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Legacy of War

Volume 1

Arc 1: The Marked Warrior

Chapter 1: Marked

As the light of Remnant's fragmented moon shined in the darkness of the night, the blue horrified eyes of a blond boy the age of eight watched the village at the bottom of the hill he was standing on was covered by roaring flames that burned a cruel red as its acrid smoke wafted through the air. However, that was not what terrified him, no, it was the sight of the dark creatures prowling the crimson-stained streets.

These dark creatures were the Grimm, monsters that fed on negativity, the very incarnation of darkness and evil, the eternal enemy of mankind. For centuries, they sought to diminish the light of humanity and all that they have stood for, and the people of this village were just more of their victims. Like rabid animals that took on nightmarish forms, the beasts devoured the corpses lying about and would even rip them to shreds, the faces of the dead townsfolk frozen in fear.

It was obvious to see that going down there would be incredibly stupid and suicidal, anyone should have ran far away and sought sanctuary by that point. The boy however was clouded by concern for his family rather than his own safety. While that reasoning may have been noble, it was still foolhardy. But alas, it was not to be for the boy.

And so, he gripped the wooden sword he had carved with help from his father tightly and ran for his home, circling around the town's vicinity so that he could avoid the Grimm's notice even if the possibility that his actions would be in vain was high. Luck seemed to have blessed him though, for he arrived in a manor adorned with the symbol of two golden arcs.

The large iron gates were ruined, as if an enormous being had plowed through the metal, and that only served to make the boy's fear grow as he surveyed the front door. Blood stained the marble stairs of the porch and the once magnificent oak doors were left ajar, bearing multiple deep gashes.

What kind of Grimm could have easily gone through the manor's gates like it was made of paper? Whose blood was staining the stairs? Was it one of his sisters? His mother's? His father's? All of them? This question kept circulating in his mind and he wanted answers.

Carefully, the boy gripped his sword tightly and silently went inside the place he called home, where he, his father, mother, and seven sisters lived. Such was a mistake that nearly cost him his head as red eyes flashed in the dark, the low growls of the beast being his only warning as white claws swung, seeking his blood.

Luck had saved him again, the fresh blood on the floor making him slip as he scrambled backwards to avoid the overhead swing. It was only barely though, for the sharp edge of one of the claws found purchase on the right side of his face, forming a deep cut that run from just above his right eyebrow to his jaw.

"Gah!"

Flinching from the sudden pain and the blood pouring from the wound, the boy swung the weapon in his hands as hard as he could upward, breaking upon impact as it hit the Grimm on its snout. The surprise attack bought him enough time to scramble to his feet and make a beeline for the kitchen, where he hoped to get a knife to better protect himself, considering that he was now only armed with a wooden hilt.

At the end of the hall, he could see the door to his mother's sanctuary. Safety! He was already halfway there and it would only take him a few more seconds of running!

This was it! He could hide there! Away from all this creatures until help came! He could–!

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the Grimm from earlier leapt high above him and blocked the entrance to the kitchen, a Beowulf from the looks of it as moonlight streamed from above and revealed its appearance, its mouth revealing bloodstained rows of sharp teeth.

Stopping on his tracks, the boy could only feel dread as it deliberately, slowly made its way to him on all fours, like a predator playing with its prey. Tears fell from his eyes as the thought of his family and how he would never see them again, his kind mother making food for them and providing comfort, his older sisters regaling tales of their time in Signal and Beacon whenever they were home, his younger sisters asking him to dance or play with them, and his father trying to teach him how to use the sword and telling stories about his ancestors.

He remembered his father telling him. "One day you'll be as great as any Arc that ever lived before you Jaune. Now pick up your sword, let's practice again shall we?"

The boy named Jaune shakily and tearfully raised the remains of his practice sword, intent on fighting if he were to die tonight and prove that he too, was worthy of bearing the surname of Arc.

The moment never came though as the kitchen door slammed open, revealing a bloodied but still mobile red-haired muscular man wearing only a torn shirt and pants, wielding a blood red spear and sword bearing the twin arc symbol in both hands. He was angry and Jaune never felt more relieved and thankful than that moment. "STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!"

With a roar, the Arc patriarch threw his spear, impaling the Grimm as its barbed and hooked blade went through its back and out of its chest.

The Beowulf howled in anger and tried to turn to its new target, only for said target to charge and grab ahold of the spear, slamming it down to the floor where it thrashed and struggled to free itself. Seeing this, he raised his sword high and swung down, cleaving its head off in one slice. It stopped struggling and went slack, dissolving into smoke at its death.

At that point, Jaune felt relief dropped his hilt running forward to his father's ready arms for an embrace. "Dad!"

"It's okay my boy. I'm here." The huntsman told his son as he embraced him tightly.

Eventually, their embrace ended and Jaune saw his father frown as he looked at his face, examining the wound that had been dealt there that he was now beginning to feel as the adrenaline began to wear off, making him wince at the pain.

"We've got to get this treated." His father said to him before he looked behind him, where the kitchen remained open. He saw him hesitate to look at back at him before he did so, his eyes resolute but pained as he grabbed his weapons. "Get inside there Jaune. I will treat your wound before we leave."

"Where's everyone? Where's mo–" Jaune began to ask as he entered before he was cut short by his father slamming the door shut and made his way to the sink.

"Sit down, son. I will explain." At his father's words, he obeyed and took a seat near the sink.

"I ordered your sisters to escape when the Grimm started to come. They're far away from here by now." The Arc patriarch said as he washed his hands and took some cloth from the drawers, which he then proceeded to use to wipe away the blood from his face wound. "Now Jaune, I want you to hold this and apply pressure to your wound. Keep quiet."

The boy obeyed his father, although he was satisfied by the answer his father gave him in regards to his sisters, he wanted to ask him about his mother. Where was she? Why didn't his father mention her?

"Damn, my aura's still not fully recovered. I won't be able to use my semblance…but it should be enough." His father told him as he began to glow with a dim greenish light. Was this the aura that his father was saying?

The huntsman then placed his right hand on top of his head, as if he was going to ruffle his blond locks, except that wasn't what his father meant to do. "For it is in our darkest times that we see the light. With this, we bring forth a message of hope and strength to all in sight. Unending in perseverance and unlimited by right, I ascend your soul, and by my blade, arm thee."

And then Jaune felt it, a power that seemed to be originating deep inside him, beyond what can be considered flesh but very much a part of his being. It was warm, comforting, and vast. It was as if he'd been shrouded in the darkness for so long but was then enveloped by the light and that he should be celebrating. Closing his eyes, he let go of the cloth as he felt the energies of his new power, his Aura, focus on the wound and sooth it, relieving him of the pain.

Had his eyes been open though, he would have seen his father's eyes widen in shock and slight fear upon looking at the boy's Aura. It was as white as ash but that wasn't what induced such a reaction. What did was the burning blue color that started from the boy's left cheek which overlapped his left eye, wrapped around his left torso, and ended in a sharp curl on the upper left arm.

Though, its color was different, the Arc patriarch could not deny that it was the pattern that he'd been told to look out for, the mark of a warrior from a forgotten time, a history that had been kept secret for the brutality it had wrought upon the world, one that could and must only be passed down to an heir and no other, just as his predecessors had done before him, such as his grandfather had done to his father and his father to him. Now, it seemed to be his time to share it to his heir.

But it was the wrong time. It wasn't supposed to be now. The boy, his son, wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. He'd only known of it just a few years prior when his father was in his deathbed.

And why did his son have to be a marked one?

Still in shock and unresponsive, the father couldn't prevent what happened next for the boy was curious and decided to examine the trail of blood on the floor, one that was originating from just behind the counter and the table, a heavily bloodstained tablecloth that veiled what was beneath it.

And that something that clearly had blonde hair peeking out from the looks of it.

Every good feeling that Jaune had from having his Aura unlocked was immediately extinguished, as he immediately got out of his seat and ran towards the covered person who he hoped wasn't who he thought it to be.

"Jaune, no! Wait!"

Alas, the father unfroze too late and the child had removed the cloth with haste in his desire to confirm his deepest fears, revealing a blonde woman with a gruesome hole in her torso, the source of much of the blood.

Jaune gasped in horror and dropped the cloth in his hands as he looked at his mother's unmoving body. His heart began to pound in his chest as he tried to understand what he was seeing. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but the burning of his chest which felt constricted told him that he hadn't tried to breathe out of shock.

Taking in breaths of air, albeit on a fast pace that he could not control, he almost vomited as he could now smell the iron scent of blood in the air, the blood of his mother.

How did this happen? What killed his mother? Why did she die? Why? Why? Whywastheresomuchblood? Whydidshedie?

Suddenly, his father was there and refused to look at him, giving one last kiss to his mother's forehead before covering her with the tablecloth. He sighed deeply in pain and stood up, making his way towards his discarded weapons. "We have to leave. The Grimm will find us, that I have no doubt since I have your aura unlocked now."

"B-but mom's–" Jaune tried to insist but was cut off by the Arc patriarch's voice.

"She's dead Jaune. There's nothing more that we can do." He told him as he watched him press a part of the spear shaft, making it telescope into itself to be shorter while its blade split up from between, revealing a tube to which the sword was then attached to, forming a cross shaped short spear. "We have to get to the basement. We'll be safe there for the time being…there I can explain what happened, tell you something else you need to know, and give to you your birthright."

"But–" The blond tried to insist the issue once again, but a stern look was what he received.

"Jaune, this is not the time for this."

"NO!" Jaune shouted as he began to pound on his father's stomach with his fists. "I want to know why mom died! Why did she have to die?"

"ENOUGH!" Whatever the blond was going to say died in his mouth as he felt the anger in his father's voice making him step back a bit in fright and shock.

"Dad–"

"Did you not think that you aren't the only one who's hurting because of this? I had to watch her die Jaune! Under! My! Watch! Watched as that accursed Colchis tore that hole in her! I failed to protect her! Is that what you wanted me to say?"

He tried to speak but no words came out, his eyes beginning to mist.

"So enough of this from you before the Grimm comes. Let's be on our way now." His father opened the door and went out first.

This allowed Jaune to spare one last look at his mother, letting his gaze sit there for what could have been an eternity before he eventually followed his father out of the door and closed it.

As they walked, his face felt hot from the twin streams of tears from his eyes, his heart becoming heavier at each step he took away from her, knowing that he'd never feel the comfort she provided the whole family with.

A teen with blond locks clad in nothing more than a pair of jeans suddenly bolted up from his slumber on the bed with a gasp, sweat visible on his bare scarred torso and his blue eyes wide with tears. He began to take deep, steady breaths to calm himself even as his heart pounded and soon enough, he was in control of his emotions again. He sighed as he wiped away the tears and let his bare feet touch the wooden floor of the room, looking then at the lone circular window that provided him the view of the outside.

The cobalt blue of the ocean greeted him along with the glow of the rising sun as the ship cruised gently on the body of water.

"That memory again…I guess I'm still not past it, even after all these years." The blond muttered to himself as he grabbed his brown boots placed near the foot of the bed and began to put it on. He barely managed to finish doing the last knot when he felt an impact that almost knocked him off the bed, the only thing that did get knocked down was the bedside lamp and some of his belongings. A second later, alarms blared from the ship. "…great. What Grimm did I attract this time?"

An inhuman roar and a black tentacle with a barbed harpoon-like bone end that went past the window answered his question, making him groan in annoyance as he remembered one of the sea-based Grimm he had read about before boarding on this ship. Well would you look at that Jaune. You were having a nice time at sea but then you managed to attract a thrice-be-damned–!

"KRAKEN!"

Jaune breathed in deeply once more before swiftly grabbing and equipping several of his personal belongings that were thrown to the floor from the impact, the first being his white gauntlets and gold plated black gloves, the second being his family heirloom Crocea Mors that he clipped to his left gauntlet, and the last item was what appeared to be a silver chain. Three of the chain's links at the end resembled beads that had images carved into them, the first of them being a sheathed Crocea Mors that had its shield deployed, the second had a lightning bolt, and the third had his family symbol in red with a blade going through it.

Channeling his Aura to the chain, he watched as it seemed to take a life of its own and wrapped itself around his right gauntlet, the familiar weight and soothing feeling it gave was like that of an old friend. With that, he was as ready as he'll ever be. He didn't exactly have time to wear his armor and hoodie in time after all, what with the Grimm wreaking havoc on the ship. His weapons and Aura would have to be enough.

Opening the door to his cabin and making his way up the deck, he felt another impact rock the ship, making him wonder how tough the wood it was made from was, followed by the sound of cannons firing and a screech of pain. He got up in time to see one giant tentacle smoking and having a visible hole from which drops of its black blood dropped on the deck before going back underwater. The smoking drops of blood soon rose up and formed into slouching bipedal wolf Grimm, Beowolves. Upon seeing him, they howled and charged with no sense of self preservation.

"Well someone's excited." As soon as one of them lunged in his direction with claws poised to cut him, Jaune lashed out with a swift brutal kick to its snout, which led to it making a sound as if it had been a dog that had been kicked, the power behind it being enough to send it to one of its kin who also made a similar sound. "Stay down you two."

He then drew his sword, which immediately glowed white before it gained a blue hue with arcs of lightning passing through and sliced upwards, cutting off the arm of another who tried to land an attack on him with said arm. It growled and tried to raise its other arm but the paralysis brought by the electricity allowed him to immediately bring the blade back down, bisecting the Grimm with ease. It soon dissolved into smoke, which turned red and bright, flowing into him. "Man, I still can't believe I'm the only one who sees this light works. It made me look like I'm crazy when I asked people back then who saw me fight other Grimm like you guys if they saw this red glowy smoke thing. Who knew right?"

Hearing growls, the blond saw two more Beowolves lunging at him from the left and right, one with its jaw wide open while the other pointed its claws to skewer him. Almost lazily as he rolled his eyes, he jumped back at the last second and let them crash into one another in a tangle of limbs with one over the other. Switching his grip to hold his sword like an ice pick, he stabbed downwards, the blade going through their chests and impaling them both to the floor where they struggled to get out of. "Guys, don't make this any harder for me and just die. I've got bigger fish– sorry, in this case I mean squid to fry. And I mean it quite literally."

His instincts then told him that there was danger from behind, making him turn around and raise his left arm just in time to have the jaws of another one of them to clamp down on the gauntlet. "You really want a taste of me eh?"

The creature glared at him as it tried to pull him away from where he stood with no successes, he didn't even budge. "Okay then, eat this!"

With a grin on his face, Jaune sent a burst of Aura to his sheath. Crocea Mors' sheath component immediately deployed into its shield form, the force of its deployment allowing its sharpened edges, further enhanced by the electricity that followed in its glow's wake, to cleave through the Grimm's jaws and leave it without its snout along with the bonus of numbing it.

Taking advantage of its surprise at losing a body part and the paralysis provided by the elemental power, he grabbed it by the arm and torso before throwing it at the Beowolf he kicked away earlier, forcing it and its other kin down again. "Boys! I thought I told you to stay down!"

Sheathing the sword inside the shield, he pointed its face at the three remaining Grimm before he felt a tug in his very soul that felt like electricity passing through him and into Crocea Mors. Not too long after, the smell of ozone filled the air as a stream of blue lightning erupted from the center of the shield, slamming full force upon the three and blasting them into the water.

As smoke wafted from the slain Grimm, Jaune didn't stay around to see it turn red and store itself inside him once again as he turned around, his shield collapsing back into a sheath, and began to make his way to the main deck. There he could see the giant tentacles try to wrap around the ship only for cannon fire to keep it at bay. The Beowolves were only the entrée after all. Sooner or later the main dish would get tired of being cautious and just slam its limbs down on the ship, which was something he knew would almost certainly sink it or heavily damage it.

Sprinting, he saw one tentacle by the ship's starboard side aim its sharp bone end at what appeared to be…the bridge. The horrified gasps and screams he heard from above made him realize that the ship's crew noticed it too as it began rearing back. "Oh shit!"

Leaping upwards and landing on the bridge, Jaune immediately redeployed his shield, holding it with both hands at an angle and braced himself for impact as the tentacle shot forth. He was sent sliding back from the force and his back hit the wall of the bridge, fracturing the wood, but his form did not falter as the tentacle continued to slip to the side, carving the wooden floor open but missing the people and important controls behind him. With gritted teeth, he pushed back and unsheathed his sword within a blink of an eye, bringing it down on the tentacle that was rearing back, cleaving off its natural harpoon.

The Kraken let out a roar of pain from underneath the water, sending waves crashing onto the ship. The blonde saw its dark massive shape glide through the water and away from them quickly but he knew that it wouldn't stay away. He had attracted it here because of his memory and now that he had wounded it, it would definitely try to kill him.

Without looking, he immediately swung his sword, cutting off the head of the Grimm that was forming from the black blood and faced the crew of the ship. He could see the captain still looking at the water, his hands still tightly holding on the controls, the first mate (who he had to admit was attractive) was sighing in relief at not having to die via harpoon tentacle, and then the other guy inside who was wearing a bandanna looked like he needed to wear his brown pants and was still as stiff as a frozen banana. "Are all of you okay?"

"We almost died!"

"But we didn't!" Thank you Miss First Mate, I'll ask your name later when we're out of danger.

"We still almost died!" That is true, can't deny that.

"And we didn't because of this guy!" That is also true. Thank you again Miss First Mate. It's good that you're looking on the bright side of your most recent experience with the Grimm.

"But we–"

"Enough! That Kraken is still out there and I'm sure it'll come back for more so we need to be ready." The captain snapped at his subordinates, making them silent and ceasing their argument, brief as it was, making Jaune lift a brow. The old man then looked at him and tipped his hat. "Thank you for saving us Huntsman. I'm sorry for my subordinates but as you've noticed we've just been through something. What's your name by the way?"

"My name is Jaune, Jaune Arc." The blonde told the captain, sheathing his sword once again. "Don't worry about your subordinates, what they said is true. Thank you for that by the way Miss First Mate."

To his surprise, which he hid, he saw said First Mate blush at his words, making him grin and mentally pat himself at the back. What? He was a 17 year old going on 18, and as such, he still suffered from the influx of hormones that puberty brought and the like so having a female appear interested in him was always a plus.

As he then registered what the captain said about him being a Huntsman however, he scratched the back of his head and pointed at himself with a sheepish smile. "Also, I'm actually not a huntsman."

"What/Really/How?" All three voiced at the same time, making him look apologetically at them.

"It's the truth. I haven't been to any primary combat schools and so far, I've no intentions of attending a huntsman academy…yet. I'm just a traveler who knows how to fight Grimm." He told them truthfully, letting them stew in it for a few moments before he schooled his features once more and became serious. "Captain, do you have anything on this ship that can kill the Kraken and is there a place nearby that we can use against it?"

The Captain nodded. "We've got a Heavy Cannon stored below the deck of the ship's bow. It should be powerful enough to kill it. The only problem is that it takes too long to reload and needs a clear shot."

"That's good enough. Get it ready, all we need is a way to get its head to the surface and keep it in one place long enough for the shot to be made." Jaune told them as he began to think of a strategy to do just as he had said. I have to make sure that its target is me and not the ship, so make sure to attract it again but this time, solely to me. And keep it away from the boat as much as possible.

"Captain, Mr. Arc, according to the map there's an abandoned island with a lighthouse within 10 nautical miles, will that be enough?" The First Mate, whose name he had yet to ask, told them as she examined the screen on one table.

"How big is it?" Jaune asked as he began to examine the lightning bolt bead on his chain. Not enough power to get it to the next tier. He then looked at the bead meant for Crocea Mors. It should be enough for Crocea Mors though.

"Judging by the size of the Juvenile Kraken that attacked us–" Well at least it's only a Juvenile, albeit a larger one. I don't think I can beat a Colossal at my current level. "–the island is larger by more than half its size."

"That'll do, Captain do you mind if I ask what's the ammo of the heavy cannon?"

"Sure thing lad, it's a huge cannon ball with a Scorch Dust core mixed with some Energy Dust that's designed to explode at the point of impact."

Upon hearing the words 'huge cannonball', Jaune made an addition to his plan that was so crazy, it just might work. "Get us within Heavy Cannon range of the Island and aim just past the lighthouse, fire when I tell you and then circle around the island. That should be more than enough time for the Heavy Cannon to reload while I'll keep that thing busy there."

"Very well Jaune. Full speed ahead! That Grimm will come any moment now and we'll give her a fight!" The captain shouted as he put his hands on the wheel.

"Got it Captain!" The First Mate and the other guy answered as they went to their stations.

With that said and done, the blond leapt off the bridge and stood near the now deployed Heavy Cannon. Looking at the waters where he could see a dark shape darting through the waters at their star towards them before the ship moved with a speed that Jaune did not expect but almost welcomed until it began to rain.

The speed that they were sailing on the waters allowed them to remain outside of the Kraken's tentacles, making it roar in anger at being denied of its prey. As this happened though, the blonde took the time to send an aura burst to the chain once more, focusing on the bead that had the image of his family heirloom. The chain shot out and wrapped out of its own accord to the sheathed sword and soon his ash white aura became visible, the Mark that wrapped around it and a part of his very soul glowing blood red. The chain then glowed red and it passed the same colored glow to Crocea Mors, the weapon seemingly feeding off of it while his Mark began to be drained of its crimson light, being replaced with a pale blue color. The process then ended once his Mark was fully drained of the red color, the sharpened edges from Crocea Mors' shield mode popping out of the sheath and a greater amount of electricity arcing from it without harming him as knowledge of how to use this new form flowed into his mind.

'May the new form of your blade give you an edge against the darkness Jaune.' The feminine voice that came from the chain told him before it unwrapped itself from his weapon and became silent once more.

Soon, they were within range of the island and Jaune had to admit that it was small compared to other islands he'd seen but it was large enough for him to maneuver and fight the dark sea creature. As the cannon beneath him adjusted upwards, he knew it was time to start phase one of his operation. "Fire now!"

The blonde managed to run and jump high enough, curling behind his deployed shield as he did so, so that he was in the firing arc of the heavy cannon, which soon released its payload.

BOOM!

With its massive power, he rocketed towards the lighthouse while the three people on the bridge gaped at the display of his recklessness.

Letting his shield collapse back in sheathe form to decrease drag, Jaune unsheathed his sword and sent a burst of Aura to the chain wrapped around his right arm. It once again had a life of its own, the end nearest to the sword wrapping around near the guard of the hilt. Seeing this, Jaune threw the sword towards the lighthouse as soon as he got near it, the chain extending far beyond what its length was earlier, and the blade sank into the top cornerstone of the building.

Sending another burst of Aura to Crocea Mors' sheath, it was once again in its shield form, increasing drag so that the momentum from the heavy cannon bled off a bit, allowing him to swing around the lighthouse with the use of the chain. Sending another burst of Aura to the links of metal, the blond could feel the sword regain its glow and elemental power, destroying the cornerstone it had anchored itself to before the chain began to retract quickly with it in tow.

As that happened, he swiftly placed his shield on his feet, where it seemed to stick on its own accord with the aid of his Aura and bent his knees, in preparation to slide down the hill that the infrastructure it was built on. The chain finished reeling itself and he caught the sword just in time for the shield to hit the grass, which was thankfully slippery due to the rain, allowing him to basically surf his way down to the beach.

Sliding to a stop just before the waters, Jaune spotted the ship began to turn so as to circle the island, the Kraken hot on their heels. Kicking his shield up and clipping it back to his left arm, Jaune sheathed his sword and pointed its center at the Grimm.

The air around the blond smelled of ozone once more as he unleashed a stream of furious lightning towards one of the sea creature's visible tentacles. It roared in pain at the shock treatment he gave it, making it cease its chase of the ship and instead dart towards him, its massive shape parting the waters.

Fully surfacing from the body of water, he could see now why its epithet was 'Ship Sinker' or in some cases, 'Sea Devil'. Having traits of octopus, squid, and even a shark, its monstrous appearance justified the reason why it was called such names.

Rows upon rows of sharp serrated teeth designed to rip flesh decorated its massive mouth, something he observed that could swallow him whole, which wasn't a nice image. All six of its large tentacles had the same harpoon end (minus that one tentacle he sliced off earlier that still leaked blood), yet two of them seemed to be more spiked and armored than the rest, aside from being much larger that is. Its head, while mimicking that of a squid with its mantle (which was bit shorter in comparison to a squid if it was the same size) and stabilizing fins, was a bit less squid like and vaguely looked humanoid, if a human had four eyes that is which it certainly had and a surplus of bone spikes. Two of those baleful yellow eyes were in the same place as that of a human while two larger ones were placed a bit more to the side like a squid. As was standard to any Grimm, it had a mask that protected its face.

It then roared at Jaune, making him scrunch his nose at the acrid smell that accompanied it, before it lifted one of the smaller tentacles skyward, likely in an attempt to smash him into an Arc pancake. Sheathing Crocea Mors and removing it from his left arm, he sent another burst of Aura on the sheathe, specifically its edges, allowing for the sharpened edges of the shield to pop out, essentially making it into a larger sword to use, holding it in both hands.

The tentacle soon swung down but the blond managed to avoid it as he leapt towards his left. Recovering immediately, he struck at the tentacle, cleaving it off and leaving it with only four more tentacles that had the spikes.

Roaring in pain, it then attempted to sweep him with the same injured tentacle, which he avoided once again by vaulting over it. A burst of Aura transformed Crocea Mors in its shield form once more and he sent forth a stream of lightning to the tentacle. The element proved powerful enough to make the Kraken writhe in pain before it slumped over the sand, its form and the water around it smoking.

It was a good thing too, as Jaune was immediately locked in battle with the Grimm spawned from the dark sea creature's blood, the greater amount of the dark substance allowing for the creation of two Ursa.

The blond ducked underneath a massive swipe from the one nearest to him, before slashing upwards with the combined Crocea Mors, tearing off its jaw. He then rolled backwards as the second Ursa crashed into the other with no regard in an attempt to take a chunk out of his flesh. As the second Ursa tried to stand up, he swiftly cut off of its head before doing the same to the first one.

Instincts blaring at him, he barely managed to bring Crocea Mors up in shield form at an angle as one of the larger tentacles of the Kraken slammed at it before sliding past, gouging a trench into the sand before it stopped.

Ticked off at his almost impalement, Jaune drew the sword from his shield and drove it hilt deep into the armored end of the rearing limb. The sudden pain made the Grimm flick its limb upwards, allowing him to remove his sword from the bony material and using the momentum to get himself high above.

Seeing this, the Kraken sent one of its smaller, uninjured tentacles rocketing towards the blonde. However, his shield once again defended him from being a Jaune-shish-kebab, allowing him to slide past it before he drove the sword into the limb, carving it open as he slid down, noticing at the ship at the corner of his vision, guessing that it would arrive in the next few seconds or so. Good, just a little bit longer and we'll be rid of this thing.

Angry that he managed to avoid it, the so called Sea Devil sent its other larger tentacle in another attempt to skewer him.

Unfortunately for the creature of the dark, Jaune anticipated this and kicked off of the limb with sword in hand at the last second. He watched as the larger limb tore a massive hole into the smaller limb before the latter was quite literally torn off, making the owner of both limbs screech like it hadn't before.

Sheathing his sword as he fell, Jaune pointed his weapon at the Kraken and blasted it with another stream of lightning. This time, he kept the lightning up, not stopping until he crashed onto its mask, cracking the bony material, some pieces of it flying away from the force.

Spotting the ship nearby, the blond immediately leapt off of the stunned Grimm's head and made his way down to the beach with one of its still tentacles, keeping his shield up. "KILL IT NOW!"

"FIRE HEAVY CANNON!"

BOOM!

Jaune looked behind him to see the Kraken's head blown to kingdom come, its tentacles writing like crazy before it stopped and began dissolving into smoke that turned red once again and was absorbed into him.

All was silent before he heard the crew cheer at their combined victory, making him grin and raise an arm in triumph.

Jaune stepped out of his cabin's bathroom wearing only his black boxer shorts as he wiped his wet hair with a towel, having finally been able to take a well-deserved bath after the battle with the Kraken this morning and the subsequent celebration on the ship that took up the rest of the day. Being swept up by the festivities, he couldn't exactly say no to the passengers who were watching him from the safety of their cabins, especially the kids who had immediately become his biggest fans (their words not his) who kept asking him about how he did the things he did and how he was so 'cool', 'awesome' and things like that.

It had taken them awhile before their parents took them away and simply thanked him for his 'heroic actions', making him think of what they'd do if they found out that he may have been the reason they were attacked in the first place.

Thankfully, before he could blurt something out by impulse, the Captain came and invited him for some food and drinks. And by drinks he meant booze.

They didn't drink much, the Captain had duties after all and the blond preferred the sandwiches more than he did the drinks, it doesn't matter that he'd drank at least most of it without being tipsy like a seasoned pro. Those were some killer sandwiches though. He'd definitely try some more tomorrow.

Nevertheless, Jaune was now alone in his room and it since the sun had already set, it was time for him to re–

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Well, the blond certainly didn't expect visitors but really, he should have expected this though considering recent events.

I wonder who it could be. He thought before opening the door, revealing a surprised familiar brunette with a red bandanna around her neck. "Miss First Mate?"

Said Miss First Mate then let her eyes roam up the down, examining him thoroughly, focusing on one particular *ahem* area before blushing afterwards and looking him in the eyes. "Oh my gods, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to talk but I didn't think you just finished taking a bath. I–I'll just leave–"

"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." Jaune told her as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I didn't expect visitors and I should have at least put on some pants before opening the door. Sorry about that."

They stood there awkwardly for a few more moments, both of them suddenly finding the floor interesting in said moments before he opened his door wider. "So…you said you wanted to talk?"

"…if you don't mind me intruding on you then Mr. Arc."

"Don't worry and please, call me Jaune." With that said, she entered and closed the door behind her, locking it.

The blond raised an eyebrow at what she did, desperately making sure that his mind didn't go to certain places before he grabbed the folded sweatpants on his bed and put them on.

Had he been looking behind him as he covered his lower half with that clothing though, he would have seen the sailor girl sigh and looking like a treasure had been stolen before her very eyes until she regained control of her emotions.

Sitting on his bead, Jaune looked around and noticed that there weren't any chairs in the cabin for her to sit on so he patted the spot next to him.

Hesitantly and shyly, which he had to admit made her look a lot cuter than she already was with her whole Sailor Girl vibe, she sat on the spot he patted on.

Silence reigning once again, he decided to break the ice by asking her the question he'd wanted to ask her since earlier. "So, would you mind telling me your name Miss First Mate?"

The brunette blinked owlishly at him before she likely realized that he'd been calling her Miss First Mate ever since they met. "Oh right! My name! Sorry for not telling it earlier. My name is Matte Skye. It's nice to meet you Jaune."

"The pleasure is mine Matte. You already know this but let me introduce myself. My name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it."

"Do they now?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It's a matter of perspective really." Jaune shrugged before looking at her with a smile. "How about you though? Do you love it?"

"Well, it's definitely easy to remember after all that you've done for us." Matte answered, smiling as she looked at him and closed her eyes, as if remembering the earlier battle.

"And it'll be easy for me to remember your name. It's a beautiful one, just as you are."

At his words, her eyes snapped open as she gaped at him. "W-what? Beautiful? Me?"

"Yup. You're beautiful." Jaune said simply as he watched her turn red as a tomato ripe for the picking.

"But I'm not that beautiful! My name even means plain!"

"I beg to differ. Simplicity has a beauty of its own." He told her before pointing up and down at her. "Besides, I wouldn't exactly call you plain."

"Eep!" She squeaked as she crossed her arm over her chest, the size of which was nothing to scoff off at. "Perv."

"Hey, you were the one who ogled me earlier."

"Well you were the one who only wore his underwear when answering the door!"

"True," He nodded before continuing, "but are you sure you weren't undressing me in your eyes when you first saw me?"

"I wa– I mean, you didn't wear a shirt!" She hastily stammered as she pointed at him.

"So you were checking me out earlier." He told her with a smirk on his face.

"Ye– No– I– Ugh." Seeing her put her face in between her hands with the redness reaching the tips of her ears, Jaune decided to stop teasing the girl. He was guilty of the same crime after all.

"Look, you checked me out and I checked you out. Why don't we call it even? Is that fair Matte?"

She nodded, so he took that as a yes.

There was nothing but silence once again for a few moments before the blond heard the brunette mumble something that he didn't quite understand. "I'm sorry. What did you say Matte?"

"Thank you…for saving us." Ohhh…so this must be what she wanted to talk about. He thought as she continued. "I thought we were going to die back on the bridge before you shielded us from the Kraken."

"It's fine. Sorry about cracking the wood though."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that." He looked at her curiously before she saw the look on his face and explained. "Captain's thinking of upgrading the ship some more when we get to Vale and repair the damages. A more powerful engine, metal plating on the hull for better defense, some chaser cannons in the bow, sea mines that would be contained and released from the stern, swivel guns on the bridges railings, and maybe even some mortars for long range bombardment."

"…that's an awful lot of upgrades." He said, blinking owlishly before grinning. "I like it."

"It is a lot. I even made a suggestion for a human launcher to be included actually."

"Wait, what?" Jaune asked as he tried to think of such a device, designed to launch humans into the air. "What the heck is that for?"

"Oh you know…just in case we had someone on the ship who'd like to get himself launched into the air a bit more safely than use our freaking heavy cannon as a launcher which I have to remind is EXPLOSIVE AND DEADLY!" Matte explained, shouting the last bit directly at him.

Oh…well that makes sense. He thought before placing his left hand on her right shoulder.

"Look, I'm not sorry I did that. I had to attract the Grimm to the island so that it won't attack the ship." He sighed, before adding the thing that had always been at the back of his mind since earlier. "It's the least I could do since it's my fault we got attacked in the first place."

The angry look in her eyes softened, replaced by worry and curiosity as she put her left hand on his right cheek and her right hand on his bare chest, rising a bit so that she could be at eye level and not have to look up due to how taller he was than her. "What do you mean by that Jaune?"

"I have nightmares…been that way for nearly ten years now." He then pointed at the various scars crisscrossing on his torso. Small and large, thin and thick, physical reminders of close calls he had, many of them he received from when he was younger and inexperienced, times when his Aura would run out because he didn't dodge in time or didn't keep track of how much he had left. "It always drew the Grimm since I started having them so I sleep out of towns so that no one would become orphans because of me. As you can see, I had to learn how to fight, no matter how reckless as long as I can get the job done."

"That doesn't mean the Kraken attacking the ship was your fault. Besides, we're nearing Vale, Grimm that size wouldn't be able to swim there." She said, making him shake his head.

"But that's exactly it. We were attacked even we're on this part of the sea when it should have been safe. If I wasn't even on the ship it wouldn't have been attacked." He told her as he found himself unable to meet her eyes, his mind crafting haunted images of what could have been another failure on his part. He hated being the cause of innocent deaths under his watch.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" As she gently ran her thumb over the scar on his face, the first scar that was inflicted to him by the first Grimm he encountered that night. "What's all of it for?"

"I do this because there are some people I need to find no matter what or at least get some news on whatever happened to them." Their faces and body were incredibly near now and with her being so close to him, closing what little distance between them were left, he could smell her scent and it was starting to fray his self control. "So until I can get closure, I will have to bear these nightmares and cut down any Grimm that seeks me out."

Matte let her lips touch his and Jaune felt how soft and moist it was against his. They stayed that way for a few seconds before she ended contact, a comforting smile on her lips. "Maybe I can help you out with your nightmares, at least until for the rest of the trip."

"Really now, Matte?" He said with a smirk on his face. "What do you have in mind?"

"Would you like some coffee, Jaune?"

The meaning of what she said was not lost on him. "As long as it's okay with you then yes Matte, I'd like some coffee."

Their lips met once more and Jaune had to wonder if this was why she locked the door as he licked her lips, asking for permission to entry. Considering their current escalating activity as his hands began to slide underneath her shirt while she wrapped her arms around his head and allowed him entry, he'd have to say that it was.

Hopefully, no one would take notice of any unusual noises.

Author's Notes:

Hello there, I'm The Undying Will. You're probably wondering why this X-over happened. Trust me, I thought it was pretty weird too. I had this idea in the back of my mind for a long time now despite only coming to full realization just very recently.

It all started when I watched RWBY after watching an entire play-through of God of War III (because I can't afford a PS4), which is the seed of this story. It then began to grow as more RWBY content (by this, I mean V4) came out and by the second episode of RWBY V5, it was ready to bear fruit. However, I was uncertain if this would work so I shared the setting of this idea on the More General Chat...Thing of The Professor Arc Forum.

This is the part where Romulus Black Talon and Love reading 3.14 comes in.

RBT's response basically sums up as, "I like it." Love reading told me that while he doesn't know much about the GoW mythos, he thinks that it could work. With these words of encouragement, I began to write this.

I traded ideas regarding the integration of certain things in this X-over with RBT as I wrote and after I was done, I sent it to Love reading to be looked at so that I can have more opinions about it but he ended up going the extra mile, helping me with grammar and to give it a better flow.

Without them, this will not be as good as I would have done alone so thank them for their efforts everyone!

I don't know when the next update will be since I'm going to be locked in mortal combat once again with my enemy, thesis (blame my professor for invoking Unlimited Thesis Works).

This X-over is surprisingly a whole lot easier to write though, probably because I really like the God of War series.

As usual, give this reviews. (I really need your opinions)

Till next time, The Undying Will