"Those damn Gigants… So huge, but such cowards," Jibril grumbled, flying through the sky with an annoyed look on her face. Even when she was angry, her beauty was undeniable—though if a Gigant overheard her now, he'd probably die from frustration. Every day, she'd show up and harass them. At first, fighting was exciting, but thanks to the absurd spatial powers of a Flügel, it was impossible to pin her down. The Gigants, on the other hand, always ended up battered and bruised.
Every time Jibril left, she'd heal her wounds and come right back. It was maddening for her opponents.
"Ugh—!"
Suddenly, a surge of energy ran through Jibril's body. She found herself unable to fly, falling straight out of the sky.
Thud!
She crashed headfirst into something impossibly hard, and a giant lump immediately formed on her head. Jibril winced in pain.
It wasn't just a rock—she'd smacked right into a powerful magical barrier. As the barrier appeared, the area beneath it was revealed: vibrant flowers, houses built from trees, and countless humanoid figures with pointed ears and other distinctive features.
This was Elven Gard—the home of the Elves, ranked seventh among the sentient races, famed for their advanced magic.
"Blocking me from flying? You filthy monkeys of the forest!" Already in a bad mood, Jibril completely lost her patience after hitting her head. Her expression twisted in frustration.
She clenched her teeth, summoning spirit energy into her hand, and formed a massive, jet-black energy sword, swinging it at the barrier.
Clang!
Crack!
The impact sounded like thunder, shaking the air. The magical barrier trembled, cracks forming instantly.
"What's going on?!"
Panic erupted below. Among the Elves, a beautiful golden-haired woman's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Jibril.
"Damn it, it's a Flügel! And not just any Flügel—it's the war-maniac Jibril!" she spat.
"What do we do, Lady Shinku?!" cried another Elf at her side. Though Elves were seventh in the ranking—right after the Flügel at sixth—there was a world of difference. Elves were mortal beings; Flügel were living incarnations of concepts.
"Seal the archives, protect the grimoire, and prepare for full defence!" Shinku ordered grimly. She was a prodigy among the Elves, already an Octa-Caster—capable of casting eight advanced spells at once, but even that was no match for a Flügel.
Within moments, alarms blared, and thousands of Elves poured their power into strengthening the barrier.
"Heh, just a turtle shell," Jibril scoffed, hacking at the barrier a few more times. The Elves below worked desperately to reinforce it, and soon, ordinary attacks weren't enough to break through. Jibril frowned, then smiled coldly.
Wings flared, her spirit power surged, and the light ring around her head spun faster and faster. She raised her right hand, gathering overwhelming energy.
"Not good! That's Heavenly Smite, the Flügel's ultimate attack! All units, brace for impact!" Lady Shinku shouted, pupils contracting in terror.
Panic swept the Elves. Everyone channelled spirit energy, preparing for the worst.
"Heavenly Smite!!"
It was futile. With a cold laugh, Jibril hurled a blast containing more than ninety percent of her power.
Jibril herself teleported to a safe distance, not wanting to be caught in her own attack like last time.
The barrier's first layer shattered like paper. The light from Heavenly Smite grew ever more dazzling.
A moment later, the attack exploded—utterly obliterating the barrier, sweeping through Elven Gard and destroying almost everything in its path.
Half the Elves were instantly reduced to ashes. The rest, led by Shinku and carrying the grimoire, escaped in a panic.
"Monkeys or not, they're good for something… That felt so much better," Jibril purred from a distance, stretching lazily as she admired the destruction.
As the smoke cleared, black clouds rose into the sky. Jibril rushed toward the ruins, eager to claim the grimoire and anything else of value.
For her, Elves had their uses—mainly for their magical inventions, which could enhance her power even more.
Meanwhile, Riku had no idea that, thanks to his earlier battle with Jibril, the butterfly effect had changed the timeline: Jibril had destroyed Elven Gard half a year ahead of schedule…