Chapter 62: Bathhouse Shenanigans

"Because of what you are missing, you have experienced many things that an ordinary person never would. While they may be painful, they will surely help you to clear your own path. So love everything about yourself."

— Prince Despa, Ranking of Kings

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"The Rating Game is scheduled for ten days from now," Rias announced. "Although I'm not sure how much it will help, I'd like to invite everyone to a training camp. It's the least I can do."

Despite her trust in Roy, Rias still felt compelled to contribute somehow, hence the invitation to train together.

Roy naturally wouldn't refuse her offer.

"No problem," he agreed.

"Then let's depart tomorrow. I'll arrange for everyone to be excused from school," Rias said, pleased with his response.

Ten days wasn't enough time for significant improvement, but it would be a nice change of pace.

...

Early the next morning, Rias led Roy and the others to her secret training grounds.

They carried large bags and luggage, looking more like they were going on vacation than to a training camp.

"Wow, Koneko-chan is so strong!" Alice exclaimed, running after Koneko.

"Amazing! Amazing!" The three little girls from the Butterfly Mansion echoed Alice's sentiment.

The four lolis surrounded Koneko, their eyes filled with admiration.

Koneko carried a massive pack, several times her size, without a change in her expression as they climbed the mountain path.

Saeko, Shinobu, Kanae, and the other girls also carried heavy packs.

This was part of Rias weight training regimen. Everyone except the lolis had to carry a load, even Shizuka and Asia, the healers, though their burdens were lighter.

To Rias surprise, none of them seemed to struggle. In fact, they carried their loads with ease.

Akeno noticed something peculiar.

"Ara ara, how interesting... Their breathing seems a bit unusual," she observed.

"Indeed. Perhaps it's some kind of special magic," Rias speculated.

"Haha, it's not magic. It's just a breathing technique," Roy explained.

He didn't intend to keep Breathing Styles a secret.

Thanks to their mastery of Breathing Styles, the girls could handle this level of physical training without any strain.

Even Shizuka and Rika, who had only recently learned it, were doing fine.

"Breathing technique?" Rias and Akeno echoed, unfamiliar with the concept. After all, this was an era of magic.

"It's just a training method. I can teach you if you're interested," Roy offered.

Rias and Akeno readily accepted, intrigued by this new technique.

...

They soon arrived at Rias secret training grounds.

"Wow, it's beautiful!"

"It really is!"

Asia and the others were instantly captivated by the scenery.

It was a vast estate with lush greenery, gardens, mountains, a lake... a paradise for relaxation.

"Alright, let's begin our training once we're settled in," Rias announced.

They entered the estate, unpacked their belongings, and changed into their training attire.

They gathered at the training grounds, a spacious area large enough for intense combat.

"I've already taught you the basics of magic manipulation, so let's jump right into sparring today," Roy declared, then turned to Akeno. "Akeno-senpai, would you mind being their opponent?"

"No problem," Akeno replied with a smile.

She transformed into her shrine maiden attire and flew to the center of the training grounds.

Roy turned to Saeko and the others with a grin. "So, who wants to challenge Akeno first? Just a friendly reminder, she's an High-Class Devil."

As soon as he finished speaking, Saeko stepped forward.

"I'll go first," she declared, her eyes locked on Akeno, filled with fighting spirit.

Roy shrugged. He had expected Saeko to be the first one.

"Alright, Saeko, you're up first."

"Both of you, give it your all. Don't hold back. We have Asia and Shizuka here for healing, and Rias and I will intervene if necessary," Roy instructed.

He wanted them to fight without reservation. There was no point in holding back during a sparring match.

Rias frowned but didn't object.

"Hehe, in that case, I'll go all out," Akeno chuckled from her position in the air.

"Please do," Saeko replied, drawing her sword.

The battle was about to begin.

Saeko made the first move.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"

She transformed into a golden lightning bolt, charging towards Akeno with incredible speed.

"So fast! Is this the power of Breathing Styles?" Rias gasped, astonished by Saeko's speed.

Akeno, however, remained calm and composed.

She raised her right hand and shouted, "Lightning Strike!"

Rumble!

Countless bolts of lightning descended from the sky, targeting Saeko.

Even with her speed, Saeko couldn't evade the barrage.

She had to change tactics.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Eightfold!"

Saeko's body crackled with golden lightning, and she vanished, transforming into a streak of lightning, weaving through the incoming attacks.

This was a technique developed by Zenitsu Agatsuma. With Roy's help, Saeko had mastered it.

And her version was even more potent than Zenitsu's.

In the original story, Zenitsu could only unleash up to eight consecutive attacks. But with her Devil physique, Saeko could execute even more.

She became a golden blur, circling Akeno relentlessly.

Akeno struggled to keep up with Saeko's speed.

Her playful smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

She had initially assumed Saeko was just an ordinary Middle-Class Devil, easily defeated. But Saeko proved to be a formidable opponent.

Alice and the other lolis cheered for Saeko.

"Saeko-nee-san is amazing!"

"Go, Saeko-nee-san!"

"Saeko-nee-san will win!"

...

Saeko continued to evade the lightning strikes while closing in on Akeno.

She noticed that as she got closer to Akeno, the number of lightning strikes decreased.

Is she afraid of hitting herself? Saeko wondered.

This was her chance.

"Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder!"

Saeko's body erupted with lightning, and she shot upwards like a golden projectile.

She reached Akeno in an instant.

Their eyes met, and Saeko noticed that Akeno wasn't panicking. Instead, she had a sly smile, as if she had anticipated this.

"Lightning Flash!" Akeno shouted.

A torrent of lightning erupted from her body, engulfing Saeko.

Not good!

Saeko realized she had fallen for Akeno's trap. The decrease in lightning strikes as she approached had been deliberate.

Akeno had lured her closer to unleash a powerful attack.

Despite the overwhelming lightning, Saeko remained calm.

She spread her Devil wings, hovering in mid-air. She sheathed her sword, assuming a Iaido stance.

The lightning around her vanished, seemingly converging into her sword.

"Thunder Breathing: Thunder Cutter!"

This was a technique Saeko had developed by enhancing her Iaido Slash.

It was far more powerful than a regular Iaido Slash.

Her sword crackled with lightning, as if she were wielding pure electricity.

With a flash of golden light, she slashed forward, cleaving through Akeno's lightning attack. The torrent of electricity vanished instantly.

Akeno was stunned. She hadn't held back at all. That was her full power.

Yet, Saeko had effortlessly countered it.

Rias, watching from below, was equally astonished. She couldn't believe Saeko, a Middle-Class Devil, could hold her own against Akeno, an High-Class Devil.

Only Roy knew that although Saeko was powerful, she was still slightly weaker than Akeno, the Priestess of Thunder.

Against a common High-Class Devil, Saeko could undoubtedly win.

But Akeno wielded the devastating power of lightning.

As expected, after unleashing her Thunder Cutter, Saeko was panting heavily.

Having used Thunderclap and Flash multiple times and then her strongest technique, she was exhausted.

Roy appeared beside Saeko, supporting her as she landed.

"Well done, Saeko," he praised with a smile.

Saeko smiled back, though a hint of regret lingered in her eyes. "But I still lost."

"Don't worry about it. You were amazing," Roy reassured her, giving her a thumbs up.

"Indeed, Saeko-san was truly impressive. If we were at the same level, I would have lost," Akeno admitted.

If they had been equal in strength, Akeno might have been defeated in an instant.

Saeko looked at Akeno with renewed fighting spirit.

The two women, both wielders of lightning, seemed to share a mutual respect.

"Alright, Akeno and Saeko, take a break. Next..." Roy turned to Koneko. "Koneko-chan, would you like to spar? You can choose your opponent."

Koneko looked around and ultimately chose Nezuko.

She noticed that Nezuko was the only one without a sword.

As a Rook, Koneko primarily relied on her fists in combat, so she chose Nezuko, who didn't seem to use weapons.

Roy and Rias exchanged amused glances.

It seemed Koneko had been playing games with Alice when Roy introduced Nezuko and Mitsuri, so she was unaware that Nezuko possessed the strength of an High-Class Devil.

"Alright, Nezuko versus Koneko it is," Roy announced, then whispered to Nezuko, "Remember, no demonization."

"Okay," Nezuko nodded obediently.

...

The two girls stepped into the arena and began their hand-to-hand combat.

The sight of two petite girls exchanging powerful blows was somewhat surreal.

In the end, Koneko lost.

Nezuko's strength was simply overwhelming, even without resorting to her demonization.

"Roy's servants are truly remarkable. But a Rating Game isn't won solely by the strength of one's peerage," Rias commented, a hint of envy in her voice.

She couldn't help but admire Roy's powerful servants.

"Oh? Rias, are you implying that I, The Master, am lacking in strength?" Roy chuckled, recognizing the underlying message in her words.

"Perhaps we should test that."

Rias grinned, accepting the challenge.

They both entered the arena.

"Rias, attack me with all you've got," Roy said, gesturing for her to make the first move.

"Then I won't hold back!"

Rias unleashed her crimson demonic power, her hair swirling around her.

"Haa!" she shouted, launching a crescent-shaped blast of black and red energy towards Roy.

Rias Power of Destruction was renowned for its ability to annihilate anything, a truly formidable power.

However, Roy simply sidestepped the attack with ease.

"Too slow," he commented casually.

Rias, provoked, unleashed a barrage of destruction magic.

"Rias, your attacks are a bit too straightforward, don't you think?" Roy taunted.

Indeed, both Rias and Akeno had somewhat limited attack patterns.

Akeno's lightning attacks were direct and lacked variety.

There were countless individuals who used lightning as a weapon, such as Enel from One Piece, who wielded the Goro Goro no Mi, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Enel had developed a wide array of powerful techniques, such as 30,000,000 Volt Hino, 30,000,000 Volt El Thor, 200,000,000 Volt Amaru, Max 200,000,000 Volt Vari, and Raigo.

Compared to Enel's diverse and devastating lightning attacks, Akeno's techniques seemed rather lackluster.

The same could be said for Rias.

"Rias, let me show you how to use your magic properly," Roy declared, no longer dodging.

He reached out with his hand.

"Secret Art: Ice Mirror Reflection!"

He conjured a mirror of ice, and Rias destruction magic was instantly reflected back at her.

"What?!" Rias exclaimed, surprised.

She frantically dodged her own reflected attack.

But that wasn't all.

"Secret Art: Ice Fang!"

Roy conjured several ice spikes that erupted from the ground around Rias, encasing her in ice.

The girls were amazed by his display of power and technique.

"Amazing..." Akeno gasped, her eyes wide with awe.

His elegant moves and overwhelming power were far beyond her simple lightning attacks.

"But is Rias-senpai alright?" Despite her astonishment, Akeno was still concerned about Rias.

"Haha, she's fine," Roy reassured her.

He hadn't used his full power. Rias should be able to break free from this level of ice with ease.

As if to prove his point...

Crack... Crack...

The massive ice sculpture began to crack, and Rias emerged, her body radiating black and red demonic energy.

"Achoo!" Rias shivered, her arms wrapped around herself. She was clearly freezing.

Akeno glared at Roy and quickly wrapped a coat around Rias.

"Rias, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Rias replied, her voice trembling.

"Uh... sorry, Rias," Roy apologized, realizing he had gone a bit overboard.

He had developed many new techniques recently and couldn't resist showing them off.

"Roy-senpai, that was mean!" Koneko chided.

"It's okay. I was just too weak," Rias said, a hint of dejection in her voice.

She was disappointed by her easy defeat but also impressed by Roy's strength and the elegance of his techniques.

...

With the sparring session over, Rias suggested they go to the bathhouse.

Roy was alone in the men's bath, as he was the only male student.

The women's bath was nearby, and he could hear their cheerful chatter and laughter.

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