The Strongest Eriri in History

There weren't many participants in Group One, and since they fought in pairs, it didn't take too long to finish the rounds.

In the second match, Rias was paired against her brother, Sirzechs. They both wielded the same power of destruction, but the challenge lay in how they each controlled it. It quickly became clear that Rias's command over destructive energy was still far less refined than Sirzechs'.

Through years of practice, Sirzechs had learned to compress his destructive power into countless devastating magic bullets he could freely manipulate, while Rias's technique only allowed her to release destructive power over a large area. It didn't take long before she began to fall behind, eventually conceding the match to him.

After about an hour, the top three participants were decided: Sirzechs, Serafall, and Shiva.

Since the Group One contestants hadn't fought with fatal intent, no one died during the battles, and each fighter's injuries were fully healed once the victor was determined.

To maintain balance in the competition, powers like Sacred Gears or other God's Artifacts that unnaturally boosted strength were forbidden. Relying on his Sacred Gear, Vali was ultimately defeated by Sirzechs, while Azazel was bested by Shiva, leaving neither a chance at the top three positions.

Serafall's role in the Underworld was mainly in diplomacy, but her strength was undeniable—her mastery of ice magic was on par with Sirzechs's power of destruction.

Now, with three participants remaining, one of them would automatically advance a round. However, this advantage mattered little; as the competition only awarded first place, they were all focused solely on victory.

Shiva, as the strongest god, typically held an overwhelming advantage due to his mastery over various realms of power. But with everyone's strength set to the same level, his title of "the strongest" no longer held sway.

Overall, the remaining god and two demons were evenly matched, making any of them a viable candidate for the title.

Serafall drew the round with no opponent, leaving Sirzechs and Shiva to fight the second-to-last match.

"Lord Shiva, it's an honor to face you. In the outside world, I'd never have had this chance," Sirzechs said with a composed expression, staring across the ring at the dark-haired boy.

"You're quite impressive," Shiva replied, his gaze gleaming with divine insight as if he could see right through Sirzechs. "I can sense the tremendous power you conceal."

"I'm far from Lord Shiva's level," Sirzechs replied with a smile, not denying the god's assessment.

"No need for talk—let's begin! Show me the full extent of your destructive force!" Shiva laughed, his energy igniting into an awe-inspiring aura, transforming his young appearance into that of a fearsome War God.

Sirzechs's power flared up in response, a burning crimson aura filling the air around him as if it were tangible.

Both were now limited to peak Satan-level strength. Though their auras blazed intensely, they didn't damage the arena in the slightest. This battlefield was something Eriri had crafted herself—its flooring could withstand even planet-destroying blows without a scratch.

"Lord Shiva, I'm coming!"

With a concentrated expression, Sirzechs appeared at Shiva's side in an instant, releasing a torrent of pure destructive power from his hand, a crimson wave engulfing Shiva.

Shiva shifted his body slightly, twisting gracefully to meet the attack head-on. His purple divine energy clashed against Sirzechs's crimson power, intertwining but never yielding.

After a few seconds, the crimson torrent dissipated, leaving Shiva with only a few shallow scratches.

"Hahaha! Fantastic! This is the battle I live for!" Shiva's eyes sparkled with exhilaration, the aura around him surging even higher like a raging fire.

He disappeared from his spot and reappeared before Sirzechs in the blink of an eye, his fist wreathed in intense divine energy as he launched a devastating punch.

Sirzechs had anticipated this, retreating quickly while conjuring a glowing red orb in his palm. It expanded rapidly, forming a crimson barrier that crackled with energy.

Unfazed, Shiva tore through the barrier with sheer brute force, his fist striking Sirzechs's blocking arms and hurling him back dozens of meters.

A thick spray of blood erupted from Sirzechs's mouth as the blow left him with significant injuries.

But Shiva's condition wasn't much better.

The crimson barrier Sirzechs had summoned was formed from the densest concentration of destructive power. When Shiva's arm broke through, it was subjected to that destructive force, leaving the skin and muscle torn and bleeding profusely down his still-clenched fist.

Without a moment's pause, Shiva resumed his pursuit, the injuries on his arm not affecting him in the least, his face as eager as ever.

Seeing Shiva closing in, Sirzechs's expression tensed.

As a demon specializing in magic, Sirzechs was less proficient in hand-to-hand combat. A close-range fight against a master of physical strength like Shiva would spell a swift defeat.

So he quickly dodged, releasing a series of red destructive bullets at Shiva to cover his escape.

After several minutes of intense exchanges, both Sirzechs and Shiva began to show signs of exhaustion. With only Satan-level reserves of energy, their stamina and aura had started to run thin.

Even Shiva's physical body, though formidable, had taken on severe injuries from the repeated bombardment.

Standing ten meters away, Shiva's body was streaked with fresh blood, his breathing labored, but his eyes gleamed with approval as he faced Sirzechs. "Sirzechs, right? Well done. You've earned the respect of Shiva, the god of destruction."

"It's an honor to receive Lord Shiva's recognition," Sirzechs replied with a calm smile, blood and sweat soaking his clothing.

He had also taken his fair share of hits from Shiva, and his own condition wasn't much better than Shiva's.

The fact that he could fight Shiva to this extent left Sirzechs feeling quite satisfied. If they were in the outside world, even if he unleashed his true form and fought with his full strength, he wouldn't have been a match for Shiva.

"Wow, Sirzechs is really something! He's actually managed to fight Lord Shiva to this level; I was taken down pretty quickly last time," Azazel remarked, watching Sirzechs on the arena with an air of admiration.

In the previous match, he had faced off against Shiva, and he had firsthand experience of Shiva's overwhelming power.

"Brother," Rias called out, her face full of concern as she looked at Sirzechs in his injured state.

Even though injuries sustained in the match would heal once it was over, the pain felt during the fight was still real and undiminished.

Since the first match began, the chat group had been abuzz with conversation, and now it was reaching a fever pitch.

[Luo Cuilian (Level 5, Stage 6): These two are really strong! If I hadn't been training hard in the Arena lately, it wouldn't be easy to beat them even at the same level.]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 7): No kidding, they're seriously tough. The previous matches look like child's play compared to this one.]

[Myne (Level 2, Stage 9): Whoa, they're incredible! Watching this gets my blood pumping! I've decided—I'm going to work hard to get stronger too!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): If you want to get stronger, spend less time reading and more on using your points to level up.]

[Myne (Level 2, Stage 9): That's impossible! I'm not cutting down my reading time!]

[Ruri Gokou (Level 4, Stage 5): Don't worry, Myne; time is like…well, you squeeze it, and you'll find some!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Ruri-chan, just how much could your "squeezed time" come up with?]

[Ruri Gokou (Level 4, Stage 5): ??? What are you implying?! Shocked.jpg]

[Arifureta (Level 5, Stage 1 / Group Leader): Laughing.jpg]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 7): Laughing.jpg]

[Yuuki Asuna (Level 4, Stage 7): Laughing.jpg]

[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 3, Stage 3): What are you all talking about? Squeezing what? Confused.jpg]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Ahem, Kaguya-chan, you could ask Hayasaka-chan.]

[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 3, Stage 3): Okay, I'll ask her about it when I get home then.]

Though Eriri had used Hayasaka's alternate name, those who had seen the memory visions in the group were quite familiar with her.

As usual, the group chat had gone completely off-topic, while on the battlefield, Sirzechs and Shiva's duel had also entered a new phase.

"Lord Shiva, we're both running low on energy at this point. What do you say we finish this in one last move to decide the match?" Sirzechs suggested.

"Yes, that works for me." Shiva nodded, his grin growing even wider.

A few seconds later, with a unified shout, they both released their final attacks—Sirzechs' crimson magic and Shiva's violet divine energy clashed in the center of the arena, staining it with hues of red and purple until the energy dissipated a few seconds later.

When the dust settled, they saw Shiva standing battered and barely standing, while Sirzechs lay lifeless on the ground.

"The winner is…Shiva." Seeing the results, Aoi Kujo promptly announced the match's outcome.

As soon as she spoke, Sirzechs, who had fallen unconscious, was instantly resurrected. His body seemed to rewind, returning to its pre-battle state, and Shiva was also fully restored.

"This kind of power really is a cheat," Shiva muttered in awe, glancing at Sirzechs and marveling at his own rejuvenated state. For all his pride as a god, he couldn't help but feel humbled by the mysterious force restoring him.

As the next match was the final one, Shiva stayed in the arena to wait for Serafall to arrive, while Sirzechs was teleported back to the viewing platform, looking a bit dazed.

After all, he had died once. He had the dubious honor of being the first casualty in Group One's matches, and the experience of death was still fresh in his mind.

"Are you alright, brother?" Rias asked, looking at Sirzechs with worry as she walked over to him.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Sirzechs chuckled, though a hint of disappointment lingered.

While it was only natural to lose to a being like Shiva, the thought of victory was hard to let go, especially when he'd come so close.

He couldn't help but mutter, "Eriri-sama's powers really are incredible."

Having felt the experience of death and resurrection firsthand, Sirzechs was deeply struck by just how astonishing Eriri's powers were.

"Of course! Eriri is invincible!" Hearing Sirzechs compliment Eriri, Rias wore a look of pride as if she were the one being praised.

After five minutes, the final match began. Whoever won this would receive Eriri's reward.

A boost of one entire level with no side effects—something that would even make Shiva's heart skip a beat.

Generally, the greater the power level, the more valuable this reward.

For someone like Shiva, it meant he could reach Dragon God-level power, progressing from surface to planetary class.

For Serafall, it meant moving from Satan level to Transcendent, advancing from national-class to continental peak.

In terms of value, the difference in rewards between the two was thousands of times over.