Gasper's gaze immediately softened, the turbulent energy from before now settling into calm stillness.
"Remember… what's the fuel for your Sacred Gear?" Rian asked, his eyes steady, as if reminding him of something fundamental.
Gasper bit his lip slightly before answering in a faint voice, "…Fear. I'm afraid… afraid of losing control, of hurting everyone."
Akeno smiled gently. "That's an honest answer."
Rias nodded slowly. "But if you keep holding yourself back, you'll never truly master it, Gasper."
Issei leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Man, you're a cool teacher, but… kinda scary if that Sacred Gear blows up toward us."
Kiba chuckled softly. "Still, look at that—everything's stable as long as Rian's around. His Infinity keeps it perfectly in check."
Meanwhile, Koneko watched Gasper from the side and said flatly, "…Too nervous. Your mental muscles are underdeveloped."
Rian turned back to Gasper. "Your Sacred Gear is powerful. But you'll never control it if you keep letting fear ride you. Fear can be fuel, yes—but don't let it be the brakes."
Gasper nodded slowly. "I… I'll try again. Thank you, Rian-san…"
Rian gave a casual thumbs-up. "Yosh~ I believe in you, Gasper-kun. But if it explodes again, we'll switch to training with light bulbs, okay?"
Issei burst out laughing. "Is this training or a comedy routine?"
Rias smiled and shook her head slightly. "Unusual, but effective."
Akeno covered her mouth, giggling softly. "Fufu… quite entertaining, actually."
A mischievous grin spread across Rian's face—friendly, too friendly.
With a tone as gentle as someone offering sweets, he said casually, "Gasper-kun~ if you mess up again, how about we go bungee jumping from a hundred kilometers above sea level…"
He paused, his eyes gleaming with suspiciously cheerful intent. "…or Koneko-chan can feed you garlic. Your choice."
Gasper froze.
"…EHHH!?" he squeaked, face turning pale. "B-bungee jumping from 100 km!? That's not jumping—that's planned suicide! And garlic!? I hate garlic!"
Issei burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! That's insane! I'd pick the garlic any day over falling from outer space!"
Kiba covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. "Even I… don't think I'm ready for Rian's kind of training."
Rias sighed, though an amused smile tugged at her lips. "Gasper, just focus. Don't let yourself end up having to choose between those two ridiculous options…"
Akeno chuckled softly, glancing at Rian. "Fufu… Rian-san, your way of motivating students is certainly… unique."
Meanwhile, Koneko—who had been silent the whole time—turned her head calmly. From seemingly nowhere, she pulled out a small pouch of dried garlic.
"If he picks the second option," she said flatly, "I'm ready."
Gasper let out another, quieter cry, like someone lamenting his fate. "Uwaaahh… this world is cruel…"
Rian simply crossed his arms, looking satisfied. "Relax, Gasper-kun. I never lie. Both options are… highly educational."
With that strange mix of training and absurd threats, Gasper finally managed to activate his Forbidden Balor View properly.
Though still trembling, he successfully froze the movement of the toy train as it circled along the track.
Everyone congratulated him in their own way.
Since Gasper had managed to stop the toy, Rian decided to raise the training's difficulty a little.
This time, he asked Gasper to freeze the flow of water — right at the moment it was being poured from a teapot into a glass.
Of course, that was nothing for Rian, who could do it effortlessly with Infinity. But for Gasper, maintaining focus and control over his energy was still a challenge.
Their training continued like that until their break time ended.
However, unlike the others, Rian didn't return to class. Just like that morning, he stayed in the clubroom, continuing Gasper's personal training session.
And eventually… evening came.
According to Rian's carefully planned schedule, the next training session was… karaoke.
Rian and Gasper set off toward the karaoke place as planned. However, not long after they started walking, a familiar telepathic voice touched Rian's consciousness.
It was none other than Ophis — the same voice that had called him to the playground the night before.
In response, Rian decided to make a quick stop there first. He brought Gasper along, though without much explanation.
When they arrived, Ophis was already waiting, her usual expression blank and unreadable.
Gasper, who had never met Ophis before, instinctively tensed up, his body stiff with alertness. The overwhelming and oppressive aura radiating from her made him uneasy.
However, after seeing how casually Rian interacted with the mysterious girl, Gasper managed to calm himself — though a hint of nervousness still lingered on his face.
After a brief meeting filled with light conversation and a few strange glances from Ophis toward Gasper, the three of them continued their way to the karaoke place.
On the way there, Gasper — dressed in Kuoh Academy's girls' uniform and looking undeniably cute — ended up drawing the attention of many men along the street. Curious glances and admiring looks came from all directions.
Rian, of course, couldn't possibly let the opportunity slip by. With an amused grin, he leaned toward a few of the onlookers and whispered, "Dude, that's a guy. Seriously."
The way their expressions instantly shifted from admiration to shock made Rian burst into laughter, while Gasper could only hang his head in silent mortification, somewhere between resignation and embarrassment.
And so, they finally arrived at the karaoke venue, ready to sing and, more importantly, to train Gasper's confidence.
At that moment, Gasper stood in front of the karaoke screen, reading the lyrics and trying to follow the rhythm as best he could.
His voice trembled slightly, but he kept going — because he knew what would happen if he stopped midway.
Meanwhile, Rian sat comfortably on the back sofa with Ophis. In front of them was a table filled with an assortment of sweet treats and drinks Rian had ordered.
Especially for the little dragon goddess — cakes, donuts, ice cream, and milkshakes in all sorts of flavors.
However, Ophis's expression remained unchanged — flat as always — though this time, she seemed slightly irritated. Not because of the food, but because… the place was far too noisy for her liking.
"Noisy…" Ophis murmured quietly, her voice cold as her eyes fixed sharply on Gasper, who was still singing off-key. "That bat is noisy."
The gaze of the Dragon God of Infinity was enough to make Gasper break into a cold sweat. His body froze instantly, overwhelmed by an unexplainable sense of dread.
Of course, Gasper had no idea who Ophis really was. According to Rian, it was better to keep that fact secret — for Gasper's own good.
Gasper wanted to stop. He really did. But he knew that if he did, Rian would probably drag him into that "100 km bungee jump above the ocean" punishment. And that… was absolutely not an option.
To make matters worse, his Balor View didn't work on Rian — meaning there was no escape.
After what felt like an eternity, the song finally ended. Gasper's legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor, pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat.
"Hah… this is exhausting… my throat's dry," Gasper muttered softly. "I'm not used to suddenly being dragged into karaoke…"
Rian chuckled lightly, maintaining the layer of Infinity that gently enveloped Ophis' body.
He then grabbed a cold chocolate milkshake from the table and pressed it against Gasper's sweaty cheek.
"Kyaa~!" Gasper flinched, startled by the sudden chill against his skin.
"Here, drink this," Rian said casually, his usual warm smile still in place. "And… it's fine to take a short break too."
He then sat back down, gazing at Gasper with a hint of light seriousness in his expression.
"Say, Gasper-kun… there's something I want to ask. Mind if I do?"
"What is it?" Gasper asked curiously, standing up from the floor.
Rian leaned comfortably against the sofa, resting one hand under his chin while stirring his own milkshake with the other. His calm gaze stayed on Gasper, filled with quiet curiosity.
"Gasper-kun… what exactly is the Evil Piece system?" he asked in a tone that was serious, yet still friendly. "Could you explain it to me?"
Gasper, who was sipping his milkshake, suddenly froze. His eyes blinked several times, looking confused and a little startled.
"Eh…? E-Eh?" He stared at Rian in disbelief. "Someone as strong as Senpai… doesn't know about the Evil Piece system…?"
"Well, you know how it is," Rian said with a shrug. "I'm too lazy to dig for information."
Gasper still looked a bit unsure but tried to explain.
"The Evil Piece system… is kind of like a chess setup.
"Rias-sama has fifteen pieces, each with different functions. I… am her Mutated Bishop."
"So, my specialty lies in magic — but my capacity is greater than that of a normal Bishop."
Rian nodded slightly in understanding.
"By the way, Rian-senpai…" Gasper spoke softly, lowering his gaze a little. "The Evil Piece system… isn't just for forming devil peerages like a chess team. It can also be used for something far greater."
"Like what?" Rian asked immediately, raising an eyebrow — clearly intrigued.