Dante sat on the couch inside the simple house they rented, relaxing as he read a book, while Dabi sat next to him, shuffling his feet in obvious boredom as he stared at the paper Sara had given them.
Dabi groaned: Two days of rest? Two whole days?!
Dante calmly: That's what Sara said.
Dabi: Oh, how boring! How could anyone sit around doing nothing for two days?! That's torture, Dante, real torture!
Dante looked at him lazily: Isn't torture what you usually do?
Dabi with fake shock: Huh! Me? I'm an artist in the art of relaxation, this is completely different from forcing you to do nothing!
Dante mockingly: Do you call what you usually do art?
Dabi: Of course! It requires skill... And now, I need a new hobby because I'm about to lose my mind.
Dante closed his eyes: You can take a nap.
Dabi: I'm not old enough to take a nap in the middle of the day!
Dante: And that means you take it at night?
Dabi with a sarcastic smile: Don't be smart with me, Dante.
Dabi let out a long sigh, then suddenly stood up excitedly as if he had found the perfect solution.
Dabi: Well, since we're stuck here, let's do something fun!
Dante doubts his intentions: Like what?
Dabi smiles slyly: I'm annoyed, and you're injured... So, let's play a game! We'll play the Question Challenge! Each of us asks a question, and the other has to answer honestly!
Dante raised one eyebrow, but he didn't see any harm in it, especially since Dabi was about to explode from boredom.
Dante: Well, you go first.
Dabi thinks for a moment, then smirks: What do you think of Sara?
Dante surprised: ... What?
Dabi: I mean, she's cute, right? Very cute. And she treated you with her soft hands, did you feel anything?
Dante looks away: ... You're an idiot.
Dabi laughs: Haha! Your face tells me everything!
Dante sighs: My turn to ask... Why are you so annoying?
Dabi acts serious: A deep question... I guess this is just a natural talent.
The two of them finally laughed, as if the atmosphere of boredom was slowly fading away. However, Dante had a feeling that two days of rest with Dabi would not be as peaceful as he expected.
Dabi looked at the ceiling for a moment, then turned to Dante with a sly smile, as if he had come up with a new idea to pass the time.
Dabi: Dante, you have a lot of time right now, so I have a very important question for you.
Dante, lazy: What is it?
Dabi: You like reading, right?
Dante: Yeah, kind of... Why?
Dabi puts his hands behind his head and leans back on the couch: If I wrote a book, would you read it?
Dante raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by the question.
Dante: You? Writing a book?
Dabi with a confident nod: Of course! I have so many great ideas! Imagine, a book full of wisdom, adventures, and high-class humor!
Dante: You mean a book full of silly stories and bad jokes?
Dabi, pretending to be offended: Dante, you're hurting my feelings! I was going to make the hero character inspired by you, but now I'm going to make him someone who sleeps all day!
Dante: That would be a really boring book.
Dabi: Well, maybe I'll write it someday. It'll be a masterpiece, and I'll have you write the introduction for me.
Dante: If I actually finish writing it, maybe I'll consider reading it.
Dabi with a sly smile as he takes out a book from his bag and throws it towards Dante: And here it is! If I can't train your body, I'll train your mind!
Dante picks up the book and looks at it hesitantly: You're really serious... I didn't expect you to write an entire book.
Dabi sits in a comfortable position and puts his hands behind his head: Oh, it's not just a book! It's the sum of years of experience and fighting, secrets you won't find anywhere else! It's a real treasure!
Dante slowly turns the pages
Well, let's see how good it is...
Dante reads aloud: Have you ever wondered if your opponent's moves and techniques bring you closer to victory as well?
He raised his eyebrow slightly, which increased Dabi's excitement, then continued reading:
Dante: Rule number one: The moment your opponent attacks with his finishing move is the moment he relaxes his defense the most. Don't look at his weapon, but at his balance, his steps, his confidence in the strike... Often, a well-thought-out attack can turn the tables on the strongest warriors.
Dabi: Huh? Not bad, right? Go on!
Dante continues reading: Rule Two: In every fight, there is no opponent without weaknesses, there are even fighters who are not good at looking for them. Watch his pattern, does he put more weight on one foot than the other? Does he prefer defense over attack? Does he constantly move or stay still? Every answer is a step towards victory.
Dante looks at Dabi: That makes sense...
Dabi: Of course! Keep going, keep going!
Dante: Rule Three: When the fight becomes equal, use the sounds of the fight to your advantage. The sound of the sword, your steps, even your breathing... The rhythm of battle is not just speed, it's music, and whoever controls the rhythm, controls the fight.
Dante smiles slightly: That's an interesting rule.
Dabi spreads his arms proudly: Oh, of course! The rhythm of combat is a secret that few understand.
Dante continues reading: Rule Four: Don't try to match your opponent's strength directly, but think of him as a puzzle to be solved. Every attack, every defense, is part of his strategy. Instead of trying to block his blows, ask him one question: 'Why is he attacking like this?'
Dabi nods in agreement: This is what separates a smart swordsman from a mere strong one.
Dante: Rule Five: When you lose your weapon, remember that the fight is not over yet. Your hands, your feet, the environment around you… they are all weapons waiting to be used. The sword is just a tool, but a true fighter is one who can fight even without it.
Dante pauses for a moment, then looks at Dabi and says with a small smile:
Dante: I didn't expect anything so profound from you.
Dabi laughs: I'm a box full of surprises, hero! Keep going, you're just getting started!
Dante smiled and continued reading, while Dabi watched him proudly, as if he knew that every rule planted in Dante's mind now... would one day be the difference between life and death in a real battle.
Dante after closing the book: This... was really fun.
Dabi smiling proudly: Of course! I expected nothing but admiration from you.
Dante looks at the cover again as he reads the title of the book: "A Swordsman with the Weight of Three Continents" Your choice of title is wonderful and appropriate.
Then he raises his head: Can I borrow it?
Dabi leans back, pretending to think: Hmm... Let me think... No.
Dante is a little surprised: What? Why?!
Dabi seriously: Because I know you'll read it all in one go, then give it back to me and won't remember half of what you read.
Dante replies seriously: I don't forget things that easily.
Dabi: Then prove it to me. I'll give you the book, but on one condition: Every day you tell me one rule and how you think about applying it. This way, it won't just be words you read, but something you incorporate into your fighting style.
Dante paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Dante: Agreed.
Dabi finally hands him the book: Good, but remember, if you lose it, I'll make you write me ten copies of it!
Dante takes the book with a slight smile: I'll keep it, don't worry.
Dabi looks at Dante for a moment, then laughs and says:
Dabi: Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll have your own rule that's worthy of being included in the second edition of my book!
*Five minutes later*
Dante closes the book and puts it aside: I think I've read enough for today.
Dabi looks at him curiously: Did you get bored that quickly?
Dante shakes his head with a slight smile: Not exactly, but I noticed that you're getting really bored.
Dabi sighs heavily, leaning back on the couch: Oh, I finally noticed! I was about to lose my mind!
Dante smiles: Then why don't we go out? Maybe we can find something exciting to do instead of sitting here.
Dabi gets up with sudden enthusiasm: Finally! I've been waiting for you to say that for five minutes!
Dante surprised: What? Then why didn't you suggest it yourself?
Dabi puts his hands behind his head, relaxing: I wanted to see how long you could last before you felt guilty towards me.
Dante sighs: Sometimes I feel like you're playing with me on purpose.
Dabi with a sly smile: Sometimes? I do that all the time!
Dante: Well, where do we go?
Dabi thinks for a moment and then smiles: I heard there's a fighting show in the central square today. It might be fun!
Dante is a little interested: A fighting show? Do you mean duels between warriors?
Dabi nods excitedly: Exactly! And this isn't just a show, it's a real competition between warriors from different places!
Dante smiles a little: Sounds exciting... Well, let's go see what's going on there.
Dabi starts walking towards the door: Finally! Move before the whole day goes by talking!
Dante laughs as he follows Dabi, while inside he wonders if this fighting show will bring them just regular fun... or unexpected surprises?
Dabi stares at the empty arena in shock: What?! The fight is already over?!
Dante looks around calmly, noticing the marks of the fight on the ground: It seems like it ended quite a while ago.
Dabi raises his hands in frustration: This is unfair! I've endured sitting at home all this time, and all for what? For an empty arena?!
Dante puts his hands in his pockets, speaking calmly: You're the one who suggested coming here.
Dabi exhales heavily: I thought I'd get some entertainment, not just some cool air!
Dante looks at him indifferently: You can always imagine the fight in your head, you're good at that, right?
Dabi looks at him with disgust: What a great suggestion, why don't I live my whole life in my head then?!
Dante with a small smile: That would be calmer at least.
Dabi puts his hands on his head in despair: I can't believe I'm wasting my youth like this...
Dante raises an eyebrow: You're hundreds of years older than me.
Dabi points at him firmly: It doesn't matter! Age is just a number, and fun is a right for all ages!
Dante mockingly: Amazing wisdom, you should write another book about it.
Dabi narrows his eyes: I will, and it will be called 'How Not to Be Boring Like Dante'.
Dante sighs: If this is a real book, I'm sure the first page will say 'Be Like Dabi'.
Dabi smiles slyly: Exactly!
A brief moment of silence passes between them, before Dabi slaps his hand on his palm with sudden enthusiasm.
Dabi with sudden enthusiasm: I have a much better idea!
Dante looks at him cautiously: I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this sudden enthusiasm...
Dabi leans towards him with a wide smile: How about we go to the Gravity Mall?
Dante blinks slightly, surprised: The floating market?
Dabi (nodding excitedly): Yes! It's on the other side of the Waterfall Kingdom, full of weird shops, delicious food, and rare items from other continents! This would be more exciting than sitting here like a dead tree.
Dante thinks for a moment, then shrugs indifferently: Well, I don't see any harm in that.
Dabi claps his hands excitedly: Great! Then let's go right away!
Dante looks at him: Are you sure this isn't just an excuse for you to buy food?
Dabi: How dare you? The floating market isn't just a place for food!
Dante: But the food is the first thing you mentioned when you described it.
Dabi looks away nervously: Details, just details!
Dante smiles lightly: Okay, let's go before you change your mind.
Dabi: I don't change my mind when it comes to adventures!
*Twenty minutes later*
Dante: Are we there yet? We've been walking for a very long time...
Dabi: Don't complain, we've arrived, the main gate of the place is there
Dante and Dabi continued walking down the rocky Gothic path towards the gate, while Dante followed Dabi, passing the market gate that seemed like an entrance to another world, a world filled with magic and mystery. As soon as he crossed the threshold, his eyes widened in surprise. In front of him stretched a towering, ancient castle, topped with eroded towers and narrow windows like silently watching eyes. But what made him stand in awe wasn't its imposing height or Gothic architecture, but the scene that seemed like a fantasy—the upper part of the castle was disintegrating, brick by brick, fading towards the sky as if time was slowly dismantling it back up.
Dabi put his hands on his hips, bragging: Oh, so even the great Dante can be amazed sometimes, huh?
Dante, ignoring Dabi's comment, stared at the castle intently: What is this place...?
Dabi laughs: Welcome to Gravitymall! The only floating market in the land of Gort where the laws of physics take a long break.
The air here was different—heavy with a mixture of strange spices and hot incense, filled with the whispers of merchants and the sounds of strange performances calling from corners that couldn't be pinpointed. The floor beneath them wasn't really floor, but rather tangled wooden bridges and floating stone walkways, connected to each other by chains of dim blue light, as if they were tied by invisible magical strings.
Dante, watching the floor warily: Are these walkways… floating?
Dabi winks: Not only do they float, they move! So don't stray too far from me, or you might find yourself in another corner of the market without realizing how you got there.
As they walked, small boats floated past them in the air, carrying strange goods like bottles containing endlessly swirling smoke, and masks whose features changed whenever one looked away for a moment.
One of the merchants, a short creature with gray skin and wide eyes, waved a small bottle filled with a liquid that changed color between blue and purple.
The merchant with a hoarse voice: One look, gentlemen! The Elixir of Echoes! Drink it, and you'll hear the sounds of the past as if you were living them all over again!
Dabi narrowed his eyes in thought, then whispered to Dante: If I drink it, do you think it'll make me hear all the times girls rejected me?
Dante dryly: I don't think you need an elixir for this, your memories alone are enough.
Dabi feigned sadness: How cruel...
As they walked forward, a large plaza appeared before them, surrounded by circular stone platforms that slowly rose and fell as if they were breathing. In the middle of the plaza, there was a strange-looking building, resembling an upside-down temple, with stairs hanging from it leading to nothingness.
Dante looked around in amazement: This market... It looks like a crazy dream.
Dabi: And that's the fun part! Nothing here makes sense, but it somehow works.
Dante calmly: Where exactly are we going?
Dabi excitedly: Oh, we have a few stops, but first, we need to buy you some new clothes! Lucky for you, I have great taste.
Dante apprehensively: I have a feeling this isn't going to end well...