The shattering of the barrier drew everyone's attention, including Loki, who was in the middle of pursuing Rias.
But before he could even register surprise, a red blur flashed past. In the next heartbeat, the legendary Mjölnir—the very weapon he feared most—was gripped firmly in the newcomer's hand.
"The Red Dragon Emperor?!"
Loki finally saw his interloper. He had heard the rumors about this generation's Red Dragon Emperor: a boy who had awakened his Sacred Gear less than two years ago and reached God-class through sheer talent and his Longinus.
But seeing him now, Loki realized the rumors were underselling him. This wasn't just a newly minted God-class fighter; based on the sheer, suffocating pressure radiating from the crimson armor, Loki would have believed it if someone told him he was facing a Top-tier Deity.
"Yeah, hey there," Ethan said, his voice echoing from within the helm. He raised the massive hammer high. "And, goodbye."
Mjölnir was indeed heavy. Even at his Sub-Dragon God level, further boosted by Balance Breaker, Ethan felt its substantial weight. But it was only "heavy"—it didn't hinder him. He swung it with the grace of a seasoned warrior. Loki had no time to react before the Hammer of Sanction slammed into him.
The effect was different from what Ethan expected. Loki wasn't sent flying, nor was he crushed into the dirt. Instead, at the moment of impact, layers of lightning-imbued magic circles wrapped around him like a cocoon.
The powerful god of mischief was now like a fly caught in a spider's web. No matter how much divine power he exerted, he couldn't budge. He could only watch in terror as the absolute laws of the hammer suppressed, eroded, and eventually annihilated his very existence.
"Damn you! How dare—!"
Loki's cry of rage and disbelief was cut short. He dissolved into nothingness, erased from the world. As he perished, the twisted, blood-red sky began to return to its natural hue.
Outside the remnants of the barrier, the faction leaders were stunned. They knew this Red Dragon Emperor was exceptional—surpassing even the White Dragon Emperor who carried the blood of the original Lucifer—but this was on a different level.
Loki hadn't been careless; he had been on high alert against a wielder of Mjölnir. Yet, Ethan had dismantled him without the god even being able to lift a finger in defense. While the hammer's conceptual laws played a part, it was clear that Ethan's raw power made the victory inevitable.
Even the Chief God Odin was shaken. He wouldn't have dared claim he could handle Loki so effortlessly.
Ethan, however, didn't feel much. Loki wasn't a front-line brawler, his greatest pet Fenrir had been stolen by Vali, and he was being hit by his ultimate counter-weapon. If Ethan hadn't won in one hit, he would have felt the need to go find a Dragon God to retrain his combat basics.
Loki was gone, but the two sons of Fenrir and the imitation Midgard Serpent remained. Seizing the rare chance to wield a legendary artifact, Ethan decided to enjoy himself. Despite never training with hammers, his Weapon Master talent allowed him to swing the massive tool with terrifying proficiency.
CRASH!!!
Ethan swung the hammer back, obliterating the serpent's head into a shower of gore. As he prepared to deliver a follow-up strike to the snarling sons of Fenrir, a scream reached his ears.
"Wait... stop!"
The massive hammer, carrying enough force to level a mountain, stopped exactly one centimeter from the wolf's furry head. The wind pressure alone caused the beast's fur to ripple violently.
"Uuu..."
The son of Fenrir let out a pathetic whimper. Seeing the giant hammer inches from its eyes, it instantly tucked its tail and retreated several steps, its predatory instinct replaced by pure, unadulterated fear. The other wolf was no better; it had barely dodged a head-shattering blow when Ethan adjusted his trajectory.
"Rossweisse? Is something wrong?"
Ethan turned to look at the silver-haired, blue-eyed Valkyrie. Though this was their first meeting, he knew her well from the "plot." Rossweisse was a fan-favorite—a powerful warrior who was tragically unlucky in love, a "cent-store Valkyrie" who would eventually become a teacher at Kuoh Academy.
"Gulp—"
Under Ethan's intense gaze, Rossweisse swallowed hard. Having been single for her entire life, she completely misinterpreted his interest as anger for her interruption.
Ethan realized he was being a bit too forward. He was interested in her, yes, but he also wanted to study her bloodline. He still harbored the ambition of turning his harem of beauties into his own personal Valkyrie unit, but he needed to know if the Norse bloodline could be replicated.
"Ahem... Rossweisse, why did you stop me?"
"Ah, right..." Rossweisse regained her composure. "Red Dragon Emperor... could you please spare these two? We will take responsibility for them. With Lord Loki gone and the Great Fenrir stolen, these pups are all that's left. They might one day grow into true Fenrirs."
Ethan nodded. Fenrir was a symbol of the Norse pantheon. He looked at the two "pups," who were currently acting more like frightened golden retrievers than world-ending monsters, even trying to wag their tails to appease him.
"Fine. They're yours. I'm going to check on Rias and Sona."
As he left, he handed Mjölnir back to Rossweisse, adding playfully: "If these two give you any trouble, just give me a call."
The wolves shuddered and let out a submissive whine toward Rossweisse, clearly understanding that the "red monster" was the last person they wanted to see again.
Sona Sitri was badly hurt. Fortunately, Rias had acted quickly, getting her out of the fray the moment Ethan shattered the barrier. By the time Ethan arrived, Serafall had already whisked her sister away for high-level healing.
When Ethan returned to the leaders, the intended reinforcement, Sairaorg Bael, had finally arrived. The strongest of the young devils, a man who prized raw physical power above all else, looked at Ethan with a burning desire for a challenge.
Ethan glanced at him, deactivated his Balance Breaker, and casually tossed Mjölnir toward him.
THUD—
Sairaorg was nearly taken off his feet by the momentum. He barely managed to grab the handle with both hands, the head of the hammer smashing into the ground with a heavy dull thud. He couldn't lift it with the same casual ease Ethan had shown.
Not bad, Ethan thought. Stronger than Rias is currently. He can use it if he goes all out.
Sairaorg's competitive fire died instantly. His greatest pride was his strength, yet Ethan had tossed the hammer like a toy while he had to strain every muscle just to hold it.
"Lord Odin, Loki was one of your most important gods... is this result acceptable?" Sirzechs asked.
They had planned to seal Loki, but Ethan had simply deleted him.
Odin, the one-eyed old man, remained remarkably calm. "The era is changing. It had to happen."
With those words, the incident was closed. The alliance was successfully signed. The only real consequence was that Ethan's power was now partially exposed. While most thought he was just a very strong God-class, only Sirzechs knew he was bordering on Dragon God territory—the level of Ophis, where a single serious battle could destabilize the Three Realms.
A day later, back in the human world, Ethan went to find Koneko.
Kuroka's appearance with Arthur indicated that the sisters hadn't reconciled. Koneko couldn't convince Kuroka to stay, and Kuroka couldn't kidnap Koneko. Now that Koneko was Ethan's "property," she was never going to leave.
Rias didn't interfere with the Tao sisters because she was busy with her own childhood friend, Akeno.
Meeting Baraqiel had reopened Akeno's old wounds. Her mother, Shuri Himejima, had died protecting a young Akeno from attackers who hated Fallen Angels. Akeno had spent years blaming her father for not being there, and for being the reason they were targeted in the first place.
It was a trauma only a profound, new love could heal.
While Rias supported Akeno, Ethan learned the details of the sisterly reunion from Koneko. Kuroka had been captured, brought back to the human world, and sat down for a talk. But Kuroka was a master of evasion. She had managed to pry every detail of Koneko's life over the past few years out of her, while revealing absolutely nothing about her own time with the Khaos Brigade. In the end, it was unclear if Kuroka had escaped or if Koneko had simply let her go.
One thing was for sure: the cat-girl was now firmly on Ethan's radar.