Inside the operations building, things were already in motion.
Ren and Weiss stood near the central console, holographic screens flickering around them as they debriefed Glynda Goodwitch. Weiss's had a weariness to her posture and Ren stood beside her, quiet but grounded, hands folded behind his back.
"—Had we not evacuated from the epicenter, the shockwaves would have injured us."
Goodwitch nodded, her expression unreadable behind her glasses. "And the Dreamer? Anything gone awry, after?"
"From what we could tell, no" Ren replied. "The zone cleansing went well. However, there is belief that there might have been some Vespula which escaped the Zone."
Goodwitch adjusted her clipboard, the light from the interface reflecting across her eyes. "Understood. I'll have an auxiliary team scrub the area by the end of tonight. Your squad did well."
Weiss's composure barely shifted, but looking closely, there was a faint flicker of satisfaction blooming across her face. Ren, however, simply inclined his head at the praise.
The other squad members were scattered nearby. Yang leaned against a wall, unusually quiet with Ruby next to her, whispering something to soothe her. She had arms crossed and armor still faintly scuffed from the earlier fight.
Nora sat on the floor, tapping her gauntlet idly against her knee while Blake was perched on one of the tables, reading through a floating report file, her gaze flicking between pages with detached focus. Oscar was next to her, browsing something on the map.
When Jaune entered with Qrow, a few heads turned.
"Finally back huh?" Yang muttered with vitriol in her mouth. "You guys were gone long enough."
Qrow simply grunted, not taking her tone to heart. "Hmm. Loose ends etc. You know how it is."
Raven, meanwhile, didn't follow them in. As the rest entered the operations hall, her form blurred—feathers spilling outward, her shape folding into that of a dark bird. The raven had cawed once and took flight, slipping away somewhere.
Goodwitch didn't comment on Raven's absence. Instead, she turned her attention toward Qrow. "Your report?"
Qrow scratched at his neck, his voice low but steady. "The area is stable now. For the moment."
Goodwitch gave a curt nod. "We'll assess the dreamer's psyche in the morning. You're all dismissed for the night. You've done enough."
One by one, the squad began to disperse.
Nora and gave Jaune a sleepy grins and a lazy salute before dissolving into motes of blue light—the sign of Dream authority activation. Ren followed shortly after, his form flickering as he returned to the waking world. Weiss, once she finished transmitting her report, simply said, "Don't be late tomorrow," before vanishing as well.
Yang's didn't say anything, and Jaune couldn't blame her. After that interaction with her mother... it was a miracle she'd even stayed to see him and Qrow. Ruby was the same but she gave him a half-hearted wave before leaving
The operations building fell into relative silence. Qrow lingered at the doorway, before finally muttering, "I'll send Goodwitch a summary later." He glanced toward Jaune, expression unreadable. "You should get some rest, kid."
Jaune nodded. "Yeah… I will."
When Qrow stepped outside, Jaune followed a moment later, the cool night wind brushing against his face. The grounds were quiet now—softly illuminated by the pulse of barrier pylons and the faint shimmer of the red moon hanging over the Dream.
It was there, perched atop one of the light posts, that Jaune saw her.
A raven—black as pitch, feathers glinting with faint red reflections from the moonlight. Her eyes caught his the moment he stepped out. Intelligent, calm and watching.
He hesitated. Then walked closer.
"...You're not coming in?" he asked.
The raven tilted its head, feathers ruffling slightly.
Jaune stopped a few feet away, folding his arms. "You know, for someone who just got back from a full-scale nightmare zone, you're awfully quiet."
No response. Just a blink.
Jaune sighed. He was hesitant in asking Raven this next question, considering what she had done to Yang, earlier. However... Jaune recognized her strength. And... he needed all the help he could get. "Alright, fine. Let me ask something else." He paused, searching for the right words. "I noticed earlier that you have a katana. Are you... good with swords?"
That made the bird tilt its head again. He half-expected her to change back and stand there with that distant, unimpressed look she seemed to always wear. Instead, the raven opened her beak—
—and Raven's voice came out. Perfectly human, smooth and measured. Unmistakably hers.
"In swordsmanship?" she said. "I'm probably one of the best in the world."
Jaune blinked. "...You're talking. As a bird."
The raven's feathers puffed slightly. "And you're questioning me instead of listening. Which of us sounds more foolish?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Fair point."
She sounded confident—borderline smug. Jaune wasn't sure if she was boasting or just stating fact. Considering she was a Rank 2 Peak, though, he wasn't about to argue.
"Well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I was wondering if you could… maybe teach me a few things."
"Teach you?"
"Yeah. I've been thinking about dual wielding. Two swords instead of one. I figured you might know something about it. I... also need a lot of experience in fighting against stronger opponents... because of... well, you know the reason..."
The raven tilted her head again, the motion sharp and birdlike, but her tone was thoughtful. "I do indeed. However, dual wielding isn't ideal for most fighters. Two blades demand double the awareness and double the discipline. Few can manage it efficiently. But…" she paused, her wings shifting slightly, "…there is versatility to be gained from it. Flow, adaptability and potential unpredictability."
Jaune listened quietly.
"I use one blade because it suits my style," she continued. "A katana that is both light and precise. It's enough. But that doesn't mean two can't serve a purpose—if the user's body and Rune can maintain the rhythm."
"I want to learn. If you're willing to show me."
There was a brief silence, only broken by the low hum of the barrier field. Then Raven gave a sound that might've been a sigh—or a chuckle.
"Very well. I'll give you a few pointers. Follow me."
Jaune blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Would you prefer I change my mind?"
"No, no, I'll take it!" He hurried after her as she took flight, gliding toward the training sim zone on the other side of the base.
He was halfway across the courtyard when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Well now," Qrow drawled, stepping out of the building. "What's this I'm hearing? The great Raven Branwen giving sword lessons… as a bird?"
Raven perched on a lamp, feathers bristling. "Don't test me, Qrow."
He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "I'm just saying—kinda funny, isn't it? A bird teaching swordsmanship to a kid. What's next, she gonna peck you into shape, Jaune?"
Raven's glare could've cut steel, even from her avian form. "Keep talking, and I'll turn you into my next sparring dummy."
"Love you too, sis."
"Ignore him," she said. "Now, let's begin."
Jaune smiled faintly, drawing his sword from his side. "Right."
The training simulation room was vast — a hollow chamber ringed with obsidian walls and faint lines of crimson light pulsing along the floor. The Dream version of Beacon's LUCID base had built this arena for one purpose: refinement. The moment Jaune and Raven stepped inside, the world hummed to life.
The holographic grid rose from the ground like threads of molten glass, wrapping the space in an ambient glow. A faint shimmer traced their outlines as the system acknowledged their entry. Qrow was already sitting on one of the benches near the wall, one leg crossed over the other.
"Don't mind me," Qrow muttered. "Just observing. I won't get in your way."
Raven ignored him. Her raven form unraveled into smoke — shadowy black feathers scattering into the air and, in their place, her human figure emerged. The transformation was seamless: one moment avian and the next, a woman with piercing red eyes and hair like dark silk. Her katana hung loosely at her side, still sheathed.
"Draw your weapon," she said.
Jaune did so, taking his usual stance — feet apart, sword angled low, both hands on the hilt.
"Show me," Raven said simply.
Jaune exhaled and lunged forward, with sharp but deliberate cuts. His strikes came in controlled arcs — a downward slash, a sidestep feint, and a horizontal cut. To his credit, his fundamentals were solid.
But Raven didn't move.
She only raised a single finger and intercepted his swings.
The edge of his sword connected — and stopped. Not a mark or even a scratch. Her expression didn't change as she deflected another strike with the same finger, rotating her wrist with casual precision.
Jaune's strikes grew faster, heavier, desperate. Yet she didn't budge. Each motion from her was barely perceptible, her finger tracing a calm rhythm that nullified every attack as if she were swatting away dust motes.
The difference was monstrous.
When Jaune finally stopped, his hands trembled from the vibration of each parried hit. Raven hadn't even drawn her weapon.
He sheathed his weapon, the sound of metal sliding into its scabbard sharp in the quiet room. "You weren't even trying…"
"Of course not," Raven replied. "You wouldn't survive if I did."
Qrow gave a low whistle from the sidelines. "Yeah, kid. What she said isn't an exaggeration. You'd have been paste."
Jaune shot him a glare before turning back to Raven. "Then what was that? Just strength?"
Raven nodded once. "Strength, yes. But more than that, density. A Rank 2's body isn't just simply durable — it's reinforced by their Body stat, their Will stat and their Aura stat. Rank 2's are capable of incredible things. To you, my finger feels like invincible metal. But what you're actually feeling is a micro-layer of my Aura pressure coating it. It disperses your kinetic energy before it reaches me."
Jaune frowned, trying to process that.
"So that's… what peak Rank 2 means?"
"In part," she said. "You'll understand more if you ever get there. For now—" she raised a hand, gesturing for him to halt "—enough brute force. Let's talk about technique."
Raven's expression shifted slightly, the edge of professionalism settling into her tone. "Your fundamentals are good. Better than most people. But that's all they are, fundamentals. Nothing special."
That stung a little. "What do you mean?"
She studied him, eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me, Jaune Arc. What do you believe weapon mastery is?"
He hesitated. "It's… control, right? Precision. Being able to guide the blade exactly how you want."
Raven gave a single, slow nod. "A fair answer. But incomplete." She began to pace, her boots echoing softly against the metallic floor. "Weapon mastery — at least the way most define it — is bound by human limits. There are only so many ways to swing a sword in a three-dimensional plane. Once you've learned those ways, there's nothing left to 'discover.' Beyond that, it's repetition, refinement and deception."
"So it just… ends?" Jaune asked.
"For ordinary people, yes."
He frowned, unconvinced. "But I've seen fighters — Pyrrha, for example — do things that looked beyond technique. Like she was making new moves on the spot."
Raven's lips quirked slightly, not in amusement but approval. "That's because you're describing beyond-human combat. What she was doing isn't new technique — it's Aura and Will interaction. When your Will and Aura stat reach a threshold, you stop being limited by physical possibility."
Jaune looked intrigued. "How does that work?"
Raven didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned — and without warning, stepped upward.
Not forward or diagonally but Upward.
Her foot pressed against the air as if it were solid ground. She stood there effortlessly, one hand resting on her sword hilt, her coat brushing lightly against nothing. The room's lighting reflected off an invisible platform beneath her.
Jaune's eyes widened. "You're... you're standing on air."
Raven nodded once. "Aura projection. Rank 2's instinctively learn it, though Rank 1s are still capable of doing so too. With enough practice and control, they can mimic the effect. What you're seeing isn't magic — it's the physical application of Aura density through directional focus. In simpler terms, I'm using my Will stat to apply a coating of Aura to a specific area around my body, compressing it until it exerts a type of... counter-pressure on the physical laws of this world. That pressure interacts with the environment. Air, in this case."
"So that's… possible for Rank 1s too?"
"With difficulty," Raven replied, stepping down lightly as if descending stairs. "You would need to refine your control over the energy until you can control it at close to a molecular threshold. Few are capable of doing so before Rank 2."
She drew her katana, the faint hum of the Dream resonating through the blade. "But that principle — projection — applies to combat too."
She turned toward him. "Block."
Jaune blinked. "Wait, now?"
"I'll use your level of strength. Don't worry."
He barely had time to raise his sword before she swung. The blow came light, almost gentle — and Jaune parried easily.
"Good," Raven said. "Now again."
She repeated the motion. But this time, when her blade struck, Jaune felt something else. A second impact layered over the first — as though time itself had stuttered and repeated the same instant. His sword rattled violently, the vibration jarring his grip.
"What— what was that?" he gasped.
Raven lowered her weapon. "Aura echo. The simplest form of this invisible projection in motion. When I attacked, I compressed my Aura at the point of contact and released it a fraction of a second after the physical strike. What you felt was the projected echo of my Will, layered atop the actual hit."
"So… you hit me twice with one swing."
"Essentially."
Qrow gave a low chuckle from the side. "She's showing off again."
Raven ignored him. "This is what separates the strong from the average. Especially at your rank. You think weapon mastery is about the blade, but it's not. It's about synchronization — between your Body, your Aura, and your Will. When all three align perfectly, the weapon becomes an extension of your intent. And with enough practice, you can layer not just one or two echoes, but hundreds in a single instant of an attack."
Jaune exhaled slowly, nodding. "So… if I want to reach Rank 2, I have to learn to project my Aura like that?"
"Well no," Raven shrugged, sheathing her katana with a clean click, "To reach Rank 2, all you need is to reach comprehension in two runes. However, this is a path to strength— the major difference between Rank 2's and 1's, beyond the simple stat gulf and Rune skill applications. But for now, focus on the fundamentals of control. Without that, projection will destroy you from the inside."
"I... see..."
"Indeed you do. Now, lets see if you can learn how to do this. Sit down and meditate."
.
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AN: Advanced chapters are available on patreon