The Assignments
Jin stood before the whiteboard, his expression that of a . He looked directly at Rias.
"Rias, your role is to be our finisher. That means I want you to focus on the raw, destructive power of your lineage and learn to use it with absolute efficiency—knowing when to hold back and when to unleash everything." He then turned his gaze to the silver-haired maid. "Grayfia-san, I'm entrusting you with Rias's training. You are the only one I trust to keep her focused."
"Hey!" Rias protested. "I can be focused when I want to be!"
Grayfia, Akeno, and even Kiba met her outburst with a unified, deadpan stare that clearly said, *'No, you can't.'*
Ignoring the exchange, Jin turned to Akeno. "You are our sole long-range support unit. That's going to put immense pressure on you. I want you to focus entirely on your magic regeneration and stamina."
Akeno brought a finger to her lips, her voice a sultry, teasing whisper. "Don't you worry, Jin-san. I can handle a heavy load."
Jin gave her a look that simply screamed *'Really?'* before moving on. "Kiba. There is a high probability that their Knight will target you specifically. Your training will be exclusively focused on your one-on-one dueling abilities."
Kiba gave a sharp, determined nod.
"Issei," Jin continued, "you will work on pure physical conditioning to strengthen your body, and on mastering the power of your Sacred Gear."
"You got it, man!" Issei grinned, pumping a fist. "I'll be as strong as you in the blink of an eye!"
Jin acknowledged him with a slight nod. As his gaze shifted, Asia tensed, knowing her turn was next.
"Asia, I don't have a combat regimen for you," Jin said, his voice softening slightly. "I know you dislike violence, so there's little I can assign. Please, just continue to do what you do best: keep us healed while we practice."
A flicker of dejection crossed her face, but she quickly replaced it with a determined smile. "I will heal everyone, Jin-san!"
Koneko felt a pang of confusion, thinking he had skipped over her.
"Koneko," Jin said, his voice drawing her full attention. "You will be training directly with me. The two of us need to work on our teamwork."
Koneko's expression remained stoic, but a flicker of apprehension showed in her eyes. She gave a reluctant nod.
"Training with me will be exceptionally difficult," Jin warned, his gaze intense. "I am only asking you to follow me if you are absolutely sure you want to take that extra step."
She struggled internally with the decision. It was Rias's voice that gave her clarity. "Koneko, whatever you decide, I will accept it."
Koneko looked at her King, her eyes filled with a storm of emotion. She took a deep breath, her resolve hardening like steel. "I will train."
"Good," Jin said with a final nod. "Let's get started."
With their orders given, the group broke apart, each member heading off to begin their new regimen.
***
The Hot Springs
After a long and punishing first day of training, the group was now soaking in the mansion's luxurious open-air hot spring, letting the hot water wash away their fatigue. On the boys' side of the tall bamboo partition, Jin, Issei, and Kiba relaxed in the steaming water.
Kiba, who had been sitting in quiet contemplation, finally spoke. "So, Jin… do you really think we can win against Riser?"
Issei, who had been fidgeting, immediately focused on the topic.
Jin lay back against a rock, his eyes closed. "Frankly? As we are now, it would be a close call, but ultimately, we would lose."
The flicker of hope in Kiba's and Issei's eyes rose and then immediately crashed.
"But what's the problem?" Kiba pressed. "We're training hard, and with your tactics, we should have a chance."
"Yeah, believe in us, man!" Issei added. "By the end of this, we will be way stronger!"
Jin opened his eyes and looked at them. "I believe we will be, Issei. My assessment already considers that. His peerage, for the most part, isn't the core problem." He held up a hand. "There are only four things that are truly dangerous in this match. Riser himself, his sister, Ravel, his Queen… and the fourth is a possibility we can't control."
"The file said Riser's sister isn't a combatant," Kiba reasoned, "and Akeno-senpai should be able to defeat his Queen."
"In a fair one-on-one, yes," Jin agreed. "But you have to remember they can use two Phoenix Tears during the match. That gives their Queen a massive advantage."
"What's a Phoenix Tear?" Issei asked.
"It's a magical potion that can only be produced by the Phenex clan," Kiba explained. "It can instantly heal any injury, restoring you to one hundred percent health."
"What?! That's cheating!" Issei yelled. "Those bastards!"
"You have a Sacred Gear capable of killing a god that doubles your power every ten seconds," Jin retorted dryly.
Issei rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, if you put it like that…"
"His sister, Ravel, may not fight, but she can provide support from the back lines," Jin continued. "We have to get her out of the game immediately. And we have to assume she has the same healing ability as her brother."
"Wait, you said four things," Issei pointed out. "That's only three."
"The fourth," Jin said, his voice grim, "is the possibility that they *don't* underestimate us."
"What do you mean?" Issei asked, confused. "Isn't them underestimating us a good thing?"
"Not necessarily," Jin explained. "The fact is, we're not sure if Rias can defeat Riser in a direct fight. So, hypothetically, if Riser decides to take us seriously and charges us from the start with his entire peerage, we'd be in trouble. They outnumber us. They could tie up our heavy hitters, Rias and Akeno, leaving the rest of us to deal with their pawns, rooks, and knights."
He sighed, a plume of steam rising with his breath. "I'm confident we could take care of his peerage, but by then, Akeno would likely be eliminated and the rest of us would be spent. We'd have no way to deal with Riser. If it weren't for his immortality, I'd devise a plan to tire him out, because in a battle of pure endurance, I would win. But against him, that's not an option."
"You really don't have much faith in Rias, do you?" Kiba asked quietly.
"I'm just considering every possibility," Jin replied.
Issei, meanwhile, had sidled up to the bamboo wall. "Well, guys… wanna take a peek?"
On the other side, the girls were also relaxing.
"Koneko, are you alright?" Rias asked, her voice laced with concern. "Did Jin push you too much today?"
Koneko looked at Rias, her expression serious. "He works hard," she said simply. "He trains all day."
Rias and Akeno exchanged a surprised look. They had expected a simple nod. For the stoic Koneko to describe the training as "hard" meant it must have been utterly brutal.
"If you need any help, don't ever hesitate to ask me," Rias said softly. Koneko nodded.
"Ara, ara. Looks like our little kitten has her work cut out for her," Akeno hummed.
"Jin really brought a solid structure to our plan," Rias admitted, a thoughtful look on her face. "Compared to him, I feel like I've been lacking as a leader."
"Don't say that about yourself, Rias-san!" Asia said, trying to cheer her up.
"But it's true," Rias continued. "I thought of this training camp mainly for you and Issei. He found a way for all of us to grow stronger in the most effective way possible."
"He certainly takes charge splendidly," Akeno said with a sly smile. "I do wish he'd show such… interest… in other things as well."
"Akeno, have you started to fancy him?" Rias teased.
Akeno just smiled mysteriously.
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a loud **THWACK!** from the partition wall, followed by a muffled yelp from the other side.
"Ara~," Akeno giggled, covering her mouth. "It seems Issei really did try to take a peek."
Rias sighed, though a small smile played on her lips. "I guess we were right about that."
Asia hid her face with embarrass .
Akeno and Rias watch her start giggling .
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Grayfia elimnated