It was a conundrum. A mystery that Malakai was finding hard to understand.
This wasn’t some fairytale, it was real life. And in reality, the passage of time was absolute.
‘Either I’m right, and they’ve been kept young through some unknown method… or I’m wrong, and these are entirely different people. But everything points to the former.’
Everything he had seen until now pointed towards the former assumption, their crude gear, even their reactions as they had been teleported to the clearing. And lastly, Zeronis, the supposed third vein. There was no such direct descendant in the current generation.
‘It means they were transported here two centuries ago, frozen in this place, trapped in time, until now.’
‘And then those words…’
As he reached this conclusion, his thoughts shifted to the other clues he had gotten, the words of the mysterious voice.
“Participants are now complete.”
“The Successor Trials.”
‘The moment I passed the final test, the number must have reached whatever threshold this place required to proceed. I was the last key.’
‘It all fits. The trials, the tests… they weren’t just challenges. They were filters.’
As the conclusion solidified in his head, then came the major question that burned in his mind:
What was the end goal?
He knew this was some kind of successor trial and he was amongst one of the many participants. However, what now?
‘The entire reason for a trial is to whittle down the numbers of participants. A successor is singular by nature. There can only be one…’
‘Which means the next phase… is conflict.’ Malakai’s eyes turned cold.
‘We have to kill each othdr.’
Just as his mind hardened, he felt a subtle movement coming from the side.
He turned, his instincts flaring, just as a voice broke the silence.
“Oh, I’ve had enough of this already!”
Another voice immediately snapped back, whispering harshly, “Will you shut up for once?”
“Don’t shush me, Jerom!” the first voice barked. “If we keep standing around like this, we’ll be here all day! Listen, whoever you are, we know you’re there. So just come out and identify yourself, okay?”
There was a long stretch of silence before a reluctant sigh followed.
“I am Kendal Tauron,” the voice declared. “A direct descendant of one of the Great Clans of the Dome. Now, introduce yourself.”
Malakai’s brows drew together slightly.
‘The Tauron clan…’
The major clans of the dome were the Grand and Great Clans. The Grand Clans were the overlords of the regions in the dome, while the Great Clans oversaw the cities and reported directly to the Grand Clans.
Unlike the Sanguine’s dominion over blood, the Tauron Clan’s trait was rooted in muscular control.
Kendal spoke again, this time with a sharper edge.
“You’re by the wall, aren’t you?”
Malakai’s gaze narrowed.
‘He can sense me?’
He was surprised.
‘How can he sense me…?’
Malakai had studied the abilities of both the Grand and Great Clans during his free time, especially during long rides to missions. And yet, he couldn’t recall the Tauron lineage possessing any trait or technique that would make this possible.
They were warriors and brutes through and through.
‘It must be the second person,’ Malakai thought. He had heard the hushed whisper clearly, and there were only a few clans with abilities refined enough for that kind of sensory perception.
‘But what should I do about this?’
His mind shifted, weighing his options carefully.
‘Reveal myself… or stay hidden?’
He was outnumbered. And if he stepped forward now, it would be no different from handing himself over. Of all the people he had seen in the clearing earlier, he was almost certain he was the only unevolved among them.
Malakai deadened the thought and remained still, silent as stone.
A moment passed, then another, before Kendal’s voice rang out again, impatient.
“Suit yourself. I’ll take you as an enemy, then.”
“Wait, Kendal, don’t…” the other voice tried to intervene.
“No,” Kendal cut him off sharply, already moving.
Just then, a brilliant light flared in the distance ahead, bright and intense. They could see it clearly, yet curiously, it didn’t pierce into the cave’s shadows.
Malakai didn’t wait. That brief distraction was all he needed.
He bolted, his instincts taking over.
‘A light source… perfect.’ His thoughts raced as fast as his legs. ‘If someone in this group can sense through darkness, then I’m at a complete disadvantage staying hidden in it.’
His eyes sharpened as the ground suddenly trembled beneath him.
‘They’re coming.’
He could feel the weight of Kendal’s footsteps, each one pounding into the earth.
‘I’ll get caught like this.’
It was a race between an evolved and unevolved. His loss was certain.
Without hesitation, his hand darted to the small sack strapped to his waist. He pulled out a Devil’s Fruit and sank his teeth into it.
A surge of energy exploded through his body. His muscles ignited with power, and his pace instantly quickened as he shot forward in a burst of speed.
As he reached the light, it flared even brighter, blinding him for a brief second before everything unraveled before his eyes.
He came to an abrupt stop, just as the remnants of vita faded from his body.
‘A large hall…’
Malakai’s eyes swept across the space, taking in the high ceilings, the wide pillars, the faint carvings etched into the stone.
But he didn’t wait. He moved instantly, dashing to the side and pressing his back against the wall just beside the entrance.
‘They’re coming… and for a moment, they won’t be able to see past that light.’
He remembered the sensation clearly, that overwhelming brightness just before entering, the way it disoriented the senses.
‘It’s only after crossing that threshold that they’ll realize it’s a hall.’
And that brief moment of confusion was all he needed.
His grip tightened around his scythe. His other hand hovered just above his waist, already halfway to drawing the gun strapped to his side.
His crimson eyes stared at the entrance with the focus of a predator, quiet, still, waiting.