[Discontinued] Yet Another World (Re:ZeroxRWBY)

15. Sudden Reunion

One man stood his ground upon the combat class' training grounds, carrying his new whip, a bullwhip-blackjack hybrid with a wind dust infusion, courtesy of Ruby's design. He also wields a parrying dagger in his offhand, while another weapon, a boomerang, is attached to the back of his belt pack. The nasty-eyed now 20-year-old man known as Natsuki Subaru is dressed in his newly donned combat outfit. Still a tracksuit, but it is a tracksuit specifically suited for combat. Its color can be said to be similar to that of a wasp, fitting for his fighting style, yellow and black instead of his usual orange. Its material is made to withstand stronger impacts and sudden slashes, while still being relatively light and easy to breathe in.

He gets onto his stance, dominant foot in the front and the other in the back, aiming his dagger towards the target in front of him, a young woman. Once an enemy now turned ally and teammate, her clothing still reminded him of the first time they met where he died thrice to her.

Scarlet Blackhall, formerly Hyena, is walking towards the arena. Her face presents a much friendlier type of intimidation, more playful and soft rather than her usual bloodlust. Carrying a single sword in her dominant hand, with her scabbard on the other, she quickly gets to her usual stance.

"Does this remind you of our first time, Barubaru?" She said in a teasing tone, giggling a little upon calling his nickname she gave him.

"Obviously! Also, that tone makes it sound inappropriate, we have children watching!" He said half-screaming.

Within the sidelines, Beatrice huffed, upset at her contractor for calling her a child, "Betty's Subaru is an idiot at calling Betty a child again, I suppose!"

"It's kinda true from the way you act though, Beako" Subaru responded, looking towards her, making her pout even more.

Both Scarlet and Indigo can only laugh as both the contractor and spirit exchange banter. The latter raises her right arm, waiting for the right moment to start the match. This was a practice match, formed by Subaru as per request from Shiro Indigo, his current combat mentor, to keep the entire team sharp in terms of skill and combat capability just before their round in the Vytal Tournament starts.

It began all the way back to the first week after they got formed into a team, and it was one of Subaru's brightest ideas. A team event that was commenced every two weeks during their free time, it was a really genius idea even after so long since the first match had started. He is proud of the progress they're making in terms of getting the entire team closer. Though he had to admit, aside from Indigo herself, only he knows how important a strict training regime is, even Scarlet doesn't know due to her laziness getting back to her after she had recovered from her curse.

As for the Vytal Tournament. It is an event formed to remember the peace treaty that was made at the end of The Great War, this world's equivalent of the world wars where each kingdom fought each other. It caused millions of deaths and a lot of massacring from Grimm due to the sheer negativity of it all. The war was then subsequently ended by the mythical figure known as the King of Vale, who ended it by intervening during the final battle with the usage of a secret weapon that is rumored to be stored within the secret vaults of Beacon Academy. The treaty took place in the island of the same name, Vytal, just north of the continent of Sanus, the Kingdom of Vale's mainland.

The Vytal Tournament itself, however, is an international Grand Olympics-type of sports event that is held every two years, which is a tournament, held by all of the four kingdoms upon a floating and mobile island known as Amity Colosseum.

Symbolically, the tournament battles that unfold in the event itself will represent a reminder to always strive for excellence and never mediocrity. Which Subaru is trying desperately to reach. Even with 3 years of training, a year in Remnant, and two years back in Lugunica, with countless loops as battle experience, it's not enough to meet the standards of both worlds.