The student who had come flying out of the building groaned on the stone path at Dante's feet, clutching his ribs. He scrambled up, grumbled something incoherent, and limped away into the distance without looking back.
Rio, Dante, and Lee watched him go before turning toward the open iron doors.
"Well, that's one way to greet guests," Lee muttered, dragging his feet.
Rio pushed the heavy door open, and all three of them walked inside.
The hall was vast, featuring intricate paintings and carved designs running along the high stone walls. The center of the room opened up into a wide circular arena bounded by thick wooden railings, built large enough to easily accommodate a thousand students.
To their surprise, the cavernous space was completely empty.
"Nice design," Rio said, looking around before turning back to Dante and Lee. "I like it."
He paused, his mouth curving into a wide, creepy smile. "Now that there's nobody in here to bother us... how about we have a little duel?"
Dante and Lee looked at each other, then looked back at Rio. His smile grew even more mischievous, as if he had been expecting that exact reaction.
"No way," Dante and Lee said at the exact same time.
Instead of looking disappointed, he had the same expression.
"Come on, it's just a friendly duel, nothing crazy," Rio said, maintaining the unsettling grin like he was trying to win a smiling contest at all costs.
Lee sighed, glancing over at Dante. "Let's give it a try."
That single line made Rio's smile stretch so far the corners of his lips practically reached his eyes.
"What is with that creepy smile?" Dante lampooned under his breath, shaking his head.
"Let's get started already," Rio said, as they walked toward the huge arena in the middle of the hall.
Rio stepped right into the center of the ring, while Lee and Dante stood near the edge.
"Which one of you wants to go first?" Rio asked.
"I'll start," Lee said, stepping over the railing into the ring.
Lee took a balanced fighting stance, while Rio just stood there. The unsettling smile finally left Rio's face, replaced by a focused look. Rio began hopping gently on his toes, waving his hand to invite Lee forward.
Lee took the invitation. He sprinted toward Rio, throwing a straight punch aimed right at his jaw.
Rio tilted his upper body to the side, letting the fist glide past his ear.
Lee didn't pause. He threw a rapid combination of punches—left, right, hooks, and jabs. Rio moved effortlessly, slipping his head to the side, ducking under high swings, and redirecting Lee's wrist with light taps. Lee couldn't land a single solid blow. He couldn't even graze Rio's shirt.
Realizing his hands weren't landing, Lee changed tactics mid-swing. He planted his front foot, stopped dead in his tracks, and launched himself into a backflip, throwing a bicycle kick straight toward Rio's chin.
Against anyone else, the surprise trick would have connected cleanly. But Rio simply leaned back two inches, letting the sole of Lee's shoe miss his chin by a hair.
The moment Lee's feet hit the floor, he opened his eyes to see a clenched fist frozen an inch from his nose.
The attack was far too fast to dodge. A sharp gust of wind generated by the force of Rio's stopped punch blew Lee's hair straight back, making it flutter wildly.
Standing by the railing, Dante watched the exchange with a small smile.
"I QUIT!" Lee screamed before Rio could even pull his hand back. "I quit! Please don't obliterate my face! I know I'm not that handsome, but let me keep what I'm managing!"
Rio pulled his arm back and burst out laughing.
"Are you serious?!" Rio wheezed, clutching his stomach. "I wouldn't have touched you! It's just a friendly duel! Are you really that scared?!"
Before Lee could defend his honor, he heard a loud, wheezing sound behind him.
He turned around to see Dante sitting flat on the arena floor, rolling back and laughing so hard his mouth hung wide open. Tears welled up in Dante's eyes, streaming down his cheeks as he doubled over in uncontrollable laughter.
Seeing Dante on the floor like a hysterical mess made Rio burst into another round of loud laughter.
Lee crossed his arms, his face turning red with irritation. "No problem. I'm definitely getting back at you for this, Dante."
"I'm... I'm sorry," Dante choked out between gasps, wiping his eyes. "I tried holding it in, but..." He lost control again, snorting out loud.
Finally, Dante caught his breath, pushed himself up off the floor, and stepped into the ring.
Rio stopped laughing instantly. His posture straightened, his eyes sharpening as his whole demeanor turned serious.
It was Dante's turn.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Outside on the main stone path leading toward the hall, Dabi and Smith walked side by side.
A girl stepped out from behind a stone pillar, walking straight into their path.
She had fiery red hair, crimson eyes, and a round, chubby face that gave her a striking, enticing appearance.
Both Dabi and Smith froze for a brief second, taken aback by her looks before quickly regaining their composure.
'She's definitely something else,' Dabi thought to himself.
She wasn't wearing the standard Alph's Academy uniform. Instead, she wore a brown skirt that ended above her knees and a simple black t-shirt.
'I can't believe I have to ask mere humans for help,' the girl thought bitterly, her crimson eyes flashing with irritation. 'I should have just beaten that instructor to a pulp instead.'
She stopped three feet in front of them, resting her hands on her hips.
"Can you guys help me with something?" she asked.
Smith folded his arms across his broad chest, eyeing her suspiciously. "Help with what exactly?"
The girl's brow furrowed, her voice turning sharp and threatening. "It's a simple yes or no question. Just answer me, will you?!"
Dabi shrugged, shaking his head. "We can't really help you if you won't even tell us what you need, so..."
"It's a fat no," Smith completed the sentence flatly.
Without waiting for her reply, the two of them walked right past her, continuing down the stone walkway.
The girl stood frozen in place, her teeth grinding together in rage.
Very well, she thought, turning to glare at their backs. I'll finish them both off. No one dares to speak to me in that manner.
She silently fell into step behind them, trailing them like a shadow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Back inside the Martial Arts Hall, Dante stood opposite Rio in the center of the ring.
Dante raised his hands and began hopping lightly and gently on his toes, testing his footing against the polished wood.
Rio watched Dante's movements closely, his red eyes narrowing.
'I'm sensing a familiar aura from this guy, Rio thought to himself. That's the real reason I pushed for this duel. The feeling is so faint I almost missed it earlier... maybe I can draw it out of him right now. Here he comes!'
In the split second Rio blinked, Dante vanished from his spot.
Dante reappeared directly in front of Rio's chest. He leaped into the air, spinning mid-flight to throw a swift, fast kick straight toward Rio's head.
Rio's eyes widened slightly as the wind from the kick whipped across his face.
'As expected, Rio thought, bringing his forearm up to block. This guy...'