Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

"Your sword play is excellent, Asher. You've certainly made great progress over the past few days. Keep up the good work."

She then turned to Scarlet and Cecil. "The two of you need to relax a bit more and loosen up your bodies. The more tense you are, the easier it is for an enemy to take advantage of you. You need to remain calm and collected at all times. This will help reduce fatigue and keep you focused during battle."

Asher raised his brows in frown as, despite fighting against three of them together, Rias seemed to have energy to lecture them at the same time. It made him realize that the cultivation realm of a cultivator meant little compared to the vast ocean of life experiences and martial skills.

'Looks like there is still a long way to go in the path of cultivation.' Asher mused as he slashed at her again and again with his black sword.

'Well, that's fine with me. I love challenges.'

In the meantime, Scarlet and Cecil tried to follow Rias' advice and relax their muscles while attacking the beautiful, mature woman, hoping that they wouldn't disappoint her too much.

Hours passed as the three youths battled against Rias, and despite their best efforts, none of them was able to defeat her even with their numbers. When it seemed hopeless, a sudden idea occurred to Asher.

Without saying a word, he quickly activated the Shadow Illusion Art to create a copy of himself behind Rias' back, and the fake Asher jumped towards the unsuspecting woman.

However, Rias' reaction was faster than expected. She spun around and raised her sword in midair to strike down the fake Asher with a strong blow.

At that exact moment, just as the dark phantom's blade was about to clash with her weapon, it vanished into thin air like a wisp of smoke dispersing in the wind, causing Rias to blink in confusion.

It took her a split second to realize what had just happened, but it was already too late. By the time she recovered from her surprise, the original Asher had already finished his move.

She saw his grinning face as his sword made a small cut on her black yoga pants, exposing a bit of her pale white thigh.

Then, with a soft chuckle, he lowered his sword and took a step back. "I guess I won this round."

Rias' lips curled up into a sly smirk. "Congratulations, Asher. Great job! That was very clever of you; making your illusion disappear on your own did confuse me for a second there and allowed you to land a blow on me. However, you are still far from winning.

Even if sometimes a clever trick can be enough to tip the scales in your favor, you must remember that in most cases, strength will prevail over wit. So you should focus more on improving yourself instead of relying on tricks, as they can backfire on you in critical situations. One should never underestimate his or her opponent, no matter how weak or strong they are."

"I understand, Teacher Rias. However, I believe that cunningness is also part of strength, and that is why I used this deception on you.

As long as there is a chance of victory, no matter how slim, it is worth trying everything that comes to mind." Asher smiled as he spoke, "That said, I don't intend to become a schemer or rely too much on tricks, as I believe that I can grow strong enough to deal with anything in a straightforward manner."

Rias nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Well said, Asher. Always aim for excellence, and don't be afraid to try new things. I like your attitude."

Meanwhile, Cecil looked at Asher with admiration sparkling in her emerald eyes. She knew how difficult it was to get past Rias' defense, and the handsome youth succeeded in doing just that. She couldn't help but be impressed by him.

"Hey mom! What about us?! We were doing our best too...weren't we?" Scarlet inquired, pouting, a little bit disappointed that her mother didn't acknowledge her and Cecil's efforts.

With a cheerful laugh, Rias reached out and pulled Scarlet into an embrace. "Ohh sweetie! Of course! Both of you were doing great today. You two have grown much stronger than before! I'm really proud of you!"

"Mom! Stop it! You always act so clingy towards me." Scarlet exclaimed as she broke free from Rias' hug, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

Rias laughed again, not in the least bothered by her daughter's behavior. "Oh Scarlet! You're such a cute girl! If you don't want to be spoiled by your dear mother, then I'll just spoil my cute Cecil." She said as she turned toward the raven-haired beauty and hugged her instead.

This caught Cecil by surprise, but she didn't push the beautiful, mature woman away. Instead, she let herself sink into the warm embrace and enjoyed the comforting feeling of being wrapped in her arms.

"See? Cecil here knows how to accept love! Isn't she such a cute little angel?!" Rias praised as she stroked Cecil's silky black hair, saying, "You should learn from her example. You shouldn't be ashamed to express your feelings; after all, that's how people grow closer together. You should try to open up more and share more of your thoughts and feelings with the people around you.

Then maybe you'll find that life becomes easier and happier. Don't keep everything bottled up inside."

"Alright, alright, stop teasing me already! Geez..." Scarlet mumbled as she crossed her arms and averted her gaze elsewhere.

Soon, Rias let go of Cecil, a smile playing on her lips. She understood why Scarlet was behaving in this way. The girl was embarrassed by her display of affection because she didn't want anyone else to know that deep down inside, she enjoyed being pampered by her mother.

Asher chuckled at their exchange, as he was used to their antics by now, having witnessed them countless times over the past few weeks.