Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-108.214.113.232-20151015061142/@comment-99.171.136.66-20151201134254

I know I'm just an anon here, but I think I can bear in on this. Auras work similarly to kevlar or another non-titanium armor. They're not bulletproof, they're bullet resistant. When an object strikes an Aura, the Aura expends energy to dampen the blow. This causes the person to feel some/all of the impact and get sent flying (likely farther than such an impact would normally cause) but severely diminishes the damage. So when the Paladin pushes Yang through multiple concrete pillars, she does move and does react, but isn't turned to a red paste. Only an Aura like Jaune has (I'm guessing, from Cardin's failed punch) has the potential to absorb 100% of an attack and possibly reflect it back.

Next consider what we're dealing with here. You've all been using the wrong terminology. Mercury doesn't have to worry about blocking "bullets," but "Dust Rounds." In the World of Remnant video for Dust, it is explained that Dust is a sort of crystallized energy propellant that essentially acts as gasoline to various elemental powers, not only fire, but freezing, electric/seismic shock, and gusts of wind. Those skilled in Weiss/Glynda/Cinder's style require discipline, but can essentially cast spells, whereas most people prefer pre-packaged Rounds of the stuff, which deliver it in a straight line with reliable results. So we're not talking about a metal-alloy round filled with explosive and propelled by gunpowder, moving at supersonic speeds. We're talking about a quazi-mystical energy propellant, of which kind there is no example in our world, that is shot from a firearm mechanism with Aura providing the impetus.

In short, I postulate that when a Dust Round hits a person, it is essentially like a sandbag round but more loose, and the real power behind the shot isn't a piercing or hollow-point impact, but the energy released. This means that if bracer-wearing individuals like Pyrrha and Mercury want to pull a Wonder Woman and just straight-up block them, they should be fine doing that.