Beyond Rias and Sona's groups, many spectators from the Underworld were also present for the contest. In the spectator stands, devils from the Gremory and Phenex families sat in two separate sections.
Above all the other devils, two special seats were reserved for the highest symbols of authority in the Underworld: Lucifer and Leviathan.
The former was formerly Sirzechs Gremory, the eldest son of the Gremory family, who, after the great civil war, had replaced the old Lucifer due to his exceptional strength and leadership. The latter was Serafall Leviathan, Sona Sitri's older sister and once the eldest daughter of the Sitri family. Like Sirzechs, she wore magnificent Demon King attire, and her youthful face was framed by two pigtails. Originally, the Underworld had hoped Leviathan would be more dignified with long, straight hair, but Serafall, corrupted by Japanese anime, especially enjoyed cosplaying as a magical girl, so she insisted on keeping her pigtails. With a Demon King like this, no one dared to say a word.
Their power far surpassed that of the previous Demon Kings. Their brows held an unquestionable authority, and the weight of their years gave them a profound gaze. Every word and action they made exuded the charisma of a leader.
"Serafall, which side do you think has a better chance of winning this contest?" Sirzechs asked.
"On the surface, it's definitely that boy from the Phenex family. Although I don't really like him, his strength is quite commendable," Serafall said, licking her lips. "Even my little Sona said that if she were to have a Rating Game against him, it would be a 40/60 split."
"That's true. The Phoenix family's bloodline is very unique. It's difficult to defeat them without a way to counter it," Sirzechs nodded in agreement.
During the civil war, the revolutionary faction had the assistance of the Phenex family and acquired a large amount of the miracle healing medicine, Phoenix's Tears. It was this that allowed them to gradually gain the upper hand. Sirzechs respected the Phenex family's contributions, but he couldn't ignore Rias's feelings. The sudden appearance of Luo Guang gave him an opportunity, so he came up with a compromise. If both sides fought and the victor was determined, no one would object to the outcome.
"What about you, little Sirzechs?" Serafall asked. "This was your idea, after all."
"To be honest, my prediction is pretty much the same as yours." Although Sirzechs knew that Luo Guang had obtained the Boosted Gear, the Sacred Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor, it had only been a few days. No matter how much of a genius he was, he had likely only begun to understand the basics of the Sacred Gear's abilities. The Red Dragon Emperor, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, was indeed powerful. According to ancient records in the Underworld, the three factions had to unite and pay a huge price to capture the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor. After being made into Sacred Gears, the Boosted Gear had many hosts throughout history, most of whom left a good name for themselves. But that was after years of awakening the Sacred Gear. Only a few days? Even Sirzechs, who was biased toward Rias, didn't think Luo Guang could unleash the full power of the Sacred Gear. At most, he could use it as support. Maybe it would have an unexpected effect in battle. This was Sirzechs's hope. Luo Guang had good potential, and Sirzechs was rooting for him to win so that it would be a fair resolution for everyone.
"Oh, oh, little Sirzechs, look! Both sides have entered the field!" Serafall's voice suddenly became excited, like a fan watching a live sports match.
Everyone could see every detail of the field through a large magical screen. However, compared to the solitary Luo Guang, Riser's entrance was extremely lively. He even struck a dramatic pose in the teleportation circle. Riser knew everyone was watching him. After making his grand entrance, he immediately followed his pre-match strategy, arranging his familiars with different peerage pieces into suitable positions for an ambush.
His strategy was in line with typical Rating Game etiquette. For his opponent to win, they would have to defeat his familiars one by one and then face him in the final battle at the Occult Research Club building. This methodical plan made the elders of the Phenex family nod in approval. Riser had clearly listened to their instructions. This strategy not only showed his own abilities but also his attitude to the two Demon Kings.
Even some devils from the Gremory family who didn't want Rias to marry Riser had to admit that his chances of winning were incredibly high.
"Hehe, the contest is finally starting! That gigolo from the Phenex family, give that boy a good beating!" Serafall shouted, raising her fist, surprising the Phenex family and giving Sirzechs a strange look. "How dare he try to seduce my little Sona? Unforgivable!"