Red VS Purple VS White

...

A three-way fight of Ability-grades. Deron's martial skills VS Pierre's destructiveness VS Cain's control.

Deron is getting stronger. He can feel it. The Ogre Giant he felled speaks of his prowess. In the centermost of the Enclosed Forests is this deadly Ogre. It took him a lot of effort to slay this monster with all he got. Even his newly improved swordsmanship almost failed him.

The swordsmanship he learned that day of the orphanage attack has become stronger than ever. When he showed this swordsmanship to Eron, he was told that it is called Razor Ruby swordsmanship, the lost art of an ancient clan that specializes in slaying demons.

Though demons in the current world are just fairy tales, it cannot be denied that they exist in historical texts. Eron insisted that demons are real since he with his teacher had prior experience with them.

Of course, Deron has an idea or two about them. He read a lot about them in fact— from history books, the first Hero King’s tales, and they were even mentioned in passing in some of the ancient heroes’ stories.

The leaves rustled as Deron make his way to the center of the forest. He slaughtered enough monsters in these parts, and it is now time for him to relocate. As he shove the leaves in his path, a purple-haired dude suddenly appeared in front of him, face-to-face.

Their faces are 1 inch apart, their noses touching tip to tip.

"..."

"..."

Deron's tension-filled muscles snapped as he draw his steel.

SUNRISE STANCE: QUICKDRAW—SCARLET-HORIZON!

"Urgh... You fucker!" Pierre erected a hastily frozen space of a barrier. A red streak of light blinded his sight, the steel created sparks of flames as it clashed with Pierre's barrier.

The red hair in front of him is a big deal alright. Pierre felt his insidious desire to destroy slowly rising. The strong opponent in front of him motivates him greatly.

DIVINE FORGE: PHANTASMAL ARMOR!

Invisible force cloaked Pierre's body like armor. Pierre's eyes turned deep violet as darkness envelop him. He donned a black armor that seems to swallow light itself.

Deron's eyes squinted. Pierre's danger levels in his mind rose a notch, but that is not where he is feeling the most threat is... He tensed his muscles once more expecting the coming danger.

From his peripheral vision, he saw the flickering lights dreadfully reaching to him.

...

Cain lost his target. It was disappointing but understandable. He didn't lose him, because he can't reach him. It's because Cain was dazzled by another— a duel between purple hair and red hair. Cain simply lost interest in the small guy.

LĒOHT: EALMITHIG HWIT BĒAM!

Cain raised both of his palms where light particles are coalescing to a frightening degree. It's like a small white sun.

A streak of white light struck with ravaging heat. It was fast, deadly, and destructive. Honestly, it was Cain's strongest move.

To his surprise, it didn't work, didn't eliminate even a single one of them. Deron simply dodged it by a step, without any flashy display, he made an extraordinary decision at that split second. In the meantime, Pierre just took the ray of light head-on without hesitation.

“It’s a matter of pride.” He told himself.

Pierre stood strong in front of the beam of light. He stacked walls after walls of frozen space. 'That was a shocker, if I didn't summon this armor, I would have been a goner.' Pierre praised himself for his wise decision but mostly comforted himself that he is still alive right now.

“FUCKING HELL!! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?”

“SORRY, I KIND OF FAILED. LET ME TRY AGAIN, I’LL DO BETTER THIS TIME!”

The two shouted at each other. There is a considerable distance between them, but it didn’t stop the two to talk smack to each other.

Another ray of light rushed in their direction. Cain unleashed it with fervor. It’s weaker than the first one but is still destructive. This time, Pierre chose to dodge.

However, this ray of light is a little bit different. Because it exploded. The winds fluctuated due to the pressure. Pierre cushioned himself by softening the space around him.

Deron immediately shifted his weight at the point of impact and rushed to where the attack came from. It only took him seconds to close the distance from the attacker.

SUNRISE STANCE: FIERY THRUST!

Deron unleashed his fastest martial art. With his mutation and swordsmanship, he arrived almost virtually instant. But Cain's detection abilities are superb, not inferior to Deron's reflexes.

"I see you." Calmly, Cain received Deron’s attack.

LĒOHT: MOONLIGHT REFLECTION!

Cain created a series of afterimages with his movement art. Empowered by his own mutant ability, it confused Deron greatly causing him to fumble. The [Moonlight Reflection]’s afterimages looked ephemeral yet real at the same time. It has that hypnotic effect that would make you want to believe that they are real.

However, Deron persisted. He forced himself to change his stance midway.

SUNSET STANCE: CRIMSON CROWN!

Deron swung his steel. It was an omnidirectional attack, a 360 degrees slash that doesn't discriminate. The afterimages were cut in half, but they didn't completely dissipate.

Clearly, Cain won’t give up an inch as he snaps his fingers.

LĒOHT: SUNLIGHT EXPLOSION!

The afterimages exploded with merciless splendor. Cain is disappointed though since its power is halved given Deron's almighty slash. Cain barely dodged the crimson streak of light. The tip of his hair was cut by a bit.

This caused Cain's anger to flare. For an extreme germaphobe, breathing the same air that others breathe is already disgusting. But a ‘physical contact’ with a sword? UNFORGIVABLE!!

From nowhere, Pierre rushed with rapid steps.

"Don't leave me out of this!"

Pierre attacked Cain in full-body combat. A right hook, then a left. Cain dodged with elegance and calculative bearing. He seems to leave afterimages as he moves, a combination of his Special Ability and movement art: Illusory Steps.

Deron sneaked at Pierre's rear, swinging his sword with opportunistic honesty. It’s a unique way to put it, but there is nothing wrong with treading a path to victory. Cain released a series of needle-like beams of light to Deron.

Being attacked on both sides, Cain can hardly counterattack.

Cain is very bad at close quarters. This is his humble opinion. Well, this is in comparison with Deron. Against Pierre, he can manage somehow. Pierre won't take Cain's opinion very kindly though.

cCCCccCRrrAack! The space shudders at Pierre’s overwhelming command. With a malevolent smile, he unleashed a massive force blast at his rear sending Deron flying into a distance.

bBbBBLaaAAzzZE! Outside from Deron’s line of sight, a heat wave hurried toward him at an alarming rate. It was Cain capitalizing on the opportunity presented to him.

This time, it’s Deron who is being double-teamed.

Deron assessed his situation once more. Cain's destructiveness is the most threatening, but the individual himself is kind of weak in close combat. Deron felt that he will never lose against Cain in a one-VS-one duel. The problem is Pierre and his invincible style of fighting, the guy is not flinching at all. He is a bad match-up to Deron.

...

"Principal, would you please share your opinion? Who has the biggest upper hand in this?"

"That is a difficult question. As you can see, Cain doesn't want to eliminate Pierre first. It is because Deron will pose a bigger danger to him if that happens. Meanwhile, Pierre wants to eliminate Cain first for the same reason Deron wants to beat Pierre. Deron is Cain's biggest threat... This...

It is a three-way deadlock."

"Like the snake, toad, and the slug... Or the rock, paper, and the scissor? SHEEESH— kids these days are too hot-blooded, sigh…"

...

This fight will not end sooner, but time is limited. It left the fighters with no choice but to defeat their opponents simultaneously.

Cain, through his hard work, realized 3 wavelengths of light: infrared, visible light, and ultraviolet. Using visible light to the extreme, Cain created a flashbang. Though it doesn't rattle the ears like what a flashbang usually does, it is enough to incapacitate his enemies.

Pierre reflexively coated himself with more solidified space. He stomped hard to establish his stance anticipating Cain's follow-up. He made space cry as the earth trembled from the pressure he unleashes.

Deron's stance did not waver. He remembered where Cain stood. He rushed like a descending comet. His intense acceleration allowed him to evade whatever attack may come his way.

To this three, inspiration is the tilt that will tip the scale in their favor. And they are willing to bet on it.

~LĒOHT: BERSTAN LASER — DIVINE FORGE: MISTLETOE — BRAVERY BLADE: CRIMSON COMET~

In the next five seconds, mutual destruction ensued.

From the tip of Cain's index fingers, a pair of the penetrative red lasers was unleashed, each carefully aimed at his foe. The hot red laser has that fuzzy vibrating sound that a human would hardly register, but not for a mutant. The light was not soundless anymore allowing Deron to evade it with his superhuman reflexes. At the same time, Pierre remolded the armor he is wearing. Its properties qualitatively changed, and the once frozen space became the legendary dark matter. Pierre shaped it into a spear that can detect life, never misses, and is unbreakable. He ejected it in Cain's direction. Once Cain is in Deron's range, Deron swung his sword compressed with conceptual forces of courage, spirit, and faithfulness.

Cain offered his neck helplessly as exhaustion assaults his entire being.

Deron after swinging his sword tried to escape the dark spear chasing him.

Pierre hoped for his defensive powers to protect himself since he can't dodge anymore.

Cain's head was severed by the sword.

Deron's torso was ripped apart by the spear.

Pierre's heart was punctured by the thin ray of light.

The principal, Armin Kelon saw it all in that span of five seconds. It was a tie.

And before all of it truly happened, he snapped his fingers. Invisible psychic waves moved, transforming the invisible force into corporeal shackles that restrained the three.

"Get them out of there." He said in an authoritative tone to the academy instructors.

Jimmy was disappointed that he can't see how it ended but he knows. If the three insisted on continuing this three-way battle, someone will definitely die.

...