"What the...? Don't interfere in another man's business. Now let me go," Richard said, trying to pull his arm free from Dante's grip. Dante ignored Richard entirely, still holding him in place and tightening his grip, causing Richard to yelp in pain.
Dante looked back at the woman, who was still curled up in a fetal position. He noticed a small boy, no older than eight or nine years old, hiding and peeking at them, tears in his eyes. Dante gestured for the boy to come over, waving his hand.
The boy slowly walked over to his mother, wiping his eyes. "Mommy, are you okay?" he asked.
The woman opened her arms and sat up, gently pulling the boy down to her. "Yes, my sweet boy. Your mom and dad were just having a conversation. There is nothing to worry about."
Dante was consumed by rage as he looked down at the boy's condition. The child appeared malnourished, while his father was overweight. Dante tightened his grip on the man's hand, and Richard cried out in pain before dropping to his knees.
"Please stop, sir! You're going to break my arm. I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I am truly sorry. Just please let my arm go!"
Dante tightened his grip on Richard's arm. "Is there any reason a father wouldn't provide for his children? Even in the worst circumstances, a father's only duty is to his family. It seems you've forgotten that responsibility. I wonder if a little pain might remind you of it."
Dante's eyes glowed with a visible purple hue. The man looked up at him and felt the same terror one might feel in front of a demon.
"Stop it! You're hurting him! Don't hurt my daddy!" A little girl burst out of the building, running towards Dante and pounding her small fists against his pant leg. She looked even younger than the boy, likely around five or six years old.
"Leave him alone, you evil man!" the little girl cried, still pounding on Dante's leg.
Dante remained unfazed by the girl's sudden appearance. Her older brother came up behind her, lifting her away from Dante. Their mother was now on her feet.
"Excuse me, my lord. I apologize on behalf of my foolish husband. We didn't mean to show you this unsightly scene. You see, we have three children, and he just got a stable job. I beg you, please don't break his arm. We, your lowly subjects, implore you."
Dante looked back to see the woman bowing her head, followed by the boy mimicking his mother's lead. The little girl turned away from Dante, stomping her foot in frustration. But her older brother grabbed her and lowered her head as well.
Dante exhaled deeply before turning to face the pathetic excuse for a man before him. He cursed quietly under his breath; his emotions had gotten the better of him, and honestly, he was acting no better than the inexperienced rookies. He released the man's arm.
Richard collapsed to the ground, cradling his arm and rolling in agony. Though his arm wasn't broken, Dante had held him tightly enough for it to swell. The little girl rushed past Dante to check on her father's condition.
The rest of the team approached from behind Dante. "Val, please take care of that man; apparently, he needs something," Dante said, pointing behind him without making eye contact with Richard.
"Why am I always stuck cleaning up your messes?" Valerie sighed, shaking her head. She then bent down to tend to Richard's swollen and discolored arm.
"Why do you think we are aristocrats? We're just passing through," Tyler chimed in, unable to suppress his curiosity.
"It's simple; your group looks too clean and well-groomed to just be regular folks. Plus, each of you has those fancy wristbands on your arms," the mother explains while folding the crumpled bills.
"Oh? I didn't know these bands were so rare here," Tyler replies, glancing at his silver wristband.
"Oh, yes. Those things are rare anywhere, but especially here. The only people I've ever seen wearing them are aristocrats heading into the city to enter the marketplace." The mother tucks the folded bills into the side of her bra.
"Let's go! We've wasted enough time here," Dante says, turning to walk back toward the main road.
Thalia descends back to the ground, surprised that Dante intervened before she had a chance to. She hurries to catch up with him as he turns the corner onto the main road.
"Hey, thanks for intervening. I wasn't sure what I was about to do to that man, but I know he wouldn't have been able to live a normal life after," Thalia says, matching her pace with his long strides.
"I noticed. Thalia, you're going to have to learn to regulate your emotions. There are going to be many more injustices in this twisted world, so you must toughen up and build thick skin to keep a level head," Dante advises while slowing down to see how far the rest of the team is behind him.
Thalia took a deep breath as she processed everything Dante had just said. To his surprise, she suddenly burst out laughing. Dante folded his arms, feeling irritated by her response to what he considered a serious lesson.
"What are you talking about? I have to build up a thick skin! I'm sure all of that is true, but didn't I just see you intervene when you lost your cool?" she said between fits of laughter, slapping her knees.
Dante flicked her gently on the forehead, hard enough to leave a small red mark.
"Hush, little dove, before you make me really upset," he said, irritated but with a lighthearted tone. He couldn't help but smile when she wasn't looking; he had forgotten how refreshing it was for someone other than Valerie to see through his bravado.
"Oww... that hurts!" she exclaimed, rubbing the spot where he had flicked her.
Thalia leaned in closer, even going on her tiptoes to meet his gaze. "Hey, you can't flick me like we're still at Tia's house! I am not a child; I'm in my twenties, for goodness' sake!"
He flicked her again in the same spot. "And yet, little dove, you are still no different," Dante said, laughing this time. Thalia stumbled back, rubbing her head as her eyes began to water, sticking out her bottom lip in protest.
"Why are you always so rough with me? Don't you know I'm a lady?" she pouted, doing a half-twirl that made her skirt flutter.
Dante found her behavior to be quite cute and oddly reminiscent of their childhood. Suddenly, Thalia kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over in surprise.
"A lady should be as beautiful as she is dangerous! At least, that is what my Tia always said." Dante hadn't seen that coming at all, which was surprising considering that the cloak of Nightingale hadn't activated either.
"Hey! Bellatrix, why didn't you react?" He noticed that Bellatrix fell silent for a moment, but he could definitely tell she was amused. Dante sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off his black shirt.
"Master, you always call me the devious one, but I think Bellatrix may have some mischief in her too," Chaos's voice rang through Dante's mind.
"Hush! Both of you can be so childish sometimes," Dante responded.
He could feel the two of them gleefully giggling at his misfortune. "Man, why are all the women in my life so violent?"
"Who is violent? We are all loving and doting on you, Dante. We just want you to really feel it sometimes," Valerie said, putting her arm around Thalia, who was still smiling from seeing him double over in pain.
"Whatever! Let's go!" Dante said as he stormed off.