Infinite Cry : RE

by Qin W.X

Ever since his last demon exorcising job, Dante sealed himself away from the world waiting for his time. Upon the fateful discovery of a WWMD known as Infinite Stratos, Dante set off to confront a vile group in far-east Japan. With ghosts of the past standing on his way and loose strings to be tied, his final journey would never be simple.

7. Chapter 6 : Mission 2 Part 1

Chapter 6: Mission 2: Proving Ground Part 1

"ORAAAAAAAAA!"

The tremendous war cry following by a dangerous incoming axe chop coming from his left side putting a huge mark of crack on the solid ground from his last standing position when Dante effortlessly took a dangerous back step just before the axe making a slightest contact The tremendous war cry sadly was immediately got shut with a bang when Dante mercilessly unloading Ebony at a point blank right at Ling Fang Yin's head. Tossed away like a ragdoll, Dante turned a deaf ear against Ling's agony cry as he coldly witnessing the petite girl's shield bar gradually depleted through his visor. Satisfied with from Ebony's critical shot that he applied at the Chinese Girl.

Dante turned his attention toward his remaining assailants floating above the ground whom were watching in awe. Dante took several strides. Open and closing his palms throwing his provocation toward his assailants in joyful manner.

"Alright! Who's next?"

---

10 hours prior to Dante's Admission Test,

I found myself speechlessly gazing at the new transfer student who goes by the name of Dante-san. He is mysteriously quiet and remained silent under the rain of questions showered by my other classmates who are- none other than girls. Speaking of which, I am the only male at this academy like a diamond in a mud. Anyway, looks like I got a new friend with me starting from today. Best part is, back to the square one is the fact that he's also a guy. That enough makes both of us brothers in arms, aren't we?

"Hey Ichika, wipe that idiotic smile from your face will you?"

Houki Shinonono, my childhood friend who neighbor on my right next to the window gives me a sharp look like usual. But wait a second Houki. Idiotic smile is rather a little bit cruel to me don't you think? Hey Houki I can't help it myself either! Can you at least be a little bit of considerate to my feeling, who has been the only male studying in this institution for all these time without another guy to talk with?

"Huh? Oh. Okay."

I stupidly nodded. Looking at the situation of the class, the remaining of my classmates are getting more and more enthusiast storming he silver haired new transfer student in front of the class with more questions. Oh, Charlotte-kun also raises her hand trying to show some courtesy in questioning somebody. As expected of French candidate whom won an award for best morality demonstration recently.

I guess it won't kill me for a question right?

I decided to follow Charlotte example. Just as I about to raise my hand…

PAM!

"QUIET, YOU IDIOTS!"

The violent slap utilized by a book that addressed toward the blackboard came together with a familiar sharp scorn cutting through the classroom as a long raven colored hair that tied in the middle from goddess of Infinite Stratos Academy made an entrance into the room.

The noises are instantly piped down but not for the remaining enthusiast painted in my classmate's faces.

"Sheesh, you failed to give a proper introduction in your first day? Tsk! You are hopeless one aren't you, Dante?"

Please don't ask who is the raven haired woman that instantly took control of the class just now since she is widely known by everyone in this school. But if you want to know, she's Chifuyu Orimura. The champion of 1st gen I.S Pilot, the most killer teacher you ever find in this planet.

My older sister and the only relative of mine.

"Then what do you expect from my introduction, teach?"

The whole class gasped unable to believe what we just heard. Including myself.

What's with that sudden attitude, Dante-san?

"I got nothing to tell but my name. But fine if you insist," Dante faced the class. "Don't expect me to tell you more than my name nor getting friendly with bunch of brats like you. Get in my way, then get hurt."

Dante turned his attention back to Chifuyu-nee.

"That includes you, teach."

Is it just me or is he glaring toward Chifuyu-nee? I hurriedly turned my attention toward my classmates who give Dante-san a hateful eyes mixed together with confusion. No matter how I feel, the feeling of hostility slightly rising for every second directed at him.

Dante-san, do you have a death wish or what?

"Is this as a threat, Dante?" Chifuyu-nee giving Dante-san the same look.

"A warning." Dante smiled. "Can I take a seat now? Or do we need to do this all day long?"

Chifuyu-nee sighed. "Take your place at the back right corner of the room."

"Why thank you."

Dante casually walked toward his given seat. Judging from the killer glares, he doesn't heed a single attention to the hostility auras addressed to him nor having any slightest feeling of uncomfortable to the current situation.

Instead, he seemingly enjoying the situation.

It didn't take long until our eyes met once Dante made himself comfortable in his seat. And that moment I was frozen in my seat like a statue. The pair of silvery orbs reside within Dante-san's eyes were dimly lit as if they were losing their light… His will to live, perhaps? But strange, what does this mean? The eyes he have contradict his daring rebellious behavior that he obviously showed us just now. Hmmm? Wait a second. Those eyes, I suddenly have this feeling of de-ja-vu. Where did I see those eyes before?

"Hey kid! You got a problem?"

"I..Iee. Gomennazai, Dante-san."

Why did I apologize anyway?

"Then eyes front kiddo." Fingers crossed and rested behind his head as Dante-san laid back on his seat. "That goes for y'all too. Show's over."

I immediately broke our eye contact quietly affirming Dante-san's command to switch my attention together with my classmates toward Chifuyu-nee, who is sighing heavily in front of class while writing today's lesson chapter. Yamada-sensei on the other hand? She's still unable to accept Dante-san's violent nature that she became shell-shocked with a heavy gloomy aura as she occupied the front left corner of the room muttering to herself.

"Awawawa… Dante-san is a delinquent type of in the school? Oh no. What should I do? What to do? Is he going to do that like what the delinquents do in manga? Will he do a kabedon to one of the students and hit on her? What if I became his target? But we are teacher and student! That is wrong in many ways. Mutter… mutter…mutter…."

Yamada-sensei, I think you are picking a wrong reference as a starting point.

PAM!

A million of my brain cells instantly withered the moment a brute force hitting the back of my head. Wait! Since when did you appear at my back, Chifuyu-nee? Did you just do some ninpo to teleport or something?

"Pay attention, idiot!"

Chifuyu-nee, you don't need to hit me that hard all the times do you?

"Ha-haik. Sumimazen, Chifuyu-nee."

PAM!

Another million of my brain cells ascending to their respective afterlife as I was struck with another blow aiming the back of my head.

"Its Orimura-sensei, you idiot!"

"Ha-haik. Orimura-sensei."

Orimura-sensei or Chifuyu-nee- or both turned her back on me as she walked back to the writing board. With the pain lingers, I couldn't focus on the lesson she delivered. Pain, pain go away…Ouch! No use. It only becomes worse.

I know that curiosity kills the cat while ignorance is a bliss. However…

I decided to take a peek at Dante-san's seat.

I was shocked. My mouth lost half of its control that it's left half opened upon my discovery.

He's already closing his eyes. Dunno how long he's been sleeping.

PAM!

This morning, 3 millions of my brain cells which contains both of my own fluid and catalyst intelligence are sent to deliverance from Chifuyu nee/sensei's work.

---

After School, 5 minutes before Dante's Admission Test…

The ISA Academy's training ground located next to the main building. Spectators had already took place on the respective seating that circles around the soulless arena that soon will be turned into a collesseum-like fight for their entertainment purpose. Standing inside a console room while Yamada-sensei and other fellow teachers organizing the test preparations for the troublesome new student, through the ambient noises generated by the high end super computers Chifuyu Orimura couldn't shake the lingering conversation occurred inside the principal's office.

" 'Student showed a direct aggressive behavior during the introduction while displaying an ignorance in class.' " Kutsuwagi read aloud the report in his hand. "Well, at least you are being honest with your attitude although you left a very bad first impression toward your classmates and your teachers there."

"Which one? Her," Dante pointed Chifuyu with his thumb "Or that big milk tank four eyes?"

PAM!

Dante-without looking levelled his fist protecting his side chin before the book Chifuyu held could hit him.

"Tsk!"

"Chill down Orimura-sensei. Why so serious?" Dante snickered.

"Watch your mouth Dante! I had enough already of your attitude during the class!" Chifuyu said, lowering her compact textbook.

"As long as I can answer your questions, then I believe we don't have any problem right?"

"You need more than that in order not to avoid dealing with me after class." Chifuyu lectured sternly. "Pay attention! That's how things work in class."

"Hey!" Dante glaring at Chifuyu. "I didn't have a proper rest ever since I accidentally partook in saving this academy's ass and this is how you thank me? Come on! It won't kill you if I took a single nap or two in class."

"Unfortunately, I can't allow that even though this is your first day in an educational institution." Chifuyu irritated.

While the Dante and Chifuyu fiercely arguing with each other like cat and dog, Juuzou Kutsuwagi crossed his fingers beneath his chin. Seemingly enjoying the opera.

"10 laps after this meeting with this old geezer?" Dante slightly rose his voice "Are you crazy?"

"Recalling that all of my students can do that, then no." Chifuyu sneered. "Hmph! I wonder if Nephilim made a wise decision giving DMC to someone weak like you. Where did that yesterday's strong manic Dante go, hmmm?"

"Alright, Orimura-sensei." Dante agitated "You wanna bring this up again? Seriously. You Japs, above all people in the world like to keep bring the past to bug someone off? Is this how you guys do things?!"

"As long as you are in my ground, I'll use every kind of method to whip you into a good attitude. That's what called as discipline. Also, if you ask why, then let me specifically pointed your mistake in which," Chifuyu emphasized her tone "You-slept-in-the-class-during-a-lesson!"

"How about a little bit of tolerance, teach?!" Dante waived his palm. "Like I said earlier, I still haven't gotten a proper rest ever since I saved this old man's so called educational institution and your damn job!" Dante glanced over to Juuzou, who gave them a kindred smile. "Yeah, you welcome old man! I don't need you to mention your gratitude twice. I attend your school and we are even here even for his sake."

"Whose sake?" Chifuyu suspiciously asked.

"Can we get back to the track here teach?"

Suddenly, Juuzou Kutsuwagi bursted out a laugh. For a moment, both Cat and Dog ceased their personal conflict as they turned their attention toward the kind old man.

"Fwohohohohohoho! Both of you are really amusing! Hohohohohoho! It's been a long time since I let out a good laugh! Stop! Stop! Hohohoho! Are the two of you trying to kill me by overlaughing myself? Hohohohoho!"

Both Dante and Chifuyu rose their eyebrow in unison. Both sharing the similar puzzle in their own mind.

"Has this old man finally snapped?"

The young man and woman decided to pipe down until the old man wiped the tear on the edge of his eye, apparently he had calmed down. Juuzou fixed his seating and regained his composure.

"Ahem. Dante-san, Orimura-sensei, its really amusing seeing the two of you debating over there. It makes me feel that both of you instead of having a conflict between a student and a teacher…how can I say this? Errr…Ah yes!" Juuzou cheerfully clapped both hands. "A husband and a wife!"

"WHAT?!" Eyes wide opened. Both Dante and Chifuyu shouted in unison moreover surprised.

"Errr… sorry. Maybe husband and wife is rather extreme to you two. Both of you more like a couple having a quarrel."

"AS IF! Hmph!"

Both young man and woman once again answered in unison. Each folded their hand on chest and look at the opposite direction. Dante left, Chifuyu right.

"I'd rather not to get involve with any male beside my brother in my life!"

"Wowee. Someone is having a brother complex here. You heard her old man. Better call the popos before she devour her brother's chastity."

"I dare you to say that once again, and I swear I'm going to break your jaw."Chifuyu threatened.

Dante smirked. Amused with Chifuyu's response. "I take that as a threat, Orimura-sensei?"

"I dare you."

CLAP!

A distinct soundwave resulting from a simple clap of hands violently travelling throughout the room instantly stopping the dispute between Dante and Chifuyu. They turned back to Juuzou. Dante recalled the same serious but kind look the old man made that successfully psyched him out back then.

"That's enough, both of you. Let's run through our problem once again, shall we? As a starter regarding the current problem that we are facing about Dante-san's aggressive behavior during the introduction, I see that as an attempt to keep his personal information confidential regarding the sensitiveness of his profile background. Also, it seemed like Dante-san is a straightforward person that he's not hesitate to show an aggressive behavior to turn off the students' curiosity in instant. Therefore, I think we can overlook this one although we need to pay attention to the consequence of his own action and guide him in his social life during his study as our duty so that he can blend into the community and not secluded from it."

"That's one problem we solved here." Juuzou continued. "And regarding his attitude of sleeping in the class, and despite of him violating the class rules, we shall not forget that Dante-san hasn't able to get a proper sleep…in other word rest, ever since yesterday's incident nor went through the interrogation session. Therefore, you should not press him too hard Orimura-sensei. Because a string, no matter how strong it is, the harder it got plucked, it eventually snapped. The same thing also applied to Dante-san in spite of his ability to pilot a physical manifested I.S also the fact that he's a male which is technically, stronger than women in terms of biological strength. I hope that won't offend you Orimura-sensei."

"Haik. Understood." Chifuyu curtly nodded.

"I am glad that we could resolve some problems here however, judging by both of your expression that you are carrying, I can see that neither of you are satisfied with our current resolve especially the case where Dante-san slept during the class. Dante-san, you are fine as long as you can get off the hook, whereas Orimura-sensei is bounded by a strict responsibility to maintain the class order. If she let you off the hook even though its only for once, she risks her credibility as an instructor. Not to mention that she's the best in the world, for your information only." Juuzou asserted to Dante. "Now, how shall we settle this dispute between both of you, I wonder? Hmmmm…"

The air flowing from Juuzou became heavier affecting both the raven haired brunhilde teacher as well as her super human-half demon student, whose true self remains unknown to her. None of them able to make a slightest move from their lips.

"Since ancient times, competition is looked as a form of settling done a conflict between two or more forces without hard feelings. Therefore, how about both of you compete in each other in Dante-san's admission test?" Juuzou said. "Oh by the way Dante-san, I haven't explained to you that ISA's admission test gauges your ability to pilot an I.S in a one to one combat. Whether you win or not, it does not matter."

"Now, now." Juuzou continued "We already known Dante-san's capability in combat which he demonstrated one day ago. However, this process is mandatory. Without any means Orimura-sensei, I want you to pick one of your students to become Dante-san's opponent. Now, don't be shocked like that Orimura-sensei. Just in case of Phantom Task attack so that we won't need to rely on unknown outside assistance whose side is unknown, like Dante-san for instance. Fortunately, he's with us but what if Dante-san's absent in the future? So, let's take this as an opportunity to test our student's ability shall we?"

The pressure lightened. Agreeing to the old man's suggestion, both rivals eyeing each other with a smirk painted on each face while looking down to their opponent.

"Gauging my skills? Heh! Sounds more likely to kick those brats' asses. Hell, I am starting to like you old man."

"Don't get too cocky jackass. Just because they are only 15, don't put them on the same level as your daily enemies. They are my right hands and I train them to kick asses. Especially yours. Just pray that you won't end up on a stretcher."

"Just one? Hell, gimme 5 minutes and I'll put her on the hospital bed. You need more than that amount, teach!"

"Well then, how many that you want?"

"All your right hands. If you need, I'll break each of your fingers."

"You got a good humor sense, jackass. Tell me. Does the Representative Candidate ring a bell in your brain?"

"Lemme think." Dante posed. "Hmmm…Just a cocky brat with handipicked by her own country to get involved in this circus? You need a man to take me out, not some pussies."

"Oh really?!" Chifuyu held her anger after being thrown by the insult "As you wish, jackass! I think it's not funny if you lose and just walk away. How about a little bet? You lose, then you do 20 laps. How about it?"

"20 laps huh? How about I win?" Dante teased. "Can't you make your offer a little bit tempting?"

"I'll overlook your violations this time. Hell, you can sleep in class for god sake as long as you can answer my questions."

"What's this cheesy offer? If I'm a businessman, then I'd have already turned down your offer 3 secs ago."

"Take it or leave it."

"Take it or leave it? More like I hafta take it no matter what. When in Rome do like the Romans do, eh? Fair enough." Dante agreed. "Where and when?"

"Anytime you are ready but today. Location's at training ground. Don't worry. You will find your way by yourself. You can find your way yourself as the academy's navigation is idiot proven for someone with half a brain like you."

Dante offered his hand, which immediately got accepted by Chifuyu. The duo made a slight shake as they came into an accepted point of conclusion which agreed by both sides like doing a business deal.

"You are going to regret your big talk."

"Heh! Not in million years."

The feeling of absolute victory burning within her as she eagerly waiting for the moment when Dante kissed his own dirt to come. It's not like she's following the current flow of society where women have absolute superiority than the men both in terms of physical also social treatment as a trend result of Infinite Stratos where women are viewed as a valuable assets. No. She only hated Dante's cockiness and the gut that he showed. Chifuyu Orimura highly worshipped the value of discipline but above all, respect.

And Dante obviously disrespect her.

Not to mention in public.

6 Cadet Representatives around the globe in a single institution. Actually, there are 8 so far as she knows. Sadly, the remaining 2 who goes by the Tatenashi twins unfortunately couldn't add the number of her executioner. Nevermind those two. 6 was more than enough. They were handpicked by herself personally in this fight with each boasted personal traits based on their own I.S. Without any doubt, this fight was just a one sided fight. 5 minutes. She bet on that time limit. She ran through the information on a monitor. Just to double check her right hands were ready.

Pilot No 1:
Ichika Orimura.
I.S: Byakushiki
Armaments: Yukihira Nagita katatna
Status: Ready.

Pilot No 2:
Ling Fang Yin
I.S: Shen Long
Armaments: Guan Yu Ax, Long Bao cannon
Status: Ready

Pilot No 3:
Cecilia Alcott
I.S: Blue Tears
Armaments: Starlight MK2 Rifle, BITS Drone
Status: Ready

Pilot No 4:
Charlotte Dunois
I.S: Revive 2
Armaments: Shield Piercer, Montagne Tactical Shield, PP90X SMG, La Bastille Auto Shotgun, FAMAS Assault Rifle
Status: Ready

Pilot No 5:
Laura Bodewig
I.S: Schwarzenegger Regen
Armaments: Plasma knives, Schwarzenegger Plasma Cannon
Status: Ready

Pilot No 6:
Houki Shinonono
I.S: Akatsubaki
Armaments: Dual Katana
Status: Ready

By the moment she finished checking the last pilot she picked, the 6 of them had already taken position at the hazardless-crowded arena waiting for their opponent-Dante to make his appearance at the battlefield. It was suddenly occurred to her, that perhaps Dante took back his words and ran away from the battle like a chicken. She chuckled but immediately wiped it off when another information from a monitor swoop her attention away.

Pilot No 7:
Dante Sparda
I.S : DMC
Armaments: Rebellion Claymore, Gilgamesh CQC Tac- Armor, Ebony & Evory Dual Pistols, Coyote A Double Barrel Shotgun, Pandora Box
Status: Ready

Judging by his armaments he carried, Chifuyu immediately knew from its built that Dante's I.S was a slow maneuver yet packing a serious punch in proximity-type of I.S. A pure close quarter type of I.S. While the firearms he carried could close the gap into some extent from the datum she received the day ago which covered Dante's firearms info, on the other hand a sudden worry snaking beneath her skin regarding Dante's terrifying lethal shotgun also his unknown weapon goes by the name of Pandora.

"Close up into Dante and get me the detail of Pandora." She instructed.

"Roger that."

She let herself lost inside her mind as she connected the dots in this admission test. As long as her units could draw a distance from Dante while he's using his conventional shotgun, then that vintage gun of him posed less than a junk. In case he had successfully pulled the trigger and managed to land his killing shot, the targeted I.S would trigger Absolute Defence system in which it emitted unpenetrated energy force which nullified all attacks which ensured the victim's safety within a period of time-enough to pull her out from her hot zone.

As her staffs currently working on getting the details on Pandora, her worry fell onto Dante's mammoth sized sword hung on his back. That reinforced straight metal alloy gleaming in void black possessed an edgy two points at the tip of the blade, a symmetrical arch near the tip of the blade somehow told Chifuyu that this blade claimed its victims by claiming their head.

"Urk!"

She absent mindedly backstepped a bit. Fearing the blade itself. Yet could not break her sight from the decapitator Dante carried. Somehow, she was being pulled into the blade by itself until she came onto an ornament near the grip to the lower end taking a shape of a skeleton. A pair of spikes pointing out from its skull separating between the grip and the blade, the eye sockets are nothing but a null void, a cross of bones are held within its jaw, finally underneath the skull- is that human ribs and spinal cord forming the sword grip below the ribs?

Rebellion from whichever she saw, the soulless blade did not seem as soulless as it be in her eyes. It seemed like it was breathing, in a deep slumber hidden from the eyes but somehow only herself who realized the blade...

Is alive.

"ei…sei…sensei...Mura sensei…Orimura-sensei?"

The voice from her staff pulled her sight off from Rebellion. Chifuyu Orimura was breathing heavily as her hair netting bead sized sweats. She quickly regained her composure and her mind as she focusing back to the battle which soon will be begun by both opposing forces on the arena. But first of all, she's interested in the weapon goes by the name of Pandora Dante carried into the soon-to begin fight.

"I am fine. Don't worry about me. What is it Yamada-sensei?"

"I can't get a clear reading on Dante-san's Pandora. Our radar signal is disrupted once we try to analyze the weapon. As if that arsenal Dante-san emits a counter signal jammer! What we should do, Orimura-sensei?"

Chifuyu pinch underneath her nose. "Get Dante's admission test begin. And I mean, now. We'll see his weapon's color once he's using it!"

"Roger that."

With a distinct bell running through the entire arena, followed by the roaring cheer of spectators clawing onto the clear orange sky, the arena's atmosphere from warm instantly burning from the jet engines from each of the pilot's machine took it's owner to defy the gravity bellow as the long awaited bout finally began.

All but one.

---

In his lifetime crusade of demon hunting, by focusing on certain parts of his own body as a result from excessive training had allowed himself to devote 4 distinct battling styles. Each style maximizing Dante's fighting ability depending on the situation whether it's about offensive, defensive, or even evasive through the tide of the battle. Best thing is, they are flexible. Meaning that he's able to freely switching from one style to another as he sees fit.

Trickster was one style he armed himself in default. Devoting onto evasive maneuver by enhancing his motoric sensor allows him to execute sonic speed movements pulling himself off from harm-even before the harm could greet him a mile away or two.

That's how Dante spiked the flat chested twintail Chinese from point blank. Actually, he didn't execute any of his trademark evasive movements he developed in his favorite style the moment when the Chinese Axed him. It was just a simple backstep for that daylight attack he saw it coming from her pose, technique, eye movements as his perception was honed to its finest in this default fighting style in comparison to the remaining others.

But that's without a catch. For his defensive and offensive strengths are halved than his initial strength as long as he renders in this style. Therefore, he only relied to his firearms' initial strength and if it comes to close and personal, he prefers to weaken his opponent's defence through small quick succession attacks rather than going for heavy blows. He doubted that the lead he put on the Chinese would instantly took her out from the battle regardless being shot in the head-which is not his first time to see something could walk after received a shot like that.

She'd be out for temporal being. That's the least thing Trickster could do as a starter in this bout. The warm up had done him a favor for the battle. Running from the orange sparks of bullets showering him in jet speed Dante was really excited from the newly discovered power bestowed upon him and wanted to dwell in this battle longer to savor the sensation by toying with his enemies at the same time.

Dante flipped Evory, the white pistol in his left hand downward turning the gun upside down below his arm guarding it like a nightstick, he kicked the ground and throwing himself to the air dashing toward his shooter clad in orange armor. Dante remembered her name. Charlotte Dunois, the French cadet immediately flew higher above creating a larger gap between them while keeping her finger onto her PP90X Submachine gun resulting in a more violent barrage of shot sparked out from the tip of the gun.

"Air Hike." Dante whispered as he concentrated his strength onto his legs.

Then with ease, Dante kicked the air as if there was an invincible platform waiting for him at the spot resulting in a double jump-like movement which trampoline him higher to the sky. The wild rounds let out by Charlotte ran into nothing. Running out of ammunition on the current weapon immediately pushed Charlotte to switch onto her La Bastille auto shotgun rather than reloading the arm itself regarding to the closure between Dante and herself.

"Air trick." Dante once again whispered

Before Charlotte could pull the trigger, in a blink of eye- or more precisely before she blinked, Dante had already closed the bridging gap between the two pilots catching her off guard. Dante without slightest hesitation whipped her handsome face with Evory. A friction occurred during the impact. Without doubt the invincible protective shield emitted from her I.S, typical the exact barrier like the Phantom Task units had when he dealt with them- the Shield Points if Dante's not mistaken.

Charlotte totally affected by the blow. The first thing she saw when she recovered is the dark hole with a hollow point colorless spherical edge pointing right at her pupil. Next is Dante's naughty smirk with his victorious playful voice coming through her ears.

"Bon soir, Mademoiselle."

Charlotte gasped.

A blueish bolt travelling fast aiming for Dante's side face cutting through between them. Due to his enhanced reflexes in his current battlestyle that Dante saw it coming a mile away, arched his body backward making a narrow passage for the blot to zipped past form its initial destination. In that momentary adrenaline rush Dante could smell the fumes articulated within the bluish javelin. Dumping the smell out by exhaling while executing Air Trick in which kicked Charlotte away at the same time, Dante slightly created a bridge between them. During the motion, Dante slipped out 3 rapid successions shots as a farewell gift to the French. Too bad Charlotte levelled up her mounted shield on her arm and blocked the shots. Then by reflex, quickly looking at the shot direction that came from a distance by a curly blonde protected under a tear colored battle armor.

"Now dance in Cecilia Alcott's Beethoven! Ohohohoho!"

Dante grunted. His feet returned back to mother earth. The highly voice and act of an aristocrat came from one of his classmates-whom pissed him off from her look. Cecilia Alcott, British cadet rep. The one who bragged her ass up most in front of Dante after class along with her gang consisted of another Jap cadet beside Ichika kid, Charlotte Dunois, and German rep who goes by the name of Laura Bodewig to criticize his ignorant and aggressive act he showed during the introduction in which, according to them offended not only Chifuyu Orimura but also the women.

Like he gave a shit about it.

Defeated one instructor? Heh! My ass. Dante scowled.

Unlike Cecilia or those kids, Dante killed Phantom Task for his bloodlust above all, anger in his self defence which turned out to be a butchering.

And he's going to prove them that they were wrong.

The situation didn't favor him to get close to Cecilia who stationed at the air throwing high precision shots at him through her rifle-which Dante admitted that he's quite impressed with her deathly accuracy. With Charlotte chased him off with her shotgun combined with her assault rifle, Dante has been running in circle in this fight. It's just a matter of time until the close quarter combatants like Houki, Ichika, or Laura (judging by her big ass railgun mounted on her shoulder Dante doubted whether she's in the category) came at him. And when it happened, things would be screwed. Bad.

He needed any firearms that could control the distant shooters in a loud bang. Meant that the gunners couldn't rise up again after received his slugs. His fist choice fell onto Ebony and Evory. These little puppies always get the job done yet restricted to the time he needed to round those gunners down. Coyote A? His Double Barrelled shotgun only worked in an extreme closure. That's why he kept her locked and loaded on his body to be speed-drawn for certain kill. Not to mention that it took forever-even though 2 a half seconds to reload her which became like 25 minutes in I.S battle, brought him onto a gift personally given by the old demon Phinneas (in his gun point) inside the changing room right before he entered the battlefield.

"It's up to you to use this or not however, you might find this useful, Son Of Sparda. Both my master and myself are certain of it." He smiled then bowed solemnly. "We pray…more likely wish for your victory."

Due to the extreme time limit, Dante didn't check the 'gift' which exposed him to uncertainty. The gift took form of a metallic bulky attache case and reminded him of Pandora, the only weapon Dante possessed in his lifetime that can be horrifyingly morphs into many different types of crowd control lethal arms. Hell, the gift itself exactly looked like Pandora which he lost when every toys in his office were absorbed into this WWMD. Returning to the uncertainty itself, there's only a question set before the usage of this 'toy'.

Was this a trap set by The Nephilim and that old demon to test him?

Dante considering the situation, oh hell. What gives?

Dante kept moving faster than any of the I.S and their bullets could catch him. Levelled his hand and Ebony and Evory dispersed into light. Then a heavy tolerated weight taking shape of a big angular object on his dominant hand.

"Gunslinger." Dante softly whispered.

Unlike Trickster, Gunslinger on the other hand is one of the sword forms of remaining 2 styles Dante concealed until now. By passing over the strength he harnessed from the current style into his hands, fingers, and eyes for shooting purpose, this style is made to maximize the shooting potential of any guns he held depending on its type.

A faint light suddenly enveloped Dante's dominant hand which came along with a mechanical whizz transformed the bulky box into compactible object with a sharp arch connected by a strong straight line. The object resembles a bow. Next, Dante's mind was being overloaded by a streaming of computer data and before he could make something out of it, he understood how this 'toy' works.

Time to counterattack.

Dante made a sudden 180 degrees turn. During the process, he drew the bow. A bolt appeared out of nowhere resting on the bow with its pointy edge looking at Charlotte.

He let the string off.

The bolt was discharged with an ear-bleeding yet sweet whizz on Dante's ear as it travelling in a speed of wind toward the French cadet. Charlotte immediately rose her Montagne Tactical shield to fend off the projectile and the next second, too bad that she would regret her decision.

Upon contact, the bolt drilled her shield mercilessly as it forced its way inside instead of broke down unlike other normal arrow bolts. Once a hole was appeared inside, the drilling ceased and the arrow tip expanded like a flower as it stuck inside the shield flashing multiple dangerous red blips.

KABOOOM!

A curtain of black smokes fell on the battlefield as a result from the explosion. Dante swiftly camouflage himself into the dark cloud while it lasts. Time to deal with the annoyingly British sniper. Quickly assessing the current situation, It is not a surprise that a far distance was drawn between the two of them from their game of chicken which favored the High Princess. Dante began opting his choices.

First, sneaked into her and jam the arrow straight at her face.

Second, explore Pandora while the smoke lasted.

Dante for sure, not into a sneaky type of combatant. He preferred to take his opponent head on loud. With a bang. Therefore, he opted out of the first choice and went for the other.

The disruptive black haze didn't affect his vision nor his breathing thanks to the visor and the mouth protection from the I.S itself. Eyebrow rose while eyes widened in awe as the lists began popped up just by a single line representing the purpose of each weapon the Transformer could morph into.

TX 133 Gatling Gun, alt form: Terminator

Boondock Saints Row Twin Blasters, alt form : John Constantine

Commando Quadzooka, alt form: Zoulda Launcher

Faixa Hellfire Walker, alt form: (None)

Lastly, his bow and arrow.

John Rambo, alt form: First Blood Mounted Cannon

Dante eyed Terminator. A sweet grin tattooed onto his face.

Cecilia Olcott floating on the air far above from the gas impatiently waiting for the distractive haze begone. Once her vision on the ground was cleared then without doubt, a sure shot would be placed onto the peasant she's familiar with Dante by her majestic shot. Cecilia couldn't help herself but smiling in certain victory. She'd make Dante regretting himself backtalked to after class. The smoke was getting thinner and thinner but had not allowed her porcelain woman finger-covered in mechanical armor of hers to pull the trigger yet. With her patience finally reached its limit she deployed 2 compact bluish gunner drones from her I.S into the smoke commanding them both to search for Dante

Then gun him on the spot.

She lowered her rifle. Two rectangular screens appeared on her vision in thermal color fetched from the drones' feed she released. They swept the arena like a pair of welly trained hounds in hunting season. Difference is, they are mechanic in comparison. Therefore, faster in searching and more accurate.

She finally caught a humanoid figure with a male physical build in crimson. Without doubt, she commanded her unmanned weapons to topple down the figure. The shots were inevitable to the figure. She saw the figure slightly winched as from the laser shots. Meaning that he didn't expect the snaky attack and completely took them. Once again she put her victorious smile. Little for her to know, that her high aristocratic smile would be worn off once the black curtain of smokes pulled up.

Something, no. Someone was standing high.

A figure with a gleaming white metal coating all over his body as if he was just finished bathing in mercury idling on the spot where her drones were shooting their lasers onto. Cecilia was slightly frightened when she saw the face- whose part of it was Dante-after what she could reckon from what she saw mixed together with metals and computer circuits resembling a cyborg. What's more surprising, the projectiles let out by her drones were reflected by the newly coated armor of his. Cecilia immediately analyzed Dante.

"Enemy Shield Points: 357."

And when one of her drones discharged its final shot, she immediately lost her speech.

"Enemy Shield Points: 357."

"That tickles." Dante's voice became robotically jagged.

Levelling a gigantic gatling gun with a frightening additional barrel installed underneath the main barrel, Dante grinned. "My turn."

A barrage of bullets travelling in deafening roar showering her like a violent rainstorm and tossing her to the invincible wall of the edge of the arena. Too bad to her, due to the monstrous stopping power the sweeper gun Dante carried had severed her movements away. She only could writhe in pain while subsequently let out painful scream as she was rapidly punched by million of lights with impactful forces. Unable to withstand the pain, she blacked out.

Cecilia Olcott was totally defeated in 1 minute 57 seconds.

"I'll be back!" Dante threw a famous movie punch line directing over the slumped body which became what remained of Cecilia Olcott.

1 down. 5 to go.

Suddenly, a purple colored string snaking around Dante's body. At the tip of the string there lied a double edged knife pointing sharp on his eye. The string came from a black colored I.S whose pilot possessed a pirate-eye. Laura Bodewig, German cadet as Dante reckoned.

"Royal Guard." Dante softly whispered.

Dante did not expect to use his last line of defence this soon nor in this bout. However, he had a premonition- so bad that he'd find this defensive style to pull him out from this situation. Dante immediately switching over Gunslinger reverting his Terminator form and dispersing Pandora into thin air, then harnessing muscles all over his body, Dante boosted his resistance against all injuries-minimizing the damage he received into as least possible that turned him into a walking tank. As long as he stayed in this style, his patience tended to run thin everytime he got hit thus building his anger which he kept it hidden until he unleashed it in a single but devastating blow.

Another catch was, that his movements became dull in exchange for the absolute defence he acquired in this style.

Dante's muscles gradually expanding right in time before the strings totted. A powerful electrical shock let out by the German ran throughout his body. Gritting his teeth enduring the shock, Dante's anger built fast as he withstood the attack. He wanted to hurt the German badly. Through the coarsing pain, Dante imagined that he jumped on Laura, relentlessly pounding her with his bare hand, driving her head to the ground multiple times before he dislocated her mechanical shoulder and concluded by axed her face with his leg. However, he immediately snapped himself as he noticed the gigantic rectangular mounted cannon on her shoulder in motion. Then, with a distinctive voice similar to gun cock, Dante immediately knew that he had to break free from the bind no matter what.

"RELEASE!" Dante roared.

More than 70% of Human body consists of water. You couldn't damage them as long as they were protected by the outer shells. And according to some Chinese Merc he met in his past, in order to damage the internal organ, it is sufficient enough to create a force to rupture the internal organ through a slight contact from the outside.

The same thing also applied to objects.

The electrical binds immediately snapped into pieces the moment Dante unleashed his collective anger. Unable to dodge the imminent attack, Dante put the remaining pent up rage onto his right fist as he assuming a stance while fighting the remaining pain from the shock.

"Sterben!" Laura shouted

The massive devastating straight shot unleashed by Laura capable to mow down anything that stood on its path. A certain killer shot. However, Dante took the shot head on (which Chifuyu seen as a foolish act) by fearlessly throwing his fist on the incoming hammer of god.

"ROYAL RELEASE!" Dante roared back

The moment Dante's fist touched the devastating shot, a blinding white flash shot from his fist. When 2 forces with equal forces collide with each other, simply put they dispersed into nothing. But, if one is greater than the other, not only that nullifies the weak but also travelling on the path where the weak force came.

Too bad to her, that the light that came from Dante's fist cutting through her cannon shot as if he returned fire from another cannon via his fist. Also little known to her, the light came from Dante actually was a version of a concentrated shockwave travelling in a light-speed straight line that aiming for her chest.

BAAAAAAAAMMM!

Laura Bodewig was catapulted onto the sky in a blink of eye. Another painful impact occurred when she hit the boundary emitted by the academy's magnetic field on the sky and her consciousness faded despite being protected by the invincible I.S barrier.

Losing control on her unit, the earth enforced Laura the absolute law of gravity.

2 Down, 4 to go.

Dante wheezed. He panted in exhaustion. Yet the fight was far from finished. His knees finally gave up supporting his weight and he slumped to the ground trying to control his jagged breathing as he facing the consequence of unleashing Royal Release in which, sapped much of his stamina during the execution and bled them for temporal being, turning him into a soon-will-be-dead-meat.

Of course, Charlotte and Ling, who had recovered from their injuries did not let this opportunity to slip.

Together, they rushed at him at the same direction at the same time. Ling with her humongous axe while Charlotte converting from her guns into a bleeding thick stinger. Dante, through his exhaustion, still able to sense through their killing intention that they were coming at him bearing north-right in front of him.

"Gun..Slinger." He panted switching back to his marksmanship style.

Pandora was instantly materialized the moment he activated Gunslinger style. But it was rendered in default form of a bulky attache case. He unconsciously placing the box on the ground facing his incoming assailants. Absent mindedly lifting up two seals each on top side of the box, Dante let out lights storming out from the box.

His vision narrowed.

For a momentarily, Dante almost lost himself.

Strangely, he heard screams of agony came both from the French and China cadet reps.

When he regained his vision back, he realized that the box had already shut tight by itself. What's more, Ling and Charlotte already laid onto the ground with their shield points displaying a huge number of zero at Dante's HUD. Dante brought his HUD back daring to peek what form Pandora had given its hand to him.

John Constantine.

Whatever the light was, it had to be some sort of radiation that toasted them out. For an instant, he was concerned about the 2 cadets he had just taken out accidentally but recalling the situation he's currently into, no time for being a Good Samaritan.

4 down, 2 to go.

By the time Dante stood back, the spectators had already fell silent unlike the beginning of the bout where the fire was burning inside their heart. Dante saw some faces with their jaw dropped watching the gladiator fight he partook into. Some cupping both hands into their mouth, others he saw them dumb-foundly watching.

Suddenly, Dante felt the enemy presence lessened by itself. Which, he found it strange recalling that he'd been kicking the girls' asses by himself. Assessing the battlefield, Dante was fixated with Chifuyu's split image of the only male in ISA who was donned in a snowy white I.S armor levitating in front of him.

Ichika Orimura.

Judging by the mechanical combat injuries and the Japanese cadet who goes by the name of Houki Shinonono laying on the floor, Dante concluded that they were facing each other off while he was dealing with the rest of the cadets.

When their eyes met, both men found that the moment that they had been waiting for finally come.

Dante let both of his visor and mouth cover to slip off exposing a challenging smirk with a lively expression.

"Well Kid, time to settle this mano a mano."

"Bring it on, Dante-san!"

Both men assumed a stance.

"ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

With Ichika's war cry tore silent off, the grand finale began.

"SWORD MASTER!" Dante shouted.

Both men ran to each other.

Ichika's shield point: 154.

Dante's shield point: 005.

---

And that's the wrap. Happy New Year to y'all and Happy Lunar New Year as well. I'll leave the comment box opens as usual and thank you very much for participating in the poll. Hope you guys find this enjoyable.

Stay tuned for the part two of this 3rd mission where both men finally came to toe with each other. Will Dante win the fight? Or Ichika? Its up yours to imagine.

Well, time to back to my study. I'll update on the next 3 or 4 months. I'd appreciate for the waiting and if you are so kind, provide me some ideas for the upcoming battles or chapters. I'd be more than delighted to take them into account.

Zai Jian.