Bound by Infinity

Chapter 21

I stood over the multitude of groaning bodies, their exhaustion palpable as they sprawled across the clearing. Rias's peerage lay before me, save for Rias and Asia, who had fared marginally better against the training regimen I had concocted.

"Oh, stop complaining," I said, crossing my arms and gazing down at the pitiful scene. "It's barely been a few hours. Rias lasted longer."

My words earned a few muffled groans, but none dared voice their irritation too loudly. I sighed, waving my hand as green flames enveloped their battered forms, healing their injuries with ease.

"Up. And when you do, I want ten laps around this entire area. After that, you'll return here so we can start again." My tone left no room for argument.

"You're evil," I heard Issei mutter under his breath.

My eyes narrowed. "What was that, Hyoudou? Do you want me to double your laps?"

"No, sir!" he yelped, scrambling to his feet.

"Then start running."

Issei took off like a bullet, his survival instincts clearly honed. I watched him disappear into the trees before letting out a weary sigh.

"Kouki-sama, the preparations are complete," Mittelt said, appearing behind me.

"Good," I replied, brushing past her as she trailed after me.

We made our way to another clearing where Rias sat cross-legged on the ground, clutching Ryūjin Jakka. Flames danced along the blade, enveloping her in a fiery aura. To my left, Tiamat and Asia stood watching her progress with varying degrees of interest.

"How long has she been at it?" I asked.

"It's been five minutes, Kouki-san," Asia said softly.

"Good. She'll wake up when she's done."

Tiamat crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What exactly is she doing?"

"She's trying to unlock Shikai. It's been her focus for a couple of weeks now," I explained, watching the flames flicker around her.

Tiamat blinked. "Weeks? Why haven't I heard about this?"

"It doesn't matter right now," I said, waving her off before turning to Ophis. "Ophis."

She materialized beside me in her usual quiet manner. "Tosan?"

"Take Asia and train her for a while," I instructed.

Without hesitation, Ophis nodded, teleporting to Asia before the two vanished from sight. Turning back to Mittelt and Tiamat, I crossed my arms.

"Alright, you two. I promised that if you behaved, I'd grant you both abilities. And aside from Tiamat's earlier… misstep, you've done well. So, I'll keep my word."

Their eyes widened as I stepped closer, holding out my hands. "Take them."

They hesitated briefly before reaching out, their hands touching mine. A silver glow engulfed them, their bodies radiating with newfound power. As the glow faded, Mittelt squealed in delight, unfurling her wings. Instead of her usual single pair, she now bore three pairs of black wings.

"What did you give me?" she asked, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Hold on. I'll explain," I said, gesturing for her to calm down. "Mittelt, you have Aspect Manipulation. It allows you to create, shape, and redefine the essential traits of anything—yourself included. You can alter physical makeup, identity, existence, and even environmental factors."

Mittelt's mouth fell open in awe, but before she could speak, I turned to Tiamat.

"Tiamat, you now wield Chaos Manipulation. This gives you control over the chaotic forces of the universe. You can manipulate probability, distort reality, and reshape matter, space, time, and more. Use it wisely."

Mittelt's eyes sparkled as her body glowed briefly. When the light faded, her wings had turned a dazzling white, and she now had a golden halo that shone brighter. Tears welled up in her eyes before she flung her arms around me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried.

I patted her head with a small smile. "Don't mention it."

Tiamat, meanwhile, appeared more skeptical. "Why are you giving us these abilities?"

I shot her a pointed look. "I've already given Rias the ability to create universes, Asia the power to reject reality, and Ophis the ability to shape dimensions. Are you really surprised?"

She blinked, her jaw slackening. "Oh… right."

Before she could say more, a sudden eruption of flames caught our attention. Rias stood, her fiery aura blazing brighter than ever. Ryūjin Jakka in her grasp pulsed with raw power, the flames licking the air with dangerous intensity.

I smirked, tapping Mittelt's shoulder. "Go train with Tiamat. I'll handle this."

They nodded, vanishing in a swirl of energy.

"Now," I said, summoning a katana in my left hand, "let's see what your Shikai can do."

Rias's lips curled into a confident smirk as she vanished in a burst of speed, her blade cutting through the air. My instincts screamed as I pivoted, blocking her strike just in time. The flames singed my skin, forcing me to leap back.

"Shunpo, huh?" I muttered, vanishing in my own burst of speed to counter her.

We clashed again and again, her strikes growing more ferocious with each exchange. Suddenly, the flames around Ryūjin Jakka turned a menacing black and red. Rias swung, releasing a devastating wave of energy toward me.

"Did she imbue it with Power of Destruction?" I muttered, raising my blade and slicing through the flames.

"Maybe," came her voice from behind me.

I spun, deflecting another strike that forced me to skid backward.

"Alright," I said, a wicked grin spreading across my face. "You want to play rough? Fine. Let's see how you handle this."

I closed my eyes briefly, summoning my own Shikai. "Turn the world into a frozen tundra, Yuki-hime."

An explosion of ice and snow erupted from my body, the temperature plummeting instantly. When the storm cleared, I stood wielding two intricate fans made entirely of ice. Frost escaped my lips as I smirked.

"Ah, crap," Rias muttered.

I raised one of the fans, opening it to reveal its intricate snowflake patterns. With a flick, I sent a wave of ice hurtling toward her. She dodged with Shunpo, but the ground where she had stood was flash-frozen in an instant.

"This isn't going to be fun," she muttered, glancing at Ryūjin Jakka, which now struggled to thaw itself.

Boom!

An hour later, Rias lay sprawled on the ground, her head resting on my lap. She groaned, clearly exhausted from the sparring session.

"Have you learned your lesson?" I teased, stroking her hair.

She pouted, crossing her arms. "You're insufferable."

I chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips while channeling healing energy into her body. Rias blushed but quickly recovered, sitting up before pinning me to the ground.

"So," I said with a smirk, "are we finally making this official?"

"Screw you," she muttered, leaning down to kiss me again.

"Love you too," I replied, pulling her closer.

Chapter 21: End