"Little Rias~"
When Rias appeared in this world, Jibril pounced on her immediately, rubbing against Rias's cheeks with a face full of joy.
"Little Rias, Little Rias, Little Rias, you're just too cute."
Jibril sighed from the bottom of her heart, her face filled with an infatuated expression.
"You should use 'beautiful and moving' to describe me instead."
Rias hugged Jibril back, her delicate fingers stroking Jibril's wings and then slowly petting them, causing Jibril to let out an enticing low moan.
"Little Rias still loves my wings as much as ever."
Jibril was all smiles, looking very cute with her eyes squinted.
"Is it really okay?"
Rias asked.
"In what regard?"
Jibril laughed.
"In every regard," Rias said. "I'm no longer the same as when I first joined the group."
"Thirteen years..."
Jibril sighed. "In just the time it took for two body repairs, you've already grown to a point where I can only look up to you."
"You were cute when you were tiny, and you're still cute now."
Jibril narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Little Rias is so cute that no matter what you do, it's fine."
"Besides, Master has sat in that position for too long. That decadent look of his really makes one want to give him a good thrashing."
"I can't do it right now, so it has to be Little Rias."
Well... she's definitely his creation; such 'filial piety' is truly touching.
Rias was speechless.
"Now, rather than those boring things, why don't you let me see how Little Rias has developed~"
Jibril showed a lecherous expression, her hands starting to wander over Rias.
However, Rias quickly grabbed her wings, making her go limp again.
"Don't mess around. Let's handle the business first."
Rias gave Jibril a sidelong glance.
Meaning, we can play after the business is done?
Jibril's eyes lit up.
"Alright~"
Jibril fluttered her wings and smiled. "Then follow me, Little Rias."
The two were inside Avant Heim and walked further in, soon arriving before Artosh's throne.
At this moment, thousands of the Flugel stood on both sides of Artosh's throne. On the central throne, Artosh was propping up his chin, his divine gaze fixed on Rias.
The two walked over with normal expressions. Then, Rias looked up at the exceptionally tall Artosh.
His body was like a Western statue, as if made of steel, with an incredibly explosive physique.
More importantly, he was over three meters tall, looking like a small giant.
"Hello, I am Rias Gremory."
Rias nodded slightly, as a greeting.
"I am Artosh, the God of War, the God among Gods."
Artosh spoke, then sighed. "I have known of your existence from Little Jib for a long time. Seeing you for the first time, your reputation is well-deserved."
"Seeing you, I have realized that the title of'strongest' is no longer accurate."
"Master?!!" Azrael showed a shocked expression.
Not just Azrael, but the other members of the Flugel as well.
Artosh had sat idly on his throne for tens of thousands of years. Many of the Flugel had never seen the God of War fight; they only knew that he sat on his throne in idleness because he was invincible.
No one was qualified, and no one had the right to challenge him.
As for 'that person' Jibril mentioned, they had naturally heard of her more than once.
Jibril's extraordinary progress in strength had made them believe in Rias's existence.
Nevertheless, without seeing it for themselves, it was hard to imagine how staggering Rias's talent was.
And now, their first meeting was after Rias had already become 'invincible'.
Before even fighting, the Master himself admitted that the title of strongest was no longer true.
How astonishing.
Rias remained noncommittal to Artosh's words, her expression not changing in the slightest.
For people like the Flugel and Artosh, she didn't need to be polite or exchange pleasantries. Such talk had no substance and no meaning.
They only focused on what they wanted to focus on; everything else was irrelevant.
"Our only guest, strong one."
After seeing Rias, an expectant look appeared on Artosh's face. "I ask you, what is the strongest?"
He went straight to the point.
For Artosh, this question was no longer just a question, but an obsession that had tortured him for countless years.
Because he had been invincible for too long, he had become idle.
He had become the strongest, but his heart was incredibly empty.
What did he want?
After countless years of contemplation, he still had no answer.
That was why he craved an answer from the infinitely transcendent powerhouse before him.
"Strongest? Such a thing doesn't exist~"
Rias said, "Among ants, perhaps a strongest can be determined, but outside of the ants, there are other existences."
"There is always someone stronger than the strong. The so-called'strongest' is merely the strongest within a certain circle."
"Because you became the strongest on this planet, you stopped pursuing greater strength. You have become decadent."
"The so-called'strongest' is a beacon, a conviction, a goal for us to chase. But what is truly important is not the empty title of strongest, but the process of becoming stronger."
Rias said, "Do you want to remember? The joy of being born, the slaughter between the strong, the joy of victory—and, the bitter draught of defeat."
Artosh's eyes widened, and then he burst into loud laughter.
He laughed very happily, like a child.
Pure and unparalleled joy surfaced in his heart.
"I see. So the'strongest' itself has no meaning."
What truly matters is the process of becoming stronger, to sincerely enjoy it and feel joy—that is enough.
If one becomes the strongest, then break the circle and find someone stronger outside.
Being the strongest is an endless journey.
In an instant, Artosh began to laugh wildly.
Then, he stood up.
Boom!!
Instantly, the winds surged, and the surrounding space emitted a terrifying sense of pressure.
"Strong one, grant me a defeat!"
Artosh laughed, showing no attitude of treating a guest.
No... perhaps one should say, this is the God of War, this is the way the Flugel treats guests!
Feeding on war, hatred, and slaughter—this is the way of survival for the God of War and his creations, the Flugel.
With just a simple clenching of his fist, under the shocked gazes of the Flugel, Artosh's power expanded without limit.
Just from this, the entire Avant Heim began to vibrate.
Infinitely becoming stronger, infinitely expanding—on this planet that had seen countless years of war, Artosh's gods marrow could exert its greatest power.
Then, Rias erupted her Small Universe.
Perhaps... it should be called spiritual authority.
Centered on the Small Universe, incorporating all systems into it, and then sublimating into a spiritual authority.
In essence, it was not restricted by the 'Little Garden' system, nor was it a spiritual authority of the Little Garden system.
This was a system that belonged solely to Rias herself.
At the moment of the eruption, the terrifying pressure caused the planet's rotation to stall for a brief second.
Then, before he could make any reaction, Artosh had already been defeated.
Invincibility within a small circle, when encountering a powerhouse from the world outside the circle, cannot even be considered a fight; he was defeated in a bewildering manner.
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