Chapter 40 - Weighted Down, Fired Up

Without a word, I raised a hand, activating my Sacred Gear.

A pulse of energy rippled through the air.

A faint hum of creation magic filled the space—

And in an instant—

They appeared.

A flash of light burst from my palm, and several sleek metallic wrist and ankle weights materialized.

The design was smooth, futuristic, perfectly adjustable in both size and weight.

They weren't ordinary training weights.

No.

These were mine.

Customized. Enhanced. A creation far beyond anything they had ever seen.

I spun one around my finger lazily, watching their reactions.

Rias, ever the observant one, raised an eyebrow.

"You can make training equipment too?"

Sona, adjusting her glasses, studied them closely, interest gleaming in her violet eyes.

"That's… actually quite useful."

I grinned, tossing a set to each person.

One by one, they caught their own set, inspecting them curiously.

The metal felt smooth, cool to the touch—

And deceptively light.

I saw Kiba flex his fingers around his, rolling his wrist experimentally.

Koneko simply shrugged, slipping them on like they were nothing.

Issei, however—

"Ugh… do I really have to wear these?"

He held his up like they were cursed artifacts.

I smirked.

"Even mages need some physical ability."

Akeno tilted her head, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"Ara~ so even I have to wear them?"

I nodded.

"Of course. Magic is great and all, but what happens if someone closes the distance? You need at least some physical endurance."

Koneko, ever the unbothered one, rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms.

"Tch. Doesn't feel that heavy."

I grinned wider.

———————

I watched them as they comfortably adjusted their wrist and ankle weights, oblivious to what was about to happen.

Perfect.

They had no idea.

My smirk turned downright evil.

I clasped my hands together, and with a single thought—

A pulse of energy radiated from my fingertips.

A deep, thrumming hum filled the air as the weights activated.

The change was instantaneous.

THUD.

"WHAAAA—WHY DO THESE FEEL LIKE THEY WEIGH A TON?!"

Issei immediately collapsed face-first onto the ground, arms and legs flailing as if he had been crushed by a mountain.

Kiba gritted his teeth, adjusting quickly, but his usual grace had a momentary delay.

"The sudden increase… is impressive."

Akeno let out a soft laugh, her golden eyes twinkling in amusement. Even she had to shift her stance slightly.

"Ara~ now this is interesting."

Koneko blinked, her arms sinking slightly as she raised a brow.

"…Not bad."

Tsubasa Yura stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders before adjusting her footing.

"This actually feels like real warrior training."

Momo Hanakai frowned slightly, testing her balance.

"I feel heavier, but it's manageable…"

And then—there was Sona.

The ever-curious devil analyzed every detail as she moved experimentally, a calculating gleam behind her glasses.

"The way the weight adjusts to our limits… you incorporated calculation-based enhancement magic?"

I twirled my spear lazily, my grin widening.

"Exactly."

I leaned casually on my spear, watching their varied struggles with barely restrained amusement.

"I fine-tuned them to push you just enough without breaking you. You'll adjust soon…"

I tilted my head, letting the pause stretch—

"…or pass out trying."

Issei, still pinned to the ground, flailed his arms in desperation.

"WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE I'M BEING CRUSHED UNDER A MOUNTAIN?!"

I sighed, shaking my head with mock sympathy.

"That's just the weight of your weakness, buddy."

A chorus of laughter rang out at his misery.

Akeno giggled behind her hand.

Kiba smirked in amusement.

Even Rias was trying to hide a chuckle.

Koneko, ever the deadpan menace, took a small bite of her snack before adding—

"Weak."

Issei twitched.

I clapped my hands together, grabbing everyone's attention.

The laughter died down, replaced by cautious anticipation.

"Alright! Now that you're all properly weighed down… time for the next part."

Issei, still groaning on the ground, peeked up at me.

"Oh no… what now?"

I smirked, my golden eyes gleaming with unrestrained mischief.

"We're running."

"And we don't stop until I say so."

————————

Issei's horrified wail echoed across the training field.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

The poor bastard looked like he was on the verge of tears, his body barely lifting off the ground under the crushing weight.

Meanwhile, Kiba let out a resigned sigh, stretching his arms before taking off at a steady jog.

"Well, this should be interesting."

Koneko, completely unfazed, had already started running at a calculated, slow pace, her face completely unreadable.

"Tch."

Akeno, despite her usual grace, was definitely feeling it.

Though she maintained her smile, there was the slightest strain in her movements as she adjusted to the extra weight.

"Ara~ Malrik-kun is quite merciless, isn't he?"

Sona, ever the analyst, adjusted her glasses mid-stride, her expression focused.

"This is… efficient training."

Rias, arms crossed, watched from the sidelines, a slow smirk forming on her lips.

"You really enjoy making them suffer, don't you?"

I walked casually beside them, completely unaffected by the weighted training gear.

"Oh, absolutely."

And as Issei tripped over his own feet, landing face-first into the dirt for the third time—

I knew this was going to be fun.