Rias left the room with an emotion that was hard to name. The door closed softly behind her, cutting off the delicate, charged air inside.
Genichi stood still for a moment, confirming she had gone far enough. Only then did he turn his attention fully to planning.
Going to the Danmachi world was no longer a vague idea. It was sharp, urgent, and practical.
It was not just to patch his lack of combat experience and foundational growth. It was to add another survival chip for the brutal Soul Coliseum.
But world-hopping was not without constraints.
Traveling to a new world seemed to have no limit in uses or intervals. As long as he had a clear coordinate for that world, he could initiate the jump.
The key problem was returning.
Every time he returned from another world to the world he was currently in, there was a cooldown of about one month.
It was like an invisible rule, preventing him from abusing time gaps and hopping endlessly.
Another rule, extremely advantageous to him, was this: when he left a world, time in that world, relative to him, almost froze.
No matter how long he spent elsewhere, when he chose to return, he would appear at the next second after he left.
That guaranteed freedom of movement across worlds, preventing trouble or exposure that would come from "being gone" for too long.
Orario was not a peaceful vacation spot.
It was a maze city over an endless Dungeon, monsters everywhere, gods and Familias tangled in complicated power structures, with the Dark Faction lurking in the shadows.
In his current state, barging in blindly would be the same as walking into danger. And Danmachi Genichi's memories made it worse: that version of him had already been trapped in the Dark Faction's orbit.
"I have to raise my strength as much as possible before going. I have to bring out the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker."
The judgment was clean and firm.
Balance Breaker was the true liberation of a Sacred Gear's power, a qualitative leap.
For the Boosted Gear, the Red Dragon Emperor's armor form would massively enhance offense and defense and open far more tactical options. In an unknown, high-risk world, it was essential.
Maybe it was the accidental "reward" from triggering Juggernaut Drive on the verge of death.
That uncontrolled eruption had been dangerous, but it had also been like a hammer smashing open blocked gates deep inside him.
The residual essence of Ddraig's Dragon Soul, which had been slowly and gently reshaping his physique and widening his demonic power circuits, had been forced into faster refinement under that violent impact.
Genichi could feel the changes clearly.
His demonic power was thicker and purer. His physical strength had climbed sharply. He felt he was already standing at the threshold of Balance Breaker, missing only the last push, or an intense enough trigger to resonate with the deeper layer of the Sacred Gear.
"So I need a high-intensity, targeted external stimulus."
That was his conclusion.
And the best person to provide that stimulus right now was the one he had just irritated: Rias Gremory.
He gathered his thoughts, straightened his clothes, temporarily shelved the Orario plan, and returned his face to its usual calm. Then he opened the door and walked into the living room.
The lighting there was soft, and the scent of black tea lingered in the air.
Rias sat in the main seat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea brewed by Akeno, sipping it in small, controlled tastes.
Akeno sat diagonally opposite, posture elegant, wearing her usual gentle smile.
They seemed to be speaking quietly, the atmosphere outwardly harmonious.
When Genichi appeared, Rias lifted her eyes to him. Her gaze paused on his face for a beat, then she made a clear, audible huff of irritation and turned her head away, deliberately focusing on the cup in her hand as if it had suddenly become a rare work of art that required her full attention.
Her body language was bluntly childish.
I'm mad. I do not want to talk to you.
Akeno remained all smiles. Her amethyst eyes shifted between Genichi and the obviously sulking Rias. Her smile deepened with amused understanding, but she was considerate enough not to comment, continuing to play the role of quiet tea-maker.
Genichi had expected the reaction.
He had drawn the line too cleanly earlier, leaving no ambiguity at all. For a young lady who was used to being adored, displeasure and sulking were natural.
He kept his expression unchanged. Walking to the sofa, he looked at Rias's stubbornly turned face and spoke evenly and directly.
"Buchou, for the next stage of controlling the Sacred Gear, I believe I need your help."
Rias's fingers paused slightly on the teacup, but she did not look back, only angled her face to the side as if to say, I'm listening.
"I can feel it. I'm one step away from triggering Balance Breaker. What I'm missing might be a strong enough combat will, or an extreme pressure experience."
Genichi continued, his gaze steady.
"If possible, I want you to personally arrange a special training session for me. Ideally something with real intensity, and real targeting. A practical combat-focused session."
That finally made Rias turn back.
The sulk in her emerald eyes was replaced quickly by surprise, seriousness, and a spark of newly kindled interest.
Even if she was still annoyed at his earlier refusal to play along, she immediately caught the key point as his master.
Balance Breaker.
That meant his control over the Longinus was about to enter a completely new stage. It meant her trump card's value was surging again. It meant she was one step closer to defeating Riser Phenex.
Personal feelings could wait. This was future-critical.
And then, with that shift, an idea surfaced in Rias's mind, so neat it was almost too perfect.
Her lips curved into a bright, dazzling smile, pretty enough to disarm. But there was something faintly malicious in it, the kind that made it clear she was not being purely generous.
She set down her cup, leaned forward slightly, and looked Genichi up and down with eyes that felt like they could see through him.
The gaze was not a leader evaluating a subordinate who needed instruction.
It was a smith evaluating material about to be thrown into the furnace.
"Good."
Rias clapped her hands lightly, her voice crisp and unmistakably pleased.
"If you're this motivated, and you've recognized your weaknesses, then as your Buchou and your master, it's my responsibility."
She rose to her feet. Her wine-red hair swayed gently with the motion. Her smile grew brighter, but it also practically spelled out four words.
Public revenge.
She did not even bother to hide it.
"From here on, I'll personally train you. I'll absolutely do my best to help you find that final push."
She pronounced do my best with deliberate clarity. The light in her eyes mixed anticipation, excitement, and an unashamed, finally-I-get-to-deal-with-you eagerness.
Genichi looked at the grin on her face, too obvious, like a hunter watching prey step into a trap, and fell silent for a brief moment.
Even if you plan to wrap revenge in the name of training, you could at least pretend not to enjoy it this much.
He could not help the dry thought.
He could already see it. This "special training" was not going to be gentle guidance. It was going to be high-intensity "special care."
But to Rias and Akeno's surprise, Genichi did not show fear or hesitation. He did not even frown.
"Understood."
He nodded calmly, expression unchanged.
"Time. Place."
(End of Chapter)
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