Naoko Hayasaka: How About Taking in Hayasaka Ai? The Second Power Test

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"Akira-sama, you should now understand why I said that both you and Sona are very important to Lady Serafall, right?"

"Yes, I see. If the opportunity arises, I'll try to bring Serafall to my side," Akira nodded.

Previously, Akira had simply thought that Serafall was using him to boost her own power. Now, however, it seemed that Serafall's situation was more complicated.

What he wasn't sure about was whether Serafall had known about the evolutionary properties of his bodily fluids before she kissed him, or if she had discovered it afterward. Regardless, one thing was certain: Serafall's affection for him—or rather, the extent to which she was influenced by his high-dimensional succubus bloodline—was quite profound. Otherwise, even if she liked him, she wouldn't have acted so obsessively.

"The reason for this phenomenon... is likely because my high-dimensional succubus bloodline hadn't fully awakened before. So, Serafall's affection for me wasn't openly displayed but hidden deep within her heart."

"If my bloodline had been fully awakened back then, I'm afraid I would've been 'driven over' by her when I was still a child..."

After a few seconds of thought, Akira turned to Sona.

"Sona, if I'm not mistaken, Serafall will come to the school to see you tomorrow."

"I want you to do this..."

After learning about Serafall's intentions, Akira had come up with a rather intriguing plan.

"Understood, Akira-kun. I'll complete the task," Sona nodded as she listened to Akira's plan.

Indeed, this approach would not only grant them legitimacy but also solve several other issues at hand.

After the meal, Naoko Hayasaka approached Akira with a slightly shy demeanor. Earlier, she had been all business while reporting information, but now she wanted to discuss something personal, which made her more reserved.

"Akira-sama, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. It's not related to work but rather a personal matter," Naoko finally mustered the courage to say.

"What is it?" Akira raised an eyebrow.

"Would you have time for an interview recently?"

"An interview? Why are you asking this, Naoko?"

Akira didn't think anyone could have bribed Naoko. After all, she had his "mark" within her.

"Well... the ones who want to interview you are none other than my daughter, Hayasaka Ai, and the young lady she serves, Kaguya Shinomiya."

Naoko's explanation made Akira feel both reasonable and surprised.

He was familiar with Kaguya Shinomiya. Ever since he learned Naoko's name, he had investigated the Shinomiya family. In this world, the Shinomiya family wasn't just a business conglomerate; they were also involved in the supernatural world, albeit at a relatively low level. Their primary role was to act as a "white glove" for higher-ups.

To ordinary people, the Shinomiya family was the uncrowned ruler of Japan, a powerful zaibatsu. But to those in the know, they were merely a useful dog—one that could be skinned and replaced at any time.

"Hayasaka Ai and Kaguya Shinomiya? Since when did they get involved in interviews?"

"Don't tell me Hayasaka Ai is the reporter, and Kaguya Shinomiya is the photographer?"

Akira's mind flashed back to a famous scene from his past life. In the middle of a serious family power struggle, Kaguya had blurted out, "My dream is to become a photographer." It was such a naïve statement in such a tense situation. Did she think they were playing house? Expecting her enemies to spare her because her ambitions lay elsewhere?

The memory was so vivid that Akira couldn't help but wonder, "Is Kaguya really the photographer?"

"Huh? Akira-sama, how did you know?"

"That's right. Ai is the reporter, and the Shinomiya young lady is the photographer."

Akira fell silent for a long moment before deciding to drop the topic of the photographer. He felt that if he listened any further, he'd hear even more absurd details.

With a sigh, Akira asked, "Naoko, is this interview something you want to do, or is it a request from Ai?"

"It's a bit of both," Naoko replied.

"Initially, Ai asked me for a favor. She knows I work for you and wanted me to see if I could pull some strings for her."

"After hearing about the Shinomiya family's recent situation, I felt it wasn't safe for her to stay there any longer, so I agreed."

"So, Naoko, you want me to meet Hayasaka Ai and potentially take her in as my servant?" Akira deduced after some thought.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm hoping for," Naoko admitted honestly.

"Alright, Naoko. You can arrange a time for me to meet Hayasaka Ai," Akira said, not seeing any reason to refuse Naoko's request.

"Thank you very much," Naoko replied respectfully.

"By the way, the Shinomiya family sounds familiar. I think I saw something about them in the documents you provided earlier. Aren't they one of the subsidiary families of the Five Great Clans?"

"Yes, Akira-sama," Naoko nodded.

"The Five Great Clans are primarily responsible for exterminating youkai and maintaining order. They don't have much time to manage human affairs, so they delegate some of their authority to subordinate families. The Shinomiya family is one of them."

"A subsidiary family of the Five Great Clans, huh..."

Akira recalled his recent "check-in" related to the Five Great Clans.

"Aside from the Shinomiya family, are there any other subsidiary families under the Five Great Clans?"

"Yes," Naoko nodded.

"Besides the Shinomiya family, the other families assisting the Five Great Clans in managing human affairs include the Momobami family, the Totsuki family, the Suzuki family, the Ooka family, the Yukinoshita family, and so on."

"I see... That's quite interesting."

Akira stroked his chin.

He had some theories about fortune distribution that he wanted to test.

For example, Kaguya Shinomiya.

In her original slice-of-life series, she was undoubtedly the heroine. But now that the worldviews had merged, how would her fortune be allocated?

"If the heroines from slice-of-life series can retain their protagonist-level fortune, that would open up a new way to level up."

Akira could feel that ever since he reached the Devil King level, it had become increasingly difficult to find beings that could help him level up quickly. After all, female powerhouses at the Super Devil or even God-class level were rare.

It was time to rely on quantity over quality.

Even if the heroines from slice-of-life series only had the same level of fortune as the supporting female characters in DxD, their combined numbers would still be significant.

(Note: Some slice-of-life characters will be included, but like with Akeno, they won't have too much screen time.)

Naoko bowed in gratitude before leaning closer to Akira and whispering in his ear.

"By the way, Akira-sama, there's one more thing..."

"I want to say... even if you take in Ai, I won't have any objections."

"After all... even though I raised Ai and she calls me 'Mom,' I'm not her biological mother."

"If Ai can find absolute safety under your care, I'll have done right by her and her mother."

In Naoko's eyes, Akira was undoubtedly the best destination for Ai. Compared to being caught up in the Shinomiya family's power struggles, it was far better for her to stay by Akira's side.

Feeling the warmth of Naoko's breath so close, Akira glanced at her and saw the playful look in her eyes, as well as the heart-shaped pupils that had already formed.

Naoko wasn't just okay with Akira taking in Ai—she was practically ready to deliver her to his bed.

"Alright, I understand."

"If the opportunity arises, I won't let it slip."

"Thank you for your kindness, Akira-sama," Naoko replied with a soft smile.

Afternoon.

After dealing with the fallout of revealing his power and making various contingency plans, Akira finally had some free time. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Soon, he received a communication.

On the redwood table, a small magic circle activated, projecting the image of a silver-haired maid with a ponytail.

The person appearing was none other than... Grayfia!

Grayfia was dressed in her usual maid outfit, but Akira knew all too well that beneath her conservative attire were seductive black stockings.

"Akira-sama, do you have a moment? May I come to pick you up?" Grayfia asked with a respectful bow.

"Is there something important?" Akira knew that Grayfia rarely contacted him for personal matters.

"Yes, there's something very important."

"Given your recent performance, Sirzechs has decided to conduct another power test to update your data in the Rating Game system."

"If your power is confirmed to be at the Super Devil level, you'll be directly granted the 10th rank in the Rating Game."

[A second power test...]

[They're trying to confirm my true strength. I wonder whose idea this is—Grayfia's, Sirzechs', or perhaps Ajuka's?]

"The 10th rank in the Rating Game, huh..."

Akira had to admit, the reward was quite generous.

The Rating Game in the Underworld wasn't just a game—it was a microcosm of war that determined resource allocation.

Every year, both the Old Devil Faction and the New Satan Faction provided substantial resources to powerful Devils who ranked highly in the Rating Game.

The top three ranks were even referred to as "Uncrowned Kings" or "Little Satans."

Being directly granted the 10th rank was equivalent to handing Akira a pile of resources and elevating his status to the minimum level expected of a Super Devil.

"Akira-sama, do you feel this rank is too low?" Grayfia asked, thinking Akira might be dissatisfied.

"Actually, a Super Devil should be able to rank within the top five in the Rating Game."

"However, Akira-sama, you're still young, and your servants haven't been highly evaluated."

"Being granted the 10th rank is already the best we can do," Grayfia explained earnestly.

"No, I'm not dissatisfied with the rank," Akira shook his head.

"On the contrary, I'm grateful. Grateful that the upper echelons of the Underworld are allowing me, a minor, to participate in the professional Rating Game circuit. After all, the resources from the 10th rank are quite substantial."

With this alone, Akira could gather 10% of the resources needed for Seiya's evolution.

To put it into perspective, the compensation Azazel had given him earlier was only enough for 30% of that 10%. Seiya, after absorbing the Holy Grail to stabilize her foundation, had become a true resource sink.

However, Akira was more than willing to invest in Seiya. After all, every resource he poured into her would directly translate into increased power.

Such an efficient way of converting resources into strength was invaluable in any team.

"Akira-sama, actually, the decision to include you in the professional Rating Game rankings wasn't just made by the upper echelons of the Underworld. The Rating Game committee also played a role."

"They believe that with your current strength and popularity, including you in the Rating Game system will greatly benefit its development and evolution."

Grayfia, unaware of Akira's thoughts, continued to explain.

"I see. When is this test scheduled?" Akira asked, agreeing to the arrangement.

"If you're available, it can be conducted in as little as an hour. If not, we can schedule it for a later time," Grayfia replied respectfully.

"No need. One hour is fine."

After confirming the time, Akira and Grayfia chatted about various topics. Finally, under Grayfia's somewhat complex gaze, Akira ended the communication.

One Hour Later.

Before leaving, the contract mark on Akira's hand glowed. He was recalling Seiya, who was currently training and researching sacred gears.

"Let's go, Seiya. It's time to see Grayfia's true strength."

"With your current abilities, you should be able to gauge her power, right?"

[Understood, Akira. I'll be right there.]

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 146 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.