Looking at the basketballs offered up before him, Tatsuma naturally wouldn't be polite.
However, while practicing dribbling, he took the opportunity to explain, "Xenovia, actually, I help my companions and friends awaken for free."
"Huh?"
"Didn't Rias tell you? Everyone except you and Gasper has awakened."
"Uh... I haven't heard about that." Xenovia scratched her head, looking a bit confused.
Before becoming a Devil and slacking off, Xenovia was either training or carrying out Church missions. Because she had never experienced a normal life, she was very relaxed after falling and mostly chatted about daily trivialities with Rias and others.
As for Tatsuma's strength and abilities, Xenovia, who had long seen the gap, had never asked. If Rukia hadn't brought it up today, she wouldn't have known that Tatsuma could help people become stronger at all.
As for helping companions become stronger for free, she was naturally even less aware of that.
"Ahem! Never mind, these are all unimportant little things. Anyway, I've always been interested in you, so this time let's just consider it a preview."
Realizing she had been at a disadvantage, Xenovia didn't feel embarrassed. Instead, she coughed and became even bolder.
"Tatsuma, I want a powerful descendant. When can you lend me some genes?"
Tatsuma said, "Come to my room yourself tonight."
Someone was offering themselves up, it was a waste not to take it for free.
After giving a time, Tatsuma helped Xenovia unlock her traits.
After that, he left her alone to adapt to her new power, while he went to a deserted corner of the training ground and took out the hōgyoku, swallowing it whole.
[Detected external power. Convert it into a red trait?]
[Conversion successful. Congratulations, you have obtained the red trait Hōgyoku.]
[Hōgyoku (Red): Greatly increases the host's immortality and fulfills the host's or target's wishes under qualifying conditions.]
Not bad, just a bit low in quality.
In Tatsuma's opinion, the hōgyoku should have been a gold trait.
However, thinking that the Hōgyoku he had swallowed was only a semi-finished product, he accepted this result.
Opening his status panel and equipping the [Hōgyoku], a blackish-blue gem appeared within his body. It was the Hōgyoku he had just swallowed. Unlike its behavior when held in his hand before, the Hōgyoku was now fully activated, continuously emitting a special energy fluctuation.
Tatsuma mobilized this energy and used it to develop the potential within his body. The next second, his physical stats and soul simultaneously received reinforcement, beginning to grow automatically.
"Not bad."
Tatsuma's face showed a hint of satisfaction.
The Hōgyoku could fulfill the target's wish under qualifying conditions.
Combined with [Limitless Potential], he had gained another means of automatically increasing his strength.
Adding to that Automatic Training 9.0 and the many tools he had recruited through granting traits, even if Tatsuma did nothing now, he would rapidly grow stronger.
At this rate, he could reach the next level in at most a month.
Thinking of this, Tatsuma was instantly filled with motivation and began today's training.
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, finished with a 10-kilometer long run.
In the empty basement, Tatsuma, with a hundred times the gravity, began to sweat.
Time flowed, and in the blink of an eye, a morning had passed.
Just as Tatsuma was starting his twentieth round of training, a familiar aura entered his sensory range.
He stopped his movements and looked with some surprise at the figure walking into the basement. "Why are you here?"
"Why can't I be here?"
Serafall put one hand on her hip, holding a brand new magic staff in the other.
"Tatsuma, I was careless yesterday. But today is different. I will let you experience the true strength of MGL."
"What is MGL?"
"Of course, it's the abbreviation for Magical Girl Leviathan. You don't even know that?"
"I don't know."
Tatsuma shrugged and resumed his training.
"Don't ignore me! Hurry up and fight me!"
Serafall puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and came over to Tatsuma's side, poking him fiercely.
"Stop messing around, I don't have time to play with you."
"I'm not messing around!"
Serafall waved her hand casually, and a surging cold wave instantly enveloped the surroundings.
Seeing that Tatsuma was unmoved and continued his training, she could only pout and cancel the attacks she had been building up around him.
There was nothing she could do, she couldn't actually fight.
Although Tatsuma was very excessive yesterday, he was Sona's boyfriend after all. If she really injured him through a sneak attack, it wouldn't be good to be nagged by Sona later.
But thinking that she could only take the loss, Serafall became more and more annoyed, raising her hand to poke him fiercely again.
Poke! Poke! Poke!
"..You're not a masochist, are you? You didn't get enough yesterday and want another round today."
Tatsuma stopped training, feeling a bit helpless.
Although Serafall's little movements couldn't interrupt his training, her behavior seemed no different from flirting in his eyes. After all that poking, Tatsuma's desire to fight, in various senses, had been roused.
Serafall retorted, "Who's a masochist? Don't talk nonsense. I came to see you today for something serious. A troublesome guy wants to meet you."
"A troublesome guy?"
"Michael."
"That's a big shot."
Tatsuma became a little interested. "What happened? Why does he suddenly want to see me?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask. Anyway, he asked me to pass on a message. He wants to meet you before the Three Factions Conference begins."
Tatsuma asked, "Time and place?"
Serafall replied, "This afternoon, the abandoned Church in Kuoh Town."
"I understand."
Tatsuma nodded slightly, then activated the transfer magic circle and took Serafall to the outskirts of Kuoh Town.
"Since there's still time, let's deal with our matters before meeting him."
"Huh? Don't mess around."
Looking at the familiar scenery around them, Serafall, who had been provoking him just moments ago, instantly chickened out.
"I just wanted to spar with you just now, I didn't have any other intentions."
"It's fine, it's enough that I have it."
Tatsuma's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot.
***
40 Advanced Chapters on
patreon.com/alex_1000