Chapter 234 The Total Withdrawal (Part Two)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Under normal circumstances, the two would have been evenly matched. Had Yubelluna1 still possessed even a single drop of Phoenix Tears, victory might well have been hers. It would not have proven that she was stronger than the Priestess of Thunder, but it would have been enough to secure a win in this match.
Unfortunately for her, Akeno was no longer the woman she had once known.
Thanks to Aki’s efforts, Himejima Akeno’s growth over the past few months exceeded everything she had achieved in the previous decade. The gap between them was no longer something Yubelluna could bridge.
Two uses of Phoenix Tears had earned her little more than a dent in Akeno’s reserves.
By then, the outcome was impossible to mistake.
”Ara ara~”
Akeno laughed softly, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration.
”So you’ve figured it out? That’s right, darling. I’m already a High-Class Devil now~”
The sensation of unleashing destruction without restraint was intoxicating. Watching her opponent struggle against an overwhelming force sent a pleasant shiver through her body, and more than once she found herself wishing she could end the match immediately and share this excitement with Aki.
Just then, the other girls returned to the central courtyard after finishing off their opponents. Seeing them arrive, Akeno abandoned any thoughts of continuing her little game.
”What a shame,” she murmured, her voice dripping with playful regret. “But I suppose our playtime ends here.”
Her red-and-white shrine maiden robes fluttered despite the still air.
Raising her arms overhead, she brought them down in a sharp, decisive motion.
A golden bolt of lightning descended from the magic circle above, carrying enough destructive power to make the air tremble as it hurtled toward Yubelluna.
The Queen raised her staff and braced herself.
The translucent barrier before her rippled violently beneath the impact. Waves of golden light surged across its surface, yet somehow it endured.
Only after the lightning finally faded did Yubelluna allow herself the slightest breath of relief.
The defense had cost her dearly. A large portion of the mana she had only just recovered vanished in an instant, but she was still standing.
And as long as she remained standing, there was hope.
No matter how powerful Akeno had become, she was still fundamentally a mage. Her offensive magic was devastating, but if Yubelluna could weather the storm and find the right opening, she might still turn the battle around.
Akeno had no intention of granting her that opportunity.
The best defense was relentless offense.
Mana surged through her body like a flooding river. One magic circle appeared in the sky, then another, and another after that, until dozens of glowing formations surrounded Yubelluna from every direction.
Lightning split the heavens while blades of wind, spears of earth, torrents of water, and roaring flames descended in overlapping waves.
The sky exploded with color.
Spell after spell crashed down without pause, transforming the battlefield into a dazzling storm of elemental destruction.
The spectators below could only stare upward.
For all its danger, there was an undeniable beauty to the sight. A battle between mages was always spectacular, and one fought by a natural-magic specialist like Himejima Akeno bordered on the unreal.
”Wow… It’s like watching fireworks…”
The awed murmur rose above the distant explosions, and to everyone’s surprise, no one disagreed.
Even the audience watching the broadcast was stunned.
They had known the Priestess of Thunder was among the strongest members of the younger generation, but this display exceeded anything they had expected.
In truth, Grayfia’s combat power had likely been higher at the same age. Their specialties were simply different. Akeno’s natural magic excelled in versatility and spectacle rather than overwhelming destructive force.
Without drawing upon the Fallen Angel power inherited from her father and transforming her lightning into Lightning Flash, her raw attack power was actually inferior to Yubelluna’s bomb magic.
That difference was the only reason Yubelluna had managed to survive this long.
Even so, survival was not victory.
The barrier shielding her was far smaller than the storm battering it, and no defense could endure forever.
By the third wave, her mana could no longer keep pace.
Crack.
The barrier fractured.
A second later, it shattered like glass and burst into a shower of fading fragments.
The remaining scraps of Yubelluna’s clothing disintegrated beneath the magical onslaught. Fresh wounds spread across her newly restored body as spell after spell struck home.
Even battered and bruised, she remained strikingly beautiful.
Fortunately, the brilliance of the magical bombardment concealed most of what would otherwise have been visible to the broadcast audience.
By the time the storm finally subsided, Yubelluna had already dissolved into particles of light and been teleported away.
Riser Phoenix arrived just in time to witness her defeat.
Although Akeno’s mana reserves were nearly exhausted, the aura surrounding her left no room for doubt.
She had reached S-Rank.
Instinctively, he glanced toward Amano Yuuma and the others.
There was no attempt to conceal their strength within the combat space, and what he sensed nearly stopped his heart.
Every one of them possessed the aura of a High-Class Devil.
Riser stood frozen.
He himself was only S+, while Ravel was merely S-. Among the rest of his peerage, only Xue and Yubelluna had reached A+.
Against a team packed with S-Rank fighters, numbers meant nothing.
There was no path to victory.
Why?
The question echoed through his mind, yet no answer came.
Nor was he the only one asking it. Countless influential figures watching the broadcast found themselves equally baffled.
Unfortunately for Riser, he would not have much time to dwell on it.
After eliminating Yubelluna, Akeno descended gracefully to the ground. The moment she spotted Riser, she glanced toward Rias and gave a subtle signal.
”Lord Riser Phoenix’s Queen has been eliminated.”
Grayfia’s voice rang out across the battlefield, calm and professional as ever.
”Koaki,” Rias said as she rose to her feet, a confident smile gracing her delicate features, “it is time to bring this farce to an end.”
With Yubelluna gone, only Riser remained as a meaningful threat. Their own side still stood at full strength.
The result was already decided.
Having spent nearly an hour confined to the clubroom, Aki was more than ready for the match to end.
He had just started toward the courtyard when Rias stopped him.
”Koaki, there is no need for you to step in now. Victory is already ours.”
Aki frowned.
”Buchou, if I stay out of it, can you actually overcome the Phoenix Clan’s immortality?”
When he first learned he would be facing the Phoenix clan, he had researched their regenerative abilities extensively. At the time, he had even felt a little envious.
The Phoenix bloodline’s famed immortality allowed its possessors to recover even after being reduced to ashes. There was no meaningful cooldown to speak of. Unless the soul or mind itself suffered destruction, a Phoenix could continue returning to battle.
To kill one permanently required either a direct attack on the soul or enough sustained pressure to exhaust its spiritual power entirely. Accomplishing that against a Phoenix of comparable strength generally demanded several opponents working together.
Rias brushed a hand through her crimson hair.
”Riser Phoenix is only S+. We can wear him down.”
She was SS+, and five S-Rank allies stood beside her.
That would be more than enough.
Aki understood immediately.
If he entered the battle now, questions the Gremory family had carefully avoided would resurface.
In the end, he let the matter drop.
”Then can I at least go watch? Sitting here doing nothing is driving me crazy.”
Rias laughed softly.
”Of course. That is perfectly fine.”
—
Summary:
The battle concludes with Himejima Akeno systematically dismantling Yubelluna through a relentless display of natural magic, exhausting the opponent’s defenses. Riser Phoenix arrives at the scene, paralyzed by the realization that the Gremory peerage is far more powerful than he anticipated. Rias Gremory confidently orders her team to finish the match without Aki’s direct intervention to avoid exposing their hidden contract. The scene ends with Aki agreeing to watch the final confrontation between the Gremory peerage and Riser Phoenix.
—
Trivia:
The Phoenix Clan’s immortality consumes spiritual energy but cannot restore it upon resurrection.
Rias is classified as an SS+ rank devil.
Akeno’s natural magic is visually impressive but possesses only moderate raw power compared to Yubelluna’s bombs.
The Gremory family is concerned about the potential social fallout of the secret contract being revealed.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Yubelluna – An A+ rank magic user known as the Bomb Queen, this loyal, highly skilled Queen of Riser Phoenix’s peerage maintains a romantic relationship with him. Characterized by her sultry, curvaceous build and long purplish-red hair, she possesses high-ranking bomb and barrier magic. Though highly capable, she struggles to maintain her strength during the ritual and collapses from exhaustion after her eventual defeat in combat.
• 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.
• 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.
• Himejima Akeno – A high-ranking member of the Gremory peerage known as the Lightning Flash, this female student has black hair in a ponytail and a buxom physique. Previously reserved, she now possesses a sultry, energetic, and passionate demeanor during cultivation.
• Himejima – Akeno Himejima is a tall, curvaceous Kuoh Academy senior and high-ranking Occult Research Club member. A loyal Devil retainer in Rias Gremory’s peerage, this mature beauty with long black hair balances a sadistic, queen-like persona with a poised, teasing demeanor. She wields golden lightning, manages magic, shares deep bonds with Rias, and guides Aki, blending refined grace with power.
• Aki – A tall, physically imposing Kuoh Academy strategist and Red Dragon Emperor successor, this mixed-blood Devil/Fallen Angel/Nekoshou is a handsome, dominant powerhouse with a casual yet arrogant demeanor. As the Student Council’s sole male member and Rias’s key pillar, he copies talents and uses dual cultivation and lightning magic. He protects the Naruse sisters and is in a complex relationship with Mio.
• Queen – A devil serving Riser Phenex.
• 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.
• Riser – A tall, yellow-haired High-Class Devil of the Phoenix clan with a punkish appearance, wearing a crimson suit. He wields infinite wealth, fire control, and reckless, near-immortal regenerative abilities in pursuit of Super-Devil status. Driven by obsession and the humiliation of losing his fiancée, Rias Gremory, his arrogance masks a near-death terror and intense hatred for Aki.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ravel – The youngest child and princess of the noble Phoenix clan, this spoiled, highly talented blonde Devil girl sports twin drill ponytails, flame-themed wings, and a frilly pink lolita dress with a folding fan. Serving as Riser’s S-rank Bishop, she is intensely loyal yet highly critical of her brother. Behind her solemn, analytical demeanor lies a sharp tongue and a tactically valuable mind.
• Xue – A slender, athletic martial arts expert with a bun hairstyle, she wears a traditional qipao. As a loyal, A+ rank Rook in the Riser Phoenix peerage, she possesses incredible resilience and physical strength compared to others, pushing herself to the absolute limit until she collapses from exhaustion after combat.
• Rias – An elegant, voluptuous SS+ rank Gremory devil heiress with long crimson hair and green eyes. As future clan head, sister to Demon King Sirzechs, and Occult Research Club President, she is a tactical genius wielding destruction mana. Possessing a commanding presence, she confidently leads her peerage while navigating a forced marriage to Riser Phoenix and an intimate, soul-bound bond with Aki.
• 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.
• Rias Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure-blood high-class devil from the prestigious Gremory pillar, is the influential, commanding, yet occasionally lazy leader of Kuoh Academy’s Occult Research Club and its hidden hierarchy. She has a curvy, elegant figure, a large bust, striking crimson hair, and blue eyes. Wielding top-level demonic power, she expertly governs her household’s affairs and school club members.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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