Chapter 273 ~ Pushing the Limits

Chapter 273 ~ Pushing the Limits “Your stance is wrong! And why are you so weak? Do you think speed is all you need?! Are you trying to poke your enemies to death?! Again!” “Yes...” He groaned. He rose from the ground, battered and caked in dirt, his once-golden hair now dulled and matted. Each breath came heavy, and beads of sweat dripped from his chin, hitting the dust-strewn earth littered with shattered swords. Still, he stood. Despite the tremble in his limbs, he took his stance again and raised a newly-forged demonic sword, pointing it at Erika. She stood calmly, her orange-red hair fluttering in the breeze, as she held a short baton. The weaponized integrated CAD had an active sequence that could turn it into a lethal weapon, especially with Erika’s level of swordsmanship and power as the true primordial Oni. But, she did not use it. After all, she was only helping the boy before him train, not kill him. This was the least deadly weapon she had on hand. She could’ve used a simple tree branch. But stripping away all of Kiba’s dignity in front of his comrades wouldn’t help him grow. Crushing his pride might have extinguished the very fire they were trying to stoke. Still, she appreciated one thing about him. No matter how many times she floored him, no matter how broken his body became, he always stood back up. His legs were shaking. His breathing ragged. But his eyes—those clear, determined eyes—still burned with purpose. ‘Heh... Yuuji’s pep talk must’ve worked better than expected.’ Erika smiled faintly to herself. Yuuji had always known how to inspire others. It was part of what made him such a great leader—and one of the many reasons she loved him. Kiba moved again, sword at the ready. But this time, it was different. His charge wasn’t wild. It was measured. Deliberate. Slower, yes—but grounded. His stance was firmer, his grip tighter. When he struck, he did so with the full weight of his body. CLANG! Like striking steel, Kiba’s entire body trembled as his magical demonic sword struck Erika’s CAD. She hadn’t moved her feet. She hadn’t even raised her arm fully. Only her wrist had turned—and still, she absorbed the strike with ease. Yet... there was improvement. She could feel it. A subtle change in pressure. A refinement of form. He was learning. With a flick of her wrist, she released a small pulse of force that blasted Kiba backward. He hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop a few meters away. “That was better,” Erika said, her voice cool but not unkind. “Focus on your stance, your technique, and your strength. Speed will come after you’ve mastered the basics.” “Yes...” Kiba murmured, and plopped down onto the ground on his back, his sword crumbling into black shards like all the ones before it. Erika then looked around to the rest of the group. As Yuuji had planned, today was about pushing them to their limits—ripping open their weaknesses, exposing their most fragile flaws. With such limited time, it was the only realistic starting point. So, Yuuji had Erika push Kiba to the brink. As a fellow swordsman, she could dissect his technique and point him in the right direction. Aika would be in charge of Akeno and Asia. Although she couldn’t teach, she was perfectly capable of pushing both of them to the limits and identifying their shortcomings—as well as exploiting them. And for Koneko and Issei... well, Yuuji had sent in the big guns: Alice and Aria. The Yin-Yang Slimes, in their human forms, possessed not only Yuuji’s monstrous skills but unique talents of their own. Alice, with her Clairvoyance, and Aria, with her lightning-fast movement via Shukuchi, were more than enough to thrash Koneko and Issei into shape. Erika snorted lightly as she watched the chaos. “Oh, they’re having fun, huh?” Erika watched as Alice and Aria had their fun, sparing against people outside of the Group Chat. Alice, radiant with her glowing white and rainbow-hued hair, smiled sweetly as she danced around Koneko’s every move. Every punch the nekomata threw missed by inches—each dodge perfectly timed, each counter precise. Koneko looked increasingly frustrated, while Alice beamed as if playing a game of tag. Aria, by contrast, was methodical and relentless. She wielded nothing more than a wooden branch—but with her inherited swordsmanship, it may as well have been a divine blade. She was beating Issei, plain and simple. [Boost] after [Boost], it didn’t matter. Without skill, without control, he couldn’t even graze her. BOOM! Suddenly, Erika felt the air shift. The temperature dropped drastically. And when she turned to look, she saw a massive ice glacier jutting out of the ground, like a giant claw of ice, ripping apart the earth. Nearby, Akeno and Asia panted heavily on the ground, their bodies shivering in cold despite how drenched they were in sweat. “Hm~ Akeno-senpai,” Aika called cheerfully, walking over with her ever-teasing grin, “you can’t just charge your magic forever! That’s suicide unless you're setting up an ambush!” She then turned toward Asia, who clutched her chest, breath heaving. “Asia-chan, you really need to pay more attention to your positioning. As a healer, that’s everything! You’ve gotta stay close enough to heal your allies—but far enough to stay out of the line of fire!” “Y-Yes...” Asia managed. Erika sighed and rubbed her temple. Everything Aika said was technically correct—but without guidance, expecting Akeno and Asia to figure it all out alone was asking too much. ‘On the other hand...’ She looked upward, where a crimson-haired devil hovered in the sky, her teeth clenched in frustration. Dozens of golden portals surrounded her, each one launching fist-sized chunks of stone like high-velocity bullets. Her wings beat furiously as she weaved through the air, dodging with desperate agility while unleashing orbs of destruction in return. Yet, most of her attacks missed their mark. Only a handful managed to strike the incoming projectiles directly—many simply grazed them, while others flew past harmlessly. Across from her, a short distance away, Yuuji stood with his arms folded, silently watching. His gaze was sharp, unblinking—like a hawk scrutinizing its prey. “Focus!” he barked. “Track your target and aim! Don’t just throw your magic around recklessly! The Power of Destruction consumes more mana than most spells—use it efficiently!” “Kuh!” Rias gritted her teeth, sweat trailing down her brow. Yuuji had already noticed one of her most glaring weaknesses—something that had been evident even in the anime. Rias Gremory leaned too heavily on the power she inherited from her mother and her prestigious bloodline. The Bael clan’s Power of Destruction was among the most potent demonic magics, renowned for its sheer annihilative force. It could erase matter, deflect or nullify powerful attacks, and—at its zenith—even obliterate consciousness and souls. A truly terrifying ability. But none of that mattered if it couldn’t hit its target. Despite its immense potential, Rias’s control over it was lacking. She hadn’t refined it through rigorous training. Her accuracy was poor. Her demonic energy reserves weren’t optimized. Her physical endurance, even worse. All of this made her a classic glass cannon—formidable in power, but fragile in a prolonged fight. To make matters worse, she was often overwhelmed by emotion during combat—losing focus, burning through her mana inefficiently, and falling into tunnel vision. Dangerous traits for any mage... but fatal flaws for a leader. That’s why, for this training, Yuuji wasn’t holding back. He intended to force her to observe, to think, and to conserve. To sharpen her instincts, hone her precision, and control her chaotic power. Rias soared through the air, her crimson hair a blur against the afternoon sky, wings trembling from overuse. More golden portals opened around her like blooming deadly flowers—each launching another barrage of stone bullets that streaked through the air with frightening speed and force. Boom! Boom! Boom! One grazed her shoulder, forcing her to spin midair to avoid the next. Another clipped her wing, and she faltered—barely recovering in time to regain flight. She clenched her fists, frustration boiling beneath her skin. “Damn it! Why won’t they stop?!” She hurled another sphere of destruction—but it veered too far left, missing its mark entirely. The recoil from the unstable sphere even threw her back slightly. Yuuji’s voice rang out again, firm and cold like a commandment from on high. “Control your emotions! Don’t let it consume you! Desperation clouds your judgment. Don’t let it blind you! Keep your heart burning, but your mind, cool! ” Rias gritted her teeth, growling under her breath. Her pride as a Gremory, as a leader, screamed in protest. She swung her hand, launching a wave of destruction in an arc towards the hail of stones. But out of 10, only two were grazed by her magic and crumbled away. The barrage hit her body, and her shout resounded in the sky. Her body was nearing its limits. Her mana was thinning. Her breaths were shallow. “Ugh...!” she cried, falling to one knee mid-air before catching herself with a hard flap of her wings. Sweat dripped from her brow, magic sparking erratically in her hands. ‘I can’t... I won’t lose like this... not in front of everyone!’ Her mind spun. The chaos in her heart was feeding her power, making it surge wildly—and uncontrollably. Then she heard Yuuji’s voice again, this time quieter... but not less commanding. “Breathe.” Her eyes widened. A wave of warmth enveloped her body, easing the burning exhaustion and aching pain. “Take a breath. Calm your mind. Focus on your magic. You’re not just a demon with a bomb—you are a Gremory. So act like one.” His voice—calm, unwavering—struck something deep within her. It reminded her of that moment when she and her peerage stood against him. They were overwhelmed, crushed without malice... He hadn’t been cruel. He hadn’t even been serious. He was calm. Detached, but attentive. Back then, she thought that composure came from sheer, unmatched power. From knowing no one on the field could touch him. But now—floating in the sky, barely holding herself up as his words echoed in her ears—she understood. It wasn’t arrogance. It was focus. He had watched them. Every movement. Every breath. Every flicker of hesitation in their eyes. He didn’t merely overpower them. He read them, like a scholar studying the strokes of a scroll, and countered them with surgical precision. The only thing he held back... was the strength of his blows. Something clicked inside her. A quiet thrum stirred in her chest—not of rage, or desperation, but clarity. Memories long buried surfaced. Grayfia, wielding her magic with precision rather than force. Her mother’s warm hands teaching her the intricacies of magical threads. Her father’s lectures about power, responsibility, and discipline. Her brother’s back, always a few steps ahead, always calm... always watching. They hadn’t been powerful merely because of their lineage or magic. They had understood their power. They had mastered it. And now, she wanted to do the same. Rias inhaled deeply, then exhaled—long and slow. The roaring noise of magic, the crackling wind, and the ache of fatigue melted away. Her mind cleared. Her wings steadied. Her mana gathered—not in a surge of panic, but a gentle spiral at her core. The portals still floated around her, their golden glow reflecting in her crimson eyes. She raised her hand. Just one this time. The power gathered—slower, steadier, not blazing like before but pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat. It was smaller than any other orb she conjured. She narrowed her eyes, tracked the movement of one incoming stone... then let the orb fly. BOOM! A direct hit. The stone exploded into fragments mid-air. Another orb. Another hit. This time, Rias didn’t grin. She didn’t scream. She simply adjusted her flight, shifted her stance, and continued casting as she danced in the air. Controlled. Efficient. Deadly. Some stone still managed to hit her from her blind spot, but it didn’t rile her up as much. At least, she wasn’t yelling. Though Yuuji could still notice her clenched teeth. But this time, it was not out of frustration, but rather the determination to improve. Yuuji watched silently, arms still folded. But a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ‘Good... She’s finally learning.’ The air crackled as the last portal faded from the sky, golden ripples dissipating like dust in the wind. Rias hovered in silence, her chest rising and falling with steady breaths. Her body still ached, her mana was low, but her mind was clear. For the first time, she wasn’t overwhelmed by the weight of her power. She held it, shaped it, and controlled it. Yuuji lowered his arms. “You’ve done well. Now... shall we see how much you’ve actually improved?" Rias’s eyes sharpened and nodded. “Yes.” There was no hesitation in her voice. Not arrogance either—just conviction. A desire not to win, but to prove she had grown. Even if she still lost, she would do it standing tall. Yuuji didn’t respond with words. Instead, he stepped forward—slow, calm, deliberate. The moment his foot touched the air, the space around them warped slightly. The sky behind him seemed to dim, not from magic, but from sheer presence. Rias shuddered. Her instincts screamed that this man standing before her wasn’t just powerful—he was absolute. But she didn’t back down. She raised both hands, her crimson aura flaring up—not wildly like before, but in a stable spiral, gathering at her core. She compressed it, forming a concentrated orb no larger than her palm. Controlled. Refined. Yuuji raised one hand, index and middle fingers extended together. No flash, no chant, just a subtle pulse of energy. A test. The air split, and a blade of compressed wind flew at her. Rias didn't flinch. With a twist of her wrist, she spun to the side and launched her orb of destruction directly into its path. It collided—and for a moment, the air screamed as both forces clashed. BOOM! Winds blew from the sheer pressure. But Rias had remained in place, raising an arm up to her face to guard her from the wind as her wings braced, her magic stabilizing her. She wasn’t blown back. She was still standing. Yuuji nodded once. “Better.” Then, he vanished. —! He appeared directly above her, hand already cocked back. Rias barely managed to react, conjuring a magic barrier just in time— CRACK! His strike met her shield. The barrier shattered into pieces, but she held firm. Her barrier had taken the brunt of the force. She gritted her teeth. “I’m not the same girl from before.” “No,” Yuuji said calmly, and smiled. “You’ve improved.” In the next instant, Rias released a surge of magic beneath her, launching herself upward and twisting mid-air. She conjured multiple small orbs and spread them around her like a minefield. With a snap, they all converged on Yuuji from different angles. A trap. But Yuuji weaved through them with fluid grace, his body moving like a shadow through moonlight. Still, one of the orbs grazed his sleeve—just barely. Rias caught her breath. ‘I touched him!’ It wasn’t a victory. But it was proof. She could grow. She was growing. She gathered one last orb, twice as dense as the others, and fired it directly at him. Yuuji didn’t move. He let the orb come. When it was inches from his chest, he raised one finger— Flick. The orb shattered harmlessly, its destructive force dispersed and nullified like a drop of water on a vast ocean. Rias panted and fell from the sky. Her power was spent. She had nothing left. But she smiled. She wasn’t crushed. She wasn’t broken. She had lasted longer, pushed farther, and even made him move. Yuuji flew in and caught her in mid air, in a princess carry. She looked up, her eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve done well,” he said quietly, “Rest.” Her eyes began to close, and the last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was his enchanting smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. For the first time in a long while... Rias Gremory felt proud of herself. And as Yuuji watched her eyes flutter shut, a soft, contented smile gracing her lips, he found himself genuinely glad he had let that one orb strike him. To her, it would feel like a true accomplishment—proof that her effort had borne fruit, that her power had reached him, even if only once. In her eyes, she had touched the untouchable. And that single moment would become her spark—fueling her to push even harder, to strive further, to grow stronger. But it wasn’t just for her. He had done it for the others, too. Because in that instant, as he glanced down to the ground below, he saw them—Akeno, Asia, Issei, Kiba, and Koneko—each of them staring up at Rias in his arms, their expressions frozen in awe and disbelief. Not at him... but at her. At what she had just achieved. And with that, the seeds of determination had been planted in every one of their hearts. They had seen the pressure Yuuji exerted. They had felt the weight of his overwhelming presence. For Rias to not only endure it, but stand tall until the very end... it was unimaginable. Kiba clenched his fists at his sides, his knuckles pale. Koneko’s golden eyes trembled. The gap between her and Rias had always been wide—but now, she realized just how deep the chasm had become. Yet, instead of despair, a flicker of something else ignited in her chest. Akeno placed a hand over her heart. ‘So that’s the kind of man he is...’ Her lips curved into a small smile, eyes filled with warmth—and something deeper, more personal. Even Issei, who often relied on instinct over introspection, felt it. Awe. Determination. A burning urge to push forward. And Asia... sweet, timid Asia, clutched the edge of her dress as a new thought bloomed within her: ‘If President can grow stronger... Maybe I can too.’ Yuuji slowly descended to the ground, still carrying Rias in his arms. He landed lightly, like a whisper in the wind. Not a single person dared speak. “She’ll be fine,” he said, breaking the silence. “She’s just exhausted. Let her rest.” Akeno stepped forward, eyes glued to Rias. “You... held back, didn’t you?” Yuuji looked her way. “Of course. But I gave her just enough to push past her limits.” He laid Rias gently on a prepared cushion. The moment his hands released her, the rest of the peerage moved—gathering around their leader like gravity itself had pulled them in. “She touched you,” Kiba said softly. “She actually landed a hit.” Yuuji smirked faintly. “That was her reward. That one graze... will be a spark for her. And a challenge for all of you.” His eyes swept across the group, and a chill ran down their spines—not from fear, but from anticipation. “Rest for today. I’ll handle dinner. Go wash up and wait in the dining room.” Yuuji turned to Akeno, his voice calm yet commanding. “Aika, Erika, and I would like to stay here for a while. Do you have any spare rooms available?” “Of course~” Akeno replied with a soft smile. “There are still plenty of rooms. Feel free to pick whichever you like~” He gave her a nod of appreciation, a gentle smile tugging at his lips, before turning and walking back toward Aika and Erika. Together, the three disappeared into the mansion to choose their rooms. As she watched them leave, Akeno’s smile lingered. Her eyes narrowed slightly in playful intrigue as they followed Yuuji’s figure. She knew her focus needed to remain on training—on strengthening herself for the upcoming Rating Game against Riser. But a part of her couldn’t help but feel excited... not just about the training, but about the time she’d get to spend with him—to learn more about the man who had already begun to shift their world.