We, the Occult Research Club plus Alice, arrived at the Phenex household in the Underworld. After teleporting from the human world to Gremory territory, handling Alice's paperwork, and jumping through multiple magic circles, we made it.

Man, this place is huge. Rias's estate was massive, but this rivals it. I'd heard the Phenex family made bank on Phoenix Tears, and this confirms it.

The castle gates creaked open, and we stepped inside. A bit further in, Ravel waited with several servants.

"Greetings, welcome to the Phenex household," she said.

"Greetings, Ravel. Raiser lives in this section, right?" Rias asked.

Ravel nodded. "Yes, this way."

She led us deeper into the mansion. High ceilings, fancy armor, and paintings lined the halls. Noble vibes, for sure.

"Rias-sama, it's been a while. And you, Red Dragon Emperor," a familiar voice called.

Isabela, Raiser's Rook, stood there, her half-mask distinctive.

"Long time, Isabela," I greeted.

"I've heard about your exploits—taking on Loki himself. Impressive. You're here for Raiser-sama, right? Thanks," she said.

"No big deal. Is he… that bad?"

Isabela sighed. "Locked in his room, playing virtual Rating Games or chess with strong locals. For six months straight."

She added, "When your name comes up on TV, he dives under his bed. Even the Oppai Dragon show freaks him out."

…That's rough.

I scared him that much?

Alice nudged me. "Did you overdo it?"

"Uh… maybe?"

To beat a Phenex, you need repeated hits or a Demon Lord-level strike. I went with the latter, but…

"That kind of attack would traumatize anyone," Ddraig said.

Haha… oops?

Well, I'm here to fix it.

Ravel and Isabela stopped at a large door with an intricate phoenix relief.

Knock knock.

"Brother, you have guests," Ravel said.

A feeble voice answered, "Ravel… sorry, I don't want to see anyone. Bad dream. Leave me alone."

What? That's Raiser? A far cry from his old arrogance.

Ravel sighed deeply. "This is how it's been. No matter what I say, he won't come out."

Isabela and Raiser's other retainers sighed too.

Geez, what a mess.

I put a hand on Ravel's shoulder. "Ravel, I'm about to do something crazy. Cool?"

"Uh, yes. Father and Mother said do whatever it takes."

"Sweet. Everyone, step back."

They looked puzzled but complied. I activated Renkan Keikikou, channeling energy into my right arm.

And—

BOOM!

I smashed the door. It flew through a window, shattering glass and kicking up dust.

"What the!?" Raiser's panicked voice echoed.

I stepped over the debris, spotting him, and grinned. "Yo, Raiser! Time to rebuild your guts. Get out here!"

"R-R-Red Dragon Emperor!?" His eyes nearly popped out.

Normally, he'd have been told I was coming. But seeing me, he crashed through the window and bolted!

That guy!

"No escape!" I kicked off, chasing him.

At top speed, I caught up, grabbed his head, and slammed him into the ground.

CRASH!

A massive crater formed, Raiser embedded in the center.

"That's… extreme," Ddraig said.

It's fine. He's out now, and Ravel gave the okay.

Raiser struggled up, pointing at me. "Why are you here!?"

"Ravel asked me to fix her pathetic brother."

"What!?"

Ignoring his shock, I continued, "We're ending your shut-in life. First step: mountain training."

"Don't decide for me! Mountain training!? Why should a noble like me—"

He was cut off as Alice landed beside me, followed by Miu, Rias, and Ravel.

Alice sighed at Raiser. "Wow, you're even more pathetic than I heard."

He bristled. "What!? A mere human dares insult me!"

"You're too busy looking down on others to see yourself. You look like a homeless guy, not a noble."

True. Raiser's hair was a mess, beard unkempt, pajamas tattered. No one would peg him as nobility.

I did rough him up, though.

"I hate guys who are all talk," Alice went on. "That's why Rias dumped you and Issei crushed you. 'I'm a high-class demon, a noble, no training needed'? Get real. Don't you feel bad for your retainers? For letting them down?"

Damn, Alice. Harsh. Maybe her princess background makes her extra critical of Raiser's state.

He couldn't retort, but he wanted to. Finally, he shouted, "Shut up! Don't lecture me, you flat-chested woman!"

Time froze.

Oh no.

Everyone has a line you don't cross. Raiser just did.

Crackle!

Sparks erupted around Alice.

"You… said… what?"

She drew her spear from her personal space.

Chills ran through me. Danger!

"Everyone, run!" I yelled.

"Issei?" Rias blinked.

"Just go! Before we're caught in it!"

Hurry!

Instinct screamed: Stay, and we die!

We fled, leaving Raiser behind.

Seconds later—

We all learned what happens when you anger the "White Lightning Princess."

White lightning flashed.

"You… went too far," I said.

"Did I?" Alice replied.

Minutes later, Raiser was a wreck. His immortal flames healed him, but his face was swollen beyond recognition.

Good thing he's immortal, or he'd be gone.

"We're here to fix him, not break him more," I said.

Alice scratched her cheek, chuckling awkwardly. Everyone else was unsure how to react.

Sigh.

At least he's out of his room, and preparations are done. Phase one: success.

Next…

Rias asked, "You mentioned mountain training. What's the plan?"

"Hold on, they should be here soon…"

I checked my watch and looked up. Almost time. They said they'd arrive shortly.

A massive shadow appeared in the sky.

"There! Yo!" I waved.

THUD!

A huge dragon landed, shaking the ground. "Been a while, you lot."

"Thanks for coming, old man!" I greeted Tannin, the former Dragon King.

Raiser screamed, "T-T-T-Tannin!? The ultimate demon… legendary dragon!"

Oh, right. He's terrified of all dragons, not just me.

Tannin eyed Raiser. "Raiser Phenex. I had high hopes for you, but… you're a mess. Why're you already beaten up?"

"Haha… stuff happened," I said.

I'd briefed Tannin earlier. He called Raiser "pathetic" too.

"It's not just me—he's scared of all dragon auras. I want him to train in a dragon-filled place to get used to it. Plus, mountain training for guts."

"I see. Hence my call," Tannin said.

"Yup. Everything's ready."

"Good planning. My territory's perfect—plenty of dragons, mountains. Go wild."

Tannin's the best. Straight to the point.

"Rias, I'm taking Raiser to Tannin's territory," I said.

Mountain training. Reminds me of summer's hell—sparring two Dragon Kings. Thought I'd die.

"Noooo!" Raiser spread his flame wings to flee.

Pointless.

"Face it like a man," Tannin said, grabbing him.

"Eek!" Raiser squirmed in his giant hand.

To an outsider, it'd look like a dragon about to eat him.

"Alright, I'm off," I said, hopping onto Tannin's back.

"Issei, take care of Raiser," Rias said.

"Got it."

"Call if anything happens," she added.

"Will do."

I'll miss everyone, but this is for Ravel. Gotta suck it up.

Ravel stepped forward. "I'm coming too!"

"What!?"

Mountain training with a girl? I hesitated.

"I want to help my brother recover!" Her eyes burned with resolve.

She's serious.

"No issue with me," Tannin said.

I nodded. "Alright, let's go together."

"Yes!" Ravel beamed, switching her dress to practical clothes with magic and climbing onto Tannin.

"Let's go," Tannin said, spreading his wings.

Raiser begged his retainers for help, but they just waved, cheering.

Hours later, in Tannin's territory, we began mountain training.

"Raaah!" I roared, kicking.

BOOM!

Raiser barely dodged, rolling away. A crater formed where he'd stood.

Panting, he yelled, "Are you trying to kill me!?"

"You're immortal, you'll live."

"That's not the point!"

What's the point then? I'm going easy since it's day one.

"This is crazy! I'm out!" Raiser ran.

So stubborn. It's futile.

"Raiser-dono, no escape!" A blue dragon, one of Tannin's high-ranking subordinates, blocked him.

"Back to training!" It unleashed a breath attack, blasting Raiser.

"My flames… freezing!" Raiser wailed.

His wings were iced over. Phenex flames are intense, so that dragon's no joke.

Our training: me sparring Raiser, surrounded by dragons "watching" (aka monitoring). If he slacks, they "encourage" him—by attacking.

He'll get used to dragons eventually.

Blown back to me, Raiser lay face-down, unmoving.

"Brother, get up!" Ravel shouted from the blue dragon's back.

Harsh sister, but it's out of love. Good sibling.

"Ravel's right. All you've got here is training. Let's keep going," I said.

"…How long does this last?" he mumbled.

"Till you're used to me and the dragons."

"…"

Rough start.

I sighed. "Don't you care about worrying Ravel?"

"What…?" He looked up.

"I took this on because, as a brother with a sister, I can't stand you making her worry."

"I…"

"And Alice was right—don't you feel bad for your retainers? Rias is worried too. You okay with this?"

He didn't respond. I pressed on. "Stand up. If you've got any high-class demon pride left, hit me. If not, you're just a roasted chicken."

WHOOSH!

His flame wings flared, hotter than before. He stood, roaring, "You mocking me!?"

Not bad. A spark of fight.

I grinned. "Yeah, mocking you. You're no Phenex—just a roasted chicken. Want salt or sauce?"

"You… low-class demon!" He hurled a fireball.

Decent heat, but no problem. I swatted it away with a ki-infused hand.

Finally, a real attack. Time for serious training?

A small step forward from his earlier running.

"Let's start. If you can keep up with us, this training ends!"

As I shouted, two shadows landed behind me—two dragons.

"Sorry for the wait," one said.

"Yo, Issei. I'm here," said the other.

"Tiamat, thanks for coming. Old man, you done with your stuff?"

"Yup," Tannin replied.

I faced Raiser. "Now the real training begins. Me, Tannin, and Tiamat—Chaos Karma Dragon. The three of us will whip you into shape. Good luck."

Then I noticed—Raiser's flames dimmed. Was he… rolling his eyes back?

"Hey, Raiser?" I waved a hand.

"NOOOO!" His scream echoed through the mountains.

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