Dante wriggled, but his efforts were in vain as he was forcibly propelled by the wind, his face stinging from its force. As they journeyed on, he couldn't fathom why this powerful man had taken an interest in him.
Through his deductions, Dante surmised that Arthur had orchestrated his demise and that being granted the opportunity to be tutored by a Monarch was the reward.
With the daunting task of defeating Arthur and the sheer number of individuals willing to embark on such a futile endeavor, Dante remained convinced of the value of the prize.
However, in his current state, suspended in mid-air, he had not given much thought to capitalize on the situation.
He couldn't help but think that if he were to somehow succeed, it would be akin to exhausting all his luck, like plucking an infinite number of four-leaf clovers from every universe only to crash to the ground from a great height.
Arthur said to Sophia as he descended towards the ground, "Summon Atlas to meet me at the Missions Hall. Instruct him to provide a pretext for Gene's absence."
Sophia hesitated and reminded Arthur, "But, Gene won't agree since Atlas and Kenji have a mission together."
"Then I will cancel it," Arthur replied firmly. "Kenji alone should be enough. Just tell him."
The Mission Hall of The Magic Academy stood tall and mighty, dwarfing the neighboring buildings. It's exterior boasted white marble adorned with intricate symbols and runes, expertly crafted to impress any onlooker.
Two towering statues of renowned mages flanked the entrance, holding staffs and staring ahead with solemnity.
Arthur gazed at the grand structure as he descended, captivated by its imposing presence. He could sense the murmurs of voices emanating from within, an indication of the weighty and urgent nature of the missions carried out inside those walls.
Amused, Arthur let out a light chuckle as he gazed upon the face of the old man depicted in the first statue. Despite the serious expression that had been skillfully carved, Arthur knew that the man's true personality was that of a goofball, a fact that only a select few knew about.
As a Monarch, the old man held a position of great power and influence.
He was one of the first six humans to harness the power of mana signatures to establish territories and factions, effectively eradicating most of the creatures that emerged from gates and remained in dungeons.
He and his fellow Monarchs had utilized the resources obtained from these dungeons to solidify their dominance and further expand their influence.
The other statue of the woman standing beside his grandfather was Marjorie Vermillion, the founder of the Hunter Association who in conjunction worked with his grandfather to allow some semblance of peace to the world from monsters- both beasts and corrupt humans alike.
"I am sure he will be pissed off by me using his name for my schemes," Arthur thought before he faced Dante. Lost in the magnificence of the building, Dante was not able to sense Arthur's gaze until he tapped his shoulders.
Turning abruptly, he entered high alert, unsure of what was happening. His dual-hue eyes stared at Arthur's eyes as he clutched his katana.
Arthur flicked his wrist, and an ice sword formed in his hands. Bursting forward, he arrived in front of Dante. Dante hurriedly crossed his katana across his chest, as he couldn't perceive the attack.
The ice sword landed squarely on it, blowing Dante away into the wall. The students of the academy, who were entering or exiting the Missions Hall, surrounded them, hoping to find out what the commotion was.
Arthur quickly created an ice dome around him and Dante. The crystal structure prevented anyone from peeking at their fight.
Dante struggled out of the debris with blood oozing from his head. His hands shook as his katana sensed his weakness. Steeling his will, he barely prevented it from draining his Abyssal Energy.
If it were someone else, the thought of their teacher, who was meant to guide them, taking them through hell by being heavy-handed even in mock battles would have been a foreign concept.
But having gone through Magnus's brutal training and Theia's current training she does for fun, Dante didn't find it strange at all.
Flashing a wide grin, he burst forward, his body fully transformed into Rapid Rhythm's form. His speed greatly enhanced, and he arrived before Arthur as he swung his blade downwards.
Repeatedly using the Fiery Eclipse sword form, he created a burning atmosphere that coalesced with the dark flames.
But unfortunately, the flames couldn't even affect the sword, as the air that surrounded it alone was enough to extinguish it. Dante hurriedly stepped back and sheathed his sword.
Quickly taking in repeated quick breaths, he muttered, "Timeless Ripple: Smudged Clock."
Leaving a trail behind, he used the speed-based form as his body slashed through Arthur's body without any form of elemental enhancement since he was incapable of merging a time-based form with any of the elements Theia awakened for him.
Crrack!
The sound of shattering resounded throughout the dome as the ice clone shattered. The large surface of the ice sword slammed into him once again as he collided with the walls of the ice dome. The impact knocked the wind out of his sails.
Without saying another word, a projectile ice shard formed at the tip of the ice sword as a greenish gale coated it. Arthur swung the sword, sending the attack straight for Dante.
Barely preventing his consciousness from slipping, he swung his blade at the shard as he was in a complete deadlock.
The force of the attack was already pushing him backward before Arthur suddenly disappeared and appeared above him with his sword descending towards him.
The icy shockwave forewarned Dante of its power. With a crazy glint in his eyes, he prepared to use it.
"Don't you dare do it, kid. You have not mastered it yet, and switching right after using a tier will put a massive strain on your muscles," Theia's voice rang in Dante's head.
But Dante decided to do it anyway. It wasn't every day one met someone way above their league who would be willing to push them to the limits of death but not be an enemy.
Dante was a very strong believer in "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." He understood that only a trial of fire and blood could prepare anyone for the path of dominance.
But the world is only ruled by balance, and Dante had never possessed that balance as he was always at the extremities of any form of spectrum. From his emotions to even his beliefs and life philosophies.
Preparing to activate it, Arthur suddenly froze Dante's left arm and half his chest, completely cascading it in ice.
The activation of the sequence was suddenly stopped as Dante lost concentration, the icicle slipping past his blade and grazing a large chunk of his right shoulder and also freezing it.
Finally returning once again to a point of weakness, he had also let his guard down and proven himself once again unworthy.
The bandage on his katana latched onto him as a burst of Abyssal Energy burst out as it was continuously sucked by the blade.
Arthur's usual expression of indifference he had kept up until now was gone, replaced by a frigid expression of pure hate.
As he thrust his sword toward Dante's heart, the atmosphere surrounding the dome grew dense and oppressive.
Dante's once muscular arm, now emaciated and skeletal, intercepted the blow and enveloped the ice sword entirely.
Black veins spread across Dante's body, signaling the fragile balance between his two races was deteriorating, tipping towards his Abs side.
Arthur generated two spears and launched a flurry of attacks at Dante from different directions, but Dante's bony hand expertly deflected them all.
With a single graceful motion, Arthur's sword sliced through the cold mana in the air, absorbing it effortlessly.
Despite the overwhelming hatred emanating from him, Arthur held back his power, seemingly conflicted about something.
Just as the cold aura threatened to consume them both, a massive hand burst through the ice dome, letting in the bright sunlight.
In an instant, the Abyssal Energy that had been pulsing around Dante disappeared, leaving him unconscious and vulnerable.
His body reverted to its normal form, the black lines that had been visible on his skin fading away.
The massive golem's hand slammed down on Arthur, jolting him out of his stupor and bringing him back to his senses. He quickly regained his usual composure, but Atlas could sense that something was off.
Atlas, who was panting heavily, stood there in shock at the destruction that had taken place. It was the first time he had ever seen Arthur lose control like that, and he was at a loss for words.
Arthur sat there for a moment, staring at his hands in disbelief. Then, he stood up abruptly, his face back to its usual impassive expression, though with a hint of guilt.
He picked up Dante, who was unconscious and fed him one of his high-grade pills, quickly healing the damage he had sustained.
Arthur, with Dante on his shoulders, and accompanied by Atlas and Sophia, vanished in a blur as he transported them away with a single step.
The ice dome that had once enclosed them disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no evidence of its existence behind.