Issei had woken up early and already packed his bags for the training he would do with the Occult Research Club; Asia had helped him organize everything as well, the girl was very proactive and cheerful.
"We have 1 week to get stronger." (Issei)
"Yes, 1 week is very little time; 1 month would be very good for us to evolve." (Qin)
"I have to evolve more and more, the problems that arrive seem to be increasingly difficult to solve." (Issei)
"Let's create the Emperor's Route." (Qin)
"Yes, let's create an Emperor's Route." (Issei)
"A route without defeats..." (Qin)
"One where sadness doesn't exist..." (Issei)
"There is only glory and success." (Qin)
Issei was determined to win this Rating Game; he couldn't leave Rias trapped in that fate she didn't want. His duty was to save his Queen.
"If I can't save my mistress and be a good servant, then I can't be a good King." (Issei)
Issei continued to wander in his thoughts when Rias and the others came to pick him and Asia up to train in some place that would likely be a Gremory family property.
"Lady, you are filthy rich." (Issei)
"But that is no reason for you to take my things." (Rias)
Issei said this as he saw a mansion right in the middle of a forest; the entire property must belong to Rias's family, an isolated place just for them to train.
"Let's take the best room, I won't leave it for anyone." (Issei)
Issei ran inside the house and didn't wait for Rias to speak; he knew his mistress might take the best room if he waited, and he couldn't let that happen.
"The second best room is hers, the first is ours." (Issei)
"Yes, who has ever seen an emperor stay without the best room??" (Qin)
"Exactly... The best must be ours." (Issei)
Issei ran while taking off his blindfold to evaluate the rooms; he and Qin really liked one with very luxurious decoration that seemed fit for someone noble. The room looked feminine, but it didn't matter because of the nobility inside it.
"This is our room." (Qin)
"Yes, our room." (Issei)
"No... This is my room." (Rias)
The redhead was already behind the boy when she chose the room; his race was something very predictable since she met him.
"This was your room." (Issei)
"I prepared a room for you, I predicted you would do this." (Rias)
Rias knew the personality of her pawn very well; he was proud, arrogant, conceited, and liked luxuries, and for that reason, she prepared a room for him.
"Follow me." (Rias)
Issei doubted his mistress but chose to believe her; Rias was someone of her word and probably prepared something good for him or a punishment.
"Here it is!" (Rias)
Rias opened a white door in the mansion that Issei hadn't opened yet and found a very well-decorated room. The room was in a Chinese style and had some luxuries that matched him perfectly.
"You are the best!" (Issei)
"I know." (Rias)
"You're talking just like me now." (Issei)
"This pride of yours is contagious." (Rias)
Rias and Issei started laughing as the boy went to his room to pack his things; he was tempted to live in this place, the forest was also another pleasant spot.
...
Everyone had already chosen their rooms and packed their things; they were already prepared to train in sportswear.
"How are we going to train??" (Issei)
"I'm so looking forward to this." (Asia)
"It will be fun." (Kiba)
Issei and the others were in doubt when they looked at Rias; only Akeno had a slight idea of what it would be like, as she developed it along with Gremory.
"We will do strength training by pushing stones or lifting weights, agility training with obstacles by trying to pass through the forest in the shortest time, magic training with Akeno, and sparrings between us." (Rias)
Issei was very excited to start the training, he couldn't contain himself to start this and get even stronger than he was to fulfill his goals and dreams.
"Let's start with strength training, the stones are near here and you will have to push that stone to the top of the hill." (Rias)
Issei looked at a very large stone and ran quickly to it; the young man smiled as he pushed the stone bit by bit to the top of the hill.
"He is very excited." (Rias)
"I thought he would get lazy." (Koneko)
"I'm excited too." (Kiba)
The others also got excited to lift weights or the stones; Issei's spirit of initiative encouraged everyone to start working.
Hyoudou wasn't having trouble pushing the stone; the truth was that he was finding it too easy and wanted a bit more of a challenge.
"Master, I think I should add weights to my body or carry more stones." (Issei)
"Let's do both, let's add weights throughout the entire training." (Qin)
"Yes, I need to feel challenged and this stone doesn't provide that for me." (Issei)
"I think you are a monster." (Qin)
"You're the one who created this monster." (Issei)
"I only create the best of the best and you are that." (Qin)
Issei and Qin were talking while Issei pushed the stone to the top of the hill; the work seemed too easy when he came back down and thought about how to make his training harder.
"Can I change my agility training??" (Issei)
Rias wanted to hear Issei's proposal and accepted it easily; she knew the young man was trying to do something to get even stronger.
"What is your proposal??" (Rias)
"I want to dodge Akeno-san's lightning." (Issei)
"Do you think you'll be able to do that by the end of the training??" (Rias)
"I have to." (Issei)
"Then I will change to this method." (Rias)
"I also want some weights to use while I'm pushing the stones or even in the sparrings." (Issei)
"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on yourself??" (Rias)
"No, I think I'm being too easy." (Issei)
Issei was determined to win; Rias could see in his eyes that he was determined to win this Rating Game for some reason and wouldn't give up.
"Then let's do it." (Rias)
"Thank you." (Issei)
...
Issei was together with the others in front of Akeno Himejima; she was smiling when she thought she could electrocute her kouhai and satisfy her sadism in this training.
"This senpai is a bit perverted." (Issei)
"She is a sadist." (Qin)
"I could tell that now and when I got beaten up." (Issei)
"She was the one who wanted to hit you at that time." (Qin)
"It would have been much worse if it were her, I'm sure she would use whips, lightning, and other types of punishments." (Issei)
"That's for sure, this woman is dangerous." (Qin)
Issei and Qin finished talking when Kiba told Issei to prepare for the start of the training; it would last two hours to train both the kouhai and senpai.
"Here I go." (Akeno)
Akeno licked her fingers as several lightning bolts fell from the sky to hit Issei; Issei's reflexes were good, but out of the 5 lightning bolts launched, he only managed to dodge 2 and was electrocuted by 3.
"There is still room for improvement." (Issei)
"A lot of space, actually." (Qin)
Issei continued his training for two hours and his improvement wasn't that perceptible, but there was improvement while Akeno blushed more and more as she tried to punish Issei with her lightning.
Akeno's lightning had a very high speed and was difficult to predict; Issei's body was very charred when it ended and he had to be healed by Asia.
"I will improve a lot, I will improve." (Issei)
Kiba looked at Issei smiling when he turned to Rias and asked for the same training as Issei; he and Koneko felt that such methods were needed to win.
"You guys are so stubborn, hehe." (Rias)
Rias was very grateful for her servants trying to support her even with these crazy methods of trying to dodge a lightning bolt.
Koneko and Kiba started the training at the same time and fared worse than Issei, but they were still doing very well, although they had to be healed by Asia too.
"I prepared your weights here, how many kg do you want??" (Rias)
Issei didn't doubt anything when he took the heaviest ones; his arms and legs became very heavy when he used them.
"I'm going to use this even when I sleep." (Issei)
"I'm looking forward to seeing the monster you will become." (Qin)
"My body will be able to use the other two modes when this is over." (Issei)
"I think you will indeed manage." (Qin)
Issei started his sparring with Koneko; the duel boiled down to fists and kicks colliding. Both knew martial arts very well and it was a fairly balanced fight, but Koneko ended up coming out on top.
"Aren't you going to take off the weights?? You could beat me without them." (Koneko)
Koneko was wondering why that young man wasn't giving his 100% and even felt a bit upset, but she also understood it was a method to train.
"I have no interest in winning, I have interest in getting stronger." (Issei)
Issei got up after catching his breath and went to sparring with Kiba; the weights hindered him a lot when he started fighting the fast knight and he was also defeated.
"You inspire us a lot training like this." (Kiba)
"I'm happy, I hope it's for the best." (Issei)
"It definitely is for the best." (Kiba)
"I feel so glad then." (Issei)
"He might seem arrogant and very tough, but I realize he is much tougher on himself; the way he acts, the way he trains tell me that." (Kiba)
Kiba was nurturing an admiration for Issei when he saw him like this and decided he was someone to follow; he asked Rias for the same training method with weights and Koneko did the same.
Asia and Issei were in the magic training with Akeno; Kiba and Koneko seemed to have skipped this since they already knew a lot from Akeno and even had their own ideas.
"The power we devils use in our magic comes from demonic power, it is as if it were our mana..." (Akeno)
Akeno gave a lecture about magic to the two, from which Issei learned a lot about magic, mana, demonic power and became very excited when he tried to access his demonic power to enhance his martial arts.
"Before I only used Ki and my internal power to improve my attack power, but I see a new door with demonic power." (Issei)
"We're going to get much stronger with this." (Qin)
"Much more than we expect." (Issei)
"We're going to beat up that conceited blond guy!" (Qin)
"Of course we are!" (Issei)
The first day of training ended like that and it was already nightfall while Issei tried to access the demonic power in his body; he decided to have dinner with the others and then go to sleep.
...
Issei continued his routine normally as on the first day; he had difficulties getting used to it on the second and third days, but on the fourth he was already adapting. Kiba and Koneko adapted too and were having difficulties, but they were managing to overcome them and becoming even stronger.
By the fourth and fifth days, the fruits could already be seen; Issei was completely accustomed to the weights and managed to dodge most of Akeno's lightning, while Kiba and Koneko managed to dodge half with the weights.
Asia didn't fall behind in these days of training; she was very talented with magic and evolved very rapidly when she saw her companions striving so hard to improve.
The sixth and last day had arrived; the three took off their weights and the result was stunning for Rias. They didn't just double their strength, they tripled the strength they had; their potential seemed to have been unearthed.
"We can win!!" (Rias)
Rias was very happy when she saw her servants like this; she was very grateful for the spirit that Issei provided them throughout the training, a spirit of improvement no matter the difficulty.
"We've become very strong." (Kiba)
"Thanks to the pompous senpai." (Koneko)
"I'm happy to hear that." (Issei)
"Issei..." (Kiba)
"Yeah??" (Issei)
"Do you think you can beat Riser now??" (Kiba)
Kiba and everyone looked at Issei in doubt; they wanted to know how the boy would evaluate himself against Riser and if he could win.
"I won't say I can win now, but this time I have a chance against him; my strength should be equaled or a little less." (Issei)
Everyone was surprised by Issei's progress and really wanted to see him fighting at 100% against Riser Phoenix.
"This guy is really amazing, I know we can do anything as long as he's in front of us." (Kiba)
"This leadership spirit is something almost innate." (Akeno)
"He sounds like my brother when he acts like that, but just much more arrogant." (Rias)
"Issei-san is incredible!" (Asia)
The members of the Occult Research Club went to dinner and rest for the next day to come; the seventh day would be the day of the Rating Game.
"Are you confident about fighting that guy??" (Qin)
"My power increased much more than expected." (Issei)
"Yes, I saw it firsthand." (Qin)
"That guy is very strong, I only have the confidence to equal him now." (Issei)
"To equal or be a little inferior." (Qin)
"Yes, but I don't want to lose for anything." (Issei)
Issei and Qin continued talking while Hyoudou tried to improve his demonic power more and more and add it to his martial arts in a more effective way.
"There's someone outside." (Issei)
The young man went to see who was outside the mansion with everyone asleep and found his mistress reading a book with her glasses; she seemed to already know of his presence in the place.
"Hello, Issei." (Rias)
Issei was somewhat speechless when he saw that crimson hair blowing in the night wind; Rias was very beautiful.
"Hello, Rias." (Issei)
Rias was surprised that Issei didn't call her "Lady," but a feeling of happiness also sprouted in her with the closeness.
"Issei... What do you think of my situation??" (Rias)
"I think it's a quite deplorable situation, you having to join someone because other people ask that of you." (Issei)
Rias felt she could vent at that moment, that it was okay if she crumbled a little in front of this person.
"I hate this!! He only looks at me as someone who will give him good children! Someone who will make a new generation of high-class and pure-blood devils!" (Rias)
Rias screamed in anger as she vented her frustrations about this marriage, about being tied to someone she didn't like.
"I want to marry someone who likes me, who likes me for being Rias and not for being a Gremory or a noble." (Rias)
Issei smiled when he thought about that; he liked Rias in that way, he liked Rias for being Rias and loved to provoke her in every way he could think of.
"Then it has to be the same way I like you." (Issei)
Rias was a bit dazed when she thought that the young man in front of her said he liked her; he must have said it as a joke.
"Is it a joke??" (Rias)
"No, I truly love Rias." (Issei)
"What do you like about me??" (Rias)
"Your eyes." (Issei)
"My eyes." (Rias)
"Your eyes look like the purest rivers, rivers that can only be described in books and not seen in reality. I couldn't contain myself from falling in love with you when I was lying on the ground and saw you looking at me with such pity and that you were going to save me." (Issei)
Rias blushed when she heard the declaration of that pompous fellow who irritated her every day and almost every moment they met, and it could even be said that she had developed a crush on him.
"I will fight so you can marry whoever you want, I will pray for your happiness even if it's not with me." (Issei)
Issei said goodbye, leaving a confused and blushing Rias Gremory outside; she could tell in her heart something from this conversation.
"I fell in love with this idiot, I'm going to get closer to him when all this is over and be happy as I truly should be." (Rias)
Gremory was more convinced that she could win this and then go on a date with Issei and finally live the romance she so desires in her life.
...
The day of the Rating Game had arrived and everyone was prepared; Issei had put on a special outfit with Chinese characteristics for the upcoming confrontation.
Kiba was in the same clothes he wore at school and was even more confident with his strength acquired in training; Koneko was in the same situation as him.
Asia and Rias looked at Issei's back as if they only had to follow him for everything to be fine, an unshakable faith.
Akeno was curious and seemed to have understood that Rias Gremory, her best friend, had developed a great passion for that show-off boy with blindfolds on his eyes.
"My kouhai is truly very interesting..." (Akeno)
Issei arrived at the field and smiled; he thought he should just move forward, he should follow the emperor's route in this match and build the victory.