"Boosted Gear, huh? Its effects seem to overlap a bit with the Eight Gates." Riku mused for a moment.
But still, it wasn't useless. The Boosted Gear's abilities were incredibly powerful, not just a simple boost like the Eight Gates. If he went all out, ignoring his body's limits, the amplification would be terrifying.
Of course, that was only if his body could withstand it. If not, his body would break before his power could even explode, which would just be a tragedy.
"Oh well, the Boosted Gear is worthy of a Diamond Chest." Riku shook his head and pushed away his stray thoughts.
"Hey, System, I have a question. Does this Boosted Gear actually have Ddraig's soul inside?" Riku frowned, looking very serious. If it did, he'd rather not use it.
He didn't want some male dragon watching while he was getting intimate with his wives.
[No. There is only a pure source of power within no other entity or curses.]
"Heh, that's good enough." Riku nodded in satisfaction. For once, the system did something right.
"Riku, did you find something?" Schwi asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Yeah, something like that. You'll see it in the future." Riku replied with a smile.
"Come on, Master, can't you at least tell us?" Jibril protested, a little dissatisfied. Her curiosity was burning her up, and right now her desire to know about Riku's secrets was almost unbearable.
"That's a secret~" Riku said with a sly smile. Both Jibril and Schwi gave him resentful looks.
"Haha, things really are lively now. To have all these different races gathered together, what a miracle! Do you have anything else to do? If not, I'll send you out. I'm still weak and want to recover in dimensional space," Reginleif, the Wise Dragon, said with a smile.
"Alright. Thanks for your help." Riku nodded in gratitude.
"No need for thanks. After all, you're basically my leader now." Reginleif said earnestly.
Without saying more, Reginleif sent Riku and the others out.
Once outside, Riku decided not to linger. Instead, he planned to swing by the vampire nest before heading back, not to bring the vampires into the alliance, but simply to grab the platinum chest there.
To Riku, whether the vampires joined the alliance or not was unimportant they weren't on his list of priority races.
But as they were making their way, Jibril, now fully recovered, suddenly stopped.
"Jibril, what's wrong?" Riku frowned, looking at the Flügel, who had a wry smile on her face.
"Sorry, Master, but it looks like we're in trouble. They've finally realised something's wrong and have brought the army with them." Jibril said apologetically.
"Riku, a hundred strong spirit energy signatures have appeared a thousand kilometres away. Race: Flügel," Schwi reported calmly.
"A hundred Flügel… So they already know about Riku's power," Zhuralis said gravely.
Being discovered by the Flügel so soon was definitely not a good thing.
"If they want a fight, they'll get one," Riku replied coldly.
"Understood." Zhuralis's eyes lit up with fighting spirit.
Jibril nodded as well.
Having decided, they no longer travelled, but simply waited.
It wasn't long before the distant sky was dotted with nearly a hundred black specks, one hundred Flügel.
As the "God-Slaying Weapons," it was rare for this many Flügel to move together. Such a deployment was usually only for God-tier enemies, like Reginleif, the Wise Dragon. But today, because of Riku, Flügel Commander Azril had mobilised a quarter of their total force.
"Meow, meow, meow, Lil' Jibril! I'm so glad you're okay. I'll come get you soon!" The Flügel stopped a kilometre away, and the leader, Azril, looked at Jibril, overjoyed.
"Azril, there's no need for you to worry. I already serve my new master, Lord Riku, and I won't be coming back." Jibril replied helplessly.
"Lil' Jibril, you must be under control, right? Don't worry, I'll rescue you!" Azril insisted, looking righteously indignant.
The other Flügel glared at the group, killing intent in their eyes.
Jibril could only twitch her mouth. Azril was strong the strongest Flügel, rivalling the dragonia's, but not the brightest. She was an excellent tactician and commander, which was why she led the Flügel, but her IQ in other areas was lacking. Right now, that was a headache for Jibril. Did she really look like she was being controlled…?
Honestly, Jibril didn't want to fight her sisters here. She knew there would inevitably be a showdown in the future, but now was not the time. If war started here, it would ruin Riku's plans.
"Enough dreaming. If you came to wipe us out, then show your strength and see if you can do it," Riku said, stepping forward and crossing his arms, his tone cold.
"Meow meow meow, a monkey?!" Azril and the other Flügel stared at Riku, dumbfounded.
They were confused why Zhuralis the dragonia was here, but didn't think much of it. Their focus was on Schwi.
After all, if someone could defeat Reginleif, and if it was an Ex-Machina connector, that would explain everything.
The Ex-Machina had once slain Aranleif and his seven subordinate dragonoids.
But Azril and the Flügel never considered that the one they had ignored, the "monkey", was the real leader.
To the Flügel, humans were "monkeys," unworthy of notice. But here, this "monkey" had defeated Reginleif, taken Jibril as a captive, and seemingly brought both an Ex-Machina and a dragonoid under his command. Their brains short-circuited; they just couldn't process it.
How could a "monkey" do any of this?
Azril suddenly noticed the terrifying power within Riku, her expression changing. This power was stronger than that of the Flügel.
"What an annoying thing to say." Riku glanced over at the distant Flügel army, his face calm and indifferent.
"Zhuralis, Jibril, you two don't need to fight. Just protect Schwi," Riku said calmly as he walked forward.
"Thank you, Master," Jibril replied, giving a rare, sincere smile. She understood why Riku didn't want her to join the fight.
"Riku… It's always you fighting. Schwi can't help, can only hold you back…" Schwi's eyes flickered, a rare unease in her heart. She hated that feeling.
"But, Lord Riku…" Zhuralis started, hesitating.
"Zhuralis, I want to test out my new power. Don't get in my way," Riku replied coolly.
"New power?" Zhuralis was stunned.
Jibril and Schwi looked over in shock as well. How could he have gained new power so quickly?
Without answering further, Riku simply summoned the Boosted Gear.
In an instant, a crimson gauntlet appeared on Riku's right hand, a green gem at its centre, radiating an overwhelming sense of presence.
"This is… the aura of a dragon? But it's different from ours…" Schwi stared in astonishment at the Boosted Gear, muttering to herself.
"Master, just how many secrets are you still hiding? You're making me more and more curious!" Jibril said, her "maniac" side returning, filled with fanatic energy.
Schwi quietly began analysing the gauntlet.
"Meow meow meow, how does a human have the power of the dragonia's?" On the other side, Azril and the other Flügel were dumbfounded. They couldn't understand what was happening.
Riku's strength made them stop calling him "monkey," but now this being who had supposedly defeated Reginleif was not only on good terms with Zhuralis, but was now releasing the power of the dragonoids as well. Azril couldn't make sense of his connection to the dragonoids at all.
"Not attacking? Well then, I'll go first." Without caring about their confusion, Riku ignored Azril and spoke with indifference.
As he finished speaking, Riku vanished from his spot, appearing beside Azril, and punched.
The air compressed and burst, his fist growing larger in Azril's mismatched pupils.
At the last moment, Azril used Shift to dodge the attack. But the Flügel behind her were less fortunate, even though they reacted, Riku's fist shattered their shields and sent them flying, vomiting blood as they disappeared like shooting stars into the distance.
"Meow meow meow, this human can use our Shift! And his power is terrifying!" Azril looked at Riku in shock, her expression growing more grave.
"Squads One through Nine, formation! Encircle the enemy! Tenth squad, try to rescue Lil' Jibril!" Azril commanded. Ten Flügel per squad is their standard for a large-scale battle.
"Understood!" The Flügel moved with precision, surrounding Riku in a tight formation. Even the wounded Flügel returned and glared fiercely at him.
At the same time, ten Flügel moved toward Zhuralis's group to face off.
"The Life and Death Rebirth Pill is impressive this post-breakthrough power can go toe-to-toe with the Flügel." Surrounded by ninety so-called "Weapons of War," Riku remained perfectly calm, actually marvelling at his new power.
He knew his strength had skyrocketed, but he hadn't realised the scale. After all, he couldn't just ask the dragonoids to spar with him after their last battle, they'd never agree.
So the Flügel showing up was a perfect opportunity to test his limits.
While Riku was musing, Zhuralis, Jibril, and Schwi were all deeply shocked. Riku wasn't even using any of his usual explosive states, and he could already injure Flügel. That was simply ridiculous!
"Attack!" Azril shouted. She vanished from sight, a black energy sword forming in her hand as she slashed at Riku.
Clang—!
Riku calmly caught the energy sword with the Boosted Gear, their power clashing, whipping the air into a frenzy.
Azril's face grew even more serious. Riku, relying on pure physique alone, could injure normal Flügel. With spirit energy rivalling her own, she found it hard to keep up.
"Boost!"
Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded from the jewel. Riku's aura instantly doubled. With a single squeeze, he shattered Azril's energy sword.
He threw another punch, impossibly fast. Azril's expression shifted, and she barely dodged.
"Heavenly Smite!" Suddenly, three Flügel raised dark lances, pouring all their energy into a single attack at Riku.
After firing, their energy was exhausted, and they reverted to their childlike forms, tumbling from the sky.
But, gathering the last of their strength, they used Shift to teleport back to base. With their power gone, they were no longer useful in this fight.
"Third Gate: Gate of Life, OPEN!" Facing the incoming Heavenly Smite, Riku stayed calm and opened the Third Gate.
In an instant, blue energy flared around him, pushing his power to terrifying heights.
Just opening the Third Gate, combined with a single Boost, Riku's power now far surpassed his previous self at the Seventh Gate.
"Hirudora!!!"
In the next moment, Riku's fist blurred, and a blue tiger roared toward the incoming Heavenly Smite.
The blue tiger tore the lances apart, scattering light across the battlefield in a world-shattering explosion.
Not only that, the Daytime Tiger roared toward the Flügel in front of him, threatening to tear apart anything in its way.
All the Flügel's alarms went off they absolutely could not block this head-on, so the front squads all desperately used Shift to dodge.
But a few Flügel, a moment too slow, were swallowed up by the Daytime Tiger!
The Daytime Tiger not only swallowed up several Flügel but also blasted apart several distant mountains, a terrifying roar shaking both sky and earth. The ground itself wailed again under the force of the attack.
"Damn it! Don't stay in one place, rotate attacks at long range!" Riku's overwhelming strength made Azril's face ashen as she shouted in anger.
Instantly, the Flügel formed a special battle formation and began unleashing a variety of powerful spells, gravity fields, freezing magic, and other restricting abilities cast in waves. The rest, led by Azril, concentrated their strongest single-target spells.
While these spells might not have the wide-range destruction of some skills, when it comes to killing, this approach was the most effective.
In an instant, the sky above filled with dazzling, chaotic spells.
Riku felt his body suddenly grow heavy, an intense gravity field pressing down on him.
"Not a bad tactic. But I can use Shift, after all," Riku said coolly, instantly vanishing from his spot and causing all attacks to miss.
He reappeared before one Flügel and threw a heavy punch, the air pressure alone devastating.
Boom—!
The next moment, Azril stepped in front of her comrade, throwing up a shield. With a dull thud, cracks like spiderwebs spread across the shield before it shattered.
Seizing the opportunity, Azril and the other Flügel used Shift to disappear, narrowly avoiding injury.
"This guy somehow learned our Shift… ordinary methods won't restrict his movements. He's a real problem," Azril said grimly, gritting her teeth.
"Boost!" Just then, the jewel in Riku's gauntlet rang out again, his aura swelling to double.
"What is this ability? We have to finish this quickly, we can't let him keep getting stronger," Azril muttered, feeling the pressure rise.
"Seal the space!" Suddenly, a Flügel used Shift to appear right in front of Riku, pouring all her power into sealing the surrounding space. "Azril! Now's your chance!"
Clearly, this Flügel intended to sacrifice herself to give her comrades an opening to defeat Riku.
"Attack!" Azril shouted.
In a flash, the same scene played out: countless restricting spells wrapped around Riku, while twenty Flügel gathered power for Heavenly Smite, the rest casting their strongest single-target spells.
Terrifying energy erupted in the sky, shaking the earth below and carving out deep fissures from the force.
"To use death to create an opportunity, not a bad plan. But let me show you something even more interesting," Riku said, making no attempt to break free. He gazed at the Flügel, sealing his space with almost admiring eyes.
For some reason, this Flügel suddenly felt a great sense of unease.
Meanwhile, Zhuralis was fighting eight Flügel nearby, the sky erupting with violent energy, storms forming under the pressure.
"Lil' Jibril, looks like that human is done for. We'll have you home soon," said one of the Flügel, facing Jibril and Schwi. But the four just stared at each other, not fighting.
They believed Jibril could leave with them at any time, and that she must only be staying to protect the Ex-Machina, obviously coerced by Riku.
"How many times do I have to say it? Would you just retreat already? Otherwise… if Master gets angry, the consequences will be severe," Jibril said, shaking her head.
"Failure? My master never fails. Not even the old man can beat him eventually, even he'll lose to my master," Jibril said indifferently, her calm reflecting absolute trust in Riku.
Did they really think they could beat Riku with this? Or beat her master? Ridiculous. Riku hadn't even used his illusion abilities, nor his energy absorption, nor even his true trump card.
Right now, he was simply testing out his new power, just testing, and he was already this strong. What did the Flügel have that could beat him?
Jibril, Zhuralis, and Schwi all understood, but the Flügel never would. They didn't realise they were just being used as sandbags.
"Lil' Jibril, even if it's you, I can't let you insult Lord Artosh. Lord Artosh is the one and only sovereign, the king of kings, god of gods, strongest of the strong. How could he ever lose to a human? Besides, that human is about to be eliminated," one mature Flügel said, unable to accept Jibril's words.
"Is that so? Then just watch. Watch the outcome of this battle," Jibril replied softly, her dazzling eyes never leaving the fight.
The battle was about to reach its climax, and her master wore that ever-calm, in-control expression.
Seeing that persuasion was useless, the two Flügel could only stare at the battlefield, eager to witness Riku's defeat.
At that moment, all the Flügel finished charging their spells. At Azril's command, they unleashed their attacks.
Thunder spears, fire dragons, twenty Heavenly Smites, countless other spells mixed together in a terrifying wave that surged toward Riku.
The force warped even space itself, ripping open unstable fissures.
But even facing this storm of devastating attacks, Riku remained calm, slowly raising the Boosted Gear.
BOOM—!
In the next instant, a terrifying explosion rocked the sky, wild energy spreading from Riku's position in every direction, ravaging an area millions of meters wide.
Fortunately, the fight was high in the sky; if it were on the ground, the destruction would have left a terrifying new crater.
The Flügel all used Shift to escape the blast radius. Even Zhuralis and the Flügel, fighting her, stopped to defend themselves.
As for the Flügel who sealed Riku's space, she was obliterated by her own side's attacks, not even a trace remaining.
"How's the situation?" After using Shift to get to a safe distance, Azril and the seventy or so remaining Flügel (aside from those who'd lost their power and returned to headquarters) watched the distant explosion with grim expressions.
Elsewhere, Jibril, Zhuralis, and Schwi combined their defences to ward off the shockwave, all three staring intently at the epicentre.
BOOM—!
A deafening roar echoed out, and a terrifying aura surged from the centre of the explosion, so intense that Azril herself felt a chill.
The Flügel were not afraid of death; falling in battle was an honour. But even so, every Flügel felt an instinctual fear. That aura was simply overwhelming.
"How can he possibly be this strong?" one Flügel muttered.
"Don't forget he's the one who defeated the Wise Dragon. This much is only natural," Azril replied, steadying herself.
"That's Master? The dragon aura on him is getting even stronger…" Jibril's eyes shone with obsession as she stared into the blast.
Zhuralis and Schwi didn't speak, but their focus never left the battlefield.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, a tempest swept out, dispersing the torrent of energy at the centre.
The powerful winds forced Jibril and the others to reinforce their defences, but their eyes never left the centre.
Then, in the eyes of all, a figure suddenly appeared, his presence leaving everyone in awe.
Riku stood, wrapped in brilliant crimson armour, a pair of blood-red dragon wings sprouting from his back, the armour itself radiating red energy. Over the red energy, green flames flickered, creating a unique and fearsome form.
"What…?!" Azril stared in shock, her mind reeling. She had never seen power like this! Before, she thought it was the aura of the dragonkin, but now she wasn't so sure. And yet, it still radiated dragon-like power.
"A new form… as expected of Master. Incredible…" Jibril exclaimed, full of admiration and obsession.
"This form isn't much different from when Riku fought the Wise Dragon," Zhuralis muttered, still in shock. Riku's trump cards were endless, impossible to predict.
"Riku…" Schwi murmured, her eyes rippling with emotion.
"Well then, let's start round two, Flügel." Riku, now fully armoured, locked eyes with Azril, his aura climbing higher and higher.
[Boosted Gear]'s Balance Breaker, combined with the Third Gate of the Eight Gates, pushed his power to new heights. While the surging strength made his body ache, he could still handle it, proof that the Eight Gates and Balance Breaker could be used together, so long as his body could withstand it.
"Damn it, attack!" Azril's face darkened, and she gave the order.
She moved first, unleashing a flaming energy spear that tore through space toward Riku.
After that, the rest of the Flügel unleashed all their magic at once no hesitation, no holding back, not even sparing a thought for Zhuralis.
CRACK—!
Riku simply grinned, his figure turning into a blur of blue-green light, brutally smashing through the barrage.
Every spell was shattered by sheer force; even the stronger attacks were punched apart, left as nothing but scraps of magic.
In an instant, Riku appeared in front of a Flügel, fist cocked.
BOOM—!
The space around him warped, making it nearly impossible to use Shift.
SPLOOSH—!
That Flügel could only watch in horror as the fist expanded in her vision before she was obliterated, nothing left but a mist of blood.
"Damn it, form the Desperate Array!" Azril's eyes flashed with killing intent as she roared.
At the same time, she gathered all her might within a blink, a massive, jet-black energy lance formed in her hand: Heavenly Smite!
She instantly shifted behind Riku, trying to land a point-blank blow.
SZZZZT—!
But to Riku, this was nothing. Azril might be a match for a dragonia, but at this level, she was nothing to him.
So, in Azril's eyes, Riku casually caught the powerful Heavenly Smite with his bare hand. The screech of clashing energy was harsh, but the spear itself didn't move an inch.
"Weak. Honestly, you're starting to bore me. Is this all you've got?" Riku said coolly, looking down on Azril.
"Heh. Maybe you're strong, but you have one weakness," Azril replied, locking eyes with him.
"Oh?" Riku smiled playfully.
"I realised in this fight, you're arrogant. That arrogance will be your undoing!" Azril sneered.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Smite in her hand exploded at point-blank range. Even with her defences, she was blasted away, coughing blood and covered in wounds.
But there was no pain in her eyes, only a fierce glint.
"Now! All-out attack!"
At that moment, more than fifty Flügel poured their energy into a single comrade. The immense power made her wings burst and blood spatter everywhere, but her face was twisted in wild ecstasy and killing intent.
In her upraised hands, a colossal black spear condensed.
This was a Heavenly Smite powered by the strength of fifty-one Flügel, a blow even the Wise Dragon would treat with the utmost caution!
With a mad grin, the Flügel hurled the gigantic Heavenly Smite at Riku.
The force compressed space, shattering it wherever it passed, spatial fractures rippling out in every direction. With so much force, even using Shift to dodge was nearly impossible.
"You call me arrogant? Please. I'm just curious about my own limits. I gave you a chance on purpose," Riku said, covered in a dazzling mix of green and red energy, unmoved by the incoming spear.
ZZZZZZZT—!
With that, Riku raised his hand. From the Boosted Gear, he conjured a massive energy blast, red energy intertwined with green spirals.
The crimson-green beam collided with the gigantic Heavenly Smite in midair.
In an instant, the entire sky shattered!
CRACK!!!!!!
As the two overwhelming forces clashed, the surrounding space shattered, forming shrieking black holes and rampant black lightning, pulsing with destructive light.
Everyone except Riku was suffocating under the weight of that power. The fifty-one Flügel who had expended all their strength scrambled to escape with help from their sisters. If they got too close, even Flügel would be annihilated by the shockwaves of this clash!
Jibril, Zhuralis, and Schwi also realised this, retreating quickly, though their eyes never left Riku.
At the centre, the gigantic Heavenly Smite and Riku's energy cannon collided, creating an unstable maelstrom. But if one looked closely, it was clear the Heavenly Smite was gradually pressing down Riku's blue-crimson energy cannon.
That was only natural: fifty-one Flügel had poured their entire power into that attack, while Riku was still only testing his strength, not going all out.
"We won...?" Azril stared from afar, heart trembling. If they lost even now, it would mean utter defeat.
"Impressive strength, but... It's still not quite enough to beat me." Riku looked at the Heavenly Smite with calm indifference.
"Gate of Pain, Fourth Gate, OPEN!"
The next instant, Riku spoke again, utterly calm. Suddenly, the blue aura around him deepened, interwoven with crimson energy. His power surged even higher.
But even for Riku, the rise in strength became hard to bear blue veins bulged on his forehead, and his whole body felt swollen and strained. Still, he endured.
"HAAA!!!!!!!"
With a roar, blue and crimson energy wove together as his energy cannon exploded with new force, overpowering the gigantic Heavenly Smite and hurling it skyward.
A moment later, the Heavenly Smite shattered, bursting into fragments of energy that rained down on the world like a black light storm, strangely beautiful.
Yet beneath that beauty lurked utter destruction.
Wherever the fragments of Heavenly Smite fell, explosions tore through everything. In an instant, a region millions of meters across was erased, mountains, earth, and oceans were vaporised or left blackened and cracked. The planet itself seemed to scream.
Any unfortunate creatures caught in the blast were reduced to ash in an instant.
But even after shattering the Heavenly Smite, Riku's energy cannon didn't stop. It blasted out of the atmosphere, slamming into a distant satellite and reducing it to space debris.
The force of this shook the whole planet. Every powerful being on the surface stared in silent shock.
Even the God of War opened his golden eyes, a smile flickering on his lips, seemingly growing more interested in Riku by the second.
GULP—!
Azril and the other Flügel stared, dumbstruck, swallowing hard before falling silent. It seemed they'd provoked a monster.
Even Jibril, Zhuralis, and Schwi were speechless; their silence spoke louder than words.
"Retreat." Finally, Azril, her face full of regret, gave the order in a weary voice.
They no longer had any chance of victory; staying would be suicide. And while Flügel were unafraid of death, dying for nothing was meaningless.
"Leaving? Did you ask my permission?" Riku looked down on them. He threw a punch.
Instantly, a terrifying shockwave ripped through the sky, smashing everything in its path and covering all the Flügel. It was so fast that most of them couldn't even react.
Azril's face turned to despair. Was this the result of bringing her army? Would her sisters all die here? How could she ever face Artosh?
BOOM—!
At the last moment, a golden light flared before Azril.
An incomparable energy formed a golden barrier, stopping Riku's punch cold.
His fist struck the barrier, sending out huge ripples, but the shield held firm.
"That's the power of Lord Artosh? Lord Artosh saved us!" Azril was stunned, then overjoyed and ashamed.
They were supposed to be Artosh's blade, but here they were relying on their creator to save them shameful.
"God of War, Artosh, huh?" Riku narrowed his eyes at the golden barrier. He hadn't used all his power in that punch, but his opponent had defended his followers from thousands of kilometres away.
Even so, Riku hadn't been able to break the shield. The power he'd just experienced cooled in his veins. Even with Balance Breaker and the Fourth Gate, nearly beyond his body's limits, he was still no match for the God of War.
"Human hero, we await your challenge when you become stronger. May you show us the meaning of the strongest." A majestic voice echoed through the heavens, making Riku's golden eyes flash.
"Heh, interesting. You'd better be ready soon, I'll drag you off that throne." Riku dispelled his armour, folding his arms, calm as ever.
A light chuckle rang out. The God of War's presence faded, and Azril and the remaining Flügel disappeared with it.
Riku gazed up at the sky, now dark with smoke and ash, his eyes shining.
"Who'd have thought that old man would save Azril and the others? He always acted so cold before." Jibril shifted to Riku's side, sighing.
"Was he really saving Azril?" Riku said coolly.
"Uh…" Jibril paused, realising the truth. Artosh cared only about the meaning of strength; he'd let his own followers die countless times. His only reason for appearing now was Riku; saving Azril was just a bonus.
Still, this meant that Riku now had the God of War's full attention. The consequences... could be serious.