"Now, appearing on the right side—our next contestant!"
"Many of you may not recognize him, but let assure you—he is no ordinary figure."
"The sworn elder brother of Kyoto's Supre Commander of yokai… rumored to be the strongest yokai in the world—Ren Kuroda!"
Gripping his microphone, Mado Gamaki delivered the introduction with dramatic flair and unrestrained enthusiasm. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought he was Ren's biggest fan.
Compared to Riser's flamboyant entrance—complete with an entire entourage of beautiful won—Ren's appearance couldn't have been more understated.
From the teleportation circle, only a single figure stepped out.
Ren. Alone.
Dressed in a simple tracksuit… and wearing a pair of flip-flops.
Despite the host's grand introduction, the audience couldn't reconcile the image before them with the title they had just heard.
There was nothing about him that resembled a "strongest being."
If anything, Ren gave off the impression of a completely ordinary person.
Forget Riser—most of the spectators felt like they could walk down there themselves and win.
"…That's the so-called strongest yokai? Why do I feel like I could take him?"
"This is a scam! Total fraud! What 'duel of the century'? We want refunds!"
"Exactly! This is just a setup to boost the Phenex family's reputation. They grabbed so random nobody and slapped a 'strongest yokai' label on him!"
Instead of cheers, Ren's entrance was t with a chorus of boos.
Many in the Underworld felt outright deceived—and frankly, insulted.
Even if the organizers were short on resources, couldn't they at least have hired a more convincing stand-in? This was like rubbing everyone's intelligence into the dirt.
"He's the 'strongest yokai' the Devil Kings spoke of? Doesn't look like much."
"Figures. Yokai are nothing but minor players. They can't possibly compare to devils of the Underworld."
Even among the elite mbers of the Seventy-Two Pillar families—who had co specifically out of curiosity—the reactions were filled with ridicule and disappointnt as they watched Ren's seemingly lackluster presence.
Watching the situation spiral into widespread jeering, Mado Gamaki felt a headache coming on.
The Underworld's Rating Gas were wildly popular, and as a professional host, this was his livelihood.
If the atmosphere collapsed—and worse, if this duel failed to deliver—his career could take a serious hit.
So, with a strained smile, he shot Ren a pleading glance, silently urging him to say sothing… or at least show a bit of his strength.
Truth be told, even Mado Gamaki himself was starting to doubt whether Ren truly deserved the title of "strongest yokai."
The information had co directly from the Devil Kings. He had only followed the script based on experience.
He never expected things to turn out like this.
"There's no need for all that," Ren said flatly, completely ignoring the host's hint. "If everything's ready, just start the match already."
"I've got classes to teach later. I don't want to waste ti."
His words fell like a bomb.
Arrogant. Overbearing. Disrespectful.
In an instant, those labels were stamped all over him in the minds of the audience.
Most of the crowd had been neutral until now—but with that one statent, they all swung decisively to Riser's side, erupting into cheers.
They wanted to see the pride of the Underworld's devils crush this insufferably arrogant yokai into the ground.
Watching the crowd shift from scattered complaints to unified hostility toward Ren, Mado Gamaki cast him a thoughtful glance.
At this point, he was almost convinced—
Ren must be a plant arranged by the organizers.
And a highly professional one at that.
In just a few lines, he had completely redirected the audience's attention—no one was shouting for refunds anymore.
"Well then! With both contestants in position, and the ti upon us, I hereby declare the duel between Riser Phenex and Ren Kuroda officially begun!"
"Please select your battlefield. Following that, the final decision will be made based on a dice roll—the higher number determines the stage!"
To allow devils to fully demonstrate their abilities, the Underworld had prepared a variety of specialized environnts for Rating Gas.
These ga spaces were constructed using advanced techniques developed by the Devil King Beelzebub. Not only did they feature diverse terrains, but they also ensured safety—any participant suffering fatal damage would be ejected from the space before actual death could occur.
"No need to roll dice," Ren said dismissively. "Let them pick the battlefield. I just want to finish this quickly."
Once again, his tone was unapologetically arrogant—further fueling the crowd's hostility.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he had beco the most disliked person in the arena.
Even the Devil Kings, powerful as they were, didn't carry themselves with such blatant disregard. Compared to them, Ren's attitude was… overwhelming.
Hearing this, Mado Gamaki hesitated, then looked toward the judges' platform.
After receiving a slight nod from Sirzechs, he turned to Riser, signaling him to make the selection.
"You'll regret that arrogance," Riser said coldly.
With the crowd firmly behind him, and Ren's unimpressive appearance reinforcing his confidence, Riser felt completely in control.
And yet, Ren's attitude still infuriated him.
Among the many available battlefields, Riser chose without hesitation—
"Crimson Inferno."
A massive magic circle engulfed the participants.
In an instant, Ren and Riser's fifteen peerage mbers were transported to a high-temperature domain.
The ground beneath them was black and cracked like volcanic rock. Towering volcanoes dotted the landscape, spewing heat into the air.
The oppressive temperature pressed down on them, making even breathing feel heavy.
For most living beings, prolonged exposure to such an environnt would quickly lead to exhaustion.
But for Riser—
This was the perfect battlefield.
As a mber of the Phenex family—the legendary phoenix—he not only felt no discomfort, but his power was significantly amplified in such conditions.
"Looks like you're not just a pervert… but a scumbag too," Ren said coolly, glancing at him.
"Choosing a battlefield like this certainly benefits the Phenex."
He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"But did you forget sothing?"
"Your peerage mbers… aren't Phenex."
"And their magic power won't last forever against this heat."
...
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