Kaela Brann stood there, staring directly at him with reddish-brown hair cascading over her shoulders and cold gray eyes that seemed to pierce straight through his thoughts. There was no warmth in her gaze—only sharp focus, like a blade unsheathed and ready.
"Dante, right? I watched your last fight—pretty good," Kaela commented, her voice calm but edged with the unmistakable tone of judgment.
Dante looked at her and thought to himself, 'Ah, so she only just noticed me yesterday, huh? Well, at least she finally saw me.'
He nodded and smiled politely in greeting, masking the flicker of pride that stirred in his chest.
He had also watched a video of her in combat. He had to admit—Kaela was strong. Not just strong, but precise and brutal. She was fast and physically powerful, her movements refined by countless hours of disciplined training. In that battle, she had moved even faster than she ever did in the training sessions he'd seen, so he had to be extra careful.
Dante gripped his newly acquired baseball bat tightly. The cool metal was slightly dented and scratched—worn, but reliable. He had thrown away his old long staff just yesterday, switching to a bat because it felt more natural in his hands, more in tune with his instincts.
Then, without hesitation, he charged forward, feet pounding the dirt, aiming a direct strike at her.
Kaela didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. Instead, she caught the bat with her bare hand, stopping it dead in its tracks.
The shock of impact reverberated up Dante's arms. The bat had been completely halted. Startled, he pulled back, stepping away, trying to understand what just happened.
She's insanely strong. A normal bat can't even hurt her. I will need Weapon Infuse: Breaker for this.
Kaela surged forward, fists blurring, and Dante was forced on the defensive. He weaved through her lightning-fast, relentless strikes while thinking of a plan, his mind racing to calculate the angle of each blow.
In the early phase of the fight, he couldn't land a single hit—her speed was too hard to predict. So he changed his approach. Rather than react randomly, he studied her, letting his instincts, Mindstep and reflexes absorb the rhythm of her assault. Bit by bit, he adjusted.
Luckily, she was only using her bare hands. That meant he could manage to block or dodge her punches and high kicks—at least for a while.
Kaela attacked relentlessly, a blur of motion and muscle. But Dante, narrowing his focus, began to catch up with her pace. The noise of their clash—thuds, grunts, the occasional whoosh of displaced air—filled the arena. Then, he swung again, this time with his bat infused with Breaker.
Kaela's eyes narrowed as she saw the subtle glow of Essentium lacing the bat's surface. She moved to dodge. But Dante anticipated it—he stopped retreating and instead stepped forward, driving the bat straight at her.
The timing was perfect.
She couldn't fully evade it. Her arm came up just in time to block, and though the strike didn't land squarely, it was powerful enough to force her off balance. She stumbled slightly, just long enough for Dante to follow up with a second strike.
This one connected.
A solid hit to her shoulder forced her back, her boots scraping along the floor.
Dante didn't press the advantage. She had regained distance, and he knew better than to chase her while she was still standing strong.
From the moment he first saw Kaela, she had always seemed distant, mysterious, wrapped in a quiet arrogance. He had never been ignored so coldly by someone before. It wasn't until this sparring match that he truly understood—she didn't care about him because he had been too weak. Or at least, too weak to register in her world.
The realization stung. Deep inside, something primal stirred. A pride that refused to be dismissed.
He wanted her to look him in the eye—not as some background extra, but as a true rival.
Kaela stepped back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, staining her chin crimson.
"Dante, right? You're doing pretty well. But now, I'll fight seriously. Be careful."
She raised her hand into the air.
In less than a second, a katana shimmered into existence, descending from thin air as if summoned by sheer will. The weapon dropped into her grasp with a soft clang as metal met flesh.
Dante's jaw dropped, eyes widening in disbelief.
What the hell? Where did that katana come from? Did she just pull it out of the air?
But now wasn't the time for questions. Pride and surprise were replaced by cold, alert focus. Kaela was armed now—and far more dangerous.
Phase two, huh? Alright. I'll channel more Essentium into my bat.
Dante dropped into his stance, muscles tense, his breathing slow and measured.
Kaela placed her left hand on the katana's hilt. The air between them seemed to freeze. Every twitch of her muscle, every inch of movement, was precise and deliberate.
Dante realized with clarity—this fight could end in one more strike. Her draw slash was that dangerous. He had to be ready for it.
Kaela calmly advanced, step by step, hand on her hilt, her expression unreadable.
Dante slowly retreated. His boots scraped against the ground as he calculated the timing, searching for an opening. If he charged in, he'd be cut down. So he waited.
But Kaela kept moving forward. Slowly. Unstoppably.
Then it hit him—she had almost cornered him.
Dammit, no way out? A feint? No good—she's fast enough to punish me instantly. I do not want to get hit by that sword.
A chill of fear curled in his gut.
Kaela must have sensed it. Her eyes flashed.
She moved.
A sudden blur—her draw slash came without warning.
Dante reacted instinctively thanks for . He leapt into the air just as the blade whistled below him, narrowly missing his legs.
Kaela's eyes tracked him. She crouched, then leapt after him, sword arcing upward.
Midair, Dante activated his shield component with his left hand. The essence flared, a brief shimmer of protective energy deflecting her blade to the side.
He countered instantly, swinging his bat downward in a crushing arc.
Kaela began to block, but she was off balance. Gravity favored him.
The bat connected.
Bonk.