The sun cast a golden glow over the training grounds, painting everything in warm hues as students gathered again—Rias and Sona's Peerages ready for another lesson. But today, I brought some backup.
Aika strolled beside me, already tossing her hair like she owned the place, while Mittelt flew just above the ground, arms folded, smug as ever.
"Alright," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Today's lesson is simple: Gravity magic."
"Simple?" Issei asked, already suspicious. "That sounds like a whole physics class."
I flashed him a grin. "Exactly. And we're skipping the theory. Time for practical."
With a flick of my fingers, a circular runic Magic Circle lit up beneath the group—soft at first… then heavy.
"Let's start with feeling the gravity shift."
The air thumped, like an invisible pressure wave rolled through the ground.
Kiba tensed slightly, adjusting his stance.
Sona narrowed her eyes, maintaining balance with poise.
Rias and Akeno staggered but held firm, their magical auras flaring instinctively.
Even Momo and Reya managed to stay upright, though their legs wobbled.
Issei, on the other hand?
"WHOA—!"
Thud.
He dropped like a sack of potatoes, face-first into the dirt.
"MY SPINE!" he wailed.
Aika, who had been floating dramatically a few seconds ago, suddenly lost altitude.
"No, no, no—!"
Whump.
She crashed right beside Issei in a puff of dust and magical failure.
Mittelt, still hovering, burst into laughter.
"Oh my gods, that was beautiful," she cackled, pointing at Aika. "You looked like a deflating balloon!"
Aika sat up coughing, her hair a mess. "I hate you so much right now."
"You love me," Mittelt replied with a smug wink.
I clapped once, drawing attention back. "Alright, fun's over. Now that you've felt it, let's try creating it."
I raised a hand, drawing a simple rune in the air. "Trace the rune, channel mana through your center, then compress it below your feet. Visualize the space around you getting heavier—not the object, the space itself."
Rias tried first—her magic forming easily, and soon the ground beneath her shimmered with increased pressure. Her body lowered slightly, but she didn't falter.
Sona followed, her control precise as expected. A flicker of runes beneath her shoes signaled a well-executed cast.
Akeno joined in next, her gravity spell causing her long hair to fall heavier around her shoulders. She smiled.
"Oh~ I like this feeling," she purred.
Kiba, Tsubaki, and even Momo attempted their own versions—some better than others. Reya's field backfired and made her jump in surprise, while Koneko just stood still, unaffected as usual.
Issei was still faceplanted.
"Issei," I said, hands on hips. "Are you dead?"
He groaned into the dirt. "I have become one with the Earth."
"Good," I said. "Maybe now you'll absorb some intelligence through osmosis."
Aika snorted, still brushing herself off.
"Rude," she muttered. "I was levitating just fine until your stupid gravity wave hit."
I shrugged. "You were showing off. I had to humble you."
Mittelt leaned closer to Aika, whispering, "He does that a lot."
"I know," Aika whispered back.
But through all the chaos, laughter, and learning—there was progress.
They weren't just casting magic anymore. They were understanding it.
And even if Issei's understanding involved more groaning than grasping—hey, learning hurts sometimes.
Especially with me as the teacher.
——
The sun dipped low over the training grounds, casting long shadows across the field. After hours of practice, nearly everyone had managed to get the hang of basic Gravity Magic—well, almost everyone.
"Alright," I called out, twirling my spear. "Now that you've got a feel for it, here's the next step—use gravity against each other during combat. Lighten yourself, increase pressure on your opponent. Be creative."
Groans of protest rippled across the group, but they moved into pairs, curiosity outweighing exhaustion.
While they paired off, I wandered over to one particular disaster waiting to happen.
Issei was lying on his back again, face half-buried in the dirt.
"Uuugh… gravity is bullying me."
I crouched beside him, nudging his side with the tip of my spear. "You know, I'm starting to think gravity just doesn't like you."
"It's mutual," he mumbled.
I smirked. Truth was, the poor guy hadn't unlocked his true Sacred Gear yet, and with Asia not entering the picture thanks to my interference, he'd missed the emotional trigger that pushed him over the edge in the original timeline.
I'd have to fix that. Soon.
But first…
"Alright, Issei. You're thinking too big. Forget casting an area spell. Try this—focus gravity on your spear. Increase its weight on impact, then lighten it to recover quickly. Simple. Efficient. Even your caveman brain can do it."
"Hey!"
Kiba, hearing the lesson, wandered over—followed by Tsubasa and a few other melee types.
"That… actually sounds useful," Kiba said, eyes sharpening with interest.
"Teach us too?" Tsubasa added, twirling her sword.
I looked at them, then at the rest of the field where Rias, Akeno, and Sona were actively adjusting their gravity fields while sparring. Koneko had already moved like she was in a DBZ fight. Aika had been floating smugly until I casually increased the gravity around her by 50%.
With a yelp, she fell flat on her butt. Mittelt howled with laughter nearby.
The chaos… was beautiful.
"Fine," I said, standing up and tapping my spear to the ground. "Gather around. Gravity Control 101, Weapon Edition."
What followed was a surprisingly fun training session—swords swinging with added force, dodges becoming more dramatic, and even the most stoic among them cracking smiles as they experimented.
By the end, they were sweaty, bruised, and strangely eager.
That's when Rias approached me, towel draped over her shoulder, expression a mix of calculation and expectation.
"Malrik," she said, "I want you to come with us tonight."
I arched a brow. "Bold of you. Date or mission?"
She smirked. "Stray Devil hunt. Real combat. I want you to teach Issei how to handle himself under pressure."
I glanced toward Issei, who was still practicing his gravity-imbued thrusts, surprisingly focused now.
A chance to give him the push he needed?
Perfect.
"I'll go," I said after a beat. "But you know this is going to cost extra, right?"
Rias rolled her eyes. "Of course it will."
"Excellent. I'll invoice you after the carnage."
She didn't know whether I was joking.
Neither did I.