Hello and sorry about the delay! I ran into a little problem and was hospitalized, so I was inactive for a while. But worry not, for I am back! Also, if every chapter seems to be taking too long to come up, it's probably because I'm now juggling three stories at once. I shall now enforce some brainwashing and tell you to go read those stories too. Yeah, do it.

Anyway, here's a reply to the guest who mentioned about the credibility about the small details. Yes indeed, the intervention of outer forces does seem more logical, but I decided against that. I will eventually go into more detail about it as I move the story along, and it's one of the things I felt needed to be fleshed out more, which led to me bring back Weiss. Don't worry; I'll try to address every minute detail meticulously, and I hope I don't disappoint! Thank you for your review, and I'm glad you pointed out the things you did!

About Blake's bounty, yes it's not logical either, but that was the whole point: to reflect that the reasons for Adam wanting to capture Blake were not of logic, but of obsession. It was meant to reflect his feelings more than anything. Sorry if that didn't come across clearly enough. Again, thank you for pointing that out!

And now, on with the chapter!

"Why the look of distress?"

Looking up from his depressed sitting position on the rooftop, Jaune almost fell off the edge in shock. Ozpin, who had just appeared out of nowhere, measured out a fraction of a smile as he proceeded to sit next to him.

"Trouble with love?" the older man asked, taking a sip of coffee (or whatever it was) from his mug.

"I wish," Jaune sighed, looking down dejectedly. He had not even the chance to begin his love life, much less have trouble with it.

"Well then, shall I offer some advice?" Ozpin asked with a rather mischievous, benign smile. "While I do not proclaim to be a master of romance, my experiences may… illuminate some useful tips."

"Heh, thanks," Jaune said dejectedly. "But I'd rather go for some tips to improve my skills."

"Your skills," Ozpin clarified. "Not your scores?"

"Nah," Jaune replied. "I know I'm not an honors student, and I never will be. I just want to be stronger, that's all."

"Then why do you wish to improve?" Ozpin asked, taking a sip of his mysterious beverage. "Your strength is merely your own, so if it's not for yourself, what's the point?"

"Well, I guess that's true," Jaune said thoughtfully, completely unaware of Ozpin's gaze as he spoke. "Yeah, it makes sense, but I don't care about that. I just want to be strong enough to protect my team, and you know… be worthy enough to lead them. I- wait a minute; why would you-?"

"Good answer, Mr. Arc," Ozpin chuckled. Jaune may be slow on the uptake, but he was honest. And what was more, he had the right mindset – the mindset of a true Huntsman. Looks like his bet paid off after all. "Top marks."

"Er... Um… What?" Jaune stammered.

"You understand the correct reasons for seeking strength," Ozpin elaborated. "You're improving yourself for the sake of not only yourself, but of your comrades as well. Strength is not something meant for beating up others or killing monsters to look like a hero; it is something that will help you protect what you hold dear. Never forget that.

"As long as you remember that and stay true to your beliefs, you will be fine," he added, standing up and paying no heed to the look of utter confusion on Jaune's face. "Don't give up, Jaune. Someday, you'll become someone capable of great accomplishments."

Jaune tightened his grip on the sword, eyeing his adversary with a steady gaze.

"Why?"

Despite his confused tone and vague question, Jaune's expression was grim. There was a fire burning in his eyes – a fire no one had believed him to be capable of igniting before.

"Come now, Mr. Arc," Ozpin said mildly. "Would it really make a difference at this point?"

"Probably not," Jaune agreed, settling himself into a defensive stance, shield at the ready. "But I thought I'd hear your excuses first."

"You thought wrong," Ozpin replied.

Jaune opened his mouth, only to shut it instantly as Ozpin charged at him, slamming his cane at his shield with incredible force.

Withstanding the blow, Jaune swung his shield to the side, throwing off Ozpin's balance as he swung his sword in the same motion, hoping to catch him in the midsection.

However, Ozpin was no fool, and managed to deflect the blow with his cane, cartwheeling to the side and moving along with the force. Having managed to avoid the attack, he retaliated, bringing up the cane and thrusting it forward in a stabbing motion.

That would be the end of it. The impact would explode across his forehead, cracking his skull and possibly breaking his neck in the process. It would be a swift conclusion, and the natural blonde would have to suffer little-

All those thoughts instantly dissipated as the tip of his cane struck thin air, catching nothing but some stray strands of hair. Despite his wealth of experience and state of alertness, Ozpin paused, unable to believe the reality he was seeing. Did Jaune – that Jaune Arc, of all people – really just dodge his attack?

Taking advantage of the opening, Jaune lunged forward, his sword snaking towards Ozpin's shoulder. Sidestepping the blow partially, Ozpin somersaulted away from him, putting some distance between them in the process.

"I'm impressed," he said loftily, as a small chunk of fabric fell from his shoulders. "I certainly was not expecting that."

"You're easy," Jaune taunted. "Compared to Ruby, you're just like a sloth."

"A sloth," Ozpin chucked. If the blonde wanted to play it this way, he'd play along. "Reminds me of a rather energetic student of mine. Nora Valkyrie, as I recall. Did you know her?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Ozpin went completely silent. Whether he was merely observing Jaune's reply or rendered speechless by his own words was unclear, but Jaune was no longer paying attention; rather, he was seething with rage.

"Don't you dare say her name," he spat.

Ozpin did not reply. He had expected another jab of sorts, but Ozpin did not say anything. It did not matter much, but Jaune was no longer thinking at all; he was merely charging towards his former headmaster with his weapon at the ready.

Ozpin readied himself to parry Jaune's blow, but the blonde betrayed his expectations by throwing his sword like a javelin instead. Stepping to the side and narrowly avoiding the weapon, Ozpin closed the distance between them – and was sliced by something invisible.

A small jet of crimson burst from his cheek, leaving a burning sting in its wake. Unable to comprehend the nature of that attack, Ozpin hesitated, allowing Jaune to slam into him with his shield.

Slamming Ozpin onto the ground, Jaune pulled with his free hand and summoned his sword back to him. With a soft zipping sound, the wire around Crocea Mors' handle retracted into the mechanism on Jaune's wrist, bringing the sword into his hand. But before he could stab Ozpin with it, the older man brought up his legs and kicked Jaune off of him.

"Throwing your weapon's new," he commented. "Did you learn that from Miss Nikos?"

Jaune did not reply, and instead continued his attack, rushing at Ozpin. Stopping short to block his stabs with his shield, he spun around with his sword. As Ozpin parried the blow, Jaune let go of his weapon, letting the sword fly out of his hand. Then, with a pull of his hand, he brought the sword back from the air, deterring Ozpin from following up with another blow.

At the same time, he pressed a button on his shield, turning it back into its sheath form. Grabbing it like a dagger held in reverse, Jaune proceeded to counterattack, wielding his sheath like a second blade. Immediately after an attack from his sword, he followed up with the sheath, leaving no room for Ozpin to retaliate.

Forcing Ozpin back a few steps, Jaune thrust the opening of his sheath at his face, pouring out a small belt of Dust crystals. Shielding his face with the flat end of his sword, Jaune pressed a button on his shield again, turning it back into its shield form. As it did, the friction from the moving parts ignited the Dust, exploding between them and blowing up right in Ozpin's face.

Waiting for the dust cloud to settle, Jaune readied his shield. He knew that this was far from enough to take him out, but he was not reckless enough to charge in blindly. He might have been in the past, but not now.

"So you've learned something from Miss Nikos, Miss Belladonna, and Miss Schnee," Ozpin's voice spoke calmly through the dust cloud. "You studied their fighting styles and took a little something from every one in order to supplement your own. Interesting."

A bright line of silver flashed, and in and instant the dust cloud was cut in half and dispersed. Walking out of the small crater calmly and throwing away his broken sunglasses, Ozpin brandished his cane – except that it was now an unsheathed rapier with a silver glow.

"And with Miss Rose you learned how to combat high speed opponents," he went on. "I'd wager you learned something from Mister Lie, Miss Valkyrie and Miss Xiao Long too, no?"

"Who knows?" Jaune shrugged. "I'm just a failing student with faked transcripts."

"Really, now," Ozpin smiled. The boy had come a long way, and that was comforting despite the current situation. "Show me what other surprises you have, Mister Arc.

"And come kill me if you can."

Sorry if I'm not replying your reviews and/or private messages; I'm having trouble with my e-mail right now so I don't know when someone says something to me. I'll try to get it fixed (Somehow), so please bear with me!