The training grounds behind the old schoolhouse were silent save for the rustling of leaves. Rias's peerage formed a loose circle, the air thick with tension. Asia stood nervously to one side, hands clasped in prayer. Akeno watched with a curious, unreadable smile. Koneko's expression was as stoic as ever, but her fists were clenched.
In the center, Issei Hyoudou bounced on the balls of his feet, his face a mask of furious determination. Across from him, Jin Kazama stood perfectly still, his hands in the pockets of his biker jacket, looking almost bored.
"Ready to get your ass kicked?" Issei snarled.
Jin just smirked. "Whenever you are."
That was all the prompting Issei needed. He roared and charged, throwing a wild, telegraphed right hook. Jin didn't even seem to move much—a simple sidestep was all it took. Issei's punch met empty air, and his momentum sent him stumbling forward.
"Is that it?" Jin taunted, not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets. "You broadcast every move you make. A child could dodge that."
Enraged, Issei spun around, his Boosted Gear flaring to life on his arm. **[BOOST!]** A wave of power surged through him. He lunged again, this time throwing a flurry of punches. They were faster, stronger, but just as clumsy. Jin moved like a phantom, weaving and ducking under the assault with an almost insulting lack of effort. He'd occasionally block a punch with his forearm, the impact echoing with a dull thud, but he never gave ground.
"Come on," Jin goaded, easily sidestepping a kick. "You're fighting with your anger, not your head. It's making you sloppy."
Issei grit his teeth, trying to think of something unconventional. He feinted high, then dropped low for a sweep kick. For a split second, he thought he had him—but Jin simply hopped over the kick, brought his foot down on Issei's extended leg, and pinned it to the ground. Before Issei could react, Jin delivered a sharp, punishing kick to his ribs.
Issei gasped, the air forced from his lungs. He rolled away, clutching his side. **[BOOST!]** The gauntlet glowed brighter, power crackling around him. He was reaching his limit, he could feel it, but he didn't care. He staggered to his feet.
"Still want more?" Jin asked, his voice losing its mocking tone and taking on a colder edge.
Issei charged one last time, pouring every ounce of his boosted power into a final, desperate punch. This time, Jin didn't dodge. He met the attack head-on, catching Issei's fist in his open palm. The shockwave kicked up dust around them, but Jin didn't even slide back an inch.
Issei stared in disbelief, his ultimate attack stopped so casually. He saw the strain begin to fracture the ground beneath Jin's feet, but the man himself was an immovable wall.
Seeing Issei ready to try and boost again, knowing the boy's body couldn't take much more, Jin decided the lesson was over. He tightened his grip on Issei's fist, pulled him off-balance, and delivered a single, precise chop to the back of his neck. Issei's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Silence fell. Asia rushed to Issei's side, her hands glowing with healing magic.
"That was unnecessary," a cold voice said. Kiba Yuuto stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His handsome face was a mask of chivalrous fury. "He is our comrade. To beat him so brutally serves no purpose."
"Take him and get him healed," Jin said to Rias, completely ignoring Kiba. Rias nodded, and with Asia's help, they moved Issei to the clubhouse porch.
Kiba drew his sword, its silver blade gleaming in the afternoon light. "I cannot stand by and watch you treat my friends and my King with such disrespect. Your methods are cruel and dishonorable. I, Kiba Yuuto, a Knight of Rias Gremory, will defeat you and teach you some humility."
Jin finally turned his full attention to him, a mocking smirk returning. "Are you going to try and defeat me by waving your tongue or your sword?"
Kiba's eyes narrowed. His plan was simple: use his demonic speed to overwhelm Jin, testing his defenses and finding a rhythm before striking the final blow. He vanished in a blur, reappearing at Jin's side, his sword swinging in a clean, vicious arc aimed at Jin's shoulder.
He expected Jin to dodge, to block, to do *something*.
He did nothing. Jin simply stood there and let the sword hit him.
But instead of the sound of tearing flesh, there was a loud, metallic **CLANG!**
Kiba stared in shock as his blade bounced off Jin's skin as if it had struck solid steel. For a split second, he could see the muscles on Jin's shoulder ripple and harden, taking on a faint, metallic sheen.
That split second was all Jin needed. With Kiba's stance broken from the rebound, Jin lunged forward, tackling him with the force of a freight train. Kiba's speed and grace were rendered useless as he was slammed to the ground, the air driven from his lungs. Jin pinned him down with a knee on his chest and drew back a fist.
"Jin, STOP!" Rias screamed.
Jin's fist halted an inch from Kiba's face. He held the position for a moment before slowly standing up, leaving the dazed and defeated Knight on the grass.
Jin turned his gaze toward the porch, his eyes landing on the last remaining combatant of the peerage. "So," he said, his voice casual. "You want to join in too, kitty kat?"
Koneko tensed, ready to spring forward, but Rias stepped between them, her body trembling with rage. Her crimson hair seemed to crackle with an energy of its own.
"That's enough!" she yelled, her voice shaking. "You've gone too far! Look at them! If this is how you operate, then I don't need your help. The deal is off!"
The threat hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Issei was unconscious and being treated. Kiba was still lying on the ground, struggling to sit up. Jin hadn't so much as a scratch on him.
Seeing the dead-serious fury in Rias's eyes, Jin's entire demeanor shifted. The mocking grin vanished, replaced by a calm, neutral expression.
"Relax," he said simply. "It was a test."
Rias stared at him, her anger momentarily short-circuited by confusion. She looked from the unconscious form of her Pawn to the beaten form of her Knight and her tensed rook , then back to the man who had so effortlessly and brutally dismantled them. What in the world was wrong with him?