Ryuji pressed off the wooden panels, his legs vertical in the air. His fingers were straight as his body repeated the vertical push-ups. Ryuji trained like this since fighting the group of knights. He would remove a finger after every twenty repetitions, sweating from head to toe. As he came down for push-up number 758, he looked up at Alan, who stood speaking with a mature woman.

    Who is that woman?

    Her abs are more amazing than my mother''s...

    "Alan? Who is this lady?" Ryuji paused his vertical push-up, asking from midair. He was somewhat out of breath, using both his demonic energy and physical strength for the exercises.

    However, after he awakened as a demon, Ryuji discovered that working out became far more efficient and actually helped him become stronger than when he was a human.

    All thanks to he could mix mana with his body while training, increasing the recovery and muscle growth process. While waiting for Alan to respond, he resumed his push-ups. He aimed to reach 1,000 before finishing.

    "Gah. How can he look so cute? Alan... Is he the one you want me to train? " The mature woman sighed, causing Alan to laugh.

    "Yeah, I hope you can help him shine brighter. He needs someone who can crush him but also help him grow." Alan smirked.

    The mature woman laughed, stepping towards Ryuji''s area with her hands crossed, revealing her ripped muscles. She wore a short, tight robe and white cloth wraps across her chest that exposed her abs and belly button.

    Though her muscles were well-defined, they weren''t too huge, just the right amount to make her look both erotic and imposing.

    She didn''t interrupt or comment on Ryuji''s workout. Instead, her eyes observed him like a hawk, each of his muscles, limbs and even his crotch while he finished his repetitions while panting, before lowering his body.

    Ryuji didn''t pay attention to the woman, because a sound played in his mind.

    -----------—

    Attributes Improved!

    -----------—

    Strength: 68 - 70

    Agility: 36 - 38

    Stamina: 34 - 36

    Grit 72 - 73

    ***

    "You look quite good when moving. Make sure you drink this." Her voice sounded gritty with a feminine touch. To be honest, it felt like he was listening to his mother and thus Ryuji grasped the black flask and began to drink the strange fluid inside.

    Alan felt a sweat drop from his temple, not making any movements towards his food stealer as he focused on Ryuji''s battle with Velvet.

    "You did very well, boy. I cannot believe you still stand." Yet after ten minutes, she finally attacked first, her fingers tapping his throat, while Ryuji took the blow, his eyes almost rolling back into his eyes.

    However, he didn''t collapse. A red aura exploded from his body like a raging storm. Ryuji began funneling all his rage and demonic force into a single blow and threw one last punch at Velvet.

    This caught her off guard, causing a bloody mouth smile to surface on his bruised, busted lip. It seemed as if he couldn''t even speak because of the beating his trachea received. Yet his brutal left hook collided with her cheek.

    Alan stood up the moment her punch cut the air.

    However, Velvet seemed unaffected, as if Ryuji just tapped her jaw playfully and smiled, removing his fist from her and leaning into his ear. "What a good man you will be in the future. I felt that."

    "He-bleargh!!" Ryuji knelt while his bruised throat spat mouthfuls of blood in a rhythmic rhythm. He heard the woman say some things before Alan came rushing.

    His eyes looked up to Velvet walking away with two women beside her, tapping her bloody lips before removing the clothes from her hands and entering the doors. A voice echoed afterwards that made Ryuji feel the desire to fight again. "I''ll train him, Alan. I will make him the strongest man in the history of this entire world."

    "Did...did I do well?"

    "Hehe, you did well. For Velvet to state this, she means it. Velvet and you will start training tomorrow, enjoy your rest day, Ryuji!"

    "Velvet... her name is pretty."

    "Pretty.... you fool, that woman is one of the only S-Rank Witches of the kingdom who serve as special knights that protect the kingdom from the highest threat."

    "A witch...? Like your sister?" Ryuji asked while feeling his head pounding but noticed Velvet left another of those flasks for him on the arena floor.

    "She was my sister and Liana''s master, but because of an accident, she stepped down and became the kingdom''s shield," Alan said while looking at Ryuji with admiration.

    To wound an S-Rank knight was almost unheard of for anyone below Rank A.

    Ryuji grinned, ignoring the pain and downing the sweet medicinal fluid, causing the wounds to heal. Yet Ryuji''s left hand kept throbbing. Broken into four spots and barely held together by the skin.

    "There is always someone stronger, a mountain higher," Ryuji whispered, a smile on his lips while Alan felt amazed at his body''s recovery.

    The wounds healed almost like time had reversed; even the hand, which Velvet completely shattered, started to re-knit the bones together.

    It seems training with her will allow me to grow faster. My demonic energy also seemed excited... If it feels like this fighting her.

    Then how amazing would it feel to fight the strongest existence in this world... That euphoric feeling, I can''t forget it.

    "Alan, teach me everything you know about Her!" Ryuji stood while looking up towards the sky, his blood pumping as he pictured his hands striking the strongest existence in this world, causing these emotions and thoughts.

    Thoughts he hadn''t felt since being a young boy learning martial arts with his mother.