Ruby gripped Crescent Rose, her silver eyes flicking nervously to Hyunwoo's stance. He was calm, spear balanced low, one foot half-forward. His posture said ready, but his eyes said testing.
"...Don't go easy on me," Ruby muttered.
"I wasn't planning to," Hyunwoo replied flatly.
She burst forward in a burst of petals, her semblance propelling her into a spinning slash. Hyunwoo pivoted, his spear intercepting the blade with a clean clash. Ruby skidded back, grit her teeth, then darted again — faster, more aggressive.
Hyunwoo's body moved with fluid precision, each block just strong enough to divert, each step just far enough to avoid being cornered.
Her speed is good. But her footing doesn't match. She relies too much on her semblance to cover the gaps.
Ruby slashed wide, trying to force space, but Hyunwoo slipped inside her guard, his spear shaft brushing against her ribs.
Ruby gasped. "Ugh—!"
"Too predictable," Hyunwoo said, voice calm but firm. "If I can read you, so can anyone else."
Ruby spun Crescent Rose into sniper mode, firing a round that launched her backward into another charge. Hyunwoo smirked faintly. Clever. She knows how to use recoil to reposition.
But still, her timing was raw. He stepped in and swept his spear up, knocking her scythe off-line.
Ruby stumbled, breathless, sweat trickling down her cheek. "You— you're not even breaking a sweat..."
"That's not the point," Hyunwoo replied, pressing forward again. His strikes came sharper now, testing her defense instead of just blocking. Ruby scrambled, her scythe a blur as she blocked, deflected, just barely kept pace.
Her aura sparked faintly under the strain.
"You're too reliant on wide arcs," Hyunwoo pointed out, his spear tapping Crescent Rose with measured precision. "It works against grimm — but against people? You'll bleed openings everywhere."
Ruby growled under her breath, frustration burning in her chest. She feinted left, then spun right — but Hyunwoo caught her motion instantly, spear whistling past her ear before stopping short.
Ruby froze, realizing she'd been a hair away from being struck.
"...You hesitated," Hyunwoo said. His voice was sharper now. "In a real fight, that's the last mistake you'd ever make."
Ruby clenched her jaw, her grip tightening. Then, with a burst of resolve, she vanished into petals again — faster, sharper than before. Hyunwoo's eyes tracked her blur of red, his aura sharpening his perception.
He braced—
Crescent Rose came crashing from above, and this time Hyunwoo had to meet her strike full-force. The impact rang through the room, petals scattering around them like sparks.
Ruby's eyes burned, determined. "I'm not weak—!"
Hyunwoo pushed her back, his teeth gritting just slightly.
Good. That's it. That fire... but it's still too raw.
They clashed again and again. Ruby's semblance made her fast, but Hyunwoo's aura-enhanced reactions kept pace. He punished her sloppy recoveries, pointed out her openings mid-fight, forced her to adapt on the fly. And though she stumbled, though her breath came ragged, she refused to stop.
Finally, Hyunwoo broke the rhythm — his spear sweeping low, knocking Ruby's legs from under her. She hit the ground, Crescent Rose clattering beside her.
Panting, she looked up at him, sweat dripping from her chin.
Hyunwoo planted his spear into the floor beside her, his tone steady but heavy. "...You're strong, Ruby. But right now? Not strong enough."
Her chest heaved, but her silver eyes didn't waver. "...Then I'll get stronger."
Hyunwoo studied her for a long moment. He could see the cracks — her doubt about Blake, her uncertainty as a leader — but also the stubborn flame that refused to go out.
She doesn't realize yet... She'll have to face loss after loss. Friends torn away, burdens she can't imagine carrying. She'll be crushed by the weight, over and over. But still—
His expression softened just slightly. —she's one of the pillars who has to stand when the storm comes. If she falls, everything else will collapse with her.
Hyunwoo offered her a hand. Ruby hesitated, then took it, pulling herself up.
For a brief moment, Ruby saw something heavy flicker in his eyes — like he carried knowledge of storms she hadn't faced yet.
But before she could ask, he gave her a teasing grin. "Now go. Don't make your team wait while you hog the training floor."
Ruby laughed breathlessly, shouldering Crescent Rose. "...Thanks, Hyunwoo."
Ruby Rose... one of the main ones who needs to carry the future. If she falls, everything crumbles. I can't let that happen.
Hyunwoo met her gaze, his expression steady. "If you want to keep getting stronger," he said, voice calm but carrying weight, "find me. I know how many openings you have... and I can help you close them."
Ruby blinked, taken aback for a moment — then slowly, a small but genuine smile broke through her fatigue. She nodded, clutching Crescent Rose closer to her chest. "...I'll hold you to that."
With that, she turned and walked out, her steps lighter than before.
Hyunwoo watched her go, a faint sigh leaving his lips as his grip tightened on his spear.
She'll need every lesson, every scar, every ounce of resolve. And if I can help her stand when it matters most... then I will.
As the door closed behind Ruby, silence returned to the room.
Hyunwoo leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, his thoughts sharpening like the edge of his spear.
It's been two days since Blake disappeared... he narrowed his eyes. That means tonight is the night. The shipment from Atlas — Schnee Dust Company cargo — it'll be ambushed. Roman, the White Fang... maybe even more.
His grip tightened. The memory of Ruby's worried expression flickered in his mind, but he forced it aside.
If I stay quiet, things will unfold just like before. The chaos, the destruction... the danger.
Hyunwoo's aura stirred faintly, red and green blending at his fingertips, humming like restrained thunder.
"No," he muttered under his breath. "Tonight, I won't let them walk away. Not Roman, not the Fang... not anyone who threatens this city."
His eyes lifted toward the window, where the sun was just beginning its descent. The air already felt heavy, as if Vale itself was bracing for what would come.
Tonight... everything changes.
Hyunwoo pulled out his scroll, the glass lighting up his tired face. He opened the group chat labeled NOVA.
Hyunwoo: Tonight, follow me somewhere. Don't ask where. Just be ready.
Jaemin: ...That's vague as hell.
Jisoo: Sounds like trouble. Which means it's important.
Jiwon: Alright. What time?
Hyunwoo: I'll let you know before we move. For now, stay sharp. And Jiwon—Ruby's going to ask for your help this afternoon. Echo Sense. Lend it to her.
There was a pause before the replies came back.
Jiwon: Got it. If it's about Blake, I'll handle it.
Jaemin: Guess it's serious then. Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut until you explain.
Jisoo: ...You owe us dinner if this gets messy.
Hyunwoo almost smirked at that last one, but his eyes hardened again as he locked his scroll.
Good. They'll be ready. Tonight, I'll need every edge I can get.
The hum of his aura pulsed faintly at his fingertips. The pieces were falling into place.
_____
Hyunwoo stood before the glass wall of Beacon's tower, Vale stretched out beneath the evening haze. The sound of the elevator chimed, followed by the soft click of a cane against the floor.
"Mr. Kim," Ozpin's calm voice carried across the room, accompanied by the faint aroma of coffee. "You asked to see me."
Hyunwoo turned, his eyes steady. "Ozpin. You know about it, don't you? Roman Torchwick. The White Fang. Their move tonight at the port."
Ozpin studied him for a long moment, sipping from his mug. "That is a heavy accusation, Hyunwoo. Tell me—what makes you so certain?"
Hyunwoo exhaled slowly, restraining the urge to blurt out more than he should. Instead, he spoke evenly.
"Dust shipments from Atlas, Blake's disappearance, Roman's movements... it all lines up. And besides..." his eyes narrowed slightly, "...the last time we talked, you mentioned our enemies. That there are forces moving in the shadows. Doesn't this look like their work?"
Ozpin's faint smile didn't reach his eyes. He turned toward the window, fingers resting lightly on his cane. "Perhaps. It is true that Torchwick and the White Fang do not act alone. There are... larger hands guiding them. Hands we have yet to expose."
Hyunwoo stepped closer, voice hard. "Then let me deal with this. Tonight. If this is connected to those enemies, then I'll be one step closer to stopping them."
For the first time, Ozpin's gaze sharpened on him, as though peering past the boy's words and into the weight behind them. "You speak with conviction, Hyunwoo. But conviction is dangerous when paired with recklessness."
Hyunwoo clenched his fists. "Then call me reckless. I'm not sitting back while Vale is threatened. If I fight, that's on me. But if I do nothing, people suffer. And I won't let that happen."
The tower was silent except for the quiet hum of the city below. Ozpin finally raised his mug once more, sipping in thought before lowering it.
"...Very well. But remember, Mr. Kim," his voice lowered, carrying an undertone of gravity, "those who stand against our enemies do not escape their gaze. Every step forward brings you closer to the fire."
Hyunwoo met his eyes, unwavering. "Then let them look at me."
Ozpin's expression softened into something unreadable, perhaps even resigned, as Hyunwoo turned and left the office with resolve burning in his chest. Tonight, he would fight.