The next morning, Dante wakes up and begins his morning routine. Olivia soon joins him, sitting on the stairs with her face in her hands, looking bored.
"Dante, do you really have to leave this early?" Olivia asks, pouting.
"Yes, I do have to leave this early, and I'll be back later, so please behave and don't drive Aunt Maria crazy," Dante responds, scolding her to make sure she understands.
He puts on his coat, slipping his arms through the sleeves. As he turns to the door, he notices Olivia still sitting on the steps, pouting.
Dante walks over and pats her on the head. "Hey, no need to pout. I'm not gone forever. I'll be back tonight, so be good. If you behave, I'll buy you snacks." Olivia's expression brightens a bit.
"You promise? Really?" she asks, her excitement growing.
Dante nods, and Olivia bounces around in delight. "You better keep your promise, Dante."
"I promise," he replies with a smile. "Now behave. I'm off. Bye!" With that, he opens the front door and steps out.
He looks back, waving to his sister before closing the door behind him. Olivia's smile fades slightly as she already misses her brother's playful teasing.
Later, Dante arrives at the café and sees Marcus waiting for him outside. When Marcus spots him, he smirks and waves Dante over.
"Good morning, Dante! Isn't it a lovely morning?" Marcus greets him.
Dante nods in agreement. "Yes, it is a good morning, but shouldn't we focus on today's assignment?"
Marcus nods and opens the café door for him.
Then let's go inside." They both entered and headed toward the Genesis Orders' secret bunker.
Once inside, Dante noticed that the number of sorcerers had decreased. "What happened to the other sorcerers?" he asked.
"They're all on missions, Dante. You'll see a few sorcerers around, but not many," Marcus explained.
They walked to the training room, the same one they used yesterday. However, when they entered, a woman with striking red hair and an incredible figure stood in the middle of the room.
Marcus noticed Dante's awe. "Don't fall in love, Dante; she'll devour you alive," he teased.
The woman turned around, her red hair swaying with her as her crimson irises met Dante's deep blue ones. The two colors were opposite, yet they couldn't break their gaze.
Marcus chuckled and snapped his fingers to catch their attention. "This is interesting. Have you two fallen already?"
…
There was a moment of silence as both Dante and the woman blushed under Marcus's teasing. "Anyway, Dante, this woman here is named Alice. She'll help with hand-to-hand combat, and she also happens to be in training, just like you."
Dante looked at Alice, who had turned away, trying to hide her blush that refused to fade.
Dante smiled kindly and offered his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Dante." Alice glanced at his hand before her eyes returned to his.
She took Dante's hand and replied, "I'm Alice. It's nice to meet you as well." Marcus clapped his hands together with a cheerful yet playful grin.
"Now that we have introduced each other, let's get to training. Here's how it will work: you two will spar with each other to assess your skills.
Alice smirks and steps forward, becoming cocky and overconfident. Dante also steps forward, standing face to face with Alice.
Marcus watches closely as the two prepare to spar. Dante analyzes Alice, who notices his gaze and grins, a mischievous idea forming in her mind.
Suddenly, her expression shifts to one of disgust and anger. "How dare you defile me with your eyes, you pervert!" she shouts, hugging herself dramatically.
Dante panics, trying to defend himself but only managing to stutter. Seizing the moment, Alice grabs his arm and flips him over, sending him straight onto his back.
Marcus chuckles, enjoying Dante's humiliating position. As Dante lies there, he stares up at the ceiling of the training room, feeling utterly humiliated.
He sits up and sees Alice grinning triumphantly, proud of her action.
Marcus walks over to Dante and extends his hand, offering to help him up. "How are you feeling, pervert?" Marcus teases.
Dante glares at him, not in the mood for the joke. "Leave me alone; I can't believe I fell for that." Marcus giggles in response.
Dante stands up, brushing dust off his clothes. Alice continues to grin, asking in a mocking tone, "So, are you ready to keep going, Dante?"
Dante shakes his head, trying not to fall for her mockery. Marcus steps back and watches as they prepare to spar again.