The training camp I created was not ordinary.
Beneath an artificial purple sky, a constantly changing terrain stretched out: mountains that rose and fell, lakes that appeared and disappeared, forests that grew and withered in seconds. It was a perfect reflection of what they would face in real combat: controlled chaos.
"This is impossible," Kiba muttered, watching an entire mountain range reform to our right.
"For you, maybe," I replied, walking toward the center of the field. "But that's precisely the point. They're going to learn to do the impossible, or they're going to fail spectacularly."
Rias crossed her arms.
—And how exactly do you plan to train us in just ten days?
"Relative time, my dear." I snapped my fingers. "This space operates under my rules. A day here is equivalent to an hour in the real world. We have all the time we need."
"Time manipulation?" Akeno seemed genuinely impressed. "That requires incredibly precise magical control..."
—I'm a 2,000-year-old Demon King, Akeno. Accuracy comes with experience.
I turned to all of them, assessing them with my eyes.
—Before we begin, I need to understand exactly how pathetic they are. Rias, attack me.
-That?
—With everything you have. Use your Power of Destruction, don't hold back.
Rias hesitated.
—But you could get hurt...
My laughter echoed throughout the field.
—Rias, darling, I appreciate your concern, but if your power could hurt me, I wouldn't be worthy of the title of Demon King.
After a moment of hesitation, Rias extended her hand. A crimson sphere of destructive energy formed, growing to the size of a basketball.
—Power of Destruction: Annihilation Sphere!
The sphere flew toward me at considerable speed. I simply raised a finger.
The sphere came to a complete stop a centimeter from my skin, trembling as if fighting an invisible force, before dissipating into particles of light.
—Interesting. Your control has improved, but your power is... disappointing.
"Hey!" Rias protested. "That attack can destroy a building!"
—And I can destroy a dimension with a breath. Perspective, Rias. Perspective.
I turned to Kiba.
—Your turn, sir. Show me why you're Rias's ace of spades.
Kiba unsheathed his sword, which was immediately covered in sacred flames.
—Holy Sword: Ascalon!
He moved with impressive speed, appearing behind me with his sword aimed at my neck. The blade stopped against my skin without even cutting it.
"Decent speed, solid technique. But predictable." I turned my head slightly. "A true swordsman attacks from where his opponent can't defend, not from where he expects him to attack."
—So how—?
Before I could finish the question, a dozen versions of me appeared around him, each with a different attack stance.
-So.
All the copies attacked simultaneously from impossible angles. Kiba managed to block three attacks before the rest sent him crashing to the ground.
"Illusions," I explained as the copies faded away. "But real enough to hurt you. The line between reality and perception is thinner than you think."
Koneko stepped forward without being asked, her fists wrapped in golden ki.
—Demon Cat Technique: Devastating Fist!
His speed was impressive for someone his size. The punch connected directly with my stomach... and absolutely nothing happened.
"Brute strength without proper technique," I commented, as she recoiled in disbelief. "You have power, Koneko, but you waste it on direct attacks. A true martial artist uses the opponent's strength against themselves."
To prove my point, I gently grabbed her wrist and, with one fluid motion, sent her flying into a nearby tree. She managed to land on her feet, but the message was clear.
—Your turn, Akeno.
Akeno smiled with that dangerous expression she knew well.
—Ara, ara~ Are you sure you can handle my electricity, Anos-kun?
—Try it.
Golden and black lightning began to dance around his body, growing in intensity until the air itself crackled with energy.
—Holy Thunder Technique: Heavenly Judgment!
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the artificial sky, followed by a dozen more. The power was genuinely impressive, enough to vaporize most mid-class demons.
I just opened my mouth and swallowed all the rays.
The silence that followed was absolute.
"Delicious," I commented, licking my lips. "Although a little spicy. Next time add more holy power, it'll improve the flavor."
—Did you... did you swallow my rays?
—Electricity is just energy, Akeno. And energy can be absorbed, redirected, or consumed if you know how.
I finally turned to Issei, who had been watching everything with growing nervousness.
—And you, my new subordinate. Show me the Boosted Gear.
—Ah, yes... —Issei extended his left arm, and the red gauntlet materialized—. BOOST!
I could feel his power doubling.
—¡BOOST! ¡BOOST! ¡BOOST!
With each scream, his demonic energy grew exponentially. After ten empowerments, he threw a fist toward me with enough force to pierce through steel.
I caught his fist with one hand effortlessly.
—The Boosted Gear is powerful, Issei. Potentially the most powerful of all the Sacred Gears. But you have two fatal problems.
-Which is it?
—First, you rely too much on raw power. Second, you don't really understand what you have in your arm.
I let go of his hand and stepped back.
—That's not just a power multiplier. It's the home of Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. One of the two most powerful Celestial Dragons to ever exist.
As if it had been waiting to be mentioned, a deep voice resonated from the gauntlet.
— Finally, someone who understands.
Everyone turned to the gauntlet in surprise.
— You... your presence is familiar, Demon King. Though not from this era.
"Ddraig," I greeted politely. "It's been a while since we talked."
" Do you know each other?" Issei asked.
—We met once, a long time ago. During the original Great War. Ddraig was... less cooperative those days.
—And you were less diplomatic. I remember our conversation ended with half the continent destroyed.
"Good times," I smiled nostalgically.
I turned to the whole group.
—Now that I've assessed your... limitations... we can begin the real training.
"And what exactly are we going to train?" Rias asked.
"Everything." The field transformed again, turning into a series of specialized training zones. "Rias, you are going to learn true control over your Power of Destruction. Not just quantity, but precision, summoning speed, and creative applications."
An area lit up, filled with complex targets and energy patterns.
—Kiba, you're going to learn that speed without unpredictability is useless. We'll also explore the true potential of your sword-making ability.
Another area was revealed, filled with holographic enemies attacking from impossible angles.
—Koneko, strength without technique is waste. I will teach you martial arts that were forgotten before you were born.
A hand-to-hand combat training area appeared.
—Akeno, your elemental control is impressive, but limited. Why settle for lightning when you can command the entire storm?
An area full of different weather conditions materialized.
"And Issei..." I smiled. "You have the greatest potential and the least understanding of how to use it. You're going to learn not only to harness your power, but to think like a strategist."
A final zone appeared, filled with complex tactical scenarios.
"And how much time do we have for all this?" Rias asked.
—In real time, nine days. In training time... —I looked up at the purple sky—. —Approximately six months. Enough to turn them from promising rookies into a team that can take on anything.
—Including Riser?
My smile turned predatory.
—By the time I'm done with you, Riser is going to look like a wet chick compared to what you'll be capable of.
— This is going to be interesting — Ddraig commented from the gauntlet.
"Oh, Ddraig," I replied. "You have no idea how interesting this is going to be."
With those words, began what would be the most intensive training any of them had ever experienced.
Because if there's one thing a Demon King knows how to do, it's turn potential into absolute power.
Day 1 of Training (Equivalent to one week of compressed time)
"This is impossible!" Rias shouted, trying for the hundredth time to hit a coin-sized target moving at supersonic speed.
"Nothing is impossible," I replied, watching her attempts. "There are just things you haven't learned to do yet."
—It's moving too fast!
—Then move faster than him.
-Can't!
—Not with that attitude.
I approached her.
—Rias, what does your Power of Destruction really do?
—Destroy things...
—More specific.
—It disintegrates matter at the molecular level.
—Better. And why does it have to be slow?
She looked at me confused.
-That?
—Your power isn't limited by physical speed. It's limited by your perception and your will. If you can perceive the target and want to destroy it, your power can reach it instantly.
To demonstrate, I extended my hand toward a similar target moving in an erratic trajectory at the other end of the field.
—Jio Graze.
A purple energy beam shot out of my finger, followed the target through three changes of direction, and completely disintegrated it.
—Did you see that? I didn't aim for where I was, but where I was going to be. And my magic followed my intention, not my hand.
Rias frowned in concentration.
—So I have to... predict its movement?
—You have to know their movement. There's a difference.
In the Kiba area, things were not much better.
"There are too many of them!" he shouted, as dozens of holographic enemies attacked him from all directions.
"Then stop fighting everyone at the same time!" I yelled. "Use the terrain! Use your illusions! Use your brain!"
Kiba rolled behind a rock, breathing heavily.
—I don't understand how I can create illusions with swords.
"Who said anything about illusions?" I leaned closer. "Kiba, what's your real ability?"
—Create swords.
—Create demonic swords with specific properties. Correct?
-Yeah...
—And have you considered creating a sword that has the property of... not existing completely?
Her eyes widened in understanding.
—A sword that is partially intangible...
—Or one that exists in multiple locations at the same time. Or one that cuts across dimensions. The possibilities are endless if you stop limiting yourself to what you think is possible.
In Koneko's area, she was fighting a holographic opponent who seemed to anticipate her every move.
"I can't touch it!" she growled in frustration.
"Because you're fighting like an animal," I observed. "All instinct, no strategy."
—I'm a nekomata! I'm supposed to fight with instinct!
—Cats are also patient hunters, Koneko. When have you ever seen a cat attack its prey directly?
She stopped, thinking.
—They... lurk. They wait for the perfect moment.
—Exactly. And when they attack, it's not brute force. It's perfect precision at the exact moment. Your strength is your weapon, but timing is your true power.
In Akeno's area, she was trying to create a storm, but the winds kept dispersing.
—I can't keep control of so many elements at once.
"Because you're trying to control them," I told her. "Elements can't be controlled, Akeno. They're directed."
—What's the difference?
—Control implies strength. Direction implies harmony. A real storm isn't controlled chaos; it's multiple natural forces working together toward the same goal.
Finally, in Issei's area, he was trying to solve a basic tactical scenario and failing miserably.
"This makes no sense!" he complained. "The enemy always has the numerical advantage!"
—And what conclusion do you draw from that?
—It's impossible to win!
I sighed.
—Issei, battle is never about numbers. It's about information, positioning, and timing. Power without strategy is useless.
—But you always win with raw power!
"You think so?" I smiled. "Issei, every one of our battles so far has been won before it even began. When I faced Raynare, I already knew exactly how she would attack. When I faced Sirzechs, I had already calculated his possible responses. Power is my tool, but knowledge is my weapon."
I walked away from all of them.
—Thirty-minute break! When you get back, I want to see improvements, or we'll be here for the equivalent of a year!
As they headed towards the rest area, Ddraig spoke from Issei's gauntlet.
— You're tougher as an instructor than you were as an opponent.
"I have more at stake now," I replied. "As an opponent, I only had to worry about winning. As an instructor, I have to worry about keeping them alive."
—What if they don't improve enough?
I looked over at the group, watching Rias comfort Koneko, Akeno pour them tea, and Kiba and Issei compare their failures.
—Then I'll have to be more... creative... in my approach against Riser.
My smile turned sinister.
—After all, there's more than one way to win a Rating Game.