The peerage protecting Riser was quickly defeated.
On Rias's side, meanwhile, they had only lost Gasper.
The result caught the audience completely off guard. Although Rias's tactics were simple, the results were unexpectedly effective.
At present, only Riser himself remained on the field.
Even if they did absolutely nothing now and simply dragged things out until time ran out, they would still win the match.
But Riser seemed to have gone half-mad.
A Rating Game he had entered brimming with confidence had, within ten minutes of the opening, already been pushed all the way back to his own headquarters by Rias.
And the other side had only lost a single person.
And that one person was that useless vampire whose Sacred Gear had been sealed away, a complete good-for-nothing!
Riser knew a lot of people were watching this match.
Not just his family, but even Lucifer himself. It was said that high-ranking figures from other factions were also present.
If he lost here, the Phenex Family would be humiliated beyond measure.
At that thought, a savage fury twisted across Riser's face.
"Don't think you've won just because you beat my peerage! Let me show you the flames of the Phoenix!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thick flames erupted from Riser's entire body.
The oncoming heat was so intense that even the ground beneath their feet began to melt.
Koneko raised both hands, and a layer of white ki surged up before everyone. Although it only held for a few seconds, it bought enough time for Akeno and Rias to make their move.
Akeno lifted her right hand, and a massive bolt of lightning crashed down on Riser, making his body jolt as large patches of his skin charred black.
Yet those wounds began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Riser smiled. "Take a good look. This is the power of the Phoenix. No matter how many times you kill me, I can always revive."
"The Red-Haired Calamity Princess, the Shrine Maiden of Lightning, the cat burdened with the blood of a Nekomata, and that vampire whose Sacred Gear has been sealed away. Put all those powers together, and sure, they might look intimidating. But before the power of the Phoenix, they mean nothing!"
Buzz,
Riser's confidence swelled to the extreme.
The flames around him flared so high they lit up nearly half the sky above the game field.
The girls could feel the intense heat rolling toward them, sweat gathering on their foreheads and soaking their inner clothes.
At that moment, Akeno exchanged a look with Rias and the others.
"Then we'll go with the original plan."
"Right!"
The moment those words fell, a sphere of crimson power gathered in Rias's hand.
The Power of Destruction, capable of erasing all things, spun in her palm. After charging in an instant, Rias charged forward alone straight into Riser's flames.
Boom!
The moment the Phoenix flames collided with the Power of Destruction, the former was instantly erased, while the latter continued forward without losing momentum. Once it struck Riser, it directly annihilated most of his body.
Under normal circumstances, anyone facing an attack from the Power of Destruction would do everything in their power to defend against it.
But Riser relied on his bloodline power and chose to tank it head-on with his body.
The Phoenix bloodline also had another advantage.
That was that when injured, the sensation of pain was drastically reduced. No matter how severe the wound, the pain would be dulled to a level that could be endured with ease.
Otherwise, Riser would have long since passed out from the agony.
In less than two seconds, Riser's body had fully regenerated. When he looked at Rias again, the suspicion in his expression had already turned into mockery.
"I already told you, no matter how many times you knock me down, I can always revive! This is the power of the Phoenix!"
Meanwhile, those watching the match all nodded slightly, acknowledging the truth in his words.
Riser might be a spoiled playboy, but the power of the Phoenix bloodline was very real.
If Rias and the others had no decisive way to deal with him, then once Riser threw caution to the wind and charged them recklessly, their earlier blitzkrieg would lose its effectiveness.
What was more, the only person on Rias's side who could contend with Riser head-on was Rias herself.
Her Power of Destruction was strong, yes, but the Phoenix could simply revive on the spot. If this kept up, it was obvious Rias would eventually lose due to running out of demonic power.
Of course, she could also choose to stall until time ran out.
But winning that way would be somewhat lacking in glory.
"The Phoenix bloodline really is troublesome. If you want to defeat that brat, either you need power on the level of a god to crush him in one blow, or you have to keep killing him over and over until his spirit breaks. But judging from the rate at which demonic power is being consumed, that brat can clearly last for quite a while."
Odin stroked his beard as he gave his assessment.
"No wonder the Phenex Family has remained active for so long. That bloodline truly is powerful."
"If they don't have any other hidden cards, then this match is probably headed for that outcome."
Azazel nodded, then gave Rod an innocent look.
"If that vampire kid could still use his Sacred Gear, the tide could still be turned. But under the rules, he can't."
"Still, once that vampire learns to control his Sacred Gear freely, they'll probably allow it in Rating Games later on."
"That cat yokai has good potential too. Her senjutsu support is excellent, but her foundation is still too weak. Maybe after a few more years of training, she'll be able to stand on her own."
"And that demonic swordsman, his swordsmanship is first-rate too. But he's already worked very hard."
Azazel sighed and shook his head.
The members of Rias's peerage all had tremendous potential. If they developed properly, their futures would indeed be promising.
There was still Akeno, whom he had not mentioned.
After all, that girl involved Baraqiel.
"It really doesn't look too optimistic. If they could only find a way to counter resurrection, then they might have a chance."
Gabriel looked worried.
She knew Rias and Rod got along quite well.
If Rias lost here and ended up having to marry Riser, there was a good chance Rod would storm the wedding and steal the bride.
No need to doubt it. If Rias handed Rod a task, he would absolutely do something like that.
"Popping champagne at halftime? Then it's in the bag."
Rod, however, was not worried in the slightest.
Meanwhile, on the field, Riser's body was once again obliterated by Rias's Power of Destruction. His ruined flesh ignited in flame, and a new body rapidly regenerated.
"How are you supposed to fight me?!"
But the instant the words left his mouth, Rias attacked again, and Riser once more chose to take it head-on.
Buzz!
His limbs and body were annihilated by the Power of Destruction, leaving only his neck, connected to his brain, and a small remnant of his torso.
Yet just as the Phoenix bloodline began to activate again, Akeno suddenly conjured a Spear of Light into her hand.
Without the slightest hesitation, she seized the spear and drove it directly into Riser's half-regenerated body.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
For devils, holy-element power was pure poison.
Even the slightest touch felt like an ordinary person being splashed with boiling water, enough to tear away a layer of skin.
Throughout the earlier battle, Akeno had only used her demonic and lightning powers. The reason she had not used the Spear of Light until now was precisely so she could catch Riser off guard at this exact moment.
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
For the first time, Riser finally felt intense pain.
The holy power continuously ate away at his flesh, and the savage agony tore through his nerves.
But that was not all.
Akeno repeated the process, producing four more Spears of Light and pinning Riser firmly to the ground.
With the interference of the Spears of Light, the regenerative effect of the Phoenix bloodline was drastically reduced, and at last, Riser's body stopped recovering.
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