A/N: Thank you so much for reading the chapter. We are close to done with the first Arc and getting ready for the second one. You are reading history I promise. This book will be big in the future.
Please give me comments reviews, powerstines and all that stuff. I'd really appreciate it. THANK YOU
ENJOY THE CHAPTER :)
________________________________________
The air inside the mansion was thick, hot and smoky due to their earlier clash. The floorboards were cracked, and pieces of broken furniture litter the ground. Burly stood in the middle of it all, baton in hand, his eyes sharp, calm, and assessing. Across from him, Dante wiped blood from his lip and rolls his shoulders back, trying to steady his breathing.
Burly spun his metal baton once and smiled faintly. "So Dante, are you going to come or what."
Dante doesn't reply. He drops into his fighting stance, low, grounded, his fists half-open, his eyes locked onto Burly.
For a moment, there's silence. Then Burly exhales and mutters,
"Then I'll strike, flame, gather and strike, Fireball!"
The red sphere forms instantly, spinning in front of his palm before shooting toward Dante. The explosion sends a wave of heat down the hallway. Dante barely manages to roll aside, but even then the edge of the blast singes his shoulder. He hisses from the pain, skin smoking.
Burly steps forward, baton already swinging. "That's called chant shortening, I can only do it for a low-tier fire spell like fireball tho!"
The iron rod slams down. Dante blocks with both forearms, but the sheer force sends him crashing into a wall. The impact rattles his bones. Before he can react, Burly is already there, striking again, driving the baton into Dante's ribs, then spinning for another blow across the temple.
Dante grits his teeth and barely ducks under it. He throws a counterpunch toward Burly's chest, but the older man easily deflects it with the shaft of his weapon and kicks Dante backward.
"For an inexperienced kid you really are good. You have very sharp instincts " Burly says, advancing, "but instincts alone won't save you."
He swings horizontally. The baton cuts through the air like a whip. Dante catches it with both hands, barely stopping it. His arms shake under the weight. Burly shoves harder, overpowering him, forcing Dante back again.
"You know Old Man, you really like talking," Dante says between breaths, "Are you lonely or something."
"Lonely?" Burly smirks. "I suppose you could say that."
He then thrusts forward, Dante sidesteps, narrowly missing another crushing blow. But even his evasion isn't perfect; the baton grazes his shoulder, tearing cloth and skin.
Burly follows up immediately. "O flame, gather and strike, Fireball!"
The fireball explodes at Dante's feet, forcing him to leap back as debris scatters everywhere. Burly doesn't give him a second. He charges through the smoke, swinging with terrifying speed.
For a few moments, Dante can't do anything but defend. Every strike feels like a hammer. His arms are numb, his body bruised. He blocks one hit, then two, but the third lands clean across his side. He's thrown against the railing of the staircase, coughing blood.
Burly approaches slowly, resting the baton on his shoulder. "Don't tell me that talk about not losing because you have to save your friends and surpass Eustass was just that. Talk."
Dante lifts his head, eyes blazing. "Don't talk like I'm out of the fight yet Old Man!"
He pushes off the railing and rushes forward, fists flying. His strikes come in rapid bursts, low kicks, quick jabs, spinning elbows. Burly blocks most of them, but a few slip through, grazing his chest and chin.
"Oh?" Burly grins. "What is this?"
"I'm not done yet," Dante shouts, ducking under another swing, "I will save my friends!!"
He drives his knee into Burly's stomach. The older man grunts but catches Dante's leg, twisting it before slamming him down into the floor. Dante rolls back, quickly regaining his footing.
Burly raises his baton high. "O flame, gather and strike, Fireball!"
Another fireball bursts forth. Dante narrows his eyes and charges straight through it. The explosion burns his arm, but he ignores it, appearing in front of Burly and landing a solid punch to his jaw. The older man stumbles back two steps, more surprised than hurt.
"You… ran through it?" Burly says, wiping blood from his lip.
Dante shakes out his burned arm, smirking. "You keep firing the same thing over and over again. The first few times it was annoying, but now I've realized it's just a bit of pain. Nothing I can't handle."
Burly laughs, clearly impressed. "You're insane."
"It's only natural," Dante replies. "I'm an Adventurer."
Burly smiles and says "I don't think normal adventures can punch a ball of flame with their bare fist. Only a handful in the world would do that, and those are the top tiers"
They collide again, Burly's baton against Dante's fists. Sparks fly as metal scrapes against knuckles. Dante's strikes are getting sharper, cleaner. His body moves with rhythm now, every punch flowing into the next.
Burly deflects one hit, countering with a heavy downward strike. Dante blocks, but the sheer force pushes him to one knee. Burly swings again, Dante catches the baton mid-swing, twisting his body and throwing a counterpunch that lands square on Burly's ribs.
Burly grunts, taking a step back. "The overwhelming mana is unconsciously strengthening your body. Thats why you are able to clash against a metal baton using your bate fists. What a monster. You might be able to replace any of the Five Summits (Go Chōten) In the future if you reach full potential. "
Dante straightens, breathing heavily but steady. "What the hell is that."
Burly responds "That's the pinnacle of strength in the entire world. The five strongest beings at the Summit of strength. If your goal is to surpass Eustass, you are bound to clash with them eventually."
Burly then steadies his stance and raises his free hand once more. "O flame, gather and strike, Fireball!"
This time the fireball comes faster, smaller, but more compact. Dante doesn't dodge. He meets it head-on, swinging his fist straight through it.
The orb detonates on impact. Flames burst outward, wrapping around Dante's arm, searing his skin but when the smoke clears, his fist is still raised. His knuckles are blackened, but his eyes haven't wavered.
Burly's grin fades slightly. "You punched it again, stop doing that please. It's the only practical technique I have. Physical Attacks and Techniques don't work on you. How am I supposed to win?…"
Dante exhales through gritted teeth. "You are not winning. I thought I already told you that."
Burly smirks again, but there's a hint of tension now. "Alright, then. I think our battle is reaching its peak now."
He rushes in, baton whipping through the air in a flurry of precise strikes. Dante meets him blow for blow. The sound of their clash echoes through the entire floor, the dull ring of metal against bone, the thud of fists against flesh.
Burly swings low. Dante jumps. Burly reverses direction mid-motion, striking upward. Dante twists his body just enough to avoid the full hit and lands a sharp kick to Burly's side.
Burly retaliates instantly, driving the baton into Dante's shoulder. Dante doesn't even flinch, he grabs the weapon, pulls Burly closer, and slams his forehead into the man's face.
Blood sprays.
Burly stumbles back, nose bleeding, and laughs. "You really are a monster."
"Call me whatever you want," Dante says, tightening his fists. "But I'm not losing here."
They charge each other again. Burly's baton spins, Dante's fists blur. The pace of the fight becomes a storm, fast, relentless, each man reading the other's movements in real time.
Burly's technique is flawless, honed from years of fighting. Dante's, however, is raw instinct, wild, unpredictable, yet somehow growing sharper with every exchange.
Burly swings a heavy overhead strike. Dante sidesteps and delivers a counterpunch to Burly's ribs, followed by a spinning back kick that sends the older man skidding across the floor.
Burly plants his baton into the ground to stop himself. "You're getting faster…"
Dante rolls his neck. "I don't know, are you not getting slower?"
Burly chuckles and wipes his mouth again. "Cocky now aren't you? Don't get ahead of yourself."
He rushes forward again, swinging hard. The baton collides with Dante's forearm, cracking the skin. Dante doesn't react. He steps in, grabs Burly's wrist, and drives his elbow into Burly's chest, forcing him back.
Burly breathes heavily. "What is this fighting style. I've never seen it before."
Dante smirks. "I developed it myself. I call It Jujutsu."
Burly's brow furrows slightly. He twirls his baton again, sweat running down his temple. "O flame, gather and strike, Fireball!"
The glowing sphere launches toward Dante. Without hesitation, Dante punches it. The explosion consumes him for a second, flames bursting outward. When the smoke clears, he's still standing, arm burned and steaming, but his gaze locked on Burly.
"I'm really getting tired of that ball thing now." Dante says quietly.
Burly exhales, lowering his baton slightly. "I'm trying my, best here man. It won't look good for me if I lose to a kid like you. I'm decently popular in the adventuring world you know. Plus, that ball thing should be more than enough for a brand new adventure that can't manipulate mana yet, you are an exception."
"You are popular?" Dante replies questioning while stepping forward, "I've never heard of you."
They collide one final time. Burly striking from above, Dante countering from below. The sound reverberates through the mansion. Both men take steps back, breathing hard.
Burly's baton hand trembles slightly. His chest rises and falls faster now. He wipes the sweat from his brow and smirks. "It looks like I'll really lose now won't I."
Dante doesn't reply. He just stands there, chest heaving, fists clenched tight. His body is bruised, burned, and bloodied, but his eyes burn brighter than ever.
Burly chuckles softly. "Those eyes, I've once had them before. I wonder where they went."
He raises his baton and points it at Dante. "You've got my respect, kid."
Dante's breathing steadies. His expression doesn't change. He simply stares at Burly with the same unwavering conviction, the same fire that refuses to die out.
Burly lowers his weapon, letting out a long breath. "You're something else, Dante."
The room falls silent except for their breathing. The floor is scorched, the air still heavy with smoke and heat.
Burly exhales again, the fatigue finally catching up to him. "You want to surpass Eustass. I want to believe you will do it. How nice would it be to say I want clashed with the greatest Adventurer of all time."
Dante just stands there, motionless, determined, eyes locked on his opponent.
The fight isn't over yet, but in that moment, Burly understands the kid in front of him isn't just fighting Is really going to be a menace in the future.