"On it!! Terra Trap!!," Maki yelled and focused her Mana on creating a huge ditch which trapped Dante and Jason until they both got muddy from the mud formed as a result being near from the lake.
"Is this all you got?!!," Dante scoffed and released a lot of Mana until a clear white aura appeared around him.
"Jason, be careful!! Looks like he's going all out!!," Maki cautioned.
"Awesome!! That means I can also go all out too!!," he said as he charged his Mana until it formed an aura as well, but smaller compared to the Knight.
"Incredible! I'll admit, this is a strong feat for someone your age!!," Dante commented to Jason about his ability to charge his Mana as well.
"Thank you. But I'm not only talk!! I also do what I say! And I say, I'll pummel you hard!!,"Jason replied which clutching his fist.
"Good thing you're showing interest!! Because I won't go easy on you either!!,"Dante responded and further increased his aura, showing that he meant business.
"Now come at me with all you got!!," he continued and posed reminiscing that of the Tai Chan stance in martial arts.
————————-/——//————————————
Suddenly, the two in the muddy pit advanced towards each other very quickly and traded punches which they each countered in quick succession.
But Jason, with age on his side, was able to attempt a few strikes to the veteran but his experience was enough to see through his movement and counter.
"I have to say, you're an impressive young man!!", Dante commented.
"But too bad I'll have to kill you!!", he stated and his demeanor suddenly became more serious and frightening than previously noted.
At this instance, Jason was obviously terrified. Nonetheless, he still decided to face him head-on.
Suddenly, Dante vanished, got behind Maki and held her captive with his dagger on her throat .
"I told you I meant what I said!!", Dante said in an unfazed tone as he gripped Maki tightly, in such a way that she was suffocating.
"Stop!! She has nothing to do with this! Just let her go!!," Jason yelled at Dante.
But unfortunately, Dante slashed her throat with little difficulty, like a fowl being slaughtered.
"Too bad, though. She had quality which could have been useful, but the weak always get slaughtered," he said unfazed as he towered over her lifeless body.
Jason just stood there frozen, watching Maki's body on the ground and wondering why his teacher struck her down.
But things became worse when he noticed a pool of blood surrounding her body.
"You bastard!! She had nothing against you!!," he yelled in fury over what he had just witnessed.
Immediately, Dante felt a strong presence coming from Jason and it felt very evil.
Jason was silent throughout this but then his personality totally changed.
He then got out of the pit, hung his head low, and said, "Foolish mortal!! You gave me the perfect chance to take control over this naïve boy's body. For that, I thank you—," he paused for a moment and continued in a hysterical laughter, "—by wiping out all of Amberland!!"