The crowd in the spectator stands was frozen, every pair of eyes wide with disbelief.
They'd sat through years of Rating Games, seen upsets and miracles, but nothing—absolutely nothing—prepared them for what was unfolding now. The unthinkable had become reality, and their understanding of the world was coming apart at the seams.
By every metric—strength, numbers—Rias's team should have been hopelessly outmatched by Riser's peerage. Most Devils in the Underworld had braced themselves for a one-sided slaughter. They simply never imagined it would be Rias's group doing the trampling, and with such effortless dominance.
Impossible. And yet, here it was.
Kiba and Koneko's performances had already stunned the audience, but Akeno Himejima—the "Priestess of Thunder"—was on another level entirely. She didn't just defeat Riser's Queen; she obliterated her, wielding power so overwhelming it left no room for resistance.
Akeno's control over lightning magic bordered on the absurd. She conjured thunder beasts and dragons, directing their fury wherever she pleased. It was the kind of sorcery most only read about in legends.
Among the Fallen Angel delegation, Baraqiel—ten black wings unfurled—stared at the battlefield, eyes bulging in shock. He couldn't trust what he was seeing.
Azazel, the Governor General, let out a low whistle. "Baraqiel, that's your girl out there, isn't it? She inherited your lightning, sure, but where did she get that kind of ice magic?"
Baraqiel just groaned. "Don't ask me. You know as well as I do how complicated things are between us."
Azazel grinned, but said nothing more.
Elsewhere, in the Occult Research Club's room, Sona Sitri was still reeling. She'd always considered herself Rias's equal—her best friend and her rival. She knew Rias's peerage, but this? This was beyond her wildest calculations.
Akeno's raw power, her mastery of lightning—Sona couldn't compete. Even her prized water magic would be crushed, and now Akeno had mastered terrifying ice spells as well. Sona realized, with a sinking feeling, that she was completely outmatched.
"Akeno's ice magic… that's your doing, isn't it?" Sona's voice was flat, her eyes unfocused. She reached out, grabbed Shuo Nangong's head, and yanked him to face her, glaring with the unmistakable fire of jealousy.
Shuo, who'd been enjoying the world's softest lap pillow, blinked up at her, utterly lost. But then he caught the look in her eyes—and grinned.
"C'mon, Sona, do you smell something… a little sour?" he teased, feigning innocence.
"What are you talking abou—" She paused, realization dawning. Her cheeks flared red. "I—I am NOT jealous!" she sputtered, biting her lip and shooting him a death glare.
Shuo just laughed. "Didn't know you could be this cute, Sona. Don't worry—next chance I get, I'll help you power up too."
"Um… could you help us, as well?" Tsubaki Shinra and the other Student Council girls spoke up, faces flushed with embarrassment.
Their friendship with Rias's group was real, but they hated the idea of being left behind. Falling too far behind Rias and Akeno—it was a future none of them wanted.
Shuo nodded, all seriousness. "Absolutely. I'll make time to train you all."
Relief swept through the group. For now, at least, the gap didn't seem so insurmountable.
In the dimensional arena, Rias and Riser faced off, her peerage lined up behind her like silent sentinels.
"Rias, I can't believe you've grown this strong in just seven days." Riser's voice was low and bitter, his face a storm cloud.
He'd started with fourteen peerage members to her four. Now, aside from his little sister Ravel, every one of his servants had been wiped out in minutes. Worse—Rias's team didn't even have a scratch. The humiliation was absolute.
"I told you, I'd defeat you so thoroughly no one could question it." Rias crossed her arms, a small, confident smile playing at her lips. "This time, I'm not ganging up on you. My peerage will stay out of it. I'm going to beat you one-on-one."
Riser's eyes widened, then narrowed in fury. "What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm not worth your team's effort?"
Rias's gaze was unwavering. "It's not about you. I just have absolute confidence in myself. Akeno, everyone—fall back. I'm ending this."
Her peerage moved without hesitation, retreating to the edge of the battlefield.
Viewers across the Underworld stared at their screens, baffled. One-on-one against a Phoenix? Was Rias being reckless, or just arrogant?
Everyone knew the Phoenix family's secret: near-infinite resurrection. No one had ever beaten them in a straight fight.
Riser's lips curled into a snarl. "Fine! But don't come crying when you regret this!" Flames erupted from his body, the immortal fire of the Phoenix burning bright as he lunged at Rias.
And then—the air changed.
Destruction magic surged from Rias, raw and unrestrained. The pressure alone was enough to make even veteran Devils flinch. In that moment, everyone watching realized: Rias had broken through. She wasn't just a High-Class Devil anymore—she'd reached the realm of the Ultimate-Class.
She raised her hand. Crimson energy roared to life, coalescing into her ultimate move—Extinguished Star. The blast tore through Riser, snuffing out his phoenix flames in an instant.
The arena fell silent. Shock rippled through the crowd. Rias had developed the Gremory family's Power of Destruction to a degree no one had imagined—enough to erase one of Riser's lives with a single attack.
Even the gods and Maous watching—their hearts tempered by eons of battle—felt their composure slip. To see someone so young reach such heights was almost unthinkable.
But Riser wasn't done. He reformed in a burst of fire, whole once more, and laughed, the sound harsh and desperate.
"Hahaha! Rias, I'll admit your magic is terrifying. But how many times can you use it? You'll never beat me!"
Rias's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? I was planning to kill you a few more times, but honestly, I'm done wasting time. Get ready for my trump card."
Riser sneered. "Trump card? Still bluffing at a time like this? You—"
He never finished. The air froze. A massive, blue dragon materialized behind Rias, its icy eyes locked onto Riser. The pressure it radiated—overwhelming, inescapable—was unmistakably that of a Satan-Class being.
"What the—?!"
"That's… That's a Heavenly Dragon!"
"Rias actually summoned a dragon like that?!"
Panic and awe swept through the audience. No one recognized this ice-blue behemoth, but its presence was undeniable—a force of nature, a living myth.
The Two Heavenly Dragons and their hosts watched with a mix of curiosity and dread.
"I've never seen or heard of this one," Albion murmured, awe flickering in his voice. "But that aura… it's almost at our peak level. What a surprise."
Ddraig's voice was stern. "Lux, calm yourself. Even with Juggernaut Drive, you might not win against that thing. Don't get cocky."
Vali, watching from afar, just grinned. "Well, Nangong, you never cease to amaze. That dragon must be your handiwork, huh?"
And then—the impossible happened again.
Light gathered in Rias's hand, pure and blinding. A sword took shape—a Holy Sword, unmistakable and radiant.
For a moment, time itself seemed to stop.
A Devil, wielding a Holy Sword? The very idea shattered the foundation of their reality. Even Sirzechs, the Maou, felt a chill run down his spine.
Among the gods, confusion reigned. That sword… why did it look so familiar?
The world as they knew it was crumbling—and Rias Gremory stood at the center, rewriting the rules.
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