Meanwhile, Akeno covered her mouth with the back of her hand, chuckling softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
With a voice barely louder than a mosquito's whisper, Koneko muttered, "…No. You narcissistic senpai!"
"Eh?" Rian feigned shock, bending slightly to look up at Koneko's face from below.
"But then… why doesn't your expression match your words?" he teased with a mischievous grin. "You want to, don't you? You're just too shy to admit it?"
Letting out a dramatic sigh, Rian gazed up at the night sky as if performing a soliloquy on stage.
"Ahh… the charm of a handsome man truly knows no bounds… even little girls can't resist me!"
The moment the words "little girl" left his mouth, something inside Koneko snapped. Her flushed face twisted into an expression of pure irritation.
Without saying a single word, Koneko grabbed Rian by the collar… and with all her strength, threw him far, very far into the forest behind the mansion.
"WAAAGH—!!"
Rian's trademark theatrical scream echoed through the night, followed by the sound of branches snapping and the ground trembling from the impact.
Akeno giggled softly, glancing in the direction Rian had been thrown while gently pressing a finger to her lips.
Koneko simply huffed, her cheeks still red but her eyes sharp as she glared toward the forest.
"…Idiot."
And just like that, the first night of their training at the Gremory mansion ended — with laughter, chaos, and the kind of warmth that only they could create.
***
The clock struck eight in the morning.
All members of Rias Gremory's peerage were still immersed in their respective training routines — each one personally designed and adjusted by Rian to match their individual abilities.
In the mansion's living room, Akeno was currently guiding Asia.
Their focus was on aura control, the goal being to allow Asia's Twilight Healing to work from a distance, rather than requiring direct touch.
Meanwhile, Gasper's training with his Balor View continued to show progress.
His current challenge was to stop the trajectory of a ball thrown by Kiba from mid-range. It was difficult, but this exercise was essential for improving his focus and visual reflexes.
On the other side, Koneko sat with Rias at the edge of the training field, both of them quietly watching a rather unusual session.
Today, Rian would be personally training Issei — a direct sparring session that would last two full hours before Rian resumed his private training with Koneko.
To be honest, it wasn't just Koneko— even Rias, Issei, and the rest of the peerage couldn't hide their awe and curiosity toward the strange and unique power Rian possessed.
His ability to manipulate gravity and space resembled high-tier magic, even though he wasn't a magician… and didn't even possess a Sacred Gear.
Unfortunately, despite their growing curiosity, most of the members couldn't watch this session directly. Their own training and duties awaited, and in this group, discipline always came first.
Still, that curiosity didn't fade—only postponed. Because sooner or later, they would all want to know… just how far the power of the man named Rian Andromeda could reach.
In the middle of the training field, Issei stood with a nervous grin, trying to look relaxed even though the tension in his body was obvious.
"Rian… I'll do my best, but… please don't crush my body," Issei said, then added with a sheepish laugh, "B-but, well, it's fine if you do… as long as I get a healing oppai hug from Buchou later, ehehe…"
Hearing that, Rias let out a long sigh while massaging her temples.
She didn't really mind Issei's typical motivation, but she did feel that during training, it would be much better if no one ended up seriously injured, so the healing process wouldn't take too long.
Beside her, Koneko—who had been silent the whole time—stared straight at the field and muttered in a flat tone:
"…Perverted Issei-senpai."
Rian chuckled softly, glancing briefly at Koneko before turning his gaze back to Issei.
"Relax, Issei-kun," Rian said with a faint, casual smile. "I won't use my Limitless technique. Didn't I tell you that last night?"
Issei frowned, trying to recall what Rian had said the previous night. "Uh… you mean like, martial arts or something?" he asked uncertainly.
Rian let out a short sigh, straightening his posture with both hands in his pockets.
"Even though I usually prefer ranged combat," he said calmly, "my true and fundamental style… is close combat."
Issei fell silent for a moment.
His eyes widened slightly—just enough to show his surprise.
He hadn't expected that the man who could manipulate space and gravity so elegantly, like a high-class sorcerer, would actually specialize in close-quarters combat.
At first, Issei had assumed Rian's previous close-combat style was just for show—to look cool. But the truth was, close-combat had been Rian's true fighting style all along.
Meanwhile, from the edge of the training field, Koneko remained seated, silent as ever. Her gaze stayed fixed on Rian without a blink.
She said nothing, but the way she watched him made it clear—she was paying close attention. As if trying to understand another side of the man who had recently grown closer to her.
Thinking back, during the fights against the three Fallen Angels, Sona's entire peerage, and even Riser's, Rian had always relied on close combat.
"Go ahead, Issei-kun," Rian said calmly, a faint smirk curling his lips, as if this fight were nothing more than a small game.
"Alright!" Issei replied with burning enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming with determination.
With his signature, dramatic motion, Issei lifted his left hand to the side, then drew it forward across his chest.
In an instant, Boosted Gear—a glowing crimson gauntlet—manifested on his arm. One of the legendary Longinus, a Sacred Gear of the highest tier, housing the soul of the Heavenly Dragon: Ddraig.
"Boost!"
The mechanical voice echoed from the gauntlet. The first power-up had begun—and would continue to rise every ten seconds.
A faint red aura flared around Issei, the energy within his body awakening and steadily surging.
On the other side, Rian showed no change in expression. He took a light step forward and assumed his stance.
His left hand folded neatly behind his back, while his right rose to chest height—ring and pinky fingers bent, palm facing downward.
His right leg extended slightly forward, his left leg pulled back, weight centered on his leading foot.
A simple yet solid stance—compact, controlled, and efficient. There were no glaring openings, yet it didn't project any intent to attack either.
If anything, with one hand extended forward, Rian seemed to be inviting his opponent to come closer.
From a distance, Koneko watched with sharp, focused eyes. She recognized the stance… but couldn't tell which martial art it came from.
Meanwhile, Rias, seated beside her, narrowed her eyes slightly.
It wasn't Japanese. It wasn't Chinese. It wasn't any human combat style she knew.
His movements… felt like a fusion of gravity and spatial control.
Issei straightened his posture, ready to close the distance. "Alright then… I'm coming, Rian!"
And with that, the fight began.
In a burst of speed, Issei dashed forward, his left fist pulled back and then thrown straight toward Rian's face.
There was determination and raw power in every step—unrefined, perhaps, but undeniably driven by sheer will.
But just as Issei closed the distance, Rian only gave a faint, knowing smile.
With a small, efficient movement, he tilted his body slightly, slipping past Issei's punch through the narrowest gap.
In a single fluid step, Rian's right foot slid behind Issei's heel, while his right hand pushed against Issei's chest with measured force.
"Waaagh!!" Issei yelped as he lost his balance and fell flat on his back.
Before he could even get up, a shadow flashed in his vision—Rian's right fist was already coming down toward his face. Instinctively, Issei shut his eyes tight.
But the punch stopped—exactly an inch away from his face, perfectly still.
When Issei slowly opened his eyes, he found Rian's hand now open, extended toward him in a gesture to help him up.
"How was that?" Rian asked casually, his tone as relaxed as if what had just happened was nothing more than a slightly physical morning greeting.
Issei let out a long sigh before finally taking the offered hand.
With Rian's help, he stood back up, rubbing his sore back.
"Damn... I really thought that punch was gonna land," Issei said, still half-nervous.
Rian chuckled softly. "Want me to actually hit you, then?"
"N-no way!" Issei yelped, taking a quick step back with his hands raised defensively.
Rian gave a faint smile, his calm demeanor returning. "Relax. I'm not that cruel."
Issei could only laugh awkwardly and scratch the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.