"I am the third son of the Phenex family—a pure-blooded Ultimate-class devil of the Underworld. Rias is mine for the taking!
"Anyone who dares provoke the Phenex family will learn the hard way—the difference between a noble house of the Underworld and some backwater yokai is absolute!"
Hearing Riser's overconfident declaration, the fourth daughter of the Phenex family, Ravel, standing nearby, immediately showed a look of blatant disdain.
"If I didn't know you nearly backed out earlier, I might have actually believed that just now," she said flatly. "Brother Riser, what you've done is downright underhanded. Even if you win this duel, it won't be an honorable victory."
"Oh, give it a rest! Luck is part of strength too, you know! And whose side are you even on?" Riser snapped, clearly embarrassed by his own sister's blunt callout.
In fact, Riser had begun to notice something strange.
Ever since returning from Kuoh Academy, his sister had been secretly gathering information about that half-yokai.
At first, he thought she was helping him—trying to secure his victory in this duel. He had even felt a bit touched, thinking all those years of doting on her hadn't been in vain.
But as time went on, something felt off.
Ravel never shared any of the information she gathered with him. Worse, she kept speaking positively about that half-yokai in front of their mother…
Riser also knew that recently, Ravel had been persistently asking their mother to allow her to transfer to Kuoh Academy in the human world.
Wasn't that just throwing herself straight into the lion's den?!
It wasn't enough that the guy was trying to steal his fiancée—now he was after his sister too?
If he didn't settle this score, could he even call himself a man?
Originally, facing someone like Ren—whose strength rivaled a "Dragon King"—Riser hadn't felt confident at all.
But now, even fate seemed to be on his side.
That arrogant half-yokai had been seriously injured by the White Dragon Emperor. His power was reduced to less than ten percent—and Riser could still bring his full set of reincarnated peerage members into the fight.
This match was practically in the bag.
At equal strength, Riser refused to believe Ren could defeat him. What had happened at the Occult Research Club before? Just a fluke—a lucky accident.
The Phenex family's bloodline ability was invincible!
"Welcome, everyone, to today's match! I'm your host for this Rating Game duel—Mado Gamaki!"
Dressed in a sharp purple suit, his violet-blue hair styled in a fashionable forward sweep, the announcer raised his microphone and, with just a few words, ignited the atmosphere of the entire arena.
"Although this is not an official Rating Game, the significance of this duel is no less extraordinary!"
"I'm sure you've all noticed—the lineup of spectators and judges present here today is unprecedented. Even the finals of the Underworld Rating Games rarely see such a gathering!"
"And as for our two competitors—both are figures of considerable reputation! The victor of this match will earn the right to become the future husband of a Gremory heiress!"
The crowd roared with excitement.
Part of it was the host's undeniable talent for hyping the audience—but more importantly, the VIP section alone was enough to send shockwaves through the Underworld.
Devil King Sirzechs. Serafall Leviathan. Ajuka Beelzebub. Fallen Angel Governor Azazel. And even Odin, chief god of the Norse pantheon.
These five served as the judges.
Meanwhile, the audience seats were filled with members of the 72 Pillar noble houses—beings whose status and power were second only to the Devil Kings themselves.
Frankly, even without knowing who the contestants were, most attendees already felt the trip was worthwhile.
In a typical Rating Game tournament, having one or two Devil Kings appear as judges was already a huge deal.
But today?
Three Devil Kings were present. Along with the leader of the Fallen Angels and a chief god from another pantheon.
With a lineup like this, there was no way this duel could be anything less than extraordinary.
Serafall, dressed like a magical girl and striking bizarre poses. Ajuka, who looked like he hadn't slept in days. Azazel and Odin casually commenting on the figures of women in the audience. And Sirzechs—wearing a serious expression, despite being a complete little-sister fanatic at heart.
Looking at these five immensely powerful—and utterly unhelpful—judges, even a seasoned host like Mado Gamaki didn't know where to begin with introductions.
He couldn't afford to offend any of them.
And yet… none of them seemed remotely normal.
Making the sensible decision, Mado Gamaki skipped over the "luxurious lineup" and moved straight to introducing the contestants.
"Entering from the left—Riser Phenex, the renowned third son of the prestigious Phenex family!"
"As a pure-blooded Ultimate-class devil, Riser has participated in numerous Rating Games. Both his personal strength and the power of his peerage are exceptional—he is truly one of the rising stars of the Underworld's younger generation!"
As the introduction echoed through the arena, a magic circle flared to life on the left side of the coliseum-like battlefield.
Riser made his grand entrance—accompanied by his full team of fifteen peerage members.
Just like before, his peerage consisted entirely of beautiful young women. And Riser himself, dressed in an ostentatious red suit, stood proudly at their center, basking in their attention.
In the section of the audience reserved for the Gremory family, Issei stared at Riser, who was surrounded by beauties, his face twisted with unmistakable envy.
Since this duel concerned her future, Rias had naturally come to the Underworld in person—there was no way she would stay behind in the human world.
Even Sona, as Rias's close friend, had accompanied her.
Sona's situation wasn't all that different.
Her older sister, Serafall, who was supposed to inherit the Sitri family, had instead become a Devil King—forcing Sona to take on the role of heir herself.
Unlike Rias, she hadn't yet been pushed into marriage.
But it was only a matter of time.
Watching what Rias was going through, Sona had already begun considering something—
If Rias managed to escape her predicament this time…
Maybe she should ask Ren-sensei for help when her turn came.
"Rias… Ren-sensei's injuries were pretty serious, right? Will he really be okay?" Sona asked quietly. "Riser is still a pure-blooded Ultimate-class devil, and he's more experienced in Rating Games than we are. Not to mention the troublesome nature of the Phenex regeneration…"
Hearing Sona's concern, Rias's expression grew troubled.
Truthfully, she had her doubts as well.
If this were Ren at full strength, she would have had complete confidence in his victory.
But after his battle with Ophis, his body still hadn't fully recovered…
And yet—
When she recalled all the enemies Ren had faced before, Rias's expression gradually hardened with determination.
"It'll be fine," she said firmly.
"Because Ren-sensei said to leave it to him."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"And he's never let us down before… has he?"