Chapter 314 - My OC Stash #14 - Tournament Arc by ImSoAwesome (RWBY) (1/2)

-I deeply regret ignoring this completed fic, it truly does feel like the true american shounen anime that RWBY was meant to be! Here's to hoping for a sequel~ Author heavily inspired by MHA in the fic's early days.

Synopsis: Jaune was tired of losing - tired of giving up whenever he felt he wasn't good enough. It was time to prove to himself, and everyone else, that he belonged at Beacon, and that he has what it took to be a Huntsman. The Vytal Tournament was coming up, but he wasn't just going to compete. He was going to win.

Rated: T

Words: 249K

Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13019685/1/Tournament-Arc (ImSoAwesome)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)

I wanna be a champion

Never give up.

When he struggled for breath and was crumpled on the ground, when he felt the cold floor on his cheek, Jaune would remember those words.

He'd taught himself that. He held to it as though he'd sworn it on his life. Jaune thought, if he held true to his promise, he could be someone one day.

He never stopped trying.

But then, he'd never been in this situation before, had he?

Jaune swirled the water in his glass - his fifth cup, and it a cool respite amongst stuffy smoke in the air. Bodies were all over the dance floor, music on the verge of ear shattering - if only it was louder. He could still hear his thoughts.

But he needed the escape, even if he hadn't done anything other than sit at the bar and swallow his sorrows.

It was easier than facing Pyrrha's scrutiny.

Couldn't she see he wasn't ready for this? Nevermind the fact that he'd cheated his way into Beacon, with naught but a sword and stroke of good fortune. His lack of optimal training was the killer, and without it, he didn't stand a chance.

The most he'd do was embarrass himself, and even though that wasn't new to him, it didn't mean he wanted to throw himself into the fire. The others would do great and by seeing them do well, maybe he could live vicariously through them. It was fine.

He wasn't made for the spotlight anyway.

”Want a refill, honey?” the bartender asked, a sweet older woman who'd been just kind or oblivious enough to ignore his sour mood. It felt like at the end of the day, his problems were small compared to the bigger world.

”No, I think I'm good. Thanks.” Jaune went for the exit, and threw on his hood before stepping into the rain.

It was fine this way. He didn't need to enter the tournament.

What difference would it even make?

~TA~

”This is gonna be so awesome!”

Jaune couldn't resist a smile as Ruby skipped and twirled. If her big, goofy grin wasn't enough of an indication, she'd been total enthralled with the assembly.

But it wasn't just her, even as the entire school left the building, it was an uproar of excitement. And why wouldn't they be?

The Vytal Tournament was in a few weeks.

”It is time to kick b_u_t_t and take names!” Yang said with gusto, whipping around to face her target. Her finger shot toward Pyrrha, ”I hope you're ready, P-money, I'm about to snatch first place right out of your hands!”

”H-hold on,” Pyrrha waved her hands in front of her, ”there's no guarantee I'll make it past the preliminaries...”

”You're a great fighter Pyrrha, but a shitty liar.”

”I-I'm not lying!”

Jaune listened to them go on. Yang would milk that until Pyrrha was sick of it, but she was still right, there's no way Pyrrha wouldn't make it to the finals. Nora pushed between them, puffing out her c_h_e_s_t as though the spotlight was on her.

”Move aside, you peasants!” She announced boldy, ”We all know who the real winner of this shindiggity will be!”

”Doesn't that mean you've gotta beat your little Renny-bear though?”

”I'm a tough lover.”

”I should hope you are. It's an integral part of a Huntress-in-trainings career,” Weiss suddenly spoke up, ”The whole world will be watching, this is not only a competition. This is a presentation to the people of the strength of their future protectors, which means all eyes will be on those in finals.”

”Don't worry, Weiss-cream. You're big and strong. I'm sure you'll make it into Top 8.” Yang rubbed the heriess's hair, much to her chagrin.

”I shall settle for nothing less than first place, you buffoon.”

”Hah, good luck, that means you'll have to get past me!”

”I like my chances then.”

”Is that a challenge?”

Jaune shook his head as the girls fell into their usual bickering. He might have watched Yang pull Weiss into a headlock but for his partner nudging his shoulder.

”Are you excited for the tournament, Jaune?”

”Uh, yeah...” Jaune rubbed his neck, avoiding her gaze, ”I guess. It's gonna be fun to watch.”

Pyrrha's eyebrows rose. ”Watch?”

Jaune smiled a weak smile. ”Yeah... I don't think I'm gonna enter.”

~TA~

The can clattered on the ground as Jaune kicked it again.

Even when the evening settled, Vale was still rampant with talk of the festival. Everywhere he went, people were talking about it. Huntsmen were going to look for potential trainees to take into their guilds when they graduated. Organizations and sponsors that used Huntsmen services would be looking for fresh potential.

Weiss was right. It wasn't just a tournament, it was a spectacle, a sneak peak at the heroes of tomorrow.

But so what? It didn't matter to him.

Jaune just wanted to be a Huntsman, he didn't really care about being the best one. What did having that title even amount to in the end?

That's why he never complained when he lost in sparring matches. What right did he have to be upset? His opponents were better than him, and fighting wasn't something he was good at anyway. Jaune never tried to hold himself to a greater standard than what he could reasonably achieve.

If he never expected anything of himself, he couldn't be disappointed when he failed. It was foolproof. Pathetic, maybe, but at the very least it protected whatever pride he could still muster.

And then it came again. The feeling of lying on the ground, tasting the floor while his opponent stood above him. He recalled his weak knees, his shaking hands - from sadness? Fear?

No, the feeling was hotter, it made him grind his teeth. It made him want to get up again and show his foe that he wasn't yet defeated.

But the most he usually accomplished was lasting longer than most. In the end, it hardly mattered if every other aspect of his abilities was subpar. It made him wonder why he never forfeited, one was allowed to surrender in the matches, all they needed to do was raise their hand.

Instead he raised his sword.

Only for it, and him, to be knocked onto the floor once again. But he'd still tried.

For a long time, he thought that was what made the difference. That if he tried hard enough, if he believed in himself, put in the work and never surrendered, maybe he'd pull off that win. Maybe he'd get to feel like a winner.

But one could only fail so many times before the confidence in those thoughts began to die.

The world was not a fair place. And so it made sense that not all men were equal.

Some people were made to be great, and the rest stayed insignificant. The winners and the losers. The latter was Jaune, and he was okay with that.

He really was.

The Jaune that kept getting up was the real idiot, he should have understood that no matter what he did, nothing would change.

Jaune kicked the can harder this time.

~TA~

”Because it would be pointless!”

He hadn't meant to yell, and seeing the way his partner flinched, it made him feel awful for doing so. Ren's and Nora's eyes were on him, spooked to attention at his sudden scream.

Jaune sighed. ”I'm fine with just watching. I don't need to enter, besides if you don't win it, then it'll probably be Yang or someone else. And I can't beat them so why even bother?”

”Jaune, you don't know for certain what will happen. I think you should enter, your training has been going well, hasn't it?”

It wasn't enough, not even close. Their entire year was entering the tournament. Vacuo, Mistral, Atlas - all of their best first years were here and Jaune doubted they came this far to go home empty-handed. Everyone who entered planned to show the world who they were and what they could do.

What could Jaune show them? How to scream when his a_s_s was on fire?

”i'm going to lose - that's obvious. There's no point in trying.”

”There is a point! People will get to see how strong you really are, this is your best chance for you, for everyone, to prove themselves. I'm confident you will do well, Jaune.”

”Yeah, well I'm not, okay?”

And as if he'd ripped any fight left out of her, Pyrrha was stunned. Bewildered like these were words she never expected out of him. Maybe he was too, that she could have such honest faith in him.

Pyrrha was sweet and kind. She dedicated so much time to helping him get better with no reward for herself, if anything, she was one of the few people who truly believed in him.

But she was wrong. Her words were hollow to him. Pyrrha could, and mostly likely would, win the tournament.

Jaune couldn't. And that was reality.

Which was fine, he could accept that - whether it pissed him off or not was irrelevant. ”I'm going for a walk.”

”Jaune, please just -

The door slammed before she could finish.

~TA~

What did Pyrrha expect?

Jaune couldn't help but feel angry. At her, at the tournament - screw it, the entire freaking world! Where did the faith come from? Was he the only one seeing the truth?

Even with Pyrrha help these past few months, Jaune still managed to fail. Whenever he lost in the ring, or didn't learn a technique she'd been teaching him for days, he couldn't look at her. He couldn't hear her encourage him to try again and not feel like shit.

He was going to let her down. If he entered the tournament, he'd soil her name with his performance. Many people now whispered about how Pyrrha Nikos had a failure of a partner, someone who didn't deserve to stand beside her. Pyrrha may not care what those people said, but Jaune did.

And not just her, this tournament represented the Huntsmen everywhere, and if people saw him being kicked around like a ragdoll, what would that say about his class? About the future of the Huntsmen?

Jaune felt he'd only bring them down with him. So it was best to go down alone.

The wind blew with the slow drizzle, Jaune just letting it splash his face to absorb the cold. He welcomed it, as it made that hot feeling in his heart not so painful. In fact, in the cool feeling, Jaune dared to think of a more positive outlook.

Even if he knew he would fail, what would it be like if he didn't? He'd think about that from time to time, fantasize about it every time he got through a hard day of training.

What would it feel like to beat Blake? Or Yang?

Or Pyrrha?

He could hear the crowd - a wave of applause as he appeared on the big screen. Jaune felt like he could soak it all up, fill him in a way that left him hungry for nothing else. Huntsmen from all over would look at him and think ”That kid is the future” and ”He'll be one of the greatest.”

And in that moment, he could finally think that he deserved it. That he belonged at Beacon Academy.

But then the applause was gone - the people, the stadium, the trumpets, it all faded away. And he was back on the street, cars zooming on the overpass and only music to be heard was the rain pattering the pavement.

Jaune's smile dropped. How pathetic, just the thought of winning made him feel so good inside. But he wasn't going to win, so there was nothing to be happy about. It'd be satisfying enough to see one of his friends win. And Jaune would be fine in the background, clapping for them. No expectations, no responsibilities, no shining moment.

And that was perfectly fine.

Jaune continued down the road, letting drops of rain fall on his face as he listened to the sound of the city. Maybe if he was quick enough, he could catch a car and just let it take him someplace. It didn't matter where, so long as it wasn't here anymore.

He wanted to run. He was running. But he wasn't going to get away, not because he couldn't, but because he there wasn't anywhere to run to.

With most things, he knew that once the night was over, he'd feel better. He wouldn't care anymore.

Jaune grabbed a railing.

A small one that lead to an apartment complex, creating a small corner that could be occupied by any one person. A place no one would bother him. Where he could be easily ignored by the passersby.

Good enough.

Jaune sat in the corner, both arms wrapped around one leg. His leaned his head back, staring emptily at the dead sky.

He couldn't cry for some reason, maybe because he felt numb or too resigned to let out any emotion. But it felt good that think that the angels were crying for him.

The tournament was just a wake up call to his inferiority. But he knew that now, at least by not entering, he felt like he was in control. That he had decided what his fate would be before it could be slapped in his face.

”Hey, what's a kid like you doing out here?”

Jaune turned to see a man standing on the porch, back to him. He leaned against the railing himself with a cigar in hand.

”Nothing.” Jaune responded hoarsely.

”Nah, it's never nothing. Thing is, people don't really come out here just to sit in a corner in the rain. You look like a teen angst protagonist.”

”Or maybe I just want to be alone - and you're kind of in the way of it.”

”Sheesh, no need to bite. I was just curious, kid.”

Silence passed between them, with only the sounds of him puffing out smoke to interrupt it. Jaune looked at him again. He was just a stranger, its not like Jaune lost anything by just talking to him. Maybe he could at least blow off some steam with someone he'd never see again.

”I'm a little bummed out about the tournament. D'you know about it?”

”I live on Remnant, don't I?”

Jaune rolled his eyes. ”My friend wanted me to enter, but... I'm not gonna do well. I know she thinks I can but she doesn't get it.”

”Get it?”

”That there's no point in me trying, I'm gonna lose so it doesn't matter.”

”Hm...” He gave a slow nod, ”you're right, that makes sense.”

Jaune's heart fell. ”I-it does?”

”Yeah. If you already know what'll happen, why waste your time?”

Exactly, that's what he'd told Pyrrha. Jaune agreed wholeheartedly... so why did he feel that answer wasn't enough?

”I mean, I want to do good. I wanna be able to try my best but, that hardly amounts to what everyone else is capable of. I'm a weakling. The most I'd do is humiliate myself in front of the entire world so why even try?”

”Why try?” The man repeated, as if contemplating the words, letting the smoke slip out of his mouth. ”You've got it all figured out now, don't you?”

For some reason that irked him, and Jaune wondered if the man was smirking. ”What do you mean?”

”Exactly what I said. You have your answer, you know what you have to do. Why linger on it anymore?”

”Because I -” And Jaune stopped. Because what? What was he going to say?

”You're an idiot like the rest of 'em,” The man drawled, ”Tell me, have you ever thought you might be able to win? Have you at least considered it?”

He had. Whenever he hit a milestone in his training, whenever he learned something new, he'd think he was catching up. He'd imagine winning one day. Of climbing through the ranks and being the best he could be.

But they were just fantasies, there was no way he could pull them off in the tournament. So he wasn't going to enter.

”Yeah, I did.”

”But you don't want to try?”

”What's the point?”

”Maybe there isn't a point, but maybe there is.” The man shrugged, ”What artist looks at their work and thinks 'that's good enough'. What mechanic finds a flaw in a machine and doesn't try to fix it? Some, sure, but those aren't the ones that get the promotion.”

The man nodded as if reminding himself of that. ”We've got very limited time in this world, so I take what I need. And what I want. No one cares for a street rat, so what is he to do? Crawl up in a corner and wait to die? No, that's what idiots and quitters do. I'm neither.”

”I did what I told myself to do. I was a plucky little shit, good with my hands. And I made mistakes, but I also learned. Now, I've got everything I need, and the world keeps turning, so there is even more to want. And I'm not afraid to get out there and take it.”

The man paused for a moment, as though he needed to find the right words to continue. ”You want to be a winner, kid? Then quit whining. Roll up your sleeves and get to work.”

”I... I'll fail.”

”I'm not saying you'll win. In fact, I doubt a guy like you even has a chance.”

”Thanks...”

”But I'm not saying you'll lose, either. So stop with your pity party, it's irritating.” The man looked over, pointing his cigar at him, ”Don't be the guy that lets good things slip away, and don't let your fear convince you not to fight for what you want.”

Jaune just stared. Enticed by the single green eye that bore into his blue. There was a story there, hardship - someone who scr_a_p_ed the bottom of the barrel until he could build a kingdom.

That's what Jaune wanted.

”Build a palace out of the mud. Scr_a_p_e strength out of blood and tears. You want to taste victory, so why are you out here wasting time?”

Jaune's mouth opened, but he found that he had nothing to say. Unsure what to make of his brazen but hardened advice. He made it sound so simple, like it the most obvious answer to his problem.

But it couldn't be. Right?

”Or you could just be the street rat, sit in your little corner and die,” Then man flicked away his cigar, adjusting his hat as he walked off, ”But if you ask me, that's a shitty way to go out.”

Jaune stood, watching the man walk off. Was that all he had to say? Was it really as simple as he was making it sound?

No, it wasn't simple. He wasn't saying that at all.

”Who are you?” Jaune called out.

But he'd already vanished.

~TA~

Pyrrha's eyes flew open as soon as she heard the door creak. Thankfully she'd left a light on, otherwise she might not have seen his face.

”You're still awake?” Jaune asked, hair slicked to his face.

”Yes, I was waiting for you,” Pyrrha sat up, ”I wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier. It wasn't right to put so much pressure on you... I just wanted you to try. I wanted you to see the fruits of your training in a real competition, but I failed to take your feelings into consideration.”

It was a failing of hers that she didn't expect to come out. She still thought Jaune was making a mistake, but it was out of her hands, she had to respect whatever choice he made.

”No, I'm sorry, Pyrrha.” Jaune shook his head, ”You were right. I need to try, no matter how much I think it won't matter. I shouldn't have let my anger out on you when you just wanted to help. So, I'm sorry - I should have listened to you.”

Wait, really? Well, thats was great! Did that mean he...?

”I-it's fine, so... does that mean you are going to compete?”

”Better.” Jaune said, shrouding them in darkness upon turning off the light. The boy laid on his bed, and even though Pyrrha couldn't see his face, it didn't take away the power in his last words of the night.

”I'm gonna win.”

Welcome readers to my new fic, Tournament Arc.

The way the tournament was handled in canon wasn't exactly a flaw since its entire purpose served the larger plot, in that sense the tournament didn't have any real stakes or reasons for the MCs to win it.

So lets take out the main plot and make the tournament important.

So this story focuses on Jaune, but also other characters who want to win the tournament. I will say though that this will not be the same style tournament as we've seen in canon.

Hopefully you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next one.

ISA

Chapter 2

The ones who want to win

A protest - her hands cried out for rest. And they'd get it. Later.

Arslan's fingers trembled as if they were going to break off, and even just holding up the spoonful of oatmeal proved to be strenuous on her. The burn in her muscles drove home the overexertion she'd promised not to put herself through again.

So much for that.

”Ars, you good?” Reese's voice drew her eyes, ”Training again?”

”Yeah, I did it again,” Arslan admitted, setting down her spoon to rub her wrist, ”And I know I shouldn't have, no need to lecture me.”

Reese's glare was a brief one, quickly replaced by an admonished sigh and a knowing wave of her fork, ”You're really gonna bust up your arms, dude. Like, seriously.”

”She's right,” Nadir added sternly, ”You remember what happened the last time you pushed yourself too far? Are you really trying to cripple yourself before the tournament?”

”I'll be fine,” Arslan grumbled, ”I appreciate it but I learned my lesson, I know when I've pushed myself too far.”

Reese pointed at Arslan's hands. ”And that isn't too far?”

”Do they look broken to you?”

It was a cheap thing to say, Arslan could admit, especially since they were only showing their concern. But it was for nothing, she was perfectly fine - the recoil effects would only bother her for another hour or so.

”Anyway, can we talk about something else?” Arslan pitched, ”I heard you were exploring campus, Reese.”

The girl brightened at that, as she usually did. The girl was an explorer by nature - hadn't been at Beacon for a day before the girl was zooming through the Emerald Forest to see the ruins. In seconds, the girl was deep into her tale, Bolin passively nodding as he ate his breakfast.

”You said you were gonna slow down.” Nadir suddenly whispered.

”Yeah well, I lied. Sorry.”

”Are you?”

She wanted to say she was, but knew by now that Nadir was not quite as gullible as Reese or passive as Bolin. She could have punched him in the face, and he would still call her out on her faults. He was lucky she appreciated a partner like that.

”You won't win the tournament like that.”

”And what am I supposed to do, huh? Be lax? Maybe you don't remember who is in it.”

Nadir's interlocked fingers tightened, though perhaps not for the same reason Arslan's did whenever she was brought up. ”I get it, okay? But you are pushing yourself too hard. Start relying on us. You might be the leader but that doesn't mean you can do everything on your own.”

”I've gotten everywhere I am today on my own, alright? I don't need your damn advice, got it?”

The table shook as Nadir's fist struck. ”Ars -

”Pyrrha! Hey, over here!”

Arslan tensed, looking over at Reese, mouth agape. What the hell was she doing? She might have told her to stop, but Pyrrha had already noticed, moving through the horde of students to reach them.

”Be nice.” Nadir said, sitting back in his seat as the redhead approached. Arslan rolled her eyes, choosing to get back to eating her breakfast.

She had nothing to say to Pyrrha.

”Whats up?” Reese asked just as the girl arrived, ”I saw you around ever since we got here but never got to talk to you.”

”I suppose I've just been caught up with everything at Beacon, its a lot to keep up with,” Pyrrha smiled, ”Are you still doing missions for the AC?”

”You know it! Tell you what though, its hard to find stuff in Sanus. The whole countryside is plucked dry of anything good!”

Pyrrha chuckled. ”Don't pretend you actually care about preserving ancient artifacts, Reese.”

Reese feigned heartbreak, seething he teeth. ”You hurt me. Anyway, how about you? Still kickin' a_s_s at the top of the class?”

”Ah well, something like that...”

This again. It always came to this subject, and sometimes Arslan wondered if Reese purposefully did it just to get on her nerves. She wasn't of course, Reese was much more considerate than that, the problem lied in that she didn't think ahead. Didn't consider how her actions could affect people.

How they currently affected her.

Arslan did her best to tune out as her team conversed with Pyrrha (the traitors), trying to find a distraction in her breakfast. Their laughter ate her for some reason - like scratching styrofoam. Even her won't eyes betrayed her, sneaking a glance at the redhead as she listened to Reese's wild tales.

Whatever.

”Um... hello, Arslan.”

Breathe.

”Pyrrha.” Arslan responded curtly.

”How have you been?”

”Fine.”

”That's good.”

”It is.”

Arslan's hadn't noticed how quickly heart was beating until then, and the very action made it feel like her hands were shaking even more. The feeling was familiar - like a pot of water left on the burner for too long. Sizzling like a flame gone on too long, a flame ignited by Pyrrha.

That Arslan wanted nothing more than to snuff out.

”I've heard you are doing great in combat class,” Pyrrha continued, ”Of course, you were always good at that. Every time I see you, you've gotten even stronger... I'm a little envious.”

”Envious, huh? Thats funny.”

”What?”

”I don't really see what you envy me for, Champion,” Arslan's eyes narrowed, ”Or are you just making fun of me?”

”N-no...” Pyrrha stammered, ”I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry.”

I'm sorry. Even after months of being away from her, those words still made Arslan boil inside, still made her want to punch the girl in her teeth.

”Arslan, I wanted to -

”Pyrrha, go away.”

The blonde ignored the shocked looks from her teammates, she couldn't blame them, they were on good terms with Pyrrha. But the champion herself didn't look at all surprised, she shouldn't have been - dejected, maybe, but she'd get over it. It didn't matter to Arslan.

Because Pyrrha had shown that it didn't matter to her either.

”Ars...”

”I told you not to call me that anymore. Who the hell do you think you are?”

”Its not like that, I'm just -

”Just what? Trying to shove your weight around? We get it, Pyrrha, you're the best, you can stop reminding us.”

”Why does it always have to come back to that?” Pyrrha said a bit more forcefully, ”Am I not allowed to come over and talk to you?”

”I'm going to let you figure that out. I don't recall your memory being so shitty.”

”That was years ago, why does -

Arslan hit the table this time. And the power reverberating through it sounded like a firecracker. The murmurs of the cafeteria were silenced, the entire world on pause as Arslan stood before the enemy.

Yet another familiar feeling, standing face to face with the mistral champion. At the cusp of success, only she stood in the way. Very rarely was it anyone else, in fact, Arslan hadn't heard of anyone who had gotten so close.

But she was. Arslan was very close, she could feel it.

She wished she could see anger in Pyrrha's face, maybe irritation, anything other than that stupid blank stare, like somehow she was so better than everyone that she felt nothing toward them.

Oh but it would be soon that her stare turned to shock and defeat. Until then…

”Hit the road, Pyrrha. Now.”

And a few moments later, she did. It was kind of funny, Pyrrha could stand her ground against any enemy in a physical fight. But she never stood a chance when her feelings and mistakes were challenged. It was perhaps her only real weakness.

But not even Arslan would resort to that in the ring.

”Arslan, what the hell was that?” Reese asked just as the cafeteria returned to normal.

”That's what i want to know,” Arslan fired back, ”If you wanted to talk to Pyrrha, then you should have gone to her. I don't know what possessed you to think I wanted her around me.”

”I thought with all the time passed between you two, the tension might be gone...” Reese held her glare, ”Guess I was wrong.”

”You think?”

”This isn't somethin' to be okay with!”

”And why not?”

The two girls glared at one another, but Arslan refused to back down. She knew, maybe not everything, but she did know why Arslan refused to speak to Pyrrha. And that Reese had betrayed that, did she really expect to not be called out on it?

Nadir put a hand on his partner's shoulder. ”Ars, let it go.”

Arslan rolled her eyes and sat down. ”Fine. Whatever.”

Reese seethed. ”You know what-

”Stop.”

Everyone turned onto Bolin, the boy looking at all of them calmly. ”Is this how you ought to act toward one another? I'm ashamed to call you my teammates if you so choose to act like children.”

”Tch.” Arslan's eyes lowered, pursing her lips as the weight of his words hit her.

”Damn, Bolin,” Reese smiled weakly, ”That kinda hurts...”

”Apologize, both of you.”

”M-my bad, Ars, sorry...” Reese said, the worst part being that Arslan knew she was genuine.

Arslan held her tongue for a moment, looking at Nadir who gestured back to Reese. Then at Bolin, whose unwavering stare only punched a bigger hole in her gut. Did they have to make her look like the bad guy? She didn't have to apologize, she'd done nothing wrong. It was Reese's fault for bringing Pyrrha here.

But she was also her teammate.

”I'm sorry too,” Arslan sighed, ”I appreciate you thinking of me but I don't need your help with Pyrrha, alright? So don't do that again.”

Reese nodded and Arslan could tell she was not at all okay with it. But that was fine, it wasn't her problem to deal with.

Arslan looked over to the tables in the distance to find a red ponytail, its owner laughing alongside her teammates and another group of friends.

How many times had Arslan imagined that laughter at her expense? That Pyrrha was hiding behind that kind facade someone who enjoyed tearing other's dreams from them? At times it felt real, other times she thought she was exaggerating, but either way it didn't change Arslan's goal.

Soon enough, Pyrrha would be the one looking up.

Not Arslan.

~TA~

”Ruby might be a tough one...”

Red dashed in the arena - Sky's head whipped around, trying to keep his eye on her. But it was fruitless, Ruby had him the moment he let down his guard. He cried out as the girl's scythe shattered his aura, and even though he ducked the follow up, Ruby stabbed the blade into the floor.

Then, pivoting off the handle, two boots slammed the last bits of aura straight out of him, left crumpled on the floor.

”And that's the match.” called Goodwitch.

Jaune put his pencil in his mouth as he clapped for her, smiling as little as Ruby bowed before her pleased crowd.

Wish I had speed like that. Jaune thought, getting back to his notes. That was her greatest strength of course - a remarkable speed semblance that bordered teleportation at its peak. She was uncontested the fastest fighter of their year.

With her semblance, anyway.

She relied on it a lot, Jaune noticed. It was perhaps obvious to anyone who studied her long enough, but unfortunately Jaune was a slow learner. But he learned still, and what a better time to figure it out than now?

Professor Goodwitch called on the next pair but the most Jaune had heard was Yang, and unless it was Pyrrha or Weiss, he doubted it going any other way. He watched from the corner of his eyes as Ruby returned to her seat, her teammates praising her performance. All the while Jaune went over everything he saw in her match.

He'd only fought Ruby a few times and those had gone about as well as he expected.

With speed and such a big weapon at her disposal, Jaune could barely do anything against her. His defenses held strong, but only if he was fast enough to keep up with her. Not to mention her sniping skills, which forced him to stay grounded while she chipped at his aura.

She could be offensive or defensive and win either way.

But…

She's weak inside the range of her scythe, Jaune penned down. Crescent Rose was at its strongest in mid-range, since she could wall opponents out with the shaft while attacking with the blade.

In each match he'd had with her, he'd gotten a few hits in. Which almost even out their auras when he got a solid blow. While Ruby's strikes were fast, they were just scratches against his aura. Jaune could land one hit and make a significant dent in her weaker aura.

It really came down to who pressed the advantage first.

He'd gotten started on this process since the morning, and even all last night he could help but think about all the potential matchups he might struggle in. Unfortunately there were a lot.

His attention was drawn back to the arena as Yang faced some unlucky fellow. He must have known his fate, because the spear shivered in his hands.

Yang wasn't top three for no reason.

In retrospect, Jaune would have thought Yang was a tough matchup for him. He'd fought her plenty of times and got destroyed, but not as quickly as most did.

Her offense and his defense were hard counterbalances to one another. Yang's hits punched holes in his aura, but it still took the damage better than everyone else. He could even remember the times Yang was short of breath fighting him, he still got beaten in the end but the point was that, if he played it right, he could outlast her.

Unless she used her semblance.

In which case, he was screwed only if she managed to hit him. But Yang was also linear with her attacks and often telegraphed them with hard wind-ups. Of course, her speed was greater than his so it still made them hard to dodge.

He was simply too slow to evade.

In no less than a minute, Yang's opponent was down. A knock-out, not unusual for her. And Goodwitch called the boy's teammates to bring him to the infirmary.

”I feel you, brother.” Jaune saluted him.

”Practice more restraint, Miss Xiao Long,” Professor Goodwitch stated, ”Emotions can give you strength in battle, but used carelessly, your opponent could take advantage of it.”

Yang nodded but it looked like she was listening more to her applause than the advice. Poor Miss Goodwitch, barely anyone really took her teachings to heart right away. Jaune did however, he benefited the most from it. He looked at Yang's golden locks as he thought about what the professor said…

Restraint… Jaune penned it down right beside the girl's name.

”Whatcha working on, leader my leader?” Nora chirped suddenly.

”Uh,” Jaune scrambled to close his book, ”Nothing!”

”Nothing means something in bullshit-anese, Jauney,” Nora reached for his book, ”Reveal your secrets, mortal!”

”Nora!” Jaune struggled to keep his friend at bay. His teammates were totally not laughing at him right now, he was imagining it.

”Attention!”

The class hushed as Goodwitch called them to attention. ”As you know, the Vytal Tournament is coming up in two weeks. Submissions will end three days before so if you wish to participate, do not forget to put your entry.”

Jaune hadn't forgotten, he'd signed up this morning. Two weeks was a decent amount of time to get training done, he didn't know exactly what to focus on but he was figuring it out now. Maybe it was fruitless, maybe it would all amount to nothing.

But he wanted to win.

He wanted to show the world who he was and what he could do. And prove that he belonged at Beacon, there was no better way to do than to win the biggest tournament in history. Even if it was easier said than done.

A pale blue light projected into a big screen from Goodwitch's scroll, showing the Amity Coliseum. A tournament bracket showed up as well, with a visage of two fighters going at it.

”This year, the tournaments theme is 'individuality'. To test the limits of our first years as they stand alone. Consider it, at this time, the deciding factor for the true dominating students in your year's rankings.”

So one on one matches... Jaune nodded. That made things infinitely harder, but also simpler. He could focus on beating one opponent at a time, which made strategizing much more important. Plus, the focus on who stood above the other made the competition more appealing.

It was an official declaration that the winner of the tournament would be considered the strongest rookie of the year.

Weiss raised her hand. ”But would that not take a lot of time? If everyone who signs up competes in this format, it could take several days for the tournament to end. Which, with the allotted time the Festival provides, is more time than we have.”

”You are correct, Ms. Schnee, but we have thought of that,” The image switched, showing the huge arena and multiple black dots around it, ”Of everyone that enters, only 16 will actually be competing. We have a large number this year, which is why we shall be having preliminaries.”

Jaune's heart dropped.

Goodwitch held up three fingers. ”3 events. All of which will test your practical skills as Huntsmen and Huntresses, with specific rules tied to each. But your goal is simple - remain within the top 16 by the end, and you will have qualified.”

”Top 16...” Jaune murmured.

”Nervous?” Ren asked.

”A little...” The odds weren't quite so bad since it was 16 whole spots, but as Goodwitch said, their year was large. Everyone would be fighting for those spots which meant that placings would be erratic.

The preliminaries favored the consistent winners. Ensuring only the best won.

”Now, there are two preemptive rules that you must know before the preliminaries, be sure to remember them because they are key to ensuring you are prepared.”

The word 'Teams' popped up on screen. A red slash cut through it.

”Number 1, for the remainder of the event: Teams are temporarily disbanded for the tournament and teammate bias is highly discouraged.”

Everyone's questions fired off at the same time, and even Jaune had to wonder why such a rule was in place. Goodwitch silenced the crowd before resuming.

”As this tournament focuses on individual progress, it would do you well not allow feelings for your teammates to affect your performance. A Huntsmen strive must strive for self-improvement, to be ever better than his previous self. Comraderie is important, but over reliance on it can lead to a stunt in individual growth.”

Glynda adjusted her glasses, those hawk-like eyes challenging them to argue. ”I can assure you, no Huntsmen worth his salt would see himself less than his peers. So strive for the gold, because only those at the top can become the protectors our world needs.”

Jaune let out a breath. She was absolutely right, none of them could afford to let personal feelings get in the way of winning. Going in, he knew that, otherwise why would he have said what he said to Pyrrha? If he wanted to win, he could not allow friendship to get in the way of that.

It was something he was sure everyone knew, but now it had been engraved into their minds.

From this point on, everyone was an enemy.

”The second and final pre-emptive rule: For first two events, weaponry is banned.”

”…”

Wait, what?

”Wait, what!?” Ruby shrieked at the top of her lungs, ”But thats - you can't... it's not fair!”

”I assure you it is perfectly fair. As I said before, these preliminary trials will test all of your abilities as Huntsmen. Weapons are important yes, but so is physicality, mentality, environmental awareness and the ability to adapt in a rough situations.”

”B-but...”

”Those are the rules Miss Rose. Or am I to believe that you are incapable of performing without a weapon? Perhaps we ought to return you to prep school, that you may learn a Huntsman's job is not as simple as 'swing and slash'.

Humiliated, the girl sat down with her head hung. Jaune felt for her.

This drastically affected the both of them.

This would be rough on Ruby then since her greatest weakness was that she was weak without Crescent Rose. Jaune was pretty confident that even he could beat her if she didn't have it.

But of course, where did this nerf leave him? Without a shield to protect him or a sword to do damage, how was he supposed to fight?

The only tool everyone shared would be aura. And unfortunately that was where Jaune found an even bigger problem.

He knew basic aura control, using it to protect himself and even strengthen some of his swings. But it lacked depth and he was hardly consistent with it so he used it very sparingly. So without a weapon or a specialized aura mechanic, what did he have going for him?

”A Huntsman must be able to adapt in any situation and overreliance in one aspect is a surefire way to fail,” The Professor said, ”Use the time to you have effectively students, as only the most prepared shall grasp victory.”

Jaune didn't miss the way her eyes roved over her students, over him. All of which she was accusing of this problem.

This was was a setback, but Jaune could still figure something out. He had time, he just needed a solid plan.

He would not let this stop him.

~TA~

Arrrgh! This was totally stopping him!

Jaune trudged the halls with the vigor of a slug, his shoulder dragging on the wall as he wracked his brain for answers. Ever since the rules were explained, Jaune had tried his best to figure out a solution to his problem. But nothing worked!

His team offered to help but he'd promptly refused. He'd have loved the help but didn't want them wasting their time on him, they needed to focus on their own training.

Plus, it was better that none of them knew whatever tricks he cooked up. And looking at his situation now, he was going to need a lot of them. His current obstacle at the moment was finding a broader application of aura, and using it more diversely than he had before.

Ren could project his aura through physical attacks, which Jaune was quick to do research on. But apparently those techniques took years to master and access to them was rare, so it would be utterly useless in battle for him.

And then he thought about Blake and her sword beam... thing. She used it rarely but when she did, not even Yang took the attack well. It could cut through almost anything, which would make it invaluable as an offensive move.

Unfortunately the technique was also hard to use and was extremely taxing on aura. Blake apparently learned it from an old friend but when Jaune had asked to see if she could introduce them, she got all fl_u_s_tered.

”Jaune, he's not going to want to meet you.”

”Why not?”

”He's... shy...”

And then she ran away. Fast. Ruby always did say that Blake was a weird one.

Still that left him with pretty much nothing to go on, and Jaune shoved his hands in his pockets as he thought. There had to be something... something he could learn quickly enough that could give him a useful edge in the prelims.

But what? And who could teach it to him?

”Yaah!”

A yell, a girl. And as soon as he heard it, Jaune caught the sound of a crash nearby. From... one of the training rooms?

Jaune rounded the corner right away, stopping at the door to catch someone moving.

But not just moving. Jumping.

The girl was like a spring, bouncing from each end of the walls, kicking off with more force than the last. But it was elegant and clean, picking up speed like a runaway ball. She was a blur just like Ruby, but it felt more organic... more natural.

The girl landed and then Jaune saw it. Her feet.

And the aura that hugged them.

Like a thunderclap, she blasted off the floor leaving not a single trace. Her shorts and t-shirt flapped against the wind as she flew. She landed on all fours on the ceiling, then pushed off immediately to the left wall.

And she did it all over again, hopping like a frog. Abound like a kangaroo.

Bouncy like a…

”Velvet?” Jaune whispered.

He'd recognized her ears, the only rabbit faunus in school. She was a second year if he remembered correctly and early in the year had been harassed by Cardin. He couldn't lie, since that was his initial view of her, he thought she wasn't very strong.

But damn was he wrong.

How in the world was she doing that? Jaune marveled as he watched her go, the aura swirling about her b_a_r_e feet as she speed blitzed the walls. She made it look so easy, and admittedly fun. With movement like that, she could probably dodge or outrun anything.

He could dodge or outrun anything��

Jaune barely noticed he was staring when Velvet finally stopped, the girl rubbing her face with a towel as she took a break. Jaune stepped forward, anxious to say something but he didn't want to interrupt her.

Brown eyes found his.

Startled at having been caught, Jaune made haste down the hall, shaking his head free of the thoughts. There was no way she'd help him. She was second year and probably had a much busier schedule than him.

Dumb. Idiot. It was a stupid idea.

And yet Jaune continued to look back.

~TA~

”This is gonna suck!”

Weiss shook her head as her leader ranted on and on. It had been nonstop for days, Weiss would've thought Ruby would get tired of it by now.

She'd underestimated her.

”Its not a big deal, Rubes.” Yang said, dangling upside down from her bed. The younger sibling glared, ”Alright, maybe for you it is but hey, you don't really care about winning anyway.”

”But I still wanna try! What am I supposed to do without Crescent Rose?” Ruby exclaimed, ”And fix your shirt, Yang.”

”Oh my bad,” The blonde grinned, ”What, sometimes the girls gotta breathe a little, right Blakemeister?”

”Blakemeister?” The faunus questioned.

”It'll catch on.”

”Guys, come on!” Ruby stomped her foot, which just so happened to land on one of Zwei's squeaky toys. It seemed not even the universe wanted to take Ruby seriously.

She'd realize sooner or later that she had to figure out something. Like Goodwitch said, a Huntress needed to adapt.

After all, the ruleset badly affected Weiss too.

Myrtenaster had been the conduit for her semblance and Dust manipulation. A focal point to focus on as she put years of mental training to use. The feeling of it in her hand, the handle she'd grown so accustomed to... would not be with her in the field.

Which was scary.

Thankfully, Weiss had thought ahead and asked Professor Goodwitch the specifics of the second rule when class was dismissed.

”To be clear, Professor, you said absolutely no weaponry, correct?”

”That is correct, Miss Schnee.”

”Does that include equipment?”

”It does, armor and specialized tools are prohibited.”

”And Dust?”

Professor Goodwitch grinned. ”Very astute, Miss Schnee.”

The lack of Myrtenaster would hurt her combat ability, but Weiss was confident that the preliminaries weren't strictly fighting. Goodwitch had said it challenged many aspects of their training, and each event had different rules.

Meaning they likely wouldn't be as predictable as fighting Grimm.

Weiss did have her semblance, it wouldn't be too hard to control without her weapon. Though with her average aura, she still had to worry about the cost of using it.

The girl looked at her arm, then the blue energy swirling inside a vial. Dust. It was archaic but it wasn't against the rules since it was not a weapon, but rather energy propellant. Ice was a key part of her fighting style, and she knew for sure she'd need it. Its versatility was too great to just leave behind.