On the throne, a tall and imposing man slowly opened his golden eyes, as if gazing through countless barriers to see a certain place.
"Lord Artosh, we have detected a powerful energy reaction. Its strength is second only to the one Lord Artosh unleashed when you annihilated the Hartyleif the Final!" At this moment, a Flügel girl hurried into the hall, kneeling respectfully as she reported in shock.
The girl had emerald-green hair, and unlike other Flügel, she had a single horn on her head, making her especially unique. Her eyes were a heterochromatic blue and gold, and she had a pair of folded wings at her waist.
"I have sensed it," Artosh said with a calm nod, gazing at the girl before him, the commander of the Flügel and the very first individual he created, named Azril.
"This fluctuation is from that Wise Dragon, Reginleif. He fought an unknown existence... and lost." Artosh spoke slowly, a trace of interest surfacing in his golden eyes. "Someone who can defeat Reginleif… It seems the world has gained a new powerful being."
"Defeated Reginleif?" Azril was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief. The three Dragon Lords stood at the pinnacle of the world, even other Old Deus would not lightly claim they could defeat them. Now, one had actually been defeated.
"Lord Artosh, was it another Old Deus?" Azril asked.
"No, I did not sense a similar aura. Nor does it feel like another upper-ranked race. Heh… how interesting," Artosh chuckled.
Because he was the strongest, very few things could ever catch his interest. Now, this being who defeated Reginleif had stirred a little curiosity in him.
Hearing this, Azril's shock only deepened. Not another Old Deus? When did the lower races gain such power?
Despite her shock, Azril didn't feel the slightest worry. With Lord Artosh present, nothing posed a threat. Before her creator, all others were as weak as ants.
"By the way, where is [Exemplar] Jibril?" Artosh asked, as if suddenly recalling something.
His golden eyes gleamed with authority. Even without releasing any pressure, Azril felt an overwhelming sense of oppression.
"Little Jibril seems to be hunting the elves. She hasn't returned," Azril answered respectfully.
"Is that so?" Artosh replied with a meaningful tone. "My connection to Jibril has already been severed."
"What?!" Azril's eyes widened in shock.
As an Exemplar, Jibril's actions were always unpredictable. Even though Flügel weren't as strong as the dragonia, she would continually challenge that powerful white dragon, returning wounded every time.
Yet, she was never afraid to challenge again a trait that baffled her kin. Jibril was the last Flügel Artosh created, making her the youngest "little sister" of the race, and thus, greatly cherished by the others, especially Azril, who practically doted on her.
Hearing Lord Artosh say that his link to Jibril had been severed, how could Azril not be alarmed and angry? Because a severed link meant something had gone very wrong.
"Damn it, was it the dragonia who killed Little Jibril? My lord, please allow me to lead our forces to avenge her!" Azril declared, killing intent surging.
"Jibril is not dead. And this has nothing to do with the dragonia. Rather, it concerns the one who fought Reginleif," Artosh shook his head calmly.
Azril's eyes widened again in disbelief.
"My lord, please allow me to lead our troops to rescue Little Jibril," Azril requested once more, face determined.
In her mind, Jibril had likely been defeated and captured. Considering the strength needed to defeat Reginleif, that seemed quite likely.
"Permission granted," Artosh said coolly.
"Lord Artosh, please await our good news." Azril, face now bright with hope, rose and departed.
····
"Unknown existence... will you be able to reach this place and show me the meaning of being the strongest?" Artosh once more closed his golden eyes and shook his head slightly.
Ever since his battle with the Hartyleif the Final, he had pondered the meaning of strength, but never found the answer...
This was also why Jibril thought her creator, the God of War, was so boring.
…
Meanwhile, having secured the alliance with the dragonia, Riku slowly surveyed the surrounding dragonia.
He was considering whether to contract with one of the dragonia using the contract card. Forming a contract would grant him one of the contracted party's abilities.
The dragonia's powers were truly impressive, whether it was their Word magic or their ability to "Stabilise Time," both were extremely desirable.
If he could gain the ability to stabilise time, opening all Eight Gates would be child's play, and he'd never need to fear side effects again.
But who to choose? After all, he had to consider their pride. The best candidate would, of course, be Reginleif, given her strength, she would make an excellent ally.
But as the Wise Dragon, she was the leader of the dragonia; it seemed unlikely she would become his subordinate. He wasn't very familiar with the other dragonia.
Thinking this, Riku's gaze settled on Zhuralis. She seemed like a good choice, and they were on good terms.
"Riku, why are you looking at me like that?" Zhuralis asked, puzzled by his odd gaze.
Jibril and the other dragonia also looked on curiously. By now, all of them truly respected Riku's strength and intellect.
"So, Zhuralis, would you like to act as an envoy between the dragonia and humanity, and sign a contract with me?" Riku smiled as he calmly stated his purpose.
"Huh?!" Zhuralis froze. The other dragonia were also stunned.
"Ehehe, Master's planning to add another member to his harem from an entirely different species? But, dragonia can't transform into humans, you know~" Jibril chimed in at the perfect time, grinning mischievously.
"Shut up, Jibril!" Hearing this, Riku's expression stiffened, and he flicked Jibril on the forehead, clearly annoyed.
Why are you spouting nonsense when we're handling serious business!
"Riku, do you really want a harem from every race?" Schwi also stared intently at Riku, speaking slowly.
"…Why are you saying that too, Schwi…? Am I that kind of person?" Riku rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
He was so pure, did he really seem like such a depraved guy?
"Ehehe, but Master, you already have the little princess of the werebeasts, Schwi, me the Flügel, and even the genius elf girl serving as your maid." Jibril, rubbing her forehead, cheerfully exposed all of Riku's secrets.
"…!" Hearing this, Riku's lips twitched. It was actually impossible to argue; the more he explained, the messier it would get!
Their conversation left the nearby dragonia looking completely baffled. Even Reginleif, the Wise Dragon, was eyeing Riku with curiosity. This was… complicated.
"Riku, you're not really…?" Zhuralis wore a slightly scared look, fluttering away from him.
"Pfft, as if I'd ever go after you!" Riku snapped irritably.
"What do you mean, 'as if you'd go after me'? I'm still a beauty among the dragonia, you know!" Zhuralis instantly took offence and roared back.
"…" Riku was speechless. What kind of situation is this? Sure, you're a beauty among the dragonia, but not to me! No matter how amazing I am, there's no way I'd go after a dragon who can't even transform into a human…
"All right, all right, enough arguing." At that moment, Reginleif stepped in to mediate. "Riku, I think your plan makes sense."
"Zhuralis, signing a contract with Riku and becoming a bridge between our two races is extremely important. You need to understand how important this is," Reginleif told her.
"I understand." Hearing this, Zhuralis nodded. It wasn't that she was unwilling, she just got a little emotional earlier.
Riku immediately used the contract card to form a contract with Zhuralis. Instantly, a miniature image of Zhuralis appeared on the contract card, and a special bond was formed between them.
Reginleif was surprised to find her connection with Zhuralis suddenly cut off. She looked at Riku with renewed interest. This mysterious human clearly had many secrets.
"Time Stabilisation, acquired." Riku's lips curled up in satisfaction as he nodded. Dragonia are higher-dimensional beings; he was not, so he shouldn't have been able to use this power. But the contract card seemed absurdly overpowered: it adapted the ability for him, with the caveat that he could only use it once per day.
He didn't mind the limitation. After all, no item could just transform him into a higher-dimensional being like the dragonia. This balance was ideal.
"That's odd, my power seems to be slowly increasing." Zhuralis felt her changes and looked at Riku in surprise.
"Well, it's a special contract. You'll grow stronger as I do," Riku explained, smiling.
"Eh? Now that you mention it, Master, ever since you powered up earlier, I'm recovering my strength even faster. I might be back to full power within an hour!" Jibril also said, surprised.
"—!" The other dragonia all wore expressions of shock and envy. Having seen Riku's potential, they knew that if they became his subordinates, their status and power would skyrocket… provided, of course, he actually defeated Artosh and became the One True God. If not, everyone in the alliance would only face death.
"An interesting contract," Reginleif commented with admiration.
"By the way, Reginleif, there's something I'd like to ask you." Riku put away the contract card and spoke sincerely.
Although Time Stabilisation was great, he could only use it once. Against the God of War, he might not even get the chance. In his duel with Reginleif, even under pressure, she was only able to use it once. For ordinary dragonia battles, this was a cheat, but in top-tier battles, he might not have the chance at all.
Besides, even with all Eight Gates open, he still probably wouldn't be a match for the God of War. That meant boosting his power in every possible way was his top priority. Those diamond chests were now his main goal.
"Oh? What is it?" Reginleif asked curiously.
"I'd like you to send me to a specific place in the dimensional space," Riku said, the corners of his mouth turning up in anticipation.
"I can do that."
Reginleif blinked, then nodded.
Jibril and Schwi, remembering Riku's earlier actions, immediately chimed in as well.
"Master, I want to come too."
"Riku, I'll stay by your side."
"Er… fine," Riku agreed after scratching his nose.
It didn't matter nobody else could see the diamond chest anyway.
Finally, one human, one dragonia, one Ex-Machina, and one Flügel headed into the dimensional space under Riku's guidance.
Dimensional space was an endless sea of white, enough to make anyone dizzy.
But Riku had a clear goal: with Reginleif carrying him, they arrived at the spot of the diamond chest.
Before him, a glittering, radiant diamond chest appeared. Riku's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Under the puzzled gazes of Schwi and Jibril, Riku walked over and placed his hand on the chest.
Click—!
The diamond chest opened with a sharp sound. A light far brighter than anything before poured out, revealing a glowing orb.
[Ding! Congratulations, Master, you have opened a Diamond Chest and obtained a Longinus: Boosted Gear!]
Boosted Gear: From "High School DxD," one of the thirteen Longinus; sealed within is the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig.
Effect: Every ten seconds in the human world, the wielder's power doubles. Although temporary, this can raise the user's strength above even Demon Kings and Gods. If powered up to the limit, it can even slay deities. However, the user's body has limits if they can't endure, they will be destroyed by the power.
Second ability: [Boosted Gear Gift] Allows you to transfer the multiplied power to another person or weapon.