Chapter 128 The Plan (Part ②)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Facing the invitation from Himejima Akeno, Amano Yuuma and her two companions nodded with practiced friendliness.
In truth, because Aki possessed certain information ahead of time, the plan he had engineered was remarkably crude and simplistic.
Its success seemed to depend entirely on the personal whim of Rias.
Reduced to its simplest terms, his strategy was this: let Amano Yuuma and her trio take the fall, stage their “deaths,” and then observe the response from the Fallen Angel camp.
The “fall” they were taking was, naturally, the attempted theft of a Sacred Gear¹.
Their “deaths” would be a staged execution at the hands of Rias, the one who governed this territory.
Once the dust settled, they would gauge the Fallen Angels’ reaction.
If Rias could hold her ground-or more accurately, if the Gremory family could withstand the pressure-then Amano Yuuma and her group could emerge with entirely new identities, finally severing their ties with the Fallen Angel faction forever.
Everything depended on Rias’s cooperation.
Consequently, there was no way Amano Yuuma and the others would dare show any disrespect toward their future superior.
They were fortunate they didn’t know about the upcoming Three-Way Deadlock or the low regard in which the Fallen Angels held them.
If they had, they would have realized just how flawless Aki’s “crude” plan truly was.
Cough, cough…
In reality, the biggest hurdle was convincing Rias herself.
Rias Gremory wasn’t the type to accept just anyone into her Peerage.
Yet, things had gone far smoother than Aki had anticipated.
Rias hadn’t hesitated for a second; she had agreed the moment Aki made the request.
Her trust in him-and her expectations of him-ran deeper than Aki had dared to imagine.
Of course, looking at it objectively, Rias held plenty of pieces in reserve.
Sacrificing three Pawns was a negligible cost to her.
Even if her pieces were limited, three middle-class Fallen Angels represented a significant boost to her combat potential.
Aki had only recently discovered that “resigning” from a Peerage was even an option after reincarnation.
However, resignation required the Master’s explicit consent.
Very few “Kings” were willing to let go of subordinates who were both obedient and powerful.
Therefore, if their future collaboration turned sour, Rias could simply dismiss them.
There was absolutely no downside for her.
This was the leverage Aki had planned to use to persuade her, though in the end, he hadn’t even needed to bring it up.
As for Amano Yuuma and her companions…
They had assumed all along that Aki was also a Peerage member reincarnated through Rias’s Evil Pieces².
They had entered the room fully prepared to become Aki’s servants.
Finding out they would instead be Rias’s subordinates-effectively making them Aki’s equals in status-left them with nothing to complain about.
Moreover, they understood the weight of the Gremory name better than Aki did.
To serve the future head of such a prestigious house was, frankly, a massive step up for them.
Regarding their safety, once the three of them were under Rias’s wing, the burden of protecting her Peerage fell squarely on her shoulders.
Thus, a plan that satisfied all three parties was born and put into immediate motion.
”ROAR!!!”
Just as the mood turned cordial, resembling a welcome party for new colleagues, a soul-shaking roar erupted, causing everyone’s face to pale instantly.
Aki, being the closest, bore the brunt of the shockwave.
The force of it shattered his concentration and forcibly aborted the ritual.
Staring at the phantom image of a red dragon manifesting over Hyoudou Issei’s body, Aki wiped a streak of blood from his lip.
”Everyone, stay back,” said Aki. “This Sacred Gear is more dangerous than we thought.”
”How is this possible?” asked Amano Yuuma.
She stared at the scene with a mask of shock and doubt.
”The book… the ritual instructions didn’t mention anything like this!”
Rias kept her eyes locked on the draconic phantom, which continued to radiate a terrifying pressure despite its closed eyes.
”That’s because the ritual records how to deprive a common Sacred Gear, not how to strip away a Longinus³,” Rias explained.
Amano Yuuma froze, her voice trembling with disbelief.
”You mean… no. It’s impossible! Why would a Sacred Gear like that choose a brat like him?!”
As one of the only thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears in existence, every single one possessed a terrifying power and a will of its own.
They chose their hosts; they could not be forced to serve an unworthy master.
If it were otherwise, someone of Hyoudou Issei’s original caliber could never have survived long enough to manifest his power, even with Rias watching over him.
”Unless we’ve misread the signs, that is the spiritual manifestation of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons-the Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch,” said Rias.
Her voice was heavy with gravity.
”Which means the boy is host to the Sacred Gear known as the Boosted Gear⁴.”
”My, my…” sighed Himejima Akeno.
”It seems our little deprivation ritual has poked the sleeping dragon sealed inside…”
Rias nodded.
”Precisely. We can kill the host chosen by a Sacred Gear, but we can never forcibly strip the Gear from him.”
”Well, this is officially the worst-case scenario…” Aki muttered.
He grimaced, feeling the ache in his battered body.
”President, is there no other way?”
”To use the Boosted Gear, one must gain the Welsh Dragon’s recognition,” Rias replied.
She rested her chin in her hand, her mind racing.
”The dragon is still slumbering; that last outburst was likely a reflex. Perhaps we can wake him and… negotiate.”
Apparently, claiming a protagonist’s cheat-code wasn’t going to be easy.
Aki exhaled a long, heavy breath to steady his nerves.
”Then let’s talk,” said Aki. “If we can’t reach an agreement, we’ll just have to walk away.”
”Are you really just going to leave a dangerous weapon like that in his hands?” asked Amano Yuuma.
She spoke up instinctively.
”What if the brat decides to use it against-“
”Yuuma-chan. A Sacred Gear is only as dangerous as the person wielding it,” Aki interrupted.
He cut her off with cool confidence.
”By the time he manages to fully master that power, my own strength will have long since surpassed the Two Heavenly Dragons.”
No matter how strong a Sacred Gear was, it was still just a seal for a portion of the dragon’s soul.
It granted some of the dragon’s abilities, but it could never replicate the full might of the original Two Heavenly Dragons.
And if someone possessed strength beyond that of the Heavenly Dragons, a Sacred Gear became irrelevant.
”Surpass the Heavenly Dragons…?”
Amano Yuuma whispered the words to herself, but she quickly snapped back.
”Don’t be ridiculous! Do you have any idea what the Two Heavenly Dragons represent? They are existences that even the Gods and Demon Kings fear! To suggest-“
She was interrupted again.
But this time, it wasn’t Aki.
It was the newly awakened Welsh Dragon.
”Little brat… I heard what you said. You’ve got quite the spine.”
A deep, resonant male voice vibrated through the air, echoing in everyone’s bones.
Aside from Aki and Rias, the other four women turned deathly pale and stumbled back, their legs barely able to support them.
Despite their A-rank strength, they couldn’t even stand their ground in the mere presence of the dragon’s consciousness.
”Great Lord Y Ddraig Goch, I have long heard of your legend. I am Rias Gremory, the successor to the Gremory family,” said Rias.
She performed a formal Peerage greeting, her movements precise and respectful.
”We meant no offense. We were unaware this boy was your chosen host.”
”Ah, the little Gremory girl,” said the dragon.
The massive dragon eye shifted toward her.
”One of your ancestors was among those who helped seal me away.”
Years ago, the Two Heavenly Dragons had crashed into the battlefield where the Fallen Angels, Angels, and Stray Devils were locked in combat, devouring the strongest warriors of all three sides without distinction.
Eventually, the survivors of the three factions had banded together to slay them and seal their souls, creating the Boosted Gear and the Divine Dividing⁵.
Faced with this accusation, Rias simply held the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly, offering no excuses.
The Welsh Dragon didn’t press the issue.
He wasn’t about to get a reputation for bullying children over ancient history.
”Boy. You were the one leading the ritual, weren’t you?”
The dragon’s focus returned to Aki.
”Your arrogance suits my palate. I wouldn’t mind being wielded by someone like you.”
Aki didn’t let the praise go to his head.
The dragon had clearly been listening; now came the bargaining.
”Welsh Dragon, let’s skip the pleasantries,” said Aki. “What are your terms?”
”Fair enough,” replied Ddraig.
He didn’t mince words.
”I will be your weapon, but I will not sign a permanent Contract. If your growth fails to satisfy me, I reserve the right to leave at any time.”
Aki agreed almost instantly.
He had no desire to have another soul permanently hitched to his own; this proposal suited his needs perfectly.
”Don’t be so quick to nod. That was only the first condition,” the dragon warned.
The Welsh Dragon continued.
”If your strength truly reaches the heights you claimed-if you truly surpass the Two Heavenly Dragons-then I require a favor. I will tell you the details when the time comes. I had intended to train this boy slowly, but it seems you are the far more suitable candidate.”
Aki didn’t know what the favor entailed, but his ultimate goal was transcendence.
If “Heavenly Dragon-class” wasn’t enough to pay the debt, he would simply climb higher.
”I accept,” said Aki.
He nodded firmly.
”Do you require a formal Contract?”
Between the powerful, a verbal promise was rarely enough.
Usually, specific Contract Magic was required to bind the parties.
Though, as both of them knew, if one became strong enough, even the most binding Contract was nothing more than paper.
—
Summary:
Aki orchestrates a risky defection for Raynare’s group under the Gremory family’s protection. The ritual to seize Issei’s power triggers a violent awakening of the Welsh Dragon’s soul. Ddraig enters negotiations with Aki after being impressed by the youth’s bold claim of surpassing the Heavenly Dragons
—
Trivia:
- The ritual was specifically designed for standard Sacred Gears, explaining the backlash.
- Rias’s ancestors were directly involved in the historical sealing of Ddraig.
- Aki’s internal belief that strength is the ultimate arbiter of magical contracts.
- The Three-Way Deadlock is a looming geopolitical factor unknown to the Fallen Angels
—
Character Insight:
Aki demonstrates extreme confidence and a utilitarian view of power, willing to bargain with a dragon while planning to eventually outgrow its help.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• 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.
• Amano Yuuma – Yuuma Amano, also known as Raynare, is a fallen angel disguised as a high‑school girl to observe Aki. She has long black hair, white skin, slender waist, crystalline earlobes, and pitch‑black feathered wings. She wears a revealing black leather outfit covering only vital spots, black leather boots, and exudes a glamorous, provocative aura.
• Himejima – Akeno Himejima, tall and graceful senior of the Occult Research Club, bears the prestigious Himejima lineage—shrine‑maiden roots and supernatural power. With long black hair, elegant mature beauty and a pronounced figure, she wields golden lightning as Rias Gremory’s loyal confidante and retainer. She commands Aki’s surveillance familiar and oversees his punk clashes, blending refined poise with formidable authority, a key member of the Gremory inner circle.
• Akeno – Tall, curvaceous silver‑haired Orc with long black hair in a ponytail and violet eyes, she is Rias’s Queen and a high‑ranking Gremory Peerage member who aids recruitment. Polite yet sadistic, called a ‘Sadistic Priestess’, she shares a close bond with Aki, spars with him, and ranks among Rias’s three beautiful Stray Devil peers.
• Amano – Raynare, a fallen angel, masquerades as schoolgirl Yuma Amano in Kuoh Town. She has long black hair, a striking figure, and adopts the Amano surname to hide her true self. After reaching A-Rank with Aki she gains a black-belly nature and can instantly change clothes. The Amano name links her to the Fallen Angel faction and to Yuuma.
• Yuuma – Amano Yuuma, the fallen angel Raynare, is a striking, curvaceous beauty with long black hair and violet eyes. A former Grigori operative, she is a petite, tsundere warrior who wields light magic. After defecting to become a Pawn in Rias Gremory’s peerage, she now serves Aki with obsessive, yielding devotion, sharing a deep physical and spiritual bond through their frequent dual cultivation.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Aki – A handsome, tall, and muscular sixteen-year-old freshman at Kuoh Private Academy, adopted son of the Takamine household, with sharp features, broad black bat wings, a barbed tail, and crimson-flecked eyes—once timid, now radiating dominant, predatory confidence. Master of Dual Cultivation, he channels immense stamina and life-energy transfer, mentoring Mittelt and Kalawarner while restoring the latter and plotting to steal Issei’s Boosted Gear. Romantically entangled with both of Kasumi’s daughters and Kasumi herself, he exudes a calm, weary sophistication amid family drama, admiring legs and feet, his “Great Dragon” symbolizing his physical and sexual dominance.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, 17, tall curvaceous pure‑blood High‑Class Devil with long crimson hair, crystal‑like crimson eyes, snow‑white skin and jade‑smooth back; her stray‑devil wings flare when summoned. As Kuoh Town administrator and Occult Research Club president, she mentors Aki like a big‑sister Professor, leads his peerage, wields the Power of Destruction as Crimson Ruin Princess, and commands authority over reincarnation via Evil Pieces.
• Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure‑blood high‑class devil, sports striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy elegant figure in the Kuoh Academy uniform and a prominent bust. She leads her household, governs the school’s hidden hierarchy, wields top‑level demonic power, and belongs to the prestigious Gremory family—one of the remaining Seventy‑Two Pure‑blood Demon pillars.
• Rias Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure‑blood high‑class devil, sports striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy elegant figure in the Kuoh Academy uniform and a large bust. She leads her household’s affairs, governs the school’s hidden hierarchy, and wields top‑level demonic power. The Gremory name is one of the remaining Seventy‑Two Pure‑blood Demon pillars in the Underworld.
• Hyoudou Issei – Issei Hyoudou, a brown‑haired, average‑built high‑schooler with a mischievous face, attends Kuoh Academy. He is part of the “Pervert Trio,” known for peeping on girls, unlucky, and bears the Boosted Gear.
• Hyoudou – Issei Hyoudou, a brown‑haired, average‑built high‑schooler with a mischievous face, attends Kuoh Academy. He is part of the “Pervert Trio,” known for peeping on girls, unlucky, and bears the Boosted Gear.
• Issei – Issei Hyoudou is a brown‑haired, average‑built high‑school student at Kuoh Academy with a mischievous face and lecherous tendencies, known among the “Three Perverts.” He possesses a Longinus‑class Sacred Gear (Boosted Gear) and is currently held captive for an extraction ritual, making him the target of a deprivation rite.
• Ddraig – The Welsh Dragon and one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. His soul is sealed within the Boosted Gear, yet he retains a powerful will and a deep, resonant voice.
• Goch – Part of the formal name for the Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch.
• Raynare – A black‑haired, voluptuous A‑rank Fallen Angel, known as Lady Raynare and alias Amano Yuuma, sports obsidian wings and light spears. She shifts between an innocent schoolgirl guise and a lecherous cultivation form, leads a small cadre, and mentors Aki—her master‑disciple bond turning predatory. Irked by Mittelt’s sloth, she holds intel on a dangerous Sacred Gear and participates in a high‑stakes ritual to strip it.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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