55: Chapter 55

Inside the banquet hall, the clan heads listened to Sona's words clearly through the magical projection.

Many people subconsciously turned their gazes toward Luo Yu.

Everyone could see how imposing the Red Dragon Emperor was now.

But many people had almost forgotten that when he first emerged in the Three Realms, back when he encountered that encirclement by the Norse Pantheon, he fought using this exact style.

Fight if you can, stall if you can't, and run if you can't stall. "Next match, House Sitri versus Sigwitia, the match begins."

As soon as the barrier in the different space fell, two figures collided.

Sona's longsword and Sigwitia's sharp claws clashed across the distance, sending sparks flying.

Among the spectators watching below, many representatives from the various pantheons looked displeased.

This generation of the Underworld was tougher than the last.

They couldn't be crushed or ground down; every time it seemed like it was over, they would stand back up again.

The faces of several priests from the Norse Pantheon turned green.

But to be honest, this was a necessary path for the strong.

In this generation of the Underworld, aside from a few fierce individuals who dared to fight across the Three Realms, most young devils were too well-protected.

There was no helping that, though.

After The Great War ended, more than half of the pure-blooded devils were dead.

Even after a thousand years, their vitality had only just begun to recover a little.

Who would dare risk the meager foundation they had worked so hard to rebuild?

The fighting on the field was fierce, but the gazes from below drifted quietly toward Luo Yu.

How much pure-blooded devil blood was on this person's hands?

The title of Red Dragon Emperor was not given for nothing.

Even the blood relative of the Devil King Ajuka Beelzebub had fallen at his hands.

Luo Yu had also heard what Sona said in the different space.

He merely shook his head.

The things he had given Sona were not just what appeared on the surface.

Sona could not accept those truly ruthless methods.

They went against her philosophy.

Luo Yu did not force her.

Each had their own path to walk.

Sona could not walk his path.

At most, he could offer some experience as someone who had been there before.

In the different space, Sona was still relentlessly entangled with Rias Gremory.

Over on Tsubaki Shinra's side, the battle was also fierce.

Time ticked by second by second.

Rias Gremory's face was full of speechlessness.

Finally, the referee called a stop. "Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory, draw."

Sona smiled: "Next time, don't just play around."

"Definitely."

Rias Gremory vanished from the different space first.

Akeno Himejima and Koneko followed behind her.

Sona did not move; she and her companions remained in place, recovering their magic power and stamina.

They waited for the next challenger to enter. "Third match of the preliminary round, Sona Sitri, winner."

The referee's announcements rang out one after another. "Preliminary round against Disang, winner, Sona Sitri."

"..."

"Seventh match of the preliminary round, winner, Sona Sitri."

"..."

"Eleventh match of the preliminary round, winner, Sona Sitri."

Oliver listened to the results, the smile on his face deepening.

Where there were happy people, there were naturally unhappy ones.

The unhappy ones were the challengers who had been personally knocked off the stage by Sona.

When a clan heir fights as soon as they take office, winning is considered skill.

But if they lose, it's too embarrassing.

Just like this group of defeated seniors who had originally intended to maintain their status and offer guidance—or rather, suppress the junior.

As a result, they were suppressed and beaten by the junior in return; they had no face left.

Upon returning to their families, they would inevitably be scolded by their own elders.

"It's the twelfth match, and she tied with Rias Gremory of the Gremory Clan."

"One draw, eleven wins, that's correct."

"..."

Many current clan heads nearby were whispering in discussion.

No one expected that this little girl from House Sitri could make it this far.

No one was surprised that Rias Gremory could win eleven matches. After all, she possessed the Bael Clan's Power of Destruction, giving her a huge advantage against devils of the same rank.

But what about this little girl from House Sitri?

Aside from having one High-Class Devil as a subordinate, everything else was achieved through her own tactical planning and control over the entire situation.

It was truly excessively impressive. "I wonder if Sona has a chance to break my record of sixteen consecutive wins."

Sairaorg Bael said while rubbing his chin.

He knew clearly that if the matches continued, those "seniors" who had advanced to Ultimate-Class Devil like him would definitely not be able to sit still.

Even if it meant openly bullying the weak, someone would stand out and break Sona's winning streak. "With your strength, plus Regulus Nemea, there's no problem in clearing through these people."

Luo Yu glanced at him, his tone casual.

These successor clan heads at the banquet were at most on the same level as Sairaorg Bael, all being Ultimate-Class Devils.

And they were a generation older.

But Sairaorg Bael had Regulus Nemea; after using Balance Breaker, he was enough to contend with the Devil King level.

If he couldn't even clear through these people, then he would be too useless.

Sairaorg Bael saw what Luo Yu was thinking and helplessly spread his hands. "I also want to clear through them all. But the situation doesn't allow it; the Bael Clan has to consider the face of other pure-blooded devil nobles and cannot go too far."

"I really dislike these rules and restrictions in these big clans."

However.

To realize his dream—to become a Devil King and build a world that doesn't look at family background, where one can realize their dreams if they have the strength.

The power of the Bael Clan was essential. "Hmm? Why did that guy go up? It's against the rules, right?"

Sairaorg Bael's pupils constricted as he stared at the young man in the different space within the magical projection. "Isn't he just a High-Class Devil?"

The opponent challenging Sona this time was still a High-Class Devil; not a single Ultimate-Class had appeared. "It's not that simple."

Sairaorg Bael glanced at Luo Yu and lowered his voice to explain:

"This guy has a significant background. He is the next head of the Sabnock Clan, Jader Sabnock. If it weren't for the engagement between you and Sona, he would have been Sona's fiancé."

When Luo Yu heard this, he finally realized.

If he hadn't transmigrated into this world, according to the original plot, this guy should have been beaten down by Sona in a Rating Game, and then the engagement would have been annulled.

As soon as Jader went onto the field, the few current clan heads like Oliver all frowned.

Just as Sairaorg Bael said, this was not following the rules at all.

This was the new generation's stage.

But looking at the old clan head of the Sabnock Clan, Simmons, that old man was as shriveled as a dried orange peel, closing his eyes and pretending not to see.

Just a High-Class Devil, he couldn't stir up any trouble.

This old thing, Simmons, probably wanted his only grandson to show his face in this kind of competition to gain some experience for future Rating Games.

Otherwise, being a High-Class Devil at his age was truly unjustifiable.

Inside the different space was a vast primeval forest. "Long time no see, Sona."

Jader wore a smile on his face. "Bang!"

The only answer to him was a figure that had been slashed and smashed into the ground by Tsubaki Shinra. "Jader, your methods are still so unclean."

Sona's tone was calm.

This guy simply disgraced the name of pure-blooded devils, always playing underhanded tricks that couldn't be brought to the table. "Useless!"

Looking at the subordinate lying at his feet, the smile on Jader's face instantly turned into ice. "All of you, come out!"

At his command, over a dozen figures emerged from the bushes with a rustle.

Sona's expression changed abruptly.

Standing before her were all of Jader's subordinates; his Evil Pieces had long been used up.

...

"Simmons! Jader brought all his subordinates in; he has completely broken the rules of the preliminary round!"

Oliver stood up abruptly, his face turning green.

In the preliminary round, the number of subordinates sent by the challenger has always been equal to the number of the defender.

Never had anyone been seen bringing all their subordinates into the field; how could they still fight?

Not to mention Oliver, the other clan heads and heirs present all exploded.

Breaking the rules once or twice, the Sabnock Clan was going too far.

President Sona led three subordinates, charging left and right in the dense forest.

Tsubaki Shinra rolled on the ground, avoiding the siege of three soldiers from the opposite side, and shouted while panting: "President, there are too many of them on the other side!"

Under the condition that all Evil Pieces are consumed, theoretically, one can recruit up to fifteen subordinates. But in reality, very few devils can actually gather that number.

It's not that subordinates are hard to find.

It is that most pure-blooded devils want seeds with good qualifications and high potential. Reincarnating these high-quality candidates as devils directly doubles the number of pieces consumed.

Those with good qualifications might require four Pawn pieces.

For ordinary ones, one is enough.

According to the style of those pure-blooded devils in the Underworld, they prefer quality over quantity, willing to recruit fewer people as long as they pick good seeds.

But this Jader before her went exactly the opposite way.

He had exactly fifteen subordinates under his command.

Plus himself, that made sixteen people.

And Sona's side only had four people, Tsubaki Shinra, Reya Kusaka, and Tsubaki Shinra; at most, that was all of them.

Even if most of Jader's fifteen subordinates were Low-Class Devils, with only five Middle-Class Devils—a Queen, two Knights, and two Bishops—they were still more than enough to fight four.

The numerical advantage was right there, crushing them completely.

Even if Sona's side had one more High-Class Devil, they couldn't turn the situation around at all.

Don't forget, Tsubaki Shinra and Reya Kusaka were currently only Low-Class Devils, not even Middle-Class. "Withdraw! Go deep into the forest!"

Sona decided decisively, taking the three of them and turning to dash deep into the dense forest.

If they were really surrounded, it would be completely over.

She intended to use the complex terrain of the jungle to lure the people on the other side away one by one, and then take them out one by one.

A head-on collision would only result in being surrounded and killed. "Sona, keep running!"

Jader wore a twisted smile, his voice filled with ruthlessness. "No one can reject me time and again without paying a price."

"Since I can't touch you personally, I'll take it out on your subordinates."

The Sabnock Clan had proposed marriage to House Sitri time and again, only to be blocked every time.

Every refusal used that so-called engagement as an excuse.

President Sona and her team, they wouldn't lose just like this, would they?

Akeno Himejima stared at the magical projection in front of her, her brows slightly furrowed.

She never expected that under the eyes of so many people, there would still be someone who dared to commit such a cheating act that was nearly shameless.

It was estimated that by now, the number of people at the banquet despising Jader and the Sabnock Clan was not small. "What's the rush? The good show has just begun."

Rias Gremory's mouth curled up, her tone filled with certainty. "Once they enter that kind of complex jungle terrain, that will be Sona's home field."

Akeno Himejima looked up at the projection.

In the picture, three of Jader's soldiers were chasing Sona and the others, only to step into an Arcane Magic trap set up in advance by Reya Kusaka.

With a boom.

The three of them were blown away directly, falling to the ground and completely unconscious.

This was not some coincidence.

Deep in the jungle, when Jader was leading his subordinates to surround Sona.

Those Low-Class Devils with average strength simply couldn't keep up with Jader and the others, and were all left behind.

Now, this worked out perfectly, giving Tsubaki Shinra and Reya Kusaka the opportunity to act.