“I’d love for Yuuto to spar with you,” Rias said with a standard elegant smile.

“He raved about your Kendo Club feat, and I’m dying to see the swordsmanship he can’t stop praising.”

Roy smirked inwardly but played clueless.

“Your Occult Research Club feels less like a research group and more like a fight club.”

Rias chuckled.

“It’s the Occult Research Club. ‘Occult’ is the key—research just complements it.”

“Exactly,” Akeno added, her smile teasing as she covered her face, half-joking, half-serious.

“If a real supernatural event pops up, we’ll be counting on your strength.”

Akeno’s gentle aura and soft eyes painted her as a delicate girl spooked by the paranormal—pure theater from the Thunder Priestess, whose power could fry most threats with a lightning snap.

Roy fought an eye-roll.

‘Nice act.’

Her electrotherapy would probably leave foes screaming in thrilled agony.

“I’m curious too,” Kiba said, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“How wide’s the gap between us?”

“Since you’re asking, Kiba…” Roy shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

“If you beat senpai, this is yours,” Koneko pulled a small, ornate snack pack from a drawer under the coffee table.

Its fancy packaging screamed expensive.

“Ara, isn’t that chocolate bar?” Akeno teased, giggling.

“Koneko queued forever for those and never shares.”

“We didn’t get a taste,” Rias added, amused.

“Senpai doesn’t like snacks, so I didn’t offer,” Koneko said, deadpan.

“Since when?” Akeno said, mock-shocked.

“I love snacks! Third year’s just been hectic, so I cut back.”

Koneko frowned, distressed. “But I promised Roy the prize if he wins. I don’t have more.”

Akeno’s eyes twinkled, landing on Roy with a playful pout.

“Roy-kun…”

“Don’t worry, Himejima-senpai,” Roy said, puffing his chest.

“If I win, I’ll describe the snacks’ taste in vivid detail.”

“What?” Akeno blinked, thrown off, wondering if she’d misheard.

“I’ll even write a report,” Roy said, dead serious.

“You’ll feel the flavor through my words.”

Akeno stared, then sighed, her gaze half-resentful, half-amused.

“Roy, has anyone told you you’re hopeless with charm?”

“Switch your answer, and you might win a senpai’s favor.”

“Nope,” Roy said, shaking his head.

Akeno raised an eyebrow. “Oh? If I played the flirty TV idol, would you change your tune?”

Roy grinned. “Maybe.”

“Ara ara, cheeky-kun,” Akeno laughed.

“But perks come after you join the club.”

“Can’t wait.”

“You’ll fit right in,” Rias chimmed in.

“Rias-senpai, should we move? This room’s too cramped for a spar,” Roy said.

“There’s an empty classroom next door.”

The group relocated to a spacious classroom, twice the size of a standard one, its clean floors and walls pristine.

Akeno, somehow, produced two shinai, handing one each to Roy and Kiba.

“Roy, don’t hold back,” Kiba said, standing opposite, his eyes blazing with a hint of thrill on his face.

“I want to know my flaws and how far I am from you.”

“Even if you didn’t ask, I wouldn’t,” Roy said, smiling.

“Looks like Yuuto’s the most excited for Roy to join,” Akeno said, chuckling.

“Senpai’s always wanted a rival,” Koneko said, glancing at Roy.

“He spars with me, but our styles don’t mesh.”

“We’re too familiar now, so it’s just routine, not growth.”

Pure sparring, not life-or-death, offered little for either to learn, especially after countless repetitive bouts.

“You two, begin,” Rias announced, smiling.

“Show me what you’ve got, Roy,” Kiba said, saluting with his shinai.

“Likewise,” Roy replied, returning the gesture.

Kiba straightened, adjusted his stance, and lunged forward, shinai slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh, aimed at Roy.

Roy, unfazed, sidestepped lightly, staying rooted, dodging Kiba’s strike with ease.

Sparring Kiba was simpler than Meguri Tomoe.

Without demonic powers, Kiba stood no chance, even without Roy tapping his replicated Power of Destruction or Boosted Gear.

Kiba, expecting the dodge, swung again, but Roy anticipated it.

Raising his shinai, Roy struck backhand, angling for Kiba’s sword hand with surgical precision. It looked like Kiba had fed his hand into the strike.

Kiba’s eye’s shrank, trying to retract and counter, but Roy advanced, spinning his shinai along Kiba’s blade, landing the tip at Kiba’s chest.

Feeling the shinai’s pressure, Kiba gave a wry smile.

“Thought I’d last longer.”

“Senpai, you went down that fast?” Koneko said, her emotionless demeanor cracking with surprise.

She’d sparred Kiba often and knew his skill.

Even without demonic power, his technique and experience were top-tier.

Yet he fell in seconds.

“As Yuuto predicted, not even ten moves,” Akeno said, her eyes glinting with fascination.

“I didn’t expect Yuuto to lose so quickly,” Rias said, shocked but thrilled.

Roy’s skill was beyond human norms—a perfect candidate.

“It’s like… I learned something, but nothing at all,” Kiba said, chuckling bitterly.

Their speed and strength were close, yet Roy’s pinpoint strike left no counterplay.

Experience? Unreachable.

“You said no mercy,” Roy said, lowering his shinai with a grin.

“Another round?”

“Yuuto, use your full strength,” Rias interjected. “I want to see Roy’s limits.”

“Full strength?” Kiba hesitated, catching her meaning.

“President, isn’t that… unfair?”

Using demonic power against a “human” felt like bullying.

—

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