The aftermath of Dante's outburst was far from contained. Even though the martial arts hall had been restored by the teacher's mysterious power, the echoes of destruction rippled far beyond its walls.
In the nearby halls, panic reigned. Students clutched their chests, coughing, an invisible weight had crushed their lungs. Cracks split the ceilings, walls trembled, and training equipment lay scattered. The air had turned heavy, carrying the residue of Dante's overwhelming energy. Though, everything suddenly returned back to normal, they still felt it -- the heavy air and remaining energy.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did you feel that pressure?"
"It felt like my bones were breaking!"
"What kind of monster did that?"
Instructors rushed between halls, trying to calm the frightened students, but even they couldn't hide their unease. That kind of energy didn't belong to any ordinary student — it felt ancient, forbidden, and destructive.
Toward the eastern side of the academy, a few teachers stood atop the courtyard roof, staring in the direction of the martial art hall.
"Someone with that kind of devastating power," one murmured, eyes narrowing.
"Well, Richard has to take care of it, otherwise the higher ups will have to get involved," another replied grimly.
---
Back inside the martial art hall, silence filled the space like a tomb. The only sound was Dante's shallow breathing. He lay motionless, his body drenched in sweat, his face pale and calm — a sharp contrast to the chaos he had unleashed moments ago.
Rio sat nearby, close to his sister. He stared at the floor, unable to meet the teacher's gaze. Every second that passed gnawed at him. The guilt, the regret — it all sank deep into his bones.
He had caused this.
All because of curiosity.
All because he wanted to "confirm his suspicion."
Now, he wasn't sure if Dante would even wake up.
Mia sat a few meters away, her hand clutching her stomach where the wound had been. It was healed, yet she could still feel the ghost of pain. Her expression was unreadable — but her pride was clearly shattered.
For the first time, she had been overpowered… and by a human.
Dabi and Smith were beside Dante, watching closely. They'd already tried shaking him, calling his name — nothing worked. He was breathing, but unresponsive, trapped in a deep slumber that none of them understood.
The teacher stood silently near the arena, arms folded, eyes sharp and calculating. His presence alone pressed against everyone like a mountain. Even though he wasn't saying anything, his silence was louder than a roar.
No one dared to speak.
---
Minutes passed. Then hours. The tension didn't ease — it only grew.
Rio occasionally glanced at the teacher, who hadn't moved from his spot since restoring the hall. He stood still, like a shadow carved into the air, radiating quiet authority.
Every student who peeked through the doorway quickly ran off, terrified by the suffocating energy leaking from inside.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, a low groan broke the silence.
Dante's fingers twitched. His breathing changed. Slowly, painfully, his eyes opened — hazy, confused, still glowing faintly with the last trace of blue light.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, clutching his head. His voice was hoarse, his mind struggling to process what had happened.
Rio immediately moved closer. "You're awake… thank goodness."
Dante blinked several times, staring at the unfamiliar calm around him — the hall was whole, not broken, no cracks, no blood. For a second, he thought he had dreamt everything. But the look in Rio's eyes told him otherwise.
Then he saw Mia sitting nearby, looking away, her expression tight with anger and humiliation. And suddenly, flashes of memory struck him — her attack, his fury, the pressure, the destruction. His heart skipped.
"I… did that?"
No one answered. They didn't have to.
---
The teacher finally spoke, his voice calm but edged with steel.
"Now that you're awake, perhaps someone would like to explain what exactly happened here."
No one dared to meet his eyes.
Rio inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself. "Sir, it wasn't intentional. We were just sparring, and then… something triggered inside Dante. He—"
"Triggered?" The teacher's voice cut him off, sharp as a blade. "You expect me to believe that an uncontrolled outburst of that magnitude was an accident?"
Rio's throat went dry. He tried to speak but the words tangled inside him.
Dabi stepped forward. "It's true, sir. We were all here. Dante didn't mean for any of this to happen."
The teacher's gaze turned to him, then to Smith, who nodded nervously in agreement. But their trembling voices only seemed to irritate him further.
He took a slow step forward. The ground under his foot hummed. "You do realize that his power nearly collapsed this entire section of the academy? Students in three other halls were injured — some almost died."
Everyone froze.
Even Dante's face went pale.
The teacher's eyes glowed faintly, scanning each of them as if reading their very souls. "You're all lucky I intervened in time. Another minute, and none of you would be standing here."
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Rio clenched his fists. He wanted to take the blame — it was his plan, his fault — but every time he opened his mouth, fear gripped him tighter.
The teacher exhaled sharply. "I can sense remnants of three distinct energy signatures in this hall — one from you," he pointed at Dante, "one from you," he pointed at Mia, "and one faint trace from you." His gaze locked on Rio. "Care to explain that?"
Rio froze. The others turned to him.
"I… It's nothing, sir. I was only trying to spar with him to understand his ability."
"Understand?" the teacher echoed, his tone low and dangerous. "You risked the lives of everyone here for curiosity?"
Rio dropped his gaze. "No, I— I didn't mean for this to happen."
The teacher's aura pulsed, making the air buzz. "Intentions mean nothing when results are catastrophic."
He looked down at Dante again, who sat there silently, his hands trembling. He didn't even know what to say. The faint memory of the blood, the pressure, the look of fear on everyone's face — it all stabbed at him.
"I don't even remember most of it," Dante whispered. "It felt like something else took over me."
The teacher's expression softened slightly, but only for a second. "That, I can believe. Still, the responsibility remains. Power without control is a weapon aimed at everyone around you."
He turned, walking slowly toward the exit, but then stopped and faced them again. "Do any of you realize what this means? What you've awakened? That kind of devastating power without control, do you know what it can do?"
No one answered.
He sighed, disappointment dripping from his voice. "You've drawn attention. If the higher faculty learns of this, none of you will leave unscathed."
The students' faces drained of color. Even Mia lowered her head — she could feel the truth behind his words.
Dabi clenched his jaw. "Sir, please… punish me instead. I should've stopped them."
The teacher raised a brow. "You? You couldn't even withstand his aura. Don't flatter yourself."
That single remark silenced everyone again.
Minutes passed in silence before the teacher finally broke it. "Since none of you seem to have a proper explanation," he said, his tone now calm but heavy, "I'll have to decide what to do with you."
He began pacing slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the quiet hall. Each step felt like a countdown to their doom.
Rio's heartbeat quickened. He could feel his palms sweating. He glanced at Dante, who sat with his head lowered, breathing heavily.
The teacher stopped walking.
His eyes, glowing faintly with authority, swept over them once more.
"You've caused destruction, endangered lives, and lied to cover it up. And yet…" He paused. "You also displayed something… rare. Unpredictable."
He turned toward Dante, whose aura was faintly flickering again, unstable.
"There's potential — but potential without discipline leads to ruin."
The teacher's voice lowered, his words slow and deliberate.
"So tell me…" He stepped closer, his gaze piercing through each of them like a blade.
"…what do you think your punishment should your punishment?"