Chapter 201: Undercurrents
Riser Phenex, with his blond hair, tall stature, and dressed in a red suit, lazily propped himself up from his Queen's lap pillow. "So... you're sending me to the human world to pressure Rias, then."
Levall looked at his third brother and their youngest sister Ravel beside him, speaking calmly: "If you can't make Rias submit within these two months, the family won't be able to offer you any assistance after the Three Factions Summit."
"Hehe~ I understand. I'll make a visit right after the next Rating Game ends."
Riser scratched his messy blond hair and said: "I remember it's at that academy owned by the Gremory family... What's it called? King Academy?"
Ravel, with her golden drill-style ponytail, snorted lightly: "It's Kuoh Academy, you idiot."
...
Elsewhere in the Underworld, far from the territories of the Four Great Satans in what could be considered borderlands, others were growing equally anxious as the Three Factions Summit approached.
"Maria, you must go to the human world and find Mio immediately."
Sheila, a succubus with white hair and curved ram horns, spoke urgently to her youngest daughter.
Naruse Maria, who bore seventy percent resemblance to her mother though with a more childish figure resembling an elementary student, asked in confusion: "Why the sudden urgency?"
"After your father Wilbert passed away, those people have been planning to move against Mio. They've only held back due to fear of the current Devil King and the restrictions imposed by the Four Great Families..."
Sheila lowered her voice as if afraid someone might overhear, continuing her instructions.
"Now with the Three Factions Summit about to begin, if they don't act now they'll completely miss their chance. After peace is established, the Devil Kings will crack down even harder on internal conflicts. Moreover, once the Gremory family stabilizes, we can seek their protection."
"The Gremory family?" Maria looked at her mother in confusion. "What connection does that noble house have with our family?"
"None with me, but your and Mio's father, Wilbert, was closely allied with the Gremory family during his time as Devil King. Their fates were intertwined - when one prospered, so did the other; when one suffered, both felt the impact."
Sheila didn't elaborate further. In truth, the Gremory family's decline was closely connected to Wilbert's sudden death.
The specific reasons remained unknown to anyone - not to Sheila, Wilbert's lover, nor to Sirzechs and Rias.
Sheila had actually maintained contact with the Gremory family all along, and their relationship remained strong.
It was only because both sides faced significant troubles that they had rarely communicated over the years.
Just as Maria followed her mother Sheila's instructions and secretly departed for the human world to find her half-sister Naruse Mio, the restless Zolgear began dispatching his own subordinates.
"Jestat, Ras, prepare yourselves. If we fail, you'll need to take action next."
The masked demon named Ras paused in his breathing before speaking slowly: "Lord Zolgear, why not let us handle this directly from the start?"
"Ras, must I explain my methods to you?Zolgear, looking emaciated as if nearing the end of his lifespan, spoke in a hoarse voice while unleashing a powerful magical impact toward Ras.
Ras grunted and staggered back several steps before dropping to one knee: "My deepest apologies, Lord Zolgear."
"Hmph!" Zolgear snorted angrily before turning and disappearing into the darkness.
After Zolgear's presence faded completely, Ras slowly clenched his fist, filled with bitter resentment yet powerless to change his circumstances.
The tall and curvaceous Jesuth, with purple stripes on her face, glanced at him indifferently before striding away on her long legs.
Due to the Three Factions Summit in the Underworld, individuals with their own agendas grew restless. The same applied to the Fallen Angels and the God Clan, and even the Brave Saints were affected, prompting various countermeasures to be set in motion.
On May 9th, Haruto and his group entered the second phase of their special training.
The first phase had progressed surprisingly smoothly.
Thanks to the materials gathered from the Fallen Angels and the training methods provided by Azazel, those with Fallen Angel bloodlines—Akeno Himejima, Yuuma Amano, Mittelt, and Kalawarna—further strengthened their abilities.
Akeno Himejima came remarkably close to breaking through to S-class on her own.
Yuuma and the other two finally saw the possibility of a breakthrough. It was estimated that a few dual cultivation sessions with Haruto to boost their magical power would give them hope of advancing.
Another one whose strength soared was Asia.
The golden-haired little nun's magical aptitude was indeed exceptional. Though not skilled in combat, under Rias's guidance, her power reached B-class. Combined with the healing abilities of her Sacred Gear, her combat prowess was no less than that of an ordinary A-class.
Koneko Toujou and Yuuto Kiba, being close-combat fighters, had been under Haruto's guidance for their training these past days.
Around this time last year, Haruto was still enduring the 'torment' of the white-haired loli. Little did he expect to have a chance for 'revenge' so soon.
Under Haruto's 'retribution,' Koneko's strength improved rapidly, with some of her Nekomata Bloodline being awakened.
There was no other choice—if she didn't develop it to enhance her agility and speed, Haruto would take advantage of the coaching to play with her body all over.
Yuuto's swordsmanship improved considerably under Haruto's guidance, but there was little progress in his magical power, or rather, in mastering the peculiar energy within him.
It wasn't that Haruto was unwilling to help, but aside from his combat skills, his knowledge was almost on par with Asia's when she first started.
Even Rias wasn't entirely sure about it, so he didn't dare to act recklessly.
It definitely wasn't because every time the two got close, Yuuto's demeanor and movements gave him goosebumps.
During these days, Haruto and Rias didn't neglect their own training.
Apart from dual cultivation at night, they sparred during the day to familiarize themselves with the intensity of combat between SS-class powerhouses.
In terms of magic alone, Haruto was no match for Rias, as her magical power had gradually caught up to his through their repeated dual cultivation sessions.
Of course, he had also acquired the [Destruction] talent.
However, with their power levels equal, Rias was clearly more adept at magical combat, while Haruto's combat talent was primarily focused on close-quarters fighting.
His martial arts had been stuck at S-class for a long time. The breakthrough in magical power didn't lead to a corresponding breakthrough in martial arts as he had imagined.
Haruto had no intention of giving up on martial arts, but with his demon bloodline now complete, he had to temporarily set it aside to rapidly increase his strength.
In reality, he had already begun to form some vague ideas.
During his battle with Azazel, he had touched the threshold of the god-class through Juggernaut Drive. At that time, he felt that for martial arts to transform into the path of immortality, there was still a missing step in between.
It was like a mortal aspiring to become an immortal—there must be a crucial step in between; it couldn't be achieved overnight.
As long as he found that missing piece, the path of immortality would no longer be just a dream.
On May 15th, Rias gathered everyone early in the morning.
"The second phase of training has concluded. I'm considering whether to extend the special training further."
She propped her chin in her hands and spoke slowly, "What are your thoughts?"
After the second phase of training, everyone including Yuuto had reached the point where they could break through at any moment—except for Asia.
However, progressing from A-rank to S-rank, while not as difficult as a life-or-death transformation, was still no easy feat.
If relying solely on one's own efforts, with good luck it might take two or three days, but with bad luck it could be two or three years.
"Keep going," Yuuma said eagerly. "President, you've had Haruto all to yourself for so many days. It's our turn now."
Before the special training, they had agreed not to engage in dual cultivation with Haruto unless it was crucial. But as the president, Rias naturally had privileges, and only her strength could allow Haruto to benefit from the dual cultivation as well.
"Fine, but only one person at a time."
Rias glanced sideways at Yuuma and the other two, whose breathing instantly became ragged. "I don't want this proper training to turn into an orgy."
Yuuma, Mittelt, and Kalawarna exchanged looks, hiding their disappointment deep in their hearts.
Usually, the three of them cultivated with Haruto together, and it was always thrilling. Many techniques and sensations could never be experienced in a one-on-one setting.
Since Rias had put it that way, they had no choice but to comply.
Well, occasionally indulging in pure love and having him all to themselves for an entire night didn't sound so bad either.
The same thought crossed all three of their minds simultaneously.
"Akeno, Koneko, you two decide for yourselves."
Rias looked at the two who had remained silent the whole time and said solemnly, "Think it through carefully. Don't let yourselves regret it later."
Everyone was well aware of the girls' feelings for Haruto, though the degrees varied.
For example, Yuuma and the other two only liked Haruto to a quarter of their affection; the remaining three-quarters were a mix of craving for pleasure, the benefits of dual cultivation, and admiration for his strength.
Rias's affection was pure, but within that purity, romantic love might not outweigh her compassion and care for her subordinates.