Aside from the lower-ranked races, which were suppressed under the absolute military might of the Starsea Empire.
The stronger upper-ranked races were also inevitably drawn into the war.
High in the sky.
Several enormous dragons were locked in fierce combat within the clouds.
On one side was a white dragon so massive its full length could not be seen at a glance, leading several subordinates as it battled a green dragon.
Boom—
Purely in terms of size, the Dragon Ruler of the Dragonia, Reginleif, was far larger than Tohru, yet the power of the two sides was evenly matched.
Several beams of light collided, stirring up a gigantic vortex in the sky.
"Ha—"
"Dragonia? You're nothing more than monsters born from the remnants of gods. And you dare call yourselves dragons?"
Tohru had rarely encountered an opponent who could trade blows with her, and the fact that they were both dragons made her even more excited.
Beastmen, Dwarves, Fairies—she looked down on all of them. In the Dragon Maid world, those kinds of creatures were nothing more than dragon snacks.
"Tohru, take it easy."
Elma looked helpless as she circled nearby in her true form, a blue dragon.
She rarely got involved in external wars, spending most of her time eating and drinking back at base. Her main purpose was to keep Tohru in check and prevent this agent of chaos from going too far.
But since they were out in the field, she could not leave Tohru to run wild alone. Setsuna sending them together was also meant to have them look out for each other.
"Disintegrate."
Reginleif stared at Tohru and spoke several words in the language of the Dragonia.
The dragon tongue itself was magic. Without the need for spell construction or calling upon spirits, mere words were enough to make all things submit.
Crack—
The space-time around Tohru began to collapse. For ordinary beings—even the Flügel—most would be unable to withstand such power and would be instantly annihilated.
Whoosh—
Tohru traced a magic circle and effortlessly dispelled the attack.
"Hah?! You think this works on me?"
"Don't you know that the power of commands only works on low-tier lifeforms? Go bully Werebeasts or Dwarves. You really think you can use this to fight me?"
Boom!
A blast of dragon breath erupted, tearing through the sky and striking the ground, igniting raging flames across the Disboard wasteland.
On the already ruined land, magma flowed everywhere, turning it into a living hell.
Thousands of kilometers away, humans looked up to see half the horizon dyed red.
War between upper-ranked races was enough to shake the soul.
"..."
Boom—Boom—Boom!!—
The clash of raw power and magic blossomed into one blinding vortex and rift after another in the sky.
Reginleif's initial disdain gradually turned into shock.
The Dragonia were powerful enough to rival lower-tier Old Deus. As Dragon Ruler, Reginleif had never taken most of Disboard's races seriously.
But this dragon girl was completely different from Disboard's so-called "dragons"—she was a demigod.
Although Reginleif did not know which world's gods carried greater weight, one thing was certain: her status surpassed his own.
The existence of the Dragonia spanned multiple timelines. They were "Spacetime lifeforms" centered on the present, simultaneously existing across past and future.
When injured, they could instantly recover by correcting the past and future.
When attacking, they could gather power from countless points in time, achieving infinite amplification and rivaling the might of Old Deus.
To species unaware of the Dragonia's secrets, such beings were virtually invincible.
Tohru did not care.
Before setting out, she had thoroughly read all available data on the Dragonia.
Time-space magic, seeing the past and the future—these were all too familiar to a demigod-level dragon girl. She had even taught Setsuna his time-distortion abilities.
As long as she pierced the Dragonia's defenses at any single temporal node and injected even a trace of power, it would immediately collapse from within.
"Then let me show you the gap between us."
A vast and intricate magic array appeared before Tohru.
Boom!—Crack—
The space high above shattered like glass. From afar, time and space there became distorted and chaotic.
"I'll give you one last chance. Surrender, or I'll hang your head on the collection rack aboard the Eternal Snowfall."
"..."
Avant Heim.
Above the floating island.
The Flügel and their creator, the God of War Artosh, observed everything unfolding below.
"They are dangerous."
A Flügel with emerald hair, a single horn on her head, and heterochromatic blue-and-gold eyes frowned as she spoke.
Her usual perfect smile was gone, replaced by deep concern.
The Flügel's full-wing proxy, and the very first Flügel ever created—Azrael.
If the Starsea Empire merely conquered humans, Seiren, Dhampir, and other lower-ranked races, the Flügel could still afford to ignore it.
But once they began defeating the Elves, Giants, and Dragonia, it was impossible for the Flügel not to worry.
Under normal circumstances, it took at least fifty Flügel to kill a Dragonia.
Slaying Dragonia was one of the Flügel's greatest sources of pride, and dragon heads were the most valuable trophies.
Yet now, the enemy was defeating Dragonia in single combat, even while outnumbered.
Their strength far surpassed the Flügel.
"Interesting."
Artosh leaned forward slightly, casting his gaze downward.
What he had initially thought to be mere clowns leading a group of fools to their deaths had proven him utterly wrong over the past few days.
Strong.
Without question, the Starsea Empire possessed several individuals worthy of his attention.
The gray-haired girl who defeated Jibril, the two dragon girls just now, and perhaps even those strange massive warships.
There was also that girl who patrolled daily with a crowbar and an unusually long ahoge. Artosh instinctively felt she was no simple character, though he had never seen Nyarlathotep fight.
More strangely, Artosh felt that he himself had grown a little stronger.
—Old Deus were incarnations of concepts. The God of War fed on battle intent and blood.
The Starsea Empire's world-conquering war on Disboard naturally enhanced his power.
"Should we go and subjugate them?"
A Flügel asked.
"If we use the Dragonia as a benchmark for combat power, it would take around sixty to one hundred twenty of us..."
"If they intend to conquer the world, a clash with us is inevitable. We could strike first."
"..."
The God of War on the throne considered for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. That won't do."
"They are not my opponents. It would be meaningless."
His gaze pierced through the clouds and fell upon the Eternal Snowfall.
Having witnessed the Starsea Empire's thunderous methods, Artosh felt a long-lost excitement—and anticipation.
Winning wars? Obtaining the Suniaster?
Or making other races submit?
With his former power, all of that would have been trivial. Even if all other races united, they would not survive a single Heavenly Smite.
But he had no interest in doing so.
Born of iron and blood, the God of War sought only an opponent who could truly challenge him—ideally, defeat and kill him.
Thus, Artosh had created god-slaying weapons, waiting for the day the Flügel could overcome him.
Now, that opportunity was rapidly approaching.
He glanced across Disboard. The vast majority of races had already been conquered by the Starsea Empire. Even the Lunamana hiding on the red moon had been beaten by shipgirls.
The Lunamana had thought staying in outer space was perfectly safe, gleefully watching the chaos below.
—Until an overwhelming space fleet sailed straight toward them.
The Flügel had been deliberately left for last. The enemy's division of labor was extremely clear, with different teams assigned to different races.
Artosh could roughly understand their intent.
"Heh. So the final act is a battle between kings, is it?"
...
Several days later.
At the temporary base of the Starsea Empire fleet.
During the conquest of the world, Setsuna spent most of his time stationed at the center, responsible for command and task allocation. Only a few special targets required him to personally take action.
The small vessel aboard the Eternal Snowfall was practically like a mobile palace to him.
"Mm... there are so many strange people here."
Little Jibril wandered aimlessly through the starship.
Nominally, she was a prisoner captured by Grey, yet Setsuna had neither restricted her personal freedom nor mistreated her.
For a Flügel known as a "Death Angel," who treated lower races as playthings, this was something unimaginable.
Even if Jibril wanted to stir up trouble, in her current loli form even a single Angeloid could defeat ten of her with one hand. Aside from wandering around, there was not much she could do.
Schwi also remained by Setsuna's side, seriously carrying out her task of "observing the Commander."
"..."
With two extra mascots suddenly by his side, things had indeed become livelier around Setsuna.
Whoosh—
The ships previously sent out began returning one after another.
Each starship either carried the leaders of other races coming to swear loyalty to the Commander of the Starsea Empire... or brought back trophies from other races, ready to be hung aboard the Eternal Snowfall as commemorative displays.
Click—
Several ships slowly hovered at low altitude, opening their hatches as anti-gravity gangways extended downward.
"Ah..."
Couronne Dola was patrolling around the human settlement, thinking about how the village should develop next.
"Mm... with the Angeloids helping, things have really become more peaceful. But we've caused such a huge commotion. Why hasn't any other race come to cause trouble?..."
"Hm? Ah?! W-what?!—"
The moment the humans looked up and saw who stepped down from the ships, they were nearly scared to death.
Elves dressed in luxurious clothing with pointed ears. Short Dwarves with darker skin. Fluffy-eared Werebeasts.
It felt as if all the races of Disboard had gathered together.
The most outrageous sight was a distant expedition ship where Esdeath jumped down from the hatch and snapped her fingers.
"Hurry up. Take them to see the Commander. I already taught you the etiquette earlier. Don't get any funny ideas."
The Angeloids followed closely behind, carrying out a massive transparent water tank.
Humans and shipgirls alike could clearly see what was inside.
Several beautiful girls with human upper bodies and smooth-scaled lower halves floated within. They wore ornate metallic ornaments and lifted their heads from the water, curiously observing their surroundings.
"Seiren... and the Seiren queen?"
Several stationed shipgirls twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Since Seiren could not leave the ocean, transporting them in a tank to meet the Commander was indeed very much Esdeath's style.
The Seiren girls clearly held deep fear toward the ice general. Even separated by glass, they avoided getting too close to her.
Before long.
Inside the command tower of the Eternal Snowfall.
Belfast gracefully performed a curtsey before Setsuna.
"Commander, they have arrived."
"Mm."
Leaders of various races entered one after another under the guidance of different teams.
First, they looked around the interior of the ship with curiosity.
The man seated at the main control console, surrounded by a group of girls behind him, must be the rumored Commander of the Starsea Empire.
Most were seeing Setsuna's true appearance for the first time. From the perspective of many races, he appeared to be nothing more than a human.
Yet no one dared to underestimate him.
Then they glanced at one another—and their expressions grew even more astonished.
"Why are you all here?!"
No one could have imagined that Elves, Dwarves, Fairy, and other races would one day gather together in one place, pledging loyalty to a human they once regarded as insignificant as insects.
If not for the shipgirls watching closely, several incompatible races might have started fighting on the spot.
"Husband, this is the Flower Crown of the Elves, Think Nirvalen. She has agreed to accept the Starsea Empire's rule."
"I also dealt with the God of Forest. He said he has no objections~"
Mio spoke first, hopping toward Setsuna like a child waiting for praise.
"Good work."
Setsuna gently patted her head.
No objections from the God of Forest? Most likely he had been beaten into agreement by the Spirit of Origin and the Angel of Void.
Think hurried forward, respectfully presenting a diplomatic document.
"Commander, the Elves agree to peacefully merge into the Starsea Empire and accept imperial governance."
"Very good."
Setsuna nodded and signed his name.
"Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you."
"The Elves may continue their normal way of life. We will not interfere with your customs. As citizens of the Empire, you will receive protection and support."
"However, your system needs some reform. Under the Starsea Empire, all races are equal."
Though nominally democratic, the Elves encouraged binding lower races through covenants. Humans were little more than slaves or livestock in their eyes.
"Yes..."
Think lowered her head in agreement.
Even without understanding the Commander's true background, the fact that the Spirit of Origin had defeated her utterly—and addressed him as "husband"—was enough to prove he was far from simple.
Discriminating against humans?
If the Elves were not discriminated against by humans in the future, that alone would be a blessing.
"Then my future position?..."
"You're the most outstanding current spellcaster among the Elves, right? You'll come with me to the capital later."
"Yes."
Think hurriedly agreed, assuming she would be treated as a political hostage.
"..."
In truth, Setsuna simply thought the Elven girls were pleasing to look at, and their spellcraft could enrich the curriculum of the magic academy.
After the Elves withdrew, the Seiren stepped forward next.
Seeing the angels carrying a giant water tank was rather unsightly, Tohru used magic to let them float above the ground, allowing them to temporarily leave the water.
"The Seiren are willing to swear loyalty to the Starsea Empire!!!"
Before Esdeath could speak, the Seiren girls eagerly declared their allegiance.
Their voices were soft and alluring, every movement filled with captivating charm.
This was also a racial trait of the Seiren. By manipulating water spirits within their bodies, they could enchant other races.
"Commander, we normally live in the ocean. We've heard the imperial capital has vast seas. We can all go there to accompany you~"
The Seiren displayed astonishing enthusiasm.
"Ah... sure."
Setsuna did not fully understand what they meant.
He simply thought enriching the marine ecosystem around the capital would be nice. Shipgirls on the surface, mermaid-like Seiren living in underwater cities.
A blend of science fiction and fantasy.
"However, we do have a small request..."
The Seiren girls rolled through the air like fish.
"In order to reproduce, we require excellent partners. We wonder if you might assist us..."
At a single glance, the Seiren judged Setsuna to be an exceptionally ideal male specimen.
For a species, nothing was more important than reproduction.
"???"
"Trying to make a move on the Commander too? Go back and line up properly."
Belfast sighed, sending away the overly ambitious Seiren.
"Commander, these are the Dhampir."
Next, the shipgirls brought forward several gothic-dressed loli girls.
"They agree to swear loyalty to the Starsea Empire, but there is a small issue."
"Hm? What is it? Do they need blood?"
Setsuna paused.
Shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, and Angeloids were not exactly ideal blood sources. They could not go targeting ordinary humans, so perhaps technological or genetic solutions would be needed.
"Ah, I know about them!"
Little Jibril suddenly leaned over from the side.
"Dhampir are actually more like a type of Demonia rather than true vampires."
"They grow by consuming blood. Without blood, they remain in a juvenile state, which is why underfed Dhampir are all lolis."
"Of course, aside from blood, they can also extract soul essence from other bodily fluids. Sweat is the lowest grade, while the highest grade would be..."
"???"
Setsuna suddenly felt that the gaze of the vampire lolis had become strangely intense, while Belfast and Gudako beside him wore extremely peculiar expressions.
"They rely on that to replenish energy? Why does your racial trait sound like something straight out of an adult doujin?!"
"...And with all these elements combined, why do I feel like this reminds me of someone I know?!"
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