"Now it's just you guys, huh?" Rian said with a wicked grin, lifting the stack of stickers in his right hand.
"Hehehe… get ready for that bungee jumping tour. Especially you… Koneko-chan."
"...Annoying," Koneko replied flatly, though her eyes were sharp—like blades ready to pierce anyone who came too close.
"Fufufu~ go ahead and try if you dare," Akeno said playfully, her right hand raised as golden sparks of lightning danced in the air.
Rias exhaled softly, smiling faintly as she shook her head. "You really are such a troublemaker..."
Meanwhile, Asia—who had looked confused the entire time—finally spoke in a quiet, hesitant voice. "Rian-san… why does it have to be bungee jumping…? That's not part of training, is it…?"
Rian only answered with a sly, teasing smile.
Then, Issei stepped forward. With his usual tokusatsu-like pose, he raised his left hand high, and the sound of his Sacred Gear—Boosted Gear—activated clearly.
"Boost!"
"I won't let that happen!" he shouted boldly. "I'll protect my friends!"
Silence. Everyone stared at Issei.
Soft smiles appeared on their faces—Rias, Akeno, Asia, even Koneko. Their eyes were filled with faith and trust in Issei.
Meanwhile, Rian simply closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and shook his head slightly.
"So classic… total Kamen Rider vibes, huh?"
In the next instant, Rian moved. With a single flash of motion, he was already standing right in front of Issei.
"—Boost!"
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Six stickers landed perfectly on Issei's face, sticking to him like cursed seals.
"W–WAAAH!?" Issei stumbled backward, flailing.
"Ultimate Sticker Technique: The Sixfold Combo of Handsome Man's Sins," Rian declared with a satisfied grin. "Sorry, henshin boy. You're eliminated."
Rian crouched down in front of Issei, who was still wobbling with six stickers plastered across his face. Without hesitation, he added four more—on his cheeks, forehead, and chin—completely covering his face.
With a crooked smile and mock sympathy in his tone, Rian said, "Four bonus stickers. The path to a harem king is never smooth, Hyoudou-kun."
Rian stood upright, brushing his hands together as if he'd just finished cleaning something, then grinned. "Let's just call this mental training… or maybe a little temporary face decoration."
Rias pressed her fingers to her temple and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Rian… you really treat this spar like some kind of comedy show."
As usual, Akeno covered her mouth, giggling softly. "Fufufu~ You're so cruel… but I like it."
Sparks of lightning began to dance at her fingertips—a clear sign she was starting to get serious.
Asia looked worriedly at Issei, then turned to Rian. "Um… Rian-san… that's… too many stickers… He looks like… a character from a children's festival."
Koneko, on the other hand, stood silently. Her golden eyes narrowed, sharp and cold as a blade. There were no extra words—just one quiet sentence that slipped from her lips.
"I hate you," she murmured flatly, though the tone carried a hidden threat.
Rian, of course, wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he looked back at the small girl and gave her that smile—Rian's trademark, infuriatingly smug smile.
With a theatrical flourish, Rian raised his hand and pointed straight at Koneko, as if making an important announcement.
"When it's time for the bungee jump, Koneko-chan…" he said casually, "I've already prepared a big, bright pink ribbon for you. It'll look perfect on a little girl like you."
The air instantly froze. Even the atmosphere seemed to tense up.
Without a word, Koneko turned around and slowly walked toward a large boulder at the edge of the field.
When she reached it, she paused for a moment, stared at the rock, and spoke in a quiet but chilling tone:
"I'm going to throw this at your face first… then we'll talk about the bungee jump."
The massive rock—far too big for someone her size—was lifted effortlessly by Koneko.
Meanwhile, Rian just chuckled softly and stepped back, raising both hands in mock surrender.
"Whoa, whoa… don't get angry now. Your cheeks will just get chubbier~"
And just like that, chaos erupted.
Even though everyone had already been declared defeated—with stickers adorning their faces thanks to Rian sneakily tagging them while dodging Koneko—the sparring session devolved into complete mayhem.
All because of one person: Rian.
Koneko, who was usually calm and expressionless, finally snapped. She began hurling anything within reach at Rian—massive rocks, tree trunks, park benches, even one of the decorative lion statues from the Gremory manor grounds.
And Rian?
With pure joy and a mischievous grin that refused to fade, he dodged every single attack with effortless grace, his movements fluid and elegant—almost like he was dancing through the air.
Each graceful dodge only made Koneko angrier.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the defeated group—Issei, Asia, Akeno, Rias, Kiba, and Gasper—could only sit and watch the chaos unfold with a mix of awe, disbelief, and resignation on their faces.
"He really does love teasing Koneko, doesn't he?" Rias said, taking a sip of tea from her pot.
"Fufufu~ Rian is… quite something," Akeno added with an ambiguous smile.
"He never learns from experience," Kiba murmured, shaking his head slightly.
"And he actually looks like he's enjoying getting pelted," Issei said in disbelief. "Is he… a masochist or something?"
Asia covered her mouth in worry. "Rian-san… will he be okay…?"
Meanwhile, Gasper still with stickers covering his face whispered softly, "Senpai… is really weird…"
One thing, however, was certain: Rian was thoroughly enjoying the chaos. And perhaps… that was just his own unique way of spending a day off.
Twenty minutes had passed.
The training grounds of the Gremory manor now looked more like the aftermath of a battlefield: trees toppled, shattered vases scattered everywhere, and statues cracked beyond recognition.
Even the boulders were flung around as if a storm had swept through… or more accurately, a storm named Koneko.
And the culprit behind all of this?
Of course, still sitting casually at the edge of the field, completely unbothered — none other than Rian and Koneko.
But sitting quietly during a break? That wasn't the style of this handsome troublemaker.
With a look of utter satisfaction, Rian was busily hammering a large banner into the ground right behind Koneko.
The banner which he had clearly brought from his own apartment and somehow hidden among his training gear — read in big, bold letters:
"Koneko-chan Is Super Cute When She's Angry!"
Everyone else present, except for Koneko, stared at Rian with blank, deadpan expressions.
Koneko, who had been sitting quietly trying to calm herself, suddenly felt a wave of irritation surge within her.
Tiny creases formed on her delicate forehead, and her golden eyes sharpened—like a cat ready to pounce.
She glared at Rian with an expression that clearly said: "If you don't shut up right now, I'll bury you alive."
And yet, deep down, she knew… it would be pointless. Because Rian, with all his infuriating charm, was utterly hopeless.
"Yosh, done!" Rian announced cheerfully, standing tall and striking a proud pose as if showing off a masterpiece.
He turned to the others, pointing at the banner with a grin full of confidence.
"So? What do you guys think? Pretty good, right? This handsome man guarantees top print quality!"
Asia stared at the banner, eyes wide. "Uwah… Koneko-chan is cute, but…" She slowly turned her gaze toward Koneko. "…only when she's not angry."
Issei, who had just peeled off some of the stickers blocking his view, turned to Rian with a stiff grin.
"Bro… I respect your bravery. But I also don't wanna die young. I still have dreams—like becoming a harem king."
Kiba let out a long sigh, closing his eyes briefly. "Every time… Rian somehow finds a way to make things lively."
Akeno covered her mouth gracefully to suppress a laugh. "Fufufu~ Koneko-chan must be embarrassed… or angry… or maybe both?"
Rias crossed her arms and gave a weary smile. "One peaceful time without chaos from you, Rian… I guess that's too much to hope for, huh?"
And Koneko?
Koneko slowly stood up. Silent. Expressionless. Her steps were light—but carried the weight of vengeance. She picked up the biggest rock she'd thrown earlier… and started walking toward him.
Rian raised an eyebrow. "Eh? Eh? Don't tell me you're touched? This handsome guy can tell… you love being called cute."
Koneko stopped a few meters in front of him.
"…You're dead." The line was flat, but the dark aura around her spoke louder than words.
"Eek! wait, this can be talked about!" Rian immediately sprang backward, escaping with flair. "Remember! If your cheeks go red, it means you admit you're cute, ya~"
"JUST DIE!" Koneko screamed, throwing the rock at full force. Rian evaded with a single lean, as if performing a dance move.