The four of them stared at him. Their faces mixed shocked pain with dawning, furious disbelief.
The leader—a boy with the arrogant, well-fed face of a minor noble—clutched the bleeding puncture wound on his cheek. His eyes blazed with rage.
"You... you used magic!" he spat. His voice was venomous. Full of hate. "On another student! Do you have any idea what the consequences are for that?"
"You're done! You'll be expelled before the sun rises!"
Dante smiled beneath his mask.
'Expelled?' he thought. A wave of profound, ironic amusement washed over him. 'Wow. I haven't even officially enrolled yet, and I'm already getting expelled. A new record.'
Another one of them—a broad-shouldered brute—took a menacing step forward. His fists clenched. Ready to fight.
"Who the hell are you?" he growled. "And why are you protecting this worthless bastard?"
"Do you know who we are? Our families could buy this entire academy and turn it into a hunting ground if we wanted."
