show time! (oh...)

Arthur sat on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV, while Jess sat beside him, sipping a glass of juice. They were both waiting for the academy event to start, which was being broadcast live on television.

"What's your take on Dante?" Arthur asked, not looking away from the screen.

Jess shrugged. "He's... kinda weird, I guess. I mean, he's not really familiar with the world. But his power is... pretty impressive for someone his age. You said he was 15, right? He looks more like 17..."

Arthur smiled. "Jess, there are some seriously powerful people out there. A-Ranks are strong, S-Ranks are on a whole different level, SS-Ranks are basically unstoppable, and SSS-Ranks are like demigods. But no one's shown up with that kind of power in centuries. Castian Goldheart is a special case, born with a crazy talent - SSS-Rank, which was thought to be impossible. But it happened. This world's full of mysteries, if you think about it."

Jess let out a sigh. "Why are you telling me this?"

Arthur glanced at the TV. "There's a lot we don't know, Jess. Dante's young, but he can give me a run for my money, which is crazy for someone his age. It shouldn't be possible - a 15-year-old kid who can take on an S-Rank and not get destroyed. That kid's got some serious potential, maybe even more than Castian Goldheart. Dante might be some kind of anomaly in the world..."

"There's no way to know what's going on in the world. Maybe there's an immensely destructive battle happening right now between two people with immense levels of power. Every second in this world, something happens - a person dies, is born, laughs, or cries. Dante is different... well, most likely, he's always holding back. That power at such a young age is absurd, but not completely impossible. This era will be different. A boy with divine potential, a boy with abnormal power at a young age, with enemies everywhere, and many mysteries. But you know what I think? I think this is kind of funny. I... I really want to see what kind of power that boy has, what his current limit will be, and how powerful he'll become in the future..." Arthur said with a smile, still watching the television.

"Yeah... a different era, an era of monsters..." Jess muttered, her eyes fixed on the television.

"Well, Dante is an interesting kid, but honestly, he also needs to be careful. There are many people in the world who can defeat his current power with a casual move. He could even almost die because of his arrogance, although... I doubt he will die," Arthur said with a small smile.

--

At a container dock, a massive dome covered almost the entire area, rendering it nearly invisible to the outside world.

Inside the dome, a fierce battle raged on. Fire spread rapidly between dozens of containers, which melted in a matter of seconds. A figure with black hair and a black button-down shirt darted between the containers with astonishing speed, his movements so swift that he appeared as a mere afterimage as he jumped from one container to the next in the blink of an eye.

A figure clad in a crimson robe, its folds billowing like flames, sprinted towards the person in the button-down shirt with impressive speed. Arriving in front of him, the figure in the crimson robe raised his hand, and a massive crimson tsunami of flames engulfed the person in the button-down shirt.

The tsunami of flames dissipated, and the person in the crimson robe scanned his surroundings, but his gaze met nothing. He seemed to have expected a reaction, but instead, there was only an unsettling silence.

Suddenly, a powerful blow to his head sent him flying, and he crashed into a red dumpster with a loud thud. The dumpster dented hugely, its metal exterior buckling under the impact. The guy in the crimson robe waved his hand, and a massive crimson fireball shot out, hurtling towards the person in the button-down shirt.

The person in the button-down shirt simply smiled and said, "So you want things to get more intense, huh?"

Just as the large fireball was about to engulf him, the person in the button-down shirt vanished in a blur, dodging the attack with incredible speed.

A swift kick sent the guy in the crimson robe flying through the container, crashing into the dock floor with a loud thud. He stumbled to his feet, his hood slipping back to reveal his face. White bandages covered his entire face, giving him a eerie and ominous appearance. A low, ominous exhalation echoed through the dock, sending a chill down Dante's spine.

Dante raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the bandaged face. "So... you're going to make a horror movie, right?" he quipped, his tone laced with sarcasm.

The bandaged figure didn't respond, instead inhaling sharply before disappearing in a burst of incredible speed. Dante instinctively raised his arm to defend himself, but it was too late. A powerful blow struck him, sending him flying like a rocket into another container. He crashed through the metal walls and fell to the ground, his clothes disheveled.

Dante jumped to his feet, brushing off his shirt. "Hey, this shirt is new, and it's a little expensive," he complained, his expression a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Suddenly, a massive crimson flame engulfed Dante, forcing him to cover himself with his arms and squeeze his legs tightly together. However, he didn't remain in the flames for long, disappearing in a flash and dodging the inferno with incredible speed. The flames were so intense that they melted the containers in mere seconds. Dante reappeared next to the bandaged figure and launched a swift kick at his face. However, his leg collided with an arm that resisted his attack, and the bandaged figure only stumbled backward slightly.

"Haha... we could say it's a tie--" Dante began to say, but before he could finish, he was sent flying by a powerful punch that struck his chest at high speed.

The impact was tremendous, and Dante vomited blood as he soared through the air, crashing into the ground and shattering the concrete beneath him. The sound of breaking concrete echoed through the dock, and Dante groaned in pain. He slowly got to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ok, that was unexpected..." he said, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and amusement.

Dante caught a glimpse of a bandage on the guy's face shifting, revealing an orange eye that seemed to burn like fire. The guy quickly covered his eye, and Dante seized the opportunity to strike. He used his triple dash ability to rapidly close the distance and land a swift hit on the guy's face. However, just as he was about to follow up with another attack, he suddenly froze.

"What the hell!?" Dante thought to himself as he felt blue chains wrap around his arms, legs, torso, and neck, immobilizing him.

Just then, a new figure appeared next to Dante. A person clad in a blue robe emerged beside the person in the crimson robe. The person in the blue robe approached Dante and said, "Well, we have the first rat in its cage. That was easy!"

Her voice was feminine and confident, and Dante couldn't help but sigh in frustration. "Well, this is... annoying..." he muttered, his expression a mix of annoyance and resignation.

Suddenly, Dante was slammed against a nearby container, the metal denting under the impact. The blue chains constricted further, tightening their grip on his body. Dante gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain. For the first time, his expression revealed a hint of vulnerability, and the pain was evident.

Dante's usual confidence was shaken, and he realized that his chances of winning were uncertain. If his enemy possessed "normal" skills that he was familiar with, he might still have a good chance of emerging victorious. However, if his opponent possessed an unknown skill, his chances of winning would plummet. The uncertainty was unsettling, and Dante's usual calm demeanor was beginning to fray.

Dante's gaze drifted away from his enemies, and he focused on an invisible screen that only he could see.

{ORBS: 152,230

-WEAPONS

-SKILLS}

"Well... I could buy something," Dante thought to himself, his eyes scanning the menu as he considered his options. He had accumulated a substantial amount of orbs from his previous battle at the mall, and he was eager to spend them on something useful.

However, before he could make a purchase, he was suddenly yanked into the air by the blue chains, his body soaring towards the sky. As he looked up, he saw the large dome that encased the dock, and a realization dawned on him. "Shit, just when I get to this empty dock, a dome and an enemy with fire abilities appear... it seems they were already waiting for me," he thought, his mind racing with the implications.

The chains still bound to his body, Dante let out a deep sigh as he gazed out at the devastation around him. A portion of the dock was scarred by melted containers, and the ground was broken and sunken in several areas. He thought to himself, "Shit... I can't even call Alex because the signal is bad. It seems I'll have to take care of this alone..."

Dante closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. As he did, his body began to radiate a crimson aura, which grew in intensity until it became erratic and unpredictable. The blue chains, still binding him, cracked and shattered under the power of his aura. The woman in blue robes looked on in amazement as the chain in her hand snapped quickly, her eyes widening in surprise.

She glanced up at the sky, where Dante was still suspended, but all she saw was a sword hovering near his face. The guy in the crimson robe, however, was quicker to react. He darted forward in an instant, his foot flashing out to kick the sword and alter its trajectory. The sword flew off in a different direction, slicing through several containers with ease.

The brief distraction was all Dante needed to break free from the chains. He fell cleanly to the dock floor, his movements fluid and controlled. A smile spread across his face as he said, "Ok, time for no jokes..."

Rebellion materialized in Dante's hand, and he vanished in the blink of an eye. The blue-robed woman, anticipating his attack, swiftly moved away and reappeared a considerable distance from the scene of the fight. However, Dante was relentless, and he reappeared at her side with terrifying speed, his cold blue eyes fixed intently on her. His sword, Rebellion, flashed in the light, its blade coming perilously close to her. But just as the sword was about to strike, a kick altered its trajectory, and Dante's gaze shifted to the guy with the bandaged face, who had intervened to deflect the blow.

Dante quickly retreated and inhaled, his chest rising and falling as he prepared for the next phase of the battle. He assumed a fighting stance, his sword at the ready, and infused it with demonic energy. A crimson aura began to envelop Rebellion, its power coursing through the blade like a raging torrent. The hooded woman, sensing the shift in power, disappeared in a burst of speed and reappeared atop a nearby container, her eyes fixed warily on Dante.

The guy with bandages on his face adopted a fighting stance, his legs pressed tightly into the ground. The earth beneath him cracked and sank rapidly, as if the very ground itself was being torn asunder by his power. Dante smiled, a fierce glint in his eye, as he assumed a fighting stance, the crimson aura of demonic energy erupting from him like a tornado, its power swirling around him in a maddening vortex.

"Okay, looks like it's time for the show--" Dante began to say, but before he could finish, something plummeted from the sky and crashed into him with incredible force. A foot, clad in a black boot, came down on his back, striking with colossal power. The entire pier shook beneath the impact, and Dante's body was sent crashing into the ground. His consciousness faded in an instant, his vision going dark.

The dust and debris that had been kicked up by the impact disappeared in an instant, cleared away by a casual movement of the newcomer's hand. A person in a black robe stood revealed, their foot still pressed down on Dante's back. They gazed down at the spot where Dante's sword, Rebellion, had been, but it was now gone, vanished into thin air. The person in black merely clicked their tongue and said, "Okay, we got rid of the first rat. Only the other one is missing..."

---

I opened my eyes suddenly, and my gaze was met with a vast expanse of blue sky dotted with white clouds. However, as I looked down, I saw that the ground beneath me was like a large mirror, reflecting the sky above. But there was something strange - the sky in the reflection was a deep crimson, with orange clouds swirling through it.

"Where am I...?" I asked aloud, confusion etched on my face. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't budge. I looked down and saw that my limbs were bound by chains that seemed to emerge from the ground itself. I strained against the restraints, but they wouldn't yield.

"Hellooooo?" I called out, my voice echoing through the stillness. But there was no response. I sighed, feeling a sense of frustration and helplessness.

Just as I was starting to lose hope, a voice broke the silence. "Oh, you finally appeared..." it said. I looked up in surprise as a figure began to emerge from the ground, its reflection mirroring the alternate sky. As it rose to its full height, I saw that it was a doppelganger of myself - identical in every way, except for the fact that its eyes were hidden behind a curtain of white hair.

The doppelganger approached me, its movements eerily fluid. It bent down to my height, its face twisted into a scary smile. "Hello, son of Sparda..." it said, its voice dripping with malice.