Gloomy gray clouds loom over a flat training field; two figures can be seen moving within. Floodlights outline the gravel arena, as empty benches stand witness to their battle. Two gray blurs move back and forth, occasionally interrupted by the clanging of metal. Suddenly, one of the figures backs off, becoming visible. A young man in plate armor with gray hair, grey-blue eyes, and shark-like teeth stares intensely at his opponent.
Within his hands is an oddly shaped sword, a khopesh, in which the blade shifts into a curved shape halfway up, arcing forward before ending in a point. In his other hand is a seemingly simple round shield, with purple metal folds in unique geometric shapes. Although the shield is made out of separate pieces, its segmented shape reveals it may be more than it appears.
A moment later, the other blur also comes into view. He is a composed middle-aged man with silver hair and brown eyes. Black spectacles lie on his nose as a faint smile lies perpetually on his face. In his hand is a walking cane. The cane's handle is made of two spherical ends with a knuckle guard that juts vertically down from the crossguard. The cane itself appears to be made of some unknown metal. However, the soft green glow reveals the cane's status as more than a simple walking implement.
The two figures continue staring at each other. The boy stabilizes his heavy breathing, while the man breathes calmly. The boy then grits his teeth and kicks off toward the man, his shield held in front as he charges. As he closes the distance, the man spears his cane forward, aiming to strike the boy's shoulder. The boy deflects the blow with his shield, bringing his khopesh down to slice at the man's neck. The man pivots on his lead foot and swings his cane as he turns, catching the blow and stopping it mid-swing.
The boy suddenly grins. Shark-like teeth spread as his eyes glint victoriously. Suddenly, he turns his wrist, catching the cane in the groove of his khopesh. After locking it in place, he pulls, attempting to disarm his opponent while bashing forward with his shield. The man simply smiles. A glint shines on his spectacles as he quickly kicks the shield. He uses it as a foothold to flip backwards, disentangling his cane at the same time.
The boy is unwilling to lose the opportunity so he rushes forward, sword glinting in the floodlight. As the boy moves, a subtle flash of light glows from his spine. His speed suddenly multiplies, becoming a blur as his feet send gravel flying with every step. He stomps to a stop before the man, his foot carving a crater as his khopesh arcs down in a brutal overhead swing, leveraging his momentum to increase the already monstrous force.
Wisely, his opponent chooses not to take it head-on, as the man barely reaches the ground before shuffling to the side, cane instantly going on the attack as he swings at the boy's head. Both attacks fail as the boy brings his shield up to absorb the blow; he instantly turns and swings his khopesh up again in hopes of catching the man off balance, but the cane instantly returns to parry the blow.
The boy suddenly loses focus as his attack swings wide, he's no longer inside a training arena. He feels the scorching heat burn his exposed arms and neck. Bloodstained sand shifting beneath his sandals as an armored giant stands before him, naked bloodlust in his eyes. High above the arena sits an endless crowd, blurring into one figure as they scream, releasing their ugly desires with their calls for blood. For the blood of children, the blood of his friends, for his own blood. The boy's eyes narrow before growling as he begins an onslaught of unrelenting offense, not allowing his opponent any opportunities to mount an offense as he's bombarded with swings. The man continues retreating as he deflects and dodges blows, eyes disappearing beneath the glint of his spectacles, he remains calm as he awaits an opportunity to counterattack.
With every blow his cane deflects, it begins to glow brighter. As the shine reaches its peak, the boy snaps out of his vision. He notices the glistening cane, and his eyes widen as he realizes the situation he's placed himself in. The boy swings once more before disengaging to reset his breathing, but the instant he steps back, the man sees his opportunity. The man steps forward and swings his cane, the glow intensifying as a whirlwind of green energy swirls around the weapon.
The boy moves his shield to block and braces himself. As soon as the cane strikes the shield, the whirlwind explodes, sending his arms flying to the side, leaving him vulnerable to attack. The man immediately capitalizes as his cane pierces forward to the boy's unguarded chest, but the next moment another glow flashes from the boy's spine.
Almost robotically, the boy suddenly bends backwards in a flip, hands on the ground as he pushes himself away. He then lands on his feet, shield at the ready and khopesh pointing at his opponent. The man does not pursue, opting to watch as the boy catches his breath.
The man pauses for a moment, as if hesitating, before speaking to the boy, "It's truly impressive, no matter how many times I see it. You've improved, Mr. Akulov. I fear I may not be able to keep up with you much longer. Maria certainly trained you well."
"Ha! As if you weren't holding back, old man. I swear I'll wipe that smirk off your face one of these days."
Realizing that the fight is over, the boy clips his shield to his back and clips the khopesh to his waist, sliding a leather protector onto the blade. He then turns to the silver-haired man, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"So, what was that glowing thing, Professor Ozpin? Never seen you use that before."
"Well, that, young Azraq, was my semblance. I fear my old bones can no longer contest you if I don't put them to use. Ah, truly, how it is to grow old."
Azraq snorts, eyes narrowing as he ponders the specifics of this new ability. 'Counter-type, it appears to charge based on force. But I thought he had a speed-boosting semblance since he was able to keep up with me?'
He's broken out of his thoughts as Ozpin speaks again, an amused tone in his voice. "Already planning to challenge this old man once more? One would think even the young grow weary."
Azraq ignores this as he counters with another question. "So this is the last session, right? Since Beacon is starting soon."
"I'm afraid so, with Beacon reopening for the coming semester, I will be too busy to guide you as I have been; however, I will call you on occasion for specialized guidance, and remember that you may visit my office whenever you wish. No need to be so formal with this old man, it's been three months after all."
Azraq nods seriously, his eyes turning to look at the sky, a melancholic look on his face. 'Here's hoping Beacon isn't like my last school. Ludus Magnus isn't exactly known for having appreciative graduates.'