Chapter V - Kill Steal
Part 1
As the right hand of the Grand Marshal, the Supreme Commander of the Theocracy military institutions, there were two district military commanders—Marshal Valerian Ein Orbinier and Gael Lazerus Vargery. In this war against the elves, one of them, Valerian, was in command. A single tent was set up as a general operation command post relatively close to the Elven capital. In addition to Valerian, there were six other operational staff members. While Valerian is over fifty, the general staff are all still young, in their twenties. Age is not necessarily an indicator of strength, but when it comes to positions that require knowledge and experience, age can be an indicator.
By that logic, it is not too much to say that the chiefs of staff are too young. Such a young man has dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles between his eyebrows. He looked like a man who had been exhausted by a long period of fatigue. Valerian runs his eyes over a document that has something to do with their fatigue. It was written last night, a few hours ago, since it was still early morning, where a damage report from an elf night raid took place.
(That’s a lot of damage.)
[Note: It reminds me of Flex T*pe.]
Even though he had expected it, he just couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. Even so, since the number of faith-based magic casters is far greater in Theocracy than in other countries, wounded soldiers who are still breathing can be healed, even if they are in critical condition, as long as they are retrieved immediately. Thanks to this, the number of dead among the breakdown of casualties is relatively small.
The wounded, who make up the majority, were probably already healing from their wounds by now. Then, the number of elven dead left in the camp was even fewer than those of the Theocracy. Under the circumstances that the night raid was intercepted, it is hard to believe that they could have recovered the corpses of their comrades and retreated. Therefore, it should be safe to assume that the number of people reported is all of them. That makes the kill-to-loss ratio very unfavorable.
“Yes. The elves’ proximity to the capital of the kingdom may have led to a large number of strong opponents, but there were a great number of casualties.”The Chief of Staff, who compiled the numbers, agreed.
“However, the enemy force seems to have a small denominator, so the losses on the elf side will not be ridiculous.”
One hero is better than a thousand soldiers. But then, losing one hero’s death also causes significant loss. The simple number of fatalities does not directly correlate to the damage inflicted on the war capability. That is what the operation Chief of Staff said. However, that is no consolation. The soldiers’ gazes are going to get more complicated again. From their point of view, it would be a natural reaction because the lives of their comrades-in-arms were lost.
Valerian replies with a sigh to another chief of staff’s blur. It is natural for a human being to want to be favored rather than hated, and there is a big difference in battle operations if there is a relationship of trust. Furthermore, for someone like Valerian, who has trained as a commander, it is impossible to demonstrate his ability to support his subordinates if they do not follow him wholeheartedly.
“Since we have been able to counter the night raid of the elves so far, it is not that we have made a poor defensive formation, but when the other party attacks with their elite, it is necessary to have a presence with the same level of power.”
“Absolutely. We have our own strong military, but most of them are faith-based magic casters. In a different discipline... there is a need to be much stronger.”In a frontal war, the faith-based magic-casters would have the advantage, but when it comes to night raids, the rangers are much more powerful. The result is reflected in the number of casualties this time.
“Perhaps what we need to do is to build a stronger defensive position so that what happened last night will never happen again. Any suggestions?”These chiefs of staff immediately raised several opinions, as if they had thought about it since the attack. Some of them (Valerian included) had thought of it, and some had not. It would become a powerful position for them if all of them were incorporated. The only problem is that it takes a significant amount of effort, resources, and time to implement all of them. In reality, it is necessary to consider the order of efficiency and make choices. And above everything else—
“—Your Highness. It’s a defensive position, but is there any point in spending more time fighting here?”It was a natural question.
“The order that came from the upper echelon was that you...”He looks around at the other people’s faces.
“You all must have read that. We need to keep fighting here a little longer. Am I wrong?”
No one is saying no. But that doesn’t mean they agree. It’s not surprising that they don’t straightforwardly agree. Valerian, the oldest of them all, understands how they feel, but by no means can he put it away with words like “young”. To put it bluntly, they are right. The victims of this elven raid died in vain. However, it was not an inevitable death. The army of the Theocracy is headquartered in a place close to the Elven capital, which can be said to be the front line. The advantage of this location is that information is transmitted extremely quickly, and they can react immediately to the enemy’s movements. Still, there is also the danger that if, for example, the elven strongmen turn into deadly soldiers and show their ferocity, the main camp will suddenly be captured.
And there is no doubt that the situation calls for a full-scale offensive as soon as possible, as it is highly likely that the currently cornered elves will adopt such tactics. This was because if they could get the enemy’s strongmen to stick to the defenses of their stronghold, the risk of their main camp falling would be significantly reduced. However, the directive from the Supreme Executive was to stop here and engage them in a slow and deliberate fight. This was, of course, based on the assumption that the elves would attack at night. Indeed, it is reasonable to assume that the elves would evacuate or flee in response to the worsening war situation.
To prevent this, the order to set up a main camp on the fast-moving front line and round up all the elves is still acceptable. The order to lure out the enemy’s elite forces and the Elf King, who has hardly been seen up to this point, is also reasonable. However, if it were not for the condition that there would be no support from the Holocaust Scripture. So why can’t they ask for the help of the Holocaust Scripture? It is not because the vice-leader of the Holocaust Scripture died in battle at the hands of the Elf King. In the meantime, the Supreme Executive has explained that the Holocaust Scripture is on a different mission, but no one here believes in such a statement. Valerian knows the answer, while the chiefs of staff, who are young but very capable, know all the Supreme Executive’s thoughts. There are several reasons for the Supreme Executive’s refusal to allow the Holocaust Scriptures to participate.
One is to gain experience. Living in a forest like this is more difficult than one might imagine for a person accustomed to city life. Unlike the secure life they have had up to now, they have to be alert to everything around them. That is why they are in this battle. Instead of the demonic beasts that attack from the forest, it is the elves. Unless there is a chance to have the same experience after this, they doubt it will happen, and they don’t want it to happen often. However, nothing needs to actually cause damage. If the goal is to gain experience, then just conduct the exercise in a safe place. For example, use the Holocaust Scriptures as the replacement for the elves as the antagonists. It cannot be the Supreme Executive that is unaware of this. Then why do they let this happen–are they even willing to actually have the soldiers die? It was simply because–
(—It’s about raising awareness.)If they are going to protect many people as soldiers, they will be required to have skills as hunters and rangers. Through battles with elves, beings skilled in forest warfare, many soldiers will learn the art of fighting in these forests. In some cases, they will have the enthusiasm to learn professions such as ranger. The presence of the dead is important as a catalyst for this. The more deaths among their comrades, the stronger their awareness of the danger will become. Hence, the superior has rejected the idea of receiving the support of the Six Scriptures—especially the Holocaust Scripture—capable of rounding up the elves. Valerian recalls the order from his superiors and looks disgusted in his heart. Valerian understands what his superiors are thinking. However, it is not possible to accept it.
“Your Highness. I have a proposal.”The stern voice of the Chief of Staff echoes. He is the youngest chief of staff in the room. Needless to say, the fact that young chiefs of staff are being assembled for this battle is part of the change in mindset. Valerian urged him to continue.
“Of course, it was expected that this would be the case, but even so, the death toll was close to the maximum acceptable number. Under these circumstances, it will be extremely difficult to attack the enemy castle town at once and make it fall. Especially since we have not killed all the elves who participated in the night raid, further fierce resistance is expected. I do not agree with to further loss of life of our soldiers. I ask that you ask the Supreme Executive to change the operation.”
Even he knows it is impossible. Still, the number of victims in front of him must have weakened his heart. Valerian suppresses the urge to sigh. Valerian understands what they are going through. Every officer goes down this road at least once. Lives—in this case, those of their own people—are of high value.
Perhaps that is one flaw of the Theocracy. This is not a bad thing. No, on the contrary, it is a good thing. If everyone is in a country where the value of life is cheap, and the value of life is high, they will want to belong to the latter. It is true to say that the military of the Theocracy up to now, protected by heroes, has been naive, but the idea of avoiding unnecessary sacrifices in itself is by no means wrong. However, this is the thinking of those without weapons, and he wonders if such thinking is acceptable for military personnel, whose main duty is to take and be taken lives. There will always come a time when a victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice. There will come a time when they must fight even in the absence of the Holy Scriptures.
It is a fatal problem if, at that time, they are too frightened to open the battle because they value their lives too highly. This does not mean that they should look at the lives of their knights as inferior. Valerian and the rest of the upper echelons of the military have to swallow it, even while biting back the pain. They are now experiencing the pain they have to go through. The pain that comes with it is on their faces. Perhaps they are not getting enough sleep. Maybe they cannot hear the voices of the soldiers suffering under their command. Valerian feels a bit sorry for them. If only he had not made such an abrupt change of direction, the situation would have been a more gradual experience.
If they had done so, the chiefs of staff would not have worn out their spirit so much. However, the situation has changed to the point where it is no longer possible to say such a leisurely thing. The quality of the officers who commanded the soldiers, not to mention the skill of each soldier, was also rapidly being demanded. Soldiers needed to develop their military prowess, and officers needed to be prepared to order them cold-bloodedly to “go die”.
(It is predicted that many soldiers will be killed or wounded in a possible future war with the Sorcerous Kingdom, and the general populace will also be harmed. That’s why we let them experience death here... The Supreme Executive also thinks horrible things...)
“I understand your feelings very well.”That’s what the other chiefs of staff, including himself, are thinking.
“But you can’t stop it. You must look to the future, not the present.”
”...”The youngest chief of staff looks down silently, then looks up again and gazes at Valerian with clinging eyes.
“At the very least, at the very least, allow the elves to launch a large-scale attack when they attack the royal city. The enemy interceptor line—with high-powered magical support to destroy the outer perimeter defense. The number of casualties will be even higher if we are not allowed to use even fire arrows, let alone siege weapons such as catapults.”
“—That’s not allowed either. You can guess why can’t you?”The people here are all very talented. If that is the case, they must have already come up with the answer based on the current state of the Theocracy. It may seem a bit much for him to tell this, but he might as well say it.
“Conflict with the Sorcerous Kingdom will be inevitable in the future. If this city is in our hands in a beautiful way at that time, we may be able to... take the strategy of letting the people escape here. That is why we have progressed so far without cutting down any trees along the way. For that reason, we cannot allow any major damage to be done to this city. Do you understand?”
“As I expected. So the Supreme Executive is already assuming war with the Sorcerous Kingdom. The elven cities were built with their magic, so even if they lost parts of their cities to fire, etc., it would be possible to restore them with the magic of the elves we captured. Is that still not allowed?”Valerian agrees with another chief of staff’s statement.
“Exactly. I know there are those opinions. Others say that we should use the elves to rebuild elsewhere. However, given the timeframe, we cannot take that step.”
Indeed, there is a plan to use captured elves. It is not difficult to force them to cooperate by using magic such as 〈Charm〉. However, mind-control magic can be applied many times in a short period, making it easier for them to resist for a while. And, as they have already experimented with, it takes a certain amount of time to grow trees for the elves from scratch, even with magic. It is unknown when the war with the Sorcerous Kingdom would begin, but the estimate was that it would be challenging to build a city from scratch that could shelter many people. So they cannot waste any of what they have now, considering that they have to use it.
“What we are allowed to do is to shatter the elven city—the last line of defense—by force, knowing that there will be damage. Of course, the superiors do not want more deaths. We need as many soldiers as possible for future battles with the Sorcerous Kingdom. We cannot afford to lose them here.”
What the superior wants is truly an impossible task. Even Valerian thinks it is a contradiction. However, he also understands the Supreme Executive’s frustration.
“Your Highness... and above all, those who have survived the line of death gain strength.”
“Ah... that’s right... that’s correct.”He agrees with the words of the chief of staff, who has mastered the Command-type job at a high level, second only to Valerian among these. Until now, the Theocracy has thought that one hero is better than a thousand soldiers. But that is not enough, and they have begun to strengthen each of their soldiers. This is the reason for this grueling battle. Underlying all this is the prediction that there will be a war with the Sorcerous Kingdom, and the likelihood of that is extremely high.
“I know it is hard for all of you, but I still hope that you will use your wisdom so that as many of us as possible can once again step on the land of the Theocracy.”Valerian bowed his head, and everyone voiced their understanding. And one more thing. There is a reason why they are fighting here. Only Valerian knows among those present on this battlefield, and he is the only one who has not been told. They await his arrival. The Mighty King of the Elves. A mighty force that can kill even the closest of heroes in the blink of an eye. The Theocracy has the cards to slaughter him. That is strategically correct. The mighty for the mighty, the hero for the hero. And to those who surpass them—but for more than militaristic reasons, the Supreme Executive seems to have an unusual obsession with bumping that person off against the Elf King. They don’t know what their true intentions are. But Valerian waits. The final trump card in this campaign. At that moment, a messenger comes in to interrupt the meeting. The urgent-looking messenger comes straight to Valerian’s side and says in his ear.
“Your Excellency, we have reinforcements from the homeland.”He reported. Valerian replied with:
“I see.”Then he immediately stood up from his seat and announced to the chiefs of staff who were looking at him to see what was going on.
“Gentlemen, the defense of the main camp is no longer necessary. The troops on the defensive are to be thrown into the front line. Prepare for a large-scale offensive.”The long battle was coming to an end. The war had finally reached its final stage.
・
(Why are they fighting like that? Doesn’t the Theocracy think nothing of the sacrifices of its own soldiers?)A week after leaving the Dark Elven village. That was Ainz’s first impression when he watched from afar as the Theocracy invaded the elven capital. They had built a kind of wall with wood and were advancing in the form of pushing forward against it. He understands that this was done to guard against the elves’ arrows, which were fired with great accuracy, but it seemed too much of a waste. The arrows do not cover the tops of their heads, so they cannot prevent attacks by special skills, such as curved arrows. There are not so many attacks by special skills, so some sacrifices may be acceptable, but even so—and—
“There must be many faith-based magic-casters in the Theocracy. Why not just shoot them with wide-range magic, for example? At present, the elves have an advantageous position. To prevent that, why don’t they summon an angel or two and attack from above? No, it would be wiser to burn the trees that are fundamentally their habitat. Since there are so many trees around, shouldn’t they just build siege weapons and throw anything that is burning at them from a distance?”Thick fresh wood does not burn quickly, but small branches and leaves will burn. The smoke from them would distress the elves and block their line of fire. The Theocracy’s march without such measures was somewhat bizarre from Ainz’s point of view.
(And why not throw in some strongmen? If they had someone of a higher level like Fluder or Gazef, they would be able to do greater magic, flashy attacks, etc., and they would have changed the battle situation by sticking out. There’s no reason to preserve them in this situation, is there?)
“Umu. From my point of view, I don’t get it, but both of you is there anything that you notice or can read from the Theocracy’s movements?”He asked the twins who were watching the scene together. After a bit of a while, Mare answered.
“Oh, um, I don’t think you’re thinking about...”
“No, no. I don’t think that’s a good idea. As an army, there must be many commanders and chiefs of staff. It is hard to think that all of them are inept. There must be some particular reason for that action.”However, he can’t come up with an answer as to why. Of course, it is possible that an incompetent commander is holding all the authority for political reasons and is running the army dogmatically with disdain for the chief of staff. Still, looking at the steady and steady way of cutting down trees and advancing the troops, he feels this is not the case.
“Hmmm. Not only here, but they’re attacking from other directions, but it was the same there, too...”The Theocracy has formed a half-circle around the Elven siege of the royal city and has several units on the opposite shore of the lake that falls behind the royal city.
“It doesn’t sound like they are putting captive elves in the front... are they putting the soldiers who are willing to die first—is there some kind of slavery in the Theocracy?”
“No, I don’t remember hearing about human slave soldiering, even though they enslave and sell elves. I’m sure the political system would have a general idea... indeed, it’s hard to say for sure that we are well informed. But still, well, I don’t think there’s any, you know?”
“H-How about a soldier who was actually summoned (by magic), we-well, how about that?”
“It looks like the body of the soldier who was shot by the arrow is still there, and I don’t think that’s going to happen either...”He saw other soldiers hurriedly carrying the body of a fallen soldier to the rear—to the Theocracy’s position, so it seemed that they were not marching in the hope that they would die. So why are they not taking the steps they can take and letting their lives be lost? Ainz twisted his head and came up with one possible answer.
“Maybe, though. Do they realize we are here and are they realize that we watching them fighting like that?”
“Eh?”
“No... no way...”
“No, it’s too early to decide on us, but I wonder if they do things like that as part of a deception operation to make hostile nations and organizations think they are being foolish, or to hide the existence of a stronger entity, for example.”It is not necessarily the Sorcerous Kingdom to whom they want to give false information. There may be a hostile state in the Theocracy that Ainz and his colleagues are unaware of, and they want to give false information to that state. Ainz and others have done this many times. The Theocracy will think the same thing.
(Theocracy is a nation with a long history. Then they may have many enemies. But is there such a thing? However, I can’t think of any other reason to preserve the powerful individual. If that’s the case, then... is the enemy on the alert, the Sorcerous Kingdom or the Council State, which is said to be north of the Kingdom? Because it seems possible that the Theocracy, which mainly consists of humans, and the Council State, which is made up of different races, don’t get along. Umu. If that is the case, we should consider forming an alliance... Nay, Albedo, and Demiurge are thinking about that. However, there is no point in having a boss who just throws everything at his subordinates. I’ll ask them about it anyway.)There is some speculation that the mysterious individual, Riku Agneia, who appeared in the final confrontation with the Kingdom, may be related to the Platinum Dragon Lord, who is said to be in the Council State. If so, it would not be a bad idea to form an alliance with the Theocracy as a countermeasure against the Council State. Or, conversely, it would be a good idea to join hands with Theocracy to investigate the internal situation of the other party. In either case, it would be better to make a move before the Council State and Theocracy form a joint front against the Sorcerous Kingdom. But, of course, there is a high possibility that the two intellectuals have already considered what Ainz or so would think.
(Umu. As I expected, we should avoid any action exposing our true identity to the Theocracy this time, considering that the two may be making various preparations to form an alliance, etc. Or kill any witnesses.)
“Ainz-sama. In that case, shall I infiltrate the Theocracy’s camp and steal information from them?”Ainz shook his head at Aura’s suggestion.
“No, we must never do that.”Ainz explains his thoughts to them.
“Yes... if a being of my equal power were to turn against Nazarick, do you think it would be possible for them to infiltrate Nazarick and extract the information they want?”
“Yes, possible!”
“I think so as well. I think it can be done if there really is someone who is as powerful as someone as amazing as Ainz-sama!”
“Ah, umu.”She was very confident—even Mare was obvious to him—but that was not the answer that Ainz wanted.
“Err, I’m sorry about the question. Err, yeah that’s right. Shall—”
(Nay!)This question has a predictable answer. If he says he is equal to Shaltear, Aura will definitely take a swing at him and say he can’t do it. It is indeed what Ainz is looking for as an answer, but he does not want what is in the midst of that thought. That is not good enough. Then who would be okay, Ainz wondered.
(Pandora’s Actor... due to his ability to transform into guild members, Aura and her colleagues might respond with “Yes, it is possible.” Then, Demiurge... Yup. He could easily steal information from Nazarick. Aura... and Mare is no good. If that’s the case...)
“To repeat my earlier question, assume, yep, assume, an entity of the same caliber as Albedo were to turn against Nazarick. In that case, do you think it would be possible to extract all the information within Nazarick?”
“Huh? Albedo, you mean?”
“Oh, err, do you have the feeling like that...?”
“Hey! No, you don’t! I never thought Albedo would betray me!”Ainz replies so quickly that he has to raise his voice a bit.
“You said that hypothetically, the same entity, right? Yes, for example.”The twins look at each other, though they don’t seem very convinced, and then Aura answers on their behalf.
“I don’t think even Albedo can do that. First of all, Albedo has not developed any infiltration abilities. Second, I don’t remember hearing of any equipment that has that effect either.”
“Well... that’s right... Albedo is a Tanker... Indeed, she don’t have that ability.”This was also the wrong person to give as an example.
“Let’s leave it at that... do you think it’s impossible to use her wits?”
“Ye-Yes. I don’t think it’s possible.”Well, no more. He can’t think of the appropriate person’s name, so he feels sorry for Albedo, but he’ll just go with it.
“Umu. Right. I don’t think it’s possible either. Nazarick is protected by a wide variety of defensive measures, and it is not something that can be breached by a single person. If that were the case. Isn’t it the same in any other place?”
“I do not think so. The Great Tomb of Nazarick is a precious place made by the Supreme Being. It is a special place. There is absolutely no way that it is the same as any other.”By Mare’s assertion, Ainz was about to say, “Oh, yes,” but held back. Of course, as one of the founders of Nazarick, he is pleased about Mare’s feelings, but in this case, that is not what he is trying to say. He can’t say, “Read the situation,” but he not going to say that. So, for the time being, he will assume that Mare’s comment did not happen.
“Well, I always think of it this way. If Nazarick can do it, it’s not surprising that others can do the same.”Ainz alone cannot take away Nazarick’s intelligence. No, it cannot be wrong. If they can hinder the other party’s intelligence, the other party can also hinder it. It would be foolish not to act on that assumption. That is why Ainz has never sent intelligence agents to Theocracy, where the Players’ shadows are still glimmering. Theocracy, in particular, has a long history. If there is a Player, the years accumulated will work to their advantage. In fact, he has succeeded in developing a magic that Ainz doesn’t know, a magic that will kill you if you answer three questions.
“Of course, there will come a time when we will have to take a risky gamble at some point. However, the question remains, is it now? Aura, Mare.”
“Yes.”The twins’ replied.
“We are strong, the Great Tomb of Nazarick. However, do not think that we are the one and only strongest. Never underestimate them. Never forget to gather information.”Hearing the twins reply, “Yes,” Ainz nodded broadly.
“Alright! Then let’s see how things go a little more. In our current state, we won’t be able to achieve our goal.”
The reason they were here was for the side-swipe. No, to be precise, it was a bit different from a side-swipe. A side blow is an act of attacking a monster from the side while someone else is fighting it and taking away its EXP and other rewards. In the current situation, “side-swiping“ would mean that Ainz and his team attacked the elves or the Theocracy and inflicted damage on them. However, Ainz’s goal is different. Ainz’s goal is a magic item that is supposed to be in the royal castle of the elves. A family with a long history, such as a royal family, has a high probability of possessing valuable magic items. And precious magic items often have strong power. In this case, power can be translated as the ability to fight. Therefore, it is hard to believe that the Theocracy attacked so far would be defeated. In other words, the magic items in the Elf Country would end up in the hands of the Theocracy as it was.
They cannot allow their virtual enemy country to increase its strength. Therefore, this project aims to take the magic items from the Elf Country before the Theocracy does. One additional advantage to this is that they will not directly antagonize the Theocracy. Of course, the Theocracy would strongly condemn them if they were discovered. However, there are many ways to get away with taking something that does not yet belong to the Theocracy. Therefore, it would be more correct to call it a fire sale rather than a side strike. Incidentally, Ainz has implemented this kind of strategy several times during the Yggdrasil era. After the occupation, they laughed at the aggressor’s guilds, who were furious when they saw their opponents’ bases emptied out. That is why he immediately thought of it again this time. However, there is a problem.
Without knowing what kind of magic items are in Elf Country, or in the royal castle for that matter, one should not start acting on the assumption that there are magic items there. If you are not careful, there is a possibility that there may not be any. This would not only be a risky move but also needlessly worsen the relationship with the Theocracy. If necessary, they should gather information first and then take action. Even if the Elf Country had magic items in their possession, it is quite possible that they would not have kept them in the treasury but would have taken them out to fight against the Theocracy in this last-ditch battle. It is also possible that the magic item was transferred to a safe place. However, there was too little time to investigate.
“Let’s see what’s going on a little more, and then we’ll get into the king’s castle. It would be troublesome if they take the magic item out.”
“Then I’ll go after them.”
“Oh. Yeah, that’s right. Indeed, if Aura’s in pursuit... No, it is not necessarily that the other party can cross the forest. If possible, it’s best to get it in your hands before they take it out. Umu. Because we have to find out where it is, we should act early.”
“W-Well, then?”
“Right. Let’s go now.”Ainz looks at the Theocracy’s aggression. It has been a week since then, so depending on the outcome of the discussions with the surrounding villages, the villagers from the dark elf village may be participating somewhere in this battle. He was inclined to want to know if they were there and, if so, where they were, but he had just regretted that he had made a mistake as the ruler of Nazarick at that time. Now he should think only of Nazarick’s interests. Ainz shifted his gaze from the royal castle to Mare.
“Then, Mare. In some cases, I can leave you to serve as the vanguard—the defensive tank, right?”He will make sure to confirm that at the end.
“Ye-Yes. I-I’m fine with it. The village was the same, but this, right? The elven royal city is also treated as being natural, so it’s no problem at all. I’ll do my best!”Mare’s and Aura’s attire is different from what they usually wear. Especially the armor. This time, Aura is wearing a bowman’s outfit, while Mare has changed to a defense-oriented outfit. Their equipment was not provided by Ainz but by Bukubuku-chagama. Therefore, their equipment is of a lower grade compared to what they usually wear. However, since the equipment is still tailored for the two, their overall capabilities have not been reduced that much. However, this is an undercover operation. It would have been wiser for Ainz to be armed differently than usual like the two of them, for the twins to wear some kind of secret shoes, and for all three of them to cover their faces with masks or something. However, none of these things were done. The main reason for this is that Ainz, who is the most known for his appearance, is wearing the same equipment as usual. This is because they judged that it would be dangerous to change Ainz’s equipment as well—weakening him—while the two of them are slightly weakened by changing their equipment. After much consideration, Ainz eventually decided to change the weapon to “kill all the eyewitnesses.”
“Why don’t we just kill all the eyewitnesses?”And for a more minor reason, he decided to use the two as a cover for the fake operation. And a more minor reason is attributed to the armor they both wear. It is so good for a spare weapon because it contains data crystals that enhance the armor’s capabilities in several places instead of making it inequitable. Mare has milled the slots. Therefore, as long as they wear that armor, they cannot wear the mask. Still—
(This is another gender-reversed outfit.)And that’s not all. He can’t help but feel the need to say:
“Why such armor?”Especially Mare. The Mare’s armor, which could be called “dress armor,” does not protect the navel and is overly revealing, making him wonder what they thought when they made it in this shape. The defensive strength of Yggdrasil’s armor can be said to be the sum of the metal quality, the quantity of metal, and the data crystals. Therefore, it is not that Mare’s torso also has no protection, but at least the amount of data crystals protects him. In other words, it is covered by a magical aura. The average person fighting here would probably not suffer a scratch even if they were to slash at it with all their strength. However, this kind of unprotected area was a setting where a fatal blow (critical hit) was likely to occur in the Yggdrasil era. To put it bluntly, this is not a Tanker’s equipment. The proper attire for a Tanker is heavy armor like Albedo’s armor. Even the Bukubuku-chagama, despite her race’s disadvantage of not being able to wear armor, would have had a shield in each hand and special skills that would have made it more solid as a tank. What was Bukubuku-chagama, a Tanker herself, thinking when she equipped Mare with this kind of equipment? The answer is:
“I wasn’t thinking that at all.”No. Indeed she thought seriously about it. Not about the battle but about pursuing her own hobby. No, he would like to hold back the feeling that they are sisters and brothers and defend his former comrades. In fact, the former Mare was only an NPC and did not change his own weaponry. The navel-gazing armor he wears now is just a dress-up item, nothing more than fodder for the wardrobe. Despite this, it would be hard to imagine that he would want to prepare the equipment that could be used in any way. Therefore, they should praise the Bukubuku-chagama. It was a mere fashion item, but it had some functionality. Somehow, the image of the older sister with a pleasant smile on her face and the younger brother with something to say flashed through Ainz’s mind.
Part 2
The Theocracy stepped up its offensive, and the defenses around the Elf Country’s capital finally broke down. After confirming that the Theocracy soldiers have entered the city, Ainz and the others begin to take action with a bit of impatience. The first thing Ainz did after entering the castle of the elves with 〈Perfect Unknownable〉 was to find and capture an elf who was alone—with no eyewitnesses. After looking for several chances, he caught a female elf who appeared to be a servant. He immediately charmed her and ran back to where Aura and Mare were waiting for him at the 〈Gate〉. Then, just as when he caught the elf the other day, he asked her for information, but unfortunately, she did not have much of anything of value to share. When Ainz realized that he would not get anything more out of the elf, he activated 〈Death〉 on her without hesitation. The loss of a servant from a castle on the verge of falling would not be a major problem. After the corpse is stripped of clothes and other identifiable items, 〈Gate〉 will be used to throw it to a distant land—where Ursus was found. The wild beast will clean up nicely; even if someone discovers it, it will be a completely mysterious corpse with no wounds.
It is unlikely that it will be tied to Ainz from here. He thought it would be more natural to make it look like a suicide, but he decided to leave it missing because he thought it might be useful for something in the future. Although some MP was used to dispose of the dead body, it was not a large amount considering Ainz’s recovery rate. Therefore, there was no need or time to wait and see what would happen. The Theocracy still struggles in a guerrilla warfare-like battle using the entire Elf Country capital. Still, considering the difference in troop strength, it is definitely just a matter of time. The fact that there is no appearance of a strong man who can change this war is a sign of how much time is left.
Likely, the strongman on their side is also not on this battlefield. On the other hand, the reason why the Elf King, who is rumored to be a strong man, is not seen on the defender’s side maybe because he has already fled from this land. In that case, the magic items have already been taken out, and it might be a waste of time, Ainz called out to Aura and Mare, murmuring in his mind.
“—Well, let’s go.”He had a general idea of where he wanted to go. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the items is to go to the Elf’s castle. Still, unfortunately, he couldn’t get any information about the King’s abilities or what kind of items he had that would be the most powerful in this country. It might have been better to go after a more pompous elf, but he did not have time to carefully choose his target. One question remains.
(How is–or more precisely, who is hiding?)
In this hostile environment, the option of the three of them acting separately was not an option from the outset. What was all this hard work for them if they were to appear and act with impunity after having performed in secret until now? Therefore, it would be best if all three could go into hiding. Indeed, all three of them had the means to hide. However, all of them had problems. Aura was the only one who knew where Ainz, who had activated 〈Perfect Unknownable〉. It’s just vague; she can sense that he is around.
Druids have a chance to learn magic to detect 〈Perfect Unknownable〉, but Mare does not have that magic except for some, primarily offensive magic. If Aura equipped with a Ghillie Cloak is concealed, it cannot be detected by Ainz or Mare. The cloak through the trees, which Mare usually wears, greatly enhances his ability to conceal himself in the open air, especially in forests. Still, his ability is halved when inside a house. Unfortunately, the royal castle made of living trees seems to be a house, and the cloak’s ability through the trees is reduced. Therefore, even Ainz will manage to understand it. However, even if Aura and Ainz can figure out Mare’s location, it makes it easier for the enemy to find Mare, which does not make much sense. In other words, if Ainz hides, Aura can be found, but Mare cannot. If Aura hides, neither Ainz nor Mare can be found. Mare’s cloak through the trees has poor concealment performance, and that is true even if he uses a Ghillie Cloak. Therefore, the chances of being discovered by a third party are high.
In conclusion, if all three cannot hide together, one of them should lie low and play the trump card. Who would be best suited for this role? Aura would seem to be the best suited for this role, but if neither Ainz nor Mare could ascertain Aura’s location at the time of an emergency, they might be at a disadvantage. If things go badly, they could move unknowingly to where Aura is and collide with her.
“That’s a really big mistake, isn’t it...”They had a week to do it. To be clear, they should have definitely had a meeting before coming here. Even Ainz had experienced such covert operations many times during the Yggdrasil era. When they first invaded Nazarick, he and all of his friends would sneak through the swampy area teeming with Zweig. However, when it came to covert operations, each team member prepared their own countermeasures. Since almost all of them were already familiar with the situation, they could manage it on the spot with a simple confirmation without prior consultation. Ainz, who was feeling a bit flustered by the word “sideways hit,” a word that reminded him of Yggdrasil and who was feeling the same way he was back then, had completely forgotten about having a meeting with the twins. Then why didn’t the two of them point it out?
“Ainz-sama must be thinking about something.”They probably had complete trust in each other. In fact, they are looking at Ainz with eyes full of faith. He can’t say something silly thing like, “I’m not thinking anything here,” Ainz’s brain, which is so empty that it feels as if it is overheating, is working at high speed. He could have asked back what they thought, but it would have wasted time. First of all, Ainz should speak his own idea.
“Then I’ll use 〈Perfect Unknownable〉. Aura, in the lead.”Ainz decides. The twins do not hide. Instead of relying on Aura’s perception powers, they avoided encountering anyone. And if something unforeseen happened, the two of them would step forward, and Ainz would be ready to support them. They decided it was more dangerous for Ainz and the others, who could not see each other, to be divided by the attack than for someone to see them. No objections were raised by either of them.
(Are you sure, really sure about that?!?! You can tell me if you have any concerns, okay?)Frankly speaking, Ainz would be happier if there were objections. However, the three of them should think about it together than for Ainz to think about it alone. Besides, their agreement was based on their trust that it was Ainz’s proposal. This is, to put it badly, a throwaway. What would they do if Ainz had missed something or failed to plan a strategy, and that often happens? Of course, if the result is not good, they will not say anything, but that is never a good thing.
(That’s the bad part of being an NPC. However—I don’t have time to discuss it if I force the two of you to come up with ideas here... the first thing to do is to shelve this issue for the time being and act with more caution this time around.)Aura and Mare, who have argued for various responses, are followed by Ainz, who has invoked magic, as they walk through the royal castle. As was the case when Ainz infiltrated alone, he never met anyone because of the small number of elves. Of course, it is also significant that Aura is capturing the sounds of the surroundings and watching for the right moment when no one is around.
(The kingdom’s royal castle was also almost empty at the very end, though they still made an effort, barricading the entrance and making other efforts...)Even though they are being attacked by the Theocracy, there is nothing like that here. On the contrary, there is an atmosphere as if nothing is happening.
(There is no desire to defend... as I expected, the high-ranking people here have abandoned the city and fled, haven’t they? I heard that there is no other Elf Country around here other than this one, but this Sea of Trees is quite large. It is quite possible that there is territory further south, and that there are cities there as well.)He could only think that it was a waste of work at that time. At any rate, the answer will come soon enough. It would be foolish to think any longer about things that are pointless to think about. Treasury—the off-limits area seems to be on the upper floor. It is two floors above the floor where the king’s private room is located, which is the uppermost floor in this royal castle. He thought about getting in from the outside, but there would be no windows in such a place. So the three of them continued onward and upward. They climbed the stairs without being spotted, and when they arrived at the floor they wanted to go to, Aura raised a quizzical voice.
“What is this place?”
The ceiling, about 15 meters above the floor, was lit as if lights were embedded all over. There are no windows in the surrounding area, so this was definitely done by magical means. However, it is not so much that it is dazzling. Ainz lightly moves himself to make sure that he is not being penalized. It does not seem to be a light that has a negative effect on the undead, such as that used by priests. Considering that this is Elf Country, there is a strong possibility that it is faith-based magic used by druids. That in itself is not particularly strange. The same is true for the sixth level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. And even in magic and spiritual magic, there is the magic of the light type.
However, if there are no secondary effects at all, it is difficult to tell which system or what kind of magic it is. The reason for Aura’s doubtful voice is the floor on the other side of the room—it is covered with earth. The floor of the entire level, which was not blocked by walls or partitions, must have been at least one hundred meters square, and most of the area was covered with soil. Although not completely covered, the area around the large door at the back of the room was covered. Aura kicked the ground a few times, digging lightly in the dirt. Soon the floor beneath it was visible. The stones are not covered that thickly.
“I wonder if it’s a replacement for a carpet...?”Indeed, it looks like that. Even in the Dark Elven village, there was no culture of carpets on the floor. There were only cushions made of woven grass.
“Well, it’s a bit... well, I guess there are many different cultures, but what kind of barbarian are they? Or maybe it was just a precaution? To leave a footprint?”
“B-But then, they would put someone on patrol, or a security guard, right?”Ainz agrees with that opinion. He looks around, but it doesn’t look like anyone is there.
(You’re being careless... I can’t believe there’s no one here... No. Did the Theocracy’s raid drive even those who were here? That servant said they were forbidden to enter, but there was no mention of guards packing the place...)
“You know what? Maybe they’re thinking of a siege or something, so they can grow vegetables inside the castle...”Aura sounded convinced by Mare’s idea, “Oh,” and Ainz made the same sound. Indeed, no sunlight is coming in, but if there are druids or other people, they could grow a field here. Perhaps that light is the same as sunlight, and plants can be cultivated as usual. The area where Aura dug was the outer perimeter, so the area closer to the center may be deep enough to plant vegetables.
(I think we’d know more if we had a species like Shalltear that is penalized for sunlight... If it’s a magic item, you could use 〈All-Appraisal Magic Item〉...)If they don’t find anything good in the treasury, let’s try to see if they can bring that one back with them since we’re on a roll. Ainz decides so and starts walking after them. Both of them left no footprints on the ground due to their skills. Ainz also flies with 〈Perfect Unknownable〉 and 〈Fly〉, so he leaves no footprints. When the line reaches the center of the room...
“Oh. I felt a strange presence, so I came and found a dark elf. And twin children too, huh?”Suddenly, such a voice was heard. The eyes of left and right eyes are different colors, and the face is chilly and good-looking. If asked if he was a servant, he could have sworn that he was not. The man’s manner was haughty, as if he was used to giving orders.
“What—?”Ainz let out a voice that no one could hear. There should not have been a man like that there. There was no doubt about that. Ainz and Mare might have missed it, but how could Aura have missed it too? It was not invisibility. Then Ainz would have seen through it. Perhaps he used a special skill related to hiding to deceive Ainz’s eyes, and by becoming invisible at the same time, he was not detected by Aura? Or...
(We’ve been teleported—? Oh, cr*p. I should have activated 〈Delay Teleportation〉.)
Aura quickly moves to a place that blocks the line of sight of Ainz and that elf. Then he saw Mare gripping his staff tightly in both hands. The elf did not brace himself despite the two taking a combat stance.
From Ainz’s point of view, there seemed to be a lot of openings, but perhaps that was a sign that the other party was trying to lure them in. He would have known this if he had the talent as a warrior, but Ainz could not judge. Ainz moves away from the twins a bit and lightly waves his hand at the man. His gaze does not move at all. In other words, he does not see through Ainz’s 〈Perfect Unknownable〉. Ainz looks at the twins. The instructions he had given them before the infiltration were.
“If you encounter a mysterious presence, keep gathering information until the other side launches a straightforward attack.”Aura made a casual gesture. Aura casually reached for her necklace and held it in her hand. She probably intends to gather information while consulting with the two of them. He understands the feeling, but this is a bit thoughtless. If an intruder acted suspiciously in front of them, Ainz would have attacked immediately. Such behavior as touching an item equipped with a gun is good as pulling out a gun. Anticipating an attack from the mysterious elf on both of them, Ainz braced himself and twisted his neck, ready to use the appropriate magic for the situation at any moment. There was no change in the elf man’s appearance. He was not unaware of Aura’s behavior, but he did not seem to be concerned about it.
Part 2
Was it because he was very confident in his abilities or because he did not know what Aura was doing? Or perhaps the other party hesitated to attack to get information from them.“—Hmm? What do you mean? Those eyes are from... I don’t remember holding a dark elf, though. —No, was there? Mmm-hmmmmm. Well, let’s find out.”Something that should be called intimidation radiating from the man had been growing. It felt as if the man’s body had swelled up. Aura clicked her tongue.
“〈Body of Effulgent Beryl〉”
“Ho-ho-ho. You say you can endure this? I think it might be the first time.”
“Hey, what are you trying to kill me for? Do you want to die?”
“〈Indomitability〉”
“—Ha、hahahahaha!”The man laughed loudly as if he had just heard the best joke. Aura’s eyebrows lifted to a dangerous angle. Aura’s fist tightened considerably but slowly slipped away as Ainz watched.
“〈Greater Resistance〉”
“Brilliant! No, no, no, I see, I see! I hadn’t thought of that. Grandchildren. I see! I see! Even if the child is not a good one, there is a possibility that the blood will be awakened in the grandchildren’s generation! I am so stupid not to have noticed this.”
“What are you babbling about something that I don’t understand?”
“〈Greater Potencial〉”
“Oh no. My aim was not wrong, I guess you could say that. Hey, my grandchildren.”
(Grandchildren? What the hell is he talking about? This guy, what the hell does he think he’s doing?)
“Huh? Is that Chagama-sama’s?”Ainz felt a momentary twinge of impatience at these words. It occurred to him that perhaps Bukubuku Chagama had been sent to this world alone and left this man there. However—
(In that case, there is no slime part left at all. Is it body shapeshifter, like Solution?)
“Chagama? What the hell are you talking about, brat?”
(Miss...? If that’s the case, no way, it’s Akemi-chan!)Yamaiko’s sister had a character named Akemi. She was an elf with character cosmetics, but she wasn’t that into Yggdrasil, so she wasn’t someone he had much connection with.
“Hmmm, you’re a pure elf, aren’t you?”
(“D@mn it... 〈Bless of Magic Caster〉”)
“What are you talking about? You don’t know who I am... that’s not right, aren’t you?”
“I know, I know.”
“Y-Yeah. We know.”
“Both of you suck at acting!”The attitude was so barbed and appropriate that Ainz couldn’t help but shout. But in fact, it did not fool the elf, and the man’s mouth dropped open.
“I-It’s impossible you don’t know... unbelievable, but... sheesh. I had heard that a tribe of dark elves lived on the outskirts of the country, but you people are incredibly uncivilized...”The man stared at the twins with a glare.
“I forgive you once because you are my grandchildren, but ignorance is a sin. So I will teach you well under me.”
“Even if you say ‘I’m going to teach you something’... but, to be honest, really, who are you? Just to be clear, you’re Elf King, right?”Aura guessed this because the Elf King was the only person she knew who seemed capable of doing so.
“〈Life Essence〉. Oh!]Ainz was surprised and shouted. He had quite an enormous HP. He had an HP that easily surpassed that of the Pleiades and probably has at least 70 levels of HP, as Yggdrasil would say. It was an opponent that could not be taken off guard.
“Huh... don’t be utterly amazed. What have your parents taught you all this time? What could be more important than the name of the King of this land and of all the elven species... what could be more important than the name of me, Decem Hougan, the current apex of this nation?”
(Sh*t.)
Ainz spitted it out. He had expected that to be the case, but when it was affirmed to be true, he felt like swearing. All the covert action up to this point has gone to waste. The only feeling that came to mind was that it was a waste. An important full strength that would greatly reduce the military strength of the virtual enemy, the Theocracy. Maybe—the reason for this was that they had to take down the “greatest power“ with their own hands. It was difficult to choose not to kill the king in this situation. He could have been incapacitated and his memory altered if he were weak. However, the 〈Life Essence〉 revealed that the Elf King’s combat ability—the amount of HP, to be precise—was surprisingly high in this world. Of course, if he were to fight normally, he would win without a doubt.
There were three hundred-level beings here. But it was difficult to say whether it was possible to neutralize him. This was because he could not be neglected in their vigilance. From the sudden appearance of the elf, there was a high possibility that this elf—Decem—had unknown abilities. It would be dangerous to prioritize neutralization because of a lack of information. It was fortunate that Akemi-chan’s name was the only one not mentioned, which means that she was more than 90% unrelated to the case. If they were related, he would have named the house after her. If the child was a member of the Yamaiko family, the only time he would kill her would be if he was cornered.
“King? Then why are you here? The humans are attacking you. Why don’t you go beat them and protect your people?”
(〈Mana Essence〉. I see...)Decem’s magical power was also enormous for an inhabitant of this world. It was an amount that may or may not reach Shalltear’s level—HP and MP. Based on these two quantities and the culture of the elves, Dekem’s job was most likely the same as Mare’s, a druid. He was a druid of the rear-defender class.
“Why should I do that? You seem to have misunderstood what a king is. A king is a supreme being whom the people are to serve, not to take care of them. What the superior does to the inferior is called mercy. Do you understand? Mercy is something to beg for, not demand. You have to be content with it even if it is not given.”What the hell was he talking about? Ainz was taken aback. If he was seriously saying this, he was completely crazy. It was rather pathetic that the elves would crown such a leap as king.
“So you’re saying you don’t want to help? But, uh, some of it makes sense.”
“U-Umm... You can’t say it’s wrong...”
(Huh!?)Ainz was surprised and stared at the twins’ faces. It didn’t look like a strategy to agree with them, to put them in a good mood and lighten their mouths. What part of such a statement could not be said to be partially agreeable or wrong?
(No, no, maybe I’m wrong? If that was the right idea for a king...? Not that Jircniv doesn’t feel that way somehow, too... How was the Quagoa Lord? That guy is pathetic...)
“Ohh. You are my grandchildren, after all. You may be uneducated, but you seem to have the brains to understand the essence of the matter.”
“—Oh, I made a mistake. I wasted my time... this way. 〈Magic Word・Fire〉“[Note: On this part, 〈Magic Word・Fire〉 in Japanese means (Anti-Magic Amulet ・ Flame / 魔法からの守り・炎).]
“But you are making one fatal, big mistake. Only the Supreme Being is to be served by all others, not a little elf like you. Well, if only those elves are to be served, then do as you please.”
(No, no, no... that’s definitely not true... but attention won’t change it... and I don’t know how Aura and Mare feel about it. If only they could have someone close to them outside of Nazarick. —In that sense, I have some hope for CZ, who made a friendship with that frightening girl with scary eyes... But unfortunately, it didn’t work out so well this time. No, not so much CZ, considering what she said on the way home. I knew it, Sebas! Another useless thing!)
“What? The Supreme beings? Is there such a thing as dark elf legends?”Decem thought for a moment, then gave a small shake of his head.
“Well, fine. You can take your time and ask me later what the story is.”
“How do you have time for that? Like I said, we’re in the midst of an invasion by a human nation.”Wasting one move, Ainz rushed to activate the magic.
(〈False Data・Life〉)At that moment, a tremor was heard from below. Had the Theocracy finally started using their siege weapons? The twins and Decem both turned their gazes to the floor and kept their mouths shut. In the meantime, Ainz activated his magic.
(〈False Data・Mana〉)
“Dang. But still, those humans are bothering me. I’d be happy to come out and wipe them out myself, but... but it’s too much trouble. Let’s go.”
“Where do you say you’re going...?”
(〈Penetrate Up〉)
“I don’t have a specific plan, but, well, wherever it is, it doesn’t matter with my power.”
“What’s the worst that can happen if you don’t have a plan... what happens if I follow you?”
(“Dirt or... hhmm. It would be a shame to misread it, but...”)After a slight hesitation, Ainz takes out a scroll and used magic.
(〈Earth Master〉)
“Ahh!”Giggling, Decem looked at Aura’s body.
“You’re still a kid. It will take you some time to grow up, but... well, it can’t be helped. We have waited this long. A few decades is a long time to say it’s an acceptable margin of error, but it’s not a lot of time at all. You ask, what happens if we follow me? The answer is simple. You will have a child with me.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
(“Ha...? 〈Greater Luck〉”)
“You too.”Decem looked toward Mare.
“When one woman is conceived, it takes a long time to make another. In that sense, you’re more promising. You will have many children with me. I thought that the blood would be diluted, but if grandchildren are awakened, we should consider the possibility that great-grandchildren will be awakened as well. We should make sure that the experiment is a good one. Oh, that would be troublesome, but it would be bad if I don’t take some of my people with me as your counterparts. But... why is a male dressed as a female? Is it dark elf culture? Honestly, I don’t mind the fact that you’re not a pure elf, but it’s far better than having to expand your reach to the human species in general.”Aura and Mare are looking at Decem with their mouths half opened.
(“—”)
“Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know now. Let’s go.”What did Decem think? He walked up to the standing staff and twins... reached for Aura’s hand—Ainz brushed it away. The action was judged as an attack, and 〈Perfect Unknownable〉 was immediately canceled. Decem looked at Ainz with surprise. Decem slammed his fist into Ainz’s face before Ainz could even look at him in surprise. Decem was blown away and rolled to the ground.
“—You pervert pedo. You turned your disgusting desires on the daughter in my care. Die.”While cursing, a calm part of his mind clicked his tongue at his own blunder. Even though 〈Perfect Unknownable〉 was on, he angrily hit him. What a waste! What a waste of time and effort. When Ainz’s emotions crossed a certain line, they were automatically suppressed. If he had been able to use that ability, he would have been calmer, and instead of punching him, he would have used an instant death spell or something similar. Perhaps his disgust was stronger than his anger but not strong enough to be suppressed.
“Hey, hey.”
Decem’s nose flowed vigorously with blood as he got up, looking confused. However, it was not as if he had suffered any serious damage. 〈Life Essence〉 told him that the amount of HP he had lost was negligible. Even though he was hit in the face by Ainz’s full-force blow to the face in an unprotected state, he only suffered that much. There may be a pattern of faking the HP with magic or items like 〈False Data・Life〉, but it didn’t seem likely that he was deceptive in many ways. Ainz turned his palms to the twins and made a pose that expressed, “Don’t move.”
Considering Decem’s strength inferred from his HP and MP totals, it was estimated to be at least Lv. 70, but no more than 80. However, there was one alarming, though unlikely, possibility. Although not found in Yggdrasil, there may be jobs in this world where HP and MP do not increase. The level itself was Lv. 100, but the total value of HP and MP was Lv. 70. It was impossible to deny that this was the case. However, there was no absolute certainty.
(—There is a way to kill them all at once with thirteen people, but it’s not a good idea right now. At least until we find out the stuff about the teleportation I mentioned earlier...)As Ainz was planning his future strategy, Decem raised his voice.
“—U-Undead! Why here, all of a sudden?”His gaze shifted from Ainz to the twins.
“Are you telling me that one of you is a necromancer!”Before they could answer, Ainz opened his mouth.
“That’s right. These two are necromancers of unrivaled power. And I am the guardian created by the combined power of the two of them and their parents, four people in total. I will never allow anyone without power to touch the two of them. If you are able to destroy me, you may take them with you.”Ainz did his best to taunt his opponent to make him feel uncomfortable.
“Well, I don’t think I can, huh?”
“Oh...”Decem removed the hand that was holding his nose. The blood seemed to have already stopped.
“I’m a bit surprised at you. You’re making me bleed... for the first time in decades, maybe centuries? I see. It seems you have the ability to talk big. But you have no way of speaking to this King. But that’s a lucky thing. I will teach you the difference between your abilities and mine. I will discipline you.”The line was made while looking at Aura and Mare, but he seemed to completely believe Ainz’s words. Huh, thought Ainz. Why does he act as if he believed the enemy’s words (Ainz) without questioning them? Maybe this guy didn’t have the means to make himself invisible? If he had, he should be able to assume that the sudden appearance of Ainz was not a summoning mechanism but that he was hiding from the beginning with 〈Invisibility〉 or some other means. If so, was he to assume he was a specialized druid like Mare?
(Or is he acting like he knows I’m there... if he’s bluffing, what’s the point?)He would like to think if he were in that man’s shoes, but he couldn’t spend time thinking about it, lest the other party became suspicious.
“Then let’s fight fair and square, one on one. That way we can see who is better, my master or you?”Decem rolled his eyes and laughed loudly as if he had heard a funny joke. Then, Ainz sent an unchanted (silent-enchant) 〈Message〉 to Mare.
(Listen, Mare. The words I just said are a big lie. If I’m at a disadvantage, I’ll cooperate with both of you and make sure that man is killed. Tell Aura that secretly.)Of course not—who would give them to such a man? Besides, in a fight where lives were at stake, fighting fair and square, one on one, was the height of folly. It was true that some matches could be lost, but in a fight for life, losing was unforgivable. But—he made a mistake, Ainz thought. He wanted to buy a little more time and buff him up. But he would not allow Aura to be touched by such a pervert, and he might have some skills that Ainz didn’t know about, such as forced teleportation.
“I just saw—earlier—both of you who are using the undead, and I am convinced that you are my own grandchildren.”
The ground moved. Like waves on a beach returning offshore—the earth on the floor moved to Decem. Ainz ignored it, pulled out a scroll as if from under his clothes, and activated the magic. It was a waste of time. However, he had to do so. Since it was unknown how much knowledge the opponent had, he must not alarm his opponent. So he activated the magic 〈Dimensional Lock〉, which belonged to the 8th-tier.
Demons, angels, and other inhabitants of the other world could use this as a special skill, but it was magic with the same ability. This nullifies the ability to move out of range using instantaneous teleportation-type magic, as represented by teleportation, for example. In the meantime, the clods of the earth gathered in front of Decem became one huge figure. It was the figure of a spirit that Ainz knew. A surprised voice was heard from Mare, but Ainz was also surprised.
(Huh, Primal Earth Elemental!?)Astonished in the face of a spirit that was impossible to summon by normal means, Ainz’s vigilance was heightened. But, unlike Mare, Ainz bit back his surprise desperately, never letting it escape his lips. Never let the fact that he knew something be known, one of the maxims in “The Art of PKing for Anyone at Ease.” With the appearance of a child-like Mare, it would be more likely that he would be mistaken for being surprised by its majesty, but in Ainz’s case, he might be thought to know about it for knowledge. So Ainz cowered heavily.
“—Hmm. What is it? Do you create a huge lump of dirt called a “Primal Earth Elemental“? Instead of becoming my opponent, do you want it to become my opponent? Are you underestimating me?”
“Hoho. You know what this is, don’t you?”Decem was grinning and talking.
(Alright!)
“—Of course. It’s a spirit of the earth, no mistake, right? I’ve been called upon to destroy one in the past. Well, it wasn’t this huge, so I’ll just say that the power to follow something this big is impressive. It is true that size is one of the indicators of strength. However, size is not everything.”
“Right. That’s right. Even those who are big in size, like the Dragon Lord, can be defeated by the elves. But I am impressed. Your knowledge is not wrong. You are right that this is a Primal Earth Elemental. Ha-ha-ha. Your insight, or is it your memory? I bow to that.”Decem thickened the clearly recognizable sneer.
“—Well, here we are. Why don’t you try to receive it with your own body? It’s not much, but it’s a blow of the spirit.”The Primal Earth Elemental lifted its fist in slow motion.
(Primal Earth Elemental... would be much faster in its movements. On purpose, aight. Thanks.)The cat’s prey-like movements were exactly to Ainz’s advantage.
(—Not high, huh.)
Hiding a smile—though, of course, Ainz’s expression never moved—Ainz recalled the ability of Primal Earth Elemental. The Primal Earth Elemental, with a level of over 80, had a defensive role among Primal Spirits of the same level. No, the Earth Elemental can be said to be in such a position. Its attack was against almost everything in this world—it was considered to have the attribute of metal below its level.
It means that if a creature was vulnerable to silver, such as a Lupusregina, it would be exploited for its vulnerability. Also, as long as both the enemy and oneself were in contact with the soil, there was a bonus, albeit small, to all abilities. However, since all the soil in the room had already gathered to Decem, the wooden floor was exposed, and he should not be able to use that ability. It also could dive into the soil, but that was not possible here. In conclusion, this was not a good battleground for Primal Earth Elemental. He should be wary of the smashing with both arms in terms of its means of attack. It was simple, but its destructive power was quite strong, and although its speed and accuracy were not high, it was difficult for a rearguard such as Ainz to dodge it.
[Note: Rearguard, as written in the JP version, but I think it’s the same as supporter-role in RPG.]
It was also an effective attack against Ainz because of its crotch-hitting attribute. It could be extended like an arm to cleave a wide area, but the damage dropped dramatically in that case. Just as on the offensive side, on the defensive side, it was considered to have the attributes of various metals and was treated as having all types of “Weapon Resistance V”. And that was in addition to the physical damage reduction effect.
For these reasons, it was a “Perfect Tank”, and if you tried to defeat it only with physical attacks, it was a very troublesome opponent. However, it also had a weakness: it did not possess the dangerous “Hand-Combat” special ability, which means that it could only be used to take the fight to a whole new level. This means it did not have any attacks that could drastically change the fight’s outcome. The other was that the weaknesses common to metal and other materials were still valid.
(I’m sure Herohero-san will take it down easily...)In other words, it was weak to acid, etc., and another thing: it had a weak attribute. Ainz prepared to take out the staff from the item box. He couldn’t take it out here yet. The opponent thinks he was just mere undead. He shouldn’t show his ability to be wary in front of him. The question was whether or not he would take this blow. It would be a beautiful pattern if Ainz learned that this was not a mere Earth Elemental by receiving a serious blow. The disadvantage, in this case, was that the opponent may become wary of the fact that he could not kill it with a single blow.
(Right... there is no doubt that he is specialized in the summoning specialization. Then, of course, the destructive power of a blow of the Earth Elemental would have increased. If taking unnecessary damage is harmful to future battles, then this is the place—)
“〈Wall of Skeleton〉”A strike of the Earth Elemental swung down, simultaneously creating a huge wall constructed of skeletons in front of Ainz. It was immediately destroyed and disappeared.
(As expected... MP is reduced?)
“—Wa-Wa, What the hell!”Ainz shouted loudly so that the man could hear.
“Why, you can break my walls with a single blow!!!”
“Ha ha ha. Your walls are so fragile that they could be broken by a mere blow from a mere Earth Elemental.”Ainz sent magic to Decem, who seemed to be in a good mood.
“〈Lopsided Duel〉“This magic of the 3rd-tier allowed the user to fly to the same place even if the opponent escaped by teleportation. Furthermore, even if the opponent was protected by 〈Delay Teleportation〉, they could ignore it and appear at the same teleportation point at the same appearance timing. However, this had its upsides and downsides. If the opponent were to teleport to the middle of the waiting crowd of a party, the tied party would fly to the same place and be hit in the sack. That was why it could be learned as low as the 3rd-tier magic despite its seemingly useful magic. Before the patch was applied, it was possible to cast it on a companion and teleportation together, but after the patch was applied, it was magic that could only be cast on an enemy. Of course, if Decem was fleeing and there was a being of the same level, he would have to immediately turn to flee, but this 〈Lopsided Duel〉 had a slight advantage that—that’s correct, the opponent cannot fly (teleported together) with him even if the enemy activated the teleportation, so fleeing itself was not difficult.
“—What did you do?”
“It’s instant death magic. I see. So you’re taking precautions against instant death, is that it?”
“—Well, I’d say you were smart enough to see that you couldn’t beat Behemoth and attack me. However, did you think that I was weaker than the spirit?”
(It is not common knowledge in Yggdrasil that the summoner was weaker than the summoned, but it may be because you are at a lower level than your summon. So you are underestimating me as a weakling, and you didn’t answer my question because you don’t have resistance to instant death—and Behemoth?)Decem shrugged his chin, and Primal Earth Elemental raised its fist in the air. Its movement was faster than before. At the same time, he heard Decem activating his magic.
“〈Mercy of Shorea Robusta〉“
(D@mn. It was within my expectation to be able to use the 10th-tier, but you activated troublesome magic. So I’ll have to use dual magic when I kill you.)
〈Mercy of Shorea Robusta〉 is 10th-tier magic, and the amount of magic it drained was one of the highest in the 10th-tier, at the 〈Reality Slash〉 level. This magic had three effects. First, the user’s physical strength was gradually restored for a certain period. However, the amount of recovery was very small, so it couldn’t be said to be useful at this tier. The next was complete resistance to instant death. If you want to get only instant death resistance, you could use lower-tier magic. Nevertheless, there was a reason why many druids learned this magic. The third effect was the ability to resurrect a druid when their HP dropped to zero and they died. This revival did not cause a level penalty. Although the condition of zero health meant that deaths not caused by damage, such as drowning, were excluded, this magic was still quite beneficial.
There were also revival spells for clerics that do not cause level down if applied immediately after death, and for druids, 〈Phoenix Flame〉, etc. This magic was often used to prevent careless mistakes (accidental death). However, since the resurrected victim’s health was quite low, there was a high probability that the victim would die from a multiple-hit attack. Incidentally, this magic also belonged to the category of revival magic, so it could avoid death by Ainz’s trump card, 〈The Goal of All Life is Death〉 However, in that case, this magic will disappear even if the effect time remains. This was because the magic initially disappeared the moment the revival was activated.
(I guess he was alerted to the bluff that I had activated instant death magic... I did the same thing. Should I deceive myself with magic I can’t use? I’ll do that from now on.)
“〈Triplet Magic・Wall of Skeleton〉”As expected, one blow destroyed 〈Wall of Skeleton〉, and a subsequent blow destroyed the other. However, one more piece remains—while Decem’s gaze was diverted, Ainz moved a bit from place to place, took out a scroll, and released the magic.
“〈Piercing Cacophony〉“It was magic that belonged to the enhancement and may be unnecessary, but just in case. The Primal Earth Elemental must have struck again. The 〈Wall of Skeleton〉 was shattered—
“—〈Triplet Magic・Wall of Skeleton〉“Decem’s magic was heard as soon as one of the three newly created pieces was destroyed.
“〈Aspect of Elemental〉“It was a magic of the 8th-tier of druid and was magic to gain resistance and other properties of spirits. It nullified various pad statuses, such as poison and disease. It also nullifies the effects of a critical hit, and the effects belonging to it were also rendered meaningless. There was similar magic called “Elemental Form“ in the 9t-tier. It was troubling that Ainz’s specialty was being blocked more and more. However—
(—How much of the opponent’s magic can be reduced)
“〈Triplet Silent Magic - Greater Magic Seal〉”
In addition, Ainz moved his standing position a bit. This means that he had now moved ninety degrees from his original position toward the staircase with Decem as his axis. The Primal Earth Elemental attack was unleashed, and the skeletal wall was shattered. Unfortunately, the skeletal wall cannot be created. 〈Triplet Maximize Boosted Silent Magic・Magic Arrow〉, the magic power was quickly drained.
Even at the lowest quirks, using four magical enhancements would reduce this much. If Primal Earth Elemental was what was summoned, it was a blow once 〈Greater Rejection〉 was chosen, and there was no need for this kind of magical preparation. However, if Decem had a specialized job setup for summoning, there was a good chance that he would not be able to disarm it even with such a big difference in level. Besides, what could be erased by 〈Greater Rejection〉 was only what was summoned, and it cannot erase what was created by, for example, the ability belonging to creation.
(Like a second-in-command of a spirit, perhaps? If they were created by consuming experience, they could be used semi-permanently. But seeing as it consumes magical power to maintain it, I’m not sure... I can’t take a gamble.)Then he should be prepared for that.
“Finally—”Decem looked at where the twins and Ainz stood and tilted his head.
“—Why did you move over there? You said you were the guardian, but you were going to run away?”
“Tsk!”
“Ha ha ha! Then I’ll help you.”As Ainz ran toward the stairs, a Primal Earth Elemental strike struck his unprotected back. The knockback effect caused by his huge body blew Ainz away.
“Wow. Well, you are a big talker if you can’t be crushed by a single blow. Well, it’s a futile resistance.”Ainz was blown away, but 〈Fly〉 kept him off balance, and he landed in front of the stairs.
“But if I run away, does that mean I leave the two masters behind?”
“How is that possible?”So Ainz again created 〈Wall of Skeleton〉.
“Again with that? What are you going to do without wounding my spirits? It’s a fool’s errand, that’s what it is.”Ainz sneered through the wall at Decem, whose tone of voice sounded like he was in a daze.
“Ha ha! I know that the humans are invading this country. Hey, Elf King, don’t you think time is on my side?”
“—I see. So that’s how it is. That’s pretty clever, isn’t it? But it is meaningless. It’s impossible.”
“What? Impossible, you said?”
“Yeah. Did you expect for a bit that a human could defeat me, who can control this Supreme Spirit?”
(The guy who summoned the angel in the past was appalling, but Primal Earth Elemental is indeed the highest rank—is the Theocracy attacking him knowing that Decem is this powerful? If so, that means they have the means to defeat Decem. However, this guy hasn’t come up with that. So either the Theocracy doesn’t know, or this guy doesn’t know. However, if the Theocracy knew what Dekem was capable of, would they have said at that time that—that was the highest tier angel, etc.?)What did he think of Ainz, who was silent and thoughtful and sounded truly dumbfounded?
“A bit of thought would have helped, wouldn’t it? You really are a shallow guy, aren’t you? No, I can’t help it. You’re undead. It’s got air in it instead of brains.”
(I don’t know. If they were preparing for a fight with Elf Country, there would be at least as strong as this guy in the Theocracy camp. But then, I guess the time was not in my favor. I just want to avoid a series of battles....)
How well could he drain his opponent’s MP? Ainz activated 〈Wall of Skeleton〉 with this in mind. As he told Mare in 〈Message〉, it was foolish to fight one-on-one when you want to win. However, this time he had to do so until he was about to lose, and another complication in this battle: the way of fighting was somewhat restricted. He knew that Dekem couldn’t see through 〈Perfect Unknownable〉. If that were the case, he would be able to use it to his overwhelming advantage. However, he cannot. Why not?
What if they use 〈Perfect Unknownable〉 and start attacking him unilaterally? What if he realized they were the stronger party by using higher magic, such as 〈Time Stop〉? Decem would retreat if he realized that he could not win. Fortunately, it was not impossible to say that he would not turn the target of his attack on the twins, but it was unlikely. The man’s objective was Aura—and then Mare—However, it would be bad luck for them to retreat when they had not yet discovered the magic trick that Decem had suddenly shown up here.
The fact that it suddenly appeared did not necessarily mean that it would suddenly disappear. If they let him go, Aura and Mare may be targeted by this pervert in the future. That was the one thing we definitely wanted to avoid. As long as the bottom of Decem’s ability remains unseen, Ainz was as good as having the two of them standing on the edge of a cliff. That’s why he said what he said in 〈Message〉—Don’t let him get away and kill him here for sure.
Therefore, Ainz could not immediately request their aid. The difference in numerical strength is one of the major factors in victory or defeat. If Ainz encountered an enemy that outnumbered them in a situation where they did not know the difference in strength between them and the other side, their first priority would be to retreat. Surely they should assume that Decem would do the same. Until they have a chance to kill, they should not create a situation where their opponent realizes the disadvantage and runs away. That’s why, rather than asking for the twins’ help, Ainz did not even summon the undead. And that was also why he told such a big lie that he could take the two of them with him. They tied up their opponent’s actions and guided his thoughts so that he would not and could not leave this battlefield.
(Sa, sa—what was that? Yes, that’s right. It’s the thank you cost-effectively. Let’s see if we can stack this up well—I hope he doesn’t see through it. Let’s hope he doesn’t have enough combat experience... at the very least, we should break some hearts.)
(“S-Scary...”)Aura immediately agreed with Mare’s trembling voice echoing through the necklace.
(“Yes, scary.”)
(“I didn’t know Ainz-sama was that scary.”)
Aura and Mare knew exactly why their master, the absolute ruler, was fighting the way he was. Seeing the bottom of their opponents—that may be part of it. But that was not the main point. There was only one goal. You were dragging your opponent through the mud to make sure he didn’t escape and kill you. In a situation where you didn’t know your opponent’s strength, when did you decide to flee during a battle–will he cut his losses? There are many different opinions, but when no damage could be done, as expected, the best time to make a decision is when your strength drops below a certain line.
The most common was when one’s physical strength fell below a certain level. What about when you have a lot of HP, but your MP has been depleted? Especially if you had used much of your own MP to get there? What if you had a feeling that you were almost ready to win? Even if you know it, you can’t cut your losses. Therefore, people usually make up their own rules based on their experiences and information gained from painful experiences. In other words, if you had little experience in combat and little information about your opponent, there was a high possibility that you would not be able to cut your losses well. Their master saw through that—as he said, he was proud and had no experience in fighting on equal terms with beings of the same level and was in a position of being a “good fighter”. So he puts them in a situation where they cannot cut their losses.
(“That pathetic line is all a bluff. Ainz-sama is really rude, but he’s as smart as a monster...”)Aura shuddered.
(“It’s no surprise that Demiurge-san is better than us...”)Mare also shuddered.
(“It’s amazing how he shows you how he uses scrolls and stuff like that.”)
(“I’m trying not to show any power of my own.”)Seeing him go that far was nothing short of terrifying. But, at the same time, it was very instructive. They both wonder at the same time how lucky they were to have someone like that as their superior.
・
Immediately after the destruction, the wall was put up again. Facing this scene, Decem hid his irritation at the fact that he was wasting his time with a smile. How many times had he done this? He had not counted the number of times, but it must have been at least twenty. Although they were fragile and weak walls that could be destroyed with a single blow, he deployed several of them simultaneously so that the Behemoth’s attacks could not reach them.(A small fish uses its head in a small fishway. But, no, they don’t. So they are desperate because they can only use that kind of magic.)Even if it was an exaggeration to call it a small fish, there was no way that the undead was stronger than the—Behemoth. So far, all the information told him this was the right judgment. If the undead was stronger than the Behemoth, it would attack aggressively. However, the undead only moves around unsightly, defending themselves with magic as if they were expecting a third party to do the work for them. Indeed, the Behemoth was injured each time the wall was destroyed, but only slightly. He must not think this would be enough to defeat the Behemoth.
(Trying to do even the slightest damage to the Behemoth must be a tearful effort to make it easier for the humans to defeat it—but the Behemoth’s strength is more than you can imagine, right? I think you’ll run out of magic first...)Another wall broke down, and the next one was visible. Decem sighed—the thought of still having to oppose that thing was getting tedious for the stones.
(Maybe that’s what they’re after, too. So that I will get in trouble and leave—but how can I destroy it easily?)
Obviously, it would be wiser not to oppose every one of those walls. But unfortunately, the Behemoth that Decem used did not have any special abilities. So if you try to ignore it, you have to move around that long wall. But even if you do that, it will just create another wall. So it’s a weasel move.
Decem was able to control and command spirits stronger than himself. Normally, he would not be able to summon and use something stronger than himself, but the job he had mastered had allowed him to stand outside the realm of reason. However, the disadvantage of this was that one’s magical power was gradually consumed during the act of combat. Since he did not have to concentrate on using Behemoth, he could use his magic. However, this would reduce the time spent on the Behemoth’s combat.
(It can’t be helped. As I expected, I will use offensive magic here—Behemoth and me. If they attack us, they won’t have time to build that wall.)Indeed, Decem was able to use magic up to the 10t-tier. The magic caster in this world cannot reach this realm no matter how hard he or she tries. However, he could only manage to use it because he specialized in summoning—he was not good at it. The most important thing to remember is that using the best quality products and services is the best way to get the most out of your money. However—he wondered if he could use his special magical power that way. The most important thing to remember was that the best way to get the most out of it was to be prepared for the worst.
(Somehow, I need to make that Undead realize that he couldn’t defeat Behemoth or me with a bunch of humans. Then they won’t be wasting their time...)He told them, but they didn’t seem to believe him. No, even he knew it was natural. It was only natural that he would not believe the words of his enemy. But Decem was not, in fact, lying. No being had ever been able to defeat Behemoth. In fact, even a dragon that had reached the level of an Enchant could not oppose him. It had strengthened itself with the magic of the 2nd-tier, but it was only crushed before the fist of Behemoth. Even Decem himself would have lost his life if he had made an enemy of Behemoth. Perhaps the only person who could defeat Behemoth would be his own father. But his father was already dead. In other words, no one could defeat him.
(Maybe he think he can win if I run out of magic, but he’s also mistaken about that...)They may think they could easily defeat a magic caster once they drained its MP. That would be a judgment based on his identity as a magic caster-type undead. Indeed, he would admit that part of that thinking was correct. Decem, who specialized as a spirit summoner, lost his ability to utilize—Behemoth; once he lost his MP—his fighting ability would be drastically reduced. However, that does not equal that he is weak. As the highest-ranking druid, his body boasted a performance that transcended that of many living creatures. With his fists, he could cut a fragile human body in half. A kick will leave footprints in their iron armor and crush the fragile flesh. He was confident he could kill an army of thousands or tens of thousands of humans with his physical ability alone. Then, if you asked if he was okay, he couldn’t nod his head with confidence. He was a bit worried because until now, he had left all the fighting to Behemoth. If it were several thousand soldiers, he would have to swing its fist several thousand times to kill them all. He won’t know until he tries—and above all—
(I will fight directly—I will not have the barbarity to stain myself with the blood of humans.)For Decem, who prided himself as a spirit summoner, killing his opponent by wielding a weapon was the very height of barbarism. It was a battle that he definitely wanted to avoid. But, then, what should he do?
(The amount of magic drain was negligible; I can still fight, but... that doesn’t mean I can fight for a long time or use Behemoth. Also, I have to use magic to keep my grandchildren stuck so they can’t—resist while killing the humans. Considering all that, I don’t have much MP to spare.)Therefore, he couldn’t devote any more MP to such undead.
(Ignore that one and take my grandchildren away? But they’ll just be summoned back again soon...)Then this futile battle would only be repeated once more. Besides, it couldn’t be done that way. By fighting and winning, we would show them who was stronger, break their hearts, and show them who was superior. If he didn’t, those two would continue to defy him endlessly. So, as he expected, the undead must be completely destroyed here.
(So, how do I destroy it?)Until now, all enemies had been like dead branches that could be easily broken in front of Behemoth’s blow. He had never even imagined a battle in which he would have to chase around an opponent who was dilly-dallying and stalling for time.
(Hmm.—From now on, let’s get some practice by killing those fleeing insects. First of all, That’s a good experience. There it is—)Decem stared at the wall that rose before Behemoth. No, the undead should be beyond it.
(As I expected. I killed that thing in a short time, even if it consumes a lot of magic power here. As a spirit summoner—yes— it is not a very beautiful way to use offensive magic, but—I have no alternative but to use it. I’m not going to engage in a physical battle, so I’ll just have to put up with it.)So determined, Decem chose and used magic.
“〈Shining Burst〉”The 7th-tier’s offensive magic burst into brilliance and scorching heat like the sun. A white light appeared in a hemispherical shape, and at the same time, the abominable wall of bones was instantly obliterated. However, the wall behind it remained unscathed.
(I see. Looks like even ranged offensive magic can’t destroy the next wall.)It would have been nice if all the walls could have been destroyed at once, but just knowing what one of your opponent’s walls was capable of was good enough. Based on this, he could choose different magic for the next one. Ranged attack magic was also a bit different, depending on whether it diffuses, explodes, or radiates. Next, Behemoth’s huge right fist destroyed another wall. Then, without a pause for breath, the left fist swung down and destroyed the last wall as well. Finally, the figure of the panicked undead could be seen.
(You’re going to build the next wall anyway, right?)Then this one would just use another attack magic chosen based on the earlier result. However, such expectations were not met. The undead, who began walking away from the Behemoth, pulled out an item from under his robe. It was probably a scroll. In the case of the elves, scrolls were made from the bark of a special tree and could only be used up to the 3rd-tier of the druid. The one the undead using was a druid. Since the undead was not a druid, it was assumed that the scrolls would be the same form as the druid’s scroll. The scrolls were made from special tree bark.
(Lower tier magic? Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think that’s going to stop me? —Or is there higher magic in the scrolls he uses? —However, when did he get it? Is it a special summoning?)The scroll disappeared, and the magic was activated.
(Wha-!)
A thick fog sprung up around the undead and surrounded the entire field of vision. Just a few meters away. Perhaps five meters away, you couldn’t see anything at all, the fog was so thick that it looked like milk was being spilled. They had invoked another depressing magic spell. He would have liked to activate offensive magic, but it would be ineffective in a situation where he could not see. The same went for range magic. The undead had just taken out a scroll while walking. It was probably moving further away at the same time it was using this magic. Even if you cast magic on the last place it was, the target may not be within range.
The Behemoth began to move in search of the undead. However, its movement was slow. The Behemoth’s sensing relied on its eyesight. However, it did not have eyes that could see through fog, so it lost sight of its prey. Decem activated the 4th-tier 〈Tremor Sense〉. This magic detected even the slightest vibration and used it to perceive opponents’ location. Normally, the ground would be better, but the floor was no problem. However—
(—What the hell? Nowhere to be found, huh?)Although it was impossible to see them because of the white fog, 〈Tremor Sense〉 told him that his grandchildren were still there, although they had not moved, probably because they had recrossed their legs or something. It was difficult to imagine that they escaped by teleportation or other means. It was even more unthinkable that they had been summoned out. But, then, what did that mean? Decem realized the reason.
(It’s not touching the floor! It’s floating in the air!)He was mistaken because he was running and running and running. The opponent was flying by some means. 〈Tremor Sense〉 was magic that detected subtle vibrations transmitted from the floor, etc., and could not be detected if the target was in the air. It was a wonderful way to strike a nerve.
“Such a stupid time-waster! You troublesome weakling!”It was really unpleasant. It would be quicker and easier to call the humans over here and wipe them out.
(You’re weak! If we were fighting outside, I could kill you faster!)He couldn’t think of a quick way to drag his grandchildren and the undead outside. There may be a way to break down the walls of the royal castle and throw them outside, but it won’t work that well. Instead, he ordered the wandering Behemoth to stand by near him. He didn’t know how the one hiding in the fog would behave, but it might aim directly at him. He didn’t mind that since a single blow would not kill him, he would hate to be forced to shed blood again with such a lowly creature. While he was watching his opponent’s movement, time was slowly passing. It was not much time. But the sensation of slowly losing magic power made the flow of time seem even slower.
(—I can’t waste any more time on this!)He went to blow away this fog. Decem tried to remember all the magic he hadn’t used in a long time. Since Behemoth had tried to kill all their enemies, there was a lot of magic he had learned but hadn’t used. However, he knew at least the magic that created a storm that blew away the fog. He chose the 9th-tier magic—〈Tempest〉. A raging storm was formed, and the fog was instantly blown away. At the same time, however, the torrential downpour created by 〈Tempest〉took away visibility. The winds were so fierce that even Decem could barely stand up to them. It was extremely difficult to move in this environment. Only the Behemoth could walk, although its speed may be slowed down by the storm.
(That b@st@rd shouldn’t be able to move in this big storm either.)With the rain pouring down, visibility was poor. Behemoth would not know where that undead was. Decem, however, was different. 〈Tremor Sense〉 captured every raindrop that hits the floor, so even if someone was walking around here, they would not be able to discern the vibrations. However, it was possible to identify points where the rainfall was less intense. On the floor plan in his mind, he could see two points where there was a barrier to the rain. One was the area where his grandchildren were, so inevitably the other was where the undead was.
(Is it moving??)
This heavy rain with limited visibility. The storm was so violent that even the giant echoes of Behemoth could barely move. How was that undead moving in such a situation? Even if it were flying, it would be entangled in this wind. His hesitation lasted only a moment. Immediately, Decem canceled the 〈Tempest〉. The storm and heavy rain made by the magic disappeared as if nothing had happened.
But the floor and his clothes were soaked, a piece of evidence that it was not an illusion. Decem brushed back his hair, which was wet and sticking to his face. Then he saw a wall rising where the undead had been. It must have been built up simultaneously as it was lifted.
“YOU, enough!!”
[Note: Kisama.]
Decem raged loudly.“Why don’t you try to fight with dignity! Sneaking behind the scenes! What cowardice!”
“Isn’t it natural to have a strategy in a fight? Don’t ask me such a question. I’d like to ask you a few questions myself, if that’s all right.”The undead voices came from the other side of the wall. It was best for him to ignore it, given the gradual consumption of magic, but it aroused his curiosity. The undead’s words probably represent the thoughts of those twins and, by extension, their parents. Then he should listen to him.
“What...?”
“Shouldn’t the humans be your opponents? We’ve been fighting here for a good amount of time. The elves might have been slaughtered down there by now, you know?”A bit amused by a question that was not what he expected, he answered it honestly. He thought about releasing Behemoth’s combat mode for a moment, but it would take some time to shift it back into its current form. Then it would be that sneaky undead thing. There was no doubt that he would attack if he saw an opening, even in the middle of a conversation. A single blow would probably be far from fatal, but that didn’t mean he would be willing to accept the attack. So, although it would mean maintaining the consumption of magic power, Behemoth would remain in combat mode and stand by.
“There are those, like yourselves, who think it is better to help, considering that my blood will awaken in later generations, but there are other elves besides this one. And there are others who have escaped on their own. The point is that there is no need to bother helping the weak who would be killed by humans here.”
“Well then, next question. I hear there are elven treasures here?”
“Elven treasures? You mean about me? Or do you mean Behemoth?”
“By this... you mean the Primal Earth Elemental over there?”
“Primal Earth Elemental?”
“Is that where you got stuck? You summoned a Primal Earth Elemental, didn’t you? Or was it another race... or is it just another name for the spirit? Are they called by another name?”Even though it was only natural that the gentry should perish in their foolishness, he was still frustrated with the fact that he thought of it as a mere Elemental Spirit of the Earth or a subspecies thereof. Therefore, he must rectify their terrible misunderstanding to educate his grandchildren well.
[Note: It’s not like I wrote it with wrong grammar, but Decem think that Ainz is talking because he is controlled by the twins, that’s why I changed the noun to “their,” not “his.”]
“That is Behemoth. Behemoth, the Guardian Spirit of the Earth.”
“Behemoth? I must have misheard. The Guardian Spirit of the Earth...? Not the Great Magical Beast of the Earth? A raid-boss? The Behemoth I know looks much different, but... who gave it that name first? Was it you?”
“No, but—”
“Who is it then?”It was a loaded question. Why was he so obsessed with it? What was the Great Magical Beast of the Earth? He thought it was a raid boss, but—was this guy—or was it his grandchildren? Did they know something that even he didn’t know? If so, it was probably best not to give any more answers.
“If you want me to tell you something... why don’t you lift that wall? How can you be so rude as to ask me to talk to you without seeing me face to face?”
“Then you don’t have to tell me. I only asked the question because it sparked my intellectual curiosity.”Decem looked at the twins. Either the summoned undead itself wanted them, or the grandchildren were getting some information from somewhere. The two, drenched in the rain, look with stunned expressions. He could not read anything from them.
“So another question—”
“Enough. There is no longer a single reason for me to talk to you.”Decem’s gaze was focused on the twins with impatience. He could not keep draining his magical power any longer. The question was also very different from what he had expected. But then, there was no need to talk any further.
“The chatter is over.”
[Note: Oshaberi oshimai!]
Suddenly the wall disappeared. He was hit over their shoulders when he was about to use [Green Chain] on the twins. Decem was not sure which one to go for.[Note: IDK whose shoulder, Mare’s or Aura’s, was hit by Decem.]
“I guess that’s as far as I’ve gotten. For now, you’ve lost enough MP.”
“What...?”
Decem was puzzled by the undead’s harsh, calm voice. Why did he feel like he could afford to be so calm? The undead, who was incompetent and could only buy time—he had ordered Behemoth to crush him into a pulp. At that moment, Decem looked at the stairs behind the undead. The humans had reached this area.
He thought they might be showing such an attitude because they had achieved their goal. However, there was no human being in sight. Even when he listened carefully, he heard no footsteps, not only those of the humans but anyone. The undead opened his mouth again, wondering what Decem’s reaction was.
“What I said, you’ve lost enough MP. How much longer do you have to keep Behemoth standing? Probably still some minutes, I guess.”
[Note: 「根ーベヒーモスを維持するのにあとどれくらい持つ?おそらく、まだ何分かは可能なのだろうな」 so 根 (kon) means root. It represents the meaning of standing, rooted in the ground.]
“—I know.”As expected, it was a quiet voice. Decem swallowed his saliva without realizing it. How could he behave like that? It was strange. Why was he under pressure from such a mere undead? He was the strongest elf that exists, the one who had the blood of the elves who once conquered this world. Biting his molars, he suppresses the humiliating feelings that arise inside him.
“I see!”He yelled loudly.
“You arrogantly thought that since your fist made me bleed, you could win in a fight with a bullet. That blow didn’t do much damage to me, though!”
[Note: 「お前の拳で私が血を流したから肉弾戦なら勝てる」, probably the fight with a bullet proverb of ranged magic, for example, Fireball, etc.]
“I know that too.”Decem was struck by a strange feeling of unease in the face of the undead, who answered his angry shouts in an apathetic manner. Could it be— For a moment, he had a crazy, impossible thought. If so, why? Why did they fight like that? It was a deception. They were trying to deceive him with their composure. There was no other reason.
“Behemoth!”He couldn’t tell if it was a yell or a scream, but he was unsure if he was yelling or screaming.
“―Crush them!!”
“Let’s begin.”The next moment he realized the meaning of the quiet voice.
“〈Triplet Maximize Magic・Cacophony Burst〉―release.”The first thing that happened was a sonic explosion. Then came the wings of an angel. A storm of shockwaves hit Behemoth, which stood between the undead and Decem, and rain of sunlight, as heavy as the previous downpour, overran its huge body. The HP of the Guardian Spirit of the Earth faded before one’s eyes. Unlike the living, Behemoth did not bleed or lose its body, but Decem, its master, could see that Behemoth was already dead meat.
[Note: Here, the author uses 虫 (mushi) or insect, so I change it into “dead meat“ to make it sounds more comprehensible to English speaker.]
Mayhem. Nothing but mayhem. Behemoth was the most powerful spirit. It was an existence in which no one could fight on equal terms. Even if it has suffered losses in battle, they have been negligible, given its enormous physical strength. It was just—such—he had never been this near-deathly weak before.“I... I-Impossible...”
“As expected. I hit its weak point, but six projectiles won’t take it down, huh? Would it have been different if I had specialized more in offensive magic?”His voice was still as plain and nonchalant as ever, showing no emotion. It was as if he was a different person from the undead who had just appeared.
(Wha-What the hell is going on?)
The bewilderment that swelled in his mind fades slightly, and then terror creeps in between the gaps. The earlier thought grew louder. Could it be that this undead was stronger than him?
“Hey! Behemoth! Take me!”Protect—Obey that will; Behemoth moved to block the undead’s line of sight and slammed its right fist into the ground.
(Yay!!! ーmmmm. What!)
[Note: I swear Decem said yatta in his mind.]
Behemoth then unleashes its left fist. That means Behemoth could not kill that undead with a single blow. He could see the undead standing majestically beyond Behemoth despite being struck twice. He was not crushed. Any enemy that has ever been crushed should have been crushed, but that undead was unfazed.“〈Triplet Maximize Magic〉“Before his eyes, Behemoth—the Unstoppable Great Spirit—turned into a massive mass of earth.
[Note: 「無敵の大精霊」 (muteki no daiseirei) means Unbeatable Great Spirit, but I think it’s cooler to name it Unstoppable Great Spirit.]
At that moment, he felt an enormous sense of loss. Something that had been there until that moment disappeared from within his heart. Only a gaping hole remained.“It was overkill, but... given that you have the skills, I think it was the right choice, don’t you?”
“—Hiii!”
[Note: Shrike voices.]
Impossible. A Great Spirit, the Absolutely Unstoppable, an alter ego of himself. There was no way that Behemoth would be defeated and destroyed. However, it was a fact that it was not in front of him. So what should he do?[Note: Straight translation is “It’s true that Behemoth vanished from his sight right now.”]
What action should he take? Who was the undead in front of him?“Don’t be so frightened—〈Reality Slash〉.”A tremendous pain hit him. A pain he had never felt before.
“A-Ahh...”Looking at it, his chest was bleeding, and his rain-soaked clothes were now turning crimson.
“Pain, painnnnn!!”
Pain.
Pain.
Pain.
That’s the only thing that echoed in his head like a bang.“I know exactly how you feel. If I wasn’t in this body, I would have lost myself to the pain as I did with the previous blow. Well, here’s a suggestion. Surrender. I will not cause you any more pain, and I will guarantee your safety after surrendering.”
“A, aa, aa, aww, is... it really?”With tears of unbearable pain, Decem asked his two grandchildren a question. After the two of them pretended to be flustered, the granddaughter responded with a “true“ voice.
[Note: Aura answered the question.]
“As you can see, I have permission from the masters. Now let us disarm you. I want you to rest assured. I’ll return them to you once I’m sure they’re safe. I’m telling you the truth. I never lied to you. I swear on my oath to the masters. Trust me.”
In a sincere and gentle tone of voice, the undead stated. He seemed to be willing to believe it.
Pain. 〈Mercy of Shorea Robusta〉 may have healed the wounds a bit, but it had not recovered the pain of the deep open wounds. For a moment, the thought arose that he would surrender if he could escape this pain. But—there was Pride. Having reigned as king for so long, he could not beg for his life from younger dark elves, even if they were his grandchildren.
Pain. There was no MP. No, there was, but even if he fought this undead with his remaining MP, he no longer felt like he could win. Should he find his chances in close combat? No, right now, he wasn’t sure of himself. He would probably die first if he were subjected to that powerful magic of the undead repeatedly.
Pain. Decem turned his gaze to the back of the undead—to the staircase. There was no one there. In that case—fleeing. That was all.
[Note: The OG is 走る (hashiru) or running, but I change it into fleeing.]
Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Yet, Decem began to run. The blood that flowed out was a sign that his life was being worn away. A strong fear of death wells up from within. Even if you have a magic item that makes you resistant to fear, it will not wipe out the natural fear from within you. That was why—because it was driven by fear—the body responded perfectly to the demands of the mentality. His feet kicked the floor with a speed he had never displayed before. Immediately his vision drifted back, and there was no longer any distance between him and the undead.
“Stop! Or I’ll kill you!”Ignoring the warning, the moment he passed by the undead, the magic was activated with a strong tongue click.
“〈Time Stop〉“No pain. No, maybe there was. The deep wound in his chest was stronger than that—the intense pain caused by running was so strong that there was no room to feel any other pain. If so, then—Decem runs as it was. The stairs were almost there. The pain in his chest was surprisingly sharp, but there was no disturbance in the movement of his legs.
“Aura!”
The undead seemed to have cast a spell. However, this time the magic did not affect Decem. Then, he just only could run. When he reached the stairway—his feet exploded. Three times. The impact momentarily lifted him off the ground, but Decem made the most of his physical abilities to regain his stance, and he ran without slowing down.
There was not much pain in the leg. Rather, the pain and fear of the open wound in his chest made him unable to understand anything. Behind him, he thought he heard the undead saying something, but he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to it. Decem ran to jump down the stairs.
He did not hear them chasing after him from behind. Just as he relaxed, a tremendous pain shot up his leg. He almost screamed but held it in desperation. It would have been bad form to scream. He looked down and saw that his leg had been shredded. It must have been caused when the foot exploded earlier.
The pain was more intense as he realized the wound. Decem moved his gaze to check the direction from which he had run. The trail of blood that had been spilled continued. Even if his opponent did not have the ability to track him, it would be easy for him to follow.
Pain. He didn’t want to die. But if he didn’t run, he was sure more pain would await him. Above all, he didn’t want to die. So with that single-mindedness, Decem endured the pain and moved his legs.
(Why am I in this mess? Why won’t my grandchildren cooperate!)He didn’t understand. Why won’t they cooperate for the elves’ sake?
(D*mn it!)In his mind—afraid that he would reveal his location by speaking out—Decem ran, cursing, tears welling up at the edges of his eyes.
・
To Decem, Ainz called for surrender in the kindest voice he could muster. Decem seemed to respond to the call, though it was hard to tell whether he had met the conditions that rendered that mysterious teleportation unusable or succeeded in inducing his thoughts by cornering him.
Finally, Ainz smiled inwardly. Of course, what he proposed earlier was a lie. He had no intention of guaranteeing his own safety. As soon as the equipment was discarded, he intended to dispose of it. He thought that if he broke his will, he would never again target the twins, but as he expected, the only guarantee was “Death.” However, the next moment, it seemed like the fire was in Decem’s eyes.
“Hm?”Decem suddenly began running. It was toward Ainz, too.
(Tsk! Close combat? Then—I don’t mind!)
Ainz was careful not to let his inner smile spill onto the surface; on the contrary, he tried to convey astonishment and fright in his vocal tone. Indeed, close combat was a fighting style that Ainz, an MP-based magic caster, disliked, and it could be said that he had been exploiting his weakness.
However, Ainz was pleased that Decem was willing to fight. In exchange for a little HP, he could kill Decem with confidence. However, it was right after that that Ainz was about to show a truly astonished face—a face that could not make an expression of any kind. Decem’s route was slightly off from Ainz’s, and there was no sign of slowing down at all. Ainz soon realized that his guess was wrong.
(—Oh, crap! This is a “gun-run“!)
[Note: “Gunned down“ by magic spells when fleeing from the scene.]
This means he had no choice but to raise his evaluation of Decem a bit, not to say a phase, although it was frustrating. The most troublesome thing for Ainz was to be made to run away at all costs. Even Ainz would have made the same choice as Decem in this situation, although it would have been earlier.
Knowing this, Ainz took several measures to prevent him from escaping by the same magical means Decem used when he showed up. However, he did not have much to counter his attempts to flee with pure physical strength. The reason was that there was not enough time for preparation, and it was quite difficult to prepare various things while successfully hiding one’s abilities.
“Stop! Or I’ll kill you!”
Although he warned him, Ainz didn’t expect him to stop. Nor did he intend to stop killing when he stopped. Therefore, Ainz immediately considered his next action. Even if he creates a wall, he may jump over it, and since it blocks Ainz’s line of sight, he may not be able to react to his opponent’s next escape maneuver. Mind-control magic could be called a one-hit attack.
However, it was unlikely that Decem, who was estimated to be over the level of 70, could be mind controlled. It was quite easy to obtain items and means to prevent mental manipulation magic in Yggdrasil. It would be difficult to prevent all types of mental manipulation magic, but there was a possibility that one kind of magic was possible.
In fact, the Emperor of the Empire, Jircniv, also had a magic item that prevented mental manipulation. It would be too early to bet that Decem did not have it. Personally, he would have liked to cast an instant-death type, but as long as 〈Mercy of Shorea Robusta〉 was at stake, it would be meaningless to use it. Hence, he chose 〈Time Stop〉. This could also be prevented if countermeasures were taken. However, it should be difficult to prevent it by any means other than magic items.
“〈Time Stop〉!”He didn’t stop—Decem did not stop. He didn’t click his tongue—he had thought of this possibility in the back of his mind. But, then, he just needs the help of others. Immediately, Ainz issued an order.
“Aura!”
“Yes!”Aura readying her bow—
“Shadow Arrow.”
[Note: 影縫いの矢 (kagenui no ya), Shadow Arrow, there is no English version for this in Japanese. You can suggest to me if you can find a better name for it.]
She impaled it on the shadow of Decem on the floor. Still, Decem did not stop for a moment and reached the front of the stairs without stopping. He had made at least minimal preparations, hiding behind the “wall of skeleton“ in case he tried to escape. [Explode Mine] was triggered at Decem’s feet.“It’s useless. Look att your feet—”He heard footsteps running down the stairs, unheard. It gets smaller and smaller.
“—Did he think I was bluffing? Or did he simply not want to listen to me? I underestimated him, because he only knows enough not to use penetrating magic against magic barrier.”He tried to bluff and stall him, but he was broken through. Decem was also a druid. Although from a different branch, he might have sawed through Ainz’s magic traps as a magic caster. Basically, the same magic couldn’t be deployed several times simultaneously. Just as you cannot repeatedly use summoning magic to summon a large number of monsters.
“I apologize to have let him escape!”After the apology, Ainz shifted his gaze to Aura from the staircase where Decem had disappeared.
“No... no, yes, that’s right. Indeed—that move was a poor choice, Aura. However, I saw during the fight that the man had “time immunity” and instant death resistance. So I should have judged that he also possessed some protection against mobility impediments.”
[Note: Probably immunity to time disruption magic.]
Aura tried to apologize again, but Ainz held up her hand to stop her.“However, I am as guilty as anyone for not having warned you about it. Frankly, I didn’t think he was taking steps to inhibit movement either. More importantly... what to do about it.”
“I’m going after him right now and I’m going to kill him.”
“Wait!”Ainz stopped Aura as she was about to run. If Decem was a druid of about the 70+ level, there was a high possibility that the Ainz could not keep up with him at his speed of movement. It would be Aura and Mare who could catch up. However, Ainz, who was somewhat drained of MP, would be left alone in that case.
(Bring the troops from Nazarick at the〈Gate〉—we don’t have time for that. But, first, we need to decide if we’re going to let this place go or if we’re going to make sure we kill him.)Although his MP was much reduced, Decem’s ability value regarding his physical body was reasonably high. In close combat that did not rely on magic, Ainz had no chance to win. Of course, this assumed that 〈Perfect Warrior〉 is not used.
(If Aura doesn’t bring a magical beast with her, she may not be able to respond if he uses some kind of trickery. Summon the undead... no, what if he could summon Primal Earth Elemental again? No, no, no... that’s impossible.)If he could repeatedly summon an elemental stronger than himself, that would be a bit unfair in terms of balance. No matter how much MP was consumed, it was a technique that even Ainz, who specialized in necromancer-related techniques, could not do. However, Ainz’s idea of the “impossible“ was only an idea based on the setting of Yggdrasil, and it may not apply in this world. Even if the knowledge of the game had been applicable so far, Decem was using a spirit that was impossible with the knowledge of the game. When he thought about it—
“—Mare!”
“Y-Yes.”
“Although it is dangerous, you alone can kill that Decem. If you don’t think you can win, save your MP and stall for time.”He would like to give him more instructions, but he didn’t have time to go further.
“Go.”
“Yes!”He replied cheerfully, which was not unlike Mare, and ran after Decem to the stairs. His speed was so fast that the sound of his footsteps instantly became distant. As he ran alone, he thought about having the summoned undead follow him but decided to save it for when a particular situation arose. The 〈Lopsided Duel〉 had not yet run out. There may come a time when Ainz would fight that Elf King again. When that time comes, it would be for a brief battle to settle.
“—Aura! You are my bodyguard. We’ll go through the treasure room and get everything as soon as possible. We’ll meet up with Mare right after that.”
“Yes!”
Part 3
This is the real part 3 from Chapter 5. But, since I split chapter 5 into 5 parts because I only can do the translation of around 36~38 pages per day.
The General Headquarters at the front was always noisy during the war, but it was still loud as he expected it to be now that the war was being decided. But, no, even if the war was won, the fighting would continue until the collaborator civilian officers who would administer the occupation arrived.
Now, the chiefs of staff were rottenly working on completing the picture of the war situation by consolidating the information from the messenger soldiers in various places and applying the pieces one by one while examining each of them. Then there was the task of counting wounded soldiers and transporting prisoners of war.
Miscellaneous matters such as the disposal of corpses were abandoned because of the ongoing battle. But, at any rate, what comes to the marshal, Valerian Ein Orbinier, was information that was confirmed without any falsehoods. That was why, when the long-awaited report came in, he expressed a feeling of relief from the bottom of his heart.
“Your Excellency. We have undoubtedly broken through the defenses of the elves. This has reduced the enemy’s counterattack by 70%. Although... it may seem a little too reduced, the reduction in strength due to the lack of strongmen is believed to have been significant. However, it is believed that the remaining troops are hiding in various parts of the city. Any advice?”
“Don’t cause unnecessary damage. Rangers holed up in the city are not to be feared, but those who are moving freely and disrupting the city are. Expand the area you occupy, put pressure on them, drive the elves into the outer perimeter of the city, and avoid fighting indoors. Remember to have strong individuals in the units that enter the city.”
“Yes, I will give you report immediately. I will direct it to you right away.”
“The elves who charge into the encirclement will no doubt be a dead army. Make it known repeatedly to never let your guard down.”
“Then I’ll take my leave..”
“—I heard the road is clear, but what about the counterattack from King’s Castle?”
“None. They are still silent.”
Normally, Valerian’s expression would be much darker. The royal castle could not be empty. It was highly likely that the elite elves were on the defensive. And the soldiers who drove them out were no doubt fleeing to the castle. And above all, there was the Elf King. It was fresh in their minds that they lost the deputy leader of Holocaust Scripture due to the Earth Elemental under the control of the Elf King. Even though he was not as strong as the heroes, but he killed a man close to that strength.
Moreover, according to Theocracy’s records dating back more than a hundred years, even the Black Scripture, composed of members with legendary abilities, suffered catastrophic damage before the Elf King’s fighting ability. Although it was unclear what the strategy was, it seemed to have succeeded, so it should not be absolutely unbeatable.
However, it was a heavy burden for the Theocracy army commanded by Valerian, which was to be eliminated. It could be said that the biggest climax of the war with Elf Country had not yet been overcome. However, there was a trump card now.
“Let me make sure. You can go in, right?”
“Yes, we do. It is possible.”Hearing the affirmation of the chief of staff, Valerian stood up from his chair.
“So I guess we can assume that... has met its predetermined goals as well... Gentlemen, thank you for your efforts. I will report back to all of you.”Valerian left his tent alone and went to another tent. The master of that tent did not like other people very much. She was not an opponent to be put in a bad mood. Call out to them from outside the tent.
“Excuse me, do mind if we come in now?”
“Go ahead.”
She responded immediately. Valerian took one deep breath before entering. She is not a dangerous person by any means. She greeted him briefly when he came here, and she seemed like a rational person. However, when he faces the member Black Scripture, a person who stands in the realm of heroes, an existence beyond human beings, even he must be prepared to face her. Even if he understood that he would not be attacked, he should be ready to meet a mighty predator.
And one more thing. The woman in the tent was not only a strong woman standing in the realm of heroes but an exceptional figure in Theocracy. Different human species could procreate with each other, but that was a forbidden idea in Theocracy. In Theocracy, which considers the prosperity of only the human species, any non-human species, even the human species, is an enemy.
However, this idea seemed to have only been around for the last hundred or so years. In fact, it seemed that before that time, Theocracy had a policy of thinking somewhat about the human species as a whole and that they should work together to fight other species hand in hand. The reason for this change was believed to be due in part to the Lord of this tent.
She is said to be the most powerful person in Theocracy, and her life span is extremely long. She was also said to be a disciple of an unknown, yet supposedly existing, Guardian God. This was all Valerian knew. Yet, amidst such vague information, there was one piece of information that was certain. One of them was that he was a woman who should never be disrespectful, even when he holds the rank of marshal.
No, he had no intention of talking to the King of the Mighty Carnivorous Beasts from a superior position. He rolled up the cloth at the entrance and entered to see a simple chair, bed, and a table with shelves and a helmet. The outside was no different from other tents, but the furnishings inside were quite nice. These items had been brought from Theocracy utilizing “transport,” items that were not even in his tent as a marshal. In the center of the room, she was bouncing around in her current armor.
“What is going on??”Was it something that Valerian did not understand? For example, was it a particular ritual?
“Hmm? Not that there’s anything special about it. I just need to move my body for some reason.”
“So, like that.”Then she jumped for a few seconds and finally stopped it.
“You don’t have to use honorifics. You’re in a better position than me.”Even as she said this, she showed no sign of changing her tone or attitude from that of her superiors.
“No, that is not possible. You are the supreme power of Theocracy and a disciple of the Guardian God.”
“That’s too formal. Well... if that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you. So, am I correct in assuming that’s what you’re here for?”
“Yes, we are in the process of getting a new building. The only thing left is the royal castle. However, I believe the remaining troops are gathered at the Royal Castle...”
“I’ll take care of that too. But I’m only after one person, so it’s not like I’m going to clean it up carefully.”
“Understood. We’ll take care of that one for you.”The woman called “Zesshi Zetsumei” slowly changed her expression. Valerian saw the smile on her face and lowered his eyes. She was not trying to kill him. He knew that—but he still felt fear.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Um... can I ask you something?”
“Yes. If I may.”
“Yup. I can honestly say that I personally have nothing against that thing. It’s not like he did anything to me. You could say that I didn’t do anything fatherly, but that wouldn’t be unreasonable from his point of view. It’s possible that he don’t even know that I exist. —-It’s my mother who had grudge against my father, so you could say that this feeling I have is something that she planted in my mind.”How should he answer this? Agree or deny? Was she the daughter of the Elf King? If so, who was her mother? The questions kept coming to his mind one after another. She continued to speak without paying attention to Valerian, who was too baffled to answer anything—he got it. This was just like she talking to herself. She didn’t want to hear an answer.
“Then my hatred should be directed at my mother, right? The one who made me feel such nasty feelings. But she is already dead, so there is no way to take it out on her. Maybe that’s why I’m trying to take out my hatred on my father as an alternative. If you really want to vent your resentment, maybe you should take it out on the one your mother loved, right?”The mood of the story changed—Valerian looked into her face. She was still smiling—nothing had changed. However—was this really a smile? He held his breath. He was terrified that depending on his response, he might trigger the destruction of Theocracy. He guessed his nervousness must have been felt—then she smiled bitterly.
“Ah... also. I’m sorry. Did I scare you? I’m not saying we should destroy Theocracy as a place to vent my resentment. Because... I like Theocracy, for whatever it’s worth.”
“O-Oh, I see. That’s good to know.”He could not reply well. But eased feeling spread within Valerian’s heart.
“ I wonder... if I will be free when I get rid of my mother’s grudge that has been burned into me. It’s kind of embarrassing to put it into words like this. It’s a very emotional time for me, I’m sure.”
“I see.”
“If you’re an acquaintance, you’ll be asked, ‘How old are you now?’ something like that.”
“I apologize for not being more attentive.”She continued as if she did not care about Valerian, who had bowed his head.
“I wonder what my mother was thinking.”
“Eh?”
“If you are weak... you will only be trampled. So be strong. It’s not a wrong idea. I can’t say for sure that I’m the only one in the world who is trained to death at a very young age, and there may be others who are trained even harder than me to become strong. In that case, my idea is just naive, right?”
“It’s... I think it’s hard to say for sure that it is, or how can I put it...”Affirmation or denial? As Valerian wondered which would not offend her, it was an incomprehensible response. Then, perhaps sensing Valerian’s feelings, she laughed—this time, she was really laughing.
“When it’s all cleared up, it would be nice to go through the old records. Things I didn’t notice in the past. Maybe there’s something I need to look at from a third person’s perspective to see what’s going on. Anyway... I’m sure there will be something left behind. How my mother felt about me. Well... let’s go.”
・
“Huh... huh... huh...”
Given Decem’s physical capabilities, he should not have been out of breath after running this distance as fast as he could. However, now his breathing was in a state of disarray. The cause was fear. The disturbance in his mind that was rising from within was having a strong effect on his body. As he ran, he strained his ears, and tried to hear if anyone was approaching from behind. No one was coming—no one was chasing him—did he successfully escape? No, Decem shook his head in his mind. But, he could not let his guard down.
His pride as the strongest elf should no longer be a priority. He should run away from this place. The defeat was not the end of everything. The elves should not be only in this forest. He should go to a more remote area and build his kingdom again. He had the power to do so—so he must have that much power.
(Next time, I won’t make the same mistake.)Grandchildren, great-grandchildren—he now had proof that blood will be awakened in the future, not just in the children’s generation. So then, this time, he should do it more wisely.
(That’s right. This is not a failure, this is not a defeat, this is just a good experience. I will not waste it. I am not such a foolish man. A man who repeats his mistakes is a real fool!)That’s right—first, let his own children bear children with the dark elves. Or should he have a child with a dark elf himself?
(At any rate, there is no time to lose. So do I get out of here in the shortest possible distance? Or... at least bring some food.)He thought while running. Decem’s teleportation was to move to the spirit connected to him, and now that Behemoth had fallen, he could not move there. However, since he could fly with his magic, he could not move only with his legs. Yes, Decem possesses magic powers. To put it bluntly, you don’t have to take anything out, as long as you have the magic items you are wearing now. And once you reach civilization, you can take what you want. If you are as strong as Decem, it should be possible. Indeed, he was defeated earlier—frustrating, he admits it—but the strength of those two of his grandchildren was the exception to the rule. They were strong because of Decem’s blood, and it was unlikely that anyone as strong as that could be found where they fled. However, it would be conspicuous if one were to wield such power. Moreover, if information about Decem were to spread, the undead controlled by his grandchildren might come after him again.
(What is the purpose of those two, by the way? Is the reason they showed up on that floor because of the treasure room? If all they want is the treasure, they no longer care about my life, do they...?)This idea may be naive. It was hard to believe that what his grandchildren said, and had the undead told him, was the truth.
(They want my life... might be.)He should assume the very worst. Above all, his life was at stake.
(Then, as I expected, I should be as inconspicuous as possible until I leave the area. I’d also like to avoid using magic as much as possible. As I expected, then it’s all about food.)Among the druid’s magic is the spell of creating fruits. The treasury can activate it six times in a four-hour time. The staff should have been made. However, Decem himself has not mastered that magic. And it is not as if he is skilled in forest activities. He is confident that he can repel a monster attack, but he has no confidence in his ability to gather food in the forest or to successfully cook a killed beast.
(There is a minimum amount of food in the room, such as fruits and liquors. Then, without using magic, I will take them out of this forest as quickly as possible. After that, I will kill everyone I meet and take their supplies so my grandchildren won’t hear about it. That way, I can escape far away from here. That’s right. Should I bring something of value with me? Jewelry, gold, silver, etc., are all useful, right?)Decem exhaled roughly and finally made it to the front of his room. There should be a few women there, but taking them along would be conspicuous and slow him down, so perhaps he should leave them here. Or should he take at least one or two of them with him? As the king, he’s uncomfortable having to do such a thing, but he shouldn’t be dragged down that far if he carried it up.
(—I wouldn’t mind taking a woman with me as long as she can prepare a meal. Besides, once I leave this forest, I don’t know when I’ll see the elves again, so in that case, I’d better take them with me to have a child.)He wiped away the sweat from his soreness and caught his breath. He did not want to appear unkingly in front of the women. Decem opened the door to his room, wondering which way he had come, wondering if the undead would appear behind him at any moment.
“Welcome home.”
The woman’s light tone was thrown at him. Decem was instantly angry. How could he be so humbled by one of the women who had been so humble toward him? He felt he was being mocked for having been defeated by his grandchildren. However, his anger was instantly put to rest when he saw the room. It was a red room. His own room had been dyed red.
Its blood. The smell of blood was so dense that it far exceeded the word “thick.” The reason why he did not notice this from outside the room was probably that his nose had become confused by the smell of blood wafting from his wounds. The room was littered with the remains of women, and in the center of it, a woman sat on a chair, which she must have taken the trouble to bring there.
A woman whom he did not recognize. She was dressed in splendid full-body armor, with a helmet in one hand and a strange staff in the other, the tip of which had three blood-soaked blades protruding in an arc. What purpose the weapon was intended for when it was made in such a shape is beyond his comprehension. The woman did not seem to be an elf. However, her appearance had the characteristics of an elf. So was she an elf as he expected? And above all, her eyes—
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, father.”A woman who smirked and laughed. The conclusion was reached.
“I see. I see. You’re... the mother of those kids...”The woman’s expression immediately stiffened, and she began grinning and smiling intensely.
“That’s right. Those kids... I am their mother. When I look at that scars... those kids beat you. Were they that strong? What did they beat you with? Tell me, father.”He tried to open his mouth and closed it. There was no time to waste in buying time for this woman. He immediately turned on his heel and tried to get away from this room for a bit.
“—I’m not gonna let you go.”
“Ugh!”
Pain shot up his leg, and he rolled to the floor. When he looked, he saw that the blade from the woman’s strange cane had caught his foot. She had been knocked off his feet. Then, he was dragged into the room. A brand new wound had formed on his leg, and blood was flowing again from it. However, it was nothing compared to the chest wound he received from that undead or the wound on his leg while running.
However—he didn’t understand. There was some distance between the two. However, this woman caught up with him instantly and attacked his legs. It was as if this woman... his own child... the speed at which she was moving seemed too far exceed his own. His back was pressed down hard. It appeared that he was being held down by the woman’s legs.
“Ughh!”Decem could not stand up. Was it beyond his own strength? Or was it due to a particular power?
“Are the wounds on the chest caused by a wound from a sharp items? What about the wounds on your feet? I heard that you use earth elemental.”
She asked questions in rapid succession. What he felt from his opponents was a sense of composure. Indeed, Decem was deeply wounded. And he had lost Behemoth. However, that did not mean he was weak. His physical fighting ability is still strong, and it is easy to kill a living creature instantly by slamming his fist into it. Such Decem tried to run away as fast as he could. Even though his movements were slowed by the pain, there was no way this woman could catch up with him. Apparently, he had to admit.
In savage power, this woman surpasses Decem. But the question remained. He didn’t recall a child being born with such high abilities. He moved his head and looked up at the woman holding him down. As he expected, he didn’t recognize her, and as he suspected earlier, if she was an elf, her face was somehow odd.
“Wha-What the hell do you want...? Why are you doing this to me?”It was a purely sincere question. Then the woman let out a “hahaha”.
“The strong can do whatever they want to the weak. Am I wrong?”
“Ug... ah“That is right. That is how Decem had lived up to now.
“It’s wild animal logic... but it’s the kind of thinking that suits barbarians who live in forests with no civilization, right.”
“Did the women who were here say that?”
“Phew...”The woman sighed as if she was letting out a great deal of accumulated heat. At that moment, a strong force was being applied to the leg on his back.
“Gu.. aghh...”His lungs were compressed, and he was unable to breathe.
“Can you quickly answer my question from earlier? Did you forget the question? Are you dumb or something?”
“Agh...”The strength the woman applied with her feet became unbearable even with Decem. A creaking sound could be heard from within his body, and his mouth, gasping for air, could only exhale but not inhale. Then, with a tongue click, the force weakened a little. However, not enough for him to escape. In the first place, Decem could only do so much for fresh air.
“What kind of attack could have caused those wounds?”
(Why did this happen to me... after meeting with my grandchildren... the worst... that’s the worst. However, why is this woman so obsessed with scars? Can’t she see what her own children have done to me? As a necromancer, she uses various undead... no, it’s not... is it?)Did three children or grandchildren appear at this time with power comparable to, or even greater than, his own? No, perhaps there was another reason.
(Oh well!! I thought they were my child—and my grandchildren, but if they are blood relatives, there is another possibility! Could it be my father’s...! No way! They are my other half-relative!?)
[Note: Half brother/sister.]
That is what was most likely. His father was a mighty Elven Hero and the greatest warrior of all time. The reason he was given two derogatory names, such as “The Eight Lustful Kings,” which was not a title of respect—but because he was stronger than anyone else—the weak tried to diminish his glory by giving him such a name to cover up his greatness. Such great blood, the qualities of a light-armored warrior, Decem did not inherit, but this woman may have inherited them.[Note: 軽戦士 (kei senshi) means light-weight warrior, but I change it into light-armored warrior because Zesshi wears armor.]
“I’d like you to talk now, okay? If you don’t talk, I’ll kill you.”
“Aa... ag... agh!”He wanted to shout:
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk, relax.”But he couldn’t speak. He heard a crackling sound coming from inside his body. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. His whole body stiffened from the intense pain as if his guts were being gutted, and he clawed at the floor without realizing it.
“I thought... I had lost all interest in feeling sorry for my mother since then... But the thought of being r*ped by this mama’s boy and carrying me in her arms... well, it’s a bit... pitiful.”
[Note: Zesshi said 雑魚 (zako) means small fish, small fry, or unimportant person. But I change it into mama’s boy cuz it sounds funny!]
As if muttering to herself, the woman put more force into her leg. Again, the same pain as before was felt for the same number of sounds. The taste of blood rose from the back of his throat, and he tried to spit it out, but it just spilled out of the corner of his mouth. It was painful—agonizing and painful.
Why did he have to go through this? He did not do anything wrong, though. Decem lashed out with all his might. If only he could breathe a bit. Still, there was no escape. It was pointless in front of the overwhelming gap in power.
Dead. He would die. He felt the same way just a few minutes ago, but even more so.
Scary. Scary. Agonizing. Agonizing—Why he was—
“It’s really annoying. Because of this feeble creature that I... my mother...”It was getting dark—Tears overflowed. Why did they do such terrible things?
“Jeez, really!”
[Note: Zesshi said 「本当に、本当に!」(hontouni, hontouni!) in English, which means “really, really!“ which is her expression of pissed off by Decem. I changed it into “Jeez, really!” because it sounded more comprehendible.]
He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want to die. Is anyone—Help—
Suddenly, he regained consciousness. However, the pain was not gone, nor was he able to breathe. What happened—What was going on.
“You make your body to be bigger...? Jeez, persistence!!”
[Note: 体が膨らんだ? (is your body bloated?), 膨らんだ (fukuranda) means to expand, to swell (out), to get big, or to become inflated.]
ーCrunch Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch. The sound of bones breaking all at once.
PainーWhat isーHappenー Once again, Decem saw the world turning dark.
“That’s your reason, isn’t it? You got what you deserved. But unfortunately. I really wanted to beat you to death, but...”
Her blood relative father stopped moving. Zesshi’s eyes move to the bodies of the elves lying around her. In hindsight, it might not have been necessary to go this far. She would be lying if she said there was no passing of hatred toward her mother. But more than that, she hated the idea of her beloved motherland doing the same thing with a man who made her disgusting to even live in the same unpleasant world.
The sentimentality of killing him off was the reason why this woman was drowned in a pool of her own blood. The idea of Zesshi would be unconvincing to those who could hold the optimistic view that one day they would be happy as long as they live. However, from Zesshi’s point of view, it was hard to comprehend those who could have such a belief. Zesshi suddenly moved her gaze to the entrance door. A dark elf girl appeared through a gap in the door that was left open. First of all, no doubt, this would be one of “those kids“ who hunted down the Elf King. Zesshi recognized the indication of royalty in her eyes, though they were of a different color, and she let out a small sigh.
The fact that he mistook Zesshi, whom she had never met, as this girl’s mother probably means that this girl was the niece of Zesshi, the granddaughter of the Elf King. Surprised to find herself feeling a bit of “I don’t want to kill her, ” Zesshi kicked the dead Elf King’s body as hard as she could toward the girl and crushed his chest. The girl lightly avoided the corpse, which flew at a speed difficult for ordinary people, or even deviant people, to avoid. The corpse hit the wall behind the door as it was, and with a loud noise, a crimson flower blossomed.
(If you can avoid it, you are pretty physically talented. His wounds seemed to have been inflicted by a bladed object…)The little girl—her niece, holds a black wand, a striking weapon. But, at first glance, she could tell that the man’s wounds were inflicted by someone else. In fact, since he said “those girls,“ she was sure there was at least one more. However, magic items, such as shifting forms that create magical blades exist. Therefore, she could not dismiss the line that she was the one who inflicted the wounds on the Elf King.
(Or is she the one who caused the chest or leg wound on him? A wand with magic?)
However, why did the dark elf girl hurt the Elf King? No. There could be many reasons why the Elf King was hated, and so on. However, the most likely cause could be that she copied her parents’ hatred, as in Zesshi. The girl seemed too young to spontaneously had such a strong motive and resentment that could cause such a deep wound.
It is possible that she did not know her own strength and inflicted such severe wounds on him as an act of taunting, but the situation negates such a possibility. The reason was that even though he was a piece of dead meat, she did not even try to catch the Elf King when she flew it toward her but avoided him with aplomb.
[Note: dead meat=dead body.]“E-Etto, a-ano, desu. Sis, may I know who you are?”A cute little girl who was the embodiment of a dreadful man’s fantasy. In other words, it questioned her as if she were living in a world with nothing to do with Zesshi. However, it was obvious at a glance that the inside and the outside were as different as they came. The dead body of the Elf King lay behind her. Yet, she showed no concern for the body of the Elf King lay behind her, nor any sign of fear at the sight of the horror created by Zesshi in this room.
(You evaded my attack and then acted like that? Whoa. Her frightened behavior of her is most likely a disguise. I should be more cautious. Now, what should I do?)
How should she answer her opponent’s questions? If possible, she wanted to give her deceptive information with as little fighting as possible while taking her time to extract information from her. However, that was impossible. From what the Elf King said, the opponents were definitely more than one. If this girl were the one who had given the Elf King the wound, there was not a single blood stain—even if the injury had been healed, the blood stain would have remained—but there was an enormous difference between this girl and the Elf King.
Even if it was not this girl who caused the injury to the Elf King, there was no doubt that she and her companions were not ordinary people since this girl was chosen by the one who did it to pursue him. She had no idea how much ability she had, but if they were to join forces, it would be too dangerous even for Zesshi. If so, now was the time to destroy her when she couldn’t see her allies. Instead of getting information, she should make the first move and kill this girl in a short period.
(It’s wishful thinking that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It’s definitely better to act like it’s a new enemy.)Slightly thoughtful, smiling to make her opponent let down her guard a bit, Zesshi finally answers the girl’s question.
“—Hello. I’m... from Sorcerous Kingdom, and you are? Alone?”The girl’s expression twitched. The unsure look on her face did not change, but she did show the slightest indication that she was thinking about something.
(I can’t read her thoughts. I screwed up. I should have made my response more narrowly focused… as it is, I can’t tell if she doesn’t know about the Sorcerous Kingdom, if she is affiliated with the Sorcerous Kingdom, or if she is an adversary of the Sorcerous Kingdom. The fact that she didn’t turn to an immediate attack may have somewhat lowered the possibility of an adversary. Still, there are cases where, like me, she’s prioritizing the acquisition of information… Ah, I might have seen a different reaction if I’d named the Council State.)She mentioned the name Sorcerous Kingdom because she had information that the Sorcerous King had a dark elf girl in his entourage. This information was not obtained by a spy infiltrating the organization of Sorcerous Kingdom. During the battle against the Kingdom in Katze Plain, “Thousand Leagues Astrologer” confirmed the presence of a dark elf girl beside the Sorcerer King.
[Note: 占星千里 (chisato senri) it’s epithet, same as 絶志絶命 (zesshi zetsumei). About Thousand Leagues Astrologer, she is The 7th Seat of the Black Scripture. She is the girl who’s witnessed Katze Plain massacre, and now she’s fallen into despair.]
When “Thousand Leagues Astrologer” reconstructed the scene she saw, she had a clear picture of the Sorcerer King and his army. Of course, the dark elf who was the sole servant was also projected, but her appearance was generally blurred, and her face was not well-defined. Thousand Leagues Astrologer had to observe the entire battlefield, so she couldn’t spend the effort to remember just one person. She was too overwhelmed by the impression of what happened afterward to remember much other information. So it seemed that much additional information had been skipped. From that wand appearance alone, the girl in front of her did not seem to fit the vibe of the Sorcerer King’s envoys. They shared the same black wand, but the armor she wore was completely different.
Well, the quality of the vision was so low that she could only speak of the image only in terms of armament. If this girl was a servant of Sorcerous Kingdom, she wondered what kind of outfit she would wear when she came here. Like herself, she was sure that she would come fully equipped. This was a battlefield. No one comes to a place where you don’t know what will happen, and no one shows up in regular clothes. Kaire and “Thousand Leagues Astrologer” were also chosen to wear armor based solely on its performance, regardless of whether it would look good on them.
But having said that, Katze Plain was also a battlefield. No one was powerful and had more than one serious war armament. To ascend to a higher level, one must have superior weaponry, and one’s fighting skills must be honed to match those weapons. There was an example of a man who was an expert with the cudgel, but when Black Scripture pulled him out, he was given a powerful ax and had to spend years becoming proficient with it. By that logic, the dark elven Elf Country and the girl in front of her were two different people, but there seemed to be many factors in common to conclude so. That was why she tried the scythe to see how she would react, but it was a splendidly missed swing.
In her mind, she thought to herself, “I would have handled this scythe better,” as she tightened her grip on the scythe. And it was the face of another race. Humans could generally tell each other apart, but that did not mean they were perfect. As she expected, there were some things that she could only see if they were of the same race.
“E-Err, y-yes. Alone...”
“I see. Well then, that’s going to make everyone worried.”
(Wah. With a cute face... she told a lie without hesitation... But, of course, it’s not perfect as it looks. If so, is there a high probability that the information I get from the conversation is a lie? It doesn’t make sense to continue the conversation any further when I know my opponent has a collaborator. First, I should use force and move her to a safe place. After that, it’s better to get the truth out of her, whether by magical means or by physical means of pain…)The girl confidently lifted the hand not holding the wand, and touched the necklace dangling from her neck. A gesture that seemed like nothing. It appeared as if her hand had unconsciously moved in search of something because she was anxious. It was a terrified girl’s behavior, but it did not make sense to Zesshi, who knew that her appearance was not in line with what was on the inside.
“Tsk!”She closed the gap with the girl at once, faster than a short lisp disappearing in mid-air. She wore a helmet and held a weapon in her hand—a Charon—and ran it through the girl’s legs as if to sweep them across the floor. That was—the wand that girl was holding was pushed back at her feet. Weapons that could easily slice through even steel were played, but there was no surprise. She thought that was about as good as it could get. However, it was unexpected that the hand holding the wand did not flinch under the full force of Zesshi’s attack. But—
(—As I expected, a warrior type.)It could be said that the profession that the dark elf girl was practicing was almost confirmed.
(No, wait...? A lightly-armed warrior? No way... however, it’s not confirmed that the child is only the Elf King... but it looks like...)Dark elves and elves have the same lifespan and should have the same growth in appearance.
“Su-Sudden—”
(Could it be another bloodline? Am I thinking it too much?)
The dark elf girl seemed to be mumbling something, but Zesshi’s hand did not stop as she thought something. She decided to fight her. Talk only when she needed to buy time or when she won. Chasing the girl who jumped behind her, she ran out into the corridor. With a large arc and sufficient centrifugal force, the scythe struck the girl’s limb. Swinging such a large sickle around, it would obviously hit a wall or the floor. However, no problem. Theocracy—No, the weapon held by Surshana, the Savior God of Mankind, could easily slice through walls, floors, and other surfaces. Although there was some catching, the scythe’s speed hardly slowed down.
However, it got bounced. Bounced. Bounced.
Three strikes, like a bolt of lightning, slashed in rapid sequence. Then, everything bounced back to the black wand held by the girl. It was not that it was a striking piece, but anyway, the instantaneous power was incredible. Its lightning speed was clearly on par with Zesshi’s.
(Quite a feat. A warrior of equal caliber? That’s not good. I’m at a disadvantage if she’s completely on the defensive.)This brief attack and defense alone could tell her something. From what the Elf King said, the opponent had allies. If they were as good as this girl, the only thing Zesshi could do would be to run away as fast as she could. However, even though the Elf King could escape, it would be shallow to think that she, too, would be able to escape easily. Having let him go once, she should assume she has something in mind for the next move. If the opponent was not a fool. That means—
(—Push through in a short-term decisive battle. Killing... I no longer have a choice. In some cases, I can bring the corpse back to see if she can be revived.)
Zesshi gulped as her gaze almost moved to the girl’s abdomen. Despite wearing a metallic dress-like armor, her soft and smooth abdomen was exposed, without any abdominal muscles. She proudly exposed a weak spot, a place full of vital organs. Nevertheless, it was naive to think that aiming there would give her a deep blow. The defensive power of armor was usually the sum total of the MP contained in it + the iron armor used + special abilities, etc. So there must be a defensive benefit in proportion to the strength of the enhanced armor, even in that thin belly.
Still, there was no protection generated by the materials used in the armor. So it was definitely a less defensible area. So, why wear such a thing? It was probably because she was deliberately exposing an opening to persuade her opponents to attack. There was a good chance that some trap was waiting for her there. While thinking so, she also hopes that by attacking that area, she may be able to kill the target with a single blow. That was why she didn’t look at the abdomen.
“〈Power of Gaia〉”Suddenly, the girl activated her magic, and Zesshi rolled her eyes.
(What? Magic? Not a warrior? Nah, nah, no, there aren’t warrior jobs that could use a bit of magic... but... eh?)
Zesshi could use divine magic, but the magic used by the girl was strange to her. Given the fact that it did not affect her, she assumed it was a kind of self-enhancement. On the other hand, if the girl was mainly proficient in the warrior profession and had mastered the magic profession to the extent that she had a taste for it, then there was no need to be so cautious. The problem was when the magic profession was the main one. Magic exceeds the range of the warrior profession in terms of the variety of means available. It was not impossible to say that, if the situation was terrible, some great magic could make the battle worse all at once.
Something vague with great magic was simply due to Zesshi’s lack of knowledge about the magic specialization. That was why she needed to be even more cautious. Of course, she could do the same thing, but just being able to recover a bit will make a difference in her ability to continue the fight. Assuming the worst, and considering the girl was not a warrior by profession, what kind of magic caster was she? Although she had absolutely no proof, considering the earlier attack and defense, it seemed the girl was not of the MP-type. This was because the general MP-type lacked more close combat ability. Instead, a profession with a higher melee combat ability—perhaps a divine job such as a druid or priest—would be possible.
There could be a possibility of an exceptional MP-based magic caster, other lineages, or a divine type, but unfortunately, Zesshi was even more clueless about that one. So, there was no end to her thinking. But keeping it in the corner of her head so she did not let her guard down. And—taking into account the fact that she was a dark elf—as she expected, she was most likely a druid. Moreover, if she was related to that Elf King, even more so. However, in the case of druids and others, Zesshi, unfortunately, could not do anything about it. So, instead, she activated one of the two special abilities she learned when she mastered the “Inquisitor“ skill. This was because of the possibility that the girl was a cleric who could use high-level magic that Zetsushi didn’t know about.
“〈Heresy Judgment〉”It was the ability to slightly increase the MP consumed by clerics who do not believe in the same deity as her when she activated her magic around Zesshi. There was no immediate and noticeable effect, but it would gradually become a significant burden in long-term battles or when powerful magic was used. Although she was not really looking at a long-term battle, this decision was made in case the opponent chose to fight in a way that involved a series of high-level magic spells. For example, it may be wasting a move to activate a one-point reading ability at a stage when the opponent’s ability is unreadable. Still, such an ability was of little use unless used initially.
“〈Elemental Form・Earth〉”The girl’s skin color turned brown as she used magic she had never heard of. But, of course, it would not be magic just to change colors. She could not help but think that perhaps she showed her true form—she was not originally dark elves, but a different race—but it would be useless to think that way. Unanswered questions in a fight for life were the kind of questions that should be kept on the radar but not obsessed with. Even magic was the same. As long as she did not know what effect it would have, she should minimize the amount of thought she devoted to that side. Zesshi also activated a different ability than the one she just used.
“〈Condemnation Heresy〉”
The other half of two special abilities were learned when she mastered the Inquisitor. This one had a similar effect, but unlike the previous one, it increased the probability of magic activation failure. Of course, if the magic fails to activate, the MP is consumed as it is. Now that she had used both, she would not be able to use the ability of the Inquisitor until the duration of the effect of the special skills ended, but she would have no choice. It would be acceptable since she would not lose the physical strength and even the strength related to the magic she gained from practicing the Inquisitor. Zesshi, who had her heart set on an early conclusion, was somewhat detoured by this development. For Zesshi, it was an unlikely battleground at the moment. Zesshi believed that there were only two winning formulas that could be wildly categorized.
She could either continue to impose her winning strategy on her opponent without letting her do anything and smash her, or she could continue to block her opponent’s winning strategy while watching her opponent’s moves and grind her out. However, Zesshi, who had chosen the method of striking down in one fell swing, was dragged into the fight by the girl whose attack had been overtaken, as if they were putting each other’s cards on the field piece by piece. In this regard, the girl in control of the situation was abominable. When this happened, she had to go along with the opponent’s script to a certain extent, and in the process, he had to make the plot go haywire.
“U-Um, I’m sorry then.”It was unclear if only two magics were enough or if that was all she could use, but the girl waved her black wand in apology and swung down haphazardly at a jarring speed. It was horrifying. Not because the attack speed was abnormally fast. But also, the apology was not sincere. There was no sense of guilt in her voice or expression. On the contrary, it was as if he was ordered to apologize—like some puppet.
(Don’t think about it!)That was not the point. It was an attack that was being swung down right now. This attack would be a failure if she were judged as a warrior. There were no feints, etc., and the attack was too monotonous. It was swift but easy to avoid or receive. Zesshi had chosen to receive her attack. The evasion and receiving had been shown, so now it was meant to test the opponent’s prowess. Zesshi easily caught it with her Scythe as expected...
(—Heavy!!)Even though she should have taken it with ease, her elbows and knees were slightly bent. She pushed in, and the wand was close to her forehead. Gripping her molars tightly.
“Nnn!!”She put her energy into the voice that implied, “I’m not going to do it,” and pushed it back with all her might. The girl’s balance was not affected by the pushback. But the weapon just bounced up. A chance. Avoiding looking at the defenseless torso, Zesshi now used her martial arts.
“〈Gale Ultrasonic〉,〈Stout Arm Heavy Blow〉,〈Greater Penetrate〉,〈Greater Ability Enhancement〉,〈Greater Potential Perception〉”[Note: (疾風 hayate=gale, 超 chou=super, 走破 souha=running the whole distance) / (剛腕 guowan=stout arm, 剛撃 gougeki=heavy blow) / (超貫通 chou kantsuu= super penetrating) / (能力超向上 nouryokuchoukoujou=superior ability power up. I think Clementine also used this when she fought Ainz, but I forgot what was that named in English) / (可能性 kanousei=possibility, 超知覚 chouchikaku=super perception).]
She had not attacked that girl with her martial arts earlier. It increased mobility and agility, increased all damage from piercing, strengthened the physical body, and sharpened the sixth sense. Again, aiming for a single point. The abdomen looked unprotected. It could be a trap, but she was confident she could bite through it. Above all, it was impossible to resist the allure of being able to inflict a blow deep enough to tip the balance of the battle to one’s side at once. There was a reason why Zesshi had to fight a short battle.
The purple lightning step broke the distance between the two and then struck the girl’s soft abdomen with a direct hit that left even the sound of the wind whistling behind. The girl’s defenses could not keep up with the sudden acceleration of Zesshi’s movements, which were suddenly caught off guard by her ability to rise to the top of her game. the scythe pierced through the skin, which was so hard that it was hard to believe it was skin.
(Alright!)It did not stop the scene from collapsing. Zesshi had practiced the profession of Executioner. This increased the amount of damage that could be inflicted by a fatal blow and, in some cases, could result in death by a single blow. However, it could also initially transform wounds above a certain level into deeper ones when inflicted with a slashing weapon. Still, that ability did not work this time because it was not a crescent blade spreading from side to side like wings but a stabbing blade extended like an extension of the handle. Yet, this blow might have caused considerable damage to the girl. However, the joyful expression that emerged in her soon turned grim. The sensation of Zesshi’s hand through the weapon was strange itself. There was no particular bump that broke off the internal organs. Before she could understand the reason, a black shadow appeared at the edge of her vision—above her head.
“〈Swift Reflection〉!”[Note: 即応 sokuou=immediate, 反射 hansha=reflection. I found fit name for this skill! Also, thank you for someone that suggested name “Instant Reflection”.] But it was too late. Too late. The big mistake was to be distracted by the sensation transmitted in her hands, even if it was only slight.
“Gah!”The sound was heard. She was knocked over the head with a wand that she swung powerfully. Immediately, she used her pain blunting and leaped forward with 〈Gale Ultrasonic〉. At the same time, she inflicted further damage on the girl by forcibly pulling out the scythe that she had stabbed into her. The skin must have been torn by the powerful blow. Blood trickled down to her face. Even though she was suppressing the pain with her martial arts, even the slightest change in her facial expression caused a searing pain, and her vision was dizzying. Zesshi wore the divine armor known as the Wind God. Despite this, she was so severely injured that her feet shook. She did not remember such an injury in a long time.
“—〈Heavy Recover〉”She used the highest-tier of healing magic available to her while keeping death at a distance and out of reach of a single foot. It was far from a full recovery, but it should provide first aid treatment for the time being. While using magic, she stared at the girl without caution, wary of a follow-up attack. And Zesshi’s eyes widened. Not only were there no organs spilling from the girl’s abdomen, but there was also no blood. Even so, the evidence that she was not uninjured was evident: her fair face was contorted in pain, and her earth-colored skin had large rips in it.
“Awawaw.”The girl takes the scroll out from somewhere and activates the magic.
“〈Heal〉”It was a higher-tier of healing magic than the one she used herself.
(—The 6th-tier! How did you get that scroll! It’s not good! That thing could have healed most of the damage I did earlier. I don’t know how much strength she has, but I’m sure I have more damage left than her! And that feeling in her belly. Was it a trap, after all?)
Perhaps it had been enchanted to nullify critical hits to the abdomen. However, the girl still seemed to taste the pain of being pierced through the abdomen. The aim of inducing the opponent to attack was successfully accomplished, but the intense pain of being stabbed through the abdomen was said to be accompanied by the pain. What kind of person made that armor? Zesshi lisped her tongue. She should have added resistance to pain if she knew it would be targeted. Instead, it was a kind of cursed armor. Zesshi resisted the urge to scratch her head in frustration. Partly because she did not want to do anything that would increase the pain any further, but also because she could not afford to do such a thing. There was no guarantee that this was the last scroll.
There may be several more. In that case, Zesshi would not stand a chance in a conventional fight. However, there was a trump card that could kill that girl no matter how many 〈Heal〉 scrolls she had. But she could not use it yet. She should try a few things before that. First, 〈Heal〉 was not something she would use with just a scratch. Since she had already inflicted significant damage, she should attack her so hard that she would not have a chance to use〈Heal〉 Zesshi, having decided how to attack, hold up her scythe. Then, using her martial arts, she closed the gap at once with her ability boosted. The next target is the wrist.
(What!)The girl showed no sign of avoidance. Earlier, she seemed unable to keep up with the improvement in Zesshi’s physical abilities, but this time it was different. There was no sign of any attempt to defend herself. For a moment, Zesshi’s mind flashed back to the scene that just occurred to her. However, there was no alternative but to come this far and not attack. So, just before entering the killing zone, she spun her body like a spinning top and slammed the scythe with maximum centrifugal force onto the girl’s forearm. The blade ran through her body, blood splattered, and the girl’s hand fell into the corridor with her armor. However, the girl’s wrists were stillstiff, even after receiving blows that had easily severed her entire armor many times before.
(—Stiff.)It was as different from the abdomen. This was not surprising since they were covered by armor, but they were hard nonetheless. Was it because the armor is comparable to that of the Six Great Gods, or was she using some kind of defensive martial arts? What was most terrifying was that she could take Zesshi’s longest blow with just one arm. She did not even break her stance. However, there was no time for Zesshi to think. The girl, realizing that her right hand was being targeted, held a black wand with only her left hand and was already swinging it down. Remembering the pain she felt earlier, Zesshi used〈Rapid Reflection〉 and 〈Evasion〉 and twisted and turned frantically. There was no time or room to put the scythe back and catch it. However, it was unavoidable. Even if she used 〈Rapid Reflection〉to position herself, it was difficult to evade even if she used martial arts at the same time as the attack. The blow penetrated Zesshi’s shoulder. Unlike before, there was a slight gap, so she used her martial arts at the same time.
“〈Super Defensive Reinforcement〉”
[Note: 防御 bougyou= defense, 超強化 choukyouka=super enhancement.]
It is a martial art that increased defense.〈Skin Hardening〉 had a higher damage reduction rate, but Zesshi does not have outer skin as a half-elf.[Note: 外皮 gaihi=skin, 強化 kyouka=enhancement. She does not have outer skin/possibly hard skin for example Lizardmen.]
Even with the use of martial arts, the blow still caused pain that penetrated deep into Zesshi’s body. The use of 〈Super Defensive Reinforcement〉 was only temporary relief. It was only a little better than the previous one. She managed to clench back a groan. There was no need to give information to the enemy. Just—(This is terrible...)This was a definite confirmation. This was exactly what the girl wanted. Although thinking about it, it had been like that since a while ago. She attacked in response to her attacker’s attack. The girl’s fighting style was indeed the representation of “Let them cut your flesh and cut their bones.” This may be because it was impossible to capture Zesshi in a usual fight, but probably not. The girl was daring to choose that way of fighting.
(She’s a confident defender... I think she’s a tank, like Cedran. Is that why her abdomen is so empty? She heals herself with 〈Greater Recovery〉)If she was a tank who lacked offensive power but could use defensive magic and was as strong as Zesshi, then there seemed to be no contradiction about the girl regarding her abilities. The striking attack was too powerful to make such a judgment, though. Or that wand, was that a magic item with mighty power? It was a very possible story because it was strong enough to cut even the armor of the Six Great Gods. Zesshi’s suspicion that this girl was the same person as the girl next to the Sorcerer King was growing by the minute. A Sorcerer King who wields mighty magic and leads a fearsome army could conceivably possess a tremendous arsenal of weaponry and bestow them upon his subjects. Taking a short distance, Zesshi observes the girl’s movements with her scythe at the ready, keeping her on her toes. The girl was standing firm while she jumped up and down. This was a battle between a superior and an inferior.
(It’s really not good.)
At present, the girl has the upper hand. Zesshi’s attack was received with her body; instead, she delivered a blow that Zesshi could not avoid. She was unsure whether the girl was confident in her physical strength, defense, offensive ability, or magical recovery. Still, at least the fact that the girl chose the simple addition and subtraction of beating, beating, and recovering means that she decided that she could win the fight. It was possible, though, that she was fighting in an absurd way on purpose to make her open her drawers.
Given that there was no sign of the girl stepping forward to attack, she may be buying time for her allies to arrive. The strength of the girl’s allies was unknown, but even so, if they joined her, the fight would tilt even more quickly to her side. Therefore, she might have set up a battle of attrition that steadily piled up injuries. There were few means by which Zesshi could take. The most ideal situation was to take advantage of the opponent’s strategy. In other words, it’s possible to hit this attack and block the opponent’s attack, but it did not go so well. The girl’s armor was spectacularly sturdy, and she must step deep to strike an effective blow. And the girl would definitely exploit the gap created by focusing on the attack. So what should she do?
(What a problematic matter... as expected, should I use it?)
Zesshi looked down at the scythe in her hands for just a moment. Then “Charon Guidance,” scythe said to have been used by the former God, Surshana, was made of a rare metal that had never been found in the land of Theocracy, and its sturdiness and killing power were truly divine. And she could use 〈Death〉 twice in eight hours. Furthermore, it adds additional negative damage to the attack 〈Undead Flame〉/ Protecting herself from the unintelligent undead 〈Undead Avoidance〉/ Creating the undead 〈 Create Undead〉/ Make them sick〈Sickness Disease〉/〈Sleep to the Undead〉 gives her the chance to destroy the undead, who have no resistance to retreat with a single blow.
The 〈Evil Eye〉 is an ability to choose from various visual effects. 〈Death Mask〉 that strengthens fear effects while preventing line-of-sight attacks. The 〈Hand of Glory〉 has two different uses. You can choose among these to activate five times every four hours. The other is 〈Spartiat〉 a specialized undead. It has the same capabilities as the 〈Heavy Skeleton Warrior〉 summoned on the 5th-tier. Its armament is superior, but without the buffs such as special skills, it is an extremely superior magic item with the ability to use a total of 30 weak skeleton warriors in 24 hours, with a maximum number of 5 skeleton warriors at the same time.
[Note: Spartiat=Spartan.]
It felt too early to turn over. There was still much that could be done with the current monotonous fighting style, and exposing one’s hand at a stage when the opponent’s cards were not visible was mentally inferior.“U-Um, not coming?”Zesshi responded to the girl’s frightened question with a loud “tsk” and a lisped of her tongue.
(Do you want to be attacked? You brat! Then how about this!)Zesshi jumped backward and used her martial arts at the same time. Two blades fly in the path of the scythe wielded by 〈Sky Slash〉/〈Stout Arm Heavy Blow〉 and 〈Flow Acceleration〉.
[Note: (空 sora=sky 斬 ki=slice, cut) / (流水 ryusui=stream, 加速 kasoku=acceleration)]
The girl moved forward. Earlier. The power of a flying slash, such as a 〈Sky Slash〉, was less powerful than a direct slash. However, it was madness for her to advance in a straight line with a blade thrust into her body without a second thought.(No, I remember I did the same thing with that girl’s opponent. So this one was indeed coming on me mentally.)The girl only showed a slight pain when the aura blade hit her, though it looked like acting. However, as soon as she was in range, the black wand was unleashed with a roar from the apparent motion. She succeeded in avoiding it just in time. The girl’s attack was still not up to par. But it was definitely getting better. At first, the attack seemed a no-brainer, but now, even if she were well-prepared, she could be hit with just a bit of delayed reaction.
(Laugh it, laugh! Let her think I’ve completely given up on her!)Zesshi had a thin smile on her mouth and chuckled audibly.
(Did I do it well?)With a stiff smile, she would be beaten up again.
(It’s worse if I don’t leave enough energy to turn to 〈Greater Evasion〉)
[Note: 超回避 chou kaihi=super avoidance.]
She tried to keep her distance by dropping backward, but the girl closed the space accordingly. The gap was not widening.“〈Spartiat!〉”
Five undead stood between the girl and her like a wall. With a flick of the girl’s wand, the first one of them disappeared. It would only be enough to catch five Spartiats or so or five attacks from the girl. But that was enough. Zesshi kicked the wall and leaped, passing just past the ceiling and trying to get behind the girl. But the girl’s body sank for a moment, and then she flew backward with such force that the floor blasted. She probably did not want to be pinched. Spartiats would be no opponent, but even so, it would be a distraction to be disturbed.
In fact, she showed no signs of having been injured by the Spartiats’ attack. Instead, the girl jumped with tremendous speed, and as soon as she landed, she thrust the wand in her hand into the floor, scuffling and grinding as she made a sudden braking maneuver. It was a bullsh*t movement. The too-high instantaneous force was forcibly controlled by order of different magnitude force.
(Strange... movement. Not used to full power? Not used to fighting much?)Spartiats lined up on either side of Zesshi on the floor in front of the girl who was grunting and groaning. Zesshi sent the thought “Go” to Spartiats. Then, following orders, the fearless undead attacked the girl en masse. Zesshi stepped in after a delay. The girl took the scroll out again.
“〈Firestorm〉”
A storm of torrential flames engulfed everything. The raging scorching heat burned Zesshi’s body, but it was instantly dispelled as if it were an illusion. However, the burning pain evidenced the fact that it was real. At least the damage was not that great, probably because the magic was activated from a scroll. In the meantime, Spartiats could still move. However, they somehow managed to avoid fatal damage. If they were to eat the magic again, they would all perish this time. Zesshi quickly spun the scythe around her own body on its axis and slammed the stone stick into the side of her head. It was hard to tell for sure because of the hit to the armor part, but there was no indication that the blows caused any severe injury.
Spartiats also thrust spears in their hands, but all the spears were knocked away by a single swipe of the wind-whipped wand. As she expected, nothing but Zesshi’s attacks could reach her. However, taking advantage of the gap, Zesshi spun around to dance again and unleashed a shallow slash aimed at the girl’s ankle as if the spider were crawling on the ground. In doing so, she severed one of the Spartiats next to her, causing the Spartiat to disappear without a trace. Nevertheless, this was how she treated summoned monsters and so on. Next, the scythe slashed at the girl’s achilles heel—and sparks fly. As she expected, it was also hard there.
〈Stout Arm Heavy Blow〉 and 〈Super Slash〉, even if the effect of the job works, it did not feel like it was cut through. But that was not the only purpose of targeting the ankle. Quickly, she spread the stance of both feet back and forth, gritted her molars, and pulled it up as fast as she could, keeping the scythe on her ankles. The goal was to knock her off balance and make her fall over. But—
“—Heavy!”
She did not even budge. She was like a giant tree. It is impossible.
But it was a fact. She put all her strength into it, taking into account the opponent’s power, but then she stumbled backward and almost fell over. The weight on her arms and the dainty girl’s appearance was so out of place. Perhaps it was due to some unique ability or magic item, but Zesshi felt like she was opposing a giant tree standing toward the heavens. The response suggested that no matter how much force she exerted, it was unlikely that she would be able to pull it down. Suddenly, a chill ran through her. Perhaps seeing Zesshi out of position and seeing an opportunity, the girl extended her right arm, which was holding the end of her wand, to its fullest and swung the wand at Zesshi, breaking through the gap between Spartiats, who was trying to block her advance.
A spine-chilling blow with maximum range and centrifugal force. It was too poorly positioned to look for it. Letting Spartiats interrupt the momentum would not diminish it by a hair. But Zesshi ordered Spartiat in her mind. Without a moment’s pause, Spartiats, who was standing next to her, hit her with its body and pushed her out of Zesshi’s way. The girl’s wand struck like a black meteor, crushing Spartiat, who has taken the place of Zesshi, to a pulpy woodchip. Zesshi dexterously maneuvered the scythe as it rolled across the floor, removing the blade from the girl’s ankle. Then, quickly standing up with the same momentum, she took a check stance with her scythe outstretched in front of her. However, the girl did not pursue Zesshi. With a violent flash of her petite body, a black storm blew up, and the remaining Spartiats disappeared, shattering into pieces. As the remnants of bones pouring down disappear into the void, the girl with eyes that reflected no emotion quietly readied her black wand. Then, as she recalled, she became frightened.
(Summon Spartiat again? But first... I need to be sure of one thing.)
Slowly, Zesshi began to spin her scythe above her head. A whistling sound cut through the silence and echoed through the air. The girl was in a wait-and-see attitude. Slightly, bit by bit, Zesshi’s toes nip at the girl. The question was clogged...
Zesshi, exhaling sharply, let the scythe, which had been sufficiently accelerated, lash out at the girl’s left wrist. The girl was unconcerned, even though the bladed object was coming at her with a speed that could tear apart the entire space. Just mechanically, she could see her offering her body to the incoming attack and tried to take the blow instead. Perhaps she had become accustomed to the speed of Zesshi, but her movements were not staggered. But—the trajectory of the blade that sliced through the atmosphere and struck the girl’s arm jumps up. Again, a change from the pattern was repeatedly shown. The target was her slender neck. Would she die if she was blown away? However, her neck was exposed, as was the abdomen.
As she expected, it may be a trap, but at least the odds were that a direct hit would hurt as much as the belly. Then, with the boost of the various professions she had mastered, she would be able to do the kind of damage that would upset the unfavorable deal she had made. Through the previous offensives, Zesshi’s strength as a warrior seemed superior to the others. This was why she had used only one feint so far and had attacked straightforwardly. So the girl, accustomed to the simple attack of Zesshi, could not avoid the attack aimed at her neck, as she had done earlier with the martial arts. the scythe slashed the girl’s thin neck. And…
“Ugh!”She was beaten by a wand. She had been trying to hold back, but unintentionally she screamed out due to the pain. Zesshi jumped wide and opened her eyes wide.
“Again…”Not a drop of blood flowed from the girl’s neck. The only thing that remained was a thin scar that looked like a slash across the skin. There was no way the damage could have been done. Perhaps she had the ability to nullify sudden attacks, which would render some of the abilities she had mastered ineffective.
(Really alive? Could it be... the undead created by the Sorcerer King?)Perhaps sensing Zesshi’s agitation, the girl made a frightening suggestion.
“A-Ano… W-Why don’t y-you surrender? E-Etto. I won’t cause you any more pain, and I guarantee your safety after you... surrender.”Zesshi’s reaction to this was—it was disgusting.
As was the situation earlier, the girl’s attack showed little hostility or intent to kill. Whether that was considered kindness or a different emotion. However—there is no such thing as kindness to an opponent who attacks you without hostility or intent to kill and whose attack could shatter your skull if it were to be taken seriously. From Zesshi’s point of view, this girl was mind-bogglingly creepy. Maybe it was, but she did not feel any affinity for it. If it were a suggestion that some feeling of pity, superiority, or some other emotion was apparent, she would not have been so disgusted, even if she was offended. However, the girl did not show such emotion.
—It certainly makes sense to think she was just the undead with no feelings acting out. Everything felt out of place, and she was left with the feeling that this girl’s every word, action, and attitude was an act. However, that was not what was important now. Zesshi’s personal likes and dislikes were irrelevant at this time. The important question was how to act to break the status quo and make it more profitable for herself. Even pretending to accept surrender was worth considering if it was in her interest.
“I’m willing to give—”Zesshi was about to say it, but then she shut up. That was right. One should only have a conversation when one needs to stall for time and win. Is the girl winning? —No. There was no clear winner yet. The girl may have a slight advantage. If so, the girl initiated the conversation because she needed to buy some time.
“Tch!”With a loud click of her lisp, Zesshi closed the distance between her and the girl again. Whether she kept her distance or attacked with her martial arts, the opponent had magic from the scrolls. It was unknown how many more pieces there were—or where they were stored, for that matter—but assuming that there were more, the odds were not in Zesshi’s favor regarding the grinding game. Fortunately, she could guess that her opponent did not have any long-range means of attack other than scrolls. If she had, she would not have used a scroll.
(Is she trained in thievery and uses her scrolls in that way? No, she was using some kind of self-enhancing magic, so that’s unlikely.)However, Zesshi did not have an effective means of long-range attack, so she did not seem to have a chance of winning long-range battles. Then how about in close combat? It was not bad. That was why, in fact, she was taking on the challenge now. With the scythe, she slashed on her face this time. The girl repelled the scythe with her black wand as if the wound on her face was unacceptable. Even Zesshi’s hand felt the chattering shock. The girl swung her wand down with a giant swing in counterattack. Using both 〈Super Evasion〉 and 〈Rapid Reflection〉, Zesshi lightly avoided it. As she expected, the scales were tilted slightly in her favor, perhaps because the difference in skill as warriors and in the ability to predict the opponent’s movements and correct the image was becoming apparent in the exchange of blows. However, no matter how much damage she accumulated, the 〈Heal〉 would turn the tables on her, and she would lose without a doubt.
(Then maybe I should use it here…)Zesshi held two trump cards. One is a trump card to make sure the opponent is killed. The other was a very versatile trump card. The last trump card could be used to defeat an opponent or to escape, so it cannot be easily dismissed. So should she open the former here? If she attacks, the girl will show signs of pain. However, was there really any pain? There was no end to the doubts. All her previous thoughts about the girl may have been based on Zesshi’s imagination, and she may have missed the point. She was as cute as she looked, and it was not out of the realm of possibility that she was not good at fighting and hated it. Still, this did not eliminate the suspicious scent that could be noticed in the girl.
(I don’t know what to do... if there is more than one person as powerful as this girl, I can’t be sure that using that would be the right thing to do… but… ideally, this girl should be killed without playing her trump card... is it possible?)The answer to the question of whether it could be done was, “I don’t know.” If 〈Heal〉only contained in that scroll, she might be able to make it happen. However, it may not be possible to do so without spending much time. Of course, even while she was thinking this way, she was not letting her hands rest. She continued to slash with her scythe, but as expected, no bleeding could be confirmed, and the girl’s heavy wand counterattack came. Unlike the girl who only needed to stop and take aim, Zesshi, who wielded a scythe while moving in and out of the killing zone at high speed, must use her legs to control her spacing and her weapon to attack. If she could not allocate herself to evasion or defense, it was pretty difficult to prevent counters unleashed with the intention of causing damage. The only thing the girl did not accept the damage was on her face. Instead of taking the damage, the abdomen delivered the blow’s full force. The analysis would be based on the information she had obtained so far.
(As I expected... use it? With this, I’m sure I’ll win...)Should it be used now or not yet? That was the only question. Then how many more exchanges had she had since then? The wand that the girl swung, instead of being cut through the flesh, hit Zesshi clean in the side of the body. Zesshi was blown backward in a wide blast, with the illusion that the sound of creaking bones was echoing inside her body. She even felt nauseous from the pain and scuffed the sole of her shoe violently against the floor to break it. It was an unexpectedly painful blow. Somewhat difficult to breathe. The diaphragm was twitching in pain. However, Zesshi took her time, putting her stone butt on the floor, leaning against it, crossing her legs, and slowly removing her helmet, giving a masked grinning smile that did not work at all. It was only because the other party did not aggressively attack her that she could take this kind of pose.
“Well, I don’t have any choice.”She muttered to herself in a light tone and made up her mind. To use a trump card that will surely kill the opponent. The girl did not chase after Zesshi, who had opened the distance. That leeway was fatal.
“Hey... you asked me earlier if I wanted to surrender, right? Let me ask you something… are you one of the Sorcerer King’s undead?”
“Eh? E-Etto, why is that a question? Aren’t you going to ask about the treatment?”
“Answer me.”
“N-No. As you can see, I’m not undead.”Zesshi thought, ”Oh” while replying. She didn’t answer immediately because she really didn’t read the intent of the question? Or was it because she wanted time to think about the answer?
(First, I didn’t understand it when I saw it, which is why I asked the question. I mean… what kind of response is that to not go through about Sorcerer King? But, well, okay. Undead or not, from here she will perish.)Putting the helmet back on, Zesshi activated her innate extraordinary ability. By directing that power to the weapon that God was said to have used, it was possible to exercise the most powerful power possessed by Surshana, the God of Death. Hence...
“〈The Goal of All Life is Death〉”At the same time, a clock appeared on her back. This is one of the trump cards that Zesshi can use only when equipped with this scythe. A deadly skill. A skill that inflicts absolute death that is irresistible. An unbeatable skill that had never been broken.
“Eh!?”The girl made a surprised sound. It was an honest—and truly surprising—expression of emotions that could be felt even in Zesshi.
(—Eh? I wonder if she’s undead? Well, I know that feeling all too well. Those who don’t know this will think that some mysterious technique was used. But you know what? It doesn’t actually work on something like this clock. It only boosts the power that will be used later. It’s just that it’s too early to be surprised.)Zesshi then drew out the magic power contained in the scythe. The choice was obvious—
“〈Death〉”As soon as she released her magic on the girl, a clink sounded. The clock began to tick.
(—I won.)Zesshi was confident of victory.
“〈Phoenix Flame〉”Behind the girl, she saw a bird of flame spreading its wings.
(Magic again! But, whew. It’s useless. I don’t know what magic you used, but once this power is unleashed, there is no way to survive. So to defeat me before I could use this power… that was the only chance you had!)〈Death〉is magic that takes effect immediately, but this special ability requires twelve seconds to take effect. Since it is unclear what will happen if Zesshi is killed in the meantime, Zesshi does not attack and goes on the defensive. Perhaps sensing that her spells were ineffective, the girl rushed forward at high speed, waving her wand in the air. The girl who until now had basically waited and only fought back had turned to attack, probably because she sensed the anomaly. The fact that she did not go on the defensive or wait and see under incomprehensible circumstances was indeed a good sense of warfare. However, in terms of skill and offensive and defensive tactics, Zesshi was the winner. It was not difficult to pass on or avoid if one was on the defensive without thinking about offense. Of course, you can’t keep on looking for a single hit forever, but it doesn’t matter if it is only for a few seconds.
(—Six seconds)Look for a series of strikes on the girl. Even a blink of an eye could be fatal, and the storm-like attacks were difficult to see, even for those who had reached the realm of heroes or even deviants. It was indeed the attack of one who stands in the same realm as Zesshi. However, as she observed the girl’s movements carefully from a defensive position, she could see that although she had high physical specs, she was not making the most of them as she expected, and her movements seemed unaccustomed.
(—Eight seconds.)This was common in the born strong. Because the physical performance was too high to win by gorging, they disregarded small techniques and read each other’s movements. Those who fail to strive would often be forced to lick the ground by the real strongman. Until that happened, they did not realize how arrogant they were. Yes. Just like the girl in front of her.
(Eleven seconds. That’s it. Good-bye.)With a little time to spare, Zesshi bid farewell in her mind to an attack that would give an average person a concussion just by rubbing against it. The girl was indescribably creepy but had a lovely appearance when she did this, confident of victory. When she thought about it, she was a child of such an age that she did not know anything yet. This child was not to blame, but rather the parents who raised her. Then she parried the blow of the wand—missing her chance to attack—and faced an unusual situation. The girl was not dead.
(Eh…?)For a moment, her mind went white. The skill was absolutely deadly, and the opponent was not dead. If so, she miscounted the time. That was the most likely the answer. Except for training, she had never fought anyone this strong before. She didn’t think she was feeling it, but she was sure she was. She must have been nervous. In such a state of mind, it must be difficult to count the seconds calmly. It must be a small mistake.
(Two seconds…)Count for two additional seconds. Slowly. However—She was not dead. Not dead. The girl cheerfully swung her wand down with an “Ei” or “Hyah” or some other cute yelp that was inappropriate for such a horrific attack.
“Wha-What the heck!”She did not understand. It was a deadly skill. Even the undead, the immortal, could be killed—even a lifeless golem, a skill that even Zesshi could not comprehend, but why did not the girl die? The girl’s attack could not have been an illusion since it caused pain to Zesshi’s body. But what else could it be? Perhaps that skill did not work on dark elves or blood linkages? Or—Could it be that the magic the girl used broke it? If so, how did she know this skill? She could only use it because of her innate ability, not because she knew everything about it. The exact thing was true for the handful of people in Theocracy who knew that she could use this skill. If anyone knew everything about this skill, it was none other than Surshana, the true owner of this scythe. Is any God behind this girl? The immortality of the girl made this seem strangely real. If so—
“Tch!”Confusion and frustration stiffened her body, and she took a blow that could have been avoided.
“Oh, gosh!”
Fighting back the pain, Zesshi also swung the scythe. The half-baked attack bit into the girl’s body, and she was struck with her wand before she could check whether or not it was working. The pain caused her vision to be star-struck, but she held her ground before her slumped body collapsed. Zesshi thought frantically. The plan had gone awry. What should she do after this? How could she take the best course of action? Even though she was hit by a lot of bombardment, she still had a lot of strength left in her. She was still far from defeat. However, considering the opponent’s reinforcements, she must decide whether to continue fighting or flee. If she were to flee, would she be able to shake off the deadly running force? Whether she could or not, she could not say for sure. And if that happened—
(—You want me to play another trump card?)Not a bad idea. However, Zesshi was not sure about using it. Because she had just been shown a real-life example. She saw an absolutely invincible skill being broken. It was hard to imagine that the other one would be broken. However, it may be drowned out by some incredible skill.
(How many scrolls are there, and what kind of magic can be used! Not enough information at all!)Since she had no idea what her opponent was up to, she was unsure if she could play her cards right. However, as she had considered before, time was Zesshi’s enemy and the girl’s ally. Even though she could endure it, the pain caused by the wind made her think more slowly. Zesshi’s smile deepened. The smile hid all her emotions, thoughts, and feelings from everyone—especially from her enemy. So, she laughed. And she came to a conclusion.
(—I don’t think anymore! No amount of thinking will help me with this lack of information!)
What she clearly knew was that one of her trump cards had been revealed and that the countermeasures the girl used were effective. Even if she cut out only that one thing, it can be said that the loss far exceeds the total amount of damage Zesshi had received so far. When the last trump card ability was activated, the white ray converged, creating another death. Zesshi had two trump cards. The first was absolute death—or, more precisely, the ability to use the trump cards of one’s predecessors laid in one’s equipment. The other was the alter ego created by the acquired profession—Lesser Valkyrie / Almighty—〈Einherjar〉. Although its fighting ability was inferior to that of Zesshi, it was still a form of emissary that possessed overwhelming power due to Zesshi’s actual strength.
The girl opened her eyes and raised her voice, “Eh.” Reminiscent of the scene she saw earlier, she felt more disgusted with her trump card being activated. No sooner had Zesshi given a command to her alter ego, Einherjar, than the girl took out a sphere in her hand. The next moment, a gigantic Primal Earth Elemental was summoned next to the girl—somewhat cramped since it was in a hallway. She was at a loss for words again. First, she had thought that the girl’s occupation was most likely that of a druid. Now, however, it seemed that the girl had summoned the elemental spirit not with magic but with an item. She went out of her way to make that elemental spirit—an elemental spirit that she did not feel was that strong.
(Does this mean that she is a type of druid who can’t summon elemental spirit, can’t use offensive magic, and can only enhance herself…? Or am I overlooking something or mistaken? I’ve heard that the Elf King used a powerful Primal Earth Elemental to summon—this elemental spirit? But is—it really that... powerful?)It was rumored that the fighting ability of the elemental spirit the Elf King was rumored to be using was absolute and that even deviants cannot win. From that point of view, what she saw in front of her now was different. However, even if it seemed weak to a powerful individual like Zesshi, it must be powerful to a weak person. A spirit of that caliber was not much of a problem. Let Einherjar take care of it, and Zesshi herself could fight the girl. She would defeat the elemental spirit in a short time. Then it would be two against one.
(No… let’s crush the elemental spirit all at once here.)
“Let’s go!”Zesshi charged and attacked the elemental spirit with the scythe she held. But, at the same time, so did Einherjar. Earth elementals are resistant to physical attacks, but there is still a difference in their abilities. It could cut deep through even the hardest outer skin. However, one or two blows are not fatal because of their toughness. However, the Primal Earth Elemental disappeared.
“Ha?”She did not know why. It was not that she knocked it down. Because the next moment, the Primal Earth Elemental reappeared in front of her again. It was also more gigantic than before. What was the meaning of this? It was hard to believe that it was the same being as before.
“No way, a sacrificial summons!”She had never heard of such magic or particular skill. However, such a name suits it best, so she couldn’t help but say it. Although it was unclear whether it could be called something new, the Primal Earth Elemental that appeared next was undoubtedly stronger than before. Even a deviant would not be able to defeat this opponent. However—
(I can win… but… can I choose that option?)If she were to damage or destroy it, this Primal Earth Elemental would probably become another level stronger. It seemed impossible that this could be true at any cost. However, she could not be sure that it was not true. She stood by Einherjar and looked at the girl. She just stared at her from behind the Primal Earth Elemental with a frightened attitude. And the Primal Earth Elemental spirit did not show any sign of attacking her immediately.
(Really, who the hell is this girl? If she’s undead, it all makes sense that the Sorcerer King made her or something, but if she really is a regular dark elf after all, then… how in the world could a child of this caliber be hiding in the world? If she is so powerful, shouldn’t she be better known? Or was she hidden away in some country like me?)The Sorcerous Kingdom was founded several years ago. The Empire declared that this area once belonged to the Sorcerer King, but this was a bitter lie from the perspective of Theocracy, which is existed for a long time. Therefore, the Sorcerous Kingdom and Sorcerer King have never lived in this area.
(There was some unconfirmed information that the Sorcerer King itself might be the same being as the former Deities because of its sudden appearance, etc... no way… But if it is… then… could it be that this girl is the same? No, it is more likely that she is related to that man since she has those eyes, which are proof of royalty. So maybe Sorcerer King wants this girl, so he came here from far away and started a policy to reconcile the other races?)She did not know. There was no proof. Even the idea that the Sorcerer King and she were related was beyond the realm of her imagination. However, she should assume that there was a possibility of the worst-case scenario.
(If this girl is really from the Sorcerous Kingdom, then there are at least two beings of the same caliber as—me, the Sorcerer King, and this girl. Don’t tell me… that the Sorcerer King is here too?)
Zesshi felt impatient. How foolish she had been. If she assumed that she was related to the Sorcerous Kingdom, she should have noticed it from the beginning. Usually, this would never have happened. No number of lives would be enough for the king of a country to come to the final battle between two other countries. However, the Sorcerer King went to the Holy Kingdom on a whim, and she heard that he was very active in the battle. He showed the world that a magic caster who can destroy an army can appear anywhere. And she had also received a rumor that he appeared as a fighter in the arena of the Empire before it became a vassal state.
If so, it was hardly surprising that he came to the Elven Capital, which was on the verge of falling. Zesshi cursed herself furiously. If indeed, as Zesshi imagined, the Sorcerer King had come here, it would be a disaster. Even this girl alone was a nuisance, but if even that undead joined the fray, there was no chance of winning. Of course, the Theocracy has not yet completed a complete analysis of the Sorcerer King’s fighting ability. Still, even so, the Sorcerer King, who had destroyed an army of over 100,000 men, was not likely to be able to defeat this girl.
[Note: Little does Zesshi know, Aura is Sorcerous King’s servant, lol.]
It was hard to imagine that it was less than.(I’m just thinking hypothetically at the moment, but it makes sense—it makes sense. I don’t know what the opponent is trying to do, but if the Sorcerer King is really here, should I negotiate?)If this could take the elemental spirit of the Elf King, it would be the usurpation of this country. The girl held the proof of her royal blood—on both her eyes. The elves must hang their heads when they see the evidence of their rightful blood and the Primal Earth Elemental that the King used to accompany him.
(This will increase their popularity as they fight off the country. Perfect timing. Perfect timing.)Zesshi was further frustrated.
(Theocracy rushed to settle the war with Elf Country because the Sorcerous Kingdom had invaded with a force that would destroy the Kingdom. But what if that was actually the Sorcerous Kingdom’s goal?)Suddenly, she envisioned the disjointed Rubik’s Column being completed. Zesshi, who had never felt frightened in any battle, shuddered for a moment as she felt a strange sensation as if ice had been stuffed deep inside her body. Yes, if everything was a plot by the Sorcerous Kingdom, it would explain everything.
(Is the Kingdom not the real target, but to strike a blow against Theocracy while keeping Elf Country under control? If so, was the invasion revealed after the repulse at Ë-Nauru, not to put the Kingdom in fear of being destroyed, but only to move Theocracy at the opportune moment? Or both? To bring two countries under their control in such a short period of time? Unbelievable! It’s impossible that the Sorcerous Kingdom was manipulated into doing what they wanted...!)
As much as she hated to admit it, she should still consider the worst possible scenario, just as she had done earlier. Accordingly, the Supreme Executive described the Sorcerer King as a matter of utmost caution. He is a brilliant strategist, but as she expected, it is his formidable power that they must be most wary of. But—
Yes, but if the Sorcerer King devised this strategy, it is truly terrifying, not the power of magic that can instantly kill 100,000 soldiers. Nor did he have a powerful army that could annihilate all 9 million of the kingdom’s citizens. Instead, what was most terrifying was the wisdom of a king who could see a hundred moves ahead and manipulate his opponents at will with invisible strings of control. The mighty can no longer control their opponents by making even more clever plans. The only weapon of the weak against the strong will be crushed.
(Or perhaps… it was the Demon Prime Minister Albedo who devised the strategy? Either way… no, wait? Theocracy, not just the two countries? And then declare war on them?)
It is true that some can say that it did not matter how many weak soldiers were killed. A man who has reached the realm of heroes has a fighting ability surpassing tens of thousands of ordinary soldiers. However, this is the view of the powerful, and what about regular people? Indeed, Theocracy was proclaiming human supremacy and uniting the nation with it. The idea behind this view was that if weak humans do not unite and take the initiative to defeat other races, they will be pushed back and destroyed. In fact, the Draconic Kingdom, which was in contact with the beastmen, is an excellent example of this.
However, even if the masses knew that they would be destroyed by an overwhelmingly strong force, would they have the willpower to continue the fight? Even if they hear that their great enemy, the Elven Nation, had not been destroyed and, on the contrary, their soldiers had been exterminated. Zesshi smiled a smile that hid her usual true feelings. It wasn’t that she was happy or amused. On the contrary, it was quite the opposite. It was a sense of despair that she had been so perfectly planned out that he had fallen into the trap.
(What am I supposed to do? Do I stand around and let the soldiers escape? Or run so that I can survive?)The death of Zesshi, Theocracy’s most powerful trump card, was a great loss. That was why it would be a good idea to run away. The girl spoke to her, wondering what she thought of Zesshi’s inability to think and act on the best move to be made in the future.
“A-Ano, ’cus me? I know I’m repeating myself, but would you like to surrender? Well, I think it’s not too late. I don’t want to kill you.”She could not say it was bad to get information about the opponent. However—
“I can’t escape. I can’t run away!”
“Eh?“The girl voiced her wonder. Indeed, it was natural. Zesshi’s replied to the girl’s question—from the girl’s point of view, it did not make sense. However, in Zesshi’s mind, it makes sense. That was right. That was all there was to it. If this was really a plot planned by the Sorcerous Kingdom, there was only one way to break this trap. Turn herself into a wounded beast, devour the girl in front of her, and break the Sorcerous Kingdom’s plan with that. If they lose such a strong man, it would be a move that would seriously derail the Sorcerous Kingdom’s plans. The worst trap may have been waiting for her, but this was her chance to break it. Only she was allowed to do that now.
(Yes. I am the only one who teaches my country!)She had mixed feelings when asked if she owed them anything worth risking her life for. However, from time to time, there were people she liked. Unfortunately, most of them died because they had been alive for a long time. She was willing to risk her life for the country she loved for once.
(—I may die, but I’ll do my best to kill you. That’s all I ask.)
She was prepared to do so. Indeed, she contemplated a retreat. However, this was not because she wanted to escape at the last minute, but because she wanted to act with a margin of safety that would allow her to absolutely escape. Until now, the battle had lacked the desire to get serious and kill each other.
She had a part not out of love for someone who might be her niece. She could have chopped her limbs off and captured or terminated her without hesitation, even if she was an infant, if necessary. But her first priority was indeed her own survival. Throw that away. If she did not take the gamble now, here and now, where would she take it? Tomorrow surely only would be worse than today.
“Go!”
Shouting—Einherjar attacked as instructed. In truth, there was no need to put it into words. One can give orders from one’s mind. Even Zesshi knew that. The reason why she said it out loud was to lift her spirits and make her resolve even stronger. She let Einherjar take charge of the elemental and rushed toward the girl. However, the elemental stood there with its arms outstretched as if blocking the pathway. Then, it did not matter. Zesshi and Einherjar would strike down the elemental in one fell swoop and then kill the girl. If the Elemental in front of her was the one that was taken from the Elf King, then by destroying it, she would be taking away the proof of her kingship.
It may thereby delay the Sorcerous Kingdom’s move. With two scythes, she slashed at the Elemental several times in an instant. To tell the truth, an elemental that does not bleed and has no vital points is a difficult opponent. High-tier elementals are resistant to physical attacks. Even the scythe wielded by Zesshi cannot kill them with a single blow. From Zesshi’s point of view, this was a strain she did not want to oppose. But there was no time to say that. However, since the spirit was standing blocking the corridor, the attack from the girl could not reach her. And the offensive magic that was activated from the scroll could not pass through the line of fire. It would be very difficult to pass through the line of fire of the attack magic activated from the scroll. What should be more alarming was the fact that the girl may have cast an enhancement spell on herself. The only thing to be wary of was the possibility that the girl would use the same kind of magic on the elemental she used on herself.
(I have the advantage that we can both fight. But not definitely. If I can’t go behind it, it means I can’t stop her from enhancing her elemental with magic...)
But did the girl not understand that this would happen? There was something that was a bit stuck in her mind. However, she was unable to verbalize it well. The Elemental swung down its arm like a collection of piled-up boulders. She would like to jump out of the way in a big way, but this was not a situation where she could fight hit-and-away in a fight. Instead, she hooked her scythe to the approaching arm and deflected the attack. The power of the Primal Earth Elemental was tremendous, but it was not difficult to change its trajectory by applying force from the side. However, it was not a weapon of a shape suitable for parrying an attack, and it was a trick that could only be done because of the difference in strength.
Out of the corner of her eye, Einherjar succeeded in passing away as well. Einherjar was weaker than Zesshi. The fact that it was still possible, as Zesshi felt, meant that this Primal Earth Elemental was not as strong as she was expected to be. Then again, it might not be the Primal Earth Elemental that the Elf King used and that Theocracy was most wary of. But that did not mean that the Primal Earth Elemental in front of her was weak. If she were only a hero, there was no doubt that she would have been crushed without being able to evade it. It is difficult to say whether or not that would be a fatal wound, but serious injury is the first thing that is inevitable. After deflecting the attack, she looked behind the Primal Earth Elemental to check the girl’s movement. It would be dangerous to cut off her line of sight from there since she was jumping into the bosom of her huge opponent, but it would have been far more dangerous not to check the girl’s movement. But, then, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
(—Ha?)The girl was running with her back facing her. She had a cute way of running, but her speed was tremendous. She escaped. She ran away.
“—!!“Zesshi understood. It was not against Einherjar that she summoned this Primal Earth Elemental. But it was to buy time to escape. Although the girl’s attitude did not allow her to realize it, she may have actually been on edge as well. She had no intention of fighting for her life from the beginning. This was evident in her actions at that time. When Zesshi tried to take her back, she retreated at a tremendous pace, not because she didn’t want to be flanked. On the contrary, it was to avoid having her escape route blocked. Her attitude, words, and deeds, until now, speak for themselves.
“Oh no!”
She must immediately choose the best of the three options. She chases after the girl somehow. Defeat the Primal Earth Elemental anyway. Zesshi also escapes. Of these, the third was easy to execute. Once out of the summoner’s sight, giving the Elemental an order appropriate to the situation was impossible. Thus, for example, if the summoner had given the command, “Set up in that passage and kill anyone who tries to pass through,” the Primal Earth Elemental would not chase after the fleeing Zesshi. However, if the command is “Kill the woman in front of you,” Zesshi will try to pursue and attack her even if she escapes.
She just chased after her opponent blindly and did not try to tactfully get ahead of her. Therefore, there was no way that Zesshi, who was superior in terms of agility and speed, would be defeated. However, if she showed her back and ran away as fast as possible, the Primal Earth Elemental Spirit would be reduced to a being that only searches for Zesshi, who had lost sight of her. However, she rejected that idea. She must reject it. It would be a distraction from the future intrigues of the dangerous Sorcerous Kingdom that was very likely to occur. What about the first and second? It was not easy to chase the girl. Even if she destroyed the wall in front of her in a short time, whether she could catch up with a girl with extraordinary mobility depends on her luck.
Besides, it was likely that her reinforcements were at the destination from which the girl fled. In that case, she really did not know how the victory or defeat would turn out. If so, the second option would be the best. It would seem that the previous resolve would be up in the air, and it would be a meaningless act unless the Primal Earth Elemental had been used by the Elf King. However, considering the return and the risk, it was the only choice she could make. The fish she let go of was a big one, but she should be satisfied with the size of the fish she caught. As Zesshi glared sharply at the Primal Earth Elemental, she saw a girl looking back at her from a distance behind her. The girl’s lips moved as she looked on without diverting her attention from the Primal Earth Elemental as if she was going to spit out a throwaway line.
“Oh, good. Leave some MP behind.”It was hard to tell whether it was due to the blood of Zesshi, the half-elf, or her high ability, but she heard a small sound of relief from the girl. It was faster than Zesshi could comprehend its meaning as the girl thrust her wand toward the ceiling. The profession of Disciple of Disaster, which Mare practiced, has a trump card. It was a degraded version of the trump card of the World Disaster. Its name is also 〈Lesser Catastrophe〉. It consumed an enormous amount of MP, but its destructive power surpasses that of the High-tier Magic used by Ainz. Of course, even it was not as destructive as the 〈Greater Catastrophe〉. However, even so, the rush of pure energy was enough to blow everything away instantly. The next moment, a tremendous force struck Zesshi.
“It is not good. I’m going to die.”She intuitively thought. A blow of raging power instantly blew away the Primal Earth Elemental. It was then that she finally understood. The Primal Earth Elemental was neither a countermeasure against Einherjar nor a wall for the girl to escape. Instead, it was merely to keep Zesshi from escaping its violent blows. In fact, slightly behind the disappearance of the Primal Earth Elemental, even her alter ego, Einherjar, vanished. Followed by—
(Not yet…! I’m not dying! I will not die!)
Amid the vortex of destruction, in which she felt it would be easier to give up, Zesshi endures with all her HP. But her consciousness fades. The pain that had been there until a few moments ago, as if her entire body would fall apart, was no longer there. She no longer knew where she was or if she was even standing. This must be what it felt like to die. What was that? That was all Zesshi could think. Wasn’t she going to fight for her life from now on? Wasn’t she going to fight with all her might to protect Theocracy, her own homeland, from the treacherous schemes of a treacherous nation? How cowardly! Of course, cowardice was a self-serving argument of Zesshi. Even in her fading consciousness, she knew this.
Still, that was the only emotion that arose. There was no relief that the elemental perished. She must have been worth nothing more than a pawn to be discarded. Or did she perceive more merit in killing herself, the most powerful trump card in Theocracy? After all, who was that girl? If she was really related to the Sorcerous Kingdom, to what extent was she dancing in the palm of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s hand? This was named defeat. Defeat did not mean falling victim to the enemy’s attack. She finally realized that it was to have one’s wishes, which one would risk one’s own life to fulfill, crushed in cruelty, and be brought to a state of hopelessness that cannot be put on.
It is terrible.
I don’t want to lose.
I never want to lose.
It’s bullsh*t to want to know the taste of defeat.
She really just wanted to deny her own strength. Or was it the denial of her mother? The blood flowing in her–what the days of being unloved brought. But if she could protect something important even with such a shitty power, then she might be able to… she might be able to forgive her mother a bit then. She didn’t want to be defeated. Even such feelings were frustrating.
(I hope you are not an associate of the Sorcerous Kingdom… that... was...)And then—it was pitch black.
・
He and Aura exit together from the Elven Treasure Palace. As it turned out, he was unsure if it was a disappointment. This was because there were several items of unknown value at Ainz, including a mysterious fruit larger than Aura’s height—a more gigantic version of a coconut. On the other hand, it was a bit disappointing that none of the items were made of rare metals for the time being, and all of the materials seemed to be easily obtainable in the natural environment. However, there was still romanticism that might have unusual effects or unseen abilities. So Ainz’s mood was not bad. No—maybe even quite good.
The item he had obtained was already gone. He used the 〈Gate〉to throw them near the log house on the surface of Nazarick. Someone in the Pleiades might be surprised to see them packed inside the log cabin, but there was no time to meet with Mare, who had sent them away earlier, to explain. He even loudly ordered them to take care of the items they had thrown out over the teleportation gate—taking into account the danger involved—and to keep them in the log cabin. After the process was over, Ainz, who had made up his mind, turned to Aura with a serious look on his face, which was, of course, his usual skeletal face.
“Then, I’m counting on you! Aura!”
“Yes!!”
Aura responded cheerfully and crouched down with her back to Ainz. To be clear, Ainz and Aura have different running speeds. If he ran normally, he would be left behind. Of course, if Aura were to follow the bloodstains of the Elven King, her speed would slow down, but even with that, Ainz might not be able to catch up. There is equipment that would greatly increase the mobility speed. However, a change of equipment is not the end of the process. The equipment of Ainz is a set of equipment that has passed strict standards in terms of resistance puzzles, equipment weight, and parameters that can be increased or decreased.
If the balance is broken, it is necessary to examine the equipment, which requires some time. If it were a consumable item, such as a scroll, he would be able to use it quickly, but then his usual tendency of poor person mentality would come out. And above all, he was not sure if he would be able to catch up with Aura even if he used them. So, in this case, the best solution was to be carried by Aura. Of course, it was very, very embarrassing for an adult man to be carried by a girl.
Even Ainz was embarrassed. He wondered if this was enough to suppress his feelings, but the embarrassment was slowly building up. However, Mare’s life may be at stake in this choice. Indeed, if it were the Elf King and Mare, Mare would win without a doubt. However, there are always no absolute guarantees. He would be hesitant to ask about the status of the situation from 〈Message〉 for fear of distracting him if he were in the middle of a battle. So, as he expected, it was best to get there as soon as possible, even if it was just a second. Then—Ainz decided to abandon his own feeling of shame. Not as Satoru Suzuki, but as Ainz Ooal Gown. One obvious question then comes to mind. It was how he was carried. If he was to be carried by Aura, there would be the option of carrying him in a bridal carry style.
[Note: 姫様抱っこ (hime-sama dakko) or in English means “Princess Carrying-style.”]
Some might say:“Why don’t you just carry her on your shoulders?”
Among them, Ainz chose to be carried on her back. Or perhaps he should be more precise and say that Aura chose this style. At first, Ainz suggested that he should be carried on her shoulders like a piece of luggage. He thought it would be less embarrassing and a good way to ironically say to himself, “I’m being carried as baggage.” However, when he suggested this to Aura, she said, “I cannot treat you as such baggage,” and he backed off because it would have been difficult to persuade her. So, he refrained from the bridal carrying in her arms. But, Tranquilization, he must wait and see. So, he asked her to carry him on her back. Ainz, who had already made up his mind, rode on the back of the little girl, saying in his mind, “Heave-ho!”. In addition, he took the dagger out of the item box. It was not clear if he would need it or not, but it was not a bad idea to have it ready. Beside it, the undead—Elemental Skull summoned by Ainz through 〈Summon Undead 10th〉—will be lined up.
Then, instead of Aura, some would say summon other undead and get on with it. However, the reason for not doing so was simple. Which was to cast away. If a sudden situation puts them in danger, Aura and Ainz intend to retreat, using the undead as a meat shield. For this reason, Ainz cannot summon the undead for riding purposes. Of course, he could get off the undead during close combat, but that moment could lead to something fatal. Ainz also thought that he was being overly cautious. However, since this was a battlefield and the probability of unexpected events was rising, a particular amount of preparation—immediately withdrawing from the undead as a shield—was necessary for safety. The elemental skull was more of a magic attacker and not a defender. It was summoned despite its role because a tank is not always the best choice to play the role of a defender. By the way—in the case of Yggdrasil, it was not recommended for an attacker to play the role of a defender (tank).
Moreover, only a monster like Touch-Me could be an attacker and a defender, so that was not recommended either. In fact, it was usually not possible to do so. However, he was free to insist that he could do it. Aura was running. Following the faint bloodstains left on the floor, she descended a few floors of stairs. There she stopped. She took her eyes off the floor and turned her head in the direction she was going. Ainz looked in that direction, too, but there was no sign of anyone. He thought about asking, “What’s the matter?” but waited until Aura told him so that he could immediately give orders to the elemental skull in the event of an unforeseen situation. He had an idea that it might be a possibility. And it was right.
“Ainz-sama… a message has been received from Mare.”
“I see.”Ainz replied gravely. Although it was not very appropriate for him to be riding on Aura’s back, there was still a tone that was appropriate for a master like him.
“From the looks of Aura, Mare doesn’t seem to be looking for help. Does that mean the Elf King has been captured safely?“
“He said that... the Elf King had already been killed.”
“What?”The Elf King, who had lost his Primal Earth Elemental, was weak from Ainz’s point of view. However, he was still not so weak that he could not escape being killed by the inhabitants of this world.
“So… there was a powerful person other than the Elf King, huh? So what happened to Mare?“
“Yes. I heard that the powerful person has also been defeated, but she is still breathing. What should we do? According to Mare, she may have important information. She may have been monitoring the battle between Ainz-sama and Shalltear.”
“What? That battle, huh? You mean she had a world item? We’ll… go there right now, get it, and return to Nazarick. We’re going back to Nazarick. Aura, I know this is a lot to ask, but just give me a little more time.”The fact that he did not say “the strong people“ suggested that she was alone, but it was also possible that there was only one strong person, and there were others in the area. Since he did not know what was out there, he should try to retreat to a safe place as quickly as possible.
“There is no hardship whatsoever. But we are in a great hurry. So Ainz-sama, please hold on tight.”
Aura ran as if she were flying. She was moving faster than before, not slowing down even slightly as she rounded a corner, kicking and climbing the wall—like a roller coaster ride he’d never been on before. He was a bit scared, even though he felt no fear. He wondered if he felt more scared because his gaze was low. When warriorized, you can sprint at speeds close to this, but running on your own two feet and accelerating and slowing down sharp turns spoon-fed by others are very different. After a few seconds of physical sensation, Mare’s figure was confirmed. He carried a strange human being on his shoulder and in one hand, deftly held Mare’s own wand and a strange, unfamiliar scythe-like weapon.
“I heard the Elf King was killed, but what about his corpse?” or like, ”What about the magic items the Elf King would have had?” and so on and so forth. There was a mountain of questions, but he could not afford to do such things in enemy territory. The first priority here should be to return home. Ainz got off Aura’s back with a serious look on his face, and in a manner that made the audience understand that this was necessary and natural behavior and thrust the dagger, he brought into the hallway. It was quite difficult to memorize an empty hallway in a short time, but it was somewhat easier to remember where he stabbed a familiar dagger. Besides, since this dagger was memorized well, it was possible to send a magic spell against this place.
Ainz then activated 〈Gate〉.“Get in first.”Mare, with a frightened reaction, disappeared beyond the 〈Gate〉 with the human on his back. Ainz made his elemental skull disappear and passed through the 〈Gate〉with Aura. At the end of the gate was where they threw the items they took from the treasure hall, and as they looked around, they saw Entoma bowing to them as if she had come to collect them. Entoma, who had probably come to retrieve the items, was bowing her head toward them as she looked at them. 〈Gate〉 had been activated again, and Ainz would come back. Around them stood Death Knights, who had apparently been dispatched to help out.
“Welcome back, Ainz-sama.”
“Umu. Keep collecting them, Entoma. And do you keep the ring?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Then give it to Aura. And Aura, she is an important source of information. It’s not good for her to be dead. You must carry her carefully and quickly to the Freezing Prison. And while you’re at it, I’m sure the Neuronist will be fine, but make sure you remove her weaponry.”
“A-Ainz-sama, may I have a bit of your time?”
“What’s the matter, Mare? Is something worrying you?”
“Ye-Yes. This human...? was very strong. I was using 〈Sandman’s Sand〉 but I don’t think Neuronist can beat her if she wakes up for any reason.”
“I see… then Aura will stay around the woman until I or someone else goes. Be on the lookout for it.”Aura, who had fitted the ring, lifted the person more politely than Mare and teleported her with the power of the ring. After seeing it off, Ainz turned to Mare.
“Then… why did you think that person was monitoring my fight with Shalltear, Mare?”That was the biggest question.
“Ye-Yes. That human used Ainz-sama’s 〈The Goal of All Life is Death〉 and Shalltear’s 〈Einherjar〉. There was no way that there was absolutely no relationship between them!”
“Wa! What the hell!!!”Normally, the limitation of a strong special skill, which can be called a trump card, is to have one. In that case, Mare’s guess might indeed be correct. The most important thing to remember is that the person who is doing this is not the one who has the ability to copy another skill.
“How did you manage not to kill her?”
“Ye-Yes. I also thought I might have killed her with a 〈Lesser Catastrophe〉, but she seemed to have an amazing HP, and luckily she did not die.”
“You used a 〈Lesser Catastrophe〉? I’m surprised that didn’t kill her. Indeed… that human is a powerful human being. Mare was really fortunate… So what happened to the Elf King?”When Mare told Ainz about the end of the Elf King, he frowned. Since he prevented the 〈Time Stop〉it was likely that he had a magic item with a countermeasure, so he would like to retrieve the item he was equipped with. But, on the other hand, he may also have some information about that person. So which of the two should be prioritized would be items. There was no way that person could escape from Nazarick so easily.
“Then let’s send in Pandora’s Actor. That would be a good way to investigate. Or should I send him to gather information on that human… no, I’d rather gather information from her than let Pandora’s Actor to do so. That would be…”Ainz turns toward Entoma.
“Entoma. Please wait a little longer. I’m going to contact Pandora’s Actor right now.”After Entoma’s answer, Ainz activated〈Message〉 .
Info
Chapter 5 is completed.
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