Then, Rian gently bent the fingers of Koneko's right hand, shaping them into a finger-gun position. Koneko stayed quiet, watching him without protest.
"The way you channel your Chi is good—quite neat," Rian said softly, almost in a whisper. "But for long-range attacks… let me show you."
His smile remained the same—gentle and understanding. "It's alright. Let me guide you. Just feel it and follow the rhythm with your Chi."
Rian then channeled more of his energy, this time focused and controlled. The flow was directed toward the tip of Koneko's index finger, merging with the current of her Chi.
The two energies met, swirling and blending together. The bright blue hue of Rian's energy and the turquoise glow of Koneko's Chi intertwined, forming a gentle radiance—though Koneko's Chi remained the dominant tone.
Shiiii!
A soft, whirring sound emerged from the tip of Koneko's finger—the sign that the technique was taking shape, ready for further refinement.
"Big explosions look cool and all," Rian said casually, his hand still guiding Koneko's palm.
"But what matters more, in my opinion, is density and efficiency. In a real fight, those two decide the outcome."
Rian gave a faint smile, his blue eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Like this—focus your Chi forward, about ten steps ahead of us, and fire."
"Alright," Koneko replied briefly, her tone carrying a hint of nervousness.
Focusing, she channeled her Chi to the tip of her finger. Within seconds, a burst of compressed energy shot toward the designated point.
BOOM!
An explosion echoed through the area. The ground at the impact site erupted slightly, scattering dust and leaving small cracks around it. Though not large in scale, the result was dense and precise—just as Rian had described.
Rian nodded in satisfaction. "See? It doesn't look as flashy as a big fireball, but the attack is way more focused and energy-efficient."
He glanced at Koneko, who was still staring at her fingertip, slightly stunned by the result.
"An attack like that—you can spam it over and over without exhausting yourself. The key is… stability."
Koneko's eyes widened slightly as she stared at the scorched patch of earth. Her pupils reflected the lingering dust that had yet to settle.
Meanwhile, Rian felt a faint tickle against his stomach—something soft brushing back and forth. It was Koneko's white tail, swaying gently. Not out of nervousness… but from barely contained excitement.
"…Impressive," she murmured softly, her voice barely audible—yet it carried a liveliness that hadn't been there before.
Koneko lowered her gaze to her own hand, still feeling the faint vibration from the compressed Chi shot she had just unleashed.
"I… didn't think I could make an explosion that strong… with so little energy."
Then, almost unconsciously, she looked up at Rian.
"Senpai… teach me more," she said—no longer in her usual flat tone, but with a spark of genuine enthusiasm, like a kitten who had just found her new favorite game.
"Don't worry," Rian said casually, a friendly smile curving his lips. "But this time… it's about control. That's even more important—it directly connects to that Chi bullet from before."
"Unn," Koneko gave a small nod—brief, but attentive.
"Good girl," Rian said softly with a faint smile. "Just follow my lead, okay?"
Slowly, he opened Koneko's small palm. Channeling a bit of his own energy into it, he guided the flow of her Chi to follow his rhythm.
Despite her effort, Koneko's expression showed that it wasn't as easy as it looked—her brows furrowed slightly, and her breathing grew a little tense.
From the fusion of their energies, tiny orbs of Chi began to form one by one, each gently spinning above her palm.
They floated delicately, like drifting snowflakes. In total, there were five small spheres.
"…Hard," Koneko muttered under her breath, a faint frown on her face—but her eyes remained focused and determined.
Rian chuckled softly, his tone light and comforting. "It's called training, Shironeko. If it were easy, anyone could do it. But don't worry, this handsome guy is here to help."
"Hmm," Koneko murmured quietly, giving a small nod, her expression tinged with a faint blush.
As she continued channeling her Chi under Rian's guidance, her mind drifted back to the past—about a week ago, when Rian had just enrolled at Kuoh Academy.
Back then, he had been insufferable. Far too mischievous. He even provoked Koneko enough that she had to react with her physical abilities. But now… his demeanor had changed. Drastically changed.
The Rian before her now felt warm, gentle, and patient. Koneko found herself confused—is this his true nature? Or just an act?
'Is he pretending?' Koneko wondered. 'How could he change so drastically?'
Slowly, a small voice escaped her lips, nearly drowned out by the sound of the river's edge.
"Senpai…"
"Yes?" Rian replied calmly, as if he already sensed there was something deeper behind her words.
A brief silence hung in the air, a stillness that seemed to wait for courage to grow from hesitation.
Finally, Koneko spoke, her gaze fixed on their hands still intertwined.
"Do you remember our first meeting?"
"At that time… you were so annoying. I even wanted to keep hitting you."
Koneko took a slow breath, then continued in a soft yet honest tone, "But now… you feel different. Kind. Warm. It's like you're someone else."
"Then… which one is real? Is this an act? You're confusing me, Senpai."
"What's real… doesn't matter," Rian replied casually, his voice calm and sincere. "About teasing you… that's because I really enjoy your reactions."
Rian offered a light smile, tilting his head slightly as usual.
"Want to know something, Shironeko?" Rian continued, looking straight ahead rather than directly at Koneko. "It's rare… for me to be interested in anything, except my own handsomeness."
Koneko fell silent.
The flow of Chi in her hands slowly wavered, but Rian quickly adjusted, helping her maintain its steady stream.
Koneko's face flushed, not just from the flow of energy or the warm embrace from behind… but because of Rian's words, which struck deep within her heart.
She didn't answer immediately. For a few seconds, she just lowered her gaze, staring at the small Chi spheres gently spinning in her palms.
"…Annoying," she murmured softly.
Her voice was barely audible, yet enough for Rian to hear.
"Senpai… is annoying, does whatever he wants, narcissistic, and… always teases me."
Her Nekomata ears twitched, and the tail behind her swayed gently.
"…But strangely… when you stop doing all that… it feels empty," Koneko continued in a softer tone. "I… end up waiting for when Senpai will start being mischievous again."
Koneko lifted her head slightly, looking straight ahead, not daring to glance back at Rian behind her.
She took a short, steadying breath. "But… I feel comfortable… like this."
"I understand," Rian said with a faint smile. "We can still be like before… as long as Shironeko stays true to herself."
"Hmm," Koneko murmured softly.
Still embracing Koneko from behind, the training continued. Rian patiently guided her, helping her get accustomed to the Chi flow patterns he was teaching.
The hug wasn't just a way to instruct… it had also become the warmest place for Koneko that day.
Unnoticed by either of them, time continued to pass slowly, until the evening closed the day.
***
The clock had already struck 11:00 PM.
On this dark and quiet night, Rian sat leisurely under the gazebo, enjoying a warm cup of tea in his hands. Occasionally, his bright blue eyes wandered to the star-filled night sky.
At this hour, all the mansion's residents—both girls and boys—were either bathing or soaking, relaxing after a full day of training.
Rian, however, had finished his routines earlier, having chosen not to take a bath.
"The night breeze is cold, but… comfortable," Rian thought, sipping his tea slowly. "After this… I'll start my training. Hmm, maybe I'll invite Ophis-chan too."
Not long after, Rian's Six Eyes detected a familiar aura approaching.
Rian casually turned toward the source and saw Issei approaching slowly, his hair still wet.
"What's up, Hyoudou-kun?" Rian asked flatly, a hint of surprise in his voice. "This isn't really like you… You shouldn't be getting punished just for trying to peek, right?"
Rian closed his eyes briefly, then shrugged and offered a faint smile.
"You don't even have a clairvoyant technique yet. Even if you try to develop one, it won't show results anytime soon."