Yubelluna and Xuelan were only holding on by a thread of pure willpower. Once Ravel reached out to help, their spirits finally gave way, and they both lost consciousness.
Many members of the Phenex family felt that Ravel was wasting precious resources on these "broken" pieces, but she was, after all, the most pampered little princess. The cost of healing Yubelluna and the others wasn't astronomical, and the family elders viewed it as a small price to keep their darling girl happy.
Meanwhile, bolstered by his powerful innate regeneration and the full support of the Phenex clan's alchemical reserves, Riser quickly mastered the surge of power within him. Though he had sacrificed any hope of further natural advancement, the immediate results were undeniable.
Originally an S+ rank, he had vaulted over two major hurdles in a single leap, touching the threshold of a High-Tier Ultimate Devil. In the more common classification systems, he could be called a SSS- rank.
This immense power gave Riser absolute confidence. However, when he remembered how Ethan had used the Juggernaut Drive to cripple a Devil King-class opponent like Azazel, he still didn't feel a hundred percent certain of victory.
Unfortunately, even a Phenex's body had limits. He couldn't perform the forbidden ritual again so soon. Otherwise, he would have contracted another batch of servants just to drain them for more power. This was now his only path to growth, though it was a dead-end that capped out at the "Super Devil" level, just below the Gods.
Finding more servants willing to cooperate would be difficult. He would either have to pay a massive price in resources or use force. The former was expensive even for the wealthy Phenex family, and the latter—forcibly draining high-ranking devils—would turn the entire Underworld against them. Not even the four Great Satans could protect a family that treated other purebloods like cattle.
The God-tier beings and those above them possessed such destructive potential that they rarely fought within the Three Realms. Their battlegrounds were the infinite void beyond. Within the Three Realms, a Super Devil was the pinnacle of existence.
Knowing that the challenge was a trap, Ethan naturally made his own preparations. He attempted to break through his current bottleneck. The next threshold of life-essence evolution was the "God" stage, and there were many paths to explore.
To advance from SS+ to SSS, he either needed to perform Dual Cultivation with a woman of SSS-rank or higher, or he had to continue accumulating experience until a breakthrough occurred in the heat of battle. Currently, he had no SSS-rank targets available—and even if he did, a woman of that power wouldn't just spread her legs because he asked nicely.
Two days flew by. The entire Occult Research Club entered the Underworld via a massive teleportation circle. Mio Naruse was curious about the demon world and took the chance to tag along, with Maria following close behind like a shadow.
Thus, on Basara Tojo's first day as a transfer student, half the class was missing, and not a single familiar face was there to greet him.
In the Underworld, a sea of elegantly dressed Devil nobles looked up at the sky. A massive magical broadcast screen occupied half their vision. The Crimson Devil King, Sirzechs, finished his introductory speech, and the camera panned to a grand arena.
The colosseum was constructed entirely of white marble, looking identical to the ancient Roman Colosseum. In the center of the vast sands, two small figures stood in opposition.
As the cameras zoomed in, the curiosity of the demonic audience piqued. The two combatants were Riser Phenex and Ethan.
"The Dragon against the Phoenix. A battle between two legendary powers is about to begin," Sirzechs announced. He spoke to Ethan through a magical amplification: "Since Riser initiated this duel, he provided the initial stakes. But as the one presiding over this event, I shall not be stingy either."
"So, Inheritor of the Red Dragon Emperor, what reward do you desire? A title of nobility? A Sacred Gear? Or perhaps... a world-class beauty?"
Ethan looked up at the screen. He hadn't expected this kind of bonus. He really wanted to say he'd take a night with the silver-haired "Ultimate Queen," Grayfia, but with all the nobles watching, Sirzechs would likely have to kill him just to save face.
Ultimately, he chose a title. The sex could be negotiated privately.
"Lord Devil King, I'll take a title. Climbing the ranks through one Rating Game at a time is too tedious," Ethan said with a grin.
"Granted," Sirzechs agreed immediately. Ethan's strength was already there; he just lacked the formal status.
A few conservative, stubborn old devils started to grumble, but when they saw Rias standing right next to Sirzechs, they wisely shut their mouths. They were old, but they weren't stupid. Rias's relationship with the Red Dragon Emperor was common knowledge. This duel was basically Sirzechs finding an excuse to give his future brother-in-law a career boost.
If Ethan had chosen a "world-class beauty," Sirzechs was fully prepared to just officially betroth Rias to him. He adored his sister, but as the Devil King, he often had to play the villain for political reasons.
Recent events had proven Ethan's value—both his unique abilities and his raw power. Even the most hardline conservatives had to admit that having Ethan on their side was a boon. The reproductive potential of the Dragon Clan combined with his Dual Cultivation could rapidly increase the overall strength of the Devil race.
Of course, that assumed the next head of the Gremory family was willing to share her man with other houses. But would anyone ask Ethan's opinion? He didn't have to take responsibility; he could just let the high-tier demonesses do all the work while he enjoyed the ride. Who would refuse a "job" that involved incredible pleasure and a power boost?
Ethan didn't know the nobles were already planning to use him as a breeding stud, but if Rias and the others didn't mind, he wouldn't turn down a few casual flings.
"Let the battle... begin!" Sirzechs declared.
The screen vanished, and Ethan and Riser immediately took their stances. Unlike the Gremory family, which specialized in magic, the Phenex family excelled in close-quarters brawling due to their immortality.
Riser had spent the last forty-eight hours studying Ethan's combat data, trying to find a weakness. But Ethan grew too fast. He had only truly entered the high-level radar after his fight with Azazel, and there wasn't much else to go on.
"SSS-rank? That's a nice surprise," Ethan muttered. His sensory magic fed him the data, and his eyebrows shot up. He wasn't afraid; he was eager. This was a duel where death was on the table. He might actually find his breakthrough here.
"Hah! I'll give you time to activate your Sacred Gear. Otherwise, you won't last five seconds," Riser sneered, his eyes dark. Ethan was only SS+, while Riser was now SSS-. It was a small gap on paper, but an ocean in reality. To Riser, the only variable was the Boosted Gear.
Ethan didn't like to talk during a fight. "I don't need a Longinus to deal with you. A friendly tip: if you treat me like a standard High-Tier Devil, you're going to have a very bad day."
With a light chuckle, Ethan transformed into his Demon Form.
Vast bat-like wings unfurled, a tail tipped with a bone-chilling blade flicked behind him, and eerie, savage markings appeared on his face. The watching nobles gasped in shock.