After some playful banter, Haruto brought up his fight with Tetsuya.
Rias listened attentively, her expression thoughtful.
"From what you're saying, Tetsuya likely used a bloodline ability called 'Berserk.'"
Rias hugged Haruto again, delighted. "As expected of the man I chose! After just a few days of training, you actually managed to defeat a minor supernatural being who had activated Berserk head-on."
Haruto flushed slightly. While he had indeed defeated Tetsuya, calling it "head-on" was...
A bit of an exaggeration.
If Tetsuya had been determined to flee, Haruto wouldn't have been able to catch up. Agility and speed weren't the same—even in his Berserk state, Tetsuya's speed far surpassed Haruto's.
"Rias-senpai..."
"Call me 'President.' That's what everyone here calls me."
It wasn't a big deal, so Haruto obliged.
"President, you mentioned 'defeating someone above your tier.' But wasn't Tetsuya a new student like me?"
Hearing Haruto call her "President," Rias seemed to envision the moment she successfully recruited him as her Servant.
In high spirits, she patiently explained the detailed power hierarchy of the supernatural world.
"It's not the same. Enrollment time and strength aren't directly related."
Rias elaborated, "Just like how Lower-class Devil doesn't refer to power level."
"Lower-class Devil, Mid-class Devil... those aren't ranked by strength?" Haruto grew even more confused.
"Not entirely. All pure-blooded devils are considered Lower-class Devils from birth."
Rias pointed at herself. "For example, Sona and I, as descendants of the 72 Pillar Demon Lords, are born as High-class Devils."
"But can you say we had the strength of High-class Devils from birth?"
Haruto shook his head, starting to understand the gist of it.
"So how exactly is it divided?"
"Setting aside the terms Lower, Mid, and High-class Devils—since those are unique to devils, similar to human noble titles in the past."
Rias pulled Haruto down to sit beside her and explained seriously, "The power classification for all other races is much more detailed and precise."
"Once an ordinary person steps onto this path and masters magical energy, they can be classified into the D-tier..."
After Rias's detailed explanation, Haruto finally gained a clear understanding of his current strength.
Peak D-rank, but not yet C-rank.
To reach C-rank, one must master at least one Magic or skill.
Regardless of tier, attribute, or function, mastering any qualifies as C-rank.
Of course, Basic Mana Extraction doesn't count—mastering and successfully applying that merely marks entry into D-rank.
Take Yukina and others with special talents, for example. Without mastering mana, they wouldn't even qualify as D-rank.
For instance, someone without special talents who masters mana could defeat them despite their innate gifts, simply by casting a low-level illusion spell—against which those without mana would be helpless.
Admittedly, the distinction between D and C-rank seems somewhat arbitrary, mainly because there are so many in these tiers without any qualitative leap.
More importantly, apart from humans, most other races naturally reach B-rank strength upon adulthood.
B-rank encompasses ordinary low-class devils, lesser fallen angels, and two-winged angels.
For ordinary humans to reach this level, they must cultivate mana until it suffuses their entire body—like renowned enlightened monks or church bishops.
Another point: not everyone in this world cultivates mana.
There's ki, curse power, spiritual energy...
People train in all sorts of esoteric energies.
Though dazzlingly varied, they all fundamentally involve absorbing special energies from the etheric realm—just with different emphases and applications.
Hence the proliferation of various terms.
The latter part was Haruto's speculation based on his vague memories.
Rias had only given a brief explanation so he'd have basic knowledge and wouldn't panic when encountering enemies later.
The higher tiers were even simpler to understand.
Take A-rank human warriors as an example—mid-tier magicians, mid-class devils, mid-level fallen angels, and four-winged angels all qualify as A-rank.
S-rank naturally includes high-class devils, greater fallen angels, six-winged angels, high-tier magicians, and the church's S-rank warriors.
Beyond that, Rias didn't elaborate—like how the highest-tier devils or Demon Kings compare in strength.
Rias didn't say, and Haruto didn't ask.
He could consider that after reaching S-rank.
Tetsuya had mastered his bloodline's berserk skill, qualifying as C-rank, which was why Rias said Haruto had defeated a higher-tier opponent.
"Why don't the student council records include strength rankings or even mention Tetsuya's berserk ability?"
Being completely ignorant of the hidden world's conventions, Haruto asked straightforwardly without embarrassment.
Rias smiled faintly. "Of course they wouldn't. If statistics were that detailed, who would want to enroll in Kuoh Academy?"
"Though we're in a tentative peace after the great war years ago, inter-species conflicts never truly ceased," Rias explained. "To accurately determine someone's rank requires their complete openness—which is nearly impossible."
"For instance, Tetsuya Hakuta would never reveal his berserk ability during testing. Collecting such confidential information would not only alienate students but also lack reliability."
Haruto nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. No wonder the president's report was so vague."
"President, do you know roughly what level third-years Taisei Oida and Mika Anbiki are at?"
Rias naturally knew—she had been keeping an eye on the other two names on the list as well.
"You still want to go test those two?" Rias looked at Haruto with interest. "Third-year students are at least C-rank. If they couldn't reach that level, they would have been expelled long ago."
"Just C-rank? Didn't I reach that level after learning just one spell..."
Haruto scratched his cheek and shamelessly added, "President, what do you think... about teaching me a few more first?"
"Magic isn't as easy to learn as you think. Even the simplest low-level spell—"
As she spoke, magical energy gathered in Rias's hand, forming a small orange-red flame that obediently hovered in midair.
"Take Fireball, for example. To achieve instant casting without incantations and precise control, an average person would need at least a month."
Haruto watched the tiny flame in Rias's hand with curiosity, itching to reach out and touch it.
The scorching air warned him it was best not to be reckless.
Suppressing his reckless thoughts, Haruto asked, "If it takes a month for an ordinary person, how long did it take you, President?"
Rias smiled faintly, exuding confidence. "Not bad. I mastered it in three days."
"Amazing, President! So your magical talent is this incredible."
Listening to Haruto's praise, Rias was visibly pleased.
After all, she was just a seventeen-year-old girl in the prime of her youth.
Though her figure was a bit too developed for a girl her age...
Her maturity, calmness, and strength were all forced upon her as the next heir of the Gremory family—traits she had to display for others.
Only in front of her own servants could Rias truly act like the seventeen-year-old beauty she was.
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