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"...Three." The professor began, holding the crop rider over her head.

"...Two."

The two boy's kept their eyes trained on the other, not during to take them away for even a moment. While they did this though, "Asche" cupped a hand to his abdomen, stepping backwards to gracefully bow to his opponent as he drug the same hand toward his chest. It was something of a tradition between two combatants, from Lothric anyways. As ruinous as the land was, it held a great emphasis on proper manners.

"...One."

Ren was taken aback by the display, but he shook his head to steady himself. The unkindled one on the other hand, felt a tinge of annoyance at the normally collected boy. Not bowing to your opponent… was considered a little more insulting than throwing a giant's dung pie at them.

He, "Asche", lowered his stance, drawing his Sellsword Twinsblade in less than a blink of the eye. And as the instructor began to lower her lewd whip, "Asche" coated his blades with magic, imbuing the blades in a vibrant shade of blue. Ren, the audience, and the instructor in unison, felt their giddy anticipation or dread rile at the sight.

"...Begin!"

With his moonlit blessed blades, "Asche" danced onward, swaying past the air and ground both. His swords spun to strike upwards as he twirled his wrists, rolling his forearm to reset and swing yet again. Ren, as a man who fought in a similar manner, swung his own dual sickle-like weapons in the opposite direction, choosing to strike downward.

The two finally clashed, their respective armaments colliding against each other. Lie Ren caught "Asche's" first series of strikes whilst the champion in turn caught Ren's second. Neither let a moment pass before they shattered their entwining. One took a step backwards to alleviate and distribute their now shifted weight, and the other subsequently broke into another charge.

Ren mustered a bout of haste to match the now second onslaught of "Asche", who only forced the young hunter backwards with each following slice. Again and again, the unkindled one let loose a seemingly endless ensemble of upward and downward swipes. He only continued to leap forward, like a hastened windmill, as Ren could only falter to avoid a sourful loss.

And as the exchange carried on, Ren saw the faintest of openings. His opponent cleaved through the air, recovering from Lie Ren's defenses with a methodical purpose. But during the volley of attacks, it became apparent that the ashen one held a favor in weight on his left leg. Seeing no other chance or method of escape, Ren focused his entire being into repelling one final attack, throwing the other man's blades to his right as he ducked into the masked boy's blindspot.

Ren's stance was lowered and poised, directly underneath Asche's exposed right side. With no hesitation, he pinched back his index fingers, firing a searing burst of tungsten and gunpowder from his akimbo sickle-sub machine gun hybrid.

Before the unkindled one could respond, he felt the sharp stream of pain shoot through his ribcage. And as he felt the surge of spewing blood, he recoiled at the hot metallic beads that began burrowing their way further into his once rotted flesh. Had he not worn the silver mask of Leonhard, his steep gasp would have signaled a coarse and unnatural sign of distress.

The champion then sensed a nearly inhumane force slam itself into his pellet riddled ribcage, causing a momentary loss of balance. As he stumbled about, his concealed eyes caught the green figure of Lie Ren delivering yet another painful yet equally graceful kick to his already traumatized chest.

This time, the champion was sent collapsing backwards, rolling more than a single time before he could gather his bearings to refocus his balance. In a hunkered state, "Asche" skidded to a halt, a gloved and half armed hand being used to act as a tripod for his admittedly, wobbling state.

He could hear the moist, sickly, and chilling dripping of his own blood. Those in attendance however, could see the slight amounts of steam emanating from the crimson puddles; almost like the fluid had been brought past a boil. Ren felt his gaze and stomach both drop, as did Blake Belladonna, who was among the many to watch from the stadium-like settings. One of the hunters, who knew the truth behind the event, felt a hefty weight bear into his chest, almost as if the air would suffocate him at the display. The other, on the contrary, felt a bead of shock and a coursing spark of confirmation…

Blake and her teammates looked on, at the rising champion. With a disregard to his wounds and with a motion that belted to be an accustomed action, he, the ashen one, withdrew a glowing flask of yellow. He drank, sending a brief and faint surge of flame to envelope his body. His body, apparent to the onlookers, reverted back from its damaged state, seemingly recovering itself.

"That steam and flask… So he really is…?" The amber eyed girl whispered.

The yellow haired lioness of team RWBY lurched forward, carelessly beaming into her partner's eye's "Ayo, did you say something Blakey?" Yang asked, snapping Blake from her brief daydream.

"O-oh no, Nothing…I just thought his aura would have held up." She apologetically said, lying to her teammate.

"Psssh, what do you mean by that? Didn't you see the Aura Booster? Of course Asche would carry some along." The crimson themed leader of the girls chimed in, punching the air with an ear-wide smile.

"Ugh, No Ruby. They are called 'Dust Infused Aura Enhancing Supplements'." The heiress of the quartet backhandedly corrected.

"Yea those...The uh... Dust-Boo-Blah-Blegh what now?" Ruby feigned.

"DIAES for short."

"Oh that's cool…" Ruby unceremoniously commented. "Yeah those things, Blake. Uh, Weiss? What were they called again?"

"Oh my fu-... festering Oum…" Weiss cursed, pinching her node's bridge.

"DIAES, They're called DIAES Rubes." Yang softly cackled, rubbing a hand through her half sister's black and red tipped nest, ignoring the other girl's attempts at fighting back.

"His semblance does not work like ours do." The white haired heiress added. "He uses pure aura to attack directly, the tradeoff being that he needs those supplements to regenerate like most of us normally do and should. There are many like him within the Atlas Military, hence the creation of DIAES."

To all but three sets of eyes, this came off as a hindered aura. Many associated the display as the consequence of the nature of the man's supposed aura and semblance. The instructor, as well as the kire well versed students, whittled the yellow flask down to a variant of aura boosting supplements, allowing the soul based barrier of the boy to "work as it normally should".

But Lie Ren, Blake Belladonna, and an onlooking headmaster knew, or at least had an idea of, the truth.

From his office, the silver haired Headmaster Ozpin studied each and every frame of the live battle. Every movement the champion made was burnt into his memory. Each and every dripping of the blood tainted his scholarly consciousness. And the fire that he also knew to truly be "Estus"...

Rang true to both, his prior experiences and what one of his closest students had once informed him of.

He took a drink from his mug, a false bravado of shared comradery overcoming him as he mistakenly had synchronized it with "Asche's" own "drinking". Mentally he laughed, nudging his spectacles as he felt a hopeful sense of the days to come flooding his age old mind. As the unkindled one's blood quite literally boiled, the glorified principle felt the groggy return of a once suppressed memory...

"...The embers that burn within a champion’s bosom." He muttered under his breath.

"To have defied that law and to have claimed the smoldering kindling within… You truly are a Champion of A-" Ozpin had begun to say before being cut short by the piercing sound of refined metal clashing.

"Asche" and Ren had already resumed their feud, exchanging rapid and heated blows. Ren moved with caution, like a falling petal doing it's best to avert the ground as it moved in unison with the wind. The Champion of Ash meanwhile, assaulted his opponent with a howling volley, almost as if he were a hive of hornets sent to pillage.

The headmaster almost immediately felt his train of thought shatter. He was, like those who watched on in person, utterly entranced. The prowess of the unkindled one, though likely reserved, was meticulous and almost premeditated. His experience was apparent as every strike, swing, sidestep, and counter attack seemed to have been practiced in no particular pattern at least thousands of times over. Had it not been for Lie Ren's aura, which significantly heightened one's innate abilities, the unkindled one would have dispatched his opponent in record time.

Which brought another matter to the forefront of the headmaster's mind…

"Asche" had no aura. His performance, though clearly only a foot in the water to his full strength, had been of his own. This skill was the inherent and untainted ability of one born from the fabled and waning "First Flame". But if "Asche" were to one day awaken his aura, if he even could, then that would only mean…

Again his mind was broken from wandering thoughts. This time though, it had been an out of place movement made by "Asche". It was the faintest and swiftest of movements, one that caused a single pause of opening, which allowed Ren to leap backwards in time to gather his bearings.

In that small moment, Asche hesitated in charging his opposing combatant. Instead, he sheathed a single blade and subsequently placed a hand against another handle beneath the cover of his "Black Hand" cloak. Ren, who was catching his breath, failed to notice the champion's subtle twirl of the wrist as the hand unveiled itself from the cape-like garment, something he would pay dearly for.

A crescent burst of emerald shaded moonlight, hailing from the now revealed Cresent Moon Sword, tore through the air, screeching as it collided into Lie Ren. The boy's aura held up, even as he too now felt himself be thrown back by the overwhelming force. His vision became momentarily impaired, sight returning to him as he heard a distinct chiming sound… a sound he heard from initiation just days prior.

The sound of hardened clumps of supposed aura charging. A noise almost as comparable to crystallized willpower being bound together with precise and intricate manners.

"Asche" was charging his "semblance".

Lie Ren stumbled, just barely escaping the zone of impact to "Asche's" sorcery. But no attack came to be. He then glanced to where "Asche" had been only seconds before to see… nothing.

The hunter in training felt his cool personality flinch. Ren turned his head, first right, then left, then right again. He pivoted his body, cautiously stepping backward. The boy was stricken with doubt and disbelief, unsure of the strange occurrence.

And then a small thud came from behind him. Again he spun, leaving no chance for his opponent to ambush him. A spray of bullets sped through the air, and met contact with the amphitheater walls.

As far as Lie Ren and all that watched in awe knew, "Asche Embers" had completely disappeared.

In truth though, he had casted "Hidden Body", a illusionary based sorcery that allowed the Caster to become nearly invisible. He had done the incantation at the earliest of moments, when Lie Ren had been temporarily blinded and disoriented. The clatter that had caught the boy's attention was nothing more than a "Alluring Skull" , an item that, blatantly enough, captured the attention of its intended target.

And whilst Lie Ren was pulled away to glance at the object, "Asche" sent forth a familiar volley of blue hued darts. Before the boy could avert his attention to the now whistling projectiles

He lunged over the first wave, lacking the grave he once carried. By a stroke of luck and tenacity, he bounded past the second horde, several blue darts grazing his sides. His predicament was far less than ideal, and escape seemed far better an option then staying for a third round of the hued bolts. So Lie Ren ran, diving as the last blue arrow from the third volley shot past his cheek, leaving a warm trail creeping downwards before his aura bandaged the scratch.

Aa the hunter went about calming himself, he thanked Oum profusely. The Farron Hail had ended, leaving only a scrape of the cheek. He drew his breath once more, preparing to charge the opponent once his location had been deduced.

But he had no time to fully gather himself before the fourth unexpected volley began.

A single blue dart tore through the boy's arm, resulting in a clatter of his left hand's weapon. And another seeped into his leg, causing his weight to fall unevenly. Another tore through his chest, emptying his lungs as if he had been elbowed. And finally, the last dart struck true unto his shoulder.

Unlike last time however, he refused to let the pain end in dropping another weapon. Largely because "Asche" had now revealed himself. As expected, the unkindled one dashed his immobile target, his curved blades still illuminated by a hue of sapphire.

"Dammit…" Ren murmured.

Ren swung in a ditch effort to sway the chances at the approaching man, only to hear the low rumble of what was best described as "dread incarnate".

"Asche" with his discolored hand, swung Ren's sickle like weapon aside, staging the boy for a final punishing blow. The next action was a blur, but Lie Ren felt his body collapse on its own wright, before feeling the champion of ash almost insultingly peel the hunter away from the devastating strike.

The last flakes of his aura had protected him physically, but it had done little to shield him from the shame of being baited into a oh so easily executed parry and riposte.

"Students, Cease!" Glynda called from the balconies, cracking her whip with a commanding snap.

"Mr. Ren's Aura has decreased into the red. In a standard tournament match, this would signify his defeat. In a standard duel, this would mean much the same. In short, Mr. Embers would win both matches by this outcome."

"Mr Ren and Mr. Embers, the two of you displayed phenomenal foot maneuvering. You both held a great balance of counter offensives as well as your uncanny ability to match the others attacks with an equal amount of defense." She started. "However, Mr. Ren…"

"As the match progressed, you lost your collected state of mind. You allowed yourself to be taken off guard on more than one occasion. Ensure you work on maintaining your composure under pressure, it is an invaluable skill to have."

Lie Ren lowered his head as she spoke, nodding along with her critique. Normally, he would be entirely level headed during a sparring match, especially considering who his past sparring partner usually was. But it had been something more than mere attacks that chipped his patience…

As Glynda continued onward, Lie Ren glanced at the masked boy, who gave the professor his completely undivided attention.

"Then again,, do not take what I have said as a flawless victory Mr. Embers." She sternly continued, turning her glare at the mentioned boy.

"You, like many other hunters, possess a faulty aura. You must be far more cautious in the future. You do not have the luxury of shrugging off minor injuries. Plan accordingly and bear in mind your vulnerability."

Aura..something Ren had taken for granted during their spar. The agile fighter depended on his soul's regenerative shield for too much, that was evident. "Asche" however, lacked one entirely. Though the reasons were much different than what Ren imagined Glynda thought. He doubted that not possessing an aura even bothered the undead warrior either, seeing as he had brought along that insatiable flask with him...

"You both are dismissed and will be graded accordingly. Shower, dress yourselves, and return back here with haste." She concluded.

The two young men gave a small nod of the head. Once to the teacher, and once to each other. Following this, they went their separate ways to clean themselves, disappearing into separate yet adjacent locker rooms.

Once "Asche" retreated to the glorified bathrooms, he stripped himself of his armor, briefly showering and finally changing into the issued school wear. After attaching and sliding the cowl, mask, hat, and gloves onto his hands and face, he made his way back to the amphitheater.

The next match had already begun, and students were still ultimately captivated by the new fight. The clattering of steel resonated as he descended the steps to take his seat beside his team. Dove, of course, wasted no time in poking fun at the instructor's hypocrisy.

"So much for calling a match after a minor injury. Amirite?" He mused. "Can't see why she spats rules she won't follow"

Sky, who sat beside "Asche", let out an awkward chuckle, leaving Cardin to snort. The ashen one meanwhile, remained silent.

"Well I don't see why she should have. Aschy kicked some real ass out there. He can handle himself. Hell, he took an entire burst of fire and didn't even let out so much as a yelp." The leader pridefully exclaimed.

"True, but Glynda probably couldn't see it. Her glasses were glued to that BDSM whip." Dove quipped.

"The one with the glass handle?" Cardin sarcastically replied.

"A-actually… it was the uh… pink saber one… that you ah… k-keep under your pillow…" Sky nervously joked, taking the team by surprise by his sudden participation.

"Man, fuck you…" The leader chuckled, shaking his head with an amused smile.

The group shared a moment of laughter. Sky was given a pat on the back by Cardin, glad to see the first steps of the boy becoming more social. Dove meanwhile, offered the introverted boy a ruffle of the hair. "Asche" however, found his attention drawn elsewhere…

Several seats down, a familiar group of girls sat. The scarlet adorned leader bounced from.her seat, waving profusely at the masked boy with both hands. The white themed girl, the red one's partner, gave a single tilt of the head,

The yellow one conversely, beckoned him over, while the black themed girl remained neutral.

"They look like they wanna talk with you, Asche."

His words rang true, evident by a cheering and giddy Ruby from across the row of seats increasing her hyperactive antics.

The leader of CEDL lurched forward, looking past the ashen one's shoulder.

"Well? Don't keep 'em waiting. Go say hi or something. We've got the entire weekend to spend together." He said, prodding the man to stand with several raps in the back.

And with that, the champion maneuvered through the seats, inching closer to the eagerly waiting group. Once within speaking range, the red themed leader bolted to her feet, dashing over to the man. She then began dragging the masked boy to take a seat, one she had reserved earlier. As it happened, this seat was to Ruby's left, next to where Weiss Schnee sat.

"Asche!Asche!Asche!ThatWasSoCool!YouWereAllLike"Waa-chaa!"AndThenLike"Wa-choo!"AndAlsoLike"Hi-yaa!"AndThenYouWentInvisibleAndRenWasConfusedAndThenYouWent"Pew-pew-kabloom!"AndThenHeWent"OhNooo!Bleghhh!" Ruby squealed as she flailed her arms, jumping in her seat.

"Asche" felt his mind go blank. He blinked once. Then twice. And then finally thrice.

Every passing second was spent trying to interpret the clutter of words that left the girl's mouth. But of course, the more he thought, the less he became unsure of. Yang and Weiss, the yellow and white haired girls of the team respectively, snickered at his obvious plight.

"Heheh… Whoa eaaasy there, Rubes. You can't just gaslight someone with all those words like that." She mused. "Calm down and try again. "

"Okay! Okay! Okay, I'm calm! Ascheee!!! I have a question! It's life or death for meee!" The red leader dramatically continued.

"How did you even turn invisible? I thought your semblance could only harden?"

Weiss pinched the bridge or her nose. She fought back the urge to spit out the most obvious answer but no...she had promised to be a better teammate just days prior. Still, that didn't mean she had to be completely nice.

"Ruby, he can manipulate his Aura and has obviously trained with it as long, if not longer, than most of us. He was obviously bending the light around him. Pay attention next time and you won't need to ask." She huffed.

The answer satisfied the crimson reaper, as she had tuned out the latter half long before then. Weiss's "explanation" had even earned a curious tilt of the head from Yang. But Blake however… bore into the Champion's head.

"Or maybe it was one of the golden incantations from Oolacile…" She muttered.

"Oh...huh,, I guess that makes sense, Weiss. Ooo, Ooo! Asche, I have another question! Okay so... about your swords and that war-shotel you carry …" Ruby trailed, chipper as always.

…

…

…

...

...

"...All that's left now is to wait." A decrepit voice said.

"I have done nothing but wait!" The insulted voice of a mistress replied. "You promised that it would happen soon. So I must ask, has it happened yet?!"

The brunette woman sat on a makeshift throne, the only cleaned piece of furniture within the abandoned building. She wore a red dress. Lined with amber colored embroidery as well as several pieces of simplistic jewelry.

"Mistress of Fall… Of course it has." The senile voice answered again.

The majority of his own body had been covered by a crimson cloak, segments of ancient armor appearing slipping into view. His face too, had been covered by the red cowl, a strange metallic mask barely within view.

"However, there are delicate processes one must use to ensure a fruit is ripe enough to pluck."

"...Elaborate."

"Of course...We, or well, our rightful lord and liege, would like to confirm the authenticity of the academy's new arrivals before beginning further with the infiltration. It would be a shame if they could so easily thwart us with a… well…" He trudged.

"A more than… familiar yet falsely fictional face." The red cloaked elder finished.

"What would you mean by that?" She prodded, her mind already planning contingencies against the possible threat. "Are you insinuating there are other tales that could be true?"

"Oh yes, yes Indeed, Maiden of The Fall… Kukuku..." The robed man cackled. "I speak of an accursed pile of ash, holstered within the skin of man."

"Hmm… I see…" The woman said, relaxing back into her makeshift throne.

"You there." She sternly called to a goon wearing a white bone-like mask, an underling of the faunas organization: the White Fang. "Tell Roman that I have another job for him… One just as important as the dust collecting."

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[BONFIRE: LIT]

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||| "Don't You Dare Go Hollow..." |||