Riser Phenex, fueled by a mixture of fury and bewildered frustration, roared and unleashed another devastating punch. Rin's body was sent hurtling through the air once more, a human projectile soaring across the shattered clubroom. As he flew, a silent command resonated deep within his being. Tier up all maxed statuses to Tier III. A jolt, like pure lightning, surged through every cell of his body. His strength, speed, endurance, intelligence, and wisdom all skyrocketed, pushing past the previous peak, settling into a new, far more formidable level.
He slammed into the far wall again, this time with even greater force, but the impact merely seemed to dissipate around him. As he slid down, landing gracefully amidst the rubble, a thought solidified in his mind. It's time.
"System," Rin thought, his voice clear within his consciousness, "activate supernatural powers status. Inactive to Active."
A torrent of power, previously dormant, awoke within him, flowing through his veins like molten gold. Simultaneously, a prompt from his system appeared: Supernatural Powers Status Activated. Would you like to manifest a Sacred Gear?
Rin's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his face. A Sacred Gear? This was unexpected, yet thrilling. He had stepped into the DxD world, and he wouldn't shackle himself with mundane limitations, even for the sake of entertainment. He would embrace this new reality fully.
"Yes," Rin affirmed internally, "Awaken my Sacred Gear."
But before the process could fully complete, Riser was upon him again. The Phoenix Devil, his face contorted in a mask of disbelief and rage, unleashed another powerful strike. Rin flew back once more, but this time, he felt the impact even less, his new Tier III defenses shrugging off the blow.
"Why won't you fall, human?!" Riser shrieked, his voice laced with a growing terror. The sight of Rin standing, utterly unscathed after repeated, full-power attacks, was shattering his composure. He wouldn't allow it. "Enough!"
Riser gathered every ounce of his demonic energy, his body flaring with an infernal aura. He launched into a relentless, furious barrage of punches, kicks, and energy blasts, a whirlwind of destructive power. The air filled with the sickening sound of impacts, each blow meant to pulverize. Rin stood firm, absorbing the attacks, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touching his lips. Riser continued, his attacks growing wilder, more desperate, until, finally, he gasped, utterly exhausted, his demonic energy reserves depleted from the sustained assault. He even believed he heard bones cracking with each hit.
"Riser, you monster!"
Suddenly, a blinding surge of water erupted from the referee's stand. Sona Sitri, unable to bear witness to Riser's murderous intent any longer, had broken her impartiality. She had been shocked that Rin survived Riser's initial attacks, her faith in him a silent prayer, but seeing Riser's genuine desire to kill him, she could no longer hold back.
Riser, utterly spent, barely registered the incoming attack. "Peerage! Protect me!" he rasped, but his command was too late. Rias's peerage, still engaged in their own desperate struggle, prevented Riser's servants from reaching him in time.
The water strike, infused with Sona's own considerable demonic power, slammed into Riser. He screamed, his body sent sprawling across the clubroom floor, landing in a crumpled heap, bruised and bleeding. Sona gathered her energy for another attack, her eyes blazing with cold fury.
"Wait." Rin's voice, calm and clear, echoed through the suddenly quiet room, stopping Sona mid-preparation. "He's mine."
He had planned this. His awakening, strategically timed to occur in the crucible of battle, to reveal his true power in a moment of dire need. Now, he would show them.
A sudden, immense surge of mana exploded from Rin's body. It wasn't the subtle, controlled flow he had used for his system manipulations; this was raw, untamed power, a spiritual pressure that slammed into everyone present. Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, Issei, Asia, Sona, and even the battered Riser and his peerage – all of them staggered, their movements halting, their senses overwhelmed by the sheer, unimaginable force emanating from him.
Then, the mana continued to rise, a silent, awe-inspiring crescendo. Rin's system responded, channeling the infinite wellspring within him. Mana: increasing to 9000.
The air shimmered, the very fabric of reality seeming to groan under the pressure. Riser's eyes, wide with sheer terror, saw it – a colossal, ethereal dragon-like shape coalescing from the swirling mana around Rin, its spectral form radiating an ancient, primordial power. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to flee from this monstrous human, but his feet were rooted to the spot, paralyzed by fear. His pride, however, refused to break. No! I am a Phenex! I will not falter! As long as I can defeat him, I will go back to my usual self!
But Rin wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't kill Riser, not yet. But he would leave him with a terror so profound, so absolute, that it would haunt his every waking moment, never allowing him another peaceful night's sleep.
Then, a flash of light enveloped Rin. It wasn't the demonic fire of the Phenex, nor the holy light of an angel. It was something else entirely, something utterly unique. When the light subsided, Rin stood transformed. Gone were his school uniform and casual clothes. In their place, he wore a sleek, form-fitting black leather outfit, accented with silver. Strapped to his back were two swords: one, a deep, obsidian black; the other, a vibrant, ethereal blue. It was the unmistakable attire of the Black Swordsman, Kirito, from the anime Sword Art Online. This was his Sacred Gear, the Omnitrix, not granting him alien forms, but instead manifesting the ultimate physical representation of his chosen power.