Arcadia was a city that never shut up.
The streets were alive with noise—merchants shouting about discounts they definitely weren't giving, street performers doing tricks that barely counted as impressive, and kids running around screaming like they just learned volume control existed. I hadn't even been in the city for 2 hours, and I was already starting to wonder if being here was a mistake.
Outside the fact that RWBY was far lower on the scaling tiers, with the 2 divine beings being multi solar system level at best from statements, then I wondered why was this my home world.
Yeah, if I was reincarnated here, then what I often see in fanfiction I read meant this was my home world.
I kept walking, blending in with the crowd as best I could. Didn't need attention, didn't want it. Well, not yet.
My eyes flicked between the buildings—restaurants, bars, blacksmiths, Dust shops—nothing I cared about. I needed money, and then needed to buy a bunch of food and fast.
A sudden flash of bright red and gold caught my eye.
I stopped. A giant poster was plastered on a wall, and the obnoxiously bold letters practically screamed at me.
ARCADIA TOURNAMENT
BRACKETS
50,000 LIEN PRIZE
Test your mettle.
Huh?
I read the rest. The tournament was open entry, anyone could join, and it was happening today. In exactly 2 hours. I had 40 minutes left to sign up in fact, by the sounds of the roaring crowd in the distance, it might be assumed that a few people have already shown up.
[QUEST: WIN THE ARCADIA TOURNAMENT
Prove your combat prowess and claim the championship.
Rewards:
2500 EXP
25,000 Lien
Bonus Objective: Don't get hit once
Rewards:
5000 EXP
RWBY Aura (D) LVL 1/3 Unlocked]
…Well. That was easy cash in all honesty.
I was far above the regulars of that verse. And could sweep the tournament.
I turned on my heel and followed the sound of those gathering around.
The closer I got, the louder the crowd became.
Excitement buzzed in the air, a mix of cheers, arguments, and the occasional crash of something—or someone—hitting the ground. The tournament was already in full swing, and from the energy in the atmosphere, it seemed like people were enjoying the spectacle.
I wove through the mass of spectators, making my way to the sign-up booth. A grizzled old man sat behind a desk, barely glancing up as I approached. He looked more like he belonged in a tavern than officiating a tournament, but I wasn't here to judge employment choices.
"Entry fee's 100 Lien," he muttered, scratching the side of his head with a pen. "Non-refundable."
I tossed a handful of coins onto the desk. "Sign me up."
The man finally looked up, eyes narrowing as he took me in. I could already tell what was coming.
"Kid, you sure?" he asked. "We've got some real fighters in there. People who've trained their whole lives."
I met his gaze, unfazed. "Good. Means they'll last longer than a second."
He snorted, scribbling something on a paper before pushing a tournament bracket towards me. "Fine. You're in. Name?"
"Kaelith."
He wrote it down without comment, stamping the form before pointing towards a side gate. "Wait over there until you're called."
I stepped away, noting the competitors gathered around. A mix of overconfident brawlers, amateur Huntsmen-in-training, and a few that looked like they actually knew how to fight. None of them mattered. My opponents weren't going to last long enough for me to care about their skill levels.
Instead, my attention flicked to the arena itself. A large circular platform, reinforced to withstand heavy impacts. Sturdy, but ultimately irrelevant if I decided to go all out.
I didn't plan to.
Winning wasn't the issue. Winning without getting hit—that was the goal. And with what I had, it wouldn't be difficult.
My first match was called within minutes.
I stepped onto the arena, facing a broad-shouldered man with a great sword nearly the size of my body. He smirked, clearly convinced of his own victory.
"Hope you're ready to learn the difference between a rookie and a real fighter," he boasted, resting the flat of his blade against his shoulder.
I cracked my knuckles. "I'll finish this in 3 seconds exactly."
The match started... and ended as soon as it began.
A single step forward—vanishing from his sight.
I reappeared behind him, watching as realization set in far too late.
1.
Before he could react, I brought my elbow down onto his back with casual ease. The impact sent him sprawling forward, his greatsword clattering to the ground as he skidded to the edge of the arena.
2.
Silence.
The referee blinked, took a second to process, then raised his hand.
"...Winner: Kaelith!"
"Oh, couldn't last 3 seconds could you?" I smirked.
The crowd hesitated. Then the cheers came, mixed with shouts of confusion.
"Did you see that!?"
"She didn't even use a weapon!"
"What the hell just happened!?"
I stepped off the platform, ignoring the growing murmurs. This wasn't even close to my full strength.
The next few rounds were identical. Faster opponents tried to keep up—failed. Stronger opponents tried to endure—failed harder. Each match ended in an instant, my movements too quick, my attacks too precise. It wasn't even a challenge.
I had called out how long it would take me to win like I had thought my opponents were stronger, yet they never were.
I could hear whispers spreading.
"Who is she?"
"Is she a Huntsman?"
"No way, she's too young—right?"
By the time I reached the finals, the energy in the stadium had changed. People weren't just watching anymore. They were waiting.
Waiting to see if anyone could make me break a sweat.
But so far, I was giving them the Piccolo and Goku versus Raditz treatment, but they didn't have the lucky break of grabbing my tail.
I rolled my shoulders as I stepped onto the platform for the final time. The arena had never been this quiet before a fight. Not a lot of side chatter, no one calling out bets—just eyes locked on the stage, watching me like they were about to witness something insane.
Which, honestly? They were.
My opponent was already there, standing loose with a grin that screamed confidence.
Oh... that was a canon character.
Blonde hair, grey silver eyes. Sun Wukong.
The guy had some actual talent, not just the usual cocky bravado. Based on the show, he relied on his clones, and his gunchucks. His stance wasn't stiff or rigid like the wannabe Hunters before him—his weight shifted naturally, ready to react.
Good. It'd be boring if my final match was just another one-hit knockout.
He let out a low whistle. "Man, I've been watching you all tournament. You're fast."
I raised an eyebrow. "And?"
He spun his staff, letting it extend with a smooth flick. "And I like a challenge."
I shrugged. "You'll get over it."
The announcer barely got through "BEGIN!" before Sun moved.
A blur of gold and blue shot forward—then he wasn't there anymore.
Speed. Not just raw quickness, but mobility. The kind that let him weave through attacks, switch angles mid-air, and never stay in one place long enough to get pinned down. It was an actual strategy, not just flailing around like some of my previous opponents.
I dodged his opening strike, tilting my head just enough to let his chucks pass by harmlessly. Another attack came—this time from behind. I turned, already seeing the afterimage of his movement. Feints, huh? Clever.
But not good enough.
I let the next strike get close. Just close enough that he thought he had me—only for my foot to barely shift to the side, making him whiff completely.
His brows furrowed. "Huh?"
I smirked. "Too slow."
He clicked his tongue, pushing off the ground into a backflip, creating some space. "Alright, now I'm interested."
I let him come at me again. Not because I needed to, but because I wanted to see what he could do at full throttle.
Sun moved like a real martial artist, blending unpredictability with agility. He flipped, spun, and struck at angles most fighters wouldn't even attempt. But no matter how creative he got, my reaction speed was beyond anything he'd faced before.
And I was the far better martial artist.
Dodge. Step. Pivot. Each of his attacks slid past me like they were aimed at a ghost.
The crowd started picking up on it. Murmurs turned into full-on shouts.
"She's not even trying!"
"He hasn't landed a single hit!"
Sun backed off, panting slightly but still grinning. "Alright, so dodging's kinda your thing, huh?"
I shrugged. "You're fun to watch. Thought I'd let you get a few free swings in."
He spun his staff again, the smirk never leaving his face. "Nice of you. But I was hoping to at least hit you."
I tilted my head. "That so?"
He took a stance. This time, he wasn't rushing in blind. His grip on his weapon changed, shifting his weight forward slightly. He had moved back and gained distance... This was different. More refined. A step beyond just being fast and tricky—actual experience guiding his movements.
Sun had one last gamble, I knew about.
Of course. The Naruto special.
A faint flicker of golden light shimmered beside him as four Sun Wukongs burst forward in perfect synchronization, attacking from every direction. A solid strategy against a normal opponent.
Too bad I wasn't one.
Let's wrap this up.
I leaped high up into the air, 2 Ki spheres hummed to life.
The spheres of blue Ki suddenly turned red as I filled them with more Ki. The crimson energy sparked and I then fired one downwards. The second followed shortly after.
"Galactic Burst!" I unintentionally called out the attacks name as I used.
A giant explosion of energy followed.
All of his clones were gone, and the real Sun barely had a second to register it before his Aura shattered on impact.
BOOOM.
The force sent him flying across the arena, crashing into the far wall.
Silence.
The dust settled. Sun was just… lying there. Staring up at the ceiling like he was reconsidering his life choices.
The ref hesitated before clearing his throat. "Uh… winner: Kaelith?"
The stadium erupted.
"What the hell was that!?"
"She just deleted him!"
"No way, that wasn't a Semblance—what was that!?"
I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders. That was about as much effort as I was willing to spend on a casual fight.
Sun groaned, sitting up. He blinked a few times, then rubbed the back of his head. "Alright… ow."
I stepped over. "You good?"
He let out a breathy laugh. "Physically? Yeah. My pride? Not so much." He shot me a lopsided grin. "Damn, you're crazy strong."
I shrugged. "I get that a lot."
Sun pushed himself up, stretching. "Y'know, you're kinda my type. Strong, confident, can obliterate me in one hit—"
I held up a hand. "Nope."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"Lesbian." I gave him the simple truth. Because it was simple.
I didn't get the lesbian's who screamed at a man after being hit on. They didn't know you were lesbian until you told them. Sure it might be annoying, but screaming at them for hitting on you, was downright pathetic.
A beat of silence. Then he held up his hands. "Fair enough."
"Name's Kaelith though." I moved my hand to help him up.
He took it, "Sun Wukong."
The tournament ended at that show of good sportsmanship, with my name at the top of the bracket, my prize money waiting at the officials' table.
I walked up to it, and took it.
[Ding! Quest: "WIN THE ARCADIA TOURNAMENT" has been completed.
Ding! Bonus Quest: "Don't get hit once" has been completed.
Rewards:
EXP gained: 7500
25,000 Lien
RWBY Aura (D)]
[Level Up X7!
Stat Points gained: 70]
With that much, I could get supplies to last me quite a long time.
Which I required actually.
I needed enough food to last me a week after all.
That new Aura skill though...
Right, I might as well explain why I hate RWBY as I buy my stuff.
Walking around to buy the food and water I required, I sank deep into my thoughts pulling from my Axiom Memory.
The lore is very inconsistent. Aura is inconsistent as a Power System, and Magic and Aura don't work well together, in fact Aura and Magic have the same fucking description.
A manifestation of a persons soul.
The 2 just... don't work well together.
For example, let's compare these power systems to One Piece's.
To put it bluntly, RWBY's power system is a mess.
And I'm not just saying that as someone who prefers structure in her mechanics—though, yeah, I do. I'm saying it because I've seen how power systems should be built. Haki and Devil Fruits? Now that's a good example of two separate but well-integrated mechanics. They have flaws, sure, but at least they don't feel like they were haphazardly stitched together like some half-baked fan theory.
Let's break it down.
Devil Fruits are all about gaining a unique ability in exchange for your ability to swim. Simple, effective, and easy to expand upon. There's a hierarchy (Paramecia, Zoan, Logia), clear limitations, and most importantly, counterplay. You're not just stronger because you ate a Devil Fruit—you have a unique toolset that can be exploited or countered by someone with the right strategy.
Then there's Haki—a completely separate power system based on willpower and combat prowess. You don't need a Devil Fruit to use Haki, and Devil Fruits don't inherently make you good at Haki. That distinction alone keeps both systems independent yet complementary.
Armament Haki makes you hit harder, lets you bypass Devil Fruit intangibility, and reinforces your durability.
Observation Haki gives you enhanced perception, reaction speed, and, at higher levels, limited future sight.
Conqueror's Haki? Pure dominance—willpower manifesting into raw force.
All of this makes fights dynamic. Devil Fruit users rely on their powers, but someone with strong Haki can brute force through abilities that would otherwise be broken. Even Logia users—who were once considered untouchable—get humbled by people with strong Armament. That balance is what makes it work.
That's what RWBY lacks.
On paper, RWBY has Aura which is paired up with Semblances, and Magic. But the problem? They don't actually work together in a meaningful way. They're not two complementary systems with strengths and weaknesses. They're just… there.
Aura is supposedly a "manifestation of the soul." It's your "life force," your barrier, and your fuel for using a Semblance. Sounds simple enough, right?
Semblances are… also manifestations of the soul? But they're more like quirks, and they don't seem to follow any consistent rule set. Some are passive, some require active activation, and some just outright break the logic of Aura itself. Now this would be fine if we were explained that Semblances have different types to them.
Like how Quirks in MHA had Emitter, Mutant, and Transformation. And all the Quirks in MHA can fit into one of these 3 categories.
And sometimes a Semblance works in 2 different ways then what we've been told... let's not get into that right now.
Magic is ALSO a manifestation of the soul? But only for the Maidens and Ozma's reincarnations? And for some reason, it bypasses Aura entirely despite being described in the exact same way?
Do you see the issue here?
Aura and Magic are fundamentally the same thing by their own definitions, but they don't interact. Like, at all. Aura is supposedly "your soul," but then why does Magic—which is ALSO "your soul"—go right through it? If you're going to have multiple power systems, they should have clear interactions with each other.
And yes, Magic is a supposedly forgotten power, but when the issue is how both manifest from the soul, then what's the point of separating them? In fact, both feel way too similar to each other, that without being told you can't tell what is magic and what is a Semblance, and because of that it feels like they Magic shouldn't have been introduced into RWBY whatsoever.
In fact, the show would be better off without it.
Then they made Salem use it.
Great now you can't retcon it later, because your BIG BAD, uses it. Well done, you played yourself.
Haki and Devil Fruits work because Haki directly counters Devil Fruits and was hinted at for a long ass time. There's a push and pull, a balance. In contrast, Aura and Magic just… exist in separate lanes, occasionally bumping into each other with no real logic behind it.
Now, to be fair, even One Piece isn't perfect.
Some Devil Fruits are way stronger than others (looking at you, OP broken Zoans).
Haki started out as an underdog mechanic but eventually became too dominant—Logia users who were once untouchable now get folded instantly.
Some fruits that should be busted (like Monet's Snow-Snow Fruit) get wasted because the user is garbage. But that's fine. In fact, that's good.
Not everyone has the talent to make use of a fruit.
Give someone Luffy's fruit and they'd never even awaken Gear 2 and Gear 5 would be impossible for them.
But here's the key difference: Even when One Piece's power system has flaws, it still follows a consistent logic. You can predict matchups, make strategies, and understand why someone wins or loses.
RWBY? It's all plot-driven. No real rules, just whatever fits the scene.
And even the plot feels barely consistent at times. Volume 1? You could outright skip it. 2? Skip. Volume 3 contains most of the important stuff that needs to be seen in the Beacon arc and feels important later on. Volume 4? You can't skip.
You see the issue? It does not do your show a favour when the first 2 volumes can be outright skipped.
Most details in those 2 volumes feel... glossed over in later ones, and outright contradictory. Yang is looking for her mother? Volume 4. Blake's character arc? Volume 4. Weiss and Ruby are the same. It feels like there's no important plot points from those 2 that are.. continued or expanded upon later on.
Actually... what the fuck happened to Beacon after it's fall? The actual series? No answer.
Fun fact, the rewrite fixed this by having a few characters actually oh, I don't know Reclaim the fucking city!
Resulting in Cardin and Velvet getting together. Which is built up over several parts where Cardin is forced to trust Velvet to keep him alive, and Velvet him. Naturally this blossoms...
I sighed, rubbing my temple. I wasn't willing to spoil the rewrite for people.
RWBY is incompetent, inconsistent, and it can take 5 hours to explain everything wrong with it.
Why is this my home world again?
Oh right, I had no chance.
I had brought everything I needed and ended up using 12200.
I wasn't going to buy my Scroll yet, in fact, I wanted to go off and into the mountains near here to... master my Oozaru form.
Kaelith knew how to make a Power Ball and thus I who reincarnated into her body would know how to.
At some point, I needed to master it, why not do it as soon as possible? And undergo a slight training arc in the process.
Not that I needed it, but I wanted to actually enjoy my fights, thus I needed to reverse engineer how to suppress my Power Level, which is my Ki, which should finally let me take damage... if my Aura breaks.
Ugh, having that skill makes me sick. If it was Nen Aura, I might have been fine, but... RWBY's makes me sick.
The city buzzed behind me as I moved toward the mountains, a distant hum of life that grew fainter with each step. I had what I needed—supplies, water, and more than enough food to last a week. Now, all that was left was finding a spot where I could train without some idiot stumbling across a ten-story rage-monkey tearing through the wilderness.
It took me about fifteen minutes to leave Arcadia's outskirts, and another half-hour to hit the base of the mountains. The air shifted here—colder, thinner, less tainted by the endless chatter of the city. It was quiet.
A bit too quiet.
I clicked my tongue. "Figures."
Even without Sixth Sense kicking in, I could feel it. Grimm.
The forest up ahead was dense, tall trees rising like blackened spears toward the sky. Shade pooled beneath the canopy, shifting and swaying in unnatural patterns.
I crouched slightly, adjusting my stance. Then, without hesitation—
BOOM.
I kicked off the ground. Leaves exploded into the air as I shot forward, wind roaring past my ears. In less than a second, I was inside the treeline.
And there they were.
A pack of Beowulves. Five of them, snarling, red eyes gleaming in the dim light. Their claws scraped against the dirt as they turned toward me.
I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders. "Alright, warm-up time."
One of them lunged, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Its fangs glinted as it swiped at my throat.
I leaned back, dodging effortlessly, then drove my knee into its jaw with enough force to send it flipping backward. Before it even hit the ground, I was already moving.
The second Beowulf tried a side-swipe. I caught its wrist, twisted sharply, and ripped the arm clean off. The Grimm howled, staggering—until I slammed my fist through its chest, shattering it to mist.
The other three hesitated. Smart. But not smart enough.
I extended my palm. A small, concentrated Ki blast hummed to life, crackling with blue energy.
One flick of my wrist—
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled through the clearing. The remaining Beowulves barely had time to react before their bodies disintegrated in the blast.
[Ding! Beowulf X5 Defeated.]
[EXP Gained: 500]
I dusted off my hands.
"Easy."
A few seconds passed before I stretched my senses outward again. The area was clear now, but I wasn't taking any chances.
The deeper I ventured into the mountains, the more isolated it became. The terrain was rugged—jagged cliffs, winding paths, and dense foliage that made navigation a pain. Perfect.
After some searching, I found a rocky outcrop near a secluded valley. High ground, decent cover, and far enough away that I wouldn't risk flattening a town if my training got too intense.
First things first: a shelter.
I raised my fist and drove it into the rock face. CRACK. A chunk of stone exploded outward. Another punch, another crater. I kept going, carving out a small, enclosed cave. It wasn't pretty, but it was functional.
I placed my supplies inside, stacking the food and water neatly. The cave wasn't far from a natural spring, so I had a water source.
With the basics done, I ventured deeper into the mountain. My memory made it easy to remember my spot. And I needed to do this quickly.
After finding a good spot.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and attempting to suppress my own Ki, or Mana I guess.
It was... strange. As I concentrated inwardly I could feel it.
It was a spark of Energy, flowing all throughout my body but primarily focused on the centre of my body. But it felt more like... an ocean... and it was constantly flowing throughout my body at all times but... with deep, extreme and arduous effort I could somewhat turn that ocean into a sea. I was making a door, that held back the rest—
—Yet I couldn't hold it and opened my eyes, breathing heavily.
For now, I had to take this as a small victory that I got that far so quickly to learning this ability. But now, came the Oozaru training.
I had no idea how long it would take to master it, but Kaelith's memories told me everything I needed to know
A Power Ball.
A created moon substitute borne of Ki that would flood my body with the necessary Blutz Waves.
I stepped into the open, inhaling deeply. "Alright, let's do this."
I extended my palm and concentrated, pulling Ki into a swirling sphere above my fingertips. The energy twisted, condensed, shaping itself into a glowing white orb.
A Power Ball.
I tossed it into the sky staring up at it as I say, "Burst open and mix."
The false moon expanded outwards, and almost immediately, the air shifted.
A primal force surged through my veins, my muscles tightening, my body expanding. My vision darkened as the transformation began. My breath hitched. A shockwave of raw power exploded from my core. My vision blurred as my body grew, expanded, twisted. The earth trembled beneath me as my form swelled past ten meters, dark fur spreading across my limbs and the armour stretching to accommodate the new size. I felt my teeth grow out, and become much larger.
The last thing I remembered was being filled with a primal desire to destroy everything in my path... everything went black.