It's for the resume

The following day, the two stood outside the cabin, with Guts in his makeshift armor and Qrow in his usual attire. This worried Guts, who asked, "Look, kid, if you don't want to fight, it's fine. It's a little resume-builder for my boss. Anyone can cut down a tree, but it's different when you're fighting an opponent that moves," Qrow said, trying to reassure Guts.

Guts hesitated for a moment before finally sighing and pulling on the visor of his helmet. Scavenged from Qrow's trophies and eerily reminiscent of the helmet he wore before he met Griffith.

He hefted his sword onto his shoulder and lowered his stance, staring coldly at Qrow as the other man pulled out his sword and swung it towards Guts in a show of bravado. Without warning, Guts lunged forward, his sword a blur of motion as he charged at Qrow. Qrow barely had time to yelp in surprise before leaping back, his feet dancing over the ground as he narrowly avoided Guts' blade crashing down.

Qrow landed in a crouch; his knees bent to absorb the impact, and he looked up at Guts in shock. "That power!" he thought, amazed. Struggling to maintain his calm, Qrow stood up and said, "Hmm, it looks like I'll have to consider this a fight to the death if I want to survive."

Guts narrowed his eyes, his gaze intense as he prepared for Qrow's next move. Qrow charged at him, his sword held high, but Guts was ready for him. With precise timing, he swung his blade to parry Qrow's lunge, sending him flying upwards with a powerful upward thrust. Qrow looked down in awe as the ground got further and further away, his mind racing with the realization of Guts' strength.

But Qrow had no time to think as Guts reared his blade upwards, attempting to skewer him between the legs as he fell back to earth. Qrow was lucky to parry the strike and avoid getting impaled, landing back on solid ground with a thud. "That skill!" he thought, studying Guts' movements for any weaknesses.

Guts remained a statue, his face impassive as he waited for Qrow's next move. "This man could be our greatest asset or our worst enemy," Qrow thought, finally understanding the gravity of the situation.

He stood up and smirked at Guts. "Okay, then...my turn," he said, charging towards the other man once more.

Guts waited patiently as Qrow approached, seemingly unaware of the man's trickery. "He thinks I'm going to fall for a faint like that again!" Qrow thought. But as he got closer, Guts swung his sword, attempting to cut off Qrow's knees. Quick on his feet, Qrow jumped over the cut and landed behind Guts; their swords locked together in a stalemate. "You're pretty good," Qrow said, panting slightly.

"I must admit, you impressed me as well," Guts replied, a hint of respect in his voice.

Qrow's heart raced as he watched Guts attack relentlessly, each strike coming closer and closer to hitting its mark. He could feel the sweat dripping down his face, his palms were clammy, and his breaths short and quick. He tried to fight back, but Guts seemed to be one step ahead of him at every turn.

Qrow's mind screamed out to him to jump left, and he obeyed, narrowly avoiding a deadly blow that left a small crater in the ground where he had just stood. He stumbled back, panting and trying to catch his breath as Guts continued to press the attack.

Qrow's fear was almost tangible as he retreated behind a tree, his thoughts racing. 'Motherfucker!' he cursed under his breath, his mind racing as he tried to devise a plan. 'Wait, can't he cut trees?' he thought, his eyes widening in panic as he remembered Guts' impressive sword skills.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack as Qrow felt a sharp pain in his waist, and he looked down to see the tip of Guts' sword buried in the tree stump at his feet. He quickly jumped away as Guts physically overpowered the tree, crashing it into the ground with a mighty swing of his sword.

As Guts stood on the tree stump, sword raised above him and ready to strike down on Qrow, Qrow acted on instinct and raised Halbringer, pulling the trigger on the handle. A hail of 12 gauge shots flew towards Guts, hitting him square in the shoulder and causing him to stumble and drop his sword as he grabbed at the injury.

Guts pulled his hand away and saw the blood on his fingers, a look of shock crossing his face as he looked up at Qrow. "You shot me?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Qrow's face paled as Guts' shadow stood up, rolling his injured shoulder as if the gunshot had barely affected him. "Feels like nothing," he said, a hint of a smirk crossing his lips as he charged at Qrow again.

Qrow did his best to evade the strikes, but he knew he was no match for Guts' superhuman speed and strength.

He was sent flying with a strike that he barely managed to parry, landing on his back and feeling the total weight of how outmatched he was. 'Jeez, who is this guy? Barely 20, no Aura, has superhuman speed, and hits like a truck!' Qrow thought, his mind racing as he devised a plan to defeat this formidable opponent.

Just as Qrow was losing hope, he heard a growl behind him and turned to see a Beowolf emerge from the tree line, its eyes locked onto Qrow as it prepared to attack.

Qrow rolled over, his muscles tense as he prepared to attack the Grimm. But before he could even rise to his feet, Guts had already brought his sword down, slicing the creature in two with a single, precise strike.

Qrow had to jump back to avoid the claws of another Beowolf, and he found himself struggling to keep up with the rapid movements of the Grimm. His heart pounded in his chest as he fought to fend them off, his sword flashing through the air as he cut down one beast after another.

For a moment, Qrow's gaze flicked over to Guts, trying to gauge how his ally was faring. What he saw surprised him - while Qrow was constantly dodging and weaving to avoid the Grimm, Guts seemed to be a statue, standing firm as the creatures lunged at him repeatedly.

It was like watching a machine in action, each strike precise and calculated. Despite the gore surrounding them, Qrow couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the raw strength and skill Guts displayed.

As the Grimm began to slow in their attack, Qrow could see Guts starting to plan his strikes more carefully, taking on one beast at a time instead of swinging wildly and cutting down three or four with each blow. Despite the smaller numbers, the Grimm stood no chance against Guts' might.

Exhausted and panting, Qrow collapsed onto the ground, trying to catch his breath. He watched as Guts finished the last Grimm, impaling his sword into the ground as he stood ready for more.

"Okay... okay, I believe your tales of strength," Qrow said, still struggling to catch his breath. "I don't think I could have done that."

Guts narrowed his eyes at the tree line, a sense of unease settling over him. Something was coming. "Get up," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Qrow stared in shock at Guts as if he couldn't believe that his friend suggested they continue their fight. "Buddy, I'm completely exhausted. I can barely lift my sword, let alone fight you!" he exclaimed. Guts narrowed his piercing gaze at Qrow, studying him intensely before turning his attention back to the tree line.