The next morning, Shuo led Rias and the others to a secluded spot perfect for training. To focus fully, they'd all taken leave from school—no problem for Rias, the city's resident devil. A snap of her fingers, and even the paperwork vanished.
"Shuo, how exactly are we supposed to train?" Rias asked, curiosity bright in her eyes.
Her question hung in the air. Everyone turned to Shuo, remembering his bold promise: one week, and their power would soar.
For devils, progress was notoriously slow. Issei Hyoudou—the Breast Dragon Emperor himself—had nearly burned through his life just to reach Devil King class. Anyone else claiming they could make you stronger in a week would be laughed out of the room.
But this was Shuo. They'd seen his track record, felt his confidence. Doubt wasn't an option. If he said it, they believed it.
"Before we start," Shuo said, "I want to spar with Rias."
"With me?" Rias blinked, taken aback. "Why?"
The others looked puzzled too—what was Shuo up to?
He grinned. "Don't overthink it. I just want to get a feel for your current strength. Hit me with your strongest attack—don't hold back. And don't worry about hurting me. After that, just admit defeat. Deal?"
Rias nodded, her competitive side flaring. "Alright, Shuo. Here I come."
She summoned her signature red aura—pure destructive magic. Devil wings unfurled behind her as she gathered power, then unleashed a blinding beam straight at Shuo.
BOOM!
The blast echoed across the training ground. Mist swirled, revealing a towering skeletal figure—Susano'o, unmistakable. Rias's attack hadn't even left a scratch.
Shuo stood untouched. His clothes were immaculate, not a thread out of place.
The others gaped in disbelief.
This was the Gremory family's destructive magic—a force feared even in the Underworld. And it hadn't so much as ruffled Shuo's hair.
Rias lowered her hands, shock written all over her face. "I surrender, Shuo. I never imagined you were this strong… This is insane!"
A familiar chime echoed in Shuo's mind.
Ding! Mission complete! Host receives Red Tier reward! Package opening… Congratulations, Host has obtained [Magic Power Physique Upgrade Card x1]!
He'd done it—completed the red-tier mission he'd been grinding for, all by using this training session as a pretext.
Akeno gave Shuo a playful glare. "Ara ara, Shuo-kun, you're so mean. You were this strong all along, but you still bullied Saji and Kiba back then?"
Kiba just smiled wryly, shooting Shuo a look equal parts exasperated and resigned.
Shuo raised his hands in protest. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't nearly this strong back then—I swear!"
The group erupted in disbelief.
"Wait, Shuo, are you saying you reached this level in just a short time?" Rias asked, eyes wide.
"Of course," Shuo replied, grinning. "That's why I can guarantee you'll all get stronger after my training. Now do you believe me?"
Akeno's lips curled into a smile. "Then I'm even more excited for what's next."
"Same here!" Koneko chimed in, eyes sparkling. "Train us hard, Nangong-senpai!"
"Alright, let's tackle Rias's bottleneck first," Shuo said, turning to her.
"Your biggest problem is magic reserves. Your destructive magic is unmatched in raw power, but you don't have enough to sustain high-intensity combat for long. And your mastery of destruction magic is still shallow—that's something you'll have to grasp yourself. But boosting your reserves? That, I can help with."
Rias sighed, a touch of self-deprecating humor in her voice. "Easier said than done. Even my brother struggles with destruction magic. No way I'm going to master it in a week."
Shuo just laughed. "You're selling your brother short, Rias. Sirzechs hides his true strength well. On paper, he's a Devil King—but in reality, he's a Transcendent. His control over destruction magic leaves even the ancient Devil Kings in the dust."
Sirzechs had inherited the Power of Destruction from his mother's Bael bloodline. He could compress it into devastating magic bullets, wielding them with absolute precision. As Lucifer, he was one of only three Transcendents among devils—the others being Ajuka Beelzebub and Rizevim Livan Lucifer of the Khaos Brigade.
Sirzechs's final form had even cowed Hades, the god of the underworld. His power was ten times that of previous Devil Kings, a living embodiment of destruction itself.
For Rias, reaching that level would be impossible—under normal circumstances. But with Shuo's help? It was suddenly within reach.
"Transcendent?" Koneko echoed, puzzled. "What does that mean?"
Shuo shrugged. "It's a power ranking—above Devil King class. There are only three Transcendents among devils. For gods, it's guys like Thor, Shiva, Zeus… All legends."
The room fell silent, everyone processing the revelation.
Sirzechs, Rias's brother, ranked alongside the world's greatest gods.
Rias stared at Shuo, stunned. "My brother… is really that powerful?"
Shuo nodded, his tone gentle. "He is. And soon, you'll see for yourself what it means to break through your own limits."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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