A/N

Wassup party people? I'm really tired, I just wanna sleep… well, maybe a few more words…

Looks like a few people like this story, which makes me uncomfortably happy. Seriously, I need to sleep, but it brings a smile to my face whenever I look at the stats!

So, I wrote a new chapter for, well, this story, of course. It took awhile, and I'm pretty out of it, so prepare for quite possibly the worst chapter I've ever written. Oh, and

Do enjoy.

Chapter Nine: A Cut Above

Combat Ring, Seul's Home

Fighting the Grimm was always a frightening activity to think about when you lived in the cities. The beasts seemed so large and fearsome, driven only by their hunger to destroy. That a Grimm would be able to strike such sharp fear into so many people with ease isn't surprising, but the many diverse ways people react to that feeling could easily be. A man, defending his family, could be far more vicious than the monster he faced, ripping and tearing just as easy as the clawed nightmare, showing no hesitation in a situation that might have costed the lives of hundreds before. In that same vein, he could form a plan with what materials might be lying around that would keep his loved ones safe, keeping himself and others away from the danger. Sadly, just as many a man would sooner lose himself to such fear, fleeing for their own safety long before sparing a thought to friends or family.

Thankfully, not even the smallest, most secluded villages were completely unprepared for Grimm attacks, and often sought ways to test the mettle of their people. One such method, passed down through Generations of the Arc Family, was used as a right of passage for all of its warriors. Using only the skills they honed from life, they would try to survive against the nearest Grimm. Often, the child would last maybe four minutes before someone decided to help, but the observers would never allow grave harm to come to their charges. This method, obviously very brutal and risky for even the most prodigious students, was terribly effective at what it was meant to do.

Many people thought the test was for courage, or stupidity, maybe even as a show to entertain the depraved, but the Arc's idea was far more complex. The challenge faced in the test revealed the potential of any candidates participating. It presented their mental state, whether they feared the Grimm more than courage could conquer, or showed any early signs of a deepening insanity. The individual's strength similarly showed through how they fought against the beast. A tough but slow child might wait out the battle, weakening the Grimm bit by bit, while an agile contender would prefer a fast paced, decisive battle.

No matter what the test was for, how it was graded, or even what the members of each society thought of it, nearly every civilization used this it in some form. Even training Academies such as Beacon used a variation of the test. As such, the event was usually accepted as a standard way to measure the effectiveness and mentality of anyone living in Remnant.

Within reason.

As Seul watched his charge jump, roll, and plan with startling efficiency, all while remaining calm, not an easy feat facing off against a beowolf, he found himself remembering the few unspoken, but generally accepted rules added to the test over the years.

No child younger than 18 would be allowed to fight unarmed, as in without at the very least a stick.

No match may be engaged with fewer than three judges.

And most importantly, no participants were to be entered without the minimum of knowledge regarding Aura.

All of which, Seul had broken by allowing this test. The boy was unarmed, fighting a beast twice his size, with only Seul himself as a judge, all while being woefully ignorant of the Aura his body was cloaked with. It was laughable, in most circles, as most people would suspect you were pulling their leg. However, it was horrendous in circles that believed you, or knew of the event. What kind of cruel taskmaster would throw such a vile creature at a practically unarmed child? An Arc would, but that was usually done in secret, far away from prying eyes and nosy people.

It did not matter in any case, as Jaune seemed perfectly content to ace every important factor of this test. He showed no fear, whether he harbored any or not. Not a single piece of the situation escaped his attention, not the Grimm, the rocks, or even the ring of trees. The Grimm had so far not come near him, not without effort, mind you.

It was beautiful, in a way, watching a human with only his own soul fight off one of the monsters born of negativity. It would not be too far of a stretch to claim that the battle of Grimm and mankind was poetic, if not for the tragedies that befell the world. Truly, the Grimm were treated as a lesser threat, something to be acknowledged, but not holding the main focus. No, mankind's greatest enemy, the one it had fought with long before the Grimm, was itself. Day by day, thieves and terrorist organizations grew and slew, causing panic and pain to the cities they lived in. It was a hopeless endeavour to kill your fellow man, as no one would be able to stand beside you when hell rained from above and the demons rose up around you.

Ah, but he was losing his train of thought again, damn his age and lifestyle. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to return home, but that was a thought best held later, in peace, far away from the death cries of a beowolf.

Wait.

Observing the large furry mound covered in bones twitching on the ground, Seul decided he would need a second to recuperate before trying to understand what had just occurred in front of him. He saw his student approaching tentatively, as if he had committed a heinous crime.

"Seul, I beat the beow-" Jaune began, winded after this particular ordeal. It seemed his mentor was having a bit of a crisis, so he had taken the initiative to let Seul know of the corpse lying within the ring.

"Yes, I see the Grimm." Seul hurriedly interrupted the boy, deciding to congratulate Jaune later, when both had bathed and overcome their thoughts on this event. Waving his hand in dismissal, Seul sent Jaune on his way to shower and prepare for dinner. It would be awhile before Seul himself was able to gather his thoughts.

Combat Ring, Jaune

Fighting a beowolf isn't exactly a difficult task for any hunter, aspiring student, or even well trained civilian. At least, that's what Jaune remembered reading in one of his books, along with a few places on the beast that were thinner and weaker than the rest. Most of these were useless for this fight, as they all required, at the very least, a pointy object. Squaring off against a Grimm is difficult, to say the least, as Grimm don't wait for you to be ready before attacking you.

Ducking under an opening swing that was both simple and rather slow, Jaune went over a couple of ideas he came up with on the way to his fight. The first idea was to be quick and precise, and was tossed out as soon as he saw the claws and mask. Slow and methodical was next, but far too dangerous against this particular Grimm. If he could get a few hits on the beast's legs, he might be able to slow it down, from there it would be much easier to take the beast down. Having a general idea of what he wanted to do, but no concrete way of getting started, Jaune set himself into an easy rhythm to buy time.

Taking another look around the ring, he saw a few displaced rocks that were practically begging for a large rabid beast to slip and stumble on. That would be perfect for opening the Beowolf up for some very powerful blows. Goading the Grimm into taking a wide, telegraphed swing, Jaune braced himself on the inside of its guard, steering it towards the stones, and almost losing his head when the Beowolf twisted its head to the side to take a bite.

Maneuvering the beowolf to stand on the loose rocks was easy, but making it slip was proving to be difficult. The monster had an unnatural sort of grace, swinging and biting and twisting, all while balancing on rocks in a way that would baffle gymnasts. Jaune, feeling impatient, took the initiative and stepped towards the beast, feinting with a kick that swung noticeably wide, an attack that most sentient beings might ignore.

Most.

The beowolf, being rather young and foolish, lunged for the leg, Jaws ready to clamp on the stupid humans leg. It had almost managed to get it's mouth on the boy's leg, when Jaune jabbed his fist into its bulky neck. Normally, this would be a pointless act, because the Grimm would ignore the attack. However, two things changed the situation in Jaune's favor. The first being the rocks under the creature's feet finally, mercifully, giving out, stealing the balance away from the large bodied monster. The second being that Jaune coated his fist with Aura, causing a sort of flat wall to impact the Grimm's neck.

Capitalising on his opponents lost balance, Jaune picked up a stone and swung down for the creature's head. At the last second, the beowolf rolled onto its side, quickly rising back to full height to tower over Jaune. Having already overextended himself for this attack, he rolled with the momentum, feeling the air be displaced behind his head. Thinking quickly, he turned and threw the rock at the monster before diving for a large stick near the edge of the ring. Spinning himself around with haste, Jaune swore he saw his life pass before his eyes, helpless to fight against the huge teeth prepared to tear his head from his shoulders. As the Grimm finally readied itself for the meal, it felt an odd sensation coming from its chest. Of course, a simple glance revealed a sturdy stick buried deep inside.

Thus the Grimm knew no more.

Kitchen

Jaune did not fancy himself as a very social man, but he was quickly getting tired of the silence clogging the atmosphere in the kitchen. Perhaps he had done something wrong? Was the Grimm supposed to be kept alive? After the abrupt dismissal, he was worried about his mentor's opinion. They had barely eaten anything piled on their plates, not that he completely trusted spaghetti made in the middle of the woods. Seeing Seul putting down his utensils, Jaune followed suit.

"Jaune, I just want you to know, that it was wonderful having you stay out here, and I am very proud of what you've shown me, but the end of your trial is drawing near. There is only one more thing I can think to test you on, but I shall save that for tomorrow. Get plenty of rest, you'll need it." With his speech out of the way, Seul excused himself from the table, turning in early for the night.

As Jaune lay down that night, he could almost see and hear his sisters fussing about, while Chance sat in a chair to read, all under the supervision of his father. It brought a smile to his face, thinking of his family. One day, he'd go out into the world, maybe make a name for himself. He hoped to settle down in a small town, have a smaller, more manageable family.

A/N

So? Good, bad, or unreadable? If you see any blatant mistakes, please let me know, I'll work on them as soon as I can!

Not much for me to say, other than I hope you liked the chapter, and I have no idea what I'm doing.

Yayyy.

Oh, and review, if you could, please.

I'll sell myself for your opinion.

Please.