"After the [Light of Salvation], now spatial authority? What a troublesome ability."
Riku's eyes narrowed when his thrust missed, and in the next moment, he vanished.
He had just caught Jesus off guard with the Leo [Sun Authority], and he had no intention of letting it end there.
When Jesus reappeared a hundred miles away, his eyes sharpened, sweeping his divine spear in a wide arc. Clearly, he too had realised that Riku possessed the Leo [Sun Authority].
CLANG!
This time, Riku did not rely on his body to withstand it. Gripping his own divine spear, he clashed directly with Jesus. The identical weapons collided again, unleashing destructive power that raged unchecked.
Neither man paid it any mind.
In the next instant, Riku once more activated his [Pseudo Star Map Creation]. A pillar of aurora light roared skyward, surging down upon Jesus.
"Even if it is [Pseudo Star Map Creation], after seeing it once, you think I'd be so easily caught again?" Jesus's eyes gleamed with cold brilliance, dodging with eerie speed.
"Pierce him, [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer]!" Riku hurled his [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], imbued with the Sagittarius [Sun Authority]'s truth of inevitability. At a velocity beyond even the sixth cosmic speed, the spear shot toward Jesus.
Unavoidable. The only choice was to block or be pierced through.
"Leo, now Sagittarius as well? Such reckless tactics won't work against me!" Jesus sneered, hurling his own [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer] without hesitation. It blazed into starlight, colliding head-on with Riku's spear.
BOOM!
The clash of two weapons carrying the same cosmic truth produced cataclysmic heat, erasing everything around them. Both spears cancelled out, vanishing into nothingness.
For a moment, neither could summon their [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer] back—but the resulting shockwaves remained.
Even Jesus dared not be careless, raising his defences.
"What a racket," murmured the Halloween Queen. With a shake of her head, she slipped into her mysterious domain, vanishing into safety.
Riku, however, invoked the Libra [Sun Authority]. Perfect equilibrium of energies!
The berserk destruction balanced perfectly against his own aura, leaving him untouched.
Through the explosion, Riku emerged, crossing a hundred miles in an instant to appear before Jesus. The latter's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Riku to weave through the chaos so easily. And he, bound by the shockwave, could not use his spatial authority this time.
"Checkmate." Riku's cold voice rang out as golden chains erupted around him, writhing like serpents toward Jesus.
"This is… the [Heavenly Chains]!?" Jesus's face shifted as he recognised them, attempting to evade.
But Riku had already foreseen his response. Despite Jesus's attempts at defence, the chains bound him tightly.
The anti-divine force surged forth, the [Heavenly Chains] suppressing even his godhead.
"You have many trump cards," Jesus said flatly. "But I have ways to answer them."
Radiance erupted. A terrifying surge of holy light shattered the Chains' suppression. In the blink of an eye, Jesus slipped free.
Even the surrounding energy storm dissipated, leaving a false tranquillity.
Now they stood hundreds of meters apart once more, locked in a murderous stalemate.
"As expected of an Authority-class god… impressive." Golden chains still floated around him, but Riku spoke with genuine respect. It was the first time his layered tactics had failed to fully hold an enemy.
"The one who should be impressed is me." Holy might flared again as Jesus regarded Riku solemnly. "Never before have I met a human who could push me this far, nearly corner me."
That bizarre, overwhelming energy. The multitude of [Sun Authorities]. A lethal [Pseudo Star Map Creation]. Another [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer]. The Phoenix's flame. The [Heavenly Chains]…
Against this, he had already been forced to use the [Light of Salvation], spatial authority, and even temporal distortion to escape the Chains. Just now, he had invoked natural authority to calm the energies of their spear-clash, lest Riku use the chaos to strike again.
Since their battle began, he had to admit Riku held the upper hand. In truth, Riku resembled the Godslayer far more than he himself did.
Any Three-Digit would already have been killed countless times over.
This was the gulf that kept them from reaching the stage of the Two-Digits. The difference was simply too vast.
The Halloween Queen reappeared from her domain, her gaze narrowing as she saw the chains still drifting about Riku.
"So, even for a Two-Digit Authority like Jesus, he's not so easy to handle… This is the first time I've seen Riku press this hard."
"You said 'checkmate' earlier," Jesus said, voice deep. "Yet it seems you still cannot defeat me."
"Is that so? I wouldn't be so sure." Riku's lips curled faintly.
"Hm?" Jesus frowned, a sudden foreboding rising in his heart.
He lifted his gaze.
The heavens above had transformed into a dazzling starry sky.
A colossal star map stretched across the firmament, covering the entire region.
From it, a brilliant star blazed forth.
"This is… the core authority of the god-pantheons… [Pseudo Star Map Creation]!? You actually possess a second one!" Jesus's eyes widened, his composure shaken.
"No… this is not the same. This is the [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui]!" His face darkened further. "I remember—this [Pseudo Star Map Creation] belongs to the Dragon King of the Star Sea! How can it be yours!?"
"The [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui]…" The Halloween Queen's eyes narrowed in disbelief at the star map descending upon them, inescapable.
During the Sun War, the Dragon King of the Star Sea had indeed unleashed this very [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui]. At the time, Riku hadn't taken it; he couldn't have.
So how… how could he wield it now!?
Even though the Halloween Queen had become Riku's bedfellow, his woman, she still couldn't make sense of what was happening now.
"…Forget it. After all, this is Riku. I suppose I should be used to things like this by now." In the end, the Halloween Queen gave up on thinking it through. Shaking her head, she focused on the centre of the battlefield, muttering softly.
On the other side, Jesus was just as full of unanswered questions.
But now was not the time for idle thoughts. The [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui] was not something to take lightly.
Riku's other [Pseudo Star Map Creation], the one-strike world-annihilating type, was indeed incomparably powerful—so much so that even as a Two-Digit Authority, Jesus didn't dare to meet it head-on.
But as long as he remained cautious, the threat could be minimised. No matter how strong an ability, if it failed to land, it was meaningless.
However, the [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui] was different. Though its power wasn't destructive, against every race but the Dragonkind, it was overwhelmingly troublesome.
This was because [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui] was a "Pseudo Star Map" that could seal away any non-Dragon strongest race into an illusory world. Against other beings, its effect was halved, but in dealing specifically with those two strongest races, it was specialised to overturn any difference in raw strength and claim victory.
Now, Jesus had no way left to escape the seal of [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui]. The trump cards that could have let him slip free were already spent. Those Gifts were mighty indeed, enough to evade Riku's various overwhelming techniques, but they could not be used without limit.
The star map of [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui] had already formed. There was no way to dodge, no way to flee. And so, paradoxically, Jesus remained calm.
"I see now. The earlier battle… it was all to exhaust my trump cards, wasn't it? And this is the decisive blow. It seems you possess some heaven-defying Gift that allows you to see through my divinity itself."
With the star map already pressing down from the sky, Jesus fixed his gaze on Riku, speaking slowly.
Even the so-called omniscient and omnipotent demon, Laplace, could not peer into a Two-Digit. Yet Riku had. That was why Jesus had called his ability "heaven-defying." And in Little Garden, those words carried weight beyond measure.
"This move is indeed a check. Even as a Two-Digit Authority, I cannot escape once [Pseudo Star Map: Tai Sui] has formed. Unfortunately for you, you overlooked one thing." Jesus's voice was calm.
"Oh? And what did I overlook?" Riku's lips curled as he asked without a hint of concern.
"You overlooked the fact that I wield a world of equal rank!" Jesus's divine might erupted as he raised his voice.
Lifting his right hand high, the radiance of holy light blazed forth, as though to lift the heavens themselves.
And then, the awe-inspiring world-concept of [Christianity] burst forth the ultimate Truth of his pantheon.
In that instant, two worldviews collided violently. The starry map quaked, and the Truth of [Christianity] wavered.
In the end, the two worldviews cancelled one another, dissolving into nothingness.
The starscape vanished, the scenery shifting back to the skies of Heaven.
"Failed…? Now this is troublesome. Riku, what will you do next?" The Halloween Queen's expression shifted slightly as her gaze sharpened on him.
Such was the nature of Authority. Troublesome indeed.
Yet when she caught sight of Riku's faint smile, her heart skipped, her eyes lighting with expectation.
"Did I miscalculate? No. Everything about you, I saw through long ago. Before, I said it was check, not checkmate. Now, this is true checkmate." Riku's eyes gleamed as he spoke lightly.
As he raised his hand, another spear appeared, not the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], but a different divine weapon.
One that embodied the truth of inevitable victory, the very authority of destiny itself. Its name [Brahma's Spear]!
To pierce is to claim victory.
The moment Riku unveiled the [Brahma's Spear], Jesus's composure shattered, his face paling.
Why… why was that spear also in Riku's hands!? Even for Jesus, it felt as though the heavens themselves were mocking him. His scalp prickled, his body tense.
Another [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], two [Pseudo Star Map Creations], countless [Sun Authorities], the [Heavenly Chains]… and now, even the [Brahma's Spear]. The number of trump cards he wielded was absurd, unthinkable.
Faced with such an opponent, even he could not help but feel powerless.
Riku spared no words, no hesitation. He hurled the [Brahma's Spear] with his full strength, at a velocity beyond the sixth cosmic speed.
It carried not only the inevitability of the Sagittarius [Sun Authority] but also the piercing attribute Riku himself commanded.
Had Jesus still possessed his [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], he might have blocked it. Had he still held the [Christianity] worldview, he might have withstood the strike.
But Riku had already forced every counter from his hands.
There was no way left to stop it. All he could do was stall for time.
That was Jesus's only thought.
So he raced across the heavens without hesitation. Yes, the [Sagittarius Sun Authority] ensured that the spear would follow him no matter how far he fled. But if he could just buy time until he could summon back the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], or call forth his worldview again, then he could resist it perfectly.
Wishful thinking. Riku would never allow it.
With [Star of Omniscience and Omnipotence], he had already read Jesus's intent. In the very instant Jesus fled, Riku was already at his side.
His lips curled into a grin, and a torrent of violent energy erupted, crashing into Jesus.
"Not good!" Jesus's face changed. The blast wasn't lethal, nor enough to seriously wound him, but it would disrupt his movements, leaving him stiff for a split second.
And in that instant, either the [Heavenly Chains] or the [Brahma's Spear] would be enough to kill him.
He had no choice. No time even to think of resisting head-on. He had to evade.
But the moment he shifted aside, golden chains surged forth, sealing off his escape.
Jesus could only give a wry smile, unleashing his full power to shatter the [Heavenly Chains], taking Riku's energy blast head-on.
With a thunderous roar, Jesus was engulfed by the destructive force.
And in that moment, the [Brahma's Spear] descended like judgment, blazing with immeasurable heat, piercing into his flesh, driving through his body.
Though the wound itself was not fatal, the cosmic truth within the inevitability of victory was.
Destiny activated. Even Jesus, mighty as he was, felt his godhead begin to unravel.
To pierce is to claim victory.
That… was the heaven-defying truth of the [Brahma's Spear].
"Leader of [Disboard] Riku Dola, you have won. I really enjoyed this battle." As his divinity gradually collapsed, Jesus looked at Riku with a complicated expression and sighed.
He had lost. The fate of God and the rest of the angels was already sealed. Against Riku, there was not the slightest chance of victory.
With those words, Jesus closed his eyes. His [Divinity] completely shattered, life force extinguished, and he fell from the sky.
Jesus had fallen!
Even if he could revive, it would take time. And in this kind of most malicious [Gift Game], sometimes the price of defeat was worse than death itself because the loser would be enslaved.
Watching Jesus fall from the heavens, Riku flashed forward, snapping his fingers. With the [Demon King's Protection: Distant Fourth], he sealed Jesus in place, preventing him from crashing into the ground.
After all, he was a top-tier being of the Two-Digit Authority and the first opponent who had forced Riku to such an extent. He deserved at least a shred of dignity.
"To have so brilliantly defeated even Jesus, one of the strongest among the Two-Digit Authorities… I should say, as expected of my leader, the man I've set my sights on." On the other side, the Halloween Queen's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Riku, the corners of her lips lifting into an elegant smile.
She could already imagine: once the events with [Christianity] spread, Riku and [Disboard]'s fame would surely soar to its peak, becoming Little Garden's new taboo!
Previously, with just Riku leading [Disboard], they had already defeated the [Twelve Chief Gods of Olympus]. And now, after defeating [Christianity] and seizing its forces, their power would only grow stronger.
Both renown and the matching strength to support that renown, they now possessed it.
"The days to come… I truly look forward to them." The Halloween Queen muttered softly.
She hadn't forgotten that Riku had always been inviting the Lord of White Night. And the Lord of White Night had already hinted at an answer.
Once the Lord of White Night joined, the day of battle with [Thousand Eyes], the [Twelve Devas of Dharma], and even [Buddhism] would not be far.
"This will be my first time opening a [Black Chest]. Let's hope it doesn't disappoint me." At that moment, Riku glanced at the [Black Chest] lodged in Jesus's heart, his lips curling into an intrigued smile.
Without hesitation, Riku opened the [Black Chest].
In an instant, dazzling black light erupted. In his mind, the familiar mechanical voice of the [System Notification] resounded.
[Congratulations, Master, for opening a [Black Chest]. Reward obtained: Dragon Ball Super — Angel Vados Summoning Card Fragment ×1."]
"A Summoning Card Fragment, huh. Not bad, not bad." Riku stroked his chin, fairly satisfied with the result.
"Queen, put me into the [Golden Great Demonic Realm]. It's time to end this war." Turning to the Halloween Queen, Riku spoke calmly.
"All right~." The Halloween Queen blinked playfully, then waved her jade-like hand.
The [Boundary] manifested again, and Riku vanished from the outside world, reappearing inside the [Golden Great Demonic Realm], within the rift of space.
At that moment, God was still leading hundreds of thousands of angels in a frenzied bombardment. To be fair, sheer numbers held great power; their speed in wearing down the realm was indeed impressive.
But then, a sudden surge of overwhelming energy made God and the powerful angels freeze mid-attack. All of them snapped their gazes upward to see Riku wreathed in blazing green flames, his aura terrifying.
"Riku Dola, it's you!?" God's eyes narrowed. Though he could hardly believe it, an ominous thought rose within him nonetheless.
"Where is Jesus?" God asked in a deep voice.
"Naturally, he's been defeated." Hovering above, Riku crossed his arms, answering with calm indifference.
"What!?"
"Impossible! The Son could never be defeated!"
At those words, the angels' faces twisted in disbelief. They cried out in anger, unable to accept it.
God's expression darkened. He understood well that beings of that level would never stoop to lies. And Riku's presence here said it all.
Even so, he found it hard to believe. It had been such a short time, and already Jesus, a Two-Digit Authority, had fallen. By rights, with the power Riku had revealed so far, he shouldn't have been able to defeat him!
"I've no interest in wasting more words with you. It's time to settle this." Riku stretched out his hand, condensing a sphere of violent green energy, aiming it downward. His voice was a cold decree.
"Not good! Counterattack!" God's face twisted, and he roared.
He didn't know what method Riku had used to defeat the Son, but no matter what, Riku's power was unmistakably of the Two-Digit level.
And in the eyes of a Two-Digit, Three-Digits were no more than ants.
Though they had numbers on their side, even a desperate struggle would likely end in annihilation if they slipped even slightly.
"Resistance? Futile." Riku said coldly.
Immediately, violent explosions thundered throughout the [Golden Great Demonic Realm].
Though God and the countless angels fought with all their might, their fate against Riku was obvious.
It only took a short while before Riku had annihilated them all.
As for killing them? Riku felt no psychological burden. After all, angels could resurrect within the [Angel Pool].
As long as the [Angel Pool] remained intact, there was no problem. God, too could revive through the myths.
But once they resurrected, they would inevitably fall under Riku's enslavement. That was the cruel side of the [Gift Game].
Afterwards, Riku walked up to God's corpse and opened the [Diamond Chest] lodged within.
[Congratulations, Master, for opening a [Diamond Chest]. Reward obtained: Forbidden Magic — Resurrection of the Dead]
[Forbidden Magic: Resurrection of the Dead] By consuming one [Divinity], regardless of whether the soul or body of the deceased has been completely annihilated, as long as even a single strand of hair or a single cell remains, they can be fully resurrected. The strength of the [Divinity] consumed depends on the power of the deceased.
"To resurrect even when both soul and body are gone… This magic truly deserves to be called forbidden." Riku marvelled.
"With this, if someone by my side dies unexpectedly, and it's not within a world under my own [Sun Authority], I finally have a way to bring them back." Riku nodded in satisfaction.
As for whether resurrecting the dead touched upon taboo? Riku couldn't care less. The only ones he cared about were his lovers, his friends, his comrades.
Soon after, Riku returned to the outside world, leisurely chatting with the Halloween Queen.
As time passed, the members of [Disboard] were gradually transferred back by the Halloween Queen's [Boundary].
It was clear that whether Athena, Poseidon, or the other rank-and-file members, they had all gone through fierce battles. Their bodies bore injuries of varying severity, but none had perished.
With the Halloween Queen present, they couldn't die even if they wanted to. Truly, as support, her [Boundary] was terrifying beyond belief.
And so, under Riku's leadership, [Disboard] had crushed [Christianity] without suffering a single loss!