RWBY: Moon Reflection

The sharp, resonant notes of a biwa echoed through the Infinity Castle, filling the vast, surreal void. The haunting melody reverberated through the shifting structure as if mocking the silence. Around Crimson, the world warped. Wooden platforms adorned with ornate carvings appeared beneath his feet, forming an enormous arena. Pillars shot up around him like the twisted spines of a great beast, encircling him in an ominous cage.

Crimson stood in the center, his crimson eyes scanning the dimly lit space. From the shadows, two figures emerged.

The first was a woman of eerie beauty. Her long, flowing hair—white streaked with black—framed a delicate face marred by cruelty. Her pale skin shimmered with vibrant floral patterns that shifted unnaturally, as if alive. She wore an elaborate kimono, and coiled around her was a deadly sash that writhed like a serpent. This was Daki, a predator masked as a porcelain doll.

Beside her stood a grotesque figure, his sickly green skin covered in sores and his hunched posture making him seem inhuman. His bony frame wielded two jagged, blood-red sickles, the edges glistening with an aura of danger. His sunken, glowing eyes burned with hatred and malice, and his grin revealed a row of jagged teeth. This was Gyutaro, exuding a sinister energy that made the air oppressive.

Daki sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, look, brother. Another toy for us to play with. I wonder how long he'll last."

Gyutaro cackled, his voice raspy and venomous. "Tch. You don't get it, do you, sister? He's not just a toy—he's a chance for me to even the score." He stepped forward, his grip on the sickles tightening. "The sufferings of my past were lessons on what to do to others as revenge! If I don't cause misery equal to my own unhappiness, I'll never balance the scales! That's how it works when you're a demon! And we kill anyone who tries to tell us otherwise!"

Crimson remained silent, his gaze steady and cold. Slowly, he reached for his sword, the polished steel catching the faint light. Without a word, he drew it, the blade slicing through the air with a quiet hiss.

Daki giggled, her voice a singsong mockery. "Oh, the toy wants to play! Fine. Let's see how long you last!"

Gyutaro grinned darkly. "Let's make it slow and painful."

The siblings moved as one. Daki's sashes lashed out like living blades, their edges slicing through the air with lethal precision. Gyutaro followed closely, his sickles glowing with a blood-red aura. Crimson dodged the initial assault, his movements fluid and precise. The sashes cracked against the wooden pillars, splintering them into shards, while Gyutaro's sickles carved deep gashes into the platform, causing it to quake.

Crimson countered with a calculated slash, aiming for Daki's exposed side, but her sash intercepted the blow, coiling around his blade. She smirked triumphantly. "Got you!"

Before she could tighten her grip, Crimson twisted his sword free with a burst of strength, sending the sash recoiling. Gyutaro lunged at him, his sickles radiating streams of blood that solidified into deadly, spiraling projectiles.

"Flying Blood Sickles!" Gyutaro roared, unleashing a storm of crimson blades that tore through the air.

Crimson moved like a shadow, dodging the blood sickles with superhuman speed. The projectiles struck the surrounding pillars and walls, detonating on impact. Shards of wood and splinters rained down as the arena was torn apart. Crimson used the destruction to his advantage, weaving through the chaos to close the distance.

Daki snarled, her remaining sashes whipping out in a wide arc. "Don't think you can ignore me!" The sashes twisted and coiled, creating a deadly dance of slashing and binding attacks.

Crimson ducked under one sash and deflected another with his sword, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the air. Gyutaro, taking advantage of the distraction, leaped high into the air and raised his sickles.

"Rotating Circular Slashes: Flying Blood Sickles!" he bellowed, spinning the sickles in a whirlwind of blood and steel. The attack created a massive dome of destructive energy, the ground beneath him splintering into jagged fragments as the projectiles spread outward.

Crimson leaped back, narrowly avoiding the onslaught. The blood sickles carved through the platform, splitting it into jagged sections and sending debris flying. Dust and smoke filled the air as the arena crumbled, leaving Crimson standing on a precarious edge.

"Is that all you've got?" Gyutaro taunted, his grin widening.

Crimson said nothing. In the chaos, he darted forward, his sword gleaming as he targeted Gyutaro. The demon swung his sickles to block, but Crimson anticipated the move. In a blur of motion, he pivoted, slashing through the chain connecting Gyutaro's weapons.

Gyutaro snarled, stumbling back as Crimson turned his attention to Daki. Her sashes lashed out, but Crimson's sword danced through the air, severing them one by one. With a powerful upward strike, he cut through the last sash, leaving her vulnerable.

"Sister, move!" Gyutaro shouted, but it was too late. Crimson's blade arced through the air, slicing cleanly through both demons' necks in a single, decisive strike.

Their heads fell to the ground, their bodies crumpling as their regeneration failed.

As the siblings' forms began to disintegrate, their true personalities emerged.

"You useless idiot!" Daki shrieked, glaring at Gyutaro. "This is all your fault! You're always dragging me down!"

Gyutaro spat back, his voice venomous. "Me? You're the weak one! I had to carry you the whole time!"

Their bickering continued, even as their forms dissolved into ash.

"Stop," Crimson said, his voice calm but firm.

The siblings fell silent, their glowing eyes fixed on him.

"It's not worth it," he said. "Not at the end. You have nothing left but each other's last moments. Don't waste it on anger."

For a moment, the siblings stared at him, their expressions unreadable. Then, slowly, they turned to face each other, their gazes softening as regret flickered in their eyes.

Their bodies crumbled into ash, carried away by an unseen breeze.

___________________________

The sharp, haunting notes of the biwa resounded once more, reverberating through the remains of the shattered platform. The sound carried an unsettling weight, signaling another shift. Crimson remained still, his crimson eyes narrowing as the world around him began to change.

The wooden floor beneath his feet disintegrated, replaced by a smooth, lacquered surface. Walls of white shōji screens rose around him, their translucent panels casting faint shadows as if hiding figures just beyond view. The faint light that filtered through created a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere.

Crimson took a single step forward, his boots echoing softly against the floor. The silence was thick, broken only by the faint whisper of movement behind the screens. Then, the shōji in front of him slid open, revealing a grotesque figure.

Gyokko, the demon artisan, slithered forward. His body was twisted and otherworldly, resembling an elongated vase. His pale, slimy skin was adorned with scales and covered in grotesque mouths that twitched and gnashed with unsettling randomness. Where his arms should have been, two long, muscular tentacles extended, their ends tipped with sharp, claw-like pincers. His face was equally bizarre, with bulging, golden eyes set above a grinning, lipless mouth.

Gyokko's voice was high-pitched and grating, dripping with arrogance and self-obsession. "Oh, what a delightful surprise! A mortal, stepping into my gallery uninvited? Tch, tch, how rude. But I must say… you're fascinating! So much potential for beauty—and destruction!"

He raised one tentacle, gesturing theatrically as he continued. "I, the great artist, shall sculpt your demise into my next masterpiece! Oh, how exquisite it will be—a testament to my unparalleled genius! Shall we begin?"

Crimson remained silent, his unreadable gaze fixed on the grotesque demon. Slowly, he unsheathed his sword, the faint sound of the blade cutting through the air serving as his only response.

Gyokko's grin widened, his excitement palpable. "Ah, the silent type! A stoic hero! How utterly banal. But no matter—your silence shall speak volumes when I reshape you into art!"

With a guttural laugh, Gyokko raised both tentacles, and the air around him shimmered as he activated his Blood Demon Art. Pots emerged from the ground, their surfaces adorned with intricate patterns. The lids burst open, releasing grotesque aquatic creatures—twisted fish with razor-sharp teeth and pulsating, slime-covered bodies. They flopped and slithered across the floor, their mouths snapping hungrily.

"Behold!" Gyokko declared, his voice rising with glee. "My creations! Each one a masterpiece of horror! Let's see how long you can survive their embrace!"

The creatures lunged at Crimson, their movements erratic and unpredictable. He stepped forward, his blade slicing through the air with precision. Each strike was flawless, severing the abominations before they could reach him. The ichor from their dismembered bodies splattered across the floor, but none of it touched him.

Gyokko clapped his pincers together, his glee undiminished. "Oh, how splendid! But that was only the beginning. Allow me to show you true artistry!"

The pots began to multiply, appearing in a circular formation around Crimson. From each, streams of water shot out, twisting into sharp, spear-like projectiles. They converged on him with deadly precision, but Crimson moved like a shadow. He darted between the attacks, his sword deflecting the spears with effortless grace.

Frustration crept into Gyokko's voice. "Why won't you stand still?! Art requires stillness, contemplation! You're ruining the composition!"

Crimson closed the distance in an instant, his blade aimed directly at Gyokko. The demon recoiled, disappearing into one of his pots with a laugh. "You'll have to do better than that!"

The pots began shifting across the floor, their movements erratic as they surrounded Crimson. From each, grotesque hands and tentacles emerged, clawing at him. Crimson's expression remained unchanged as he danced through the chaos, his sword cutting down every appendage that reached for him.

Gyokko reappeared, his body twisting and contorting in rage. "Enough of this mockery! I'll end you with my finest creation!"

The ground beneath Crimson split open, revealing a massive pot that erupted with a tidal wave of molten gold. The golden liquid surged forward, threatening to consume him. Crimson leaped into the air, his blade flashing as he descended, cutting through the pot in a single, decisive strike. The wave collapsed, the golden liquid dissipating into nothingness.

Gyokko screamed, his arrogance shattered. "No! My masterpiece! My perfect art!"

Crimson landed in front of him, his movements silent and deliberate. Before Gyokko could retreat, Crimson's blade slashed through him with surgical precision, severing his head from his twisted body.

The demon's head hit the ground, rolling to a stop. Gyokko's golden eyes widened in disbelief as his body began to disintegrate. "No… This cannot be… I was supposed to be eternal… My art… eternal…"

Crimson sheathed his sword without a word, stepping past the dissolving remains of the demon. The white shōji screens around him began to fade, leaving him alone in the vast emptiness of the Infinity Castle.

The biwa's haunting melody returned, signaling the end of the battle and the beginning of the next trial.