Riser seemed to have lost interest in me and was now, after having the terms set for the Rating Game, mocking Redhead's peerage count even showing off his harem.
The whole time, I realized Grayfia, who was standing next to me in a corner, kept glancing at me from the corner of her eyes. 'Great, did Venelana tell her about me and the warning?'
Still, she said nothing to me, even before she left. Now, the room was quiet, and everyone seemed upset.
"So, are you lot just going to sit there and mope?" Maybe not the best words for this situation, but I am human.
Redhead was glaring at me now. "Why are you so calm about this, Ryou-kun? You heard what Riser said!"
I just tilted my head at that. "I don't really see the problem. I told you, we're not friends. It's also not my situation to deal with. And if it were, I wouldn't be sitting around doing nothing. I only came by to ask you to stop coming around my apartment."
That made everyone frown even harder. Redhead stopped glaring and just looked saddened. It's not like I've lied to them.
"U-uhm, R-Ryou-san…" Looking down, I saw Asia. "Do you th-think you could h-help us? I know God ouch would love for you to help those who are lost."
Damn her and her puppy eyes. Looking around, I saw some reluctantly hopeful faces. Guess it stings a bit that a human, who they believe hasn't interacted with the supernatural much, is surpassing some of them.
"Fine. You do have a plan ,right Redhead?" She nodded her head so fast, I thought it would fall off.
"Yes! S-sorry, I mean yes. The Gremory clan has a place in the nearby mountain range, not far from here."
Her brother probably had something to do with it.
"We have ten days to train."
I cut her off. "Eleven, counting today. If you want my help, that means you start today."
Before leaving, I got the details of where the training grounds were and a promise to meet at the base of the mountain. 'Right, she had them do weighted walks.'
As I walked out and made my way to the mountain range, I frowned. 'Sometime after this, everything starts picking up, Kokabiel and the Treaty are all I really remember.'
I could see the mountain range approaching in the distance. 'That can't be all of it, right?'
'Doesn't matter. I know for certain Gods of all sorts will start appearing. I just have to be stronger than them.'
-Issei POV-
It didn't take long for all of us to get ready. Asia and I were living together now, so Rias-senpai and everyone else met at my house and teleported us to the mountain range.
It was huge. And there, leaning against a tree, was Ryou-san. Still without a shirt on. 'Less for others to grab onto.' I wonder if I should try that? Asia seemed to have taken a liking to him. I wasn't jealous like I thought I would be, he doesn't seem to care much when people show him any concern. He interrupted my thoughts as he walked over to us, and that's when I noticed Rias-senpai had brought huge bags.
"So, how do you want to do this, Redhead?" He still hasn't changed the way he calls her.
Rias-senpai took a moment to collect herself. "Those who fight physically will be carrying these bags up to the top."
He interrupted her. "What about you, Akeno-san, and Asia-san?"
She put a hand on her hip. "We aren't physical fighters, so we'll be walking up the mountain track normally. Is there something wrong with that?"
As usual, Ryou-san said exactly what was on his mind. "Yes. I haven't used magic, but I assume being in better physical condition certainly helps. And besides, being stronger physically will help you defend yourself when someone gets past your guard. You and Akeno-san will be carrying bags as well. Asia-san, you'd pass out if you tried."
Rias-senpai's frown deepened. "While it's true that better physical conditioning helps a bit with magic, I'm a devil. We grow stronger as time goes on. Add to that, I'm a High-Cla—"
Ryou blurred faster than we could react, his katana still sheathed but now at Rias-senpai's neck. We all tensed up.
"If someone's faster than you can cast magic, they'll win," he said calmly. "Having pride in what you are is fine, but you don't have time, if you keep thinking like this. You'll fall, just like you are now, Redhead."
With that, Ryou-san began making his way up the mountain. Koneko-chan was the first to snap out of it, grabbing the biggest bag and following after him.
'The next ten days are going to be so much fun.'
-Akeno POV-
He wasn't wrong. As hurtful as it might have been, she was getting lax in her training… I can't actually remember the last time she trained unless it was against strays. But those fights always ended one-sided after we would wear them down enough that Rias just needed to hit them with her family's famed Power of Destruction.
Fufu~ Ryou-kun. Just wait; I'll get you to break. I'll pay you back for teasing me. Fufu~
-Ryou POV-
Koneko caught up to me and started walking alongside me. No words were needed between us, just comfortable silence.
"Thank you for helping the pervert, and thank you for helping Buchou." And here I thought we would stay in silence.
"It's fine. I got stuff out of it, so it doesn't matter."
My vision started blurring. "Are you going to train?" What? My vision stopped blurring. She said something about training?
"Yes." And with that, we were back in silence, my once blurred vision already forgotten.
It took a while for everyone to make it up the mountain. I didn't know whether to be surprised or not, but Issei was faring much better than expected. He was close behind Redhead and Akeno, mainly just wanting to be keeping pace with Asia though.
Everyone except Koneko and I was panting, either on the ground or resting their hands on their knees like Yuuto. It was odd, I had lifted Koneko's bag after she finished, and I noticed it didn't weigh as much as I thought it would. I either got stronger in the past few days and am now officially at Low-High class, or they are just that out of shape.
"Well, are you going to start actually training after warming up? You won't get to rest like you are now if this was an actual fight."
I just got weak moans of protest at the prospect of training. Gods, this is why I didn't want to help.
An hour is what it took for them to be ready to start their individual training once Redhead had ordered what people needed to work on. Like I said before, she's a smart cookie; she just doesn't use that smarts often.
Issei, who I found out had unlocked his Sacred Gear, was working on the boost aspects of it as well as his physical training to maintain them. Yuuto was also working on his Sacred Gear, Sword Birth, which allowed him to create Demon swords of different attributes, like a water sword or something.
Koneko was training in her martial arts.
Akeno was working on her magic.
Asia was training her stamina by healing Issei which allowed him to continue training.
And now it was just Redhead and me. Looking over at her, she seemed to be struggling with something.
"What's up, Redhead? I need to start my own training. If you have something to say, just say it."
"I-I don't know what to work on, other than my own magic." I blinked at her. She admitted that she was lost, huh?
"Alright, follow me; I'll train you." With that, we walked to another part of the forest.
Arriving at a spot a fair distance away under Redhead's directions, I asked, "What exactly do you do when you fight?"
She pondered for a bit before replying, "I direct everyone on a plan and make sure they execute it properly. Then, once the target is weakened or stunned, I hit it with my Power of Destruction." When she finished that sentence, she summoned said magic ball, and by God, my body was telling me to run. She pointed it in front of us and unleashed it. Everything within a twenty-meter straight shot was destroyed. 'Guess it lives up to its name.'
"That's it? You wait for others to aid you? What if right now I attacked you? Would you win?" I slowly drew Muramasa from its sheath.
"Wha-what? N-no..." she mumbled while stepping back.
"Good. If you did, I would've grabbed the sheath and slammed it into your head. You'd be fine because you're a devil and all that, right?" She just awkwardly laughed. I wasn't joking when I said that, but whatever. Sheathing Muramasa back up, I questioned her, "That magic is moldable, right?"
She nodded.
"Right. Well, instead of a giant ball, try something else. Envision it as water, maybe? Like a tsunami of destruction? Or lightning." It was like a whole world opened up to her. Didn't she get taught or shown by her mother or brother?
"And maybe work on controlling it? Again, I haven't used magic, so I can't be sure. But from what I know, your magic practically erases all it touches. You could be the one to defeat Riser yourself. Think about it and work on it. I'll be training now. I'll drop by every now and then if I think someone needs help." With that, I walked away to start image training, hoping that this time I'd defeat Cao Cao.
I was able to last forty seconds against him now, but I still never touched a hair on his head.