Relic of the Future: Chapter 32

Qrow and Jaune stood in the ring, facing one another, hands on their weapons which they had kept sheathed at their sides. Glynda was there, setting down the rules, and Summer knew she didn't miss the way Glynda glared at them both, fully aware that these `mature adults` might stretch the boundary of what was allowed if she let them.

I really hope they don't hurt one another…

"Begin!"

Qrow was moving before Glynda finished the "-gin". His weapon came out, scything down onto Jaune's shoulder. Or it would have, had he not tore his sword free in one motion, catching Qrow's weapon on the scabbard, almost like he was wielding two swords at once. With a push, he forced Qrow's hands up and thrust under, exposing his opponent's midriff. A lesser person might have been caught off-guard, but this was probing from both of them. Qrow lazily dodged back and flicked his blade out, forcing Jaune to disengage.

To the students, the exchange lasted but a few seconds and must have looked impossibly fast and brutal. But to her, to Taiyang and the other people here who had been fighting for longer, it spoke of a warm up. Each of them was testing the other, getting a feel for their speed and reactions, for how much they could afford to attack without leaving themselves open.

The two circled one another, eyes narrowed. Qrow stepped forward, Jaune to the side, and again their weapons clashed, Jaune's free hand coming to rest on the back of his, adding more force to try and force Qrow's guard open.

In turn, Qrow swept low with one foot and broke free – twisted his weapon to the side and unleashed three quick blasts from its gun form. The first shot pelted into Jaune's aura but the second and third were quickly dodged. Qrow had to switch it back to melee form as Jaune closed the distance, swinging wildly.

Too wildly.

It was obvious to Summer and, she hoped, to Qrow as well, but sometimes things looked obvious to those watching that didn't in the heat of combat. Jaune's sword crashed into Qrow's weapon, but then was knocked aside. He'd let go of it. The sword skittered away, which caused Qrow to over-extend and topple precariously.

Jaune tackled him, shoulders striking Qrow in the midriff, arms wrapping around his back as he hauled him up and over, down onto the ground where the two grappled. Qrow recovered quickly, kicking and thrashing, trying to get his legs between them so he could push Jaune off him. There was a sudden crack, loud in the arena. It was followed by a second, and then a third – and Qrow's aura dropped hard.

"A concealed weapon!?" Tai gasped.

It must have been. A handgun or something else, small and hidden on Jaune's person. It wasn't against the rules, nor would it ever be in a real fight, but if it caught them unprepared then poor Qrow must have been caught entirely by surprise.

Qrow's aura dipped to about sixty-five per cent before he managed to get hold of the gun, dropping his own weapon to wrestle the barrel away from him, Jaune and Qrow struggling over the small thing like an officer and a criminal fighting over a gun and not two proud huntsmen. As if to make matters even worse, Qrow pushed the palm of his hand into Jaune's face, forcing his head back and giving him the unenviable choice of letting go, giving Qrow the gun, or having his head wrenched back until he couldn't see anything.

He went with neither, pushing the scabbard into Qrow's chest. What was that supposed to-

"Oooh!" the crowd gasped, some clapping as the thing, which had looked like a regular old scabbard, expanded suddenly, fanning out into a shield. Unfortunately, it fanned out between Qrow's arms, forcing them wide apart and making him release his hold.

The gun came back, but Qrow had had enough of that. He swept his feet around, catching Jaune's wrist and sending the firearm spinning off the stage. Another kick pushed Jaune back, giving Qrow a chance to get onto his knees and then his feet. He dashed for a weapon, even as Jaune cursed and did the same.

They split, grabbed and then spun back around.

Ironically, they'd ended up switching weapons.

"Heh. A basic sword is a lot easier to use than mine," Qrow said. He had a point. Jaune's sword was just that, meaning that Qrow wouldn't need to figure it out. Qrow's weapon, on the other hand, was a lot more complex. Unless Jaune literally knew how to use-

Jaune grinned, twisted the sword side-on and pushed a button, cracking the blade down to reveal the barrel of Qrow's own weapon, now aimed toward him.

Qrow sighed, "Oh, come on…"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The first shot struck the ground in front of Qrow, tearing up some of the arena and undoubtedly earning Glynda's ire. The second struck Qrow, though he managed to shield himself with Jaune's sword a little. The third went high, Qrow having closed the distance to knock the attack up even as Jaune pulled the trigger.

A few more trades, quick and heavy, causing the clash of metal on metal to ring out as they fell back into melee, trading blows, Qrow showing incredibly skill in using someone else's weapon, yet Jaune somehow looking just as at home with Qrow's. Summer was leaning forward, and she knew Ozpin must have been just as interested, because he had that coy, amused smile on his face.

"Qrow's going to have to try something different if he wants to pull this out," Taiyang said. "Jaune has his number. Honestly, it's like he's fought someone with Qrow's style before. He knows it so well he's able to react perfectly."

"Maybe it was Qrow," Summer said. "He did face him before."

"Maybe, but I got the feeling that fight wasn't as long as this one."

Summer agreed, and this one wasn't going to last either. They were evenly matched in terms of speed, skill and strength, but Jaune just seemed to have that something else. An edge that Qrow lacked.

But her old teammate wasn't done yet.

Qrow broke away and twirled Jaune's sword before him, smiling cockily. "It's a good sword," he said. "Well balanced, simple. None of that fancy business."

"Isn't that a little ironic coming from you?" Jaune asked, "Considering how complicated this damn thing is?"

"Ah, but the best women are complicated."

Summer rolled her eyes. Coming from eternal-bachelor Qrow, she couldn't take that seriously. Neither, apparently, could Jaune.

"When I see you with a woman who isn't trying to kill you, I'll take your advice seriously."

"Tch." Qrow ducked low and charged in once more. Jaune reacted as he had to, parrying the first blow and then the second, giving ground, but he was so close and Qrow had angled his body in such a way that Jaune couldn't see what Qrow's other hand was doing. It reached behind him, into one of the pouches on his hip. His ammo pouch.

What's he doing? Summer's eyes narrowed. Jaune's sword didn't have a gun attachment that she knew about, and even if it did, the chance that Qrow's rounds would fit was slim. The distance was so great that she couldn't see what Qrow brought out, but it had to be a dust round. She could make out the vague shape of it, and a bit of red. A fire dust round.

The type didn't matter, it turned out.

Qrow squeezed the round between his fingers, using his thumb to pop off the cap, breaking it in half. On his next swing, an overhand blow that forced Jaune to bring Qrow's weapon up high to block it, Qrow snapped his hand forward, throwing the two halves of the bullet into Jaune's face – along with a small cloud of sparkling red dust.

"Ah!" Jaune fell back with a cry.

"Hey!"

"Whoa!" the crowd of students called, displeased with the move.

"Got you!" Qrow howled. Too close to swing the sword, Qrow drove the pommel up into Jaune's hands, forcing him to drop his own weapon as he tried to work the dust from his eyes. Qrow's fist came in a second later, catching his opponent in the cheek. It was followed by a second, an uppercut which struck Jaune under the chin and knocked him back, aura dipping.

Qrow didn't let up; he knew better than to. Blows rained down on Jaune, switching from his head to his body and shoulders once Jaune realised what was going on and brought his forearms up in a boxer's stance, guarding his face. He gasped when Qrow's knee struck him in the stomach, bowing him over.

It was a fistfight now, and with Jaune blinded. The students were horrified. Yang, ironically enough, was loving it.

"Yeah! Go Uncle Qrow! Kick his ass! Go Jaune, fight back!"

"Who are you even cheering for?" Ruby asked.

"Anyone! Whoo! Go! Fight, fight, fight!"

Another ringing blow sent Jaune staggering back, but when Qrow closed in to continue the beatdown – Jaune's aura having dipped to forty – the man's hand dipped into his jacket once more. Another weapon? Summer's eyes widened as she saw the cylindrical, black object. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw her arms over Ruby's face, covering her eyes, even as Taiyang did the same for Yang.

The students weren't nearly so lucky. The flashbang went off with an almighty crack, bathing the arena in an impossibly bright flash of white. Summer's eyes were clenched shut, and Ruby's were covered, but even then, she had to blink the spots from her vision as she looked back down at the arena.

"Yield," Jaune panted, eyes narrowed, watering from the dust, and a sword pointed down at Qrow's neck.

Qrow was flat on his back, stunned and dazed.

He slapped a hand on the matt. "I yield."

Most of the students watching hadn't even seen the fight end, so hearing it earned a few startled cries and protests from them. No doubt Glynda would make them watch a recording later. The only reason she hadn't called the fight was because she was hunched over, hands rubbing her eyes. So close to the action, and watching intently lest she need to step in, she'd taken the full brunt of the flashbang.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 32