As the spectators erupted into applause, Rias stood frozen at the edge of her viewing area, her knuckles white as she gripped the railing.
Her eyes never left the arena, a flicker of hope still alive that somehow Issei might prevail against this version of Riser.
"We are just beginning," Riser announced calmly, his voice carrying across the arena. The flames dancing around his bare feet cast a shadow over his face.
Without warning, Riser burst into motion.
His movements were fluid, different from the arrogant and straightforward fighting style Riser had been known for.
He closed the distance to Issei in milliseconds, feinting a right kick before transitioning into a breathtaking display of acrobatics.
With grace, he rotated on his hands and propelled himself to Issei's left side, his legs propelled by his crimson flames.
The kick connected with devastating impact.
Riser maintained his spinning momentum on his hands, sweeping Issei's legs from under him without pausing.
Using the ground as a springboard, he pushed off with his palms and launched himself toward Issei's head, his entire body becoming a human missile of fire and force.
The impact sent Issei hurtling backward into a nearby structure. Making the building collapse upon impact, burying him under a mountain of concrete and steel.
"Issei!" Rias shouted. Her voice trembled with worry.
Beneath the rubble, Issei lay motionless, his armor cracked, and his consciousness was beginning to fade.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his eyes fluttered closed.
"Rias," he whispered.
In his mind, rage began to bubble like magma beneath the earth's crust.
The thought of losing her, of failing her, ignited something primal within him.
"No, I can't lose her to that bastard," he said through clenched teeth, his fingers digging into the broken concrete beneath him.
"NEVER!" he yelled, his voice coming off more as a roar than words.
Then, like a prayer, words began to flow from him:
I, who am about to awaken,
The air around the rubble grew heavy with power. With voices echoing in his mind:〈It started〉 alongside another voice murmuring, 〈Looks like it will start.〉
Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God
I laugh at the "infinite", and I fret over the "dream"
I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination
<
''And I shall sink you to the depths of the crimson purgatory!''
The chant echoed across the battlefield, a symphony of voices both past and present, male and female, young and old, blending hauntingly with Issei's voice.
The rubble began to glow with a deep crimson light from within, pulsing like a heartbeat.
From his position across the arena, Riser's eyes widened in recognition. Unlike the original Riser, who would have been confused and frightened if he had ever seen this.
"Bring it on!" Riser shouted, spreading his arms wide as if welcoming a challenge.
The rubble exploded outward as Issei rose to his feet. His armor had transformed, becoming darker, spikes protruding from the shoulders and joints. A malevolent red aura surrounded him, and his eyes glowed like emeralds behind his helmet.
"RISER!" The yell was like a declaration of war that echoed across the battlefield.
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!] The jewels on Issei's armor pulsed with each amplification of power.
[Partner, you can't take any more,] Ddraig's voice warned within Issei's mind.
"Is this enough to defeat him?" Issei questioned, feeling the overwhelming power coursing through his veins, even as it began to tear at his body from within.
[It should be, partner,] Ddraig replied, though he wasn't entirely sure.
While they conversed, Riser watched Issei's transformation with excitement. His body trembled with adrenaline. His heart was beating so loudly in his ear that he could barely hear Issei's taunt.
"Why are you shaking?" Issei asked, his voice distorted through his transformed armor. "Are you scared?"
"Ha!" Riser's laughter echoed. "As if someone as weak as you could ever make me feel fear."
Before Riser could finish his taunt, Issei launched forward with newfound speed that surprised him.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
In Issei's palm, he formed a condensed sphere of swirling crimson and black energy, demonic and draconic power compressed to its limit.
With a roar, Issei thrust the deadly sphere directly at Riser's chest.
The energy pierced through, creating a gaping hole that would have been fatal to any ordinary devil.
For a moment, all was still. Then Riser's body jerked back to life. With grace, he executed a flawless back handspring, and flames erupted from his feet like jet engines.
The momentum carried him forward again, and he delivered a brutal kick to Issei's chin.
Then Riser transitioned into a backflip, creating distance between them. As he landed, the massive hole in his chest began to close, orange flames knitting his flesh back together.
"It looks like you're giving it your all," Riser said, rolling his shoulders as the last of the hole sealed shut. "It would be a shame if I didn't do the same."
From the observation area, Sirzechs addressed the gathered high-class devils. "It appears he hasn't been exerting his full capability until now," he noted with "professional interest", though he held some concern for his little sister's freedom. "He might increase his speed. I advise you not to blink, you might miss the action entirely."
Confused murmurs spread through the crowd. How could they see him now when they hadn't tracked his movements?
On the battlefield, Riser assumed a runner's starting position, his bare feet digging into the ground.
His expression became serene as he called upon the special blessing bestowed upon him by what should have been the evangelist.
The air around him began to warp and distort from the heat as he prepared to move at the speed of light.
"Here I come," he said.
FWOOSH!!!!
Reality seemed to bend around Riser as he launched himself toward Issei.
From Riser's perception, the world had frozen, Issei suspended in mid-motion, dust particles hanging motionless in the air. With precision, Riser struck Issei's left side with devastating force.
Moving to Issei's right side before the first impact could register, Riser delivered another calculated kick, sending Issei airborne.
Following Issei's suspended form upward, Riser delivered a final, catastrophic blow directly to the center of his chest.
As Riser's final strike connected, time appeared to flow normally again. A massive shockwave rippled outward from the point of impact, threatening the integrity of the Rating Game arena.
BOOOM!!!
"Support the barrier, Sirzechs-sama!" Grayfia called out, her composed expression showing a hint of alarm.
Sirzechs reinforced the magical barrier with his demonic power.
"I couldn't keep up with him," he thought, surprise flickering across his features.
He glanced at his sister, whose tears streamed freely down her face as she frantically tried to signal for the match to be stopped.
After a moment of consideration, Sirzechs sighed heavily. "Announce that Riser has won, Grayfia."
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama," she responded with a bow.
Her voice resonated throughout the arena: "Rias Gremory's Pawn has been retired. The victor is Riser Phenex-sama."