The next day, I found myself sitting across from Rias and her peerage in the mansion's training room. They only had one day left before their Rating Game against Riser.
With everything that had happened—my capture, my escape, killing Loki—I'd almost forgotten about it.
"So," I started, leaning back against the wall. "Did anyone learn anything from their time in the virtual world?"
Rias looked exhausted. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her usually perfect posture had given way to slumped shoulders carrying invisible weight.
"It was..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Different than I expected."
"Different how?"
"Lonely. Terrifyingly lonely."
Akeno shifted beside her, running a hand through her long black hair. "I thought I knew what isolation felt like. But an entire year on that island, with nothing but thunder and lightning for company..." She laughed, but the sound was hollow. "Let's just say I understand my power much better now."
Kiba stayed quiet, staring at his hands like they belonged to someone else.
"Kiba?" I prompted.
He looked up slowly. "A year of fighting. Every single day." His voice was steady, controlled. "Do you know how many times that man killed me? Who even is he?"
"His name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
Blank stares all around. Well, except for Rias, who seemed to recognize the name.
"Wait," Rias said, her eyes widening. "Yoriichi Tsugikuni? From Demon Slayer?"
Oh right. Demon Slayer existed in this world too. I kept forgetting about that particular piece.
I nodded.
"Demon what?" Kiba looked puzzled.
"It's a manga," Rias turned to explain. "In the story, he lived centuries ago in Japan. A swordsman so skilled that demons would rather flee than fight him. His Sun Breathing technique was considered the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship."
"That explains everything," Kiba sighed, understanding dawning in his eyes.
"By the end, I could last almost five minutes against him."
"That's actually impressive," I said, meaning it. "Most swordsmen wouldn't last five seconds."
"We got stronger." Koneko spoke up from her spot on the floor.
Speaking of her, she'd really improved since last month. Kuroka had told me that Koneko was naturally talented in senjutsu, but her fear and trauma had kept her from utilizing it properly. My absence had apparently changed that.
Now I could confidently say she wouldn't lose to anyone in Riser's peerage except the Riser himself.
"But was it enough?" Rias asked, doubt creeping into her voice. "We barely managed to scratch a god yesterday."
I sighed. The fight against Loki had shaken their confidence badly.
"You're comparing the wrong things," I said. "Loki is a god while Riser is an arrogant brat who's never faced real adversity in his life."
Rias nodded, but I could see the uncertainty still lingering in her expression. The others weren't much better. Even with a year of virtual training under their belts, the fight against Loki had shown them exactly how far they still had to go.
They weren't confident. Not really.
I sighed, pushing myself off the wall. "Alright, come at me."
"What?" Rias blinked.
"All of you. Come at me right now." I walked to the center of the training room. "You want to know if you're ready for Riser? Then show me what you've got."
"Leon, you just got back. You should be—"
"I'm fine,"
Rias exchanged glances with her peerage. Hesitation. Concern. But also determination starting to build.
"Don't hold back," I said. "Because Riser sure as hell won't."
Kiba moved first. A year of fighting Yoriichi had sharpened his speed to a razor's edge. He closed the distance in a blink, his sword already forming as he drew.
I sidestepped easily, watching the blade pass inches from my ribs. The technique was cleaner than before. More refined.
"Faster," I said.
"Ara ara~" Lightning cracked through the air as Akeno attacked from above. Holy energy mixed with fallen angel power, the combination crackling with enough voltage to fry most opponents instantly. "Let's see if you can handle this, Leon-kun."
I raised an eyebrow. It seems during the virtual training, Akeno had managed to conquer her emotions about her fallen angel heritage. The sacred and unholy powers flowed together seamlessly now.
I raised my hand and the lightning bent around me, dispersing into the walls.
"My my, that's disappointing," Akeno pouted playfully.
Koneko came in low, silent as always. Her small fist was enhanced with senjutsu and ki, carrying enough force to crater concrete.
I caught her wrist, redirecting the momentum. She rolled across the floor and came up immediately, eyes glowing with determination. No hesitation. No fear.
"Better," I said.
"...Not done yet," Koneko said softly, already moving again with that stubborn persistence she was known for.
Rias's Power of Destruction materialized in her hands, crimson spheres forming between her fingers. "Let's try this." She launched them in a coordinated pattern with Akeno's next lightning strike, her tactical mind already working on the angles.
I weaved through the barrage, feeling the heat of the destruction energy pass close.
"Keep going," I said.
"Oh, we intend to," Akeno purred, electricity dancing between her fingers. "This is quite thrilling."
Kiba attacked from the side.
"Forgive me, Leon-san, but I won't be holding back."
"Good," I replied, deflecting his strike. "I'd be disappointed if you did."
"You're quite kind," Kiba said with a smile, then immediately tried to take my head off with his next swing.
Koneko came at me again from below. Rias from the right. Akeno from above, clearly enjoying herself. Kiba from the left as he aimed for vital points.
They were boxing me in, using their different ranges and abilities to compress my options.
I started moving faster, pushing them to keep up.
"Much better!" I called out, blocking Koneko's kick. "But you're still thinking too much. Stop analyzing and just react!"
"Easier said than done," Rias muttered, launching another wave of destruction with focused precision.
"Ara ara, Leon-kun is quite demanding," Akeno said with a laugh, but her attacks didn't let up.
They kept coming. Wave after wave of coordinated attacks.
After about ten minutes, I decided they'd proven themselves enough.
I released a controlled pulse of energy. Not enough to hurt, just enough to knock them back. They hit the ground hard but were already trying to get up.
"Stop," I said, raising my hand.
They froze, breathing hard, sweat dripping down their faces.
"You're ready," I told them simply.
"But we didn't even land a hit on you," Rias protested, frustration evident in her voice despite her usual composure.
"But you did."
"Huh?"
I turned slightly, showing them my left shoulder. A thin line of red where Kiba's blade had grazed me during one of his combination attacks with Akeno.
Truth be told, I'd let that one through deliberately. They needed the confidence boost. But they didn't need to know that.
What mattered was seeing proof that their training had meaning.
Rias's eyes widened. "We... we actually hit you."
"Ara ara, how wonderful,"
"Riser might be immortal, but he's predictable. Arrogant. He doesn't work well with his peerage because he's never had to."
Overwhelm him with coordination he can't match. Hit him from angles he doesn't expect." I looked at Rias. "And most importantly, don't give him time to showboat. The moment he starts talking, hit him harder."
"We can do this," Rias said, her usual confidence returning to her voice. "We'll defeat Riser and I'll be free from this engagement."
"Damn right you will," I said. "Now get some rest. All of you. Tomorrow, you're going to make that chicken regret ever agreeing to this match."
They started to head toward the door, but I stopped them.
"Wait. Before you go, I have something for you."
I reached into my dimensional storage and pulled out four small green beans. They looked ordinary enough, but I knew better.
"What is this?" Rias asked, taking one of the beans I handed her.
Akeno examined hers curiously. "Ara ara, is this some kind of food?"
Kiba held his bean up to the light, looking puzzled. "It looks like a regular bean."
Only Koneko showed recognition in her eyes. She'd seen me use these before.
"These are senzu beans," I explained. "They can instantly heal any injuries and restore stamina."
"Instantly?" Rias's eyes widened. "That's incredible."
"As per Rating Game rules, you can only use one item per match," I continued. "So make these count. Use them when you need them most."
"This is..." Kiba stared at the bean in his palm with something like wonder. "Leon-san, this is too much."
"It's not," I said firmly. "You're going up against Riser tomorrow. You'll need every advantage you can get."
"Ara ara, Leon-kun is quite generous," Akeno said with a warm smile, carefully pocketing her bean.
Koneko nodded quietly, already tucking hers away somewhere safe.
"Thank you, Leon," Rias said, her voice sincere. "For everything. The training, the advice, these beans... I don't know how we'll ever repay you."
"Just win," I said simply. "That's all the repayment I need."
They nodded gratefully and started heading out again.
I watched them go, feeling satisfied. They were ready. Maybe not perfect, but ready enough.
Tomorrow was going to be interesting.
=====
Later that night, I was about to climb into bed when a familiar magical circle appeared in the center of my room.
I tensed for half a second before recognizing the signature. Only certain individuals were allowed to teleport directly into my mansion—the wards I'd set up would fry anyone else who tried. Rossweisse was one of the few people I trusted enough to bypass them completely.
The light faded, and there she was.
Rossweisse stood in the middle of my bedroom, wearing a nightgown—something silky and pale blue that caught the moonlight from my window. It was simple, elegant, but the way it draped over her curves made my breath catch. Her silver hair was down, falling loosely around her shoulders instead of tied back like usual.
She looked seductive and cute at the same time.
"Rose?" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
She didn't live at the mansion. She had her own apartment in the city, closer to the Mishima Corporation headquarters where she worked as my secretary. Seeing her teleport directly into my bedroom at this hour was unexpected.
Her hands fidgeted slightly at her sides. "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about you, about the month you were gone, and I just..." She took a breath. "I needed to see you."
I stood up from the bed, crossing the distance between us. "You okay?"
"Every night you were gone, I wondered if I'd ever see you again. If I'd ever get to hold you again." Her voice was soft but steady. "I tried to keep working, to keep the company running smoothly like you would have wanted, but every time I sat at my desk, all I could think about was that empty office across from mine."
I reached out, gently tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "You did great, Rose. E.V.E. told me how hard you worked to keep everything stable."
"I didn't do it for praise," she said quietly. "I did it because it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. But now that you're back, I don't want to spend tonight alone in my apartment when I could be here with you."
"Come here," I said gently.
She crossed the remaining space quickly, practically throwing herself into my arms. I caught her easily, holding her close as she buried her face against my chest.
"I missed you so much," she whispered. "Every day. Every hour. Sitting in that office pretending everything was fine when all I wanted was for you to come back."
"I know," I murmured, running my fingers through her silver hair. "I missed you too. Thinking about you, about all of you, was what kept me going."
She pulled back to look at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me we won't waste any more time being apart. That we'll make the most of every moment we have together."
I cupped her face in my hands, wiping away the tear that had escaped down her cheek. "I promise."
Then I kissed her.
She responded immediately, her arms wrapping around my neck as she pressed closer. The kiss deepened, weeks of separation and longing pouring into it. Her usual composure melted away completely, replaced by raw need and honest desire.
We stumbled back toward the bed, never breaking contact. What followed was tender and intense, full of all the emotions we'd been holding back.
Rossweisse was beautiful in the moonlight, her silver hair spread across the pillows like water. The way she said my name, the way her hands gripped my shoulders, the way she looked at me like I was her entire world—it made everything I'd endured worth it.
We took our time, relearning each other, savoring every moment. Making up for all the nights we'd spent apart.
She fell asleep in my arms, peaceful and safe. I held her close, listening to her steady breathing, feeling more at peace than I had in weeks.
This—her warmth, her presence, the quiet intimacy of just being together—this was what I'd fought so hard to come back to.
And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.
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