"Time's up," I announced as Issei regained his footing and turned to face me, breathing heavily within the Scale Mail.
"Now it's my turn."
The audience leaned forward in anticipation. They expected to see the typical Phenex fighting style, elegant but straightforward attacks supported by regeneration and phenix fire. What they would witness now would change how the Underworld viewed the House of Phenex forever.
"It's my turn to strike now," I declared, projecting my voice to reach not just Issei but every spectator in the viewing platforms. "Since Sirzechs-sama wished to elevate the grandeur of this wedding, I refuse to restrain myself. I shall unleash a new fighting technique that I have personally crafted."
Confusion spread through the audience. In the VIP viewing box, I saw my "mother," Lady Phenex, turning to Yubelluna, the Queen of my peerage, with furrowed brows.
"Yubelluna, do you know what he is talking about?" Lady Phenex inquired, her aristocratic composure momentarily broken by genuine confusion. She expected Riser's Queen to be privy to her master's training and abilities.
Yubelluna, equally perplexed, could only shake her head. "Sorry, Lady Phenex, but I have to decline," she replied formally.
"Hmm," Lady Phenex murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly as they returned to the battlefield.
I began removing my shoes methodically, placing them aside with deliberate care. The formal dress shoes would only hinder what I was about to attempt.
"What are you doing?" Issei asked in confusion, even through the distortion of his helmet.
"I am about to demonstrate some of my skills," I replied calmly, rolling up the cuffs of my pants slightly. "Are all of you prepared?"
Without waiting for a response, I lowered myself into a fighting stance that no devil in the audience would recognize: the Tora Hishigi hand position with my fingers.
"Here I come," I said with a smile that contained genuine pleasure. After all the confusion and adjustment to this new world, I was finally about to unleash the full potential of what I was given.
I channeled power into my legs, feeling the unique energy of the Adolla Burst merging with my natural phoenix abilities. The flames that ignited around my ankles weren't the gold-orange of a Phenex but a deeper crimson, the telltale sign of Shinra's "Devil's Footprints."
Then I moved.
To most observers, I appeared to vanish entirely, disappearing from one location and reappearing next to Issei in an instant. Only the most powerful devils present, Sirzechs himself, perhaps Grayfia, and a few others, could track my movements. To them, I was a blur of impossible speed, leaving a sinister, flaming footprint that seared the ground where I had pushed off.
Before Issei could process what was happening, I had already swept his legs out from under him with a perfectly executed low kick. As his armored body began to fall, I transitioned the momentum into an upward strike, launching him high into the air with a powerful kick to his midsection.
Without pausing for a moment, I ignited my feet again and propelled myself upward, creating a vertical column of fire that trailed behind me. I overtook Issei's trajectory and positioned myself above him as he involuntarily flew.
Time seemed to slow from my perspective, the plus side of moving at speeds approaching that of light. I had all the time in the world to line up my next attack, watching as Issei's armored form hung below me, his limbs still adjusting to the sudden change in direction.
With precision that would have made Shinra himself proud, I brought my right heel down in a devastating axe kick aimed squarely at Issei's chest, making flames shoot off my ankles, looking like a pair of devil wings.
The impact connected with a loud crash, sending him plummeting back to the ground with even greater velocity than his ascent.
Issei crashed into the ground with such force that the perfectly manicured lawn of the replica Phenex estate cratered beneath him. Dust and debris erupted from the impact, blocking him from the view of others.
I landed gracefully a few meters away, the flames around my feet dissipating as I straightened my posture and adjusted the cuffs of my shirt, a deliberate display of nonchalance after such an overwhelming show of power.
As the dust settled, gasps and murmurs spread through the audience. Even Sirzechs's expression had given way to surprise as he stared at me with interest.
"Cough! Cough!" The sound of Issei's pained coughing cut through the stunned silence as he struggled to rise from the crater. Blood spattered the inside of his helmet, visible through the faceplate as he stumbled to his feet.
The Scale Mail, which had been intact despite his minute of frenzied attacks, was now shattered across the chest where my axe kick had connected. Pieces of the magical armor lay scattered across the ground, the red energy that had formed it flickering and unstable around the damaged areas.
"Did he just teleport?" Issei asked, confused. "What just happened?"
I could hear Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon sealed within the Sacred Gear, answering Issei through their mental connection, though I shouldn't have been able to hear it:
{No, partner. He moves at speeds up to high-ultimate class.}
Even the ancient dragon appeared impressed, or at least surprised, by my display of speed. Being compared to "high-ultimate class" meant my speed was likened to that of the most powerful devils, including the Satans.
I spread my arms wide, playing to the audience with the theatrical flair expected of a Phenex. "Did you enjoy it!?" I called out, my voice carrying across the entire arena.
The question was directed at everyone: the stunned nobility in the viewing boxes, Sirzechs watching with interest, Rias, whose expression had shifted from disdain to confusion, and especially Issei, who was still trying to comprehend how a single kick had done more damage than his Dragon Shot.
Without waiting for a response, I returned my attention to my opponent. "That was just a taste," I said, lowering my voice so only Issei could hear me. "Do you wish to continue, or shall we end this farce now?"
Issei struggled to stand fully upright, his Scale Mail continuing to crack and fall away in pieces. The determination in his eyes hadn't diminished, but even he couldn't deny the vast gulf in power that had just been demonstrated.
"I... won't give up," he said between labored breaths. "Not while Buchou is counting on me."
I had to admire his tenacity, even if it was futile. This was the protagonist's spirit that had carried him through countless battles in the original timeline, the resolve that would eventually make him one of the strongest beings.
But that was the future. Today, he was simply outmatched.
"Very well," I said, igniting the flames around my feet again. "Let's continue."
The deep crimson fire illuminated my face as I readied myself for my next attack. From the viewing platform, I noticed Rias leaning forward, her expression a complex blend of emotions. She was concerned for her Pawn, but there was also a hint of curiosity about the power I was demonstrating.
Power that no Phenex had ever shown before.