As Rias and her peerage were resting, Bill and Grayfia were going over their training plan.
Bill leaned back against a tree, arms crossed. "Alright, I'll handle the physical training if you can take care of the magical training. I can't, since all my magic is instinctual—I couldn't begin to explain any of it if I tried."
Grayfia nodded thoughtfully. "That's acceptable. How shall we divide the times?"
Bill rubbed his chin, thinking it over before answering. "I'll take Kiba, Koneko, and Issei for physical training. You take Rias and Akeno for magical training in the morning after breakfast. Then we'll break for lunch around noon, switch for the afternoon, and have them each run the gauntlet again until dinner. We'll stick with this gauntlet until Issei can pass it—that'll be our clue that it's become too easy."
Grayfia gave a faint smile. "Agreed. What about accommodations?"
"Don't worry," Bill replied with a smirk. "The boss gave me administrator privileges. I can make whatever we need."
With a casual wave of his hand, four small houses appeared in front of them—two luxurious, gleaming structures and two that looked downright miserable.
Rias frowned, her eyes narrowing. "What are those?" she asked, pointing at the two shabby, drafty-looking houses that looked like they were about to fall apart.
Bill folded his arms, utterly unfazed. "Those are your accommodations. Starting now, your living situation, your recreational activities, and even your food will be determined by your progress. Until each of you can pass this gauntlet in a decent time, you get the bottom of the barrel on everything."
Rias' jaw dropped. "But that's terrible! How can we rest in that? Grayfia, tell him!"
Grayfia closed her eyes for a brief moment, then said calmly, "Apologies, my lady, but I'm in agreement with Sir Strife. Earning better accommodations and treatment will motivate you to take this seriously. Now, off to bed."
The entire peerage groaned and sighed in resignation as they trudged toward their miserable cabins.
Issei, of course, began subtly trailing behind the girls. Bill's sharp voice cut through the night. "And since we apparently weren't clear—men and women are separate. Get your ass to the men's cabin, Issei, or I'll put a bullet in you."
Issei froze mid-step and turned to see Bill aiming one of his pistols at him. He yelped and bolted straight to the men's cabin without another word.
Bill holstered his weapon with a lazy motion. "And just so we're clear—if you leave your cabin, I'll know."
Grayfia gave a small approving nod. "Thank you for that, Sir Strife. I'll need to talk to my lady about that boy's behavior. Following your desires is highly encouraged in our society, but there is a time and place—and he clearly has no self-control."
Bill chuckled. "No problem, partner. Now we'd best get some shut-eye."
"Indeed. Good night, Sir Strife," Grayfia said, inclining her head before heading toward her cabin.
Bill stretched and yawned. "Night," he muttered before hopping into a hammock he'd strung up on his porch, pistol still within reach—ready to shoot Issei if he dared step outside.
---
The next morning, at around six, a deafening bell rang across the training ground.
Grayfia's voice followed immediately. "Everyone up! It's time for breakfast!"
Groggy complaints soon filled the air as one by one, everyone stumbled out of their cabins, rubbing sleep from their eyes.
Issei groaned, his hair sticking up in every direction. "It's too early! Why do we have to be up now?"
Rias stretched and yawned, her crimson hair falling over her shoulders. "Yeah, let us sleep a bit longer…"
Akeno, looking perfectly composed as always, arched her back in a graceful stretch. "I usually wake up around this time—sometimes earlier—to tend to the shrine."
Kiba was already in mid-stretch, his tone calm and disciplined. "And I usually get up around now for my morning run."
Koneko didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring into the distance with half-lidded eyes, clearly still half asleep.
Grayfia clapped her hands sharply. "That's enough. Sit down for breakfast."
They all slumped into their seats at the table, and Grayfia placed bowls of flavorless oatmeal and small plates of dry crackers in front of each of them.
Rias stared down at her bowl in disbelief. "What the hell is this?!" she shouted, her voice echoing.
Grayfia didn't even acknowledge her outburst. She calmly sat at her and Bill's separate table—which, to everyone's horror, was piled high with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and sausage.
As Grayfia began serving herself, Bill grinned over his coffee mug. "Told you—until you all make progress, you're getting bottom of the barrel everything."
Rias clenched her fists, glaring. "Fine! I'll cook breakfast myself, then!"
Bill smirked. "Where you gonna get ingredients and cooking utensils?"
Rias' defiance faltered as she glanced around—no pots, no pans, not even a single spice jar in sight. And when she looked toward the dark, dead-looking forest nearby, she realized there was no way to hunt or gather anything from it either. Her shoulders slumped as she sat back down in defeat.
Grayfia's tone softened slightly. "It saddens me to see you endure this, my lady, but as your maid and elder sister, I will harden my heart to ensure your improvement."
Rias shot her a deadpan look, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Oh yes, you look so sad right now," she muttered before reluctantly taking a spoonful of her tasteless oatmeal, grimacing as she swallowed.
After breakfast, Bill stood up from the table, brushing the crumbs from his hands. "Alright, Kiba, Koneko, Issei—fall in. It's time for your morning training."
Grayfia's calm, commanding voice followed right after. "My lady, Akeno—over here, please. It's time for magic practice."
Everyone split off toward their respective instructors.
Bill motioned for Kiba to step forward and handed him a massive sword. The moment Kiba grabbed it, the weapon nearly yanked him to the ground. He gritted his teeth, struggling just to lift it high enough to hold steady.
Bill crossed his arms, watching. "Kiba, we need to solve your strength issues. Your speed and technique are on point—but you need to be able to hit harder. That sword you're holding weighs about three hundred pounds. I want you to swing it until your arms give out. When that happens, come to me immediately."
Kiba exhaled through his nose and gave a sharp nod. "Understood." He planted his feet and began swinging the massive blade, his muscles straining with every deliberate motion. Sweat quickly began to form on his brow, but he kept his rhythm steady.
Bill turned his attention to the next target. "Issei, come here."
Issei hesitated before walking over, his steps heavy with dread. "Uh… yeah?"
Without a word, Bill hoisted a massive weighted military gear bag and dropped it onto Issei's back with a thud that nearly sent him sprawling. "I've adjusted the gauntlet to only contain Gaki. You're gonna go in there wearing that bag and fight until there's no Gaki left. There's about fifty of them. Get to work."
Issei's eyes went wide, his jaw hanging open. "F-fifty?! Why is my training so brutal?!"
Bill didn't even blink. "'Cause you need the most help."
At that moment, the Boosted Gear appeared on Issei's arm with a crimson glow.
Ddraig's deep voice rumbled from the gauntlet. "He's right, partner. Let's get started."
Issei sighed in defeat, slumping his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah… fine." He started trudging toward the gate, each step slow and labored under the crushing weight, muttering curses under his breath.
Bill watched him go, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth before turning to Koneko. "Alright, kiddo, your problem is your speed."
Koneko blinked up at him with her usual blank expression, though her catlike eyes sharpened slightly in curiosity.
Bill reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of sleek, low-caliber pistols. "These are loaded with rubber bullets. They won't injure you, but they'll hurt like hell. I'm gonna shoot at you until you're fast enough to dodge them. Once you can dodge these, I'll switch to fully automatics. And once you can dodge those…" He paused, smirking as he holstered one pistol and spun the other lazily on his finger. "…I'll move on to my personal guns—ones that fire faster than any firearm in existence. If you can dodge a bullet from those, you can dodge anything. Are you ready?"
Koneko's expression hardened. Her sleepy eyes narrowed with focus as she took a low stance, her fists clenched tight. "Ready."
Bill gave her a nod of approval. "Good. Let's begin."
He raised his pistols, and the sharp click of the triggers echoed through the air.
After a few long, grueling hours, Koneko had reached a point where she could dodge some of the shots, though most still found their mark. Sweat clung to her skin, and small welts and bruises colored her pale arms.
Bill lowered his pistols and called out, his tone steady but approving. "Alright, take five. Rest up."
Koneko exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and gave a small nod before stepping aside.
Kiba approached next, dragging the massive sword behind him. His arms trembled with exhaustion, veins bulging, and his biceps throbbed with pain. "I… can't swing any longer, Sir Strife," he panted.
Bill gave a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Just call me Bill, Kiba."
He reached into his coat and pulled out four vials—two filled with a glowing red liquid, the other two with a vibrant green. "Here. Drink the red one first, then the green one."
Both Kiba and Koneko did as instructed. Almost instantly, Koneko's bruises and welts faded, her skin returning to normal, while Kiba's arms stopped aching, a warm strength flooding through him. Both felt reinvigorated, their fatigue melting away.
Bill watched their reactions, satisfied. "Alright, Kiba. Swing that sword again and tell me how it feels."
Kiba gripped the weapon and swung it with ease, his eyes widening in surprise. "It doesn't even take half the effort it did before… how?"
Bill folded his arms and explained. "Strength is built by breaking down your muscles through intense physical training, then allowing them to recover—making them stronger than before. Normally, that process would take months. But thanks to the healing potion I gave you, you can see results in hours. The green potion was for stamina."
Kiba nodded in amazement, looking down at his hands. "Incredible…"
Bill smirked and, without missing a beat, swapped out Kiba's three-hundred-pound sword for one that looked even heavier. "That one weighs five hundred. Back to it."
Rather than complain, Kiba's eyes lit up with determination. "Yes, sir!" he said, gripping the massive weapon with renewed energy and going right back to work.
A light tug on Bill's sleeve drew his attention. Koneko stood beside him, her usual stoic expression sharpened with determination. "I'm ready to go again," she said quietly.
Bill gave her a proud nod. "Glad to hear it." He took aim with his pistols once more, and Koneko jumped back into her dodging drills.
After a few more hours, her movements became sharper, smoother—she was now able to dodge the majority of the bullets that came her way. Bill finally lowered his weapons, grinning. "Not bad, kiddo. You're coming along nicely. You'd be making even better progress if you stopped holding back—but we'll work on that later. Trauma doesn't go away overnight. Just promise me you'll try."
Still catching her breath, Koneko nodded. "I'll try, Bill. But… is it time for a break yet?"
Bill chuckled. "Yeah, it's about lunchtime. Take five."
Koneko immediately dropped to the ground, lying flat on her back to catch her breath. Kiba walked over, handing her a bottle of water before sitting beside her, both of them quietly recovering from the brutal morning.
A few moments later, Bill heard faint groaning and panting. Looking toward the gate, he saw Issei crawling—bloodied, exhausted, dragging himself forward inch by inch. After a full minute, the boy finally reached them and collapsed face-first into the dirt.
"I… did it…" he wheezed.
Bill arched a brow, studying him. Issei was covered in cuts, bruises, and his own dried blood. "How'd he do, Ddraig?"
The dragon's deep, rumbling voice answered from the Boosted Gear. "Mediocre. But… he completed his task, so I'll give him a passing score. That said, I'd like you to increase the weight of his pack and double the number of Gaki tomorrow."
Bill's lips curved into a grin. "No problem."
Issei's head shot up, his face a mix of horror and disbelief. "You two are monsters!" he shouted.
Bill just laughed, holstering his pistols. "Welcome to training, kid."