A few of you may have seen my other story, Intersection. I decided that was a bit too tough for an amateur like me to handle, so I decided to reuse some base concepts (and a character) and start simpler. I hope you enjoy!

Hunters and Monsters

Chapter 1: One Hunter

Port Tanzia was a model seaside trading town. Covered from one end of the shore to the other in a colorful assortment of buildings of all kinds of materials. Not only was its location a prime spot for sea trade, but it also had the fortune of being an important junction of land travel as well. The majority of its architecture was primitive wood and stone with some buildings even having parts made out of bone, along with colorful cloth spread everywhere as shade for patios, bazaars, and other means of relaxation and business. And business was booming.

The continent Port Tanzia was located on was largely covered in wilderness, including scorching deserts, rainy swamps, frozen tundras, any kind of ecosystem. Civilization was sparse and far apart. There were a few large cities, but most of the settlements around the continent consisted of small villages. Port Tanzia could be considered one of the large cities, just for the sheer number of people present at any time. But unlike other large defensive cities, like the Fortress City of Dundorma, Port Tanzia did not have a high number of permanent residents. The population consisted of traveling merchants, business owners, and a rotation-based garrison for defense. But these cities did not need defense from invasions or wars. No, they needed defense from something far more primal: the wildlife of the world. The creatures of this world are powerful enough that they earned a blanket term for all the wildlife out there:

Monsters.

Monsters were by and large, just animals. But what set them apart was their sheer size and abilities. Most dwarfed humans, and even if they didn't, all could be deadly to the unprepared. They also came in all shapes and sizes, from mammals like mammoths to reptiles like wyverns and dragons. Luckily most monsters could be categorized as territorial or predatory, operating purely off of instinct. They had no reason to purposely seek out humans when there was other prey around, and generally didn't cause any issues if they were left alone. But inevitably, some conflict would arise.

Because civilization must move forward, despite the deadly fauna of the world, the Hunter's Guild was formed. Now the largest organization on the continent, the Guild had a presence in almost every settlement, even the smallest villages typically had at least one guild representative. The guild's job was simple, take requests concerning monsters for a fee, and use some of that fee to pay a hunter to handle said requests. Hunters were specifically trained to handle monsters, and had to have a wide range of survival skills, knowledge of monsters, and mastery of the various types of weapons that existed. But becoming a hunter was easy, it was rising through the ranks to handle the tougher requests that was difficult. A low rank hunter could be asked to do something as simple as gather honey out in the wilderness, while the highest rank, G-rank, could be asked to face down monsters that were once revered as Gods in older teachings. The ranking system not only helped to minimize casualties, and it did so remarkably well, but also to enable paying work to be available in a more organized manner.

Large cities typically had large guild presence. While fortresses like Dundorma had a garrison of hunters on duty at any time, ports like Port Tanzia typically relied on whatever hunters were working in the area. Luckily for the port, there was a lot of work to be done, and a lot of hunters to do it. Sometimes, the port officials had more hunters to call on for help than even those garrisoned cities.

One such hunter was currently wandering down the Port's cobbled paths, looking around the various markets that sprouted up all around the city. He was covered in head to toe with scaly, white plate armor lined with a dark teal trim, along with a flourishing hide trench coat with the same color palette. His name is Auren, one of the youngest G-rank hunters to ever work in the guild. He started hunting at the tender age of 11, under the guidance of a experienced veteran. In seven short years, he managed to prove himself in many decisive jobs, and was rewarded with the highest rank possible.

The boy was proud of his accomplishments, with every right, but he was known for being friendly and humble. If not a bit too polite at times. He was well-liked, enjoyed guiding and being helpful to others.

He took a detour around to a more secluded alley, hoping to take a shortcut to his destination market, but spotted a strangely dressed person sitting behind a plain wooden table. There was a deck of cards spread across the top. The person was wearing light beige robes, and a hood that covered their face, but judging from the curves and body shape, the person was a woman.

"You there, Hunter." The woman called out, her voice rich but soft, a higher-pitched maturity evident in it.

"Me?" Auren stopped walking, pointing to himself. He realized it was a bit foolish, since they were the only two in the alleyway. The woman herself didn't show it, but she was surprised by the youthfulness of his voice. His helmet covered his face, and his stature and build made him appear like an older man.

"Yes, do you have a moment to spare?" The woman asked him.

"Sure," Auren approached the table, taking off his helmet to talk face-to-face. It revealed a young man with wavy dark brown-hair, clean-shaven, with bright hazel eyes, almost gold when in the sunlight. His face itself was lean and chiseled, but he still retained some boyish roundness, similar to a child. In short, a healthy young adult, with hints of his teenage appearance still present. "How can I help you?"

"I was curious, you're wearing some finely crafted armor. Barioth materials, am I right?" The woman looked him up and down. Auren frowned internally when she didn't remove her hood, but didn't let it bother him too much.

"Yeah that's right, Barioth X armor. That was a fun one to hunt." Auren nodded, a grin forming on his face. He had a certain fondness for the monster called the Barioth. Considered a type of winged wyvern, the creature had quite a few feline characteristics. It was covered in white scales (the same ones used in Auren's armor), with four legs and a nimble, lithe body. It's wings extended from it's front limbs, like gliders, and it had a long, scaly, and dexterous tail that it used like a devastating whip. But most of all, it had some control over ice-based attacks, and could summon small blizzards or bombard its opponents with ice shards. It was also one of the first monsters that Auren hunted, with help, of course. After he grew as a hunter, he went and hunted one down on his own, and had the materials he gained fashioned into the set of armor he currently wore. It was quite comfortable and easy to keep cool in, given the icy properties of the creature it was made from.

"Oh? And your weapon? You don't have one on you." The woman noted. Auren briefly wondered why she was asking these strangely personal questions, but he decided it was a simple curiosity towards a well-equipped hunter.

"I'm pretty familiar with all the different kinds of weapons, actually. And I didn't think I'd be hunting anything on my stroll through town this fine afternoon," Auren replied with a raised eyebrow. The woman laughed melodically. Auren found it quite charming.

"Still, it must've taken quite a few to get that armor." She mused.

"No, just one."

"Hm? Really? You must have generous teammates. Did they give you all of the reward materials?"

"Oh, no. I hunted this one by myself." Auren clarified, the woman looking at him with surprise at his words.

"Wha-, at your age?"

"I've been hunting for a while now."

"...What rank are you?"

"G-Rank Master Class."

The woman noticeably gasped, falling silent in thought afterwards. Auren stood silently for a few moments, waiting for her to speak.

"You're just about the right age too..." she suddenly murmured to herself.

"Huh? What'd you say?" Auren frowned, straining his ears to listen.

"Hey you, why are you a hunter?" She snapped out of her muttering, asking him with a clear and strong voice.

"Me?" Auren asked, surprised, "Uh... It's just my dream. I wanted to see the world, and help others. Y'know, any little kid's dream. I just somehow managed to make it come true."

"Simple and honest, I like it." The woman said approvingly.

"Thanks...I guess?" Auren enjoyed listening to her voice, but this conversation had been pretty weird the whole time.

"Listen, if you had the opportunity to help strangers in need, would you?"

"Of course, I mean, it's my job."

"Even if it was dangerous? If you could die?"

"I know people sometimes forget, but hunting is a pretty deadly profession, the Guild is just good at keeping us alive."

"That's true...What if I told you that there were whole countries in danger, and that their people could be totally wiped out."

"I've faced down Elder Dragons that could do that. You'd just have to tell me where and let the guild know." Auren said simply. It wasn't even a difficult question for him. He got to where he was by helping others.

"Haha," The woman giggled, but this time there was a certain sadness to her voice, "The guild can't help I'm afraid. But if you're willing, you could go and help them."

"Helping people is good but...what are you talking about? Are there people actually in danger?" Auren hadn't heard anything about any Elder Dragons becoming active recently. Those creatures could be considered forces of nature, and typically required huge guild response in order to avert catastrophic damage. Some were small in size but with ridiculous powers, others were a threat simply due to their sheer size.

"I'm sorry, I'm rambling a bit." The woman apologized, taking a few deep breaths, "Listen, would you help these strangers from a different land, no, pretty much a different world, even if it meant giving up everything you have here?"

"Miss...or Lady, I don't know." Auren began, trying to answer honestly, "It's simple, I'm a hunter. I don't really have family, and my teacher passed peacefully of old age, with me being his last student. Even if I did, if I could help these people, whether or not I'm the only one or I'm just one of many, I would help. It's what I do."

The woman fell silent. Once again, she seemed to be lost in thought, "What's your name?" she finally spoke up.

"Auren."

"I'm...well, I'm just a lost person. The truth is, the place in danger is my home. But I can't go back. I can send someone there, but only one. I...want to ask you to help me save my home. I have this." The woman pulled a strange device out of her hood, made up of many interlocking metal parts with odd protrusions and buttons, "It's a one way trip for whoever uses it. But it can be used by different people. I found it...and ended up here. Will you...trade places with me?"

"Wait, what?" Auren looked between the woman and the strange device, "What's going on? This is a lot to take in all of a sudden."

"Please, I've been looking for so long. I know it's selfish of me but...when I get to know someone, I get cold feet. I can't just ask them to leave everything they have here...I'm already feeling bad about asking you. But you said you would help with no hesitation at all...and you're strong. You could do it." The woman pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion.

Auren was pretty confused at this point, but the woman's voice struck a chord with him. It just sounded so...vulnerable. Besides, there were plenty of hunters out there. His home would be safe. He took a deep breath, "Tell me more."

"My home...it's a place called Remnant."

It took a lot to fluster a man like Professor Ozpin, headmaster of the prestigious Beacon Academy located in the Kingdom of Vale. After all, he was tasked with training new generations of warriors, called Huntsmen and Huntresses, to defend Remnant from the dark creatures known as Grimm. These soulless beings existed for only one purpose: to destroy humanity. So, as you can imagine, a teacher of these fighters would be a hardened, intelligent man. But even he had no idea what to do about the fact that a literal covered wagon just appeared in the wide hallway in front of his office. The grey-haired, bespectacled coffee-lover nearly dropped his cane in surprise.

His assistant, Glynda Goodwitch, who was a teacher and an experienced huntress herself, was also quite shocked, speechless even. The pale-haired, green eyed woman nearly dropped the books she was currently holding. They'd been discussing the day's classes as they left his office, only to find the wagon taking up most of the hallway in front of them. The wagon was ancient, made of wood and covered with what looked like the hide of an animal. The wheels were old, but well cared for. It looked like an antique, all things considered.

But their initial surprise was mild compared to their reactions to a tall, fully-armored man stepping out of the wagon, coughing violently.

"Dear Gog! Talk about a rough ride..." the two educators were surprised when the tall man spoke, his voice had the unmistakable tone of a youth. He turned and spotted them. He straightened up energetically, giving off a friendly air and approached them in a few strides.

"Hello! Is this Remnant?" The boy asked as he removed his helmet, confirming that he was a young man, not even in his twenties yet.

"Is this...Remnant?" Ms. Goodwitch spoke up first, "Of course this is Remnant, where else would it be?"

"Wow! That metal thing really worked, then." The boy's face lit up, "My name's Auren, I'm a hunter from a place called...uh...you can call it Schrade, I guess. It's pretty much another world."

Auren's world didn't actually have a name, so he used the name of an old Kingdom that once spanned most of the land of his home.

"..." Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch exchanged glances, wondering if they should apprehend the boy to send him to a mental hospital.

"I'm Professor Ozpin." Ozpin maintained a calm expression, "Now, could you tell me what you are doing in front of my office with an ancient vehicle?"

"Professor Ozpin! Talk about good luck!" Auren's face grew even happier, "I'm supposed to give this to you."

Auren disappeared into his wagon for a split second, emerging with a scroll. He had no idea what it was, but on Remnant, scrolls were electronic devices that were used for communication, browsing the internet, monitoring its user, and more. The teachers recognized the device instantly.

"This is..." Ozpin's eye's widened. Beside him, he heard Ms. Goodwitch give a small gasp. The scroll Auren had handed over was decorated with an engraving, poorly done, but recognizable as a certain flower. A thorny rose.

"I was told to give this to you, and wait for you to tell me what to do." Auren looked at them expectantly. Ozpin looked at the boy briefly, before powering on the scroll. It seemed to have been factory reset, aside from a single text file located on the home screen. Ozpin opened it, and both he and Ms. Goodwitch read it over.

"...?" Auren wondered what they could be doing to illicit such surprised, sorrowful expressions as they examined the odd piece of metal and glass he'd been given, but he tactfully chose to stay quiet.

"So that's what happened..." Ozpin muttered, cursing under his breath, "I never should've sent her on that mission alone."

"It wasn't your fault, headmaster. It was a simple reconnaissance mission." Ms. Goodwitch assured him. The fell into a short, mournful silence. Shaking it off, the two of them gave the message another read over, looked at one another, and nodded in agreement.

"So! Mr. Auren, I've been informed that you want to help fight the Grimm?" Ozpin said, taking on the air of a interviewer/recruiter.

"That's right! My whole job is to fight monsters, so when I heard this place could use a hand, I volunteered." Auren smiled, fondly remembering the stories the mysterious woman shared with him. Though she never revealed her face, he could tell she was still rather young, and dearly missed Remnant. His initial interest quickly turned into a resolve to help her in any way he could. It just felt right. Even though they only knew each other for a short time, Auren had told her more about himself and his past, and what he told her only made her more certain that he was the right choice.

"Still, if everything in that note is true, then you've given up everything to come here. Why? This place surely meant nothing to you last week." Ozpin pressed on, even if the message spoke highly of Auren, Ozpin wanted to see the boy's attitude himself.

"Hmm..." Auren took on a contemplative expression, "Professor Ozpin. Hunting where I come from isn't quite as serious as it is in Remnant. Not very many of us reach the point where one of our missions decides the fate of hundreds, no, thousands of people. I wouldn't wish that kind of pressure on anyone. Yet you, you and your students have to face that every day. As one of the few from my world that knows what it's like, I just want to offer my assistance. My conscience wouldn't allow me to do anything else."

"I see. And what makes you think that you'd make a difference? One person is hardly cause for a celebration." Ozpin replied, secretly impressed with Auren. The note had been right, this boy appeared to be really selfless, but not like a martyr. He seemed to genuinely feel he could help make Remnant a bit safer, and that it would make him happy to do so.

"I don't expect to be celebrated. I just want to do what I can." Auren shrugged, "I still don't know much about Remnant. She briefly talked about Aura and Dust, but I've never seen such things in action. But I know for sure that I can handle myself."

"Your friends, family?" Ozpin asked.

"I had a lot of friends, but I can make more. I won't say that I won't miss them, but being a hunter means you travel a lot. Plus, I can rest easy knowing that they're still safe, living life as they please." Auren explained, "Hunts can be dangerous, but I'll eat my shoes if any of my old partners gets done in by anything weaker than an Elder Dragon. As for my family, I haven't heard from them in years. Once we came of age, we left to pursue our dreams on good terms."

Ozpin nodded, thinking carefully and briefly pondering what an Elder Dragon was, "Alright. I'm trusting the message you carried, and the words you've just told me. I'm willing to let you stay here. But you'll have to go through an initiation, of course."

Ozpin turned to Ms. Goodwitch, "We still have the platforms set up from the beginning of the school year, right?"

"Yes sir, they haven't been taken down yet."

"Good." Ozpin turned back to Auren, "I'm afraid the school year already started two weeks ago, Mr. Auren. You'll be a bit behind, but I'm confident you will succeed. Welcome to Beacon Academy."

"Thank you very much!" Auren bowed courteously.

"But this brings me back to my very first question. What exactly is this wagon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It has all my stuff in it."

"Is that so? Well, I'll have some employees move your luggage to a guest room then. Do you want to keep the wagon itself somewhere?"

"That's not necessary. You can break it up for wood if you want." Auren looked around before shrugging, "Well, it doesn't look like you guys have much use for wood though."

Everything around him was metal or stone, even this hallway alone was one of the more impressive structures he'd seen. The lighting was powered by electricity, generated by Dust in a faraway building. Auren still had trouble grasping the concept, even though the woman tried to explain it to him many times.

"Okay then. Ms. Goodwitch, if you could take Mr. Auren to the clinic to test his Aura out before showing him to his room, I'd be in your debt. This scroll and wagon have given me more tasks than I thought I'd have this morning." Ozpin requested, "Mr. Auren, I'll want to learn more about your world, but that can wait for a later time. It seems your world, despite being relatively peaceful, has dealt with monsters far more terrifying at first glance than most Grimm."

"No problem."

"Understood, headmaster." Ms. Goodwitch nodded to the hunter, "Let's get going."

"Yes ma'am," Auren was briefly reminded of the scholarly women he'd find in the guild's libraries. But she had a certain flame to her, one that reminded him of his fellow hunters. He instantly felt a small bond with the older lady.

"So, what do you know of Aura?" Ms. Goodwitch asked as they walked.

"It's an energy that protects you, and can be used in conjunction with these crystals called Dust in order to perform various actions based on elemental attacks." Auren recalled, "I have no idea how it works though."

"It's the strength that comes from your soul. It seems you already have your Aura unlocked, too." Glynda held up her own scroll, showing Auren's name and a green bar, "You have huge Aura reserves. How do you fight in your world?"

"We wear armor, use weapons, the standard stuff. Depending on the weapon, we can channel our strength and perform various attacks and arts in order to defeat the opponent. We're also stronger when we wear full sets of armor. Mix and matching is complicated but can be effective, but we commonly wear armor made from the same material which empowers us in different ways." Auren explained, "I don't know how I unlocked my Aura or whatever, though."

"Hmm..." Ms. Goodwitch frowned thoughtfully as they entered the clinic, "If you could change quickly into one of the extra sets of clothing here, we can begin your checkup."

"Got it." Auren picked out a basic shirt and pants, and began stripping out of his armor. Ms. Goodwitch was impressed, he was toned and didn't have any unnecessary fat. He obviously worked hard to keep in shape. She glanced down at her scroll briefly, before doing a double take in shock.

He had no Aura anymore! His bar was completely depleted.

"Mr. Auren. Are you feeling tired or sick at all?" Ms. Goodwitch asked cautiously. In general, if Aura levels changed that quickly, there should be noticeable discomfort from the person. But he didn't seem fazed at all.

"Nope, healthy as can be." Auren tilted his head questioningly, "Is something wrong?"

"Well, it appear you have no Aura reserves anymore." Ms. Goodwitch was still frowning, "Could this be a glitch of some sort?"

She put down her scroll, and picked up a scanner from the clinic. This would allow her to look more closely at Auren's Aura than a simple registered scroll entry.

"What in the world?" The scanner showed that Auren did indeed have Aura, but it was constantly dissipating from his body. It seemed to cycle continuously in and out of him, unable to form a standard barrier or be controlled. It wasn't like his body had limitless Aura and it was being wasted, it literally just kept leaving his body and returning again and again.

"Uh, I'm assuming there's something wrong with me now." Auren looked a bit nervous.

"No, it's just..." Ms. Goodwitch suddenly had an idea, "Put your armor back on, Mr. Auren."

"Okay." Auren dutifully obeyed, carefully putting his armor back on. Ms. Goodwitch brought the scanner close again, the results confirming her suspicion. Whatever the people from his world were like, it seemed their Aura had to be channeled through something in order to be controlled. His armor was storing the Aura, becoming permeated with energy and forming an invisible defensive barrier around him. His profile on the scroll was back in the green as well.

Ms. Goodwitch was surprised, it was an unexpectedly effective way to utilize Aura. His armor seemed to give off a chill as well, perhaps some variant of ice dust was used in crafting it.

"How often do you get injured in combat?"

"I get hit sometimes, but it takes quite a few before any major problems occur." Auren replied, "Our armor absorbs the hits at first, before we start getting hurt. That's just the way it's always been."

"Impressive..." Ms. Goodwitch also suspected that whatever special attacks or powers their weapons granted them, it was from their constant Aura output being channeled through the weapon. She shook her head, there would be more time to analyze him later.

"Hm, it's been confirmed that you are combat ready." Ms. Goodwitch nodded, "Let me show you to your temporary room."

"Alright." Auren agreed as the two of them left the clinic, he did want a little bit more explanation about the teacher's strange behavior in the clinic, but it wasn't a big deal to him. If she said he could fight, he could fight.

They passed through many hallways, briefly going outside before entering another part of the academy. Auren was used to big structures, but he rarely saw such fine architecture. Beacon Academy had tall towers, amazing arches, and everything was in top condition. He couldn't help but be impressed. Ms. Goodwitch, in the meantime, was reading over a message Ozpin sent her. It was the plans for Auren's initiation and his assignment to one of the teams.

"Mr. Auren, it seems like your initiation will take place tomorrow morning. It's the weekend, and we will have the team leaders watch as well. Hopefully one of them will be willing to take you in, but if not, we will find a team for you. Rest assured."

"Alright, sounds good." Auren replied nonchalantly, "What do you do in an initiation anyways?"

"You'll see." Ms. Goodwitch said mysteriously, hiding a small smile from the young hunter.

Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, was standing with the other team leaders at the edge of Beacon Cliff, overlooking the Emerald Forest. She was a small girl, younger than any of the other students because of Ozpin allowing her to skip two grades to attend Beacon Academy. Her hair was a dark black with red highlights, and she wore a dark black shirt and skirt, with matching stockings. For an accessory, she had a long red cloak complete with a hood. She was staring intently at the three people standing a little bit further from them, Professor Ozpin, Ms. Goodwitch, and the new transfer student. The girl held a huge curiosity for weaponry, and was curious about the sword and shield the transfer student was carrying. It looked like there were some extra mechanisms that wouldn't be necessary on a regular sword and shield, so she wanted to see what the student was hiding.

Standing next to her was Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, a lanky young man with blonde hair wearing a hoodie and jeans with a basic metal cuirass over his chest. He was also watching the new student, but mainly out of jealousy. The new boy was completely covered in plate armor, complete with a kick-ass coat. His helmet was covering his face though, so Jaune couldn't be jealous of his looks. But he knew he'd be glad to accept the new student into the team, he loved meeting new people and making friends.

The only other team leader of note was one Cardin Winchester, leader of team CRDL. The big, burly boy was sizing up the new transfer student, trying to decide whether he wanted him on his team or not. It wasn't an issue of skill, really, but whether he'd be willing to submit completely to Cardin's command. If it looked like the new guy would be too much trouble, he wouldn't even ask him to join.

"So, Mr. Auren. Are you ready?" Ozpin asked.

"Ready." Auren nodded, "But, what am I doing anyways?"

"I was just about to explain." Ozpin smiled wickedly, "You will be tasked with eliminating any Grimm you find in the forest, until you have earned enough points. Afterwards, you will return to this cliff. Every Grimm species is worth a different number of points, so if you want to complete this task before the afternoon, you will have to be selective. You can track your points and check the Grimm database for point values through your scroll."

"A bounty hunt? Well, it's not my first." Auren said, understanding the mission instantly, "Is there a path I'll be following?"

"No, the entire forest is your hunting ground. Any other questions?"

"Not really."

"Good, then you will begin shortly."

"Great, where should I head to get dow- GAH!" Auren didn't get to finish as the metal platform he was currently standing on suddenly sprung up, launching him into the air. He flew in perfect arc away from the cliff.

"Headmaster, that was mean. You're being more harsh with him than the other students." Ms. Goodwitch frowned, "We don't even know if he's used to using his Aura-charged armor for dealing with large heights."

"No need to worry. If he lands properly, then good for him. If not, then he'll be missing some Aura for the rest of the hunt." Ozpin replied simply, sipping some coffee from his favorite mug, "Another cup, please."

"Are you sure we shouldn't have used a different test?" Ms. Goodwitch continued, ignoring his request, "I mean, we've received those new reports from the field about mysterious new species of Grimm. We haven't confirmed if any have appeared in the Emerald Forest."

"We'll deal with it when it happens, there's no use worrying about it now." Ozpin replied.

Meanwhile, Auren was quite surprised at his sudden launch.

"A fall from this height won't hurt at all..." He thought to himself, "But I'm trying to impress them, right? What can I do..."

If Auren had known, he would've brought a bow gun. Through the use of recoil he could make a stylish landing. But he had opted for a more versatile weapon, the Charge Blade. At first glance, the weapon appeared to be a sword and shield, but by absorbing energy as combat progressed, he could transform the sword and shield into one giant axe and unleash devastating attacks. Unfortunately, the charge blade had no use in helping him stop his fall.

Not really having any other option, he opted for a brute force landing. He drew the sword half, leaving the shield on his back, and when he approached the tallest tree in his flight path, stabbed the sword straight into the trunk, letting the friction slow his fall until he landed neatly on the ground. Taking a moment to make sure the blade wasn't chipped, he then pulled out his newly issued scroll and began reading through the list of Grimm he could hunt.

"Ugh, they're all pretty unpleasant to look at, huh?" Auren grimaced, "These Ursa and Beowolves aren't worth anything, unless I take out whole packs. Deathstalker... Nevermore...those seem like pretty prime targets."

Before he could go any further, he found himself surrounded.

"Ask and you'll get...? Or was it receive? Whatever." Auren grinned as a pack of beowolves encircled him, growling menacingly.

His predicament was on full view for the team leaders.

"Wow, I've never seen someone run into Grimm that fast in the forest before." Jaune commented.

"That's a lot of them. Even a senior could have some trouble if there's that many and they're surrounded." Ruby said worriedly. She was concerned for the new student, but she was also worried he'd send up a flare saying he conceded the initiation. She hadn't seen what his weapon could do yet!

Contrary to their expectations, the boy simply pulled out his shield, and hit his sword against it tauntingly.

"Come and get me!" Auren jeered, hoping the loud noise would both unnerve the creatures and incite some of the more brave ones to attack. Which would've been the case had he been dealing with normal animals. But instead, they just advanced on him as a group, with a single-minded determination to rip him to shreds.

"Well, that's not natural. I guess you guys really are different from my monsters." Auren let a claw bounce of his shield before jabbing his sword between his assailant's ribcage. He spun round and de-limbed another one.

If there was one thing most hunters of Remnant had trouble with at first, it was getting past a Grimm's armor. Grimm were typically black creatures, covered in various white bony protrusions that served to protect them.

Beowolves themselves resembled bipedal wolves with white bone masks, and various spikes and extensions all over their bodies. Unfortunately for them, to Auren, they didn't have any protection at all. He was trained to get past the thick scales of giant dragons, break the armor of beasts with hides tougher than solid steel, and strike at the weak points of creatures hundreds of times bigger than him. This was nothing to him. After some some brutally systematic combat, efficient blocking and stabbing, the pack lay around him, disintegrating into nothingness.

Auren hoped he'd put on a decent enough show.

"He's good." Jaune once again commented. Not that he really knew how good the transfer student was. He just knew he couldn't pull off the same kind of fight that he'd just witnessed.

"I wanna see what else his weapon does!" Ruby said impatiently. Beowolves were a common Grimm, so no one had come to any real conclusions yet. But they did note how well the new guy moved. Everything he did seemed deliberate and planned, displaying a wealth of experience and confidence.

Auren was frowning as he navigated the forest. Thinking back to his earlier battle, he realized that the Grimm had no sense of self preservation. Wounded ones continued to attack, and none fled even when it was apparent that they were fighting a losing battle. He'd already been informed on the nature of the Grimm but...it just felt so...unnatural.

He was jolted out of his musings when a new Grimm appeared in front of him. It was a quadrupedal beast, the bottom half of its body covered in thick black fur, with the upper half covered completely in white bony plates. It's front limbs had long wings attached, extending backwards towards its body. With a start, Auren realized this creature was very familiar to him...

The team leaders were surprised by the appearance of this Grimm. They'd never seen anything like it before.

"What is that thing?" Jaune frowned, he'd been making an effort to learn about Grimm ever since his own initiation, but he'd never seen that Grimm in any of the reference books.

"I don't know, but it actually looks kinda cool." Ruby replied, earning some strange looks, "For a Grimm, I mean."

Ms. Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin were having a much more serious reaction.

"Headmaster, that's not a Grimm we have registered."

"Indeed..."

"We should send help as soon as possible, we don't know what it's capable of!"

"I concur. But first, I want to see how Mr. Auren reacts to it."

"Headmaster!"

"He'll be fine, didn't you say his Aura reserves once he's wearing that armor are huge?"

"But..."

"Trust me. Give him a few moments."

Auren was shocked. He knew that Grimm were considered perversions of nature. They were twisted imitations of actual wildlife, existing for only one purpose. But he hadn't expected to see Grimm versions of things he was familiar with. It was supposed to be a different world, after all. He could only quell the unease spreading through his gut. He readied his weapon, looking over the snarling creature one more time, confirming the identity of his opponent. It was one he knew very, very well.

"...A Barioth, huh?"