Riser was the first one to move, having the highest destructive power in the group for now. He transformed into his Phenex form and rushed forward, flames blazing around him.
"Cover me!" he shouted. But before anyone could even react—
SLAP!
The sound echoed across the battlefield as one of Itachi's Susanoo slapped Riser's Phenex avatar mid-air.
"Aghh!" Riser screamed as he was sent flying, crashing into a stone pillar. His flames sputtered weakly before dying out.
"Too slow," one of the Itachi clones said coldly.
Seeing how easily Riser was again knocked down, everyone watching swallowed their saliva. In this timeline, Riser had never lost to Issei—he hadn't even fought the rating game with Rias—so his reputation in the Devil world was still sky-high.
After some time…
Across the field, Ravel was on her knees, coughing blood. Her clothes were scorched, sweat pouring down her face as she muttered:
"How… can he move so fast…?"
Diodora tried to cast a barrier, but one swing from a Susanoo blade shattered it effortlessly, sending him crashing into the ground with a grunt of pain.
Sona gritted her teeth, desperately trying to reform her defense spell—only for another Itachi to flicker behind her and land a chakra-infused punch on her back, knocking her flat.
"What… this is cheating…" she mumbled, dazed, after realizing that Itachi had used a clone without a Susanoo to attack her.
Rias, panting heavily, was the only one still standing—thanks to Issei's and aisa's support. She raised her hand, her aura flaring, preparing to release a blast of the Power of Destruction.
"Boost! Boost! Boost!" Issei's Boosted Gear echoed, increasing her power exponentially.
Even an Ultimate-class being would suffer damage if this attack connected.
The crimson ball of destruction surged forward and struck the Susanoo.
BOOM!
The explosion shook the entire field, creating shockwaves in every direction. As the smoke cleared, everyone held their breath.
The Susanoo that was hit was heavily damaged. Its right arm and shoulder were melted, its armor cracked and glowing red-hot… but then—
The damage began to regenerate.
"No fair… not only do you have such powerful armor, but it can also regenerate…!" Rias hissed, her knees giving out beneath her. She collapsed to the ground as the Susanoo raised its sword over her.
Issei, seeing her in danger, rushed forward protectively, placing himself in front of her.
CRACK!
The Susanoo's sword struck him, sending him flying like a bug. He crashed to the ground and didn't move—unconscious.
At the same time the clones all vanished in a puff of smoke.
Silence.
From the ruins at the edge of the training field, Akeno stumbled forward. Her body trembled, covered in wounds and blood, her once-graceful posture ruined by exhaustion. Her friends immediately rushed to her side, calling her name in worry. Even Itachi's eyes flickered with a hint of concern.
She looked up at him, her face bloodied but smiling.
"What… was that supposed to be?" she asked, her breath ragged.
"Training," Itachi said flatly.
"That wasn't training!" Akeno's smile widened, her cheeks turing red. "You didn't teach us anything! You just beat us black and blue!"
"Not that I'm complaining…" she whispered under her breath before collapsing. Rias barely caught her in time.
Itachi blinked, unsure how to respond.
"…Another pervert," Koneko muttered, shaking her head. "Thankfully Issei was out cold… otherwise, he would be really jealous…"
Her eyes flicked to Issei, who lay facedown in the dirt, unmoving. His Boosted Gear was still smoking, and even Ddraig had gone completely silent.
Then—
"Alright, everyone, listen to me," Itachi said, his voice quiet but commanding.
A heavy silence followed as everyone turned toward him. He let out a rare sigh.
"She's right," he admitted, glancing at Akeno's unconscious form.
"I didn't teach you anything—except for Issei and Koneko, who could actually handle chakra. The rest of you…" He looked around at the battered group. "…you weren't ready."
Sona glared at him, anger and irritation burning in her eyes.
"Then what was the point of this?! Just to humiliate us?"
Itachi looked up at the sky.
"No," he said calmly. "To show you the reality of where you stand. The battlefield doesn't care about your bloodline… or your status in the Underworld."
The wind rustled the leaves around them.
"Besides," he added, cracking his neck, "I'm not a teacher. I'm a fighter. So let's stop pretending this is about education. Your leaders knew this from the start."
Everyone looked down at his words, the truth hitting harder than his attacks.
"Alright then… let's meet again tomorrow," Itachi said, and in the next moment, his body dissolved into multiple crows that flew off into the sky, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
---
Konoha village
Itachi sat atop the Hokage seat—his posture calm, fingers interlocked.
Before him knelt Kokabiel, one of the Fallen Angels leaders. His eyes were blank, his body trembling, trapped within a powerful genjutsu.
"After a few more days of training—maybe two more, if everything goes smoothly—I'll set you free," Itachi muttered to himself.