G.N. Chapter 29 (Patreon)

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Chapter 29 AHHHHHHHHHH

Maddened Yhanamites did not patrol the streets of Cathedral Ward; instead, it seemed to possess a sect of tall, uniformed protectors.

Though their humanity was just as dubious.

When one first approached him, he tried to converse, greeting the tall, imposing figure who marched towards him. It was double Jaune’s height, with flesh so pallid Jaune thought it might be made of some kind of plaster. Its features were human enough, though its face was a touch long, and its proportions maybe more pronounced than what they should be.

Broad nose, broad jutting chin, and high cheekbones made all the more apparent by the figure's gaunt nature. These were all still reasonably human, and the lack of fur or fangs, in a way, did something to comfort Jaune. If it were not for the size, Jaune would easily be fooled into thinking he was facing a human.

Then he saw the eyes.

Pits of inky black, shrunken into its very skull, looked at him and made his skin prickle. These eyes were inhuman, and the sight of them made Jaune’s greetings die in his throat.

But as he went quiet, the tall humanoid reacted; it gestured towards him with its cane and let out a loud, displeased groan before immediately approaching him with hostile intent. Jaune's sigh was one of begrudging acceptance and only a hint of tiredness.

He could not help but wonder why he even tried, but then he recalled Gascoigne… he couldn’t afford not to try.

The thing was not as fast as some of the beasts Jaune had fought, and he quickly swerved about its attack. It’s heavy cane swung with precision and strength, a definite change from the usual maddened flurries he was used to avoiding.

It switched between a one-hand grip and a two-handed one as it moved in a manner that displayed discipline. Jaune let a stray thought wonder just how smart or human this thing was. It wielded its cane well; had Jaune encountered this opponent earlier in his journey, it might have been a threat.

Now… it was prey.

It swung heavy, and with enough strength, Jaune observed to take a chunk out of a stone statue he had been standing next to.

It was too slow to recover, however.

His Saw Cleaver was unhooked and swung before it could even right its arms.

A spraying arc of red blood, human enough for Jaune to take note, trailed behind his swing as he ripped the tall humanoid thing's throat asunder. The white garb covering it almost entirely was painted in a visceral coat of bodily fluids as it staggered. A hand pitifully reached for the now gapping, ragged wound on its neck.

Jaune didn’t let it.

With a kick, he brought it to its knee and wrenched back its large head with his empty hand, tearing flesh and splattering his face with red as he did so. Then, with but another swing, he decapitated his foe.

Its flesh was tough but not as tough as the ogres or some of the more bestial foes he had encountered.

Jaune tossed the large head away, annoyed that his journey through Cathedral Ward would not be as expedient as he had hoped.

He felled two more of the strange figures as he marched up a staircase that led away from the chapel through the ward's centre. They were much the same as the first he had slain, with only slight variation. One that he had faced wore a hat over its hooded head and wielded a lantern that bore a strange violet glow.

Curiously, it lost its glow after Jaune disembowelled its wielder.

At the top of the stairs, Jaune felt his frustrations mount even more.

A gate.

A bloody big gate.

Easily the equal of the gate that had blocked his way on the Great Bridge.

And like the Great Bridge, this one was also closed and appeared to have no intentions of opening, for there was no mechanism on his side of the gate. He felt no shame as he unleashed his frustrations on the gate, his boots clanging against its wrought iron make.

He quickly scoped out the area, making doubly sure he didn’t miss anything less he suffered the annoyance of the bossy little one. However, the only thing he found was a dead Yharnamite, who, much to his quickly darkening humour, wielded a shield.

… Made of planks.

Jaune lifted the defensive item aloft and tried to enter a defensive stance.

He knew instantly that using such an item would be a death sentence.

“Bad luck for you, mate,” Jaune muttered to the corpse, placing the flimsy shield back on the ground. Jaune had used a few shields since he came to Yharnam, mainly as bludgeons when he lost his weapon or as handholds to grapple a foe.

He had even blocked a bullet with one once… but had blocked many more with bodies as he had learned very early to use the enemy's numbers against them.

Shields, especially those of flimsy make, were more of a hazard than an aid in Yharnam.

A false sense of security was a death sentence.

With the most direct route to his goal no longer an option, Jaune turned about and marched back to the chapel. It seemed once more he would have to don the cap of an adventurer. To think such a thing might once have left him eager and excited.

Now it conjured forth only thoughts on dark sewers and… and guilt.

Hopefully, he would not be forced to orphan someone he knew at the end of this.

Standing inside the incense-filled hall again, Jaune chose to walk right as the door led outside, and he wanted to begin at least building a mental map of the locale. Another of the white-garbed figures attacked him, but Jaune was finding himself of little patience.

It took a threatening step forward, and that was all Jaune allowed it before he drew his pistol and effectively destroyed its knee. Its groan changed from an angry warning into a silenced, pained howl as Jaune opened his Saw Cleaver with a flick and sunk the cleaver part of its namesake into its clavicle.

The loud footsteps of another were enough warning for Jaune to tug the nearly-dead body on the end of his weapon around and use its limp self as a shield. Once more, the strength of these new foes was shown as a cane reduced Jaune’s new shield’s head to a grotesque pulp.

Jaune was in motion before the brains even splattered on the cobblestone.

Drawing a throwing knife from his belt, he vaulted off the headless corpse onto the chest of the still-breathing thing. Its throaty groan was almost hissing before Jaune transformed them into gurgles by plunging his knife into its throat.

He must have stabbed it nearly six times before the tall thing stumbled back and collapsed on its back. He stabbed it a full dozen before he was forced to stop. He rolled forward, avoiding the violet glow of the lantern as the creature crashed the light source into its chest.

Jaune's growling noise was entirely unconscious as he pounced atop the downed, gaunt figure and plunged the knife into its eye. He was sure to twist the blade and took satisfaction in how the thing tensed before going limp.

He left the knife in the head of the thing as he got off the floor; he could feel it lodged in the bone and doubted it would be salvageable.

He brushed himself off, flaring his cape and spraying blood on the ground about him. It never got rid of all of it, but it was better than being wet. He yanked his Saw Cleaver free and collapsed it while holstering his pistol.

He swiftly looted the two dead things, making a note in his mind to think of a name to refer to them for ease. They had only a single Blood Vial between the two, but he took it gratefully.

Jaune was faced with yet another fork in the road, left leading down towards the edge of the ward and right leading deeper via a set of stairs.

Jaune chose right, keeping in mind his goal of reaching the heart of the Church.

He was about to take his first step onto the stairs when heavy footsteps and a metallic clanging halted him. Looking up from under the brim of his hat, Jaune felt his eyes widen in shock.

A giant, for it could be nothing else, marched into his line of sight, its towering frame hunched as it waded through a raised portcullis.

Much like the uniformed things he had fought already, it had pallid flesh that bore a minimal resemblance to skin. It was adorned with a white mantle and a black hat. The clanging that echoed its steps was from the large bell around its throat, much like the other things, though it was far more easily audible given its size.

It was covered in bandages, many wrapping about its frame in leu of clothes; they only added to the thing's sickly appearance. Despite its size, it looked to Jaune as if the giant was suffering some illness. Its form was gaunt, bones pronounced and visible; its gut was emaciated and tucked beneath its ribs.

And its face… its face was just like the others. Nearly human save for its slightly emphasised features, including the chin, jaw and cheekbones that gave it a blockish look. Its eyes seemed even more hollow and gaunt, though Jaune chalked that up to their greater size.

Jaune was a child before this monster; he didn’t even reach its hip. It oozed danger, and Jaune concluded that this was what truly protected this area from the Beastly Scourge. The Cleric Beast, monstrous as it had been, would still be threatened by this colossal foe and its grand weapon.

Mayhap it was even fleeing when it jumped onto the bridge.

Clasped in the giant’s long, bony fingers was the haft of a genuinely massive axe. A single swipe of such a titanic weapon would leave Jaune as a smear on the surroundings. Forget cleaving; he would be splattered.

The towering thing turned its head, its skeletal face becoming more visible as it faced Jaune.

Warily, Jaune backstepped off the steps.

Its mouth, wide and gaping, opened, and a thunderous bellow poured out as it lifted the axe and began to march forward, ready to slaughter.

Jaune sneered beneath the mask of his cowl.

He opened his Saw Cleaver and prepared himself to fight this newest foe.

He allowed himself one last stray thought before he lost himself to the rush of battle.

‘What other monsters was this Church responsible for?’

YVYVYVYVY

Shrine Academy, in truth, was not all that different to other Primary Combat Schools; it trained children from the age of thirteen for four years in preparation for them going on to attend a Huntsman Academy. Its curriculum successfully achieved all the benchmarks for its students to be correctly prepared, but it was able to hold to the merits of a traditional system.

Despite their lesser size, Shrine could boast the feat that none of their students who graduated had ever been denied entry to any Huntsman academy. They trained their students as they had trained countless warriors since the academy's creation.

But as much as it was an academy, it was also the home of the Kutsuki clan. In addition to all the buildings one would expect an academy to have, Shrine also possessed the clan house of the Kutsuki clan, which was on the campus grounds.

It was here that the Arc family was staying.

A distressed groan filtered out of the sitting room as Scarlett made her opinion of the academy's early alarms known. Not that Jaune was much better when he had heard the gong ring thunderously over the grounds he had launched out of bed.

Jaune, while no stranger to waking up early, had at first mistook the ringing of the gong for another musical implement, namely a bell.

Hopefully, no one noticed the dent in the floor he made when he brought his leg down.

“Good morning, my lovely children!” Cloud loudly exclaimed, prancing into the room with the malicious glee of a father watching his children suffer. “Did we all enjoy our wake-up call?”

Scarlett’s rebuttal was swift and silent as she brought up her one-finger salute for all to see.

“I thought this was supposed to be a vacation,” She spoke into the table she was draped over.

Saphron, who was more used to waking up early than her elder sister, could only snort in amusement. “Come on, sis, it ain’t that bad the suns up and everything,” Saphron joked, poking her sister with her foot.

Scarlett merely shifted the direction of her salute.

“Right, well, we all need to make ourselves presentable; your grandmother has invited us to a morning feast,” Cloud announced.

“Oh?” Jaune finally perked up, turning to his father.

“It's gonna be in the main hall of the academy; she is giving us the royal treatment,” Cloud shrugged.

“When?” Scarlett huffed, still face down on the furniture.

“About thirty minutes or so,” Cloud grinned, knowing what effect his words would have.

Scarlett was racing through the house like a flurry of red and gold before anyone could speak; her only goal was making herself as presentable as possible within the given time frame. Saphron let slip an amused snort at her sister's retreating form.

“I don’t get her; we are here to relax. Why is she stressing so much?”

Jaune shrugged, not knowing what to say, as he was just as confused as his sibling. Whatever conversation followed Saphron’s question was lost to Jaune as his attention was again directed outward.

Jaune would be lying if he said he was relaxed; his body was still not yet used to the new location, and sleep had not come easily the night prior. The gong had not helped matters, and he could feel the nervous energy in his body dance along his bones. He would need to do something about this lest he get too wound up.

It had been much the same when he had undergone his Rite, only allowing himself to relax when his defences were up and he had a weapon at hand. However, there was a significant difference between then and his present situation.

That being people.

The academy was populated with first years the same age as him and the older students who had survived the numerous cuts. Jaune would be lying if he said that having to be sociable did not bother him.

He would rather fight Grimm.

He would have to tough it out and lean on his siblings to carry him through.

Hopefully, it would just be an enjoyable breakfast.

YVYVYVYVY

Jaune wanted to leave.

He had been eager for food, but breakfast turned out to be more of a dog and pony show than he could have ever predicted.

It had begun with them all being seated at the head table, the students all standing and bowing to them in greeting. That had been ‘fun’; honoured guests needed to be announced. Jaune had felt his blood surge as so many eyes focused on his person.

It was scarily similar to how the pogroms had once eyed him.

Jaune had been immensely grateful when they could finally sit, but the looks did not stop. If this had been the worst of it all, Jaune believed he could have indeed endured it. But he wasn’t the only one who was feeling the stares.

Sky and Saph were not all that pleased to be under so much attention, this being the most people Saphron had been around since the incident, and Sky was still working on her stage skills. In that regard, Jaune supposed this might be a positive for his younger sibling, but the timing was crap.

How was he supposed to calm himself when his younger sister clutched at his side and shot him nervous glances?

Jaune did his best to reassure her while distracting himself with eating, hoping the two tasks would keep him from reacting. Eventually, some students decided that they had seen enough, and the stares lessened, but Jaune could still feel eyes on him.

Then, his aunt addressed him.

“So Jaune, I was surprised you weren’t at the training fields this morning,” Hinata commented, leaning forward to address him.

Jaune turned to address his aunt, his blue eyes meeting her burnt orange, “was I expected?”

“Wha- no, I just-“

“Hinata, we are on vacation; why would Jaune train?” Hella spoke up, lifting a questioning brow as she looked at her younger sibling.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?” Hinata spoke aghast, looking at Hella as if she was a stranger.

“Ha!” Cloud added helpfully.

“No, seriously, am I being punked?” Hinata asked, looking at her family with genuine worry.

“Hinata, neither I nor Cloud trained this morning either,” Hella deadpanned, losing all her humour as Hinata looked at her with open mouth horror.

“That’s unacceptable! You two are top Huntsman! You should be setting a better example for Jaune. Don’t you want him to do well in Beacon?” Hinata protested, slamming her hand on the table.

“Jaune doesn’t go to Beacon,” Jade spoke up, looking at her aunt in confusion.

“What? Oh, does he go to Shade?” Hinata asked curiously, looking at Jaune.

For his part, Jaune merely shook his head; he was preoccupied with feeding his face and ignoring how his aunt's antics were drawing the entire Hall’s attention.

“… Hinata, why would Jaune be attending either of those places,” Himiko spoke up, looking at the younger woman with a scrunched brow.

“I just figured he would stick to Sanus, but I guess he decided-“

“Hinata… Jaune doesn’t attend any Huntsman Academy,” Cloud quickly interjected, a knowing look in his eye.

“What! Why the hell not?” Hinata looked genuinely upset now; her lips peeled back as she eyed her sister with what Jaune thought might be betrayal.

Scarlett had gotten fed up with the antics and decided to end things “because he’s thirteen, aunty.”

This time, the reactions did not come just from the head table.

“What!”

“The fuck?”

“Seriously?

“The hell!”

“What do they feed him?”

“And where can I get some?”

Himiko had had enough, and Jaune watched as a glow, orange and burning, encompassed her body as she brought her hands together. From the corner of his eye, Jaune saw Cloud and Hella quickly cover the ears of Lapis and Lazuli.

*Crack*

Instead of a loud clap, the noise she produced was more akin to a gunshot. The entire room went silent as Himiko’s icy and stern glare peeled across the room, almost daring someone to make a sound.

When Himiko rose from her seat, Jaune was impressed by the immediate shift in the room's atmosphere. When she spoke, her words were measured and sharp, “Those of you who just decided to curse despite the presence of children will get to revise for their endurance exams today… report to Sensei Bo after breakfast.”

Not a person moved until Himiko was again seated and partaking of her meal; only then did the rest of the hall return to eating.

“Damn, Grandmother is scary,” Jade whispered, looking at the now curtailed faces.

Himiko was still clearly displeased by her student's behaviour, and her eyes had gained a notable edge. Quietly and in Mistrali, she began to mutter, one of her staff looking at her before quickly averting their gaze worriedly. Jaune was only just able to make out her words, and what he heard managed to make him smile despite the uncomfortable situation.

“To think my students would believe such behaviour to be acceptable, in front of guests no less… perhaps I need to venture into the sparring ring, return some order to the place,” Himiko mused, sipping from her tea.

“I would love to spar with you, grandmother,” Jaune volunteered aloud, speaking Mistrali, a small smile working its way onto his features. Himiko, who mainly had just been talking to herself, was quick to turn and engage with Jaune with a look of authentic surprise.

“Jaune, not until she’s watched you train; she needs to know what you’re capable of to balance her strength,” Hella quickly interjected, not harshly but just warily. This only earned them more looks, and now the staff almost seemed startled that Hella was so approving.

“Listen to your mother, grandson. I would take no issue sparring with you, but I would like to know where you stand before we do so… I will not bear the guilt for seriously harming the first male Kutsuki in nearly a century.”

Jaune felt something in him… twinge.

Pride perhaps?

“Right, you are grandmother, nor would I like to catch you off guard,” Jaune nodded, returning to his food.

Hearing his comment, Hinata choked on her food, and several people at the head table sent him wide-eye glances, their mouths agape.

Himiko lifted a sleeve over her face as a sharp giggle slipped out, eyeing her grandson without turning her head. “Oh my, so considerate.”

Jaune did not know precisely what he did to earn his father's approving pat on his back, but he enjoyed it all the same. Jaune couldn’t help but take a moment to consider his present situation as he finished eating breakfast.

So far, he could not say whether he was enjoying his time in Mistral; it had involved many non-stop interactions, which he was not fond of. He had not thought he would find these situations so pressing, but he had to concede that sociability had never been his strong point. A glance at his mother showed that at least he wasn’t alone; Hella sending him a knowing look.

Jaune decided he would have to suffer in silence for now, choosing to discuss with Sky what she was looking forward to. For the duration of their time in Mistral, Jaune accepted that he would likely need to rely on them to help him through the many social experiences he was sure to endure.

Hopefully, they would not be too bothersome.

YVYVYVYVY

When the offer of a proper tour came up, Jaune was swept up in things, merely roped in with his siblings and their father. Their aunt had offered to be their guide but had been summarily shot down as she had to see to her student.

This perturbed Jaune until his grandmother explained that one of the old traditions that Shrine kept to was teachers taking on favoured students.

Hinata’s was Arslan, the girl she had introduced to them upon their arrival.

The tour was quite informative, and Jaune found himself enjoying it. Their guide was their Grandmother, who had sent her staff away to tend to their duties so she could spend time with her family. Himiko kept the pace easy and filled the time with conversation, questioning and fact-telling about the Academy.

Jaune was not blind that his grandmother seemed to be sending several probing questions in his direction, but he found the act far less bothersome, considering she was doing much the same to the rest of his siblings. He did his best to answer as he could.

However, he found her tendency to ask about his social life quite vexing.

How does one explain something that is all but nonexistent? It got to the point that he had to send a pleading look to his elder sisters, who were swift in their aid.

Jaune loved his sisters.

Himiko led them across the campus, showing them the old architecture, which consisted of two training halls, an armoury, a library, an infirmary, the food hall, two sets of dormitories separated by sex and the bathhouse, which were also partitioned.

Only two buildings caught Jaune’s attention: the library and the bathhouse. The first was accepted as natural by his siblings, who were quick to tell of his interest in history, a fact that Himiko nodded at, her eyes glancing to Cloud.

The bathhouse had confused everyone.

Jaune did not understand why; he had never seen a bathhouse before and had been curious about the matter. He had been happy he sought it out as it was nothing like what he had expected. Instead of a big room filled with many bathtubs, it was a room with one massive bath.

“So… people bathe together in Mistral?” Jaune asked aloud, walking over to the water and running his hand through the water. It was steaming, and Jaune found the temperature intriguing.

“Oh yes, public baths have been present throughout history on Mistral, though there has been some major discourse about who started the practice first, West or East.” Himiko had looked about the room with a critical eye but evidently was pleased with what she found as she relaxed.

“It looks quite relaxing,” Scarlett appraised.

“My mother swore by them, saying that a hot bath after a day of massacring Grimm was mandatory,” Himiko chuckled. “We have a smaller, more private one in the clan house you are all welcome to use.”

“I will take you up on that offer,” Saphron hurriedly accepted, already picturing how nice it would be to spread out in the hot water.

“Wonderful; how about you, Grandson?”

Jaune stood back up, turned to his waiting family and nodded. In truth, he was more curious about the idea of public baths simply due to their novelty. Being naked with many other people… did not appeal to him.

Given he was not shy, as Orr would attest to much to Hella’s wrath, it was mainly the idea of being around others that irritated him. He supposed it would likely be okay with his family… and Orr as both had little to hide at this point, and he trusted her.

“Excellent; bathing together is a great way to bond as a family, and they truly leave you refreshed,” Himiko supplied. Even Hella nodded in agreement, eyeing the water.

Cloud spoke up at this point, “is the private one… you know… big enough?” Cloud moved to stand next to Jaune, gesturing to their height as both Arc males were now the tallest members of the family.

Himiko rolled her eyes, “Yes, yes, the bath will be large enough even for a pair of redwoods like you two.”

Jaune smiled, “thankyou Grandmother.”

“Mm, come now, there is more to see,” Himiko directed, the Arcs falling in behind her.

Sky quickly moved to his side as they walked, tugging at his sleeve to get his attention. “Hey bro,” she started Jaune, looking down at her immediately, “what's a redwood?”

“A really, really, tall tree.”

“Oh…” Sky giggled, “That fits you and Dad perfectly.”

“I guess it does, doesn’t it,” Jaune agreed, gently patting his younger sibling on her head, his stress a little less prominent before the affection of his younger sibling.

YVYVYVYVY

Arslan Altan was nervous, though she would never admit it.

Her Master invited her to lunch with her family, which just so happened to include her mysterious older sister and her family, as well as the academy's headmaster. Arslan was honoured to be invited and wouldn't dare insult her Master by denying the invitation, but she still had reservations about the whole thing.

She should be more used to the antics of her Master by now, but getting used to Hinata Kutsuki was… difficult.

When she had been accepted into Shrine Academy, she had been overjoyed; hers was a family that knew the respected history of the institution. The day she passed the entry exam was the happiest day of her life, made even better by the fact that she had caught the eye of her current Master.

When the daughter of Himiko Kutsuki came up to her after the combat trial and offered her the position as her personal student, her legs had nearly turned to jelly.

She had become a figure of envy ever since even older students occasionally gave her pointed stares.  If only they knew the eccentricity of her Master, Arslan doubted she would receive even half as many envious glares.

Hinata Kutsuki was rambunctious and chaotic; she thrived on pushing Arslan into as many new situations as possible. They didn’t have a set training regime, as Hinata would instead drag Arslan along on whatever wayward thought had come to her.

This was not without its benefits, as Arslan had already fought more Grimm than some second years… but it played havoc on her school schedule.

When she heard that her Master’s sister was visiting, Arslan didn’t know what to think. Hellebore Kutsuki was the stuff of rumour around Shade; the instructors did not speak of her often, and getting information from Hinata was an exercise in futility. It got to the point that Arslan, in her quest to learn anything, had signed up for time in the CCT room.

Shade, or rather the entire Isle of Gold, was very out of the way, meaning that their connection to the CCTS was, at best, spotty and, at worst, a joke. Shade still had a connection, but to use it for recreational purposes required you to schedule for your time. Sometimes, the wait could be up to two weeks, but it was worth it.

For example, she learned that Hellebore Kutsuki, now named Arc, a little tidbit she learned from her Master, had seven children. The number made Arslan blanche as she herself had never paid thought to children, but she knew she didn’t want to endure seven.

She learned she was married to a man named Cloud Arc, who was the Hunter Commander based in a settlement called Reach, and that was it. There was no other information on the woman. There was a picture, but it was taken nearly seven years ago and showed a woman who looked a lot like the headmaster.

Just younger and with purple eyes.

She was just about to start reading about some news surrounding the Arc family, but before she could, her scheduled time expired. That was the only chance she had before the Arcs were already en route, and by then, she could do nothing but quietly speculate on what they would be like.

On the day of the arrival, she had reminded her aster twice about their pending arrival, yet they still ended up being the last to arrive. By then, the Arc family had disembarked and were standing present, and it was like looking at a sea of gold.

They were all blond.

Arslan could only blink at the sight of the numerous blond-haired and blue-eyed people. Clearly, the Arc genes were nothing to scoff at.

The first words Arslan ever heard from Hellebore Arc was a probing enquiry as to whether or not her sister had slept in. Arslan did her best to keep a straight face; while not true today, it was well known that Hinata would often arrive mere seconds before breakfast ended. Her usual routine involved snatching whatever food she could, grabbing Arslan and then bolting off before the headmaster could scold her.

Flustered, Master Hinata had all but thrown Arslan forward in her eagerness to introduce them. Wanting to make a good impression on one of the daughters of the Kutsuki clan, Arslan had done her best to introduce herself respectfully.

Her words were polite, but her tone was neutral; it made Arslan think of still water, calm to look at but hiding who knows what underneath. The woman had gone on to introduce her daughters, which had been another surprise for Arslan.

She had expected them to be all warriors in training, but they all looked… normal.

The eldest two looked as if they were old enough to attend a Huntsman Academy, but Arslan could tell that not one of the girls was a fighter. This was shocking as she struggled to accept the idea of a child of the Kutsuki clan not being a lethal Huntress.

It was jarring but not as jarring as the next surprise.

She had a son. Hellebore Arc, formally Kutsuki had a son.

Blond hair, blue eyes and well on his way to being a match for his mountain of a father.

‘What the hell were Arc Genes?’

It was practically common knowledge for those who knew of the Kutsuki Clan that they only ever had girls. Some called it a quirk, some a mutation, and some even thought it was some curse. Whatever it was, it meant that a male Kutsuki hadn’t been born in… Arslan didn’t know how long.

‘A long time to be sure.’

And unlike his sisters, his mother had introduced him as her student.

Everything else fell away then as Arslan focused all her attention on the mysterious Jaune Arc. She examined him closely, and what she saw was precisely what she supposed was proper for a male Kutsuki.

His stance was one of readiness; his eyes were curious and critical, slowly tracing around the gathered group, resting on her for only the briefest of moments. He was tall and wearing clothes that concealed a lot of his body despite the heat. Arslan could tell by his hands that Hellebore’s statement was factual.

Arslan felt warry near him, and this was all the confirmation she needed.

Headmaster Himiko made her feel much the same.

Then, the welcome meal happened.

She had thought the young man to be her senior; finding out he was the same age as her was shocking and again had her wondering what an Arc was. For Brother’s sake, Hellebore was not short; she was easily the tallest woman Arslan had ever met, but this was ridiculous.

‘Was she trying to breed a new superior race of giants or something?’ Arslan thought ponderously as she looked at the tall young man.

Then he challenged his grandmother to a spar. He was so forward, so matter-of-fact about it that many could only stare in shock. She was one of them. She had expected his mother, the headmaster’s daughter, to warn him off. Instead, she just asked her son to wait until after the headmaster had seen him spar.

That was insane. Just how confident was she in her son?

The matter of the Arcs was forced out of her mind as she threw herself into her morning lessons; she had double combat, and her classes demanded her full attention. As the personal student of Hinata Kutsuki, she was constantly being watched for the slightest failure. This kind of pressure could drive one to make mistakes.

It drove Arslan to be better.

By the end of her class, she basked in her undefeated score, with not one of her classmates besting her in any of her matches. She did lose the occasional round, but she saw those only as areas in which to improve.

Combat classes were her favourite; whether unarmed or with a weapon, she was better suited for active learning. However, she did her best to pay attention in the other classes, but she knew where she excelled.

She was determined to be the best in class if only to keep her position. Her goal was to be the first of her year to unlock her Aura. She wondered if Jaune had unlocked his or if he, like her, was still trying to do so.

Maybe she would ask him at lunch.

“Hey!” Master Hinata hollered, jolting her from her thoughts. “Hurry up, I wanna dig in!” She bellowed, gesturing to the table they had claimed for the lunch. It was one of the old stone tables in the courtyard west of the Great Hall; the cooks had gone above and beyond to layer a variety of food atop it.

Arslan couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as her Master hopped on the spot eagerly, never mind that the headmaster was approaching.

“Hello,” Arslan bowed and greeted once the group was close enough. She received a smattering of different responses, but all were polite. However, only Jaune and his mother bowed.

“Are you to be joining us, Ms. Altan?” the headmaster asked, coming to stand at the head of the group.

“Yes, Headmaster, I was invited by Master Himiko.”

“Ah, wonderful, saves me having to invite you myself… let us sit,” Headmaster Himiko directed with a smile, moving past Arslan to take her spot at the head of the table.

Everyone quickly found their spots at the table, Hellebore sitting to her mother's left and Hinata to her right. Naturally, Arslan sat next to her master, and Hellebore’s absolute giant of a husband sat next to her.

She assumed her children would fill in oldest to youngest, but the headmaster had other plans.

“Jaune,” Himiko spoke up, capturing her grandson’s attention.

The boy quickly responded, looking to the oldest Kutsuki with a single brow raised. “yes, Grandmother?”

“Would you mind sitting next to Ms. Altan? I wish not to strain my voice more than necessary; better for us to bunch up some, don’t you think?”

Arslan’s eyes darted between the two.

“… Of course, Grandmother,” the only boy amongst Hellebore’s children replied politely, striding around the table.

He walked quietly; Arslan had to strain her ears to hear him. Was that his shoes, or was he naturally this quiet? When he sat beside her, she was surprised that he smelt floral; she tried not to react to the sudden surprise but couldn’t help taking a second whiff to make sure.

Arslan noted that the girl with colourful streaks in her hair claimed the place next to her brother, with the eldest girls sitting next to their parents. The twins stayed with their parents, and the last girl, Sky, Arslan believed, sat on the opposite side of the colourful sister.

“Wonderful… well, now shall we dig in?”

There was a chorus of agreement, and food was quickly passed around as people loaded their plates. Arslan played it safe and took whatever bowl her Master proffered to her. She was happy to stay out of the way as she was clearly the outsider.

That plan crashed and burned when the Headmaster asked her to pass her a bowl that was out of her reach.

And was on the other side of the ridiculously tall boy sitting beside her.

“Um, can you please-“

“Here,” Jaune uttered, reaching the bowl with ease and handing it to her before quickly passing another plate to one of his siblings. Arslan passed the bowl to the headmaster, but her eyes stayed on the Arcs. They moved with surprising agility, and Arslan realised this must be a common practice.

Food was passed back and forth, a litany of ‘pardon me’ and ‘here you go’ sounding off as plates were hurriedly filled.

Arslan smirked in amusement; she suspected this was a necessary skill when one’s family is practically a tribe in itself.

*Sniff, Sniff*

Arslan looked to her left with confusion; the son, Jaune, was sniffing loudly, his eyes darting across the table. Then, his eyes settled on the plate next to her.

Then they met her own.

His eyes were startlingly blue, much like his father and siblings. Arslan couldn’t believe the intensity in them; it was like looking into the eyes of some great predator. When he spoke, Arslan nearly kicked the underside of the table.

‘What the hell was that?’ Arslan thought, confused.

“Would you please pass me… whatever that is? The pork dish,” the taller boy asked, pointing to the tonkatsu.

“O-of course,” Arslan muttered, sliding the bowl to him.

“Much obliged,” he replied, piling the meaty dish on his plate.

Laughter erupted from the eldest Arc girl… Scarlett Arslan recalled, “Leave it to Jaune to find the pork dish… there are other delicious-looking meals here, brother,” she admonished, gesturing to the wide variety at hand.

“… I will try them later,” Jaune replied before his mouth engulfed an entire slice of the deep-fried pork.

A giggle drew Arslan’s attention to the girl with colourful hair, Jade. When the Arc girl saw her looking, she quickly smiled before speaking, “Jaune hates pigs; that’s what Scarlett is teasing him about.”

Arslan became even more confused, “Then why is he eating it?”

“Because he hates pigs-“

“He dislikes the animal, not its meat,” Hellebore cut her daughter off, “try your food, Jade; you haven’t even tried a bite yet.”

“Sorry, ma.”

“Why does he hate pigs?” Arslan asked.

“He is sitting right next to you, Ms Altan,” the headmaster spoke up, gesturing to the boy Arslan had just rudely asked about as if he wasn’t present.

“Ah, don’t worry about it; he’s busy stuffing his face. Besides, he has always hated pigs… ever since he killed a Boarbatusk,” Saphron quickly cut in.

“Oh, when was this,” the headmaster asked, curious about her grandson's exploits, not that Arslan was any different.

“Oh, years ago,” Saphron shrugged before putting some food in her mouth.

“Years?”

“I was five,” the boy in question spoke up as he swallowed before quickly putting more food in his mouth.

“FIVE!” Hinata exploded.

Arslan was stunned.

“Yeah, he did it to save me,” Jade said, giving her brother a one-armed hug.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full, sis; that’s gross,” Scarlett admonished, cringing at her younger sibling.

“… Five?” The headmaster asked, her eyes darting to her daughter, who just nodded her head, currently feeding the youngest girls.

“With a rock,” Cloud muttered in between bites. Arslan stared wide-eyed at the man who was seemingly testing everything on offer with a critic's attention to detail.

“A-a rock?” Arslan spluttered.

“It was a sharp rock,” the strange boy added as if that explained everything.

“… I see.” Arslan watched as something came over Headmaster Himiko, a sort of expression that seemed searching in nature as she looked to her elder daughter and then her grandson.

“What! See what? Mother, did you hear that? Hella, are you making this up?” Hinata rambled, looking between her sister and her mother.

“It is not a memory I like recalling, but yes… it happened,” Hellebore spoke up, and suddenly Arslan swore the temperature dropped.

Arslan had seen her master angry only once; a girl had seen fit to poison another student's food before a fight. The investigation had been quick and thorough, and afterwards, Arslan had been present to see her master manhandle the guilty party.

Unfortunately for the guilty girl, she had Aura, meaning her master did not need to hold back.

Hinata raged like a volcano, destroying the girl and an entire training field to the point it was closed for a week for repairs.

She had also seen the Headmaster angry once, only for a brief flash. A Karkin, a giant crab-like Grimm, had waded onto a shore where the first years were training on the beach. The headmaster had been a blur, just a black-gold blur surrounded by a burning orange corona.

Then the Grimm was dead with its carapace crushed and Headmaster Himiko standing atop its disintegrating body with a deadly look on her face.

Himiko Kutsuki’s rage was like a lightning bolt, quick, lethal but gone as quickly as it came.

Hellebore’s was like ice, and it made the whole table react.

“Girls…” Himiko warned, her voice scolding, making both women settle. Though Arslan made note that her master instead directed her attention to the boy sitting next to her.

Cloud spoke up next, “It was not some kind of glorious victory, Hinata; we nearly lost two children that day…”

Arslan felt a hint of guilt as she understood what the man was saying; she and likely her master had been seeing it as a boast. She pictured herself at the age of five pitted against a Boarbatusk.

She knew her gulp was audible but couldn’t bring herself to care. She knew precisely what would have happened had she been in the same place.

“I-… I am sorry, you’re right… it's just that… it's incredible,” Hinata shrugged.

“It is, and we are grateful that things ended so well every day,” Cloud agreed.

“Besides, that’s just Jaune,” Saphron said with a shrug, pouring some more iced tea for herself. “Rushing to his sister's aid like our own personal knight in shining armour,” she laughed, her voice overly dramatic.

Arslan witnessed the boy in question let out a quiet snort, “I would prefer to be referred to as a Slayer over a knight… knight is just so… Valean.”

“We are Valean, you dummy,” Saphron rebutted.

“Speak for yourself, sis; I have always felt more attached to my Mistrali side,” Scarlett interjected proudly.

“As you should,” Himiko nodded, a coy smile coming to her features as she ate another mouthful.

“Betrayed on all sides,” Cloud grumbled, “that’s it, Jaune, next vacation, you and I are going back to the homeland.”

“Not without me; I wanna see the snow!” Sky jumped in.

“Am I the only one here with some hometown pride?” Saphron muttered, looking for support.

“Nah, I’m with you, sis. Go Vale!” Jade cheered.

“Huh, would have figured you’d be on their side,” Saphron stated, pointing to Cloud and Jaune.

“And to think I taught you, Mæli,” Cloud fake sulked, a toothy smile on his face the whole time.

Suddenly, Jaune and his father were talking in a language that Arslan did not recognise; she became even more confused when Jade joined in, making both men laugh. Cloud's booming laugh died off after a while, but Jaune’s was little more than a short, soft burst of merriment.

Arslan was surprised that their personalities differed quite significantly for two men who looked so alike.

“Wait, the kid speaks another language as well?” Hinata looked between her sister and the boy to Arslan’s left.

“Yes, it's Mæli, the old tongue of Mantle,” Hella supplied.

“You mean Atlas?” Arslan spoke up.

“No,” Jaune answered, turning to look at her, Arslan doing her best not to stare at his eyes this time. “Mæli was the tongue spoken in the old kingdom of Mantle; it has actually been on Solitas since before the kingdom's creation being first spoken by the many tribes that called the land home.”

“Oh…” Arslan mumbled, shocked as this was the most words the boy had spoken to her. “And you speak it?”

“Yes, it is the ancestral tongue of the Arcs; I wanted to learn it,” Jaune explained.

“Oh, that’s why Headmaster Himiko refers to your dad as a northern savage!” Arslan exclaimed, finally understanding why Himiko insisted on referring to her son-in-law as such.

“Yes, though the joke is on her because I take such as a compliment,” Cloud boasted, sending Arslan another beaming smile.

“Of course he does,” Himiko sighed in Mistrali.

“Still speak Mistrali, Himiko.”

“Yes, good for you.”

“Mother, please play nice,” Hellebore spoke up, though there was no heat to her words.

Arslan giggled loudly.

She quickly clammed up and looked around hastily, but to her surprise, she found no one was eyeing her. Instead, it seemed that her embarrassing outburst had been swept up in all the other sounds of the table.

‘This is nice,’ Arslan thought, seeing the family dynamic. She hadn’t had a chance to relax in such an environment since her enrolment, as Shrine Academy ran with such strict discipline. The expectation was lifted amongst friends, but… Arslan hadn’t had a chance to make any yet, as her timetable was very different from everyone else's.

It was an honour to be the personal student of Hinata Kutsuki… but it was not without its sacrifices.

“- How about you, grandson? What do you enjoy doing?” Himiko asked, Arslan listening with half an ear.

“I am afraid I am by far the least interesting of your grandchildren, grandmother,” Jaune placated.

Arslan held back her scoff, but it was a close thing.

“Really now? How about school?”

Arslan would have been blind to miss the shift that went through the Arcs, ranging from his sisters stiffening in their seats to his father going still.

“… I have not attended in some time,” Jaune admitted, placing his chopsticks on his plate before interlocking his fingers. Arslan wondered why she had the sudden urge to flee, looking at her master, who was still gleefully eating her food.

The look Himiko gave him made even Arslan tense, and she wasn’t even the target of the powerful glance. “Why?”

“I have already attained my diploma; there is no need for me to attend any further schooling, be it primary or secondary,” Jaune explained, unphased by his grandmother’s attention, which was impressive in its own right.

“… Pardon?”

“I attained my Standard Education Diploma when I was twelve; I have since not attended any body of education.”

“… I see… that is impressive, but rather than further conventional teaching, have you looked into Combat Schools?”

Arslan suddenly felt very uncomfortable with where she was seated, her thoughts weighing the worth of asking to be excused.

“No.”

“… Is there any particular reason why?”

“I do not want to,” Jaune replied as if it were obvious.

“… Yet you accept training from your parents? Why?”

“It was offered I accepted.

Arslan wanted to move but was too afraid of attracting any attention to herself, given the now… electric atmosphere. The air may as well have been filled with static for how prickly it felt.

“I have been told you are quite talented… the rumours coming out of Reach are… well, quite unbelievable,” Himiko mentioned, her golden eyes flickering to Hella and Cloud.

Jaune did not even twitch, just meeting his grandmother’s gaze unflinchingly.

“What is this ‘Rite of First Quest’ I have heard about?” Himiko enquired, turning to address Jaune’s parents.

“Oh fuck, here we go,” Scarlett breathed so softly. Arslan translated the words more by reading the young woman’s lips. They did not fill her with hope, and it was at examining the table warily that she realised the previous mood was utterly dead.

Cloud finished chewing before, much like his son, he put down the wooden cutlery and gave the Headmaster of Shrine Academy his full undivided attention. Arslan came to a very startling realisation at that point.

She knew the pecking order at Shrine Academy as well as she knew her own damn name.

And the undisputed strongest, bar none, at the very top, was Himiko Kutsuki. No one could compare to her; not even her daughter Hinata was her equal, and this was proven in every sparring contest she had ever watched.

But… Cloud and Hellebore weren’t from Shrine.

It was innocuous how Cloud crossed his arms on the table, but Arslan found her eyes following the motion anxiously. The way the man's muscles shifted beneath his skin made Arslan feel like she was watching some great tiger begin to stir.

Hellebore was worse; she put down her cutlery and began drumming her fingers on the table, the sharp staccato sounding like the rattle of a venomous serpent to her ears.

When Cloud spoke, his voice was light, relaxed and had a lecturing quality to it.

So why did it give her goosebumps?

“The Rite’s an old Arc tradition, completely voluntary and Jaune decided he wanted to walk in the steps of his ancestors,” Cloud informed his mother-in-law lackadaisically.

“… There was speak of an elder alert during the time of his undertaking,” Himiko stated, leaving no room for doubt that she knew.

“Yes, a spot of bad luck that,” Cloud shrugged.

Himiko glanced at Jaune, and Arslan wanted to move; this was wrong. She felt like she was in the middle of some great power struggle. She was a first-year, dammit, this was not cool.

“He is still alive…”

“One would hope so,” Hella said, fingers still rhythmically tapping on the stone table. Her words only earned her a pointed look from the headmaster.

“His name is listed in the report of the slaying of an Elder Grimm,” Himiko exclaimed, frustration seeping into her voice, a brief flare of light around her eyes.

“Well, of course, he was there,” Cloud shrugged, “Saw the monstrous thing and everything.”

“He is not listed as a mere witness.”

The table descended into silence.

Arslan looked to her master but found that the older woman was in much the same bind she was. She looked as uncomfortable and shifty as Arslan felt… which made Arslan realise that she should have asked her master more questions.

Like the only one that mattered at Shrine.

‘Who is stronger, you or your sister?’ Arslan wondered, but she dreaded that she knew the answer.

“Do you have a question, Grandmother?” Hellebore wondered aloud.

Himiko straightened in her seat, and the entire atmosphere shifted again; the twins began to squirm, making displeased noises. Arslan saw a more intense orange glow dance in the Headmaster’s eyes and feared that this lunch was about to become a warzone.

“Why isn’t he enrolled at a Combat School?”

“You mean, why isn’t he enrolled here, right?” Hellebore sniffed her tone mocking.

Arslan could not help but be in pure awe at the woman who dared to talk to Himiko Kutsuki in such a tone.

“It is the logical-“

“No.”

Salt.

Arslan could smell salt, but there was no breeze to carry the scent of the ocean to this table.

“Pardon?”

“I said no, Grandmother, I will not be attending Shrine Academy, nor any combat school for that matter,” Jaune explained plainly.

Arslan now realised precisely what she had been dragged into and bit back the urge to curse her master.

This was a grandparent thinking they knew best and the younger generation not agreeing… And said grandparent just happened to be one of the most terrifying women Arslan had ever met.

The look on Himiko’s face was affronted pride, and Arslan began looking for escape routes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Grandson; if even half the rumours floating around about you are true, you cannot afford not to receive proper training.”

“I am receiving training; I train regularly and with great frequency… I am confident that my current educational avenues are… sufficient.”

“Your parents are both full-time Huntsman with seven children; they cannot give you nearly as much training as a PCS,” though Himiko didn’t say it, everyone paying attention knew she meant Shrine.

Those who weren’t were Sky, Saphron and the twins, who, for their part, were sitting at the opposite end of the table, distancing themselves from the tension. Arslan wanted to join them so damn badly.

“They are not my only training partners, and as I have stated before, the training I receive is sufficient,” Jaune doubled down.

“You think you are now immortal because you have survived the impossible?” Himiko asked in Mistrali.

Salt and Blood.

Arslan’s throat constricted, and everyone at the table shifted. Jade dashed around the table, quickly grabbing Saphron and Sky and leading them and the twins away from the table. Scarlett rose to stand and moved to sit on her brother’s left.

Cloud’s Aura flared, and Arslan found the air gaining weight that it should not have.

Hellebore let slip a hiss through clenched teeth that was a barely withheld curse as she glared bloody murder at her mother.

Hinata had now fully pulled Arslan into her side and looked ready to bolt, which, while usually comforting, did nothing to Arslan’s frayed nerves.

But Jaune… Jaune looked like a statue, his whole body rigid as he locked his gaze with his Grandmother’s. Himiko, not one to be curtailed by a child, did not back down, and this left the two staring at one another with a tension that felt like the whole group was standing atop a landmine.

“Jaune…” Scarlett whispered, her hand resting on her brother’s back.

Arslan watched as something in his eyes changed.

“… Prove it,” Jaune uttered, words coming from his lips like a curse.

“Hm?”

Jaune rose to stand, his family doing much the same, and Arslan felt Hinata squeeze her gently, holding her in place.

“Send me your best, Grandmother, so I can put your worries to rest,” Jaune commanded, his tone harsh and perhaps even a bit sarcastic.

“You want to prove that-“

“I want to prove nothing!” Jaune snapped, and Arslan paled as even the headmaster seemed hurt by the harsh tone. “Even should I be beaten to a bloody pulp, I will not be leaving MY family, Grandmother… but I will alleviate your concerns all the same if so only to avoid this… discussion happening again.”

Jaune turned his back and walked over to where his sisters had gathered away from the table. “Thank you for lunch, Grandmother”, Jaune whispered in Mistrali, not looking back.

Silence reigned at the table until Hella spoke her words, coming out cutting and barbed.

“There is a reason, mother-” Hella snarled, showing more emotion than Arslan had ever seen the woman show since arriving.

“That my children bear the last name Arc, and as much as you would like to pretend it is solely because of my father… we both know that’s not true.”

Hella left first, storming away her Aura, flaring briefly as she whipped her hand through a tree, splintering the trunk and felling it entirely. Cloud followed behind her, saying nothing but covering his wife’s departure, brushing the falling tree aside as if it were an irritating fly.

When the Arcs were well and truly out of sight, the Headmaster left, her mantle flaring behind her as she headed towards the heart of the campus, purpose guiding her steps.

Arslan turned to her master, who still clutched the back of her robes.

“Master… what the fuck was that?”

Hinata could say nothing instead, directing her to return to class as she hurried away.

Arslan did as instructed, stopping briefly to scratch at her nose.

It was then she noticed her hand.

It was shaking.

A.N.

Well, now, doesn’t this feel a bit overdue?

Hello, everyone. I have so much to say, so I will keep it as brief as possible, but let me say that the degree of support this fic has received really and truly hit me recently. I went back and flicked through the comments, the PM, and most importantly, you Patrons, and it hit me.

So I decided it might be time to stop pussyfooting about and get to work on making this fic all it can be.

To that end, two polls (at least) will be going up for you wonderful Patrons to participate in.

I now have a… course, although it is malleable, for this fic to take, and it hit me when I made the first draft of this chapter that this fic already is the way it is, and I don’t think I would go back and change things even if I wanted to.

So, I rewrote this whole chapter to do one thing…

Finally letting Jaune cut loose.

Against regular teenagers, he is overkill; against an Elder Spriggan, he is fighting for his life, but against PCS students… well, there he can have some fun.

That will be the next chapter, Jaune going absolutely ape shit on some poor students thrown his way as an attempt by his grandmother to recruit him into the Kutsuki clan.

I remember a while back, someone commented that I took the easy way out, having Jaune’s parents able to cope and handle his warped self. To that, I say the alternative would have been Jaune psychotically killing every Faunus he laid eyes on in a deranged panic attack.

I like the decisions myself and you guys have made for this fic! I like the Camping Arc; I like this Arc, and I enjoy writing the fic you guys want to read! So that’s exactly what I am going to fucking do.

I like writing Grimm Nightmares.

This Fic had become something important to me, something for me to do while I tend to my father and help my family as needed.

But seeing the comments and messages I got from you guys, my Patrons, about my state and when the next update is due walloped me. It made me realise that this fic might be something special; there are a lot of RWBY fics out there, some with huge followings.

(Though some of the ones on AO3 have some rather… interesting… tags.)

I would like mine to become one of the ones that can stand amongst the best. I want this to be a fic I can take pride in, faults and all.

(And yes, that is a reference to the armour descriptions; yes, it still eats at me. Yes, I hate that I am not an artist; I have fingerpainter envy.)

But with your help and the Polls to come, I hope we can make this fic into something extraordinary, whatever it looks like.

Before I leave, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my father, who is due for surgery this week; I wrote a lot of this between helping him out and then rewrote it again while spending time with him at appointments.

(Please excuse spelling errors or grammar stuff you spot; I blame writing on my phone.)

See you all next time! And remember to hit those Polls!