Starting with No Game No Life: Infinite Chests

"It's finally about to begin. I get to see Master's heroic figure again, how wonderful," Jibril's eyes lit up as she said with a bright smile.

"Mm." Schwi nodded, also revealing a gentle smile.

"The stage is ready? What stage?" Only Ravel looked completely baffled, asking in confusion.

"Ahem, it's just a friendly match between Lord Sirzechs and Riku," Philip hurriedly said vaguely.

"Eh! I see." Ravel clearly didn't doubt her father's words and instead exclaimed in surprise. "That's really exciting!" she said, full of interest.

"Ravel, this match is being held in secret. It won't be broadcast," Philip quickly added.

"Aww." Ravel looked disappointed.

At this, Riku smiled wryly, gently patting Ravel's head before standing up.

"So, where is the stage?" Riku asked.

"The city of Luciferd in Maou Ridge," Philip replied respectfully.

"Maou Ridge, huh? That's just convenient." Hearing this, Riku nodded slightly. The Underworld's diamond-grade treasure chest was also at Maou Ridge, so this would save him an extra trip.

"Then, let's head out," Riku said to Philip.

In response, Philip nodded respectfully, then activated the transfer magic circle that had long been prepared, transporting everyone to Luciferd.

They did not appear inside the city, but rather inside a massive building.

As his vision changed, the first thing Riku saw was Sirzechs and Ajuka Beelzebub. Behind them were a large number of powerful demons, all of whom were the Underworld's top elites.

All of them glared at Riku with hostility, but when Riku swept his indifferent gaze over them, they could not help but avert their eyes, pressured by his presence.

"This is the stage you prepared? Aren't you worried that the aftermath might accidentally destroy the city?" Riku asked Sirzechs with a strange look.

Just the aftershocks of a battle at the Maou level would be enough to destroy this city, let alone a fight against all of the Underworld's strongest.

"Of course, not here," Sirzechs replied with a bitter smile. "We're just making double preparations."

"Your power is too terrifying. I'm afraid if you break through that space, it will affect the outside world," Ajuka Beelzebub added, looking somewhat exhausted. "If we were to fight in the real world, the entire Underworld would be at risk. That's why I prepared the stage inside a dimensional space, the kind we use for Rating Games."

Clearly, Ajuka was the one who did most of the work this past week; otherwise, with his power, there's no way he'd look so tired.

"I see." Riku nodded. The Underworld's Rating Games used dimensional virtual spaces constructed by Ajuka Beelzebub's magic, able to perfectly reproduce anything from reality.

"Before the match begins, please remove Serafall's restraints, Riku. She's an important member of our side," Sirzechs requested helplessly.

"Oh?" Hearing this, Riku raised an eyebrow, but didn't say much more. He simply lifted the restrictions on Serafall.

In an instant, Serafall, regaining her freedom, once again burst forth with her power, feeling tears well up inside.

But before she could really show off her power, she saw Riku's playful expression, and her face froze, and she quickly suppressed her aura, hurriedly running over to Sirzechs's side.

This left Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Falbium Asmodeus all with odd expressions.

Just what exactly had happened to Serafall this past week under Riku's care, for her normally such a fearless Maou girl to be this afraid of him...?

"Ahem, one last question. Will these two young ladies be participating in the battle?" Falbium Asmodeus glanced at Jibril and Schwi and asked.

From Serafall's servants, they had learned that Jibril and Schwi both possessed power at the peak Maou level, so if they participated, the outcome would shift dramatically.

"I'll refrain from joining in. This is Master's solo show," Jibril said calmly.

Although this made the Underworld's elders breathe a sigh of relief, they couldn't help but shoot resentful looks, feeling that they were being underestimated.

"I won't join either," Schwi shook her head.

Compared to those elders and nobles who put their pride first, the four Maou felt relieved instead. Serafall was even flexing her fingers, eager to begin, wishing they could unite all the Underworld's power and give Riku a taste of their might.

"Then let's get started. Some people seem pretty impatient already," Riku swept a playful glance over the Maou and the noble elders behind them, speaking slowly.

"Mm, let's begin," Ajuka Beelzebub said, nodding seriously as he started to manipulate his fingers like he was playing the piano.

A huge magic circle immediately enveloped the hundreds of demons and Riku's group of three, making them vanish from the scene.

At the same time, the massive building was reinforced with exquisitely crafted wards and defences. Outside, thousands of high-class devils poured their magic power into the defences.

...

Meanwhile, inside the dimensional space, Riku's view shifted again, and his surroundings became a valley with no exit. He stood at the bottom, surrounded by hundreds of devils, the weakest being high-class devils, positioned around the valley above, encircling him.

Jibril and Schwi floated high in the sky, quietly watching everything below.

"Now, let's begin. This is a battle for the Underworld's future!" Sirzechs said gravely.

"Formation!" Ajuka called out, face serious.

In an instant, the hundreds of devils positioned throughout the valley all unleashed their peak power at once. The entire valley lit up as countless complex wards surrounded Riku. Each devil acted as a node.

"You really brought out some impressive stuff," Riku commented, feeling his body suddenly grow extremely heavy. Gravity had multiplied tremendously. At the same time, extreme cold and heat alternated with fire and ice. The surrounding space had also been solidified to the extreme, making any use of space abilities impossible; it was clearly sealed.

These strange and powerful wards were obviously Ajuka's handiwork.

"Facing you, we wouldn't dare to underestimate you even a little," Sirzechs said, his face grave.

"Heh. Enough talk. Let's get started." Riku grinned, making his declaration. "Don't worry, this will all be over soon."

Riku's words caused the hearts of the Maou and noble devils who had fought him to sink. An uneasy feeling crept over them.

Riku had left a deep impression, especially with his overwhelming power. Even Sirzechs and the others didn't know if what they'd seen was truly Riku's limit or if he was hiding something even greater.

So, even with all these preparations, even with Riku stepping willingly into their trap, they couldn't be confident of victory.

"Such arrogance!" Of course, while the Maou thought this way, the stubborn Underworld elders did not. They had absolute faith in Ajuka Beelzebub's magic.

Combined with the Underworld's peak fighting strength, they really didn't believe they could lose.

As soon as the words left their mouths, this group of Underworld elders launched their attack. In an instant, at every node, powerful waves of magic began to surge.

Then, all sorts of single-target attacks, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, appeared, all heading for Riku.

In response, Riku calmly took a step and vanished from sight, advancing to meet the attacks head-on. At the same time, a fierce aura of Destruction Magic flared around him.

"Hirudora!!"

Then, mid-air, Riku's eyes sharpened as he drew upon all his strength and swung both fists. In an instant, a gigantic, blood-red tiger appeared before everyone's eyes.

The tiger, infused with a terrifying, destructive aura, roared as it smashed through the magical attacks coming its way and crashed fiercely into one side of the barrier.

"Rumble—!" The impact made the entire barrier tremble, and the hearts of all the devils present grew heavy.

But then, Sirzechs suddenly erupted with his power. The originally white barrier swiftly turned blood red, easily fending off Riku's attack.

Despite being struck by Riku's blow, the barrier only rippled slightly before returning to normal. Thanks to the reinforced space, what would have shattered space outside was only a minor ripple within this barrier space.

"Boom—!"

Then, something surprised Riku. His Daytime Tiger (Hirudora) was affected by the spell formation, mixed in with the other devils' power, and now, in a stronger form, charged right back at him.

 "Interesting, a counterattack, huh." Riku looked at Ajuka with admiration, then unleashed another "Daytime Tiger," causing the two attacks to collide and cancel each other out midair.

"Hmph, you're out of options now. This is our power; your only outcome is to be worn down and defeated!" one of the Underworld elders shouted arrogantly.

This made Sirzechs, Serafall, Ajuka, and Falbium, the four Maou who had just begun to relax, frown and look at him in displeasure.

Seriously, getting overconfident right after the first exchange?!

"What an interesting barrier. It can not only withstand Master's attack but even reflect it," Jibril said with keen interest.

"But, it can only be used here and can't be applied in real combat," Schwi analysed, data flashing through her eyes. "Even though it's tailor-made to deal with Riku, they're still doomed."

"Yeah." Jibril nodded with a smile.

That's right, the barrier was made specifically to counter Riku. It couldn't be used anywhere else. But even if they were strong, could they possibly surpass the God of War? Even the God of War had been slain by Riku. Not to mention, Riku had become even stronger now.

In the face of absolute power, all schemes become meaningless.

"Attack!" At this, the elder realized he'd been too cocky and quickly shut up, while Sirzechs issued a grim attack command.

In an instant, a dense barrage of attacks appeared from all directions, each one powerful enough to threaten even a high-class devil. Hundreds of attacks intertwined, creating a dazzling spectacle of destructive force.

Even two Heavenly Dragons would have a hard time if they didn't defend properly, but Riku remained utterly calm.

"It seems that even using the Balance Breaker wouldn't be enough to break this barrier for a while. That won't serve my purpose. Guess I'll just show off my new power a bit."

With that, Riku's golden eyes flashed, and a faint smile played at his lips.

"Haaaahhhhh!!" Riku let out a deep roar, clenching his fists as all his lean muscles swelled.

A wild aura erupted from his body, golden flames faintly flickering around him.

All the magical attacks approaching Riku were instantly reduced to nothing, shaken apart by his aura.

"What is that?!" Sirzechs cried out in shock, staring at Riku.

"Does he really have more power hidden away?!" Ajuka's heart sank.

Serafall and the other Maou who'd fought Riku before were all thrown into turmoil, a powerful sense of dread spreading within them.

"Huh, looks like Master has gone through another transformation," Jibril's eyes sparkled with infatuation. "As expected of Master, he's gotten even stronger."

"Riku's power is rising rapidly: five times…ten times…no, even more…!" Data flashed across Schwi's eyes as she made her calculations, looking visibly shaken.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Riku's voice grew even louder, thunderous. The golden flames around him grew even bigger, and his white hair stood on end, turning a brilliant gold, as did his eyebrows. Riku's golden irises turned emerald green.

At that moment, Riku's aura surged to its peak.

The violent surge of energy made the entire dimensional space unstable, with cracks spreading everywhere.

Even the barrier that Sirzechs and the other devils maintained was rippling and riddled with fractures, as if about to collapse.

But Sirzechs and the others no longer cared about the cracks in the barrier or about stabilising it.

They were simply frozen, staring at Riku, completely overwhelmed by his inhuman presence, unable to summon the will to resist.

Sirzechs and Ajuka, the two Super Devil, were somewhat better off. Even Serafall was trembling instinctively, looking at Riku in terror.

His aura was simply too terrifying. So much so that they couldn't even think of resisting. Those weaker elders were ashen-faced, nearly collapsing on the spot.

If Riku's previous power surpassed the Two Heavenly Dragons by a great margin, and after using the Balance Breaker, was already approaching the level of the Ophis.

Then, Riku's current state had already left Ophis far, far behind.

You must understand, even beings like the Ophis and the Great Red, even when unleashing their full power, are capable of destroying the world. Let alone Riku, right now!

"How could we possibly defeat a monster like that?!" one of the Underworld nobles stammered, lips trembling in terror.

That seemed to flip a switch; every single Underworld powerhouse instantly lost the will to fight. Even Sirzechs and Ajuka could only give a bitter smile.

They'd expected Riku to be hiding his strength, but never imagined it would be to such an extent. This level was something they simply could not contend with.

"Where the hell did this guy even come from?" Serafall muttered in utter resignation, at her wits' end. She'd thought she could reclaim her pride, but it turned out that just his unleashed aura made it impossible for them to even play the game.

"Ehehe, so this is Master's true power? This is the first time I've seen it! Amazing!" Jibril once again stared at Riku, completely lovestruck.

"His power increased by a hundred times…" Schwi murmured to herself, her face full of shock.

"Oh? So this is Super Saiyan, huh. The amplification is even higher than I expected." Riku looked at the golden aura swirling around him and mused.

When Son Goku and Vegeta first became Super Saiyan 1, their power increased fiftyfold. But it seemed his own boost far exceeded fifty times.

As expected of a Saiyan God bloodline, not only did transforming into a Super Saiyan become as easy as eating or drinking, but the transformation itself was much more powerful than a normal Super Saiyan.

Riku's lips curled into a smile as he figured this out. He really lived up to the name of "God."

"HAAAAAH!!" With a great shout, Riku's golden aura soared, his presence piercing the heavens, shaking the entire dimensional space. A violent shockwave swept outward.

Under this torrent of leaking energy, the powerful barrier maintained by Sirzechs and the others, the pride of Ajuka's craft, shattered instantly. All the devils were blasted away, vomiting blood.

The entire dimensional space trembled violently, the fabric of reality collapsing in on itself, looking extremely unstable and on the verge of imploding.

That kind of result would mean being exiled to the Dimensional Gap.

"Wait, we surrender! We surrender! Please, stop!" Ajuka Beelzebub shouted frantically.

Any further, and the entire leadership of the Underworld would be wiped out!

"Yes, we surrender, please stop! We beg you!" The rest of the high-ranking Underworld leaders, who now had no courage left and only wanted to keep their lives, echoed Ajuka's plea in panic and fear.

Even the most stubborn elders and nobles could not muster even a trace of bravery in the face of Riku. The difference in power was simply too vast.

Riku's strength was absolute. Forget about them, even if you put the whole world together, they might not be able to beat him.

"To give up so quickly, how dull," Riku muttered with a shrug, withdrawing his aura and returning to his usual state.

However, the space itself was already collapsing. Riku's outburst had pushed it far beyond its limits.

In an instant, cracks spread through the air like a mirror, and then everything shattered.

Ajuka hurriedly cast a spell to transfer everyone out.

As soon as they returned to the tower, all the high-ranking devils collapsed to the ground like defeated roosters, faces pale, sighing with relief and zero dignity.

"Master, that power just now was incredible! What was it?" Jibril couldn't help her curiosity any longer.

"Riku, your power just now increased a hundredfold," Schwi added in awe.

"A hundred times, huh." Hearing the specific number, Riku nodded in admiration.

"That was Super Saiyan mode," Riku explained simply. It was difficult to explain more, so he didn't bother.

Schwi and Jibril glanced at each other, nodded as if they understood, and didn't press further.

"I'm going to rule the Underworld. Any objections?" Riku's gaze swept over Sirzechs, Serafall, and the other Underworld leaders, his words filled with an irresistible authority.

"None." Sirzechs and Ajuka were the first to answer with wry smiles, completely resigned. "We accept our defeat."

"I don't either," said Serafall, her feelings complicated.

"Nor do I," added Falbium, shaking his head.

The peerage members of the Four Great Maou also shook their heads, following their masters' lead.

"It is our honour for you to rule the Underworld, sir." Seeing the Four Maou respond so readily, the remaining elders were even more terrified and hurried to bow. Their respect couldn't be greater; any prior hostility was completely gone.

Are you kidding? With strength like his, he could destroy the Underworld in an instant. Who would dare resist?

Seeing this, Riku nodded slightly. Power is the only real law. That much was clear and simple.

From this day forward, all the leaders of the Underworld would live in his shadow. Whatever orders he gave, these devils would never dare say a word in protest.

Jibril and Schwi, meanwhile, remained utterly calm. To them, this was only natural.

"You can all keep your current positions; I won't meddle in daily affairs. But my orders are absolute. You must obey." Riku looked over the gathered Underworld leaders and spoke indifferently.

"We understand." Sirzechs and the others, though helpless, also felt some relief.

Clearly, Riku didn't want to interfere with the Underworld's internal affairs too much. No need to worry about widespread purges or changes.

"Well, that's that. Serafall, show me around Luciferd." Riku said with a smile.

"Uh, alright." Serafall's mouth twitched as she reluctantly came to Riku's side.

Sirzechs, Grayfia, and the others all looked away in pity. Poor Serafall, she was really marked now.

Noticing that Sirzechs was once again "selling out his teammate," Serafall ground her teeth in frustration.

At this moment, Serafall deeply regretted ever going to face Riku alone. If not for that, she wouldn't have fallen from a lofty Maou to a Maou's personal maid, subjected to daily "discipline."

Finally, Riku, Schwi, Jibril, and Serafall were the first to leave the Black Tower.

The remaining Sirzechs, Ajuka, and the other Underworld leaders exchanged silent glances, then shook their heads in worry.

Once more, a strict gag order was issued: no one was allowed to talk about what had happened today. Severe punishment would befall anyone who did. Since Riku wanted to rule from the shadows, they would do their best to keep it that way. Besides, that was exactly the result they wanted.

After all, if this incident ever got out, the entire Underworld would riot. Its dignity would be utterly lost.