Chapter 257 Enlightenment and the SSS-Rank
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It seemed the previous director had never told anyone about Gasper. More than likely, they had been waiting for the right opportunity to move him somewhere else, hoping to claim that power for themselves or trade it away to another faction when the time came.
Gasper stood frozen for several moments, struggling to process what he had just learned. Then his gaze landed on Akira, and the tension draining from his body was almost visible as he let out a long, shaky breath.
”Thank goodness for Aki,” Gasper muttered, his voice trembling. “If I’d waited until graduation to pledge my loyalty to the Gremory household, only for everyone to stare at me and ask, ‘Who are you again?’… that would’ve been social death. I would’ve wanted the ground to swallow me whole.”
Once everything had been explained, Rias quickly established a new understanding with him. At Gasper’s own request, his official records would continue to identify him as female. How long that arrangement could last was anyone’s guess. Aki, however, had no intention of letting the girls continue under a complete misunderstanding. He planned to speak with Akeno Himejima and the others at Kuoh Academy who seemed especially interested in Gasper before any awkward complications could arise.
Gasper puffed out his cheeks and glared at him, his face turning red.
”How is that any different from exposing my real gender to everyone?”
The complaint died almost immediately. The moment he looked at Aki’s face, memories of the previous night’s examination resurfaced, and a shiver ran through his slender frame. Never in his life had he been stripped bare for an inspection, and the memory of Aki studying his lower body with such open curiosity still haunted him.
Watching the trembling blond boy, Aki instinctively felt that Gasper had misunderstood something. The idea of a mismatch in sexual preferences never even crossed his mind. If anything, the scene had reminded him of the rough-and-tumble games he used to play as a child, including “monkey steals the peach”1 and other equally questionable forms of youthful entertainment.
”Koaki,” Rias said through the Soul Network, her voice reaching him the instant she initiated the connection. “I want to bring Gasper into my peerage.”
Aki was not surprised in the slightest.
That was simply who Rias was. Gasper’s painful past would have stirred her sympathy even if he possessed no remarkable talent at all, and her natural kindness would still have led her to the same decision. As for whether some mysterious force of fate was guiding events toward a predetermined outcome, that question no longer mattered. The moment Rias chose to ask for his opinion, the answer became irrelevant. Had she acted without consulting him, he might have felt uneasy about it. Now, however, he had no objections.
”Go for it,” Aki replied. “Rias, follow your heart. You’re our Buchou, our Master, and our big sister.”
As his response echoed through the Soul Network, something inside him finally loosened.
The burden he had been carrying for so long seemed to slip away all at once. No one could spend forever watching every shadow and questioning every possibility. If he could not trust himself completely, then he could at least trust Rias and the others. They were remarkable women, and while devil culture was more free-spirited than most, their feelings were not so shallow. Once they had chosen someone, they would not abandon that choice lightly. And if some yellow-haired fool ever tried to interfere, Aki doubted he would even need to lift a finger. The girls would deal with the problem themselves.
As that lingering anxiety dissolved, his thoughts became clearer than they had been in years. Mana surged through his body with renewed force, while the Qi that had remained stagnant for so long suddenly began to move.
A gentle breeze stirred through the clubroom.
Within moments, the breeze strengthened and began circling around him. The air gathered faster and faster until a miniature vortex formed, with Aki standing at its center.
”This is…” he murmured.
Before he could make sense of it, Rias inhaled sharply.
”Congratulations, Koaki,” she said, her eyes widening. “You’re about to reach SSS-Rank.”
So this is what it feels like.
As the vortex drew in the purest ambient energy around him, Aki felt something fundamental changing. His Martial Way, which had remained trapped at S-Rank for so long, was finally breaking through under the relentless pressure of his Mana. The Qi flowing through his body thickened from a stream into a milky-white substance before compressing further and further until it condensed into a tiny pearl resting within his Dantian.
The pearl was no larger than the tip of his little finger, yet the power contained within it far surpassed anything he had possessed before.
The sight immediately reminded him of the Golden Core from his previous life, although the resemblance ended with its shape. Even so, the Martial Way had taken an important step forward, and the road ahead had suddenly become much wider.
Yet that was only the beginning.
His deep-blue Mana, driven to its limit by the breakthrough, shattered the restraints that had bound it for so long. Both its quality and quantity rose dramatically, flooding him with power. For a brief instant, he felt as though he could challenge anyone.
The feeling vanished as quickly as it came.
Having experienced the overwhelming pressure of Sirzechs’s strength firsthand, he knew better than to mistake progress for invincibility. SSS-Rank stood just below Demon King-class. Barring intervention from beings on the level of gods, he was now arguably among the strongest individuals outside the Three Great Factions. His control over the Boosted Gear had improved tremendously as well. A true soul-level connection still remained out of reach, meaning Balance Breaker was not yet possible, but for the first time he could clearly see the destination waiting ahead.
Status Panel: Suu Aki ★
Talent: [Fallen Angels Bloodline], [Devils Lineage], [Power of Destruction], [Lightning Strike], [Mirror Reflection], [Combat Intuition], [Divine Body-Imitation Insight], [Weapon Apprentice]…
Skills: [Mana Purification], [Taijutsu Mastery], [Mustard Seed Space], [Sketching (Intermediate)]…
Weapon: Boosted Gear
Evaluation: SSS
Opening the panel for the first time in quite a while, Aki immediately noticed a new entry.
[Weapon Apprentice]: Familiarity with the basics of all weapons.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The talent had not come from any one girl. Instead, it seemed to be the result of everything he had learned through his connections with all of them, combining into something entirely new. It did not grant true mastery, but it filled a weakness that had bothered him for years. His growth in physical ability had long outpaced his weapon skills, leaving techniques like kendo struggling to keep up. Now, whether he picked up a sword, spear, halberd, or whip, he could use it competently from the start.
More importantly, the talent still had room to grow.
If he cultivated with someone who possessed exceptional weapon expertise, then [Weapon Apprentice] could evolve further. One day it might become [Weapon Master], and perhaps something even greater beyond that.
Satisfied, Aki closed the panel.
Enlightenment really was one hell of a thing.
He had never imagined himself as the type who could achieve a sudden realization through reflection alone, yet that was exactly what had happened. All because he had finally sorted out his feelings regarding Gasper.
His gaze drifted toward the blond boy, who was still hiding inside his cardboard box.
What a lucky charm.
Once you’re reincarnated, I’ll make sure to take proper care of you as your senior.
Rias watched him with a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
”Now that you’re an SSS-Rank powerhouse,” she said softly, “I wonder… if we cultivate together now, could I break through as well?”
—
Summary:
Akira undergoes a sudden, profound realization triggered by his interactions with Gasper and Rias, resulting in an immediate breakthrough to SSS-Rank. This power spike significantly enhances his martial abilities and grants him a new talent in weapon handling. However, the path to further cultivation and mastery of his new strength remains an uncertain journey.
—
Trivia:
Akira’s breakthrough was fueled by the resolution of internal anxiety rather than traditional meditation.
The “Golden Core” mentioned refers to a specific concept in Chinese cultivation mythology.
Gasper’s status as a ‘trap’ is officially maintained through falsified records to avoid social complications.
Akira possesses a ‘World Line Convergence’ awareness, though it has become less relevant to his personal decisions.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Gasper – A timid, blonde half-human, half-vampire hybrid, he is a Class 1-F student monitored by Aki for Rias’s peerage. Possessing a delicate face, he cross-dresses and frequently hides in cardboard boxes due to severe anxiety and a tragic past. Despite his shut-in nature and registered female identity, he wields the Forbidden Balor View, a powerful Sacred Gear capable of freezing time.
• Akira – A blonde, arrogant SSS-Rank strategist for the Naruse sisters, he wields the Boosted Gear, Soul Covenant, and Dual Cultivation. Connected to the yakuza and ORC, this unstable youth uses his Underworld knowledge to protect allies while building a contract harem. Driven by envy and a quest for revenge against Aki, his growth-oriented yet volatile nature ultimately leads to a tragic downfall.
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy strategist and devil-lineage cultivator with a sturdy physique, he acts as a dominant mentor and healer within the Occult Research Club. His unique power influences Evil Pieces, while his pragmatic, predatory approach to intimacy restores others’ potential. He navigates complex soul contracts and deep relationships with Marion, the Naruse sisters, and Mio with calculated rhythm.
• 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.
• Akeno Himejima – Akeno Himejima is a beautiful, elegant senior of the Occult Research Club and Rias Gremory’s trusted retainer. A hybrid of three races, this tall, large-busted member displays a teasing, black-hearted personality. As a key communicator wielding golden lightning and Azure Flame magic, she masters Aki, providing him a surveillance familiar and overseeing post-clash cleanup.
• 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.
• Akeno – Himejima, a tall, voluptuous Orc-devil shrine maiden with raven hair, red eyes, and dark wings, is the “Priestess of Thunder.” As Rias Gremory’s loyal S+ rank Queen and Vice-President, she gracefully manages administration. Beyond her combat prowess, she is the soul-bound contract partner of Akira, maintaining a deep, affectionate bond with him and constantly longing for his attention.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, an elegant SS+ rank devil heiress and Kuoh Academy’s authoritative president, is a stunning woman with crimson hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. As head of the Gremory household, she leads her peerage with empathetic, decisive leadership. Sister to Sirzechs and friend to Sona, she navigates complex duties, including her mentorship of Aki and managing her own powerful destruction mana.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Sirzechs – Sirzechs Gremory is a powerful, red-haired Demon King and Lucifer-class leader within the Underworld scheduled to participate in the summit. As Rias’s brother, he commands a regal presence and significant political authority. Serving as a benchmark for Akira’s growth, this focused, ambiguous observer of Rating Games skillfully navigates relationships and events to benefit his family’s interests.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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