jaune the undead king (remake)

While Ozpina watched from the shadows, her emotions swirling, Jaune stood firm in the arena. His skeleton stood beside him, an imposing and steadfast ally. Team CRDL snapped out of their initial shock and charged at Jaune, confident that his undead summon would crumble under their assault.

Cardin was the first to strike, swinging his mace toward the skeleton with all his might. However, the undead warrior raised its shield in perfect timing, deflecting the blow with ease. Cardin stumbled slightly, thrown off by the skeleton’s precision.

From behind, Dove sought to take advantage of the skeleton’s focus on Cardin. He lunged forward, intending to strike a decisive blow. But the skeleton, with eerie awareness, sidestepped at the last moment. Dove's weapon struck Cardin instead, the loud impact making Cardin curse under his breath.

The skeleton wasted no time, capitalizing on the confusion. With a calculated movement, it delivered a powerful shield bash to Dove, knocking him off balance. Dove tried to counter, but the skeleton’s strikes came faster and harder than he anticipated. Within moments, he was disarmed, his weapon clattering to the ground.

Jaune, meanwhile, faced Sky and Russel with calm determination. Sky charged at him, swinging his weapon in a wide arc, but Jaune sidestepped smoothly, avoiding the blow. Before Sky could recover, Jaune delivered a sharp punch to his gut, followed by a swift slash with his sword. Sky’s aura flickered, dropping from 100 to 70 in an instant.

Across the arena, Dove found himself further overwhelmed. The skeleton struck him with unrelenting force, driving him back. His aura plummeted, matching Sky’s at 70.

Cardin and Russel fared no better. Jaune’s calculated movements and the skeleton’s unyielding assault had them struggling to keep up. Both their aura levels had dropped to 85, frustration and panic evident on their faces.

The crowd watching the fight was stunned into silence. This wasn’t the Jaune they were used to mocking. This Jaune fought with skill, precision, and an unsettling confidence.

From the stands, Yang and Lea were practically glowing with pride.

“Hell yeah! Show them what happens when they mess with you, Jaune!” Yang yelled, her voice filled with excitement.

Lea smirked, crossing her arms. “They wanted a fight, and they got one. Look at them scrambling. It’s pathetic.”

Goodwitch, standing off to the side, was visibly seething. Her displeasure was written all over her face as she watched her chosen favorites falter against the boy she so often dismissed.

But for Ozpina, hidden in the shadows, this was something else entirely. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Jaune, studying every move he made. The way he fought—the grace, the precision, the tactics—it was all too familiar.

Her heart ached as memories began to surface. Memories of her late husband, Jaune, fighting alongside her and Salem. The exact fighting style she now saw in the arena had once been his. She could almost hear his laughter, feel the warmth of his embrace as they trained together under the sun.

Her hand trembled as tears streamed down her face. “It’s him... it has to be,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “That’s his style. His technique. My Jaune…”

The memories overwhelmed her:

Her and Salem’s shared joy when they discovered they were both carrying his children. The way he’d always been there to protect and support them. The happiness they had, brief as it was, before it was ripped away by the Brother Gods.

The arena seemed to fade around her as she was pulled deeper into the past. The pain of losing him, the desperation to bring him back, the curse that tore her and Salem apart—it all came rushing back.