The Strongest Eriri in History

As this thought crossed his mind, Riser's look of terror gradually shifted into madness.

"Everyone, our target is the enemy stronghold! There are only four of them, so give it everything you've got—take down Rias's team in one swoop!"

With that, devil wings spread from the backs of everyone present, while large flaming wings flared up behind Riser and Ravel. Under the two siblings' lead, the entire group advanced directly toward the Occult Research Club, no longer concerned with toying with Rias.

In a short time, the old school building that housed the club came into view, and they could clearly sense four familiar auras inside.

"They're all holed up in their base… Fine by me! Saves me the time of finding you—let me take you all out at once, Rias!" Riser shouted maniacally at the old school building.

Without hesitation, he channeled all the magic power within him, gathering an enormous fireball that he flung toward Rias and her team's location.

He no longer cared whether or not they survived his attack; killing was permissible in Rating Games, after all.

An upper-level devil's full-force attack against the old school building had devastating effects. The explosion instantly tore the structure apart, sending up a massive plume of dust that blanketed the area below.

Yet, despite the blast, there was no notification of any players exiting the game, causing Riser and his team's expressions to shift abruptly.

As the dust settled, Rias and her team appeared completely unharmed before them, the very picture of calm.

Not only were they unscathed, but the sofa on which they were sitting remained untouched.

Rias sat with one leg crossed over the other, sipping freshly brewed tea, gazing at Riser with an unmistakable look of derision.

"That's… impossible…" Riser muttered, his insane expression freezing in place, eyes wide with disbelief.

If it were only Rias protecting herself, he might be able to accept it, considering they were both upper-level devils. But for her entire team to remain unscathed made no sense.

"Surprised, Riser?" Rias taunted, looking up at him in the air.

"No… no, this can't be… You're just an upper-level devil!" Riser shouted in terror, his whole body beginning to shake as he thought of what would happen if he lost this game.

"Who told you I was an upper-level devil?" Rias replied, setting her teacup down on the table and slowly standing up.

Suddenly, a red energy storm erupted from her, dyeing the entire combat space crimson as cracks began appearing in the space itself, on the verge of collapse.

The immense pressure descended upon Riser and his team, causing them to lose control and plummet from the air.

This was Rias's first time displaying her true strength in this world, and the scene left everyone watching the battle utterly shocked.

At that moment, all the strongest beings on Earth at the Satan level and above turned their attention toward Kuoh Town.

They dismissed it as some powerful being idly releasing their aura. But for those directly witnessing it, the reality was far more compelling.

"Transcendent?"

Grayfia could no longer keep her usual composed expression. The aura Rias released had already surpassed her own Satan-level power.

If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly cause a stir across the world. Even among the major factions, transcendent-level beings were few, representing the pinnacle of strength in this world. And for one so young, only eighteen years old, to be a transcendent was almost surreal. Just a few weeks ago, Rias was nothing more than an upper-level devil.

How could anyone possibly advance from upper-level devil to transcendent in a few weeks—or perhaps even less?

"I see… No wonder you weren't worried about this Rating Game at all," Sona remarked with a complex expression, adjusting her glasses as she watched from the Student Council office. She had grown up with Rias, both as childhood friends and friendly rivals.

Originally, they'd been on equal footing, growing in strength at a similar pace. But now, Sona couldn't see any hope of catching up to Rias.

Even her sister, Serafall, one of the Four Satans, was merely at the Satan level, still far from the transcendent level. So how could she ever hope to reach it?

Under Rias's deliberate control, the pressure intensified, forcing all fifteen of Riser's peerage members to faint one by one, completely unable to resist and immediately being disqualified from the game.

"Riser, what should I do with you?" Rias asked, walking up to him and gazing at him coolly. "Because of the engagement, you've been pushing me around quite a bit lately."

Rias's aura had fully receded, but she no longer bothered masking her power to appear as an upper-level devil.

She had no qualms about revealing her strength to the world. While there were still beings more powerful than her, they were nothing compared to the powers within the chat group.

She had powerful figures backing her now.

She had concealed her power until now only for the sake of carrying out this Rating Game. Now that it was over, she had no reason to continue the charade.

"No, Rias, you can't do this to me!" Riser pleaded desperately, hoping she might show leniency for the sake of their shared bloodline. "Our engagement is crucial for the future of the devils; it's an obligation we, as pure-bloods, must fulfill!"

Rias let out a derisive laugh. "What does that have to do with me? My future belongs with someone I love—no one can ever force me again!"

With that, Rias launched a powerful crimson energy blast at Riser, her destructive magic instantly reducing him to ashes, letting her vent the resentment she'd harbored.

But after a moment, Riser's ashes showed no sign of reforming, which made Rias frown slightly.

Just then, Eriri and the others descended from the air and landed beside her.

"Don't bother waiting—he won't be coming back. You completely obliterated his soul, Rias," Eriri said, answering Rias's unspoken question.

Because the effect Eriri placed on Riser remained active, Rias's attack just now also struck directly at Riser's soul.

Thus, when his body was annihilated, his soul perished with it.

Riser Phoenix no longer existed in this world.

Eriri had added a cruel twist—a spell that stretched each moment into an eternity. Though his life ended in a flash, he experienced those final moments as if they were years, filled with unrelenting agony. Considering the tenfold increase in pain sensitivity, one could only imagine the level of suffering he endured before finally perishing.

"I see," Rias nodded, showing little reaction. To her, Riser's death was no big deal.

She also had no fear of revenge from the Phoenix clan; to a transcendent, a family without even a Satan-level warrior was nothing more than an afterthought.

Besides, even if she hadn't killed him, Riser wasn't leaving here alive with Eriri around, and he'd likely have faced much worse torment.

With Riser's death, the Rating Game ended in Rias's victory, yet the ripple effects of this event were only just beginning.

…

Meanwhile, in the Underworld's Phoenix estate, the hall where the Phoenix family had gathered was eerily silent, each member's expression dark and grim.

From the moment Rias unleashed her full power, they'd sensed that things had taken a bad turn.

However, even then, they'd only imagined that the engagement between Rias and Riser would be canceled; they hadn't considered that Riser might lose his life in the Rating Game.

But what followed had plunged their hearts into a pit of despair.

Watching as their son (and brother) was reduced to ash and did not revive, they were consumed by equal parts fury and fear.

The Phoenix clan's high status in the Underworld had always rested on their unique immortality and the Phoenix Tears they produced.

But now Rias had effortlessly extinguished Riser, proving she had the power to wipe out the entire Phoenix family if she wished.

While they could be certain the higher-ups in the Underworld would do everything possible to prevent Rias from taking such a step, the family dared not seek retribution against her.

They could still clearly feel the powerful aura she had unleashed, even from the depths of the Underworld.

To challenge a transcendent would be suicide.

So, the Phoenix family could do nothing but swallow their bitter resentment, but a rift had formed between them and the Gremory family, one that would not easily mend.

At the Gremory household, Rias's parents were overjoyed, showing no concern over Riser's death.

They hadn't been opposed to Rias's engagement to Riser before, but now that she had become a transcendent, that engagement was irrelevant.

Sitting nearby, Sirzechs was equally pleased for Rias, though he couldn't shake the doubts brewing in his mind.

A surge in power this immense was certainly not the result of normal training.

"It seems a serious conversation with Rias is needed soon," he decided internally, his protectiveness for his sister steadfast.

…

With the Rating Game concluded, everyone returned to the real world.

The still-unconscious Ravel and Riser's other peerage members were already sent back to the Phoenix estate.

Thankfully, they hadn't woken up yet; if they were to learn of Riser's death, they might attempt to seek revenge on Rias, which would make things needlessly complicated.

Eriri had a principle—if people left her alone, she would generally do the same. The exception was for those who she found repugnant.

Before long, Sirzechs, brimming with questions, arrived at the Occult Research Club room, with Grayfia quietly by his side.

He paused briefly upon seeing Eriri but quickly averted his gaze.

After all, Sirzechs was not the type to be easily swayed by beauty, and his years of experience had made him impervious to such temptation.

However, when his eyes fell upon the two girls seated next to Eriri, Red and Ophis, his expression changed dramatically.

Though he didn't recognize Red as the True Red Dragon God Emperor, he had met Ophis years ago. Ophis, however, had little memory of him.

As he glanced back at Eriri, who was busy playing with Ophis's pointed ears, he recalled Grayfia's recent report and began to suspect what might have spurred Rias's sudden growth.

…

Riser's death had created a stir in the Underworld, but it was nothing compared to the shockwaves caused by Rias's power reveal.

Within a single day, her name had spread throughout the Three Biblical Factions and across the pantheons.

She was quickly hailed as the youngest transcendent, a title that left the younger generation of pure-blooded devils in awe.

However, it wasn't this feat alone that interested the world's most powerful beings. Those capable of reaching Satan level and beyond were anything but foolish.

Like Sirzechs, they deduced that Rias must have had some extraordinary encounter to achieve transcendence in such a short time.

It defied reason for an upper-level devil to rely on her own demonic power to grow to the transcendent level within weeks, even without a Sacred Gear.

Now, every major power was desperate to uncover the truth of Rias's transformation, so the elite from these factions, driven by various motives, converged on Kuoh Town.

Among them were the Four Seraphs' Michael and Gabriel, Fallen Angel Governor Azazel, two of the Four Satans, Sirzechs and Serafall, the Norse All-Father Odin, Greek God of the Underworld Hades, the Deva King of Mount Sumeru, Indra, and many more.

Also making their way there were current White Dragon Emperor Vali and his team.

In the shadows was the true leader of the Khaos Brigade, the greatest transcendent, and son of the original Lucifer and Lilith—Rizevim Livan Lucifer.

In an unprecedented event, the majority of the world's greatest powerhouses were converging on this tiny town, Kuoh Town.