Kiba darted forward, using his superior speed to run circles around Gozuki. He struck only when he saw an opening, retreating the instant the bull demon recovered. The battle dragged on, clash after clash, until finally—after nearly an hour of grueling combat—Kiba struck true and brought the beast down. Panting, he rested briefly, wiping the sweat from his brow before pressing onward toward the village temple.
Every enemy that crossed his path fell to his blade. The Gaki were no trouble, but the Enki forced him to slow, testing his technique. The Nure-Onna, however, proved a real struggle; their serpentine strikes nearly caught him more than once. Two hours in, exhausted and battered, he finally reached the temple steps where Mezuki awaited.
The horse-headed yokai towered over him, brutal saw cleaver gleaming in the pale light. At first, Kiba managed to hold his ground, dodging and countering, but Mezuki's relentless power eventually overwhelmed him. One savage swing tore through his defense, splitting him in half.
Kiba gasped as the world went dark—only to reappear back at the shrine, where Bill sat waiting.
"Take five, kid," Bill said casually, leaning back in his chair. "Koneko, you're up."
Koneko's eyes narrowed, but she stepped silently through the gate, her small frame tense as she prepared to fight.
As she vanished into the village, Bill glanced at Grayfia. "You noticed Kiba's problem too, right?"
Grayfia nodded, her expression calm and analytical. "Yes. His speed and technique are excellent, but his power is lacking. Had he been able to deal more damage, his fight with Gozuki wouldn't have dragged out for so long. On top of that, he struggles against ranged opponents."
The two observed quietly as Koneko clashed with Gozuki. Her fists struck hard, her technique solid, but her movements lacked the quickness to fully capitalize on the openings she forced.
"Koneko, however," Grayfia continued, "has the opposite issue. She has strength and technique, but not enough speed. Where Kiba waited patiently, she tries to force openings. That is not inherently bad… but she cannot take advantage of those openings before her opponent recovers. I'd say she'll fare about the same as Kiba."
Grayfia's words proved true. After nearly two hours of relentless combat, Koneko too fell before Mezuki's cleaver and was dragged back to the shrine in a burst of light.
Bill clapped once. "Yo, pervert—you're up."
Issei groaned. "Damn it…" He trudged through the gate, muttering under his breath. Five minutes later, he was nothing more than a smear beneath Gozuki's massive club.
He reappeared at the shrine, coughing as he adjusted his torn uniform.
Grayfia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That one, however, requires help with everything."
"Yeah," Bill agreed flatly. "We'll circle back to you." His eyes shifted to the next in line. "Alright, Akeno—your turn."
Akeno stepped forward, her usual playful smile tugging at her lips. She raised her hands, summoning crackling arcs of thunder. Unlike the others, she never closed the distance. Instead, she rained down lightning, blasting Gozuki from afar until his massive form finally collapsed. With elegant precision, she advanced through the village, frying every enemy that dared cross her path.
At the temple, her thunder magic clashed with Mezuki's vicious strength. Sparks illuminated the battlefield until, twenty-five minutes later, Mezuki fell with a final shriek. Akeno reappeared at the shrine, brushing her dark hair over her shoulder, a triumphant glow in her violet eyes.
"How was that, Sir Strife? Lady Grayfia?" she asked while trying to hide her panting, voice laced with a mix of pride and curiosity.
Bill grinned. "Not bad, little lady. But I noticed several problems."
"As did I," Grayfia added smoothly.
Akeno tilted her head. "Oh? Such as?"
Bill pointed at her. "For one—your stamina."
Grayfia nodded, her gaze sharp. "Indeed. You may act as though you're fine, but your breathing gives you away. In a prolonged battle, you'll be at a disadvantage."
"That's… fair," Akeno admitted, her voice softening. "What else?"
"You don't have a way to defend yourself at close range," Bill said. "Your spells are powerful, sure, but you've got no hand-to-hand training and you don't use weapons, do you?"
Grayfia's tone was firm. "Precisely. We will need to find something for you."
Bill scratched his chin, thinking aloud. "Maybe we lean into your whole shrine maiden theme. A staff, or maybe a spear."
Akeno tapped her lip thoughtfully. "A staff. Tsubaki already uses a naginata—I don't want to look like a copycat."
Bill smirked. "Got it. I'll get you one later." With a snap of his fingers, another table and chairs appeared, laden with food and drinks. "Take a break."
"Thank you," Akeno said warmly as she sat, helping herself to tea.
Bill turned his head toward Rias. "Alright, Red—your turn."
"I've got this," Rias declared with confidence, stepping through the gate. Her crimson hair whipped behind her as she powered through the village. Demonic power erupted from her hands in brilliant crimson blasts, reducing everything in her path to ash. She fought hard, pushing through with determination, and after forty-five minutes she returned to the shrine. Puffing her chest proudly, she smiled. "How was that?"
"C—" Bill began.
"D," Grayfia cut in sharply.
Rias's eyes went wide. "What?! Why?!"
Bill leaned forward. "First of all, you waste way too much demonic power when you attack. Second, you rely only on your bloodline ability. Third—" He gestured at her with a half-smile. "—you're covered in cuts, bruises, and about twenty percent of your clothing is destroyed. As a ranged fighter, you shouldn't be getting hit half this much. Ideally, you shouldn't be getting hit at all."
Grayfia folded her arms. "And just like your queen, you have no method of self-defense once your opponent reaches you."
Rias sputtered, clearly stung by the harsh critique.
Bill turned his attention back to Kiba. "Kiba, run the gauntlet again. Rias, sit down. And Kiba—some advice. I know you're used to lighter swords, but against bigger, tougher opponents, your cuts are too shallow. Try switching to something with more heft for Gozuki and Mezuki. Or better yet, since you can make any sword you imagine, why not create one that can change its weight on the fly?"
Kiba's eyes widened at the suggestion. He summoned a new blade—one capable of shifting weight with his command—and squared his shoulders. Without hesitation, he strode back into the village.
This time, he alternated between swift, light attacks and heavy, punishing blows. His movements flowed seamlessly, every strike more deliberate than the last. Within forty-five minutes, Gozuki lay defeated.
"Faster than last time," Bill remarked with approval.
Kiba pressed on, eventually reaching Mezuki once more. The fight dragged out, grueling and intense, but with his new weapon he managed to wear the beast down. Finally, with one decisive strike, Mezuki fell.
Kiba reappeared at the shrine, breathless but victorious, and joined Rias and Akeno at the newly conjured victors' table.
Grayfia's voice carried with its usual calm authority as she said, "Koneko, please try again. This time, be more cautious. Your issue with speed isn't something we can fix right away, so for now, change your approach."
Koneko gave a small bow of respect, her eyes steady but serious. "Yes, Miss Grayfia." With that, she stepped through the gate once more.
This time, Koneko fought with a slower, more careful rhythm, her strikes measured as she made her way through the ruined village. Bill, watching with his arms crossed, frowned and muttered, "Why's she holding back?"
Grayfia's eyes narrowed slightly. "The girl is traumatized. She fears her power going out of control and driving her insane."
Bill scowled, shaking his head. "That's stupid."
Rias bristled at his words, her voice sharp. "Excuse me? Why is my rook's trauma 'stupid' to you?"
"It's stupid to fear your own power," Bill shot back bluntly. "It's part of you, and you'll never be able to change that. Holding back only makes you way weaker than you should be. By chaining herself down, Koneko not only hurts herself… she hurts all of you."
Akeno frowned, her usually calm smile replaced with a conflicted expression. "But what if your power comes from someone—or something—you hate, and want nothing to do with?"
"That's even more reason to use it," Bill said firmly, leaning forward with intensity in his gaze.
Akeno tilted her head, curiosity and caution mixing in her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Bill smirked, his tone both harsh and encouraging. "Master the power. Bring it to a new level—one higher than the person who gave it to you. Learn things they don't know. And when the time comes… use it to kick their ass."
Grayfia gave a faint, amused sigh. "Not how I would have worded it… but I agree. If you hate this person so much, then surpass them using the very power they pride themselves on. It would be a most fitting way to take vengeance."
Akeno fell silent, her gaze dropping to the ground in deep thought. After a long pause, she gave a graceful bow and said softly, "I thank you both. I shall think on your words."
Nearly three hours passed before Koneko finally returned, having beaten the gauntlet. She collapsed onto a chair, panting heavily, her body trembling with exhaustion.
Bill gave a sharp nod. "Alright, kid. You're the only one left, and we ain't leaving till you win."
"With all due respect, Sir Strife," Grayfia interjected, her tone calm but firm, "let him try one time, and if he fails, we should take a break. Then we can begin giving instruction."
Bill scratched the back of his head before sighing. "Actually… yeah, you're right. Let's just skip his try for now. The kid needs too much help."
Issei's face twisted in frustration. "Is this just 'pick on Issei' day?"
Bill and Koneko, without missing a beat, answered in perfect sync: "That's every day."
Issei turned toward Koneko, betrayed. "You too, Koneko-chan?!"
Koneko's lips curved into the faintest of smirks as she deadpanned, "Yes. Me too, pervert."