User blog comment:B214/Volume 23 discussion blog/@comment-24502975-20170203153821/@comment-31137559-20170208023351

We already have a tournament where the most powerful people in the world are competing. Why do we need a new villain? Considering the ones we've just had in the fourth arc, anything else would be an asspull. Having a villain now would serve what purpose? See Issei defeat another powerful opponent? This tournament has that covered. We get to see Issei fight against powerful opponents without them being enemies. Why would we need a villain this arc? And Indra wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making a team if he was just going to interrupt it. He likes the idea of the Azazel Cup. And the Malebranche? 13 heinous criminals locked up who are most likely devils? Would be a serious downgrade from the other villains we have had? We just had them stopping Trihexa. What could top that? The Malebranche would be better to save for a sequel series. Rizevim could have freed them and brought them to his side, but he didn't. Any Malebranche stuff would have been perfect for the fourth arc. But this late in the game would just be pathetic.