Old Fists: Destiny

The air exploded the first line of advancing Felroz. Torn apart by the overwhelming pressure, the entire grass was shaken by a colossal wind. Tommas had to balance himself and put his arm in front of his face as the violent swaying occurred, with some cadets even falling down sitting.

The pressure of the old man's punch was enough to break the first layer of enemies, leaving them static for a second. The Felroz stopped, as if they hadn't understood what had hit them.

The old man had a lot of strength, Tommas was once again amazed. Before, he was sure the peak of the attack had been that set of blows, but now, that certainty had fallen to the ground. How many soldiers, guards, or soldiers had Tommas watched? He wasn't sure. Now, could strength or skill cause such a change in the atmosphere? He doubted it.

He was a warrior. Dante was a warrior.

And he proved it even more when his laugh grew louder and he leaped toward the Felroz without fear of getting hurt. He didn't stop for anything.

The spin, the quick block of several arms in different positions. The spins he did on the ground, the leaps twisting, escaping from attacks that would pierce his chest. He saw the old man grab one of the Felroz's arms and use a burst from his foot to spin the creature and throw it up. When Dante returned to the ground, another tremor grew. The test area was shaken.

Once again, the cadets fell sitting, watching an old man beat the Felroz. Inside the Capital, they knew little about those who came from the outside. That's because the routine of the workers was always the same. Some might even train to become stronger, gain more control over their abilities, but battling like that was reserved only for the best families.

They weren't nobles, they were children of Commanders, Generals, or Colonels. They could have that capability. But that guy? It was impossible.

Tommas was sure he had never seen that old man before. If there was someone who fought like that on the front lines, they would certainly be placed in the Lagmoratos Fields.

He didn't even need to do anything, the old man took care of it on his own. What was supposed to be a test was turning into a training field for him. And that scared him.It also scared Dalila, who was watching from the outside.

The Officers beside her grew quieter. The chairs were brought forward, and they watched as an old man simply entered combat. Freto moved his shoulders, seemingly having a spasm while watching the blows, and Crish had both fists clenched on his leg, tapping lightly, supporting the old man.

Dalia didn't want to make any malicious comments about what she was watching. However, when had she ever seen anyone fight like that in the test field? The purpose of being there was to be tested. Their minds and bodies put to the test while their enemy drew out fear, shaping and revealing that the battlefield was a cruel and deadly place.

He's smiling, she noticed long before everything unfolded. Someone who simply smiled when those damned creatures swung their arms, searching for his head. She denied it to herself at that moment, it was completely wrong.

"What are you thinking, ma'am?" Tecno stared at her with his head leaned back in the chair, watching her for a while.

The others turned to listen.

"This isn't right," she responded seriously. "Felroz shouldn't be knocked out by just one person. He's demonstrating more than the cadets are capable of. I'm almost sure his ability is being controlled almost perfectly. You can see it in his arm, he alternates his blows knowing exactly what he's going to do, and he takes many attacks at once. Even a young body wouldn't be able to react against the Felroz if they hadn't seen him before."

"Do you think that man has been in battle before?"

Dalia didn't know how to answer truthfully. Dante smiled, danced, hit, and retreated. His enemies came from all directions, but he didn't change. It didn't matter how many there were, it didn't matter from which angle or speed, the attack never found its target.

He was fast, much faster than he had shown against the Pirates.

"Tecno, go to Marques now and tell him to end this session. Tell him there was an identity issue and that I'll investigate."

The other two Officers were shocked and stood up. Tecno was the only one who maintained composure, stood up lightly, and gave a slight bow.

"As you order, ma'am."

As soon as he left through the door, Dalia crossed her arms again and pressed her own skin.

"Even if it's just a coincidence, he has the physical ability of a Sergeant. He must have enhanced his means to gain resistance, and combining that with the strength he has in his arms, he attacks like a machine." She realized she had spoken too loudly, but continued. "If the High Command of the Capital sees any act of Dante, they'll understand there's someone capable of winning in strength against these creatures. The Corrupted Project would be tested again."

Now, the two swallowed hard. They returned to watching Dante with regret. The old man blocked attacks with the palm of his hand, gaining ground and pushing one of the Felroz with air bursts in calculated spots, breaking it little by little.

"We can't let something like this happen," Dalia continued. She didn't want that man, who had barely started his military career, to lose his life. "I want both of you to go to Tecno. Tell him I ordered all recordings of what they're seeing right now to be erased. And don't send them to anyone."

"Do you think they'll accept a Test Field being erased just like that, ma'am?" Freto was already standing.

"No. I'll take care of it. Now, go. Quickly."

Both left the room together, taking fast steps. Dalia pulled a chair and sat down, crossing her legs and placing her face in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on her thigh. Dante, an old man, found in a village in the middle of nowhere. What an intriguing find.

---------------

The battlefield was fun. Dante retreated and advanced as he had learned over the years. He deflected a blow to the side and used his elbow to strike the creature's eyeless face. It let out a painful scream, and the old man laughed.

"Seems pretty quiet now, huh?"

He punched once more, forcing the arm, and his enemy flew far away, rolling and unable to get up properly.

Dante quickly crouched, and an arm tore through the air where his head had been. The old man touched the ground and made a full rotation, lifting his foot. The chest hit rippled with the shock, and another one flew away. A few Felroz fell because of him.

It wasn't that hard, Dante felt when he saw another flurry of blows coming from above. He positioned himself as if he were at home. The Bamboo poles rose, coming down to strike him. And a complete slip between the more than ten blows that pierced the ground.

With a small reflex, he grabbed the last one's arm, pulled, and collided the back of his fist. Cracks formed from the impact.

"You're too slow."

Dante spotted the figure of his father walking among the Felroz. He looked alive, present. And he was holding his wooden sword. The face was stern, the posture perfect. Even the serene gaze. How?

"Your leg isn't in the right place. You just left home and you're already ignoring my teachings?" The sword was raised. The old man's Cosmic Energy rose. Dante swallowed hard.

His father would fight seriously.

"Defend, boy."

Dante blinked, and the attack appeared on his chest. His hands reacted and pressed the tip of the Felroz's arm. The creature pushed him against the ground, making his foot break the grass, revealing the earth beneath.

The attack kept pushing him until another creature swung its arm. He threw what he was holding to the side and jumped out of the range. He sighed deeply when he saw the ground had a hole in it. Dante looked for his father again, but he was no longer there.

"What was that?"

"Concentration levels too high. Conversion rate at 5%."

Dante stood up and raised both hands. The Felroz froze before they could reach him. His fingers trembled, releasing consecutive waves of air. And with a sharp slap, a stronger wave threw them far away.

He had to breathe deeply. It was a hallucination. There was no way his father would be present, nor would he make him train among creatures. He was only there one day, he wasn't supposed to be homesick. Was he scared? His heart was beating fast and hard.

"Shit. It's fine. Calm down."

It was just a matter of going back to square one. Stand up, change his rhythm, and switch between the styles he had learned at home. Was that what his mind was telling him by showing his father there? To use the fighting styles first instead of the ability?

He waited a little longer for the Felroz to get up, but they didn't. Their bodies, stretched out on the ground, didn't even show signs of life. Dante approached one and kicked it with some force.

"Hey, wake up."

The creature didn't move.

"Did I kill it by accident? No. The rate was too low. If I used any stronger attack, I could've dragged some of the ground." He made sure to open and close his hand. "Vick didn't tell me I exceeded 10%."

He saw Tommas in a state of shock. The boy didn't even have the same color as before. Dante passed by all the fallen creatures and got closer to him.

"Hey, do you know what happened?"

The boy's mouth trembled a little. He took a while to respond, and Dante thought everyone was paralyzed.

"You're a monster."

"Monster?" Dante touched his own chest. "Why? What did I do?"

Tommas pointed forward, but his voice was immediately silenced by the sky turning white. The grass beneath their feet disintegrated, as did the trees and bushes. The Test Field completely fell apart.

A door opened in one of the walls. Officer Dalia entered, walking heavily. Her steps caused fear in the cadets. They lowered themselves immediately, almost kneeling upon seeing an Officer present.

Tommas muttered a low curse and knelt as well.

She walked over to them and stopped. Dante felt like he was being judged but casually raised his hand.

"Oops, ma'am. I think I overdid it a little, huh?"

"Quite a bit. I don't know where you came from or what you were doing, but we need to go now. I've finished your evaluation."

Tommas lifted his head and saw Dalia staring at the old man. She wasn't friendly at all, as they said. The rumors that she never showed emotions were true. He never thought, however, that she would be there to observe them.

"I thought it would be more interesting."

Tommas saw Dante follow her with a laugh and got even more indignant. Was he really leaving the training with Officer Dalia?

"Interesting or not, you overdid it," she replied. "Many people look for good Cadets. When I asked you to fight, it wasn't in that sense. I expected that, given your age, you would be more reasonable."

Dante shrugged.

"They're enemies. It wasn't the cruelest thing in the world. And they're simulations. I didn't expect them to react since they're based on observations from the real world."

"Even so, you need to be careful."

The two passed by the fallen Cadets and started to leave the room. Outside, Dante breathed the air again. It didn't even feel like he had been there for such a short time. Even after fighting, he was still full of vigor.

Freto and Crish appeared first. They were both carrying a bluish cube and handed it over.

"How was it?" Dalia asked.

"Marques said it would cost another favor, ma'am," Crish replied. "And he didn't seem too happy with your decision."

Dalia snorted briefly and continued walking with the three of them.

"I don't care what he thinks. We need to leave here as quickly as possible. Freto, find Tecno. Meet us at the Host."

The Officer nodded and left again.