The REDS of war

Volume Seven Chapter Six

The morning after Jacques Schnee closed the Schnee Dust Company's nonessential facilities, the Mantle rioters are sitting on sidewalks and in police airships with their wrists bound by bolases. A soldier escorts Drinking Buddy along a sidewalk while Atlesian Knight-200s patrol the area. Drunk Mann stands in line with other Mantle citizens outside a polling station. As Drunk Mann gets to the booth, he decides whether he will vote for Robyn Hill, Jacques Schnee, Ivy Brown, or Pearl Wistier. The outside walls have campaign posters for both Jacques and Robyn Hill, and Jacques' posters have been spray-painted over.

"Although rioting in Mantle is finally under control, how does it feel to know that the majority of those involved were your supporters?"

In a building somewhere, a reporter from the Mantle Daily is interviewing Robyn. "I don't condone rioting, especially when our city is being denied aid for the hardships we've already had to go through, but Jacques Schnee's latest stunt is holding the city hostage for his own political gain." Drunk Mann approaches a voting booth and begins his vote. His hand hovers over the screen as he hesitates. "So I understand their anger, but ask that they show it not in the streets but at the polls today."

In the Atlas Academy training room, Blake Belladonna uses her Semblance and jumps from pillar to pillar while Yang Xiao Long follows and attempts to catch her.

Below Blake and Yang, Winter Schnee sends her Beowolf Summon to attack Weiss Schnee, who creates black glyphs above, below, and to the left and right of it. Weiss then uses the glyphs to throw the Beowolf Summon around, slamming it against the glyphs. She creates a white glyph in front of her and uses it to send the Summon back toward Winter, who creates her own white glyph to stop it. However, Winter suddenly winces in pain and drops to one knee. She then discovers that a small version of Weiss' Arma Gigas Summon snuck up to her and cut her ankle with its sword. The Arma Gigas strikes a pose with its sword on its shoulder, and Winter glares at Weiss, who gives a smug smirk in return and giggles.

Behind Weiss, Jaune Arc is using his shield to deflect a rubber ball, while Nora Valkyrie keeps hitting it toward him with her hammer. Nora activates Magnhild's upgrade, charging herself up with electricity. She swings Magnhild around and sends the ball rocketing toward Jaune, who blocks it and slides backward several feet before dropping to one knee. The emblem on his shield glows cyan while he blocks, and the ball eventually turns to ash.

Nearby, Oscar Pine is using his Scroll to keep track of Jaune's Aura, which has been reduced to approximately 65%. Jaune sits up and takes a deep breath, his Aura glowing for a moment, and Oscar watches Jaune's Aura increase to approximately 95%.

"Nice, your recovery is getting faster." Oscar says.

Nora walks over to Jaune, who gives a cheerful thumbs-up. Nora then gives him a heavy pat on the back, still using her Semblance, which knocks him onto the ground, reducing his Aura to approximately 64%. Ruby Rose zooms past with her Semblance, heading straight toward Lie Ren who is meditating in front of a pillar. She splits into three red blurs, which all go around Ren and the pillar, before merging into one blur and becoming Ruby again.

"Have you always been able to do that?" Oscar asks.

Ruby peeks out at him from behind the pillar and then walks over to him panting. "I don't know. I don't normally think it through that much."

"You guys are evolving and I still don't have my Semblance."

"Well, I bet we'll all be jealous when you do." Ruby smiles.

Ren continues meditating, deep in a state where he has blocked out everyone around him. There is a ringing sound, followed by the sound of the training room door opening, and Ren opens his eyes and looks toward the door.