Dante sliced through Seoul's night sky, the wind whipping past as he zeroed in on the red gate's pulsing glow.
His heart thumped—not from fear, but from the sheer rush of it.
Below, the city's neon sprawl flickered like a living beast, oblivious to the chaos brewing on its edge.
He'd bolted from Jane's car minutes ago, leaving her and Jenny gaping, Mikasa's sly smirk the last thing he saw before teleporting out.
'They didn't know I'm awakened—bet that blew their minds,' he thought, grinning wide.
His sensed two S-rank mana signatures clashing hard, raw power tearing through the air.
'Showtime'
He teleported mid-air, Infinity shimmering faintly, landing just outside the gate's jagged red maw.
The air thrummed with power—two massive mana signatures clashing hard, shaking the dirt under his boots.
Baek Yoonho stood tall, his hair catching the moonlight, his beastly aura rolling off him like a predator's growl.
Across from him, Hwang Dongsoo grinned like a madman, his dark energy jagged and wild.
The ground between them spiderwebbed with cracks, mana slamming into mana.
Yoonho's voice cut low and firm, his eyes narrowed. "This gate's mine, Hunter Dongsoo. Walk away while you still can."
Dongsoo laughed, a harsh, grating sound, cracking his neck with a pop.
"Make me, old kitty. I'm here for Hunter Sung, can't leave my brother alone in hell."
Their auras flared higher, Yoonho's primal roar meeting Dongsoo's chaotic storm head-on.
A shockwave rippled out, rattling nearby trees and kicking up dust.
Officer Woo Jin-Chul stood off to the side, glasses glinting under the patrol lights, his squad tense but holding position.
His sharp gaze darted between the two S-ranks, hands clasped behind his back—watching, waiting.
Dante couldn't resist. He dropped from the sky like a bolt, landing mid-air between them, Infinity humming around him like a second skin.
"Well, well—two big dogs barking up the wrong tree," he called out, voice loud and dripping with mockery.
"You clowns call that a fight? I've seen street cats scrap harder."
Inside, his mind raced, 'Canon vibes. Yoonho, Dongsoo, red gate… Sung Jin-Woo's in there, right? Ice Elves arc, straight from the manhwa.
He smirked wider, relishing the chance to flip the script. 'Finally I can stir the plot!'
Yoonho's head snapped up, his beastly eyes narrowing at the new player floating above.
"Who the hell are you?" he growled, aura steady but edged with annoyance.
Dongsoo's grin twisted, his dark gaze locking on Dante. "Some punk looking to die early. Get lost, kid—this ain't your sandbox."
Dante laughed, hovering lazily, arms crossed. "Oh, I'm right where I wanna be. Name's Dante—keep up, losers. Yoonho, you're all roar, no bite—my grandma's got more growl in her sleep. And Dongsoo? You swing like a drunk toddler—pathetic. Step up or step off."
The air thickened, Yoonho's calm holding firm, but Dongsoo's mana spiked, his grin morphing into a snarl. "Big mouth for a nobody. I'll rip that tongue out and shove it—"
"Ohh~ Like what happened with that brother of yours? " Dante cut in, smirking sharper. "You'll be kissing dirt before you touch me."
Dongsoo snapped. He charged, fist blazing with dark mana, a haymaker aimed straight at Dante's smug face.
The air screamed as he swung—only to hit nothing. Dante floated there, untouchable, Infinity bending space around him.
Dongsoo swung again, harder, faster—miss after miss, his fists sliding off an invisible wall.
"What the—?!" he roared, frustration boiling over.
Dante tilted his head, grinning like a kid pulling wings off flies.
"What's wrong, big guy? Can't reach the top shelf? Keep swinging—maybe you'll hit air next time."
The taunts lit a fuse. Dongsoo's mana flared wilder, his punches a blur—left, right, uppercut—all useless.
Each blow stopped dead, inches from Dante's face, his barrier eating every ounce of force.
The ground cracked under Dongsoo's stomping rage, but Dante just hovered, laughing.
"You're embarrassing yourself, man. This is sad—give up already. Even a child would be better than you right now."
Yoonho watched, his beastly calm unbroken, but his eyes narrowed—'This kid's playing with him, an S-Rank hunter, he's a powerful one!'
'The scary part is that I never heard of him, which means he's probably not registered, else with his abilities he would be among the top!'
Woo Jin-Chul adjusted his glasses, his sharp mind ticking behind a respectful facade, analyzing every move.
Dongsoo's patience shredded.
"Die, you little shit!" he bellowed, lunging with both fists, mana surging like a black storm.
Dante sighed, bored now—time to end the game.
With a flick of his will, an invisible force slammed down, crushing Dongsoo to his knees.
The dirt split under the pressure, his roar choking into a wheeze.
"Kneel, clown," Dante said, voice low and cold.
"Lesson one's free—don't test me."
He dropped lower, grabbing Dongsoo's throat with one hand, lifting him like a ragdoll.
Dongsoo's hands clawed at Dante's wrist, mana flickering weak and desperate, his face purpling as he gasped for air.
Dante tightened his grip, smirking. "What's that? No more big talk? You were gonna die with that attitude of yours soon anyways, why don't I make it a bit early?"
Yoonho stepped forward, his voice steady but carrying weight. "That's enough, kid. He's done—let him go."
Woo Jin-Chul moved closer, his tone calm and respectful, hands raised slightly.
"Young hunter, please. You've made your point—release him. We can resolve this without further escalation."
Dante's grin didn't budge.
He held Dongsoo a beat longer, watching his eyes roll back, then let go—Dongsoo crumpled to the ground, out cold, a heap of bruised ego and dark mana.
"Fine," Dante said, dusting his hands. "He was boring anyway—guy's got no stamina."
The patrol squad exhaled, tension easing, but Yoonho's gaze stayed locked on Dante, sharp and probing.
He'd felt it—that power wasn't just S-rank; it was something else, something deeper.
'He's beyond me,' Yoonho realized, his calm masking a flicker of wariness.
He crossed his arms, voice even. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. What's your purpose here?"
Dante shrugged, floating down to land with a casual thud, his smirk unshaken.
"Same as Dongsoo—Hunter Sung. Not with harmful intentions though—just sounds like a good time."
Yoonho's brow furrowed, intrigued but guarded. "You're here for fun? With that kind of power?"
"Life's too short to be dull," Dante said, winking. "What's your excuse?"
Before Yoonho could reply, the red gate pulsed—a low, guttural hum that shook the air.
The jagged maw cracked wider, and figures stumbled out—hunters, battered and weary, their gear torn from the struggle inside.
Among them, one stood apart, but not the Sung Jin-Woo Dante knew from his memories.
This one was a woman—sharp black eyes cutting through the night, dark hair spilling over her shoulders, her aura slicing the air like a blade.
She moved with a predator's grace, her presence undeniable, mana simmering low but lethal.
Dante froze mid-smirk, his brain short-circuiting.
'Wait—what? He's a chick!?'
His eyes widened, then narrowed, a grin creeping back as the shock flipped to excitement.
'This just got way more fun!'
Woo Jin-Chul stepped forward, his voice steady and respectful,
"Hunter, this is Sung Soo-Yeon—fortunately, she seems to have survived the gate."
Sung Soo-Yeon's gaze flicked to Dante, sizing him up in an instant—calm, unreadable, but with a spark of curiosity.
Dante met her stare, his grin stretching wide.
'Fuck, she got the Aura!!... she's HIM!!'