Craze: FFVII won the vote! Unfortunately for the three 2nd place like One Piece, Mushouku Tensei, Slime, and Danmachi. Don't worry the next world would be one of these.
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Arthur's keen senses immediately picked up on Blake's fear, a scent she tried, and failed, to mask with a brave front.
He mused, "I should test if she truly can sense me. It's possible, given she's a faunus."
Animals, and by extension faunus, possessed heightened senses compared to humans.
He unleashed a sliver of his true dragon bloodline power.
Blake shuddered, her eyes wide as she watched his irises shift into reptilian slits.
Her initial fear gave way to a calm smile. Arthur was perplexed.
"She can sense me, but why the smile? Does she think I'm a faunus too? In a way, I am."
Arthur finally pulled his gaze from Blake, his focus shifting to the night's sleeping arrangements.
Ruby and Yang quickly settled nearby.
Jaune, however, was already a considerable distance away, adorned in his usual, often-ridiculed pajamas.
Arthur shook his head. He couldn't be Jaune's constant protector; some lessons had to be learned alone.
He moved to join Ruby and Yang.
Just as he was about to sit, Weiss was suddenly beside him, staking her claim.
"Th—this spot is much cleaner than the others. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to do anything weird,"
Weiss blurted, avoiding his eyes as she quickly sat down.
Arthur chuckled at her.
'Dragon and the princess. My bloodline seems to attract them.'
Arthur settled beside Weiss, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he observed the nascent friendships forming amongst the students.
He glanced at Ruby and Yang, already deep in conversation, their hushed giggles echoing softly in the cool night air.
The sounds of the forest, a steady lullaby of rustling leaves and chirping crickets, enveloped them, and Arthur found himself strangely content, despite the lingering oddities.
The image of Blake's smile, after witnessing his brief display of his dragon bloodline power, still lingered in his mind.
He still didn't fully understand her reaction, but a part of him felt a strange, inexplicable pull towards her.
It was a recognition of something ancient and powerful within her, a quiet strength that resonated with his own, even if she wasn't fully aware of it yet.
He made a mental note to observe her more closely during the coming days at Beacon.
The night passed without further incident, the early morning sun painting the sky in hues of orange and pink as the students slowly began to stir.
Jaune, true to form, was the last to wake, groaning as he stretched, his ridiculous themed pajamas rumpled and askew.
"Rough night, Jaune?" Arthur called out, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Jaune merely grumbled in response, already fumbling for his Scroll, no doubt to check for messages or procrastinate the inevitable morning routine.
After a quick, if somewhat meager, breakfast of rations, the students were ushered back towards the entrance of Beacon Academy.
The anticipation for the Initiation was clear, a nervous energy buzzing through the crowd.
As they approached the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest.
Professor Ozpin stood waiting, his usual calm demeanor betraying nothing of the challenge that lay ahead.
Goodwitch stood beside him, her riding crop held firmly in her hand, her expression stern but watchful.
"Welcome, students," Ozpin's voice boomed, amplified by an unseen speaker, cutting through the general din.
"Today, you begin your journey at Beacon. The Initiation process is simple: Your goal is to find the abandoned temple in the north and retrieve a relic. You will be paired with the first person you make eye contact with after your launch. Good luck."
Arthur felt a thrill run through him, a surge of excitement that hadn't stirred in him for a while.
This was it. A true test of skill, a raw demonstration of power, and a chance to truly see the event himself.
As a professor, he was merely an observer, but the thrill of the challenge was still there.
Suddenly, a loud thud ripped through the air as Jaune was launched first, a comical blur against the backdrop of the dense forest.
One by one, students followed, their excited screams echoing as they plummeted into the green expanse, a symphony of youthful exuberance and nervous apprehension.
The forest seemed to swallow them whole, one after another, until only Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Arthur remained at the cliff's edge.
Arthur watched with a knowing smile, already anticipating the chaos that RWBY would undoubtedly bring.
…
Arthur stood beside Ozpin and Goodwitch, the last of the students having been launched into the Emerald Forest.
The silence that followed was thick, broken only by the distant sounds of the forest itself.
Arthur turned to Ozpin, his earlier amusement fading, replaced by a serious glint in his reptilian eyes.
"Ozpin," he began, his voice low and direct, "did you recruit me because of Salem?"
The question hung in the air, unexpected and stark no pun intended.
Ozpin, who had been observing the forest with his usual placid expression, stiffened imperceptibly.
His gaze, often so unreadable, flickered with a brief, almost imperceptible shock.
He slowly turned to face Arthur, his cane held a little tighter.
Arthur was a lot stronger than him. Even though their level was the same (Lv.5)
He didn't need to beat around the bush and wait for things to flow out of control.
The serene façade he so carefully maintained seemed to crack, if only for a fleeting moment, under the weight of Arthur's directness.
Glynda, who had been standing silently by, also reacted, her eyes widening slightly as she looked between the two men.
The air crackled with a sudden, unacknowledged tension.