Part I:
The arena buzzed with anticipation as the second match was announced.
"Next match: Riser Phenex versus Diodora Astaroth!"
The crowd's energy was... mixed. Riser had his fans—mostly male devils who appreciated his all-female peerage's "aesthetics"—but he also had a reputation as an arrogant playboy. Diodora, meanwhile, was relatively unknown outside noble circles. A gentleman scholar, supposedly. Polite. Refined.
Something about him made Caelan's instincts scream.
The two Kings materialized on opposite ends of the arena with their peerages.
Riser Phenex stood with his arms crossed, flames dancing around him, his fifteen female servants arranged behind him like living decorations. Yubelluna, his Queen, looked ready for combat. The rest of his peerage ranged from eager to bored.
"Let's get this over with," Riser drawled. "I have a victory party to attend."
Diodora Astaroth stood calmly, his peerage arranged in perfect formation behind him. He wore an elegant suit, his smile never faltering, his green hair perfectly styled.
But his eyes...
Something was wrong with his eyes.
Caelan leaned forward slightly.
"What is it?" Freya asked, noticing his sudden focus.
"Something's off."
"Off how?"
"I don't know yet. But watch Astaroth carefully."
Down in the arena, Grayfia-as-referee raised her hand.
"This is an official Rating Game between Riser Phenex and Diodora Astaroth. Standard rules apply. The match begins... NOW."
The moment the barrier activated, Diodora raised one hand.
"I forfeit."
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
Even the crowd didn't know how to react.
"...What?" Riser looked genuinely confused. "What did you just say?"
"I forfeit," Diodora repeated calmly, his smile never wavering. "I have no interest in fighting you, Phenex. This tournament serves my purposes in other ways."
"SERVES YOUR PURPOSES?!" Riser's flames erupted. "You're insulting me! You're insulting this entire tournament! FIGHT ME!"
"No, I don't think I will."
Grayfia's voice cut through the confusion. "Diodora Astaroth has officially forfeited. Riser Phenex advances by default."
The crowd erupted in confusion.
"WHAT?!"
"HE JUST GAVE UP?!"
"IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED?!"
"THIS IS BULLSHIT!"
Up in the VIP box, Sirzechs frowned. "That's... highly unusual."
"It's suspicious," Caelan said flatly. "No one enters a major tournament just to forfeit."
"Maybe he realized he couldn't win?" Serafall suggested.
"Then why enter at all? No—he's here for something else. Something that has nothing to do with the actual fights."
Azazel's expression had gone serious. "Kid's right. That smile... I've seen that smile before. On fanatics."
"Fanatics?" Gabriel looked concerned.
"The kind who don't care about tournaments or glory. The kind who are here for a mission."
Down in the arena, Diodora bowed politely to Riser—who looked like he wanted to immolate something—and teleported away with his peerage.
Security immediately swarmed the area.
The match had lasted thirty seconds.
"Well," Azazel said, "that was anticlimactic."
"That was planned," Caelan corrected. "And I don't like it."
Kino tugged his sleeve. "Papa, why did the pretty green-hair man give up?"
"Because he's planning something. Something bad."
"Should we stop him?"
"We can't. Not without evidence." Caelan's eyes narrowed. "But we'll be watching."
Part II:
After a thirty-minute recess—during which security swept the entire colosseum and found nothing—the third match was announced.
"NEXT MATCH: RIAS GREMORY VERSUS SAIRAORG BAEL!"
The crowd went INSANE.
This was the match everyone had been waiting for. The Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess versus the Lion King. Power of Destruction versus pure martial supremacy. The underdog heiress versus the underdog champion.
It was perfect.
In the VIP box, Venelana gripped her husband's hand tightly. "She can do this. She can do this."
"She's trained hard," Zeoticus agreed, though he sounded uncertain.
Sirzechs stood rigid, his usual playful demeanor completely gone. "Come on, Rias. Show them what you've got."
Azezal's expression was carefully neutral, but his hands were clasped together. "She's strong. She'll be fine."
Serafall bounced excitedly. "SO-TAN'S BEST FRIEND IS FIGHTING! GO RIAS-CHAN!"
Caelan watched silently.
He'd trained her peerage for four weeks. Drilled them relentlessly. Given them strategies, tactics, contingencies.
But Sairaorg Bael was... different.
The man had no inherited power. No Power of Destruction. No special bloodline abilities. Just pure, unrelenting will that had elevated him to Ultimate-class through sheer training.
He was what Caelan could have been, if he'd chosen the path of physical supremacy instead of ice and intellect.
"Papa," Kino whispered, "is Auntie Rias going to win?"
Caelan was quiet for a long moment.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But she has a chance. A real one."
Part III:
Both teams materialized on the battlefield.
Rias Gremory stood at the center of her peerage, the Power of Destruction crackling around her like crimson lightning. She wore battle armor that Caelan had helped commission—practical protection with mobility, reinforced against physical strikes.
Her peerage spread out in formation:
Akeno in the air, lightning already dancing between her fingersKoneko and Rossweisse as the defensive anchorsKiba and Xenovia as mobile strikersAsia protected in the rear with GasperIssei in his Scale Mail Balance Breaker, red dragon armor gleamingRavel providing tactical support and phoenix flames
Sairaorg Bael stood alone at first, his massive frame radiating power. Then his peerage emerged from behind him:
Kuisha Abaddon, his Queen, elegant and deadlyRegulus, the spirit lion, prowling at his sideThe rest of his carefully selected team of outcasts-turned-champions
"BEGIN!"
Sairaorg moved first.
Not toward Rias. Toward Issei.
The Lion King had identified the biggest threat immediately—the Red Dragon Emperor in Balance Breaker.
"BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!"
Issei's power multiplied rapidly, his dragon armor glowing brighter with each boost.
"DRAGON SHOT!"
A massive beam of crimson energy erupted from his gauntlet.
Sairaorg punched through it.
His fist, wrapped in pure demonic energy and touki, shattered the dragon blast like glass and connected with Issei's armored chest.
The sound was like a meteor impact.
Issei flew backward, crashing through three trees before slamming into a boulder.
"Issei!" Asia screamed.
"I'm okay! I'm—BOOST! BOOST!—I'm okay!"
But Sairaorg was already moving again.
This time toward Xenovia.
The holy sword wielder brought Durandal down in a devastating arc. "DURANDAL BIRTH!"
Sairaorg caught the blade.
With his bare hand.
"Impressive weapon," he said calmly. "But you rely too much on its power."
He twisted, yanked the sword from her grip, and struck her with a palm strike that sent her flying.
"One Knight retired."
The crowd roared.
Sairaorg was a monster.
But Rias had planned for this.
"FORMATION OMEGA!" she commanded.
Her peerage scattered—not in panic, but in coordinated chaos. This was one of Caelan's strategies: don't fight Sairaorg head-on. You'll lose. Instead, force him to choose targets while wearing him down.
Akeno unleashed lightning from above. "Holy Lightning!"
Kiba darted in with his speed, slashing at Sairaorg's blind spots with Blade Blacksmith-created swords.
Koneko and Rossweisse hit him from opposite sides, their Rook strength creating pincer attacks.
Ravel provided ranged fire support, phoenix flames forcing Sairaorg to constantly adjust his footing.
And Issei, recovered from the first hit, kept boosting. "BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!"
"WELSH BLASTER BISHOP!"
His armor transformed, generating massive dragon cannons.
"DRAGON BLASTER!"
The combined energy attack—boosted thirty-two times—hit Sairaorg directly.
The explosion was enormous.
When the smoke cleared, Sairaorg stood there, his armor cracked, bleeding from multiple cuts.
But still standing.
"Now that," he said with a genuine smile, "was impressive."
Then he activated his Balance Breaker.
"REGULUS NEMEA: LION KING OF THE IMPERIAL PURPURE!"
Golden light erupted from his body. Armor manifested—massive, leonine, radiating raw power. The spirit lion Regulus merged with him, and suddenly Sairaorg wasn't just Ultimate-class.
He was beyond that.
"Oh shit," Issei summarized eloquently.
Sairaorg moved like lightning.
Kiba tried to intercept. Was batted aside like an insect. "One Knight retired."
Koneko tried to tank a hit. Was driven into the ground. "One Rook retired."
Rossweisse unleashed Norse defensive magic. It shattered. "One Rook retired."
In less than twenty seconds, half of Rias's peerage was gone.
"AKENO!" Rias called out.
"Understood!"
The Queen descended, her fallen angel wings manifesting—black and beautiful and deadly.
"Time to get serious~"
She combined her lightning with her light-based fallen angel powers, creating a storm of holy destruction.
Sairaorg actually had to defend.
But his Queen, Kuisha, intercepted. "Hole!"
Her clan's ability opened portals that absorbed Akeno's attacks and redirected them.
"One Queen retired," Grayfia announced.
Rias gritted her teeth.
It was down to her core team: Issei, Asia, Gasper, Ravel.
Against Sairaorg in full Balance Breaker, his Queen, and several other pieces.
"This is over," Sairaorg said, not cruelly, just factually. "You fought well, Rias Gremory. But—"
"FORBIDDEN BALOR VIEW!"
Gasper's Sacred Gear activated.
Time stopped.
Not for everyone. Just for Sairaorg and his immediate surroundings.
Three seconds. That's all Gasper could manage against someone that powerful.
But three seconds was enough.
"ISSEI! NOW!"
"BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!"
Issei's power multiplied to insane levels.
"ILLEGAL MOVE TRIAINA: QUEEN!"
His armor transformed, combining the abilities of all the pieces—speed, power, and magic.
And then—
"GIFT!"
He transferred all his boosted power.
Not to himself.
To Rias.
The Power of Destruction erupted from her like a tidal wave. Crimson and black energy that made the very air scream.
"I'M SORRY, SAIRAORG-SAMA!" Rias shouted. "BUT I'M NOT LOSING HERE!"
She unleashed everything.
Every ounce of power she'd accumulated. Every boost Issei had transferred. Every tactic Caelan had drilled into her.
The Power of Destruction carved through Sairaorg's Balance Breaker armor.
Not completely. But enough.
Enough to crack it. Enough to wound him. Enough to—
The time stop ended.
Sairaorg staggered, blood pouring from a massive chest wound.
His Balance Breaker flickered.
He looked down at the injury, then up at Rias.
And smiled.
"Magnificent."
Then he charged again.
But this time, he was wounded. Slower. Mortal.
Issei, out of boosts but not out of determination, met him head-on.
"DRAGON SHOT!"
"REGULUS IMPACT!"
The two attacks collided.
For a moment, they were evenly matched.
Then Rias added her Power of Destruction to the equation.
The combined attack overwhelmed Sairaorg's defenses.
The Lion King crashed to the ground.
"Sairaorg Bael has been retired. Rias Gremory wins!"
The colosseum exploded.
Not with polite applause.
With absolute chaos.
"WHAT?!"
"SHE BEAT SAIRAORG?!"
"THE CRIMSON PRINCESS ACTUALLY WON?!"
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"GREMORY! GREMORY! GREMORY!"
Part IV:
In the VIP box, there was stunned silence.
Then Venelana burst into tears. "SHE DID IT! MY BABY DID IT!"
Zeoticus was laughing and crying simultaneously. "That's my daughter! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!"
Serafall was bouncing so hard she nearly fell out of the box. "RIA-CHAN WON! RIA-CHAN WON!"
Sirzechs just stood there, tears streaming down his face, unable to speak.
Even Azazel looked impressed. "Kid actually pulled it off. Transfer-boost combo with time-stop setup. That's... that's brilliant."
Gabriel was smiling radiantly. "Such a wonderful display of teamwork!"
Freya nodded approvingly. "The girl has warrior's spirit."
Caelan sat very still.
Then a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Well done, Rias," he murmured.
Kino looked up at him. "Papa, you're smiling!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are! You're HAPPY!"
"I'm merely... satisfied with the results of my training investment."
"You're PROUD of Auntie Rias!"
"I don't get proud."
"LIAR!"
Everyone in the box turned to look at him.
Caelan's smile vanished instantly. "Stop staring at me."
"You DO care!" Serafall declared. "The Ice King has a heart!"
"I don't—"
"Papa has a heart! Papa has a heart!" Kino chanted.
"I'm leaving."
"You're not leaving," Sirzechs said, amusement breaking through his tears. "You're going to sit here and admit you're proud of your student."
"Client. Not student."
"Semantics."
Caelan looked at the ceiling. "I regret all of my life choices."
"Too late! You care about people now!" Serafall declared triumphantly.
Part V:
In the medical bay, Sairaorg Bael lay on a recovery bed, his wounds being healed by specialized devil physicians.
Rias entered quietly.
"Sairaorg-sama. I'm sorry I—"
"Don't apologize." He sat up, wincing slightly. "That was the best fight I've had in years. You earned that victory."
"But you're injured—"
"And I'll recover." He smiled. "Your strategy was perfect. Wear me down, exploit the time-stop, use the transfer-boost combo when I was vulnerable. Your tactician taught you well."
"Caelan-sensei planned most of it."
"Then he's as brilliant as they say." Sairaorg extended his hand. "Congratulations, Rias Gremory. You're going to the semifinals."
She shook his hand, tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Now go celebrate. You've earned it."
Part VI:
That evening, the updated tournament bracket was displayed throughout the Underworld:
SEMIFINALS:
Rias Gremory vs. Lucien GremoryRiser Phenex vs. Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas
The two Gremory would face each other.
Crimson versus Crimson.
Power of Destruction versus Power of Destruction.
The Ruin Princes versus the Golden Prodigy.
In the Eastern Domain, Caelan stood on his balcony, looking at the announcement.
"Rias versus Lucien," he murmured. "This should be interesting."
Kino appeared beside him. "Will Auntie Rias win again?"
"I don't know. Lucien is... significantly more powerful. And he won't underestimate her like others did."
"But you trained her!"
"I trained her to fight smart. But sometimes, raw power trumps intelligence."
"That's sad."
"That's reality."
Kino was quiet for a moment.
"Papa... if your King piece wasn't broken, could you beat Uncle Lucien?"
Caelan looked down at his daughter.
At those glacial blue eyes that held no judgment. Just curiosity.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe. Maybe not. We'll never find out."
"Why?"
"Because some things aren't meant to be tested."
"That's a dumb reason."
Despite himself, Caelan smiled. "Yes. Yes, it is."
They stood together in the cold, watching the stars above the frozen domain.
And somewhere deep in his chest, Caelan felt something he hadn't felt in years:
Anticipation.
The semifinals would be interesting indeed.