Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Awkward Engagement.
The day after the Gala Fiasco, Aoihi and Weiss went to the Coliseum locker rooms, getting ready for their fights against their individual opponents. Aoihi was busy cleaning his swords as Weiss groaned with frustration.
“Argh! Gosh darn it, Aoihi! We’re such idiots! Us! Agreeing to fight for each other’s hand in marriage?! Don’t you realize what it means?! Especially with the Moeruhi family expectations!”
Aoihi sighed and recalled what he and Weiss remembered about his family expectations in marriage.
“I know, Weiss. I remember the fact that you’re unable to back out of marriage with me due to my Family’s values with commitment. I don’t like this either, but if we want to go to Beacon and have happy lives, we have no choice. Why else would I trying to calm myself by cleaning Azurestorm and Musahi.”
Weiss let off a heavy sigh as she dropped her arms to her sides. “Aoihi. I am sorry, I just…”
“Don’t be, Weiss.” Aoihi interjected as he placed his swords on the bench, stood up and then took Weiss’s hands into his own. “It’s not what we planned, or wanted, but, I rather be engaged with someone I know I can trust my life to than not. I have your back Weiss, and you have mine. We’re in this together, just like always. Okay?”
“Okay.” Weiss said in reply. She trusted Aoihi completely and fully. For she knew that he always intended to have her back.
“Weiss,” Aoihi then spoke as he reached into his pocket. “Here, take this, and use it to REALLY humiliate that girl for me.”
Weiss chuckled at that request as she took the dust vial from Aoihi’s hand. “Of course! I would GLADLY shut her mouth up!”
As the time carried on, the first fight was to begin. Weiss vs Tyra. Aoihi made sure to watch from the waiting area as he was to fight Palatinate after Weiss fought her opponent. As she predicted Tyra was very cocky and arrogant as she stood waiting with her for the okay to start fighting. Weiss looked at her with serious cold and icy judgment, trying to see if Tyra is even worth the fight. Of course, she would find something to criticize.
“Ugh. You’re too decked out with rings and jewels, and big ones at that. Are you honestly trying to compensate for your lack of manners or real appeal? Or do you think such high amount of trinkets would make Aoihi like you? For as his childhood friend, I KNOW he doesn’t like girls who flaunt their selfish and superficial things and want him for nothing but for his money and power.”
Tyra scoffed arrogantly at this. “Do you really think you’re more worthy for him than me?”
“Considering I actually have royal blood from my ancestors? Yes.”
That really offended Tyra. “Watch your mouth girl! I ACED the women’s fencing class!”
“By what? Bribing? Your hands look like they haven’t even grabbed the handle of the sword.”
“Oh? And yours?”
“I trained my skills as a fencer and dust mage since childhood. Even dueled Aoihi once or twice and truly found it fun.”
Tyra huffed in offense. “Oh! Really? How quaint!”
Weiss just scoffed and rolled her eyes as Ryo then spoke as the announcer for the fight below.
“Okay. Fighters at the ready! Draw your weapons, fight!”
Straight from the outset, Weiss and Tyra clashed with a ferocity that filled the room. The sharp clangs of their rapiers reverberated through the air, each strike accompanied by a shower of sparks. As they danced around each other, their swift movements resembled a deadly, intricate waltz.
Meanwhile, from the vantage point of the waiting area, Weiss's childhood friend, Aoihi, observed the duel with keen eyes. It was evident to him that Weiss possessed a refined skill and an unmistakable air of composure. Her movements were marked by a grace and elegance that set her apart from Tyra. Every action seemed calculated, every twist of her body executed with precision.
On the other hand, Tyra seemed to rely on an uncanny streak of luck rather than practiced skill. Her strikes lacked the finesse and fluidity that characterized Weiss's every move. While she fought with determination, her lack of refinement was starkly apparent, casting her as the polar opposite of her opponent.
As Tyra’s dumb luck struck again, striking the bust of Weiss as her aura shielded her from the attack, Weiss began to notice the lack of refinement and skill from Tyra as well.
“She’s got more cockiness and dumb luck on her side.” She thought. “Tyra is not a proper swordswoman like me, and Aoihi knows it by how he’s not looking too impressed with her.” She then looked at Aoihi and flashed him a smirk while he smirked back. They did not need to say ANYTHING. For that short exchange of smirks clearly stated to each other on the REAL show that was about to happen. Glancing back at Tyra, Weiss composed herself and looked at her with a dark glare as she held her Rapier with more grace and perfection as she pointed the tip of its blade at Tyra’s chest. The inexperienced, fencer was now intimidated. Perfect for the white-haired heiress, for she was SERIOUS now.
Charging at each other once more, Weiss and Tyra clashed blades, Weiss deflecting Tyra’s sword as it rang out across the Coliseum. She then activated her Hereditary semblance of Glyphs and used them to send Tyra flying backwards, before bouncing off another glyph to throw a kick at her. Tyra screamed in pain as she fell to her feet and charged at her opponent again. However, in this blade clash, Weiss had another trick up her sleeve. She delivered a gut buster to Tyra’s stomach with her right hand, and the girl in purple screamed in pain as she landed on Weiss’s black glyphs, which are infused with gravity dust to hold down enemies. Weiss then jumped into the air and changed to another dust in her rapier’s revolving chamber, which ignited her sword’s blade in blue flames.
“Time to use this secret weapon Aoihi gave me before the fight!” She thought before letting out a battle cry and bringing the final move on Tyra.
“BOOM!!!!!”
An explosion erupted on the battlefield as Weiss and Tyra became engulfed in the large cloud it produced. When the smoke cleared, Tyra lay unconscious on the ground with her aura shield shattered. Meanwhile, Weiss stood victorious with her aura shield still intact and her consciousness unharmed. The spectators at the Coliseum cheered, as Tyra’s parents growled with displeasure. It seemed they truly WANTED Aoihi as their daughter’s prize.
After Weiss had a chance to rest up and recuperate, she went over to the spectator area, sitting next to Aoihi’s mother, and unfortunately, next to her father. Jacques smirked as Aoihi and Palatinate Charmant walked to the center of the Coliseum. He looked at Weiss, holding quite the arrogant and smug expression.
“Palatinate Charmant is the top swordsman of Atlas, Weiss. The half-faunus prince will have no chance against him.”
Weiss just simply scoffed as she too looked out on the field. As she predicted, Aoihi was looking completely bored and uninterested as Palatinate Charmant gloated endlessly.
“Just watch for me, dear prince! I, Palatinate Charmant shall defeat you and claim my RIGHTFUL prize! You are inferior, remember? An autisic half-faunus who can’t even wield a sword!”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” Aoihi stated flatly, looking more and more bored. His father soon began to announce the fight again.
“Fighters at the ready! Draw your weapons, fight!”
Immediately, Palatinate charged at Aoihi as his sword and suit began to glow with the purple light of gravity dust. Aoihi then realized it was an illegal exo-suit and began to dodge Nonchalantly, just stepping to the side a little each time. As Palatinate stopped Aoihi spat at the ground.
“Puh! A gravity dust exo-suit? That is illegal in these kinds of duels, Palatinate. Top swordsman of Atlas my tush! You can’t even cut a Beowulf with that cheap trick and toy!”
Palatinate glared at Aoihi and screamed as he began to lose control and go faster. Aoihi dodged it every time, even when his sword turned into a whip. Furious, Palatinate decided he had no choice.
“Darn you! Since you’re so good at dodging, let us see if you can dodge my BEST move!”
With a charge, he zoomed towards Aoihi at a tremendous speed, as he swung his sword.
“Ah hah! Take that, prince of Atlas!”
However, his expression changed to shock when he saw that his sword was stuck in the ground. He then looked forward and gasped as Aoihi stood several feet away, looking completely unharmed, unimpressed, and very much bored as he dusted off his coat.
“So that’s your best move? Pathetic. All bark, no bite, and very much sloppy. You wasted my time here today. Didn’t even make yourself worthy to actual be considered a swordsman who can grab my interest.” Azure flame-shaped energy surrounded Aoihi once again before fading as bolts of energy came into its place. “I am not going to even bother using 10% of Blazing Will to beat you, so I will use 5% to humiliate you and expose your pathetic lack of genuine skill to EVERYONE today.”
Aoihi then charged at Palatinate in a blur of Azure, before clashing blades with him and actually overwhelming him with a barrage of Fast precise and Powerful, strikes. Palatinate was unable to keep up as Aoihi continued to drive him to a corner. The prince of Atlas soon kicked Palatinate in the stomach sent him backwards, before holding Azurestorm out to his right.
“Normally, I wouldn’t waste this on frauds like you. But considering how dull this ‘duel’ was. I need something to make things fun again.” The blue blade of Azurestorm soon ignited into blue flames, as Aoihi then charged towards Palatinate, before jumping into the air and using his momentum to spin in a mid air dodge roll.
“Moeruhi Single Sword Attack Form 2: Azure Wheel!”
The wheel of Blue Fire dust zoomed towards Palatinate and broke his aura shield completely as Aoihi landed on top of him. He stood victorious as Palatinate laid on the ground unconscious. The crowd cheered as Palatinate’s parents and Jacques fumed with anger. Now Weiss was free from being forced to marry the heir of the Charmants and able to go to Beacon too.
As the sun began to set across Atlas, Weiss and Aoihi were back in the Moeruhi Palace looking at the view of the city from a balcony.
“So… it’s official then, Aoihi. We’re engaged.”
Aoihi sighed. “Took you awhile enough to say that.”
Weiss huffed. “Well! It took me THAT long to process, Aoihi! Engagement is a BIG deal in your family!”
“I know, I know.” Aoihi replied. “But still, it’s going to be a tad awkward.”
Weiss sighed. “True. But, we’ll make it.” She then cupped Aoihi’s cheeks with her hands. “If there is one thing I have learned from having you as a childhood friend, Aoihi, it’s this. Life isn’t always perfect, but you got to have the faith, determination, and courage to make the best of it. Find the positive in life, and happiness will come. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
They soon began to nuzzle one another as they got closer together, and embraced one another. It was indeed strange, but they will figure out their new normal as an engaged couple.