The Main Man

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"Dialogue"

{Scroll}

[Cardin Winchester]

No one knows how hard it is to be The Main Man.

The strongest, most handsome, dominating, brilliant, charismatic, and powerful guy in all Beacon. You know what? I am even conscientious enough to not think that I'm the best in the world. After all, I still need to go to the other kingdoms to show how awesome I am before being declared the top dog of all Remnant.

Most of the mob fear my greatness and shy away from me when I approach, and the idiots who think they're better than me get jealous and scowl when I'm around.

Even great men would crumble in my solitary and unique position, but I'm not a great man.

I am Cardin Winchester, the GREATEST of all men, the only thing greater than my grandeur is my humility and charity in gracing everyone with my presence.

Not that the idiot teachers or classmates could show at least an ounce of gratitude for the blessing that is being in my presence.

A bunch of ungrateful assholes, all of them.

I know I shouldn't feel anger towards the idiots; after all, my greatness is both a blessing and a curse. But there's one student who deserves all my hatred and disdain.

Jaune Arc.

How on earth did this idiot survive 4 weeks at Beacon being beaten in all his fights? I think even Ruby's, that pedobait could defeat him, even unarmed.

Weak, ugly, submissive, idiotic, repulsive, and insignificant. I have no idea how a loser like him got into the top Hunter school in the four kingdoms, but I would love to do everyone a favor by sending him home crying, preferably on a stretcher.

"Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester in their positions," announced Goodwitch in the center of the ring.

And today, I might have that opportunity.

In my position, I appear wearing my silver-gray armor with golden accents, wielding The Executioner, my heavy mace, in my hand. On the other side, Jaune was wearing his usual beggar's clothes, wielding his clown shield in his left hand.

Although it's fun to beat up on Arc, the fights with him were quite drawn-out. The coward hides behind that insufferable shield, and with his abnormally large Aura, he lasts a long time.

But today, he seemed different, confident, with a smirk on his idiotic face that screamed for me to crush him with my heavy mace.

"For today's fight, we have special conditions requested by Jaune Arc."

The entire room began to whisper in surprise at the decision. Unlike the rest of those losers, I was already aware of the special conditions.

In the morning, I received an official communication from Beacon on my scroll that Jaune Arc had challenged me to a duel in front of all the first-year students during Goodwitch's class.

Dueling is not rare; Beacon encourages students to use these duels as an opportunity to grow as hunters, even if the students use duels to settle ego disputes.

"The fight will have no time limit, no ring-out disqualifications. Only when someone's Aura reaches the red zone, knockout, or surrender will I stop the fight."

"Ha!" I couldn't help but laugh cruelly.

It seemed as if Jaune were asking to be beaten like a son of a bitch on Father's Day.

"In addition to the duel conditions, student Jaune Arc has requested student Cardin Winchester's permission for this fight to be recorded."

The Jaune boy, I thought, smiling at the blond idiot; you're going to make me very happy today.

"He can record whatever he wants, as long as the video is made available for everyone to see on the official Beacon forum."

Jaune agreed to my condition for recording the fight; after all, why limit the humiliation of the dork knight? Let's let the entire school admire his incompetence.

"Prepare," the teacher announced, placing her hand between us.

I smiled cruelly when an idea popped into my head. Why not make Johnny Boy's humiliation even more embarrassing?

"Fight."

Immediately, Jaune raised his shield, hiding behind it like a coward, and drew his new pistol.

In response, I spread my arms wide.

The entire room began to whisper quietly, confused by my actions. Jaune, being the idiot that he was, did nothing.

"Mr. Winchester!" shouted the old hag. "The fight has already begun."

Ha! Kindness of the teacher to call this execution a fight.

"I just want to help my friend, teacher."

Jaune looked at me with a raised eyebrow, not understanding.

"The first hit is on the house, Arc. Because I don't want you to cry about not having a chance when I'm wiping your face on the ground.

The confusion disappeared from Arc's face instantly, replaced by a strangely friendly smile.

"Thanks, Cardin."

You won't be thanking me after I humiliate you, you blond idiot.

"Ammunition 4," Jaune said, and his pistol whirred, and lights lit up.

"What the hell-." Before I could finish the sentence, Jaune fired his weapon into my chest.

The shot caused less than 1% of aura damage, but a strange gray mist covered my body upon impact.

"What the hell is th-this-argh!" Suddenly, I felt an intense, burning sensation on my face and in my eyes.

It felt like millions of needles were piercing my skin. My vision instantly blurred, and tears began to flow involuntarily from my eyes. My throat burned, and it felt hard to breathe.

It was as if something hot and spicy was taking over me. Instinctively, I tried to rub my eyes with my left hand to alleviate the sensation, but it only made things worse. The pain spread to my hands, and I felt even more disoriented.

Was this smoke? What did Jaune hit me with?

All I wanted was to get out of that area and find a place where I could wash my face and relieve the unbearable burning.

"Ammunition 5," Jaune spoke again, followed by the sounds of his weapon.

"BAST-." I tried to shout, but all I could manage was to feel pain in my throat and breathe more smoke.

A bullet hit my left foot, just as weak as the previous one. Did he shoot more gas?

Was that the coward's plan? To blind me and cause pain just to make me surrender? Cardin Winchester doesn't surrender, especially not to a piece of crap like Jaune Arc.

My vision cleared enough to see a white figure with a yellow head. The gas cloud had also dissipated.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

My throat was sore, it felt like it was on fire. I made sure to shout as I raised my mace with both hands.

I took the first step toward Arc, but when I took the second, I fell flat on the ground.

What happened? I realized my left foot was stuck in some goo on the ground.

"ARC!" I yelled on the ground, pulling my foot, trying to free it.

The goo wasn't strong enough to hold me, but it was sticky and clung to the floor, making it hard for me to move. As soon as I got to my feet on the ground, I felt another shot hit my body, this time in my right foot.

When I moved my foot, I noticed Jaune had shot goo on it as well.

"COWARD!" I shouted with a sore throat and almost blind. "HAVE YOU NO HONOR?"

"Ammunition 1." It was his response.

I was so irritated by Jaunes lack of interest, I used my strength to get away from the ooze.

"Urgh!" Groaning, I managed to free my feet and began to walk slowly toward my opponent.

The sticky stuff didn't make me fall to the ground, but it made it hard for me to move around.

"YOU COWARD, FACE ME LIKE A MAN-." He interrupted my sentence with a shot to my chest.

Then he fired two more shots in the same area.

Fury and hatred began to boil within me. He was cheating with these special Dust rounds, but instead of using something like fire or explosions like a normal person, he stuck to this crap of restriction.

Treating me as if I were a weak little fag.

Jaune shot me again in the chest.

I didn't even feel the shots properly. Consumed by rage, I wielded The Executioner with both hands, channeling my aura into it, activating the red Dust crystal within my weapon. As soon as the Dust connected to my Aura, I activated my semblance, Outburst.

"FUUUUUUCK!" I roared as my body was enveloped in a layer of fiery energy, which then expanded into a fiery explosion, carrying a cloud of dust and debris.

Despite the blurred vision, I could see the fire expanding rapidly in a glorious explosion.

My semblance, Outburst, causes an omnidirectional Aura explosion from the user, and if I use Dust, I can add an elemental effect to the explosion. The problem was that I had spent too much Aura to cover the entire combat arena.

"At least… I got… that…" My throat didn't burn as before, but it still hurt. "Got that… SON OF A BITCH!"

In the midst of the dissipating smoke was a circle pointed in my direction, red and white stripes, with a white star in a blue circle.

That cunt crouched and hid behind his shield.

"What a neat trick." The coward said, getting up. "But you don't strike me as someone who prepares more than one Dust crystal of this quality, do you?"

Damn it! He was right, mainly because I don't need to use this combo more than once to win a fight.

"So what? The fire got rid of all your goo, and my vision is returning to normal," I cruelly smile in the direction of my victim, slowly walking towards him. "And it seems you're out of tricks." The coward cut me off with another shot to the chest.

"So-." I returned the favor by cutting him off with a precise blow in his direction.

KLANG!

I hate this shield.

I continued to hammer the clown shield, trying to make Jaune give in, but he took all my attacks without even trembling his arms.

If this keeps up, I'll get tired before this idiot does.

I aimed my blows higher, and Jaune covered his face to protect himself.

"Idiot." With his guard so high, his legs were unprotected.

I kicked his left knee with all my strength, and Jaune fell to the ground on his side. Taking advantage of the moment, I stepped on the arm with the shield, leaving the coward defenseless on the ground.

"No tricks, no shield, and cornered on the floor." I laughed loudly at my prey. "What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing," Jaune said with his usual carefree smile.

"Nothing? Why?"

"The fight's already over."

"End of the fight!" The teacher's voice echoed through the arena.

Hem? I didn't even hit him; how could I have won?

"Winner, Jaune Arc!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled, stomping heavily towards the teacher. "How did I lose if he didn't even hit me properly?"

Irritated, the teacher stared at me with disdain.

"Your Aura reached red, Mr. Winchester."

On the scoreboard, my Aura indicator was almost at the end in red, while Jaune's wasn't even yellow.

"HOW?!" I shouted, pointing my finger in that blonde cow's face.

With a sadistic smile, she replied, pointing her finger at my armor.

"See for yourself."

My eyes widened as I stared at the chest plate of my armor.

"What the hell is this?"

A large hole had opened in my chest, and at the edges of the hole, the metal was fragile and malleable. With my finger, I managed to tear off a piece of the edge. It was as if something had eaten away at my armor from the inside.

"It's ammunition 1, Cardin," Jaune answered without me having voiced my question aloud. "A pretty strong acid, but it takes time to work. My first shot was meant for you not to see or smell the acid in action, while the glue bullets were just meant to distract you and keep a safe distance."

I squeezed the weapon's handle so hard that my Aura manifested in my fist. If that damn Goodwitch wasn't here, I would pulverize this cowardly son of a bitch.

"He cheated!" I shouted. "This wasn't a fair fight."

"It wasn't," he replied, crossing his arms. "But I still won, and you lost, Cardiac."

"Ha, Cardiac!" Someone in the audience taunted.

"He was having trouble breathing for sure." commented another unfamiliar voice.

"It was disgusting; it looked like he was going to throw up." said a distant voice.

The murmurs started to increase, with conversations and laughter sprouting from various points where the student spectators were, and some began to point in my direction.

Were they laughing and making fun of me? Daring to mock Cardin Winchester, THE MAIN MAN?

"Silence!" The teacher exclaimed.

Professor Goodwitch, she will surely annul this fight, after all, this cowardly thief cheated from start to finish.

"Mr. Winchester, do you know why you lost this fight?"

"Of course I do! Because Arc fought like a cheater," my voice echoed through the room, making some students whisper. "He stayed far away and used these cowardly tactics."

My answer made the teacher frown disapprovingly.

"You accepted this fight because you wanted to. You also accepted all the changes Jaune requested without considering why he asked for them, and to make matters worse, when your aura was in the yellow, you burned more than 30% of your aura in a blind attack."

My fault?

"You're not a beginner; you have control over the intensity of your semblance. If you had used the minimum amount of aura, you would have freed yourself from the viscous substance and had a chance to notice the acid eating your aura and armor."

I fell silent, overwhelmed by the teacher's reprimand. I began to break out in a cold sweat, and my hands trembled as desperation took hold of me.

Did I lose? To that idiot? Am I weaker than Jaune Arc?

"No! No! NO!"

"JAUNE!" Nikos shouted from the audience.

Consumed by rage, I charged at Arc, raising my mace for a fierce blow.

"Ammunition 7." Arc said, firing at me.

Once again, I didn't even feel the impact on my body; the damn bullet didn't even slow down my charge.

"You'll have to do better than that!"

Close to the blond idiot, I swung my weapon with all my might towards his head, but my movement was paralyzed in the middle of the attack.

"Rurgh!" I groaned, trying to move my arms and legs, but my body was also paralyzed.

Had that Goodbitch used her Semblance to hold me?

"Did the leader turn Cardin into cotton candy?" The retard girl from his team asked.

With effort, I managed to look down, and to my surprise, I wasn't covered in Goodbitch's aura, but… foam?

"Mr. Winchester, attacking a fellow student after the fight has been declared over is not only a deplorable attitude, but also a crime."

The entire room began to murmur in surprise.

"If your fellow student wishes, he can file a formal complaint against you."

SHIT! In addition to that bastard winning a fight by cheating, he can send me to jail?

"What would you like to do, Mr. Arc?"

Despite the teacher's admonishment, Jaune seemed to be staring into space.

"Jaune!" the teacher exclaimed.

Despite Professor Goodwitch raising her voice, Jaune seemed lost in his thoughts.

What could that idiot be thinking at a time like this?

[Original Point of View]

Ammunition 01 = Acid Flask

0.5 MP per bullet

The acid causes little damage at first despite its long duration, but it's worth using because it's cheap and accumulates the effect with more shots.

Ammunition 04 = Blindpepper

1 MP per bullet

In the short term, it incapacitates multiple targets in the pepper gas cloud, limits the vision of the targets, and makes it difficult for them to breathe. The effect lasts for a short time, but it's worth using because it's area-effect and ignores aura defenses, making it one of the best ammunition.

Ammunition 05 = Tanglefoot Bag

0.5 MP per bullet

It didn't hold the target against the ground for long, but it at least limited their movements. If it weren't so cheap, it would be a useless special ammunition.

Ammunition 07 = Foam arrow

5 MP per bullet

Despite being costly, it immobilized the target within seconds, but the same target seemed capable of breaking the hardened foam if they applied more force. It's not worth using it against targets with aura or more powerful Grimms.

"MR. ARC!" Glynda shouted in front of me.

The shout startled me, and I dropped my weapon to the ground. But before it hit the floor, a purple aura surrounded the Lawgiver MK II, holding it in midair.

"Lost in thought, were you?" The green-eyed teacher asked with a smile.

In response, the whole room burst into laughter at my slip.

"He-he, sorry, teacher, I was mentally taking notes about the performance of the ammunition used in the fight."

"Hmm," Glynda murmured approvingly. "Although this is a praiseworthy attitude, given that Miss Schnee filmed this fight, it is possible to make notes at a later time."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied loudly and clearly.

Glynda opened a serene smile at my response. She had been on my case a lot about using her first name, so it was difficult for her to hide her approval when I addressed her correctly.

"What would you like to do with Mr. Winchester?" the teacher said in a serious tone.

"Huh?" I asked, not sure what was happening.

"Mr. Winchester committed a serious crime when he attacked you. It's up to you whether you want to press charges or not."

"A serious crime?" I repeated, not quite understanding what was going on.

"Attempted murder."

I whistled in surprise. That sounded like an exaggeration, but perhaps the laws were stricter when it came to people with awakened Auras abusing their powers.

Opposite me, Cardin was freeing himself from the foam, exerting more force with his limbs. Despite his frustration, the redhead also looked scared.

I could ruin his career as a Hunter.

Currently, I want to test the limits of the foam, but I'd deal with Cardin first.

"I want two things from Cardin. If he does them, I won't press charges."

Glynda raised an eyebrow, curious, but gestured for me to proceed.

"I would like a meeting with Cardin, at a location, time, and date of my choosing."

Frustrated, Cardin only nodded.

"And second…" I quickly took out my scroll and typed a text. "I want Cardin to say this out loud, and I'd like to record it."

Once I showed the text to them both, Cardin turned red with anger, and Glynda covered her mouth to hide a mocking smile.

"FUCK OFF!"

"MR. WINCHESTER!" the teacher's voice resounded throughout the arena, asserting her authority. "Mr. Arc has made you a proposition. You are not obliged to accept it, but his demands seem less 'onerous' than a formal accusation."

I turned to the students, looking for a silvery-haired heiress.

"Are you filming, Weiss?"

The heiress had recorded the fight. In addition to the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss was planning to approach the Atlas army with the help of Winter. The ammunition I used today, along with some more, would be sent to scientists working for the White Army.

I paused recording at the end of the fight. To be honest, I do not feel comfortable participating in the humiliation of a Beacon colleague, even if that colleague is… Winchester.

Cardin puffed up his chest and made finger guns, winking at Weiss. It was incredible how this guy had such an inflated ego even though he was covered in foam, glue, and his armor was eaten away by acid.

"Let me do it." Yang exclaimed, pointing her Scroll at Cardin.

Cardin stared furiously at the camera, but he swallowed his pride and started reading the text I had written.

"I just want everyone to know…" He paused and stared at me, frothing with anger. But I simply waved my hand for him to continue. "That I'm an idiot."

The whole room started to laugh quietly. They didn't intend to interrupt the speech. After all, Cardin hadn't stopped speaking.

"I'm a racist, arrogant, jerk, a spoiled brat who gets off on making other people's lives hell…"

"And…" I added to ensure he wouldn't stop.

"I promise not to harass any other Beacon students, be they faunus or human. If I break my promise, Jaune Arc has every right to use that disgusting paint on me. If someone needs to clean up the mess afterward, it will be Team CRDL's responsibility."

The rest of Team CRDL, who had been laughing in the stands, abruptly stopped in the face of the consequences that had spilled onto them.

Some students clapped, but most laughed at the Academy's number one bully. Cardin wasn't known for keeping his promises, but making this video public would make him more inclined to keep his word.

"I don't approve of students delegating cleaning responsibilities for future actions, but I will allow it since Mr. Arc has shown compassion and maturity by not filing a complaint against a fellow Huntsman."

Some students whispered, questioning whether punishing someone with a paint bath was 'mature'.

"With this matter settled, I would like to return to my class," Glynda commented as she approached the seated students.

Leaving us further away, Glynda pointed to Cardin and exclaimed loudly, "Mr. Winchester has made every possible mistake. In addition to what I mentioned about accepting a fight on the opponent's terms, he also fought recklessly against unconventional tactics head on and underestimated Mr. Arc from start to finish, even when he proved to be a threat."

Cardin deflated instantly. It was the first time I'd seen the ginger with his head so low. A loss in front of the class, a failed attack, and a video admitting his errors must have finally shattered his ego.

Despite the lecturing tone, some students were still chuckling quietly during the teacher's speech.

"Now, Mr. Arc." I raised my head to face Professor Goodwitch. "Today, you demonstrated that creativity, versatility, and intelligence are indispensable tools in a Huntsman life."

She was an excellent educator. Even when praising me, the teacher didn't miss the opportunity to impart a crucial lesson to the young learners.

"No matter how strong and skilled you are in combat, no matter how powerful your Semblances are, I guarantee you that Grimm are a threat that must be taken seriously." Her dry and serious tone drew the attention of the few students who were distracted.

The student's mood took a sudden dip. They all squirmed in their seats, waiting for the teacher to continue.

"Some of you might be thinking, 'I'm a great fighter who wouldn't lose to any Grimm in battle.'" The mocking tone caught several students off guard, but they remained silent, focused on the lesson. "Congratulations, but what if you have to face a horde of 100 Grimms?"

Some students whispered confidently, as if they were interested in such a challenge.

"Is it possible to handle 100 Grimms with the help of your team?" Glynda asked rhetorically. "And how about a horde of a thousand Grimms while you have to protect a village?" The students' murmurs started to subside. "And what about 5,000 Grimms while you have to protect a village and two unconscious teammates, bleeding to death without Aura?"

The room fell into a funereal silence. Most of the students were young, none of them even reached 20 years old. The only ones who truly understood the weight of Professor Goodwitch's questions were Ren and Nora because they had survived something similar with a powerful Grimm.

"One bullet to blind, four acids, and two glues," she said, pointing in my direction. "The student who had lost all of his official matches until today defeated one of the strongest combatants in this class with just seven shots. Despite improvement in training, Mr. Arc still has one of the weakest physical conditions in this room, and yet achieved victory with over 90% of his Aura."

The concluding statement astonished me. I knew my Aura was in the green, but not over 90%.

Some students whispered while looking at me as an idea, a possibility, took root in my mind.

I was getting stronger.

Glynda was right. My conditioning was weak, but I was strong enough not to lose outright. I'm going to start winning some fights, and that would give me a significant boost of confidence.

Today, I finally felt proud of myself. I knew I had much more to learn, but I was on the right path. I was ready to face any challenge that came my way.

"I dare say that Jaune Arc has the best mental and emotional conditioning among you all."

That feeling of pride and accomplishment was something I would never forget. What an incredible sensation it was to know that you could surpass your limits.

"And that's why he will never use special ammunition in combat in my classes again."

…

WHAT?!

"P-p-professor…" I stammered in shock at the teacher's decision. "May I know the reason?"

With a smile, the teacher replied.

"It became evident today that you don't need training when it comes to unconventional combat methods." Her tone was lighter and somewhat mocking.

I took a deep breath as the students began to giggle at my predicament.

"But when it comes to direct combat, physical aptitude, and the use of Aura, you still have a long way to go." As she finished speaking, the students started to laugh loudly.

How do I win and still lose?

Although it wasn't meant maliciously, I still didn't feel comfortable being the target of the entire class's laughter and ridicule. My team was laughing at me, waving in my direction, and even Ren was smiling.

This must be the first time I'd seen the guy's teeth.

Just when I was feeling so good, I got hit with a cold shower. What more could happen today?

"Professor Ozpin wants to speak with you." the teacher whispered for my ears only.

It better be free money.

___________________________________________

E aí gurizada?

As always, I would like to start by thanking everyone who encourages me to continue this story with expressions of gratitude.

My original idea for this fight was to freeze Cardin in ice, but I ended up changing it. 

I had even created an image for it using AI.

…

I'm on Twitter (@AvipBr), where you can find AI artwork from my stories.

To the coments:

—daniel_rahn:

honestly i really loved the chap, Glad to see Some good Lancaster, Also blake seems to became mc's stalker and P*rn Traffiker of jaune without his knowledge i cant explain how fun is that. Also love Weiss B*tchslap to his father, After all its so obvious mc's tech is 1000 times better than anything remanent has, if only one of these projects comes to light he will basically lose 60% even 80% of his Profit, besides loosing his monopoly. Cant wait to see winter and Ironwood try to get Jaune too, Maybe even sent some of the girls of the Ace OPs to Seduce him ''undercover'' and convince him to work with them xD. Keep the good work.

—Response= I can see already.

General sends Harriet and Elm to deal with Jaune.

Harriet has the mission to seduce the MC, Elm is sent to provide support.

Mc prefers Elm.

"I will talk to Jimmy if Elm either sits on my face or crushes my head on her thighs".

—boss.bayras:

Seriously, no one noticed the Easter egg on Gurren Lagann?

—Response= I hope more people noticed.

—SpookyMarine40k:

Bolt gun? 

Bolt gun!

—Response= Huuuuuum… maybe.