They walk side by side down the corridor, the usual hum of Beacon returning around them-footsteps, laughter, distant locker doors slamming shut.
For a moment, neither of them speaks.
Pyrrha breaks the silence first. "You didn't have to step in like that," she said in a grateful tone.
Erik glances at her. "Someone had to. I think that jerk doesn't stop unless someone tells him to."
She nods slowly. "Still... thank you. I appreciate it."
Erik smirks and pat her shoulder. "No problem. You're my leader after all."
The cafeteria doors slide open, spilling noise and warmth into the hallway. The smell of food hits immediately fried potatoes, bread, something sweet.
Inside, students crowd the tables. Team RWBY is already visible near the center, Yang waving dramatically while Ruby stands on her chair, still talking about the hallway incident to anyone who will listen.
"Looks like the rumor mill works fast," Erik mutters.
Pyrrha smiles faintly. "It seems Beacon students is very efficient at that."
They grab their trays and move through the line. When they finally sit down, Pyrrha sets her tray aside and looks at Erik more seriously.
"About tomorrow," she says. "With Professor Goodwitch watching... don't let him get under your skin."
Erik leans back calmly and doesn't feel to much about his upcoming spar with Cardin. "Don't worry, I'm already experienced on the battlefield. He's just a green rookie. At most he's just swing his mace like madman."
That earns a soft laugh from Pyrrha.
"If that so, then I'll cheer you from side." she says.
"With you cheering on the side, I don't feel I'll lose."
Across the room, Cardin sits with his team, shooting a glare in Erik's direction.
Erik meets his eyes once then looks away, entirely uninterested.
Pyrrha notices.
Another small victory.
For now, lunch resumes like normal.
Tomorrow can wait.
The Next Day
The training hall hums with low conversation and the metallic chime of Aura monitors syncing with their users. Sunlight pours through Beacon's high windows, casting sharp lines across the polished arena floor.
Students gather along the perimeter.
Team RWBY stands near the front-Yang leaning forward with barely restrained excitement, Ruby gripping Crescent Rose like she might jump in at any second. Weiss watches with analytical focus, while Blake observes quietly, eyes following every movement.
Not far from them stands Team JNFR.
Jaune shifts his weight nervously. "Uh... Cardin looks really serious about this."
Nora grins wide. "Ooooh, I love it when bullies get smacked by reality."
Ren folds his arms, calm as ever. "This will depend on control, not strength."
Frost Silver leans forward eagerly, eyes shining. "Come on, Erik! You've got this! This is gonna be awesome!"
Pyrrha stands slightly apart from them, posture composed but her attention is locked entirely on Erik.
"Fight well Erik!"
At the center of the arena, Professor Glynda Goodwitch stands perfectly still, riding crop resting against her shoulder.
Her presence alone silences the room.
"Today's session," she says evenly, "is a supervised sparring evaluation. This is not a personal confrontation."
Her gaze sharpens as it settles on Cardin Winchester.
"I will tolerate no reckless behavior."
Cardin steps forward with a scoff, armor plates shifting as he rolls his shoulders. His mace, The Executioner, rests heavily in his grip.
Erik steps onto the opposite mark without hurry.
He hold and draws his sword Calibur from the sheath.
Steel slides free with a clean, controlled hiss.
A longsword-straight-bladed, balanced, built for control rather than brute force. Erik holds it loosely at his side, blade angled downward.
Frost's eyes widen. "Whoa... that's a clean draw. Not a lot people can do that."
Blake nods slightly. "Judging by his stance. I guess he's a combatant with a long experience on the battlefield."
Goodwitch raises her riding crop.
"This match ends when I say it ends. Aura thresholds will be monitored."
The crop taps once.
"Begin."
Cardin charges immediately, swinging his mace in a wide horizontal arc meant to overwhelm through sheer power.
Erik steps back just enough.
The mace slams into the floor, stone cracking outward. Dust erupts.
Jaune flinches. "That would've crushed someone..."
"He didn't panic. It seems he's really have an battlefield experience." Ren notes.
Erik shifts sideways, longsword coming up as Cardin swings again. He redirects the shaft with the flat of his blade and slips inside Cardin's reach, landing a quick kick to the knee.
Aura flashes.
"Yes!" Frost pumps a fist. "Nice timing!"
Cardin snarls and brings the mace down in a crushing overhead strike.
Erik rolls forward, the impact shaking the arena. He pivots and snaps the flat of his longsword into Cardin's ribs.
Aura flares again.
Murmurs ripple through the spectators.
"He's controlling the distance," Weiss notes quietly.
Yang grins. "And making Cardin work for every swing."
Nora laughs. "He's making it look easy!"
Cardin feints on the next charge, reversing his swing mid-motion.
The mace clips Erik's shoulder.
His Aura shimmers and dips while the monitor showing decreasing only one point.
Pyrrha stiffens a little when she sees Erik get hit but sighed with relief after seeing the monitor.
Erik doesn't look get slow down at all.
The Aura shimmer stabilizes unnaturally fast rebuilding, reinforcing itself. His breathing remains steady.
Frost blinks. "Did you see that? His Aura-"
"Decrease one point before it recovered," Ren finishes quietly. "Very quickly."
Jaune stunned. "It almost look like he have an infinite Health point in a video game."
"In that case the only reason why it decrease so few because he have an abundance of aura. At the same time he's aura recovery is also abnormally fast." Weiss add her reasoning.
As the fight drags on, Cardin's swings grow heavier, more desperate. Erik keeps moving-parrying, redirecting, waiting.
And with every second, he looks more composed.
Nora tilts her head. "Is it just me, or is Cardin getting tired?"
"He is," Jaune says softly. "And Erik isn't. It almost as if Erik just a cheater when you play a game."
Cardin commits to a massive overhead strike.
Erik steps inside.
He hooks the crossguard of his longsword against the mace's shaft, forcing it downward. The impact rattles the floor.
Cardin's eyes widen.
Erik drives his knee into Cardin's stomach.
Once.
Twice.
Then a sharp palm strike to the chest.
Cardin is launched backward, skidding across the arena before slamming into the wall.
His Aura shatters with a sharp crack.
The arena goes silent.
Frost exhales in awe. "That... was incredible."
Goodwitch raises her riding crop.
"Enough."
She steps forward as Cardin slumps to one knee.
"Well executed," she says, eyes on Erik. "Effective control and timing."
Erik lowers his longsword and nods.
Cardin forces himself up and walks away without a word.
The arena erupts.
Yang cheers. Ruby bounces. Nora claps loudly.
"That's what I call a lesson!" Nora laughs.
Jaune smiles in relief. "Yeah... definitely."
Frost beams, practically glowing. "I knew he'd pull it off!"
Ren gives a small nod of approval.
Pyrrha finally exhales.
Erik returns to her side, putting the longsword back in the sheath.
"That was a good match Erik," she says softly.
He smiles faintly. "Its nothing, but thanks for the compliments."
Erik then turn his head and look at team CRDL specifically Cardin and spoke quietly. "Let see if that guy still want mess up with me."
To Be Continued...