"Why…?" Athena and Poseidon stared blankly at the [Disboard] crest now engraved upon their flawless skin, disbelief written all over their faces.
Even Athena had lost her composure.
By all logic, even if Riku was an irregular three-digit, she and Poseidon were still top-tier three-digit gods. Even if they had lost a Gift Game, their very beings shouldn't have been seized outright.
"Don't look so surprised. Even if you were two digits or the Queen herself, if you used host authority to drag me into a Gift Game, the result would still be the same." Riku's voice was calm, filled with wild confidence.
Arrogant. Unyielding.
His secrets were too many, his strength utterly overwhelming. Even if he had demanded more outrageous terms like turning Athena and Poseidon into slaves bound entirely to him, Little Garden itself would not have been able to reject it.
But that would have been far too dull. He had no shortage of women. Even if they were goddesses, treating them like dolls held no interest.
His goal was not pleasure, but to expand the strength of his community. The rest was secondary.
"Sigh… looks like we really lost," Athena said quietly, her lips twisting in a bitter smile.
"Ugh, it's true. The host authority is powerful, but the risk is too great; we've gambled ourselves away." Poseidon looked stricken, nearly in tears.
Had they known the gap between them and Riku, they never would have tried such a reckless ploy.
Now, under Little Garden's sovereignty, their bodies and souls belonged to Riku. They could not muster even a hint of rebellion. Only frustration remained.
"Don't sulk. Staying with [Disboard] is far better than rotting in the [Twelve Olympians]. Their circle is far too small." Riku grinned.
Then his lips curled, teasing: "Oh, wait, guess I should call them the [Ten Olympians] now."
"..." Athena and Poseidon both twitched at the corners of their mouths, while Juntan stifled his laughter.
"No point dwelling. A loss is a loss. From now on, I am a member of [Disboard]. Leader, I'll be in your care." Athena steadied herself, her tone firm.
"I never cared much for Olympus anyway. Only Athena mattered to me. The rest I always disliked." Poseidon smiled faintly, tilting her head. "So, Leader, I'll be in your care as well."
Riku chuckled, nodding in satisfaction.
"By the way, Leader, with us joining [Disboard], Zeus won't take this lightly," Athena said seriously.
"Zeus… King of the Gods, huh?" Riku's golden eyes glinted. In Little Garden, his name carried weight equal to Indra's. Power-wise, Riku judged him a bit weaker.
"No need to worry. Even if he brings the rest of the Olympians, it won't matter. If he dares come, I'll make him pay dearly," Riku said with airy confidence.
The domineering words left Athena and Poseidon stunned, faint light flashing in their eyes. Juntan, for his part, was filled with admiration, his trust in Riku absolute.
"…Forgive me. I was overthinking," Athena murmured, shaking her head.
Riku nodded slightly, accepting her apology.
"Leader, where is our community headquarters?" Poseidon asked suddenly, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
That drew the gaze of Athena and Juntan as well.
The headquarters of a community was its very face. Where would a man like Riku hide his so-far-unknown faction?
"Ahem. Well, the truth is, I just arrived in Little Garden. After fighting with Juntan and the Lord of White Night, I got swept straight into the Solar War," Riku admitted with a cough.
"…Huh!?" Athena, Poseidon, and Juntan all froze, dumbfounded.
"You've got to be kidding… This doesn't bode well," Poseidon groaned, palm to her forehead.
Even Athena twitched at the lips, stunned by such an answer.
Juntan was bewildered too, though secretly excited because that made him the first official member of [Disboard]!
"Don't be disappointed. Our headquarters and city territory will be ready in a moment." Riku smiled faintly.
The three could only give him helpless looks. 'Building it now? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?'
But Riku only laughed. Words weren't necessary.
He calmly pulled a Construction Card Skyborne City from his system storage and activated it.
In an instant, storm winds swirled through the Juntan Mountains. A blinding pillar of light pierced the heavens.
From ten thousand meters above the peaks, a massive city manifested out of thin air. It floated there, chained in place by colossal anchors piercing through space itself. Mist swirled with spiritual power, lending it a divine, ethereal presence.
Its scale blanketed the entire mountain range.
"…!" Athena, Poseidon, Juntan, even the wyverns and dragon warriors nearby were left dumbstruck.
Even Riku was impressed. This Skyborne City's grandeur was unmatched!
"This is Skyborne City. Its defensive barrier can withstand the full-force assault of a two-digit. From now on, it is the territory of [Disboard]. Our headquarters lies at its centre," Riku introduced with a smile.
"Withstand a full-force two-digit strike!?" Even Athena, usually so composed, was visibly shaken, her gaze locked on the sky city in awe.
Poseidon and Juntan were so shocked that they were left speechless.
A city that could stand against two-digits… no community in all of Little Garden could boast such a thing.
And Riku had unveiled it casually, as if it were nothing.
Athena and Poseidon exchanged glances, unable to help but sigh. Compared to this… the Twelve Olympians looked positively impoverished.
Riku led them into Skyborne City, unlocking its barrier with his authority. From above, they gazed upon endless golden halls and divine architecture, overwhelming in majesty. At the very centre stood the headquarters itself, opulent beyond imagination. Athena, Poseidon, and Juntan could only gasp in wonder.
Of course, only the central sector was complete. Most of the city was still undeveloped.
But that was fine. If the entire city were so lavish, few communities could ever survive within it.
While Riku leisurely strolled through Skyborne City with Athena, Poseidon, and Juntan, the outside world erupted in turmoil at the conclusion of the First Solar War.
Though no one knew the full details, rankings, or how many Solar Authorities each contestant held, there was one undeniable truth: Riku was the greatest dark horse. The community [Thousand Eyes] deliberately spread the news of his rise.
But they revealed nothing beyond that. And precisely because of this mystery, countless beings began digging for answers.
Everything was brewing. Given enough time, Riku's name would shake the entire Little Garden.
Meanwhile, Indra and Brahma were left more miserable than ever. Twice now, both had suffered humiliating defeats at Riku's hands. They turned their full attention toward investigating this enigmatic human, mobilising the Twelve Heavenly Protectors to hunt for him.
This, in turn, opened the door for other communities to gather intelligence, accelerating how quickly news of the Solar War spread throughout the upper levels of Little Garden.
—
At the same time, in the Western District of the Third Layer, within the community [Twelve Olympians], Zeus, as the community's leader, had already received word of Athena and Poseidon's defection.
His face was dark with fury.
"[Disboard]… Riku Dola. That bastard actually stole Athena and Poseidon from us!" Zeus's voice thundered.
In the Third Layer, three-digit beings were apex existences. Losing two at once, both of them top-tier, was an outrage no community could endure.
"[Disboard], Riku Dola… that human." Apollo's expression was grim, a mix of fear and simmering anger.
In the preliminaries, he had been utterly humiliated by Riku dominated and finally shot through the head. It was the shame of a lifetime.
"What do you intend to do, Zeus?" Apollo asked coldly.
Notably, he didn't call him "Leader." Though they were called the Twelve Olympians, harmony among the gods was scarce.
"Hmph. What else? Naturally, we'll settle accounts." Zeus's tone was dark, his anger so great that the sky above Olympus Mountain trembled, pressing down with suffocating weight. The authority of the heavens, the symbol of Zeus, was unleashed.
For him, it wasn't just about losing the Solar War. Having two of his Olympians taken was a blow to his dignity. If he didn't act, other top communities would ridicule them mercilessly, their prestige destroyed.
Yet Zeus wasn't a fool. As King of the Gods, leader of a top-tier three-digit community, he didn't recklessly rally his armies without knowing where Riku even was. Instead, he fixed his piercing gaze on Apollo.
"Apollo. Tell me in detail about that man's strength. What Gifts does he possess?"
Apollo's jaw tightened. "His power was somewhat above mine. The strange thing is, his Divinity wasn't strong, but he wielded the strength of a three-digit. What truly let him defeat me, however, was his possession of the Leo Solar Authority, which countered my greatest Gift."
He carefully avoided confessing the full extent of his humiliation.
"Three-digit power isn't much," Zeus said dismissively.
Apollo shook his head. "That's not the worst part. He wields the Phoenix Flame. Despite not being the Heroic King, he has the divine weapon Chains of Heaven. And he likely has many more unknown godly treasures." His voice grew heavy. "That's what makes him dangerous."
"The Chains of Heaven…!?" Zeus's expression sharpened. "Impossible. The Hero King was never born in this Little Garden. For him to possess them, that's a paradox."
"I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. But it's a fact." Apollo sighed.
"Hmph. If it's the Chains of Heaven, so long as we're cautious, it can be dealt with. As for the Phoenix Flame, we have Hades; there's nothing to fear." Zeus's scowl deepened. "It seems Athena and Poseidon were simply careless."
In his eyes, even with those troublesome Gifts, Athena and Poseidon should not have lost. The fact that they were outright seized by another community was far too strange.
Still, what of it? Even if Riku was troublesome, he was only a human three-digit. For daring to provoke the Twelve Olympians, he would have to pay in blood.
Zeus convened the upper ranks of his community, commanding them to locate [Disboard] and Riku.
—
Back in Skyborne City, Riku had already established his headquarters within the central palace. Athena, Poseidon, and Juntan each chose their own residences as they pleased.
Riku, however, went deeper into the grand hall, selecting a serene pool brimming with divine aura.
From his system storage, he drew forth a golden, glowing sphere of living energy, the Source of Angels.
When he had pulled this item from a chest in the High School DxD world, he hadn't paid it much attention, tossing it into storage and forgetting it.
Now, though, it was exactly what he needed. His community was far too small. Even counting Athena, Poseidon, and Juntan, there were only four of them.
All were three-digit powerhouses, yes, but a top community with only four members? No matter how mighty, it wasn't enough.
Every great community in Little Garden had thousands of members, sometimes more. Top combat power mattered, but the foundations were just as vital in handling tasks, running affairs, and supporting the structure.
So, Riku decided to fill the ranks. He could recruit randoms, but he trusted his own creations more, at least in the community's infancy.
And what better way than to use the Source of Angels?
Of course, creating new angels was a direct violation of one of Little Garden's greatest taboos, an act of blasphemy against Christianity.
If discovered, it would provoke their wrath, summoning the Son of God himself, Jesus, at the head of the heavenly host.
But so what?
Christianity? The Son of God? Did they think Riku would fear them? Ridiculous.
He was a Demon Lord. Let the world stand against him, what of it?
If I were Buddha, then no devils would exist. If I become the devil, then what can Buddha do to stop me?
The words dripped with chuuni bravado, but the sheer force of his presence made them resound with unshakable dominance.