"Since you said you're a warrior-type, the examination method will be a simple spar."
The vice guild master, who had put on protective gloves, took his stance.
''You can use your original spear.'' Hansel hinted at him and Dante nodded before taking the spear he got from Cecilia after undergoing a baptism.
It was a normal spear but its grade surpassed the normal weapon's grade.
''By the way, I'm Intermediate Novice Awakener, closer to the Master Awakener's rank, it is to say I'm Level 5.'' Hansel declared making Dante gulp.
'Four levels of difference. Huh! Let me give my best.'
''Don't worry I'll suppress my strength,'' Hansel added, disappointed not to see any real reaction from Dante. This made him to wonder if this young man was pretending or just too unresponsive to care.
'Nah! Let's focus on the test. I wonder what result you will show us.' Hansel shook his head to throw away any distractions and to solely focus on the task given by the guild master.
''I'm ready when you are.'' He declared beckoning Dante to attack whenever he wants.
The latter nodded before
''Fuh!"
He breathed in while lowering his stance.
Breathing in low and slow.
His body moved according to the 'Spear Art' engraved in his brain.
And the Devil's stigma engraved on his left chest blazed out with blue light.
Crack! Crackle!!!
Then a bolt of blue lightning sparked out fiercely.
"Chi!'' Chii!"
Boom!
Violently kicking his feet, Dante sprinted forward.
He jabbed out the blue lightning-infused spear with all his strength.
Kaang!!
The spear blade that hit Hansel's forearms strongly bounced off.
It didn't feel like a human's arm, but instead like some kind of hard cast iron.
"…Huh?"
The expression of Hansel, who had easily blocked the spear, stiffened.
"What is this?"
Hansel Vidaa's mouth fell open in disbelief.
Twitch!
The blue lightning moved to his right arm like a hungry snake.
His forearm which had deflected the spear's blade couldn't move properly.
'No way.'
Hansel's eyes trembled slightly.
He had certainly confirmed moments ago Dante's status, although stronger than your average Lvl 1 and could be compared to a low Lvl 2 Awakener, he wasn't expecting this.
The blocked attack of an Awakener that was only a mere Lvl 1 was able to make his arms difficult to move.
"Just what…'
Before he had the time to grasp the situation accurately, a sharp spear strike stabbed out at him.
Dante was not about to let go of this opportunity.
"Ohh!"
Bang!
Taking a raging step forward, Hansel smirked before compressing his shoulders.
As the spear's blade bounced off, he saw a clear opening strike at Dante's chest.
He roughly swang his gloved fists.
Bam!
"Keough!!"
Dante, who had taken the blow right on his chest, flew back like a baseball that had been hit by a bat.
Ragdolling on the ground, he crashed into the testing ground's wall.
"Cough, cough!"
He couldn't breathe properly.
Rather than a human fist, it felt more like he had been hit by a car racing at full speed.
'What kind of monstrous power is that?
A sharp pain passed through his spine.
"A-Are you okay?" Hansel's panicked expression flashed before Dante's eyes as he asked.
"Oh! Yes, I'm fine."
Although the arm that was grasping the spear was slightly shivering in addition to his shaking legs.
He could still fight.
He could still move because this degree of injury could be healed in an instant.
And to prove this point, his Super Regeneration skill kicked in and repaired all of the damage done to his body in an instant.
Hansel's eyes widened but Dante was not about to give him time to question him.
To get rid of the pressure he was feeling, Dante relied on his stigma.
The Devil's stigma on his left chest started to pour out light.
The heavy pressure that had been pushing down on his chest reduced slightly.
'I must think of another solution as stabbing is not enough.'
Dante couldn't pierce through those solid arms with a direct attack.
'If that's the case…'
Lowering his body, he swung his spear in a clean motion.
The ankles were his target.
The blue lightning-infused spear blade flashed across the floor.
Hansel kicked toward the spear blade that was heading toward his ankle.
A movement like that of kicking a soccer ball.
Dante's mouth perked up as he knew that he wouldn't try to avoid it.
Pang!!
Just before the low-swung spear was about to be hit by the foot, he let go of his grasp on the spear's shaft.
The spear bounced on the ground and rotated in the air.
It was what Dante had been aiming for, his body moved forward.
Snatching the spear he struck down towards Hansel's shoulder.
Bang!
"Ugh!!"
Unexpectedly, Hansel got hit and took a step back.
That attack was too fast catching him off guard.
Dante accelerated his movements using lightning. He stabbed forward repeatedly.
Hansel circulated both his arms to protect his face from the spear strikes that rained down.
'What's this?'
His doubt grew wider.
Up to the point of him no longer being able to remember the surprise he had first felt, the stunning astonishment left him shaken.
'Just what's going on?'
Kang! Kang!
What he was surprised by was not the fiercely blazing blue lightning nor the wildly swinging spear.
Above that.
Above something trivial like that.
'Just why… is he becoming stronger?'
As if he was urging this fight to hone his fighting skills, and to adapt which is frightening.
Hansel was so shocked that he forgot that he should be restraining his strength. The thrill of finding an uncut gem, the feeling of wanting to see the depth of something extraordinary, to push him past his limit made Hansel forget to completely restrain his strength.
His arm grew, gravity falls and he punched forward.
Swoosh!
Just before Dante got hit, Nemesis warned.
[Master dodge!]
Dante's eyes widened, lightning flashed through every single cell of his body and he try to jump back but was still hit in the end. Not even his spear could stop that punch.
Just before getting pummeled flying, he heard a notification.
{Skill Lightning Escape created. Lvl 1}
BANG! Crack! Boom!