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Everyone was left speechless. Just like that, Asia's lodging problem was settled.
Since Jack didn't have time to find her a proper place to stay that day, Asia was temporarily put up in the club's activity room.
Meanwhile, Rias came out of the shower, a towel loosely wrapped around her body. Her bare shoulders and long legs shimmered with droplets of water, catching the light in a way that made it hard not to look.
Barefoot, she left a trail of wet prints on the floor before sitting gracefully down on the sofa.
"There's something that's been bothering me," she said. "That stray exorcist we met today—you drove him off, didn't you?"
"Yeah. What about it?" Jack replied calmly.
"Exorcists aren't ordinary humans. They're carefully chosen elites. Even mid-class devils struggle against them, yet you managed to defeat one. That's… surprising."
The others, who'd been quietly listening, finally realized what she meant.
"Ah, that's true," Akeno said, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "The last time you fought that high-class fallen angel, you were injured. But now you can take down an exorcist without a scratch?"
"That's some serious progress," Koneko added with a rare hint of emotion, nodding.
Jack smiled faintly, unbothered by praise or criticism alike. "Mm. Keep it coming—I don't mind."
Everyone: "…"
Right. Great guy, powerful, dependable… just a bit of a smug pain sometimes.
Rias looked at him with clear satisfaction, but her expression clouded for a moment, as if a heavy thought crossed her mind.
"But… time's running out…"
"What?" Jack frowned.
Rias didn't answer. She simply shook her head and gave a small sigh.
"It's nothing. You've grown fast, Jack. I'm proud of you. But it's still not enough."
Her gaze softened but stayed serious as she looked at the handsome boy before her. "You need to get stronger. Much stronger…"
Akeno's smile faded slightly. As Rias's closest friend, she knew that look all too well. Rias was worrying about that matter again.
And if even Rias felt powerless about it… then it could only mean one thing.
Was she really placing her hopes on Jack?
Akeno sighed quietly. That might be asking too much. Jack was talented, yes—but his current strength was nowhere near enough to stand against that person.
Jack didn't quite understand Rias's muttering, but he could guess. She needed help—his help—and she was trying not to burden him with it.
"I'll get stronger," he said simply.
His voice was calm, yet carried a quiet conviction that made everyone believe him instantly.
He didn't sound boastful—but somehow, you just knew he'd do it.
Rias's eyes softened again. She reached out and gently brushed his cheek with her fingers. "I know. I've always believed in you."
She exhaled lightly, then smiled. "But as your master, I can't just sit around doing nothing. Starting tomorrow morning, I'll help with your special training."
Jack certainly wasn't going to refuse. Having Rias Gremory herself train you? That was an opportunity anyone would kill for.
And so, their training began.
The next morning, before dawn even broke, Jack arrived at the park. Rias was already there, punctual as ever.
She was wearing a red tracksuit today—but the top couldn't hide her impressive figure no matter how modestly it fit.
Jack couldn't help sneaking a glance.
Weird. He'd already seen her naked before, and yet somehow, this sporty look was even more enticing.
Yep. Rias was the definition of a mature, seductive witch.
Respect.
Rias noticed his gaze and gave a knowing smile.
"Eyes front, Jack. Time to start training."
"Heh, sorry. Can't help it—you look amazing, President."
"If you like what you see that much," she said with a teasing grin, "we can play as much as you want after we're done here."
Her tone was sweetly dangerous. "But for now, behave and focus on training."
Jack chuckled. "Now that's some great motivation."
He stretched, feeling the energy coursing through his body, while Rias's playful air shifted to something more serious.
"No matter if you're human, angel, or devil—your body is always the foundation. Physical conditioning is crucial to channeling magic efficiently. Only after that come combat techniques."
Then she gave him his first order.
"Start with push-ups. A thousand of them."
Jack blinked. So it was that kind of training again.
Only a thousand? Easy.
He got into position and started counting.
But after just a few reps, Rias strolled over—and without warning, sat right down on his lower back.
The warmth and softness of her body pressed against him, adding a good bit of weight. Jack gritted his teeth, his mouth twitching slightly.
Seriously? Sitting there, of all times…
If this were the bedroom, he wouldn't be complaining.
Whatever.
He said nothing and kept going, one push-up after another.
Rias moved up and down lightly with his rhythm, her hair swaying as she balanced on him. By the time he hit two hundred, she raised an eyebrow, a little impressed.
"Your stamina's really something. You must've been training regularly."
"Probably because a gorgeous woman's sitting on me," he said between breaths. "Hard not to feel extra motivated."
"Careful with that waist," she said in a singsong tone. "No indecent moves allowed."
"Relax," he grinned. "If I wanted to get indecent, I'd wait till we got home and really let loose with you."
His arms kept moving steadily, not slowing down at all.
Before long, he hit the thousand mark. Then Rias switched things up—this time, she sat facing him on his thighs while he did sit-ups.
Every time he rose, her chest drew closer to his face, almost brushing him.
Now this was motivation.
If all training sessions were like this, he could keep going forever.
Heh.
Even with his boosted devil physique, hours of nonstop exercise eventually left him breathing hard.
"Alright, that's enough for physical training," Rias said, clapping her hands. "After school this afternoon, go train with Akeno and Koneko—focus on magic control and close-combat skills."
At the moment, she was sitting on his shoulders while he jogged, and he'd just finished running twenty kilometers with her on his back. Sweat glistened down his face as he finally set her down.
Rias smiled, took a towel, and gently wiped the sweat from his neck and forehead.
"You did great today. You're drenched in sweat—want to take a shower together before we teleport to school?"
Jack exhaled, still catching his breath, and grinned.
"Sure thing."
"..."
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