"Here, eat this." Riku casually reached into his system storage space and tossed something to Juntan.
"Uh, Boss, what is this?" Juntan stared curiously at the bean in his hand, looking puzzled.
"A Senzu Bean. A healing item that can restore stamina and strength," Riku explained casually.
The Senzu Bean was something he had obtained from a treasure chest in the past. Back then, it was still useful to him. But now, with the Third Perpetual Motion Machine and Phoenix Flame, it was of little use to him personally. Hearing this, Juntan, intrigued, swallowed it in one gulp. In the next instant, the wounds on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his spent strength returned to its peak.
"Truly can't judge by appearances… Something so plain actually healed me instantly and restored my stamina," Juntan said in astonishment.
Riku gave a faint smile. The Senzu Beans from the Dragon Ball world were just that broken.
"Your wounds and stamina have recovered. In that case, it's time to greet our next guests." Riku's eyes sharpened again as he slowly turned toward the rear.
"Hm?" Juntan's face also tensed as he followed Riku's gaze.
"Riku, your senses really are sharp. I suppose you noticed me long ago." The space Riku's gaze was fixed on rippled slightly, and a figure appeared.
It was someone both Riku and Juntan knew well, the leader of the [Twelve Heavenly Guardians] and master of the Little Garden itself, Indra.
Seeing who it was, Juntan immediately became wary, ready to strike at any moment.
Riku, however, remained calm, watching Indra steadily.
"Indra, if you had attacked earlier, you might have been able to take out Juntan. Why didn't you?" Riku asked, eyes flashing faintly.
That made the corner of Juntan's eye twitch in irritation. Still, he didn't dwell on it after all; with Indra's strength, a sneak attack could have killed him instantly.
"I, Indra, do not attack an enemy's back," Indra said sternly, frowning.
"Is that so? I also dislike those who prefer sneak attacks. So my impression of you has improved slightly," Riku said with a faint smile.
"In that case, I'm pleased to hear it," Indra replied with a small smile.
"However, since we've met here, battle is inevitable. Let's settle this right here." Indra's gaze sharpened once more.
"Before the fight… the one hiding, come out." Riku swept his gaze toward the space beside Indra and suddenly threw a punch.
A blood-red Daytime Tiger roared as it charged toward the sky near Indra.
Indra gave a small, helpless smile but made no move to interfere.
Crack!
The space rippled like water, and a handsome man clad in divine armour appeared. With divine light flowing between his hands, he easily crushed Riku's Daytime Tiger.
"[Twelve Heavenly Guardians]… Brahma…" Juntan's face changed at the sight of the newcomer, speaking the god-king's name aloud.
Within the [Twelve Heavenly Guardians], Indra was unquestionably the strongest, but ranked just behind him was Brahma. If Indra could be considered the peak of the three-digit class, rivalled only by the Halloween Queen, then Brahma was close behind, at the very top tier of the three-digit level. For the two of them to be participating in the Sun Sovereignty War together… their lineup was beyond luxurious.
"Indra and Brahma, huh? This is going to be troublesome." Riku shook his head slightly, feigning a troubled look. "Looks like I'll have to get serious."
"Riku, you seem confident. Do you have other powerful trump cards besides the [Pseudo Star Map Creation]?" Indra asked, brows lifting slightly, his face also growing more serious.
"That, I won't tell an enemy," Riku said with a shrug.
"Fair enough," Indra said with a wry smile.
"Indra, let's move. If we drag this out and other contestants arrive, there'll be too many variables," Brahma said grimly from the side.
"Mm." At those words, golden light flared around Indra. Golden divine thunder roamed the heavens, carrying the divine might to pierce anything.
Lightning was Indra's signature Gift.
A golden spear appeared before him, his divine weapon, the Vajra. In legend, Indra was the god of war and thunder, wielding the Vajra and riding a white elephant to hurl lightning bolts. Now, as that very scene appeared before them, the oppressive force was even greater than what Thor had displayed earlier.
Brahma likewise summoned a divine long spear, his aura surging skyward.
Under the crushing pressure of two top-tier god-kings, Riku remained unmoved, his stance steady. Juntan, however, felt his body grow heavier, his heart unsettled.
"I have only one request of you withstand Brahma's pressure. If possible, try to break through your own limits. Here, take this as a gift for joining our community. It should help you with that breakthrough," Riku said, glancing at Juntan and pulling something from his system space to toss to him.
It was a crimson gauntlet, the [Boosted Gear] of the Red Dragon Emperor. This one, however, was different from the original: Riku had removed the curse within and even fused in fragments of Fenrir's claws, granting it a God-Slaying attribute.
For him, it was useless. But for a four-digit powerhouse like Juntan, it was an enormous boost.
"Thank you, Boss. I understand." Accepting the gauntlet, Juntan's face showed awe as he nodded, no hesitation in taking it.
"That artefact… it contains not only a powerful dragon soul, but also a God-Slaying attribute… To possess such a Gift and casually give it away… truly extravagant," Indra said, his expression shifting as he inspected the gauntlet.
Generally speaking, a god could revive after death as long as they still had human faith. But there were two exceptions:
The first was being killed by a force carrying a strong God-Slaying attribute. Even if revived, their power would be greatly diminished. And if wounded by such power in battle, they would suffer several times the normal damage.
The second was far worse, being slain by a [Last Trial of Humanity], the greatest God-Slayer and natural enemy of the divine. If a god was killed by a [Last Trial of Humanity], no means could revive them.
A [Last Trial of Humanity] was without question the most powerful of all God-Slayers.
The gauntlet Riku had produced might not match the God-Slaying power of a [Last Trial of Humanity], nor even that of Fenrir, the famed God-Slaying Wolf of Little Garden, but it was still a threat that could not be ignored.
Although in High School DxD the [Boosted Gear] of the Red Dragon Emperor carried a restriction that it could only be used by someone with human blood, that limitation had merely been added by the deceased God of the Bible.
Having acquired all the knowledge of the God of the Bible, Riku had easily erased that restriction. If he wished, he could give it to anyone to use.
Clang!
Not wanting to give Riku any more time, Indra's expression hardened, breaking the current standoff. A Vajra wreathed in golden lightning shot toward Riku at a speed surpassing starlight.
Clang!
In that instant, Riku erupted into his Super Second Stage form. Expanding ki flames and crackling electric sparks swirled around him as he smashed his fist into the incoming Vajra, sending it flying away.
"Top-tier three-digit…" Indra's pupils contracted, shock flooding his heart. Until now, his estimation had been that Riku had yet to reach three-digit strength. Yet in a sudden burst, Riku had unleashed the power of a top-tier three-digit and without even relying on his Spirit Rank.
"No wonder you could defeat Thor. So it's not just the [Pseudo Star Map Creation]…" Brahma narrowed his eyes, murmuring.
"Hmph, losing focus in the middle of battle is a fatal mistake. As a god-king, you should know that better than anyone," Riku said coldly.
In the next moment, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared beside Indra, unleashing a devastating punch aimed straight at Indra's chest.
Clang!
Indra's expression shifted slightly. Gripping his Vajra, he wove golden lightning around it and met Riku's blow head-on.
The explosion of ki force and divine might blasted everything around them away. Even Brahma was forced to retreat some distance.
When Brahma recovered, he moved to attack Riku.
"Sorry, Mr. Brahma, but your opponent… is me." Before Brahma could act, Juntan fully released his Spirit Rank, twisting the space around Brahma with immense gravitational pressure.
"It seems I'll have to defeat you before I can assist over there," Brahma said, eyes sharp, divine might erupting as he instantly broke free from the gravity.
Juntan had great potential, but for now, his strength was still insufficient. Against a top-tier three-digit like Brahma, one mistake could mean death even buying time would be a struggle.
"But I also have my reasons not to fall easily. I won't betray the Boss's trust." Even knowing the gap between them, Juntan still charged toward Brahma without hesitation.
…
Clang—!
Meanwhile, Riku and Indra were engaged in an ultra-high-speed close-quarters battle in the sky. Explosions of sound shook the air as golden lightning clashed with golden ki flames and phoenix fire, their shockwaves rattling the heavens.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged tens of thousands of blows. Yet while Super Second Stage Riku was powerful, he was still a step below Indra. Riku failed to gain the upper hand, and while Indra was suppressing him, he likewise failed to land a decisive blow; the Phoenix Flame's regenerative ability was too much of an obstacle.
Moreover, Indra had to remain wary of Riku's [Pseudo Star Map Creation], and so could not act recklessly. Thor, despite being powerful, had acted rashly in his eagerness to finish the fight, using a killing strike without knowing Riku's trump card, only to be countered by the [Pseudo Star Map Creation] and lose.
Were it not for that, Thor would never have fallen so easily. The phrase "carelessness leads to defeat" was no idle saying.
Indra, in contrast, was far calmer than Thor had been. Though he, too, wielded lightning and was more powerful at that, he had no intention of rushing things. Even knowing Riku had Phoenix Flame, he was content to grind him down slowly.
After another fierce clash, Riku was blasted back several hundred meters, while Indra only retreated several dozen. The difference was clear.
Once they were both knocked back, Indra refrained from pressing the attack. Instead, he gripped his Vajra and looked straight at Riku, a confident smile on his face.
"From the beginning, I noticed you prefer head-on clashes. That will be the cause of your defeat," Indra said, pointing the Vajra at him.
"Hm?" Riku frowned slightly at those words. Then he noticed something fine, golden lightning was flowing through his body, damaging him from within.
While the Phoenix Flame had been healing the damage instantly so quickly he hadn't even noticed the wounds, the accumulated lightning now left his body numb, difficult to move. Forcing himself to move would slow him drastically compared to before.
"You've realised it? With every clash, I've been sending lightning into your body. After tens of thousands of head-on collisions, that will be the reason you lose," Indra said with a faint smile, declaring it openly.
"As expected of Indra, the strongest [God of War]. Your battle wisdom is impressive. But… do you really think you've got me cornered?" Riku asked with a sly smile.
"Heh, whether I have or not isn't decided by words. That's something you yourself taught me," Indra replied with a light smile, the golden lightning on his Vajra growing denser, clearly gathering power.
"Summon [Heavenly Thunder]!" Indra roared. His divine might erupted, shaking the heavens and making the world tremble.
In the next instant, golden lightning surged out, engulfing the entire area. This thunder prison, brimming with divine might, warped space itself, capable of annihilating all things and shattering even Spirit Ranks.
Even a three-digit would be reduced to ashes inside it. Even with Phoenix Flame, Riku would not escape unscathed.
"Eternal Fourth Protection!" Riku's power surged as he tanked several golden bolts, instantly forming dozens of Eternal Fourth Protections around himself.
Even the golden thunder prison could not break through so many layers at once. While it could destroy several at a time, Riku could replace them just as quickly.
"A form of sorcery…? To withstand my Heavenly Thunder, that defence is truly remarkable. But this strike was only meant to hold you in place," Indra said in admiration, followed by a confident tone.
"Now, for the main course." Indra's eyes sharpened again, his divine might erupting in full.
In the next instant, dozens of Vajras appeared around him, each wreathed in golden lightning, radiating crushing force.
"Your Sun Authority, I'll be taking it here and now!" Indra roared with commanding presence.
The dozens of golden-lightning Vajras shot forward together, tearing through space as they stabbed toward Riku!
Facing the incoming storm of dozens of Vajra, Riku showed not the slightest hint of panic.
In Indra's mind, even with the Phoenix's Flames' regenerative power, Riku would be unable to escape severe injury if not outright death.
The Phoenix's Flames were formidable, yes, but not limitless. They still required energy to function. If he could shatter that limit in one overwhelming strike, the battle would be his.
However, Indra did not know Riku possessed the Third Perpetual Motion Mechanism, and thus had no worries about running out of energy. Perhaps there were beings in existence capable of breaching his limits, but certainly not a three-digit class.
Otherwise, the White Night King would never have said there was no point in letting "two immortals" keep fighting.
Unfortunately for Indra, the information gap meant he was walking straight into Riku's trap.
Calm in the face of the assault, Riku's lips curled into an unsettling smile. The sight made Indra's eyes narrow, a flicker of unease rising in his heart.
But now was no time for hesitation. The Vajra, moving faster than starlight and charged with irresistible divine might, slammed against the defence of the Fourth Perpetual Protection.
Crack!
In an instant, the barriers that had easily withstood even the golden thunder prison were pierced like paper. A dozen layers shattered before the attack lost momentum.
But with so many Vajra attacking simultaneously, the remaining defences were also torn through in moments.
"Gensokyo Beyond the Mortal World."
The emerald of Riku's eyes reflected the rapidly approaching Vajra as he murmured inwardly.
In that moment, the sword-sheath within him flared with light, releasing its true power.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The next instant, all the Vajra struck home, only for harsh, metallic clangs to ring out. The air rippled, shockwaves tearing outward.
"They didn't pierce him? …You've already used Leo's Sun Authority?" Indra's eyes lit up.
That was the point of this strike, not to kill Riku directly, but to force out the Leo Sun Authority. The true killing blow would follow.
Yet… something about the impact didn't feel like Leo's Sun Authority.
Still, Indra couldn't conceive of any other gift that could allow Riku to block dozens of his Vajra unscathed. That had to be it.
And if so, this was the moment to end it.
"Leo's Sun Authority is out! Brahma now!"
Across the battlefield, Brahma's eyes sharpened. He abandoned the battered Juntan without a second thought and vanished, reappearing on Riku's flank. A long spear now rested in his grip.
"Boss, look out!" Juntan, bloodied and barely standing, roared in alarm.
"Your Sun Authority… we'll be taking one of them now." Brahma's voice rang as he hurled the spear.
It shot forward faster than the sixth universe's light-speed limit, aimed straight at Riku. For this decisive blow, Brahma invoked Taurus's Sun Authority, swelling his power to its peak.
At such speed, even a top-tier three-digit couldn't dodge. Even Indra himself would have difficulty avoiding it.
This divine spear embodied the truths of the universe and bore the destiny of certain victory, its name: Brahma-Indra Spear.
Forged by the First of the Twelve Devas, Indra, together with their advisor, the highest god of the Hindu pantheon, Brahma, the spear's causal Law Rank was simple:
If it pierces, it wins.
However, even a weapon of absolute causality required the condition of "piercing the target." If it failed to do so, it was merely a powerful spear.
This was why Indra sought to force out Leo's Sun Authority. Leo was the natural counter to divine tools, and the Brahma-Indra Spear was particularly vulnerable.
In their minds, Riku had already used Leo. Against this unavoidable strike, his death was assured. No matter how fast the Phoenix's Flames restored him, if the Brahma-Indra Spear pierced him, defeat was inevitable.
Ting!
In the next instant, both Indra and Brahma froze.
Ting!
Before their eyes, the spear wreathed in heat and fate, certain hit, certain kill, was caught effortlessly by Riku.
"…Leo's Sun Authority… How?!" Brahma's voice was filled with disbelief.
Indra's expression darkened, grip tightening on his Vajra as his gaze locked on Riku's calm face and faintly twisted smile.
Juntan, meanwhile, exhaled in relief, though he was just as bewildered. That strike had been, without question, a killing blow. And the Boss had supposedly already used Leo's Sun Authority…
"Since the day I was born, those who try to calculate my every move… don't tend to meet good ends." Riku's smile widened slightly as he spoke, eyes never leaving Indra.
Different world or not, Riku knew Brahma wielded the Brahma-Indra Spear. And here, it wouldn't be the cheap imitation from High School DxD, but the genuine article on par with treasures he'd pulled from his own chests.
From the start of his battle with Indra, he had been baiting them toward this very trap. A few unexpected turns had occurred, but nothing that derailed his plan.
Now, Indra and Brahma both fell silent. If they still didn't realise their strategy had been read and manipulated from the start, down to forcing them to reveal their ultimate weapon, they might as well give up the title of god-king.
Even Riku's earlier "being caught" in the thunder prison had likely been an act.
"Riku… not just strength, but your battle intellect is truly beyond the ordinary," Indra said at last with a helpless smile.
"Even without the Brahma-Indra Spear and one Sun Authority, it's not as if we have no chance left. So let's continue the fight."
He drew a deep breath, voice hardening, eyes sharpening again.
A first-generation god-king would not be shaken by something of this level.
---
"Heh… Indra, of course, I'll keep fighting you. But before that, I should give your companion Brahma a little parting gift after all, I've spent two trump cards already." Riku's lips curled as he cast a sidelong glance at Brahma, whose expression still hadn't recovered from shock. His tone was calm, almost casual.
"Hm?"
Hearing this, Indra's body stiffened, a faint sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.
Brahma, too, tensed up, his eyes locked on Riku, ready for whatever trick he might pull.
——
While both Indra and Brahma stood on guard, Riku calmly reached into his system storage space and drew out a divine spear.
The moment it appeared, both of their pupils contracted in disbelief because the weapon in Riku's hand was identical to the one Brahma had used earlier.
It carried the same universal truth, the same inevitable victory causality, its name: Brahma-Śakra Spear!
"Why… why do you have that spear?!" Indra demanded in shock, utterly unable to believe his eyes.
"That's a secret," Riku replied lightly. "Now then, your Sun Authorities… I'll be taking one."
With that, he gripped the Brahma-Śakra Spear and instantly invoked the Sagittarius Sun Authority.
The Sagittarius Sun Authority carried the causality of unerring aim.
Combined with the spear's causality of inevitable victory, the two powers meshed together perfectly in an unholy synergy.
In an instant, the spear locked unshakably onto Brahma, shooting forth at a speed surpassing starlight.
It was as if it had been hurled from the other side of the horizon. No matter how far Brahma ran, no matter where in the world he fled, the spear would follow him to the ends of creation and strike him down.
"No!!" Realising that Riku held the Sagittarius Authority, Indra's face twisted in alarm. He wanted to act, but it was already too late.
Brahma's pupils constricted violently. With no way to dodge, he could only pour his entire Divinity into his defences, gambling everything on one last stand.
Schlkk!!
It was pointless.
The Brahma-Śakra Spear, carrying boundless heat, tore straight through his defence and then through his body.
At that moment, the spear's inevitable victory took effect.
Even though the wound wasn't instantly fatal, the universal truth dictated that Brahma's Divinity itself would be shattered a defeat in absolute terms. Death.
[Congratulations, contestant Riku Dola, for obtaining the Sun Authority — Taurus!]
Laplace's Little Demon's voice rang out in his mind just as another sun in the sky dimmed, marking the result.
The spear vanished, returning to Riku's possession.
For all its power, it wasn't something that could be fired repeatedly in quick succession.
"…," Indra stood in silence, gazing at the spot where Brahma had fallen, the air around him growing heavier.
In the Sun Sovereignty War, death wasn't permanent, but watching his comrade fall before him and lose an important Sun Authority still stoked his fury.
Juntan, battered and bloodied, could only stare at Riku with awe. He had thought they were finished, yet the tide of battle had shifted in an instant, and the boss had struck back with overwhelming force.
As for Riku, he looked at Indra calmly.
He knew the man's true power was greater than what he had shown thus far, which was exactly why Riku hadn't used the spear on him. There was a high chance it would be blocked.
There was also another reason:
To open the seven-colored treasure chest Indra carried, he needed to kill a member of the Twelve Guardian Devas.
Brahma was no easy prey as a top-tier three-digit; his full-powered, all-out defence had at least a slim chance of stopping the spear.
Unfortunately for him, Riku had enhanced the Brahma-Śakra Spear with the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet's piercing attribute and the reality-warping Phantasmal Attribute.
Inevitable victory + unerring aim + piercing + phantasmal
Brahma's defeat was guaranteed, with zero chance of blocking it.
"Indra, let's continue," Riku said evenly, locking eyes with him.
"…," Indra's gaze sharpened, but in the end, he reined in his anger.
Riku had shown far too many trump cards already: a unique transformation state, Phoenix Flame, god-slaying armaments, Simulated Star Map, and even an apparent ability to copy the Brahma-Śakra Spear's universal truth.
Indra naturally assumed it was a copied weapon after all; he believed the spear to be unique.
And if Riku had lured Brahma into using it just to copy and counter with it… that was terrifying foresight.
If he knew the truth that Riku was the genuine article, Indra might have been even more unsettled.
"This time, you've won, Riku," Indra said at last. "Next time, I won't fall for the same trick. Until then, farewell."
It was wiser to wait until Brahma revived in twenty-four hours before making another move.
"Since we've come this far, I can't let you walk away without paying some interest," Riku replied, his eyes narrowing.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished, reappearing right before Indra, golden ki erupting around him, sparks crackling violently.
Boom!
His fist came crashing down, wrapped in ferocious power, Phoenix Flame surging to consume even Indra's Divinity.
Clang!
Indra met it head-on with his Vajra, shattering the Phoenix Flame with golden lightning as the blast shook heaven and earth.
The shockwave sent the wounded Juntan tumbling through the air.
Bang!
But Riku didn't slow abandoning defence entirely, he hammered another blow straight into Indra, sending him flying like a golden meteor.
At the same time, Indra's Vajra pierced clean through Riku's body, golden lightning crackling across him, but the Phoenix Flame roared to life, healing the damage instantly.
Riku's lips curled upward.
The seven-colored treasure chest was finally his.