The reactions to participating in the Rating Game varied among the girls. Asia, who disliked conflict, looked a bit distressed, while Xenovia was radiating excitement. Having broken through to the Maou-class and fully mastered the Holy Sword Durandal, she was itching to flex her muscles. However, only Rias's direct peerage was participating; Irina, who had become an Angel, and Mio Naruse were unable to join the official roster.
After giving them a brief briefing, Ethan turned his focus back to the Student Council. The real danger didn't lie with Rias's team—they were all Maou-class and moved as a pack. With Sirzechs and the others keeping a close eye on Ophis and the other two descendants of the Old Maous who possessed the "Snakes," almost no one could pose a lethal threat to them.
Sona Sitri's team was a different story. Even though most of them had received a massive power boost and were elite among the younger generation, the battlefield remained high-risk for them. Thus, despite Rias's team being summoned, Ethan decided to stick with Sona's group.
Time flew, and the tournament finally began. An artificial dimension had been constructed to allow the young Devils to fight without restraint. Under a crimson sky lay a patchwork of strange terrains: jagged mountains, sheer cliffs, dense forests, lakes, and even grand palaces and circular colosseums.
The Rating Game was modeled after chess—a test of tactics, utilizing the specific traits of each piece to weaken the enemy and achieve victory. Of course, if one's power was on a completely different dimension like Ethan's, these tactics became moot. Before Ethan's arrival, Sairaorg Bael was the pinnacle of this concept—he needed no peerage; his raw personal strength alone guaranteed victory.
Floating beneath the red arch of the sky, Ethan spread his senses wide. "It seems Diodora is quite impatient..."
"Diodora?" Sona asked in confusion. "Ethan, our opponent is—"
"Madam President, this tournament isn't going to finish," Ethan interrupted with a smile, quickly explaining the plot.
"I see. That explains why Rias and the others were suddenly added back to the roster," Sona's eyes sharpened. "I thought it was just because you were counted as my servant this time, and they wanted to balance the power levels."
Ethan shrugged. Rias hadn't been excluded because she was too strong, but because she had already proven herself against Loki. However, many noble Devils were dissatisfied with that, claiming they could do better. Rias's inclusion had silenced them, though some arrogant fools were still shouting about putting her in her place. They didn't realize she was only there because the higher-ups wanted more Maou-class powerhouses on the field when the war broke out.
Just as the Student Council girls finished processing the shocking news, magic circles began to manifest in front of them.
"The enemies are here. Get ready," Ethan commanded, breaking formation to intercept the strongest mana signature. This war was a perfect training ground for the council girls. Real combat was far more instructive than a game.
Diodora emerged from a glowing green circle, his gentle mask replaced by a look of frantic hatred. "As expected of the strongest Red Dragon Emperor... your senses are sharp." His face contorted. "But you die here today! Once you're dead, Asia will finally be mine!!"
Ethan gauged his strength. He barely scraped the Lower God level. Ethan didn't even need his Balance Breaker for this.
"Speechless? Oh, I get it. You're in despair," Diodora sneered. As more Old Maou Faction troops appeared, his confidence soared. "See? These are the enemies you face. Not just you—everyone who came to this tournament will die! Hahahaha!"
"Stop wasting breath, Diodora." Shalba Beelzebub finally appeared. He looked grim and impatient. "Finish the Dragon Emperor so we can regroup with Katerea and kill the rest."
Ethan studied the Beelzebub descendant. Good style, decent aura—a classic "less talk, more action" villain compared to Diodora. As for his strength... without the Ophis "Snake," he wasn't even as strong as the current Maou Beelzebub. No wonder they had to hide in the Abyss and crawl to the Khaos Brigade for help.
"Since the main stars are here, I'll get a bit serious." Ethan manifested his twelve-winged combat form but still refrained from using the Boosted Gear.
Seeing no red armor, Shalba frowned, but Diodora laughed. "Is this your 'serious'? I feel no pressure at all!"
Because the power gap was so vast, Diodora literally couldn't comprehend how strong Ethan was. He launched a full-power strike—a massive surge of mana amplified by Ophis's power.
When power reaches a certain level, techniques become simple. It was just a clash of raw energy. Shalba followed up, firing a brilliant, concentrated beam of mana toward Ethan's head. Both attacks struck Ethan dead center.
There was no explosion. No struggle. No wound. As the attacks reached him, a ripple of nearly invisible energy pulsed from Ethan's body, and the beams simply vanished into nothingness.
"Impossible!" Diodora screamed. "That was Ophis's power! How could a mere Dragon Emperor...!"
"Shut up," Shalba snapped. "He's far stronger than we estimated. But he hasn't used his Longinus yet. We still have a chance. I'll pin him down; you go kill that Sitri brat and regroup with Katerea."
Shalba cared about his revenge, not Diodora's obsession. But as soon as he spoke, he realized Diodora was useless. He abruptly thrust his hand through Diodora's chest.
"Useless trash. Don't waste the Snake's power."
Ethan watched the infighting with amusement, letting Shalba absorb Diodora's essence. Even with the extra power, Shalba only touched the edge of the Upper God tier. He was still no match.
As Diodora's soul was extinguished, Shalba looked at Ethan with dread and immediately diverted his attack toward Sona Sitri. He realized he couldn't win, but he could at least cause damage.
"Tsk. I'm standing right here, and you want to touch my woman?" Ethan waved a hand, a casual ripple of mana shattering Shalba's attack.
Seeing his strike fail, Shalba turned and fled. He decided to regroup with the others and try to overwhelm Ethan with numbers later. Ethan didn't bother chasing him. With Sirzechs, Serafall, Odin, and Michael on the other battlefields, the situation was under control. He stayed behind to protect the council girls, who were struggling against the sheer numbers of the Old Maou troops.
Ethan personally covered Ruruko and Vania, providing live combat instruction as he picked off enemies. Once the girls had reached their limit for growth, Ethan wiped the remaining enemies from existence.
"President, you guys head back first. I'm going to Rias's side."
"Be careful," Sona replied, knowing they would only hold him back now.
By the time Ethan arrived at Rias's location, the battle was ending. Sirzechs and the others had stopped holding back. With Katerea's "betrayal" from within the enemy ranks and Ethan's intervention, the Old Maou Faction was shattered. Ethan finished off the fleeing Shalba with a single strike.
Creuserey Asmodeus had already been pulverized by Sirzechs before Ethan arrived. Even with the Snakes, they couldn't stand against the true Maous.
"It seems it's finally over," Ethan said, gathering with the leaders.
"The Old Maou Faction is gone, but as long as the Khaos Brigade exists, there will be chaos," Serafall noted.
As they spoke, a small figure appeared silently next to Ethan. She was a petite girl with raven-black hair that reached her feet. Her eyes were voids of pure black, devoid of emotion, making her look like an exquisite doll. She wore nothing on her upper body save for two "X" shaped bandages over her small buds.
"Ophis?" Ethan blurted out. Her iconic appearance was unmistakable.
"This is unexpected... that you would show up in person," Sirzechs said, his voice tense. Odin gripped his staff tightly. "If we defeat you here, will peace truly come?"
"Impossible. I am unbeatable," Ophis said tonelessly, a tiny, confident upturn at the corner of her mouth. No one in the room, despite being the strongest in the world, contradicted her.
"Even with such power, you have no interest in the world. Why become the leader of terrorists?" Ethan asked. He felt a strange, primal pull toward her—not just his Dual Cultivation instinct, but a resonance in his very blood. Ophis felt it too; that was why she had appeared specifically by his side.
"Silence..." Ophis looked at Ethan, then up at the red sky, a flicker of longing in her eyes. "I only want the silence I once had in my home, the Dimensional Gap."
Ethan remembered her lore. Ophis was born from the "nothingness" of the Gap but was kicked out by the Great Red. She only led the Brigade to find a way back home.
As they talked, the tension among the leaders eased slightly, seeing that Ethan and Ophis were actually having a civil conversation.
"Red Dragon Emperor, I like you. Why not come with me?" Ophis asked suddenly. "When I return to the Gap, I can give you half. I won't kick you out."
Ethan scratched his head. He could survive there, but it was a void. "Sorry, but I prefer the noise of this world over the silence of the Gap."
"I see..." Ophis didn't push. "That is a pity."
The observers were stunned. Ophis had essentially asked Ethan to move in with her. To her, the Gap was home, and sharing it was the highest form of intimacy.
Ethan realized Ophis was incredibly naive, almost innocent. She didn't really care about the terrorism; she just wanted her "house" back. The problem wasn't Ophis—it was the Great Red, the one who kicked her out.