Here's the passage reformatted with flowing narration:
Jurian ignored the joke. His gaze never left Dante. After several moments of silence, he finally asked,
"...How are you this strong?"
Dante blinked. He scratched his cheek.
"...Apparently I was blessed by the gods."
Jurian stared.
"..." "...That's not an answer."
Dante shrugged.
"It answered the question."
Aishwani smiled faintly before speaking.
"I think Jurian is asking something else."
She folded her hands across her lap.
"You possess powerful skills. So do we. You have talented subordinates. So do many people." She looked directly into Dante's eyes. "But your combat ability. Your judgment. The way you chained every skill together—" She slowly shook her head. "—that wasn't talent. How does someone become like that?"
Amber and Elric quietly lowered their heads. They had wondered the exact same thing countless times. How had someone younger than both of them become this terrifying?
Lexa and Vexion exchanged amused smiles. Amber noticed.
"You already know the answer—"
Lexa nodded.
"We asked him before."
Elric looked over.
"And?"
Vexion answered first.
"Master simply decided what kind of person he wanted to become."
Lexa continued.
"He chose his own standards. Then he spent years forcing himself to surpass them." She smiled. "He's lazy. Very lazy. But he's also painfully aware of the world he lives in. He refuses to accept weakness. Even his own."
Silence settled over the group. Dante slowly reached forward, gently pulling Vexion closer until she rested comfortably against his chest. She happily leaned into him. He rested his chin on her shoulder before speaking.
"I don't really have some profound philosophy. I wanted strength. So I chased strength."
His arms wrapped comfortably around Vexion's waist.
"There isn't some great speech hiding behind it. I simply knew the kind of life I wanted." He smiled to himself. "I like sleeping. I like eating. I like relaxing. I like beautiful women."
He absentmindedly brushed his fingers along Vexion's waist.
"I'd like to keep enjoying those things for as long as possible."
Vexion closed her eyes. A small content smile appeared on her face. She already knew exactly what he meant.
"So — if I want that peaceful life, I need enough strength that nobody can take it away from me."
Jurian slowly nodded. That, he understood. Aishwani did as well. There wasn't some grand ideology. No hidden revelation. Only a goal.
Dante continued.
"I also don't want the woman beside me relying on me for every little problem."
He looked toward Vexion.
"I'd rather she be strong enough to solve most problems herself."
Vexion smiled proudly.
"So I looked for someone capable of reaching that standard."
Jurian quietly glanced between the two of them. So that's why. It suddenly made sense. Someone like Dante would never choose a weak companion. Not because he looked down on weakness. Because he expected those closest to him to survive without constantly depending upon him.
Aishwani broke the silence.
"So — if someone doesn't meet your standards, what then? Even if you care about them?"
Dante shook his head.
"I wouldn't cast them aside."
He answered so casually that everyone almost missed the next sentence.
"They'd simply die."
Silence. Jurian frowned.
"...Explain."
Dante sighed.
"The world doesn't care. The weak are exploited. Children. Women. Men. It doesn't matter. Someone stronger always appears. I simply prefer standing on the side doing the exploiting, instead of the side being exploited."
He shrugged.
"I don't invest in weakness. Weak people eventually become someone else's leverage. They get captured. They get threatened. They get killed. They become burdens."
He looked around the circle.
"I know that's unpleasant to hear. But reality usually is."
He stretched lazily.
"I feel like you people are making me talk far more than I enjoy."
Aishwani smiled.
"That's because we're curious."
Dante snorted.
"Then here's your reward."
He raised a finger.
"Everyone lives according to different standards. A commoner. A noble. A king. A Legendary Being. A Mythical Being. None of them desire the same things. So why would they walk the same path?"
He leaned back.
"An elf might think, 'I have five hundred years. I can take my time.' But someone stronger already exists. And that stronger person can still kill that elf tomorrow. So I don't think that way. I'm pragmatic. I know exactly what I want."
He grinned shamelessly.
"I know exactly what I want. I want to be lazy. I want to eat good food. I want to sleep whenever I feel like it. I want to get blowjobs. I want to fuck Vexion whenever I want. Ten times a day. Twenty if I feel like it. I want to play with her ass. I want to play with her breasts. I want to enjoy that life for as long as I choose."
He shrugged.
"To reach a state where nobody can stop me from living like that, strength is required."
Vexion's face immediately turned bright pink. She lowered her head, unable to stop smiling.
Jurian pinched the bridge of his nose. How? How does he keep making serious conversations become awkward?
Aishwani wasn't faring much better. Every sentence made perfect sense. Then Dante would casually say something that completely destroyed the atmosphere. Completely unaware. Or perhaps completely unconcerned.
Dante continued as though nothing unusual had happened.
"To reach that life, I need strength. I need intelligent allies. And I need capable subordinates."
He looked around the group.
"You don't pursue power without making enemies. So naturally, I'd rather the people standing beside me be monsters too."
Silence lingered. Eventually Jurian chuckled. Aishwani followed. Neither of them completely agreed with Dante's philosophy. But they couldn't deny its consistency. Everything about him — from the way he fought, to the people he chose, to the standards he imposed upon himself — followed exactly the same logic. There was no contradiction.
Dante wasn't pretending to be someone extraordinary. He was simply a man who had decided exactly how he wanted to live, and was willing to become extraordinary to make that life possible.