Sam felt the same shift as his previous experience with teleportation but was more ready for the landing.
However, Akeno had different ideas.
In the brief moment that Sam was off balance, his vision blackened as Akeno shoved his face into her chest.
"Akeno?" Sam's voice followed, muffled.
"Ara, ara~ Sam-kun~ if you wanted to indulge, did you really need an audience~"
Sam pried his face off her chest.
"Har, Har. I'll get you back for that later, A~ ken~ o~"
Akeno smiled, but the slight pink of her cheeks couldn't be hidden.
But before she could retort, Rias pulled her away.
Simultaneously Asia and Koneko clung to Sam's arm.
Empath felt the platform radiate jealousy and envy.
Grayfia sighed.
"Girls, as much as it's entertaining to watch you fight over him, we have work to do."
The girls eased up and Yumi shot a disappointed glance at missing her chance.
"Right.. so this is the Demon Realm. Doesn't feel that different."
"Yet." Rias added to the thought.
Sam finally took in the surroundings, now that personal distractions were... delayed.
The Gremory Estate..? Gremory Castle? Whatever it is, it's huge.
"Welcome to what will be your home and training grounds for the next 13 days." A new woman appeared from the nearest door.
"Mother! What are you doing here?"
"Oh my, Rias Darling, I just wanted to see the boy you snatched up."
Grayfia stepped up. "Sam and everyone not familiar, this is Venelana Gremory, Rias's mother."
Sam unconsciously straightened his posture.
Less than 5 minutes in and already meeting the mother of my… fake? Girlfriend.
"Oh~ so this is the Sam Barnes Grayfia was talking about~"
"Tall, Handsome, has the bad boy charm, but apparently has a heart of gold."
"Mother!"
"What, Darling? You chose well~" Venelana pinched Sam's cheek.
"T-thank you, Ma'am?"
"Call me Mother-in-law, or Venelana~"
Sam did not want to focus on what he was feeling with Empath. At all.
"Right then.. Venelana? I think we're here to train, right?"
"Oh silly me, let me guide you to where you'll be staying."
"And Rias? Your Father wants you in the study."
***
Some time after putting away all that Sam brought.
He went immediately to where Venelana had shown him the training grounds.
Right, so what can be focused on?
Exoskeleton can be evolved if I focus on it.
Smite and Godspeed can use testing and refinement respectively.
Lightning Claws are good… Lightning Breath could use some refinement.
Sam pulled up the system, wanting to double check his traits and any abilities he may have forgotten.
Traits? The useful one to train is literally just Gym Nut. Hero is good because HHE but I need to push my body higher.
Abilities… the ones I didn't cover already..Icarus's Folly, Reactive Activation and Energy Regeneration.
Sam sat down in the middle of the training yard.
I can set up Reactive Activation for Godspeed. Trigger being what..
Near death experience? Could work. Let's plug that in for now.
After hearing the system notification of successful trigger, Sam moved on to the next ability.
Icarus's Folly—hard counter to flight. Lets me force aerial fights back onto my terms.
My mastery is too low for now, I need to focus on my core abilities for now.
Sam moved on to look at Energy Regeneration.
Useful but also draining as hell, my fighting style relies more on Stamina than Mana.
The only thing I really used this for was HHE and that felt like a slog every time.
"You're thinking an awful lot. Mind sharing?" Grayfia stepped onto the yard.
"Just taking stock of what I should focus on in the coming days."
"Hmm, how about we figure that out together? I'm quite experienced."
"Not going to look a gift devil in the mouth." Sam joked, cracking a small smile as he stood.
"I wouldn't recommend it, some of us have sharp teeth."
***
The spar started like usual for Sam, slowly ramping up, adding more abilities to hone himself and test his opponent.
Before too long he had fully activated Exoskeleton and Lightning Claws.
Grayfia took it all with no sign of struggle.
If anything, Sam was looking slightly out of breath.
She's the strongest thing I've ever faced. I don't even think she'd bat an eye at Godspeed.
Regardless, Sam activated Godspeed.
He moved like lightning circling Grayfia for an opening.
He didn't find one.
Sam decided to make one.
He invoked Smite as he launched himself at Grayfia from behind.
She turned slightly, catching Sam's wrist and tossing him to the side.
The holy energy from Smite impacted the ground with a small explosion.
"You fight well, but you've never fought like this before I take it?"
Sam rolled into a sitting position to meet Grayfia's voice.
"I have taken a stray devil down with a brick and a pipe."
"Then I killed a fallen with my claws, no armor. No lightning speed. Just grit and blood."
Grayfia kept her expression but Sam felt the smallest edge of curiosity.
"Are you saying these.. abilities of yours are new?"
"Extremely."
"Then alongside your increased physical training, live combat will be added to help refine you."
"Refine me?"
"Yes, you lack the polish necessary for your abilities to shine with your fighting style. Life or Death struggles will force that adaptation."
Sam felt a chill go up his spine but Grayfia continued.
"Your friend can heal you so let's go all out with this training." Grayfia smiled.
***
The first day of training wasn't live combat, it was body conditioning.
Grayfia saw how Sam trained and decided to increase the intensity.
Sam felt like his muscles would snap, his bones felt fine thanks to Mithril Skeleton.
Sam could see others training but it was all different.
Grayfia had chosen specific training plans for ORC, the only one she had to modify was Asia's.
Once Asia showed the Grimoire of the White Mage, Grayfia had her focus on that alongside basic physical conditioning.
After dragging what could only be described as an iron trunk around.
Sam collapsed next to it.
He shot a glance at Gym Nut in the system window. 30% towards Superhuman.
Hero had raised his limit of his physique once more after its evolution weeks back, he had barely paid attention at the time.
Sam felt the healing from his favorite ex-nun.
"Sam.. are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I am."
Grayfia sat on the iron trunk.
"Fascinating. I had suspected that you were unconsciously using mana to train your body, but I didn't feel a single ounce of it."
"And that means?"
"You're a monster of a human. I can only think of a handful of humans that could do what you have."
She looked over Sam. "And given your lack of… overly developed muscle. It seems your physique is suited for density rather than expansion."
Sam nodded along with her words, he knew about the density, but the fact that there were humans similar in strength to him made him sigh.
I have a system, these other humans probably are actual monsters.
Sam stood up stretching his newly healed muscles.
"And what about My Mana? I know my holy energy is pitifully small compared to it."
"Ah, all I can say is it feels… mechanical. Most mana I feel from humans are wild or controlled."
"Yours, however, feels foreign."
Sam frowned.
"That sounds bad."
"It isn't horrible, it just means you have no idea how to use it."
"Frankly it's a wonder you were able to manifest it the way you do with armor and lightning."
"You're saying I shouldn't be able to."
"Not in the way I understand Mana, Human Mages spend time creating spells or replicating them."
"And I don't. I just… do."
"Indeed, you just do."
"And if I learn to use mana properly?"
"Then you become a human mage, I suggest you focus on your other energy."
"Holy?"
"No, Internal. I believe the term those martial artists use is… Touki?"
"I don't have tha-"
Wait, do I?
Sam pulled up the system window, checking the Muay Thai skill.
"I…do?"
"It's small. Smaller than your reserve of holy energy."
Sam looked at his hands, flexing them.
"Can't feel it, but I know it's there."
Great, now I need to add Muay Thai to the list of things to absolutely train while here.
"What would you say I need to beat Riser?"
"You have the tools, you could probably beat him now."
Sam raised a brow at her words.
"Now? I'm sure he was stronger than that, right?"
"Ah, Sam, you don't realize how strong you are, do you?"
"That punch you threw at Riser? Felt strong enough to be considered High-class."
"That sounds impressive." Sam sat on the trunk next to Grayfia as Asia went back to her light exercise.
"It is to a degree."
"So all I really need is experience."
"Correct."
Sam rolled his shoulders. "So lets start."