As the flames swallowed Ethan completely.
For a single heartbeat, everyone who wasn't panicking was looking at the inferno.
Before they could start praising Riser for his decisive action, something burst out from the center.
A burning chain tore through the sea of crimson flames with explosive force, crossing the distance in an instant before coiling tightly around Riser Phoenix's neck. Before anyone could react, the chain snapped taut. Riser's eyes widened as his feet left the ground, his body dragged helplessly across the polished marble and straight into the wall of flames that had consumed his opponent only moments before.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
Every eye followed Riser's body into the inferno, only to freeze as the flames slowly parted.
Ethan was still standing exactly where he had been.
Not a single mark could be found on him. The flames continued to rage around his body, yet they couldn't even scorch the clothes draped over the burning skeleton.
The chain tightened another inch, forcing Riser to look up.
Empty sockets filled with Hellfire stared back at him. For several long seconds, Ethan simply looked into Riser's eyes.
Nothing.
No overwhelming weight settled over his mind.
No instinct whispered that this soul deserved immediate judgment.
It was...
Ordinary.
Of course, there were lots of lustful activities, but if lust alone were enough to condemn a soul, then Issei would have died long before today.
Tilting his head ever so slightly, Ethan finally broke the silence.
"So..." His voice remained calm. "Are you going to help me find the idiot who got you into this much trouble... or do I need to use a different method?"
Riser's expression twisted with fury.
"You insane bastard!"
Flames exploded around his free arm as he drove a blazing punch straight toward Ethan's face.
The impact echoed through the hall as another burst of fire engulfed the burning skull.
Ethan's head barely moved.
"...Can't you see?" he said quietly. "Your flames don't—"
Before he could finish his words, a sword suddenly burst through his back, its gleaming tip emerging from the front of his chest.
The entire reception hall froze.
Several nobles instinctively relaxed, thinking it was over.
Ethan lowered his gaze.
The burning sockets lingered on the blade protruding from his chest.
"...Hm."
Without the slightest hesitation, he wrapped one hand around the exposed steel.
The attacker behind him immediately abandoned the hilt and leapt backward, unwilling to remain within arm's reach of the burning skeleton for even a moment.
As Ethan pulled, the sword slid straight through his own body with a harsh metallic scrape before coming free into his hand.
He gave it a brief glance, casually adjusted his grip, then rested the edge against Riser's throat as though nothing had happened.
The burning chain tightened slightly.
"...Perhaps," Ethan said, his voice as calm as before, "you should think about your answer again."
"Lord Sirzechs!"
The voice belonged to Riser's Queen. Her sword remained in her hand, but with the burning chain around Riser's neck and a blade pressed against his throat, there was nothing she could do.
"Are you truly going to stand there and watch?"
Silence settled over the hall as every eye turned toward Sirzechs. He studied the burning skeleton without a word. The figure before him stood exactly as it had from the beginning, unmoved by everything that had happened. It gave Sirzechs the distinct feeling that defeating him would be far more troublesome than he had first expected.
"...I suppose I have no choice." He stepped forward.
There was no burst of demonic power. Sirzechs simply took a single step. Then he vanished.
Ethan's instinct took over.
Ethan released the sword at Riser's throat and swung it toward the presence that had appeared beside him.
Clang!
Sparks erupted as Sirzechs caught the blade between his fingers, the force of the collision sending a violent shockwave through the reception hall. Cracks raced across the marble floor beneath them, while nearby nobles staggered backward under the pressure.
Riser didn't hesitate.
The moment the sword left his throat, he wrenched himself backward. Flames exploded around his body as he tore free of the burning chain, stumbling several steps away before regaining his balance.
Ethan's burning gaze remained fixed on Sirzechs. For the first time since arriving, he felt a faint sense of danger, an instinctive feeling that the man standing before him possessed the power to end his existence. The thought lingered for only a moment before Ethan dismissed it with quiet amusement. Impossible. He was Ghost Rider; there was no way he was going to die at the hands of some demon.
Around them, the hall had emptied almost instinctively. Guards escorted the remaining guests away while the members of both peerages retreated, leaving an open circle around the two figures standing amid the shattered marble.
Sirzechs slowly released the blade.
"I don't care who you are," he said evenly. "But this ends here."
For the briefest instant, the Hellfire burning within Ethan's empty sockets dimmed. He actually considered ending the confrontation there.
Then he remembered.
...There was a reward for defeating Satan.
The thought was enough.
His hand slipped into his coat and drew the pistol.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three consecrated bullets tore across the hall.
Sirzechs calmly raised a hand.
Crimson demonic power spread before him, and the holy bullets shattered against it before they could even reach him.
Ethan had expected as much.
Without the slightest hesitation, Hellfire flowed from his hand into the pistol. The flames raced across the steel, consuming every trace of its holy nature until the weapon itself seemed to change, its once-sacred aura replaced by an overwhelming demonic presence.
He pulled the trigger again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
This time, blazing Hellfire bullets roared from the muzzle, tearing through the hall with far greater force.
Sirzechs met them the same way.
The crimson barrier rippled as the Hellfire rounds struck it, but a moment later they too were swallowed by the demonic power, scattering into embers before reaching their target.
Sirzechs disappeared.
Ethan's burning gaze shifted.
A fist slammed into his abdomen.
Boom!
Ethan was hurled through the shattered entrance, crashing into the estate gardens before plowing a deep trench across the ground. Trees splintered apart in his wake, while loose earth and shattered stone rained down around him.
After sliding several more meters, he finally came to a stop.
Without wasting any time, Ethan quickly stood up.
His burning gaze lowered to his own body as he briefly examined the damage. Several bones had shifted from the impact, though none had broken completely. With a few deliberate movements, he set them back into place before lifting his head once more.
Above him, Sirzechs had already arrived with teleportation. Now he was just flying and thinking how to end it without damaging too much.
His expression unchanged, as though he had been there long before Ethan had finished standing. The ruined garden fell silent between them, neither making the first move as the air itself grew heavy with the pressure gathering around the two figures.
Author note: it's really hard to figure out since at current rate even if I agree he would be rescue by other problem is it feel like he have achieve nothing 🤔 because of this I am writing at snail pace. 😔
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