RWBY Next Generation: VNIM

Chapter 5: The Cat's Out of the Bag

2 Weeks Later...

"Well everyone, I'm sure you're adjusting well to the way things work here at Beacon now that we have been here for two weeks. That's good, keep adjusting, keep going to class and learning all you can." Ozpin spoke over the loudspeaker to all of us. "The purpose of this announcement isn't just to remind you to try your best, no. I am taking this moment to announce that after school tomorrow and the whole weekend long we will be having supervised exhibition matches. What this means is that one student will be selected to fight against another one on one. The use of weapons is permitted, the use of dust is permitted. Nothing is off limits, this is an all out fight of course without aiming to completely destroy one another. When one of the students concedes or clearly cannot fight anymore, that's when I will call the match and determine the winner. The purpose of these matches is so that the teachers and professors have a chance to study your abilities and fighting skills to correctly determine what you may need to work on, as well as the best course of action for your team to work, well, as a team. Prepare for them, study hard and work even harder. And don't remember somewhere in between to have a little fun. Thank you." The announcement was over as the loudspeaker clicked off.

So, the first thing after we get to Beacon they give us this preliminary test to navigate our way out of a forest with a complete stranger. Then teams are decided and now we're being selected for fights right off the bat? Man, things were never dull here at school, that's for sure.

I wonder who I'll have to fight. I really hope I don't have to fight Nyx or Izzy, they're my friends and I wouldn't want to hurt them. Or worse, I really don't want to fight Maesen. I have seen a little bit of what she can do back in the rainforest, and I don't want that chasing after me in a fight.

Gulp.

After School the Next Day...

Students were filing in to some kind of arena where I guessed fighting exams and tournaments were held. On my way in with my teammates I felt kind of nervous. I mean this was going to be fun to watch the fights, but eventually we'd all have a chance to fight in that ring, and that was the part I was a little nervous about.

I mean, I would be okay with anyone, just no one from my team.

But of course, Ozpin, nor I had any say in who went when and up against who. There was an electronic board that was plastered to one of the walls of the arena that randomly selected two combatants from the registered students here at Beacon. It was a database that operated on some algorithm that I don't even think the mathematicians at this school could pick apart. Great.

Usually I liked random, but today I didn't.

"Welcome all." Glynda welcomed us yet again. "To the exhibition matches. The purpose of these is not to win, but to fight to your fullest. There will be a winner, but it is useful to remember that this isn't a tournament. The winner won't be advancing to another stage to fight another opponent. The winner is the winner, that's it. And all of you will be fighting in pairs as determined by the electronic board behind me. This is a completely random process, so whoever you are selected to fight, I wish each and every one of you good luck." Everyone cheered, and though some were excited, most of us were nervous.

And then there was Nyx who really didn't care much about this, and just wanted it to be over already. She even brought a book to read. Who even does that?

"Alright let's start with the first match." Ozpin said over the microphone.

The board pulled up two names, and it looked like Nyx's wish was about to come true:

"The first match is Nyx Belladonna versus Ranger Alabaster." Ozpin spoke over the microphone. Nyx calmly closed her book and handed it to me to hold onto, walking to the arena with this face on that told me she was bored with the whole thing. Ranger, whoever he was, seemed to be rather excited to be going first. The only problem was, he didn't seem to like being pitted against a girl. When the two combatants reached the fighting floor, Ozpin told them could begin whenever they wished.