Chapter 116: Peak A-Rank
Yuuma touched her own lower abdomen, feeling the spreading warmth within, and nodded. "Then we'll try again in a month. I also need some time to familiarize myself with this new power."
The three of them, all at B-rank, had failed to subdue Haruto—whether in bed or out of it...
But once all three reached A-rank, even if they were no match for him in bed, their chances of victory in a real fight would be considerably higher.
Having come to Kuoh Academy on orders from her superiors to carry out a mission, Yuuma had originally intended to seize that Sacred Gear to enhance her own strength.
Unable to break through the realm barrier, he naturally had to find ways to enhance his combat power in other aspects. Using magical tools was the most convenient and fastest method.
Now that she had discovered Haruto, this treasure of a boy, she wasn't about to let go easily. No matter how powerful a sacred gear might be, it couldn't compare to continuously improving oneself.
...
It took Haruto a week to master the Instant Illusion talent and significantly boost his magical power.
Having obtained the primordial yin of three Fallen Angel maidens with considerable strength, his magical power smoothly reached the level of a mid-tier magus.
However, the Mana Extraction skill in his skill list remained at the beginner level. To further increase his magical power to peak A-rank, he would have to continue relying on his dual cultivation ability.
When he was stuck at the A-rank bottleneck, Haruto had already considered how to perfectly achieve mastery in both magic and martial arts. After much thought, the best approach was the current model.
He would leave the development of his magical power entirely to his dual cultivation talent. If an opportunity arose, he would become a super magic genius; if not, his primary focus on martial arts would still make him invincible among his peers.
The dual cultivation ability also enhanced his qi, and to an even greater extent than his magical power.
After fully digesting the gains from consecutively battling three Fallen Angel maidens, Haruto reached the perfected stage at the Martial Saint level. The next step was to charge toward the Martial God realm.
At this point, only half a month had passed since Haruto broke through the A-rank bottleneck.
When Rias and the others heard this news, they were all wide-eyed.
It had always been the case that the stronger one became, the harder it was to improve. So why did it seem like Haruto not only found it easier but was progressing even faster?
After several internal sparring matches within the club, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, they had to accept this reality.
Currently, aside from Rias, Haruto had become the strongest combat member of the Occult Research Club.
Compared to the shock and confusion of others, Haruto himself felt there was nothing to make a fuss about—it was just peak A-rank, not even S-rank.
After all, S-rank might sound impressive, but it didn't even count as top-tier combat power.
To put it another way, S-rank was equivalent to a High-class Devil. Setting aside god-class powerhouses, even above High-class Devils were the Ultimate-class Devils and the Maou.
Whether among the Devil race, the God race, or other bloodlines with powerful heritage, basically, the younger generation all possessed S-rank strength.
Take Rias, for example. She was only seventeen, not even an adult among Devils. Her peerage wasn't complete, and she hadn't even participated in a Rating Game, yet in terms of personal strength, she was firmly S-rank.
Among the Gremory Clan, there were no shortage of young warriors who reached S-rank strength at high school age.
Moreover, Haruto currently faced a serious problem.
His breakthrough to A-rank had relied on the notes left by the Sword Saint of the Miyajima family, followed by extensive real combat experience before he finally managed to break through.
Now his qi had reached the peak of A-rank, but he had no clue about the "Dao" of the Martial God realm.
Fortunately, the transition from A-rank to S-rank was merely a qualitative transformation in power, unrelated to the essence of life, so he didn't need to engage in constant battles or seek breakthroughs in life-or-death crises.
To comprehend the Dao, or martial will, Haruto not only sparred daily with Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto Kiba, but later even took on all of Sona's servants.
It started with one-on-one, then progressed to one-against-two, and later one-against-three...
Until finally, it took five people to besiege Haruto to make the fights evenly matched.
It's worth noting that whether it was Akeno or any of Sona's servants, none were weak A-ranks - rather, they were all genius-level talents.
Yet facing Haruto, who mastered both magic and martial arts, especially with his absurd combat instincts, they were all beaten to the point of questioning their life choices.
One moment he would be fiercely attacking with fists and feet, the next moment upon spotting an opening, Haruto could conjure a magic array to blast from the side.
When they raised magical barriers to defend, Haruto would flap his wings and close in, giving them a full-body "massage"...
With various enhancement and support magic cast on himself, his already ridiculous physical attributes completely overwhelmed the group of devils.
If not for the fact that Rias and Sona were already S-rank and could overpower him with sheer force, they too would have been taught a lesson by Haruto.
No, it should be said taught how to be proper devils.
Through day and night training with these beauties, Haruto basically learned how to handle all types of enemies. Moreover, he discovered that compared to sword techniques, he was indeed more suited to using his body.
In every battle, using his wings and tail felt more natural than using a sword.
This showed that his elementary Sword Heart talent couldn't compare to his innate top-tier physical combat talent.
[Body-Drawn Divine Insight], through Haruto's continuous development, produced increasingly astonishing effects. In terms of physical techniques, he could basically comprehend them at a glance and replicate them with a second look.
Rias noticed Haruto's fighting habits and suggested crafting a pair of gauntlets or knuckle dusters as weapons for him.
Haruto declined Rias's kindness, as he already had a weapon candidate in mind.
The Sacred Gear - Boosted Gear. Originally he had only considered it tentatively, but as his strength gradually increased, he began to realize what a Sacred Gear truly meant.
The Low-class Devil Issei Hyoudou, just by using Balance Breaker, could send flying the third son of the high-class Devil Phenex family. Even when reaching god-level strength later, he could still activate other forms to achieve cross-level counter kills.
Though each use came with tremendous costs, compared to the Sacred Gear's functions, it was completely insignificant.
The Red Dragon Emperor was definitely one of this world's top combatants, perhaps just one step away from transcendence.
Merely being chosen by its will within the Sacred Gear made even a Maou's first servant address him as "lord," instantly skyrocketing his status.
The more Haruto learned about Boosted Gear, the more he felt this Sacred Gear was perfectly suited for him.
Compatibility with his fighting style was one factor.
Furthermore, the costs of various modes could be compensated through the dual cultivation ability, such as depleted vitality, dragon energy affecting the host, and so on.
Moreover, it wouldn't become obsolete as Haruto grew stronger; instead, its power would only increase. If he could master subsequent modes, it could even transform into full-body armor.
Full-body armor was arguably the most suitable equipment for Haruto to unleash his martial arts.
Fists, feet, knees, elbows… every attack would be amplified, and it also provided protective effects.
Sunday, underground space of the church.
Haruto returned here once again, first engaging in combat training with the three fallen angels. After spending half an hour defeating them, he decisively activated the dual cultivation mode.
Although he hadn't managed to subdue Yuuma, after several rounds of mutual probing during this period, they had tacitly acknowledged their cooperative relationship.
Haruto helped them improve their strength and ensured that Rias wouldn't come to eliminate them.
In return, they were not to cause any trouble during this time and had to accompany Haruto in actual combat.
Every time they fought, Yuuma's heart sank. However, since Mittelt and Kalawarna hadn't reached A-rank yet, a sliver of hope still lingered in her heart.
Haruto held the alluring and seductive body in his arms, his dragon firmly pressing against the inner walls of her flower palace, injecting his scorching essence into Yuuma's body, completing this session of cultivation.
"Hah~"
He let out a long, comfortable sigh, caressing the panting, beautiful girl as he asked, "Yuuma-chan, how much do you know about Sacred Gears?"
Yuuma, still savoring the afterglow, stiffened. Had her purpose for coming here been discovered?
"What do you mean?"
Haruto keenly noticed the change in the girl's tone and quickly realized what was going upon a moment's thought.
He had originally assumed that since Yuuma appeared in Kuoh Town a year earlier, her mission probably wasn't related to Sacred Gears. But now it seemed he couldn't rely on the timeline for judgment.