High School DxD: Lustful Ascension

Though incomplete, the talent was better than nothing and wasn't just a temporary gain. Having it was more advantageous than having none at all. Qingqiu was thrilled with his new acquisition, confident that when the time was right, the talent would naturally be perfected.

Qingqiu marveled at the new talent—excited by its potential. The Mirror Reflect talent, even in its incomplete form, was more powerful than any he'd previously acquired. Reflecting 20% of incoming damage was like wearing a miniature Thornmail. This was only the incomplete version; a full talent could potentially reflect half of the damage received.

During a break, Qingqiu tested it on a few unlucky volunteers, and the results were promising. The talent didn't enhance his own defenses or reduce damage, but it was a passive skill that could be activated continuously. Regardless of the type of damage or whether the attacker was alive or inanimate, it could be reflected.

The only downside was that, unlike Thornmail, it didn't lock onto the damage source for reflection. Instead, 20% of the damage Qingqiu received was returned as an invisible energy counterattack, fast but not guaranteed to hit. The stronger the opponent, the lower the likelihood of the counterattack landing.

Seeing the bewilderment in his victims' eyes, Qingqiu magnanimously forgave their previous rudeness, offering to let bygones be bygones if they each took a punch from him. The unlucky ones were infuriated—how dare Qingqiu disrupt their extortion and now propose such terms? As delinquents, they had their pride. Thus, they each received a ticket to the hospital.

At 3 p.m., amidst envious and resentful gazes, Qingqiu once more entered the student council room. Accompanied by Tsubaki on one side and Akeno on the other, he was the envy of many. They could look but not touch, leaving many with daggers in their eyes.

Feeling the warmth and fragrance from his companions, Qingqiu was caught between pleasure and pain. Upon arrival, Sona and Rias were already sipping tea, gazing serenely out the window.

"Good afternoon, President, Rias-senpai," Qingqiu greeted, joining the afternoon tea session with his arms around Tsubaki and Akeno.

Being from prestigious families, their poise and grace were evident in every gesture. With straight backs, gently rising chests, and legs elegantly crossed, they exuded an air of refinement. Delicate hands lifted the porcelain teacups to their lips, blowing away the steam with practiced ease.

The sight was breathtaking. Even though Qingqiu had seen it before, he couldn't tear his eyes away. No matter how often he saw it, it never failed to captivate him.

Noticing Qingqiu's dazed expression, Rias set her cup down with a smile. "Uesugi-kun, have you decided who you're going to choose?"

Though beautiful, the sight only strengthened Qingqiu's resolve to win their hearts—it wasn't enough to sway his intentions. He accepted the beauty, but the strategy could roll away.

Qingqiu grinned sheepishly, scratching his head. "Rias-senpai, I still haven't decided…"

Rias rolled her eyes, seeing through his act. From her observations, Qingqiu was far from an innocent fool. "Don't think about playing both sides," she warned. "But until we've used up our pieces, you're welcome anytime you make up your mind."

Sona nodded. They'd given Qingqiu plenty of face; if it didn't work out, there was no need to force it. The willingness of both parties was crucial in choosing a retainer. An insubordinate or rebellious retainer was worse than none at all.

Qingqiu smiled, staying silent. Dragging it out suited him fine; it gave him opportunities to get closer to the beauties on both sides. Though lacking substantial resource support, gaining their talents through this connection was a win for Qingqiu.

After the routine inquiry, Rias turned to today's main topic. "Sona, have you thought of a way to identify those three suspects?"

"No good methods yet," Sona replied, frowning. The issue had troubled her for a day. "Unless we find key evidence or a confession, even if we're sure of the culprit, we can't expel them."

"What the student council can't do, the Occult Research Club can," Rias said dismissively. "There are plenty of ways to teach them a lesson and make them drop out voluntarily."

Sona wanted to argue but held back. As the student council president, she couldn't support or engage in such actions. If discovered, it would undermine the council's authority. But Rias, as the head of a near-defunct club and future head of the Gremory family, faced no such constraints. With power and influence, Rias could do as she pleased without repercussions.

Qingqiu's eyes lit up. The sooner this matter was resolved, the better. Rias and Sona wouldn't focus on it indefinitely. If they lost interest without a resolution, Qingqiu would lose their support, making it nearly impossible to uncover the culprit alone.

That's why Qingqiu had proposed a more forceful solution earlier. Quick and decisive often meant cutting through the problem swiftly. Sona hadn't agreed, opting instead to have Tsubaki escort him out. But now it seemed Rias might support his approach.

With excitement, Qingqiu repeated his morning suggestion, ignoring Sona's exasperated look.

"Hmm, it's not impossible," Rias mused with a soft laugh. "But…"

As everyone knows, anything said before "but" is irrelevant.

Rias acknowledged that she could take action, but it would tarnish both the reputation of the Occult Research Club and her own. Qingqiu was just a junior she had known for a few days—why should she go to such lengths for him? If Qingqiu were her retainer, she'd have no choice but to act as his master. She could easily summon the three suspects to the club room, and a few spells would quickly reveal the truth.

Qingqiu's face fell at the thought of being coerced rather than tempted. But he wasn't someone who would yield so easily. "If Rias-senpai isn't willing to help, then I'll handle it myself," he declared, eager to test the new talent that significantly boosted his combat abilities. "But I hope Rias-senpai and the President can handle the aftermath.".

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.