Bab 32: Broken Heart, Boosted Gear and Maturity.
Nerezza appeared in the training room and dropped Issei to the ground. Seeing his mostly unharmed appearance made Vander look at her with a curious look.
"Did he start a fight with Raynare?"
Nerezza gave a simple nod.
"Yes sir. He was powering up his Sacred Gear and I did not want him to possibly go Balance Breaker so I took the liberty of putting him unconscious. He is unharmed though."
Rias sighed in relief when she heard he was unharmed.
"Oh, Issei. Thank you for bringing him back unharmed."
Nerezza kneeled and pinched a nerve on his neck which made Issei wake straight up. He shot up as he looked around as if Raynare was right there.
"Where is she?"
He still had anger in his gaze, which made Vander question his sanity.
"You do know she can kill you many times over as you are now. I have been training them myself and they have underground painful rituals to improve their power."
He looked at Vander with anger in his gaze.
"Why? Why them? Why her?"
"Why does anyone do anything? For my own benefit and they have more use to me alive than dead. Sure she almost killed you, but you are the dumbass who believed a random girl wanting to date you really meant it. Did you not once think she was after your kidney or something?"
Issei looked down as he rose to his feet.
"No. I thought she was who she said she was."
Vander looked at Issei with a sigh.
"Well, think more before you believe random girls who you've never met before. For now, just join in the training I have for you. It will start in 5 minutes so get ready. I will manage it for the moment. Kiba, forget about speed for a moment. You need to improve your constitution as your body is as weak as glass."
Hearing what Vander said went against the plan he had for himself. He wanted to be even faster so he would never be hit.
"Vander, but that goes against my fighting style."
"Speed is not always the answer to your troubles. Remember that Ripper broke your legs over and over. He did it mainly for fun, but at the same time to let you know you need a stronger body overall. Now, Koneko, you are stagnating recently. I still believe you should use your sealed powers just like Akeno. You are just slowing yourselves down and wasting that talent."
They did not look very willing even if he was the one telling them. Koneko shook her head.
"I can't."
Akeno's face turned angry.
"I shall not use that disgusting power or bloodline."
Vander groaned in anger.
"Fucking failures. Fine, be that way. Forget the training, get the fuck out. If you won't even give your all, what is the fucking point if you being here? I am not going to waste my time on you if you won't even put your all in."
Issei got up and stood up for them.
"Back off Vander. Why are you being so cruel to even them? Are they not your friends too?"
Naerdeath sighed as she looked at him.
"The truth is often cruel is it not? He said no lie as they are not giving their best as they each are hiding thier true power even in this situation."
La Folia looked at Rias with a pitying look.
"If that is the kind of effort you can expect from your peerage, I suggest you trade them for new pieces."
Hearing that made Rias truly angry.
"I am not about to trade my friends away? How could you even suggest such a thing? Oh wait, I forgot. You are the single most cruel and heartless member of the Gremory clan. I am sure you would sacrifice anything for power. Even your own family."
La Folia crossed her arms as she looked at Rias. She was not mad or angry at what Rias said, as to her, Rias was just an angry child throwing a tantrum. Only that this time, her father and grandfather were not there for Rias.
"You done acting like a brat? You can yell at how wrong I am, or curse me for my cold heart, but who is the one who is being married off like a prize? Last time I checked, it was not me."
Issei looked at La Folia in shock.
"Married off? What?"
Vander laughed as he looked at Issei who was obsessed with Rias these days.
"She didn't tell you? Miss Rias here, is being married off to some noble named Riser Phenex. He once tried to get engaged to La Folia, but she broke into his mansion and beat him and his peerage within an inch of their life.
Rias here wants to challenge him to a Rating game to earn the right to marry who she wants. I had been helping them train, but at every turn, they find new ways to disappoint me. How is that 3 Fallen I found on a whim have more grit than you bunch."
Vander sighed as he looked at Issei.
"You want some real advice, don't fall in love with Rias. It will only come back to bite you with how selfish she is. You know she let you die right? All so she could turn you into a Devil."
Rias's eyes went wide open as she wanted to keep that secret. Issei looked at her with a hurt gaze which made her feel terrible.
"Issei, that is not true. I saved you at the last moment."
La Folia laughed at the sight.
"You call me cold and heartless, but you let the kid be killed by Raynare for your own benefit. How is that any different than sacrificing him to further your own ends? How the tables turn?"
As for Issei his expression turned into one of real heartbreak as he thought that what happened with Raynare would not happen with Rias. He looked at her with a heartbroken look in his eyes.
"You lied to me."
Rias rushed to him and pulled him into her embrace.
"That is not what happened? I swear to you."
Vander looked at the sight with a blank look.
"Is it? Then why did he have one of your contracts just when Raynare killed him? You had noticed he was a Sacred Gear user, but you weren't sure. So you let Raynare kill him just so you could get his thanks and love. What guy won't love the girl who saves his life? "
Akeno looked at Vander with a pleading look.
"Stop this Vader. You said enough. Look at him."
Issei's eyes were blank as even the hug from Rias did nothing to warm his trust in her.
"I see plenty. The result of your lies and Rias' greed to be free of her fate. She was willing to change the life of Issei forever. I don't care, but don't you think sharing the truth makes it all the more fun? No lies, and no more half-truths. Just the cold t-"
Just then Issei pushed Rias away from him and charged at Vander. His gauntlet appeared on his left hand, but different. Before his gauntlet left his fingers exposed, but now they were covered with red claws.
Issei's eyes were glowing bright green and the green gem in the gauntlet pulsed with power. Vander raised his right hand and caught Issei's gauntleted fist.
The power behind that blow was stronger than Issei could manage on his own which made Vander give him a second look. As for Issei, the Boosted Gear continued to boost his power as his anger had channeled the dragon's more pure emotions.
Vander looked down at Issei with his hand still in his grip.
"Sleep."
Before Issei could react he felt the biggest impact of his life making his eyes roll into the back of his head. Vander had punched him straight in the solar plexus with the intention of knocking him out.
Issei fell straight to the floor with all his power draining from his body. Rias rushed to his aid and took him into her embrace. She checked up on him and found that Vander only hit him hard enough to knock him out. Nothing was broken with was the real miracle.
"Vander, did you say all that to get him to awaken or something?"
Vander chuckled as he shook his head.
"No, I was doing it so you would. I only told the truth, but my intention was for you to mature a bit by giving you an impossible situation to get through. Guess Issei, handed it to you. He does not have a Twice Critical, that is the Boosted Gear I think.
What a waste?"
Just then Raynare, Dohnaseek, and Kalawarna entered the training room in some summer workout clothes at his order. Already their physical appearance had improved as Dohnaseek looked a couple of years younger than before.
Raynare and Kalawarna looked more beautiful than before as a result of their better purity. Vander expected that they may suffer from breast and hip increases as Fallen were a seductive race.
"Well, you three will still train as normal. Just give me a second to sort whatever this is."
They nodded and waited for Vander to finish up. He looked at Rias who was still hugging Issei with a sad look in her eyes.
"So what will it be Rias. Are you willing to do what is needed for you to not marry Riser, or will your fate be chosen for you? Remember, your choice does not hurt me. I just rather have not wasted my time."
'Just because I am biologically immortal does not mean my time is free.'
Rias gently moved Issei off of her as she looked at Vander.
"If my servants won't do it, I will. I will do everything that I need to do."
Akeno looked at Rias with a conflicted look on her face.
"Rias, you don't have to."
Rias gave her a look to be quiet which Akeno obeyed.
"I am not angry with you, or Koneko at all. I would never hold it against you, but I have no choice. I will defeat Riser and his entire peerage if I must."
La Folia looked at her with a questioning look.
"Are you sure? To tell you the truth, I performed many rituals on myself for power. None of them were painless and you are not used to the pain. It would feel like you are getting torn apart by literal fire running through your body. Just ask those three over there."
Rias looked at Raynare, Kalawarna, and Dohnaseek who gave her a big nod.
"I am willing."
Kiba ran to her side as he looked at Vader with a determined look on his face.
"I will go with her. Use your rituals, and any method you see fit. As long as I can help Rias."
Rias looked at her knight with a small smile.
"You would do all that for me Kiba?'
"You saved my life Rias. It is the least I can do."
Vander gave him a proud smile.
"If I was your dad, I would say well-done son. Nerezza, pleas escort Koneko and Akeno out. Take Issei to a guest bedroom so that he can recover."
Akeno walked next to Rias as she made up her mind.
"Please wait."
Vander looked at her with squinted eyes.
"Are you going to finally use your Fallen Angel side? Or are you just going to say you are and not do it? What is the story behind that anyway? Why would you not use a power that would give you an edge over other devils?"
Akeno looked down at the ground as she decided to tell him the quick version. Their was some things she did not want to say, but she would say the important parts.
"I am the daugte of a Cadre of Grigori. My father, met my mother when he was wounded and fell in love. I was the result of their union, but while he was away members of the clan she belonged to found where we lived and killed her. I hated my fallen side for him not protecting my mother. Now, I will use it to protect Rias."
Hearing her story made Raynare, Kalawarna, and Dohnaseek look at her with shock. Who were the Cadre? Only the top rulers of Grigori bellow Azazel. Hearing she was the daughter of one of them made her seem like some royal blood.
As for Vander, he did not speak for a moment.
"I see. Here is what I will tell you, once you are born the blood running through your veins stops belonging to your parents. It is yours and you rejected yourself all this time. Don't think of your Fallen Angel side as dirty, don't think of it as cursed. Power can be found in anything if you believe in it."
She sighed as her wings emerged from her back. The left one was of a Devil and the right of a Fallen Angel.
'I am ready.'
Just then Koneko joined the group. A pair of cat ears and a tail emerged from her head and backbone.
"I am staying as well. Rias is our friend and she needs our help."
La Folia and Naerdeath did not expect Vander's cruel methods to actually work. They thought they would crumble and give up. It made them think that they just might have potential yet.
"Vander gave them a tiny chuckle as he saw they were truly ready to train.
"There you go. You just needed a proper motivator and now you have it. Alright then, for now, the rituals can wait. Rias, I want you to go with La Folia. I want you to learn about controlling Energy of Destruction like your brother and La Folia do.
Akeno, I want you to use your Fallen Angel-given powers to estimate them. I will have you spar with Mephiston."
Vander wave his hand and at his side appeared the Monostegosaurus. The large ceratopsian was a truly massive creature as he was quite a bit bigger than an elephant. Mephiston locked on Akeno who could feel he was no less dangerous than the rest of his familiars.
Vander ran his hand up and down his face which made the creature happy.
"Don't look down on him cause he eats plants. He will take a bite of you if you let him."
She nodded.
"I got it."
Vander waved his hand and at his side appeared the giant Daisy. She roared at the group but did not charge them as she had begun to listen to Vander more.
"Koneko, you are up against Daisy. Use your true power, you will need. Don't fear it though. Be afraid of Daisy, not your power."
She nodded as she was ready. As for Kiba, he was back against his biggest fear Ripper. He had not told anyone, but he had nightmares where Ripper ate his legs and was forced to watch how he killed everyone he cared about.
Ripper licked his lips as soon as he looked at Kiba. That made Kiba mad as he looked at Ripper.
"Not this time, Ripper."
Now that they had their foes, it was time for the training to begin. Kalawarna called out to him as he had not assigned them a familiar.
"Sir, will we spar with one of your familiars?"
He shook his head.
"No, you spar with me."
Raynare did not want to do that at all.
"Can we just spar with one of your familiars?"
He just smiled.
"No. Naerdeath, can you spar with Issei when he wakes up?"
"I am on it."
She equipped her dwarven armor, but not her axes. She was just having to wait for him to wake up as he was still on the floor out cold. Until then she would just watch the fun happening around her.
"Begin."
The moment he said the word begin caused his familiars to charge at their assigned opponent. Vander made sure to keep an eye on them as he did not want them to end up killing their sparing partner.
Rias was with La Folia, but Naerdeath sat in a chair she brought out of her spatial necklace. She just watched everything with a drink in her hand and some food in the other.
'This is the life.'
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
God_Of_Wolves
God_Of_Wolves Training Montage. Oh and Asia's next chapter.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone