RWBY: Moon Reflection

The students from Team RWBY and Team JNPR bristled at his words, their anger rising.

"Really?" Yang scoffed. "You want to challenge Crimson, of all people?"

Cardin's team snickered at the provocation, adding to the tension in the air. Crimson, however, remained unfazed, his usual relaxed demeanor firmly in place. He replied to Cardin with a shrug. 

"I'm a guest, as you said. Not a student." He glanced at Professor Goodwitch, who hesitated, clearly thinking it over.

After a brief pause, Glynda spoke. "I will allow the match if both parties agree."

Crimson gave a casual nod. "Then it's settled." He turned to the group, his tone shifting as he addressed them with a small smile. "Observe carefully. You will see how you should handle his kind,"

Crimson made his way to the stage, walking with an almost lazy confidence, completely unfazed by the challenge. He stopped at the center, turning to face Cardin, who was gearing up with a smirk.

"Cardin is going to suffer, isn't he?" Ruby asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yup, he made a big mistake" Yang chuckled.

The rest of the group didn't comment, but they were looking to see the Rose brother's performance.

Glynda, with a stern look, asked, "Crimson, please wear this bracelet to keep track of your aura, and what about your weapon?"

Crimson shrugged dismissively. "The bracelet isn't necessary, and I don't need a weapon." He eyed Glynda with a calm smile. "Let's say if he lands even one hit on me, that's my loss. Consider it a guest request."

Glynda's frown deepened, but she reluctantly nodded, permitting it.

Cardin laughed, clearly enjoying the situation. "Trying to escape the beating by setting these rules—no weapon and all that. What a joke."

Crimson thought for a moment before speaking "I observed your performance earlier. Cardin, your speed is average, skill has nothing worth noting. Your physical strength is above average and your height gave you a slight reach advantage, overall you pose no threat"

His words were relaxed, it had no mocking or insulting tone, he was stating plainly what he observed. But to Cardin it felt like an insult.

"Let's see how long you are going to keep talking" Cardin sneered.

The combat arena was alive with tension as Cardin Winchester and Crimson squared off, the crowd eagerly watching, their eyes flicking between the two fighters. Cardin gripped his massive mace tightly, the heavy weapon swinging menacingly from his hand, while Crimson stood calmly across from him, his posture relaxed and weaponless.

The match began with Cardin charging forward with a furious roar, his mace raised high. He swung it down in a vicious vertical arc, followed by a brutal horizontal swipe aimed at Crimson. The strikes were fast, powerful, and wide, but Crimson easily dodged each one, his body moving with fluid grace, avoiding the blows by mere inches. His sharp eyes tracked every move, his reflexes sharp as ever, making Cardin's furious attacks seem slow and predictable.

Cardin grunted in frustration. "All you do is run, huh? Just like a cockroach," he sneered, eyeing Crimson with contempt. "Is that all you've got? You can't even fight back!"

Crimson's lips curled into a faint smile as he slid to the side, narrowly avoiding another wild swing. "Intelligence below average," he replied coolly, his voice cutting through Cardin's taunt like a knife.

Cardin's anger flared at the insult. He roared in rage, his face turning red. Without warning, he rushed forward again, swinging his mace in another vertical strike, this time with all his might. Crimson dodged with ease, but the force of the blow was so strong that it struck the stage with a resounding crash. The impact shattered the surface beneath them, a deep crack spreading out from where the mace had hit.

Without missing a beat, Crimson planted his foot on the end of the mace, stopping Cardin from pulling it back. Cardin grunted, trying to pull his weapon free, but Crimson was already in motion. With a swift kick to Cardin's side, he sent the larger boy tumbling backward, crashing to the ground in a heap.

Crimson bent down, grabbing the mace from the ground. He then tossed it back toward Cardin with a casual flick of his wrist.

"Catch," he said nonchalantly.

Cardin, humiliated and seething with rage, didn't hesitate to charge again. This time, however, Crimson was ready. As Cardin rushed forward, he delivered a swift, precise kick to Cardin's knee, sending him stumbling forward. The larger boy's balance faltered, and he crashed to the ground, face-first.

"Pathetic," Crimson muttered under his breath, watching Cardin struggle to push himself up.

Cardin snarled as he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes burning with fury. "I'll kill you, bastard!" he yelled, his voice thick with malice. He charged again, his mace raised high, but this time, as he swung it down with all his might, Crimson was faster. With a single punch, he struck Cardin square in the face, knocking the bully back to the ground. In the same motion, Crimson reached down and snatched the mace from Cardin's hand.

Cardin groaned, holding his face as he looked up at Crimson with fury in his eyes. "You're gonna regret that," he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom.

Crimson, unimpressed, tossed the mace back to him once again. "Take it," he said flatly, his tone devoid of emotion.

Cardin, now visibly enraged and no longer thinking clearly, activated the dust embedded in his mace. The weapon hummed with energy, and in an instant, Cardin swung the mace downward. A violent explosion of energy erupted in a straight line, tearing through the stage and heading straight toward Crimson. The shockwave tore through the ground as Crimson managed to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast.

But Cardin wasn't done. In an instant, he leaped into the air, his mace swinging in a horizontal arc aimed at Crimson's midsection. This time, there was no way for Crimson to avoid it. The mace was coming too fast, too powerful.

Yet, to Cardin's shock, Crimson didn't flinch. With the precision of a trained expert, he caught Cardin's hand mid-swing, his fingers locking around the weapon's shaft as if it were nothing more than a stick. Cardin's eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to pull his hand free, but Crimson's grip was like iron.

Frustrated, Cardin swung his free hand, aiming a punch at Crimson's face. Again, Crimson caught the punch mid-air, his other hand wrapping around Cardin's wrist.

Cardin struggled, trying to pull away, but Crimson held firm. Then, in a swift movement, Crimson let go of Cardin's hand and delivered a sharp kick to his feet, sending him tumbling to the ground once again.

Crimson stood over Cardin, his posture casual, as if he was waiting for him to make his next move. Cardin scrambled to his feet, his aura meter flashing. His aura had dropped to 95%, but he was still seething with rage.

"You're fast," he sneered, though his voice lacked conviction. "But you hit like a girl."

Crimson's smile never wavered, despite Cardin's attempt to provoke him. "Keep talking," Crimson replied, his voice calm and unbothered.

Cardin, feeling his anger rise again, started thinking for the first time. He realized that his usual bullying tactics weren't working against Crimson, and that made him uneasy. As Crimson slowly began walking toward him, Cardin's eyes widened in alarm. He knew something was coming, but it was already too late.

In the blink of an eye, Crimson dashed forward, his speed leaving Cardin no time to react. As Cardin swung his mace in a wide arc, Crimson sidestepped, spinning with unnatural grace. He struck Cardin's hand with a brutal punch, forcing him to release the mace. Then, without missing a beat, Crimson followed up with a powerful kick to Cardin's leg, sending him crashing to the ground face-first.

Cardin groaned in pain, struggling to rise, but Crimson was already standing over him, picking up the mace once more. He looked down at Cardin as the bully tried to push himself up.

"You really don't learn, do you?" Crimson muttered, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Cardin, now panting and covered in sweat, glared up at him. "You son of a—"

Before he could finish the insult, Crimson swung the mace down with incredible speed, striking Cardin's exposed back. The force of the blow sank Cardin into the stage, his aura dropping rapidly as the screen flashed with numbers. It hit 35% in an instant.

Crimson stepped back, watching Cardin's struggle with indifferent eyes. He waited for Cardin to stand again, but the bully was clearly shaken, even the back plate of his armor dented.

Cardin finally managed to rise a little, his breath ragged, and his eyes filled with fury. But as soon as he raised his head, Crimson moved like a blur, grabbing Cardin by the throat and lifting him up to match eyes with him. Cardin gasped for air, his hands clawing at Crimson's unyielding grip, but it was no use.

"You know," Crimson said, his voice void of any emotion as he looked Cardin in the eye, "weak little animals either run or hide from danger." He paused, watching as Cardin's aura continued to drop. "They'll behave the same way if they can't tell if the opposition is dangerous or not. Funny thing really, you— a human capable of thinking— are less capable than small animals."

Cardin's eyes widened, a look of pure fear crossing his face for the first time. Crimson's gaze was cold, unfeeling, and his words hit with brutal honesty. 

"You're lucky we're in the school," Crimson continued, his voice still devoid of any emotion. "If this were outside, you wouldn't walk away with just a broken pride."

Cardin's face reddened, his eyes brimming with desperation, but Crimson showed no mercy. His grip remained firm, and as Cardin's aura dropped to 20%, Crimson released him, letting him fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Turning to Glynda, Crimson bowed slightly, his voice calm. "Apologies for the inconvenience and the poor display," he said, as though the entire match had been nothing more than a casual exchange.

He then turned away from the struggling Cardin, walking back toward Team RWBY and Team JNPR. Ruby and Yang were smiling, as if they had expected the outcome—either of them could have beaten Cardin, let alone the much stronger Crimson. As for the rest of their friends, they were in awe of how easily he had subdued Cardin. But at the same time, Crimson's words still echoed in their minds, sending chills down their spines. They had a feeling he meant every word.