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Rias's breath caught in her throat.

Her words faltered as she laid eyes on the man's face—on his face.

Handsome beyond reason, with sharp yet refined features, and eyes that gleamed like the starry night sky.

There was a quiet, unshakable confidence in his expression, and in that moment, it was as if the very air bent to his presence.

He was the authority they had felt that night—undeniable, overwhelming.

"You're the one from the warehouse..." Kiba muttered, his hand unconsciously drifting toward the hilt of his sword.

"Relax," the man said calmly with a smile, his tone smooth and laced with amusement. "I told you we'd meet again. And I don't go back on my word."

He stepped forward with ease, his posture relaxed but carrying an undercurrent of terrifying power, like a blade concealed beneath velvet.

And then Erika appeared beside him, smiling warmly at Rias and her group. It was the first time she'd appear before them in her human form, but they recognized her all the same. Her aura was as fierce and overwhelming as it was the night they met—though now, it seemed... gentler, tempered.

"W-Why are you here?" Rias finally asked, her voice quiet but firm. Her crimson eyes, filled with a mix of caution and curiosity, were locked onto the man's face.

The man gave a small, respectful bow, his expression calm and composed.

"My name is Tsubakihara Yuuji," he said smoothly. "Aika's boyfriend—and I'm here to fulfill the promise she made to you."

He glanced at Aika with a helpless, slightly amused smile, as if recalling a sudden memory that left him no room for protest. Just this morning, after sharing a peaceful breakfast with Aika, Albedo, Erika, C.C.

, Suzuki, Tatsuya, and Lelouch—right after a rather eventful dip in the mixed outdoor hot springs Yuuji had with his lovers—Aika had casually informed him of the promise she made to Rias.

Apparently, Aika had agreed in his stead to train Rias and her peerage once the mission was underway.

Of course, he had no memory of agreeing to anything of the sort.

But by then, it was too late to refuse.

Despite the abruptness, Yuuji recognized the opportunity.

It would be the perfect chance to accomplish their first mission and build relations with the supernatural world of this dimension.

With Lelouch's help, he quickly tracked Rias's location and opened a Gate to their mountain estate. Naturally, Erika and Aika came along.

Rias and her peerage observed Yuuji and Erika with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

Even with Aika's presence—and the clear affection she shared with them—last night's overwhelming display of power had left its mark.

The memory of magic being utterly suppressed, of strength beyond their comprehension, still lingered in their minds.

But then they saw his smile.

It was warm. Genuine. The kind of smile only someone deeply in love could give—especially when he looked at Aika. The tenderness in his eyes, the gentleness in his posture... it didn't match the terrifying figure from the warehouse.

That contrast shattered their initial impressions.

He wasn't just an enigmatic powerhouse shrouded in mystery. He was someone real. Someone human.

And for Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Asia, that humanity made their hearts skip a beat. A flush crept into their cheeks before they even realized it. Curiosity quickly replaced suspicion. Interest bloomed where tension once stood.

Even the boys—Issei, Kiba, and Saji—felt the shift. Sensing no hostility or malice, they, too, cautiously lowered their guard.

Rias, regaining her composure, turned her attention to the oni woman beside him.

"And you?" she asked, her voice more confident this time.

Erika grinned, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm Chiba Erika! I wasn't originally part of the deal, but after seeing you guys last night... well, I got interested~"

Her grin widened playfully. "Besides, you've got your big Rating Game coming up, right? You want to protect Rias's freedom, don't you?"

Issei stepped forward, still trying to make sense of everything. "So... you're not here to fight us?"

Yuuji gave a soft chuckle, the warmth in his voice now tinged with something sharper—firmer. "Of course not. We have no reason to." He paused, then added, "But I won't go easy on you either. If you want to grow, I'll have to be... strict."

A sudden chill swept through the group.

Just when they had begun to see him as gentle, maybe even kind, his words pulled them back to the terrifying aura they had felt in that abandoned warehouse. The warmth in his gaze didn't disappear—it simply settled into something far more daunting: conviction.

"I've heard the situation from Aika," he said, his voice unwavering. "You've got less than a week to prepare. And your opponent isn't just any devil. Riser Phenex—scion of a noble house with regeneration that borders on immortality—and a full, battle-hardened peerage."

Yuuji's eyes scanned over each of them. Calm. Measured.

"I haven't even seen you in a real battle yet, but I can tell... As you are now, it's impossible. You'll lose."

His words hit harder than any spell or strike. It was like being plunged into a cold, dark sea—with no hope of surfacing.

The memories of sleepless nights, hours of grueling training, aching muscles, and bruised pride—flashed through their minds. It all felt... worthless. As if everything they had endured amounted to nothing in the face of someone who could so easily see through them.

Rias's crimson eyes burned with frustration as her fists tightened at her sides.

Akeno turned away, lightning crackling faintly in her palm but fizzling out.

Kiba grit his teeth, his knuckles white from how tightly he gripped his sword.

Asia lowered her head, her long lashes hiding the pain in her eyes. And Koneko...

She stared at her small white hands.

These were hands that could crush stone, that had trained in martial arts far beyond a normal human's. But they still felt too small... too weak to protect the ones she cared for.

Her golden eyes lifted and fixed on Yuuji's face.

He didn't wear scorn. He didn't smile in amusement. He didn't look down on them.

He simply stated the truth.

And that honesty... hurt more than cruelty ever could.

"You don't know that!"

Issei's voice rang out, sharp and loud—desperate. He stepped forward, fists clenched, staring down the black-haired man who had displayed overwhelming pressure enough to paralyze them effortlessly.

But Issei's anger drowned out his instincts.

His pride—his will—refused to bow. And the thought of Rias, the woman he came to admire, Akeno, the gentle and kind senior who likes to tease, Koneko, the aloof yet kind girl, Asia, the cute bundle of kindness and innocence, and Kiba, the reliable and kind friend, becoming playthings of the vulgar scion of the Phoenix household pushed his body forward to stand before someone he knew could end him easily.

Yet Yuuji remained calm. He didn't even flinch.

"Oh?" Yuuji's dark eyes narrowed. Not cruelly. But like someone assessing broken weapons on a battlefield.

"But I do."

His gaze moved slowly, deliberately, settling on each of them as he spoke:

"A Red Dragon Emperor who just hatched. A speck of magic, no control, and not even a hint of strategy to use your gear."

His eyes moved to Kiba.

"A swordsman who relies on speed he hasn't refined. And countless blades, yet none you can truly call your own."

To Koneko.

"A little girl who swings her fists without purpose. No technique. No intent. Just... hoping it's enough."

To Asia.

"A healer. Kind-hearted, yes. But one who can only heal surface wounds—and only by touch. In a real battle, that makes you a liability."

And then to Rias.

"A king... whose name carries weight, but whose power is still asleep. You hide behind your heritage—but it won't save you."

Finally, he looked at Akeno—and gave a subtle nod.

"The only one of you with actual potential, with the control and presence of mind to act decisively... is her."

Silence. No one moved. No one could.

"And you still think," he said, voice quiet but cutting, "that this team can defeat a full, high-ranking peerage with plenty of experience in Rating Games?"

The silence was thick—heavy with humiliation, anger, and doubt.

Each of them stood frozen in place, trapped in the gravity of Yuuji's words. No one dared to speak, but the fire in their eyes hadn't gone out. Not yet.

Yuuji closed his eyes briefly, then let out a quiet breath.

"...But that doesn't mean it has to stay that way."

The sudden shift in tone snapped everyone's attention back to him.

He took a step forward, his gaze resolute—no longer sharp, but solid. Anchored. Behind him, the two beautiful girls stared at the man they call the love of their lives, reminded once more why they fell for him in the first place.

"You're weak now. That much is true. But weakness is only permanent if you choose to let it be."

He looked at Issei first, the boy whose pride refused to yield even in the face of overwhelming strength.

"You've got power sleeping inside you, Red Dragon Emperor. But you treat it like a toy, not a weapon. If you want to protect your friends, then stop playing the hero and become one. Use what you have in that brain to think. And if you can, train harder than anyone else to compensate for it."

To Kiba.

"You've suffered loss. I see it in your stance—in the hesitation when you move. That pain? Use it. Sharpen it. Turn it into something that can't be broken."

Then Koneko.

"Your fists are strong. But strength without purpose is wasted potential. Fight not because you can—but because you must. Find your purpose."

He gave Asia a softer look—gentler, like speaking to someone cradling glass.

"You've got the most important job of all. To keep them standing. But that also means learning to stand firm yourself. No more shrinking. No more fear."

Finally, his gaze landed on Rias.

"And you... you're the king. It's not about power. It's about resolve. If you can't carry the weight of your team, then you'll all fall. So stand up. Not as the Gremory heiress, but as Rias. Lead them. Be their guiding hand. And to do that, you must be in front of them, and lead by example."

A brief silence passed again—but this time, it was different. Not oppressive. Not paralyzing.

Hope was flickering back into their eyes.

Yuuji turned and gestured toward the wide, open courtyard below him.

"I'm giving you one shot. Right here, right now."

He walked forward, towards them.

"If you want to prove me wrong—if you want to show me that you're more than what I just said—then step forward and fight. Show me that you have will to become something more than what you are right now."

He crossed his arms, his voice steady and firm:

"This is your first trial. Show me your will. Or walk away."

A tense silence loomed over the training grounds.

And as he watched Rias and her peerage all standing in silence, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly...

'The things I do to complete a mission... I'm sure Aika's going to spread this to the others and laugh at my speech.'

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