Systematic Hunter - Chapter 3.1

Ruby of course, led him through the halls towards the high end combat rooms, the ones only those in their final were allowed to enter.

He wasn't allowed to enter one himself despite being the eighth strongest in the academy.

When the door slid shut behind him and he looked around, he noticed that…it wasn't really all that different from the other combat rooms, about half again as big, but beyond that, it was really still just a large room with bleachers for spectators and those waiting their turn and a large sparring stage, two terminals for controlling the room and placing competitors scrolls in and two large screens above that would show the aura of those fighting.

"I was kind of expecting this place to be a bit more grand." Daiki commented as he followed Ruby up to the platform and placed his scroll on the terminal, connecting it setting it to read his aura.

"I remember thinking the same at the beginning of the year," Ruby laughed, "And you technically shouldn't be in here now that I remember, but it should be fine, you're with big bad number one!" she shrugged, taking her own scroll from the terminal as she finished connecting her status to it, up above, one of the screens flickering to life with an image of her with a green bar underneath it.

"Not anymore, you already graduated," Daiki shot back, the reason why lower years weren't allowed in here was because of the combat program, as in, below the platform, there was at any one time, multiple dozens of combat droids from Atlas that could be used for training, each known for being capable of slaying an average beowolf in one versus one combat, the first years at this school could only access a combat room that deployed one at a time, it was all just safety regulation stuff really, "I figure I'll be taking top spot in the next year, but I don't mind kicking your butt and proving it here."

"Is that right?" Ruby grinned at him, reaching behind her back and pulling out the collapsed form of her beloved Crescent Rose, one press of a button and the compressed form, barely a metre long, extended rapidly out into a massive crimson red scythe, "Let's see you prove it~!" she stuck her tongue out at him and wiggled it at him tauntingly.

Reaching behind his back, Daiki unsheathed the compressed form of his own weapons and with a press of a button on the handles, they de-compressed into their full battle axe forms, each a good three feet in height.

It was a good thing he was pretty damn tall for his age, standing at five feet eleven inches.

"Ah Vilebolt, such cool weapons!" Ruby gushed as he deployed them, before humming, "Actually, I've been meaning to ask, why do you call them Vilebolt? Like I know you have that lightning semblance and you generally use lightning dust with them, but why the 'vile' part?"

"It was my edgy phase," I shrugged, "I used parts of my parents weapons after they died to make them and whatever I didn't, I melted down to re-use as well and called them Vilebolt, swore to defeat all the grimm and you know avenge my parents, general silly stuff."

Plus, it was the smart move. His parents weapons were both made of Atlesian Steel, the best weapon metal around and it cost quite a pretty penny. So he saved quite a lot of money on making his weapons.

Ruby winced, "Ah…sorry for asking?" she apologised, giving him an awkward smile.

"Don't worry about it," Daiki shook his head and replied, "I've long since gotten over my parents deaths, it was six years ago after all, no point in moping about it when I can do something more productive."

"…That's a good way of looking at it I suppose," Ruby agreed with a slow node, then spun her scythe expertly in her hands, slamming the blade in front of her and pointing the butt of the shaft at him, "Still, I won't go easy on you!"

"If you did, you'd just lose." he taunted, settling into a slightly crouched stance, one of his axes raised up over his shoulder, the other crossed over his chest.

And then, they began.

Ruby exploded into motion, pulling the trigger on her scythe, unleashing a blast from the staff and propelling her forward towards him, at the same time violently and rapidly rotating and lashing out like a corkscrew, putting all her momentum behind a swing of the scythe, its massive blade coming right at him.

He'd seen her fight quite a few times and he'd come to learn, this kind of attack was one of her favourite ways to open a fight.

She wasn't all that physically strong, focusing more on speed and agility, but she didn't need to be really with all the force she generated from her sheer momentum.

Dodging would give the control of the fight and the option to pursue him. Blocking would leave him a sitting duck. He knew that, after all, he'd fought her body, and he'd lost to Ruby before as well.

So he'd attack.

Lightning sparked into existence around Daiki's body, a cloak of electrical charge that rushed through his veins, igniting his nerves and enhancing his speed, agility, reflexes, dexterity, strength and more.

Shifting forward as she was lashing out, Daiki swung both axes out, one catching the the tip of her hooked scythe blade, he grunted as the force travelled through his arms from stopping her in her tracks and lashed out with the other over his shoulder, the blade coming down at her arm, intending to force her to let go of the weapon.

Before it could, she hit the trigger again, the shot impacting the ground and shooting her into the air, using his own blade and arm as leverage to push up from.

"Rah!" Daiki roared, thrusting out his other hand that she dodged by going up, a lance of lightning coating over his right axe and travelling over it to shoot out the top towards the airborne Ruby.

It hit nothing but air as she disappeared in a blur of red, rose petals scattering through the air.

It was only thanks to his own semblance amplifying him that he was able to even see her move.

He jumped up, avoiding as Crescent Rose came at his legs from behind and spun, lashing out with a dual slash-

Only to have to blast out a shot of lightning to force him back as Ruby twirled the scythe between her palms like a staff, repelling his slashes.

She hot after him as he landed, and he shot right back at her, both of them, a rapid blur of speed due to their semblances, crackling electricity and rose petals flying through the air.

They meet in a flurry of rapid blows, Daiki hacking and slashing in a blur, while Ruby quickly back pedalled, dodging his blows, and striking out with lightning fast slashes.

Daiki was more skilled in close combat, and his weapons were much easier to wield in this close.

Yet still, he found himself being overwhelmed bit by bit by Ruby's sheer semblance speed that eclipsed his own by a decently large margin and the skill she had with her scythe.

Three more years of hunter training really did make a big difference.

But, he had a lot more up his sleeve.

His semblance while straightforward, could be applied in many different ways.

Just as he was forced back, his guard broken wide open with Ruby moving in the for finish, Daiki stamped his foot on the ground and poured out a ton of his aura, unleashing a wide fissure of lightning that was larger than Ruby herself was tall.

With her speed and semblance, she was able to back track rapidly and avoid it, but she didn't escape unscathed.

Stumbling back, Daiki-reoriented himself at the same time Ruby landed and kneeled, electricity sparking over her form, a wince on her face.

"You've got way better since last time." she complimented.

"It's been five months since I last sparred against you," Daiki shrugged and pointed out, of course he had gotten better, "You're still a monster with that scythe in hand though." he couldn't help but admit, she was like poetry in motion, always advancing, never stopping, keeping the pressure up and pushing hard on the pedal, driving her momentum forward.

"Well I did get the top spot after all, hehe!" Ruby giggled at the praise, rubbing under her nose proudly

"And you deserve it," Daiki nodded, "Though, I'll be taking it from you here and now." he added.

"Still think so huh?" Ruby grinned at him, pretty silver eyes glinting with excitement.

Hmm, was there something he could do there to help her use her eyes earlier?

"I'm betting on it actually." Daiki grinned right back.

"It's three years to early for cute little Daiki to think he can beat me!" she retorted.

"I'm seven inches taller than you." he deadpanned at the older girl.

"Pshaw!" Ruby waved him off, "This type of height is metaphorical, silly Daiki."

"If you say so," he snorted, before his grin returned, though this one, much more sly, "So you think I'm cute, huh?"

Ruby froze and her pale cheeks tinted red, "…Maybe?" she answered.

"Heh, well, I think you're pretty cute yourself, actually, you're really hot." Daiki voiced his thoughts.

Like damn, she was the hottest girl that attended this school, rivalled only by her blonde busty sister.

Her cheeks got darker, "Um, thanks?" Ruby replied, looking a little lost. She shook her head, "Wait, how did we get to this point?"

"You called me cute, it filled me with manly pride," Daiki teased, "You know, how about if I beat you, I get to take you out on a date? Nothing better I can think of really, beating the strongest in the school for the top spot and taking the best looking girl in the school out after it, it's got a nice ring to it, right?"

Ruby just stared at him blankly for a moment, face burning red, "…You know, I didn't know you were this forward, wowza," she reached up to fan her face, before grinning at him, "Thanks for the compliment though. Sure, I'm game, if you beat me, you can take me out on a date, but what about if I win?"

Daiki already had the perfect answer to that, "Then you can take me out on a date, you win either way really." he replied.

"That seems more like you winning either way actually." she replied matter of fact.

"Course, I would be, I'd be on a date with you." he winked.

At his response, Ruby giggled, "I didn't know you were this funny before, you tended to not talk much, Yang would get a kick out of you for sure," she replied, then shrugged, "Okay, sure, let's go with that." she nodded in agreement, before suddenly compressing her weapon into its smallest gun mode, a semi-automatic rifle that she could carry easily in her arms.

Daiki's head tilted to the side just in time for a round to blitz right by his face.

The game was back on then.

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Half an hour later, Daiki found himself being dragged through the streets of Vale, by an excited older huntress in training, "There's this really cool store I found not long ago, they sell some amazing dust! It's called From Dust Till Dawn." Ruby excitedly babbled.

Suffice to say, he lost.

If there was one weakness that his semblance had, it was that it was powered by his aura and it guzzled it a massively fast pace.

He could only just barely keep up with Ruby with it, so when it got to the point where he couldn't maintain his lightning augmentation, he was quickly overwhelmed.

"I hope you're not wanting me to buy dust for you." Daiki said dryly, letting her pull him along. He'd much rather have taken her to an arcade or a movie or something, but this was fine as well he supposed.

"Aren't guys supposed to pay for girls when they take them out?" Ruby grinned at him teasingly.

"I'm not taking you out," he shrugged, "You're taking me out on a date, so really, you should treat me."

"Eh, no fair, I already spent most of my allowance," she pouted up at him, "What was all that earlier about you thinking I as the prettiest girl at Signal, doesn't that mean anything?"

She was supposed to be a sexy mature older girl, that was the appeal of them. It wasn't fair that she could be the cute cherub to dote on as well at the same time.

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, but nothing too expensive, and we have to do proper date stuff!" he relented.

"Fine with me!" a massive blinding grin spread across Ruby's face and she picked up the pace, dragging him along to their destination.