"I see. Thank you for the information, Nanamiya-kun."
After listening to Hiro's narration, Rias slightly furrowed her brow and nodded at him.
They're all devils, and I don't plan on becoming one.
I can't get Rias's and Akeno's luck for now, and Gasper is holed up in that small room and won't come out.
It seems... there's nothing else for me here?
Taking a sip of the moderately warm tea, Hiro looked at the red-haired beauty with a thoughtful expression on her face at the head of the table, thinking this in his heart.
However, just as Rias's concerns came to an end, the smiling blonde-haired handsome man opposite him spoke up at an inopportune moment:
"Koneko told me that Nanamiya-kun killed a ghoul yesterday with just two fingers. You must be a very strong person, right? If you don't mind, would you like to spar with me? To be honest, for devils like me, only combat is the best way to improve our strength."
Thump~
"Spar?"
Putting down the teacup in his hand, Hiro looked at the smile on the handsome man's face opposite him and repeated with some doubt.
I'm just a slightly stronger ordinary person.
Why is the sacred gear user of a low-class devil like you looking for me? Or is this your master, Rias's, intention: to test me?
Glancing at Rias and Akeno, who showed no unusual reactions, Hiro pondered for a moment and ultimately didn't refuse.
"No problem, should we go to the open space behind the old school building?"
He was also somewhat curious about his current strength, or rather, the upper limit of the system's "physical fitness enhancement."
Just then, Kiba Yuuto proposed a spar.
"That's right, there's just enough open space there."
Seeing him agree, a slight hint of excitement appeared on Kiba Yuuto's face.
He turned his head to look at Rias on his left and requested:
"President?"
"I agree."
Just as Kiba Yuuto opened his mouth, Rias responded immediately, as if she had expected it.
"Coincidentally, I'm also very interested in Nanamiya-kun's strength. Please allow me to watch. What about you, Akeno and Koneko?"
Supporting herself on the table with both hands, Rias stood up and looked at her other two servants one after another.
"Of course! Please do allow me to watch~~" Akeno gently touched her cheek with her right hand, her light purple eyes slightly narrowed.
"Hmm."
Koneko didn't speak, just nodded.
"Then, my knight, I look forward to your performance~"
Glancing at Hiro, who had a "as expected" expression on his face, Rias looked at Kiba Yuuto opposite him and chuckled softly.
"Yes! President!"
"Hey, hey, hey, is it necessary to make the atmosphere so serious?"
Hiro, who was watching, couldn't help but think.
A few minutes later, in the open grassy area behind the old school building of Kuoh Academy, Hiro and Kiba Yuuto each held a magic sword with identical appearance, abilities, and length, facing each other from more than ten meters.
"Let me say this first, although I've picked up this magic sword, I know absolutely nothing about swordsmanship or sword techniques. Kiba, don't have too high expectations of me."
Swinging the jet-black magic sword in his right hand casually a couple of times, Hiro looked at the serious-looking blonde handsome man in the distance and stated it plainly.
"Understood." Kiba Yuuto, who had entered battle mode, looked serious.
"Nanamiya-kun, please rest assured, I will show appropriate restraint."
Show restraint? It's good to have that thought, but don't end up being unable to even beat me...
"I'm ready."
Hiro said calmly.
At the same time, Intrinsic Time Control - Five Times Speed activated.
Feeling his body, which felt no pain, and the surrounding environment, which had slowed down many times, Hiro took a deep breath and braced himself.
Although he couldn't be certain of the specific reason, judging from yesterday's experiment, the drawbacks of "Intrinsic Time Control" didn't seem to apply in this world, or rather, on him.
In other words: as long as he was willing, he could accelerate his personal time to five times the normal speed at any time, until his stamina gave out.
"Well... then."
In Hiro's vision, Kiba Yuuto, more than ten meters away, slightly bent his waist, preparing to charge forward.
Then, he approached Hiro at a speed even slower than a normal person running.
So slow~~
Calmly watching Kiba Yuuto's movements, he muttered inwardly before reducing the speed of Intrinsic Time Control from "5" to "4".
Just as the speed adjustment was completed, Kiba Yuuto's speed suddenly increased significantly in his vision.
Although it couldn't be described as lightning-fast, it was many times faster than the speed even slower than a normal person he had shown before.
Having said that, this level posed no challenge to Hiro now: not only could he capture Kiba Yuuto's movements, but he could also discern where Kiba's gaze was directed and how he intended to attack next.
Looking at it this way, I can easily defeat a low-class devil after using five times the speed now.
It's hard to say about a mid-class devil without a comparison, but...
was Kiba Yuuto a low-class or mid-class devil?
Clang~
While casually blocking Kiba Yuuto's magic sword attack, Hiro still had the spare capacity to think about these questions.
"Na... na... mi... ya... kun... you... are... very... strong..."
Kiba Yuuto said, praising him "word by word" with a hint of excitement on his face.
Knowing that speaking would turn into a "four times speed" fast-forward, Hiro just shrugged and didn't respond.
The magic swords touched and separated, then collided again.
Clang~
But this time, Hiro had no intention of continuing to entangle with Kiba Yuuto.
The speed of Intrinsic Time Control increased by another level.
His free left hand flashed, accurately and swiftly grabbing the hilt of the magic sword in Kiba Yuuto's hand, preventing him from continuing his movements.
At the same time, amidst the "zzzz" sound of metal friction, Hiro took advantage of the time Kiba Yuuto hadn't broken free and pressed the magic sword in his right hand onto his left shoulder.
"I think, this should be the end."
Ending the accelerated state of Intrinsic Time Control, Hiro looked at the somewhat stiff face a few dozen centimeters away and said lightly.
"..." After a moment of silence, Kiba Yuuto shook his head with a wry smile and said helplessly, "I lost. I didn't expect Nanamiya-kun to be so strong. I was careless."
"That's right, before you know the other party's strength, you have no right to hold back, Yuuto. Remember this lesson well."
Rias crossed her arms in front of her chest, came to Hiro and Kiba Yuuto, and reprimanded Kiba Yuuto.
"Yes, President."
"There shouldn't be anything else for me now, right? Then I'll go back first."
The magic sword in his hand disappeared as magic power.
Hiro looked directly into Rias's deep red eyes and said this, then turned around on his own and walked towards the path he had come from.
"Are you really not considering becoming one of my servants, my family, Nanamiya-kun?"
Behind him, Rias's voice came again.
"If it's the kind of family like a husband, I might consider it. But the kind of family like a servant, I'll pass."
Hiro waved his hand without looking back, his interest lacking.