Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu, UwU

– Akane –

"Wouldn't it be wise for you to be in bed at this hour?" Lucifer asks, standing beside me on the balcony. "You have a long day ahead of you."

For a moment, I don't respond; I'm busy watching the footage of my spy tech following Diodora somewhere through a HUD projected by high-tech lenses I created the other day— an upgraded scouter, so to speak. This way, I can communicate with Nemesis without having to look at my phone when in public. Similar to how I interact with the system messages and mechanics.

But because I want to the devil god to see this as well, the lenses are capable of projecting a holographic screen. Anyway, I was going to sleep before Nemesis notified me of him acting suspiciously. I knew monitoring him now would be pretty meaningful.

Diodora being blessed by Ophis is one thing, but I still have no idea how and where he got that power from, nor what he plans to do with it. Clearly, he's scheming something that's going to interrupt the tournament or something along those lines. For what? I'm not sure yet. That's why I'm watching him.

So far, he hasn't noticed the little spiders clinging to his clothes. Ever since they got onto him the first time, he's been completely oblivious. I had a few spy bots search up his room after he left to go to wherever he is going now, but he's still being extremely careful. I found nothing incriminating in his room.

He is so careful that he's making sure he's not recognized by wearing darker clothes… and somehow getting his hands on the Amon cloaking tech the fallen used. So that's who he's allying himself with? Is all of this just an elaborate plan to capture me?

But how could they have known I'd join this tournament? My decision was pretty spontaneous. They couldn't have planned all of this in a matter of a week. Plus, this would also imply that Ophis is their ally, and if that's true, then this might be a lot worse than I thought.

I don't think I'd get to its level even if I devoured everyone present in the tournament. Satan-class devils included. It's the infinity dragon, for fuck's sake. It's one of, if not the strongest for a reason.

"Say…" I lower my cigarette, glancing at Lucifer. "What can you tell me about Ophis?"

Lucifer pauses, putting a hand on his chin to think about his answer.

"Hmm… If I were to liken it to something, it would be more akin to a natural disaster than anything else." He says. "Fearsome and unstoppable, capable of annihilating entire civilizations in the blink of an eye."

I wait for him to continue while paying attention to whatever Diodora is doing. So far, nothing interesting.

"But at the same time, like natural disasters, it's aimless. Despite what it can do, it holds no hatred or evil in its heart." He adds. "And it lacks ambition. It wants nothing else than to continue its eternal slumber in the dimensional gap."

"Something about it wanting 'silence'?"

"Yes. Though, that 'silence' isn't literal." Lucifer explains. "The silence it seeks isn't a simple lack of noise. It's true silence. Where it cannot hear, see, sense, or feel anything."

"Then why can't it just make a dimension for itself? Wouldn't that fix the problem?"

"The Infinity Dragon has highly sensitive senses." He says. "So sensitive it far surpasses even the detection of Senjutsu. It matters not what dimension it creates. It'll continue sensing everything happening in every realm outside of its control. Except, of course, the place where it was born."

"The dimensional gap." I nod. "I remember you telling me it's the space separating universes, right? So because it's a dimension outside our universe…"

"…It's far enough that Ophis can get its desired silence." He nods. "The fact that it is in our universe means the Great Dragon of Dreams still occupies its home. Poor thing. I can't imagine how it might be feeling."

It's been trying to get back to its home since Lucifer was alive. Holy shit how has it still not blown everything to bits? Being separated from your home and having to suffer from overwhelmingly sensitive senses for this long sounds like actual hell. I'd rather die than be in its place.

I hate that I can't remember anything else about it. I just know that it takes the shape of a little girl, but that's about it. I don't know why it's, or rather, she's here, why she's with the Amon, and what her goal is by blessing Diodora. Did the Amon promise her this silence, and now she's listening to everything they say?

And did they recruit Diodora just so that they could kidnap me somehow?

"Ah, I remember when it approached me back when I was alive." Lucifer suddenly says with a nostalgic look. "It tried to recruit me in its effort to destroy the Great Red."

"Did you agree?"

"Oh no, of course not." He shakes his head with a chuckle. "I was young and full of pride. Me, working for someone else? Ridiculous. I was so offended, I ended up battling it."

"You fought it?"

He's insane. I mean, I get feeling arrogant being the devil king and all that, but to throw hands with one of the most powerful monsters in this universe? Seriously? Was he that confident in himself or what?

Why couldn't he just disagree and leave it alone?

"Yes. The battle ended in a draw." Lucifer adds. Or he was just that fucking powerful. Holy fuck. "I was a fool. Contrary to its age, Ophis was immensely naive. I could've used it as a weapon against my father had I 'played my cards right' as you'd put it. Alas, my childishness had me refusing any useful allies that did not submit to me. I either had servants or enemies."

"You really were an idiot," I tell him.

"Quite." He smirks. "There's no vice more dangerous than pride, young one. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

The conversation stops there as I contemplate what he told me. I'll try not to. It's not like I'm against having allies anyway. Otherwise, I would've just prepared an escape route, killed everyone around me, absorbed their souls, then fucked off as quickly as I could. It'd be so easy to do that because they trust me.

Thankfully, I am sane. I won't compromise everything I've built here for a quick rush and short-term boost. Playing it slow and steady is the way to go if I want long-term results. And if I don't want everyone in this mortal coil to go after my head.

I exhale a cloud of smoke and pause as Diodora stops and starts speaking quietly and respectfully. The spy bot climbs off him and gets in a hidden position that shows both Diodora and whoever he's talking to. Someone I don't recognize. A man in armor and a cape, with long, messy brown hair covering his right eye.

Wow, steal my look, why don't you? Doesn't look like an Amon, though. If anything, he seems like another devil.

"Lord Beelzebub, sir." Diodora bows. "I'm glad to see that the gaps I've made in the barriers are working. Though, I'm not sure why you've called me here."

Lucifer hums, watching the scene unfold with me, the stranger's name having caught his attention. Beelzebub? That's one of the Old Satans, then? So he's working with the Old Satans, not the Amon. That makes a lot more sense but still doesn't explain how he got their concealing tech.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Beelzebub says with an accusatory tone.

"Pardon—"

The Old Satan devil grabs Diodora by the neck, lifting him and choking him out. Beelzebub only looks mildly displeased as he does that, but with the weaker devil struggling so much like this, the gap between their powers is very obvious.

Too bad I can't sense what's going on. Might have to find a way to make Nemesis be able to register energy. Though, then again, Diodora is really hilariously weak anyway.

"You used Ophis' Snake on the first day, you idiot." He said. "You've nearly ruined all of our plans with that stunt."

Diodora chokes and struggles, unable to respond properly.

"It's only a matter of time before Sirzechs and his band of morons realize what you have," Beelzebub adds, slowly relaxing his grip. "You've forced us to show ourselves earlier than intended. What's the matter with you?"

Diodora fell down and rubbed his neck with a cough before glaring at Beelzebub.

"I thought you wanted me to win the tournament." He said. "Isn't that why you made Ophis give me one of her snakes?"

"The snake was to be used as a surprise attack during the award ceremony." Beelzebub crouched to his level. "But somehow, you were forced to use it during your second match?"

"Interesting." Lucifer quips. "So they're planning a coup?"

"During the festival, too." I nod. "Hurt enough civilians from other mythologies and factions to make the New Satans look impotent and weak."

Plus, pissing everyone off. I mean, if I hypothetically got hurt during this coup, then what do you think the Tojo Clan will do? Treaty be damned— things will burn.

So this is what they were waiting for the entire time? It makes more sense than attacking during the treaty, which takes place in Tojo territory with only four factions present. After all, the Old Satans' main goal is to reclaim the capital and be recognized as the official government body of devilkind.

The treaty never bothered them because they could break it whenever they became the new rulers. This does make a lot of sense. However, there's still one thing I'm not sure about.

"Though to do such a thing, they must be rather confident." Lucifer shares my thoughts. "They must have gathered a great many allies. Ophis clearly being one of them."

Pretty much. When they do break the treaty, retaliation will be imminent. The Grigori, Archangels, and the Yakuza will do everything in their power to destroy them. Either to restore the rule of the New Satans or just wipe out the entire faction.

So they need a bunch of powerful allies to feel comfortable in doing this, and with the Amon tech being in their possession…

Yeah, things are starting to be clear.

"The competition this year isn't a joke," Diodora argues. "My second match was against Agares."

"I don't care who you end up against. You assured us you'd win." Beelzebub says, unconvinced. "I'm giving you one last chance. This better not happen again, Diodora."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question, sir." He argues.

"What did you say?" His boss narrows his eyes. "Are you disobeying me?"

"My next match is against Sona Sitri." He quickly clarifies. "And to make matters worse, the human girl that defeated Kokabiel is working with her as a temporary piece. I have to use the snake if I want to win."

Beelzebub looks visibly surprised at that as he pauses, absorbing the information. His frown turns thoughtful.

"You mean Akane Amamiya is a participant?"

"The Immortal Dragon's daughter, yes," Diodora confirms.

"Is that so…" Beelzebub hums thoughtfully. "This… changes things. Rizevim would be interested in this…"

I blink. Rizevim? Isn't that—

"Rizevim? Rizevim is alive?" Lucifer looks surprised.

"You know him?"

"Know him?" He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "He's my son. To think he hadn't died yet… Interesting. So is he the mastermind behind this?"

…Rizevim is his son? Seriously? At most, I thought he was like a descendant, not his direct child. Holy shit, even that guy wants something from me. Why? I get the Amon because I'm related to them, but this random asshole?

Why am I so intriguing to them? I don't remember ever doing something of particular interest. Unless they know about the sword?

That would be a big fucking problem.

"He… would?" The Astaroth devil looks confused. "In what way?"

"That doesn't concern you," Beelzebub says bluntly. "Change of plans. Use the snake's power during your match with Sitri. We'll use that as the signal to attack. Do NOT kill the Amamiya girl under any circumstance."

"Ah… Very well." Diodora nods, not questioning him. "But what about after your ambush? What should I be doing then?"

"You may do whatever you like." Beelzebub shrugs, turning around. "Retreat, help in battle— I don't care. You will have done your job by then."

"Right. Thank you, sir." He bows with a sinister grin. "So you won't be against me taking… souvenirs back with me, yes?"

I don't like how he said that.

"As I said, do whatever you like." The Beelzebub responded before walking away. "Don't fail us this time."

After Diodora is left alone and I've seen enough, I close the video footage and exhale. Alright, this basically confirmed it. The invasion was supposed to happen now, not during the treaty. That makes a lot of sense.

Good. That makes me feel much better.

"So what will you do now?" Lucifer asks. "You have evidence for Diodora's treason. Won't you present it to the current rulers? I imagine that would stop this coup before it even has a chance to start."

"Why would I do that?" I tilt my head at him with a smirk. "It's not like I'm obligated to help the devils with their defenses, right? It's certainly not my job."

"Wouldn't it be the right thing to do?"

"Maybe. Unfortunately, I don't really care about that at all." I snort. "If anything, I say let them attack. That's just an opportunity to make up for the time they didn't."

"Ahh…" Lucifer smiles. "I see. Rather risky, don't you think? Ophis is their ally, after all."

"True, but I don't think she's going to be part of the invading forces," I respond. "Call it a gut feeling, but why do all of this otherwise? I mean, attacking now would be their best bet if Ophis is with them, right? Nearly everyone is asleep; there isn't as much security."

"That is true…"

"Plus, see how the Beelzebub dude mentioned that Rizevim is interested in me? He just told Diodora to avoid killing me, implying I'm someone of high importance to them." I add. "I don't know what for, but it's possibly under the Amon's commands."

"So even if Ophis is with their forces tomorrow, you're hoping they keep it away from you due to its enormous strength, fearing it accidentally kills you," He hums, seeing my line of thinking. "You're playing a dangerous game here, dear Akane. Are you certain you want to do this?"

Either I put myself in danger like this, or I'm never getting rid of that cowardly trait. So it's not in the sense that Iwant to, but I have to do this besides it being a high-risk, high-reward move. If I tell Sirzechs about their attack, I'd have to practically tell him about my tech, which is a big no-no. Also, I'd be preparing them so they can contain the chaos when the battle eventually begins.

But the chaos of such magnitude is the perfect smokescreen for me to devour the souls of my enemies. Staying silent about the attack is the best thing I can do if I want to grow more powerful.

"I'm sure," I answer Lucifer. "If things get a little too hard, then I have Excelsis to fall back on."

Though, here's hoping it doesn't come to that. As much as I really want to test it out in actual combat. The Old Satans could already know about it being taken, but I doubt they know that I have it. Hopefully.

Their strange interest in me makes me a little worried.

"I see. Well, it's not as if I can stop you." He says. "Though, I do respect your willingness to throw yourself in peril. If you need any other advice, be sure to ask me. I'll do what I can to help."

"I'll keep it in mind." I stretch my arms, enter the building, and walk to my room. "I think I wasted enough time. I feel tired."

"It has certainly gotten late." He says, his spirit fading away. "Sweet dreams."

…Not having to lower my voice in case someone hears me talking to him feels good. I don't have to look around twice if there are any cameras.

Not being watched all the time is nice.

– Sirzechs –

"Ah, there you are." He smiled, seeing one of his childhood friends enter his office. "Have you found anything regarding Diodora's suspicious energy?"

"No." Ajuka shook his head. "It's not something I've seen before. I'll need more time to decipher it."

That could be a problem. It didn't take a genius to realize that whatever Diodora had done to win his match wasn't ordinary. That power he'd unleashed wasn't his, and as far as Sirzechs knew, he was a full-blooded Astaroth. A premature boost in power like that wasn't their trait.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't the trait of any other pillar devil. Certainly not to that degree. From a low-end high-class devil to ultimate class? Absurd. Nearly ten times more powerful than his base strength.

Sirzechs didn't know where he'd acquired that power from. It made him highly suspicious of Diodora, which was already sad enough as he liked the boy, but he wasn't going to risk anything going wrong in one of the most anticipated and loved festivals in their culture.

If this was just Diodora's attempt at 'cheating' even though it wasn't considered cheating to be given a power like that, then that would've been fine. But the way the boy seemed to be hiding this power seemed very suspicious.

Obviously, hiding a trump card is common play in Rating Game tournaments, but this felt out of the ordinary. Sirzechs was hoping he was just being paranoid, but he had to face it. Diodora could be hiding something big.

It's what Ajuka thought as well.

"So not even you, huh?" Sirzechs frowned. "I've sent a recording of the match to Azazel in case he knows anything, but I've yet to get a response. Have you found anything else?"

"His energy signature disappeared for approximately thirty minutes," Ajuka responded. "I looked for him but found him back in his room as his energy returned. I couldn't trace his steps, so I'm not sure where he went."

"That just makes him look worse." The New Lucifer sighed. "It's bad enough that we're unfamiliar with that energy he used."

And it's not like they could arrest him for questioning. There were no grounds, and a direct approach like that might make him a lot more cautious. His room had nothing incriminating, and his disappearance to wherever he went wasn't enough to warrant anything. They were stuck, incapable of doing anything without any proof of his suspicious behavior.

Ajuka remained quiet for a moment, looking deep in thought, then spoke.

"Those Amon assassins Daigo warned us about." He mentioned. "They had technology that could completely mask one's presence."

Sirzechs paused. He remembered it— a message he'd sent all the four satans about them having highly advanced tech that surpassed theirs, explaining everything that happened in Kuoh, primarily the attack of Kokabiel.

"...You think Diodora is an ally of theirs?" He asked. "But why? And since when?"

But that didn't make sense to him. Why would they be here? And why recruit Diodora, of all people? He had told them that they were human supremacists of some sort, so why get the help of a devil?

More importantly, what could they be offering Diodora? Or rather, were they blackmailing him? It also didn't explain the strange power he had. Something almost divine in nature, but not quite. It was too different from being a god's Divine Authority.

Just what was he planning to do?

"I don't know." Ajuka shook his head. "I need more time to figure things out."

"Hmm…" Sirzechs thought about it for a moment. "I might have an idea."

He wasn't sure it would be of any help at all, admittedly, but it was clear that Ajuka wasn't the only person who needed time. After all, Azazel hadn't responded yet, meaning he was also still looking into it.

Sirzechs had full trust in his childhood friend, Ajuka, who was the most intelligent person he had ever known, but sometimes, it wasn't intelligence that they were missing but knowledge and wisdom.

And who else was more knowledgeable than someone who'd lived during the golden age of the biblical factions?

– Ichiban –

"Wait, we're going first?" Ichiban blinked, looking at Rias in confusion. "Why? I thought the first match today was Sona against Diodora. What gives?"

Waking up to a message from the redheaded devil telling him that was certainly a surprise. He wasn't against this development, of course. He had just been counting on seeing Akane and Sona showing their tactics first.

"No idea." She shrugged as he and the rest of the team made their way to the Coliseum. "I asked my brother about it— it turns out he's just so excited to see me against Sai that he pulled a few strings."

That's certainly an answer he hadn't expected. At most, he thought they'd wanted to shake things up to make them more interesting.

"That's kinda weird." He responded.

"I know, right? He likes to dote on me and prop me up, but this feels like an excuse for something else." Rias agrees. "Though, we can't do anything about it."

"To be fair, it's not like it would change much." Kiba quipped. "Whether we or Sona goes first, what difference does it make?"

"I'd argue I like it better this way," Akeno added.

"Mhm." Koneko agreed. "Rias was too nervous. She looked like she was going to implode."

"I did not." Rias denied.

"Haha, well, you did look very anxious last night." Her Knight said. "Perhaps this is a test from Sirzechs-sama? It certainly was a surprise to all of us."

"Can he even do things like that?" Ichiban asked.

"Why couldn't he? Devils respect strength above all else, and he's the strongest." The redheaded devil answered. "It isn't the first time he or the other satans have pulled something like this. Nobody really cares if it doesn't affect them."

That's fair, I guess. Ichi thought. Different culture. Don't think about it too much.

Ichiban knew it wasn't actually that simple. It wasn't like he cared all that much— Getting a crack at Sairaorg and his team before any other matches excited him. According to Akane, he was the only powerful participant in the tournament besides them.

And Diodora, apparently, after what he did yesterday, but Ichiban had faith in his best friend. She probably already had a workaround for whatever power he showed against Seekvaria. Knowing her, though, she'd knock him out before he could use it.

Like all her other matches, she was very sure that they'd end up against each other in the finals, and even though she loved acting arrogant and self-important, it was for a reason. All the other times she'd acted that way, she didn't let it blind her and make her do something stupid.

It's just how Akane was. What she loved saying and doing were completely different. It always felt kind of scary how calculating she was; sometimes, she knew almost perfectly what was going to happen next.

When asked how, she would just look smug. No verbal answer was needed because Ichiban knew what that face meant.

Though, admittedly, he didn't think this prediction would be any different. That said, Ichi wasn't going to get complacent and arrogant because she'd assured him of his victory. Akane had still made it clear that Sai wasn't weak by any means.

And he certainly wasn't. Even Ddraig warned him that he was hiding his true strength. It was good that Ichiban was saving his Balance Breaker for him. Seeing that nobody knew about its subspecies gave them a great advantage.

"Alright, everyone. Are you ready?" Rias asked as they entered the coliseum. "Just as we planned. Remember, this isn't going to be as easy as the previous matches."

As the team voiced their affirmation, they were teleported into the battleground. Ichiban blinked a few times to adjust his vision, not used to teleportation, and the arena this time wasn't anything complicated.

It was a massive green plain stretching as far as the eye could see. No buildings or forests in sight. It was so open they could see the entire enemy group on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Rias said, looking very displeased. "All the hours we spent planning went down the drain. Just like that. The universe must be conspiring against me."

"Of all five hundred stages…" Akeno added in exasperation. "It seems we're not allowed to catch a break."

"Wait, what? Hold on, I might be stupid." Ichi said. "Someone explain why this is bad."

"It's too open, and we're at a number's disadvantage." Kiba clarified. "An arena like this makes it practically impossible for us to pick off our enemies individually."

"It's an all-out battle from here," Koneko added, cracking her knuckles. "I like this better."

Akeno giggled at the younger girl's honest view of the situation. Thinking about it a little more, Ichiban realized it was definitely bad for them. Their plan relied on them taking out the enemy when they were alone, and once only Sai was left, they'd all jump him.

Even in the case of them losing a few of their own, what mattered was Rias and Ichiban remaining, as they were the strongest in the team. With them together, it was highly doubtful that Sairaorg could beat them.

Surprisingly, even with their plans instantly crumbling before the battle began, Ichiban wasn't as upset as he thought he'd be.

"Is that right…" Ichiban blinked, looking at the enemy team, then smirking as he rested his golden baseball bat on his shoulder. "You know what? I agree with Koneko. I like it when things are straightforward."

"Of course you do." Rias groaned.

Contrary to their team leader, Sairaorg laughed loudly, finding this situation immensely amusing. Though, why wouldn't he? This worked more to his advantage than theirs.

"What are the odds?!" He grinned. "And here I was, having prepared one hell of a devious plan to take you down."

"Keep dreaming, Sai," Rias smirked, putting on a mask of confidence. She was most definitely nervous. "Whether it's an open or closed space, you don't stand a chance."

"We'll see about that."

As those words left his mouth, he waved his arm, and most of his peerage charged forward, with him and his queen standing behind.

"Kasuga, take out the enemy pawn," Rias ordered him as he activated his Sacred Gear. "We don't want him getting here and promoting."

"Got it. Leave it to me." Ichiban nodded, then rushed forward with Kiba and Koneko as Akeno and Rias mimicked their team and remained back.

His sights landed on the pawn—a masked boy with bright orange hair and golden eyes. As their gazes met, Ichiban heard Ddraig within him grunt with a confused tone. Before he could ask, however, two others stopped him—a knight and a rook.

The knight was a blond boy with a sword in hand, while the rook was a much larger man with a strange-looking body that reminded him of the Thing from the Fantastic Four. Liban and Gandoma, respectively, if he remembered correctly. The former attacked first, lunging forward and thrusting his blade without a word, which Ichiban narrowly avoided as he was surprised by his enemy's speed.

This surprise didn't last long as Sai's rook leaped at him, aiming to crush Ichiban with a single strike. He rolled out of the way and watched as the larger man created a massive crater where he landed, causing a dust cloud to form.

As the knight attacked again, Ichiban saw it coming, tilting his head to avoid another stab before countering with a powerful swing to his head. His baseball bat's bizarre ability to make cash explode whenever he hit someone activated, confusing his enemies.

"W-what the hell?!" The knight mumbled, backing off and holding his head in pain. "What was that?"

"No idea." Ichiban shrugged. "Though, you probably shouldn't have brought your wallet with you."

The blond man blinked a few times, checking his pockets and pulling out a destroyed wallet.

"Are you serious?" Liban frowned in annoyance. "What kind of inconvenient enchantment do you have on your weapon? How does that even help besides being mildly annoying?"

"Like I said, I dunno. My friend gave it to me as a gift." He answered. "And no, I have no idea where she got it from either."

Ichiban felt Gandoma attacking from behind, prompting him to dodge a devastating haymaker aimed at the back of his head. He twirled around and struck the rock-like man with his bat, doing the exact same thing to him as money flew everywhere.

"W-what the— oh come on! Seriously?!" He complained.

"Why the hell does everyone bring their wallets to a Rating Game?" Ichi wondered out loud.

"Boost!"

There! Second boost! He grinned, feeling his power increase before spotting the pawn approaching Rias.

"It's been fun, but I gotta go now." He said, activating his Touki for a split second. "My bad about the wallets."

"Don't let him—"

And that split-second was more than enough to vanish out of their sight next to the pawn called Regulus, who was shocked at Ichiban's immense speed, so much so that he couldn't avoid being kicked in the head and sent back to his side.

"Good work, Kasuga!" Rias praised.

"Sairaorg Bael's Knight and Bishop, Beruka and Misteeta, have been eliminated."

"You too, Kiba! Koneko!"

Alright, we're doing good so far. Ichiban thought, glancing at his other teammates. Unsurprisingly, while managing pretty well, they were struggling. They were still outnumbered. Might have to help out after I'm done with him.

Surprisingly, even after a powerful hit like that, Regulus stood back up, only slightly bruised and still smirking, making Ichiban frown. It wasn't like he'd held back with that kick— that kid was certainly a lot more powerful than he thought.

That 'kid' is Regulus Nemea. Ddraig said with a serious tone. The Golden Lion King himself.

Huh? Ichiban paused. Regulus Nemea… The Nemean Lion? Isn't that the Lion that Heracles fought?

Yes, before he was sealed into a Longinus Sacred Gear. His partner said. But how did he leave his seal? Is it truly him?

They couldn't continue their discussion as the subject of it charged again, this time at Ichiban himself. Ichi stood his ground and prepared for a hard battle, waiting for the longest ten seconds of his life to pass.

Be careful, partner. Ddraig warned. If it really is him, then know that he's holding back.

Got it.

Ichiban gave Sai a quick glance, seeing his confident grin as he watched the battle from where he was, then returned his attention to his opponent. Regulus started by releasing a few demonic blasts from his hand, which Ichi effortlessly avoided while twirling his bat. Once the alleged Golden Lion got close enough, he swiped his right hand at him.

Which Ichi managed to block with his bat. He was surprised at the weight behind such a simple attack but was used to much heavier strikes as he quickly returned the favor, swinging his weapon at Regulus.

As the third boost echoed across the battlefield, he realized that Regulus had been severely holding back because he kept up with Ichiban relatively well, unlike the rest of Sai's peerage. No, it felt like he was being overwhelmed.

Ichiban gritted his teeth as Regulus' attacks broke through his defense— a swipe of his hidden claws tore through his outfit and skin, causing him to bleed. They weren't lethal by any means, but the pain was distracting as he struggled to avoid or block the Lion King's nimble strikes.

"Is that all you can offer, Ichiban Kasuga?" Regulus taunted. "I can't imagine the look on Ddraig's face. You're disappointing."

Ichi ignored his attempt to infuriate him, grunting in pain as he was hit in the face with a powerful punch. But once again, he reminded himself that these attacks were nothing compared to what Saejima was capable of.

He wasn't going to lose here.

Find an opening. He thought to himself, watching and studying his moves mid-battle. He's faster but not stronger.

The fact that a human like him, one of, if not the least, durable race, was able to withstand so many attacks meant that Ichiban needed to wait for a perfect moment to counter. If he was lucky, then a single hit was what he needed to knock him out, as strong as he was.

And the perfect opportunity came once the fourth boost did, making Ichiban smirk.

The first thing he did was activate his Touki once again, then he back-stepped from a right hook, spun around, and used all his might in one swing, landing a direct hit on Regulus' face. The ground beneath them shook and shattered under the might of that attack, which sent him flying to the other side of the battlefield.

Regulus hit the grassy ground and tumbled over to Sai, who was worried as he helped his pawn up. He was bleeding from his head, grunting in pain as he struggled to get back up on his feet, but to Ichi's shock, he wasn't out just yet, even if he was severely damaged. He wasn't the Golden Lion King for nothing, it seemed…

As Sai glared at him for the first time since they'd met, his queen momentarily stopped him from entering the fray. Ichi was too far away from them to hear what they were saying, but whatever it was that Kuisha noted, it didn't convince her king as he approached Ichiban with fire in his eyes.

She sighed and followed him, as did Regulus, prompting Rias and Akeno to step forward next to Ichiban. Once they were close enough, a powerful white aura suddenly enveloped Sairaorg, causing everyone to stop fighting. The surprise made him flinch, but he managed to remain steadfast.

"He can use Touki," Ichiban said.

"What? Are you sure?" Rias asked.

"Absolutely. This is definitely his ki." He nodded.

To make matters worse, he seemed very, very skilled in it. Unlike him, Issei, or Akane, his energy wasn't leaking at all. All of it was contained in his body. Just how long had he been training to be able to do this? He was as old as Rias, wasn't he?

"This might be much closer than we thought," Akeno said. "Rias?"

"Right…" Their leader paused and thought for a moment. "Kasuga, you'll take on Sai while I keep Kuisha off you. Akeno, help Koneko and Kiba, and then all three of you will support me once you finish off the rest of Sai's team."

"Got it."

As Akeno flew away, Kuisha tried to shoot her down, but Rias quickly interrupted her by getting in close and throwing a punch, locking them into battle. Sai glanced at the two before chuckling.

"And here I thought she'd prefer fighting me." He said. "I guess she's not wasting any chances. Smart."

"What's that?" Ichiban raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you'd win if you two fought?"

"Handily." He responded. "I know how strong my cousin is; I know she's been training hard, but while I don't like to brag, she stands no chance. You, on the other hand…"

Sai glanced at Regulus, who nodded before a golden, blinding light surrounded him. Ichiban shielded his eyes from the intense glare, and once he could open them, he saw his opponent now wielding a massive, golden axe, with his pawn nowhere to be seen.

This was more than enough proof that the boy was who Ddraig thought he was— the Nemean Lion, the first labor of Heracles.

"…Well, I don't know what you're hiding. You haven't used your Balance Breaker yet, so you must be really strong," Sairaorg continued, resting the axe on his shoulder. "So let's see what's more powerful: The Red Dragon Emperor against the Golden Lion King.

"When you put it that way—" Ichi smirked back, getting into a combat stance and twirling his bat. "I can't help but feel excited."

"Right?" The devil agreed, gripping his axe tightly.

This is going to be one hell of a fight. Ichiban thought. But I won't lose. I WILL defeat him.

That's the spirit, partner. Ddraig spoke. A mere lion is nothing to the might of a dragon.

He wouldn't fail Rias and the rest of his friends here. He'd made a promise— he would bring victory to his friends no matter what.

And with Akane's dream-like prize on the line, that was a promise he wouldn't break, even if it killed him.

– Akane –

You know, I had a feeling that I could've miscalculated somewhere. The pawn did seem a lot more powerful than he should've been, certainly stronger than the rest of Sai's peerage, barring the queen, but he was also the only pawn in the peerage, meaning he must've used all eight pawns used to recruit him.

But that was it, really. He was a strong guy who seemingly had no other gimmicks. Until, of course, he'd pulled that stupid shit because, apparently, this particular strong guy was a fucking Sacred Gear himself. Somehow, Sairaorg had reincarnated a living Sacred Gear.

Why couldn't I have anticipated this? Because Observe showed nothing out of the ordinary when I used it on him. His race was just 'Nemean Lion,' which rang a bell, and so did his title, but with his stats being just into low-ultimate class, he didn't seem that much of a threat. Ichi could easily take him out after a few boosts.

And I was correct. Ichiban might've worried me a little when he'd started struggling, but with his own Touki in hand, he could easily beat down the kid without activating his Balance Breaker. So, really, I didn't actually miscalculate here.

The only real miscalculation was that I did not see this hilarious yet unbelievably infuriating match switch. I know it's for a good reason, but wow, was I pissed when I heard about it. I think this is what feels like being constantly blueballed without my consent. I know it's going to happen eventually, but fuck me is it frustrating.

For fuck's sake, Life. Stop edging me. I can do that myself just fine. Please and thanks.

Anyway, I digress.

It surprised me when the pawn transformed into an axe, which boosted Sai's power even more than it had been before. At first, I had no idea what it was. Is it some kind of weird transformation exclusive to his kind? No. Of course, it wasn't. It's not that simple.

Nothing will ever be simple, and life will always throw you a curveball in an attempt to ruin everything you're trying to do because it's hilarious to someone for some reason. But you know what's really funny here? It's that even with this unwanted and annoying surprise… it doesn't really matter. It doesn't make a difference. Not one bit.

After all, I had anticipated something going awry. I knew that, as low as it might seem, there was still a chance of something somehow fucking up.

"Even knowing what this is— seeing the disadvantage they're at…" Sona looks at me oddly. "You still think they have a shot at winning?"

You'll need something much stronger to stand a chance against a Balance Breaker Ichiban. Fuck you, life. You're not getting the best of me this time.

Though I did glare at Lucifer, realizing he never warned me about this, but even he was surprised at the turn of events. Apparently, he had never met the Lion King or any of its wielders when it got sealed, so he had no idea.

I forgive him. This time.

"They will win," I respond with a nonchalant shrug. "Unless they intentionally throw the match, Sairaorg and his team are losing."

"How can you be so confident while saying that?" Tsubaki asks.

"Are you watching the match with your eyes closed?" I snort and point at the screen. "Look. Even with Sai's new shiny weapon, he and Ichi are still equally matched."

"Akane, the point is Rias." Sona argues. "She is struggling. Bad."

True to her words, the Abaddon chick was much more powerful than I thought. Not in the raw power sense— she and Rias are pretty equal in that regard. But it's how skilled she is in using her portal magic.

Even with how aggressive the redhead is being, nearly every single attack is reflected back on her. Kuisha's portals have rendered Rias' magic completely useless, as any spell that she casts would simply enter through a portal and exit through another one next to her, hitting her instead.

This ultimately limits Rias to simple physical attacks, but even that isn't entirely foolproof, as Kuisha is still very able to use her portals to redirect the redhead's fists back to her face. However, that's not as consistent as some punches are landing.

The good thing is that Rias is fighting extremely aggressively, making it hard for Kuisha to retaliate properly. As much as I love making fun of her, Rias isn't stupid at all. Even though she's struggling, her plan is clear to me.

Still, this pretty much confirms it. Portal magic is too OP. I definitely need it.

"Rias definitely knows what she's doing," I answer Sona. "I mean, isn't it obvious?"

"Is it?"

"Rias isn't trying to defeat her opponent. As powerful as she is, Kuisha has her beat when it comes to traits. Her portals and Rias' destruction magic are a bad match." I explain. "What she's trying to do is buy time."

"Until her team can assist her in battle. That much is obvious." Sona nods.

"Well, that, but ultimately, she's counting on Ichiban to defeat Sairaorg," I add. "She's buying time and distracting Kuisha because if she and Sai gang up on Ichi, he's kind of fucked."

Even with his Balance Breaker, he'd have a lot of trouble keeping up with those two. The Abaddon girl's portals are a potent support tool because she could literally make Ichiban fight himself as he's too busy trying to hit Sairaorg.

And Ichiban hits like a truck coming at you at Mach speed. His punches hurt. He'd eventually wear himself out and get defeated, leaving Rias totally vulnerable, and Rias knows that very well. She knows that he's her only chance at winning this.

That's all a worst-case scenario, though. Rias has pretty much already won this match. With Koneko and Kiba already being very powerful and able to easily withstand an onslaught from nearly all of Sai's peerage, adding Akeno to the mix makes it unfair.

I lean back on the couch and smirk as Akeno's holy lightning devastates the competition, easily wiping out the rest of Sairaorg's remaining team. And the tides have already turned. Barely a few minutes have passed, too.

"Sairaorg Bael's Rook, Bishop, and Knight have been eliminated."

The remaining two enemies look shocked at the announcement, realizing that they might be out of their depth with this one. With the support of her team, Rias will have no trouble taking out Kuisha now.

Ichi didn't even have to use cape mode.

"So you were saying?" I look at Sona with a smug grin.

Sona blushes and clears her throat.

"I suppose I've been a little paranoid…" She admits.

"A little?" I giggle. "You've been in despair ever since the match started. Never thought you were so cynical."

"It's not cynicism. It's…" She pauses for a moment. "…Realism…?"

Even Tsubaki snorts at her weak response.

"The reality you live in sounds dark and depressing, then." I play along. "Being optimistic doesn't hurt every once in a while. Having faith in your friends is pretty important, you know?"

"Okay, I get it." Sona rolls her eyes, smiling playfully. "We did train very hard the past few months. Perhaps I shouldn't be so pessimistic."

As soon as she says that, we hear Sai speak from the TV screen as he and Ichi stop fighting for a bit. He's even starting to get overwhelmed seeing the constant boosts Ichiban gets during their battle.

"Haha…" He pants, looking a little tired. "Seems we have no other choice, my friend."

"Eh?" Ichiban blinks.

"I wanted to save this for the finals," Sairaorg adds. "But I can't hold back anymore. For the sake of my friends… I won't lose."

My confident smile drops, replaced by a frown, as Sairaorg is suddenly engulfed by a golden pillar of light—similar to how his pawn transformed into an axe, but on a much bigger scale—so big that nearly the entire battlefield is covered by the blinding glow of his Sacred Gear.

Even I have to close my eyes for a moment, feeling anxiety creeping up on me once I see Sairaorg in what I assume is his Balance Breaker. Golden armor covers nearly his entire body, exposing his face and his axe seemingly having vanished.

I can't sense what's going on in there, but from the looks of it, this is bad.

"W-what is this?" Tsubaki mutters in shock. "Is that his Balance Breaker…?"

That's it? Oh, well, it does make sense that he had a Balance Breaker prepared. Unless he's unlocked a level beyond that, it should be fine. I doubt it's anything special compared to Ichiban's broken subspecies.

"Not just any Balance Breaker," Sona claimed, making my blood freeze. "It's a subspecies!"

Oh.

"Fuuuuuck." I hiss.

I don't know why, but it feels like I'm being laughed at. Just when I thought we were safe…

No, wait, this doesn't mean that Ichiban is losing this. This is still within my anticipation— of things going wrong, that is. True, Sairaorg is stronger than I expected him to be, especially with this funny balance breaker, but it's nothing to Ichi. His should still be a lot more powerful.

Cape mode continuously increases his power and has him adapting to all kinds of damage. The more Sai hits him, the tougher Ichiban becomes, and he wouldn't know that. Something like Ichiban's subspecies needs one to knock him out as quickly as possible. Either that or you outlast his stamina, which is a lot easier said than done.

"No, it's still in Ichi's favor," I say calmly after thinking about it. "A nasty surprise for sure, but it's nothing to worry about. He's got this."

Both Sona and Tsubaki look at me pensively, but they say nothing.

It's going to be a little more challenging, but he's still winning this. And on the off chance that he doesn't, it shouldn't matter too much. I don't need Ichi to win the semi-finals, after all. The quest said 'win the tournament'. I just feel more comfortable encountering Rias' team if it comes down to it.

With this, Sai has shown all his cards before facing our team, and I could plan things in advance. After all, the supposed invasion will start before the finals, meaning a lot of opportunities to grow stronger using Devour.

So, either way, realistically, this works in my favor.

…I just kind of don't want to see Ichiban losing.

"So?" Sai says. "What do you think of this?"

"I had a feeling things wouldn't be this easy." Ichiban chuckles nervously at the sight of Sai's golden armor. "But I'm glad that's the case. Tournament wouldn't be so entertaining if the finals were the only exciting part of it."

"Precisely." The Bael devil agrees. "Though, what are you going to do now? Even if you had your balance breaker, I doubt you'd stand a chance against me when I'm like this."

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself, buddy," Ichi smirks, throwing his bat to the side as a red aura engulfs him. "You're not the only one with that kind of power."

Sai cocks an eyebrow in confusion before flinching and stepping back as Ichiban unleashes his unreasonably powerful cape mode, overwhelming the golden glow of his opponent's armor. It's so powerful that it stops the fight between Kuisha and Rias' peerage, stunning everyone present.

With his gauntlet now replaced by a cape on his shoulders, Ichiban steps forward with confidence. Now it's Sairaorg who looks as excited as he is nervous before he starts to laugh.

"So that's it?! That's why Rias was so confident with you on her team!" He points at Ichiban. "Yes, it makes sense. With someone like you… no wonder that girlfriend of yours was so sure of your victory!"

"And I'm about to prove her right," Ichiban responds as he gets into a combat stance, not even denying the girlfriend claim. Cute.

"I'd love to see you try." Sairaorg mimics him, preparing for battle.

Well, it's now or never. I hope Ichiban knows what he's doing, but when hasn't he when it comes to fighting?

– Sairaorg –

Compared to most pillar devils, Sairaorg had led a dreadful childhood.

He'd been shunned and ridiculed his whole life for something he had no control over. Unlike many others who hailed from the Bael clan, his inability to use the Power of Destruction and his general lack of demonic energy made him a target of harassment and mockery.

Constantly bullied by many, from kids his age to adults, to even his own father. So much so that he had been sent to the countryside to live the rest of his life in misery as his younger half-brother had become the heir to the Bael clan.

Not many could bear such shame, and a boy as young as he had been certainly could not.

Driven to deep depression, Sairaorg had simply given up and decided to lock himself in his room. Days had turned into weeks, and weeks had turned into months. He'd only barely eaten and had never left his bed, stuck in his own bleak thoughts.

Fearing for his well-being, his mother, Misla Bael, had tried everything in her power to make him feel better, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get him out of his room or his despair.

That was until certain people visited once upon a time.

It was a simple, quick visit solely because Sirzechs had let it slip that Sairaorg existed when Rias was around him, prompting the younger cousin to demand to see him, and whatever Rias wanted, she got handed to her on a golden platter. Sometimes literally.

She was a spoiled little brat who would cry and whine if she didn't get her way. Exactly like most other children of their generation— A type of person who Sai had grown to despise as a boy. They act like they own everything just because they have gotten the luck of the draw. What had made it worse was that, even though she was a Gremory, she had the Power of Destruction.

So when he'd heard she was visiting, he was already prepared to suffer more bullying by someone who had everything he could've wished for. But that wasn't what happened. Not at all.

Rias may have been one of the most spoiled heiresses he had ever seen, seeing that her brother was the Lucifer Satan, but she was different. She was weird even by devil standards. The first thing she did after hearing where he was was to kick his door open and demand he play with her.

With how timid he was, combined with how forceful she was, Sai didn't stand a chance. And surprisingly, she hadn't mocked him even once. The closest she'd done was to tell him to praise her for being a genius or pretty or whatever else, which never involved kicking him down. In fact, for the first time in what felt like forever, Sairaorg felt happy that he was being treated decently. Was he making a friend at last? That was what Rias made it seem like, as it wasn't the only time she had visited.

Her visits had become pretty normal. She saw him twice a week, and each time, their bond would grow stronger. Sai would feel confident and easy in her presence, as he did in his mother's—like the sister he never had.

He felt so comfortable that one day, he poured his heart out to her. His insecurities, fears, the way he felt ashamed of his existence— all of it. Rias heard all of it with an open mind, and as simple as she was, gave him a straightforward answer.

'Why not train?'

At the time, Sairaorg hadn't been very convinced. Training? How was that going to help when he was on the verge of being considered a cripple? His cousin responded by reminding him that every kid their age still trained, with or without a clan trait.

He simply had to train harder than everyone else, which he had. With barely any demonic energy, Sairaorg instead trained his body to its absolute limit. He learned from Senjutsu experts, mastered his Touki, and built his peerage by recruiting those who led similar lives to his. After many years, he challenged his younger brother and reclaimed his position as the Bael Clan heir.

This simple advice to 'train' was all he'd needed to hear. Looking back, Sai felt like a huge moron for not seeing it earlier. To this day, he didn't know what it had been about him that fascinated Rias so much.

Though, as much as I like her— Sai glared at the Red Dragon Emperor as his cape fluttered in the wind. I'm not losing here.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so tense. Even though his journey to get as strong as he was had been filled with many mighty adversaries, this was the first time he'd felt genuinely anxious. Even with his Golden Lion armor, he wasn't sure he'd win.

One might say he should target the actual king instead of the warrior in front of him, but Sai loved a good fight. He wasn't going to waste this chance. Plus, it wouldn't be so fun for the audience now, would it? He wanted to prove to the world that he could do this.

Sairaorg waited, looking for an opening in his opponent's stance before trying anything. The earlier fight had merely been a warm-up— now the real battle began.

Ichiban twitched and charged forward, moving extremely quickly, but Sai could see it— He anticipated the charge and timed his punch perfectly, only for his enemy to vanish and reappear behind him, kicking him in the back of the head.

Plowing a long and deep furrow, Sai didn't even have the chance to recover, as he was thrown to the air by a kick and then sent back down with a slam to the face. Each hit felt worse than anything he had ever felt prior— just what the hell was this Balance Breaker?

Knowing that he didn't have the luxury of suffering any more of those weighty strikes, Sairaorg stopped himself from smashing into the ground, flying forward toward Ichiban and landing a hit in the stomach, making him flinch and gasp in pain.

He responded with a jab to Sairaorg's face, who endured the pain with a grunt and struck back with equal strength, causing a shockwave to split the ground beneath them. Each hit from either combatant would shake the entire dimension, tearing the earth apart like it was nothing but cardboard.

And the two were evenly matched. Fist for fist, blow for blow, they were locked in a slugfest as they flew all around the area at speeds barely anyone could keep up with. There was no holding back on either side— Sairaorg used everything he had to keep his foe on the back foot.

But that was a lot easier said than done as Ichiban evaded one of his blows, spinning around and kicking him in the head before grabbing him by the leg, pulling him back, and slamming his fist into Sai's exposed face.

Sairaorg gasped and recovered as quickly as he could to avoid another devastating punch by catching it, answering with a golden blast of demonic energy that sent Ichiban to the ground, burying him beneath the earth.

"Rias Gremory's Knight, Yuuto Kiba, has been eliminated."

Good job, Kuisha. Sai smiled.

Obviously, even with the knight out, this wasn't over yet. Ichiban returned as quickly as he had been knocked down, soaring toward him with a roar. Red and gold auras fought for dominance as they clashed with their forearms, obliterating more of the arena as their battle only kept getting more and more destructive.

"This is incredible!" Sairaorg laughed joyously. "I never thought I'd encounter anyone like you, Kasuga."

"You're not so bad yourself," Ichiban replied. "You're the first person that's managed to keep up with me like this."

"High praise coming from the Red Dragon Emperor." He said, finding an opening. "But even against someone as strong as you, I won't lose."

Sairaorg dragged his opponent's arm down with deft movements before following up with an uppercut. He then grabbed Ichiban by the cape, flew down, and spun him around, smashing him into the earth several times before throwing him as hard as possible.

Sai went after him just as quickly, delivering a flurry of fast but heavy blows as Ichiban struggled to defend himself properly until his back was against the invisible edge of the pocket dimension. With his opponent in such a bad position, this gave Sairaorg an excellent opportunity to wail on him, which he did, hitting him faster and stronger with every punch.

"Rias Gremory's Rook, Koneko Toujou, has been eliminated."

He couldn't defend himself forever. Eventually, his arms would tire out and he'd be left completely vulnerable. With humans lacking the durability other races have, he'd be out cold in—

"ENDURE!"

As soon as that word echoed through the now-annihilated green plains of the arena, Sairaorg managed to land a punch in the face. Still, unlike before, Ichiban was nowhere near as affected as he almost immediately responded with his strike, sending Sai away and giving himself some breathing room.

What was that? Sai wiped off the blood from his mouth, glaring at Ichiban. Did it say 'endure'? Since when could it—

He wasn't given a moment to consider what he had just heard and seen before his opponent was charging again. Sai could barely block a kick, and when he managed to answer with his own strike, Ichiban was hardly damaged as he didn't bother to defend or evade.

"What—?!"

His shock was interrupted by a headbutt that made him black out for less than a second, eliciting a pained gasp from him as each time Ichiban hit him, each time it felt more painful. Sairaorg tried to counter, but his foe simply vanished in a burst of amazing speed, elbowing him in the chest.

Each time Sai attempted to hit back, Ichiban would either avoid it or tank it like it was nothing, as every second that passed while they were fighting, it was getting harder for him to do anything.

He's growing as he fights. Sai realized. So, this is his true power? This could be bad. Any longer, and I'll quickly be outmatched.

"Sairaorg Bael's Queen, Kuisha Abaddon, has been eliminated."

Damn it. He thought in frustration. Well, it's do or die.

With a mighty roar, Sai increased the output of his Touki— a secret technique that risked tearing his muscles apart for extra power, but he had no other choice. His strength and speed skyrocketed, more than enough to force Ichiban back on the defensive.

He slammed his opponent down, grabbing him by the head as they collided with the earth below. With Sairaorg on top, he stomped on Ichiban's left arm, hearing sickening cracks followed by a scream of agony.

"ENDURE!"

Ichiban gritted his teeth, but he was powerless and stuck in his place as Sairaorg smashed his opponent's face with his fists repeatedly. Over and over, as each hit expanded the size of the crater they were in.

To his absolute shock, as he bled from his mouth, nose, and every wound on his head, Ichiban toughed it out, using his good arm to block whatever he could. Even though he was just a human…

"I won't lose." He growled behind gritted teeth. "I promised… I promised I'd win!"

With that declaration, Ichiban forced Sai off him, tackling him down and returning the favor. But Sai knew he couldn't let this happen to him, as he knew he wouldn't last very long, so he used his demonic energy to form a blast that launched the Red Dragon Emperor away.

Sai got out of the crater and saw Ichiban deflecting the blast before falling to his knees and panting in exhaustion. This gave him the perfect opportunity to win— with him so vulnerable, one powerful attack was all he needed to land.

From where he was, Sairaorg saw the approaching Rias and Akeno on their way to assist him, so he had to be quick.

For the sake of my friends… He thought, taking a deep breath. And to prove that hard work can overcome any obstacle…

So he got in a position and charged most of his demonic energy into one attack, mixing it with the Golden Lion's power and creating a large, gold magic circle in front of him. This alerted all three enemies as the two girls rushed to the struggling Ichiban's aid.

"I will defeat you, Ichiban Kasuga!" Sairaorg swore. "I WILL win this tournament!"

And with a mighty roar, Sairaorg Bael unleashed his attack— an enormous wave of gold that threatened to destroy the very dimension they were in, tearing apart whatever remained of the arena until all that was left were stones floating above an endless abyss.

Ichiban, disorientated by the sudden destruction around and exhausted beyond belief, couldn't move out of the way and was caught in the attack, engulfed by the powerful energy wave that had the power to wipe out entire human countries— no, it was powerful enough to lethally injure a Satan-class being.

"ENDURE!"

…But to his shock, it wasn't enough.

Deep within the blinding light beam, a dark silhouette rose from the ground, slowly approaching the stunned Sairaorg. He didn't let this distract him as he put more power into the attack but to no avail.

"ENDURE!"

Instead of being slowed down or defeated, Ichiban grew stronger. He closed the distance quicker and quicker until he was just a dozen meters from Sairaorg, at which point the third announcement was made.

"ENDURE!"

And with it, the powerful golden wave of energy dispersed, revealing his opponent at the peak of his power, bruised, burned, and bleeding, but having easily resisted his attack and prepared a finishing blow. The faint visage of a brilliant red dragon accompanying Ichiban's fist could be seen, prompting Sairaorg to smile, accepting his defeat at the hands of a worthy adversary before losing consciousness as Ichiban's attack connected, destroying the rest of the arena as they both fell into the void.

– Akane –

"Sairaorg Bael has been eliminated. The victor is Rias Gremory."

"Yes!" Sona stands up, uncharacteristically excited, as she pumps her fist in celebration. "Well done, Kasuga!"

"This was very close," Tsubaki adds with a relieved sigh.

I can't help but smile at the results as I see Rias jumping in joy and celebrating as she's teleported out. This was too close for comfort— Seeing Sairaorg having a third surprise in that weird Touki power-up he used, a big part of me thought Ichi was going to lose.

But as I thought, my calculations are perfect. The match could get as close as it wanted— Rias still won, and I'm proven right. Nothing feels better than knowing I'm always right and I've never been wrong. Ever.

I guess 'encouraging' Ichi with my promise helped a ton. I've never seen him so motivated before. He ate that beam of energy and still fucked Sai up. That was honestly really fucking cool to see. Extra points there.

Though, I did get really worried. Had Ichi been ever-so-slightly weaker, that attack would've probably killed him. I don't know how I'd react if that were to happen, but probably not in a good way. I'm glad he was relatively unharmed, barring a broken arm. With Phenex Tears around, he'll be healed instantly and ready to fight for the invasion.

Nice try, Life. But I won this time. Now here's hoping Diodora and his little friends don't give us as many problems.

Just one more obstacle, Akane. You just proved that perfection can be achieved. Don't fuck up this time.

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