A gentle smile adorned Rian's face—a perfect paradox between calmness and brutality.
"Rias-chan, Akeno-chan…" he greeted lightly, glancing briefly at the three Fallen Angel corpses scattered across the ground.
"Could you take care of these bodies for me?" said Rian, "I'm seriously late for an important appointment."
Without hesitation, Rian slipped off his trench coat and blazer, handing them to Rias and Akeno.
"Hyoudou-kun, Kiba-kun, and Koneko-chan should be finishing up soon," he said softly, though his tone carried clearly through the night. "Give these to Koneko-chan and that girl. I have a feeling… their clothes might be torn."
Rias accepted the coat with a puzzled expression, her brows knitting slightly.
Meanwhile, Akeno's lips curved into a faint smile—her violet eyes glimmering with a strange mix of admiration and intrigue.
But Rian didn't wait for a reply. He turned and began to walk away, calm and unhurried.
The night breeze caught his white shirt, fluttering it open slightly—adding a dramatic flair he himself didn't even notice.
***
When Rian returned to the karaoke room, he found Ophis still sitting quietly on the sofa, patiently waiting while nibbling on a piece of cake bit by bit.
Without saying much, Rian walked over to the music player in the room, adjusted a few settings, and connected it to Sub-Alice via Bluetooth.
Since there was still plenty of time left on the room rental, Rian decided to simply sing—to enjoy a small, quiet moment with a song from his original world.
Ophis remained silent, watching Rian with her usual blank expression as she continued eating her cake.
Rian gave a faint smile, lifted the microphone, and pressed play.
Music began to flow through the speakers—the song he had chosen was from Bruno Mars' album: "Just the Way You Are."
"Oh, her eyes, her eyes~"
"Make the stars look like they're not shining~"
"Her hair, her hair... falls perfectly without her trying~"
"She's so beautiful~"
"And I tell her every day~"
Rian's gentle voice filled the room, carrying a warmth and calm that seemed to soften the air itself.
Ophis remained seated, listening in silence, her expression unreadable as her eyes occasionally followed Rian's movements.
At the very least, this time she didn't look annoyed—Rian's voice was far better than Gasper's, after all.
"When I see your face~"
"There's not a thing that I would change~"
"'Cause you're amazing~"
"Just the way you are~"
As Rian reached the main chorus, Ophis, who had been quietly sipping her milkshake, suddenly stopped.
Her half-drowsy gaze widened just a little, as if something in the song had caught her off guard.
"And when you smile~"
"The whole world stops and stares for a while~"
"'Cause girl, you're amazing~"
"Just the way you are~"
As those lyrics left his lips, Ophis tilted her head slightly, as if the little Dragon God herself were trying to understand the meaning hidden within the song.
And so, time passed like that with Rian often singing songs from his original world.
***
Two days had passed since the incident involving the rescue of a girl named Asia Argento from the hands of the Fallen Angels.
Now, Asia had officially become a Reincarnated Devil, holding the position of Bishop under Rias's peerage—after losing her life in the brutal conflict over Twilight Healing.
Not only that, Asia had also become a new student at Kuoh Academy, even sharing a class with Issei and Rian.
According to Rias's plan, Asia had also started living together with Issei for "supervision," or so she claimed.
On another note, the bond between Issei and Rias seemed to be growing closer, while Asia herself appeared to be developing feelings of her own… or perhaps it was just the lingering compassion of a former saint.
But setting aside school life and teenage drama—today was a break day.
At the moment, they were all gathered in the forest within the Gremory Manor's training grounds.
Not for camping.
Not for a picnic.
Their goal today was simple—a sparring session against Rian, alone.
From the way they stood lined up before him—and from the serious expressions on each of their faces—it was clear this wasn't just a regular training session.
On the other hand, Rian stood there casually, wearing a long black shirt under a dark vest, a black body belt, black gloves, and dark trousers.
There didn't seem to be much in the way of protection on him… but that was precisely what made them uneasy.
Because one thing was certain, Rian didn't need protection. They were the ones who had to be ready.
As for the reason behind the sparring match? Simple, yet clear. Rian was the one who requested it first.
Of course, it wasn't out of arrogance or to show off. He simply wanted to test their limits and his own—as part of one of his missions, unbeknownst to them.
Meanwhile, the Gremory group didn't object. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Rias, Akeno, Kiba, even Koneko and Issei—all of them had been curious for a long time. Ever since the Fallen Angel incident, Rian's power had been a mystery far too tempting to ignore.
He looked relaxed at first glance, but in the blink of an eye… he could erase an opponent without even touching them.
Not to mention, he possessed a unique power capable of neutralizing Gesper's Forbidden Balor View.
So when the chance for a sparring session came up, they accepted it eagerly. They wanted to gauge Rian's strength firsthand—with their own bodies and instincts.
And today, the forest behind the Gremory Manor had become their testing ground.
"Let me remind you all again, yeah?" Rian's confident gaze swept over each of them. "The rule's simple… i won't be using Infinity. But if anyone goes for the face? Well, that's a different story."
His right hand slipped into his pocket. In an instant, he pulled out something—a stack of round stickers with various funny facial expressions.
"Anyone who gets one of these stuck on their face…" Rian said with a mischievous grin, "is declared the loser."
But just before they could protest, Rian added. "And let's add one more rule," Rian said, raising his right index finger toward the sky.
"If you lose… you'll go bungee jumping from 80 kilometers above sea level. How's that. Sounds fair, right?"
In unison, they all responded with a mix of expressions and reactions.
Rias closed her eyes and sighed softly. "You really do have the strangest ways of tempting death, Rian."
Akeno chuckled lightly. "Ara~ If that's your wager, then I'm even more motivated to win."
Koneko stared blankly and muttered flatly, "I don't like stickers."
Kiba smiled calmly, though there was a nervous undertone in his voice. "Looks like I'll have to be extra careful about my face, then."
Beside Issei, Asia "Asia Argento" hesitantly raised her hand. "U-um… Rian-san… is the bungee jumping… really going to happen?"
Issei panicked. "Wait, wait—80 kilometers!? That's not bungee jumping, that's straight-up suicide, Rian!"
From behind Rias, Gasper was trembling, nearly on the verge of fainting. "P-please… d-don't make me bungee jump! That's way too scary!"
"No comment," Rian said casually. "Bungee jumping's still on if you lose."
He added with a teasing grin, "And to think, this handsome guy is being generous enough not to use Infinity."
A mischievous smile spread across his face as he leaned forward slightly, like a cat about to pounce.
"So… let's begin!"
In an instant, Rian dashed forward, his speed skyrocketing as his muscles surged with energy reinforcement.
Before any of them could even react, he was already right in front of Gasper, who had been standing near the back.
Tap!
"You'll just be a hassle," Rian smirked. "So, you're first, okay?"
A sticker landed squarely on Gasper's face, and at that very moment, the vampire staggered dramatically as if struck by a lethal blow before collapsing backward in an over-the-top fall.
"...I... lost..." Gasper whispered faintly, his hand reaching toward the sky as if trying to grasp something untouchable.
Finally, the others began to move, spreading out to find a safe distance from Rian.
Kiba was the first to strike, swinging his wooden sword from behind—swift and precise.
But Rian merely tilted his body slightly, dodging with minimal effort, before pressing a sticker onto Kiba's face.
"Fast, but too predictable," Rian said casually, then added another sticker in a blur of motion.
"A bonus for you."
Kiba staggered, then fell back onto the ground with a quiet sigh.
"So this is what it feels like… to be humiliated," he muttered before getting up and walking toward the edge of the field.
At the same time, Rian took three steps back, creating some distance while chuckling softly—not to mock them, but simply enjoying the lighthearted sparring atmosphere.