The dojo courtyard basked in the soft light of morning. The air was still fresh, and the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the steady swish of a broom sweeping in the distance.
Dante strolled in casually, katana slung across his back, his dark blue shirt half unbuttoned, and the last bite of bread hanging from his lips. He headed toward the center of the yard, where five students stood in a straight line, waiting.
He let out a loud sigh at the sight.
"Seriously… five? That old fossil Kazan left me five students? And he calls this a promotion? What a joke…"
The five didn't react. They stood tall and silent, though one of them raised an eyebrow slightly.
Dante scanned them with a smirk.
There was Lina, a sharp-eyed girl with dark skin and short braids — precise, fast, and always watching. Next to her stood Roj, a boulder of a kid with a square jaw and the muscle mass of a warhorse, though his brain wasn't quite as quick. Then Tao, slim and agile, his long black hair tied back, known for his flawless footwork. Beside him, Nella, shy but gifted with a rare affinity for wind magic. And finally, Garron, the youngest, always sleepy-looking, but annoyingly stubborn.
All of them wore crisp white kimonos.
Dante popped the last bite of bread in his mouth, chewed slowly, then grinned.
"Well, this is it. My very first official class. Honestly, I expected more."
He stepped back lazily.
"Today's lesson? Speed. You can be as strong as you want — if you're slow, you're dead."
Roj flexed his bicep proudly.
"My dad says strength beats everything. If I'm strong enough, no one can beat me."
Dante snorted, then drew his katana with a casual, almost lazy flick of the wrist — not even raising it.
"Alright then. Let's test that theory. You're allowed to attack me — all at once if you'd like. You can even use your skills."
The students hesitated, exchanging unsure glances.
"You serious, Dante?" Roj asked.
"As serious as a root canal."
He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"Me? I'll only use one move. Just one."
He snapped his fingers.
"Flash Slide."
A quiet gasp rippled through the students. Everyone knew that skill — a short-distance teleportation, so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye. Few warriors mastered it past the basic level.
Dante tapped the ground with his blade, drawing a small circle.
"This is my zone. If you can touch me, even just a finger — I'll buy you all lunch."
That got their attention. Lina nodded, then shouted:
"Let's go!"
They charged.
Roj barreled forward with "Direct Impact", a power-charge skill. Tao zipped around with "Broken Step", trying to flank Dante. Nella whipped up a gust of wind with "Breeze Blade!", while Garron powered up "Iron Fist", a blunt-force strike. Lina activated "Sharpshot", her eyes narrowing in deadly focus.
But they struck nothing.
A sudden gust blew through the courtyard. Dante had vanished.
A heartbeat later, he stood exactly where he had started — back in the circle, untouched — while all five students were scattered around the courtyard, either disarmed or flat on the ground.
Nella blinked in confusion from where she sat. Roj stared at his empty hands, dumbfounded.
Dante sheathed his sword with a sigh.
"You've all improved. That's nice. But it's not enough."
He tapped his chest — no marks, not even a scratch.
"Speed, my dears, isn't just about moving fast. It's about thinking fast. Predicting. And above all… surprising."
He shot them a wink.
"Flash Slide — smooth as a dance."
All five stood frozen, mouths slightly agape. Even the cleaning lady dropped her mop.
Dante stretched, arms behind his head, grinning like a kid who just showed off a magic trick.
"Alright, your turn. I want each of you to reenact what just happened with a practice dummy. And while you do, tell me why you failed."
He pulled a shiny red apple from his pocket, took a loud bite, and kicked back in the shade, watching like a king surveying his kingdom.