Dante slowly surveyed the battlefield. His gaze swept across the shattered mountains, fractured cliffs, and countless craters left behind by the battle. After a few moments he nodded to himself.
"...Not bad."
Truthfully, he had expected far worse. One thing Dante feared more than almost anything else wasn't defeat. It was collateral damage. The thought of becoming so powerful that a single careless battle could destroy the very world he had grown to love wasn't particularly appealing.
He quite liked Everworld. Its people were interesting. Its food was excellent. Its scenery wasn't bad either. More importantly, he had absolutely no desire to spend the rest of his life hopping from one ruined planet to another, or even worse, another universe.
That sounded exhausting. He preferred simple things — a comfortable home, good food, strong subordinates, and enough peace to enjoy an afternoon nap.
Destroying planets seemed like far too much work.
After confirming there were no lingering spectators besides his own group, space folded. Jurian and Aishwani disappeared beside him.
The next instant, all three reappeared beside the makeshift stone seats.
Waiting there, as expected, was Vexion. The moment Dante appeared, her crimson eyes visibly brightened. She didn't say anything. She simply looked relieved.
Dante chuckled quietly before taking his seat. Naturally, Vexion ignored the empty chair beside him. Instead, she walked straight over and quietly settled herself on his lap as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Dante merely smiled.
"You really weren't lying."
She leaned lightly against him.
"I told you. I don't like being away from Master."
His hand absentmindedly rested against her waist before gently patting her hip. The action immediately earned him a content smile.
Only then did he glance around at everyone else. The difference in their expressions couldn't have been more obvious.
Lexa and Vexion remained comparatively calm. There was admiration in their eyes, certainly, but there wasn't shock. Not anymore.
They had trained beneath Dante for years. They already knew what he was capable of. To them, watching Dante dismantle two Mythical Beings wasn't surprising — impressive, yes, unexpected, not in the slightest.
If anything, the two women were focused on something entirely different. Both occasionally glanced toward Dante's right shoulder, toward the place where Jurian's blade had managed to wound him.
Their lips twitched ever so slightly. Neither dared laugh aloud, but the temptation was obvious. After all, when Dante trained them, he always repeated the same lesson.
"Never allow yourself to be injured. Especially if you're using more than eighty percent of your strength."
Naturally, Dante hadn't been anywhere near eighty percent. Even so, watching the man who constantly lectured them actually receive a wound himself was strangely satisfying.
Lexa hid her smile behind a cough. Vexion simply looked amused.
Dante noticed both expressions immediately.
"...I know exactly what the two of you are thinking."
Neither woman answered. Their silence only confirmed it.
Everyone else had entirely different thoughts. Amber quietly looked between Dante, then Jurian, then Aishwani. 'They actually managed to injure Master.'
The thought alone felt absurd. She had witnessed Dante fight countless opponents — not literally, but simply watching how powerful his subordinates were, their style of fighting was certainly influenced by Dante, and they were the lens she used to imagine his fights.
To her, he was untouchable. And for two people to actually force a scar out of Dante — that was something they couldn't imagine or understand. Moreover, never, not once, had she seen someone force him into genuine adaptation.
Elric reached the same conclusion. 'They're monsters.'
Not Dante.
Jurian and Aishwani.
Because despite everything, they had accomplished something nobody else had ever managed. They had forced Dante to become serious. Even if only briefly. That alone placed them in an entirely different category.
Gorgon silently rubbed his chin. His respect for the academy increased several times over. If these two represented ordinary Mythical-tier students, then Midvest Academy truly deserved its reputation.
Elisophere quietly watched the recovering pair. Her earlier defeat suddenly didn't seem quite so humiliating anymore. So — this is what true monsters look like.
Meanwhile, Jurian flexed his fingers. The countless wounds covering his body had already disappeared. Aishwani similarly examined her restored arm before lightly rotating her shoulder. 'Perfect. Not even a scar remained.'
They exchanged a brief glance. Neither spoke. Both understood exactly what the other was thinking. We lost. Completely. Yet strangely, neither felt discouraged.
Only cautious. Extremely cautious. Midvest Academy had already exceeded their expectations. And Dante — no. Dante wasn't simply another talented student. He was an anomaly among anomalies.
Someone who couldn't be judged using ordinary standards. If the average Mythical-tier student represented the academy's norm, then Dante existed somewhere far beyond it. Even now, neither believed they had witnessed everything he was capable of.
That realization alone was unsettling.
Aishwani quietly adjusted her slightly torn dress before taking her seat. By now, Dante had reshaped the broken stone into a wide circular arrangement.
Everyone faced one another equally. Only one exception remained.
Vexion. She still occupied Dante's lap without the slightest intention of moving. Dante simply accepted it. His hand once again gave her hip a gentle pat. Satisfied, Vexion leaned comfortably against him.
Home. Finally.
Dante looked around the circle. A small smile appeared.
"Alright." He clasped his hands together. "Let's review."
Dante looked around the circle before leaning back against the stone throne.
"So—" He glanced at everyone present. "—does anyone have any questions for this great being before you?"
Vexion couldn't help giggling. Lexa simply sighed. Master's ego really is hopeless.