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After seeing Rias's reaction—Akeno couldn't help but think that her friend's strategy of feigning retreat to gain an advantage was effective, and difficult to counter.

Koneko, on the other hand, looked at Kyoya with a complex mix of emotions, feeling a little down.

Seeing this, I released Rias and Akeno, then walked over to Koneko and gently patted her head. "Hehe, don't worry, Koneko-chan. I won't forget about you."

"Don't say such strange things, pervert Kyoya-senpai!" Koneko's face flushed an even deeper shade of red, but I could see the flicker of happiness in her eyes.

'Looks like I'll be able to tame this—little kitten soon.'

Just then, Kiba, who had been silent until now, interrupted us. "Um—are we forgetting something?"

"Hmm? What is it?" I asked, turning to look at Kiba along with everyone else.

Kiba, seeing our confused expressions, couldn't help but twitch his eyes in exasperation. He sighed and said, "Didn't we agree that there would be rewards after we finished the challenge? We haven't collected them yet."

Hearing this, we all suddenly remembered our original purpose. We quickly started searching the area for the rewards.

"I found one!" Kiba called out to us.

"Ara, I found something too!" Akeno exclaimed excitedly.

In the end, we found only three rewards.

The first was a technique from the Naruto world: the [Eight Gates] (Modified Version).

I explained to the others, "This is a technique that allows you to temporarily gain immense power. When activated, the user's power increases exponentially. the power increase will vary from person to person."

"However, this technique is best suited for Taijutsu users. So, Koneko, it's yours. But Kiba, since you use a sword and also rely on physical strength, you can learn it too."

"Understood." Koneko and Kiba nodded.

"As for this second one—it's called [Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract]. That's its name!"

I looked at the small vial in Akeno's hand and announced its name, then explained further. "This is the blood of a living being. Whoever drinks it will gain the power of ice—"

'The Power of Ice?'

"Who wants it?" I asked the four.

They all fell silent, thinking it over. Finally, Rias spoke up, "I have the—[Power of Destruction], and I still haven't fully mastered it—So I'll pass."

Koneko also declined. "I specialize in close-quarters combat. This doesn't suit me."

"Same here. As a swordsman, I still have a long way to go. I won't choose this right now, either." Kiba said.

Then, everyone turned their attention to Akeno. I took the initiative and tried to persuade her. "Akeno, you should take this reward—You already have lightning magic, and now with ice powers, your strength will definitely increase... Besides, ice can conduct electricity. The two powers combined would be a perfect match."

"It seems like I have no reason to refuse. In that case, I'll accept it!" Akeno said, smiling at the others.

Then, with everyone's encouragement, Akeno downed the contents of the vial in one gulp.

Suddenly, Akeno's long, black ponytail turned a striking shade of ice-blue. A chilling aura emanated from her, causing the temperature around her to plummet. Even the ground beneath her feet began to freeze.

Rias and the others were amazed—They hadn't expected such a drastic change just from drinking the [Demon's Extract]—It was a little overwhelming.

"You're like a whole new person," I said, walking up to Akeno and touching her now ice-blue hair, marveling at the cold energy within it.

"Does Kyoya like this look? Should I keep it like this from now on?" Akeno asked, clearly pleased.

"Uh, you don't have to. I like you either way. But this look is quite nice, too." I replied.

"...."

"Alright, alright, stop flirting. Akeno, show us what you can do with your new—Ice powers." Rias interjected, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Okay, okay! Kyoya, just look at Rias's jealous face. Isn't it cute?" Akeno teased, looking at Rias.

"AKENO! Enough!" Rias's face flushed, completely flustered.

Seeing Rias flustered, Akeno giggled, then demonstrated her newly acquired power.

She flew into the air and pointed a hand upwards. A mountain-sized chunk of ice formed in the sky, then she began to freeze the surrounding area. Within moments, everything within a hundred-meter radius was encased in—Ice.

"There was once someone who could freeze time itself during a battle with similar powers, then deliver a finishing blow to their opponent. So, Akeno—you have a lot of room to grow."

After seeing Akeno's display, I offered some praise and then some advice for future development.

Returning to the ground and reverting her hair to its original black, Akeno was surprised to hear that someone had once used ice powers to freeze time.

She then turned to me, a little confused, and asked, "Kyoya, why do you know so much about these things? It's like you know everything—Do you have some secret you're not telling us?"

Her question reminded Rias and the others of my many strange actions and seemingly omniscient knowledge.

"Well, you can think of it as me being able to foresee the future, Kind of... As for my secret—you'll all find out soon enough. So, please—be patient." I said.

Seeing that I was reluctant to elaborate, they didn't press the issue. They knew they would find out eventually. But this only made them even more curious about my secret!

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