Ascending Flame 5

Riser POV)

While being Riser Phenex has its disadvantages, it definitely has more pros than cons. For example, I could use one of his father's mansions for training, and thanks to the power of demonic magic, they could literally break the building down to its base molecules and fix it.

Although honestly, with all of the wards and other magical protections on the building, at least multiple high class beings to make a dent in the walls.

I paced along the edge of the hall, my gaze sharp as I took in my peerage, every last man and woman consumed by their own training. They were all exceptional within their own rights, but that wasn't enough. Not for what lay ahead. We needed to be more than just a gathering of strong individuals; we had to become an unstoppable unit.

Karlamine and Xuelan advanced on one another in a highly charged sparring exercise. Karlamine lunged at her with a slashing stroke; the sword flashed as Xuelan ducked in nimbly and countered with a roundhouse kick of might. 

Both flowed smoothly, strokes full of confidence and long use. Yet, in Xuelan's actions, there was a tiny hesitation, a momentary flicker of doubt in her eyes.

On the other side of the room, I had my pawns training against one another. Mira was sparring against Shuriya, while Mihae used her branch of Japanese magic to heal the two as they sparred.

"Focus, Xuelan!" I called out across the hall, my voice carrying. "You hesitate, you're dead."

Xuelan flinched, but she recovered quickly. Her face hardened. She knew I was right, but learning wasn't enough. She needed to internalize it— she needed to push beyond her limits. And she would if I had to drill it into her every day until the rating game.

I myself wasn't standing idle. I was constantly and consistently creating various types of flames around myself and the rest of the room. The most prevalent were the sun flames from that one anime recalled with the rings, and they were definitely paying dividends because my peerage could fight for hours without stopping.

I had considered simply granting them my bloodline using the essence of the binder, but I was most likely going to do that after the rating game and chalk it all up to a mutation within the evil pieces I gave to my members.

Across the hall, Ni and Li worked on their coordination. The twins had always been a strong pair individually, but their real power was teamwork. 

Today, I had them practice with Yubelluna, my queen, holding back just enough to push them without washing them out altogether. Her violet energy blasts rained down in a never-ceasing storm on the twins, who struggled to stay alive, on their feet, and adaptive.

"Good, Ni! Li! Keep it up!" I barked, watching them deflect the energy blasts with a combination of speed and precise strikes. They were improving, but I still saw gaps in their defense—minor, exploitable weaknesses that Rias's peerage wouldn't hesitate to use to their advantage. That, and it didn't help that the chainsaws seemed decently cumbersome. I might have to find them with a different weapon.

The mention of Rias's team awakened something within me—a spark of anticipation and unease. Although I mostly think it's jealousy because after I showed them pictures of the various members of the rival group, a decent amount of them, but those who were less blessed in certain areas, were definitely jealous. And one was not going to stop them from feeling breast envy. I mean, this universe is powered by the very idea of them, so why not take advantage?

My gaze fell on Ravel, standing in one corner of the hall, her hands aglow with the telling light of fire magic. She was training control, calling forth small, well-defined flames to dance across her fingers. Ravel had always been talented, though her confidence would quail when it counted the most. She knew the rating game stakes better than anyone else, and that pressure weighed heavily upon her.

"Ravel," I called, walking toward her. She looked up, determination in her expression, but nervousness swirled inside her eyes. "You're doing good, but you need to give more. Your flames are strong but aren't burning with the force you'll need in battle. Also, don't just conjure your flames. Try to use them in various attacks like constructs, for example."

"I know, brother," she answered low, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I'm trying, but…"

"There's no 'but' in battle," I said, firm but not mean. "You can be an excellent fighter, but you have to just do it. Remember, hesitation will kill you—or worse, one of your team members."

She nodded tightly. "I won't let you down, Riser."

"I know you won't," I said, touching her shoulder. "Because you're a Phenex. We don't just survive; we rise above. And besides, you're my little sister; I believe in you." Lucifer, I can feel myself cringing but must follow the shonen logic.

Leaving her with her practice, I turned my attention toward Yubelluna, who was watching the twins gasp for breath from their exertion. Right now, she was slowing back down after finishing up their spars, and even I could tell that using rapid-fire explosion magic was definitely taxing on her demonic power reserves.

"Yubelluna," I beckoned, calling on her to approach.

She advanced in all her usual grace, her eyes with respect and worry. "My lord?"

"Your bombardment was precise, but I want to see more variety in your attacks. Not just brute force. Misdirection. Make the enemy believe they figured you out, then strike them where they least expect it. You can use some explosions as decoys or even flash bangs, but don't limit yourself to just using force."

Yubelluna nodded thoughtfully. "Understood, my lord. I shall work on that. Giving her a small smile and thanks, she immediately ran back to spar with the cat-girl twins.

"Good. And remember, your role isn't just to attack. You need to see three steps ahead of the enemy's movements. If you can do that, you will be unstoppable."

Her eyes flashed with determination. "I won't disappoint you."

I nodded at her slightly, then returned to the center of the hall, where the rest of my peerage was mustering after their respective exercises. Indeed, all of them were breathing heavily, the effort of training painting their faces. Yet in their eyes was a burning fire—a common sense of determination to rise to the challenge ahead.

"Gather around," I ordered, my voice clear and cutting through the lingering silence.

They formed a loose circle around me, their focus tight and sharp. I let the silence hang for a moment before speaking, choosing the words carefully.

"You all have improved these past few days, but we are far from done. One week is all that's left before the rating game, leaving us just seven days to finesse our tactics, push beyond our limits, and be prepared for the unexpected.".

I let my gaze pass over them, meeting each of theirs in turn. "I won't sugarcoat it; Rias and her peerage are strong. Inexperienced, arguably, but with potential, and they'll fight with everything they have. We can't afford to be complacent, not one second. They also hold the power of the red dragon of domination, even if he might be an eccentric individual."

They nodded, their faces set. They knew the stakes. This was not about just winning some game. Instead, it was about our having to prove ourselves—to show the Underworld that we were a force with which to be reckoned. 

While we have lost a couple of rating games in the past, it was mostly due to being completely outclassed. Honestly, I am still a bit salty about those matchups, the first against the rating game champion and the next against Tanin the Dragon King.

"We will run full simulations daily until the match," I pushed on. "Each one will be different. Designed to push you to your limits. I'll throw every tactic, every trick, every possible scenario at you, and I'll expect you to adapt. To survive. To win."

There was to be no room for weakness, no tolerance for hesitation. My peerage had to be the best; they had to be more than their best. They had to be unstoppable.

"Remember," I said, my voice lowering as I said the following words: " We are the Phenex. We are born of flames, and we rise from the ashes. No matter what happens, no matter how grim the situation will get, we will rise."

There was a beat of silence, and then, as if in unison, they all straightened, their eyes blazing with resolve. They believed in those words, but I could tell in their eyes that they were mostly doing this for me, and I wasn't going to repay their dedication with weakness.

Softening my tone of voice, I continued, "But I want you all to know this. You all made me so very proud, even if we lose this, which I don't think we will. I am happy knowing all of you are willing to do this for me."

Some of them started tearing up, especially Burent, as she was one of the maids I have had throughout my entire life, even though it is a bit embarrassing that she might use my baby stories against me.

I can definitely say I appreciate the resulting group hug. I may not be the main character, but I can definitely not say that I don't enjoy this.

Although such thoughts do bring a slight chuckle to my lips, as usually, fanfiction protagonists would be complaining about the main character getting all of the girls without really doing much, and I enjoy the feeling.

As they dispersed, I felt that my sense of pride was tinged with a ripple of anxiety. They were strong, undoubtedly, but I am more worried about the Satans than the upcoming rating game. Although I am now more of a pure fire than a devil, the power of destruction is still a weakness of mine, as it can destroy me, body and soul. And knowing that Sis-con, if the wedding actually goes through, I worry for my family.

Maybe I could bribe Leviathan with material on her sister, or I could show some new form of magic that could be used in an experiment by Beelzebub

Such thoughts I pushed aside. There was no time for doubt. Not now.

I watched as Yubelluna lingered near the entrance, her gaze far away, at one time wiping the sweat from her brow. She noticed my stare and approached, her expression unreadable.

"Is there something on your mind, Yubelluna?" I asked, curious about what might be troubling her.

She hesitated a moment, then shook her head. "No, my lord. Just… reflecting on the training. The training is going to be hard, but I think we're prepared for them."

I didn't look away from her, feeling the tension beneath the simple words. "You're not required to hold back in training," I said. "If there is a problem, feel free to bring it up."

Her eyes locked on mine momentarily, and I saw what she was trying to hide. Then, she nodded again, and her countenance returned to calm. "I will, my lord. Thank you."

With that, she turned to leave, but as she did so, I grabbed her, pulled her into my embrace, and began using some healing flames. While initially she was somewhat surprised, she eventually melted into my arms.

"Thank you, Riser. This feels incredible." As she says this, I simply smile as she leans up to kiss me, and I return the gesture. 

It was short and sweet, but it felt better than any training I've done so far.

" Would you like to take this to the bedroom, my dear?" I asked close to her ear, causing the woman to blush as if her head had turned into a cherry. I almost wanted to laugh at the blatant display of gap moe, but I wanted to save my queen's dignity.

The explosive woman simply nodded, and as I teleported right into the bedroom, I shut all the blinds, locked the doors, and soundproofed the room. As my queen displayed herself before me, I walked over to her, and we embraced.

The following morning, training resumed, more intense than ever. The spars turned so vicious as to test not only their physical but also their mental energies. I saw them fight through exhaustion, pushing themselves harder with each round, adapting to new scenarios, and learning from mistakes.

As Xuelan's blows became more confident, the hesitation started to wane, and in their places stepped much more resolute blows.

Ni and Li improved in teamwork; their coordination almost became instinct as they learned to predict each other's moves. They also had managed tap into the basics of nature energy. It was nothing too special, but their physicality had definitely improved.

The others due to having no real specialization I just had them training against one another to increase both their durability, skill, and demonic power reserves.

Even Ravel, who had wracked her brain with doubt, began to spill flames with new ferocity, her control growing with the fruition of each practice session.

And Yubelluna… well, she had listened to me. Her attacks grew varied, and her strategies became more subtle. She would mix feints and misdirection, lure her opponents into a trap, and then inundate them with raw power until they cracked under the onslaught. 

It was beautiful to watch and made me feel powerful. The reason for that is simple: She is my queen and only mine. And I could definitely tell she enjoyed last night, as her smile never loved her face, even as she trained.

Thankfully, we still had six more days to train, and as I exited the training area and entered my own private training area, I began to get to work.