I waited in anticipation as she pushed her way through..

Yet, the moment she started getting closer, the air started heating up, in fact, my body itself had started heating up, I looked around, everyone else seemed oblivious to the rising temperatures..

"D...it’s hot.." Cara’s breathless voice caught my attention, I turned back, she’d already let go of me, her entire body seemed to have been dunked in an ocean as sweat bathed her entire figure, her white robe becoming dangerously transparent..

I turned around once more, no one else seemed affected, it looked like we were the only two being cooked alive..

I returned my attention to Melissa, only to find that she’d already appeared before me, her face was expressionless, her eyes seemed aflame as they swirled in dizzying circles within their sockets, the temperatures soared, It felt like my insides were being liquified, the pain was so horrible I couldn’t even register the two other figures that had appeared beside Mel.

I tried forcing out a smile, "he..hey.. Melis—-" I couldn’t get the words out.

Why?

A delicate fist had connected with my midsection.

Delicate in appearance, but it hit with the weight of a mountain..

My body folded inward in two, my already melting organs becoming displaced as more than a few bones turned into powder, before..

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

I received the exact same treatment I’d dished out to Apollo and Caelum earlier, my consciousness almost winking out for a bit before chaotic denial snapped me back together, yet I couldn’t right myself fast enough to avoid crashing through multiple buildings I had no idea the functions of.

"Damn... what a woman" a gentle and loving smile curved up my lips, I knew exactly why I received this treatment and I didn’t have any words of justification this time as well, mother and daughter were very alike it seemed, though I wasn’t complaining in the least...

I didn’t know what had happened to my delicate and soft Melissa after our first union, but this version I couldn’t help falling for even faster...

....

The explosion that had sent Dante flying to kingdom come didn’t escape the notice of the others, how could it, when the shockwaves had blasted clean a radius of over 40 meters, leaving only four figures standing in the clearing...

"Wait, wasn’t that the guy that just wasted two elite class students?"

"Does the goddess know him? Why did she attack him outright?"

"Damn.. upsetting one of the goddesses of the entire academy on your first day? That’s got to be some record right?"

The students were shocked.

First, their beloved goddess had appeared at such a minor event and as if that wasn’t enough, the first thing she did was fold the current scariest student among the new arrivals in half and send him flying to who knows where..

.......

"Little Melissa seems acquainted with the young lad" Voren stroked his beard in amusement..

"That punch must have broken more than a few bones, despite her holding back" another instructor chimed in..

"He’s perfectly fine though" Dante’s #1 instructor fan spoke up, she’d been keeping track of his "travel" so her perception caught perfectly Dante’s "recovery".

"What? That punch was enough to put him out for a good few months, even if he had absurd recovery abilities and methods, it’d still be a few weeks" another instructor retorted in disbelief..

"Heh.. you can check for yourself" the woman merely snickered..

The instructor immediately spread out his perception, not only him, the others as well were disbelieving of such a statement.

Yet the moment their perceptions picked up Dante’s presence, their faces froze..

"What the hell is this kid made of??" An instructor couldn’t help himself from yelling out loud..

"How..how do you take a blow from someone like that little monster Melissa and shrug it off like it was nothing? Just what the hell did Valen select as a student?" Malcom had lost all bravado about his awesome find, now he was just shocked speechless at the ridiculousness they were seeing..

Not only was the young man in their perception healed, it was like he hadn’t even taken any damage whatsoever in the first place..

"Heh.. the big monster really did find a little monster huh?" Even Voren, for all his experience, seemed shocked as he smiled wryly..

Valen, ahead of the group, wasn’t bothered when they called him a "monster", he merely smiled as his perception kept track of Dante’s movements..

"That’s right my boy, keep showing them the true face of a monster, let those cowardly snakes know their days are numbered" his eyes hardened at the thought...

.....

Back at the cleared out area, Cara stood facing three figures, one she recognized clearly, the other two not so much..

"Hey.. Mel, long time no see" Cara spoke up, her voice subdued..

She didn’t need any explanations as to why Melissa’s eyes were currently bleeding murderous intent.. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Cut the act, bitch, why are you here?" Melissa’s voice was cold, unfeeling, unwelcoming..

"I’m here for Aeternum, what else.." Cara chuckled awkwardly..

"You’re here for Aeternum, fine. Now tell me how the hell that translates to you being all over Dante like you didn’t toss him away like trash when he was at his lowest?" The temperature soared as Melissa got to this point, yet only Cara seemed to be feeling the effects, her sweat pouring like rain from her body, her knees were trembling violently, steam was rising from her body.

She was being cooked, literally, from the inside out, her organs were just a hair’s breadth from turning into liquid sludge..

Cara was panicking inside, she’d tried using her netherworld ice to mitigate the heat, but the ability couldn’t even take form due to the overwhelming temperatures her body was being punished under, she was well aware that the only reason she was even still alive was because Melissa didn’t want to upset Dante too much..

She knew she only had a few moments to come up with an explanation that wouldn’t end with her...well...being "well done"

"It was all a misunderstanding, Mel, I swear it on my life" she hurriedly pleaded..

"I’m sure Dante, that foolish guy, would believe that since he’s well head over heels infatuated with you" a little(a lot) jealousy couldn’t help sneaking into her voice as she made this statement..

"But I’m not so easily fooled, over my dead body would I allow you to use Dante for your nefarious games ever again, so, tell me something worthwhile or watch me turn you into sludge right here right now!" Melissa gave her ultimatum, her tone cold and final..

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A/N: damn... that boy got folded in two..lol

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Thanks for reading..