At that very moment, the real battle began. Without waiting for Ruvel's command, both Knights and Rooks moved swiftly, carrying their fallen comrades out of the field.
Meanwhile, the Bishop and Queen of the Phoenix Peerage had already combined their magical power.
A massive sphere of fire formed in the sky—blazing like a meteor ready to annihilate everything in its path.
The fiery mass plummeted, crashing into the ground with cataclysmic force.
A thunderous explosion erupted, shaking the entire area and unleashing a scorching shockwave that burned the air and tore through the surrounding courtyard.
Riser grinned arrogantly, convinced that his opponent had been completely obliterated. But that grin quickly vanished the moment the dust and smoke began to clear.
At the center of a crater five meters deep and fifteen meters wide stood Rian—completely unharmed.
"W-What… how is that possible?" Ruvel muttered in disbelief. "A defensive spell? Impossible… What kind of lowly human is that…?"
The next instant, Rian moved faster than before, leaving behind a long trail of blue light—Blue working flawlessly.
In a mere heartbeat, the battle was over.
Every member of Riser Phoenix's Peerage lay unconscious on the ground.
Riser himself received what could only be called "special treatment"—his head was buried deep into the earth, leaving only his body sticking out.
Now, amid the wrecked courtyard, Rian stood calmly. Hanging from his arm was Ravel, slung over his hip like a sack of rice—upside down.
Rian looked completely unbothered, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. After all, he was simply keeping his own promise—to teach the sharp-tongued girl a little lesson.
Ravel's face flushed crimson, caught between embarrassment, anger, and utter disbelief at such a humiliating position.
"Let me go, you insolent human!" she shouted furiously. "How dare you treat the daughter of the Phoenix family like this!?"
Rian merely cast her a sidelong glance, his lips curving slightly as though suppressing a laugh.
"The daughter of the Phoenix family, huh?" he murmured softly. "Then you should know better than to speak without manners… shouldn't you?"
Ruvel bit her lip, holding back her anger and embarrassment. The magic fire around her flared up briefly, but suddenly Rian swung his palm without hesitation and slapped Ruvel's butt.
Smack!
"Hiii!" Ruvel screamed loudly, her face red and her body tense, "That hurts!!!"
However, one slap was not enough. So, Rian grinned and slapped the girl's butt several times like punishing a naughty child.
"Kyaaa!!"
As a result, Ruvel screamed every time Rian's palm hit her buttocks. Although it didn't cause any injuries, the pain was still extraordinary because Rian used his full strength.
At the window of the collapsed Occult Club building, Asia and Gesper covered their faces, their faces red. Issei was being pulled by Rias while screaming in panic, Akeno covered her mouth while laughing.
Grayfia could only massage her temples wearily, while Kiba sighed deeply.
Finally, Koneko stared at the scene with an expression that was difficult to interpret, "The worst... Rian-senpai is really the worst."
***
Before long, Rian decided that Ravel had been taught her lesson.
The girl now stood slightly bent over, one hand on her sore backside, glaring at Rian with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Rian chuckled softly at her expression. With a casual motion, he patted her head, catching Ravel off guard.
"Next time, mind your words, Ojou-chan… or should I call you the Phoenix Princess, hm?" he said lightly.
"Hmph." Ravel huffed, her face still flushed as she turned her gaze away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Seeing that, Rian gave a faint smile and gently ran his fingers through her blonde hair.
The motion was so natural that Ravel froze for a moment. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red—but strangely, she didn't feel disgusted, despite what he'd done earlier.
"Damn it!"
A sharp shout broke the moment. Both Rian and Ravel turned toward the source of the voice at once.
There, Riser's head slowly emerged from the ground—his face smeared with dirt, but his eyes burned with pure hatred. He had just regained consciousness—and it was clear who his rage was directed at.
Before Rian could even open his mouth, a sudden notification popped up right in front of him.
Ding!
[Herald Serial No. 90,000 has triggered Side Mission - C Rank: Rating Game]
[Herald Serial No. 90,000 has triggered Side Mission - C Rank: Dragon Oppai]
___________________
> Title: Rating Game
Rank: C
Description: Train Rias Gremory's Peerage and win the Rating Game against Riser Phoenix's Peerage.
Reward: 5000 System Points
> Title: Dragon Oppai
Rank: C
Description: Guide the being known as Issei Hyoudou to not only gaze at oppai, but to properly activate his Boosted Gear. For the sake of the future… and bigger breasts.
Reward: 5000 System Points
___________________
Rian quickly scanned through the mission descriptions, his eyes calm and steady—like someone who had already seen this coming.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ravel slowly stepped toward Riser.
Riser, who had just managed to pull himself out of the ground, immediately began venting his frustration—but unfortunately, Rian didn't even bother acknowledging him.
"Dragon Oppai…? Seriously, what the hell. This world is way too kind to Hyoudou-kun," Rian sighed inwardly. "Well, can't be helped. He's the MC of this world, after all… damn golden child."
Without showing much emotion, Rian closed the holographic screen with a simple thought.
"Alright," Rian said, cutting through Riser's angry rambling. "I get it. You're mad at me. But the truth is… there's nothing you can do about it, right?"
Riser froze at those words, his jaw tightening as he tried to contain his rage. Deep down, he knew Rian was right — their power levels were on completely different planes.
"So," Rian continued casually, "how about this? Let's have a Rating Game. Your opponent… will be Rias. The winner gets to demand anything from the loser's side."
His tone was calm, but every word carried a subtle pressure that made the air around them tense.
"I've also heard about your engagement," Rian said, his eyes fixed on Riser, expressionless. "Hyoudou-kun and Rias-chan's peerage clearly don't approve."
He paused for a moment, his smile thinning. "Coincidentally… I'm not a fan of it either."
Rian's gaze then shifted toward Rias and her peerage. "You're fine with my idea, right?"
Rias hesitated, her crimson eyes locking with Rian's for several seconds — a mix of admiration, uncertainty, and trust flickering within them.
Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded softly.
"Alright," Rias said firmly. "If this can bring an end to everything… then I agree, Rian."
A faint smile tugged at Rian's lips, his eyes glinting with calm determination. "Good," he said simply. "Then let's begin this little game."
"Ahahaha!"
Riser's laughter burst out loudly, echoing through the dust-filled air. He looked at Rias with a mocking, arrogant grin.
"Fine then! Ten days from now, we'll have our Rating Game," he declared, pointing at her dismissively. "But don't get the wrong idea, Rias Gremory — you're still far too green for this kind of game."
He took a few steps forward, his voice dripping with mockery.
"A King who hasn't even won a single Rating Game dares to challenge me, Riser Phoenix? Hah! You should know your place."
Rias didn't respond, her sharp gaze locked on him, though the tightening of her fist betrayed her anger.
Before she could speak, a loud voice erupted from behind her.
"Don't underestimate Buchou!" shouted Issei, stepping forward. "Rias-sama isn't just strong—she's not alone!"
"We're all on her side! And I'll be the one to beat you, you arrogant bird-brain!"
Riser froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Bird-brain? Hah! You low-class devil!"
His grin widened smugly. "Very well, Hyoudou Issei. I'll make sure you regret those words when we meet on the Rating Game battlefield."
Issei clenched his fists, his eyes shining with resolve. "We'll see about that, roasted bird."
"And you," Riser turned his gaze to Rian. "Lowly creature—whoever you are—I'll crush Rias's Peerage and shatter your pride!"
"You'll regret making me like this!" he snarled, voice trembling. "I'll make sure you end up kissing my shoe. Remember that."
Rian shrugged both shoulders, like a prince accustomed to hearing commoners' complaints.
In an instant, magical circles bloomed beneath Riser and his still-unconscious Peerage. Without another word, Riser chose to leave—more precisely, to flee his humiliation.
A flash of sorcerous light wrapped around them, and in the next heartbeat… they were gone.