"What a peculiar strategy. Why, it seems to have left Miss Keeyes at quite a loss. Yes. How interesting."
Ozpin's steady commentary didn't bother Glynda.
No, what bothered her was that the man was trying to fight a smile all throughout, chuckles too, but all while ultimately pretending he was still taking things seriously.
And then there was the room's other occupant.
"Well, unorthodox tactics aside... the boy is quite the experienced fighter," Ironwood mused aloud. "That focused demeanor too, it's quite the welcome surprise to see in someone so young."
In any other circumstance, Glynda would have been overjoyed at the fact that one of her students earned the assent of General James Ironwood of the Atlas Military, provided she was also proud of that same student.
Which she was.
She was also proud of Rio.
Glynda did not however, necessarily approve of what said student was currently doing as he was getting praised. Still, in the back of her mind, she wondered which she preferred, Ozpin's shameless amusement, or James' honest to gods positive feedback.
The blonde woman began rubbing at her temples.
I shouldn't be making this out to be worse than it is.
After all, in the grand scheme of things, Rio's actions thus far have been exceptional.
The way he had started the fight was simple enough. No, that was already too rude of a simplification. The way her student had started a four on one battle against those who were supposed to be way better than him was absolutely extraordinary.
It was so much so, that she too could not contain her shock at the boy's gall to throw away his weapon in the effort to employ a diversionary tactic.
And as much as the instructor in her wanted to criticize him for doing so, Glynda could not deny that it worked.
Attacking the heavy hitter, but turning it into a bluff as he went for the one with the least amount of protection instead? It was a rather impressive show of intellectual prowess in a battle that required more than just brute strength to win.
And Rio showed he was proficient in both.
At least, if that devastating kick was anything to go by.
Although, Glynda wasn't sure if that was Rio's strength by itself, or the momentum of his impressive speed.
In any case, after he had dwindled his opponents to three, Rio had not shown any degree of ease in his attacks.
Most combatants, no matter how old they got, were always at risk of becoming overconfident once a fight tilted in their favor.
That said, even though it aligned with what she already knew of him, Glynda found herself pleasantly surprised that Rio fell into no such trap, remaining composed all throughout the fight.
But, whereas before, such behavior might have looked like maturity...
Now, the blonde teacher couldn't help but come to a different conclusion.
It... looked like someone who's been fighting all their life.
And with every fluid move that the white haired boy made, dodging blades by a hair's breadth, jumping over his opponents, and even being able to flip his body in midair, showing frightening use of his wind semblance, and all with little to no change in expression, it was getting harder and harder for Glynda to tell herself she had it wrong.
Not to mention.
There was that look in his eyes she saw occasionally when Rio looked at Team RWBY and the rest.
It...
It was the same look Ozpin gave the students.
Glynda still wasn't exactly sure what to make of that.
She shelved such thoughts however, focusing back to the fight.
No, more specifically, the reason Ozpin's mouth was still twitching with no signs of stopping, that is, the uncanny sight of the white haired youth down in the arena quite literally refusing to unglue himself from that blue haired woman's side.
In other words, that odd battle tactic of his.
As a woman, she wholeheartedly resented it.
But still, as a professor...
Well, it's not like I don't understand. By feeling around her hip, he would be able to predict which direction her body would twist in any given situation, and be able to tell which limbs would begin to lash out at him. It's honestly an ingenious move for someone who has the reflexes to pull it off...
But still.
To anyone else who didn't know that, and where her mind kept unintentionally retreating to, it just looked like he was intentionally feeling up his opponent just for the fun of it.
Of course, left unsaid was that Glynda knew better.
The boy was oddly pure about those kinds of things, after all.
Actually, it was closer to say the oddly mature boy was always overtly conscious of maintaining appropriate distance between all those he was close to; although whether or not that was due to an ingrained sense of manners, or just personal preference, Glynda didn't know.
That said...
[ Lady Killer~! ]
Bart...
Well, if nothing else, she did know that the boy probably wouldn't appreciate Oobleck's flair for drama.
Glynda certainly didn't.
"A-Ahem. Who knew Bart had sense of humor?"
Right.
And Ozpin was still trying not to chuckle, despite clearly wanting to.
He even went as far as to cover his trembling smile with a fist, for all intents and purposes maintaining the serene but grandfatherly headmaster image. Although the fact that his fist was shaking wasn't helping her respect for him, nor her mood in general.
On a side note, in the far corner of Glynda's mind, and as her eyes slid back to the arena, something occurred to her regarding her lesson plans for the future.
I'll have to amend the rules for combat class in case Amakawa inspires any copy-cats...
In case, she said.
But really, given her many years of teaching, Glynda knew it was practically an inevitability at this point. Now that would certainly be an interesting staff meeting. 'No touching body parts to make a guess at the opponent's movements'.
Yes.
She could already feel the headache it would cause.
…
…
...
Aqua was a mature adult.
A grown woman who always kept her cool, no matter the situation.
Yes, with darkened cheeks, ones she desperately tried to pretend weren't there, that was the lie Aqua continuously repeated to herself, and with put-on solemn seriousness too.
The fact that this was being recorded for everyone on Remnant to watch?
Entirely irrelevant.
A woman didn't get embarrassed over such things.
That was what a child would do.
Just because everyone she knew saw her being effortlessly used by a younger boy—gods that sounded so wrong. But even so, and even if that included her other co-workers, her friends, classmates from school, and even her parents—...
Aqua's face promptly paled.
Oh no.
It shouldn't have been possible, but she could practically hear the squealing of her mother from her television screen in their hometown of Mistral.
Her father on the other hand, would not be happy in the slightest.
Either way, Aqua could expect a phone call after all of this, she was sure of it.
But that was neither here nor there in her present circumstances.
She still had a fight to try to win, even if things hadn't gone at all according to plan, and very much to her and her team's surprise.
Yes, Aqua could complain all she wanted about the boy's questionable strategy that hinged on some rather peculiar knowledge about the opposite sex, but no one could deny that Rio was skilled, and dare she say... even better than them.
It was honestly hard to tell though, as one aspect of the boy's fighting style hindered her ability to analyze his potential properly.
His speed.
Rio's insane speed and movement made it hard for her to differentiate where his strength started and ended.
Take Rouge for instance.
In the very start of the fight, Rio had managed to kick him clear out of the ring.
However, he had built up the momentum necessary to do so, and because he had sabotaged his own arsenal, could not have asked for a more unaware target. It also didn't help that Rouge had little to no protection against his stomach. It would have been foolish of Rio not to capitalize on that weakness.
But was Rio's speed just another part of his repertoire of skills, or was he something of a glass cannon?
"Aqua, you listening?"
Of course, Aqua was aware that the boy was purposely running out the time... but was he also prioritizing defense and evasion because he didn't possess the means to attack them head on?
Well, maybe not.
Sure, getting rid of his sword had been entirely intentional, but Rio showed them he was no slouch when it came to moving his body in a combative way. He had blocked her rapier thrusts with little more than kicks and backhands, after all. No one lacking in power and skill could do that with the ease in which he displayed.
But, how much of that movement was him being bolstered by his speed? Does it behave like Teale's semblance? Giving him a sizable boost to his entire body? Or does he have to set fixed points for the wind to move him along?
"...Aqua."
Right, and Aqua almost forgot; don't even get her started on how that white haired smooth operator singled her out to, in essence, be his own personal human shield!
A-And I couldn't even hit him myself because he kept moving out of the way the second my limbs moved! For three whole minutes he kept his head hand there, watching me, while also looking out for attacks from Teale and Grey...
Well, she had to admit it was a clever move all things considered, knowing that if you remained steadfastly close to one of your enemies, friendly fire would be on the table. She had nearly been attacked by Teale in that way, after all. Not only that, but it was also just as impressive that he was able to be cognizant of three attackers all around him.
At the very least, that meant he likely wasn't thinking anything weird as he was touching her...
"Aqua! Remnant to—why the hell is she blushing...? Aqua!"
"H-Huh?"
Teale's voice finally managed to snap her out of her vivid imaginings, although the fact that the man even had to go as far as shaking her shoulders...
In any case, Aqua came back to reality.
Just... her thoughts ended up coming with her.
"W-Wait, it's not like that! I was focusing on getting rid of him the entire time!"
Ah.
She didn't mean to say that.
Both Teale and Grey gave her a deadpan stare.
"And no one was doubting you... though you saying that worries me." Teale answered without much energy, before shaking it off. "Anyway, we were coming up with a new strategy. I hate to admit it, but this kid is good, scary good. This obviously isn't the first time he's been up against numerous opponents."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I also agree. He's way too skilled to have never done this before." Aqua nodded her head along.
"It's not just that."
They turned to find Grey stroking his chin.
But he wasn't meeting their eyes, nor was he even looking at the ground in contemplation.
No, he was looking at their opponent, the white-haired boy who was currently standing afar without any tension. Rio wasn't shuffling in place either. He just stood there completely still with an edge of calmness that she couldn't even hope to match.
Really, who was this boy?
Aqua asked that question for perhaps the umpteenth time.
Of course, that was when he suddenly met her gaze with that infuriating curious little smile of his, where she hurriedly had to look away in a fluster, but only so she could then convince herself that she had not just lost a stare-down with someone near ten years younger than her.
Thankfully, she still caught Grey's words.
"It's his eyes. Didn't you notice?"
"Huh?"
Aqua's brain stalled, and judging by the silence, she figured that Teale's reaction beside her wasn't far off from hers.
Grey explained, face serious.
"When you have someone swing a blade in your direction, what do you think the unconscious reaction would be? Especially for someone as young as him?"
"Are... you talking about closing your eyes?" Aqua asked, confused. "But, isn't it normal for kids undergoing combat school to get rid of that reflexive reaction? I mean, when you get beat up enough you tend to learn from something like that..."
Or so the woman said, skeptical.
But Grey was already nodding.
"I know that, but that's not what I'm talking about. Aqua." The man suddenly made a gesture at her. "Think of all the times you attacked him, what did his face look like?"
Eh? His face?
Aqua tried to picture it.
That... admittedly... well structured face that was pleasing to look at, and the soft eyes and perpetual small smile that made it strangely inviting. However, that was before the fighting started. Just like that, and like a switch had been flipped, that kind expression had gone completely neutral, only showing as much emotion as he could spare, as was necessary with his objective.
Yes, the rest of his focus was on...
Aqua's eyes minutely widened.
Wait, back when Teale and I rushed him with a flurry of attacks, his eyes... weren't they...?
As she came to a certain realization that only just now clicked in her head, Grey continued speaking, but with a bemused smile that twitched at his lips.
"When my blade came lumbering at him, and even with the weightlessness of my semblance, he wasn't looking at me. Not really. He wasn't even looking at my whole sword. No, he only stared at the edge that would strike him, nothing else. His eyes were following the most critical attack points. Normal kids don't do that, hell, even most adult Huntsman don't do that. They condition themselves to either have their aura tank attacks, or keep them as far away as possible."
Teale's expression slackened somewhat, clearly mollified.
"...Shit, you're right. When I sent that volley of thrusts as him with my spear, he wasn't just craning his head to avoid the blows, but so he could keep his eye on the edge..."
Having been imagining the exact same, Aqua felt a small lump form in her throat. "So... what does that mean...?"
Grey answered, but with the kind of grim smile that in tandem with words, it had her regret asking in the first place.
"Either he had a really good teacher that beat him to near death until he picked up on it. Or..."
"O-...Or?" Aqua murmured.
"Or, both Grimm and people have tried to kill him so many times that he eventually learned it himself."
Swallowing, Aqua took that in.
Then, not even realizing it, her eyes once again drifted back towards the white haired boy across from them. The one who, still, continued to look back at them with a stare that only looked slightly interested in what they were talking about, but just as content to not rush them, given the match's parameters.
But still, a neutral expression that was curious. That was all.
Even in spite of what he likely had to gone through to be able to fight the way he did.
Aqua wasn't so naive to believe that everyone could be like Pyrrha Nikos, training and training in sanctioned matches until they reached the point of perfection. The world of Remnant wasn't so kind. It was a place where monsters lurked in all corners of the world, where at any moment happiness could be ripped away from you, and in fleshy junks even.
And... she wasn't just talking about the Grimm.
"But anyway, if he did have a teacher, it's definitely a style I haven't seen yet," Grey added, tearing her away from her somber thoughts with a blink.
"Oh. Um. When we were fighting, he told me his grandfather taught him martial arts..." Aqua found herself saying, but just as quickly trailing off uselessly. Even she didn't even know what she was trying to say in recalling that.
"Good for you. You were dancing and learning more about each other. Did he escort you home afterward too? Did you let him inside, give him something for being the perfect gentleman?" Teale snarked, idly spinning his spear in his hands.
Aqua's face heated up, indignant.
"I-I did nothing of the sort!"
"Alright, enough chatter. We've been talking for nearly a minute. This next bout will probably be our last chance to try something that actually works."
Grey's words shut both of them up.
After all, looking at the timer, it was just as he said.
[ 7:54 ]
Rio had lasted for practically eight minutes already.
Their expressions hardened, looking serious all of a sudden. That said, Grey flipped his blade around, finger hovering over a small mechanism near the pommel.
"I suggest we go full range while keeping our distance. We can't afford to get too close to someone obviously used to fighting against groups."
Silently, Aqua nodded, as well as Teale.
"Aqua, open up with a large dust attack, preferably flames. He'll probably be able to evade that and try to hide in the smoke. That'll be the perfect chance to use your semblance to point him out to us. When you do, I'll send something nasty of my own in his general direction. Finally, wherever he pops out from, Teale, pelt him with dust rounds. Magnetize the volley, making them hit hard and fast. Don't give him a chance to move around. What do you think?"
Teale's eyes danced with electricity as he smiled. "Got it."
"Hm." Aqua gave a pleased expression of her own, excited to finally be able to use her semblance, maybe even wipe that languid expression off Rio's face.
Yes.
With her semblance that enabled her to see through both organic and inorganic materials (which was basically a brand of clairvoyance that allowed her to see through walls, as well as people's exo-skeletons rather than their naked bodies).
Then with Grey who could make anything he touched completely weightless.
And finally Teale who could enhance the speed of his body, the destructive power of his spear, and even bullets with electricity, their odds of overwhelming even someone as fast as Rio and putting him out of commission were rather high.
They could do this.
Grey sent one more cursory glance at the clock before taking a deep breath.
"Even though he's just been trying to run out the clock this entire time, this kid is skilled, probably enough to have next to no trouble if he manages to win and get sent to the single's brackets. But we're no pushovers ourselves, so let's not make it easy for him, yeah?"
Sharing a final powerful nod between the three of them, Aqua turned her full attention on Rio.
And, seeing the three of them like this all of a sudden, she was a bit disappointed that he didn't flinch, even more so when his expression looked remotely pleased—or rather, satisfied.
But then, without looking hurried or caught off guard in the slightest, Rio instantly lowered his gait into a defensive stance.
He was obviously saying he was ready for them.
Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts, Mister.
Aqua also didn't waste any time stalling.
Her fingers were already at work putting three highly volatile fire dust cartridges into her angular blue rapier.
Unlike most lightweight weapons (glaives, estocs, lances, etc.) that allowed for only one slot of dust at a time, hers had been specifically made for three, which made for a very powerful attack when she got the chance.
It would definitely be enough to force Rio into a direction of their choosing.
Aqua quickly slammed the cartridges in place and instantly began to feel her weapon heating up, but she was in no danger, yet. A red orange phenomenon began to swirl and coalesce on her rapier's point.
It started off small, but it soon began to fluctuate and enlargen, spinning and spiraling until she knew she had seconds until the attack would explode in her face.
Poised for a thrust straight towards the white-haired youth, all she saw was his eyebrows raise slightly, right before her arm moved in a singular motion, stabbing the air in front of her, hoping it would somehow carry over the remaining distance.
Naturally, the rapier did not reciprocate her ideal, but that left nothing to be said of the massive fireball that was sent racing off like a bullet in his direction.
WHOOOOOOOSH!
A loud noise echoed throughout the stadium as the energy left the tethers of her weapon. At the same time, the wind picked up, making her hair flap wildly—no, it was not the wind by itself that did this, but the shock-wave released from the fire's discharge.
The seconds before anything happened were few, but they felt torturous to Aqua as she waited. Then, with a deafeningly loud sound, volatile energy made contact with an opposing force, the ground, and a blinding explosion immediately blurred her vision.
Their attack began now.
Not wasting any time, Aqua activated her semblance, trying to get a read on where the boy was through the fire, smoke, and rubble flying through the air. Grey was already up in the air above of them, having jumped up the second Aqua had landed her attack.
"Where!?" he yelled, his sword poised over his head as if he was about to deliver a downward strike.
However, the way he was holding it wasn't reminiscent of such a move, as he held it with the flat end facing front. It looked like he was about to bash some invisible enemy rather than slice into them.
"Far left!" Yet that all changed as Aqua cried that out, having seen the figure of a human body quickly dart backwards to avoid the fire, and then left as a way to try to reposition.
...Huh?
But then Aqua's thoughts came to a halt.
It wasn't that she had miscalculated where Rio was in the smoke. She clearly saw his glowing blue form, the color she saw all humanoids as when she looked at them with her semblance.
But what caused Aqua to immediately know something was wrong was when the figure within the smoke suddenly began doing something with his hands—no, his arms.
His shoulders suddenly shrugged quickly, in an almost hurried fashion, making his movements even more confusing, especially since Aqua could only see the outline of his exo-skeleton and nothing else.
The blue haired woman tilted her head.
It's... kinda like watching someone take off a jacket without seeing the actual—
Aqua gasped, right as she saw Rio's hand posed to throw something high in the air. "Wait! He's trying to—!"
It was too late.
A black shape with blue highlights suddenly jettisoned into the air above the smoke.
With such a sudden appearance, there was only one way to take it. After all, to everyone watching, a familiarly colored figure had just appeared in the exact location Aqua had called out. Thus, Grey had already shifted his aim upward and pulled the trigger. "I don't think so kid!"
The man pressed a single button on the handle of his sword, and the foot wide blade opened like a pair of double doors.
It was like they were the doors of some fantasy dungeon, and that was accurate because what flew out of them could only be described as evil incarnate.
A volley of small dust rockets, twenty-five in total, flew out of the sword like they were birds seeking escape from confinement, lashing out at the nearest victim.
And Rio who had been caught off guard in midair, was that victim.
Which is why it made absolutely no sense when the guided missiles passed through and around him without a single impact, despite having been caught in the thick of the dubious volley.
Yes; what should have been an instant direct hit, turned into missiles without a target simply flying away in random directions, then exploding on their own, seemingly just as uncertain as to what was happening around them as the wielder who released them.
And apt, because Grey's astonished cry sounded like a mix between a choke and a gasp.
Likely, Teale was looking on with the same expression from his position behind them as well.
Still, the seemingly immortal figure flapped unnaturally as the wind and rockets sent it convulsing in every which way. But right as it reached the apex of its height, and right as Grey began falling down, they had to have noticed the incongruity of what they were looking at.
Naturally, there were no limbs or face attached to the black and blue wyvern cloak that had quickly begun to disappear into the smoke it had risen out of.
And all the while, Aqua eyes were already glowing blue with the effects of her ability as she opened her mouth, trying to reveal Rio's real location.
But she was a beat too slow.
A black and white form came dashing out of the smoke.
No, dashing was an understatement.
That implied that someone had merely kicked off the ground with an initial burst of speed.
This was not what Rio did as he appeared with his black-sleeved underclothes, black pants, and wavy white hair billowing in the wind, coat now gone.
Rio looked like he was nearly gliding across the ground, being so fast that he had already nearly closed the distance between them entirely. That was how fast he was moving.
And it was obvious who he was going for this time.
Not Aqua, who was to his left, nor was it Grey, to his right.
He was rushing straight down the line towards their third teammate, who stood there in indecision, likely wondering if he should engage in a melee, or back off and use the mecha-shift of his weapon as they had originally planned. Teale could be able to support her and Grey, but he already knew how that turned out last time.
And because Aqua knew this was going through his mind, she ended up making the decision for him.
"H-...He's going after Teale! Grey, you and me! Teale! Fire when he breaks off!" the blue haired woman shouted right before trying to cut off Rio's mad sprint down the center, rapier held aloft in her hand, ready to strike.
Aqua heard Teale yell his approval, and she knew he had leapt backwards a few feet to get in shooting range. That just left her and Grey, the larger man grunting his agreement to the plan as well, starting to wind up a slashing attack of his own.
Yes.
Teale far behind them waiting for a shot.
Grey and Aqua standing in front protectively.
And of course, the lone invader trying to push through their defenses to their now sole ranged combatant.
Aqua had used her allotment of dust, after all. She hadn't thought it necessary to bring more, and she cursed her arrogance for that. And for that matter, Grey's rockets had to be meticulously packed into his blade ahead of time, so he was out too.
That meant they had to rely on Teale's bullets to shred through Rio's aura once they gave him an opening.
It didn't matter how fast the boy was; there was no way he could dodge out of the way of a flurry of bullets, especially not when they were magnetized with an electricity semblance.
But she could think about that when it happened; Aqua first had to give Teale room to shoot after all.
Regardless, Rio was already upon them.
But while his legs were moving fast, to their surprise, they couldn't hear his boots slamming into the concrete at all. Was this also why he had been able to get to Rouge without incident?
He was somehow quieting his footfalls either with his own skill or some application of his semblance.
"Hah!"
No matter, Grey's attack soared forwards first, intending to meet Rio before he even got the chance to do anything.
But Rio ignored it.
Actually, he performed a short hop and flipped around the edge of the blade, just narrowly missing it as it flew past him. No, if what they guessed before was true, then Rio's slight amount of movement was intentional from the start.
He knew exactly where the blade was.
Rio landed softly, but it was just in time to meet Aqua already in his blind spot, aiming her own attack at his lower back. But somehow, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, the white haired boy sidestepped the rapier's length by a hair, and then to her shock, with her blade overextended in a vulnerable position, reached his hand for the base of it—
Where it was immediately ripped from her fingers and then buried, pommel first, into her stomach.
"KaAah?!"
Aqua immediately staggered and fell to one knee, clutching her side in not quite pain, but dulled surprise.
And when she finally managed to raise her head, it was just in time to see Rio, without even looking, throwing the rapier behind him, but launching himself into a fast, horizontally angled, barrel rolled spin right before he did so.
The rapier left his hands and met the hastily held up blade of Grey, who just barely managed to deflect the attack.
But that must have been all that Rio was looking for, as it gave him enough time to vault over the older man's body, using his large shoulder as a hand rest, and then barrel right past him.
And, that small exchange all happened in the span of just five seconds.
Uselessly thinking that in the back of her mind, Aqua could do nothing but watch as Rio ran straight for Teale, who now had to hold out until Aqua and Grey caught up.
Still, the woman hastily stood back up, and even though her legs were shaky, her eyes never left Rio's back as he began to close the distance between him and Teale.
"Shit...!" the spear-user cursed, frantically aiming down his sights at the Rio, the weapon having long been converted from a spear to a rifle of sorts. And the weapon pulsed slightly, right before numerous dust rounds came out in an electric frenzy.
His spear was a bolt action rifle to be specific, and that meant that it was typical for one bullet to be fired at a time.
However, by using his semblance, he was able to bypass the need for this and fire his bullets all at once, and without the drawback of having less stopping power for each bullet.
That meant that each bullet would hit like a truck.
So, it was likely that Teale expected Rio to try to dodge out of the way, or at least tank the hits with his aura, making him slow down long enough for them to catch back up and rejoin the fight.
But Rio, much to Aqua's wide-eyed surprise, made absolutely no move to dart away, continuing to run in a straight line.
Don't tell me—... Does he really think he can dodge at the last second with that technique of his?
That was ridiculous.
No human could keep their eyes on a singular bullet, much less several. That just wasn't possible. If he thought he could then he was about to be sorely disappointed.
The rounds would hit him square in his center, and it would hit him hard enough to send him staggering backwards. There would be no time to jump out of the way, nor time to dart to the side.
So as the bullets had already been fired, Aqua waited.
Teale waited.
Grey waited.
No, it was likely that everyone here in the stands, and anyone with CCTV access across the entirety of Remnant waited.
That's when it happened.
Rio reached for something behind him, around his waist.
Eh?
Aqua just now realized.
Since Rio darted out of the smoke while using his cloak as a distraction, he was now left dressed with absolutely no protection to speak of.
This lent credit to the idea that even a single bullet would tear into his aura like butter. However, now that the cloak was off, Aqua quite easily spotted something else, something that had been hidden before.
Two twin sheathes jutted out from his waist, one angling upwards to the left, and one angling upwards to the right.
They had assumed that Rio had no other weapons because his flashy sword had been the first one to go.
They regretted that assumption.
In an instant, sometime between the gunshots ringing out and the bullets traveling through the air at untold speeds, Rio grabbed two daggers from their sheathes faster than the eye could see, and his hands MOVED.
Kish-shishishikish! Shwang! Slaaash! Draaang!
The daggers shot out simultaneously and met the dust rounds head on at insane speeds, tearing through each and every one until they all but disappeared, the only proof remaining of their existence being the loud echoes of impact happening as a result of two seemingly unstoppable forces meeting head on.
From where she was running, Aqua's mouth fell open. She stopped in place for a time even, completely forgetting herself. She did not see what kind of expression Grey had though, but Teale?
"T-That's..."
Teale backpedaled.
His eyes were wide, disbelieving as they left the scope, looking at Rio straight out, as if to convince himself that what he had just seen was not some cruel trick.
It wasn't.
There was still Rio with his hands held aloft in front of him as he ran—as he had not stopped in the slightest—two gleaming silver arcs continuing to flash ominously.
Meanwhile, Aqua's mind tried to reboot.
He... He sliced the bullet? A dust round!? Which should have been unstoppable, impossible, while boosted with Teale's semblance!?
"Crap!"
Hearing Teale yell this, she then saw the man scramble to aim down his sights again.
There was less than fifteen feet between them now so this would be his last chance. He pulled the trigger again but this time, she could tell he was working his semblance to the limit as sparks danced around the gun, the electricity coiling around it like a snake, blue and yellow lights rolling into one.
The bullets would surely go faster, hit harder, and become harder to see all around.
"Let's see how you do with this!" Teale yelled over the gunfire.
Ratatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatataaa!
Teale unloaded the entire mag of rounds into the foe coming straight for him, a boy who did not stop or dart to the side even once. That made it easier though, less calculations for the man's power that way.
But.
Mouth's fell open again.
Rio flipped and spun a lazy arc with his knives, slicing four bullets down the middle in one strike. He landed and his arms instantly surged upward to catch three more, only to cross slash in and then outward again to catch numerous bullets heading for his chest and face.
The knives weaved and danced—no, it was Rio doing the dancing here, as each of his expertly drawn movements were moving the steel weapons with frightening speed. And it might have been because of the sun, but the blades left glowing after images as he tore into the hurricane of gunfire bullet by bullet.
The deflected bullets, now discarded and useless, trailed behind the boy, who was now within lunging distance of Teale.
Still, the man only stood there, rooted still in shock.
And he wasn't the only one.
Aqua, Grey, everyone watching, they were absolutely blown away.
Aqua's breath had long since caught in her throat.
But, right then and there, she had a single thought.
If...
If they lost to someone with this amount of skill, a boy who showed such impressive combat ability and reflexes, how could she even think to be bitter about it?
And if he was this strong now, how much more powerful would he become in a few years when he graduated? Or even further down the line when he reached his prime?
Either way.
Whether it was the beastly Grimm who only knew how to kill, or even the criminals who were plotting untold things even now... Aqua could only shiver, certain that they wouldn't be prepared for someone like this in the slightest.
…
…
...
As Teale Nightshade watched Rio come at him without stopping, a wild grin began to encroach on his face.
In all honesty, against someone like Rio, he felt like the child here. He didn't know what it was exactly, but he knew, out of the two of them, and even Grey with his hard-ass tendencies, the white-haired boy in front of them surpassed them both in terms of grit and spirit.
There was no other way to explain the confidence and ease with which he fought with.
But.
Even so.
That in no way meant he would just lay down and let himself be beaten.
Don't think I'm just going to give it to you kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid!
Whether he minded losing to the boy or not held no importance over the fact that he was a professional Huntsman, and that fighting to the very end was the expectation from the start.
And as if the boy glimpsed this somewhat, Teale saw Rio's eyes flash in amusement—no, relief.
But Teale had to quickly jump back as a dagger carved a violent arc in front of him.
Having bought himself these scant few seconds, the man changed the firearm he was holding back into its spear form, both the triggers and scopes retreating back into the machinery of the weapon. His electricity sparked again, but this time around his whole body, which radiated a deadly shockwave, amplifying his movement three—no, tenfold.
One last attack.
He would push his body to the brink for one last attack, and he would use his spear as the catalyst to do it.
Teale didn't dare look at the timer, but he was certain they didn't have long now until the countdown expired.
But that was okay.
He would drain all of his aura if it meant hitting the opponent in front of him with every bit of strength he could muster up.
"Come on, Riioooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
The lightning coating his body sizzled and stabbed into the concrete around him, practically making it suicide for anyone to approach him, even his own teammates.
But they didn't need to get close to Teale, they just needed to attack Rio from behind while he was too busy fighting.
In fact, Aqua and Grey had already begun to do so. They rushed at Rio, the two of them, blades drawn and ready to strike the back of the boy's head and—
"…!?"
Something roared.
And without even a second's delay, both Aqua and Grey were immediately swept off their feet and sent flying backwards.
It took Teale's brain three seconds to realize what had happened.
Although, the sudden existence of cyclones spinning around Rio in a violent vortex should have made that obvious.
One of his hands was raised, one still holding his dagger, as it seemed to command the abruptly created windstorm.
Apparently, with such a clear challenge being presented to him, the white-haired boy seemed to find it rude not to reply in earnest, as just like Teale, his own elemental shock-wave began to tear up the surroundings with a visceral hunger that would not lose in any way to Teale's electricity.
Whisps of wind screamed in a frenzy as the tri-fold hurricane circled the boy protectively, putting a stop to any stragglers caught in its wake.
Yes; even if Grey and Aqua were to recover, pushing through that maelstrom of raw power would be tantamount to draining their auras instantly.
I guess it's just up to me then.
It was bad news.
Really, it was.
So why was he smiling?
Why was he so excited right now?
Electricity and wind clashed against each other with an almost beastly fervor, and all the while, their hosts stood there wordlessly throughout it all.
No, even if they tried to speak, no words would be able to pass through the deluge of sound that was being created in the aftermath of two explosions of nature happening at once.
But speech wasn't even remotely necessary.
Teale didn't know about Rio, but to him, this felt like a fight between men—between warriors coincidentally intersecting in a once of a lifetime altercation of ideals. To decide which among them possessed the greater strength of soul.
But then.
"W-What?"
Teale wasn't sure if he actually uttered that or just thought it, but either way, his surprise had to be expressed in some way as the tide of the battle suddenly shifted, and not in the way he was hoping for.
At that moment, Rio's flurry of hurricanes slowly started to gain more ground and enlarge even further, threatening to swallow Teale and his attack whole.
The man suddenly staggered in place, about to completely lose his balance amidst the sudden influx wind hitting his body, "Guh?! Shi—!"
At that exact moment.
EEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A loud buzzer tore through the air.
And then, an equally deafening voice echoed all around them, giving each of the contenders pause.
"AND THAT'S THE MATCHHHH! PLEASE CEASE FIGHTING! I REPEAT! THE MATCH IS OVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
It showed the control they had on their powers when — upon Oobleck's say — Rio and Teale both let go of their power almost immediately. And it was likely quite the sight for those watching as well, to see the two swirling vortexes of energy begin to fizzle out simultaneously, like they never even existed in the first place.
As the last whisps of energy dissipated into the air, both opponents just stood there in wait.
Of course, Teale's eyes were naturally drawn to the monitor, as it was likely that Rio's were as well.
But the man paid that no attention, as he looked at the only two things that mattered.
The first was the time.
[ 0:00 ]
And the second...
Teale froze.
"By having survived fifteen minutes against three—no, FOUR opponents, and with an aura above the fifteen percent threshold, this match's victor is Rio Amakawaaaaaaaaaaaa~! And it was a close one too folks! Rio's aura had dipped all the way down to twenty-three percent?! That's a professional Huntsman for you!"
Oobleck's booming voice served to incite the crowd into a frenzy the likes of which made the previous applause pale in comparison. But Teale wasn't paying attention to that. Neither was he even paying attention to the fact that they had lost.
No.
Rio's aura...
It was wrong, it had to be.
I... I know how my power works, and I know what it feels when I hit someone with it. My... electricity didn't even get past his wall of wind, in fact, he was the one pushing me back at the end there. So how...?
Teale could not understand what had drained the boy's aura, and so fast, too.
Thus, he just stared at Rio, even as the youth suddenly dropped to one knee, panting slightly in exhaustion.
Of course, if Teale wasn't so focused on the exhausted visage of the white-haired boy who was the object of his confusion, he would have noticed something off about one of his daggers, one he ever so quietly slipped back into one of the sheathes on his person.
The tip had been tinged a certain color.
Red liquid slid down the length of the blade.