Dante Starhaven was handsome, incredibly so.
The Starhaven family members were the most connected people to the planet Eldoralth, the only lineage blessed with the ability to bond and interact with the most native species in Eldoralth: spirits.
Their auras were as peaceful as they were comforting, their bodies flawless and the personification of healthy.
They didn't have the usual pressure or resistance to the mana and air in the atmosphere. It was as though they were its prodigal kin, no, as though they were part of it.
Every breath they took from the atmosphere seemed to reinvigorate their bodies, filling them with incredible energy.
If not for the presence of Atticus, Dante could have easily been the most handsome in the academy.
The number of admirers he received was endless. If not for Atticus' infamous brutality and the fact that he had the most beautiful girl in the academy by his side, he would have been in those shoes too.
Despite witnessing every single moment of Atticus's brutality, Dante maintained his determined gaze as he met Atticus' icy stare with his own cold gaze.
The silence lasted for three seconds before Dante finally decided to speak, seeing as Atticus had no intention to.
"My name is Dante Starhaven. Atticus Ravenstein, I'm glad I finally met you,"
"…"
"…"
Silence ensued once more, causing the atmosphere to turn awkward. The watching students had suspended their shock in order to watch the last showdown, if they could call it that.
No one understood what was going on in Atticus's mind, Dante included.
The former would have usually attacked by now. No one had actually ever seen Atticus speaking before battle.
In all the videos that had gone around the school, it was attack first and ask questions later with him not even bothering to ask any questions most of the time.
Thinking about it, the situation was quite baffling. None of them had seen Atticus and the third years getting into any sort of confrontation before, and yet they had battled as though it was the most natural thing to do.
For the latter, none of them could comprehend why Dante wasn't running away.
Dante frowned slightly, seeing Atticus's silence. Many would find it hard to understand his actions, but only Dante himself knew why he was standing in front of Atticus.
"Matriarch Osianne, Lady Zoey's mother, would never approve of the both of you,"
Dante's words made Atticus's head tilt slightly to the right, his expression turning confused. His interest had just been piqued.
"Lady Zoey is the greatest talent to ever appear in the family. There is no way the matriarch would allow her kin to be diluted with the blood of another lineage. Her match would come from the family, and the search for someone worthy had already commenced,"
Dante spoke calmly, each word spoken succinctly as though he were simply stating fact.
"Leave her. That is the reason I'm standing before you today."
The air around Dante suddenly changed as he uttered those last words. It was as though the mana in a very large radius around him suddenly intensified, coming under his immediate control.
"I have no interest in the petty squabbles between you and the others. I have only come here today to fight you one on one. Le-"
"I will give you only one chance." After a while of not saying anything, Atticus finally spoke. His voice sounded calm, but the weight in his words was nothing short of heavy.
"The only reason you are still standing here before me, your limbs intact, able to speak, is because you're a member of her family. My patience is nonexistent when it comes to bullshit. Do not test me."
"Turn back and leave."
Dante's expression darkened considerably. Yes, he was well aware of how much of a monster Atticus was; he had watched the entire massacre as though it were a movie. But despite this fact, he still felt slight confidence.
He had taken note of everything. Atticus had only been able to overpower and brutally beat up Zezazeus and the others because of his space element.
Dante had no idea how Atticus had gotten it nor when, but what he did know was that he had the perfect counter for it.
Although it wasn't its forte, Dante had bonded with a tier 5 spirit that had the power to control some aspects of time, Aeonis the Ephemeral.
Dante's purple hair suddenly whipped about over his head, his Amethyst eyes igniting in a blinding light.
A large shadow stretched out from behind him, easily reaching 15 meters in height.
The weight of the surrounding area suddenly intensified, the shape of a ginormous beast forming.
However, the shape of the host beast had hardly formed before Atticus disappeared from Dante's vision.
Atticus's movement hadn't made a single sound in reality and yet, it sounded akin to rumbling thunder in Dante's ears.
Dante reacted instinctively, the shadow behind him suddenly erupting into a blinding light, invisible ripples appearing around his figure in the next second.
Time appeared to be a confusing concept inside this space, with even air molecules moving at a snail's pace.
Dante's plan was simple: cripple Atticus' space element.
Time and space were intricately linked. The slowed time in the area around him affected not only the temporal aspect but also distorted the spatial dimensions within the affected area.
Atticus's ability to manipulate space had always relied on stable spatial conditions. He hadn't yet reached a level where he would be able to manipulate an unstable space.
But Dante had made a grave mistake. He had assumed that Atticus was nothing without his space element; that was nothing more than foolish.
Atticus had only used the space element for one reason: he had wanted to get the battle over with as fast as possible because of his limited time.
Even without his space element, none of them were his match.
The crimson glow engulfing Atticus' figure exploded, the sound of three dull booms echoing like a war drum as Atticus used Aerokinesis and burst in unison.
Atticus moved with the momentum of a nuclear explosion, moving so fast that the temporal area meant absolutely nothing to him.
His fist flew forward, carrying the weight of the world.