"Fight you, you say? Can I ask why you'd want that?" Jane questioned, seeing Pyrrha's determined expression.
"It's.. a bit personal. I'll just say that it'll help me a lot." Pyrrha replied.
Jane had a good idea as to why she wanted the fight though. Pyrrha struggled with her own title. 'Invincible Girl'. A moniker she earned by being unbeatable throughout her career as a gladiator fighter. There were very likely some complicated feelings directed toward the title.
Besides pride and accomplishment, it probably isolated Pyrrha from her peers and created people who only sought to get close to her due to her title. Something that the original Weiss seemed to do before the initiation.
"Very well then. But I can't spend too much time here. I have other entrees to filter out." Jane agreed, unsheathing her porcelume blades and rolling two around her fingers.
Pyrrha smiled and readied her weapons, Milo and Akouo. A mechashift red and gold spear and shield that turned into a rifle.
*WHOOSH!*
Instantly, Pyrrha was upon her. Her javelin spear shortened for close engagement thrusted and swung with perfect precision and strength that put Jane on the backpedal.
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Jane parried three strikes with a quick pivot of her body and kicked into her shield with a bladed boot. The sheer speed and power put into it surprised Pyrrha. The kicks pushed her back two steps and forced her to dig her heels into the grass.
"Good.." Pyrrha smiled and extended her javelin to its full length before throwing it straight at Jane.
*CREAK!*
Jane backflipped, letting the javelin pass over her before it impaled a tree. But instead of attacking Pyrrha right away like she expected, she hopped onto the javelin's shaft, balanced perfectly on it. She knew about Pyrrha's semblance. That throw was intended to give Jane a false opening, where Pyrrha would pull her javelin out from the tree as soon as Jane attacked her.
If it were anyone else, it might have worked.
"You don't strike me as the reckless type, Pyrrha. Throwing your weapon like that is a rookie mistake. And you're no rookie." Jane stated, leaping off the javelin as Pyrrha activated her semblance and recalled it to her hand.
"You're right. Sorry for underestimating you, Jane." Pyrrha smiled and once more started attacking as Jane landed gracefully.
Once more, the two clashed. The impact of their blades creating sparks and loud enough to draw the attention of Grimm and Entrees alike. The sounds of their battle drew in one particularly curious blond who hadn't yet found himself a partner.
"Woah... is this really what Huntsmen are capable of?" Jaune muttered to himself as he stood behind a bush and watched Jane and Pyrrha's fight.
Every kick, swing, block and flawless dodge made his heart race. It was like a dance, how they kept a certain rythm. Even the Grimm who tried to interfere in their fight hadn't actually disrupted them.
One Beowolf lunged at Jane and Pyrrha during a series of clashes.
"AOOO-" The wolf was bisected mid-air as the two pressed their attacks, both slicing its waist like it was an afterthought in their fight. Something not worth paying much attention to.
Jaune watched as Pyrrha slammed her shield down, to catch Jane by her leg and open her up to strikes. But the rat Faunus kicked up with her bladed boot and parried it perfectly. Her body pushed back as she crouched low and spun on her heel, landing yet another kick onto Pyrrha's shield as she aggressively attempted to strike her while she was seemingly vulnerable.
*CLAANG!*
It was easy to tell Pyrrha was getting frustrated. Every maneuver was seen through and Jane was very tricky to fight. But at the same time, she felt happy too. She was being pushed, hard. And Jane was holding back. Practically every strike, she hit at her armored arms, shield, shins and breastplate. It was clear to Pyrrha that Jane was treating this more like a spar than an actual battle and while her fighting style and speed frustrated her, it made her feel more human.
After their fiftieth exchange and seeing no fatigue or actual damage nor aura flicker, Pyrrha lowered her weapon and wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead.
"Thank you, Jane.." Pyrrha bowed her head with a relieved smile.
"It's nothing~. That was fun. I can only imagine how far you'll grow here. You're a very capable fighter, Pyrrha. Now, as much as I'd love to stay and chat.. you seem to have a partner waiting for you~." Jane stated, looking over Pyrrha's shoulder, into the bushes where Jaune was still watching.
Pyrrha turned around and blinked, her emerald green eyes slightly widening as she saw Jaune.
"Uh.. sorry to intrude. It's just that I heard loud metallic sounds and thought I'd find a partner here.." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Pyrrha shook her head with a smile and walked forward, her hand outstretched, "It's no problem at all. Looks as if we're partners now. What's your name?"
Jaune took her hand and cleared his throat, "I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc.. and yours?"
His question startled Pyrrha. Her brows slowly rising as she studied his clueless expression. He truly didn't know who she was. Pyrrha felt a slight chuckle escape her lips, one of sheer disbelief.
"You.. don't know me?"
"No.. should I?" Jaune asked, almost getting the impression Pyrrha was some entitled Huntess.
But the battle and humble demeanor he saw when she was interacting with Jane made him think twice.
"Well, it's not important!" Pyrrha cheerfully exclaimed before turning back to Jane, only to see the mysterious rat Faunus had already left.
"Ah.. I suppose she has her job to do. I'm Pyrrha Nikos. Let's hurry, shall we? I think we might be behind.." Pyrrha turned back to Jaune with a pleased smile, taking his arm and pulling him along as they moved on.
Jane watched them from atop a branch nearby, stretching languidly with a small smile.
'Good. I liked JNPR as a team. Now.. to beat up more teenagers~' Jane smirked and moved once more.
At that point, only a few entrees hadn't partnered up yet. The ones lacking in ability were beaten until their aura went low while the more capable ones were left alone after holding Jane off for a minute. Then, she found partners. Some were just capable enough. Others? Some had no real combat ability and lacked all sense of teamwork.
After taking care of a King Taijitu, Jane mercilessly eliminated two more entrees and took off once again.
She was getting close to the ruins when she saw familiar faces. Komano Manato, Alice Thymefield and Uzinami Yuzuha were fighting a large Deathstalker. It may have been the one teams RWBY and JNPR originally fought together with the big Nevermore. Regardless, it seemed the three teens were handling themselves well enough, with Yuzuha directing the flow of battle and supporting her two teammates with well timed Dust bombs thrown at the Grimm's eyes.
Jane stood atop a branch and watched Alice take the opening given by Yuzuha and stab her rapier into one of its larger eyes.
*SCREEEE!!*
The Deathstalker hissed in rage and pain, wildly swinging its pincers at Alice. Manato moved in to cover the rabbit Faunus and blocked its powerful pincer with his large blade. Though his feet dragged along the dirt as the Deathstalker pushed forward and prepared its glowing green stinger.
"Alice!" Yuzuha called out as she threw her Tanuki onto the Deathstalker.
The Tanuki, Kama, scurried up the large tail and started planting mini Dust bombs into the small gaps between the armor plates. Alice intantly understood Yuzuha's plan and thrust out several times in one second, piercing the Deathstalker's remaining eyes and giving Manato a chance to move away as the Grimm thrashed around and pulverized trees and stones near it.
Kama saluted Yuzuha after leaping off the top of the stinger and landing in her arms. And after getting a safe distance away, the redhead laughed and clicked a switch on her bladed umbrella, detonating the explosives on the tail.
*CRACKA-BOOOM!*
The Deathstalker flailed more as its tail was blown off and its protective white armor was cracked to pieces.
Seeing as it was no longer a threat anymore, Manato stabbed into its head and finished the creature off with a quiet grunt.
"Kkmh.. Looks like we're finished here." Manato stated, looking back to Alice and Yuzuha before noticing Jane standing atop a branch further behind them.
He immediately put his guard up, stepping in front of the two girls with a skeptical expression. Alice and Yuzuha however, didn't seem too concerned.
"Oh hey! Are you already teamed up? Lucky for you, Spook Shack has one more open slot." Yuzuha exclaimed with her signature smug smile.
"In fact, you'll be Manato's partner. Since I found Alice first and all. What say you?" Yuzuha asked, both her and Alice assuming Jane was an Entree.
'I could deny her and set the record straight.. but their teamwork and skill makes testing them pointless. They might be an even better team than teams RWBY and JNPR if they can solo a Deathstalker this size with just the three of them. Might as well have some fun~'
Jane hopped down and clasped her hands together, giving them a reassuring smile.
"Ah I'm glad to have ran into you guys. I saw the end of your fight and I have to admit.. I'm lucky to have partners who are so capable~" Jane cheerfully exclaimed, acting as an excitable teenager.
Manato relaxed his guard and shrugged before introducing himself and the others, "I'm Manato. Komano Manato. The redhead leader is Yuzuha and the blonde Faunus girl is Alice."
"Nice to meet you guys! I'm Melissa Wykes." Jane greeted, giving out a fake name.
"Great to meet you! You seem capable, Melissa." Alice greeted back with a friendly smile.
Yuzuha nodded several times, as if accepting something. Then, she tapped the ground with the blade of her umbrella.
"Now that we all know our names, let's go pass this entrance! I spotted the ruins further this way when I was gliding in the sky earlier." Yuzuha stated, pointing further NorthEast, where Jane knew the ruins were located.
Jane hid her smirk and nodded, starting some small talk with them as they made their way over to the ruins. Though, as soon as they got there.. they saw a strange sight.
Cardin Winchester and his team were fighting both Yang and Blake while a few Boarbatusks and Beowolves surrounded them. It was clear that Yang and Blake were just defending themselves but Jane had to ask herself just why they had started attacking them like this?
The answer came as soon as she saw the pedestal behind them. A chess board. With only four pieces left. Jane had to fight facepalming.
Each duo only needed to grab one piece. But Cardin's team was determined to take all four. And by the strange, lecherous looks in their eyes? Maybe take a little advantage of the two.
Not that they ever could. Taking just Yang on would be a challenge. Add Blake? Plus the other Entrees coming out of the forest and seeing everything?
It seemed Cardin and his team were in for a tough time.