As Riku and Schwi headed toward the ruined elf capital, somewhere else, a group of elves was moving cautiously.
Unlike their former elegant and proud selves, the elves now looked utterly miserable, most of their faces were pale, clearly weakened.
This was only natural. Ever since their capital was destroyed by the Flügel outlier, Jibril, they had been on the run, constantly watching for attacks from other races and hiding from Jibril, who hunted them relentlessly. They couldn't even use spirit magic freely.
These past days had been a nightmare for them.
"Nirvalen-sama, everyone is exhausted. If we don't rest soon, we won't make it…"
A male elf approached a beautiful, golden-haired elven woman at the front, panting as he suggested it.
On the run like this, unable to use magic or spirits, their stamina was barely better than humans. If they were werebeasts, this would've been nothing.
"Alright. Half an hour's rest." Think Nirvalen massaged her golden hair, glanced back at her weary kin, and, feeling sympathy, finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
They needed to reunite with their scattered companions, but pushing everyone in this state would only guarantee a massacre if another race found them.
"Thank goodness!" At her command, the dozens of elves behind her dropped to the ground or onto rocks, relieved.
"Damn Jibril…" Watching them, Think Nirvalen clenched her teeth in silent fury.
That one attack from Jibril had wiped out half the elves; the survivors, carrying their grimoires, scattered in flight, now homeless. Think Nirvalen's hatred for Jibril ran deep.
But no matter how much she hated, all she felt was helplessness. The gap in power was simply too great.
Moments later, Think Nirvalen's expression changed. Noticing something, she stood up abruptly. "On guard!"
The other elves looked around, panic in their eyes.
From the rocky caves around them, hundreds of demonia slowly emerged.
"Damn it! Prepare to fight! Forget hiding your spirit reaction, kill these monsters first!"
Think Nirvalen 's face darkened, spirit power flaring as she unleashed magic.
Her power as an eighth-tier sorceress exploded arrows of flame materialised in midair, instantly incinerating several demonia.
The other elves, most only second or third tier, weren't nearly as strong and could only hold the demonia at bay.
Especially in their weakened state.
They tried tactics groups of ten using spells in turns, Think Nirvalen holding the front, but they couldn't keep up. Wounded elves had to be rotated out and healed, but the injuries kept piling up.
Think Nirvalen grew more anxious and frustrated by the minute. How could they be so unlucky attacked by demonia at a time like this?
"Looks like you're having a rough time, elves." Suddenly, a childish voice echoed out, making Think Nirvalen and the other elves freeze.
Think Nirvalen spun to the source, spotting a small figure atop a steep slope.
At the front stood a blue-haired, kimono-wearing werebeast girl. Behind her were a dozen burly werebeasts.
"Werebeasts…!" Think Nirvalen 's face turned grim.
Now they were surrounded. Counting on help from the werebeasts? Not a chance. In war between three races, it was always the third party who picked off the survivors.
If it had been another race, they might have stopped to negotiate. But facing demonia, mindless killers was hopeless.
"Heh, what brings the werebeasts here?" Think Nirvalen managed to mask her nerves and asked in a cold voice.
"If you agree to a condition, I can save you," Fia said calmly.
"What condition?" Think Nirvalen was taken aback, instinctively asking.
That wasn't the expected answer. Shouldn't the werebeasts be kicking them while they're down?
"Do you really think you're in any position to negotiate with me?" Fia's voice was cold and absolute.
"True, we have no leverage. But you must want to use us for something, right? If we die here, it'd trouble you too. How about this, so long as it's nothing that threatens our very survival, I'll agree. The rest we can discuss after." Think Nirvalen answered coolly.
"You're smart. But being too clever isn't always a good thing. I have no intention of harming the elves, so I'll accept your terms for now," Fia said, appraising her.
"But remember, if you break your word, your people can't afford the price. For my husband's sake, I'll do whatever it takes to complete the task he gave me."
"Husband?" Think Nirvalen was stunned.
Think Nirvalen looked at Fia with a strange expression. The lifespan of the werebeast race was relatively long, but Fia clearly looked underage, yet she was already married. Who the hell was the werebeast who married her?
"Werebeast, hurry up and help! My people can't hold out any longer!" Think Nirvalen was anxious. They were already weak, and now that they faced several times their number in demonia, they were completely at a disadvantage. Many of her kin were already on the verge of death, and the casualties were not small.
"Assist while ensuring your own safety," Fia commanded, her robes fluttering.
"Understood." With that, over a dozen werebeasts leapt down the slope, moving at speeds almost too fast to track, rushing into the demonia ranks.
"I should get started too… It'd be nice to finish quickly and surprise my husband." Fia muttered, her tail wagging quickly and her pretty little face slightly red.
With those words, Fia stepped into the air, leaping in a way that seemed to defy reality, and charged straight into the demonia ranks.
In an instant, those huge monsters were smashed apart by her small fists, brutal and overwhelming.
It was a shocking sight: a cute werebeast girl blowing apart monsters many times her size with a single punch, a pure display of violent beauty!
"Blood Destruction? No, she hasn't even used Blood Destruction and has already broken physical limits! She's far beyond even that!" Think Nirvalen stared at Fia's display in disbelief, drawing a sharp breath.
"At this rate, I can't take her lightly. If she hadn't shown her power, I was planning to use her or even betray her. But now…" Think Nirvalen felt a headache coming on. Fia's overwhelming strength made her abandon any such thoughts. Power ruled this world.
A while later, the entire area was covered in the mangled corpses of demonia, blood flowing everywhere. The elves lost ten members, a quarter of their group. As for the werebeasts, only a few suffered minor injuries or post-Blood Destruction weakness.
Fia herself was completely unscathed, just a little flushed from the fight and, of course, splattered with plenty of blood, looking extremely fierce.
"Elves, use magic to clean me up. I can't stand being like this," Fia said to Think Nirvalen, frowning and wiping the blood from her face.
"Oh… Understood." Think Nirvalen glanced at Fia warily before nodding. With Fia's strength, she didn't have the confidence to win in a fight. Better just comply.
"Hmm, your elves' magic is useful, I guess. Otherwise, I'd have to find a river to clean up. If my husband saw me in such a filthy state, it would be a problem." After a simple water spell, Fia's blood and dust were washed away, and she nodded in satisfaction.
The werebeasts immediately followed suit, asking the elves for the same cleaning treatment.
For a moment, the elves' faces were filled with humiliation. Their prideful magic was being used for… cleaning. But remembering that these werebeasts that had just saved them, they fell silent, swallowing their pride.
To the proud elves, these recent days were unimaginable: their country destroyed, saved by their enemies…
"You should probably tell us why the werebeasts saved us. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
Fia smiled, staring at Think Nirvalen, and said, "I'll tell you straight. My husband and I wish to end the era of the God of War, so we need the power of the elves. Therefore, your people must join our Alliance."
"End the era of the God of War? Are you crazy? Do you really think you have the power for that? Or your husband? Don't fool yourself." Think Nirvalen's expression darkened. "Don't forget, both our creator gods were killed by the God of War and had their divinity devoured. How could lesser races like us hope to resist?"
"I can't do it myself, not even beat a single Flügel," Fia admitted, shaking her head. Yet her eyes remained bright and unwavering.
"But even if I can't, my husband will definitely succeed. He will defeat the God of War and end this insane divine war."
"…May I ask, who is your husband?" After a moment of silence, Think Nirvalen met Fia's eyes and asked. The confidence in Fia's voice was absolute. Who was it that inspired such faith?
"My husband's name is Riku. He's human," Fia said, her red eyes dreamy.
"Human… a monkey?" Think Nirvalen blurted out, stunned.
To all the races, "human" didn't even count as a race, more like monkeys leaping everywhere. Elves especially looked down on humans, considering them nothing but beasts.
"If you say that again, I'll kill you right here," Fia instantly activated Blood Destruction, placing her hand at Think Nirvalen's throat, her red eyes full of killing intent.
"—!" Cold sweat poured from Think Nirvalen, shocked by the strength Fia had kept hidden. For the sake of a mere monkey…?
"Let go of Nirvalen-sama!"
"Werebeasts can't be trusted!"
The elves were in an uproar, while the werebeasts silently gathered behind Fia, ready to fight.
No one expected things to escalate so quickly. Think Nirvalen's offhand use of the human slur had provoked such an intense reaction from Fia.
"Heh, alright, I won't say it again. Can you take your hand away now?" Think Nirvalen forced a smile through her cold sweat, the killing intent in Fia's eyes making her feel the shadow of death looming over her.
"Let it not happen again." Only after more than ten seconds did Fia move her hand away, releasing her Blood Destruction and returning to her normal state.
"..." With this, everyone else finally breathed a sigh of relief. This could have turned into a disaster. But at the same time, the elves, led by Think Nirvalen, were left with a huge question.
'This overwhelmingly powerful werebeast loli's husband is a human! And not just any human, but one she's convinced will defeat the God of War someday... Is the werebeast race insane?'
Although the elves were full of speculation, none dared to voice their thoughts aloud, afraid of provoking Fia and being wiped out.
"So, what is your answer? Give me a reply quickly. If you go back on your word, you know what will happen." Fia's tone was now icy, her earlier politeness gone.
"Well..." Think Nirvalen's expression froze. The idea of joining an alliance led by a human was extremely hard to accept, especially one whose goal was the total destruction of the God of War. Think Nirvalen wanted to stall for time, but she understood well that if she didn't answer now, the consequences could be dire.
"What are you, forest monkeys and beasts, talking about? Mind if I join in?" Suddenly, a spatial fluctuation appeared overhead.
Then, a perfect little leg emerged from the sky, and with those words, a figure appeared in the air.
A shining halo above her head, and pure white wings outlined with glowing sigils, her beauty and features left no doubt: Flügel.
"Flügel Jibril!" Upon seeing the figure, Think Nirvalen's face instantly turned pale.
"Werebeasts and elves together? Now, this is interesting. What were you all just discussing? Mind letting me in on it? I'm ever so curious," Jibril gazed down with obvious interest at Think Nirvalen and Fia.
"Run! I'll hold her off!" Fia's face darkened as she called out to her kin.
"But, Fia-sama—!" The werebeasts protested, worry on their faces.
"Just go! If you stay, you'll only be in my way!" Fia shouted, urgency in her tone.
"We understand!" At this, the werebeasts, though unwilling, didn't hesitate further. They run away at their utmost speed.
"Go, now!" Think Nirvalen likewise didn't hesitate, quickly casting multiple mobility spells on herself and ordering the elves to retreat.
In the blink of an eye, it had become a game of escape. Both elves and werebeasts, filled with hatred, fear, and anxiety, began to flee as fast as they could.
"Heh, you really think I'll let you get away?" Jibril's voice turned cold.
As she spoke, she was already activating her spirit energy, preparing to cast a spell.
"Don't even think about it!" Seeing this, Fia didn't hesitate, she immediately activated Blood Destruction, leaping through the air at Jibril and smashing through space itself with a punch.
Jibril, faced with Fia's sudden assault, reacted quickly, using instant movement to evade. She looked at Fia with excitement and curiosity, as if she were a rare specimen.
"Oh, a werebeast strong enough to reach this level, truly a unique individual. Your head leader rank is at least LV.4. Would you mind letting me keep your head as a specimen~?" Jibril's eyes glowed with madness as she giggled, openly obsessed.
"Hmph!" Fia's answer was another punch.
Thus, a fierce aerial battle began to shake the skies. However, despite Fia's power, she was at a total disadvantage against Jibril.
Fia, though, didn't panic; she had already activated the spatial coordinates on her wedding ring.
Meanwhile, earlier: As Fia aided the elves in fighting the demonia, Riku and Schwi had arrived at the ruined elf capital.
The entire area was scorched, and the former beauty of the gardens was completely gone, leaving a desolate scene. Of course, this was nothing unusual on this war-torn planet.
"Riku, this place was destroyed by powerful forces. Based on the residual energy, it was likely a Flügel's Heaven's Strike," Schwi's eyes flickered with data as she analysed.
"Looks like my intuition back then was right." Riku patted Schwi's head and nodded.
"Riku, why are we here?" Schwi tilted her head in confusion.
"You'll see soon enough," Riku smiled, pulling out the spirit formation disk.
A few minutes later, he came to a certain patch of ground, tapping it lightly, an empty sound echoed. Riku's eyes brightened.
He squatted down, brushed away the dust, dug a little, and pulled back a piece of metal.
A hidden underground passage appeared before them.
"Alright, let's go." Taking Schwi's hand, Riku led the way down.
After a few minutes, they arrived in a wide, well-lit space.
At its centre stood a massive device. Floating at the core of the machine was a glowing egg, covered in intricate sorcerous carvings and radiating an intense spirit energy.
"Riku, what's this?" Schwi asked in surprise.
"This is the elves' great weapon. Schwi, you should know the trump card of the elf creator god, Kainath, right?" Riku smiled gently, stroking her head.
"The trump card of the god Kainath is the Void Zero Protection, formed by merging 108 top-level spells," Schwi answered without hesitation.
"That's right, the Void Zero Protection. This thing here was created by an elven genius, a prototype of Void Zero Protection. It may be weaker than the real thing, but it's still pretty powerful. But as it stands, it's incomplete." Riku eyed the glowing egg, speaking softly.
"Elves..." Schwi's eyes widened, data flickering across her gaze.
To be able to create the creator god's signature technique, the elves were really impressive.
"Is this your goal, Riku?" Schwi asked softly.
"You could say that, or you could say not really. It's not worth coming all this way for something incomplete," Riku said as he approached, laying his hand on the barrier.
"I don't really get it," Schwi nodded, only half understanding.
Riku shook his head and began communicating with the system in his mind.
"System, can this thing be recycled?"
[Ding! Detected item 'Void Zero Protection (Incomplete)'. Value: 25,000 exchange points. Recycle?]
"Don't recycle. Can I store it in my inventory?" Riku's eyes flickered.
[Yes.]
"Then put it in storage." Riku commanded.
[Understood.]
Instantly, the Void Zero Protection vanished from within the machine, leaving Schwi stunned.
Zzzzt—! The action also triggered the room's traps; arcs of electricity flared around Riku.
"Riku!" Schwi's voice was laced with worry.
"Don't come any closer, I'm fine. Just protect yourself," Riku said calmly.
At the same time, he opened the sixth gate—The Gate of View, deep green energy flaring around him as his spirit energy exploded out, shattering the magical traps.
Killing Riku in this state with a bunch of traps was pure fantasy; if the elves could really do it, they wouldn't have been wiped out by Jibril.
As expected, after a short burst, everything faded away as if nothing had happened.
"Riku, are you alright?" Schwi relaxed, visibly relieved.
"Yeah, I'm fine. That thing just disappeared because I stored it," Riku explained.
"How did you store it? I can't analyse it," Schwi asked, puzzled.
"Just treat it as my special spatial ability," Riku replied, stroking his face and smiling.
The details of the system weren't for anyone to know, not even his closest allies.
After comforting the still-confused Schwi, Riku headed to another corner of the secret room, where a platinum chest sat quietly.
"Let's hope for something good," he said, placing his hand on the chest.
With a click, the chest opened, dazzling platinum light flooding out. A glowing orb lay inside.
[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained 'High-grade Source of Chaos Energy'.]
"High-grade Source of Chaos Energy? Not bad. This should boost my strength a lot," Riku smiled.
Even the mid-grade had powered his Unlimited Blade Works, fired light cannons, and let him open the Eight Gates with huge boosts. The high-grade, especially from a platinum chest, should be a huge leap.
[Fuse?]
"Yeah, fuse it." Riku replied.
The system immediately got to work, merging the High-grade Source of Chaos Energy into Riku's body. He felt an intense heat surge through him as his energy soared to new heights.
"Riku, your energy is rising," Schwi said, eyes wide in surprise. She had detected Riku's energy rapidly increasing, finally surpassing even the Flügel before levelling out.
"This feels great!" Riku grinned, thrilled by the change. If he fought Zhuralis again, even without Kyōka Suigetsu and Hanamaru, he was confident he wouldn't lose.
"You suddenly became stronger… I don't understand," Schwi said, clearly troubled as she tried to reconcile the new data.
"You don't need to worry about the details. Just know that I'm not your average person," Riku said with a smile.
"Alright." Schwi nodded, then looked up. "Where to now?"
"Hmm...!!!" Riku began to ponder, but his eyes suddenly widened, a dangerous glint flashing within.
"Riku, what's wrong?" Schwi asked, sensing his mood shift.
"Fia's in trouble," Riku said seriously, his presence shaking the air.
He grabbed Schwi's hand, and a purple magic circle appeared beneath them they vanished instantly.
Jibril sent wave after wave of magic toward Fia, grinning in delight. Each spell she cast was at least ten times more powerful than the elves' own.
Fia had no choice but to dodge in midair with her ghostly speed. Any single spell might not be fatal, but if even one landed, she'd be immobilised and in a fight like this, that meant death.
Close combat wasn't an option either. The Flügel possessed a spatial ability known as "Heavenly Shift" that made them almost impossible to hit unless you could move faster than their reflexes and finish the fight in a single strike. That might work against an ordinary Flügel, but against an outlier like Jibril, it was a pipe dream.
All Fia could do was dodge. And with every desperate evasion, her stamina was being rapidly depleted. She sometimes had to use her fists to break apart the large-scale magic attacks, which only made things worse.
From a distance, Think Nirvalen watched the sky, hesitating as she witnessed the battle. In the end, she didn't go back to help. Even if Fia had saved them, she was still an enemy. Especially after Fia had threatened her earlier.
Suddenly, Think Nirvalen, as well as some of the fleeing werebeasts, froze in shock. Jibril narrowed her eyes, pausing her spellcasting to look toward a certain spot in the sky.
Fia's expression changed at first relieved, then instantly pouting and sulking, cheeks puffed out in annoyance.
"Jibril, fancy meeting you again. Wasn't chasing me last time enough? Now you've set your sights on my precious Fia. You really make me want to pin you down and give you a good beating." Suddenly, Riku appeared at Fia's side, fixing Jibril with a fierce glare.