"Huh?"
Rias looked at Ryuji in surprise, not understanding why he had just rejected her.
"You need to understand something. My goal is to leave this place as soon as possible. And if you're planning to train here, then there's a problem—what about the newcomers? This world keeps pulling people in. Do you know what kind of people they'll be? Can they accept this method of returning? Have you considered any of that?"
"My abilities have limits, and I don't like this world. I also don't enjoy doing things with men. Rias, you owe me, not the other way around. You need to get that straight."
Ryuji pointed at the cursed world around them. Sure, it granted strange powers—but the risks were ridiculously high.
Even with the invincible house and safe zones, who knew what kind of mutated zombies might show up next? If he had the option of training in Arad and getting stronger there, why would he keep struggling in this post-apocalyptic hellhole?
In Arad, he had the backing of Seria, a fragment of the Primordial Origin who had already slept with him. Life there was slower in terms of growth, sure, but with a literal goddess watching over him, he'd at least become a demigod. Why should he stay here just because the training multiplier was higher?
"And sure, you might think hot girls will keep showing up, but what if the next person is some guy who desperately wants to go home? If I only help women return, I'll be stuck in a moral dilemma. And what if it's some incredibly ugly old lady? Rias, you only saw the opportunity for power, but staying here just causes trouble for me. I get no visible benefit out of this at all."
Ryuji didn't mince words.
What Rias had to offer wasn't something he needed—but everything he had, Rias desperately wanted. Sure, her body was something he liked, but it's not like Ryuji was short on women.
He was working hard to build a harem, but that didn't mean he'd throw away all his principles for just one girl. Even if she was a beautiful red-haired devil.
He hadn't even seen High School DxD, so he didn't have a fanboy urge to "collect" Rias. She was hot, no doubt, but Tsunade, Lux, and Erina weren't exactly lacking either.
"...I understand."
Rias nodded. Everything Ryuji said was logical and reasonable. She hadn't considered any of it—probably because she was used to others catering to her as the Gremory heiress.
"Then how about we do an exchange? I have a large amount of magical knowledge. If you're willing to stay and help me train for a while, I'll not only guarantee your safety but also teach you how to use your magic more efficiently. I'll even give you some magic books. And while I doubt you're short on money, I can provide some gold too."
As she spoke, books began to materialize in her hands.
"I'll trade knowledge and wealth for your companionship. Deal?"
"..."
Ryuji stared at her for a moment and nodded.
"All right then, Miss Rias."
He was never really after compensation—it was more about putting Rias in her place. But if she was offering an equal exchange, then he had no complaints.
"That said, I need to handle a few things first. Just giving you a heads-up so you don't get paranoid when you can't find me."
Since she was offering payment and this world was indeed a good training ground, it was only right that he let his teammates know. He didn't want Rosh or Miss Sizki to worry.
After all, he had made a promise to them first.
"Oh? Off to another world again? Shouldn't we establish a contract first? You could use that magical knowledge."
Rias stepped closer, interested and a little tense. If Ryuji left now, she'd be stranded here again.
"I don't need it that badly. So, Miss Rias, please adjust your attitude if you want this cooperation to go smoothly."
Seeing that he only needed 200 energy points to cross back to Seria's world, Ryuji relaxed a bit. He waved to Rias, and to her stunned expression, his body began to fade.
"W-Wait, I—!"
Rias reached out to stop him, but it was too late. Ryuji couldn't hear her anymore. He could see her lips moving, but her words no longer reached him.
A moment later, that familiar sensation of world-hopping returned. When he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the sight of Seria's back. She had just finished showering, droplets still clinging to her neck, and was silently tidying the rumpled bed.
Clearly, waking up alone in a cold bed had left her disheartened.
Ryuji walked up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. Feeling the familiar warmth, Seria blushed deeply.
"R-Ryuji…"
Her voice trembled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Outside the room, Miss Sizki sighed and quietly covered Rosh's eyes before escorting her back to their room, knowing exactly what had just happened.
It wasn't until noon that the duo finally emerged. Sizki, seeing Ryuji looking sore and limping, took him into the jungle to show him the proper way to train. Rosh also gave him a crash course in basic magic.
That evening, they returned to the inn.
"So you're leaving for a week?"
"Yeah. Just need to take care of something. You two stay at Seria's inn and keep training. I'll be back in a week. Here's your pay, Miss Sizki. Rosh, here's some money for meals."
Ryuji dropped two bags of gold on the table, one large and one small.
"I appreciate the payment, but… try not to be so wasteful, all right?"
Sizki hesitated but accepted it. It matched her usual rate anyway. Rosh, on the other hand, flatly refused.
"No thanks. I haven't done anything this week. I won't take that much."
She seriously picked out a few coins and handed the rest back to him.
Ryuji didn't argue. He gave the coins to Seria instead and asked her to make some nice meals for Rosh. THen under Seria's reluctant gaze....
He left the inn and slipped into the jungle.
This would be his last appearance at Seria's place for a while. The next time, for secrecy's sake, he'd transfer through Kiri instead. Who knew when he'd return?
So it made sense to pay ahead and explain things clearly.
When Ryuji reappeared next to Rias, she looked visibly relieved. She'd genuinely feared he wouldn't come back—but the rapid physical and magical advancement here made her willing to take that risk.
After all, she had no intention of marrying someone she didn't love.
Seeing her obvious relief, Ryuji couldn't help teasing.
"What's wrong? Disappointed I came back? Don't worry, next time I leave—it'll be gone for good."
"Joking like that with a lady isn't very gentlemanly. We have a deal, remember?"
Rias rolled her eyes, then looked at him seriously.
"By the way, since you can travel between worlds, could you help me buy some clothes? And some food too? I'll pay you in grimoires."
She held out a book.
"This one lets you temporarily control someone's body and read their memories. It's ineffective on people with strong magic or willpower, but ordinary folks won't be able to resist. You don't need to study magic to use it—just place your hand on the pages and think. But keep in mind, it doesn't erase memories. So don't do anything too evil, or you'll get caught."
She really is a devil, Ryuji thought to himself.
But he accepted without hesitation. He took the book, and instantly, knowledge flowed into his mind.
Just as she said—it was simple and intuitive. Very user-friendly.
Although it was just as Rias had said—the spell couldn't erase the memories of those controlled, and it could only affect up to three people at once—for a morally questionable teenager, that was more than enough to do some serious damage.
What Ryuji hadn't expected, though, was how enthusiastically Rias rattled off a list of things she wanted: underwear, clothes, food, snacks… an entire shopping catalog.
Ryuji listened patiently and wrote everything down in detail.
He wasn't just planning to visit Seria's world, but also Erina's. And when it came to satisfying a "client," it never hurt to take detailed notes, right?
So Ryuji carefully jotted down everything Rias liked. Once he was done, he waved to her with a smile.
"Alright, I'm off then—"
He opened the door, ready to head out and meet the merchant woman to gather supplies. But the moment he did…
He slammed the door shut again.
The sky outside was thick with blowing sand. Dozens—no, hundreds—of zombies wandered through the storm, their groans muffled by the wind. And in the sky, the moon had begun to shift.
A blood moon—already? And so soon?
Ryuji peeked through the window at the hordes of zombies, all shambling in the same direction. He turned to look at Rias.
"Did the world's consciousness tell you anything about this?"
His earlier suspicion had come true.
"No. The will of this dimension is already extremely weak," Rias replied with a sigh. "If it were stronger, it wouldn't have failed to reclaim your power—or directly handed me the authority of the Dimensional Lord."
She also saw the relentless zombie tide outside and gave a helpless shrug.
"If I knew everything going on here, I wouldn't still be stuck, would I?"
"I almost forgot what this place was like," Ryuji muttered. Life in Arad had been so comfortable that he'd nearly erased this nightmare from memory.
"Don't worry," Rias said calmly. "As long as I'm here, you don't need to be too concerned."
Her strength was no longer what it used to be. Now, she could hold a mana shield for an entire day without rest.
"The only issue," she continued, "is that I can't expand my control over this dimension any further. So if zombies powerful enough to threaten this house appear, I'll need your help. But until then, we're safe."
She snapped her fingers. A brilliant blue magic circle spread across the roof, and in an instant, all sound from the outside vanished. Though Ryuji could still see the zombies, he couldn't hear them anymore.
Before long, the blood moon reached its peak.
Under the protection of Rias's magic and the reinforced steel walls, Ryuji experienced no trouble at all. In fact, he got so bored that he dozed off.
By the time Rias nudged him awake and told him the blood moon had passed, he was drooling onto an open spellbook.
He had wanted to spar with Rias for a bit—but after every blood moon, new teammates arrived. He wanted to check them out first.
If it was a man, he'd see if there was any way to send him home without resorting to… the usual method. If not, he'd offer some training, provide a few supplies, and let him fend for himself once he could survive on his own.
If it was a girl, he'd ask if she wanted to go back. If she did, then great.
As for "doing that" to a man? Not a chance. Not in this lifetime.
He adjusted the weights on his arms to maximum, giving himself just enough pressure to feel challenged. Then he stepped out of the house, ready to meet the new arrivals.
That was when he saw something… absurd.
Two figures were slowly appearing in the air.
But not on solid ground.
They were hovering directly above the abyss that Tsunade had once dug out.
"Rias! Save them!" Ryuji shouted.
He didn't hesitate to call for help, already preparing to rescue them himself. But just as he yelled, the two forming figures fully materialized.
"Nani?!"
One was a beautiful girl in a red top, her long legs exposed beneath a short skirt. She had no time to react before the ground vanished beneath her—and she screamed as she plunged downward.
The other wore a red ninja outfit that looked very familiar to Ryuji. She seemed to twist mid-air as if trying to move, but with nowhere to land, she too fell alongside the first girl.
Ryuji fired his grappling hook without hesitation, rushing to the cliff's edge.
But it was too late.
All he could do was watch as two gorgeous girls dropped one after the other into the dark abyss.
Only then did Rias step outside.
"What's going on?"
She looked at Ryuji, who was lying flat on the ground, peering into the canyon below.
After a moment of silence, Ryuji sighed and replied, as gently as possible:
"Well... I guess I don't have to feel morally conflicted anymore."
~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 PS.