Each Inheritance possessed three mandatory states: Ordinary State, Emotional State, and Protector State. With sufficient mastery, these could be manifested at will.
Anyone who could manifest all three states automatically reached tier-5, earning the title of Moon Killer.
Legendarily, the Founders of Magic could achieve five states, and some Inheritances that had existed long enough, refined across generations since awakening, had developed beyond three as well.
Ordinary State was the initial form all Akumas received upon awakening. There was nothing flashy about it, just the core ability and one's skill in controlling it.
Next came the Emotional State. Those at Tier 7 couldn't access it, awakening this state automatically advanced the user to Tier 6. It manifested when the wielder experienced emotions intense enough to cross a certain threshold.
The limit varied from person to person, but regardless, it wasn't easy to reach. Without control, though, the state would trigger on its own, responding only to the emotion that had activated it.
The third was the Protector State. This emerged when the Inheritance faced an existential threat or was approaching erasure. Left uncontrolled, it would do nothing but run, focused entirely on finding the safest way to preserve the Inheritance.
"This is bad. He's using both privileges. His emotional trigger has to be anger or desperation." Julien muttered, gritting his teeth aggressively.
The possessed fighter stood before him, a poor soul enslaved by V's influence. Worse yet, awakening his Emotional State had boosted him to Tier 6, one tier stronger than Julien.
Julien was drenched in sweat. The only reason he hadn't died yet was his opponent's internal battle for control over the Emotional State.
Runic signs appeared with the Emotional State, their design reflecting the Inheritance's origins. But these weren't just sigil symbols, they were restrictions limiting the wielder to modifying only two body parts while in this state.
Those who'd mastered it could decide which body parts to enhance. But without control, the Inheritance chose for them, selecting parts that matched the emotional trigger.
Currently, the possessed boy was in a lot of pain because his emotions were conflicted, which made the Inheritance struggle with which part of his body to manipulate.
Watching those centipede-like hands clutch desperately at his head in agony, something shifted inside Julien.
"This is my chance… I can win!"
He clenched his spear tight and rushed forward. The moment he got close enough, he repositioned his weapon and swung with all his might, targeting the boy's head.
Before it could connect, a bone-wrenching sound echoed through the arena.
"What… his hands are tougher than my blade?" He watched as his weapon shattered into pieces.
Julien recoiled, attempting to back away, but it was already too late. Corrosive liquid shot from the possessed boy's warped hand directly at Julien.
Julien twisted away but wasn't quick enough. The acid splashed across his body. Frantically, he ripped off his vest, howling in pain as the corrosive liquid ate into his flesh.
His flesh was ravaged with acid burns, red and swollen, steaming like he'd been boiled. His opponent remained locked in internal conflict, the only thing keeping Julien alive.
Heavy breaths wracked him as his eyes searched everywhere but his opponent. He found Scar and Purple in the stands. Their meaning was obvious; forfeit now. The anger blazing in Purple's eyes made clear she'd punish this defiance later.
Julien exhaled deeply.
His best window to forfeit was right now. Obviously, even his enhanced blades were ineffective, and he had no offensive options left. He needed to surrender while the boy was still fighting himself, because the moment he gained control, Julien was finished.
Julien clenched his fists tightly as they trembled.
When he first awakened his Inheritance and entered the academy, he'd made himself one promise: no losses. Not a single duel. And honestly, he'd scraped together wins up to this point.
This was his sacred promise, and abandoning it would be like watching his whole world collapse. Stupid, really, since staying alive should matter more than maintaining a perfect record.
After years of slum life, sleeping outside, and begging for meals, he'd stopped caring about living and started caring only about his mission. Defeating Quagmire was everything. Losses were setbacks he couldn't afford.
But now, he wasn't so sure.
His gaze shifted to the stands, to Scar and Purple, both still pleading with him to forfeit. Then he smiled.
Purple was merely exploiting his goals for her advantage, obviously. Scar, though, Julien knew the idiot truly cared for him. More importantly, Scar was his very first friend, ever. And every ounce of worry on his face was sincere.
He finally had people who cared whether he lived or died. These two idiots needed him alive, for their own reasons maybe, but still, it was so different from before, when everyone he'd met wished he was dead.
His smile grew more genuine.
However…
Purple found his smiles deeply concerning. She just wanted the fool to quit. Honestly, the consequences this duel would bring mattered more to her than Julien's life. But she still needed him alive, he had to answer for defying her.
"Wait… something is off," Scar said, confused, and Purple's eyes shifted to Julien's opponent.
Julien's hands went up in submission, forfeit on his lips, but then his opponent's condition became even more disturbing.
"I forfeit!"
The instant those words left Julien's mouth, Purple's heart stopped. She and Scar moved simultaneously, both channeling their Blessings into their legs to leap into the arena.
The crowd reacted with shock and confusion as the ground cracked from the sheer force of their jump.
These two had seen what others hadn't. What even Julien had missed. But now that he'd forfeited, the match was over. Intervention was permitted.
Julien's surrender had forced his opponent's conflicted emotions to crystallize into one: pure rage.
He launched himself upward, serpentine hands shooting acid at Julien as he prepared to strike, his uncontrolled rage reducing him to animalistic snarls.
Before either attack could land, Scar swooped in and pulled Julien clear while Purple, mid-leap, caught the possessed boy in her web of threads.
The possessed student tore through the threads immediately, but the distraction was enough, Scar got Julien clear of the arena. Purple hit the ground and immediately went to work, binding him in stronger, tighter threads.
She knew that wouldn't hold him. Her threads weren't at their best, after all. But it would be enough to stall until backup arrived.
Now Purple could only watch as tier-6 students, Emotional States activated, restrained the boy.
She sighed heavily.
People under V's possession craved hard-fought victories, making Julien's forfeit a disappointment to his opponent. There was no honor in winning that way.
Purple massaged her forehead.
"Now what? I can read the Supreme Council well enough, and this isn't their work. So who's trying to kill us?"