Chapter 25 Afternoon Tea
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
An incomplete Talent certainly couldn’t hold a candle to the full version, but at least it wasn’t a temporary buff. Regardless, having it was better than nothing. Aki’s plan was simple: use it for now and wait for the right moment. Once the timing was ripe, the incomplete Mirror Reflection would naturally evolve into its perfect state. Aki stared at his newly acquired Talent with a satisfied, almost predatory sweetness, his excitement knowing no bounds.
Shinra Tsubaki, with her overwhelming power, was nothing like some generic off-brand heroine. This fragmented version of her Mirror Reflection was already more potent than any single Talent Aki had scavenged before.
> ‘[Talent: Mirror Reflection (Incomplete)]’
> Effect: Reflects 20% of all incoming damage back to the attacker. Equivalent to wearing a miniature Thorns Aura.
This was just the basic version. A complete Mirror Reflection wouldn’t just stop at twenty percent; it could likely return half the damage—if not the full one hundred.
Taking advantage of the break between classes, Aki hunted down a few “lucky” volunteers to run a quick field test. The results were more than pleasing. While Mirror Reflection didn’t actually bolster Aki’s defense or mitigate the pain he felt, it was a permanent passive skill that was always “on.” It didn’t matter what kind of damage he took, or whether his attacker was living or dead—the reflection triggered every time.
The only regrettable part was that it didn’t function exactly like a gaming “Thornmail,” which perfectly locks onto the damage source. Instead, twenty percent of the force Aki absorbed was channeled into an invisible burst of energy that struck back at high speed. It wasn’t a guaranteed hit, though. The stronger the enemy, the higher their chances of dodging the recoil.
Looking into the hollowed, “questioning-their-entire-existence” eyes of the local delinquents, Aki magnanimously declared that he wouldn’t hold their previous impoliteness against them. As long as they could each take a single punch from him, the slate would be wiped clean.
The thugs were fuming. They had been in the middle of a perfectly good shakedown before Aki arrived to spoil the fun, and now he was acting like the bigger man? As delinquents, if they lost face here, they had nothing.
Consequently, each of those “lucky” bastards ended up happily carrying home a one-way ticket to the trauma ward—compliments of the “hospital-stay set-meal.”
By 3:00 PM, Aki navigated a gauntlet of envious, murderous glares as he made his way back to the student council room. Shinra Tsubaki and Himejima Akeno flanked him, one on each side, their arms locked tightly around his.
It was the ultimate “look but don’t touch” scenario. To be stared at by a crowd of men who looked like they wanted to stab him with their eyes… while feeling the warmth and fragrant scent radiating from either side, as well as the constant, undeniable sensation of being pressed against and wrapped in their soft curves… Aki was trapped in a state of blissful, agonizing torture.
When the three of them arrived, Shitori Sona and Rias Gremory had already prepared the black tea. They sat quietly, gazing at the scenery outside the window, sipping their tea with a practiced, leisurely comfort.
”President, Rias-senpai. Good afternoon.”
Aki gave a casual greeting and, with a girl on each arm, joined the ranks of the afternoon tea. Young ladies of noble breeding were truly on another level; from their posture to their speech, everything about them radiated grace. Their backs were pencil-straight, their full chests rising and falling slightly with each breath, and their slender legs were elegantly slanted together.
Aki watched as a slender, jade-like hand lifted a porcelain-white cup with a gold-trimmed rim, moving it unhurriedly to crimson lips. Those tender, red lips parted just enough to blow away the steam. It was like watching a painting come to life. Even though he had seen this scene before, Aki found it impossible to look away. No matter how many times he saw them, the sight left him enchanted and dizzy.
Gazing at Aki’s dazed, soul-shaken expression, Rias set her cup down with a soft clink and offered a slight smile. “It’s been a few days, Uesugi-kun. Have you decided which one of us you’re going to choose yet?”
Good looks were one thing, but while the sight made Aki more determined to possess their hearts, it wasn’t enough to sway his will. A “honey trap” was fine—he’d happily take the honey. But as for the trap? They could take that and shove it.
Aki gave a foolish, shy grin and scratched the back of his head. “Rias-senpai, I… I’m still thinking it over.”
Rias rolled her eyes. He was still playing the innocent. After observing him for these past few days, she knew Aki wasn’t some simple-minded iron-fool; he was as slippery and treacherous as a ghost.
”You can forget about having your cake and eating it too,” Rias said with a huff of exasperation. “But before we run out of ‘Chess Pieces,’ if you change your mind, you’re always welcome.”
Shitori Sona nodded. They had given Aki plenty of face. If he really wasn’t interested, there was no need to force the issue. When collecting “dependents,” mutual willingness was paramount. Recruiting someone who was only feigning compliance—or worse, someone naturally rebellious—was more trouble than it was worth.
Aki just grinned and stayed silent. Dragging things out like this was actually quite nice. It gave him the chance to stay close to the beauties on both sides. He lacked substantive resources for now, but as long as he could capture their interest and harvest their Talents, he was coming out ahead.
After the usual pleasantries, Rias cut straight to the day’s main theme. “Sona, have you thought of a way to screen those three suspicious people yet?”
”I don’t have any good methods,” Sona replied, her brow furrowing. The problem had been weighing on her all day. “Unless we find key evidence or get a confession, we can’t exactly expel them on a whim.”
”The Student Council might be tied by rules, but that doesn’t mean our Occult Research Club has to be,” Rias said, her tone dismissive. “I can think of a dozen ways to teach them a lesson that would make them want to withdraw from school.”
Sona opened her mouth to protest, but she held her tongue. As the Student Council President, her position dictated her actions; she couldn’t endorse such methods. If she were caught, her authority would vanish. But Rias was different. She was just the president of a club on the verge of being abandoned. As the next head of the Gremory family, she could color outside the lines and nobody would dare say a word.
That was the difference between mere strength and true influence.
Aki’s eyes flashed. He wanted this solved sooner rather than later. Rias and Sona wouldn’t stay focused on this forever. Once their initial anger faded, or if Aki took too long to reply to their offer, they’d stop caring. Without their help, a single person like him would have no chance of finding the “rats” targeting him.
That was why Aki had proposed his “violent solution” this morning. It was crude, but fast—a sharp knife for a tangled mess of hemp. Sona hadn’t agreed then and had even had Tsubaki drag him away. But now, it looked like Rias was about eighty percent likely to agree.
While Sona looked on speechlessly, Aki excitedly repeated his suggestion from earlier.
”Hmm, it’s not impossible to do it that way,” Rias said with a light laugh. “But…”
Aki knew that in a sentence like that, everything before the “but” was nonsense. Rias was making it clear: doing this would put her personal reputation and the reputation of the Occult Research Club on the line. Why would she go that far for a junior she’d only known for a few days?
If Aki were her dependent, however, it would be her duty as his master. She’d have all three suspects dragged to the clubroom for some “magical interrogation” before the sun went down.
Aki’s face collapsed into a bitter expression. If the honey trap didn’t work, she was going for power-coercion. But he wasn’t the type to succumb so easily.
”Since Rias-senpai isn’t willing to help, I’ll just handle it myself,” Aki said. He had just acquired a massive boost to his combat power, and his hands were practically itching for a real fight. “But… I’m counting on you and the President to help me clean up the mess afterward.”
—
Summary:
Aki tests his newly acquired incomplete Talent, Mirror Reflection, by defeating delinquents and sending them to the trauma ward. He then navigates a gauntlet of envious glares with Tsubaki and Akeno by his side, experiencing sensory overload. During afternoon tea with Rias and Sona, Aki continues to play the field, avoiding commitment while strategizing to use their resources. Rias hints at more aggressive methods to deal with suspicious individuals, but Aki pushes for his own violent solution, leveraging his newfound power.
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Trivia:
- Aki’s satisfaction with the incomplete Mirror Reflection hints at its potential when fully developed, which could become a game-changer in future conflicts.
- Rias’ willingness to bend rules for her dependents foreshadows her role as a powerful ally or manipulator in Aki’s plans.
- The ‘hospital-stay set-meal’ phrase emphasizes Aki’s ruthless efficiency and sets a tone for his problem-solving methods
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Character Insight:
Aki maintains a manipulative stance with Rias and Sona, playing them against each other while extracting benefits. Rias shows her Machiavellian side, offering support but only under conditions that benefit her. Sona remains rule-bound, highlighting the contrast between her and Rias’ approaches to power.
Notes:
• Aki – 16‑year‑old Kuoh Private Academy student, messy black hair, slender, delicate features, black‑rimmed glasses, adopted by Takamine family. Holds succubus/incubus blood, dual‑cultivation that copies talents via fluids and boosts partners’ magic, recently gained muscle. Trained by three girls at Hidden Academy. Newcomer to Inner World, Kuoh Academy pupil who just defeated Tetsuya Hakada, peak D‑rank, candidate for Rias’s peerage, pragmatic, cynical, plotting to seize the Boosted Gear while gatekeeping the original protagonist.
• Shinra Tsubaki – Dark blue hair, refined and calm, constantly beside Sona in student council uniform; from ‘High School DxD’. Vice president, Sona’s ‘Queen’-type retainer, calm and collected, has the ‘Mirror Reflection’ and later ‘Demon Bloodline’ talent.
• Tsubaki – A girl associated with the student council or supernatural groups, appearing after the barrier is lifted. A member of the Student Council who wears glasses. She is composed and assists in investigations using her analytical abilities. The Vice President of the Student Council. She wears a school uniform and maintains a professional, authoritative demeanor while investigating school incidents.
• Himejima Akeno – Akeno Himejima is a senior member of the Occult Research Club in High School DxD. She has long black hair, a graceful aura, and often wears school attire. Known for her elegant, mature beauty, she can generate golden lightning from her palms, possesses an icy temperament when provoked, and hides a sadistic streak behind a kind smile. She is Rias Gremory’s trusted retainer and confidante.
• Akeno – Akeno Himejima is a senior member of the Occult Research Club in High School DxD. She has long black hair, a graceful aura, and often wears school attire. Known for her elegant, mature beauty, she can generate golden lightning from her palms, possesses an icy temperament when provoked, and hides a sadistic streak behind a kind smile. She is Rias Gremory’s trusted retainer and confidante.
• Rias Gremory – Rias Gremory (also known as Gremory Rias) is a pure‑blood high‑class devil with striking crimson hair, large bust, blue eyes, and a curvy, elegant appearance in the Kuoh Academy uniform. She serves as the underground ruler and head of the school’s hidden ruling class, wielding top‑level demonic power.
• Shitori Sona – Short black hair, often seen with glasses and a stern look, always well-dressed; from ‘High School DxD’. Student council president, highly competent and comes from a pure-blood demon family.
• Rias – Gremory Rias is a pure-blood high-class demon, seventeenth-year-old president of the Occult Research Club at Kuoh Academy and next head of the Gremory family, descendant of the Seventy-Two Pillars. With striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy elegant figure, and a large bust, she wears the Kuoh Academy uniform and wields top-level demonic power. Mature and affectionate, she acts as a mentor and potential master to Aki, overseeing her peerage with a “mature big sister” persona and high sensitivity to physical touch.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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