After ensuring all enemies had vanished, Rian began walking toward the site of the explosion, leaving the bright blue sphere still spinning in midair.
Not far off, Vali hovered in the air, observing every movement of Rian—and even the blue sphere—with a calm yet keen interest.
"Hoo?" muttered Vali. "A skill like that wasn't used when we fought before. Seems like Rian hasn't even gone all out yet…"
A slight smirk appeared on Vali's face behind his helmet. "Heh… This is interesting. I can't wait to fight again, Rian Andromeda."
A few moments after Rian departed, the teleportation magic circles reactivated, spewing out new members of the Khaos Brigade.
This time, however, their numbers seemed smaller than before, as if their forces were beginning to dwindle.
***
Amidst the rubble of the building, a shimmering magical barrier stood firm—created by Grayfia.
Inside it were Sirzechs, Grayfia, Michael, Serafall, Azazel, Kiba, Akeno, Asia, Sona, Tsubaki, Irina, and Xenovia, all survivors of the explosion.
Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba were ready with their swords drawn, pointed sharply at the mysterious woman before them.
The woman was none other than Katerea Leviathan—tall, wearing glasses, her body exuding a captivating allure.
Her skin was a warm brown, her long brown hair tied neatly in a bun, adorned with a headset, and her sharp purple eyes glaring.
She wore a purple dress with a low-cut neckline and a high slit, shamelessly revealing much of her curves, her chest, and her legs.
"Katerea-san, why are you doing this!?" Serafall shouted, standing beside Sona with a serious yet curious gaze.
At Serafall's words, Katerea's expression immediately turned furious. She responded in a high-pitched tone:
"Stupid question, Serafall! You stole the Leviathan title from me! Today, I will kill you and reclaim the throne as the Maou Leviathan!"
Katerea's gaze sharpened, her voice echoing with conviction. "With Ophis-sama as the god of the new world, we will create a different system."
"Your era…" Katerea added, "is over!"
Hearing Katerea's words, everyone present fell silent for a moment. But the silence was soon broken by Azazel's laughter.
Azazel placed both hands on his hips, shaking his head lightly.
"Heh… hahaha! So you want a revolution, huh?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Katerea smiled faintly, closing her eyes, and replied confidently, "It must be done, Azazel. This world—"
But before Katerea could finish her sentence, Azazel cut her off with a cold, flat tone.
"…is already rotten, huh? That's a cliché… a cheap opinion I've heard far too many times."
Azazel's smile vanished, replaced by a piercing, serious gaze directed at Katerea.
"Your goal is hollow and cliché. With slogans like that… you'll only end up a cheap villain who dies before even rising."
Katerea was taken aback, her eyes widening, her face flushed with anger.
"How dare you insult me, Azazel!"
At that moment, Rian's fist appeared before Katerea. His right-hand punch slammed into her stomach, forcing her to bend over, stumble backward, and spew a considerable amount of blood.
Frustrated and confused, Katerea lifted her head to see her attacker. But Rian didn't stop—he gave her no chance to speak.
He then grabbed her body and slammed her hard onto the ground.
Not satisfied, Rian kicked the devilish woman, sending her flying into the side of the sports building.
The attack happened so swiftly that everyone nearby froze in stunned silence for a moment.
Finally, Rian turned back casually and said, "Mind if I take care of that devilish woman?"
Azazel stepped forward half a step, as if representing everyone's shock at Rian suddenly appearing and striking someone with such brutal force.
"Kid, honestly, that was quite brutal," Azazel said with a snort. "I don't mind… and I'm curious to see the extent of your power."
He then glanced at Sirzechs and Serafall standing not far away, alternating his gaze between them.
With a casual tone, Azazel added, "But the final decision rests with the two Maou."
Rian turned to Sirzechs and Serafall, waiting calmly for their response, his Six Eyes observing with curiosity.
Sirzechs studied Rian for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Go ahead. If you're confident you can handle Katerea… Honestly, I'm as curious as Azazel."
Serafall gave a faint smile and added, "Just make sure you don't underestimate that devilish woman. But yes… you have permission to deal with Katerea."
Rian nodded slowly, calm yet imposing, before finally moving forward to face Katerea.
***
Amid the shattered remains of the gym wall, Katerea rose to her feet, curses spilling from her lips.
Despite being slammed hard enough to crash into the wall, she suffered no severe injuries—aside from the mark left by Rian's punch.
That punch wasn't just physical strength; Rian had combined raw muscle power with Mana and Blue, focusing the strike on a vital point.
That was why the blow alone was enough to injure a high‑class devil like Katerea.
"Damn it! Whoever dared to hurt me—I'll make sure they're destroyed by my magic!" Katerea shouted, her voice trembling with rage.
The next moment, Rian's calm voice echoed:
"Those lines are so cliché," he said casually. "And… your mouth is pretty foul, isn't it?"
Katerea turned toward the source of the voice, smirking slightly, lowering herself in arrogance upon realizing her opponent was just a human.
But Katerea's eyes blazed with fury.
How could she not?
A mere human—someone who should have been weak—dared to injure a pure-blooded devil like her.
It wasn't just a challenge to her power; it was an affront to the pride and dignity of a pure-blood noble like Katerea.
"Just a human?" Katerea narrowed her eyes. "What Sacred Gear do you possess to be so arrogant?"
"Sacred Gear?" Rian tilted his head, a sly smirk forming on his lips. "Ah… I almost forgot, in this world, many humans can become strong just because of Sacred Gears."
With a casual motion, Rian raised his hand. From the Infinity Ring, his spatial storage device, he summoned Knight Killer, as if it had appeared from nothing.
In the next instant, bright blue energy enveloped Knight Killer, proof of Rian's Mana-infused Trait enhancement, making it sharper and far more lethal.
Katerea furrowed her brow, sensing not a trace of Sacred Gear aura at all.
Yet, Katerea still sensed something from the weapon—not because of the Mana Rian had infused, but due to Knight Killer's unique nature itself.
"What… is that thing?" Katerea asked, curious yet cautious. "It's not a Sacred Gear… it feels… different. Not made by any Sacred Gear either."
Rian leveled the dagger at her, his gaze calm, and said, "Yes. This isn't a Sacred Gear. Honestly, I don't have one either. Sorry if that disappoints you."
Suddenly, Rian vanished from his spot. Using Blue, he created a point of convergence that pulled his body straight toward the target—landing right beside Katerea.
Knight Killer swung horizontally with blinding speed, sharpness, and precision.
Caught off guard, Katerea only had a split second to react. In that narrow window, she raised her staff, blocking Rian's slash with a clash of metal that resounded loudly.
Katerea's brow furrowed, her teeth clenched, showing the immense force behind Rian's strike.
Rian, in contrast, smirked faintly. "Heh… impressive. The blood of a noble devil really doesn't disappoint."
"You're mocking me," Katerea snapped, her tone sharp. "You filthy human!"
On the other side, Rian slipped both hands into his pants pockets, standing tall as if the battle were nothing more than a minor amusement.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a human without a Sacred Gear. Do you really think that's enough reason to defeat me easily?"
Katerea chuckled softly, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Don't get cocky just because you managed to wound me, human!"
From the magic circles surrounding her body, snakes entirely formed of dark purple energy began to emerge.
They slithered silently, without a hiss, and coiled up her body. One by one, the snakes wrapped tightly around her, as if becoming part of her being.