Riser Phenex isn't a villain

Chapter 247: Training Arc 4

Saji, who had been waiting for his chance for training, especially after he was shown by Riser's generosity, suddenly became confused. Hesitating, he decided to ask, "Wh-What do you mean, Riser-sama?"

Riser stared at Saji and explained, "Your Sacred Gear and Absorption Line is quite versatile, and you can use it in a variety of ways, so I want to ask you how you want it to develop in the future. Do you want to become a close-combat like a warrior? Be a semi-long range attacking the opponent from a distance? Support by helping your friends? The Sacred Gear is a tool that is moved and developed with the feelings and wishes of its host. Depending on your feelings and wishes, the Absorption Line will change, so I want to know what kind of role you want to be in since, depending on your feelings and wishes, I need to change how I will train you."

Moreover, Riser didn't want to waste his time with Saji, so he wished to train Saji as soon as possible instead of wasting his time.

Saji thought for a moment and recalled the day of the fight when Riser fought so many powerful foes one after another, standing straight, protecting everyone. At that time, he knew such a man was the only one suitable for Sona, and his wish changed to help the two, but at the same time, it also became his wish to—

"I want to become like you, Riser-sama."

Compared to Sairaorg, Saji felt that Riser was the man that he thought to aim to be. While he knew that he couldn't compare himself to Riser, he wished to be as close as possible.

"If that's your wish, then I will train you until you bleed; you are okay with that?"

"Yes!"

"Good." Riser nodded and then explained how Saji was going to develop his Sacred Gear, Absorption Line. Frankly, he felt that Saji's way of using his power was too simple and monotonous. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't good either, especially when God died, so there was no limit to the development of the Sacred Gear.

By then, Rise told Saji how to use his Sacred Gear well, such as changing the color of his line so it would be invisible, using it as a rope so it could be used to move like a Tarzan, adding more lines so it could drain the opponent' faster, changing the sizes of the line, overloading the opponent with energy, giving a strange curse to the opponent, blasting the line into the opponent, and varies others.

"....."

At this moment, everyone fell into silence, and they understood why Riser didn't give Saji and Tsubaki a Mocking Gear. After all, all the things mentioned by Riser needed to be learned, and one needed time to learn them, so if Riser gave Tsubaki and Saji a Mocking Gear, they might not be able to focus and become weak as they would lack specialization since he could imagine they would subconsciously use the Mocking Gear instead of the Sacred Gear.

If Riser gave an example, it was like learning mathematics and history at the same time. Instead of becoming better at two subjects, they would mess up on the exams as they were unable to learn well.

Naturally, there was an exception that could teach everything together, but Saji and Tsubaki definitely weren't such an exception.

"Moreover, have you ever thought of using your Absorption Line like a sword?"

"Sw-Sword?!"

Saji was dumbfounded.

"Yes, a sword."

Riser explained how the Absorption Line could become a gigantic sword with a dragon-head-like tip and could extend and shrink at will.

"To make it more dangerous, you can make it like a saw, so you can cut down your opponent easier by shrinking the blade."

*Shudder!*

Saji got a shiver when he thought of developing his Sacred Gear into a blade that could shrink and extend at will.

"Even more, you can drain their stamina, energy, blood, and any other things, making this sword become more dangerous. Moreover, in my imagination, the "Balance Breaker" state of this Sacred Gear will make you able to create Vritra from that blade, and you can use it like a weapon to crush your opponent with its powerful jaws to death."

"...." Everyone.

They sucked a deep breath and looked at Saji's Absorption Line, which was so simple, yet in Riser's head, it had become such a brutal weapon.

"Don't underestimate your Sacred Gear. While it might not be Longinus, the death of God has changed everything, and there is no limit to the development of your Sacred Gear. If you believe it, then it is possible to turn it into a Sacred Gear that is as strong as the Longinus.

Saji also felt excited as he knew his Absorption Line wasn't weaker than the Boosted Gear of Issei.

"If you can win this "Rating Game," then I will give you rewards, Saji."

Riser got the rest of the Vritra-type Sacred Gears, and as long as Saji won this "Rating Game," he planned to put those Sacred Gears into Saji, making him even stronger.

"Re-Really, Riser-sama?"

"Yes, I have prepared them, so win."

"YES!"

As for who he should win against, Saji didn't even need to guess.

"Okay, it's your turn, Tsubaki."

"Yes, Riser-sama." Tsubaki nodded and felt a bit nervous while also excited.

"You don't need to get nervous. To be honest, while Saji's Sacred Gear is good, I like your Sacred Gear more."

"Re-Really?"

"...."

Saji, who was still around, fell in silence, but he decided to ignore it as he knew Tsubaki was Riser's woman, so there was nothing he could do, and he might as well focus on his training more as he wished to develop his Sacred Gear.

Tsubaki's Sacred Gear is Mirror Alice.

This Sacred Gear takes the form of a large full-body mirror and has the ability to reflect attacks with double the damage on the attacker, but cannot be summoned twice in a row without a cool-down period.

Still, Riser felt that using this Sacred Gear as a shield was wasteful.

"Tsubaki, since your Sacred Gear takes the shape of a mirror, how about you develop it like a mirror?"

"Develop it like a mirror?"

"Yes." Riser nodded. "Anything that a mirror can do, this Sacred Gear can help you to realize it."

"Mirror..."

Creating and manipulating mirrors of various shapes, sizes, and utilities at will might be the only ideas they could think of, so Riser decided to help.

"Mirror has versatile uses, or rather, it is one of the best abilities."

By using a mirror, Tsubaki could use her Sacred Gear for communication, to reflect and weaponize rays of light, to create mirror duplicates of a desired person, and to move instantaneously between mirrors.

"Even more so, you can also enter the world of the mirror and use it to attack suddenly or retreat."

"Mirror world..."

Tsubaki, Sona, Serafall, and even Saji, who had been listening, were dumbfounded.

Was Mirror Alice such a powerful Sacred Gear?

It was the first time for Tsubaki to learn about it.

"Just imagine that you make thousands of copies of Xenovia by using your Sacred Gear. Can you imagine how crazy it is when there are many berserker-like warriors appearing on the battlefield?"

Everyone could imagine thousands of Xenovia, who were on a rampage, destroying everything with Durandal in her hands.

"Cough!"

Xenovia was a bit depressed. "I am not a berserker, Riser-sama..."

Whether it was Ruriko, Tomoe, Reya, Momo, or Yura, they decided to follow Xenovia to eavesdrop on how Riser was going to train Tsubaki and Saji. If something went awry, they could put all the blame on Xenovia, and the worst thing they could think of, their virginity might be taken from them by Riser, which was something they didn't mind as they wished so.

Riser decided to ignore Xenovia and continued with his explanation.

"Your Sacred Gear is the ultimate support of Sacred Gear that can help you and everyone."

"Yes, Riser-sama."

Xenovia nodded, and she gently caressed the Mirror Alice. She had never thought that it could become a powerful support for Kaichou and everyone. At the same time, she also understood why Tsubaki had always been their support when they fought against Riser.

"Do your best to train your Sacred Gear, Tsubaki!" Xenovia shouted.

"..." Tsubaki.

"Fuh..."

Nevertheless, as Riser took water to wet his throat, he knew that there was another individual that he needed to teach.

"Sona, it's your turn. Follow me."

As she was his wife, Riser planned to make his wife stronger.