Chapter 39 - The Billion-Yen Bootcamp Begins

The training grounds—though recently restored—still hummed with the lingering energy of my fight with Kiba.

Despite the earlier destruction, the air now carried a different kind of tension—anticipation.

Everyone was eager.

Too eager.

I barely had time to mentally count my 100X System earnings before—

A blur of brown shot forward, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Malrik! Train me first!"

Issei pumped his fist into the air, his eyes shining with determination.

I stared at him, vaguely amused.

After watching my insane spear skills, the pervert had never been more hyped to actually learn how to fight.

This was his moment.

His chance.

His time to shine—

Before I could even open my mouth, another figure suddenly stepped forward.

A sharp movement. A strong stance.

Eyes burning with determination.

Tsubasa Yura.

Sona's Knight, the powerhouse of her Peerage, stood firm, her expression locked onto me like a predator spotting prey.

"Train me first."

No hesitation.

No emotion.

Just pure, unshakable resolve.

And then—without even acknowledging Issei's existence—

She physically shoved him aside like he was an afterthought.

Issei let out a very unmanly yelp as he stumbled, his arms flailing like a broken windmill.

"Oi! I asked first!"

And then—

Thud.

He face-planted into the dirt.

Koneko, watching blankly from the sidelines, didn't even blink.

"Unfortunate." She said, still munching on her snack.

Akeno, on the other hand—

"Ara~ poor Issei-kun."

She giggled behind her hand, absolutely delighted by his suffering.

Issei groaned, his face still buried in the ground.

Before I could even respond, before I could decide who to train first—

Another voice joined in.

"Actually, I'd like to go first~"

Akeno, her usual mischievous smile in place, stepped forward gracefully.

Then—

Kiba.

Then Koneko.

Then Momo Hanakai.

Then Reya Kusaka.

Then Tomoe Meguri.

Then Tsubaki Shinra.

Then—

Within seconds—EVERYONE was demanding to be the first one trained.

The entire training ground was filled with overlapping voices.

"Train me first!"

"No, me!"

"I saw his swordplay up close, I need to test my skills against him!"

"I'm more suited to his teaching style!"

"Back off, I was first!"

"NO, YOU WEREN'T!"

Chaos.

Absolute chaos.

Standing at the very back, watching the mass hysteria unfold, were two people who were not surprised at all.

Rias and Sona.

Sipping tea.

Calm.

Unbothered.

Slightly entertained.

Rias took a slow sip, the corner of her lips curling into a knowing smirk.

"I should've expected this."

Sona, adjusting her glasses, let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"So much for structure."

Rias turned to her, amused.

"You sure about hiring him?"

Sona paused.

Then, in the most deadpan tone imaginable—

"I'm reconsidering."

——————

Despite the madness unfolding, I suddenly realized something—the training grounds were still in shambles.

Sure, Kiba and I had gone all out, but training on cracked earth and scorched stone?

Yeah. That was just asking for an injury lawsuit.

I casually turned to Rias, giving her a playful look.

"So, you're just gonna let us train on a battlefield full of potholes, or…?"

She rolled her eyes but smiled knowingly.

"I was getting to it."

Raising her hand, a deep crimson glow surged around her fingers.

The ground rippled beneath our feet.

A massive magic circle expanded across the field, intricate patterns forming in the air before—

With a pulse of energy—

Everything began to mend itself.

Cracks vanished.

Burned patches of earth regenerated.

Shattered stone reformed into smooth, polished flooring.

Within moments, the training grounds looked better than ever—like a battle had never even happened.

I had to admit, it was impressive.

Issei, still lying face-down, turned his head just enough to stare up in awe.

"Whoa… it's like a reset button!"

Kiba nodded, a small smile forming.

"That's the power of high-class devil magic."

I chuckled, watching Rias casually dust off her hands.

"Impressive," I said, smirking. "Guess you're good for more than just looking pretty."

Without missing a beat, Rias smirked right back.

"Careful, Malrik. Keep flirting, and I might charge you rent for this training ground."

My grin widened.

"Oh? Does that mean I get to live here, too?"

Sona, who had clearly had enough, sighed again, rubbing her temples.

"Why do I even try…?"

The moment of peace was over in an instant.

As soon as the field was restored, the shouting match resumed.

I stood in the center of the pristine training grounds, rubbing my temples as the noise escalated around me.

Tsubasa and Kiba had already launched into a debate about swordplay techniques.

Momo and Reya were bickering over who needed my training more.

Akeno? …Yeah, she was mostly just teasing everyone, enjoying the show.

And Issei?

Still on the ground.

Groaning dramatically, he weakly pointed at Tsubasa.

"You seriously just tossed me like a ragdoll! I deserve first dibs!"

Tsubasa barely acknowledged his existence.

"Survival of the fittest."

Issei gasped, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally wounded.

"Betrayal."

I let out a long, exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Alright, alright! I can't train all of you at once—"

But then—

I froze.

Mid-sentence.

My smirk vanished.

My expression went blank.

My entire body went still.

For the first time since this chaos started—everyone actually shut up.

Rias blinked.

"…Malrik?"

Then—

I grinned.

A big, devious, brilliantly evil grin.

My golden eyes gleamed with pure mischief.

I tilted my head back, hands on my hips, and laughed.

A deep, self-satisfied laugh that sent chills down everyone's spines.

Sona's eyes immediately narrowed.

"…Why do I feel like I won't like this idea?"

I clapped my hands together, stepping forward.

"Alright, change of plans. We're doing this MY way."

Issei, still picking himself up, frowned.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

My grin widened.

"I'm about to give you all a taste of true hell."