Himejima Akeno, Koneko Toujou, Yuuto Kiba, and Asia Argento—all four of them dove into their training with fierce determination. The air around the villa crackled with energy, fueled by resolve.

But Akira? He didn't join them right away.

To him, brute-force physical training wasn't the key to growth. Not anymore. His strength came from a different source—one no one else here had: the Template Inheritance System, a power unique only to him.

"Akira, what's your plan for the next seven days?" Rias asked, approaching him quietly.

"I'll be supporting everyone's training, I suppose," he replied calmly, hands in his pockets.

"You're helping us?"

"I just broke into the Ultimate-Class. At this point, I won't gain much from physical training alone. Any further progress will take time—and a lot of it."

Rias gave a slow nod. That made perfect sense.

In the Underworld, those who advanced beyond High-Class and reached the ranks of the Maou were extremely rare. Once someone crossed into the Ultimate-Class, further growth required deep accumulation—years, decades even. It wasn't something that happened in a week.

So, Akira's reasoning was entirely logical from her perspective.

Of course, she had no idea that Akira wasn't just a human with Sacred Gears. His strength didn't grow through conventional means.

Thanks to the Inheritance System, he could gain tremendous power in a blink—so long as the percentage of template synchronization increased.

"Senpai. Please train with me."

The voice came from Koneko Toujou—soft, serious, and filled with resolve. She stood in front of him, both fists clenched and wrapped in gloves, ready for combat.

She had never witnessed Akira fight firsthand, but she knew he had stood against someone from the House of Phenex without flinching. That alone was enough to stir her curiosity.

"You want to spar with me, Koneko-chan?"

"Physical training is most effective when done through actual combat. And… please don't call me that."

Akira gave a relaxed smile. "Since Koneko-chan asked so sweetly, how could I say no?"

Her eyebrow twitched. And without another word, she launched the first punch—no warning, no hesitation.

It was fast.

But Akira casually caught her fist in his palm.

The gap between them was massive. He didn't even need to exert effort to block it.

Koneko stepped back and rushed in again, unleashing a rapid barrage of strikes powered by her Youkai strength. Her movements were fierce and determined—but wild. Driven by instinct rather than refined technique.

She still didn't fully understand how to draw out her true power.

Akira silently activated Beast King's Instinct, a combat intuition he inherited from Enkidu—the living weapon once created to challenge gods.

With that instinct, paired with Enkidu's unmatched martial prowess and ability to read opponents, Akira was more than capable of coaching someone like Koneko.

"That's not how you use your strength."

With one hand, he caught her wrist, twisted it gently, and tossed her into the air with perfect control. She landed hard but clean, rolling to her feet with a grunt.

When she looked up—he was gone.

Her instincts flared. She went on full alert.

From afar, Rias and the others could see everything. Akira's speed had completely outclassed Koneko's. He had vanished from her sight in an instant.

"Attacking isn't about throwing your whole body forward in blind force," his voice echoed as he reappeared behind her. "It's about knowing the exact moment and angle to unleash the most efficient strike."

A precise blow landed on Koneko's side, sending her tumbling to the ground. The force wasn't overwhelming—but perfectly matched to her own power level.

Same strength. Different result.

This was the gap between raw muscle and real technique.

"…You're strong, Senpai," Koneko said through shallow breaths, pushing herself up.

"Of course," Akira answered, flashing a faint smile.

"Koneko-chan, your physical strength is exceptional. But that's not your true power."

He wasn't just speaking based on what he knew from the original story.

He could feel it now—firsthand.

Inside Koneko was a deeply rooted energy. Pure, natural, and potent. It pulsed like the breath of the earth itself.

It was spiritual energy, the kind used by senjutsu practitioners.

As someone blessed by the earth and nature himself, Akira was especially attuned to such forces. He could sense that energy as clearly as breathing.

But he also knew—Koneko was still afraid of it.

Still chained to her trauma.

"…."

Koneko didn't respond. Instead, she attacked again.

Akira didn't push her. He didn't press for answers.

Emotional scars couldn't be erased with a few kind words or a single fight.

So, instead, he guided her.

Over the course of their sparring, he subtly shifted her fighting style, teaching her to understand angles, flow, and timing. He taught her how to feel her strength rather than just swing it around.

As a Nekomata Youkai, her potential was undeniable. She was still young, still growing—and with just the right amount of guidance, she could bloom into a true warrior.

Rias and the others quietly watched the exchange for a while… then returned to their own training.

Rias focused on refining her Power of Destruction, the inherited ability of the Gremory bloodline.

Kiba Yuuto pushed forward in both Demonic Sword Creation and his personal swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Akeno took on the role of instructor for Asia—teaching her the basics of Demonic Power control. As a former nun, Asia had a long way to go, but her heart was in the right place.

Everything was moving smoothly.

Back on the training field, Koneko was thrown once again. Her uniform was covered in dirt, and sweat clung to her skin. She was panting heavily now.

"Haa… haa… haa…"

She tried to stand—but her legs finally gave out. Her small frame slumped to the ground, unable to continue.

"…You win," she muttered with a strained smile.

The moment the words left her lips, a soft chime echoed in Akira's ears—audible only to him.

[Ding!]

[You have gained 1% Template Inheritance!]

Koneko Toujou—until now, the only member of the Occult Research Club who hadn't been defeated directly by him.

Even if it was just a training match, the moment she admitted defeat, the system acknowledged it as a win.

One percent might sound small.

But in Akira's world… even one percent was gold.

"How do you feel?" he asked, tossing her a towel.

"…I learned a lot. Thank you, Senpai."

Koneko looked up at him.

And for the first time, she truly understood the distance between herself and this man.

Not just in power—but in experience, skill, and composure.

He stood at the summit, calm and unshaken.

To reach that height… she still had a long road ahead.

But for the first time—

She wanted to chase after him.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

📚 Want to read more chapters or get early access?

Join my Patreon here:

🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun

✅ Enjoy 60+ chapters ahead of WebNovel

✅ Get 2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon

☕ Prefer one-time support instead of a subscription?

You can donate here:

🔗 ko-fi.com/faaanzkun

Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!

Thank you for your amazing support 💖

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —