Above the roaring arena, another battlefield of quiet observation unfolded.
A raised platform of polished black alloy hovered above the coliseum floor, suspended by invisible power of a Rank 3's Will. From this vantage point, the entire arena lay open like a living diagram of motion and intent. Every burst of light, energy and tactical shift could be studied with clinical clarity.
Three figures stood there.
Ozpin rested his hands lightly behind his back as he watched the clash below through thin circular spectacles. Beside him stood two men whose presence alone altered the atmosphere of the platform.
The first was an older man whose hair had faded to a pale silver that drifted loosely around his shoulders. Deep lines of age ran through his face like the slow erosion of mountains. His eyes were calm and thoughtful, carrying the weight of decades of observation. One hand rested lightly against his chin as he watched the fight unfold, the gesture slow and contemplative.
The third figure was the opposite.
He was enormous.
Broad shouldered, the man stood bare chested despite the cool air at this height. His hair burned in a mane of fiery orange that cascaded down his back in thick untamed strands. Even standing still, he radiated heat and impatience, like a volcano that had decided, for the moment, to remain dormant.
Below them, the fight between the Vale team and the Menagerie pair raged with increasing intensity.
The large man folded his arms across his chest and let out a rough harrumph that echoed faintly across the platform.
"The quality of Rank Ones keeps getting higher," he said, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate in the air. "Every few years they get a little sharper and stronger."
Ozpin smiled faintly but said nothing at first.
The large man squinted at the arena again, watching as Jaune clashed against the monstrous hybrid form of the animal summoner.
"What were their names again?"
Ozpin raised one hand and summoned a small holographic panel in front of them. Soft blue light expanded outward, projecting the relevant information in crisp lettering.
He gestured politely toward it.
"The Vale team consists of Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos," he said calmly.
He then tapped the screen once, shifting the display.
"The Menagerie team is Auberyn and Bann."
The fiery haired giant glanced at the names for only a moment before his gaze returned to the arena.
Ozpin remained respectfully attentive.
The reason for that courtesy was simple.
Despite the fact that all three men standing on this platform were Rank Three operatives, the two beside him carried an entirely different weight of experience. They had walked battlefields long before Ozpin himself had ever created his first rune.
More importantly, they belonged to a far older parent branch of LUCID.
The Keepers. This branch of LUCID was intimately tied to the four Supreme Runes, Creation, Destruction, Knowledge and Choice.
Each Supreme rune was capable on emanating an aura that made Rank Three Grimm draw to them, akin to moths chasing the light of a flame. The biggest reason why Rank 3, both grimm and awakened were exceptionally rare to come across was due to the fights occurring far from civilization.
For centuries the Keepers have been doing just that.
In truth, the Keepers were once the embryonic form of LUCID. Eventually their structure and philosophy had evolved into the modern LUCID organization that now governed all the awakened operatives across the world. Yet the Keepers still existed within its deepest foundations, silent and largely unseen.
The old man beside Ozpin hummed softly.
His gaze had sharpened.
Below them, the battle had taken a sudden and dramatic turn.
Pyrrha Nikos had, at this point, flooded the battlefield with an entire forest of metal constructs. Blades, spears, spiked pillars, and massive hammer like structures erupted from the ground in a gleaming storm of iron. They twisted and lunged toward Auberyn from every direction, forming a mechanical jungle designed to crush, slice, and impale.
For a brief moment it looked like the Menagerie girl might be overwhelmed.
Then, the power of the meta rune turned the situation around.
Metal twisted, softened, and reshaped itself under the influence of her power. The constructs which had once been born from Pyrrha's power, all warped and started to reform into enormous radiant hands that now obeyed her will instead of Pyrrha's.
The battlefield inverted.
Those newly transformed limbs turned back toward Pyrrha, sweeping down with crushing force.
From above, it looked like a tide reversing direction.
Ozpin's expression remained thoughtful.
The large orange haired man clicked his tongue in irritation.
"That girl's rune is a troublesome one to face. Powerful, however."
Below them, Pyrrha was forced to retreat as the luminous constructs pressed inward. Even her precise control struggled against the transformation.
Jaune intervened.
The blond boy burst into the fray with explosive speed, intercepting one of the incoming starlight strikes and dragging Pyrrha out of the collapsing kill zone. At the same time he was still contending with Bann's monstrous hybrid form, the smoky werewolf minotaur figure that swung its massive starlight arm with devastating force.
The fight had become chaotic.
The old man beside Ozpin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"That boy," he murmured.
His eyes followed Jaune's movements with keen interest.
"His runes are also extremely remarkable."
Ozpin inclined his head slightly.
"I thought you might find them interesting."
The old man gave a quiet chuckle.
"Interesting is an understatement."
He watched Jaune evade another crushing blow before countering with a burst of explosive aura movement.
"During the earlier match against the Vacuo team, I paid close attention to him. He has two meta runes."
Ozpin nodded once.
"That is correct."
The old man's gaze remained steady.
"That is extremely unusual for a Rank One operative."
He folded his hands behind his back as he spoke.
"Most awakened fighters who use meta runes usually build their foundation with standard runes first. They refine their combat style, discover their strengths, and then attempt a meta rune once they reach Rank Two."
There was a practical reason for that.
Meta runes were notoriously difficult to create, much less, comprehend.
They required deeper conceptual understanding and far greater mastery over one's own abilities. By the time someone reached Rank Two they had already developed a personal fighting philosophy. Their meta rune usually evolved naturally from that foundation.
Jaune had done the opposite.
The old man smiled faintly.
"To forge two meta runes so early suggests either reckless genius or extraordinary instinct."
He paused for a moment.
"If that boy reaches Rank Two, he will become a formidable force."
Ozpin listened carefully and quietly committed the observation to memory.
Beside them, the large flame haired man exhaled through his nose.
"It is still a shame."
Ozpin turned slightly.
"Pardon?"
The man gestured toward the battlefield below where Auberyn's starlight constructs continued to dominate the terrain.
"It looks like Vale will lose this round," he said bluntly. "Which means they will lose their chance to use Creation. That other Vale team is too weak to contend against the other Kingdoms."
He glanced sideways at Ozpin.
"While no doubt this Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos are Strong... you also many other stronger Rank 1 teams here. The current 5 teams that you picked... only a few of them have reach comprehension level. Why didn't you field one of your stronger teams?"
The question hung in the air for a moment.
Ozpin sighed softly.
"There are many eyes on the Vale branch at the moment," he replied calmly. "The Vytal Festival has drawn attention from every kingdom."
He paused before continuing.
"With the upcoming expedition scheduled to enter the Shadow Realm, I believed it would be wiser to keep certain runic abilities hidden for the time being. Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos—their abilities aren't particularly a secret at this point."
The idea was feasible and all three of the Rank 3's knew exactly what Ozpin was trying to imply. His plan had holes, but it would allow him to cast a net to catch the fish. In the end, it would far outweigh the demerits.
Truth be told, many of the Keepers were satisfied with Ozpin. The man was intelligent and cunning. Yet... it wasn't enough.
Not with that man missing.
The large man studied Ozpin carefully, his expression becoming slightly more serious.
"You've converted the device into a proper portal now?"
Ozpin nodded.
"It is stable and it will be the entry point for our expedition team. But..." Ozpin paused an didn't continue.
"Sleepless." The old man sighed out.
The name carried weight.
Sleepless had once been a minor concern but now it was clear that they moved in shadows and were pursuing the end of all life..
The flame haired giant crossed his arms again.
"That organization is becoming a bigger problem."
Ozpin's gaze drifted back to the arena where Jaune and Pyrrha struggled against the overwhelming pressure of Auberyn's starlight attacks.
If it weren't for Sleepless, perhaps there wouldn't be a need to take as many precautions as they were doing now.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"They are."
.
.
The battlefield had become a forest of hostile light.
Massive radiant arms towered over the arena floor, their surfaces glowing with pale starlight that pulsed like slow heartbeats. Fingers the size of pillars flexed and twisted as they hunted their targets, tearing apart the metallic jungle that had once belonged to Pyrrha.
Metal screamed as it bent and reshaped itself. Blades softened and spears unraveled.
Every construct that Pyrrha was creating was being converted piece by piece by the girl's strange rune. Pyrrha's metal slowly reformed into another glowing limb that obeyed the girl's will instead.
What had begun as Pyrrha's battlefield now belonged entirely to their enemy. One of those immense hands folded inward like a closing cage around Pyrrha.
She twisted to evade, but three more arms slammed down from different angles.
The air boomed.
Before the trap could finish closing, a streak of gold burst into the collapsing space.
Jaune crashed through the gap like a meteor.
His swords flashed as he slammed the flat of them into one descending finger, redirecting the crushing strike just enough for it to miss Pyrrha's shoulder. At the same time he hooked his arm around her waist and launched upward.
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
Will surged through his legs.
He kicked against the air itself, his movement bending momentum in a way that should not have been possible. His body twisted mid flight and he launched them both higher, clearing the descending starlight limbs by several meters.
Below them the glowing hands smashed together where they had been standing moments earlier.
The impact shook the arena.
Jaune exhaled sharply as he carried Pyrrha through the air.
"Are you still connected to your constructs?"
Pyrrha's eyes were fixed downward on the battlefield.
Her expression was tight.
"No," she said quietly.
Another metallic spear on the ground twisted violently as the starlight rune devoured it.
"It's… converting them. Everything I create is being taken over."
Another hand rose from the arena floor as if sprouting from the earth itself.
Jaune grimaced.
"That's… really bad. Her rune works almost exactly like my own Weakness rune. Except instead of unraveling things into slurry, it converts them into her own starlight hands."
They descended toward the ground again. Jaune kicked off another floating chunk of broken metal to redirect their fall before landing lightly on the arena floor.
The moment his boots touched stone he moved again. A massive glowing arm came swinging toward them from the side.
Jaune stepped forward and struck.
Aura Echo erupted from his sword. Five layered impacts detonated at once.
The starlight limb shattered apart in a shower of glowing fragments that evaporated into drifting sparks.
Jaune inhaled slowly through his nose.
Five echoes again. It was the perfect amount to destroy the starlight limb and shatter the girl's counterforce echoes.
However, that kind of strike accumulated mental exhaustion faster than he liked. Even more so considering that every single one of his attacks had to contain that force.
Across the battlefield the floating opponent stood balanced atop one of her radiant constructs like a conductor overseeing an orchestra.
She moved one hand and the forest of starlight arms surged once again.
Beside her, her hybrid teammate charged forward on digitigrade legs, its smoky minotaur wolf form distorting the air with heat and feral pressure. Muscles rippled beneath shadowy fur as it swung its enormous right attached starlight arm.
Jaune met the charge head on.
Steel clashed against radiant force.
The impact blasted dust outward across the arena creating a great shockwave.
The creature's strength was immense, but Jaune's stats had also reached a point where raw power was no longer the deciding factor between them.
Jaune slid under the next swing, pivoted, and drove his shoulder into the monster's ribs with explosive force.
The hybrid staggered.
Jaune followed instantly with three rapid strikes.
Each blow detonated with layered echoes that rippled through the creature's smoky defenses.
The hybrid's form destabilized as it stumbled backward almost turning back into what his regular form was supposed to look like. For a brief moment Jaune had the upper hand.
Then, suddenly, from the ground, a massive radiant fist erupted beneath the both of them, narrowly missing starlight girl's teammate. It only missed due to starlight arm that was attached to him flaring and, jerking him out of the way.
Jaune had already sensed the danger and twisted mid step, barely avoiding the rising strike as it blasted upward like a cannon.
The girl was already moving again.
Even while controlling dozens of constructs, she watched the battlefield with unnerving precision.
Every time Jaune pressed the hybrid back, another glowing limb interfered.
The coordination between the two opponents was relentless.
Jaune ducked beneath another sweeping blow and countered with a heavy strike that cracked the creature across the chest.
The monster slid backward several meters.
But Jaune could feel the pressure building, more arms were rising.
More glowing fingers clawed their way from the arena floor like roots of some luminous tree.
Pyrrha tried to help.
She slammed both palms against the ground.
A ring of metallic shards burst upward around her like shrapnel from an explosion. The fragments spun into the air and accelerated toward the floating opponent.
But halfway there the pieces froze and twisted with their surfaces softening.
One by one they melted into pale radiance.
Within seconds they had transformed into more starlight constructs.
Pyrrha clenched her teeth. "How annoying."
She changed tactics.
Instead of creating large weapons, she focused on smaller fragments. Thin needles of metal shot from the ground at supersonic velocity.
Projectiles and pure momentum.
The girl responded instantly.
A fan of glowing palms rose to intercept them.
The metal spikes struck with explosive force.
But even as they pierced through the first few hands, their surfaces began to glow.
Conversion again.
Pyrrha cut the connection immediately before they could be turned against her. Across the arena Jaune unleashed another five fold Aura Echo strike to shatter the various arms surrounding the hybrid guy.
But more took their place, harassing Jaune and forcing him to shatter them again and again.
Minutes passed like this.
A relentless storm of light and steel.
The number of glowing arms multiplied until the battlefield looked like a forest of celestial giants reaching down from the heavens.
Pyrrha tried to create a defensive wall.
It lasted about three seconds before being converted. The pressure became unbearable.
Hands closed in from every direction.
Jaune grabbed Pyrrha and tried to break through one last opening.
The glowing limb shattered. But ten more replaced it instantly. The radiant forest collapsed inward.
Fingers the size of pillars slammed down around them.
Their protective seals activated and a pulse of energy erupted around both of them.
The arena vanished.
A flash of light.
Silence.
Jaune blinked as the world reformed around him.
He was standing inside a designated zone of the coliseum medical wing. The white lights felt strangely quiet after the chaos of the arena.
Pyrrha stood beside him.
Her armor was dented in several places where the starlight constructs had struck her. One shoulder plate had been crushed inward slightly.
But neither of them had suffered real injuries. The arena seals had removed them before the final impacts could land.
Jaune exhaled slowly.
"Well," he said.
"That could have gone better."
Pyrrha stared down at her gauntlets. Her voice carried a hint of frustration.
"We... underestimated her rune. I'm sorry Jaune."
Jaune rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't be. Her rune is truly ridiculous."
He leaned back against one of the medical beds.
"But... if that fight lasted another five seconds…"
He didn't finish the sentence. Jaune had sensed towards the end that the girl's aura had been nearly gone.
Jaune had felt it weakening every time he broke one of her constructs and if he had broken through once more, the entire structure of her attack would have collapsed.
Pyrrha looked up at him, her expression seemingly slightly embarrassed.
"You were winning against the other one."
Jaune shrugged.
"If it had just been him, I could've finished it."
He paused.
"Or if it had only just been her."
The coordination between the two had been the deciding factor. The girl's ability to multitask had changed the entire dynamic of the battle.
Jaune sighed and slid down onto the bed, resting for a moment. Across from him Pyrrha sat down as well.
For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Jaune chuckled quietly.
"Damned meta runes, am I right?" he said.
Pyrrha allowed herself a small smile.
"Haha! You say it like you yourself aren't a meta rune user."
Jaune shrugged.
.
.
AN: Jaune and Pyrrha lost?!