Taking a moment to catch his breath, Dante observed the two spies. Funnily enough, they looked like the usual contrasting pair, with one being upright and strict while the other was easy going and relaxed. Of course, Dante had no intention of getting to know either of them. If the fight goes his way, it will end with neither side saying a single word to each other.
’Let’s not waste any more time...’
Bracing himself, Dante did as Volcan had told him and limited the energy consumption to avoid a full acceleration. He expected it to be a lot more complicated, but maybe because of the increase in computing power, the range of mental commands he could give increased as well.
Instead of 5 energy points, he only consumed 3 and activated Instant Acceleration, stepping straight into his opponent’s range. The spiky haired spy was startled by the sudden burst of speed, but Dante was no less surprised, even though he had arrived at almost the exact spot he was aiming for. Appearing in front of someone like that almost left him stunned, but it didn’t last more than a fraction of a second as his body continued with the motion he had already prepared, sending the first punch.
The spiky haired spy still managed to dodge despite the speed behind the attack. The reason was likely the translucent wall he set up right before Dante threw his punch. Though it shattered upon impact, it still managed to slow Dante’s fist and absorb some of the power behind it.
’That was magic, wasn’t it?’ He asked as he moved to attack the second guy.
[Indeed.] Volcan replied. [He solidified the air in front of him into that translucent screen. Likely a defensive technique.]
The second spy blocked with his arms, hinting at an enhanced durability that prevented his bones from breaking.
Volcan’s warning drew Dante’s attention to the spiky haired spy who had just cast a different spell, creating a number of translucent spikes in the air. Having an inkling of the purpose behind them, Dante let his body fall to the floor and evaded, preparing for a follow up attack at the same time.
Since he was anticipating a difficult fight from the start, having some of his blows blocked or evaded entirely was within expectation. That said, the way his opponents moved gave him a glimpse at their true capabilities, making him realize how truly skilled they are.
He couldn’t say the same about the magic they were using, however. The barriers they produced broke easily, and the spikes they shot at him failed to damage his Level 1 armor, which wasn’t even focused on durability. It might be that they were testing the waters and hiding their trump cards for later, so Dante tried not to let himself underestimate them, lest he wanted to get caught off guard later.
[Threat Evaluation: Level 2 Basic Aetherions.] Volcan spoke just as Dante ended the first clash. [They are almost equal, though the one with long hair seems to have better control over the Aether in his body. Both are using techniques that greatly enhance their physical prowess.]
’So they’re just Level 2, huh...’
Logic stated that he would need a Level 3 armor to defeat the pair, but they weren’t exactly competing in the same domain. Being at Level 2 meant they had the potential to cause far more damage than his Level 1 armor, but since he had the edge in speed, there was still a chance that he could defeat them using it alone.
Of course, Dante knew that prolonging the battle was a very bad idea. That’s why he planned on switching to a suitable armor so he could deal with the spy wizards before he ran out of time.
Seeing that Type 5-1’s energy reserves have already dropped below half, Dante decided to give its ability one more try before moving on to ending the battle. He took a starting pose, like an athlete preparing to go on a sprint, then studied his opponent for a second, deciding on his next few moves. The results did not disappoint.
The consecutive bursts of speed battered his body, shaking his organs, but Dante persevered. His opponents failed to follow him, all of their attacks missing. By the third activation of Instant Acceleration, the opening he was looking for presented itself. He accelerated one more time, unleashed his fist, and put everything behind a single punch.
A solid hit. Even with the plating of his armor dampening the sensation, Dante still felt the force of the impact and the cracking of bones. The boost in strength granted to him by the armor was even more apparent, seeing how it allowed him to send an adult man flying.
The spiky haired spy failed to anticipate the attack, resulting in him taking its full brunt. His right arm was useless now so crushing him completely shouldn’t be a problem. That was what Dante thought before seeing him coat his left hand in light and place it on his damaged arm, likely using some kind of healing spell.
The right reaction should have been to stop him from recovering, but as it turned out, Dante didn’t come out of that last attack unscathed. Four consecutive accelerations, all in different directions, resulted in his organs being shaken like the contents of a cocktail inside a shaker.
Though it didn’t seem like he received any permanent damage, the pain he felt and his body’s reluctance to move told him that he couldn’t repeat what he had done just now, not to mention-
[Dante, you are approaching your time limit]
Hearing Volcan’s warning, Dante let out a mental sigh.
’I know.’ It was time to end things. ’Which armor do you recommend?’
His resident AI was just done with his evaluation so Dante expected him to have something prepared.
[Type 9-3’s Aether Distortion should be enough to negate all their abilities. However...]
’Forget about the time limit.’ Dante thought aloud. ’Just give it to me.’