"Thank goodness, Lord Riku is here!"
"With Lord Riku around, Princess will be safe!"
The moment Riku appeared, all the fleeing werebeasts showed ecstatic expressions, stopping in their tracks and staring up fanatically at Riku, who was standing in the sky.
"Riku? That human?! So strong!" Hearing this, Think Nirvalen couldn't help but gasp, staring in shock at Riku above. Her detection magic confirmed the truth: just in terms of energy, this human Riku could rival Jibril. Not to mention, that bizarre move just now was undoubtedly a spatial ability.
To Think Nirvalen, this was inconceivable. After all, everyone knew how weak humans were and how little spirit energy they had within them.
No wonder the werebeast princess would marry a monkey... a human.
Think Nirvalen fell silent. The human she once looked down on was now powerful enough to overwhelm them. It really didn't feel good; her face stung from the slap.
...
On Riku's side, Fia's red eyes were fixed on Schwi, whose hand Riku was holding. Her eyes were filled with anger and grievance. But Fia knew now wasn't the time for jealousy, so she forced herself to hold back her emotions.
Still, from the way her tail drooped, it was clear her mood wasn't good.
Schwi, for her part, glanced at Fia with a barely noticeable frown.
Of course, Riku noticed Fia's mood, but this wasn't the time for explanations, so he simply patted her head gently to comfort her.
Riku's eyes remained on Jibril the entire time.
"Heh, interesting. I didn't expect you to still be alive. Back then, you deliberately lured me into a head-on clash, then used the explosion's aftershock and spatial abilities to escape. Even I couldn't detect you," Jibril said, watching Riku as her expression shifted from surprise to joy, then to anger, and finally coldness.
Clearly, Jibril had realised she'd been played.
"Absolutely right. Too bad there's no reward for you," Riku applauded, looking satisfied.
"Heh. But honestly, I'm quite glad you're still alive. This way, I get another fine specimen for my collection. And you seem to have gotten much stronger, enough for me to rate your leader level at LV.6," Jibril said, her eyes shining with madness again.
"And if you add that ex-machina by your side, and the little werebeast girl, it's a huge haul for me! Ehehe!" Jibril said excitedly.
"Hmph, outlier Jibril, do you think you can defeat both my husband and me at once?" Fia couldn't help but step forward, shouting angrily.
"Husband? Human, you wouldn't happen to be a lolicon, would you?" Jibril gave Riku a weird look.
Schwi's body froze for a moment as well.
"That's none of your business. Jibril, I'm in a very bad mood with you right now. I really want to give you a good beating, so prepare yourself," Riku said, stepping forward to stand between Fia and Schwi, his voice serious.
"Fia, step back. Go protect our people, and don't let the elves escape. Schwi, help Fia. I'll take care of Jibril myself."
"Understood." Fia hesitated for a second, glanced at Schwi, then nodded and shot off toward her kin, breaking the sound barrier as she went. She wasn't one for indecision.
She didn't know what Riku had done, but he was clearly much stronger now, so taking on Jibril alone wasn't a problem.
Schwi nodded to Riku as well, then followed.
"I let you get away last time; this time, you won't be so lucky. But first, can I ask your name?" Jibril didn't stop Fia and Schwi from leaving, but simply smiled as she spoke.
"Riku Dola," Riku said flatly.
"Riku, huh. I'll remember it. Now let's fight!" Jibril nodded, her face suddenly turning serious as a terrifying killing intent radiated from her, sending chills down everyone's spine.
As she finished speaking, Jibril vanished from where she stood, appearing behind Riku with a pitch-black energy sword in her hand, slashing directly at his neck.
Fast. Precise. Lethal!
Clearly, after what happened last time, Jibril knew better than to give Riku any opportunity for tricks; a swift kill was the right move.
Riku shifted his body sideways, zanpakutō appearing in his hand, lightly parrying Jibril's sword. Jibril frowned, but before she could attack again, Riku swept a leg at her abdomen.
A powerful gust forced Jibril to gather energy and block, her face changing slightly.
BOOM!
The sheer force exploded, and while it didn't shatter Jibril's energy shield, it still sent her flying.
Jibril quickly stabilised herself in mid-air, staring at Riku in disbelief. As if she was seeing the impossible.
"Your energy matches mine, and even your physical strength is now stronger than a regular werebeast using Blood Destruction. What did you do these past few days?" Jibril asked, her eyes burning with fascination.
"You think I'd tell you?" Riku answered coolly.
"As I thought, you're quite the anomaly, your whole body radiates an unbelievable aura. Say, would you like to make a deal with me?" Jibril suddenly offered.
"A deal?" Riku replied, amused.
"That's right, a deal. Even though I'm a Flügel, to you humans I must look like a great beauty, right? So you can do whatever you want with my body. You can have your way with me." Jibril gave a crazed, suggestive look. "Play with my body as much as you want."
"Oh? That's interesting. What's your condition?" Riku raised an eyebrow, half-smiling.
"I only have one condition after you're done with me, let me have your body for my research. Honestly, just keeping your head as a trophy would be a waste." Jibril giggled creepily, even drooling at the mouth. The look in her eyes suggested she couldn't wait to strip Riku down for research.
"Do I look like the type to risk my life for beauty? There's a whole forest waiting for me. Why would I hang myself on just one tree?" Riku shot her a look like she was an idiot.
"Forest, huh? Are you aiming for a harem?" Jibril asked Riku with a teasing smile, her gaze fixed on him.
"Of course, a harem is a man's romance." Riku shrugged, declaring proudly.
"Haha, you really are interesting. But how unfortunate. In that case, I guess I'll have to kill you and take your head as a trophy after all." Jibril's face showed genuine regret.
"If you want it, you have to take it." Riku replied indifferently.
"Gate of Pain - Fourth Gate, OPEN!" With a deep shout, Riku was suddenly engulfed in a green aura, his presence surging to new heights.
At this point, Riku's Fourth Gate was already equivalent to his old Sixth Gate!
As soon as the Gate of Pain opened, Riku stomped on the air and rushed toward Jibril at blinding speed.
"You can still get stronger? Riku, you're making me more and more excited!" Noticing the change in Riku, Jibril became increasingly enthusiastic, quickly casting several spells at once.
In an instant, raging fire serpents, dazzling lightning dragons, and storms filled the sky, all attacking Riku at once.
The resulting turbulence distorted the very space, with light and air currents churning wildly.
"Gate of Limit - Fifth Gate, OPEN!" Unfazed by the attacks, Riku calmly opened yet another gate.
In a flash, his power soared even higher.
He threw a punch, the air itself compressed into a cannonball, violently blasting apart the incoming magic, and even hollowing out a massive hole in the distant mountains, sending debris flying everywhere.
Electric sparks, flames, and twisted winds dissipated into the sky, forming an unnatural storm that forced even the distant observers like Think Nirvalen and the others to defend themselves with magic.
This left Think's heart full of shock and frustration as she watched the aerial battle.
Jibril, a Flügel from another race, wielded magic stronger than any elven sorceress, while Riku, without mercy, shattered all her powerful spells with his fists, one by one.
These two really are monsters...
Think found herself at a loss for words as she watched the spectacle unfold. The rest of the elves trembled with fear; even being grazed by the aftershocks would mean instant death for them.
On the werebeast side, while just as shocked, they weren't afraid; instead, their eyes burned with fanatical admiration for Riku, their princess's husband.
"As expected, my husband is getting stronger. Now he can take on Jibril, the Flügel Exemplar, head to head with just the Fifth Gate." Fia gazed proudly at the distant battlefield, her clothes fluttering, her face glowing with pride.
"By the way, why is this Ex-Machina following my husband?" Fia frowned as she glanced at Schwi, who was also intently watching Riku.
Schwi turned and looked back at Fia. The two stared at each other, neither speaking, and the atmosphere turned awkward.
...
"Riku, you're really fascinating. Well then, how about this spell?" Jibril locked eyes with Riku, brimming with fighting spirit.
As she spoke, a powerful surge of energy burst out.
The black-gray clouds above parted unnaturally, and a fireball fell from the sky.
No, it wasn't a fireball, it was a colossal meteor! If it hit, it would devastate everything for tens of thousands of meters around!
Both the werebeast and the elves in the area would be wiped out completely.
"Ultimate spell—Heavenly Meteor! If you can catch it, try." Jibril's confidence was unwavering.
"She's crazy, this one is insane!" Think Nirvalen said in despair, staring up at the meteor, cursing.
"Jibril, don't get too cocky!" Riku glared at the meteor above, his expression turning cold as he shouted, "Gate of View, Sixth Gate, OPEN!"
The aura around him turned deep green.
"Boom—!"
Riku punched upward. In an instant, his violent punch shattered everything in its path, smashing straight into the meteor.
"Crack—!"
The meteor cracked with an astonishing sound, then shattered into countless pieces that rained down to the ground. For ordinary people, even the fragments would be lethal, but for the werebeast and elves, as long as their luck held, they would likely be fine.
One punch blasted the meteor!!!
This feat left Think and the other elves dumbstruck, while even the werebeast were stunned.
Even Fia, who knew Riku well, was left speechless, and Jibril was no exception.
Her grand spell had been brutally shattered by sheer force, an awe inspiring sight.
"Jibril, what are you looking at?!" The next instant, Riku flashed in front of Jibril and swept his leg at her.
"[Eternal Fourth Blessing (Ku-Rianse)]."
At that moment, Jibril's expression changed, instantly casting several overlapping defensive spells.
The Eternal Fourth Blessing was the elves' ultimate defence and sealing magic; it had once blocked Jibril's attacks during her invasion of the elven homeland.
Jibril had taken an interest in this spell and researched it.
Although it hadn't withstood her Heaven's Smite in the past, that didn't mean it was weak. The level of magic is one thing, but who uses it is another. Different hands create different results.
Instead of using the God of War's spells, Jibril relied on the Eternal Fourth Blessing at that critical moment, distrusting her creator's magic for this particular defence.
Her intuition proved right.
"Crack—!"
In the blink of an eye, Riku's full-powered kick smashed into Jibril's Eternal Fourth Blessing.
With a thunderous crack, the defensive spell shattered.
Jibril was sent flying, coughing up blood in the air. Most of the impact was absorbed, so her injuries were not serious.
If she had used a Flügel spell instead, she would have been gravely wounded or worse.
"Cough, cough... What a powerful kick you've once again shattered my expectations." Jibril coughed, but her eyes burned even brighter with fanaticism.
"Heh, there's plenty more for you to be surprised about!" Riku smirked coldly, vanishing from where he stood as the air beneath his feet exploded with tremendous pressure.
This terrifying speed was beyond most Flügel, even before they could react and use Teleport, Riku would have already struck.
But as an Exemplar Flügel, Jibril's instincts and combat experience far surpassed ordinary Flügel. She adapted in the blink of an eye, instantly activating Teleport to evade Riku's attack. This time, she had no intention of taking it head on after all, even a dozen layers of Eternal Fourth Blessing had been shattered so easily. Trying to endure it would be suicide.
Boom—!
Riku's punch landed where Jibril had just been, blasting apart several distant mountains. Debris soared skyward, blocking out the sun and shaking the very earth.
"That was close. But in the end, this is still my win," Jibril reappeared behind Riku, spirit energy pouring from her wings as she rapidly cast several spells.
Once again, she conjured the Eternal Fourth Blessing, the elves' highest level defensive and sealing magic.
"Oh, is that so?" The Riku she targeted turned to look at Jibril, now sealed within a dozen overlapping barriers, with a sly smile on his face.
"Hm?" Sensing something was off, Jibril felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of danger.
In that instant, Riku's real body ghosted behind her, his zanpakutō gleaming, wreathed in spirit energy, slashing straight toward her exposed neck without the slightest mercy.
"—!" At the critical moment, Jibril's pupils contracted, and she immediately teleported into the layers of Eternal Fourth Blessing she had just set up.
Slash—!
Clang—!
Crack—!
A spray of blood filled the air as Riku's zanpakutō sliced through several layers of Eternal Fourth Blessing before finally being stopped.
"You can even react to this? Impressing," Riku praised, his golden eyes locked on Jibril, who had proactively chosen to use her own sealing spells for defence.
"Illusion?" Jibril muttered, pressing her hand to her bleeding neck as she quickly cast a healing spell. She watched Riku with wariness and curiosity.
"Correct. So here's a kick for you, too!" Riku grinned, his right leg lashing out like a whip and crashing into the shield.
Boom—!
A shockwave rippled outward, shaking Think Nirvalen and the others in the distance.
The remaining protective barriers shattered, but in that brief moment, Jibril teleported again, reappearing thousands of meters away.
"As expected, you really are fascinating. Fighting you reminds me of my battles with Zhuralis the white dragonia, every moment is a dance with death, and the thrill is intoxicating!" Jibril's eyes glowed with mad excitement, her face flushed as she watched Riku. "I want to collect your head now more than ever!"
"Zhuralis…?" Riku's gaze flickered with surprise, realising for the first time that the dragonia Jibril was always challenging was Zhuralis.
"Enough talk, let's finish this." But Riku didn't linger on it, instead issuing his challenge calmly.
Riku vanished again, his punch shaking the very sky as he attacked Jibril. But now, fully aware of Riku's power, Jibril was determined not to give him another chance. She teleported once more, high into the sky, letting his blow hit only empty air.
That teleport ability is so troublesome, Riku thought, frowning. Even though he had Shambhala, it couldn't compare to teleport's speed and flexibility. Landing a decisive blow before Jibril could react was proving nearly impossible.
"That human has the upper hand, but neither side can finish it. That's the power of the Flügel, immense strength and broken space magic," Think Nirvalen observed with a bitter smile.
This battle was eye-opening: a human overwhelming a Flügel Exemplar was simply unthinkable.
"My husband..." Even Fia stopped glaring at Schwi, instead gazing up at the sky with concern.
"Don't worry. Riku will win. He even defeated a dragonia before, and that was before he got this strong," Schwi said softly, her words calm and confident.
"Dragonia...!" The werebeast and elves all gasped in shock. To think Riku had grown strong enough to defeat a dragonia in just a day, how could it be real?
"As expected of my husband. I shouldn't have worried," Fia whispered, admiration shining in her eyes.
...
"Jibril is running away all you know how to do?" Riku taunted. He could have finished it with Kyōka Suigetsu or the Seventh Gate, but the idea of ending things with a single, unsatisfying blow annoyed him.
...
"Taunting again? This is the second time. The first time, you tried to run; now you want to provoke me. Fate is full of twists, isn't it?" Jibril hovered above, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I'm truly curious how did you grew a hundred times stronger in just a few days?"
"If you defeat me, maybe I'll tell you. But at your current level, that's impossible," Riku replied breezily.
"Hah, so you're underestimating me. This time, I'll use one hundred percent of my power!" Jibril laughed as violent spirit energy exploded around her.
She stretched out her hand, and the air began to roar and tremble. That energy compressed into a massive black spear, crackling with terrifying black lightning, just looking at it was enough to make one's heart tremble.
"This is [Final Strike], my improved version of Heavenly Smite! If you can take it, then go ahead and try!" Jibril shouted with wild confidence. The wind howled, and it felt like the entire world was bearing down on them!
Heavenly Smite, this was the Flügel's ultimate technique, pouring all their power into a single, spellless attack, pure, unfiltered energy. Because of its purity, its destructive force was immense.
Normally, after unleashing Heavenly Smite with no restraint, a Flügel would be so drained that their body would revert to the form of a little girl.
It was the total concentration of their existence in a single strike. Even the dragonia had to treat Heavenly Smite with utmost caution.
But Jibril, as an Exemplar among Flügel, had started out the weakest, far below average. What set her apart was her relentless learning she absorbed the techniques of other races, filling in her own shortcomings, steadily rising from the weakest to the very top of her race. While most Flügel scorned elven magic, Jibril had actively hunted elves to obtain their grimoires.
The Eternal Fourth Blessing she now wielded had even surpassed the defensive magics bestowed by the God of War.
Now, Jibril had refined Heavenly Smite into an even more devastating technique, Final Strike. Not only was its energy purer, but she had fused other forces into it, making the destructive power utterly surpass the original.
"Final Strike!?" Thanks to hearing enhancement magic, Think Nirvalen heard Jibril's words clearly. Her face went pale, the overwhelming energy above making it hard to breathe.
Jibril had destroyed their capital with a single Heavenly Smite, and now she was unleashing an even greater ultimate move!
"Spirit reaction: severe. Recommend immediate retreat," Schwi reported calmly, data flashing in her eyes.
"Run!" Fia didn't hesitate, she immediately led the retreat.
"Damn it, we're running too!" The elves, swallowing their pride, followed as the mere aftershocks from the monsters' battle threatened to annihilate them.
"Final Strike, huh? Interesting. In that case, let me show you something fun as a courtesy." Riku sheathed his Zanpakutō and laughed boldly.
If he was going to defeat Jibril, he'd do it thoroughly. Though he could simply absorb the Final Strike with Hanamaru's power, that wouldn't demonstrate his own strength.
"Seventh Gate—Gate of Shock: OPEN!" Riku roared.
A pale blue aura exploded from him, veins bulging, his strength reaching its peak!
"This power spike! Riku, you're just full of surprises!" Jibril's spirit surged as her passion ignited. "It's like your potential is limitless!"
Time after time, Riku kept surpassing his limits, shocking Jibril again and again, the very experience she craved most.
"Final Strike——!"
Jibril raised the black spear, swinging it down with wild abandon.
Zzzraaaap——!
The very fabric of space seemed to rip; the black spear left a ragged scar as it hurtled toward Riku at impossible speed.
"HIRUDORA!!!"
At the same instant, Riku's fists blurred with speed. A gigantic blue tiger materialised, roaring as it soared skyward.
It seemed to last an eternity, but less than a thousandth of a second had passed. The two ultimate attacks crashed together!
Zzzrap——!
Craaaaack——!
For a heartbeat, the sky wailed, time seeming to stop. Rings of white energy rippled from the clash point, vaporising everything in their path.
Lightning arced, black energy raged, and the blue tiger roared, devouring the black spear.
BOOOOOOM——!
At last, the Final Strike trembled madly, unable to withstand the blue tiger, and detonated in a massive explosion that engulfed everything within a million meters.
Within that radius, mountains collapsed, the earth caved in, scorched marks spread everywhere, clouds were ripped apart, rivers vaporised, everything was annihilated by the shockwave.
Fia and Schwi, fleeing with the elves, joined Think Nirvalen's group, rapidly casting defensive magic.
The remaining elves, led by Think Nirvalen, didn't care about the cost; they desperately layered Eternal Fourth Blessings and other defensive magics. Their only goal survive the aftermath.
Even though the centre of the blast was a thousand meters in the air and they were tens of kilometres away, they still had to give it everything just to stay alive.
Such was the terror of a battle between upper-tier races. For any sixth-rank or lower being, just being near this would mean certain death. Even elves, so proud compared to humans, didn't fare much better.
In contrast, the werebeasts had it easy shielded inside the elves' barriers and with Fia and Schwi's help, they were unscathed.
Of course, this was all within Riku's calculations. He'd never risk harming his wives just for the thrill of combat.
Seconds later, as the aftershocks faded and the smoke and dust cleared, a massive crater remained, surrounded by scorched, lifeless land as far as the eye could see.
Monsters...!!!
Think Nirvalen was pale, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She'd burned through over ninety percent of her strength just to withstand the shockwave, and many of her kin had nearly collapsed from exhaustion!
"Where's my husband?" Fia, ending her Blood Destruction, looked up anxiously at the sky, searching for any sign.
"What happened? Who won?" Think Nirvalen's expression changed as she looked skyward as well. The sheer energy of this duel was staggering. Even Jibril, if she had survived with any power, could slaughter them all a dozen times over.
At that moment, Think desperately hoped Riku had won. He might not have been a true ally, but he wasn't an enemy either... probably.
"Riku's fine. He won." Schwi said calmly, looking up at a certain spot in the sky.
"Hm? My husband won? That's great!" Fia beamed with pride and relief.
Think Nirvalen, too, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But when they saw what was really happening in the sky, they were all left dumbstruck.