Chapter 228 Sona Sitri’s Good Intentions
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The business of the contracts had reached a temporary lull. Aki and Amano Yuuma—Raynare, as she preferred to be called—had shared a long, cleansing shower before he headed off to discuss the upcoming Rating Game with Rias and her peerage.
There had been a reason he prioritized Akeno and Raynare’s contracts first. Increasing their strength was the fastest way to tip the coming game in Rias’s favor. As her Queen, Akeno possessed the versatility of a Rook, a Knight, and a Bishop rolled into one, while Raynare had more room to grow than any other Pawn. Once she crossed into enemy territory, the Pawn’s unique ability to1 “Promote” into any piece besides a King could completely reshape the battlefield. Every increase in their strength widened Rias’s options and tightened the pressure on whoever stood across from them.
After sketching out a rough battle plan, Rias changed into a fresh uniform.
”I’m heading back to report on Aki,” Rias said, her tone as direct as ever. “With any luck, someone will be here by tomorrow morning to run the diagnostics.”
”No problem,” Aki replied with a grin. “I’ll be ready.”
The Maria family’s ancestral contract had mutated into something this world had never seen before. Discovery was not a concern. Its mechanics, contents, and power structure were entirely under his control. All that remained was coordinating with the succubus girl later and putting together a believable origin story so the contract could be officially registered in the Underworld.
Registration only recorded a contract’s name and general effects. The underlying methods remained closely guarded, much like a clan’s secret technique. There would undoubtedly be people interested in acquiring something like it, but the idea was meaningless. The ability could only be performed by him, and even the original succubus contract had been passed down through a single bloodline. It was not something that could simply be bought or sold.
After Rias departed, everyone scattered to rest. Aki needed time to process the energy flooding in from three contracts formed in rapid succession. Even with Dual Cultivation accelerating his recovery, the strain on his soul was not something he could casually ignore. Combined with the need to stabilize his gains, it was the reason he had stopped at three.
The night passed quietly.
By the following morning, Aki was multitasking with practiced ease. While listening to Kalawarner’s English lecture with one ear, he circulated mana through his body and adjusted to the sudden jump in power. At the same time, he maintained psychic links with Rias, Akeno, and Raynare. The strain had been noticeable at first, but his control over his soul—and his willpower—had improved considerably.
”Aki.”
As the bell rang, Shinra Tsubaki appeared at the entrance of Class 2-A. Adjusting her glasses, she fixed him with a flat look.
”The President wants to see you,” she said coolly. “Come with me.”
Faced with the Vice President’s icy stare, the girls of Class 2-A who had been looking for an excuse to approach Aki during the break quickly retreated. The past month had been a whirlwind between Azazel, Riser, and the relentless special training. Aside from a brief encounter during Maria’s intrusion into Kuoh Academy, he had barely spoken with the Student Council. As their only male member and one of Sona Sitri’s servants, that was difficult to justify.
Tsubaki’s case was especially hard to ignore.
Aki’s shoulders stiffened as he followed her gaze. After everything she had entrusted to him so early on, he had not spent nearly enough time with her. Meanwhile, the women of the Occult Research Club had surged ahead so quickly it was almost embarrassing. Akeno was already approaching SS-Rank, while Tsubaki was still fighting to break through to S-Rank.
Scratching the back of his head, Aki caught the faint glimmer of resentment in her eyes and obediently followed her toward the Student Council office. Given the relationship between Sona and Rias, it was a safe bet that Sona already knew exactly where most of his time had gone.
Inside the office, he found Akeno waiting. After a brief exchange of greetings, Sona Sitri got straight to the point.
”Aki, Akeno,” Sona said, her expression composed and analytical. “Is Rias really going through with the Rating Game against Riser?”
Aki nodded slightly. “Yes. The time and place have already been decided. Now we’re waiting for Buchou to settle a few things on her side and finalize the roster.”
”So you’ve already signed a Master-Servant contract with Rias?”
Aki hesitated.
Apparently, Rias had not shared the details of the contract with Sona. That was understandable. No matter how close they were, some things required caution. The specifics could wait until the current crisis was over.
He gave a silent confirmation.
Sona nodded slowly, a trace of meaning hidden beneath her calm expression.
”Do not forget that you’re still my servant as well. Since you’ve officially joined Rias’s peerage, then what about me…?”
”Of course, Sona-President,” Aki replied steadily. “Do not worry. Once the Three Factions Talk is over, I’m ready to sign a contract with you whenever you want.”
He still had two openings left. Sona and Tsubaki fit them perfectly.
If they were still willing after learning the truth.
Aki was not particularly optimistic. Sona respected him, perhaps even admired him, but she was nothing like Rias. As the future head of the Sitri family, she carried responsibilities and convictions that the rational, level-headed Sona could never casually cast aside just to bind herself completely to him.
His answer appeared to satisfy her. Some of the tension eased from the room. After all, she had been the first to approach him and had even allowed her own Queen to become involved with him. Watching Rias sweep in and monopolize his attention afterward could not have been pleasant.
”The Rating Game is in two days,” Sona said. “Would you like me to run a simulation with you?”
She did not know the true stakes involved, but she was aware of the marriage agreement between the Phoenix and Gremory families. On some level she wanted Rias to win, yet based on the information available to her, Rias’s chances were slim. Even if Aki participated, the rules would almost certainly prevent him from using his Balance Breaker. Her offer came from simple concern. Practice made perfect—or at least kept one sharp.
Aki and Akeno exchanged a knowing look, leaving both Sona and Tsubaki visibly puzzled.
Akeno’s long black ponytail swayed behind her as she offered a polite smile tinged with amusement.
”Thank you for the offer, Sona-President, but I do not think we’ll need the practice.”
If only she knew.
With the Occult Research Club’s current strength, they could steamroll Riser’s peerage without much effort. There was no reason to damage Sona’s pride by saying so aloud.
Sona narrowed her eyes and studied them for a moment.
”You both seem very confident. I look forward to the live broadcast in two days, then.”
”Ara ara, I hope we do not disappoint you, Sona-President,” Akeno replied, her eyes crinkling with bright, almost idol-like energy.
After leaving the Student Council office, Aki was preparing to return to class when Rias’s voice echoed through their psychic link.
”Aki, Akeno, Yuuma—gather everyone,” Rias ordered. “The adjudicator and I have just finished transporting from the Underworld.”
—
Summary:
Aki successfully navigates the complex social and tactical preparations for the upcoming Rating Game, balancing his duties to both the Occult Research Club and the Student Council. After reinforcing his peerage with new contracts and adjusting to his increased power, he meets with Sona Sitri to discuss the looming match against Riser. The chapter concludes with the arrival of the Underworld’s adjudicator, Grayfia Lucifuge, alongside Ravel Phoenix, setting the stage for the formal proceedings of the game.
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Trivia:
The unique ability of Pawns to Promote in enemy territory.
Aki’s Dual Cultivation ability aids in spirit recovery but does not eliminate all burden.
Sona Sitri is the heir to the Sitri family and carries immense responsibilities.
Registration of contracts with the Underworld is mandatory and records the name and effects.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Amano Yuuma – Yuuma Amano is the alias of Raynare, a Fallen Angel disguised as a school uniform-wearing transfer student with a pure, innocent face, a devilish, slender figure, long black hair, and black wings. She serves in Rias’s Peerage, the ORC, and a barrier maintenance team. Possessive, assertive, and proactive, she takes the lead in training her partner Aki, with whom she desires intimacy.
• Raynare – Lady Raynare, alias Amano Yuuma, is a voluptuous, dark-haired former Fallen Angel training under Rias at the Occult Research Club. Shifting between an innocent schoolgirl guise and her true, darker nature, she is one of three people under contract with her mentee, Aki. This contract boosts her combat strength to high-end S-Rank, though she still struggles to integrate as a cohesive peerage member.
• Amano – Raynare, a fallen angel masquerading as Kuoh schoolgirl Yuma Amano, is a striking, long-haired woman with a commanding presence. An Occult Research Club member with a history of betrayal, she acts as a disciplined leader and mentor linked to past experiences. Despite her A-Rank status with Aki, a black-belly nature, and instant-change powers, she hides her faction ties, guilt, and fear of abandonment.
• Yuuma – Amano Yuuma (Raynare) is a striking, curvaceous former fallen angel and Grigori operative with long black hair and violet eyes. Reincarnated as a high-class devil, this light magic master and aerial combatant now serves as a devoted Pawn in Aki’s Gremory peerage. Bound by a profound soul contract, she playfully teases others while serving Aki with an obsessive, fierce devotion.
• Rias – An elegant, voluptuous SS+ rank Gremory devil heiress with long crimson hair and green eyes. As President of the Occult Research Club and a powerful strategist utilizing destruction-based mana, she confidently leads her peerage through family duties and Rating Games. She bears the weight of a soul-bound contract with Aki, acting as his primary love interest while fighting a forced marriage to Riser Phoenix.
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy student and strategist, this mixed Devil/Fallen Angel/Nekoshou is the Student Council’s sole male member and Rias’s peerage key pillar. A pragmatic, dominant SS-Rank powerhouse with a strong soul, he uses lightning magic, dual cultivation, and Soul Network contracts to boost his household. Concerned with their public image, he aims to copy the Phenex bloodline talent.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Akeno – Himejima is a tall, voluptuous raven-haired Orc-devil shrine maiden with red eyes, a high ponytail, and dark wings. As Rias Gremory’s fiercely loyal S+ rank Vice-President and Queen, this elegant, seductive, and playful older student handles administration and fights on the ground. Known as the “Priestess of Thunder,” her relaxed demeanor masks a violent, destructive combat style utilizing massive lightning and natural magic. She is also Aki’s soul-bound contract partner who longs for his attention.
• Queen – A devil serving Riser Phenex.
• Maria – Shela’s daughter and a rare Demon King/Succubus Queen descendant, this transfer student is a Kuoh Academy member of Rias Gremory’s peerage. Usually appearing as a petite, white-haired girl to seal her mature form, she assists Aki with family-secret contract registrations. She is a playful cheerleader for the Gremorys, a tactical aide to Aki, and a protective sister to her half-sister Mio.
• Kalawarner – A tall, voluptuous, fair-skinned fallen angel turned Devil, this emerald-eyed, blue-haired S-Rank fighter belongs to Rias’s peerage. Working as a Kuoh Academy English teacher and household consultant, she is strict yet playful, acting as a loyal, sisterly figure devoted to Aki’s cultivation. Though deeply intelligent, she feels insecure about his bond with Rias and competes with Mittelt for his attention.
• Shinra Tsubaki – Shinra Tsubaki – dark‑blue hair, refined vice‑president of the student council in a status‑worthy uniform; childhood friend and Queen‑type retainer to President Shitori Sona. A middle‑class reincarnated devil with Mirror Reflection talent, later a Demon Bloodline A‑rank peerage member; her mana surged after meeting Aki, turning her into a strategic ally and loyal subordinate.
• Tsubaki – Shinra Tsubaki, Sona’s Queen, Student Council VP, and monitor of the Rating Game, is a stoic, bespectacled beauty with black wings. Intellectual and composed, she masks a vulnerable side with a playful, jealous devotion. As Sousuke’s wife and Sakura’s mother, she is maternal, while also serving as the council member linked to Aki’s status within the group.
• Shinra – Shinra Tsubaki, a refined middle-class reincarnated devil with dark-blue hair, is the student council vice-president under her childhood friend and Queen, Shitori Sona. As an A-rank Demon Bloodline peerage member with Mirror Reflection talent, her mana surged after meeting Aki, becoming a loyal ally who also assists in managing and displaying combat feeds.
• Azazel – A decadent, arrogant fallen angel and former Governor General, this middle-aged man in a neon hot-spring yukata pairs a rogue personality with immense power. Pushing for involvement in the Occult Research Club, this formidable antagonist pursues a relaxed lifestyle, researches Sacred Gears, and provides the group with data and training, while being tied to an event influencing their view of Aki.
• Riser – A tall, arrogant High-Class Devil of S+ rank, this blonde, crimson-suited third son of the Phoenix clan wields infinite wealth and regenerative immortality. Rias Gremory’s playboy fiancé, he leads a schoolgirl peerage in a high-stakes Rating Game. Currently gloomy and frustrated in the Principal’s office, his false sense of security crumbles into near-death terror due to an intense hatred for Aki.
• Sitri – The noble family name carried by Sona.
• Sona – Sona Sitri is the stern, beautiful heir to the noble Sitri family, Kuoh Academy’s Student Council President, and a peerage head with short black hair and glasses. Professional and bureaucratic, she acts as Akira’s master and works with Rias Gremory. She also oversees the supernatural Rating Games, managing the broadcast and combat feeds to capture key moments like Riser’s loss of composure.
• Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure-blood devil of the prestigious Gremory house, has striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy figure, and a prominent bust. Wielding top-level demonic power, she governs Kuoh Academy’s hidden hierarchy and leads her household in a high-stakes competition against the rival Phoenix clan.
• Phoenix – The Phenex noble clan, from which Riser and Ravel originate, is known for their unique bloodline abilities and the healing properties of their tears.
• Grayfia – The strongest Queen and a high-ranking Underworld Devil, this silver-haired maid serves the Gremory house as a medical examiner and Rias’s sister-in-law. Conveying the Demon King’s wishes as his secretary, she acts as a mature, calm, and seductive voice of authority. She balances administrative duties as a detached, neutral arbiter, announcer, and referee overseeing Rating Games.
• Ravel – The youngest child of the Phoenix clan and Riser’s S-rank Bishop, this petite blonde Devil girl sports flame-themed wings, twin drill ponytails, and a frilly pink lolita outfit. Intensely loyal to her brother Riser yet highly critical of him, she hides a spoiled, arrogant streak and a sharp tongue behind a solemn, composed demeanor, making her a tactically valuable member of his peerage.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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