Chapter 100 The Opportunity for a Breakthrough
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Contrary to her delicate, charming features, the blue-haired girl didn’t hesitate for a second once she made her move.
Her fierce, sharp transitions left Aki in genuine admiration.
She chanted her incantations, her small, snow-white hand giving a casual flick.
A sudden chill permeated the air, frost rapidly blanketing the entire testing arena.
One can’t give a long-range mage time to set up.
Aki lunged forward without a second thought, his sharp fist-wind whistling as he aimed a heavy strike straight for her ample chest.
A flash of bashful irritation crossed the shapely girl’s face.
She aborted her active magic circle and leaped backward.
As she retreated, crystalline frost danced from her slender fingers, weaving into a rugged ice shield to intercept his path.
(She didn’t fight her way to the finals on luck alone,) Aki thought, his respect growing as he intensified his onslaught.
The blue-haired girl found her spells constantly interrupted.
She never got the window to unleash her heavy-hitting magic, forced instead to rely on instant-cast ice blades and jagged spikes to harass Aki from the periphery.
Ice, shimmering with the azure glow of Mana, hissed through the air toward him.
Aki’s gaze sharpened as he manifested a Thunder Spear in his palm.
Just because he preferred the path of a warrior didn’t mean he was a stranger to magic.
The Thunder Spear shattered the ice blades mid-air.
Undeterred, the girl continued her rhythm—deploying ice walls and shields for defense while looking for any opening to land a punishing counter-blow.
Aki held the advantage, but a quick finishing move remained out of reach.
As the battle turned into a grueling tug-of-war, he gradually slipped into a profound, transcendent state.
Mana, spirit, and body began to unify.
He surrendered the mechanics of the fight to pure instinct, turning his entire consciousness toward his inner perception.
For the first time, Aki felt it clearly—that “membrane.” If he could just puncture that thin veil, he would transcend to an entirely new realm of existence.
But the moment proved fleeting.
The blue-haired girl eventually exhausted her Mana and surrendered, and that final step remained untaken.
His mind was a storm of thoughts about the Breakthrough.
Aki didn’t even stick around to claim his prize; ignoring the “monster-watching” stares of the crowd, he bolted toward the Occult Research Club (ORC).
Even long after he’d vanished, the fervor of the crowd didn’t die down.
Reaching the peak of B-rank in a mere four months of Cultivation… he was a freak of nature no matter what world you were in.
If Aki managed a Breakthrough to A-rank—reaching that height in four months—he’d be cemented as one of the greatest prodigies in human history.
* * *
”President!”
Aki threw open the clubroom doors, frantically scanning for Rias.
He needed answers about that “state” he’d just experienced.
”Koneko, where’s the President and the others?” Aki asked.
The petite, white-haired girl was focused on a plate of tiramisu.
She looked up slowly.
”President and Akeno-senpai are out on a subjugation mission,” Koneko replied.
”…”
Aki stared at the expressionless Koneko and forced a deep breath, trying to reclaim his center.
(I’ve been stuck at this Bottleneck for too long. I’m getting desperate… that’s not good… not good at all….)
He shifted his gears, sitting down beside the silver-haired girl.
Ignoring her murderous stare, he reached over, snatched a piece of her tiramisu, and popped it into his mouth.
”Koneko, I was just in the ranking matches and…”
Between bites of the rich, velvety dessert, he laid out everything that had happened.
He focused specifically on that phantom sensation of the Bottleneck.
”Hm. I see. So you really are one of the ‘Combatant’ types,” Koneko said.
She swallowed her mouthful and spoke in her usual flat monotone.
”Don’t beat yourself up over it. An opponent of that caliber was never going to be enough to trigger a Breakthrough in the middle of a fight.”
Aki blinked, a spark of realization lighting up his brain.
”Koneko, is it common to breakthrough mid-battle?” Aki asked.
The girl shot him a dry, merciless look.
”No. Why would such a dangerous, unpredictable method be ‘common’?”
”Then why did you just say—”
”Because some people only breakthrough in the heat of battle. That’s what I mean by ‘Combatant’ types.”
Koneko took a sip of tea, slipping back into her role as Aki’s teacher.
”A Combatant doesn’t necessarily need a death-match to level up. Whether it’s a high-level spar or a brutal training session, as long as the opponent provides enough pressure, they can break through. The higher the stakes, the higher the chance.”
She paused, her voice dropping an octave.
”And for people like that, if they hit a true life-or-death crisis, the chance of a mid-combat Breakthrough is over ninety percent.”
”Then why didn’t I feel anything when I was training with you guys?” Aki asked.
Koneko stared at him for a long beat, her eyes dark and mysterious.
”Because you never viewed those as ‘battles’,” she whispered.
”Uh…”
Aki wanted to snap back, but the words died in his throat.
She was right.
He had never looked at those sessions as real fights.
There was no concept of “victory or defeat” in his head back then.
Certainly no pressure…
(Wait, a mid-battle Breakthrough… isn’t that just ‘Powering Up’?! That’s supposed to be a protagonist-only perk! Well, I guess if the ‘Cuckold’ is the lead… it makes sense he’d have the same cheat code.)
* * *
Even without Rias, Koneko had cleared the fog.
He knew how to shatter the Bottleneck now.
He just needed to keep fighting.
He needed to go out and pick a fight he might actually lose.
”Thanks, Koneko.”
Aki picked up a fresh square of tiramisu and held it to the girl’s lips.
”Here. Open up. My treat,” Aki said.
”Are you serious…? This was literally bought for me by the President. I haven’t even forgiven you for the first piece yet…” Koneko grumbled.
Despite the complaining, Koneko’s face dusted with a soft pink.
She parted her rose-petal lips and let Aki feed her.
Her lips brushed against his fingertips, her blush deepening until her whole face was crimson.
Her small, soft tongue darted out with nimble flexibility, curling around the tiramisu and sweeping it from his hand, leaving a glistening trail of moisture behind.
Aki felt the dampness on his skin but didn’t give it a second thought.
Between the daily Dual Cultivation sessions with these girls, he’d become completely desensitized to this kind of heavy tension.
His focus was elsewhere: where could he find someone strong enough to push him to the edge?
Aki had a hunch.
Once he hit A-rank and his very essence evolved, the change would be seismic.
Even just touching the Bottleneck, he could feel something inside him screaming to be let out.
Koneko chewed slowly, her red face still fixed on him.
”If you’re that itching for a fight, just ask the President for a subjugation mission when she gets back,” Koneko suggested.
She seemed to read his mind.
”For some reason, the Stray Devil count has been spiking lately. You going out to hunt them would actually take some weight off our shoulders.”
Aki’s eyes sparkled.
It was a perfect plan—as long as the prey wasn’t too weak.
”How strong are these Stray Devils?” Aki asked.
”Usually between C and B-rank. A-ranks happen, but they’re rare,” Koneko said.
She thought for a second.
”If you’re looking for a Breakthrough, go solo. At your level, even if you run into an A-rank you can’t kill, you’re fast enough to get away.”
As they spoke, a crimson Magic Circle manifested in the center of the room.
Two curvaceous, statuesque figures stepped out.
”Ara ara, Aki-kun is here? Is the testing over?” Akeno asked.
Himejima Akeno’s face was still flushed with the afterglow of combat.
She’d clearly enjoyed herself out there.
”President. Akeno-senpai,” Aki greeted them.
”Finished. I took first place in the rankings, for what it’s worth,” Aki added.
Rias shot him a proud, appreciative look.
”Well done. Is there anything you want as a reward?” Rias asked.
”Not really…” Aki shook his head. “But I want to start taking subjugation missions on my own.”
”Oh? You’re certainly strong enough for solo work,” Rias said.
She tilted her head curiously.
”But you wouldn’t ask unless there was a specific reason.”
”Yeah, there is.”
Aki explained the Bottleneck sensation again.
Rias and Himejima Akeno’s reactions mirrored Koneko’s perfectly.
True “Combatant” types were rare, though not unheard of.
Breaking through in battle wasn’t exclusive to them, but Combatants actually faced a unique hurdle: they only leveled up through conflict.
While others needed a brush with death, a Combatant just needed pressure—but finding that “perfect” level of pressure without getting killed was a tightrope walk.
Aki’s situation was a classic trope: he was surrounded by powerhouses who cared for him, which meant his lizard brain never felt “threatened” during practice.
Without that threat, the evolution wouldn’t trigger.
”So, even if I master Intermediate Magic Power Extraction, I’m stuck at B-rank?” Aki asked.
”Not necessarily,” Rias replied. “If you learn the Extraction technique and still don’t rank up, then we’ll know for sure you’re a pure Combatant.”
”It’s like the ‘Martial Way’—it’s all about your mental state. Very subjective. We won’t know the truth until the results are in,” Rias added.
—
Summary:
Aki dominates his ranking match against a skilled frost mage but feels frustrated by his inability to cross the rank threshold despite sensing the physical barrier.
He retreats to the ORC clubroom to consult with his teammates about his stagnant progress.
Koneko identifies him as a Combatant type, revealing that his lack of perceived danger during training is precisely what is preventing his evolution.
—
Trivia:
- Aki has reached the peak of B-rank in only four months, which is historically unprecedented.
- The ‘membrane’ Aki felt is the physical manifestation of the rank barrier.
- Combatant types require pressure and stakes to evolve, making safe training less effective for them.
- Aki is habitually desensitized to intimate physical contact due to frequent Dual Cultivation.
- Stray Devils are increasing in number, providing a convenient source of high-stakes combat
—
Character Insight:
Aki’s single-minded pursuit of power makes him oblivious to the romantic/sexual tension he creates with the girls, while Koneko shows rare vulnerability and bashfulness when fed.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The author notes catching up on an uncensored anime series, which is clearly influencing the ‘pants-stirring’ tension in the narrative.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Aki – Silver‑haired, sharp‑eyed and strikingly handsome, he’s a Peak B‑rank Stray Devil with incomplete High‑Class blood, dual‑cultivation and a mana bottleneck. His form has thick black bat wings, a barbed tail, crimson‑flecked pupils, a left‑hand crest, milky‑white Qi and pale‑blue Mana refreshed nightly. He bears Insight Eye, Thunder Spear, Talents (Natural, Spirit Pact, Tenacity), massages with hot large hands, leads “Little Aki,” dates Rias & Takamine sisters, works for Akeno, monitors Aisu Academy, joins ORC, and hunts Talents.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, 17, a tall, curvaceous pure-blood High-Class Devil and President of Kuoh Academy’s Occult Research Club, boasts long crimson hair, crystal-like crimson eyes, fair snowy-white skin, a smooth jade-like back, long delicate neck, upright breasts with pink nipples, and a hairless mound beneath her refined school uniform—her demonic wings manifesting in Stray Devil form. Known as the Crimson Ruin Princess and Master of the Peerage, she wields the Power of Destruction with commanding authority, fiercely protects her team, mentors Aki like a big sister, oversees his training, and, frustrated by his stalled reincarnation, plans rituals while guiding him through the world’s power hierarchy. Having lived with Akeno since childhood, she evaluates strength, explains Breaching requirements, and governs her peerage with both regal grace and deep loyalty.
• Koneko – White-haired nekomata loli with fluffy white cat ears and a small nose, petite and flat-chested, serves as Rias Gremory’s Rook and first-year ORC member; one of the three beautiful girls, she’s a stoic, fiercely loyal mentor to Aki—training him in brutal combat, watching over him, and holding him to his promises. Territorial over food, often seen quietly eating a pink popsicle or tiramisu, she’s endlessly protective, devoted, and silently guardian-like toward those she serves.
• Akeno – Himejima, a tall, curvaceous silver‑haired Orc vice‑president and Rias’s queen, wields lightning magic and sterilizes kisses with arcane rites; her refined, provocative demeanor hides a sadistic, teasing nature that leaves her flushed after battle, serving as a peer in Rias’s peerage. As a member of the three beautiful girls and a Stray Devil, she smiles warmly, handles contracts and magic circles.
• Himejima Akeno – Akeno Himejima, a tall, graceful senior of the Occult Research Club in her school uniform, sports long black hair, an elegant mature beauty and a large bust. She wields golden lightning and Azure Flame magic, serves Rias Gremory as a trusted retainer and confidante, and acts as Aki’s master, giving him a surveillance familiar and overseeing the cleanup of his clash with local punks.
• Himejima – Akeno Himejima, tall, graceful senior of the Occult Research Club, wears the school uniform with long black hair, an elegant mature beauty and a bust. She wields golden lightning, is Rias Gremory’s confidante and retainer, and masters Aki, giving him a surveillance familiar and overseeing the cleanup of his clash with local punks.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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