The Gremory mansion came into view as the car rolled through the gates.
Yuto stepped out beside Rias, his eyes immediately drawn to the vast estate once more, but this time, his focus wasn't on the elegance. It was on what lay beyond it. This was his new home, yet it was also a fortress to hone his abilities to prepare for war.
"Follow me," Rias said, already walking ahead.
They moved past the main building, down a stone path that led deeper into the estate. The air shifted. It became heavier. Denser. The mana in the atmosphere was very apparent here more so than other parts of the estate. He could tell lots of magic was used here.
Yuto felt it immediately.
"This place," he muttered, "it's different."
Rias glanced back slightly.
"Good," she said. "That means you're starting to sense magic properly."
They arrived at a large open training ground, far more isolated than the academy's. Unlike the chaotic energy of Celestial Academy, this place felt contained. Refined. Safe to train without dangerous eyes on you and to reach your potential.
"This is where I train," Rias said, turning to face him.
Yuto scanned the area. The ground was reinforced. The space wide enough to handle massive spells. He noticed some servant demons were walking around cleaning up the debris from previous training sessions.
"…Yeah," he exhaled. "I can tell."
Rias stepped forward.
"Let's start simple," she said. "Show me what you can do."
Yuto rolled his shoulders slightly. "Alright."
He closed his eyes briefly. Focused. Felt the unfamiliar flow inside him. Magic. Unstable. Raw.
"Wreck," he muttered.
A faint glow formed in his hand: dark red, flickering unevenly. He thrust his hand forward. The energy burst out and exploded weakly against the ground. A small impact formed. Cracked stone and dust. The only difference between before and after he released the spell was that there was a hole in the ground the size of his shoe. Silence filled the air as he stared at it.
He sighed to himself, "Yeah, That's rough."
Rias didn't laugh. Didn't mock him. She simply observed.
"Your control is unstable," she said. "And your output is minimal."
Yuto scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly impressive."
Rias stepped closer.
"No," she said. "But it's not useless either."
She raised her hand. "Watch carefully."
The air changed. A deep crimson aura formed around her hand: calm, controlled, but infinitely denser than Yuto's.
Rias exclaimed, "Destruction!"
The word alone carried weight. She extended her hand forward slightly and released it. Large amounts of dark crimson energy cackled around her hand as it shot forward. The sound was like a volcanic eruption and the red light coming from the spell made Yuto have to close his eyes. When he opened them, part of the training grounds was simply erased.
The ground vanished in a controlled line, leaving behind a perfectly carved path of destruction. A straight line going from where they stood all the way to the end of the training grounds marked the trajectory of her spell. The destruction spell caused the ground to be several feet deep and wide. It was clean. Precise.Terrifying. It was clear she had mastery over it.
Yuto's eyes widened. "What the hell was that?"
Rias lowered her hand calmly.
"A higher form of your ability," she said. "Destruction magic."
Yuto stared at the aftermath. "That's the same thing I just used?"
"In principle," she said.
That gap. That difference. It wasn't small. It was overwhelming.
Rias continued."Your 'Wreck, is simply the lowest expression of destruction," she explained. "Unrefined. Inefficient. However, it will grow. While you cannot raise the ceiling of raw power behind your spells until you rank yourself up as a whole, through training you can refine it and find other ways to use it."
Yuto exhaled slowly. "Good. Because right now, I'm not exactly threatening."
Rias smiled faintly. "You're not supposed to be."
She raised her hand again. "Next, I'll show you another higher form of a spell you have."
The air shifted once more. Darkness gathered slightly around her. A ripple formed, and several large adult bats materialized in the air. Not small. Not weak. Each one radiated controlled energy as they hovered around her.
Yuto blinked. "Okay. That's definitely not what I have."
Rias gestured slightly. The bats moved instantly. Perfect synchronization. No hesitation.
"Familiars," she said. "Unlike yours, mine are fully controlled."
Yuto glanced at his own hand. "Mine just… shows up and does whatever it wants."
Rias nodded. "Because your bond isn't formed yet. The great thing about your bond system specifically is that raising the bond level through exp with one person, raises it for all things connected to you. My guess is when you reach Rank-D, you'll gain control."
She waved her hand again. The bats vanished instantly.
"Lastly," she said.
Magic gathered around her again, but this time, it felt different. Defensive. Stable. Several large crimson shields formed around her body in three-hundred-sixty degrees, floating effortlessly in the air. Layered. Reinforced. Unbreakable, at least to him.
Yuto stepped closer slightly. "And that's your defense?"
Rias nodded. "Yes."
She tapped one lightly. It didn't even ripple.
"Your version spreads damage across yourself," she continued. "Mine prevents it entirely."
Yuto let out a low whistle. "So basically, everything I have is the worst version of what you can do."
Rias smiled slightly. "For now."
She dismissed the shields. The air returned to normal. Silence settled between them. Yuto looked down at his hand again. Then back at the training ground. Then at her. Rias could sense what Yuto was thinking.
"First, let's start off with destruction or in your case wreck. I'll show you how to refine it better with better control. What you need to do, is visualize the magic flowing through your body equally and then envision what you want to happen. Visualize where you want the spell to hit and land. Visualize the spell forming and leaving your hand. Meditating will help you and just repetition," Rias said as Yuto nodded in response.
They practiced for a couple of hours and then took a break.
Rias then called back Yuto to the training grounds.
"I have a surprise for you," Rias said with a smile. She gestured as a beautiful maid stepped into view from behind her. "If you beat her in a sparring match you can do whatever you want with her for however long. She agreed to the deal. She has B-Rank potential, but is currently D-Rank because her combat skillset is not needed for us. We have other servants for that. You can win if you strategize and take openings. Good luck."
This was a deal Yuto did not want to lose.