her hands full with a horde of her own. Dodging a slash from one Penumbra, she swung Crescent Rose into its back and impaled it. She ripped the scythe out and fired a bullet to give herself some momentum, slicing another in half. Another two fired blasts in quick succession, Ruby used her Semblance to speed between the blasts and close the gap between them. She chopped one in half along the waist, the other Grimm screeching as it lunged at her. But Ruby just smiled as she sidestepped it and slashed at its lower legs, chopping them off and causing her opponent to collapse. Before it had the chance to recover, she spun her scythe around and plunged it through the monster's back.

As she removed her scythe from the Penumbra, three more soon had their sights on her. Ruby spun her scythe around to block their slashes, claws and swords scraping against her weapon hard enough to make sparks fly. Firing a shot, she propelled herself into the air, doing a backflip as she shifted Crescent Rose into its rifle mode. She fired three shots, each gunning down a Penumbra. She landed with one hand to stabilize herself, hearing footsteps behind her as she stood up. Looking behind her to see a Penumbra, she positioned her gun over her shoulder and shot the Grimm in the forehead, killing it.

With a swing of Myrtenaster, Weiss disarmed a Penumbra that attacked with its scimitar. It tried to scratch her with its claws, but she put a stop to that with a blade through the eye. No sooner had she dealt with that one did another rush in to take its place. Weiss blocked its wild slashes with her rapier before it went for an overhead strike. Taking the opening, she slashed across its stomach, causing it to drop to the ground dead. Another tried to blast her, but she was able to dodge using a glyph. She formed another glyph midair, one with a red color as she focused on her Fire Dust, and shot towards the Grimm like a rocket. Her sword's tip pierced its skull and shoved its corpse to the ground. Weiss gasped as she felt claws raking against her back, a Penumbra having taken a cheap shot. She spun her cylinder to the cyan chamber and turned around as the Grimm went for another strike. But its claws only hit a shield of Hard-Light Dust, giving her ample opportunity to deliver a barrage of fierce thrusts to its chest and take it out.

Two more Penumbrae charged at her, but she was ready as she formed two more glyphs, then spun to the blue chamber. Two large icicles formed in the glyphs, and a wave of her sword shot them forward like a pair of frozen lances, impaling the two. Another two rushed towards her as she switched to her Lightning Dust. She impaled the one in front as electricity arched out of her blade from the other side, hitting the other Penumbra and electrocuting it.

"Come on!" egged on Cardin as he held The Executioner, a few Penumbrae staring him down. "Who wants some?" One took up his offer and ran forward with its scimitar, only to get a mace to the head and get smashed into the ground. Another went to attack with a downward slash, but Cardin was able to block it with his mace's handle. Pushing back the Grimm, he kicked it in the chest and slammed his mace into its side, sending it flying. Another swing tossed a Penumbra like a rag doll, the humanoid Grimm smashing into another and the two corpses rolling along the grass.

Cardin grunted as he felt an energy blast hit him. Turning around, he saw the Penumbra that hit him charging another blast. But when it fired, he smacked it like a baseball and destroyed it before he charged forward. He thrusted The Executioner like a spear and hit it in the chest, an explosion from the mace's head shattering its armor and sending it careening through the air. Turning to see another two Penumbrae running at him with their claws bared, he swung his mace down to release a wave of explosions. The blasts blew the Grimm to bits, their smoking upper halves falling to the ground as one final Penumbra sprinted towards him. Cardin just smirked as he swung his mace, the explosive strike obliterating its head.

While his friends (and Cardin) dealt with the Penumbrae, Aurum's sword clashed with the Lighter Umbra's. He held his sword horizontally as the Umbra swung down his blade, the heat from it traveling down the metal. Aurum kicked his opponent back and slashed at his chest, only to get punched in the gut. The Umbra followed up with a roundhouse kick, but Aurum blocked it with his shield. He followed up with a kick to the chest, blocking a sword swing with his Stag Saber.

"Burn up!" shouted the Lighter Umbra as he shot a torrent of fire at Aurum. The Kamen Rider blocked the fire with his shield. He could feel his shield heating up once again, the searing heat felt through his armor. He managed to push through it, charging forward and bashing it into the Grimm. With his enemy knocked off balance, he attacked with several slashes and finished with a stab to the chest. The Umbra backed away, putting his sword away as Aurum got into a fighting stance. He was just getting started.

"Come on, Aurum! You've got this!" cheered Ruby from the sidelines, the four having wiped out the Penumbrae.

"You really are something else, but now it's time to get serious!" shouted the Lighter Umbra.

"Not this again!" said Aurum as he ran up to the monster. But it was too late as the spark wheels started spinning.

"Inferno Zone!" The dome of heat formed around the Umbra, Aurum stopping right outside the edge. The grass in range caught fire immediately, burning to ash in seconds.

"That heat, I can feel it from here!" said Pyrrha.

"I'll see if I can cool him down!" said Weiss as she formed a glyph, launching a spear of ice even bigger than the first two. But it melted the second it entered the dome, the water evaporating into steam the second it touched the Umbra.

"Nothing can cool me down!" shouted the Lighter Umbra as he started pelting Aurum with fireballs, the Kamen Rider backing up as he tried his best to shield himself. By the time the blasts ended, he was right in front of the others.

'He's way too hot to approach,' thought Aurum. 'I have to use the Rhino Beetle Medal.' Pulling it out, he held the Huntsman Medal in his palm. 'I managed to pass both of Ruby's tests, and I'm definitely more comfortable with using a gun now. But is that enough?' As he saw the Umbra walking towards him slowly and leaving a trail of cinders in his wake, he closed a fist around the medal. 'It has to be. Because I can't let my friends down. You can do this, Jaune. You can win this!'

Flipping the medal into the air, he caught it with his right hand and pulled the Stag Beetle Medal out. Staring down the flame-spewing Lighter Umbra, he pushed the new medal in.

RHINO BEETLE!

The fanfare started playing again, with Aurum raising his right hand high over his head. There was no room for error and less room for doubt. This was do or die. "HENSHIN!" he shouted as he pushed the lever down.

ARMOR UP! RHINO BEETLE! GLEAMING GOLD!

This time, there was no power surge, no blowback, just a dazzling glow from the medal. A rhinoceros beetle made of a familiar translucent golden energy appeared, screeching before it split up into golden balls of light. More of these energy spheres flew away from Aurum as his previous armor vanished, although the bright light coming from him prevented anybody from seeing who he really was. Immediately, the lights surrounded him and spread over his body, new armor being formed.

When the lights died down, a brand-new set of armor was on display. It was similar to the previous set, but with quite a few changes. Most notably, all the white had changed to bright red, the gold trim and chest piece remaining. The plates on the arms and legs had changed from rectangular to more rhombus-shaped. The gold pieces on his elbows, knees, and shoulders were a bit smaller and slimmer, trading defense for mobility. And the jaw-like horns were replaced with a single horn, one that stuck up in a "Y" shape with the upper lines split in two small spikes each. If his previous form could be considered his "Stag Form," then this was his "Rhino Form."

"So cool!" said Ruby as she stared giddily at the suit, Aurum moving around to look at it himself. "It's even my favorite color now!"

"This IS cool," said Aurum. Suddenly, a golden light appeared in his hand, slowly shifting and taking a new shape. The light died down to reveal a bulky pistol, one that could be used with one or two hands. The barrel was gold and shaped like a beetle horn, the muzzle hidden in the tip that bent to the side and forward again with two blunt prongs. The rest of the upper half was gold, ridges shaped like insect legs on both sides and a hammer at the back with a small Y-shaped horn sticking up as sights. The lower half was red, including the grip, with a black trigger.

"And that gun is amazing!" said Ruby as she sped to the front of Aurum. "Hey, what are you gonna call it? It's an extension of yourself, so you have to give it an awesome name!"

"Hey, maybe we can wait a little bit to ask questions?" asked Cardin, Aurum and Ruby turning around to see the Lighter Umbra staring at the group with his arms crossed.

"Hee hee hee!" laughed the Lighter Umbra. "Finally got that thing working, did you? But let's see how it does when my Inferno Zone melts your bullets instantly!"

"Let's just see about that!" said Aurum as he pointed his gun at the Umbra. 'Keep your hands steady, aim… fire!' The second he squeezed the trigger, a golden burst of energy shot out of the muzzle and hit the pyromaniac square in the chest, causing him to back up.

"What the?!"

"Energy bullets, incredible!" said Pyrrha.

"It looks semi-automatic, and without any need to reload!" rambled Ruby in full weapon-geek mode. "And the size of the pistol plus the beetle horn-shaped barrel means he can use it as a melee weapon in a pinch! It's simple, but still advanced!"

"Think I've figured out the name," said Aurum as he spun his gun by the trigger guard. "The KabuTrigger!" As he moved his weapon to his left hand, he held out his right in a peace sign. "The defender of justice, Kamen Rider Aurum!"

"Oho, things are finally getting good!" said the Lighter Umbra as he lit his flamethrowers. "Give me all you've got, Kamen Rider!"

"Scatter!" ordered Aurum, the others not needing to be told twice as they ran out of range. The Umbra shot jets of fire, Aurum jumping back as the ground where he stood got scorched. As he descended, he moved the KabuTrigger back to his right hand and fired a few shots, hitting his opponent. Upon his landing, he noticed the Umbra's flamethrowers pointed at him as a barrage of fireballs came his way. Rolling to the side to dodge it, he held his gun in both hands and opened fire, energy blasts slamming against the Umbra's body.

"Is it just me, or is Aurum a bit faster?" asked Weiss.

"He can STRAFE?! I didn't teach him that! It's like he's a natural!" said Ruby with pride.

"And I thought Aurum was cool before," said Cardin.

Pyrrha didn't say anything, simply crossing her arms and smiling at her partner with pride as he dodged another blast and returned fire. He had pulled it off spectacularly.

"Enough of this!" yelled the Umbra as he shot a fireball that sent Aurum flying. The Kamen Rider hissed as he landed, getting back to his feet and clutching his chest with his free hand. The Umbra was walking up to him with his flamethrowers spewing two blazing columns. "Let's find the melting point of that new armor of yours!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that," said Aurum as he held the KabuTrigger with both hands, aiming his weapon carefully. Soon, he had one of the Lighter Umbra's spark wheels in his sights. "There's a saying, you know. Play with fire, and you'll end up getting burned!" As he squeezed the trigger, his shot whizzed through the air and struck the wheel directly.

The Umbra stopped his approach as the wheel started to spark even more than usual, finally breaking into pieces. "What did you just do?" asked the Grimm as the fragments fell to the ground and dissolved, his Inferno Zone's intensity visibly decreasing.

"I'm putting an end to your strongest technique, permanently!" said Aurum as he blasted the other shoulder wheel to bits, the red-hot dome disappearing. "And now your days of tormenting innocent people are about to come to an end!"

"You little upstart! I'll cremate you alive!" yelled the Umbra as he burst forward using his flames as jets. Aurum dodged a jumping kick and went to elbow his opponent in the back, only to get sliced by the fire-shaped sword. He grunted as he took another superheated slash across the shoulder and chest, retaliating with two consecutive side kicks. He followed up with a couple shots from the KabuTrigger, only to groan as a fireball struck him in the head. He looked back to see the Umbra rushing at him with his sword over his head, barely managing to block the slash with his gun.

"It doesn't matter if you took out my Inferno Zone! I've had a good fight, but now it's time to end this! You're about to go up in flames, Kamen Rider!"

"That's where you're wrong," said Aurum as he struggled to push back the sword. "As long as there are people who need my help, I'll be going strong!" Pulling the trigger multiple times, he blasted the blade of the sword with multiple point-blank shots until it snapped in half, the tip of the sword flying through the air before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"No!" shouted the Lighter Umbra as the rest of his weapon's blade followed. He pushed the button rapidly, but the blade didn't reform. "Piece of junk!" he shouted as he tossed the hilt aside. When he looked back at Aurum, the barrel of the KabuTrigger smacked him across the face courtesy of a backhand swing.

The furious Lighter Umbra shot a torrent of fire, but Aurum jumped above the blaze and over him. He fired several shots from the air as he soared over the Grimm, landing behind him. The Umbra turned around to attack, but Aurum shoved his gun into his chest and fired point-blank, another series of rapid shots blasting him back.

"Victory is in my sight!" said Aurum as he grabbed the horn-shaped sight on the back. He pulled it back as it slid back into place like a striker, the sound of charging energy filling the air. He slowly aimed his blaster at the Lighter Umbra, pulsing energy coming from the front of the barrel. Once he had a clear shot, he pulled the trigger.

VICTORY SHOT!

A sphere of golden energy the size of a cannonball formed in front of the horn-shaped barrel, shooting forward with the speed of a sniper round. The blast struck the Lighter Umbra in the chest, causing him to cry out as his entire body began to spark with golden energy.

"At least… I'll be going out… in a blaze of glory!" screamed the Umbra as he exploded, Aurum holding his gun up as the fires died down. The ground was a mess with burnt grass everywhere, but none of the fire had spread outside their fight. And most importantly, the Umbra was defeated and his friends safe.

As Aurum turned back to Jaune, he turned to the others as they ran up to him. "You did it, Jaune!" cheered Pyrrha. "You've mastered that medal!"

"I wouldn't say mastered, but yeah," said Jaune as he lightly flipped the coin and caught it. "Look out, evildoers! Kamen Rider Aurum is twice as strong!"

"Let's not get full of ourselves now," said Weiss as she crossed her arms.

"But you have to admit it's really cool, right, Weiss?" asked Ruby, with Weiss tilting her palm in a "so-so" manner.

"Dude, I've got to tell my team about this!" said Cardin. "They're gonna totally freak!"

"You mean how Aurum came in out of nowhere and saved us from the Umbra, while we fought off the minions?" asked Pyrrha. "Jaune included?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Cardin.

"I'm trying to keep my identity a secret," said Jaune. "Whether or not I'm doing a good job at it is up to interpretation, but still. You can't tell your team my secret."

Cardin looked to the side, groaning. "Okay. I'll do my best. Oh, and Jauney— uh, Jaune? Thanks."

"I'm just doing what I love," said Jaune. "Saving people."

"If I may, I believe there's something else you should say to our friend here after all the trouble you've caused him," said Pyrrha.

"What?" asked Cardin.

"Come on, you know what we're talking about," said Ruby.

"Uh… you aren't a coward?"

Ruby let out a noise like a buzzer.

"Okay, fine! I'm sorry!"

"Apology… accepted," said Jaune with a smile. "But I'd appreciate it if you gave my team some space for the time being. Maybe later, we can start over as friends."

"That wouldn't suck," said Cardin with a smirk.

"And perhaps you could be nicer to people as well?" asked Pyrrha.

"What? Why do I have to do that?"

"That certainly doesn't sound like somebody that a Kamen Rider would want to associate with," said Weiss.

"Alright, alright! I'll… work on being nice to people. Coward or not. Animal or not."

"Maybe start with that last one," said Ruby.

Just then, Glynda came into view with the rest of the students. "Apologies for the delay, we ran into a bit of trouble," said Glynda.

"Ruby, Weiss! You're okay!" said Yang.

"Dude, you're alive!" said Russell.

"Aw, man! I missed all the really good stuff!" said Nora as she looked around the scorched battlefield, then turned back to Jaune and Pyrrha. "But at least you guys are fine."

"Well, with all the excitement, what do you say to returning to Beacon?" asked Glynda as she willed the jars and container of sap from CRDL (which had remained unharmed through some sort of miracle) to her using her Semblance. She placed it beside two similar stacks that she had been moving with her. "I've finished collecting the sap samples you've obtained."

The students just looked at each other, then at the damaged clearing, before they all answered with a thunderous "YES!"

~KRA~

"WooHOO! Pancake party!" cheered Nora. It was late afternoon, with Team JNPR in their dorm room. Ren was walking in, having come back from the dorm building's kitchen. In his left hand was a large stack of pancakes, and his right had dishes, silverware, and two bottles of different syrup. Tied around him was a pink apron with "DO NOTHING TO THE COOK" printed on the front. Nora licked her lips and reached for the stack, only for Ren to lift it higher than she could reach.

"What's the occasion?" asked Jaune as he looked up from his game.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Ren as he sat the dishes down on a desk, dishing out the fluffy discs of deliciousness. "We're celebrating you."

"You are?" asked Jaune as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course, fearless leader!" said Nora. "Not only did you stand up to that big old bully Cardin, but you took out that overgrown teddy bear all by yourself!" She shifted her eyes back and forth before leaning in, hand by her mouth. "And you managed to get a cool new form!" she hissed in a hushed tone.

"Wow, I'm… really flattered," said Jaune with a smile as Pyrrha handed him his plate with a bottle of non-red sap syrup. The two sat next to each other at one of the desks and dug in.

"Wow, these are really good," said Pyrrha. "I had no idea Ren was such a good cook!"

"He surprised me too," said Jaune as he took a bite. Now that he wasn't fighting for his life, he had a bit more time to think over past events. "You know, it's weird. When I was fighting that Ursa, it felt like my shield was moving on its own. Pretty weird, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, weird," said Pyrrha.

"Pyrr, you don't have to hide it," said Jaune with a small smile.

Pyrrha just sighed. "It's just, I wanted to help you so badly, but I also wanted you to regain your self-confidence. So when I saw that Ursa about to strike you, I used my Semblance to raise your shield a little. I'm sorry! It's just, after you were finally feeling confident, I couldn't let you lose!"

"Hey, it's fine," said Jaune with a reassuring smile and a hand on her shoulder. "You're my partner, aren't you? If I saw you in trouble, I'd want to help too. Besides, this just means that the next time there's a rampaging Ursa in the woods, I'll take it down myself! Just wait and see!"

Pyrrha laughed, Jaune beaming ear to ear. "I can't wait."

"That being said, I may need your help again," said Jaune as he twirled his fork in his fingers.

"Of course! What do you require?"

"Well, I never got to practice with moving targets, and more marksmanship practice wouldn't hurt," said Jaune. "Plus, my remaining form uses a spear, and you're pretty awesome with one!"

Pyrrha looked away, Jaune catching a hint of a satisfied smile. She turned back with a more casual smile. "I'll be happy to help train you," she said. She held out her hand, Jaune gripping it tightly as they forged their promise.

"If you're not gonna eat those, I will!" said Nora, getting the two to return to their pancake dinners. As he ate, Jaune pulled his Rhino Beetle Medal out, smiling as the light shined from it.

---

The new chapter has arrived! This was a fun chapter to write. Character development for Jaune and Cardin, Ruby's weapon fanaticism on full display, and Jaune's second form, baby! No guest reviews to reply to, but I invite you guys to share your thoughts on the story, tell me what you liked and what you think needs improvement. And next time, Volume 1 is ending with a little something special! Starpion out!