My attempt to get changed after the rather boring Huntsmen and Nobility Law class that went from 10.AM-10;30.AM was rather fucking rudely interrupted when a bullet blasted through my walls and shot through the back wall opening the room to the elements outside.
Obviously pissed at this point, with my aura flaring to protect me from any blows while I had the Fabulous Fioretto sword in hand as I stomped out of my group communal apartment only to yelp as a I was graced with a flare of flames that pushed me back into the apartment.
"That is enough!" Prinz Eugen yelled as she strode down the hallway as I got back to the door.
But the two damned idiots ignored her. And those two idiots being Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long with Ruby looked like she wanted to kill Yang for some ungodly reason with her wielding dual axes for some reason and not a scythe.
"Stop them!" I yelled with Prinz Eugen and New Jersey throwing themselves into the fight with their aura flaring and a circular spinning shield from Prinz Eugen's ability to make shields flaring to life as both of the ship girls just tackled the two teens to the ground with Velvet and Alice literally then pinning their hands on their weapons to the ground.
With Ruby not being able to use her speed semblance with how tightly packed the hallway had become with the other classmates coming out of their rooms and also joining in to bring her down.
I brushed a hand across my face as several people were yelling over one another along with myself idly noticing with a scowl all the fucking holes in the walls from Yang's shotgun gauntlets and apparently Ruby's twin axes having Dust/Rune blades could cast magic through the edges of the blades to project elemental magic.
But before the mob of freshmen could start taking a pound of flesh from Ruby and Yang, I froze as a wave of mana washed over myself... And everyone else with everyone freezing in place comically before our forms beyond our control stood up straight and floated to the sides of the hallway.
And in the corner of my eye, I watched as Glynda The Goodwitch strode down the hallway with a bland scowl across her face as Ruby glowed her purple energy unlike everyone else with Glynda saying dryly. "You Silver-Eye's are immature so they cannot petrify upper rank mages magic so don't bother... And your mother's cloak although a powerful artifact cannot withstand my concentrated attention."
She strode over to Ruby and Yang who was being far more obedient then the mutinous-looking Ruby before Glynda spoke flatly. "Ruby Rose, why did you start a fight in the common quarters? When you naturally have your own suite in the Duke sector of Beacon."
Ruby was quiet with her eyes only glancing at Yang with some darkness in her eyes before she took a breath and spoke with forced calm. "I came to recruit for the Class Trial next weekend. And upon seeing her, I decided to act upon my own issues with her."
Glynda's face twitched at Ruby's honest answer that had no deception in it. She saw someone she didn't like and had beef with. And then laid hands on them. That simple.
I blinked as I felt Glynda's mana and on me then with a thought I mentally shrugged and I saw Glynda twitch as I redirected her mana into the beginnings of another Wisdom Cube I had in my pocket.
'Hey... I can use other people's to fuel my shit. Is this new or is this what my actual semblance is maybe?' I thought as I felt Glynda's mana leave my form as she threw me a glance that pinned me in place with the weight of it before she rounded back on Ruby.
"I see..." She drawled and then looking at Yang she spoke. "Is that true? I know the two of you have a history to say the least. Did she just see you and decide combat was the best decision?"
Yang hesitated for a moment obviously wondering how this was going to go down. But with Glynda already outlining everything perfectly. All she could is nod and say honestly even as she covered part of her chest where her clothes got slightly burned from whatever lightning and fire attacks Ruby was using.
"Yes, Lady Goodwitch, that is basically exactly the events."
After a moment... Glynda, brushed a hand across her face as she groaned aloud. "Teenagers... Teenagers with daddy issues are the literal worst. Fine, Ruby I assume you are here to ask Jake to act as your retainer or otherwise help you during the Class Trial. That will not be happening, you are hereby banned from the common rooms and area for the next two months."
Ruby's face paled before she snarled. "I need the Hero of Light title! I have the silver-eyes and my mother got the title all four years she spent in Beacon, you cannot do this? How am I supposed to recruit other nobles who will contest with me leadership of the group."
Honestly... It was jarring to see Ruby this was. So damned different from the canon RWBY. But then again, from what I knew. She was raised by her jaded mother Summer Rose who felt like Taiyang just abandoned them to raise Yang who was even a few months older than Ruby.
With Raven not actually run off leaving Yang behind, but having to flee Vale as Summer at learning how her teammate had slept with Taiyang almost killed her killed her.
But Glynda didn't have any sympathy as she said calmly. "Your mother didn't shoot her classmates when they were relaxing between classes on her first day either. You as the heiress of a duke's house will serve as plenty of warning in that case."
And Ruby flushed at realizing this punishment wasn't being directed solely toward her for her actions. It was also a warning to the nobility to behave in Beacon lest more censure be enacted.
However I was unaware as to why Ozpin and the teachers were getting on the kids of the nobility so hard.
Finally Ruby nodded with anger in her eyes as she said acidically. "Very well. The Goodwitch, I will be leaving now then."
Glynda stared at her silently before she stepped forward into Ruby's space and said bluntly. "Killing your fellow huntsmen, or even crippling them for a stupid reason is a good way to have the Royal Family make an example out of you."
With that Miss Goodwitch stepped aside and Ruby with her twin axes going over her back strode out of the hallway... Though she naturally had to pass by me and my lips twitched at the heavy look she threw at me before she strode away.
A sigh rang out with Miss Goodwitch calling out. "Freshmen head on to your next classroom. By the time you all get back, I will have fixed all the property damage."
Realizing that 'Human/Faunus Suppression/Eradication Training' was going to be happening in ten minutes I nodded with Miss Goodwitch's gaze falling on me and saying more quietly with her voice carrying over to me magically. "Jake, my disciple Morgan Arc wishes to converse with you after classes if that is alright."
I blinked and nodded firmly before I looked away from the blond teacher and spoke aloud to my group. "Ladies let's get moving." As once again this was a purely huntsmen-based course which meant that Alice and Velvet wouldn't be there with Ren having moved himself into more supporting courses as he didn't know how to even properly fight with his body yet.
To say nothing of losing his weapons and such.
And I quickly brought my group away from all the drama with myself brushing a hand across my face with Nora cackling. "Wow, Miss Goodwitch really nailed the nail on the head with the daddy issues comment right?"
I groaned aloud as I added. "Daddy issues I don't want in my area. I already have enough issues honestly. Alright let's get going to class. I have a feeling it's going to be a harsh class with it being all about killing human/faunus malcontents."
After all... ' Human/Faunus Suppression/Eradication Training' didn't leave much to the fucking imagination now did it?
The classroom was actually another arena unlike the huntsmen law and nobility law classroom I was at previously which was a rather dry lecture from an old retired huntsmen.
Similar to the Grimm Studies classroom and its raised classroom with dug-in arena to give people an overview but there was a metal gate leading somewhere within the arena.
Though I didn't have my arm canons due to being within Beacon I still had my Fabulous Fioretto strapped to my side and as we came to the lesson rather early, we managed to get some good seating closer to the arena.
"Hehe... So Jake, why didn't you like drop a boat on Ruby or Yang to stop them from fighting?" Nora asked with a teasing voice.
But she got cut off as New Jersey cackled and said. "Because, me and Prinz are the best boats he could ask for haha!"
And even Nora looked distraught after walking into that one.
With myself dryly remarking. "That's some family drama, I don't want any part in... I don't understand why Summer Rose and Ruby hate Raven Branwen along with Yang for Taiyang being a slooty slut buutttt." I shrugged as I had no fucking answer.
And soon enough my fellow freshmen began filling the classroom with Weiss being in this class as well with Jingliu but she didn't come sit with me this time as she took her own table with Jingliu.
But instead, Pyrrha Niko's had instead taken a seat in front of my group alone at her own desk... And I noticed looking back that she was always rather alone actually.
Before the classroom could fill with too loud of conversation. The metal door in the side of the lowered arena loudly... I mean loudly and obnoxiously creaked open with a man walking out of it.
And after a moment of thought, I recognized him as one of the teachers belonging to the neutral warrior/aura user who Ozpin actually remarked upon in 'Gelar Kharisma' who was apparently from Vacou before he immigrated here to Vale.
The seven-foot-tall man's voice was deep as he spoke with his voice silencing all within the classroom. "As Ozpin already introduced me early yesterday. But for the ones who have forgotten. My name is Gelar Kharisma, I am a man of Vacou's deserts who has come to the soft lands of Vale to teach you all how to control Humanity's greatest weakness."
His eyes which were hidden by the helmet he wore seemingly pierced our own eyes as his voice stated flatly. "Being that humanity's greatest weakness is itself."
He came up to the edge of the arena and his voice softened as he spoke. "Now... I want each and every one of you to raise up a hand." Slowly after a moment, everyone raised up a hand.
Some are above their heads, some merely laying their arms on their tables with their hands held up from that position.
After seeing everyone with their hands up in some way. Gelar asked calmly. "How many of you have taken a human or faunus life? If you have... Lower your hands"
The room went still.
And then Mr. Kharisma's voice was filled with amusement as he spoke. "Ahhh, I see some of you have been blooded indeed."
I noticed quite easily that Pyrrha herself who was in front of us had raised and then lowered her hand along with Nora, Prinz, and New Jersey having admitted to killing others.
The man then clapped his hands together with him saying. "Good. Now the weight of a human life taken by another human does have weight. But if done in the service of humanity itself? It will soon weigh less than a feather on the mind."
Gelar raised up a hand and then I saw the metal door open below completely silently with another five other students or maybe a teacher's aids literally dragging a group of four or five dozen people in scraps of clothing into the arena.
"Bandits, traitors who cavort with the other kingdoms in order to lessen Vale's own power... And the most unforgivable. The wretches who become Abominations in making infernal deals with higher-ranking Grimm."
Mr. Kharisma looked upon the heavily chained and gagged people the teacher aids had dragged into the arena and he said. "These things here, are particularly traitors to Vale. They were engaged in the illegal slave trade to Mistral and were caught selling literally dozens of kidnapped children, mostly faunus admittedly that were going to be loaded up into a cargo container and shipped to a Mistral, Dark-Sect."
The teacher's dark eyes landed on us and then he began listing names with my own being mentioned before he said. "All of you who I had named... Stand up. You will be blooded here and now so that you are in a controlled environment with therapists and your retainers to comfort you if you are that mentally weak and need it."
I swallowed as the teachers wind magic filled the air and I realized this was a fucking order. And after a moment I took a deep breath and stood up with steel in my core.
I looked at the teacher and I spoke. "Their crimes... This isn't a test to see if we just follow orders is it?" I questioned.
Mr. Kharisma gave me a long look before he said calmly. "Part of this test is indeed to see if you have the strength to take a life and live as a huntsman. But no, the crimes I listed are merely one of the many that deserve death... A couple of them knowing the children's fates once reaching the Dark Sect were partial to sampling the merchandise as it were even."
With that doubt smothered I nodded with myself being in the second row closest to the arena, I made my way into the arena first with the teacher calling out calmly. "Ah also. These criminals are slated to be given to the necromancers. So do not destroy their brain matter with your method of execution."
My lips twitched at the thought of now I needed to fucking be specific and specific with my execution... Before I came to a thought and after a moment of thought to consider if I had the strength will to do so. I pulled out my sword as several of my classmates followed behind me that the teacher named.
"Teacher. Which one was the one going after the kids?" I asked coldly and after a moment the teacher replied bluntly.
"Not telling you. These criminals simply need eradication, displaying some misplaced righteous anger is not at all part of this lesson. This is you merely taking the life of another and getting over it."
I held in a grunt at that and after a thought, I literally walked up to a man whose body had several cuts over it, and then after taking a breath, I started things off by shoving my calvary sword through his chest where I thought his heart would be.
But as my sword hit the man... I froze as I realized with horror that the man had aura.
With the teacher saying calmly. "Yes, you need to look your target in the eye, knowing as you work to break their aura that you are the one taking their life. Now get to it."
I grimaced at the thought of needing to do so. And dear gods this was fucking dark but thankfully the Fabulous Fioretto was a magical weapon.
So I flared my aura through the blade making it glow as energy grew on its edges and the man's untrained aura popped in but a couple of moments as the enchanted blades sharp tip stabbed through his aura and into his chest.
The man who was heavily gagged and chained snarled. But I then dragged the blade back and forth through his rib cage with the enchanted blade carving through organs and bones alike with only the bones giving a meaty crunching feeling as I cut through them.
With that, I ripped the blade out with my face made of stone as I flared my aura through my sword hard to explode all the gore off the sword before I sheathed it and went to sit back down on my seat.
As half of the students who weren't called to be blooded clapped for those who did the grizzly deed.
Even the teacher gave a couple of claps as well before he said. "Good. Those of you who did what needed to be done, good work... Those of you who could not, do not fear, we have cattle, chickens, and other things to blood you on to see if you have any heart if at all. If you fail in that... Then you may be removed from this course which will bring issues if you plan to rise up the ranks of being a Huntsman."
With that Mr Kharisma had the teacher's aides go get a cart to bring the corpses and a few survivors who hadn't been picked back through the metal gate in the arena where they would obviously be sent to the necromancy course.
And then the teacher continued speaking. "Now, I imagine this has been an enlightening class for you all. Class only has five more minutes left, so go ahead and head off to the cafeteria for lunch if you want."
Gelar Kharisma then with no hesitation hopped into the arena with himself following behind the teacher's aids going through that metal door and leaving the classroom to begin speaking rather loudly at the events that just happened.
"Jake, You alright?" Prinz asked quietly.
I held up a hand to stop her and said quietly. "I, Don't think I can eat right now frankly... But I will manage. I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight honestly."