By the time Jaune's group returned from the forest, the forward base had already settled into a well oiled rhythm of organized motion. Researchers moved between portable consoles with their instruments humming softly against the unnatural stillness of the Shadow Realm.
The moment Raven, Qrow, Zeki, Jaune, and Auberyn came into view, several operatives immediately approached, expressions sharp with concern and curiosity.
Rather than allowing a chaotic flood of questions, Zeki stepped forward and took charge of the explanation. His voice remained calm and measured, carrying easily across the assembled group as he recounted the events of the scouting run. He described the density of Stalkers within the forest, the overwhelming size of the trees, and most importantly, the emergence of the Asura variant.
The moment he explained that the creature had spoken, a visible stir moved through the researchers. The researcher operatives began whispering among themselves, inputting notes and speaking in hushed analytical tones.
"It demonstrated linguistic structure?"
"Was it mimetic or was it simply a repeat of previously heard speech. Or... did it truly generate an original sentence composition?"
"Hold on, what was the phonetic pattern of the incomprehensible word?"
"If second variants are sapient, then the evolutionary model should potentially be revised entirely. Hmm... I suppose that means they're not just predators."
"No," Zeki replied gravely. "At minimum, they possess tactical intelligence."
His eyes swept over the camp. "And, assuming Jaune's interpretation is correct, then they may possess access to a runic verbal framework."
That statement caused an even greater stir.
The revelation that a second variant Stalker was not only intelligent enough to fight tactically, but also capable of language, completely shifted the tone of the expedition.
What had initially been considered a dangerous ecosystem now carried the unsettling implication of hierarchy, evolution, and perhaps even society.
Even more wondrous was the fact that rune language had a verbal component, not to mention that runic language was being spoken here. In the Shadow Realm of all places. It would have made more sense if a Grimm of all things were to speak it, but a Stalker? A creature that didn't really have any connection to runes?
That was simply confounding.
While Zeki handled the debrief, Jaune found himself quickly pulled aside. Specifically, the researcher operatives wanted to determine exactly what effect absorbing its Umbra had on him. Before he could even properly sit down, he was being guided toward a hastily assembled testing section near the perimeter of the base.
Several extremely reinforced slabs of shadow stone had been erected there, and each were layered with special resonance markers and structural measurement arrays which were connected to one of the researcher's runes.
Due to the fact that they didn't have access to the Nightmare system in the Shadow realm, testing had to be done to confirm the capabilities of his body. Simply taking the Rank 2's words as fact wasn't exactly proper when considering a statistical data analytics standpoint.
Which meant that they had him strike reinforced surfaces, leap from stationary positions, endure controlled impacts, and push against calibrated resistance frames designed to measure raw physical output.
At first, Jaune had found the whole thing mildly amusing, but that amusement quickly gave way to concentration as the results began to come in. Every test confirmed the same thing. His fusion physical body had unquestionably crossed into Rank 2 territory.
The problem, however, became immediately apparent once the researchers began comparing the broader data.
The the senior analyst looked over the results for a long moment before speaking. She explained that Jaune's Body stat had indeed reached Rank 2 capability. In terms of raw physical strength, speed, and durability, he was now operating well beyond anything a Rank 1 should have been capable of. However, that was where the advancement ended.
His Aura and Will remained exactly where they had been before.
Peak Rank 1.
The researcher took the time to explain what that meant in practical terms. Against any Rank 1 opponent, Jaune now possessed an overwhelming advantage. His body alone would allow him to dominate all fights through sheer speed and force—which in essence was already how his combat style was. However, against an average Rank 2, that picture changed drastically. A true Rank 2 possessed not only heightened physicality, but also significantly stronger Aura reserves, mental resilience, and meta rune resistance. In comparison, Jaune's growth was incomplete.
In essence, he was a false Rank 2. Greater than a half-step rank 2, but still not truly there.
The phrase sat uncomfortably in his mind.
He understood what they meant. He was stronger, undeniably so, but only in one dimension. If a real Rank 2 with a balanced stat spread engaged him in prolonged combat, especially one with strong Aura reinforcement or dangerous meta rune capabilities, he would lose.
Worse still, with Gula still in hibernation, he had temporarily lost access to Umbra entirely. That meant no shadow weapon manifestations and no access to the Stalker's own capabilities.
For now, all he truly had was a Rank 2 body attached to a Rank 1 framework.
Still, despite the slightly bitter reality of the assessment, the increase in strength was nothing short of extraordinary.
By the time the testing concluded, the base had settled into evening stillness, though the black sun above gave no indication of time. Jaune stepped away from the cluster of researchers, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders, still adjusting to the subtle heaviness and latent power now coiled within his frame.
It was then that Pyrrha approached him.
She had remained mostly silent during the debrief and testing, watching from a short distance with a calm expression that Jaune had not looked at too closely until now. Up close, however, he noticed something quieter in her gaze. Concern, certainly, but something more personal beneath it.
"Are you free to talk? Sorry, I know they just put you through the wringer." she asked softly.
Jaune blinked, then gave a small nod. "Yeah. Of course."
Without another word, the two of them walked a short distance away from the main body of the camp, far enough that the quiet hum of voices and equipment faded into the background. Eventually, they found a relatively open patch of shadow ground near one of the strange twisted trees that marked the edge of the base's perimeter.
They sat down side by side and for a while, neither of them spoke. The silence was not uncomfortable, but it was weighted.
Finally, Pyrrha broke it.
"Seems like you had quite the adventure in the forest." she noted, her voice gentle.
Jaune let out a small breath. "Yeah. It was... certainly exciting. I'll tell you that."
Pyrrha's eyes remained fixed ahead. "Zeki explained the broad details earlier. But... I wanted to hear it from you."
Jaune turned slightly toward her, surprised by the quiet sincerity in her tone. He took a moment before answering.
"It happened fast," he began, his voice softer now. "One moment we were dealing with the normal variants, and the next... it was just there."
He found himself recounting the encounter, but this time it wasn't a tactical summary. It was personal. He spoke about the subtle shift in his Weakness sense that had first warned him something stronger was nearby. He described seeing the Asura variant clinging to the side of one of the massive trees, its six arms folded and its white eyes fixed on them with a chilling sort of intelligence.
Then he told her what it had felt like when its hand had closed around his throat. How quickly it had happened and how powerless that moment had felt.
For the first time since returning, Jaune admitted aloud what had gone through his mind in that instant.
"Honestly, I thought I was going to die."
The words came quietly and Pyrrha's hands tightened slightly in her lap.
Jaune noticed her emotions but continued anyway.
"It's mind... didn't feel like hunger," he said. "Or at least... only like hunger. That was the worst part. It was looking at me like I was... interesting. Though, on hindsight, I probably shouldn't have tried to interfere with a Rank 2 fight."
He let out a small, humorless laugh.
"Honestly, that was scarier."
For a moment, silence returned. Then Jaune looked at her and gave a faint smile.
"But... overall I'm fine."
Pyrrha turned toward him. Jaune shrugged lightly, trying to keep the mood from sinking too deeply.
"Really. Don't worry about me too much. I'm stronger than I used to be."
He flexed one hand.
"I can take care of myself."
The moment the words left his mouth, he noticed something shift in her expression.
Sadness.
Not overt, not dramatic, but quiet and deeply rooted.
Jaune frowned.
He genuinely did not understand why those words had made her look that way. Pyrrha lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking.
"Yeah. You're strong Jaune. And.... that's exactly why I worry."
Jaune blinked.
Her voice remained soft, but there was a depth to it that made him pause.
"You say you can take care of yourself, and I know you can," she said. "But strength doesn't make you untouchable, Jaune."
Her eyes lifted to meet his.
"When they told us how close it had been... how close you came to dying..."
She hesitated.
"I hated that I wasn't there."
The honesty of that struck him harder than he expected. Jaune stared at her for a moment, caught slightly off guard by the raw sincerity in her voice.
He had expected concern. He had not expected this quiet ache.
Pyrrha looked away again, her expression softer now.
"I know you're strong," she repeated. "But that doesn't stop me from being afraid when you put yourself in danger. Besides, this... isn't the first time something like this has happened to you, Jaune."
For the first time, Jaune began to understand. This wasn't about doubting his strength. It was about how much she cared.
"When you told me about Belmont, about your dad, about what happened in Atlas and even the first week of experience that you had as an awakened. I can hardly believe what you've been through. And you've only barely been an awakened for about a year." Pyrrha let out a self deprecating laugh.
He looked at her for a long moment, then spoke more softly than before.
"Pyrrha... my experiences aren't your responsibility. Sometimes, things just happen for a reason. Maybe its fate."
Pyrrha shook her head almost immediately.
"Don't do that," she said softly.
"Do what?"
"Don't turn it into fate."
Her voice was quiet, but there was an unusual firmness to it now, like silk drawn taut over steel. The strange half-light of the Shadow Realm filtered through the twisted branches above them, laying fractured bands of black-gray across the ground where they sat.
"For you, maybe things always seem to happen all at once," she continued, folding her hands together in her lap. "It all keeps pulling you forward so quickly that maybe it feels natural to say it was meant to happen."
She looked down for a moment. "But for the people watching you… it doesn't feel like fate. It feels frightening."
Jaune opened his mouth, then closed it again. There was something in the way she said it that made him stop trying to answer immediately. He turned his gaze toward her properly this time.
To anyone else, she probably would have looked calm. But before Jaune, all emotion was laid bare.
At first, he had thought it was just concern, but now, sitting here in the strange hush beyond the camp's perimeter, the shape of it finally began to come into focus.
Pyrrha wasn't just afraid for him. She was hurting.
The realization settled into him with slow, dawning clarity.
Inadequacy.
Jaune's breath caught, just slightly.
That was it.
Pyrrha Nikos.
Before awakening, she had already been a champion. A name people knew. Someone who had stood in rings and arenas under bright lights and crushed opponent after opponent through sheer discipline, skill, and talent.
After awakening, she had pulled away from stardom, but her prowess had only continued. She had always been one of the strongest among their peers.
Someone dependable and someone exceptional.
And then… there was him.
In the span of a single year, he had gone from Rank 0 to someone who was now, by every measurable standard, brushing against Rank 2 combat capability.
Even if it was a false Rank 2, it was still absurd.
Most awakened spent years trapped at the peak of Rank 1, slowly refining themselves, grinding away at the wall that Rune comprehension was. A wall that sometimes simply refused to move.
Jaune had practically kicked the door off its hinges. Not only that, he had done something almost unheard of.
Two meta runes.
Even creating one successfully was enough to make someone a monster in combat. Meta runes were notoriously difficult to form. People failed all the time, sometimes catastrophically.
And yet he had succeeded.
Twice.
He stared at Pyrrha for a long moment, and suddenly the sadness in her expression made perfect sense.
It wasn't envy.
No, envy would have been simpler. This felt quieter.
Heavier.
Disappointment in herself. The kind that gnawed inward. A feeling that while he was racing forward like a comet tearing across the sky, she was somehow standing still.
Jaune swallowed.
"Pyrrha…" he said softly.
She looked at him, and for the first time since they sat down, her composure seemed to waver.
"I get it now."
Her brows drew together slightly. "Get what?"
Jaune took a slow breath, careful with his words.
"You're not just worried."
Silence.
The air between them became strangely delicate, as if even the shadow leaves above had gone still to listen.
"You... feel like you're falling behind."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. For a heartbeat, her expression went utterly still. Then she looked away. That alone was answer enough.
Jaune's chest tightened.
"I…" She let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh, except there was no humor in it. "You and your stupid weakness sense. Was it really that obvious?"
"Sorry. Not at first," Jaune admitted. "But now… yeah."
Pyrrha's shoulders lowered just slightly, as if some invisible weight had finally been acknowledged.
"I hate that I feel this way, you know?" she said after a moment, voice barely above a whisper. "Because it isn't jealousy. I'm proud of you, Jaune. Truly."
Her fingers tightened together.
"When I see how far you've come, part of me is genuinely happy."
She paused.
"But another part of me keeps asking what that says about me."
The words came out fragile, as though she had been holding them behind locked doors for far too long.
Jaune stayed silent, letting her continue.
"For so long," she said, staring out at the dark ground ahead, "being strong was the one thing I was certain of."
A faint smile touched her lips, sad and self-aware.
"Before awakening, I was already known for it. After awakening, it only became more true."
Her voice softened. "I trained harder than everyone around me. I fought harder. I won and then you came along."
Jaune winced slightly. "That makes me sound like a disaster."
That drew the smallest laugh from her.
"A little."
The laugh faded.
"You've changed so much in such a short time. Sometimes when I look at you, it feels almost unreal."
Her eyes lifted to meet his. "You went from someone just learning what this world even was to someone standing in the middle of Rank 2 combat."
Her gaze trembled, only slightly.
"And I keep thinking… if you can grow that quickly, what does it mean that I haven't?"
There it was. The heart of it.
Jaune leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose. "Pyrrha, that's not fair."
She frowned. "What?"
"To yourself."
He turned toward her fully. "You're measuring yourself against something ridiculous."
That actually made her blink.
"I'm serious," he said. "Do you know how insane my growth has been?"
A dry laugh escaped him.
"Because I do. Every time I stop and think about it, it sounds absurd."
He gestured loosely toward himself.
"Half the stuff that's happened to me in the last year shouldn't even be possible by normal standards."
Belmont.
The Dream Realm.
Atlas
Gula.
Meta runes.
Artificial awakening.
His father.
The Sleeper.
Every piece of it had been a perfect storm of chaos and impossible opportunities. "You're comparing your path to mine," Jaune said softly, "but my path is weird, Pyrrha. Like a leprechaun willingly giving away gold to people-weird."
That got a genuine laugh out of her, small but real.
"That analogy was certainly weird. But I suppose that it makes sense."
"I prefer 'narratively overclocked,'" Jaune muttered.
This time she smiled. He let the warmth of that moment settle before speaking again.
"You're not inadequate."
His tone was firmer now.
"You're one of the strongest people I know."
Pyrrha opened her mouth, but he kept going. "No, listen."
He held her gaze. "Strength isn't just about who hits Rank 2 first. You've been someone I've relied on since the beginning. You trained me, Pyrrha. A lot of my skill comes from training with you and Blake."
The honesty in his own words surprised him a little as he said them. "When things go sideways, you're one of the first people I trust to be there."
"You don't need to race me."
Pyrrha was quiet for a long time. Then, almost hesitantly, she said, "It's not about racing."
Jaune tilted his head. She looked at him directly now, and the vulnerability in her expression made his chest tighten again.
"I want to stand beside you."
The words were simple. But they carried everything.
"I don't want to become someone who watches from behind while you keep moving further ahead," she said quietly looking him deep in his eyes. The emotion there was impossible to hide.
"I want to be there with you."
Jaune stared at her and he couldn't help that his heartbeat sped up.
He smiled, softer this time.
"Pyrrha. You already do. I mean it," Jaune said. "You've been beside me through everything."
His smile turned a little crooked.
"Even when I'm being an idiot and nearly getting strangled by six-armed nightmare monsters."
That finally drew a real laugh from her, bright enough to cut through the heaviness that had been lingering between them.