Starting with No Game No Life: Infinite Chests

"A dragonia? But you're not the one."

Shrouded in shadow, the presence with blood-red eyes fixed its gaze on Zhuralis, finally speaking. The voice was low and chilling, making the listener's skin crawl.

Even Zhuralis, at this moment, was as tense as could be.

It's true that dragonia, with their Time Compression, can rival weaker Old Deus. But those are only the newly born conceptual Old Deus whose power is not yet fully developed.

But an Old Deus who can create a race, none of those are simple, and a lone dragonia could never hope to defeat such a being.

Especially the Shadow God, Gagras. Perhaps in terms of pure power, Gagras isn't the strongest among the Old Deus. But when it comes to stealth and assassination, he's absolutely top tier.

"Are you looking for me, Gagras?" Suddenly, three figures appeared above Zhuralis's head. Riku stepped forward, speaking calmly.

"Oh? Ex-Machina, Flügel, and now dragonia as well. For a human to command all these… I'm surprised. Gathering so many races and forces, what are you planning?"

Gagras's blood-red eyes radiated an oppressive aura as he stared down Riku.

"These days, all the major events shaking the world… they're all related to you, aren't they? Whether it's the Wise Dragon or the Flügel army's movements."

"How interesting. As expected of the Shadow God when it comes to stealth and perception, maybe no one surpasses you." Riku's eyes shone with interest.

Gagras continued to silently stare at Riku, thinking.

"My lord, you have returned." At this moment, black mist swirled, and Sonia appeared, bowing respectfully.

Gagras only gave a small nod to Sonia's greeting, his gaze never leaving Riku.

"So, what is it you seek from me and my creations?" Gagras finally asked, his tone heavy.

"If I told you my goal is to defeat Artosh, what would you think I've come here to do?"

Riku's eyes glimmered with deeper meaning.

"I see. No wonder the Wise Dragon's aura didn't disappear after your battle; you formed an alliance with him. Does that mean you're also here to recruit me and my kin for your alliance?"

"Not at all." Riku raised a finger and flatly denied it.

"Oh? Why is that?" Gagras was finally puzzled, frowning.

"My battle with the Wise Dragon taught me he's a dragon worthy of trust. But you, I don't trust you." Riku shrugged, not bothering to soften his words. "I have no intention of letting some Old Deus steal my victory after I finally defeat Artosh."

"I see." Gagras was silent for a moment, then chuckled.

That's right, if Riku does manage to defeat Artosh, he definitely won't be in peak condition. If, at that time, Gagras, as an Old Deus, steps in and interferes, the outcome is unpredictable.

As the Shadow God, his stealth is second to none. He could steal the Suniaster and become the final victor.

That uncertainty is what Riku came to erase.

"…!" Below, Sonia's pupils shrank as she listened.

So Riku was here to eliminate her creator? She couldn't accept that!

"So, you're here to destroy me?" Still, Gagras didn't flinch; his tone was as calm as ever.

At the same time, his aura rose ever higher, and the already gloomy sky began to darken further, as if night itself was falling early.

Riku couldn't help but look on with admiration.

As expected of the Old Deus, their presence is overwhelming.

"I wouldn't call it 'destroy'. I'm just here to remove an unstable factor." Riku replied with total composure.

"But before that, show me the power of an Old Deus." Riku's aura sharpened, rising rapidly.

"Balance Breaker."

At the same time, Riku's right hand was enveloped in the brilliant red of the Boosted Gear. As he calmly spoke, a red light wrapped his entire body.

He appeared before everyone in his full armour, his aura exploding.

But that wasn't all.

"Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain, OPEN!"

With a low shout, a greenish energy flame ignited over Riku's already scarlet aura, his power reaching terrifying new heights.

The flow of energy warped the surrounding space, wind howling furiously through the sky.

"…!"

Sonia shuddered instinctively, unable to remain calm as she stared at Riku in shock.

She knew Riku was strong and could sense the energy within him, but she hadn't expected it to soar to such a level.

He was now fully on par with the Old Deus, maybe even surpassing her creator!

The weakest race, now more powerful than the strongest of the gods? It sounded like nonsense, but the reality was inescapable.

In this moment, even Sonia's composure shattered.

"Then, let's begin." Riku locked eyes with Gagras, voice cold.

"—!!"

As Riku's declaration fell, he and Gagras shot toward each other.

A mere hundred meters was crossed in less than a ten-thousandth of a second, and man and god collided.

Riku's punch shattered space, pressure and wind exploding outwards.

Gagras's black mist condensed into a pitch-black shield, blocking Riku's strike.

To Riku's surprise, his destructive punch was stopped so easily.

No, absorbed!

"Interesting." Riku grinned, ramping up his power.

Scarlet and green energy burst forth, blowing the black shield apart.

At the same time, hundreds of black spikes, forged from Gagras's shadowy aura, shot toward Riku.

Riku simply used Heavenly Teleport to dodge.

Meanwhile, Gagras, whose defence had been shattered, was sent flying like a meteor by Riku's attack.

First exchange: Riku overwhelmingly defeats Old Deus Gagras.

The speed of the clash between man and god was so great that even Jibril and Zhuralis almost couldn't keep up, let alone Sonia.

All they felt was a wave of pressure nearly blowing them away. Well, for the weakest present, Sonia, she was already sent flying.

Even the canyon below was shaking violently, the vampire residents scrambling in panic.

"My Lord… is actually at a disadvantage."

Thanks to being farther away and the fact that most of Riku's power was absorbed by the shadows, Sonia was unharmed. She finally stabilised herself and looked up at the calm Riku and her creator, who had apparently been blown away by a punch. She couldn't calm her heart.

"You should all fall back." Riku, not at all complacent, instead scanned the increasingly dark space with grave seriousness and spoke to Zhuralis and the others.

"Mm." Hearing this, Zhuralis immediately withdrew tens of kilometres.

But whether it was Zhuralis, Jibril, or Schwi, all their eyes remained fixed on the battlefield, they didn't want to miss a single moment.

"Such powerful stealth… This is basically a domain of space itself," Riku thought, wary, as he found he couldn't sense any trace of Gagras.

"Shhhrrrkkkk—!"

Suddenly, the dark space around Riku tore open like tattered cloth. Countless giant shadowy hands lunged at him, enveloping him completely.

"RAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Sensing the danger, Riku roared, and blue-red energy exploded from him, shattering the grasping black hands.

But in that instant, Gagras's form appeared behind Riku, an overwhelming surge of spiritual power erupting.

All the shadows around them twisted and compressed, turning the world pitch-black so dark Riku couldn't see a thing, not even with his enhanced sight.

From outside, Zhuralis and the others stared wide-eyed: The blackness faded from the sky and returned to dusk, but at the centre was an enormous area of absolute darkness, a strange, oppressive domain.

"As expected, Old Deus aren't so easy to defeat," Jibril said in awe. The Shadow God Gagras might not have the most destructive power, but his methods of killing were famously bizarre.

"But if it's Riku, he'll definitely win." Schwi hugged her plushie and said this with unwavering faith in her eyes.

"He is, after all, the one who defeated the Wise Dragon," murmured Zhuralis.

Nearby, Sonia stared fixedly at the twisting shadows overhead, her heart far from calm.

What's happening in there?!

…

Within the world of shadow, Riku could not see his hand in front of his face; all five senses were numb, and even spiritual perception failed.

This ability… It's a bit like Kyōka Suigetsu, but even more overwhelming in some ways. That technique allows for more manipulation, but this is a realm of crushing pressure and shadow assault that Kyōka Suigetsu can't match.

"This is my trump card: Shadow World. In this realm, I am invincible," Gagras's voice echoed. Even Riku, whose senses far exceeded Fia's, couldn't perceive where his real body was.

Or maybe… all the shadows are Gagras's body?

"Invincible, huh? There's no such thing as true invincibility in this world." Riku chuckled coolly.

Every Old Deus has their ultimate move: Artosh's Divine Smite, Kainath's Void Zero Protection, or now, Gagras's Shadow World.

But to claim invincibility with just one technique is laughable.

"So let me break your so-called 'invincible' ability." Riku grinned confidently.

"If you can, then try. But I won't hold back or give you time." Gagras's cold voice rang out, and then the shadows twisted again. Tens of thousands of shadowy spikes shot toward Riku from all directions.

In Gagras's domain, faced with such a dense, omnidirectional attack and his senses blocked, Riku could only rely on defence; there was no way to dodge, only to endure.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A storm of sharp impacts and flying sparks filled the darkness. Each hit was not especially strong, but their number was overwhelming. Even the toughest opponent could be worn down by sheer attrition.

"There are many ways to break your domain. The simplest is brute force, use overwhelming power to burst your world apart," Riku said calmly as he blocked.

"But from what I can tell, it would take an attack like the Wise Dragon's Collapse Howl to shatter your domain. Not exactly efficient."

"Second way: Use a more advanced spatial ability to transfer out. But that's not really possible. My only spatial move is Heavenly Teleport, and in here, even that won't work."

"Third option: Locate the spatial node of this domain and break it." Riku spoke slowly and evenly. "Your space involves advanced spatial law, but it's not perfect."

"…!"

Hidden in the shadows, the Shadow God Gagras paused his attacks, shocked.

This human could analyse so much in just one minute…

"As for other methods, I haven't thought of them yet." Riku's golden eyes glimmered. "But I'd like to test a special method to break your domain."

"Interesting, human. If you can do it, go ahead." Gagras responded solemnly, then unleashed another attack.

Raising an energy barrier to block, Riku slowly opened his mouth and began to chant a spell he hadn't used in ages:

"I am the bone of my sword

 Steel is my body, and fire is my blood

 I have created over a thousand blades

 Unknown to Death, Nor known to Life.

 Have withstood pain to create many weapons

 Yet, those hands will never hold anything

 So as I pray Unlimited Blade Works"

As the strange chant sounded, a powerful spatial ripple surged forth, causing Gagras's blood-red eyes to tremble.

Then, the field of vision shifted…

Looking around, Riku saw endless red sands beneath a glowing sky, and in the distance, dragon-like shapes soared and roared above.

Unlimited Blade Works was a world shaped by the caster's heart; now, the world it manifested was nothing like when Riku first used it. Its strength, density, and control were all leagues above his fight with Jibril. After all, Riku's power now far surpassed back then, and he was fighting while using both the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker and the Fourth Gate simultaneously.

"Where is this…?" Gagras glanced around in surprise. "A special dimension conjured by magic?"

"Strictly speaking, it's sorcery different from magic," Riku said with a faint smile, calmly explaining.

As he spoke, Riku's figure disappeared from within the shadowy realm, reappearing in the sky outside the domain.

"Sorcery…? I didn't expect you could escape my domain so easily."

The black region rippled, then shrank and condensed into Gagras's humanoid form. He shook his head.

"If your domain is attached to the existing space, then I can transfer that entire region into my world. Here, I am the master, breaking your domain is child's play." Riku's voice was light, almost teasing. With his current strength, he could do what even Emiya and Archer couldn't. He'd even improved the technique a bit.

"So? Want to keep fighting?" Riku gently raised a hand; the countless projection swords buried in the sand all rose up, their tips flashing with lethal, chaotic energy, all pointed at Gagras.

"I concede." After a pause, Gagras shook his head and withdrew his power.

"A wise choice." Riku nodded with satisfaction.

After all, if an assassin is forced into a fair fight with a warrior of equal rank, it's basically over the outcome is inevitable.

"Since you said you weren't here to kill me, but to eliminate a threat, your goal must be to seal my divine core, putting me into slumber, right?" Gagras looked at Riku calmly.

"It's easy to talk with a smart god. Yes, that's exactly my goal." Riku shrugged, readily admitting it.

"I see. In a moment, I'll seal my divine core. If you want, you can add an extra lock, just to be safe," Gagras replied, still composed. "But I have a condition: let them join your alliance too."

"Sure." Riku looked at Gagras in mild surprise, then nodded. "That was my intention all along."

He hadn't expected this Old Deus to care so much about the race he'd created.

"Thank you." Gagras bowed slightly.

His vampires might be excellent at hiding, but they'd be little help in the coming war with the Artosh. For Riku to allow his race into the alliance was already a huge favour.

…

Outside, Zhuralis, Jibril, Schwi, and Sonia all stared blankly at the suddenly vanished shadow domain, as well as the missing figures of Riku and the Old Deus, not understanding what had happened.

Of course, in Jibril's mind, there was a fleeting flash of the "small world" Riku had once used against her, but she dismissed the idea. The strength of that world could never achieve this.

A minute later, two figures appeared in the air, facing each other, making all the girls present look dumbfounded.

Neither showed any sign of injury; it was as if nothing at all had happened.

"Did you win, my lord?" Sonia fixed her eyes on her creator, struggling to keep calm.

Riku's power earlier had been terrifying, even she, who had complete faith in her creator, felt unsure.

"I lost." Gagras gave Sonia a glance and said this calmly.

"—!"

Hearing those words was like being struck by lightning. Sonia's face changed, and she stared in shock at the unfazed Riku.

"Eheheh, as expected of my master, he actually made the Shadow God admit defeat!"

Jibril's voice was full of adoration.

"Riku will never lose," Schwi said with certainty.

Zhuralis just shook her head. She'd seen too many miracles and impossibilities at this point. For Riku to lose here, before even challenging Artosh, would actually be stranger.

"Sonia, from today on, you're Riku's retainer. Also, the management of the vampires is now his responsibility…" Gagras looked down at Sonia and said quietly.

"—!"

At that, Sonia's crimson eyes contracted, and she finally looked truly shaken.

"My lord… what about you?" Sonia's voice trembled.

"I will seal my divine core and go into slumber. Once it's all over, I'll awaken again." Gagras gazed up at the darkening sky.

Artosh, perhaps this war of the gods will truly be ended by the humans we overlooked. Maybe, you, the greatest of all gods, will finally be defeated by the weakest race.

"I understand."

Sonia glanced at Riku, then respectfully nodded. She didn't resent him; in fact, he'd earned her respect. He could have killed their creator, but he hadn't. That, and her creator's decision, made her accept it.

"Another retainer… Gagras, I guess you did me a favour after all…" Riku and Sonia exchanged glances. Deep down, Riku was slightly moved by Sonia, the vampire queen. He hadn't expected Gagras to help him out like this.

"Eheheh, master, now even the vampire queen is joining your harem. Are you really going to keep denying that you're building a harem of every race?" Jibril immediately teleported to Riku's side with a wicked grin.

"Shut up, Jibril." Riku rolled his eyes and flicked her on the forehead. Thinking about it was one thing, but saying it out loud was another.

And anyway, he really didn't plan on a "full race harem." There were some races he definitely wasn't interested in. He only wanted people he genuinely liked, not just to collect them all.

"Riku, another woman," Schwi said, sounding jealous.

All the chatter made Sonia's eyes twitch. Was she… just dragged onto a pirate ship?

Still, if it's with a man who might become the One True God, maybe that wasn't so bad…

Sonia glanced at Riku, her thoughts running wild.

Despite being the cold, proud queen of the vampires, she often fantasised about things like this and, aside from the difference in species, Riku seemed to fit her ideal in every way…