Leaving Jerom and Kendal to figure things out, Malakai walked over to the slanted platform in the middle of the hall.
There, he pretended to scan through the instructions again, but in truth, he only wanted to check his supplies.
'Two and half more devil fruits.'
There had been four left after the battle with the grade one Enhancer. Now, only two and half remained.
Each fruit could only be eaten twice for maximum effect. But currently, that wasn't his main concern.
'I'm starting to feel the aftereffects…'
The vita from the fruit granted him an unimaginable surge of power for a few brief seconds, but during that window, it pushed his body to its absolute limits.
Years of use had hardened his body, and he'd slowly built tolerance for the strain. That was the only reason he could consume the fruits multiple times.
But even so, there was always a limit. And Malakai could feel it creeping in with each use.
'Three times max,' he calculated coldly.
'If I don't get some rest soon, my body will give in after that.'
They waited for over ten minutes but Kendal still hadn't pulled himself together.
Eventually, the boy rose shakily to his feet. He was walking again, though his complexion remained pale, and his eyes were hollow.
He obviously hadn't been prepared for the reality of it, the blood, the death, the stillness. The descendants of the clans had all been trained to survive against darkness creatures, killing humans was still new territory, especially for newly evolved like them.
But unlike Kendal, Malakai and Jerom remained unfazed. Their expressions remained sharp as they led the group forward, Kendal trailing behind them in silence.
The massive door ahead led to a narrow path swallowed by darkness just like the ones before.
This time, they didn't pause.
They stepped through the darkness without hesitation.
On the other side, they found themselves in another cave, similar to the one they'd entered before.
Luminous green, soft glow pulsed faintly along the cave walls, casting ghostly shadows as they moved.
They moved through the caves swiftly.
Just like the last time, they encountered gradeless darkness creatures, but they dispatched them easily and efficiently, working in sync.
Eventually, as they moved, Kendal began to come around. While he was not his usual energetic self, he started talking again, mostly with Jerom. He even managed a few dry jokes in between his strikes.
Malakai noticed this clearly. And he didn't like it one bit.
'So the rift didn't form…'
He had hoped the earlier brutality would have driven a wedge between the two, a gap he could exploit. If Kendal and Jerom fought, it would be good news for him.
But instead, they were bonding.
And that irritated him more than he expected. But he made sure he didn't his feelings slip
With everything more or less going smoothly, they reached the end of the cave.
Ahead of them was another doorway. It was cloaked in blinding white light.
Malakai and Jerom exchanged a glance.
"We're assuming the same formation," Jerom said.
Malakai gave a short nod, and without hesitation, they slipped into position and entered the light.
The brightness vanished a second later, and they found themselves inside a new hall.
But this one… was smaller. Much smaller compared to the earlier halls that had been in.
Their eyes swept across the space immediately, scanning for threats or movement.
But aside from them, there was no one else here.
Their gaze shifted to the center of the room, where another slanted platform stood, rising from the floor like an altar.
'The instruction,' Malakai thought, his eyes instantly sharpening.
This time, there was no need for exchanged glances between him and Jerom.
They simply followed closely behind Kendal, who had stepped forward and taken the lead.
The hall was utterly silent.
So silent that even their footsteps didn't echo, not to their ears, at least.
To Malakai and Jerom, it was as if sound itself had been stripped from the air.
Only their thoughts remained, fast, sharp.
It had already been established that their minds moved the same way. So, they dissected the situation quickly.
In the first hall, they'd been given a riddle, one that led them to choose between three doors.
In the second hall, they had fought another team and killed them in cold blood.
But it was the implication of that trial that stayed in their minds.
Back in the clearing before they were transported, Malakai had counted each of the descendants. There were thirty participants in total.
'Ten teams of three.'
If each team had faced another in the second hall, that left five surviving teams.
It was an odd number. Which made the likelihood of another direct confrontation… unlikely.
And now, they stood in the third hall.
There was no opposing team. No doors.
There was only the platform in the center.
'This round will be different.'
Malakai could feel it. And from the rigid silence beside him, he knew Jerom felt the same.
In their minds, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, clicking together like a lock beginning to turn.
Their eyes turned cold, expressionless and then grim, as Kendal finally reached the pedestal and read the instructions aloud.
"The foes are gone, your trial is not.
The final gate requires a fatal lot.
No blade from beyond, no stranger's hand
But blood of kin, by your own command.
Only one shall pass, the rest must die
Such is the price to reach the sky."
As Kendal finished speaking, there was no signal. Only movement.
Clash!
Kendal spun around just in time to see Jerom's blade intercept Malakai's scythe, stopping it inches away from cleaving his neck.
His instinct screamed at him, and he shot back, instantly creating distance.
"What the hell?!"
Kendal screamed, his eyes wide, and yet, none of it reached Malakai or Jerom's ears.
They both locked eyes. Both cold. Both calculating.
No words were spoken. No signals.
But their weapons were already moving.