The next day, we arrived at a newly constructed special training battlefield in the Gremory territory.
The focus here seemed to be on sheer size and durability. It felt a bit plain in design, but apparently, the field's settings could be adjusted to some extent.
Right now, Issei and I were sparring.
To see how Issei's new abilities worked in actual combat, we first showcased all his forms. Then, I used senjutsu to heal his fatigue, and since I'm someone who wouldn't die even if hit directly by his new True Bishop form, I was chosen to fight him. Kuroka could've been another option, but I wasn't about to throw her into this situation.
Before testing his new form, I was currently fighting Issei in his regular Balance Breaker state. Even so, I could already feel his aura quality had improved. Just exchanging blows showed his base performance had leveled up across the board.
While blocking my attacks and leaping back to reduce the impact, Issei finally activated the newly awakened power he'd been working on Illegal Move Triaina. Bit of a mouthful, so we just call it Triaina.
"Here I come, Ikki! Think you can keep up?! Welsh Sonic Boost Knight!! … Gah!?"
As he accelerated using the power of the True Knight, I dashed forward and countered with a horizontal version of a rider kick.
"Issei, that form's armor is thinner, so counterattacks hurt more, right? And since you're using boosters on your back for speed, it's hard to make tight turns, which makes your movements predictable. Plus, you're not fully used to the speed yet, so cutting off your attacks with cross-step counters isn't all that difficult. Ground-based traps might work too."
As I pointed that out, Issei stood up, closing the distance again.
"Then how about this?! Welsh Dragonic Rook!!"
In contrast to before, Issei now charged in with thick, heavily armored limbs.
I avoided him by staying just outside his fist's range.
"This form makes you slower, so it's easier to maintain distance. And since your armor is too bulky, it limits your joint movement, making your attacks monotonous. Also…"
Slash!
I slashed at the joint of Issei's left arm, cutting deep into the armor and reaching the flesh.
"Ghh!"
"No matter the armor, joints are always a weak point. Though with this Tank form, it felt more like slicing through hardened rubber… Oh, and one more thing!"
I used both hands to grab his swinging arm, dodged in an acrobatic motion, and kicked him square in the face.
His helmet cracked, and he staggered back, collapsing.
"Only the head's armor hasn't been reinforced, so it's no more protected than a regular Tank form. Not exactly a flaw, but something worth remembering."
This next one would be the last.
I backed away and called out to him.
"Alright, Issei! I won't move from this spot, fire at me!"
"Oh, confident, huh?! Think you won't even need to dodge?! Then take this! Welsh Blaster Bishop!! … Let's go! DRAGON BLASTERRRRRRRRRR!!!"
As Issei braced himself and prepared to fire a massive energy blast from a gigantic cannon, I lightly tapped the ground with my foot, manipulating the earth's energy. I caused the dirt beneath his toes to bulge.
Losing balance, Issei accidentally aimed the charge shot skyward and fired it into the air. The recoil slammed him flat on his back.
I may not be capable of large-scale manipulation like certain earth-users, but this level of senjutsu is manageable even for a lower-tier practitioner.
"Hey Issei! I just hit your toes that time, but I could've messed with your heels too, y'know!"
Groaning, Issei removed his armor and shook his head.
"Yeah, yeah… I give up. My loss."
========
After the sparring match, everyone gathered to give feedback on Issei's new abilities.
"Each form excels in a specific area, but their weaknesses are just as obvious."
"To cover those gaps, coordinating with teammates is crucial. Against an unprepared opponent, it could work solo, but once someone finds a counter-strategy, just activating the forms won't cut it."
"My lightning strikes quickly, so they'd likely counter that Knight form easily… Although, Issei would probably charge in any way, even knowing he'd take a hit."
"It looked like Ikki-senpai handled that final charge blast effortlessly, but the timing to dodge it so precisely must've been intense!"
"And it burns through stamina fast, right? Mix up your distances and force more form changes, that'll drain him faster."
"Still, when it hits, it really hits."
"But you can't use it too often yet. The match is coming up soon, so we should focus on a strategy to surprise Sairaorg on the first try."
Everyone's ambitions made their critiques sharp, but fair.
"By the way, Issei, were you able to use the White Dragon Emperor's power while using Triaina?"
"That's the thing… When Triaina is active, the Red Dragon Emperor's power gets so dominant it suppresses Vali's. I can still use Dividing Gear, but only with the regular armor."
"Shame. If you could combine them, your strategy options for Knight form would've expanded."
"Well, can't cry over what I can't do. I'll just work with what I've got and keep pushing forward."
Issei said this while munching on a Pee Milk Chee snack. Considering how expensive those are now, it really drove home how costly his training had become. Still, since Ryuuko is his familiar, they probably aren't in the red… yet.
If they were, someone would've stepped in by now.
Azazel-sensei had already told him to limit the use of the White Dragon's power during training, even though he could recover quickly. You never know when you might hit a wall and not be able to heal, so it's all about pacing yourself — train a bit, recover a bit.
Once critiques wrapped up and the base exercises were done, everyone split off to their individual training.
Revealingly, Ravel also needed to begin serious training.
This year, Kuoh Academy had gotten dangerously entangled with terrorist threats. Even with solid town defenses, there are foes out there who can use Dimension Lost to distort space or just brute-force a quick battle by breaking through barriers.
We'll protect Ravel, of course, but the best defense is for each of us to raise our power. That benefits everyone.
"Ravel, you don't use any weapons, right? Then your biggest strength would be your Bishop traits. Can you use magic?"
"Magic? No, not really. With my magical energy alone, I could handle most things, so I never bothered."
That made sense. If you're born with near-unlimited magic power, it's easy to get complacent.
"That's a waste, nya. Wizards usually have high magical power, but Bishop pieces boost both magic and spellcasting. You should give it a try. Magic's all about imagery, it can cover the fine control your raw power might miss. In battle, just recalling a pre-prepared spell formula lets you use complex spells instantly. It's tough at first, juggling magic imagery and calculations, but once you learn it, you've basically doubled your options! You've got the smarts and flexibility, so I think you could handle both. Especially with barrier and sealing magic, which can sometimes outperform raw energy, if done in a focused setting."
"I see… Hearing it from Kuroka, who actually balances magic and raw energy, not to mention senjutsu and youjutsu, gives your words real weight. Do you use devil-style magic?"
"Yup! Back when I was in the Naberius household, that's all I had access to. It meshed well with my abilities, so I stuck with it!"
Oh, so Kuroka's magic was devil-style. I figured from the demonic symbols in her circles, but never asked.
Devil-style magic, the most common system, tracing back to Merlin Ambrosius.
"If it's devil-style, then even the Underworld should have plenty of material on it, right?"
"Yes, exactly. High-ranking devils and their servants often have strong ties with contracted magicians. The Phenex family library should have a decent collection… Shall I send for it?"
"I could teach you myself, but there's someone more qualified for that, nya!"
"More qualified… You mean Rossweisse?"
Honestly, she's the only other actual magic user around. Shirone has studied a bit under Kuroka, but not enough to call herself a proper wizard yet.
"Right on! I'm not the best teacher. Rossweisse's spell quality even surpasses mine. Plus, she's a formal educator. Since magic includes many styles, it'd be worth seeing if Norse magic suits you."
"Did someone call me?"
Rossweisse must've overheard her name and walked over, curious.
"Perfect timing, Rossweisse. Didn't you once say you'd like to open a magic school in the Underworld? Want to try teaching Ravel as a first step?"
"Teaching Ravel… magic?"
"Yes. Some suggested that learning magic might be a good path for me to grow stronger. If someone as accomplished as you, once a Valkyrie of the Norse chief god, would instruct me… of course, I wouldn't expect this for free! I'll bring any magical materials I can from the Phenex family library. Would that be acceptable?"
Smart move. Having Rossweisse study those materials ahead of time makes future lessons easier and benefits her, too.
As for the value of those Phenex family texts, they're probably not cheap.
"Sounds good. Since I've reincarnated as a devil, maybe it's time I explored devil-style magic too. We faced a wide range of spellcasters in Kyoto, learning magic could be useful for counters as well."
As Rossweisse agreed, Rias and Akeno walked over. They had just finished trading blasts, demonic power and lightning, and looked intrigued.
"Mind if we join that conversation?"
"We're wizard-types too. We lean more toward raw power, but magic might help us improve our finesse."
Thus, a new magic study group was born, with Rossweisse at the center and Kuroka supporting.
However… just a few days later, it would be revealed that Rossweisse had never properly learned defensive magic, leading to her sheepishly admitting:
"Ugh… this won't do. If I can't teach balanced magic, I'll never be a proper educator…"
=======
The next day, the Gremory team went to the Underworld for a joint TV interview with their Bael rivals. After school, I also used the free time to visit the Underworld.
"Whoa! The Phenex estate's just as huge as the Gremory mansion!"
"Of course it is! Our family has enormous wealth and influence, thanks to Phoenix Tears and the Rating Game. Some nobles dismiss us as new money, but really, that's just jealousy from those who couldn't rise themselves."
Ravel was acting a bit high and mighty, though I guess in this society, she's earned it.
So why was I here with Ravel?
To formally meet her parents.
They already knew about me and Ravel, and were even supportive. So there was no reason to delay… though emotionally, I kind of wished I could.
Still, this is an unavoidable event. Time to face it head-on.
When we arrived at the mansion, we were welcomed by the maids. Normally I'd be nervous, but after visiting the Gremory house several times, I'd built some resistance.
"Welcome home, Princess."
"Milady, your parents are already waiting."
Seeing this, it struck me — Ravel's position is probably very close to Rias'. The big difference being… Rias is the next head of her house.
Okay, not a small difference, but still.
And with that, I was guided to the room where I'd meet the head of the Phenex family… and his wife.
=============
40+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support