13 Chapter 13: Far out

It was a chilly morning at Beacon Academy, and the students were gathered in the training hall for their combat class. Professor Glynda Goodwitch was supervising the sparring matches, and she had paired up Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc for the first round.

Cardin was a tall and muscular boy, with red hair and a smug grin on his face. He wielded a large mace called The Executioner, which could also fire dust projectiles. He was the leader of Team CRDL, and he enjoyed bullying the weaker students, especially Jaune.

Jaune was a blond and scrawny boy, with blue eyes and a nervous smile. He carried a sword and shield called Crocea Mors, which were passed down from his ancestors. He was the leader of Team JNPR, and he had a crush on Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company and a member of Team RWBY. He had lied about his transcripts to get into Beacon, and he had no combat experience or skill.

The two boys stood on opposite sides of the arena, ready to fight. Cardin looked confident and arrogant, while Jaune looked scared and hesitant.

"Begin!" Glynda announced, and the match started.

Cardin wasted no time and charged at Jaune, swinging his mace with brute force. Jaune barely managed to block the attack with his shield, but the impact sent him flying back. He landed on his back, and Cardin followed up with another swing.

"Come on, Arc, is that all you got?" Cardin taunted, as he tried to smash Jaune's head. "You're pathetic! You don't belong here! You're a fraud and a coward!"

Jaune rolled to the side, dodging the mace by inches. He got up and tried to counter with his sword, but Cardin easily parried it with his mace. He then kicked Jaune in the stomach, making him gasp for air.

"Ow! Stop it, Cardin! That hurts!" Jaune cried, as he clutched his stomach. "Why are you so mean to me? What did I ever do to you?"

Cardin laughed and grabbed Jaune by the collar. He lifted him up and threw him across the arena. Jaune crashed into a wall, and his sword and shield fell out of his hands.

"You did nothing, Arc. That's the problem. You're useless. You're a waste of space. You're a joke. And I'm going to make you pay for it." Cardin said, as he picked up his mace and walked towards Jaune.

Jaune felt a surge of pain in his body, and he saw stars in his vision. He tried to get up, but he was too weak and dizzy. He looked around, and he saw his teammates and friends watching the match.

On one side, he saw Team RWBY, consisting of Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. They were four girls with different personalities and weapons, but they shared a bond of friendship and teamwork. Ruby was a cheerful and energetic girl, with silver eyes and a red hood. She wielded a scythe called Crescent Rose, which could also transform into a sniper rifle. She was the leader of Team RWBY, and she had a passion for hunting monsters and saving the world. Weiss was a cold and elegant girl, with white hair and a blue dress. She carried a rapier called Myrtenaster, which could channel different types of dust for various effects. She was the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, and she had a strict and refined upbringing. Blake was a quiet and mysterious girl, with black hair and a bow. She used a weapon called Gambol Shroud, which was a katana that could split into a pistol and a whip. She was a faunus, a human-animal hybrid, and she had a dark past involving a terrorist group called the White Fang. Yang was a hot-headed and fun-loving girl, with blonde hair and a yellow jacket. She had a pair of gauntlets called Ember Celica, which could fire explosive rounds. She was Ruby's older half-sister, and she loved to fight and party.

On the other side, he saw Team JNPR, consisting of Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and himself. They were four students with different backgrounds and abilities, but they shared a bond of friendship and loyalty. Nora was a hyperactive and cheerful girl, with orange hair and a pink dress. She wielded a hammer called Magnhild, which could also transform into a grenade launcher. She was an orphan, and she had a crush on Ren. Pyrrha was a calm and kind girl, with red hair and a green skirt. She used a spear and shield called Miló and Akoúo̱, which could also change into a rifle and a javelin. She was a famous and skilled fighter, and she had a crush on Jaune. Ren was a quiet and stoic boy, with black hair and a green outfit. He had a pair of guns called StormFlower, which could also be used as daggers. He was a survivor of a village that was destroyed by a monster, and he had a close friendship with Nora. Jaune was the leader of Team JNPR, and he had lied about his transcripts to get into Beacon. He had no combat experience or skill, and he had a crush on Weiss.

Jaune saw them cheering for him, and he felt a glimmer of hope.

"Go, Jaune! You can do it!" Ruby shouted, waving her scythe.

"Don't give up, Jaune! Show him what you're made of!" Yang yelled, pumping her fists.

"Fight back, Jaune! Don't let him bully you!" Blake said, nodding her head.

Weiss said nothing only raising an eyebrow.

Jaune felt his heart skip a beat, and he looked at Weiss with admiration. She was his crush, and he had tried to impress her many times, but she always rejected him. 

"Jaune, you're awesome! You're the best! You're the man!" Nora shouted, jumping up and down.

"You can do it, Jaune." Pyrrha said, smiling warmly.

"Jaune, you're... you're doing great." Ren said, giving a thumbs up.

Jaune felt a wave of gratitude, and he looked at Pyrrha with respect. She was his partner, and she had helped him train and improve his skills. She was always supportive and friendly, and he wondered if she really liked him, or if she was just being nice.

Jaune looked at both sides, and he felt a mix of emotions. He felt happy, sad, angry, scared, and determined. He wanted to prove himself to his friends, his enemies, and himself. He wanted to win the match, or at least put up a good fight. He wanted to be a hunter, a protector, and a leader.

He gathered his strength, and he reached for his sword and shield. He got up, and he faced Cardin.

"I'm not done yet, Cardin. I'm not giving up. I'm not afraid of you. I'm going to fight you, and I'm going to win." Jaune said, with a defiant tone.

Cardin snorted, and he raised his mace.

"Bring it on, Arc. You're nothing but a joke. And I'm going to make you laugh. Or cry. Or both." Cardin said, with a cruel smile.

The two boys clashed, and the match continued.

Meanwhile Ryota and Daich were busy with something else. Both stared at each other with a battle stance ready. Eyes narrowed as the two brothers waited for some signal until the two took a deep breath and yelled. "Rock! PAPER! SCISSOR! SHOOT!" The two then let out a battle cry as they threw their hands out.

Ryota: Paper

Daichi: Rock

Ryota chuckled and began to huddle his winnings and store them in a pocket dimension just in time Daichi screamed 'f*ck!' in frustration as he smashed his fists into the table turning it into dust before Ryota fixed it with his magic.

"This game is stressing the hell out of me." Daichi hissed in anger while Ryota just smiled. 

"Temper, temper lil bro." The eldest teased. "You'll pop a vein if you keep getting mad."

"I'll pop your head if you don't shut up," Daichi growled in frustration.

Before they could enter another banter, Glynda's voice echoed across the room. "Will Daichi and Ryouta please come down?"

The two brothers blinked and realized that their names had been drawn by the machine so they sighed and got up before they could earn Glynda's ire and in turn their mother's. Making their way down, they could hear the whispers. They had gone viral now with the recordings, with Daichi's stunt back in the airship and their initiation it was no wonder they were attracting attention. 

They didn't bother to go to their lockers as Ryota summoned his book and cane while Ryota's wrist bracelets started to change and spread, becoming his gauntlets. Ruby couldn't help but squeal in delight when she saw it. Don't get her wrong, Ryota's weapon of choice was interesting but Daichi took the cake. Those were nanites; she read them in comic books but she never expected to see them in real life and they were beautiful. 

She could only wonder how long it took to make such a beautiful masterpiece and how much it cost.

Begin!

Everyone suddenly felt immense pressure as if there were two titans inside the room hugging all the space. Glynda was doing well because she was aware what the two boys were but even she was startled by the sudden increase of weight. Yet she was grateful that the two were holding back. She was fully aware these could have done more if they 

Ryota and Daichi then launched, exchanging blows and words with equal intensity. Ryota used his magic to keep Daichi in a distance but Daichi deflected all of it until he got swallowed by a demon which he killed by tearing its throat from inside. With a roar, the youngest landed an axe kick to the barrier easily shattering it in one shot but it gave Ryota the chance to move away. 

The entire stage erupted into a cloud while the audience could only watch and gape at the two monsters. The fight barely started and they were already seeing these two monsters duke it out in full throttle. 

Glynda regretted making these two spar. How the hell did she not see this coming!? She knew the eldest was subtle but the youngest always instigated and escalated anything that involved his brother.

Then they heard Ryota laugh as dodged and weaved from his brother's punches and kicks.

"Come on, Daichi, is that all you've got? You're not going to improve if you don't push yourself harder." Ryota taunted, as he dodged a punch from Daichi and countered with another spell. Daichi grunted as he felt his body temporarily go into shock before he blocked another magical blast.

"Shut up, Ryota, you're the one who's not going to win if you don't use your full power." Daichi retorted, as he blocked the kick and grabbed Ryota's leg, throwing him to the ground.

They both got up and resumed their fight, increasing their speed and strength. They moved like blurs, creating shockwaves and sparks with every hit. They wanted to enjoy the thrill of the battle, the challenge of the opponent, and the satisfaction of the victory.

The two brothers clashed back and forth until Ryota made a mistake and paid for it by becoming a nun-chuck. Everyone flinched and wondered if Daichi was going to kill his brother.

With a grunt, Ryota timed his attack perfectly, hitting Ryota with a powerful blast to the face. Now that his brother's grip loosened from the surprise, he increased the spell's size. He was making a Rasengan but with magic. 

Daichi powered through before redirecting all of the spell's momentum back, causing it to disperse. Smoke danced around his body from the intense heat while Ryota had tears and scruffs on his clothes.

The audience was silent but they grew excited and soon started to cheer for both fighters. They were leagues above them, monsters in human skin yet no one can deny that the fight was like watching a superhero movie but way better with less cliche.

Glynda as a huntress can clearly see that Ryota was more of a strategist who used his summons to gauge his opponent and create countermeasures. Daichi was more of a mix between a berserker and a kinesthetic learner with how fast he was able to adapt and counter Ryota's strategy in seconds.

In this kind of scenario, the question of who wins won't end with who's the strongest or the smartest. It will end with the wisest. The one who picks the correct strategy. 

They decided to end the fight with one final move, putting all their energy and spirit into it. They charged at each other, ready to unleash their ultimate techniques.

Ryota raised his hand and summoned a ring of light behind him. He activated his Noble Phantasm, and chanted "the Time of Birth has Come, He is the One who Masters All. Ars Almadel Salomonis." He fired a beam of light from his ring, aiming for Daichi's chest. He used a fraction of his Evocation skill to charge his NP gauge, and a fraction of his Anthropic Principle Charging skill to ignore invincibility and increase his NP damage. He planned to knock Daichi out with his Ars Almadel Salomonis.

Daichi rushed forward to the beam of light and closed the distance between them. He unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, aiming for Ryota's vital points. He used his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, his Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist, and his Roaring Aura Sky Ripping Fist. He combined them into a single, devastating technique: the Cross Fang Dragon Slayer Fist.

The two brothers roared with all their might as both hit each other at the same time, with a force that shook the entire room. The rest of the audience was blown back as well with Glynda having to use her semblance to stop herself from sharing the same fate.

Cries of shock and fear erupted from the class the walls cracked, and windows shattered. Pebbles flew, desks flipped over. It was like a storm just entered and left the room.

The two fighters flew back by the impact, crashing into the opposite walls. They both coughed up blood and laughed, as they fell to the ground before standing back up again.

 "I'm never fighting those two EVER!" All the occupants that just witnessed their spar. They had feeling they would lose their aura after the first hit and that was if they were lucky.

***

From Ozpin's office, the headmaster was busy consoling Ayumi who was busy making a new form of art involving a wall and her forehead.