Rias brought everyone to meet Sirzechs Lucifer and Zeoticus Gremory.
"Welcome, Rias," Zeoticus Gremory greeted.
"Hmph!" Rias turned her face away with an annoyed expression.
"Ahaha…" Zeoticus Gremory let out an awkward laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
Next, Zeoticus Gremory looked at Issei.
"You're the one named Issei-kun?"
"That's right. You must be Rias-senpai's father."
"You're correct. Thank you for helping Rias."
"No problem. I did it for myself."
Zeoticus Gremory nodded in agreement, carefully examining Issei from head to toe.
"Just like Sirzechs said… you're very strong."
Issei turned to look at the adult man standing beside Zeoticus Gremory.
"You must be Rias-senpai's older brother—the current Devil King, Lucifer."
Sirzechs nodded gently and smiled at Issei. "Please take care of Rias."
"Leave it to me."
Issei struck his chest confidently, then slowly shifted his gaze toward the silver-haired maid standing behind Sirzechs Lucifer.
Grayfia Lucifuge—one of the women blessed with flawless beauty, from her perfect curves to her enchanting face.
To be honest, Issei had his sights set on Grayfia too. But since she belonged to the Devil King of Destruction, Sirzechs Lucifer, Issei didn't dare try anything with her.
'I can only hope a chance will appear for me to get her without force.'
As an absurdly powerful super devil, Sirzechs Lucifer had extremely sharp eyes. At the very least, even if it was only for a brief moment, he managed to catch Issei's feelings.
Instead of getting angry, Sirzechs only fell silent, as if he was thinking about something very seriously.
"Come on. Riser and his family are already waiting," Zeoticus Gremory said.
...
Issei and Riser stood in the center of the arena, with a blood-red sky as the backdrop.
"At the very least, I have to acknowledge your bravery, low-class devil."
"Seems like you're too stupid to understand your situation, Riser."
"What did you say?!"
Issei shrugged and replied coldly, "Nothing."
"How long are you going to keep looking down on devil nobility?! Today I'll destroy you so completely you'll never dare mock devil nobility again!"
BOOOOM!
Wings of fire exploded from Riser's back.
That blazing energy gave Riser an extreme boost in power—reaching a level that even Issei couldn't simply ignore.
'Partner, don't let your guard down. Your body is tough, but it can still be burned by this devil's flames.'
'I know, Ddraig. That's why this time, I'm going to rely on you.'
Boost!
The Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet appeared on Issei's left arm, releasing a bright crimson aura mixed with green.
"Let's finish this, Riser."
"Hmph! I should be the one saying that, low-class devil!"
Bang!
Riser shot forward at Issei at high speed.
Issei immediately threw a punch forward, directly colliding with Riser's fist.
BOOOOM!
Issei was blasted back dozens of meters before he could regain stable footing.
But at that moment, Riser had already closed in, ready to finish Issei off with a second punch.
BOOOOM!
Riser's fist slammed into Issei's face, creating an explosion that sent a shockwave spreading in every direction.
"Hahahaha! This is what happens when a low-class devil dares oppose devil nobility!"
Riser's laughter echoed, causing everyone to frown.
Rias looked worried. Asia prayed, but ended up getting a headache instead, creating a funny scene just like in the anime.
Koneko's eyes were locked onto the thick smoke in the arena.
"Ara~ ara~ ufufu, Issei-kun won't lose… especially not against Riser."
Kiba nodded in agreement, his eyes focused on the center of the arena, which was still covered in thick dust.
Shing!
Whoosh!
A crimson light emerged from within the dense dust, blasting away everything that blocked the view.
Riser was thrown back several meters, freezing as he stared at the source of the crimson glow.
"In the end, I have to use this… just as expected of you, Riser Phenex."
"Welsh Dragon—Balance Breaker!"
Ddraig's voice thundered across the arena, drawing everyone's attention.
"Balance Breaker… and in its most perfect form. This kid is truly something," Zeoticus Gremory muttered softly, staring in awe at Issei's Balance Breaker.
"He was already strong from the start. With Balance Breaker added on top of that… I can't even imagine how strong he'll become later."
"…Either way, it'll be very interesting to watch."
.....
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!"
Riser formed fireballs in both hands and hurled them toward Issei.
Issei casually swatted the incoming fireballs away with a light slap.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The deflected fireballs exploded like dynamite.
Issei kept walking forward, drawing closer and closer to Riser Phenex.
Riser Phenex was arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. Seeing Issei closing in, he realized he had chosen the wrong opponent.
Even so, Riser couldn't just give up. He flew backward, trying to keep his distance from Issei—but Issei immediately chased him down with draconic speed.
"For the sake of the future, I won't kill you… but I will make you repent, until you can't act arrogant in front of others ever again."
"Huh?"
Issei's punches rained down on Riser's body, dealing fatal wounds that were immediately healed by his regeneration ability.
... .. .
To be continued...