The Theocracy shored up their assault and finally broke though the elf
capital's defenses.
Ainz spotted Theocracy troops in the city itself and hastily took action.
Under cover of Perfect Unknowable, the first thing Ainz did was find an
elf on their own and capture them while there were no witnesses around.
When he finally got his opportunity, he found himself with a female elf,
likely a servant.
He used Charm on her and took her through a Gate back to where Aura
and Mare waited. Like the elf they'd captured previously, they asked a few
questions, but she didn't have much valuable information.
Deciding they'd get nothing more from her, Ainz didn't hesitate to use
Death on her. He figured no one would notice a missing servant in a castle
about to fall.
Stripping off the clothes and anything else that would identify the
corpse, he sent it through a Gate to a far-off land—specifically, to where
they'd found the ursus. He figured the wild things would eventually take
care of the body, and if anyone did stumble across it, it would just be some
mysterious remains with no visible injuries. Nothing connected it to Ainz
himself.
It might have been more natural to move it to the air above the castle
and drop it—making it look like a suicide—but he decided that if she was
missing, then perhaps he could use that knowledge to his advantage later.
He'd used a little MP disposing of the body, but given his recovery
speed, there was nothing to worry about. They had neither the need nor the
time to sit and watch further.
The surviving elves were employing guerrilla tactics throughout the city,
and the Theocracy forces were struggling to advance, but given the
numbers advantage, it was only a matter of time. There were no signs of
champions strong enough to turn the tide, suggesting neither side had any to
put into play.
The elf king himself was supposed to be formidable, but if he wasn't out
there fighting, perhaps he'd already made his escape.
In which case, he might have taken the magic items with him, and they
were wasting their time. As he pondered this, Ainz turned to the twins.
"Let's go."
They knew the approximate location. It was a pity they'd been unable to
find any concrete information on what items the treasury held or what
powers this superstrong king actually had. Perhaps he should have targeted
a higher-ranking elf, but they hadn't had time to be choosey.
Only one real problem.
How—? Or rather, who should hide?
This was enemy territory, and he wasn't about to let them split up.
They'd taken pains to keep themselves concealed, so if they just waltzed
into the place, that would all be for naught.
It would be best if all three could remain hidden.
There were ways to accomplish that. But all had their downsides.
If Ainz had Perfect Unknowable active, only Aura could tell where he
was. And even then, she would only have a vague impression of his general
location. Druids were capable of acquiring a skill that could see through
Perfect Unknowable, but Mare didn't have that—his build was all offensive
magic, with precious few exceptions.
When Aura had the Ghillie Guise Cloak on, neither Ainz nor Mare could
find her.
Mare's standard outfit included a Dappled Cape, which provided
excellent concealment outside, especially in forests, but the effect was
halved indoors. The castle might be carved out of a living tree, but it still
counted as inside, and the cape's cloaking ability was reduced to the point
where even Ainz could sort of tell where he was. Aura and Ainz knowing
Mare's location was fine, but this meant it was easier for enemies to spot
him and thus sort of pointless.
If Ainz hid, Aura could see him, but Mare couldn't.
If Aura hid, neither Ainz nor Mare could spot her.
Mare's Dappled Cape didn't offer particularly strong concealment, and
that wasn't really improved if he used the Ghillie Guise Cloak—either way,
odds were high someone else could spot him.
There was no way for all three to hide, so it was better if one person
stayed hidden in case of emergencies. But who? Aura was probably best for
that role, but in a pinch, it might be a problem if the other two didn't know
where she was. They might accidentally turn her way and run into her.
This is a huge mess.
He'd had a week to prepare. They really should have talked this through
at some point.
Ainz had done plenty of stealth missions back in Yggdrasil. On their
initial conquest of Nazarick, his whole party had snuck through the marshes
filled with lurking tsveik. But with other players, they'd prepped their own
stealth measures and mostly knew how it worked—there'd been no need to
preplan, just a quick confirmation before leaping into action.
Perhaps the kill-steal idea had left Ainz a bit giddy and forgotten that he
wasn't playing Yggdrasil anymore because he had completely forgotten to
run his plan by the twins.
So why had neither of them brought it up? The most plausible
explanation was that it was a side effect of their absolute faith in him. Lord
Ainz must have a plan! (He was too scared to ask if that was actually the
case.) He glanced at them and found their eyes gleaming with trust.
He was too ashamed to admit it simply hadn't occurred to him. Ainz's
brain—not that he had one—went into overdrive, running fever hot. He
could try asking their opinion but didn't want to waste any more time on
this. So he went with the best idea he could come up with.
"I'll use Perfect Unknowable. Aura, you take the lead."
That settled it.
The twins would not hide. They would have to rely on Aura's senses and
do their best to avoid running into anyone. If that did happen, they'd handle
it, and Ainz would stand by, ready to back them up as necessary. Since they
couldn't see each other, the risk of them getting split up during an attack
was greater than the risk of the twins getting spotted.
Neither argued.
Are you really fine with that? Go ahead—offer feedback!
Ainz was always happy to be argued with.
Putting their heads together would assuredly result in a better idea.
And they agreed because it was his suggestion and they trusted him.
That was tantamount to an abandonment of thought. If Ainz had missed
something or picked a bad plan—and that happened plenty—then what?
They'd likely not say anything even if it did go south, but that was hardly a
good thing.
This is the downside to NPCs. Still…I could insist they offer their two
cents, but we really don't have time to discuss them. Best we leave this
problem for another day and just have them be extra careful.
He ran several strategies by them, then activated his spell, following
Aura and Mare into the castle.
There were very few elves here—it had been the same when he entered
on his own—so they didn't run into anyone. It helped that Aura was
listening closely and moving when there was no one around.
The Re-Estize Kingdom's castle was also largely deserted at the end, but
at least they'd barricaded the entrance and tried.
The Theocracy was already in the city, but no one was putting up any
resistance. It was like nothing was happening.
No one moving to defend themselves…because their leaders have
already abandoned the city? I've heard this is the only elf-led country
around, but the woods are vast. Maybe they have territory to the south.
Could even be another city.
In that case, this was a futile effort.
But Ainz would find out soon enough. No point speculating, so he
abandoned the line of thought.
The treasury was upstairs, on a floor no one was allowed to enter.
It was two stories above the king's own chambers, at the very top of the
palace. He'd considered accessing it from outside, but naturally, there were
no windows.
The three of them climbed on.
Up stair after stair, no sign of anyone here. When they reached their
destination floor, Aura muttered, "What the…?"
The ceilings were a good fifteen yards high and glowed like they had
lights fitted all over. There were no windows anywhere, so this light was
clearly of a magical source.
But it wasn't exactly bright.
Ainz moved around a bit, making sure no debuffs had hit him.
This wasn't the kind of light priests used against undead. This was the
elf country, so odds were it was some sort of druid faith spell.
That wasn't the odd part. The sixth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick
was much the same. Arcane and psychic magic both had light spells, too.
But with no side effects, it was hard to pinpoint the spell, much less what
type of magic.
Aura's question had been prompted not by the ceiling but the floor.
It was covered in dirt.
The whole floor was one vast open space, no walls or partitions—a solid
hundred yards in every direction—and dirt was scattered across the breadth
of it.
Not every inch, but the area around the doors in back had especially
thick layers of soil.
Aura kicked the ground a couple of times, turning the dirt over. The
floor was right below it. It wasn't that thick a layer.
"Is this in lieu of carpeting?"
It did give that impression. The dark elves hadn't used any rugs, either.
At most, they had cushions of woven grass.
"Ugh, man… I guess it takes all kinds, but this seems pretty uncultured?
Or is this a security system? Ensuring we leave footprints?"
"B-but wouldn't it be better to just leave guards?"
Ainz agreed with Mare on that point. He'd glanced around, but the place
was deserted.
So lax… If there's no one here— No, maybe there usually is, but they're
busy fighting the invaders. The servant said they weren't allowed up here.
Then again, there wasn't any mention of guards, either.
"Um, what if they were planning for a siege and thinking about growing
vegetables in here?" Mare suggested.
"Oh!" Aura said, nodding. Ainz did the same.
There might not be sunlight, but with druids around, they could easily
make fields. The light above might work like sunlight and allow crops to
grow.
Aura had dug up the very edge, so perhaps toward the center, it was
deep enough for crops to take root.
If we had a race that takes debuffs from sunlight, like Shalltear, we
might learn more. Or if it's a magic item, I could use Appraise Any Magic
Item.
If they checked the treasury and found nothing worthwhile, perhaps it
would be worth seeing if they could bring those home.
His mind made up, he began following them across the floor. The twins
both had skills that prevented them from making tracks, and Ainz was using
Perfect Unknowable and Fly, so he had no tracks to leave.
As they reached the center—
" Hmm, I sensed something off and came to see what was wrong,
only to find that we have some dark elves. Twin children?"
A voice called out from nowhere.
They spun around and found an elf standing a good ten yards off.
He possessed a cold sort of beauty, with eyes of different colors. Clearly
not a servant.
His attitude alone made it clear he gave the orders. He was just that
arrogant.
" How?" Ainz whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear.
No such man had been here. He was sure of it. Ainz or Mare might have
missed him, but Aura definitely wouldn't.
He had not been invisible. Ainz would've see through that.
Perhaps he'd used some sort of concealment skill to evade Ainz's
detection and also invisibility powerful enough to escape Aura's, or else…
A teleport? Damn, I should have had Delay Teleportation active.
Aura smoothly moved to stand between Ainz and the elf. Mare's
knuckles were tightening on his staff.
They were clearly bracing for a fight, but the elf did no such thing. To
Ainz, he looked entirely exposed, but perhaps that was merely a ruse to bait
them in. If he'd had a warrior's talents, the difference might have been
apparent.
Ainz moved away from the twins, waving at the man.
The man's gaze never budged.
He had not seen through Perfect Unknowable.
Ainz glanced at the twins.
Before they'd started this mission, he'd told them to gather information
when encountering anything unknown—unless they detected clear hostile
action.
Aura unobtrusively reached for her necklace, gripping it. Likely intent
on discussing how to approach this with Mare.
Ainz understood the intent, but it was careless.
If an intruder made any suspicious moves, Ainz would have attacked on
sight. Touching your equipment was tantamount to pulling a gun.
Expecting the mystery elf to attack, Ainz got ready to use an appropriate
spell…and then craned his head to the side out of confusion.
The elf man hadn't budged.
He'd clearly seen how Aura had moved but didn't seem bothered by it.
Was that extreme confidence in his own abilities? Had he just not
understood the implications of her action? Or was he also hesitant to attack
without learning something first?
" Mm? What's this? Your eyes… I have no memory of lying with a
dark elf. Or did I…? Mm, mm, mm. Let's just make sure."
The man's…intimidation factor, perhaps, seemed to rise. It felt like his
entire body grew larger.
Aura clicked her tongue.
"Body of Effulgent Beryl."
"My, my, my. You can stand up to this? That might be a first!"
"Um, why are you acting all hostile? I will kill you."
"Indomitability."
" Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
The man threw back his head, laughing like he'd never heard anything
so funny. Aura's frown grew dangerously pointy. Her fist clenched very
tight, but as Ainz watched, she slowly unclenched.
"Greater Resistance."
"Splendid! No, no, that explains it. It never occurred to me!
Grandchildren! Of course. Even if the children are worthless, the blood
might awaken in the next generation! How foolish of me to have let that
possibility go unnoticed."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Greater Full Potential."
"Yes, indeed. I was barking up the wrong tree! Isn't that right,
grandchildren?"
Grandchildren? What the hell? Why would he think that?
"Huh? Are you Lady Teapot's?"
Ainz felt a wave of panic. It suddenly occurred to him that
BubblingTeapot might have been flung here on her own and left this man
behind. But—
But there's no trace of slime here. Is he a shapeshifter, like
Solution?
"Teapot? What are you on about?"
No…? Then…is Akemi…?!
Akemi was Yamaiko's little sister. She'd made an elf character but
hadn't gotten that into Yggdrasil, so he'd spent little time with her.
"Mm…you're a purebred elf, right?"
"…Whoops. Caster's Blessing."
"What an odd ques— Do you not know who I am? That can't be
possible."
"We do!"
"Y-yes, of course."
"You're both terrible actors!" Ainz wailed. They'd sounded like they
were reading off cue cards. In fact, they hadn't fooled this elf a bit, and his
jaw dropped.
"Y-you really don't? Impossible! Honestly, I heard the dark elves lived
at the very outskirts, but you are remarkably uncivilized."
He glared at them.
"Since you're my grandchildren, I'll forgive it once, but ignorance is a
sin. I shall ensure you're properly educated."
"Educated, huh? But who are you actually? Just to be clear, I'm
assuming you're the elf king?"
Aura suggested as much because the elf king was the only person who
seemed likely to have any real strength.
"Life Essence. Oh!"
Ainz let out a yelp of surprise. The man had quite a substantial health
pool. Easily higher than the Pleiades. In Yggdrasil terms, he'd be at least
level 70. Definitely not a foe to be taken lightly.
"Sigh… How sad. Did your parents teach you nothing? What could
possibly be more important than knowing the name of the king, the pinnacle
of the elf species? Decem Hougan!"
"Shit."
Ainz swore under his breath.
He'd seen it coming, but the confirmation was worth a little swearing.
So much for all that sneaking around. It felt like a huge wasted effort.
A major threat—probably—who should have been out there diminishing
their future enemy's forces, but instead? He was going to have to eliminate
the man himself.
It was hard to find any excuse to let the king live now. If he'd been
weaker, perhaps overpowering him and erasing his memories would have
been an option, but Life Essence suggested this man's combat abilities—or
at least his HP—were astonishingly high by the standards of this world.
Naturally, if it came to a fight, the Nazarick denizens would certainly
win. The three of them were all level 100. But capturing him? That was
another story. They couldn't afford to let their guards down.
Like his sudden appearance, this elf—Decem—likely had some
previously unknown abilities. Without adequate information, trying to
capture instead of kill…was far too risky.
But at least Akemi's name hadn't come out, which meant there was a
solid 90-percent chance she wasn't involved. If she was, her name would
have been in there somewhere.
If this elf was the son of Yamaiko's sister, killing him would have been a
last resort.
"You're the king? Then why are you here? The humans are attacking!
Go out and fight—protect your citizens."
"Mana Essence… Interesting."
Decem's magic pool was also huge for someone from here. Almost as
large as Shalltear's.
Given elven culture, if Decem had sizable pools of HP and MP, then he
was most likely a druid, like Mare. And probably a back-line type.
"Why should I do that? You have some odd ideas about kings. A king is
an exalted being who the populace must pay tribute to. Not someone who
cleans up after them. Superior beings show those beneath them mercy. And
mercy is something you beg for, not demand. Even if it is not granted,
lesser beings must come to terms with that fact."
The hell was he on about?
Ainz couldn't believe his ears. If he meant anything he was saying, this
king had bats in the belfry. He felt sorry for the elves suffering under his
rule.
"So you're not gonna help them? But, uh, I guess some of that makes
sense."
"Y-yes, I can't say it's entirely wrong…"
Hah?!
Ainz swung around, gaping at the twins. This didn't look like a scheme
to curry favor.
What part of that crap had made any sense? How could it not be entirely
wrong?
O-or am I the one who's wrong? Maybe that's how kings are supposed to
think? Jircniv was a bit like that, I suppose… What about the kuagoa king?
He was super servile.
"Hmm. You are my grandchildren. You may be unlearned, but you have
the minds to comprehend truth."
" Ugh, I'm wasting time. I should use…Magic Ward: Fire."
"But you've made one fatal error," Aura said. "Only the Supreme
Beings are worthy of tribute, not some lowly elf like you. But I guess if you
wanna make the elves around here serve you, knock yourself out."
No, no…that's so many kinds of wrong. But nothing I say can change it.
I guess I get how Aura and Mare feel. If we could make friends outside of
Nazarick…I suppose I'll have to place my hopes on Shizu and the girl with
the scary eyes. My attempts didn't work out this time…or, given how she
acted when we left, Shizu wasn't… Perhaps Sebas…? Argh, I'm getting
distracted again!
"What? The Supreme Beings? Is that what the dark elves believe?"
Decem considered it, then shook his head. "So be it. I can always hear more
later."
"Do you have that kind of time? Like I said, the humans are busy
sacking your country."
He'd wasted a moment, so Ainz hastily cast his next spell.
"False Data: Life."
Then a vibration shook the room from below. The Theocracy must have
finally broken out the siege weapons.
Decem and the twins both glanced at the floor, falling silent. Ainz kept
casting.
"False Data: Mana."
"Tch. These humans are a nuisance. I could go in person and wipe them
out, but…I'm not in the mood. Come."
"…Where to?"
"Penetrate Up."
"Haven't really thought about it, but with my power, anywhere."
"No plan at all, huh? Worthless. And what'll happen if we go with you?"
"Earth… Hmm, that's a waste if I've read it wrong but…" Ainz
hesitated, then took out a scroll and used it to cast Earth Master.
"Oh." Decem's eyes raked Aura's body. "You are still a child. It will
take time before you're grown, but oh well. I've waited this long. A few
decades is certainly not short, but I'll have to convince myself it is. You
asked what would happen? The answer is simple. You'll make children with
me."
" Huh? What?"
" Hah? Greater Luck."
"You as well," Decem said, looking at Mare. "Once a female is
impregnated, you have to wait a while before trying again. In that sense, I
might pin my hopes on you, boy. The two of us can sire a great number of
children in no time at all. I feared that might thin the blood, but if
grandchildren can awaken, great-grandchildren might as well. Worth
experimenting with, at least. In any case—it's a bother, but I should bring
some citizens with us for you to use. Still…why is a boy dressed as a girl?
Is this a dark elf thing? Honestly, I'm displeased enough you're not pure
elves, but it's far better than expanding my criteria to include all humanoid
races."
Aura and Mare were just staring up at him, mouths hanging open.
" "
"Doesn't make sense yet? No matter. Come on."
Seeing the children just standing there, Decem reached for them—for
Aura.
Ainz batted his hand away. This registered as an attack, and Perfect
Unknowable was instantly broken.
Shocked, Decem tried to turn—but before that happened, Ainz buried
his fist in the man's face.
Decem went flying, rolling across the floor.
"You pedo motherfucker. That girl's in my care. How dare you lay your
creepy eyes on her. Drop dead!"
Even as he hurled insults, the calm part of his mind was furious at
himself for ruining his own plan.
Perfect Unknowable was a huge advantage and not worth losing in a fit
of anger. Such a waste!
When Ainz's emotions crossed a certain threshold, they were forcibly
reset. If that had kicked in, he could've handled this rationally—perhaps
casting an instant death spell instead of punching him. He'd been less angry
and more disgusted—and that didn't trigger the reset.
"Wha—wha—?"
Decem got up, reeling. Blood poured from both nostrils. Clearly not
major damage. Life Essence showed no real loss of health.
Ainz's full swing had landed a clean hit—and that was it.
There'd been a small chance he was using a spell like False Data: Life
or an item to disguise his HP, but it didn't seem like it was substantially
inaccurate.
Ainz turned a palm to the twins, telling them not to budge.
Estimating Decem's total strength from his HP and MP, he was over
level 70 but probably not level 80.
But there was one thing to watch out for—albeit a very low possibility.
Namely, there might be classes not from Yggdrasil exclusive to this
world—that didn't raise HP and MP. In other words, he might be level 100,
but his combined HP and MP made him look level 70.
This was extremely unlikely. But not impossible.
We could gang up on him and go for a quick kill, but that's a bad idea. I
at least want to work out how he pulled off that teleport…
As Ainz figured out his strategy, Decem began yelling.
"A-an undead?! Why here…out of thin air?!" His gaze turned to the
twins. "Is one of you a necromancer?"
"Indeed," Ainz said, answering before they could respond. "These two
are necromancers beyond compare. And I am a guardian created by them
and their parents, their four powers combined. I shall never allow anyone
lacking to lay a finger on them. Should you be able to best me, you may
take them with you—" Here he smirked, projecting contempt. "Not that you
can."
"Hmm…" Decem let go of his nose. The bleeding had stopped. "I'm
almost impressed. I haven't bled in…decades? Perhaps a century! You
certainly have the strength to back your arrogance. Hardly how one
addresses a king, but you are lucky. Rejoice, for I shall personally
demonstrate the discrepancy in our power. You will bow!"
He was looking at Aura and Mare the whole time, like he'd fully bought
Ainz's total fabrication.
Huh, Ainz thought.
Why not doubt his story? Why act like he took it at face value?
Perhaps he had no means of turning invisible. Otherwise, he'd have
assumed Ainz had been lurking all along, under cover of Invisibility—and
was not actually a summon.
In which case, he was like Mare—a specialized druid.
Or is this a performance for my benefit? But what would be the point of
bluffing here?
He tried to place himself in this man's shoes, but stopping to think
things over would arouse his suspicions.
"Then let us duel one-on-one! How better to prove who is stronger, my
masters or you?"
Decem's eyes went wide; then he laughed, like that was inherently
hilarious.
Ainz used Silent Magic to send a Message to Mare.
Mare, that was a lie. If I'm at a disadvantage, step in and make sure this
man dies. Quietly pass this on to Aura.
Obviously. No way was he giving the twins to this creep. Only a fool
would insist on fighting one-on-one when your life was on the line. True,
there were fights you could afford to lose, but those did not include any
battles to the death.
Still…
Ainz definitely blew it this time.
He would've preferred to spend more time buffing himself. Yet, he
couldn't abide the thought of this deviant touching Aura. And he might
have skills Ainz was unaware of—a forced teleport, for instance.
"A moment ago—when I saw you commanding this undead—I knew for
a fact you are my grandchildren."
The ground began to move.
Like waves retreating down the beach to the bay—the dirt on the floor
headed Decem's way.
Ainz ignored this, making a show of taking out a scroll—like he'd had it
hidden under his robe—and activating its magic.
This was a real waste. But the situation left him with no choice. With no
clear indication how knowledgeable his foe was, he couldn't afford to make
him cautious.
The spell used was an eighth-tier magic, Dimensional Lock.
Demons and angels—residents of other worlds—had this as a special
skill, and this spell replicated that with magic. It negated attempts to move
outside the area of affect with any instant-movement spells—Teleportation
chief among them.
By this time, Decem's dirt mound had formed a giant.
Clearly an elemental.
Mare let out a surprised noise, and Ainz was right there with him.
A primal earth elemental?!
No ordinary means could summon this type of elemental, and it made
Ainz all the more cautious.
Unlike Mare, Ainz managed to stifle his shock—he made not a sound.
Rule one of Player Killing for Dummies was not revealing what you knew.
Against a child like Mare, he might assume this was a reaction to the
sheer power of the summon, but with Ainz, he would likely take it as a sign
he knew what this was.
So Ainz shrugged instead.
"Hmm, is that it? Earth elementals are just huge piles of dirt. You don't
want to soil your hands, so you're having this thing fight me instead? You
must think I'm entirely feeble."
"Aha! You know what this is?" Decem smirked.
Cool.
"Of course. There's no mistaking an earth elemental. I've summoned
and defeated them myself. Mine was not quite this large—at this size, I'll
acknowledge it must take some strength to command. Size is an indicator of
power. But bigger is not always better."
"True! I agree. Dragonlords have a clear advantage in bulk yet are
helpless before elves. Still, I'm impressed. Your knowledge is accurate.
This is, indeed, an earth elemental. Ha-ha-ha! You are well-informed—or at
least have a good memory. Very respectable." Decem's sarcasm levels were
off the charts. "The perfect opportunity! Why not try taking a hit from it? A
blow from this elemental you scoff at?"
The primal earth elemental slowly raised a fist.
It oughtta be able to move way faster than that. He's doing this
deliberately—but that works for me.
If Decem was going to toy with him like a cat with its prey, Ainz was on
board.
Perfect.
Hiding his grin—not that his face moved—Ainz mentally reviewed what
he knew about primal earth elementals.
They started at level 80 and were definitely the tanks of the primal class.
Well, that was basically true for all earth elementals.
Their attacks were supposedly imbued with all the metal attributes—at
level or below—the earth contained. So if you had a weakness to silver, like
Lupusregina, their attacks would take advantage of that.
There was also a minor stat boost provided if both the elemental and
their opponent were in contact with soil. However, since all the dirt in the
room had already gathered at Decem's side, leaving only wooden floors,
that didn't apply here. Elementals could dive into the soil—similarly
useless indoors. In conclusion, this wasn't a great location for a primal earth
elemental to fight.
The main means of attack was swinging those arms around. Simple but
quite powerful. Speed and accuracy weren't that high, but it would still be
hard for a rear-line fighter like Ainz to dodge. And they did battering
damage, which was effective against Ainz.
They could extend their arms like whips for sweep attacks, but that
lessened the damage done.
Like their attacks, their defense was believed to have a variety of metal
attributes, and it was treated as having Weapon Resistance V to all types.
And that stacked with Reduce Physical Damage. For those reasons, it made
an ideal tank and was quite a tricky foe if you were only going at it with
physical attacks.
Naturally, it had its weaknesses.
It had no real tricks to play—no special abilities. In other words, nothing
that could really shake up a fight.
And anything that exploited metallic weaknesses worked just fine.
HeroHero would have made short work of it.
In other words, it was weak to acid, et al.—and one more attribute.
Ainz got ready to draw a staff from his item box. It wasn't time for that
just yet. This foe thought he was a standard-issue undead. Best not to reveal
any abilities that would make him cautious.
The question was—could he withstand this blow?
He did fancy the idea of acting like he only realized this was no ordinary
earth elemental after taking the hit. The downside was that if that didn't kill
him, his foe might start taking this fight seriously.
Yeah, he's definitely specialized in summons. And that means the
elemental's blow will be pretty destructive. Taking unnecessary damage
could work against me later. I should—
"Wall of Skeletons."
The elemental's fist came crashing down, and Ainz summoned a
massive wall made entirely of bones. It crumbled as soon as it appeared.
I thought so… He lost mana.
" Wh-wh-what?!" Ainz said, loud enough that the man could hear
him. "How can it destroy my wall in a single blow?!"
"Ha-ha-ha! Your walls must be fragile indeed, unable to withstand a hit
from a mere earth elemental!"
Decem seemed to be in a very good mood, so Ainz tossed a spell at him.
"Lopsided Duel."
This was a third-tier spell. If his opponent tried to teleport away, this
spell would ensure Ainz was automatically taken to the same place. Even if
someone was protected by Delay Teleportation, this allowed him to ignore
that and move at the same time.
That could be a two-edged sword. If they teleported right into the middle
of their friends, you'd be dragged along with them and get the snot beat out
of you. That was why it was so low tier despite the obvious benefits. Before
it got patched, you'd been able to cast it on a friend and move them with
you, but they soon issued a fix that made the spell work only on enemies.
Naturally, if Decem fled somewhere with an opponent as strong as he
was, Ainz would need to run for it, but that wasn't actually hard—like the
name implied, if Ainz teleported away, it would not pull Decem along with
him.
" What did you do?"
"...An instant-death spell. I take it you've got countermeasures in
place?"
"...Hmm, that's at least mildly intelligent. After realizing it can't beat
Behemoth, it attacks me. Did you think I was somehow weaker than the
elemental?"
By Yggdrasil rules, the summoner would never be weaker than the
summon, but I bet you are actually lower level. You've deemed me weaker
than you but ignored my question because you have no strategy against
instant-death spells? Also, why "Behemoth"?
Decem jerked his chin, and the primal earth elemental raised its fist.
Moving faster now. He heard Decem cast a spell at the same time.
"Mercy of Shorea Robusta."
Tch. I figured he could use tenth tier, but that one's obnoxious. Gotta
double the spell on my finishing blow.
Mercy of Shorea Robusta was indeed a tenth-tier spell, and it came with
one of the highest mana costs around—on the same level as Reality Slash.
It had three effects.
First, for a period of time, it would steadily restore your health. But this
was not an impressive heal, and at Decem's level, it was hard to call that
useful.
Second, it completely protected against instant death. If you just wanted
this protection, there were lower-level spells for that, but there was a good
reason many druids acquired this skill anyway.
That main appeal was the third effect, which allowed you to come back
to life if your HP hit 0. In this case, the resurrection carried no level-down
penalty. Zero HP was a required condition—deaths caused by things that
didn't deal combat damage, like drowning, were not affected. Still, it was a
pretty good spell. Priests had revival spells that could avoid the level-down
penalty if cast right after a death, and druids had Phoenix Breath, but this
spell was widely used to prevent accidental deaths. It didn't give you much
health after a revival, so combo hits would still kill you outright—but still,
people had been saved by it…on occasion.
And since this was classified as resurrection magic, it could negate
fatalities caused by Ainz's ultimate move, the Goal of All Life Is Death. But
that would make this spell dissipate, even if it would normally still have
active time left. This was because all spell effects were lost at the moment
of resurrection.
My bluff about casting an instant-death spell made him cautious—bad
move on my part. I should have mentioned something I can't use. Will do in
the future.
"Triplet Magic: Wall of Skeletons."
As expected, the first blow smashed a wall, and the next blow smashed
the second. That left one standing—and while Decem's line of sight was
blocked, Ainz moved a bit away, took out a scroll, and used the spell.
"Piercing Cacophony."
This was a buff and might not be necessary, but just in case.
The primal earth elemental attacked again.
Shattering the bone wall—
"Triplet Magic: Wall of Skeletons."
As the first of these new walls went down, he heard Decem cast.
"Aspect of Elemental."
An eighth-tier druid spell, this granted you an elemental's resistances.
This negated a lot of status effects—poison and sickness included. It also
negated the effects of critical hits and any effects that depended on them.
The ninth-tier Elemental Form was similar.
This was rough—he was swiftly eliminating a lot of Ainz's strengths.
Still—
How far can I diminish his MP pool?
Triplet Silent Magic: Greater Magic Seal.
Ainz moved a few more steps. This put him a ninety-degree turn away
from his original position (assuming Decem as the center). He was closer to
the stairs now.
The primal earth elemental's attack broke through the bones. Sadly, he
could not make more.
Triplet Maximize Boosted Silent Magic: Magic Arrow.
This took a huge chunk of MP.
Even a low-level spell would do a lot strengthened four times.
If the primary earth elemental had been a standard summon, he could
have simply used Greater Rejection and had no need to use spells like this.
But if Decem's class build was a specialized summoner, there was a solid
chance Ainz would be unable to dismiss the summon even with his level
advantage.
And Greater Rejection could only cancel summons—it couldn't do
anything to creatures made with a Create skill.
Elemental Adjutant, etc. If he sacrificed experience to create it, it can
stick around for basically ever. Given that it's costing MP to maintain it, I
don't think that's this…but I don't wanna gamble.
Better to prepare just in case.
"Oh—" Decem saw where Ainz was standing relative to the twins and
frowned. "Why would you move there? You claim to be their guardian, yet
prepare to flee?"
"Tch!"
"Ha-ha-ha! I'd be glad to assist!"
Ainz made a run for the door, his back wide open and the primary earth
elemental took a swing at it. The sheer bulk had a knock-back effect that
sent Ainz flying.
"Oh? One blow isn't enough to finish you. I see you're not all talk. Yet,
resistance is futile."
Ainz used Fly to land at the top of the stairs without losing his balance.
"But if you're running, I assume you're abandoning your masters here?"
"Of course not."
Ainz made another Wall of Skeletons.
"This again?" Decem said, sounding appalled. "Not even trying to harm
my elemental? Your strategy is laughable."
"Ha-ha-ha!" Ainz chortled. "I know the humans are invading your
country! Elf king, time is on my side."
"…Ah. That explains it. Aren't you clever? But that, too, is futile.
Impossible."
"Mm? You think so?"
"Did you really think mere humans could defeat me, commander of the
highest-tier elemental?"
I scoffed at that man who summoned an angel, but in this case, a primal
earth elemental is more or less the highest tier around. Do the Theocracy
really know how strong he is? Or do they have a way to defeat him? This
guy sure doesn't think so. Who is in the dark here, Decem or the Theocracy?
Would the latter really call that the highest-level angel if they were aware of
Decem's abilities?
Ainz had gone quiet, thinking.
"It should be obvious, really," a scornful voice said. "What a shallow
fool you are. I suppose you are undead. You've got air where your brain
should be."
I can't tell. If they're serious about this war, they have to have someone
on his level in their camp. In which case, time isn't on my side. I don't want
to fight two in a row…
What would be the best way to tire out his opponent?
As he considered this, he threw up another Wall of Skeletons.
Like his Message to Mare, if you really wanted to win, fighting one-onone was stupid. But this time, he was forced to do so—unless he was on the
verge of losing. That was why this fight was such a headache.
This way of fighting tied his hands.
He knew Decem was unable to see through Perfect Unknowable. Using
that would give him an overwhelming advantage.
But he couldn't use it.
Why not?
If he cast Perfect Unknowable and started unilaterally attacking, what
then?
Or if he did anything else that made Decem realize his true strength—
using high-level spells like Stop Time, for instance?
If Decem realized he could not win, he would likely retreat. Fortunately,
his attacks were unlikely to target the twins—it might happen, but the odds
were low. The man's goal here was to capture Aura—and Mare, if possible.
He was unlikely to do anything that might prove fatal.
But before they figured out how Decem had arrived so suddenly, they
didn't want him fleeing.
Someone who appeared out of thin air might well disappear. They had to
prepare for the worst and act as if he had a skill for that.
And if they let him get away, this degenerate might continue to come
after the twins.
That had to be avoided.
Without knowing the full extent of Decem's powers, that would be akin
to dangling them off the edge of a cliff.
Thus, the plan.
Keep him here and make sure he dies.
That meant he couldn't easily ask the twins to help.
Numbers were a major factor in ensuring victory. If Ainz had run into
foes of unknown strength who outnumbered him, retreat would be his first
consideration. Decem should have done the same.
His best plan was to keep Decem in the dark about the mounting danger
until Ainz knew for sure he could kill him. For that reason, he sidelined the
twins and avoided summoning any undead.
This was also why he'd dangled them as bait.
He would limit his foe's options and guide his thoughts, making it so he
wouldn't—couldn't leave the battle.
It's the whatchamacallit—the sunk-in cost fallacy. How long this
actually keeps him here is… Well, let's hope he doesn't figure it out. Let's
hope he doesn't have much combat experience. I've got to at least break his
spirit.
"H-he's so scary…"
Aura could hear Mare's voice quiver, even through the necklace.
"Yup. He is."
"I didn't know Lord Ainz could be this scary."
Aura and Mare knew exactly why their master—the absolute ruler—was
fighting this way.
To figure out what his foe could do? That was possibly a part of it. But
that wasn't the main goal.
He was after one thing.
Drag that elf into the muck, don't let him escape, and make sure he was
dead.
If you didn't know how strong a foe was, then during a fight, you had to
think about when to cut your losses and run.
There were many signs that should happen, but barring an outright
inability to harm them, a good indicator was when your own health dropped
below a certain threshold.
But what if you had plenty of health but were running low on MP?
And had used a lot of magic to get to that point?
If it felt like you'd probably win if you held out a little longer?
It was hard to cut your losses even if you knew you should. Most people
took stock of their foes, learned from bad experiences, and made rules for
themselves.
But if you had no real combat experience and knew little about your
opponent, that made it harder to figure out when to cut and run.
And their master knew that applied here.
Their opponent was a king and extremely arrogant. He'd never fought
anyone anywhere close to his level. Which meant it was easy to back him
into a corner where he couldn't run.
"All these cheap lines are bluffs. Lord Ainz really does think like a
monster. I know that's rude, but…"
Aura shivered.
"I can see why Demiurge said Lord Ainz was worse than he could ever
be."
Mare shuddered.
"The way he showed off the scroll usage is really something."
"All while not revealing what he's actually capable of."
An approach this thorough was downright terrifying. And highly
educational.
Both agreed they were incredibly fortunate to be serving someone like
him.
Walls went up as soon as he smashed them.
The sight of this brought a rising irritation beneath Decem's smile. So
much time wasted.
How many times had it been now? He hadn't bothered counting, but it
had to be dozens.
Each wall was fragile enough to take out with a single blow, but this
undead was generating several at once and moving around so Behemoth
could not reach him.
Weaklings must compensate with schemes. Or perhaps this is the best
spell it has, and it's just desperate.
This undead might not be entirely weak, but it was clearly not as strong
as himself or Behemoth. Everything he'd seen so far had reinforced that
impression.
If this undead were stronger than Behemoth, it would have attacked it
aggressively. Yet, all it did was squirm around pathetically, using defensive
spells. Like it was waiting for help to arrive. Behemoth took damage with
each wall it smashed, but this was inconsequential. No one would be foolish
enough to think they could win like this.
Just a sad, futile hope that if it chips away enough of Behemoth's health,
it'll be easier for the humans to defeat. But Behemoth has far more stamina
than you imagine. You'll be out of magic first.
A wall down, another behind.
Decem sighed.
The thought of fighting this foe any longer wearied him.
Perhaps that's its goal. Hoping I get fed up and leave. But how do I
wrap this up quickly?
He knew well enough it was smarter to ignore the walls. But Decem's
Behemoth was sorely lacking in other skills. Ignoring the walls meant
lumbering all the way around, and if it did that, the undead would just make
more.
A game of tag.
Decem could control and command elementals stronger than himself.
Normally, you could control only those weaker than you, but the class he
had mastered let him escape those constraints. But the downside to it was
that sustained combat gradually used up his magic.
He didn't have to stay focused on controlling Behemoth, so he could
cast other spells himself. But that reduced the time he could keep Behemoth
in the fight.
Fine. I'll have to use an attack spell. Behemoth and me: If we're both
attacking, he won't have time to make walls.
Decem could use spells up to the tenth tier.
This was a realm the run-of-the-mill casters of the world would never
achieve, no matter how hard they worked. Only the chosen few were
allowed access to it.
But he had managed to get there only by specializing in summoning. It
was not his forte. Even so, if he used a tenth-tier spell, he ought to be able
to eliminate a mere undead. But was it worth wasting precious magic on
this? Should he not keep it in reserve to allow Behemoth to fight more?
That thought made him hesitate.
I must convince this undead and the humans that they can never defeat
Behemoth or me. That way, they won't futilely buy time.
He had informed them of the facts but convinced no one.
Nor had he expected to.
Why would anyone believe what an enemy said? Yet, Decem had simply
told the truth. Nothing had ever been able to defeat Behemoth. Even an
ancient dragon had been no match for it. It had buffed itself with second-tier
magic, and the Behemoth's fists had squished it flat.
Decem himself would perish if the Behemoth turned on him.
His father was likely the only one who could ever have defeated it. But
his father was long dead. In other words—nothing alive could win.
Perhaps it thinks it can prevail if I run out of magic, but that's hardly
true.
A caster with no magic left could be easily defeated. That was true for
an undead caster and likely the basis for this farce.
And it certainly was a plan with some merit to it.
Decem had specialized in elemental control, and if his magic ran out—
and he could no longer keep Behemoth going—his combat abilities would
be greatly diminished. But that did not make him weak. He was a topranking druid, and his flesh boasted prowess matched by few creatures.
A swing of his fist could cut a fragile human in two. A kick could leave
a footprint in steel armor and pulp the organs of whoever wore it.
He was certain he could kill a thousand—ten thousand—soldiers with
his bare hands.
Then was there no concern here? He couldn't quite say for sure.
He had let Behemoth handle all his fights for so long. Killing a few
thousand soldiers meant swinging his fists that many times, and he couldn't
be sure his stamina would last that long without making the attempt. Worse
—
If I personally wade into the fray, I'll get human blood on me. How
savage!
Decem was proud of his elementalist skills. Taking up arms to
personally kill someone was positively barbaric. That had to be avoided at
all costs.
So what should he do?
The magic loss is getting hard to ignore. I can still fight…but not for
long. I can't keep Behemoth moving forever. I'll need to kill the humans
outside while keeping my grandchildren immobilized with magic so they
cannot resist. Which means I've got little to spare.
In which case, he could ill afford to waste more magic on this undead.
Should I ignore the undead and grab my grandchildren? But they'll
likely just summon it again…
That would force him to restart this insipid battle.
And resorting to that itself was unbecoming.
Fighting to win would demonstrate his strength, break their wills, prove
his superiority. Failing that would mean they continued to resist him
endlessly.
He had to destroy this undead here.
I'm back to that, but how do I do it?
All previous enemies had snapped like twigs under the Behemoth's
blows. He'd never even imagined fighting someone who flitted around,
scrabbling for time.
Hmph. Good experience. Allows me to master the art of swatting flies.
Let's try— Yes.
Decem glared at the wall before Behemoth. No—the undead who ought
to be behind it.
I suppose I must. Killing it quick will be worth the magic. An
elementalist resorting to attack skills is gauche, entirely bereft of aesthetic
appeal…but it must be done. If it's any consolation, it is at least superior to
engaging in fisticuffs.
His mind made up, Decem selected a spell and cast it.
"Shining Burst."
A seventh-tier attack spell that called a veritable sun into being and
detonated it. A half sphere of blinding light vaporized the vexing wall—but
the wall behind it remained unscathed.
Interesting. Wide-ranging spells aren't able to down multiple walls,
either.
He would much rather have taken them all out in one fell swoop, but
learning one more function of his foe's spell would have to suffice. He need
merely pick a different spell next time.
Even with area-of-effect spells, there were those that spread out, those
that exploded, and those that fired beams—each distinct and unique.
The Behemoth's massive right fist smashed through another wall, and a
breath later, the left came down on the final one. At long last, a glimpse of
the undead reeling beyond.
You're just going to make more walls, aren't you?
Then he need merely pick a spell based on that outcome.
But his prediction proved unfounded.
Walking away from Behemoth, the undead took an item out from
beneath its robe. Likely a scroll.
Elves used the bark of a particular tree in place of scrolls and weren't
able to infuse them with anything above druid-accessible third-tier spells.
The undead was not using druid magic, so Decem assumed the branch of
magic it did use explained the use of scrolls.
Low-level spells? It mocks me. As if those could accomplish anything.
Or can its scrolls contain higher-level magic? But where would it have
obtained them? A quirk of the summon?
The scroll vanished, and the spell activated.
"Wha—?!"
A dense mist spread out around the undead, blanketing the area.
Visibility had dropped to mere yards. It was thick as spilled milk. He could
make out nothing farther than five yards out.
Another infuriating spell choice.
He wanted to cast an attack spell, but that wouldn't do much if he
couldn't see. Even with an area spell. And the undead had been walking
around when it used that scroll; it had likely moved away the moment it
activated. Even if he aimed a spell at the undead's last known location,
there was no guarantee he'd hit.
He had Behemoth move around, searching for the undead—but it was
acting sluggish.
The Behemoth relied on sight for detection. It had nothing that could see
through this mist and had lost track of its target.
Decem used the fourth-tier spell Tremor Sense.
This was a detection skill that could pick up even the slightest
vibrations, letting him know exactly where his foe was. It worked best on
the ground but was functional on floors, too. However—
What? He's not here?
It might be impossible to see through the mist, but Tremor Sense easily
located his grandchildren—they weren't moving, so it was detecting subtle
weight shifts. That suggested the undead hadn't teleported away—and the
twins canceling their summon was even less likely. What could this mean?
It didn't take Decem long.
It's not touching the floor! It's floating!
The undead had looked like it was running around but had actually been
flying somehow.
Tremor Sense relied on tiny vibrations transmitted from below and
couldn't detect anything in the air.
This undead really knew how to get up his left nostril.
"More silly time wasting! A demented nuisance!"
Most vexing. It might even be faster and easier to call the humans in
here and take them all out at once.
And it's so weak! If we were outside, I'd have killed it by now!
But no means of dragging this undead or his grandchildren outdoors
sprang to mind. He could punch through the castle walls and throw them
out, but that was easier said than done.
Decem told Behemoth to stop wandering and wait close at hand.
He had no clue what this thing was doing in the mist, but it might be
trying to sneak up on him. He was hardly going to die from a single hit, so
this was no real concern, but he was vehemently opposed to letting a lesser
being draw blood again.
The clock kept ticking as he waited for his foe to make a move. The
length of time was not itself significant, but he could feel his magic slowly
draining away, and that made the wait agonizing.
I can't afford to waste any more time on this!
He had to clear the mist. He racked his brain, trying to recollect some
spells he'd long left unused. Behemoth had so effectively defeated all his
enemies that he'd never even bothered to cast half the spells he acquired,.
But he did know a wind spell capable of blowing this away.
He went with a ninth-tier spell—Tempest.
Gale-force winds raged, and the mist instantly vanished. But Tempest
brought with it torrential rain that also blocked his line of sight. Such was
the force of the storm that even Decem could barely stand upright. Moving
through it was not an option.
Behemoth alone stood fast—it might not be fleet of foot, but mere wind
could not slow it down.
This wind should pin that undead down, at least.
He couldn't see through the rain. Behemoth likely couldn't locate the
undead. But Decem could. Tremor Sense was picking up every drop that hit
the floor, and these vibrations were indistinguishable from footsteps—if
someone was walking through the storm, he couldn't tell. What he could
identify was areas where the rains weren't hitting. His mental map of the
room soon found two objects blocking the rainfall. One was likely his
grandchildren, so the other must be the undead.
It's on the move?
The rain was coming down too hard to see through. Winds only the
Behemoth's bulk could withstand blew through the room. How was that
undead moving in this? Even if it was flying, the wind would still buffet it.
Decem thought for one second—and then canceled Tempest.
The magic storm vanished as if it had never existed. Proof it had been
real lay in the wet floor and his soaked clothes.
Decem swept his wet hair off his face, turning his eyes toward the wall
between him and the undead's location. It must have gone up even as his
spell vanished.
"Will you stop that?!" Decem roared. "Come out and fight me! Sneaking
around behind your flimsy walls like a lily-livered cur!"
" Not much of a fight without a strategy or two. Don't make me
state the obvious. That said, mind if I ask you a few questions?"
The undead's voice carried over the wall.
Given the steady drain on his magic, he should ignore that—but he was
curious. This undead's words likely reflected the thoughts of these twins—
and by extension, their parents. Worth learning.
"......Go on?"
"Should you not face these humans? The battle outside has raged for
quite some time. They may be slaughtering the elves down below."
Not the question he'd expected but one easily answered.
Decem considered dismissing Behemoth's combat form, but it would
take time to bring it back. And this undead was crafty. It would likely attack
at the slightest opening, even in the middle of a discussion. That attack
would not be remotely fatal, but that was no reason to stand here and let it
happen. He decided to keep the Behemoth active despite the magic drain.
"Perhaps there is an argument for saving them—my blood might awaken
in future generations, after all. But there are elves elsewhere. And those
who manage to escape from this crisis with their lives have potential.
Essentially, I fail to see the benefit of saving anyone weak enough to be
killed by mere humans."
"Then my next question. I've heard there is an elf treasure."
"A treasure? Meaning myself? Or perhaps this?"
"…By this, you mean that primal earth elemental?"
"Primal…?"
"That puzzles you? You have summoned a primal earth elemental, yes?
Or is it a different race—or is there a separate elven name? Do you call it
something else?"
This imbecile still believed this to be an ordinary elemental or variant
thereof. Infuriating. He had to correct this at once, for the benefit of his
grandchildren's education.
"That is Behemoth. The earthen guardian elemental Behemoth."
"So I didn't mishear that. An earthen guardian elemental…and not a
great beast that strides the land? Is it a raid boss? It looks nothing like the
behemoth I know. Who first gave it that name? You?"
"No—"
" Then who?"
Very eager. Why insist upon that? What great beast? He vaguely
remembered hearing the term raid boss before, but…did this undead, or
rather his grandchildren, know something he didn't? Perhaps best he offer
no further answers.
"If you want to know, remove those walls. Show your face when you
speak—basic manners."
"Then I don't need to know. I merely asked out of intellectual curiosity."
Decem looked at the twins.
Was it the summoned undead that wanted this information or had his
grandchildren learned something somewhere? They were soaking wet, but
their faces were impassive—he could glean nothing from them.
"Not to change the subject—"
"Enough. There is no use speaking with you further."
Feeling antsy, he glared at the twins. He couldn't afford further magic
loss. These questions had been nothing like what he'd expected and were
not worth engaging with.
"Then enough talk."
The walls vanished.
He'd been about to cast Green Chain on the twins, so this shook him. He
wasn't sure which way to aim.
" Good enough, I suppose. You've lost enough mana."
"...What?"
The undead's tone had grown awfully still.
Why did it suddenly seem so sure of itself?
This useless summon, capable only of biding time—
He ordered Behemoth to flatten it—
Then Decem's eyes flitted to the stairs behind it. He'd wondered if the
human forces were almost here, if the change in attitude was because its
goal had been achieved. There was no one there. He listened close and
heard no footsteps, let alone a human's.
"I said you'd lost enough mana. That club—your Behemoth will likely
not last much longer. I doubt you can maintain it more than a few more
minutes."
"Oh, I see. You believe you can beat me if I'm out of magic. True, I was
unable to dodge your swing. But that was because you were summoned
abruptly. If I'd known it was coming, I could have handled that easily."
" I know."
So quiet. Decem found himself swallowing.
Why was it acting like this?
It felt wrong.
Why was he unnerved by a mere undead?
He was the strongest of the elves, descended from the elf who'd
conquered the very world.
Grinding his back teeth, he squished the shameful emotions.
"So?" he bellowed. "Your fist made me bleed, and in your arrogance,
you believe you have a chance. Though that blow did but paltry damage."
"I'm aware."
The louder Decem got, the softer the undead's voice grew. This was
downright uncanny.
Was it—?
A moment of weakness, a possibility too remote.
But then…why?
Why fight like that?
Deception.
This confidence was all for show.
No other explanation existed.
"Behemoth!" Was this a roar or a shriek? Even he couldn't tell.
"Smash!!"
"Let's begin." An instant later, the meaning of these words grew clear.
"Triplet Maximize Magic: Cacophonous Burst. Release."
First, an explosion of sound. Then came an angel's wings.
Behemoth was between Decem and the undead. A storm of sound waves
struck it; then its bulk was buffeted by a rain of light every bit as powerful
as Tempest. The earthen guardian elemental's health visibly dropped.
Unlike living organisms, it shed no blood and lost no pieces, but Decem
controlled it—he knew it was barely alive.
Consternation.
No other word for it.
Behemoth was the most powerful elemental. A being that could
dominate anyone. Even the most draining of their previous fights had never
substantially dented its prodigious health.
And yet—
Here—
Never had he seen it take this much damage, teeter on death's door.
"H-how…?!"
"Impressive. I struck the weakness, yet six blows were not enough. If I
were specced further into offensive magic, could I have managed it?"
Still the voice was flat, betraying no emotion. It was like he was facing a
completely different undead.
Wh-what is even happening?
The wave of confusion began to ebb—replaced with fear.
His earlier notion returned.
Was this undead actually stronger than him?
"Behemoth! Protect me!"
The elemental did as it was told. It moved to block the undead's line of
sight and began swinging its fist.
I have you now! Huh? What?!
Behemoth swung its other fist. This could only mean the first blow had
not finished the undead off!
Two blows landed, yet he could see the undead standing there behind
Behemoth.
Intact.
Those fists had crushed all foes yet could not budge this undead.
"Triplet Maximize Magic: Cacophonous Burst."
And before his very eyes, the invincible great elemental—was reduced
to so much soil.
An immense sense of loss.
Like something had been torn right out of his heart. Leaving a gaping
hole behind.
"A tad overkill… I thought you might have a skill, so I don't regret the
choice. What do you say?"
" Eep!"
Impossible.
That elemental was all-powerful, his other half. It could never be
defeated.
But it was no longer there.
What now?
What was he supposed to do?
What was this undead—?
"Don't be so scared. Reality Slash."
Incredible pain.
Pain the likes of which he'd never felt before.
"Ah…ahhh!" He looked down and saw blood gushing from his chest,
staining clothes still wet from the rain. "Ow…owww!"
Ow.
Ow.
Ow.
That singular thought pounded at the inside of his skull.
"I get that. Were I not in this body, the pain from that blow would have
driven me mad. I suggest you surrender. I guarantee I will hurt you no
more. Surrender and you will be saved."
"Ah…ahhh…ahhhh…owww… Y-you mean that?"
Tears welling up from the sheer agony, Decem directed his question at
his grandchildren.
They jumped, and the girl said, "Yes!"
"See? My mistress granted permission. Surrender your arms. Never fear
—we'll return them once we're sure they're not a threat. I promise. I tell no
lies. I swear on my masters' bond. Trust me."
The undead's voice was earnest, sincere. He almost believed it.
Ow.
Mercy of Shorea Robusta was likely healing his wounds a little, but the
cut ran deep, and it did nothing for the pain.
For a moment, Decem considered surrender might be worth escaping
this. But he had his pride.
He'd been king a long time, ruled this country. He could not beg
younger dark elves for his life, even if they were his grandchildren.
Ow.
No magic left. Well, some, but using that to fight this undead? He could
not imagine winning.
Should he try to close in?
No, he had no reason to be confident there. If that undead used a spell
like that again, he'd be dead.
Ow.
Decem's eyes turned to the stairs behind it.
No one there.
Then—
He ran. That was all.
It hurt.
He was scared.
In pain.
Shaking.
And yet, Decem ran.
The still-flowing blood was a sign his life was ebbing away.
Fear of death overwhelmed his mind. He had a magic item that resisted
fear, but it did nothing for the emotions generated from within.
And so—the fear lent wind to his sails. His body did what his mind
demanded. He ran faster than he ever had before.
The world sped past him. He was right on top of the undead.
"Stop! I will kill you!"
He ignored the warning. As he passed the undead, it cast a spell.
"Stop Time!"
No pain. No, perhaps there was—but running kept aggravating the deep
gouge in his chest, and the torment of that overwhelmed him so much, he
could feel nothing else.
So Decem ran on. The stairs were right before him.
The pain in his chest was astounding, but his feet never wavered.
"Aura!"
Had the undead cast something? If there was a spell, it did not affect
Decem.
He kept running.
Once he reached the stairs—the ground below his feet exploded. Three
times.
The shock lifted him, and he strained every muscle he had to keep
himself upright, to avoid slowing down. His feet didn't hurt much—or
rather, the pain in his chest and the fear left him numb to anything else.
He heard the undead speaking behind him but could not care.
Decem leaped down the stairs.
No sounds of pursuit. As he started to relax, the pain in his feet caught
up with him.
He almost shrieked but bit it back. Loud noises would be bad.
He glanced down and found his legs shredded. These fresh injuries had
been caused by those explosions.
The sight of these injuries added to the pain.
Decem looked over his shoulder. He spotted a trail of blood in his wake.
Even with no tracking abilities, they could easily follow him.
Ow.
He didn't want to run.
But he had to. Else even more pain awaited him.
And—he did not want to die.
That alone forced his legs through the pain.
Why is this happening to me? Why did my grandchildren not help?
It made no sense.
Why would they not help the elf race?
Damn it!
He swore inside—saying anything aloud might give away his position—
and ran off, shedding tears as he went.
Ainz had used his nicest voice with Decem, urging surrender. Perhaps the
conditions weren't right for the mystery teleport; perhaps he was just too
cornered to think straight—but he looked ready to raise the flag.
Finally. Ainz grinned inside.
The offer was a lie, of course. He guaranteed nothing at all. He would
kill the man the moment he cast off his gear.
If his mind was sufficiently broken, perhaps he would not target the
twins again, but death was the only way to be sure.
But an instant later, the fire was back in Decem's eyes.
Mm?
Decem broke into a run. Right at Ainz.
Tch, closing in for a fight? Then—so be it!
Doing his best not to let his smile show, he acted surprised and alarmed.
Certainly, arcane casters like Ainz loathed close combat—it might even
be called their weakness. But if Decem wanted a fight, Ainz was all for it.
He might lose a little HP, but it ensured Decem's death. Except—an instant
later, his surprise was genuine. Not that it showed on his expressionless
visage.
Decem's path led slightly to one side, not slowing at all.
Ainz realized he'd guessed wrong.
Shit, he's bolting!
It pained him to admit, but his opinion of Decem went up—not quite a
full notch but a smidgen at least.
Full-on flight was the option Ainz was least prepared to handle. In
Decem's shoes, Ainz would have done the same—admittedly, much earlier.
But because he knew that, Ainz had assumed Decem would use magic to
escape and prepared for that eventuality. He didn't have anything prepared
for this guy just making a break for it on foot. Lack of time was a factor,
and there'd been only so much he could do while hiding his own skill.
"Stop! I will kill you!"
He shouted a warning but knew it would not work. And even if he did
stop, Ainz was still going to kill him. Even as he spoke, he was already
considering his next option.
A wall—he'd just jump over, and then Ainz would lose sight of him,
leaving him unable to handle his next means of flight.
If he could land a mind-control spell, that would end things. But Decem
was supposed to be over level 70, and odds were the spell would fail. Items
and means of countering mind-control magic were widely available in
Yggdrasil. It was reasonably difficult to block all of them, but he likely had
a few measures in place.
Emperor Jircniv, for instance, had carried magic items to resist mind
control. Gambling that Decem might not would be simpleminded. Ainz
would have loved to use an instant-death spell, but with Mercy of Shorea
Robusta active, there was no point.
"Stop Time!"
He didn't stop.
Decem kept going.
Ainz didn't bother swearing. He'd known this was a possible outcome.
He'd just have to get help.
He barked the order.
"Aura!"
"Okay!"
She drew her bow—
"Shadow Stitch Shot!"
and fired at Decem's shadow. Still Decem did not break stride. He
was at the stairs now. At least there was a countermeasure in place—set
down while Ainz had been skulking beneath Wall of Skeletons.
Explode Mine went off beneath Decem's feet.
"You can't run. Your feet—"
Decem paid him no heed. His footsteps retreated down the stairs, the
sound growing faint.
" Did he know it was a bluff? Or was he just not listening anymore?
The man didn't even know to use piercing damage against wall spells, so I
expected less."
He'd hoped that bluff would slow him down, but nope.
Decem was a druid. Different branch but still a caster. It was entirely
possible he'd figured out the nature of Ainz's magical trap. Generally, you
couldn't have multiple of the same spell active—which was also the
principle that prevented you repeatedly casting summon spells to get an
army of the same monster.
"Sorry," Aura said. "I let him escape."
Ainz turned from the stairs to face her.
"No... Yes, I suppose that you did. That skill was the wrong choice,
Aura. During combat, we saw the man had countermeasures against instantdeath and time effects. A safe assumption that he'd have measures against
movement obstruction as well."
Aura made to apologize again, but he waved her off.
"But I did not warn you of that, so I am equally complicit. Honestly, it
hadn't occurred to me that he could break through that. The biggest
question is…what now?"
"We should pursue and kill."
"Wait!"
Aura was ready to run off after him, but Ainz stopped her.
Decem was at least a level-70 druid, so at Ainz's movement speed, he
likely wouldn't catch up. Aura and Mare could manage it, but that would
leave Ainz isolated—and he'd used up a fair amount of mana.
Could use a Gate, fetch forces from Nazarick— No time. Gotta decide if
I let him go or make sure he's dead.
Decem had lost a lot of mana, but his physical attributes were still rather
high. Ainz stood no chance against him in a regular brawl with no magic.
Assuming he wasn't just using Perfect Unknowable.
Aura has no beasts with her, so if he's got another trick up his sleeve,
she might not be able to handle it. I could summon an undead… No, what if
he can summon that primal earth elemental again? No, no, there's no way
he can.
Repeat summoning an elemental more powerful than the caster was a
real balance breaker. Even with the mana drain. Ainz was heavily specced
toward Ghost Magic and couldn't pull that off. Still, what he considered
impossible was all based on Yggdrasil rules and might not apply to this
world.
So far, his game knowledge had served him well, but that same game
knowledge said Decem shouldn't have been able to summon that elemental
at all. In which case—
" Mare!"
"Y-yes?"
"It's a risk, but go alone and slay Decem. You're in alt gear, but take
every precaution. If you deem the fight unwinnable, conserve magic and
buy time." He would rather issue a whole heap more instructions, but time
was critical. "Go!"
"Okay!" Mare answered with an uncharacteristically enthusiastic
response.
He ran off down the stairs at an impressive speed. His footsteps were
soon out of earshot.
Ainz considered summoning an undead to follow, but given the peculiar
situation they were in, he'd rather keep them around to use as a shield.
Lopsided Duel was still active; Ainz himself might wind up in combat with
that king once more before this was over. And he would have to end it
quick, then.
" Aura, you're guarding me. Let's quickly loot this treasury. Take it
all! Then we'll go after Mare."
"Got it!