Issei scratched his still-damp hair, his expression a mix of awkwardness and frustration.
"Ugh… don't underestimate my pervert spirit, Rian," he muttered under his breath. "I'm serious, you know! That technique will work one day! For the sake of oppai and my dream of becoming the Harem King!"
He sighed softly and sat down on the gazebo bench, not far from Rian.
"I didn't get caught this time," he added quickly. "I came here because there's something I want to ask you. Personally."
Rian raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "Oh? Ask what?"
Issei lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked at Rian uncertainly. "Well… Rian, you're really popular with girls. Do you… like Buchou?"
Rian glanced at him casually, a faint smile curving his lips. Leaning back against the bench, he took a slow sip of his tea before replying, "Hyoudou-kun… you like Rias-chan, don't you?"
Issei jolted in surprise, his cheeks instantly turning bright red. "Eh?! I-I… maybe… I mean—"
Rian chuckled softly. "Relax. I don't have any feelings for Rias. She's not really my type anyway."
Casually, Rian patted Issei's shoulder. "I just hope you manage to win her heart… and, well, her oppai too, in line with your dream."
Issei grinned sheepishly. "Haha, alright bro! In that case, just call me Issei!"
Rian nodded casually. "Alright then, Issei-kun. If you ever need love advice, this handsome guy's always ready to help."
Issei glanced at him, looking a bit unsure but still pushing forward. "Then… give me some advice! How can I make Buchou like me even more?"
Rian smiled faintly, his gaze meaningful. "Issei-kun, Rias already likes you. Did you forget? Think back to that time in the infirmary, before you guys met the Phoenix family."
Issei's face turned even redder, and he quickly covered his nose. "Y-Yeah, I remember… oh man…"
Rian took another slow sip of his tea, then smiled lightly and said, "Didn't Rias already offer herself to you? You almost buried the seed right there in the infirmary, didn't you?"
Issei choked on air, his face turning even redder. "E-Eh!? D-Don't say it like that, Rian! But… yeah, I guess it almost happened…"
Rian nodded casually. "That's what you call a sign, Issei-kun. A signal. Basically… the love flag has been raised."
Issei scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Y-Yeah, maybe you're right… But, uh… Rian, how do you even know all this stuff? You act like you don't care, but you somehow notice everything…"
Rian leaned back against the bench, his eyes drifting toward the sky. "I've got sharp eyes, Issei-kun. Didn't I mention that before?"
He turned his head slightly, flashing a confident smile. "And who said I don't care about what's around me? It's because I can multitask that I can look relaxed and still keep track of everything going on."
Issei could only gape for a moment. "…You're either a genius, or a ridiculously lucky idiot."
Rian chuckled softly. "Both. That's the charm of a handsome man like me. Just like you, Issei-kun— the luckiest pervert alive."
Issei laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ahahaha... Y-yeah, I guess I really am lucky..."
Rian slowly rose from the gazebo bench, taking the last sip of his tea before setting the cup down with elegance.
"Well then, I'll take my leave," Rian said casually as he straightened up. "If anyone's looking for me, just say I'm training... somewhere mysterious, beyond the radar of curious girls."
"Got it, I'll let them know," Issei replied, raising a hand lazily.
Rian took a few steps forward, then paused and glanced back. "Oh, right—don't forget tomorrow morning's martial arts training. Don't be late, Issei-kun."
He paused briefly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "And one more thing... Rias will be stopping by later. You know what to do, right?"
"Cheer her up. Who knows—she might soften up... and you might get lucky with a comforting oppai hug."
"Ugh... you really know my favorite part," Issei muttered, a thin stream of blood trickling from his nose.
Rian simply smiled faintly, pressing his palms together slowly.
In an instant, the space around him pulsed—compressed like ripples being drawn toward a single point. And in the blink of an eye, Rian vanished.
The world, as if aware of the anomaly, subtly corrected its own reality to permit the existence of the "handsome man" to relocate wherever he desired.
Not long after Rian's departure, just as he had predicted... from the direction of the Gremory mansion, Rias could be seen walking slowly toward the gazebo.
Her long crimson hair was slightly damp, draping gracefully over her shoulders—a sign she had just taken a bath. Her nightgown fluttered softly in the cool night breeze.
Her steps were calm, yet her eyes appeared hollow—distant, as if her thoughts were wandering somewhere far beyond reach.
Issei, still seated in the gazebo, froze for a moment.
He saw Rias approaching, but she didn't seem to notice him at all. She walked so close... yet her gaze pierced straight into the night, unfocused, seeing nothing around her.
And that was strange—because as a high-class pure-blood devil, Rias should have easily sensed the presence of anyone nearby, especially Issei... and even Rian, who had been standing there just moments ago.
But not this time.
Rias was completely lost in her own thoughts.
About choices. About burdens. About the engagement that had long bound her fate.
Issei watched her anxiously, murmuring in his heart, "Rian was right… Buchou came here. And… she looks sad."
With determination welling up inside him, Issei quickly stood and walked toward Rias, calling out with a worried tone:
"Buchou! Are you… okay? You look sad…"
Rias's steps came to a halt. As if just waking from her daze, she slowly turned around—her blue eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"Issei…? You're here?" Rias's voice was soft, almost disbelieving that he had been so close all along.
Issei scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Y-yeah… Buchou. I was talking with Rian just now. Before he left… he said he was going to train somewhere or something."
Rias lowered her gaze for a moment, the night breeze gently brushing through her damp hair. "I see…" she murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
Silence fell between them. Rias looked up at the night sky, as if trying to hide something behind her quiet composure.
"Issei… do you think the decisions I've made so far were the right ones?" Rias asked softly, her voice fragile, almost trembling.
Issei looked at her seriously, then clenched his fists in front of his chest. "I might still be weak, Buchou… I'm not as skilled as Kiba, not as smart as Akeno-senpai… and nowhere near as strong as Rian."
He took a deep breath.
"But there's one thing I'm sure of… I won't just stand by and do nothing. I'll fight. And someday… I will defeat Riser's peerage!"
Rias's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then softened. A faint, warm smile curved her lips — gentle and sincere.
"You really are an idiot, Issei…" she murmured quietly, her tone tender. "But… you always manage to make me feel better."
Then, without warning, Rias stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Issei, resting her head against his chest.
Issei froze, his face instantly turning bright red.
"Thank you, Issei…" Rias whispered softly.
Meanwhile, Issei stood stiffly, eyes wide, cheeks burning. That familiar expression of his appeared — a wide, goofy grin filled with both shameless perversion and genuine happiness.
"Oppai… right on my chest… this is heaven…" he thought, trembling as he held back both laughter and tears of joy.
***
Meanwhile, far from the Gremory mansion—about five hills to the north—deep within a silent forest bathed in moonlight, a dark, half-spherical barrier had formed.
Its surface rippled like black ink spreading over water. This was a Curtain, one of the jujutsu techniques used by Rian.
The technique's purpose was simple yet absolute: to isolate a specific area from the outside world, concealing all traces of energy and sound.
Inside the Curtain's still, sealed space, Rian stood motionless. His posture was firm, his presence enveloped in a rare, serious aura.
The cold night itself seemed to hold its breath, mirroring the tension that hung in the air.
His right hand was raised, fingers forming a gun-like shape aimed directly at a massive tree before him.
Not far away, seated calmly atop a fallen trunk, was a petite girl in a Gothic Lolita dress, quietly observing him.
She was Ophis.
The girl slowly bit into her chocolate bar, her blank eyes fixed on Rian without a word—like a curious observer watching an unusual experiment unfold.
In that silence, a faint crimson light began to swirl rapidly between Rian's index and middle fingers, pulsing like a vortex that defied space and reality itself.
"Cursed Reverse Technique: Red."
The moment the words left his lips, the red energy vanished in an instant.
No explosion. No flash. Only silence blanketed the Curtain.
"…Failed?" Rian murmured softly.
He slowly lowered his right hand and exhaled. There was no trace of disappointment in his eyes—only calm acceptance, as if the outcome had already been expected.
"Understandable," he said quietly, gazing at his open palm. "I haven't mastered the Cursed Reverse Technique yet… even if I already grasp the concept."