Malakai kept his gaze fixed on him, observing each motion calmly.
‘Crude… he lacks technique. But his power… that’s the problem.’
Then his eyes flickered to Jerom and narrowed.
‘But he’s even more dangerous.’
Unlike Kendal, Jerom’s movements were minimal, almost lazy. Yet each strike was perfectly timed, aimed precisely at weak points, joints, throats, hearts. It was surgical.
As a direct descendant of the Lucerna family, Jerom’s control over his bodily functions was absurd. It appeared as though every movement was pre-calculated.
Then the darkness creatures that slipped past Jerom and Kendal reached Malakai.
His grip on his scythe tightened.
‘Of course, I’m also being watched.’
He could feel Jerom’s gaze on him, assessing and analyzing, trying to uncover what kind of fighter he was.
But it didn’t matter.
He might not be evolved, but gradeless creatures were no challenge to him, at least if their numbers were this manageable.
His scythe gleamed, and then he moved.
Sharp, clean arcs cut through the horde with swiftness. His strikes were fluid, his footwork efficient, his movements driven by pure technique rather than brute force.
Jerom’s eyes sharpened slightly, but he said nothing, instead focusing on his battle.
The battle raged until the last creature fell down lifeless.
“Phew!” Kendal exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. “That was refreshing!”
He turned to say something to Jerom, only to find him still staring at Malakai.
“You didn’t use your ability,” Jerom said quietly.
Malakai turned to him. “So?”
Neither Kendal nor Jerom had the means to truly identify an evolved from an unevolved unless the person used their abilities. Jerom had been watching carefully, and Malakai hadn’t used a single trait of a Sanguine bloodline.
Jerom stared for a moment longer, then gave a faint smile. “Right. You probably didn’t need it. You’re very skilled. You killed so much without even using your powers.”
Malakai didn’t reply. If they found out that he wasn’t evolved, the dynamics would change instantly.
Kendal scoffed. “Bah, I was better. I killed way more than him.”
Neither Jerom nor Malakai responded to that.
They continued onward, moving deeper into the tunnel.
Along the way, they encountered several more swarms of darkness creatures. But they fought together, killing efficiently despite their differences.
And through it all, both Jerom and Malakai kept watching each other, subtly, methodically, noting movement patterns, weaknesses, habits.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the path ended, and they arrived at the entrance to a new place, one radiating the same bright light they had seen before entering the first hall.
Kendal grinned and stepped forward toward the glowing light ahead.
But before he could get far, Jerom’s hand yanked him back roughly by the shoulder.
“What the hell, man?!” Kendal snapped, stumbling slightly as he turned to glare at him.
Jerom stared at him as if he were a complete fool.
“Don’t forget what happened the last time.”
Kendal blinked, confused for a second, then glanced at Malakai and remembered the earlier incident, when the sudden light had nearly left them vulnerable to his ambush. His expression shifted.
“Ohh… right,” he muttered, then leaned closer and whispered, “You’re right. Those bloodsuckers could still be lurking around.”
Jerom shook his head at the foolishness of this boy, then turned toward Malakai.
“There’s a strong likelihood we’ll experience that blinding moment again. We should enter with a plan. What do you think?”
He observed the Sanguine quietly, waiting for his response. Malakai had already proven himself to be intelligent and capable, and that only made Jerom more cautious.
Malakai gave a small nod. “What do you suggest?”
Jerom took a brief pause, organizing his thoughts before speaking.
“We form a triangular formation,” he said. “Kendal at the front, I’ll take the left flank, and you take the right. The moment the light dims, we each scan our sector.”
Malakai gave a nod in agreement, and Kendal shrugged. “Yeah, sounds good.”
The three of them moved into position, Kendal at the front, Jerom to the left, and Malakai to the right.
They knew the light would only blind them for a moment, but in that brief moment, anything could happen. It was crucial that they saw everything the instant the light faded.
Without another word, they stepped forward, into the light.
The light blinded their eyes for a brief moment, and then a new scene unfolded before them.
‘A large hall… just like the one before.’
Malakai’s sharp gaze scanned the chamber. It was nearly identical to the previous one, same towering walls, same eerie silence, same oppressive atmosphere.
Except for one thing.
His eyes narrowed as a sound reached him, distant footsteps and whispers sounding from the far end of the hall.
‘People?’
His guard rose instantly, his hand tightening around his scythe.
But he wasn’t the only one. Jerom’s attention was already fixed in the same direction, his expression serious.
From the far end of the hall, three figures had emerged from the darkness.
Three other youths.
Their posture, their looks…
‘Other descendants,’ both Malakai and Jerom thought at the same time.
The trio had just entered and were steadily approaching the center of the hall.
Then, Malakai’s and Jerom’s eyes locked onto something else, at the center of the hall stood a slanted platform, like the same one they had seen in the hall before.
A pedestal.
‘The instructions must be there.’
Without exchanging a single word, both Malakai and Jerom turned to glance at each other. Their expressions made it clear they had come to the same conclusion.
Kendal suddenly broke the silence.
“Oh! There’re other people here!” he said, grinning, already moving forward. He raised his hand, about to wave and call out, but two blurs surged past him.
Startled, Kendal turned with wide eyes to see Malakai and Jerom already dashing toward the center of the hall.
“Hey! Where are you guys running to?!”
His shout echoed, snapping the other group out of their brief reverie.
As the three new descendants saw the duo running, they instantly bolted toward the pedestal as well.
Malakai reached into his belt, pulling out the other half of the devil fruit from earlier.
He made sure he wasn’t being watched before he bit into it without hesitation, and in the next instant, his figure exploded forward with a burst of speed, keeping pace with Jerom.
Thanks to their quick thinking and sharp insight, Malakai and Jerom reached the platform first, planting themselves before it just moments ahead of the others.
‘My assumption was right… the instructions.’
Their eyes immediately scanned the text engraved into the platform.
It was another riddle.
“When equals stand, the gate shall close.
Not by might, nor clever prose.
One must fall for the path to show.
Only death may let the other go.”