"Penetrate."
The blood-red steel dragon claws easily pierced through the invisible barrier. With the sound of shattering glass, the entire floating Demon King's Coliseum began to fall apart. Ethan's armored claws interlaced, and with a snap of his fingers, the crumbling "island" was teleported safely outside the city walls.
To Vali's shock, Ethan emerged from the barrier holding Mio Naruse, appearing right before him as if space itself meant nothing.
"So? Still want to fight?"
"Are you... God-class?" Vali suppressed his astonishment. His magic power surged as the white dragon armor, featuring blue accents and a pair of high-tech light wings, instantly encased him.
Standing in mid-air, the Crimson Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor faced off. Even the densest observer could now see what this war was truly about. The two Heavenly Dragons were famous—one a Lucifer descendant, the other possessing unique abilities—both achieving Satan-class power at a young age.
But looking at their current aura, especially Ethan holding the red-haired beauty, the onlookers felt that "Satan-class" was a massive understatement. Ethan's growth speed was no longer just scary; it was absurd.
Ethan hadn't just used his Balance Breaker to show off; he wanted to end this quickly. He had sensed two powerful, unfamiliar auras earlier, but they had vanished the moment the Old Faction demons struck. He couldn't be sure if they were Sephiroth and Liara, but he couldn't just ignore them.
He released Mio, who immediately regrouped with Lucia and Shella. Along with the remaining strength of Leohart, they finally halted the advance of the Son of Chaos.
Vali looked at Ethan with wariness. Though he knew he was outmatched, his pride wouldn't let him flee. "Have you been acting all this time just to bait me out?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I didn't know you'd be here, or that the Chaos Brigade was involved." Ethan didn't want to waste time. He remembered Vali had a few high-quality girls in his group—including a black-haired, silent loli—but he couldn't remember the details from the anime. More importantly, he didn't hate Vali, and he wasn't ready to face Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, just yet. If Vali died here, Ethan's peaceful days would be over.
As they stood in a stalemate, space rippled nearby. Rias Gremory appeared with her crimson hair flowing, followed by the Occult Research Club members led by Akeno Himejima. Vali's confusion vanished. Just as he worked for the Chaos Brigade, Ethan was clearly working for the interests of Rias.
Since Rias had arrived, Ethan had to act. He began to pressure Vali, but he held back. It was one thing to kill someone, but capturing a God-class powerhouse like Vali, who would likely self-destruct before surrendering, was a nightmare.
Vali, the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history, used his speed and the "Divide" ability to block Ethan's strikes, though Ethan wasn't even using ten percent of his strength.
"I'll remember this. Next time, I'll—"
"Just beat it. Try beating me first before you talk big," Ethan scoffed.
Vali's face darkened under his mask. If he hadn't stayed rational, he might have triggered Juggernaut Drive for a suicide match. Ethan ignored him and checked his phone. It was 14:32. The peak of the afternoon heat.
With Rias and her team joining, the Einherjar and Old Faction were routed. Only the Son of Chaos remained.
Ethan decided to end it. He wanted to use the death of a famous Outer God to announce his ascension to God-class. He shifted into his ultimate combat form—not the dragon armor, but a form with twelve wings (six pairs) and a divine halo. After merging into his Root Bloodline, his energies—Demon, Angel, and Fallen Angel—were in perfect harmony.
Compared to the mountain-sized Son of Chaos, Ethan looked like an ant. But the moment he stood before the monster, the Outer God stopped. Its primal instinct screamed: Move forward and you will die.
"Rias, is Ethan getting even more handsome?" Akeno whispered.
"Yes. Strengthening is a process of evolution. The more powerful one becomes, the closer they get to the image of a perfect lifeform."
Ethan didn't give the girls much time to gossip. He fused the Power of Destruction with Lightning, augmented by the Crimson Dragon's boost. A single punch landed square on the monster's forehead. The Son of Chaos roared—not in anger, but in pure terror.