Chapter 53

While shielding themselves from the shockwave, Schwi, Fia, and Jibril all stared wide-eyed, feeling a bit defeated.

They had fought with everything they had, yet couldn't break through the Demon Lord's defences, then Riku acted, and instantly finished it off.

"Ugh, I thought I'd closed the gap with husband, but it's only getting wider…" Fia said in a dejected tone.

"Because he's Riku," Schwi murmured quietly.

"Should I say 'as expected of Master'? He's gotten even stronger…" Jibril sighed.

In their memories, Riku had to struggle desperately to beat the Dragonia. But in just this short time, he'd one-shot a Demon Lord whose strength was even greater than the Dragonia's and whose defence was simply monstrous.

Of course, that didn't mean the Demon Lord completely outclassed the Dragonia; it was just stronger in raw power and defence. When it came to agility and trickery, the Dragonia was in another league.

But it was precisely because of that that the three girls were so shocked. To one-shot the strongest Demon Lord with a single attack… That level of strength was overwhelming.

"Honestly, I didn't expect this either," Riku said with an innocent look as he cancelled his Balance Breaker and Eight Gates.

He truly hadn't anticipated this. He thought using Balance Breaker plus the Gate of Limit would at most severely injure the Demon Lord, not kill it instantly. It seemed the fusion with the Divine Saiyan bloodline really had boosted his power a lot.

It wasn't just his strength, it was his endurance, too. Previously, after using Balance Breaker plus the Gate of Limit, he'd be exhausted. Now, he felt fine; there was no sense of weakness. And his body didn't split open like it had after annihilating the Gigant tribe.

"Hmph, I don't believe it. Husband, stop trying to comfort me, I'm not that fragile!" Fia pouted, sulking.

Jibril just smiled. She had a contract with Riku when he grew stronger, so did she. She just hadn't expected him to get this strong.

As for Schwi, she simply shook her head, not saying much.

Riku teleported down into the crater.

[Ding! Broken Demon Lord corpse detected. Recyclable. Value: 200,000 exchange points. Recycle?]

"Recycle," Riku said, touching his nose.

Obviously, the full Demon Lord would've been worth much more, but it was simply unrealistic to defeat an enemy of that level and keep the body intact.

[Ding! Recycle successful. Master's remaining exchange points: 340,000.]

Satisfied, Riku nodded and immediately placed his hand on the diamond chest.

With a click, the radiant diamond chest popped open.

[Ding! Congratulations, Master! You have opened a diamond chest and received Another Cosmology.]

Another Cosmology, from "Problem Children Are Coming from Another World?", is the gift held by protagonist Izayoi Sakamaki. It allows the user to unleash the "Aurora Pillar", an attack that pierces the sky and shatters the stars, a guaranteed one-hit kill.

"So it's actually Izayoi's Another Cosmology? As a trump card, this is definitely powerful," Riku's eyes widened in satisfaction.

This item would be a top-tier treasure, even in the Little Garden, extremely rare and precious.

"Riku, did you get something good again?" Schwi came over, peering left and right, even flipping Riku's hand over out of curiosity.

"Yeah, you'll get to see it in action one day," Riku said with a mysterious smile, patting Schwi and Fia's heads.

"Oh."

Hearing this, both Schwi and Fia nodded obediently, while Jibril's eyes burned with fanatic excitement, as if she wanted to dissect Riku on the spot.

With everything settled, Riku led the three girls home.

----------

In the blink of an eye, two and a half months passed.

During those two months, Riku didn't try to increase his power any further, but focused on perfecting his control over his abilities. He also spent time studying the Pseudo Star Map Creation(Another Cosmology).

Of course, he also enjoyed travelling around with Schwi, Fia, and Jibril and from time to time, visited the Elves to learn necessary magic from Think Nirvalen. Naturally, it also meant some romantic time with Think Nirvalen as a reward for her hard work on "Void Zero Protection", which only made her more diligent, leaving a good impression on Riku.

Worth noting: Riku also visited the Vampires and spent time with Sonia, rewarding her for her diligent work with some of his blood.

He may have overdone it that time, biting had always felt a bit lewd to him, and with no other girls around, he didn't hold back with Sonia, the queen who'd given herself over to him entirely. Even her fangs weren't a problem; the sensation was truly something.

What intrigued Riku most was how Sonia offered no resistance, but instead fully surrendered to him. Riku liked all kinds of girls, but if someone resisted, he wouldn't force things unless under special circumstances.

During this period, Riku also checked in with the Dwarves, learning the secret behind IS mecha cores, and spent time with Couronne. Of course, after being caught with Sonia last time, Schwi and Jibril came along this time. With their help, he no longer had to worry about Couronne being unable to keep up with his "vigour."

These two and a half months were truly fulfilling, and Riku enjoyed every minute.

But all things must come to an end.

When the time was up, every plan had been perfectly carried out, and it was time to launch the all-out offensive that would decide the planet's fate.

A battle-ready atmosphere spread everywhere, making every race nervous as they anxiously awaited the outcome.

Now, in the high-tech command centre of the Dwarves, a group of familiar faces had gathered.

At the head was, of course, Riku. Standing behind him was Jibril, now his maid.

Seated in order were: Schwi, full-connection command unit of the Ex-Machina; Hatsuse Fia, princess of the Werebeasts; Couronne, the human representative; Think Nirvalen, the full proxy of the Elves and also Riku and Fia's maid; Sonia, queen of the Vampires and Riku's subordinate; and finally, Dwarven commander David. Representatives of the lower races were not invited to the Adia Alliance.

The Dragonia, because of their size, did not come, and besides, they had a crucial task:

To launch the opening strike!

"Is it finally about to begin?" Hatsuse Fia murmured. "The battle that will decide our fate."

Everyone else turned to Riku, as if waiting for his command.

"Then, let's begin. The final chapter of this war," Riku said from the command seat, gazing at the large screen with a deep voice.

This made everyone's faces grow serious, their eyes fixed on the display.

"Commence operation."

With Riku's order, the screen changed. Led by Reginleif and Zhuralis, thirty white dragons and four black dragons soared in from the distance, flying toward the gigantic whale-shaped fortress in the sky.

That was the true body of Avant Heim.

The massive spirit energy of the Dragonia was impossible for the Flügel to overlook. They were all shocked, eyes filled with killing intent as they focused on the approaching dragons.

"Meow, so you've finally come? Those who dare challenge the dignity of my master," Azril said coldly, eyes fixed on the incoming dragon swarm.

"Reginleif the Wise Dragon, have you really become a human's lapdog?" Azril's voice echoed through the sky.

"Heh? Lapdog? I've seen the possibilities within him, possibilities enough to overturn everything. Besides, there's a deep grudge between our Dragonia and your kind," the Reginleif roared in return.

"Attack!" Without another word, Reginleif gave the order.

Instantly, Zhuralis and the other dragons behind him began charging energy in their mouths.

"Damn! Defend!" Noticing this, Azril furiously ordered a defence. In a flash, Avant Heim shimmered with a barrier, and with the support of five hundred Flügel, it activated its shield.

The next moment, led by Reginleif, the dragons unleashed their breath attacks. Dozens of blazing dragon breaths ripped through the air, slamming into Avant Heim's shield.

Ripples spread across the barrier as the entire Avant Heim shook. The terrifying energy destabilised the surrounding space, cracks appearing in midair.

But still, the barrier held. While Reginleif was a force to be reckoned with, the Flügel also had Avant Heim itself; their defence at headquarters was no trivial matter.

"Counterattack!" Azril ordered with bloodlust.

Five hundred Flügel immediately moved. With Avant Heim's protection, they could take the offensive. Even if it took ten Flügel to kill a single Dragonia, they had numbers on their side, five hundred Flügel against thirty-four dragons. While the enemy included Reginleif, they had Avant Heim to keep him at bay!

The horn of war sounded. Explosions and chaos filled the sky.

Just as Azril expected, the attacking Dragonia were quickly suppressed. Their annihilation was only a matter of time.

"Second unit, move out." Watching the scene on the screen, Riku remained utterly calm, his voice icy.

"Then, Master, I'll be going," Jibril said elegantly.

"Master, I'm off as well," Think Nirvalen said, face serious.

With that, Jibril took Think Nirvalen and vanished from the command room.

Elsewhere, a combined force of Elves and Vampires appeared on the far side of the battlefield, moving toward the fight. The clash between the Dragonia and Flügel sent shockwaves everywhere, making it tough for them to advance.

Fortunately, the Vampires' stealth powers kept them hidden from the Flügel.

Suddenly, Jibril and Think Nirvalen appeared at the front of the group, deploying a barrier to shield everyone from the aftermath of the battle.

"Let's begin. The second step of annihilation," Think Nirvalen said, taking a deep breath, her eyes flashing with resolve. For Riku for her only master, she couldn't allow any failure.

"Understood!" Hearing this, all the soldiers responded with grim determination.

Then the Elves' secret weapon was brought out. Under Think Nirvalen's command, they prepared to launch the [Void Zero Protection], a god-tier technique also known as the Nemesis of Phantasma!

It was the perfect attack for breaking Avant Heim's defence.

For this moment, Think Nirvalen had pushed her body to its limits, barely resting, and had managed to create five [Void Zero Protections]!

"Sorcerers, ready. Activation complete. Launch in twenty seconds!" Countless magic circles appeared beneath the Elves' feet. Ignoring the cost, they poured in their spirit energy, with Think Nirvalen directing operations.

Meanwhile, the other Elves focused on defence. The Vampires provided cover.

And most importantly, Jibril stood at the front as their main protector.

"Azril, there's a powerful spirit reaction to the east, likely [Void Zero Protection]. But the Elves' creator was supposed to have been destroyed by our lord. Why…?" a Flügel reported in alarm.

"What?!" Azril, locked in fierce combat with the Dragonia, was stunned. The geometric halo above her head spun rapidly as she used her authority to scan the area.

Even with the Vampires' stealth, the energy signature from firing five [Void Zero Protections] at once couldn't be hidden, not even if the Shadow God Gagras intervened.

So Azril instantly saw everything in that area.

"Little Jibril…?!" First, she noticed Jibril, then saw the glowing orbs in her pupils contract. They were [Void Zero Protections]!

Those arrogant forest monkeys had managed to recreate their creator's godly technique?!

Azril's heart sank.

"Kafae, lead the 9th Wing and destroy the Elves and Vampires, stop them from launching [Void Zero Protection]. As for little Jibril, if she gets in the way, cripple her, then bring her back for treatment later," Azril commanded coldly.

[Void Zero Protection] was the nemesis of Phantasma; they absolutely couldn't let even one reach Avant Heim, let alone five!

"Understood!" The Flügel named Kafae led nine others, flying toward the Elves and Vampires.

"Looks like we've been spotted. But Azril, the me of today, isn't the same as before," Jibril said, sensing Azril's gaze.

"Little Jibril, get out of the way. We're going to wipe out these pests," a cold, murderous voice rang out from above as space rippled.

With a spatial ripple, ten Flügel appeared overhead, led by a chillingly aloof one.

The Elves and Vampires were alarmed, nerves on edge.

Even one Flügel could wipe them out, let alone ten.

"Kafae, is it? Let's get started this is your only chance." Jibril looked up at her old acquaintance with indifference. "For my master's sake, even against you, I won't show mercy."

"Little Jibril, you've really fallen. We'll have to cripple you and bring you back," Kafae replied angrily.

"Attack!"

All ten Flügel gathered their power at once.

Jibril only smiled, the geometric halo behind her head spinning rapidly. A sturdy barrier enveloped the Elves and Vampires behind her.

"Little Jibril…" In Avant Heim, Azril watched her adopt a defensive stance with a complicated expression.

She couldn't understand why Jibril would betray the God of War, choose a human, and even turn against her own kin and creator for that human.

The Flügel were created to hunt other races and deliver the [Star Grail] to their king why this betrayal now?

"Annihilation operation, third unit move out," Riku commanded calmly, watching the screen from the Dwarves' high-tech command room.

"Then, husband, I'm off," Fia said, standing up and smiling sweetly before activating Shambhala, vanishing in a flash of purple light.

At the same time, ten massive flying warships appeared west of Avant Heim, radiating intense pressure.

"[E-Bombs](Divine Core Bombs) charged and ready. All units, prepare for launch and defence!" came the excited yet serious voices across the warships. The Dwarves' huge cannons gleamed with terrifying energy.

All around the Dwarves were countless humans equipped with IS mecha, guarding the perimeter, along with the Dwarves' special forces.

The E-Bomb was the Dwarves' secret weapon, created with the combined power of several races. They had produced five, and with the stockpiled ones, now had ten in total.

As the name implied, if [Void Zero Protection] was the nemesis of Phantasma, then the E-Bomb was the nemesis of the God races. It had a special damage bonus against the Gods and could target their divine core, their very essence.

The divine core was as vital to the Gods as a heart is to a human. If a God lost their core, they'd lose their power, or even cease to exist, unable to take physical form ever again.

This was Riku's second trump card and the reason for bringing the Dwarves into the alliance.

"I've been waiting for this moment for so long, fighting side by side with my husband, dragging the God of War down from his throne," Fia murmured on the central warship, her hair and kimono fluttering in the wind, eyes sparkling.

"And what a sight it is," she added, smiling down at the humans in the IS mecha below.

Who would have thought, besides Riku himself, that humans could be one of the main fighting forces in this great war? Even if still a bit green, they were already quite reliable for defence. This was immanity's miracle.

And it was Riku who brought about this miracle.

"Report! There's a massive spirit reaction to the west, the Dwarves' flying warships!" a Flügel shouted in Avant Heim.

"Why worry about that scrap metal?" Azril said darkly. While the Dwarves' ships were strong, any Flügel could easily destroy them.

"But the energy signatures from each warship are as powerful as [Void Zero Protection], and there are twice as many of them!" the Flügel reported, face ashen.

"What?!" Azril's expression also darkened, the murderous light in her heterochromatic eyes almost tangible. No wonder that human pulled the Dwarves and Elves into his alliance.

Those "insect" races had each managed to create such terrifying ultimate weapons?!

"Tenth Wing, sortie! Wipe them out before they can attack!" Azril ordered angrily.

For the glory of their lord, they absolutely could not lose here!

"Understood!" In a flash, ten Flügel set out, teleporting straight to the Dwarves' fleet.

BOOM——!

Without hesitation, they launched their strongest attacks short of Heaven's Strike at the warships.

But to their shock, their attacks were blocked. A crystalline barrier completely absorbed the strikes, leaving only ripples and shockwaves.

"Humans?! How can mere humans pilot Dwarven weapons?!" They suddenly noticed about five hundred humans in IS mecha, arms outstretched, forming an energy shield in all directions. It left the Flügel in turmoil.

"Ten Flügel, huh… Only ten seconds left, so let me entertain you," Fia said, her blue hair fluttering, eyes mocking.

In the next moment, her hair turned silver, and strange markings appeared on her body.

A gap opened in the barrier, perfectly timed.

Fia shot out like a cannon, the air around her compressing into a shockwave.

THUD——!

Sensing something amiss, the lead Flügel instinctively put up a defense.

SPLAT——!

But they couldn't react in time, the barrier shattered with a single punch from Fia, sending the leader hurtling away like a meteor.

One punch, and seriously wounded!

"She's… a Werebeast?!" The remaining Flügel were thrown into chaos. Are humans so strong? A Werebeast able to one-shot their captain? What was happening to the world?!

"Her speed is terrifying, don't stop moving. Find an opening and take her out, we must finish the mission," their leader said. The Flügel's combat skills were indeed formidable; they weren't afraid of death. They sprang into action, teleporting and surrounding Fia in a coordinated assault.

"You want to destroy me? Not possible. I promised my husband I'd finish this mission perfectly," Fia smiled, her eyes sharp as she replied coldly.

While Fia was locked in a fierce battle, Riku calmly watched the screen and issued his orders.

"Schwi, Fourth Unit, deploy."

"Leave it to me, Riku." Schwi smiled softly and instantly vanished from the room.

A spatial ripple appeared behind the Dragonia, and in a flash, twelve hundred Ex-Machina units materialised in their linked formation.

"Open the canon, Pseudo-Heavenly Smite!" Schwi stood at the front, coldly carrying out the command.

In an instant, all the Ex-Machina began charging up, each forming a pitch-black spear.

This was the Ex-Machina's analysed version of Heavenly Smite. Its power was only about 70% of the real thing, but with so many, it was a barrage that would be nearly impossible to defend against.

"Wait for my command. We'll launch the attack together," Schwi ordered.

"Understood." All the Ex-Machina nodded.

"Damn it! Even those scrap-metal Ex-Machina are joining in?!" Inside Avant Heim, Azril's face finally twisted in frustration. A deep sense of helplessness welled up in her heart.

Most of the Flügel's fighting power was being held up by the Dragonia, led by Reginleif. Now, against twelve hundred Ex-Machina, they simply couldn't spare the forces to respond.

And when Azril looked at the other fronts, her face darkened even more. Fia was taking on ten Flügel at once, suppressing all of them. The Dwarves' secret weapon looked fully charged and ready to fire.

On another front, things were slightly better for the Flügel, since Jibril still refused to attack her kin, only defending.

But even so, Azril was left speechless. Jibril had grown too strong. Even with just her barrier, Kafae and the others couldn't break through.

Suddenly, a new surge of power appeared, and Azril's heart sank even further.

Reginleif was actually preparing to unleash "Incinerating Roar"! The other Dragonia were retreating in order, charging up their own dragon breaths as they fell back, clearly planning to unleash their full force.

What annoyed Azril most was that Zhuralis, an old acquaintance among the Dragonia, had also grown much stronger, blocking any Flügel pursuit.

The Reginleif's Incinerating Roar, more than thirty dragon breaths, ten E-Bombs, and five Void Zero Protections, all these attacks combined could overturn everything!

"Forget the enemy, everyone, fall back and defend! Full defence! For our master, we absolutely cannot be defeated here!" Azril shouted anxiously.

As Azril's order rang out, the Flügel who had been locked in combat with the Dragonia instantly used Spatial Shift to return to Avant Heim.

"Jibril, you've gotten stronger again," Kafae said with a complex look before leading her squad away.

"Kafae, Azril… My master's power is beyond your imagination," Jibril murmured as she watched them leave. "Everything will proceed just as Master has planned."

In the end, she couldn't bring herself to attack her sisters; she only defended.

"Master promised me, once it's all over, he'll spare the remaining Flügel." Jibril looked to the sky, murmuring.

"Mission failed. Retreat. Fall back and defend!" On Fia's side, the ten battered Flügel looked at her with frustration, but finally retreated.

"For my master and that idiot Flügel, I really went easy on you," Hatsuse Fia said, releasing her Blood Destruction state.

"Void Zero Protection, fire!" Over on the Elves' side, Think Nirvalen opened her eyes wide and raised both hands, shouting the command.

In an instant, five glowing green spheres, surging with terrifying power, rocketed into the sky toward Avant Heim.

"E-Bombs, launch!"

On the Dwarves' side, the human IS defenders dropped their energy shields as the Dwarf commander excitedly gave the order.

In a flash, blazing energy pillars formed. Massive spirit bombs wrapped in flames shot rapidly toward Avant Heim.

"Artosh, this time, your defeat is certain." Reginleif's golden eyes shone as he unleashed Incinerating Roar.

Immediately after, over thirty dragon breaths followed. Blazing Incinerating Roar and dragon breaths ripped through the sky, converging on Avant Heim.

"Pseudo-Heavenly Smite, full barrage!"

Schwi's eyes flashed as she gave the order. She was the first to hurl a spear far more powerful than any Flügel's Heavenly Smite.

A thousand two hundred Heavenly Smites turned into streaks of light, shooting toward Avant Heim.

All the races present stared wide-eyed, ready to witness a legendary moment.

In those final seconds before the all-out attack, Azril and the Flügel at Avant Heim felt only despair. Even with Avant Heim's defensive support, they couldn't withstand all these overwhelming attacks.

"You foolish ants… You're not the challengers I awaited. So disappear."

From deep within Avant Heim, the God of War, Artosh, opened his golden eyes. His voice boomed across the heavens, filled with disdain for all life.

"Our lord!" Upon hearing this, Azril and the other Flügel's faces filled with joy and shame. Their master was finally intervening. To them, it was an honour even in defeat to witness their lord's might once more after a thousand years.

"Channel all power to Lord Artosh! Show these insects that our master is beyond their reach!" Azril commanded urgently.

Instantly, countless Flügel unleashed their power into the sky, pouring everything they had into one attack. In doing so, every last Flügel reverted to child form.

"Divine Strike—!"

Seated on his throne, the God of War Artosh raised his hand. A surge of energy absorbed all the Flügel's power, swelling rapidly.

In the next moment, a blinding golden pillar of light shot down from the heavens, shattering the surrounding space so completely it could not be restored!

The power was so overwhelming that even the highest races were left breathless!

BOOM——!

In the blink of an eye, the Divine Strike and the combined might of all the races clashed. The deafening explosion that followed shook the entire planet!