Chivalry of a Reborn Huntsman

Desperado

Even if, by hypothesis, he was in a world where Noble Arts and Blazers didn't exist, this world's humans were not without powers of their own. Likely, he mused, to compensate for the presence of those monsters. Thanks to his Perfect Vision, he was able to see Yang was coated in something like a protective film – no doubt for the purpose of enhancing oneself like mana emission did with Blazers. The fact that her eyes changed color, reacting to her emotions, made him think there was something she hadn't yet awakened.

His theory was proven correctly when the edges of Yang's hair flamed bright and her punch revealed the lines of his slashes, igniting them and killing the monster – which hissed and then, quite strangely, dissolved.

He didn't want to get too skeptical, but a monster without a body to speak of is just a manner for someone to not let anyone analyze any corpse. Every world had a villain, and he didn't think the role belonged to those monsters alone.

"We could say it was a combo!" came the excited voice of the girl. "Slashburn! Wasn't that one of your secret sword attacks too?"

"Yeah, the fifth. It's called Kuruizakura, it allows me to perform slashes that will open with a time delay." Ikki replied, chuckling softly. "I noticed that perhaps, your dormant power activated?" It wasn't wise to reveal his circumstances, so the more he could get around the specific terminology he didn't yet know – well, the better really.

"You mean my Semblance? I was always a more brawler-ish fighter, particularly because of my dad, so I'm interested in learning how it works, especially if it'll allow me to play some pranks on my sis!"

"Is that so? I have a little sister too, sweet girl – she will be a wonderful woman." The wind blew and a bird cawed and Ikki swore he saw hints of the same film around a bird flying through- "Are you okay? You sound a little...wistful."

"Sorry. Just thinking about...what I left behind."

"Are you a traveler? Your name sounds eastern, perhaps Mistralian?" Deciding to play along and storing this information for future use, Ikki nodded.

"Precisely, I was also sheltered by my trainers. A peerless warrior by the name of Edelweiss, and an old swordsman whose honor and chivalry were without equal, Kaito Ayatsuji. I don't know much about the world, honestly. So, for the moment, I hope I can be in your care." Ikki bowed to Yang, and she stammered a bit. "Y-you don't have to be so earnest! We fought together and I feel in debt, and the daughter of Taiyang Xiao-Long has a reputation to uphold!"

What followed was the bellowing of a concerned parent – who Ikki assumed Taiyang Xiao-Long was a fairly bulky man with what definitely had been a mane of blond hair in his younger years, although they look more ruly now. "Yang, firecracker!" Ikki snickered at the nickname, "Are you okay?"

"Everything is fine, dad! Ikki and I made short work of the Grimm!" Yang pointed at him and Ikki bowed. "My name is Ikki Kurogane. I come from a line of mage-knights, people who have come to understand how to manifest one's soul into a weapon." For a moment, it looked like Taiyang's darkened at the mention of magic, but seemed genuinely intrigued about the full context of what he said. A figure emerged from behind Tai – he decided to call him that, easier to repeat – and looked at him with uncertainty in her silver eyes.

"This is Ruby, my sister!"

"Ah, the sister you would be playing pranks on with your Semblance?" Tai looked at Yang in approval, "You unlocked it? Fantastic!" He moved closer to her and whispered something in her ear, probably regarding the reason they were out in the wild without his knowledge. He had no business, so he moved away until Ruby called out to him.