The moment Issei shouted his claim, Riser stepped forward.
Bright orange fire flared around his body, heat rolling off him in waves. The air shimmered, distorting like a mirage. Some of the guests instinctively backed away, sweat forming on their brows.
Riser's eyes narrowed. His lips curled into a cold smile as he prepared to speak—
"Now, now," a calm, elegant voice cut through the tension.
A tall man with crimson hair stepped forward from the VIP seats, his smile warm yet carrying a quiet pressure that made the hall fall silent.
Sirzechs Lucifer.
One of the Four Great Satans, the Crimson Satan himself. Rias' elder brother. Hailed as the Strongest Devil.
He raised one hand lightly, as if to dismiss the commotion. "Isn't this quite the lively scene? Please, everyone, calm yourselves. This is an entertainment I personally prepared."
The words sent the nobles into uproar.
"Lord Lucifer!" one of them shouted. "This is a union between two Pillar Families!"
"Satans have no right to interfere with the decisions of noble houses!" another cried, slamming a fist on the armrest of his chair.
"Yes!" a third added. "Are you mocking the traditions that keep the Underworld stable?"
Sirzechs simply smiled, the picture of serenity.
"Isn't it fine?" he said mildly. "This is a rare chance, after all. A clash between a dragon and a phoenix, both carrying the pride of their kind. Surely this is something worthy to be recorded in the annals of history."
The hall fell silent again, this time from the sheer weight of his presence. The other nobles glared but did not press further.
To openly defy one of the Four Satans was a dangerous game, even for a Pillar Family.
Riser let the fire around him die down, though the heat still lingered. His golden eyes shifted to Rias, then to Sirzechs, and finally back to Issei.
"A clash between a dragon and a phoenix, is it?" His voice was calm again, but his smirk had returned. "Very well. Let us give them a show they will never forget."
Rias' fingers twitched on the wine glass she still held. For the first time that day, her expression was no longer hollow—she looked almost… interested.
Sirzechs clapped his hands once, and two magic circle appeared on Riser and Issei's feet.
"Do not resist, that will bring you two to a pocket dimension where you can fight to your hearts content."
Riser remained silent as the pocket dimension shimmered into place, the entire wedding hall vanishing and reforming into a grand battlefield designed for Rating Games.
He stood at one end, hands in his pockets, his posture loose and almost bored.
On the other side, Issei stomped forward, pointing straight at him. "I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp, Riser Phenex! Ten seconds is all I'll need!"
Riser chuckled softly, the sound carrying across the field. "Ten seconds? If you can land a single hit on me in ten hours, I'll surrender."
Issei's face turned red with anger.
Sirzechs' voice echoed across the field, calm yet resonant. "Let the duel begin."
Issei didn't waste time. "Promotion—Queen!"
Magic swirled around him as his Pawn piece glowed, and he transformed into his strongest form.
"I'm not as magically gifted as Akeno! I'm not as skilled as Kiba! I'm not as strong as Koneko!" Issei shouted, voice echoing like a vow. "But for Buchou's sake, I'll become the strongest Pawn and defeat even a god!"
At that moment, a crimson glow erupted from his arm.
"Boosted Gear!"
The gauntlet formed, its jewel pulsing. A deep, draconic voice thundered.
"Shine! Overboost!"
Crimson armor exploded across Issei's body, covering him head to toe in the Red Dragon Emperor's Scale Mail.
The watching nobles gasped in unison.
"Impossible!" one of them cried.
"That boy mastered the power of the Red Dragon?!"
"His power is overflowing! As expected of the legendary dragon!"
Riser's smirk widened. He let his hands slip from his pockets, crimson fire sparking between his fingers.
"Good," he said quietly. "This might actually be fun."
The ground beneath Riser's feet began to glow from the heat, and the entire battlefield temperature spiked, making even the barrier walls waver like a mirage.
"Due to my strength, I can only maintain this for ten seconds. But that is more than enough to beat you!"
Issei roared as he charged forward, gauntleted fist cocked back, and swung with all his strength.
Riser tilted his head lazily, letting the punch pass harmlessly through empty air.
Another swing came. And once again missed.
A kick followed, wild and telegraphed, and Riser simply stepped aside.
The Phenex heir never even raised his guard. He weaved around every attack, his expression calm, almost bored.
"Hold still, damn you!" Issei shouted, frustration boiling over. "If you're a man, don't dodge!"
Riser finally let out a soft laugh, the sound dripping with mockery.
He didn't answer. He felt like his IQ would drop if he try to respond to that. Who the hell would take a hit in a fight if they can dodge?
Not everyone is Kenpachi.
Then, Issei's eyes lit up. He saw what he thought was an opening and took it.
At near point-blank range, he hurled something small and shining straight at Riser's chest.
Riser shifted just enough for it to miss. The object clattered to the ground, spinning until it came to a stop.
A crucifix.
The watching nobles gasped in shock.
Riser's golden eyes narrowed, his usual lazy expression sharpening. His gaze turned to Issei as the air grew hotter.
"A holy item?" he asked, voice calm but edged with heat.
Issei looked almost triumphant. "Yeah! I gave up my arm for this!"
He held up his left arm, the dragon-scale gauntlet gleaming. "Turned it into a dragon's arm so I could hold it without getting burned!"
For a moment, Riser said nothing. Then he nodded once, as if conceding that this was, at the very least, clever.
"I see," Riser said. His tone was still calm, but the mirage-like waves around him flared hotter.
He tilted his head slightly. "But tell me... why is your armor still here?"
Issei blinked.
"You said you can only stay in that form in ten seconds," Riser continued. "That was more than ten seconds ago. Shouldn't it have vanished already?"
Issei clenched his teeth but said nothing. Instead, he roared and charged again, fists swinging.
Riser smirked, heat radiating off him like a furnace. He still didn't bother dodging out of necessity, he did it because Issei's attacks weren't worth meeting head-on.
As Issei appeared near him again, desperate to land a hit, he hurled a small vial he took from his pocket using his dragonified hand.
The liquid splashed toward Riser...only to vanish into steam before it even touched him.
Riser barely blinked. He looked at the stunned boy and let out a low chuckle.
"Let me guess," he said, voice calm, mocking. "Holy water?"
He raised one hand, letting heat radiate from his palm. "But as you can see... that's not enough."
His fist ignited, flames bursting to life in a brilliant red-orange glow. In one smooth motion, he stepped in and drove his fist straight into Issei's chest.
The impact rang out like a gunshot.
Issei screamed, his voice raw with agony. His crimson armor shattered and dissolved in glowing fragments. His chest smoked, flesh charred black where the punch had landed.
He groaned in pain, writhing around on the ground like a worm sprinkled with salt.
Riser did not stop. He walked forward at an unhurried pace, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the suddenly silent pocket dimension.
He stopped right in front of the writhing Issei, looking down at him with a calm, almost amused expression.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" he said softly.
He raised his hand again, letting the flames flare hotter, casting long shadows around them.
"You know what these flames are?"
The nobles watching outside leaned forward.
"This is not ordinary fire," Riser continued. "This is a magic I created myself. I studied the abilities of fire dragons, their physical strength and magical traits. Then I built a spell made for one purpose."
He let the flame coil higher, burning like a miniature sun.
"To kill dragons."
His words were quiet, but they hit harder than any shout.
"I call it..." He smiled faintly. "Fire Dragon Slayer Magic."
Of course, that was a lie. But he needed something to tell to everyone present where he got this power.
He let the flame crackle menacingly as he crouched slightly, making sure Issei saw every flicker.
"Yes. A magic to completely humiliate those arrogant and proud beings. You're the first one I tested it with."
Outside, his words caused a commotion among the nobles and high-class devils. Murmurs spread like wildfire.
"Dragon Slayer Magic?"
"He created it himself?!"
"If that's true, then..."
Shock, awe, and a trace of fear filled the air as everyone realized that Riser Phenex was not just a lazy, arrogant heir—he was dangerous.
Even Sirzechs furrowed his brows.
'Sister...I might not be able to help you anymore.'