The Strongest Eriri in History

Despite the flurry of chatter in the chat group, only a few minutes had passed in reality.

At that moment, two circular platforms suddenly appeared on either side of the fighting arena, each marked "Group One" or "Group Two." Instantly, all the gods and mythical beings on the platform disappeared, only to reappear on one of the respective platforms.

Seeing this arrangement, they quickly understood which group they'd been assigned to.

In Group One stood many familiar faces: two archangels from the Heaven's domain, the fallen angel governor, the current White Dragon Emperor, and the God of Destruction.

The God of Destruction, Shiva, held the title of one of the world's strongest gods, and his reason for coming to Kuoh Town was less to uncover Rias's secrets than out of pure curiosity. In his view, there was only one opponent he truly desired to challenge: Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God.

Compared to Group Two, Group One's numbers were relatively sparse—a clear indication that the majority who came to Kuoh Town today did so with questionable intentions.

In Group One, Kuroka, Koneko's older sister, also stood among them. She'd noticed Koneko up on the observation deck but hadn't greeted her directly. However, seeing the small cat ears poking up on Koneko's head and the swaying tail behind her, Kuroka couldn't help but be a bit startled.

Years ago, Kuroka had killed their master to protect Koneko, becoming a stray devil in the process. Not wanting Koneko to lead a hunted life, she'd left her sister behind in the Underworld, taking the burden upon herself. In Kuroka's heart, she'd always believed Koneko harbored resentment toward her.

However, she was unaware that, with Rias's help, Koneko had long since forgiven her older sister, accepted her Nekomata bloodline, and reclaimed the name Shirone.

As expected, the entirety of the Old Satan Faction had been assigned to Group Two. The faction's leaders, two men and a woman—descendants of the original Satans Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub—stood together.

Their purpose had always been the overthrow of the current Satans and reclaiming the throne, so it was no surprise they held nothing but malice toward the younger sister of Sirzechs.

Also in Group Two were the remaining two Greek gods, Zeus and Poseidon, along with another of the world's top ten, Indra.

On the observation platform, Serafall suddenly stepped over to Eriri, her face lit up with hopeful anticipation. "Lady Eriri, might Sirzechs and I also participate in Group One to compete for the reward?" She cast a longing look at the Group One platform, where Azazel and the others were standing. The reward offered for victory—the opportunity to grow stronger—was something she very much wanted.

"Of course." Eriri smiled at Serafall, nodding without hesitation.

"Eriri-sama, I'd like to go too," Koneko spoke up, stepping forward from beside Rias with a determined expression. "I want to face my sister in a fight."

Though Koneko had already forgiven Kuroka, she still felt a bit of frustration toward her sister for making the choice to leave without consulting her. She was determined to have a bout with Kuroka, intending to work through her frustration before reestablishing their bond as sisters.

Eriri saw no reason to refuse Koneko's request. "Absolutely. Kuroka may be a upper-class devil, but as I've already mentioned, all competitors will be limited to the same level, so you don't need to worry about being easily defeated. With some effort, there's hope of winning, and you don't need to fear death—go all out."

After a pause, Eriri glanced around the platform at everyone else. "If anyone else is interested in joining the fun, feel free to speak up."

Hearing Eriri's words, everyone grew contemplative. This was an opportunity, albeit a slim one. Who knew, they might even end up as the victor.

Sona Sitri, whose expertise lay more in strategic tactics than in combat experience, refrained from joining, knowing she'd be eliminated in the first round.

Rias, however, differed greatly from her. The Power of Destruction in her blood made her formidable among equals. She also wanted to personally experience the atmosphere of the matches, learn her weaknesses, and prepare herself for the chat group's Martial Arts Tournament. While she couldn't realistically aim for the top, the thought of competing for a spot among the top three was incredibly tempting; after all, ten million points were at stake.

Ultimately, everyone except Sona and her recently reincarnated devil companions decided to join and give it a shot.

"Well, if it isn't the two Demon Lords themselves. I didn't expect you to be joining in," quipped Azazel, smirking as he looked at Sirzechs and Serafall on the platform.

"Of course! I wouldn't want to miss out on a good deal like this," Serafall chirped in her usual energetic manner, twirling her pink magic wand in her hand.

Michael soon joined the conversation with Gabriel at his side.

"It's been a while, everyone," Michael greeted with a warm smile.

As leaders of the three main biblical factions, their interactions were hardly infrequent, and recently they'd even been considering a peace agreement among the factions.

"Michael, long time no see. And Gabriel," Azazel said with a mischievous smirk, his gaze lingering unabashedly on the beautiful archangel known as Heaven's most stunning.

Azazel's reputation as a notorious "old man" was well-known; it was, in fact, why he had fallen in the first place. Despite his carefree manner, he was a calculated leader. Though he'd been struck by Eriri's beauty, he'd refrained from openly displaying his admiration, unlike others, and was therefore fortunate to remain in Group One.

The same could not be said for Odin, who'd also succumbed to his "dirty old man" tendencies and allowed his lecherous gaze to linger a bit too long on Eriri. Though he bore no ill will toward Rias, he had nonetheless been tossed into Group Two, sealing his fate for the day.

"Azazel, some things never change with you," Gabriel replied, somewhat annoyed as she shot him a look.

Azazel only chuckled, making no attempt to deny her observation.

With the details finalized, the matches were set to begin.

Group One's battles would take place first, with Group Two's deathmatch to follow once a victor had been determined in Group One.

Above the arena, a massive bracket appeared, listing all the competitors' names in a clear sequence. From the platforms, everyone could see the bracket perfectly.

The only arrangement Eriri made was placing Koneko and Kuroka as the first opponents; all other matchups were randomized. Additionally, because Group One had an odd number of participants, Rias was lucky enough to get a bye, automatically advancing to the next round.

"Very well, I now declare the matches for Group One officially open." With Eriri's announcement, the battle began in earnest.

Aoi Kujo stepped forward from beside Eriri to serve as the tournament's announcer, calling out the first matchup.

"Our first match: Shirone Toujou versus Kuroka."

With Aoi's voice still lingering in the air, Koneko and Kuroka vanished from the Group One platform and reappeared on the vast arena below.

As soon as the two took their positions, Kuroka noticed that her power was suddenly limited by some strange force, leaving her with only the strength of an upper-tier devil. On the other hand, Koneko, who originally had only mid-level strength, now found herself strengthened to an upper-tier level as well, thanks to that same power, bringing the sisters to equal footing.

Knowing what to expect, both sisters remained unfazed by this limitation.

"Shirone, it's been a while, nya~. Never thought our reunion would be a showdown between sisters," said Kuroka, dressed in her usual black kimono, her face lit up with a delighted smile.

"Sister."

Koneko hadn't actively sought out Kuroka while on the platform, so this moment on the arena stage was their first true face-to-face meeting.

"Shirone, I know everything that happened now," Koneko said quietly. "I know you did what you did to protect me. I've already forgiven you."

"You know?" Kuroka's eyes softened as she took in the neko-ears and tail that Koneko displayed, and a proud, affectionate smile broke across her face. "Seeing you accept your Nekomata form, Shirone, it makes me so happy. You should come live with me from now on."

Kuroka had hidden the truth of their past from Koneko, fearing it would burden her younger sister with worry and regret. For years, Kuroka had lived as a stray devil, evading constant threats from the Underworld and determined not to drag her beloved little sister into that life.

But things had changed. Now Kuroka was an ultimate-class devil, strong enough to fend off anyone but a Satan in the Underworld. What's more, she'd joined the White Dragon Emperor's team, a group where all members matched her in strength. Having Koneko by her side would be no problem at all.

Yet Koneko refused her sister's invitation without hesitation.

"No. We may be sisters, but I'm still Rias-senpai's servant. I'm not leaving everyone behind."

"Is that so? Well, if that's how you feel, I guess I'll just have to take you away by force, nya~."

Originally, Kuroka had intended to take Koneko by force later, but now she would simply do so sooner.

The two immediately launched into a heated exchange.

As one of the Nekomata clan's most powerful members, a Nekomata of the highest class known as a Nekoshou, Kuroka's mastery of Senjutsu and Youjutsu was exceptional. In an instant, energy orbs inscribed with unique symbols materialized in her hands, which she began tossing at Koneko in rapid succession, resulting in deafening explosions all around.

Yet none of these projectiles were aimed directly at Koneko, revealing Kuroka's concern for her sister's safety. Although Kuroka knew that those who died in battle here would be resurrected by Eriri, she couldn't bring herself to be the one to send her sister to an early grave.

Although Koneko had come to accept her Nekomata lineage, her mastery of its inherent Senjutsu was still at a beginner's level, lacking both the time and proper instruction to develop fully. As Rias's Rook, however, her power as a Rook granted her impressive physical and defensive prowess.

Using this agility, she dodged between the explosions, swiftly closing the distance between herself and Kuroka. She clenched her small fists, aiming a punch at Kuroka's body—only to miss as Kuroka deftly sidestepped it.

Kuroka, after all, had trained herself to the ultimate-class level, gaining expertise in both Senjutsu and Youjutsu over many years. Despite her power being restricted to the upper-class level, she easily outmaneuvered her sister thanks to her years of combat experience.

Koneko, however, was aware of her limitations. She had not come to the stage intending to win, but rather to reconnect with her sister.

The results of the match didn't matter to her.

Koneko knew that with the strength of her opponents in Group One, she had virtually no chance of winning. She didn't mind; her goal had simply been to face her sister.

With one too hesitant to fight, and the other unable to land a blow, it seemed they'd continue this match endlessly without a victor. Fortunately, both knew better than to drag things on forever.

After a few more exchanges, Koneko and Kuroka came to a mutual halt, standing several meters apart.

"Shirone, your Senjutsu needs a lot of work, nya~. But don't worry. I'll teach you everything you need to know when I have the time," Kuroka said with a wide grin, no longer showing any intention of taking Koneko by force.

"Then please, teach me, Sister."

The first match concluded with Kuroka as the victor. Despite her defeat, Koneko's expression was anything but downcast; she even wore a satisfied smile, as if she'd emerged as the winner.

Once Koneko announced her surrender, her name dimmed on the large match bracket above, while Kuroka's name advanced to the next round, awaiting her next opponent.

Afterward, both sisters returned to the Group One platform, where they took in the spectacle as Satan-Class powerhouses dueled below, an entirely new perspective for them.

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