Here came the time before his demise in his previous life. Ozpin's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, issuing the final commands before the launch.
Jaune stood on the tension pad, gripping Crocea Mors tightly.
Despite the knowledge he possessed and the power coursing through his veins, the memory of his past, fatal terror was a cold knot in his stomach.
Overcoming trauma wasn't as easy as people thought it would be.
Fortunately, Jaune had the Flight Necklace on him.
He focused on the counter-force it provided, a small, reassuring hum against the chaotic energy of the launch.
The moment the pad fired, sending him screaming through the air,
Jaune's God Physical Body and training kicked in.
He didn't panic; he controlled his movements, using his aura and the necklace's thrusters to slow his rotation.
He was descending not as a frantic, flailing scarecrow, but as a deliberate projectile.
As he was about to land precisely on the branch of the tree that had killed him the previous time, a sudden flash of red streaked past his face.
A heavy spear was thrown at him, aimed perfectly to intercept his fall and slow his descent.
Instinctively, Jaune roared and activated his Aura, parrying the weapon with the shield side of his sword.
The impact sent a powerful CLANG echoing through the forest.
He caught himself mid-air and executed a controlled landing.
"Pyrrha?"
Jaune questioned, recognizing the distinctive, red-and-gold weapon instantly.
Pyrrha Nikos rushed over, retrieving her spear with a blush of embarrassment.
"Jaune? I am really sorry! I saw you falling toward the trees and thought you had trouble landing, so I wanted to help you slow down. I didn't mean to attack you!"
"Oh, that's fine then. It was a good throw,"
Jaune reassured her, relieved that the encounter, though chaotic, was still positive.
He noticed they had made solid, direct eye contact during the exchange.
"Wait a minute, we looked each other in the eye, so we are partners, right?"
"Yes!"
Pyrrha exclaimed, a massive, genuine smile lighting up her face.
She was clearly overjoyed to become his partner.
"Let's go find a relic, shall we?"
Jaune said, taking the lead. Pyrrha nodded readily, falling beside him and acting as if she would listen to his every word.
Jaune didn't understand why she was so easily deferential, but he certainly didn't mind the respect.
Jaune looked at the map in his mind, courtesy of his prep work.
"There's a cave up ahead that should lead us to the relics quickly."
They began walking, but before they entered the darkened mouth of the cave, Jaune paused.
"Em, Pyrrha. I think there is a large Grimm in this cave. Mind if I take care of it?"
If it were his previous life, Jaune would have run screaming from the threat.
But as he was now, equipped with God Physical Body and the ultimate movement technique, he was confident in taking it down.
He wanted to take the Grimm down, even though they could easily sneak around it and leave the cave unnoticed.
The motivation, as always, was currency.
[Taking down Grimm has a chance of coin dropping. The stronger the Grimm, the higher the chance and the value of the coin.]
And the immense, shadowy presence Ciel identified inside the cave was guaranteed to drop at least a Silver Coin.
Who wouldn't want that? One silver coin equaled 100,000 Lien!
"I don't mind,"
Pyrrha said, drawing her weapon.
"But if it's dangerous, we will run together."
Her trust in him was great, but her caution remained.
"Alright,"
Jaune agreed, then quickly prepared himself.
He dropped his gaze, pulling air deep into his lungs.
He focused his inner energy, and then lightning began to visibly gather around him—not just a faint aura, but bright, sparking energy.
Pyrrha felt a jolt of shock mixed with awe.
She had goosebumps seeing the sheer power emanating from Jaune, his posture instantly transforming from relaxed student to lethal warrior.
With his handsome face and the intense, focused stance, she felt a powerful connection.
'He is so handsome... and so strong!'
"Kaminari No Kokyu Ichi No Kata—Hekireki Issen!" (Thunder Breathing First Form—Thunderclap and Flash)
Jaune shot forward with blinding, impossible speed.
His movement was faster than the human eye could track, leaving a faint trail of pale blue lightning in his wake.
The target was a massive Death Stalker—a gigantic, armored scorpion Grimm.
The stinger was raised, ready to strike, but before the creature could move, Jaune was already there.
His sword, driven by the explosive force of his technique, struck the creature directly in the head.
The Death Stalker's shell was famously hard, but with Jaune's amplified strength and the sheer momentum of the attack, he split Grimm's head completely in half, killing it instantly.
Jaune appeared on the other side of the cave, sheathing Crocea Mors.
The massive Grimm's armor shattered, and it crumbled into dust.
Pyrrha was amazed.
She was a four-time regional champion, and she had never witnessed such raw, controlled power.
She thought that if Jaune were to join the Vytal Tournament, he could win against her easily.
The more she thought about him—his kindness, his modesty, and his incredible hidden strength—the more she wanted to be close to him.
Jaune looked down at the pile of dark dust where the Grimm had stood.
A faint silver sparkle caught his eye.
[1 Silver Coin acquired. Current Balance: 11 Silver Coins, 25 Copper Coins.]
"Okay, let's keep going,"
Jaune said, suppressing his victory cheer.
"Relics next."