He does quite we- you're kidding, right? It's painful!

Issei stood, redoing his pants as Rias sighed in pleasure, swallowing the last of his seed, standing as she zipped up her jacket. Asia went to go heal up Raynare as Rias said, "Alright, time for strength training with Koneko!"

"Great," Issei sighed. Koneko approached, rubbing her hands together as she grinned. "...so, can you trade notes with Akeno in sadism in general, or is it just with me?" Issei asked her dully.

"I think you know the answer to that!" she grinned as she tossed a backpack full of bricks at him, knocking the wind out of him as it impacted, and he went down. "Put that on, and run five times around the whole perimeter," she ordered, going to get the boulder again.

"...yes Ma'am," he wept anime tears. With that, they got moving, Issei struggling to keep up, even with Koneko holding the boulder. By the time each lap was completed, Issei was exhausted.

"Pathetic," she told him, barely even having broken a sweat.

"I'm... not... a... Rook..." Issei wheezed, sounding like a whistle with each breath. After taking a moment to get his breathing under control, he also pointed out, "I also haven't been a Devil as long as you..."

"Excuses!" she hummed.

"Facts!" he snapped.

"Whatever, now we're moving onto sparring. Ready or not!" she shouted, immediately moving at him, and trying to punch him. He yelped, and barely dodged, but missed the knee she slammed into his gut, and sent him flying into a tree.

"Ugh... You actually are trying to kill me, aren't you?" he groaned.

"...you actually think that? I might have jokingly said I was, but at the moment, no. I'm just not going easier on you than I have to. If I wanted you dead, that would have snapped you in two," Koneko huffed. "I still don't trust you with Rias, but I'd rather you have her than Riser."

"...because you actually trust me more than him, or because you can actually beat me in a fight if you need to for abusing her if one of us actually does?" Issei groaned, standing up, seating with the effort.

"...yes," Koneko admitted, making Issei blink. Had she just agreed that he was flat out better for Rias than Riser in her estimation? He had expected her to say it was the second one flat out.

"...am I... Actually making progress in proving I'm not going to fuck over Rias?" Issei asked her, and she huffed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself! Defend yourself!" she snapped, leaping at him with a fist drawn back. He shrieked and dodged as her fist splintered the tree he had just been in front of. Yep... Training with Koneko was going to suck...