Rian chuckled softly, his expression as calm as ever. "Relax, Hyoudou. I can explain it again… but this time, through a live demonstration."
Everyone in the room turned toward him, confused.
Rias narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by 'demonstration'?"
Rian stepped gracefully to the center of the room, then turned around and raised both hands in front of him, smiling confidently.
"Simple," Rian said casually. "Now then—why don't you all try to touch this handsome man?"
Akeno arched a brow, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Ufufu~ now this sounds interesting…"
Kiba exchanged glances with Rias. Koneko tilted her head slightly, still silent but clearly intrigued.
"Touch you?" Issei muttered suspiciously. "This sounds like a trap…"
"Come on, give it a try~" Rian said lightly, still standing there with complete confidence—as if daring anyone to reach him.
Curious but cautious, they each stepped forward and tried to touch Rian one by one.
However, before their fingertips could even brush against his skin or clothes, it was as if an invisible film separated them—a thin yet solid barrier, soft to the touch but utterly unyielding, like a wall of air that could not be breached.
Akeno slowly withdrew her hand, her violet eyes widening slightly. "It's not magic… but it feels like touching the surface of solid water. This is incredible…"
Rias narrowed her eyes, focusing on the aura around Rian. "This… isn't a spell. It's something else entirely. Remarkable."
Kiba nodded in agreement, still looking stunned. "I've never seen anything like it."
Issei, who had been the loudest a moment ago, now stood slack-jawed in awe. "Holy crap… This is like a real-life cheat! Dude, what kind of broken skill is that?!"
Koneko said nothing. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, her face unreadable, but it was clear she was analyzing what she'd just seen.
Seeing their reactions, Rian only gave a faint, composed smile. He took a single step forward, lowering his left hand while keeping his right raised—palm facing outward, radiating quiet confidence.
"Besides," Rian said calmly, his tone carrying that familiar, easy confidence, "this handsome man can apply it in a much subtler way."
He waved his hand gently toward Koneko. "Koneko-chan, try touching this palm. Don't worry— i'am promises doesn't bite."
Koneko, who had been quietly observing with her usual blank stare, glanced at Rian's open hand for a moment—her eyes narrowing slightly with caution and curiosity.
She didn't move right away, only muttered softly, "If this is a trap, I'll slam you again."
Rian smiled warmly, even giving a playful little nod. "This handsome man is willing to bet all his charm that it's not."
Without another word, Koneko slowly reached out her small hand. Her fingers approached Rian's open palm, carefully, as if testing the air—just enough to brush it for a second, just to see.
Then—tap.
No contact. Her fingertip stopped just short of his skin, hovering in the air, mere millimeters away. It was as if something invisible yet solid had stopped her, something unseen but undeniably real.
Koneko tried pressing a little harder, but her finger still couldn't break through that unseen barrier.
"…I can't," she said flatly, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise—not from failure, but from the sheer reality of what she was witnessing.
Rian chuckled softly, his tone light yet full of quiet confidence. "That's… Infinity. No one can touch me—without permission."
Koneko kept staring at her finger, hovering just above Rian's open palm. Too close to be called distant, yet too far to be called a touch.
Her hand felt restrained by something—no pain, no resistance, just an undeniable halt, as if the world itself whispered: this is as far as you go.
Rian turned his head casually, glancing at Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Issei in turn. They were all still watching in silence—curious, fascinated, and unsure how to even react.
"Do you want to know something?" Rian said lightly, lifting one shoulder as if explaining something utterly simple. "Infinity exists everywhere—between us, between distance… and intention."
Before Koneko could pull away, Rian expanded the reach of his Infinity in an instant—just enough to envelop her small frame. The space around her seemed to freeze, though no one else noticed the shift.
Then, Rian looked back at Koneko. A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes gleamed with playful mischief.
"And now," he murmured softly, tilting his head slightly, "the question is… what should we do with this distance?" His voice dropped into a teasing lilt. "How about we share… a warm little connection?"
"No," she replied flatly and instantly, as if already anticipating exactly where this was going.
Her gaze remained calm, though a hint of wariness flickered in her golden eyes. Somehow, she knew—this handsome man was about to do something irritating again.
Koneko's eyes widened as she tried to pull her hand back—only to realize her body felt… heavy.
Not from force, but because the invisible boundaries of space itself slowed her movement to the point it nearly stopped.
Without waiting for permission, Rian's fingers moved slowly—and gently clasped her small hand.
"Let go," Koneko said flatly, though there was a faint warning beneath her tone.
Rian only gave a small, mischievous smile, his expression calm as ever. "Aaah… don't be shy, or i migth blushing too," he said teasingly, in his usual carefree tone.
Koneko's eyes narrowed, growing sharper, though a faint blush colored her cheeks — caught somewhere between irritation… and confusion.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group watched Rian's antics with mixed reactions.
Akeno pressed a finger to her lips, her smile widening, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ufufu~ You're quite bold, Rian-san. To hold down a fiery little girl like Koneko in such a way… how daring."
Rias massaged her temple with a tired sigh.
"Rian has managed to make Koneko that angry," she said in a calm yet weary tone. "But… that ability, Infinity, is truly impressive."
Kiba looked on with a mix of admiration and mild amusement. "He really is different… most people would keep their distance once Koneko gives that kind of glare. And yet, he's already been thrown and stepped on?"
Issei, who had been watching with a bewildered expression the whole time, finally spoke. "You just never learn, do you?"
However, Issei's tone carried a strange mix of jealousy, confusion, and fear — mostly because Rian seemed completely incapable of learning his lesson.
Meanwhile, Koneko was still trying to pull her hand free. "...Let go. Now," she said flatly, though her golden eyes betrayed a barely contained mix of anger and embarrassment.
Rian's faint smile only grew wider at both her reaction and the comments from the others.
He met Koneko's yellow eyes calmly and replied, "No."
In that instant, Rian pulled Koneko one step closer — their hands still intertwined.
With effortless grace, he spun the small girl around as if inviting her into a dance.
Koneko, clearly unprepared, was caught in the motion — her body stiff yet moving along with the turn, her expression blank but tinged with disbelief.
"One… two… and spin. See? This handsome man can also be a dance instructor," Rian said with a light chuckle.
Akeno laughed softly behind her hand. "Ufufu~ this is starting to look like an elite circus performance."
"DAMN IT! WHY DO I FEEL JEALOUS?!" Issei yelled, clutching his hair in frustration mixed with envy.
Meanwhile, Koneko's face turned bright red — not from embarrassment, but from barely contained fury.
When the strange "dance" finally ended, Koneko looked up at Rian with eyes cold as the arctic and said in her usual flat tone, though the quiet menace in her voice was unmistakable:
"You… are going to die."
Despite the threat, Koneko didn't attack. She just glared, knowing full well that no matter how harsh her words or how strong her punches, it would be pointless.
Physical attacks would never reach this infuriatingly handsome man.
In other words, Koneko was facing her greatest enemy yet — helplessness wrapped in a charming, smug smile.
Rias watched the entire scene with a confused expression, glancing sideways at Akeno as if seeking confirmation before muttering softly, "I… can't tell if this is improvisation… or mild psychological instability."
Yet behind her perplexed expression, Rias's mind was working much deeper.
Rian's Infinity — that concept of untouchable space — for some reason, reminded her of something familiar.
"His ability… it's somewhat similar to Gasper's Sacred Gear," Rias thought deeply. "If he can explain and control its mechanism on his own…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Doesn't that mean… Rian might be able to help Gasper master the Forbidden Balor View?"