Endless azure plains stretched out, pierced with countless divine and treasured artefacts. Overhead hung vast stars and a radiant sun, sketching the outlines of an extraordinary world.
"This place is…!?" Athena and Poseidon scanned the scene before them in alarm, unease swelling within their hearts to the extreme.
Even the heroes manifested through Athena's divine exploits halted in their tracks.
"Welcome to my Sovereign World." Facing the vast armies not far away, Riku remained calm, his voice as light as drifting clouds.
"Sovereign World…?" Both Athena and Poseidon froze at the words, their gazes fixed on Riku as ripples of unease shook their hearts.
Normally, any being of the triple-digits possessed their own game world, or trial realms forged from their divinity, or paradoxical domains like the Horizon of White Night.
But a Sovereign World? Such a concept had never reached their ears.
Yet ignorance didn't prevent Athena and Poseidon from feeling the sheer strangeness of this world. It wasn't simply resisting her trial world; it had forcefully displaced them from it. Even the Host Authority of Little Garden itself was being interfered with. That was far too terrifying.
And the countless divine treasures stabbed into the ground below… just the sight of them made their scalps tingle. Every single one radiated a bizarre power, each strong enough to raise a mere hero into a figure sung of in legend.
They could even faintly sense something far more dreadful lurking within this world.
Confronted with this unheard-of Sovereign World, Athena and Poseidon had no idea how to respond.
"To force me to use this ability… Athena, Poseidon, in every sense, I must admit, you two are truly formidable." Riku's eyes gleamed as he looked at them, his words calm yet edged with admiration.
Indeed, in this Gift Game, Riku could have used the Star of Omniscience and Omnipotence to unravel Athena's truth with ease. But that would mean solving the puzzle while under the ceaseless assault of countless Shura Gods and Buddhas. Too troublesome.
And Riku hated troublesome things.
As for throwing himself into a desperate fight in his Super Three state against Athena, Poseidon, and all the manifested heroes born of Athena's exploits? That was even more of a hassle. Certainly, Athena's game was one that could grind even Indra down to nothing, draining all his divinity. But to Riku, with his Third Perpetual Motion Mechanism, it was no real threat.
Still, it would take forever to end.
And besides, Riku wanted to demonstrate overwhelming strength for the sake of his companions, to win their faith. Which was why he chose to reveal one of his strongest trump cards, his Sovereign World.
"As the host, it's only right that I entertain you properly."
Riku raised a hand and casually curled his finger.
Instantly, the divine treasures and artefacts that dotted this limitless realm rose into the air, floating overhead. They encircled Athena, Poseidon, and the legions of heroes and gods alike.
The cold gleam they radiated made even Athena's divinity tremble.
She fell silent.
"This is… far too unfair." Poseidon's expression twisted, a bitter smile on her lips. There was no defending against this. To block the infinite barrage of divine artefacts was nothing but a fool's dream even for beings of the triple-digits.
Perhaps among them all, only the Queen of Halloween and the Lord of White Night could withstand this.
Such power was beyond the realm of the triple-digits entirely.
"An irregular… among triple-digits…" Athena's face was complex, her voice heavy.
"But even if you are an irregular, that doesn't mean we'll surrender!" Her calm returned, her eyes burning with defiance.
"Looks like we'll have to fight to the end." Poseidon sighed bitterly, then let her divinity erupt. Oceans surged forth at her call, as though she had dragged the seas of an entire star into this place.
"Athena. Poseidon. You are opponents worthy of respect. Which is why I will not hold back."
Riku's tone carried quiet praise as he gazed at their unyielding resolve.
Holding back would be an insult.
In the next instant, Riku's finger dropped.
The divine treasures and artefacts unleashed their true power, hurling forth at a speed surpassing starlight, raining down upon the legions born of Athena's exploits and upon Poseidon herself.
The countless heroes manifested, no matter how they struggled, were annihilated in an instant, riddled with holes.
Even Poseidon, who summoned oceans with the weight of a star to shield herself, was pierced within seconds by the endless storm of weapons, bursting like an overinflated balloon.
Riku did not relent. He drove several divine artefacts straight through Poseidon's vital points, forcing her into the state of [Death].
Still, compared to the countless heroes torn to shreds, her end was almost merciful.
On the other side, the battle ended just as swiftly. Against this infinite storm of divine treasures, what were a thousand troops, or countless Shura Gods and Buddhas? Nothing but fleeting illusions.
"This Sovereign World is truly…" Athena laughed bitterly, watching her life's glory undone in a heartbeat.
But she did not surrender. Gritting her teeth, she raised her shield and burned her divinity recklessly to defend.
Yet in the end, her fate mirrored Poseidon's. Her divinity drained away, her body pierced by treasures, she too entered the state of [Death].
[Gift Game: War of Gods and Demons]
[Has been broken. Victor: Riku Dola of Disboard.]
[Defeated: Host – Athena of the Twelve Olympians; Participant – Poseidon of the Twelve Olympians.]
With a wave of Riku's hand, the countless divine artefacts and treasures reinserted themselves into the earth.
At the same time, with a thought, he summoned the fallen bodies of Athena and Poseidon before him.
Their divine garments had been blasted to tatters by the onslaught, leaving their perfect forms exposed to his gaze.
But Riku, who had long since seen countless wives of breathtaking beauty across myriad worlds, no longer harboured the naive thoughts of his youth.
Without lust or ill intent, he merely admired them for a moment, then drew two wide robes from his System's storage and draped them over the goddesses, covering their bodies.
After all, these two would soon be members of his community. Letting the two idiot dragons outside ogle them would hardly be fitting.
Then, placing both hands gently on Athena and Poseidon's abdomens, Riku activated the [Diamond-grade Treasure Chests] hidden within them.
As Riku's hand touched Athena's body, the [Diamond-grade Treasure Chest] within her was directly unlocked, and the System's voice rang out.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Master, for unlocking a Diamond-grade Treasure Chest. You have obtained the divine artefact — God-Slaying Spear, Longinus. ]
God-Slaying Spear, Longinus: Nemesis of deities. Any god struck by it will meet certain death, their divinity utterly extinguished. Even their very godhead will be erased!
"God-Slaying Spear, Longinus…?" Riku narrowed his eyes slightly. The God-Slaying Spear Longinus was famous even in mythology. In fact, within his Sovereign World, there was already a God-Slaying Spear bearing the same name, possessing the god-slaying property—yet it was nowhere near as exaggerated as the System described.
"Since the System describes it this way, then without a doubt this God-Slaying Spear must be a divine weapon on par with the Brahma-shattering Spear, one embodying the truths of the universe. The truth of god-slaying. In this Little Garden overflowing with gods and buddhas, it would be a catastrophic weapon."
Riku murmured thoughtfully.
Every being in Little Garden feared humanity's Final Trial. Not only because only humans could overcome it, but also because the Final Trial possessed the god-slaying attribute, it was the true God-Slayer.
If a god were slain by the Final Trial of Humanity, no means could revive them. Even the faith that humanity once offered to them would be violently shattered and destroyed.
Beyond the Final Trial of Humanity, Little Garden also housed other god-slayers who struck terror into divinities. For example, the God-Slaying Wolf, Fenrir. His fangs and claws, should they pierce a god's body, could shatter their divinity. Even if the god revived, at best their strength would be severely weakened; at worst, they would vanish completely.
And within this Little Garden world, there existed another, more precisely, a top community that struck dread into all gods and was branded a taboo.
That was none other than Christianity, the mightiest force among humanity.
God. The Son, Jesus. The angels.
All of them were taboos in Little Garden. Few gods dared provoke them. Because of Little Garden's constraints, God Himself was only at the peak of the triple-digits. But the Son, Jesus, through the convergence of omnipotence, had elevated himself to the realm of the double-digits, becoming one of the Seventeen.
And he wielded the true God-Slaying Spear, Longinus. A weapon of absolute god-slaying, in the hands of a double-digit. The threat it posed rivalled that of humanity's Final Trial. To be slain by the Son Jesus was very nearly equivalent to being slain by the Final Trial itself.
Coupled with Christianity's immense influence across human history, no god or Buddha was willing to antagonise them. Even speaking the names of God or Jesus was avoided.
"This thing is powerful; no doubt it could serve as one of my strongest trump cards. But it's also a hot potato…" Riku's lips curled into an amused smile.
If Christianity discovered that he possessed the original Longinus, they would never let it go.
Still, he had no intention of hiding it.
"To enter Little Garden and then cower before Christianity? Might as well slit my own throat and be done with it." Riku stored away the God-Slaying Spear with a domineering mutter. "A true Demon Lord, what of billions of gods and buddhas descending upon me? I'll simply crush them all."
A few seconds later, Riku cast aside such idle thoughts. With a mere flicker of intent, he recalled his Sovereign World.
The moment he returned to the Horizon of White Night, Laplace's Little Demon's voice echoed in his mind.
Congratulations, Riku, for obtaining the Sun Authority — Aries!
Instantly, the sun above the Horizon of White Night dimmed once more. Athena and Poseidon's bodies turned ashen grey, declaring their [Death] state.
In response, Riku snapped his fingers. Two opaque layers of the Eternal Fourth Blessing enveloped their forms, leaving them floating silently behind him.
In Little Garden, when Host Authority was invoked, even if the game was broken, participants were entitled to rewards.
A Gift Game must always be built on equality between both sides.
If the host won, the participants were suppressed or sealed.
If the participants won, the host was required to give equivalent compensation.
That was the rule of Little Garden.
Athena's Gift Game this time had been reckless in the extreme. Which meant that after losing, she was obliged not only to compensate Riku accordingly, but Poseidon, dragged in as a participant, would be forced to pay double.
However, both Athena and Poseidon were currently in the [Death] state. Riku would have to wait twenty-four hours for their revival before demanding payment.
And that payment would no doubt leave the two goddesses dumbstruck. To forcibly use Host Authority to drag a man like Riku, who carried countless secrets, into a Gift Game? The price would be far beyond anything simple.
The thought brought Riku a surge of joy.
Then his gaze turned elsewhere.
There, Juntan and the White Dragon were locked in a brutal clash. Their draconic forms twisted and mangled, blood spraying, scales shattered, they had gone completely berserk.
Pure-blooded Dragonia could, if they wished, spawn drakes and wyverns from their blood to fight for them. But both combatants were pure-blooded; neither had such thoughts. It would only waste strength.
Riku made no move to interfere. To intrude upon Juntan's battle would be an act of mistrust and disrespect.
And Juntan did not disappoint him. In the end, he slew the White Dragon. His entire body was a ruin, looking as though he might collapse at any moment.
"…Well done." Riku stepped up to the blood-soaked Juntan and tossed him a Senzu Bean.
Already gravely wounded by Brahma earlier, then forced into a deathmatch against a peer who had long since reached the all-authority realm of the triple-digits, and yet still victorious, Juntan's strength had far surpassed that of an ordinary triple-digit.
Seeing that his very first recruited companion carried such potential, Riku could not help but feel pleased.
"Cough… I nearly died there." Taking the bean, Juntan grinned faintly as he ate it, his injuries and strength rapidly restored. A faint look of yearning lingered on his face. His aura and power had undergone a transformation.
"But you enjoyed it, didn't you?" Riku smiled.
"Doesn't the leader do the same? Thunder God Thor, Brahma, the Star Sea Dragon King, Athena, Poseidon, one after another, you've slain gods and star spirits of the highest tier. Your record is far more astounding than mine. When the Sun War ends, it'll shake all of Little Garden."
Juntan's eyes gleamed with reverence and gratitude. "I'm truly thankful you invited me into the community back then. Otherwise, I'd never have faced such powerful foes, nor grown this strong."
At those words, Riku smiled gently. Perhaps it was precisely this mindset that had allowed Juntan to break through, becoming a true all-authority existence among the triple-digits.
"Well then… the next question is how to deal with Indra." Riku lifted his gaze toward the sky, where the Pseudo Star Map: Virtual Star – Tai Sui formed a blazing 'star.' His eyes flashed with sharp light.