11

As Dai and Narco approached the next challenge, their hearts pounded with anticipation. However, as they neared the arena, a sense of unease settled over them; the stands surrounding the arena were packed with what appeared to be agents and influential figures from around the world, their eyes fixed on the competitors below. The air crackled with energy as Dai and Narco entered the arena.

Waiting for them in the arena was a man who exuded menace and darkness. He looked like he had stepped out of a horror movie, with his dark, oily hair and a grin that sent shivers down Dai's spine. The man's eyes seemed to be undressing them, sizing them up as if they were prey. Dai felt like he was in the presence of a predator.

The man sneered as he saw Dai and Narco. "Ah, the competition has arrived," he said in a tone that dripped with malice. "I've been eagerly anticipating this confrontation. I heard that you two are quite the duo," he added, signaling his teammate to back off, as if to say, "These are my prey."

The teammate immediately scurried away with a scared look on his face, leaving Dai and Narco alone with the sinister man. Dai's stomach churned as he realized the teammate was clearly blackmailed into being loyal to the man.

Astolfo's voice broke the silence. "For this round, we are going to play treasure hunt, there will be a hidden artifact somewhere in the arena. The first team to find this artifact and return it to their side of the arena wins."

The man's gaze turned to Astolfo, his voice intimidating as he asked, "Are we allowed to use violence to fight the other team off?"

Astolfo's face remained stoic. "Violence is permitted."

The man's sly smile turned even more evil. "Excellent," he muttered, while laughing.

He turned to his teammate, calling him over. "You," he said, his voice cold and menacing. "You go find that artifact. Don't worry about the kids; I'll take care of them."

His teammate nodded meekly, his eyes downcast, before scurrying off in search of the artifact. Dai and Narco shared a brief glance, silently communicating their shared understanding of the danger that lay ahead. They knew that their opponent was cunning and sadistic, willing to go to any length to secure victory.

As the second stage of the Agency's Exam began, Astolfo's voice echoed across the arena, signaling the start of the challenge. Dai and Narco sprang into action, their movements precise and calculated as they worked together to overcome the obstacles that lay before them.

The man slowly approached Dai and Narco. "I like to introduce myself to my prey before I slaughter them," he said, making the duo feel uncomfortable. "My name is Malachi. What are your names?"

Narco's lips curled into a smirk as he let out a low chuckle. "Malachi? That's your name?" he quipped, eyeing the man skeptically.

Malachi's expression darkened with annoyance. "Yes, that's my name. Is there a problem with it?" he snapped, bristling with defensiveness.

Narco shrugged nonchalantly, but his eyes still sparkled with amusement. "No problem at all," he said, drawing out the words in a playful tone. "It's just that... well, you don't really look like a Malachi, if you know what I mean." Dai nudged Narco with his elbow, shooting him a warning look to avoid provoking their opponent any further. Despite the reprimand, Narco couldn't help but grin mischievously, eagerly anticipating their upcoming challenge.

Malachi's fist clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white with anger. He stepped closer to Dai and Narco, and as he did, Dai's heart raced with a sense of unease. Malachi's demeanor was calm and collected, but it sent shivers down Dai's spine. It was as if they were facing a cold-blooded killer.

Dai couldn't help but fixate on Malachi's eyes. They were a piercing green, almost glowing in the dim light of the arena. As Malachi stared at them, Dai felt like he was being analyzed, scrutinized. It was unnerving, the way Malachi seemed to be able to see through them. It was as if he knew every move they were about to make before they even made it. Despite the sweat on his palms, Dai stood his ground, determined not to show any weakness in front of this formidable opponent.

Malachi's leap seemed to defy gravity as he soared through the air, his body twisted in an impossible angle. His eyes glinted with a manic glee as he closed in on Dai and Narco, his movements becoming more erratic and unpredictable.

Dai tried to dodge his attacks, but it was like trying to avoid a swarm of bees. Malachi's fists were a blur as he landed punch after punch, each one hitting its mark with a sickening thud.

Narco, on the other hand, was taking a different approach. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to tap into his intuition. He could sense Malachi's movements, and he knew where he was going to strike next. As soon as he opened his eyes, he lunged at Malachi with a series of quick jabs and kicks, catching him off guard.

Malachi stumbled back, surprised at Narco's sudden burst of speed. He had never seen anyone move like that before. But he quickly regained his composure, his eyes narrowing as he studied the boys.

"You're fast," he said, his voice low and menacing. "But you're not fast enough."

With a flick of his wrist, Malachi sent a Dai flying. When Narco came to follow up on Dai's attack, Malachi quickly turned at hit Narco in the stomach with his knee.

Malachi started laughing maliciously. "Is that all you boys have?" he said.

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Dai and Narco were both gasping for breath, sweat pouring down their faces. Malachi, on the other hand, looked like he was just getting started. His eyes blazed with a fierce intensity as he lunged at them again, his movements becoming more frenzied and unpredictable.

As Dai got up, he closed his eyes, trying to block out all unnecessary thoughts and focus on his opponent. He could feel the world around him fading away as he concentrated, his mind a single pinpoint of awareness.

Suddenly, he saw it. A faint flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. It was Malachi, darting between the trees like a shadow. Narco opened his eyes and launched himself towards the real Malachi, hoping to catch him off guard.

But Malachi was ready for him. As Dai landed his punch, Malachi disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Narco's fist to strike nothing but air.

Dai rushed to his side, helping him to his feet. They were both bruised and battered, but their determination hadn't wavered. They knew that they had to keep fighting, no matter what.

Despite Malachi's sadistic tendencies, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the two boys. They were quick on their feet, and their movements were calculated and precise.

Dai and Narco frantically scanned the area, their eyes darting around the arena, trying to locate their opponent. They could feel their hearts pounding in their chests as they struggled to catch their breaths. Suddenly, Malachi appeared behind Narco, his movements too quick for the boys to react. Before Narco could even turn around, Malachi delivered a devastating chop to his nape, causing him to crumple to the ground. Dai watched in horror as Narco fell, but his friend managed to stay conscious.

"I'm may not be used to that insane speed of yours, but I sure as hell am used to a little pain," Narco gritted out, determination etched on his face as he pushed himself back up onto his feet. Dai knew that Narco was tough, but he had never seen him take a hit like that and still get up. Dai quickly dashed towards Malachi, hoping to buy Narco some extra time to recover.

As Dai was fighting Malachi, he felt his mind begin to wander. Memories of the mysterious man who saved him in Saltwater Island flooded his mind. He had seen the man stop a bullet mid-air and decapitate another man in the blink of an eye. Could this man have been using some kind of supernatural powers that Dai was unaware of? It was a thought that made Dai's head spin.

"Why am I thinking about this now?" Dai muttered, as he shifted his focus back to the fight at hand when he remembered that Narco was still down.

He turned to see if his friend had gotten up, but was met with an empty space. Panic set in as Dai realized he had lost sight of Narco.

Just as he was about to call out to him, Dai saw a blur of motion out of the corner of his eye. It was Narco, who had somehow managed to get back on his feet without Dai noticing. Dai couldn't believe what he was seeing - Narco's movements were different, faster, more fluid. As if he had just leveled up. Dai shook his head in disbelief. "Did Narco just become even faster?" he thought to himself.

Narco's speed still wasn't comparable to Malachi's, but the fact that he was able to learn so much from falling down once motivated Dai. So once again, Dai dashed back in to fight Malachi, this time together with Narco.

The three fighters clashed in a flurry of punches and kicks. Dai and Narco were like a well-oiled machine, each move complementing the other's. However, Malachi was still one step ahead. His speed and agility were unparalleled, and he effortlessly dodged their attacks with a fluidity that seemed almost inhuman.

Dai's frustration grew as he continued to miss his marks. "What's going on?" he thought to himself. "I can't seem to hit him no matter what I do."

Narco, too, was struggling. "This guy is too powerful," he muttered under his breath. "How are we supposed to beat him?"

As the fight wore on, Dai and Narco began to feel hopeless, and even scared. They realized they were up against an opponent with abilities they couldn't understand, let alone counter.

Malachi started laughing as he saw the hopeless faces of the two boys. "Did you give up?" he said, still laughing. "It would be a waste to kill you right now, though." He added, as he walked away from the two boys.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Astolfo's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "And the winner of the first round of the second stage is team two!"

Dai and Narco were panting, sweat pouring down their faces as they looked over to see Malachi's teammate holding the required artifact.

"How was he able to keep both of us on the defensive for the entire fight? It felt like he was everywhere at the same time," he murmured to Dai, who looked equally baffled.

Suddenly, Dai's eyes widened, and his mind raced with realization. "That's it!" he thought. "That's why he reminded me of that man at the orphanage. They both have something supernatural in common!" He quickly turned his gaze towards Malachi. "Malachi!" he yelled out, making the man turn towards them again. "You were using some kind of powers, right?" Dai asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Like a double, maybe?"

Malachi's gave a surprised look. "Oh, so you were able to find out even without seeing it hmm, interesting," he said, and he started clapping slowly.

"Why aren't we able to see it?" Dai asked, his tone reflecting his confusion.

Malachi chuckled. "I have no intention of telling you. It's something you'll have to figure out on your own, and I have no doubt we'll meet again," he said with a sly smile before turning to leave.

Dai and Narco looked at Malachi's retreating figure, completely dumbfounded. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. How was Malachi able to use such a power? And why was he being so secretive about it? Narco was the first to speak up.

"What was that about? What did you mean by double?" he asked Dai, still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.

Dai let out a heavy sigh. "Malachi was using some kind of power, either a double of himself or maybe illusions... I'm not completely sure, but it was something we couldn't see." he said, frustration evident in his voice.

Narco's shoulders slumped. "So he was toying with us this whole time? We never stood a chance," he said, his voice filled with defeat.

Dai put a reassuring hand on Narco's shoulder. "We may not have been able to defeat him this time, but we can learn from this experience. We need to find out more about these powers if we want to continue our journey," he said, determination in his voice.

Narco nodded slowly. "You're right," he said, a spark of motivation returning to his eyes. "And maybe it has something to do with what my brother did to my eye,” he added, a small smile forming on his lips.

“And with the mark of the crescent moon on my nape…” Dai added in thought.

The two boys stood up, with a feeling of overwhelm from their first defeat and from learning about some kind of power they had never heard of before, they left the arena. The two boys shared a dedicated gaze. "We'll definitely win next round and pass the second stage," they said in unison.

As the two boys stood up, they were filled with a sense of overwhelming defeat. They had never encountered such a formidable opponent before, and the revelation of Malachi's mysterious power left them feeling demoralized. But as they walked out of the arena, they shared a determined gaze. "We may have lost this round, but we won't give up," Dai declared, his voice unwavering.

"We'll train harder, learn more, and come back even stronger for the next round." Narco nodded in agreement, his eyes shining with renewed determination. "We're not going to let some unknown power defeat us. We'll figure it out, and we'll overcome it," he said with conviction. The two boys then walked off, ready to face their second, and last chance to pass the second stage.