Miles away from where Dante and Alice are training, Johnathan Pier stands in front of the Forest of Calamilty alongside two other sorcerers.
"Captain, I advise that we stay away until we have proper manpower. This forest is classified as extremely dangerous," one of the sorcerers, Kaled, says to Johnathan.
Johnathan sighs and removes his top hat, his short brown hair swaying slightly.
"You're right; we don't know what kind of beasts are lurking here. We'll go back and get more sorcerers."
As the three men turn to leave, a pale arm suddenly emerges from the bushes of the forest and grabs one of the sorcerers by the leg, its grip crushing his bones and blood seeping through his pants onto the ground.
Johnathan and Kaled quickly turn around, drawing their revolvers and aiming, but the hand drags the man back into the bushes, disappearing instantly and leaving behind only blood and the echoes of a now-dead man.
…
Back at headquarters, Dante and Alice finish their sparring, both feeling tired.
Marcus walks up to them, offering flasks of water. They sit against the wall next to each other, drinking the water eagerly.
"You two did well circulating your spirit energy to strengthen your bodies," Marcus says. Alice's face lights up, filled with pride from Marcus's praise.
Dante smiles, finding Alice's moment of happiness adorable. When Alice notices his smile, she leans back, trying to act nonchalantly but with a slight blush on her cheeks, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Marcus smirks as he sits down in front of them. "Did you two develop feelings for each other?" he teases.
Both Dante and Alice blush deeply. "N-No! Why would you even think something like that?" Dante exclaims.
"I barely know him! Absolutely not! I'll never love this fool!" Alice blurts out, crossing her arms as they both stand up.
The three of them continue bickering when the door opens, and Johnathan walks in with a troubled expression.
"How far are they in their training, Marcus?" Johnathan asks, his tone stern. Marcus looks over at him. "They have the hand-to-hand combat down and can circulate spirit energy for combat, but that's it."
Johnathan sighs and turns to Alice and Dante. "Listen, both of you," he starts.
Dante and Alice straighten up to listen. "You both need to learn how to control your Blessings within two weeks. You have a mission coming up."
Their expressions light up at the thought of going on a mission. Dante then looks at Alice with a confused expression.
She notices and stares back at him, equally confused. "You have a Blessing?" they both ask at the same time.
Marcus chuckles slightly, drawing their attention. "Now that we have that settled, Alice will train with me, and Dante, you will have a different teacher."
"Who?" Dante asks as Johnathan leads him out of the room with a nod.
"The one who will train you is a sorceress known as one of the strongest women," Johnathan states.
Dante's interest piques at the thought of this powerful woman. They walk to another training room, and in the center stands a tall woman wearing a long coat, a monocle, and a top hat, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulder.
She turns to face them, her light brown eyes piercing Dante's soul. Her hands rest on her dual revolvers.
"Is this the child I'm training?" she asks sternly. Johnathan nods, while Dante stands nervously under the woman's intense gaze.
"I don't expect him to master his blessing, just to learn how to utilize it," Johnathan says, glancing over at Dante.
The woman nods and smirks as she walks over to Dante, grabbing his face to examine it closely.
"Don't worry, Johnny. I'll break this boy down and rebuild him," she says. Dante shivers, feeling a hint of fear.
Johnathan chuckles, feeling somewhat sorry for Dante's predicament.
"Wait, you aren't going to leave me alone with her, right?" Dante asks, his anxiety evident. Johnathan tucks his hat lower, his expression becoming serious.
"Dante, listen. You must learn how to fight quickly. The place where our mission is… it's terrible, and you might die." Dante's eyes widen as the gravity of the situation sinks in.
"Earlier today, a man lost his life because he dropped his guard. That should show you how serious this is."
Dante looks at the floor, then nods. "I understand. I'll do my best, Captain." His eyes are now filled with determination.
Johnathan nods, and the woman's grin widens. "Very well, then. Start now; I will come back in a week."
After Johnathan leaves the room, the woman turns to Dante. "Are you ready, kid? Because this training may kill you before the mission does."
Dante nods and faces the woman, a fire igniting in his eyes. He can feel his spiritual core flaring up, as if it too is determined.
"By the way, my name is Marilyn, but you will call me Master. Understand?" Dante nods respectfully.