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"You can project actual swords? That's magic, right? I've never seen this type before... How fascinating~"Jibril's eyes burned with excitement as she stared at the ornate sword in Riku's hand.
Facing that crazed look in her eyes, Riku frowned slightly. The version of Unlimited Blade Works he'd drawn was EMIYA's, and it came with a full set of copied Noble Phantasms. He even had Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.
The sword in his hand was a fake though—a replica, a tier below the real deal. Only a B++ ranked Noble Phantasm. But his energy output was way higher than EMIYA's. He might even outdo Saber. If he used it right, he could unleash the real sword's power—maybe even go beyond.
If Jibril underestimated him, he might not be able to win, but at least he could escape.
"I don't have real combat skills or sword techniques, sure. But running away now won't help me. At the very least, I need to figure out where I stand in terms of power."Riku's eyes turned razor-sharp.
In the next second, his Heaven-Piercing Legs lit up with energy and launched him forward like a beam of light. Afterimages trailed behind as he shot toward Jibril, the silver light of his sword blazing.
"Clang——!"Riku's sudden strike didn't fluster Jibril at all. She casually raised her black energy sword and blocked it effortlessly.
The blades scraped together, unleashing sparks of raw energy.
"Not bad speed. You're almost on par with those berserker beastmen. But your strength is only average… and your swordplay's sloppy as hell. Are you a total newbie?"Jibril commented with a curious tone, her glowing eyes staring at the focused Riku from up close.
"Seriously, you've got an annoying attitude."Riku narrowed his eyes, kicked into full gear with his Heaven-Piercing Legs, broke out of the clash, and flashed to Jibril's side—swinging his sword again.
"Clang——!"Once again, she blocked it easily. A shimmering barrier appeared in a flash, stopping his blade cold.
Then she casually swung her energy sword sideways, slicing through the air—aiming straight for Riku's neck.
"Pfft——!"Riku barely dodged using all the speed he had, but blood still trickled down his face.
"The power gap's too big. I don't stand a chance."After backing off to put some space between them, Riku's expression darkened. He had expected this, but the difference was way worse than he thought.
"Mysterious little creature~ You'd better start using your trump cards, or I won't know how to rank your head properly."Jibril floated above him, still grinning like a maniac. "Right now, your head's only at LV.3!"
The Flügel were divine weapons built to slay gods. They had a twisted hobby: collecting the heads of other races' leaders and ranking them as trophies.
For comparison, dragonkin heads were LV.5. Humans? Most races treated them like monkeys—and the Flügel saw them as insects. Human heads were usually ranked in the negatives.
And Jibril… was one of the most extreme of them all. She loved going solo, challenging powerful beings, and obsessively collecting new things. Her curiosity for the unknown bordered on madness.
Riku knew exactly what he was getting into. That's why he dared to challenge Jibril — to test his current strength.
If it had been any regular Flugel, Riku would've run without a second thought. Those war machines don't wait. They attack with lethal force right out the gate, giving you no chance at all.
Even with the space-jumping power of the Dimensional Array: Shangri-La, it wasn't guaranteed safety. The Flugel had space-based abilities of their own.
"Well, since you want to watch, I'll give you a show." Riku lowered his sword, his voice calm but firm.
That made Jibril's eyes light up with visible excitement.
Then, a series of spirit chants began to form. Riku's clothes started fluttering despite the lack of wind, as a surge of magical energy burst forth, forming a barrier around them.
"I am the bone of my sword."
"My body is made of blades."
"This body is formed of infinite swords."
As the chanting ended, both Riku and Jibril felt the shift in their surroundings.
Jibril's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked around.
The world had completely changed. It was pitch black all around, but above them hung a glowing full moon, like a symbol of hope shining down.
The ground was covered in endless sand dunes, and sticking out from them were countless bizarre, yet awe-inspiring swords.
"What... is this place?" Jibril asked, shocked, turning to Riku.
"Welcome to my world, Flugel — Jibril." Riku raised his sword, speaking coolly.
"....."