Chapter 230 Game Start
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
22:30, Takamine Residence, Second Floor, Master Bedroom.
Moonlight spilled across the window as Aki rose from the bed and glanced at the clock. The last two days had slipped past almost unnoticed. Between classes, preparation, and the responsibilities that had piled up around him, the long-awaited Rating Game had arrived before he knew it.
”Aki-chan, one hour until the match. Gather in the Activity Room.”
Akeno’s voice echoed through the Soul Network, carrying unmistakable excitement. Ever since her recent surge in strength, she had been eager to test herself in a real battle. The coming match had put her in exceptionally high spirits.
Aki acknowledged the message and headed for the Occult Research Club.
The Activity Room was steeped in dim, old-world atmosphere. Candles flickered across the coffee table, their orange glow casting long shadows over the furniture and walls. The darkness posed no inconvenience to the Devils gathered there. If anything, it sharpened their focus.
There was a practical reason Rating Games were often held this late. Fewer disturbances reached the Human World, and night naturally favored Devils, allowing them to draw more fully upon their abilities.
”Aki-chan, good evening.”
Rias sat behind her desk with a cup of black tea in hand. She looked remarkably calm, showing none of the anxiety one might expect before a decisive battle. Whether it came from confidence in her team or sheer force of will, she projected a reassuring stability that settled the entire room.
Aki had barely taken a seat when the doors opened.
Creak.
Sona Sitri and Shinra Tsubaki stepped into the room.
”President Sona, Tsubaki—to what do I owe the visit?” Aki asked.
Rias set down her tea.
”The Rating Game will be broadcast to the associated parties,” she explained. “They’re overseeing the feed.”
”I volunteered,” Sona said matter-of-factly. “It’s your first Rating Game, Rias.”
A faint smile crossed Rias’s face.
”Then you’ll have a front-row seat.”
As if responding to her words, silver light shimmered into existence. Grayfia emerged from the glow, her maid uniform immaculate as ever.
”Is everyone prepared?” she asked.
”Yes,” Rias answered. “We’re ready.”
”Once the appointed time arrives, please enter the magic circle. You will be transported to the combat dimension.”
”Combat dimension?” Maria asked.
Akeno smiled.
”It’s a space created specifically for Rating Games. Since it’s an artificial environment, participants can fight without worrying about collateral damage.”
Maria exchanged a glance with Mio, both looking slightly relieved.
”I’m returning to the Student Council room to manage the broadcast,” Sona said as she turned toward the exit. Pausing at the doorway, she looked back at Rias. “Good luck.”
”Thanks.”
After a brief hesitation, Sona added, “Personally, I’ve never believed that member of the Phoenix family was worthy of you.”
The blunt statement drew amused smiles from both Aki and Rias.
”One final matter,” Grayfia said.
The room immediately fell silent.
”The Demon King, Sirzechs Lucifer, will be observing this match.”
Aki’s expression hardened for a brief moment before he pushed the reaction aside. Whatever his thoughts on the matter, they were irrelevant right now.
The match came first.
Rias herself seemed uncertain what her brother intended. If Sirzechs was watching as the Demon King rather than as her brother, then personal feelings would likely play little role in what followed.
”Time is up.”
The magic circle beneath them shifted, silver light deepening into crimson.
A moment later, space twisted around them.
Light flashed.
The sensation of motion vanished.
Then they arrived.
A powerful voice echoed across the battlefield.
[I am Grayfia, maid of the Gremory family and referee for the match between the Gremory and Phoenix clans.]
[The battlefield selected by mutual agreement is a complete recreation of Kuoh Academy.]
Aki crossed the room and pushed open a nearby window. Beyond the glass, a vast azure barrier stretched across the sky, sealing the artificial world away from reality.
[Participants, pay heed.]
[Your arrival point serves as your base of operations. Lord Rias’s base is the Occult Research Club. Lord Riser’s base is the Principal’s Office.]
[Should a Pawn infiltrate the enemy base, promotion becomes available.]
Aki listened with half an ear. The rules mattered, but his attention was already fixed on the battle ahead.
The wait was finally over.
Now it was time to see whether the Phoenix clan could withstand the challenge waiting for them.
[Now… Game Start.]
—
Summary:
Aki finishes his preparations with his peerage and family members, ensuring everyone is satisfied before the looming Rating Game. He arrives at the Occult Research Club where Rias and her peerage are gathering, only for Sona Sitri and Grayfia to arrive with logistical updates. Tensions rise as the group prepares to teleport to a specialized combat dimension modeled after their school. The episode ends with the match officially commencing within the artificial space.
—
Trivia:
Rating Games take place in artificial dimensions designed for combat to prevent collateral damage.
The power of Devils fluctuates based on the time of day, with nighttime being significantly stronger.
The Rating Game is broadcast to all associated parties by the Student Council.
Infiltrating the opponent’s base during the game allows for the promotion of Pawns.
Demon King Sirzechs Lucifer is observing the match, introducing political pressure.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Takamine – Kasumi Takamine, a widowed matriarch, mentors her adopted son Aki in magic mastery. Alongside her tall, voluptuous daughters Ayame and Sayuri—now Gremory corporate partners—she helps Aki lead their organization. Together, they have transformed their household into a liberal, emotionally charged sanctuary where magic and intimacy intertwine, deeply rooting her influence in both family and leadership.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• 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.
• Mio – A busty, twin-tailed high school heroine with red hair and peach eyes, she is a powerful Naruse family member and Demon King Wilbert’s daughter. Possessing immense latent fire magic, this pure-blooded Devil loves her adoptive parents but is hunted by rival factions. Strong-willed yet inquisitive, she resists the household’s intimate contract and is protected by her sister Maria and Aki.
• 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.
• Sirzechs – Sirzechs Gremory, a high-ranking Lucifer-class Devil and the Underworld’s current Demon King, serves as an observer of the Rating Game. Older brother to Rias, his regal, commanding appearance reflects his high status. As a crucial authority figure, he navigates complex relationships with allies and rivals alike, while maintaining an ambiguous stance regarding his family’s political affairs.
• 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.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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