Starting with No Game No Life: Infinite Chests

Ophis frowned slightly but, in the end, didn't make a move; she simply let Riku wipe out all her so-called subordinates.

"You really went overboard. Not only did you kill them all, but you also destroyed my house," Ophis complained.

Within the boundaries of the Khaos Brigade's base, now encased in Riku's barrier. Aside from the small patch of ground where Riku and Ophis stood, everything else had been reduced to scorched earth by the onslaught of lightning. Black smoke billowed, jagged cracks ran everywhere, and not a single building or living thing could be seen.

"This place isn't your home. Where I am is where you belong," Riku said calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

"A human standing among the gods… It's already unbelievable. Now you want to invite me, the Infinite Dragon God, into your alliance?" Ophis tilted her head, watching him. "What are you really after? Or is it just like you declared to the world, that you intend to rule it?"

"That declaration was just a little step toward my real goal," Riku replied casually. "As for why I want you by my side, it isn't for your power. I just need you. I like you, that's all."

"Strange human," Ophis murmured, shaking her head.

"Call it whatever you want. Whether you come with me is up to you. I won't force you," Riku said gently.

"My forces are all gone thanks to you. It doesn't matter where I go anymore." Ophis thought for a moment, then looked directly at Riku, her expression calm. "Right now, I find you rather interesting. I'll go with you."

"Then it's settled," Riku replied with a smile, unable to resist reaching out and patting Ophis on the head again.

"Do you really enjoy patting my head that much?" Ophis frowned.

"It's just my way of showing goodwill," Riku teased.

Ophis gave him a suspicious look but didn't say anything more.

With a slight grin, Riku walked over to the edge of the scorched earth, placing his hand on a diamond chest resting there.

Instantly, the radiant diamond chest sprang open, and a glowing orb floated quietly into the air.

[Ding! Congratulations, Master! You've opened a Diamond Chest and obtained "Solar Authority – Sagittarius."]

Solar Authority – Sagittarius: From Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They? One of the twenty-four Solar Authorities, granting anything you fire or launch the power to never miss.

'Another Solar Authority, huh? Not bad.' Riku nodded with satisfaction. The power seemed simple; many anime had similar concepts, but this was on another level. There's a world of difference between low and high mystery. In the Little Garden, Solar Authorities are among the highest-ranking Gifts; even double-digit Deva-Asuras can't nullify the power of Sagittarius.

"Alright, let's get going. Those two little kids with me are almost at their limit," Riku said, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he looked off into the distance.

"Mhm…" Ophis looked in the same direction and nodded. She'd sensed what was happening over there a while ago.

…

Meanwhile, high in the sky above the Abyss's entrance, the battle was finally reaching its end.

Koneko and Kunou, despite their strength, just couldn't overcome Rizevim, who was desperate to end things quickly. Both were knocked flying again, their bodies battered and bruised.

Of course, Rizevim's all-or-nothing approach left him pretty banged up as well, though he was still in better shape than Koneko and Kunou. "That aura over there… as I thought, it's him." Rizevim's face darkened, his fist clenched, and his power flared up again. That terrifying thunder from earlier had shaken him to the core. He was sure that if he'd been caught in it, he would've been erased instantly.

Gritting his teeth, Rizevim conjured a dark magic circle, black flames swirling at his fingertips. But before he could attack, his body suddenly froze, his pupils contracting as he stared at the two figures who'd appeared in front of Koneko and Kunou.

"Riku… Ophis…!" Seeing them standing together, Rizevim's voice was hoarse, his heart sinking to rock bottom.

"Riku-sensei!"

"Lord Riku!"

Koneko and Kunou finally snapped out of it, the crushing pressure of battle gone; they both breathed a sigh of relief, though a bit of frustration lingered. Even after Riku had strengthened them, two-on-one, they still couldn't win.

"Ophis, you're on his side now?" Rizevim asked, voice grim.

"It's more interesting here. Riku is more likely to help me return to the Dimensional Gap. You all… are just too weak." Ophis's tone was factual, not mocking. They needed her power, yet kept losing.

"Heh… Pathetic." Rizevim glared at Ophis, his tone laced with mockery. "To think the mightiest dragon in existence would follow a god."

"Enough talk, Rizevim. It's time I sent you on your way," Riku said coldly, pronouncing his sentence.

With that, he threw a punch.

In an instant, a raging torrent of energy shaped like a tiger tore through the air, lunging for Rizevim.

Rizevim's heart pounded. Roaring internally, he bolted for the entrance to the Abyss, firing off his most powerful attacks behind him, hoping to slow the incoming strike or at least use the recoil to speed up his escape.

SKREEEEE!

CRACK—!

Suddenly, a bone-white arm burst out of the depths of the Abyss, radiating a terrifying aura of death. It collided with Riku's attack, shattering a moment later under the force, but just barely managed to block the blow.

"AH!" A bloodcurdling scream echoed up from the darkness below, chilling everyone to the bone.

Taking advantage of that moment, Rizevim dove headfirst into the pitch-black, bottomless Abyss without a second thought.

"That was Hades, Lord of the Underworld," Ophis said in surprise.

"Oh? Interesting. No wonder Rizevim built his base here. He must've made some sort of deal with Hades ages ago," Riku mused, amused.

"Riku-sensei, Rizevim escaped. What do we do now?" Koneko asked.

"Simple. We'll turn the Underworld upside down. If Hades dares to shelter someone I want dead, he's got some nerve," Riku replied, his tone half-joking.

Hearing that, Koneko and Kunou both paused for a moment of silence for Hades. He really was asking for it…

--

Once he made up his mind, Riku didn't hesitate. He brought Ophis, Koneko, and Kunou straight into the dark abyss.

The Abyss itself radiated the aura of death, a true entrance to the Underworld, home to death gods and wandering spirits. Any ordinary person who came close would have their life force instantly drained, turning to dust without a trace.

But for the four of them, this level of danger was meaningless. Even the absolute darkness didn't faze Riku or Ophis in the slightest.

Of course, Koneko and Kunou were much less bold. They clung tightly to Riku's sleeve, the only thing that made them feel safe.

Following the lingering trail of Hades' aura, Riku easily tracked the way to the Underworld. In no time at all, they arrived at the boundary.

A barrier of swirling violet and black energy blocked their path more precisely, the barrier of life and death. Approaching the Underworld from the other side would have been easier; from here, even Ophis could hardly break through. Only Hades, who ruled the Underworld, could move in and out freely.

But to Riku, this meant nothing. Calmly, he pulled out the [Empyrean Dragon Gauntlet](his boosted gear) and activated his Balance Breaker.

In an instant, the power in Riku's body, which already rivaled Ophis, multiplied tenfold, twisting the entire abyss with its sheer force. Even the barrier between life and death rippled violently.

"...What is this?" Ophis stared in shock at Riku. This dragon aura was unfamiliar to her.

"So strong..." Ophis murmured. The level of this pure dragon soul was no less than hers or Great Red. There was a sense of emperorship to it, and it meshed perfectly with Riku's own power enough to boost him to such heights.

"What kind of dragon is this?" Ophis asked without thinking.

"The Empyrean Dragon. My own personal dragon," Riku answered, now clad head-to-toe in striking crimson armor, his voice deep and resonant.

Koneko and Kunou could only stare, eyes wide with amazement.

"Empyrean Dragon, huh... a fitting name," Ophis said, for once showing a rare smile. In this moment, she felt a powerful sense of kinship with Riku.

"I think so too," Riku replied with a gentle smile, then turned to face the barrier.

"Let's talk later. Right now, I need to break open this turtle shell," Riku said with a dangerous smirk.

With that, he swung his fist, no special techniques, just pure, raging spiritual power, smashing into the barrier with overwhelming force.

BOOM—!

CRACK—!

Space itself warped and trembled. The entire abyss shook as if the apocalypse had arrived. The barrier between life and death shattered with a deafening roar, fissures spreading before it exploded into pieces.

A wave of deadly miasma surged out enough to turn a Maou-class being to ash in an instant. But with Riku present, the deathly energies were effortlessly held back.

As the barrier collapsed, the Underworld came into view, choked with the smell of death. Grim Reapers in black robes, scythes in hand, and countless spirits roamed everywhere.

Yet, all those symbols of death could only look up, almost humanly, at the now-ruined sky.

The next instant, an even more terrifying pressure crashed down one so strong it threatened to tear the Underworld apart.

Even the Reapers and spirits who embodied death felt true fear. Their bodies shook uncontrollably, frozen in place by the weight of the aura. If any of them tried to move, they'd be crushed on the spot.

"Damn it, how can anyone be this strong?!" At the center of it all, Hades, one arm already severed, stared up at the sky, eyes blazing with unquenchable horror. His skeletal body trembled, and the ghostly fire in his eyes flickered violently.

Arrogant as ever, Hades had tried to face Riku head-on only to lose an arm instantly. He'd thought hiding in his own realm, behind the barrier of life and death, would guarantee his safety. Who could have guessed the barrier would be smashed to pieces? Not once in all history had any god or hero ever accomplished such a feat.

This level of power was simply beyond Hades' comprehension.

"...!" Rizevim, meanwhile, stared blankly at the sky, his body shaking with fear. There was a flicker of self-mockery in his eyes. What did it matter, being an ancient god or a Maou-class monster, compared to a being like this? He'd once dreamed of killing such an existence. But in the face of this overwhelming force, all his schemes and tricks were meaningless. Even if all his plans worked, even if he controlled Great Red, Riku could wipe them all out with a wave of his hand.

"Damn it! All Reapers and spirits, attack! Kill him!" Hades finally snapped out of his terror, his furious roar echoing across the Underworld.

But not a single Reaper moved. Whether lowly or high-ranking, they all cowered before the Empyrean Dragon's might.

"Pointless struggle." Riku swept his gaze over the Underworld from above, his voice icy.

With a casual punch, the sky collapsed, the Underworld shook, space itself broke apart, and everything was annihilated.

The destructive force of that punch crossed dimensions and landed straight where Hades stood.

"AAAAAAAH!" Hades and Rizevim didn't even have a chance to resist. Both were obliterated, reduced to nothing but dust in a single, agonizing instant.

Even though Riku held back his power, the entire Underworld was still pierced through, a massive, bottomless crater forming where Hades had once stood.

And due to the icy energy unleashed by Riku, the fabric of space across the Underworld was covered in cracks if it might collapse at any moment.

Frowning, Riku released the Balance Breaker, returning to normal.

Instantly, the Underworld finally stabilized, the cracks in space slowly mending. The legions of Reapers and spirits who had dared not make a sound even after their master's destruction breathed a collective sigh of relief, though their terror hadn't faded in the slightest.

Riku hadn't released the Balance Breaker out of fear that the Underworld would be destroyed; he was just worried about the diamond chest hidden here. If the whole realm were lost to the spatial chaos, that would be troublesome.

"Surrender or perish." Riku stood tall in the sky, his voice thunderous and absolute as it echoed throughout the Underworld.

He ruled the heavens with an unstoppable will. No one dared to resist.

Within seconds, every Reaper in the Underworld collapsed to their knees, offering their silent, wordless loyalty.