Chapter 178 Injury
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Don’t worry, I just don’t want to continue doing the exhausting work of Governor General. My interest is in researching and manufacturing Sacred Gear¹. As long as you let me continue to stay here and provide me with research funds regularly, that will be enough.”
Azazel smiled faintly, his demeanor entirely carefree.
As long as he could establish a connection, he had plenty of ways to manipulate this group of young people. By the time they realized something was wrong, it would already be too late.
Except for Aki, no one else present perceived the hidden thoughts behind his words; even Rias was secretly contemplating the feasibility of the arrangement.
The conditions Azazel offered were too favorable to ignore. The situation involving the three, Amano Yuuma (Raynare), and the prospect of guidance from a powerful individual were all issues that the Occult Research Club (ORC) urgently needed to resolve.
However, her inherent caution prevented her from agreeing immediately.
”I will consider it and give you an answer before school starts,” Rias replied.
Hearing her response, Aki heaved a slight sigh of relief, though his mind, which had been relaxed for a long time, tightened again.
With the improvement of his own strength and the deepening of his relationship with Rias and the others, the greatest danger was no longer the Bitter Parent Template, but other powerful entities who harbored various motives.
As for whether the Bitter Parent Template had fueled the flames of this situation, Aki did not know, and he did not need to know.
Regardless of any influence from the Bitter Parent Template, he and the individuals who had set their sights on Rias and the others were mortal enemies; there was no room for negotiation.
”Then we shall take our leave. I hope you can keep your subordinates in check during this time.”
After speaking, Rias gestured for Himejima Akeno to prepare the teleportation circle.
This time, Azazel did not attempt to stop them. He lifted his wine glass in a friendly manner and laughed, “Have a safe journey. Don’t worry, before I receive an answer, no Fallen Angel will appear in the town.”
If the answer did not satisfy him, what happened afterward would be none of his concern.
Faced with Azazel’s silent threat, Rias paused for a moment, her face hardening, and walked into the teleportation circle without another word.
When one’s strength is inferior, anything said is just empty talk. Speaking more would only make one look like a clown.
One by one, the members of the Occult Research Club (ORC) entered the circle. When it was the turn of the three—Amano Yuuma (Raynare)—Azazel’s eyes narrowed, but ultimately, he did nothing.
Aki was the last to enter. At this moment, Azazel no longer hid his true intent.
”Kid, you seem very hostile toward me,” Azazel said, narrowing his eyes.
He suddenly emitted a powerful aura, and the resulting air current caused Aki to stumble back two steps.
”I hope you can recognize your status. You are just a servant. For the sake of your Master, I will spare you once, but there will not be a next time.”
Aki gritted his teeth and silently mobilized his inner strength to contend with the pressure. The violent collision of energy caused blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.
He looked at the Fallen Angel Governor General, hesitating whether to activate his Sacred Gear.
Taking him by surprise, at the cost of his own vitality, he might be able to force a result if he used his Balance Breaker.
Just then, Azazel let out a light hum, and the aura directed at Aki vanished instantly.
”That was just a little lesson. Remember to maintain the proper humility when facing the strong.”
Aki did not reply. After taking one last look at him, he turned and stepped into the teleportation circle.
Occult Research Club (ORC).
Rias and the others had not seen Aki for a while and were just about to check on him when he appeared in the activity room, his complexion deathly pale.
Rias hurriedly stepped forward to support Aki’s arm, her expression grave. “Aki-chan, did Azazel attack you?”
She helped Aki to the sofa, allowing him to lie down. Everyone gathered around, their faces marked by deep concern.
Aki lay on the sofa, resting his head on Himejima Akeno’s lap as she leaned over attentively. He offered a bitter smile, “It wasn’t an attack, exactly. Just a shock from his aura.”
The further one progresses, the greater the strength disparity between each realm becomes.
An S-Rank attack can level a small mountain. By the time one reaches Demon King class (EX-level), a mere argument, if not kept in check, could lead to the destruction of an entire nation.
Beyond the God-level, creating and destroying separate dimensions are trivial tasks.
Aki did not know if Azazel was SSS-Rank or had already reached EX-rank, but without using his Sacred Gear, he had no chance of victory.
”Is the difference in strength really that massive?” Amano Yuuma (Raynare) asked in confusion. “Aki is the strongest among us; can he really not even withstand Azazel’s aura?”
This was the question on everyone’s mind. Except for Rias, those present had no conception of the terror of a Demon King class existence, much less witnessed a battle between such entities.
”The difference in strength is precisely that great,” Rias sighed, speaking slowly. “This is also why I was so desperate to leave once I discovered the visitor was the Fallen Angel Governor General.”
Staying there, she lacked any sense of security. If the enemy had wanted to harm them, only by overdrawing his vitality to use the Boosted Gear could Aki have stood a glimmer of a chance.
In an actual battle, with their current strength, they would only be a liability to Aki.
If Aki fought Azazel alone, regardless of the consequences, he might have had a fifty percent chance of winning. But with them present, concerned for their safety, he would be lucky to have even a ten percent chance.
Everyone’s expression darkened. The enemy was simply too powerful, exceeding their upper limit of ability.
The three, Amano Yuuma (Raynare), looked especially worried, feeling an unshirkable responsibility for the incident.
Aki saw through their thoughts immediately. “Yuuma, Lut, Vana, don’t overthink it. Azazel didn’t have his eyes on you; he only proposed those conditions after discovering you had become Rias’s Peerage.”
The truth was that Azazel did not care about their lives at all; he only felt they held utility value, which is why he brought it up.
They knew the Fallen Angel faction’s initial reaction had proven this, but they still worried that they might be discarded because of this incident.
Rias’s charisma was unquestionable. After spending nearly half a year together, although they weren’t yet as blindly devoted as Himejima Akeno, they already regarded themselves as part of the Occult Research Club (ORC).
”Buchou, I have a very bad feeling about that man,” Aki said, turning his head to Rias. “If Azazel is allowed to settle down in Kuoh Town, it is like placing a ticking time bomb next to us.”
Because of her biological father, Himejima Akeno also harbored deep distrust toward the upper echelons of the Fallen Angels.
”Buchou,” Akeno agreed, “just because Azazel doesn’t plan to do anything now doesn’t mean he won’t later. By then, we might not even have time to react.”
Rias nodded slightly, turning to the rest. “What do you all think? If everyone disagrees, I will report this to the higher-ups.”
The three, Amano Yuuma (Raynare), were naturally unwilling to communicate further with Azazel and decisively sided with Aki.
Koneko licked a lollipop she had produced from somewhere and said, expressionless, “I’ll listen to Buchou.”
”Yuto, what about you?” Rias asked.
Kiba Yuto spread his hands with a helpless smile, “Buchou, you know me. I don’t have any love for the Church.”
Fallen Angels and the Church were separate entities, yet their connection was intimate. The Church worshipped God, while the Fallen Angels were the abandoned ones—formerly the Church’s superiors.
Now, heretics—bloodthirsty priests, nuns who treated Devils, greedy knights—were often handed over to the Fallen Angels in exchange for benefits.
Rias wanted a powerful guide for her Peerage, but she felt no affection for the middle-aged man, especially after he had injured Aki.
With her entire Peerage against it, the conclusion was obvious.
Just as she prepared to contact Grayfia, Aki spoke up: “Buchou, wait. Let’s gather more intelligence first. That way, if Lord Demon King asks, we won’t be caught empty-handed.”
Rias stopped. It was true; if she reached out now, she wouldn’t even be able to explain how many people were with him or their objective.
Being family, she wouldn’t be reprimanded, but it would be humiliating to be seen as the little sister who only knew how to run to others for help.
”There is still plenty of time before school starts, so there is no rush,” Rias said, walking back to her desk. “Then, regarding the investigation…”
Notes:
• Azazel – A decadent, arrogant fallen angel and former Governor General, this middle-aged man pairs a carefree, rogue personality with immense power. Wearing a neon hot-spring yukata, he aggressively pushes for deeper involvement in Occult Research Club affairs. While acting as a formidable antagonist and combatant, he retains his influence to pursue a relaxed lifestyle and research Sacred Gears.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, 17, is an authoritative, crimson-haired high-class devil, princess, and next head of the Gremory family. As President of the Occult Research Club, she wields the Power of Destruction while expertly managing administrative duties. A powerful and possessive leader, she is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of her peerage and subordinates within supernatural factions.
• Aki – Uesugi Aki is a 177cm Kuoh Academy student, S-Rank Gremory leader, and host of the Boosted Gear with a secret Fallen Angel bloodline, black wings, a barbed tail, and crimson eyes. Pragmatic and possessive, this Martial God-level human commands azure flames, Dual Cultivation, and a Juggernaut Drive. Currently paralyzed and unconscious, he is the central object of desire for his harem and allies.
• Amano Yuuma – Yuuma Amano, a.k.a. Raynare, is a Fallen Angel disguised as a transfer student tending to Aki. Possessive and assertive toward her partner, she is a member of Rias’s Peerage and a subordinate sent to support barrier maintenance. She has long black hair, white skin, a slender waist, and black feathered wings, wearing a revealing black leather outfit that exudes a glamorous, provocative aura.
• Raynare – Lady Raynare, alias Amano Yuuma, is a voluptuous A-rank Fallen Angel wielding obsidian wings and light spears. Shifting between an innocent schoolgirl guise and a predatory form, she leads a cadre, mentors Aki, and clashes with Mittelt. Concerned about her standing within the club, she actively orchestrates high-stakes rituals to secure a dangerous Sacred Gear, possessing critical intel on its host.
• Amano – Raynare, a fallen angel masquerading as schoolgirl Yuma Amano in Kuoh, is a striking woman with long black hair. A member of the Occult Research Club with a history of betrayal, she uses her alias to hide her faction ties. After reaching A-Rank with Aki, she developed a deceptive, black-belly nature and instant clothes-changing abilities, while struggling with guilt and fear of being abandoned.
• Yuuma – Amano Yuuma, known by her fallen angel identity Raynare, is a striking, curvaceous beauty with long black hair and violet eyes. A petite, tsundere former Grigori operative and master of light magic, she is now a devoted Pawn in Rias Gremory’s peerage. She serves Aki with obsessive, yielding devotion, sharing a profound physical and spiritual bond through their frequent dual cultivation.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Himejima Akeno – Akeno Himejima is a tall, elegant, large-busted senior and high-ranking member of the Occult Research Club. A hybrid of three races (including Fallen Angel), she is Rias Gremory’s trusted retainer, confidante, and peerage member. As a key communicator wielding golden lightning and Azure Flame magic, she masters Aki, giving him a surveillance familiar and overseeing his post-clash cleanup.
• Himejima – Akeno Himejima is a tall, graceful senior in Rias Gremory’s Peerage. Possessing mature beauty with long black hair, she is often seen in a priestess outfit. A loyal retainer who wields golden lightning, she balances poise and strength while overseeing surveillance and preparing teleportation formations. She shares a deep, supportive bond with Rias and provides crucial guidance to Aki.
• Akeno – Himejima is a tall, curvaceous Orc with long silver hair in a black ponytail and violet eyes. A refined, sadistic member of the Gremory household and Rias’s peerage, she supports Rias and the Occult Research Club with intelligence, magical inspection, and operational support. She uses a seductive demeanor for recruitment and maintains a dynamic, sparring-filled bond with her fellow member, Aki.
• Vana – An alias used by Kalawarner, a fallen angel subordinate to Raynare. She often wears a mature, seductive outfit or standard human disguises.
• Koneko – A petite, stoic nekomata and Gremory household member, this silver-haired first-year vanguard is a reserved student in Aki’s class. Tasked with evacuation duties, she mentors Aki in combat and serves as a dedicated guardian. While fiercely territorial over snacks like pink popsicles, she maintains a silent, protective loyalty toward her allies, always remaining a vigilant, lollipop-toting defender.
• Yuto – A member of the Gremory household tasked with evacuation.
• Kiba – Yuuto Kiba is a handsome, slender, 1.7m tall blond man known as a campus prince. A master swordsman and survivor of Holy Sword experiments, he is a polite, composed knight in Rias Gremory’s ORC peerage. Despite his refined demeanor, he harbors deep-seated trauma, a strong distaste for the Church, and intense hatred toward Fallen Angels and certain priests from his past. Also known as Yuto.
• Grayfia – A high-ranking figure in the Underworld serving the House of Gremory. A powerful devil known as the strongest queen, currently acting as a medical examiner for the party. The strongest queen of the Underworld and secretary to the Demon King.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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