Without needing any further command, the seven of them left the mansion.
The moment their feet touched the ground outside, their bat-like wings spread one after another—the signature wings of devils.
With a single powerful motion, they shot into the night sky—quiet, yet filled with an ominous tension.
At incredible speed, they soared past trees and hills, cutting through the cold night air toward the source of that unnatural disturbance.
Because they knew—an aura like that could never come from just any being.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the location. Their wings faded as they landed softly on the ground.
Their eyes immediately focused on the scene of devastation before them.
Several trees were toppled—not burned, but as if blown away by an immense force emanating from a single point.
And on the other side… an area nearly twenty meters wide looked as though it had been erased from existence itself.
Not destroyed. Not scorched. But truly gone. The ground, the rocks, even the roots of the trees—everything had vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Rias stared sharply at the scene. Something about the aftermath disturbed her. For a brief moment, the aura reminded her of her family's Power of Destruction… yet something about it felt distinctly different.
"This definitely isn't demonic energy… or magic," Rias murmured under her breath.
And in the middle of it all stood a familiar figure—Rian.
His hair was slightly messy, one hand rubbing his temple. Not from pain, but rather from… confusion.
"Damn… I didn't expect this much damage just from activating Red," Rian muttered. "Positive energy rushing straight into the brain… did it just overdrive my endorphin levels or something?"
He hadn't experienced it before, but Rian imagined the sensation must've been like injecting pure adrenaline directly into his brain cells—explosive, wild, and uncontrollable.
It wasn't dangerous per se, but that overwhelming surge of 'too much happiness' was anything but easy to control.
"For the sake of that SPX cream I forgot to buy… looks like I really need to train my control over positive energy effects," Rian muttered to himself in his usual offhanded tone.
"Rian…" Rias's voice cut through the air clearly, her steps firm as she approached with her peerage in tow.
Rian turned his head lazily, replying in his casual manner. "Yeah? What's up?"
Meanwhile, Akeno swept her gaze across the ruined area before fixing her eyes on him. "This power… it's insane, Rian. What exactly did you do?"
Without saying a word, Koneko stepped forward, stopping right in front of him. Her golden eyes stared straight into his face—as if trying to read something deeper than mere words.
On the other side, Kiba examined the damage with a grave expression. His eyes followed the traces of Hollow Purple—the earth erased not by magic, but as though it had been deleted from existence itself.
Gasper hid halfway behind Rias's back, trembling slightly. Even the lingering aura of that technique was enough to make him feel uneasy.
Asia and Issei followed from behind, their steps quick but cautious. When they arrived, Issei glanced between the scene and Rian, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Bro… why does this place look like a freaking battlefield? Damn… what even happened to the ground?" he asked, his tone a mix of awe and concern.
Asia nodded, her expression worried. "Rian-san… a-are you okay?"
Rian looked at each of them calmly, though a faint trace of concern flickered in his eyes.
Without saying a word, his gaze alone tried to reassure them—especially Koneko, and of course Akeno, who had been silently showing signs of worry since earlier.
Once the tension settled a little, Rian finally began to explain what had really happened.
On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel slightly amused watching Akeno still act as if she were his mistress.
Rian figured that during the upcoming training days, Akeno probably wouldn't be acting so clingy and bold toward him anymore.
Especially since, technically, his relationship with Koneko hadn't even been declared official yet.
But he chose to push those thoughts aside for now. What mattered more was explaining the destruction surrounding them.
In a calm tone and with his usual casual manner, Rian explained that the damage to the area was simply the result of his personal training.
He didn't go into details about techniques like Red, Blue, or Hollow Purple, feeling they weren't particularly relevant at the moment—and, frankly, too complicated for everyone to bother with.
His explanation sounded reasonable enough, at least on the surface.
No one pressed further, either because they trusted him… or because they chose not to think too deeply about it.
A few moments after the conversation ended, they decided to head back to the Gremory mansion and resume the rest they'd lost thanks to Rian's "training."
They chose to return by flying with their own wings instead of using teleportation magic—simply because they wanted to enjoy the quiet night scenery beneath the star-filled sky.
However, there was one small problem—Rian wasn't a Reincarnated Devil and naturally didn't have wings.
Realizing that, Akeno and Koneko immediately offered to carry him through the air.
Akeno with her sweet, teasing smile, and Koneko with her usual flat expression… though her cheeks were slightly red.
But Rian politely declined their offer. His reason? He felt it was improper for a man to be carried by a woman—especially in public.
Of course, that wasn't the real reason. The truth was, Rian had his own method of flight.
Not through magic, nor by riding a broom like some kind of wizard—though the others couldn't help but think it looked a bit like that.
Rian used Infinity. By manipulating an infinite field around himself, he could freely float in the air.
And with Blue, he generated attraction points to direct his movement however he pleased.
During the flight back, the others could only remain silent, quietly watching Rian drift effortlessly through the sky.
No wings, no magic incantations. Rian simply… floated, using Infinity.
He could even fly backward, arms crossed over his chest, gaze drifting toward the sky. His body moved with perfect stability, as though gravity itself had no claim over him.
"Now… what should I study next?" he thought while enjoying the cool night breeze. "Anti-Domain? Or Domain Expansion?"
Rian began recalling the knowledge he'd learned from the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
In that system, Anti-Domain referred to techniques or methods used to counter the effects of a Domain Expansion.
One of the most common was Simple Domain: New Shadow Style—a small barrier that neutralized an opponent's domain. Simple, but effective.
By contrast, Domain Expansion represented the pinnacle of technique combat: a separate imaginary space, detached from reality itself, where the user's power was amplified and every attack became unavoidable.
"Both are important," Rian mused to himself. "Even if I won't use them often… they could still serve as my trump cards in battle."
"My talent in spatial control shouldn't be that bad, right?" Rian thought, recalling how he had successfully used a Curtain on his very first attempt.
But another thought crossed his mind—one connected to the Reverse Cursed Technique he had recently awakened.
Without hesitation, Rian made his decision. He would study the Reverse Cursed Technique further.
To him, this technique was far more essential than Domain or Anti-Domain mastery—mainly because the Reverse Cursed Technique produced positive energy.
That positive energy wasn't only the main fuel source for Red, but also served a vital function: regeneration.
It could heal physical wounds and, if refined further, even repair damage to the soul itself.
"Alright then… it's decided! Next, I'll focus on developing my Reverse Cursed Technique," Rian said to himself.
With that decision, his new training path was set. No teacher, no formal system—he would train himself.
Self-taught, as always.
After some time flying, they finally arrived at the Gremory mansion.
The seven of them entered the house first, but Rian stopped at the doorway, his gaze distant—as if something had just crossed his mind.
Akeno and Koneko, who were still behind him, noticed his movements. Neither of them stepped inside; they simply stood nearby, watching him with curious eyes.
Without saying a word, Rian turned toward Koneko. He leaned down slightly, bringing his face close to her ear, and whispered softly—but clearly:
"Shironeko... would you warm the bed of this handsome man... and sleep with me?"
Koneko instantly turned red. Completely red. Her face flushed like a ripe tomato, and she quickly bowed her head, unable to look at anyone.