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Dante focused harder, and the water sphere elongated, twisted, forming a helix that rotated slowly.
Selene nodded approvingly. "Excellent precision."
Dante watched as she demonstrated, her water transforming into an intricate latticework of interconnected droplets that hung in the air like a crystalline sculpture.
"Show-off," he muttered.
The corner of her mouth twitched. "Experience has its advantages."
After twenty minutes of increasingly complex water manipulations, she moved them to fire exercises. Here, Ariel's natural affinity showed—her flames burned brighter, moved faster, and formed more complex patterns than Dante's.
"Impressive control," Selene told her. "Your natural talent serves you well."
Ariel ducked her head, unused to direct praise. "Thank you, my lady."
"Now, wind." Selene demonstrated by creating a small whirlwind above her palm, no magic circle visible. "The element of movement and change."
Dante formed his circle again, concentrating on air currents. A small breeze spiraled upward, nowhere near as controlled as his mother's demonstration.
"It's the least tangible element," Selene explained. "Therefore the most difficult to visualize and control."
As they practiced, a question that had been forming in Dante's mind since breakfast finally crystallized.
"Mother," he said, dispersing his mediocre whirlwind, "why do we always use magic circles?"
She paused, her own air current dissipating. "Explain your question."
"Well..." He gestured toward the fading purple circle above his palm. "Devils can use magic limited only by imagination, right? But we always channel it through circles. What about other methods? Verbal enchantments? Hand signs?"
Her eyes narrowed with interest. "An unusual question. Where did this come from?"
Dante shrugged, trying to appear casual. "Just thinking. If I visualized a fire bolt, could I create one without the circle? Just... direct manifestation?"
"Most devils would say no," she replied carefully. "The circle serves as focus, structure, and limitation. Without it, power becomes... unpredictable."
"But not impossible?"
She studied him for a long moment. "Nothing is impossible with sufficient understanding and control." She glanced at Ariel. "Show him."
Ariel nodded, extending her hand. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and a small flame appeared above her palm—without a magic circle.
"Elemental affinity makes direct manifestation easier," Selene explained. "But it's significantly weaker without the focusing properties of a circle."
Dante stared at the flame dancing above Ariel's palm. It was indeed small—perhaps a quarter the size she'd produced earlier with a circle.
"Can I try?"
"Of course." Selene stepped back. "Focus on the simplest manifestation first."
Dante closed his eyes, thinking. In his previous life as Elijah, he'd been obsessed with anime and manga—particularly series that featured creative power systems. Naruto's hand signs. Jujutsu Kaisen's cursed techniques. If magic here was limited only by imagination...
He opened his eyes, extending his hand toward one of the training dummies. He visualized fire, concentrated on heat and combustion, and... nothing happened.
"Focus," Selene instructed. "Intent without structure dissipates."
He tried again, this time picturing a bolt of fire streaking from his palm to the target. Still nothing.
"Shit," he muttered.
"Language," Selene chided automatically.
Dante thought back to Jujutsu Kaisen—how Sukuna could slice objects apart with just a gesture. The mechanics weren't clear in the series, but it seemed similar to a wind cutter. Worth a try.
He extended two fingers toward another training dummy, focusing on a cutting force, a blade of air. Nothing.
"You're overthinking," Selene said. "Simplify."
He tried again. And again. Each attempt brought nothing but frustration and the beginnings of a headache.
"Perhaps start with something more aligned to your natural abilities," Selene suggested. "Shadow is your affinity."
"No." Dante shook his head stubbornly. "That's the easy way out. I want to understand the fundamentals."
He stared at the dummy, his frustration mounting. In the anime, there were always verbal components too—words of power to focus intent.
"Sever," he muttered, pointing two fingers at the dummy like Sukuna's gesture.
A thin, nearly invisible blade of air shot from his fingers, slicing a deep cut across the dummy's chest.
Selene's eyes widened. "Interesting."
Emboldened, Dante turned to another target. He snapped his fingers, focusing on heat and light. "Firebolt."
A flame erupted from his fingertips, shooting forward to scorch the dummy's shoulder.
"Holy shit," he breathed. "It worked."
"Language," Selene said, but her voice held wonder rather than reprimand. "How did you...?"
"The verbal component focuses intent," he explained, excitement building. "The gesture directs it. Together, they replace the structural function of the circle."
He demonstrated again, pointing at another dummy. "Sever." The air blade cut it in half like butter this time.
Selene circled him slowly, her expression calculating. "This is... unconventional."
"But effective," Dante countered.
"Inefficient," she corrected. "The power output is perhaps twenty percent of what you achieve with a circle. But the application..." She trailed off, thinking.
Ariel stepped forward hesitantly. "May I try, my lady?"
At Selene's nod, Ariel pointed toward a dummy. "Blaze," she whispered.
A small jet of flame—larger than what Dante had produced—shot from her fingertip, setting the dummy's hair smoldering.
"Your affinity enhances the effect," Selene noted. "Fascinating."
She turned back to Dante. "Where did you learn this approach? It's not in any texts I know."
Dante shrugged, careful not to reveal too much. "Just an idea. If magic responds to imagination, why limit ourselves to one method?"
Selene's calculating expression slowly transformed into something like pride. "This could be valuable. A Valac secret."
"Secret?" Dante raised an eyebrow.
"Think strategically, Dante." She gestured to the damaged dummies. "What advantage does a spell without a circle provide?"
He understood immediately. "Surprise. No warning flare from circle formation. No telegraphing the attack."
"Precisely." She nodded approvingly. "In combat, that split-second advantage can mean everything."
"The power reduction is significant though," Ariel observed.
"For now," Dante said, already thinking of ways to improve the efficiency. "With practice..."
"Yes." Selene's eyes gleamed. "With practice, refinement, experimentation." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is exactly the kind of innovation House Valac needs. Not just power—but new applications of power."
Dante grinned, genuine excitement flowing through him. "So we keep this between us?"
"For now." She glanced at Ariel. "Just the three of us, until we've developed it further."
Ariel bowed. "Of course, my lady."
Selene regarded Dante with new interest. "Three days in the void, and you return with revolutionary ideas. Perhaps we should have exposed you to it sooner."
Dante laughed, the sound echoing across the courtyard. "Trust me, once was enough."