Chapter 97 The Test Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next day, after school.
Aki made his way toward the Hidden Academy¹ testing grounds, flanked by Hamazaki Reina and her three companions.
After hearing about the test yesterday, he had originally planned to participate with Koneko; he figured they could finish up and head back to the clubroom together.
That suggestion had been shot down the moment it left his mouth, leaving Aki feeling a bit stung.
Once a person has Breached² to A-rank³, they’re exempt from these trials.
Powerhouses of that caliber are prized recruits anywhere they go, and the academy’s basic resources are practically useless to them.
Even the white-haired loli, who usually had the presence of a ghost while she sat munching on snacks, was actually an A-rank juggernaut.
To her, eating wasn’t a necessity-it was just a hobby.
Kiba Yuuto was in the same boat, his strength likely a notch above even Koneko’s.
The Holy Sword experiments had been a nightmare for her, but they had granted her power that ordinary people couldn’t grasp in a lifetime.
Effectively “abandoned” by his clubmates, Aki was left with no choice but to join the test alongside Sasaki Yukina and her crew.
Arriving at the club building, Aki felt a surge of nostalgia at the sight of the two familiar Student Council members guarding the stairwell.
The last time he’d been here, these same two were working the door.
He’d tried to sneak in behind Hamazaki Reina’s group and got blocked; one of them had even tried to hit him with Hypnosis magic.
He remembered having to put on quite the performance back then just to keep from blowing his cover.
Six months later, the tables had turned.
As he approached the two upperclassmen, the shift in status was palpable.
”Good afternoon, Uesugi-kun,” they said.
They called him their junior, but their posture was that of subordinates facing a superior.
Their smiles were sugary and their tone was impeccably polite.
They were one step away from a full bow.
In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that Sasaki Yukina and the others were crowding around him, they probably would have bent at the waist.
As Student Council members, they were privy to all the juiciest gossip regarding Aki and their own President and Vice President.
Especially during the time Shitori Sona was away, when Shinra Tsubaki had drafted Aki as forced labor, these two had actually worked under his thumb.
”Hey there. Looks like you’re stuck on door duty again,” Aki said.
He actually had a decent impression of these two.
They were sharp, capable, and-it didn’t hurt-pretty easy on the eyes.
”It’s not so bad. Way better than field work,” the girl with glasses chirped.
She gave Aki a playful, conspiratorial wink.
”But you’d better bring your A-game today, Uesugi-kun. Try not to let these juniors drain you so dry that you fail the exam.”
”Well, if I do fail, I’d hope you’d come over to my place and offer some private consolation,” Aki replied.
Teasing her right in front of his entourage didn’t make him flinch for a second, but it caught the glasses-wearing girl completely off guard.
She looked at Hamazaki Reina’s group-who didn’t seem to care in the least-then back at Aki, her mind racing toward her own Vice President.
She blinked, her voice turning dry.
”Ah… well, if you fail the test, we won’t exactly be living in the same world anymore, will we?”
It was a grim reality.
Beyond the usual discipline, if a student’s strength was so pathetic they couldn’t pass the baseline trials, the Academy would “persuade” them to leave.
They’d start by appealing to your heart, then move on to logic…
and if that didn’t work, they’d resort to “physical logic”-also known as a boot to the head.
”I guess I’ll have to try extra hard then, just so I can stay in your world,” Aki said.
With a smooth motion, he slid an arm around Kurumizaka Ruri’s waist and led the group toward the top-floor arena.
”Ugh, what a total scumbag…” the girl with glasses muttered, her face flushed red as she watched them walk away.
Her partner beside her just giggled, covering her mouth. “That’s what you get for flirting with him. Everyone knows Uesugi is a total rogue.”
In just one semester, Aki had single-handedly eclipsed the infamous Pervert Trio to become a legend at Kuoh Academy.
But while the Trio was merely hated by the girls, Aki was loathed by the boys.
Kuoh had a high female-to-male ratio, but no matter how many girls there were, Aki seemed to be hogging the entire supply.
So many guys had arrived with the same dreams as the Pervert Trio, only to find themselves perpetually single while Aki was constantly surrounded by top-tier beauties.
It wasn’t just that he was “getting cozy” with them-even the academy’s most untouchable goddesses seemed to have something going on with him.
It was enough to make any man’s blood boil.
Kiba Yuuto was popular, sure, but he was a “Prince”-aloof and untouchable.
No one had ever seen Kiba actually getting intimate with a girl.
Aki, however, was a different breed.
If a girl threw herself at him, he didn’t hesitate to catch her.
And the girls around him? It was like they were blind.
They watched him pick up other women and just kept right on flirting with him.
The guys were seeing red.
Every time they saw him, they daydreamed about taking his place.
As Aki entered the testing arena, arm-in-arm with his girls, the atmosphere grew thick with hostility.
”Tsk. Who’s the hotshot? He thinks he can bring his harem to an exam?” one loner-a dedicated cultivation nut who clearly didn’t get out much-sneered at Aki. “Does he think this is a vacation? I’m going to put him in his place once we start.”
”You’re just salty he’s got four girls and you’ve got zero,” another guy teased. “But hey, I’m rooting for you. Moral support all the way.”
”Man, why are you so chicken? That pretty boy looks like a pushover. If we ‘accidentally’ rough him up during the combat trial, nobody can say a word.”
”Whoa, hey, if you want to commit suicide, leave me out of it. The pretty boy might look weak, but his women are monsters.”
The skeptic squinted at the group.
”Those four? They’re alright. I think the redhead cracked the top 20 for her grade last time, but she’s still a step below me.”
”I’m not talking about them,” the other guy said, shaking his head. “I’m talking about the Gremory girl.”
”The Gremory family?!”
”Yeah. The ‘pretty boy’ is a member of the Occult Research Club⁴ (ORC).”
The man who wanted to “put Aki in his place” suddenly went stiff.
”I mean… injuries happen in combat trials. She wouldn’t… right?”
”Hey, feel free to find out. I’ll be watching,” the friend said, walking away before the idiot could drag him down too.
Similar hushed arguments were breaking out all over the arena.
Every grade had its share of “martial shut-ins” who ignored school drama, but most of them were being talked down by friends offering “moral support.” They convinced themselves they were sparing Aki out of respect for Rias Gremory, never realizing that they were actually the ones being spared.
At his current level, Aki could flatten anyone below A-rank.
Even if every student in the arena rushed him at once, he was confident he could carve a bloody path out, then turn around and carve his way back in.
If anyone was brave enough to target him, he wouldn’t kill them, but he’d make them wish he had.
Ever since hitting the peak of B-rank in the Martial Way⁵, he hadn’t had a chance to really cut loose.
If someone volunteered to be a punching bag today, he’d actually be grateful.
Most of the people he knew were either A-rank or far weaker; finding a decent sparring partner was impossible.
He certainly couldn’t use his own girls as targets.
He’d tried asking Rias and the others to hold back and spar with him, but it was a disaster.
Within minutes, the women would start playing dirty-especially that “wicked” white-haired loli.
She wouldn’t say a word, but she’d wait for an opening, suddenly flare her full A-rank power, and pay back every hit Aki had landed tenfold.
After a few “sparring” sessions like that, Aki had learned his lesson.
He stopped asking them to suppress their power.
Instead, he made a silent vow: once he finally Breached to A-rank, he was going to show these “rule-breaking” women exactly what a real, bone-crushing physical impact felt like.
Caught between the jealous glares of the boys and the hungry, curious looks of the girls, Aki led his group into the first-year formation.
Ten minutes later, the Student Council Secretary marched into the arena, flanked by her team.
”Silence!”
The raw pressure of the Student Council’s aura washed over the room, and the rowdy crowd immediately went dead quiet.
”The trials will now commence. Anyone not present will receive an automatic failing grade. Three failures result in immediate expulsion.”
The Secretary, tasked with recording the results, swept her sharp gaze across the room until she locked eyes with Aki.
She took in the sight of the girls literally clinging to him and then, without a word, looked away.
If her Vice President was fine with it, she certainly wasn’t going to make it her business.
”First-years, follow me to the left.”
”Second-years, to the right.”
”Third-years, front and center.”
The baseline for each year was different.
While the final assessment would be a comprehensive evaluation, the initial tests focused on the fundamentals and had to be conducted separately.
The first test, as expected, was the Mana Capacity check⁶-though it applied to other cultivation systems just as easily.
—
Summary:
Aki arrives at the Hidden Academy testing grounds accompanied by his entourage, sparking intense jealousy among the male student body.
While high-ranking members like Koneko and Kiba are exempt due to their A-rank status, Aki must undergo the evaluation despite his secret prowess.
The atmosphere in the arena grows tense as students contemplate targeting Aki, unaware of his true strength and the protection of the Gremory family.
—
Trivia:
- A-rankers are exempt from testing because academy resources are redundant for them.
- Aki was previously used as forced labor by Shinra Tsubaki during the Student Council President’s absence.
- The ‘Physical Logic’ of the academy involves literal physical expulsion if verbal persuasion fails.
- Kiba Yuuto is socially aloof and maintains a ‘Prince’ persona, unlike Aki’s more overt interactions
—
Character Insight:
Aki shows a playful yet dominant social standing, comfortably teasing Student Council members while maintaining a hidden ‘B-rank peak’ power level. His frustration with being a ‘punching bag’ for the A-rank girls drives his ambition to Breach soon.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter balances the harem comedy elements of High School DxD with the progression-based stakes of a cultivation/martial arts novel.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Hamazaki Reina – Red‑haired, emerald‑eyed student, once top‑20 in her grade, now leader of the four‑girl squad that follows Aki. As Big Sister/Boss of Kuoh Private Academy’s trio she wears a modern uniform—miniskirt, black silk stockings—and wields an Insight Eye to command him, one of four constitution‑linked partners. Summoned late at night, her presence can trigger loss of bladder control.
• Aki – Silver‑haired, sharp‑eyed and strikingly handsome, he’s a Peak B‑rank Stray Devil with incomplete High‑Class blood, dual‑cultivation and a mana bottleneck. His form has thick black bat wings, a barbed tail, crimson‑flecked pupils, a left‑hand crest, milky‑white Qi and pale‑blue Mana refreshed nightly. He bears Insight Eye, Thunder Spear, Talents (Natural, Spirit Pact, Tenacity), massages with hot large hands, leads “Little Aki,” dates Rias & Takamine sisters, works for Akeno, monitors Aisu Academy, joins ORC, and hunts Talents.
• Koneko – White-haired nekomata loli with fluffy white cat ears and a small nose, petite and flat-chested, serves as Rias Gremory’s Rook and first-year ORC member; one of the three beautiful girls, she’s a stoic, fiercely loyal mentor to Aki—training him in brutal combat, watching over him, and holding him to his promises. Territorial over food, often seen quietly eating a pink popsicle or tiramisu, she’s endlessly protective, devoted, and silently guardian-like toward those she serves.
• Kiba – Member of the ORC. Handsome with blonde hair, fair skin, and a slender build, approximately 1.7 meters tall. Specialist in physical techniques and swordsmanship. Survivor of the Holy Sword experiments.
• Sasaki Yukina – Peach‑pink hair, purple eyes, statuesque athletic build, large chest, fair legs, white ankle socks. Red‑eyed freshman at Kuoh Academy, warrior‑class with highest Mana, superior talent and rapid recovery. Red‑eyed, physically dominant, uses Physical Activation to boost Aki’s strength, prefers close‑combat, highly durable. Strongest of Reina’s trio, Aki’s long‑term partner; she tests him by knocking him out, feeds intel on Shinomura Yuki and urges honesty in Hamazaki’s group.
• Uesugi – Family name of Aki.
• Shinra Tsubaki – Dark‑blue‑haired, 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 Demon Bloodline, A‑rank peerage member whose mana surged after meeting Aki, making her a strategic ally and loyal subordinate.
• Shitori Sona – Shitori Sona, Kuoh Academy’s student council president, sports short black hair, glasses, a stern expression and formal attire. She speaks in a flat, professional tone, is highly competent, and hails from a pure‑blood demon family. As a tactical leader of the Sitri lineage, she handles local supernatural issues by deferring to Rias Gremory.
• Tsubaki – Shinra Tsubaki, Vice President of the Student Council and Sona’s Queen, is a stoic Devil with black wings, wearing a school uniform, black lace bra, silk stockings, and glasses framing a sharp, intellectual gaze. A master of privacy‑bound magic, she aids investigations with razor‑sharp analysis while hiding jealousy of Aki’s time with the Occult Research Club; her hidden affection leads to their first kiss. Though distant to most, she shares an unspoken bond with Aki, her composed authority masking vulnerable devotion. As Sousuke’s wife and Sakura’s mother, she outwardly flirts with Aki, blending maternal warmth and seductive charm beneath a polished exterior.
• Sona – Shitori Sona, short black hair, glasses, stern look in formal attire, is Kuoh Academy’s Student Council President and heir of the Sitri family. A devil skilled in detection and tactical magic, she seeks a cure for Aki’s condition and resolves local supernatural matters by deferring to Rias Gremory.
• Kurumizaka Ruri – Silver‑haired, twin‑tailed, large‑busted girl with a pointed chin, petite and cheerful; former gray‑blonde teen from Imaizumin Chi wa Douyara Gal no Tamariba ni Natteru Rashii, now at Hidden Academy, member of Reina’s trio. She has a slender waist, wears black pantyhose, is clingy and affectionate, teases Aki, offers her empty house, contributes Mental Resistance, is pragmatic and curious about mixed‑blood races, and is Aki’s classmate and cultivation partner who passed a test thanks to him.
• Rias Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure‑blood high‑class devil, sports striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy elegant figure in the Kuoh Academy uniform, and a large bust. She heads her household’s local affairs, rules the school’s hidden hierarchy, and wields top‑level demonic power.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, 17, a tall, curvaceous pure-blood High-Class Devil and President of Kuoh Academy’s Occult Research Club, boasts long crimson hair, crystal-like crimson eyes, fair snowy-white skin, a smooth jade-like back, long delicate neck, upright breasts with pink nipples, and a hairless mound beneath her refined school uniform—her demonic wings manifesting in Stray Devil form. Known as the Crimson Ruin Princess and Master of the Peerage, she wields the Power of Destruction with commanding authority, fiercely protects her team, mentors Aki like a big sister, oversees his training, and, frustrated by his stalled reincarnation, plans rituals while guiding him through the world’s power hierarchy. Having lived with Akeno since childhood, she evaluates strength, explains Breaching requirements, and governs her peerage with both regal grace and deep loyalty.
• Student Council Secretary – Possesses a sharp gaze and a powerful aura.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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