The moment Yang dragged him into the heart of the dance floor, the world shifted.
Yang turned to face him, one hand already catching his wrist as she leaned in just enough for her voice to cut through the noise.
"Alright, Arc," she said, her lips curling into a grin that carried a very clear challenge. "Let's see what you've got."
There it was. That spark in her eyes.
Jaune felt something in his chest respond. Maybe it was the alcohol loosening the usual restraints, or maybe it was just Yang being Yang. Either way, he didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward and moved.
At first, it was simple. Matching the rhythm, letting his body fall into the beat. But then the music climbed, the tempo weaving and twisting, and something instinctive took over. His movements sharpened, fluid and controlled, yet loose enough to feel natural.
Yang's grin widened.
"Oh?" she called out over the music. "Okay, I see you."
She stepped in closer, matching him beat for beat, her movements bold and confident. There was a natural fire to the way she danced, something explosive but controlled, like she was always just on the edge of breaking into something wilder.
Jaune kept up and even more than that, he matched her.
That seemed to delight her.
"I heard you were good," Yang said, spinning once before sliding back in front of him. "Blake told me all about your dancing skills in Atlas."
Jaune raised a brow, still moving.
"Yeah?"
"I figured you'd be all… ballroom and fancy steps," she continued, gesturing loosely. "Didn't think you could freestyle like this."
"I've got seven sisters, you know?" Jaune let out a small laugh
Yang paused for half a second then nodded like that explained absolutely everything.
"…yeah, that tracks, I guess. Forgot about that."
The music shifted, enough that the entire energy changed. The heavy beat softened into something slower. Something… closer.
Yang didn't hesitate.
Her arms slid up, looping around the back of his neck as she stepped in. Their bodies aligned naturally, the space between them disappearing in a way that felt both deliberate and inevitable.
Jaune's breath hitched slightly as his own hands settled at her waist.
The world around them seemed to blur at the edges.
Up close, Yang face was flushed, a soft red dusting across her cheeks. Her eyes held his, unwavering, bright with something that wasn't just excitement anymore.
Her scent reached him then. Fruity citrus, bright and sharp, layered over something warmer. Something faintly smoky.
It lingered and Jaune swallowed, practically tasting it on the tip of his tongue.
His heart was beating faster now.
Not from the dancing.
From this.
They kept moving together, slower, but no less intense. Every shift, every step and every subtle motion carried a weight that hadn't been there before.
Neither of them looked away from each other's eyes.
Not once.
Somewhere at the edge of the dance floor, the others were watching.
Blake's eyes flicked toward Weiss. Weiss glanced toward Pyrrha. There was a quiet exchange there. A silent understanding forming like a ripple through still water. They were planning something.
Nora leaned slightly toward Ren.
"…oh this is happening," she whispered, barely containing her grin.
Ren simply nodded, serene as ever.
Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, Oscar had somehow gathered enough courage to step forward.
"Hey," he said, a little stiff, a little uncertain. "You... want to… dance?"
Mocha blinked at him.
Then grinned.
"Oh? Look at you," she teased.
The next moment, she was already pulling him in.
Despite his initial hesitation, Oscar adapted quickly. Over the past year, he had grown, not just in height but in presence. Now standing a full head taller than Mocha, he carried himself differently.
More confident and much more steady.
Their movements mirrored Jaune and Yang's in a way, though with a different rhythm. Less fire, more curiosity.
Nearby, Nora had taken a different approach entirely. She latched onto Ren, hugging him tightly while stepping onto his feet.
"Dance for me!" she declared.
Ren, without missing a beat, simply began moving. Guiding both of them across the floor with quiet precision.
It worked surprisingly well.
Back in the center, the music shifted again and before Jaune could even process it, a hand caught his wrist.
Firm and certain.
He turned, only to see Pyrrha.
She pulled him away from Yang with surprising decisiveness, her eyes glinting with something competitive.
"My turn," she said.
Yang blinked, caught off guard and seemingly wanting to argue, but then she huffed, folding her arms.
"Fine."
Jaune barely had time to react before Pyrrha stepped in.
This dance was different.
Where Yang had been intimate, Pyrrha was precision. Her movements were sharp, deliberate, each one carrying an almost combative edge. It felt less like dancing and more like sparring without weapons.
Jaune felt the challenge and his eyes sharpened.
He responded to her rhythm with his own. They moved together in what felt like a duel. Step, turn, shift, counter. Every motion answered by another. It wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't soft either.
It was engaged.
Close enough that he could feel the strength in her movements. The subtle tension in her muscles and the curves of her body.
The control that she had over every inch of her body was something to be desired.
She smelled like cinnamon. Warm and soft, layered with something coppery. Something that reminded him of autumn air.
Pyrrha's face was flushed as well, but unlike Yang's emotions, her emotions were screaming with life.
Bright with excitement.
When the music shifted again, she released him, though not without one last look that promised this wasn't over.
Then—
Another hand, Blake.
She pulled him in with far less force, but just as much intent. The music this time carried a darker tone. Something softer, more fluid, almost… hypnotic.
It suited her.
Blake moved like water. Smooth, controlled, with an underlying grace that made every motion feel effortless.
Jaune followed, or tried to.
Because unlike the others, Blake didn't just match him. She was subtly shifting the flow, drawing him into her rhythm instead of meeting him halfway.
There was also the small problem of proximity and contact.
A lot of contact.
Jaune was practically copping a feel of her curves during every single exchange. Her... bottom was pressing into a certain part of his body which he wasn't sure it was wise to press up against.
Jaune very deliberately did not think about it. Blake's eyes flicked up at him, and there was a teasing glint there. Like she knew exactly what he was trying not to focus on.
Her movements did not help. If anything, they made it worse and her delicious scent curled around him next.
Lavender, soft and calming, mixed with tea and something faintly papery.
It lingered as she brushed against him again.
Deliberately.
Jaune exhaled slowly.
Yeah.
She knew.
"Cat got your tongue?" She taunted him.
"Shush you." Jaune responded.
When the music shifted again, Blake's presence was replaced by Weiss.
She pulled him in with surprising confidence, her posture straight, her expression carrying a hint of amusement.
This dance was… elegant.
Not rigid or overly formal but refined. Even in a freestyle setting, Weiss carried a natural grace that shaped the movement around her. Jaune adjusted easily and their steps aligned, smoother now, less intense but no less engaging. Her scent was different. Like berries. Light and sweet with something colder beneath it. Crisp, like dew or fresh snow.
Weiss tilted her head slightly, watching him.
"You must feel quite fortunate," she said, her tone light but unmistakably teasing. "Dancing with so many beautiful women in one night."
Jaune raised a brow.
"Since when do you tease people?"
She smacked his arm lightly. "I am allowed to change once in a while," she replied with a small smile.
Then she leaned in slightly. "Besides," she added, "you're not done yet."
Jaune followed her gaze.
Ruby.
The music shifted again, bright and energetic. Before Ruby could make her move, Jaune stepped away from Weiss and went to her.
Ruby flinched slightly in surprise as he caught her hand.
"Uh... wait maybe I wasn't ready.... Jaune—?"
Too late. He pulled her in.
Her face turned red instantly.
"W-we're doing this?" she asked, stumbling slightly before catching the rhythm.
Jaune smiled.
"Come on," he said. "You'll be fine."
And she was. Ruby adapted quickly, her movements light and quick, full of energy. Not as controlled as the others, but full of life in a way that made it impossible not to smile.
Her laughter slipped through the music as she spun once, nearly losing balance before catching herself.
"Okay, okay, I got it!" she said.
Jaune steadied her easily. She smelled like chocolate and the soft note of roses.
It suited her.
They danced.
And for a moment, everything else faded into the background.
The music shifted again, faster this time. Bright, chaotic, alive. Ruby barely had time to react before a familiar presence pushed in.
"Alright sis you've had your fun," Yang said, already reaching in to snag Jaune's arm. "My turn again."
"Excuse you," Pyrrha cut in immediately, her grip catching his other wrist with surprising firmness. "We just rotated?"
Blake stepped in next, far more subtle but no less effective, her hand sliding along his sleeve as she drew closer. "You're both being inefficient about this. Clearly, it's my turn."
Weiss followed a second later, crossing her arms as she inserted herself into the circle. "Honestly, must I remind all of you that there is such a thing as order?"
Ruby blinked.
"…hey!"
And just like that, Jaune found himself surrounded.
Five girls and five directions, with five very different intentions.
For a brief moment, he just stood there, caught in the center like the eye of a very determined storm. Under normal circumstances, this would have been the kind of situation that sent his brain straight into shutdown.
Truly, if the him from a year ago could see him now, he'd have been stewing in jealousy. Though, then again... the him from before was also the him from now... so maybe jealousy would be a strong word.
Jaune wasn't even sure why he was thinking stupid things like this at this point in time. He was pretty sure his brain was short circuiting.
In any case, now he was more concerned about the fact that of these cute girls were all Rank 1. Because the gentle tugs on his arms?
Not so gentle.
"…okay," Jaune said slowly, feeling himself being very slightly pulled in multiple directions at once. "We're not doing the thing where I get torn in half, right?"
Yang smirked. "Relax, you'll survive."
Neither Pyrrha nor Blake released his arm.
Weiss too looked like she was considering grabbing him as well, purely out of principle.
Jaune couldn't help but wonder what was up with all of them today. Was this what it meant by alcohol making people lose their inhibitions?
Jaune exhaled.
Then made a decision.
"Alright," he exclaimed and moved.
Instead of letting himself be pulled, he stepped forward and shifted his weight, drawing all of them in at once. It was messy for exactly half a second before he adjusted, repositioning and aligning himself.
Then—
It clicked.
Five rhythms and their five styles with him, right in the middle. From the outside, it must have looked ridiculous.
But from the inside?
It felt like juggling five different battles at once.
Yang pressed in with her usual bold, high-energy movements, all confidence and fire. Pyrrha countered with precision, her steps sharp and deliberate, like she was testing his strength with every motion. Blake flowed, slipping in and out of range with smooth, almost teasing transitions. Weiss maintained elegance, her movements controlled and refined, forcing structure into the chaos, and Ruby brought pure energy, light and unpredictable, bouncing between all of them like a spark.
Jaune's mind sharpened.
His weakness sense flared in his mind, noting timing, flow and the smallest misalignments in motion.
A step too early, a turn too late, a shift in balance.
He adjusted constantly.
Micro-movements layered over his instinct, body reacting before conscious thought could catch up. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough to feel like it.
And somehow, it all worked.
Like watching five different songs being played at once and still forming a single melody.
Around them, the crowd had started to notice.
Whispers and glances.
More than a few openly staring.
Jealousy flickered through the air, sharp and easy to read even without his sense. Jaune caught it anyway, the faint emotional echoes brushing against his awareness.
They were envious of him surrounding himself with five extremely gorgeous women.
Jaune ignored it.
"Is this Atlas 2.0?" Blake's voice slipped in, just loud enough for Weiss to hear.
Weiss let out a quiet, amused huff. "It appears he's upgraded, from just us now. Jaune is a true playboy isn't he?"
"I'd have almost feel neglected if he wasn't trying his very best right now." Blake quipped.
Jaune heard that. He absolutely heard that!
He opened his mouth to respond—
Then immediately had to refocus as Yang spun in, forcing him to match her pace while Pyrrha adjusted from the opposite side.
"…what am I doing?" he muttered under his breath.
Well, he knew exactly what he was doing.
Because right now?
This was actually… fun.
Tiring, but certainly fun.
His heart was pounding, not just from the movement but from the sheer effort of keeping everything aligned. Every second demanded attention, demanded adjustment, demanded presence.
And he rose to it. Minutes passed like seconds.
Then—
Ruby slowed.
"…no way," she said suddenly.
The others followed her gaze almost instinctively.
Across the dance floor, slightly off to the side—
Oscar and Mocha were… close.
Perhaps a bit too close?
Foreheads nearly touching, their movements slow and coordinated in a way that stood out even among the shifting chaos of the club. Oscar was leading, steady and focused, guiding Mocha through each step with surprising confidence.
Mocha, for once, wasn't being weird.
She was following and enjoying it. Very clearly enjoying it.
Jaune stared for a second.
"…huh."
Yang raised a brow and Weiss coughed lightly into her hand. Blake just watched, expression unreadable but eyes faintly amused.
Jaune tilted his head slightly, thinking.
"…is that… allowed?" he muttered under his breath.
He genuinely wasn't sure.
Mocha was older than Oscar by a few years.
Three?
Somewhere around there.
Surely this was considered as grooming or something to that extent. Illegal? Most probably...
Jaune paused his thoughts then mentally shrugged.
Honestly?
Considering their lives involved fighting nightmare creatures, diving into alternate realms, and bending reality with runes…
The concept of "normal rules" felt a little blurry at this point.
"…yeah," Jaune muttered. "I'm not even going to question it."
Behind him, Yang snorted.
"Good call."
And then— the music surged again.
Louder and faster.
Pulling attention back like a tide. Yang cracked her knuckles lightly. "Alright," she said, eyes gleaming. "Round two."
The rest of the girls gave Jaune evil grins. Surely planning on tripping his movements up.
Jaune looked at all of them.
Then smiled.
"…bring it on."