They pressed on.
The deeper they went, the thicker the air became. The forest of the Ravine felt… wrong. It was quiet—not the peaceful kind of quiet, but the kind that made your instincts scream.
Glowing fungi clung to the roots of black trees. Every now and then, they'd pass the shredded remains of another examinee. Sometimes just scraps of clothes. Sometimes just blood.
"Damn it…" Hina muttered, kicking a rock aside. "How much further? We've been walking for hours."
Riku glanced over his shoulder, calm as always. "Complaining won't get you out of here faster."
She shot him a glare. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one doing all the fighting."
He smirked. "Because I fight smart."
"Say that again and I'll—"
"Shh."
Riku raised a hand, signaling them to stop. His threads quietly slithered into the shadows, scanning ahead.
A figure stood in the middle of the path.
Kaito squinted. "Wait… is that…?"
The man wore the same black ceremonial mask from the Plateau. His aura was even heavier now, like an invisible weight pressing down on their lungs.
The Masked Instructor.
"I see you've made it this far," his voice was calm, yet each word echoed like steel striking stone.
Hina stepped forward cautiously. "Why are you here?"
The instructor ignored the question and gestured to the clearing behind him.
"Congratulations on surviving the first wave," he said. "But the Ravine is not only about monsters. It is about choices."
His words made the air grow colder.
"Beyond this point," he continued, "lies a narrow bridge. Only one person may cross at a time. The bridge will collapse after the first."
Kaito froze. "Wait… you mean—"
"Yes," the instructor said. "Only one of you can pass."
Hina's eyes widened. "You can't be serious! We came this far together!"
"Seiki is not about friendship," the instructor said flatly. "It is about will. Resolve. Those who hesitate are devoured. So decide."
Riku's expression didn't change. He tilted his head slightly, watching them like he was observing prey.
"So," the instructor said. "Which one of you is willing to die?"
Silence.
Hina's fists clenched. She looked at Kaito, then at Riku. "…We're not doing this. We'll find another way."
"There is no other way," the instructor said. "You have three minutes. If no decision is made…"
He snapped his fingers.
From the darkness, more Ravine Stalkers emerged—three of them this time, drooling black saliva, their glowing veins pulsing like demonic lanterns.
"They will decide for you."
Kaito's breath caught in his throat. This is insane. He's forcing us to…!
Riku finally spoke.
"Well, this is interesting." He stepped toward the others slowly, his threads glimmering faintly. "I see two options."
Hina tensed. "…Go on."
"One," Riku said, "we fight the beasts together. Risk dying. Probably fail."
"And two?"
Riku smiled thinly. "One of us sacrifices the others. Walks the bridge. Lives."
Kaito's chest tightened. "…You're saying we just kill each other?!"
Riku shrugged. "That's the game. Isn't it obvious?"
Hina gritted her teeth. "You're really fine with that?!"
"I'm fine with living," Riku said. "You should be too."
The beasts took a step closer, their claws scraping the ground.
Hina turned to Kaito, desperate. "We can't… we can't do this. We have to fight them!"
Kaito's mind was spinning. He couldn't let either of them die. He couldn't just—
Then he felt it.
The Void inside him whispered. Not with words, but with a pull. A promise.
You want them to live? Then feed me.
Kaito's breath shook. No. He didn't know what would happen if he gave in. Last time, it devoured everything around him. What if it consumed Hina? Or Riku?
"Time is running out," the instructor said.
The beasts lunged.
"Kaito!" Hina screamed.
Without thinking, he stepped forward.
And the Void answered.
VVVVMMMM—
A wave of black aura erupted from him. Unlike Hina's fiery Tensui or Riku's silver threads, this was nothingness. The beasts froze mid-air, their glowing veins flickering.
Then—
SHHHHHHKKK!
Their Seiki cores were ripped apart, devoured into Kaito's aura. The Ravine Stalkers collapsed instantly, their bodies disintegrating like ash.
The forest fell silent.
Even Riku's smirk faltered slightly. "…What the hell are you?"
Kaito panted, staring at his trembling hands. The Void slowly retracted, leaving only silence. He felt… weaker. Like something had been taken from him this time.
The instructor tilted his head, watching with cold interest. "So that's your true nature."
Then he raised a hand and the illusion faded. The beasts, the bridge—they vanished like smoke.
It had all been a test.
Hina's eyes widened. "You… you tricked us?!"
The instructor didn't respond. Instead, he said, "You passed the second trial."
He turned and walked back into the shadows. "The next one will not be so merciful."
And just like that—he was gone.
Silence returned.
Hina dropped to her knees, exhausted. "…I can't believe this. He wanted to see if we'd kill each other."
Riku stepped closer to Kaito, curiosity burning in his eyes.
"That power of yours," he said softly. "It doesn't just destroy. It consumes."
Kaito said nothing.
Riku smiled faintly. "…I like it."
Before Kaito could respond, a distant howl echoed through the Ravine—deeper, louder than before.
Whatever was coming next… would be worse.