Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
I'm also occasionally chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
-Story Start-
Loud explosions reverberated amid the pristine, flowery hills of Avalon.
Repeated, powerful, and were it not for the nature of the Utopia itself, undoubtedly deadly.
Nevertheless, they eventually stopped - a hum of a question echoing in their place.
"Are you not going to try and fight back?" It was more amused than distraught, as Merlin inquired in front of the laid out figure of Alex.
What was once a hill within Avalon was now but a crater that progressively turned more cavernous as Merlin had laid out the blasts of pure Mana.
"Doesn't hurt at all in here, and I'd lose even if I tried to fight you. In any case, this serves the purpose of me getting the 'intimate' feel of Mana, right?"
A hum escaped Merlin as he casually approached the laid out figure of Alex, looking down upon his slight frown from above the crater, "Awareness is one thing, usage is another, young squire. Without actual combat and exerting yourself, this is but half of the puzzle."
Letting out a slight grunt of acknowledgment, Alex reluctantly rose up, Excalibur still within his grasp as he met Merlin's playful gaze, "How are you out of the cage?" He inquired.
"Projection." He twirled the large staff in his left hand and lazily directed it at the tower.
Blinking, Alex turned with narrowed eyes to look at the now faraway tower, noting the actual Merlin waving at him with a giddy smirk.
'I'm getting trained.' Alex confirmed the obvious to himself with a hint of exasperation.
He couldn't help but assume that there was a much easier way of gaining awareness of his Prana than to fight Merlin himself.
Sighing, he turned to look back at the projection of Merlin before him, "Alright. But there's no need for me to get any stronger if that's part of the goal."
"Hoh~? Is that arrogance I hear?" Merlin's grin couldn't get any wider as he extended his hand and...
A brilliant blade appeared in his right hand.
Alex's muscles tightened, and his Aura Dragon Core roared with vigor, signaling the start of his training with Merlin.
All for the awareness of his own Prana.
-----------------------------
To be fair, Alex didn't hold any high expectations of himself when fighting someone of Merlin's caliber.
However, he couldn't help but be incredibly surprised he was being embarrassed by a Projection of all things.
The rapid clashing of steel meeting steel resonated within the Utopia under the endless sunlight. Alex's labored frown stood in stark contrast to Merlin's casual smile, who had just blasted him away with another sneaky blast of Mana, sending him flying with an earth-shaking impact.
However, the common sneaky blasts of Mana weren't the only thing that had precipitated Alex's continuous defeats to Merlin.
He was also being embarrassed in swordplay, of all things.
Though the latter wasn't all that surprising in hindsight.
Merlin's swordplay held a refinement and elegance that Alex had yet to witness.
Alex practically launched from his new crater with mind-boggling speed, clashing swords once more with Merlin's absurd reaction speed and instincts.
A rapid exchange of swings ensued, Alex on an offensive onslaught as he swung Excalibur wildly, all of which were calmly blocked, dodged, and parried by Merlin.
The wind within Avalon shuddered as the flowers and trees around them were swept away by the hurricane of their exchange.
Whether it was a mistake on Alex's part or not, a wild swing aimed at Merlin's left shoulder at an awkward angle allowed for his block to imbalance Alex's stance.
Something he had long forgotten, with his disproportionate strength in comparison to his usual opponents.
Following this opportunity, Merlin was now on the offensive, as Alex narrowly avoided a slice to the head that would have certainly killed him and forced his revival in the Utopia.
A slice to his shoulder, a slice to his head, all narrowly avoided by Alex, but some strikes to the less vital areas were being struck as blood sprayed, only regenerated by Avalon's nature.
Merlin mentioned amid their exchange of swordplay, "You have notable instincts, avoiding strikes to vital areas. When carrying Avalon, that is undoubtedly of priceless value."
"However." Alex's wrist was sliced at an angle, making him drop Excalibur.
Alex's eyes widened in an immediate panic, as he frowned.
Nay, he practically snarled at Merlin as the brilliant sword in his hands was about to pierce his gut.
With all his Aura augmented strength, he swung his left fist at the blade's flat side, trying to misdirect it.
He succeeded, only to be met with another powerful blast of Mana from Merlin's staff.
His body whizzed through the air, ragdolling across several plains and even piercing through a few of them in his initial launch, skidding to a stop in yet another crater.
Indeed, for the umpteenth time, Alex found himself within one of a myriad of craters that either he or Merlin's Projection had caused.
The pain was less than a moment, less than a millionth of a second as he rose up once more to continue.
However, the frustration in his expression was mounting.
He was about to launch himself for yet another exchange, only to pause at Merlin's raised palm in front of him, the sword in his hand having disappeared.
"You fight like a feral beast." He vocalized his observation.
'This guy...'
Alex's eye twitched for but a moment at that, but he nodded in understanding.
Merlin nodded, "Though, given that most of your combat experience with Excalibur was in Purgatory, the lack of refinement is understandable."
Gesturing with his staff to the faraway plains that were practically destroyed but were starting to miraculously regenerate themselves, a sea of flowers was rapidly approaching.
A brilliant light carried by the flower, Excalibur.
Within a few seconds, the sword, carried by flowers, arrived before Alex, who gratefully grasped it with his right hand.
Only to pause as he felt a tight hold on his formerly injured right wrist, raising his head to be met with Merlin's casual smile, "Here's my first lesson - Excalibur is a sword you wield with both hands."
With that said, he let go of Alex's wrist, and he continued after taking a small step back, "You had little to worry about with your opponents thus far, allowing your left hand to hang loose. You assume that having a free hand gives you an advantage in combat, but that is the wrong assumption, especially when wielding a sword of Excalibur's length."
"Against a worthy opponent, you cannot use it to block, strike, or anything else really~" Merlin shrugged with a disappointed shake of his head.
As Alex absorbed Merlin's loaded advice, the Magus continued, "So it's better you wield both hands and have a steadier, stronger stance than that loose stance full of openings, especially when you don't utilize your own openings to bait your opponents."
Nodding with a wholly nostalgic feeling, Merlin added, "On our next lesson, we'll focus on the basics, whatever they teach you in that Hunter School is no good."
"For now, since we don't have much time left, your 'homework' as they like to call it nowadays, will be wielding Excalibur with a two-handed resolute stance with some effort in it."
"Hold it like so." Merlin demonstrated with the staff he held as he posed in front of Alex.
...
"How did we get here? Aren't I supposed to learn to feel my own Prana to get Avalon out?" Alex could only respond with a rather anguished tone, as he pointed at his chest.
Tilting his head in response, Merlin answered, "Artoria could do it whenever she pleased. And she followed my training and instructions; therefore, you must simply follow her educational footsteps to achieve the same feat."
"What kind of flawed logic is that? I'm not training to become a King nor a Knight."
"True, but the training a chosen wielder of Excalibur should get is not all too different. I won't be advising you on matters of state, for example." He added with a formal bow, "But I will be advising you on your predicament, of course."
Alex's expression hardened at the reminder, to which he nodded with clear gratitude.
A question, a looming one, he had kept in his gut had emerged.
It was one of those questions that he'd have preferred not to know the answer to - else it would despair him even further.
Perhaps, crush his hope completely and make his effort fruitless.
Nonetheless, it was an important one - one that none other than Merlin could answer.
"Say, Merlin." He called out to the rapt attention of the whimsical Magus.
"Once I get rid of the System... what stops the Deity from interfering with me? What if he decides to destroy anyone or anything around me in spite?"
A lace of genuine worry, anxiety, and more importantly contempt crossed Alex's features, his frown deepening, "I wouldn't be surprised if that sadistic-"
Merlin's casual, bell-like tone ceased Alex's sentence, practically killing it mid-formation.
A slight chill went down Alex's spine as he caught a glimpse of the broad smile of the Magus.
"I assure you, once the parasite is put to eternal rest, intervention won't happen in your lifetime."
Alex pressed on, "And if intervention were to occur?"
"That wouldn't be in that Divine Spirit's best interests."
It was a striking, unsettling statement.
Nay, it was undoubtedly a Threat.
But that wasn't what sent a chill down Alex's spine.
The chilling gaze that pierced through Alex's soul and being.
A knowing look.
As if the one who was to act upon the Threat...
Was not Merlin.
Rather, it would be...
Merlin enigmatically warned, "One day, you will have to do something irredeemable in the eyes of the System. When that day comes, do not hesitate."
"Until next time, Alexander. Don't forget my advice, and I bid you farewell!"
-----------------------------
The transition from literal heaven to comfort was enough to jolt Alex awake once more.
His amber eyes were once more greeted with the cold wall in front of him, and with a swift, practiced check, he lifted his sheets to be met with the brilliant light of Excalibur beside him.
Nodding, he wiggled his body around within the cocoon of sheets to turn himself around and be faced with the window showcasing the brilliant outside with the sun up high as it was certainly noon-
Not.
The sun had yet to rise.
He woke up early.
Again.
'Unlucky.' He casually retorted as he observed the dark and dimly lit horizon; the roads and buildings of Beacon were lit up by lamps, creating quite a stunning view.
In reality, he was not as sore as he thought he was going to be about waking up early.
[A pleasant morning to you as well! Did your Morning Grump lower a couple of degrees? You're positively beaming, Master~!]
Before he could frown at the voice of his tormentor, he blinked in realization, 'Right, that reminds me.'
[Of what, exactly? I'm surprised you are capable of thinking this early in the morning, that is quite unusual of you.]
Ignoring it once more, he clicked on the system at the edge of his vision.
[N-No way! Are you going to view the Relationship tab at long last?! I knew you would see the light, Master!] The system was positively giddy.
Within a few swift clicks on the interface, Alex was greeted with one of the oldest Quests he had been issued.
A Main Quest of all things.
However, what appeared before him stunned him:
-Main Quests-
↓
[NEW!] Mandatory Education↓
Requirements - Do not get kicked out of Beacon, or fail Beacon's curriculum. Remain an official student of Beacon until Graduation.
Rewards - 500000 Lien & ?????
Time Limit - Graduation or ???????
Punishment For Failure - Week In Purgatory
Difficulty - B
'That... was Eternal Damnation just a while ago, wasn't it?' He knowingly asked, nay, demanded an answer from the System.
[...]
The System had an eerie pause.
'Answer.' He demanded once more.
[As mentioned from the very beginning, Alexander. The System adjusts to the User. A week in Purgatory as punishment is enough to dissuade you, as you are as of now, from being expelled.]
His questioning continued, 'Given it is a Main Quest, if I do get kicked out and return from Purgatory, someone dies?'
[That is a plausible scenario.]
'And if I get kicked out and then simply re-enroll with Ozpin's help, what then, hmm? Will you twist reality to make something happen, make someone die when in reality nothing had truly changed?'
[If it is necessary.]
He needs to corner it, figure out the solution Merlin already had.
Poke more holes in a flawed System that was already the equivalent of Swiss cheese.
[Would you like to find out?]
Clicking his tongue, Alex suppressed the urge to want to find out, but the System got him there.
The lesson from Blake's incident was as fresh as it could get, even if it was not his fault.
As long as there's a chance that his limit-testing will result in someone else taking the brunt of it, he cannot accept it.
[Damn it, Alexander! Can you not simply accept the matter of my existence being there for your benefit?]
'We will never see eye to eye in this. Now kindly shut the fuck up you sadistic tool.'
As designated before, he'll obey... for now.
Before he noticed, a deep, angered frown settled on his expression, to which he could only lighten with a sigh.
And a cup of coffee.
As he proceeded to ponder that last line of advice, Merlin had spoken.
'That was a hint... wasn't it?' He thought as he rose up slowly, making sure to minimize the creaking sound of his upper bunk from waking up the others.
Though it seemed he wasn't exactly the only one to wake up this early.
A subtle rustling of the sheets of the bunk bed in front of him alerted him to the awakening of one of his teammates.
Ignoring said awakening, Alex turned around and did something rather...
Odd.
Carefully wrapping the sheets around Excalibur with the exception of the hilt, in what appeared as a complete safety hazard, the cocoon of sheets managed to block out the radiating light of the blade.
With that settled and Excalibur wrapped to not light up the room, he slowly climbed down and headed to the kitchen area where his second most beloved lay with a light echo in his steps.
Though as he already stood before the coffee machine and was about to begin the process preceding the consumption of bliss, an epiphany struck him.
Another pair of steps followed behind him as Pyrrha, with an impressive lack of bed hair, quietly whispered the realization, "It'll make too much noise, you'll wake up the others."
"Tragic." Alex agreed.
Well, with nothing better to do, he decided lying in his bed for a few hours doing nothing was the ideal course of acti-
"Wanna join me for a morning run?" She offered flashing an encouraging, hopeful smile. Adding to advertise the greatness of the early jog, "helps clear the head and start off the day strong, I highly recommend it."
Contemplating the idea for a moment, Alex nodded with a tiny lift of his lips, much to Pyrrha's genuine surprise, "I could use clearing my head, sure, I'll give it a try, especially with how much you've advertised it so incessantly."
[Your head is always clear, with the exception of meaningless endeavors. Though I wonder what gave you the idea of even checking up on the quests? It is far too clever for you.]
Alex ignored the vile thing in favor of listening to Pyrrha.
"Weiss and Ruby aren't really morning people."
"And I am?"
"You wake up early, unless you sleep for three days..." She added, her smile cracking just a little at that reminder.
"...how did you know I was faking sleep in the morning all along?" He basically admitted his guilt with a bewildered look.
His act of lying in bed for hours until someone bothered him was flawless!
A light chuckle escaped her, "That's a secret!" she whispered with a finger on her lips.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Hello, my lovelies.
Has been a while, hasn't it?
Well, look forward to the next chapter, which will be Jaune boy & the new Team JRNY.
Whether I'm doing it from his perspective or not is to be decided. Narratively, they both serve the same purpose, so I'll see which I'd prefer.
Also, some of you may or may not have noticed I show little of the RWBY 'Villains', especially in such a transformative period.
Cinder's reaction and adjustment of plans, Salem, or whatnot.
You won't be seeing them in any case.
Whatever they do, you'll discover with Alex.
Also, spoiler - Salem survives Excaliblast through the Tunnel Effect.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH