Majority Vote

Hours passed as Nicholas and I went over the data he collected while I was away. Soon, an announcement echoed through the blimp.

"To all passengers, we are ready to land."

The blimp descended, eventually landing on top of a metal pillar. The other contestants were confused, seeing nothing around them but empty space. Some muttered, "There's nothing here," while others questioned, "What are they planning?"

"Hello, examinees. You are now at the Shrewdness Tower," the announcer's voice boomed. "It is here that the third trial shall take place," continued the green creature. "Within the next 72 hours, you must reach the bottom of this tower alive, of course. With that said, I wish you luck in the trials ahead."

3rd Round: Number of Participants - 42, Deceased - 2

This trial was going to be challenging, even with my knowledge of the story. My experiences were primarily through the main characters' perspectives, so navigating this tower now could lead me into unforeseen situations. Thankfully, I wasn't alone; I had my lackey, Nicholas.

One of the applicants, number 86, decided to climb down the tower's exterior but met a grim fate as a flying creature devoured him. Realizing that the sides of the tower weren't an option, the other participants started searching for hidden doors or compartments on top of the tower.

Nicholas and I stood in the center, ensuring no one had any funny ideas of pushing us off. It was a strategic move that allowed us to observe the other participants closely. We noticed a few of them discovering hidden doors activated by specific floor tiles. I instructed Nicholas to use his computer to calculate the positions of these doors. After some quick calculations, we found five doors to choose from.

As we observed, we saw the main protagonists huddled together, discussing their next move. I realized the hidden doors required simultaneous entry, so I told Nicholas to get ready. We both jumped simultaneously, activating the hidden door beneath our feet.

We landed in a room with metal walls and a mechanism with two buttons. A frame on the wall held a piece of paper, which we quickly read. It stated, "The choice of the way is chosen by the majority. For the five candidates who read this paper, you must reach your goal following the majority choice."

We needed to wait for three more candidates to join us. Most of the notable characters had already entered other rooms, so we expected a few weaker participants to join us.

Soon, a female candidate dropped into the room. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and peach-colored skin. Her baggy clothes made her look somewhat disheveled. She wore green earrings, and her badge read #100. She locked eyes with us and spoke first.

"Why are you guys still here? Are you looking for a fight or something? Because I won't hold back if you think you can mess with me."

Nicholas responded defensively, "How do you talk to the boss like that? First of all, we are forced to stay here. There must be five applicants in this room for us to proceed. If you don't believe me, read the sign on the wall. It gives you the rules."

The girl walked over, read the sign, and realized Nicholas was correct. "Well, I apologize. If you were me, seeing two guys in one room, it wouldn't fare well either. Plus, you guys look like you're buddy-buddy."

"Since I'm in the wrong, let me introduce myself. My name is Dice. And who are you guys?" she asked, smugly.

Nicholas scoffed. "How can you not know my boss's name? This is Yuuma, and I'm Nicholas, his loyal subject. But I don't like your lie. Your name isn't Dice. It's Glass, isn't it?"

She smirked. "It might be, it might not. But I prefer to be called Dice."

"Fine, we'll call you Dice. But don't hold us back with your lies. Got it?" Nicholas shot back.

"Whatever you say, Chubbs," she replied sarcastically.

Nicholas was visibly upset, but I calmed him down. We needed to work together for now. Soon, two men dropped into the room simultaneously. They seemed to know each other, likely having an alliance. Once we explained the situation, they introduced themselves as Jack and Ripper.

Jack was scrawny with a black mohawk and wore a camouflage outfit. He looked like a soldier. Ripper, on the other hand, wore dress clothes—shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes. His hair was faded on the sides with curls on top.

With everyone present, we were able to proceed. The loudspeaker crackled to life with an announcement.

"Alright, this tower contains numerous passages, each with its own crossways. You can only move forward by following the majority's choice. Cooperation is essential. On that note, good luck."

Realizing the situation, I knew we were in a challenging spot. We had never spoken to each other before and didn't trust each other. Nicholas would follow me blindly, but the other three were the real problem.

"I'll be taking the lead. If there are no objections, I will be pressing the circle button."

Nicholas was the first to respond. "I understand, sir. Whatever you do, I'm right behind you all the way."

Dice was the second to respond. "I mean, we gotta move forward, and I'm pretty sure X isn't such a good thing. So I'll go with the circle button."

"Well, if three of you are saying yes, then I will also agree for now," said Jack.

"I agree too. Can we move on now?" added Ripper.

"Alright then, good. Pressing the button now."

Once I pressed the button, a case emerged from the wall containing five watches. We each grabbed one. The watches were synchronized, showing we had 70 hours left to complete the tower.

As we walked through the door, we were faced with another choice: to press "O" to open the door or "X" to not open it.

Nicholas, aggravated, exclaimed, "What kind of question is this? Who wouldn't want to open the door?"

"Nicholas," I said calmly, "everything's about choice. Whether we open that door to continue or stay here and fail, it's up to us. Think of it like a tutorial explaining how it works."

"Everyone, cast your votes," I instructed.

A number popped up over the question.

"Announcement: Five have chosen to continue. Please open the door."

We entered and found ourselves in a corridor leading to two paths, one right and one left.

"Announcement: Please make your choice. Will you go right or left?"

To me, it didn't matter which way we went, so I chose right.

"Announcement: Three have chosen to go left, two have chosen to go right."

Seeing that the majority chose left, we went down that path. The gate blocking the left path opened, allowing us to pass through.

As we moved forward, we saw a light in the distance. We found ourselves in an open space with an arena suspended over an endless drop into darkness. Across the gap were five hooded and cuffed individuals.

The cuffs came off the hooded figures, and one removed his hood. He was a blind man with long gray hair reaching his chest. His muscles were toned, and his skin was a tan color, resembling sand.

"Just so you know, we are the jurors for the trial commission. Our mission is to fight against you. The matches are one-on-one, and you must win three times to pass. Everything is allowed, no matter the method or technique. There is no time limit. Defeat one of us, and you win the round. Do you accept this trial or not? Press 'O' to accept or 'X' to refuse."

Ripper, agitated, said, "Why do we still have to choose? It's obvious we have to go through this to qualify. Everyone better choose the circle button."

Without hesitation, we all pressed the circle button.

"Good," said the blind man. "Just so you know, I'm going first. Choose someone to meet me in the arena."

Ripper moved first, his eyes sharp and fierce, facing the blind man in the arena.

The blind man spoke again. "Since you accepted the terms, I propose a fight to the death. The match ends only when one of us is dead. Do you accept?"

Ripper agreed confidently.

"You must think I'm easy, don't you?" the blind man taunted. "Come on, then."

Ripper advanced, pulling a dagger from his side, ready to strike. As he swung, the blind man dodged instantaneously and delivered a swift punch, sending Ripper reeling in pain.

"It felt like a truck hit me," Ripper thought.

The blind man didn't stop there, continuing to stomp and kick Ripper, causing excruciating pain with each blow. Ripper screamed with every strike.

Finally, the blind man stopped, pulling his hair back and licking his bloody knuckles with a creepy smile that was even more unsettling than Hisoka's. Ripper lay motionless, likely unconscious from the pain.

"Man, that felt good. The warmth of blood... oh, how I missed it," the blind man said loudly. "What did you expect from a criminal? Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't feel, hear, or taste. I felt the wind of his slash before he even stepped into the arena."

He grabbed Ripper's leg and tossed him off the arena into the darkness below. "Now that I've had my fun, it's time for my colleagues to have theirs. They might not choose the same game as I have, so be ready."

The staircase lowered, and the blind man walked up, putting on his cuffs and hood once again. Another individual removed his hood and cuffs. He was scrawny and looked malnourished, with a bald head and a large scar on his forehead.

"My game is simple. Beat me in a fight. It doesn't matter who comes; I'll even give you the chance to forfeit if you think you can't beat me. So, who's coming to face me?"

We huddled together after seeing Ripper lose his life. Jack spoke up, "Technically, the blind guy had a chance of beating Ripper, but he took him out."

Dice added, "I don't think you kids stand a chance against that scrawny guy. He gives me a weird vibe and sounds too confident."

"Listen," Nicholas said, "while Ripper was getting beaten, I did some research. The blind guy is a known criminal from ten years ago, nicknamed 'Bloody Murder.' All his victims were beaten to death."

Jack responded, "I don't think you guys stand a chance against that scrawny guy. If the blind guy was able to beat Ripper, then these guys are on another level."

Dice protested, "Wait, why me? I think Jack is definitely stronger than me, plus I'm a female."

"Enough of this," Jack said. "I'll go next. I'll make sure I win because losing is not an option. I want to be a hunter, and if this is what it takes, then so be it."

Jack went down the stairs to the arena.

"So, are you ready?" the scrawny man asked.

"That's what I should be asking you, you damn piece of meat."

"Oh, you think you're funny? I like that. I wonder how you taste."

"You'll never know because I'm ending this right here."

Jack pulled out small black orbs from his cargo pants and threw them at the scrawny man. As soon as the orbs touched the man's skin, an explosion occurred, severely burning his shoulder. Despite the pain, the scrawny man didn't scream but looked extremely angry.

Surrounded by more black orbs, Jack warned, "Devin Gray, all those black orbs are highly explosive, military-grade. If you walk into them, it's on you."

"I didn't think you'd be such a tough piece of meat. But you're right, I don't want to die, so I forfeit. But I won't forget your face."

With that, Devin Gray forfeited, and Jack returned to us.

Current Score: 1-1. We just needed two more wins.

The next prisoner stepped forward. She was a striking figure with pale skin, orange hair streaked with gray, and deep blue eyes. Her lean build and the question mark tattoo on her left hand, paired with a cryptic smile beneath it, made her stand out.

She stood confidently in the arena, a smirk playing on her lips. "I am Grendel Veritas, known as 'The Riddler.' I live for the thrill of mental challenges. If you wish to pass, you must best me in a game of wits. Answer my riddles correctly, and you may proceed. Fail, and you shall face the consequences."

Nicholas turned to me, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Boss, let me handle this. I'm the number one genius here, and when it comes to intellect, I'm the best."

I nodded. "If you believe you can do it, Nicholas, go ahead. Does anyone else have a problem with that?"

Jack and Dice shook their heads in unison. "No."

Nicholas made his way down to the arena, meeting Grendel face to face.

"Are you ready?" she asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.

Nicholas stepped forward, resolute. "I'm ready."

Riddle One:

Grendel's eyes gleamed. "Very well. Here is your first riddle: If you feed me with food, I will survive. But if you make me drink water, I will perish. What am I?"

Nicholas thought for a moment before answering confidently, "Fire."

Grendel nodded, her smile widening. "Correct. Let's see how you fare with the next one."

Riddle Two:

Grendel continued, "What can run, but never walks; has a mouth, but never talks; has a head, but never weeps; has a bed, but never sleeps?"

Nicholas quickly responded, "A river."

Grendel's eyes narrowed slightly, but she maintained her composure. "Impressive. Here is your third riddle."

Riddle Three:

"What is always old and sometimes new; never sad, sometimes blue; never empty, but sometimes full; never pushes, always pulls?"

Nicholas hesitated, thinking deeply. After a moment, he answered, "The moon."

Grendel chuckled, clearly enjoying the challenge. "Well done, Nicholas. Now, for the final riddle. Answer this, and you shall pass."

Final Riddle:

"This thing devours all things: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins towns; and beats high mountains down. What is it?"

Nicholas closed his eyes, concentrating. After a moment, he confidently said, "Time."

Grendel's smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of respect. "You have answered correctly, Nicholas. You have bested me in this game of wits. You may proceed."

With that, Grendel stepped aside, allowing Nicholas and our group to move forward, impressed by the young boy's intellect and resolve.