Chapter 37 - Who Needs Peace When You’re This OP?

The training field was already battered from our earlier exchanges, but now? Now, things were about to escalate.

Kiba stood opposite me, his sword in hand, his usual polite demeanor sharpened with something else—a quiet determination.

"You're good, Malrik," he admitted, his grip tightening. "But I know you're holding back."

I raised an eyebrow, letting my spear rest lazily against my shoulder.

"Oh?"

Kiba's golden eyes flickered with devil energy, his posture shifting into something more aggressive.

"Go all out against me," he said, voice steady but firm. "Show me your real power."

The air stilled.

Everyone watching—Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Issei, Sona, her Peerage—leaned forward, intrigued.

I sighed, cracking my knuckles.

"You know, Kiba… you're lucky I like a challenge."

With that, I planted my spear into the ground, taking a deep breath.

Then—I activated my magic.

A faint hum filled the air as calculations raced through my mind, equations unraveling reality at my fingertips.

"Vector Recalculation: Gravity Shift."

The ground rippled beneath us.

Kiba's footing faltered as he suddenly felt weightless, his body floating an inch off the ground. His eyes widened—just before gravity snapped back with twice the force.

He stumbled, momentarily off-balance.

I dashed forward.

My spear struck before he could fully recover, the blunt end slamming into his side and sending him skidding across the battlefield.

Kiba recovered quickly, twisting mid-air to land on his feet, sliding back a few meters before stopping.

His expression was no longer playful.

It was focused.

"What kind of magic is that?" he muttered.

I spun my spear, grinning.

"Magic and math go hand in hand, my friend."

Kiba narrowed his eyes.

Then—he vanished.

No, not vanished—moved.

Faster than a normal person could react.

His speed tripled, his sword flashing like lightning as he came at me from my blind spot.

I smirked.

"Predictable."

"Vector Recalculation: Acceleration Shift."

I snapped my fingers.

Suddenly, my body moved at twice the speed of normal acceleration.

I spun just in time to parry Kiba's strike with the shaft of my spear, the clash sending a shockwave across the training field.

The watching Peerages flinched from the sheer force of our collision.

Kiba, seeing I wasn't thrown off, pivoted.

His sword shimmered—his Sacred Gear activating.

Blades erupted from the ground, sharp and deadly, cutting off my escape routes.

"Sword Birth."

I didn't even blink.

"Nice trick," I mused. "But…"

I twisted my spear, driving its tip into the ground.

"Vector Recalculation: Momentum Shift."

Suddenly—the blades reversed their direction.

Instead of launching toward me, they jerked backward, shattering as their own force was turned against them.

Kiba's eyes widened.

"What—?!"

I capitalized on his shock.

Dashing forward, I delivered a rapid series of strikes, each one calculated, forcing him into defensive footing.

Steel clashed against steel, our weapons a blur.

Kiba countered with masterful swordplay—fast, efficient, lethal—but I anticipated each move, redirecting his momentum with perfect timing.

We weaved across the battlefield, exchanging dozens of attacks per second, neither of us giving an inch.

Every time he tried to outmaneuver me, I adjusted my vector calculations, ensuring I was one step ahead.

It was like watching a chess match played at supersonic speed.

Then, Kiba's eyes flashed.

He suddenly dropped his sword.

Before I could react—

He created a new one.

A massive, two-handed greatsword—far heavier, far stronger than before.

He swung it with full force.

I barely had time to shift my stance, raising my spear to block—

BOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave so strong that the ground beneath us cracked apart, a massive cloud of dust and debris exploding into the air.

The watching Peerages had to shield themselves from the sheer force.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then—

From the dust, Kiba and I stood, weapons locked, both of us pushing against the other with equal force.

His grin was sharp.

"You're still holding back," he murmured.

I met his gaze, my own smirk widening.

"You're not wrong."

Kiba suddenly jumped back, his sword dissolving into light particles before reforming into two thinner blades—dual-wielding this time.

"Fine," he said, adjusting his stance. "Then stop holding back."

The air crackled with energy.

I rolled my shoulders, taking a slow breath.

"Alright, Kiba," I murmured, my grin turning dangerous.

"You asked for it."

"Vector Recalculation: Absolute Acceleration."

I vanished.

No warning.

No sound.

One second I was standing there—

The next, I was right in front of him, my spear already mid-thrust.

Kiba barely had time to react.

Our weapons clashed once again—

BOOM!

The force of our clash shattered the training field completely.

Chunks of the ground were torn apart, the protective barriers flickering from the raw magical output.

From the sidelines, Rias groaned, rubbing her temples.

"There goes the training field," she muttered.

Akeno giggled, clearly enjoying the chaos.

Sona, however, was staring at me intently—her mind clearly racing.

Then, finally—

We both stopped.

The field was destroyed.

The air hummed with lingering energy.

And yet—both of us were grinning.

I spun my spear, letting it rest on my shoulder.

"So… call it a tie?"

Kiba exhaled, lowering his swords before chuckling.

"A tie."

Just like that—the fight was over.

But the aftershock of what had just happened?

That would stay with everyone watching.

————————

The training ground was in ruins.

The once-flat arena was now a shattered battlefield—cracks splintered across the ground, chunks of stone missing, and faint traces of lingering energy still humming in the air.

Yet, despite the destruction, neither Kiba nor I looked exhausted.

We stood in the center, grinning at each other.

A silent respect passed between us.

Then, the sound of heels clicking against stone broke the quiet.

Rias approached, her crimson hair flowing behind her, arms crossed.

Her expression?

One of newfound admiration.

"You're stronger than I thought, Malrik," she admitted, shaking her head.

I smirked. "Glad to know I exceeded expectations."

Before she could reply, another voice spoke.

Sona.

She stood just a few feet away, adjusting her glasses, her violet eyes filled with intense curiosity.

"You incorporated mathematical formulas into your spells," she mused, almost to herself. "Fascinating."

I turned to her, smirking. "Math makes the impossible possible, Kaichou."

Sona's lips pressed into a thin line, but I could tell—she was intrigued.

Meanwhile—

"Malrik!"

A sudden, excited voice interrupted.

Issei.

The guy practically bounced forward, his expression filled with awe.

"You're an amazing teacher!" he exclaimed. "I actually understood how to use a spear for the first time!"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's because you were actually listening."

Issei laughed sheepishly. "Well, yeah, but—!"

Then—

Rias suddenly grinned.

I caught the look in her eyes.

That was a dangerous look.

The kind that meant she had an idea.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why do I feel like you're about to make my life complicated?"

Rias ignored that.

Instead, she tilted her head, smirking.

"Malrik… how would you feel about training us?"

Silence.

Every single person in the courtyard turned their attention to her.

I blinked.

"Wait. You want me to… train you?"

Rias nodded. "Yes. You clearly have knowledge and skills that could help my Peerage grow stronger."

Sona, ever the intellectual, crossed her arms.

"Actually," she added, "I'd be interested as well."

I looked between the two of them.

Then at the expectant faces of the others.

Kiba? Interested.

Akeno? Smirking.

Koneko? Munching, but still watching me.

Issei? Practically vibrating in excitement.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head.

"You guys really can't get enough of me, huh?"

Rias smiled.

Sona's eyes glinted.

And just like that—

My peaceful life?

Over.