The stranger's presence was like gravity, heavy and inescapable. Even the fire seemed to bow toward them, sparks pulling in their direction.
Akira stepped forward, ignoring the stares of her uneasy crew. "And if I refuse your trial?" she asked, voice steady but with an edge that promised trouble.
The armored figure tilted their head slightly. "Then your ascension ends here. Your power will be stripped, your soul scattered."
The words landed like a hammer blow. Even Tamaki's eyes narrowed.
Akira smirked. "Guess I don't have much of a choice then."
The runes on the figure's armor shifted, swirling into the shape of a massive gate behind them. Its frame pulsed with crimson and gold light. From somewhere deep inside, the faint sound of chains rattling echoed into the night.
"This is the Dominion Gate," the figure said. "Three challenges await inside. Pass them, and your strength will multiply beyond measure. Fail, and…" They didn't finish the sentence.
Akira didn't wait for a speech. She stepped into the light, Tamaki following close behind.
The crew hesitated at the edge, some whispering about Kale's body still cooling in the dirt. Kairos finally muttered, "She's not coming back the same… if she comes back at all."
Inside the Dominion Gate
The air was thicker, heavier, charged with something that made every nerve hum.
Akira's boots crunched on black stone as the gate sealed shut behind her. The world here wasn't like the outside—it was an endless arena floating in a void.
From the shadows, the first challenge emerged: a massive, armored beast with four arms and a jagged crown of bone. Its eyes glowed red, and every breath it took scorched the ground.
Akira cracked her knuckles, feeling the leftover charge from Kale's essence still in her veins. "Perfect. I needed a warm-up."
She launched forward, her speed sharper than before, every movement laced with that red lightning. The beast swung, claws slicing the air, but she slid under it, driving her fist up into its ribcage. Bone splintered.
The thing roared, staggering back. Akira didn't give it a chance to recover—she leapt onto its shoulder, wrapped her arm around its throat, and with a sickening snap, tore its head free.
Tamaki whistled low. "You're getting faster."
Akira grinned. "That was just the first test?"
The Second Challenge
Without warning, the ground dissolved beneath them. They landed in a shallow pool of black water, ripples stretching into darkness.
Shapes moved under the surface—fast.
A voice whispered all around them, "To claim Dominion, you must face yourself."
The water surged upward, forming into perfect, mirror versions of Akira and Tamaki. Same faces. Same weapons. Same hunger.
Akira didn't hesitate—she lunged at her double, fists clashing with identical force. Every strike was matched, every move countered. It was like punching her own shadow.
Tamaki's copy was just as relentless.
But Akira wasn't playing for a draw. She bit down on her double's forearm mid-grapple, tearing into it. The copy's form rippled, its strength faltering for just a second—enough for Akira to drive her lightning-charged fist through its chest.
Her copy dissolved into water. Tamaki followed suit, crushing his with a brutal slam.
The Third Challenge
The water drained away, leaving them in front of a single throne carved from black crystal. On it sat a figure draped in dark silk, face hidden beneath a crown that floated inches above their head.
"You've proven strength and will," the figure said, voice smooth and dangerous. "Now prove loyalty."
The floor before the throne shimmered, revealing… Luma, bound in chains, eyes wide with fear.
Akira's brows furrowed.
"Kill her," the crowned figure commanded, "or your trial ends."
Tamaki looked at Akira, silent.
Luma shook her head desperately. "Don't do this—"
Akira stepped forward, the weight of the choice heavy but her voice cold. "I told them from the start… my way is the only way."
Her hand lit with red lightning…