Dante waited for someone from the crowd to help the girl, but no one stepped forward. As a newcomer to the city, he was still unfamiliar with its workings and didn't want to overstep his bounds. He endured the wait until he could bear it no longer, and finally, he had no choice but to act.
"Who are you?" the boy in the middle asked, clearly the ringleader.
"Who I am is not important," Dante replied calmly. "What matters is that she is being forced to follow you three." As Dante spoke, people around began to take notice of him. Despite his striking looks, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about him. His clothes were worn, his shoes scuffed, and his old backpack suggested an ordinary background.
"Hahaha..." The ringleader laughed, clearly judging Dante as a country bumpkin. "I'm guessing you have no idea who I am."
Before the ringleader could continue, the boy standing to his right stepped up to speak. "This is Alex, the only son of the deputy mayor. And this handsome man in front of you is called Canice."
Dante couldn't help but laugh because Canice was the opposite of handsome. His large front teeth made him resemble a rabbit, and the claim of handsomeness was laughable. Dante wasn't the only one laughing.
"Are you laughing at my friend?" Jin, who had moved closer to the girl earlier, stepped forward. His clothes flapped as air began to converge around him.
The gathered crowd knew that Alex and his friends were about to make things difficult for Dante. Some felt pity for him, while others believed he deserved whatever was coming for overestimating himself.
"Jin, get into formation," Alex ordered, and the three of them took their positions.
Everyone around was aware of how formidable Alex and his friends became in that formation. More people gathered to witness the unfolding scene. Despite the crowd's mixed reactions, Dante remained focused on the girl behind them, the true object of their bullying.
Confident, Dante exuded a self-assurance that came from deep within. Even with the unexplainable energy radiating from the three, Dante felt unwavering confidence. He glanced around and spotted a stick on the ground, picking it up.
Alex laughed derisively. "Are you trying to fight us with a stick?"
Not only Alex, but everyone around thought Dante was mad.
"We shall see."
Alex's eyes gleamed with amusement as he surveyed the scene. "You really think you can take us all on with that?" He gestured dismissively at the stick in Dante's hand.
Dante's gaze remained steady, his posture relaxed yet ready. "I don't need much to deal with bullies."
With a signal from Alex, Canice stepped forward, his eyes blazing with fiery determination. He raised his arms and conjured a massive fireball that roared toward Dante, its heat distorting the air. The crowd gasped as the fireball sailed through the air, but Dante's reaction was swift. He swung the stick in a precise arc, striking the fireball mid-flight. The stick didn't burn or disintegrate; instead, it redirected the flames harmlessly into the sky, leaving the onlookers in awe.
Canice gaped, momentarily stunned by the effortless maneuver. Before he could react, Jin seized the opportunity to strike. He whipped up a furious gust of wind, sending a vortex toward Dante. The wind howled, intent on knocking Dante off balance and scattering him like a ragdoll. Dante's stance remained unshaken. He spun with the wind, his stick slicing through the air with rhythmic grace. The wind seemed to bend around him, unable to dislodge his firm footing.
Jin's eyes widened as Dante moved through the storm as if it were nothing more than a mild breeze. The wind user tried to create multiple swirling vortexes, hoping to overwhelm Dante. But Dante's responses were fluid and precise. Each swirl of wind was met with a measured strike of the stick, dispelling the gusts with effortless control.
Canice, now frenzied with anger and desperation, hurled another fireball, this one larger and fiercer. He was determined to end this quickly, but Dante anticipated the move. With a practiced flick of the stick, he deflected the fireball again, sending it soaring into the air where it burst into harmless sparks.
Jin, seeing his chance slipping away, decided to take a more aggressive approach. He conjured a tornado, its swirling force crashing down toward Dante with a deafening roar. The crowd gasped as the tornado's fury tore through the square. Dante braced himself, his eyes locked on the approaching storm. He stepped into the wind, his stick slicing through the vortex with rhythmic precision. The tornado seemed to part for him, its force dissipating as he advanced.
Jin's confidence faltered as Dante's path through the tornado was both calm and unyielding. With a single fluid motion, Dante reached Jin, who tried to evade with a desperate flurry of wind blasts. Each attack was met with the unyielding stick, and within moments, Jin was disarmed, his wind magic faltering as he stumbled to the ground, overwhelmed.
Canice, now frenzied with a mix of anger and desperation, launched a series of rapid-fire fireballs. His previous attacks had failed to breach Dante's defenses, and his frustration had turned into a reckless barrage. Dante moved through the storm of flames with fluid grace, his stick a blur as it intercepted and redirected the fireballs, leaving Canice gasping for breath.
Alex, who had been feeding energy into his allies, saw the futility of their situation. His once-confident demeanor shattered as he witnessed the defeat of both Canice and Jin. His own support powers seemed powerless against Dante's skill and composure. Seeing his friends down and the crowd watching in stunned silence, Alex attempted to flee.
Dante's gaze shifted to Alex, calm and determined. With a single step, he closed the distance between them, his stick raised as if to end the confrontation. Alex's bravado dissolved into fear as Dante's shadow loomed over him. The ringleader dropped to his knees, his arrogance melting away.
The crowd erupted into whispers and murmurs as they witnessed the dramatic turn of events. The girl, now freed from her tormentors, approached Dante with tears of relief. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling with gratitude.
Dante gave her a reassuring smile, his eyes softening. "You're safe now. Go somewhere safe, and let the authorities handle the rest."
As the girl nodded and walked away, she knew no one would come to take care of Alex and his friends, but she was happy to be safe at that moment. Dante turned his attention back to Alex and his defeated allies.
"You have just invoked calamity on yourself," Alex said with a sinister smile, and Dante felt a troubling sensation in the air.