When Ryuichi countered her teasing question, Rias agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"I don't mind at all," she said with a playful smile.
Between her and Ryuichi, they'd already done everything except take that final step—so something as small as this wouldn't faze her.
She turned to Akeno with a knowing grin.
"What about you, Akeno?"
Akeno's lips curved into her usual soft, mature smile.
"Fufu… I wouldn't mind helping someone wash his back."
For someone like Akeno Himejima, concepts like shame or modesty didn't hold much weight—especially when it came to teasing Ryuichi.
Rias then turned to the petite blonde girl standing nearby.
"And Asia? I doubt you'd have any problem with it either, right?"
After all, Asia had already shared the same bed with Ryuichi several nights in a row. Every time Rias and he got intimate, Asia would watch from the side—jealous to the point of pouting. Honestly, it was adorable.
The red-haired Devil's teasing made Asia's face turn bright crimson.
Rias giggled and finally looked toward the smallest member of the group.
"So, Koneko?"
"I refuse," Koneko answered flatly, closing her eyes without a hint of hesitation.
"Oh well, can't be helped," Rias said, spreading her hands with a smile.
Ryuichi simply nodded, perfectly calm.
"What a shame."
He said the words, but there wasn't even a trace of disappointment on his face.
He'd known it would turn out this way from the start. Rias had been teasing him all along.
Akeno, of course, knew exactly what Rias was doing and decided to play along, since both of them knew Koneko would never agree. Once the little Nekomata refused, Rias would easily shut the whole conversation down.
Unfortunately for them, Ryuichi had already seen through that little game—so he didn't even flinch.
Rias, not seeing the reaction she wanted, felt a tiny pang of disappointment. This guy was always so composed—she'd never once seen him flustered.
The Hot Spring
The bath was located behind the castle, right against the mountain slope, where a natural hot spring bubbled from the earth. The pool drew directly from that spring, constantly replenished with warm, mineral-rich water.
The spacious bath was divided by a cross-shaped partition into four sections—yet even one of those sections was enormous, practically the size of a swimming pool.
Ryuichi occupied one area alone, while the four girls were in the section next to his, separated by a single wall.
As he soaked quietly in the steaming water, his body and mind slowly relaxed.
Because his side was silent, his sharp hearing easily picked up the conversation from the other side of the partition.
"Fufu… there's nothing quite like a hot spring," Akeno sighed blissfully.
"Mm. Once our training sessions get tiring, we can come here anytime," Rias said with a gentle smile. "It'll help ease the fatigue."
On their side, Rias and Akeno were already soaking in the bath, while Asia and Koneko were still rinsing themselves before entering.
As Asia's gaze drifted over Rias's and Akeno's voluptuous figures, a flicker of envy crossed her face, and she unconsciously looked down at her own chest, a little dejected.
Rias and Akeno's mature curves were truly something to admire—and for the pure-hearted Asia, they were an unreachable dream.
"That's wishful thinking," Koneko suddenly said, her tone flat as ever.
She hadn't even looked in Asia's direction, yet somehow, she seemed to know exactly what the girl was thinking.
Ryuichi couldn't help but wonder, not for the first time, if Koneko had some sort of mind-reading ability.
She always seemed to sense people's thoughts before they even spoke.
Though he had no proof, he was convinced she could.
After soaking for a while, Ryuichi let out a quiet sigh of relief. His body felt lighter already, though a few minor wounds still ached faintly.
So, he sat cross-legged in the water and began channeling his demonic power, trying to stimulate the healing of his injuries.
He'd been hurt plenty of times before—either Asia would heal him using her Twilight Healing, or Rias would transfer demonic power to repair his wounds. He couldn't imitate Asia's Sacred Gear, but Rias's method? He'd nearly mastered that himself.
This was his first attempt at self-healing using his own magic power, and to his surprise, it was working pretty well—though it was definitely exhausting.
Naturally, it wasn't quite the same as when Rias helped. When she healed him, she controlled the magic, and he just had to lie there and enjoy the warm, soft feeling of her body pressed against his…
Doing it himself was, well—definitely not the same experience.
Ryuichi focused, his concentration deepening. Before long, he felt his Sacred Gear begin to resonate. His magic power boiled up within him, and his wounds began to close faster than before.
His eyes widened slightly in delight.
Had he just stumbled upon a new technique?
It wasn't as effective as Asia's Twilight Healing, of course, but in a pinch, this subtle self-healing could be incredibly useful. Maybe he should study this properly later.
Completely absorbed, Ryuichi continued to refine the flow of his power, his magic surging like a river within him.
On the other side of the wall, however, the girls began to notice something strange.
"Huh? Rias, don't you think the water's getting hotter?" Akeno asked curiously.
"You're right…" Rias frowned slightly.
The temperature kept climbing, forcing them to move away from the steaming water.
"What's going on? Could it be something on Ryuichi's side?" Asia asked, puzzled.
Rias called out toward the next section.
"Ryuichi? What are you doing over there?"
No answer.
"…That's odd. I'll check."
To Ryuichi's surprise, Rias suddenly slid open the partition—he hadn't even realized it could move.
And then—
The girls saw him.
Ryuichi sat cross-legged in the water, back turned toward them, his body glowing faintly with magic. He was clearly lost in deep concentration, completely unaware of their presence.
"Even at a time like this, he's still training…" Akeno chuckled softly. "He really is dedicated."
Rias's eyes widened slightly.
"Wait—his power… it's rising again!"
"Eh? Really?"
Everyone focused, sensing his aura carefully. And sure enough—Ryuichi's demonic energy had grown even stronger than before.
For a moment, they were speechless.
His rate of growth was ridiculous.
Rias could tell more clearly than anyone—after all, they'd been sleeping together almost every night lately. She'd felt his power evolve day by day, like watching someone level up in real time.
It was starting to defy common sense.
Ryuichi finally came out of his meditative trance, a small smile of satisfaction on his face.
He'd gained real insight from today's battle—especially regarding his Eternal Twilight City ability. Not only had he strengthened it, but his wounds were completely healed as well.
The new self-healing method he'd accidentally developed seemed surprisingly effective.
He was just starting to feel pleased with himself when he suddenly sensed something off behind him.
He turned around—
—and froze.
Standing there were four stunningly beautiful girls, each wrapped in little more than steam, with the partition between their baths now wide open.
For a long second, nobody spoke.
Then Ryuichi blinked and tilted his head slightly.
"...So, are you all planning to join me?"