"Are you sure?"
Albedo looked at Shalltear with mild surprise.
Even Setsuna, watching from aboard the ship, was a little taken aback.
Shalltear's combat ability ranked among the top within the Great Tomb, but few believed she could actually defeat Reinhard, that walking cheat code.
Her temperament was unstable, and she often caused problems.
"I said it already—if I say I'm going, I'm going!"
"I will definitely defeat Reinhard! Just watch!"
Shalltear was dead set on proving herself.
"I'll show the Supreme—and you all—what I can do."
Perhaps seeing Albedo's commanding performance during the conquest of the kingdom had triggered a sense of crisis within her.
If she couldn't match her in intellect, then she'd win in strength. The enemy that had left everyone else helpless—she would personally take down today.
"...Fine."
After a moment of thought, Albedo nodded.
"Yuri, send her in."
"And, Shalltear—if you find yourself outmatched, retreat immediately..."
"I know!"
"..."
Shua—
A flash of light erupted.
Within the Depiction of Nature and Society, Shalltear Bloodfallen, now in full Valkyrie form, landed before Reinhard van Astrea.
"Another one?"
The Sword Saint unsheathed his Dragon Sword, examining the girl before him.
Silver hair, crimson eyes, and an aura radiating deadly danger—clearly far stronger than the previous opponents.
"Why do you all come one by one? Is it some rule of this world that only allows single combat?"
Reinhard asked curiously.
He had little understanding of spatial magic and didn't know what kind of artifact the Depiction of Nature and Society was.
"No. It's because you are the strongest in the world—and we wish to test ourselves against you."
Shalltear's words were short and direct.
"Otherwise… you wouldn't still be alive right now."
"Is that so?"
The Sword Saint tilted his head thoughtfully.
"That's quite an honor."
Crack—
The blade in his hand flared with dazzling light.
"But after being trapped here for so long, I've come to understand this world fairly well."
"It may be sealed off, but there must be a way to escape, right?"
"Smart—but you won't get the chance."
Shalltear leveled her Spuit Lance toward him.
Boom—! Boom—!
The two clashed in a blur.
Each of Reinhard's strikes carried power that made the very space around them tremble.
The Dragon Sword's violent energy swept across the area, tearing the painted landscape apart.
Mountains were leveled, and the ground split open with deep, jagged fissures stretching for kilometers.
Were it not for her armor and defensive magic, Shalltear suspected she would've been one-shot by this cheat's first blow.
Not only was his attack power overwhelming, but his resistances covered every attribute—and he possessed numerous blessings like guaranteed hits, perfect evasion, and many more absurd effects.
By YGGDRASIL's standards, his stats were beyond even top-tier players.
After all, just the Blessing of the Phoenix alone granted him an infinite resurrection bug.
[Purifying Javelin]
Shalltear hurled her lance, unleashing her strongest attack in Valkyrie form.
Swish—
A radiant spear cut through the air—only to graze past Reinhard harmlessly.
"Oh? I thought your comrades would've warned you—ranged attacks don't work on me."
"Unless you're using some large-scale destructive magic, you won't even be able to hit me."
Reinhard said calmly, unfazed.
Boom—!
He released a burst of mana at random—yet it struck Shalltear perfectly, leaving a faint mark on her armor.
[Blessing of Evasion]—causes all ranged attacks to miss.
[Blessing of the Arrow]—ensures his own ranged attacks always hit.
The two combined made him practically immune to most projectile and magic-based attacks.
"Tch… I should've let you eat a blast of Holy Spear instead…"
Shalltear clicked her tongue.
She closed the distance again, fighting up close and relying on her Spuit Lance's regenerative powers.
She summoned her familiars—but they didn't last a second before being instantly vaporized by the Dragon Sword's swing.
Boom!
Crack!!!—
Though she hated to admit it, in both strength and reaction speed, Reinhard completely overwhelmed her.
After just a few exchanges, Shalltear was forced back step by step.
Boom—!
She was sent flying, slamming hard against a massive boulder.
"Vampire…"
"Heh…"
Reinhard twirled his sword elegantly, then pointed it toward Shalltear from a distance.
"Tell me—where is the Starsea Empire? Who is this 'Supreme' you serve?"
"Where do you come from, and what is your purpose?"
After several consecutive victories, he finally allowed himself a breath of relief.
It seemed the Starsea Empire wasn't as invincible as it first appeared.
If he could eliminate every enemy that had invaded this realm and uncover the mastermind behind the undead army, the problem could be solved.
"..."
"You're not worthy to face the Supreme," Shalltear said coldly, dragging herself upright. "You're not even worthy to know His name."
"Is that so? Then do you have someone stronger than you?"
"The result will be the same. I'll escape from this place soon enough."
Reinhard prepared to deliver the final blow.
—Though he suspected that some strange teleportation spell would interrupt him before he could finish the job. The enemy seemed cautious; they'd likely retreat before taking a fatal hit.
"..."
After being taunted repeatedly, Shalltear's mood hit rock bottom.
I'm so pissed right now
She gritted her teeth, thinking furiously of how to defeat the monster before her.
Magic was useless.
Instant-death skills—she didn't have many.
As a melee-type Guardian, she was naturally at a disadvantage against Reinhard.
The only hope left—was in her equipment.
The Commander had equipped the Guardians with items far beyond the norm.
Shua—
Hovering in midair, Shalltear drew a strangely designed lance.
The weapon gleamed with a metallic sheen, its shaft and tip etched with intricate runes. The immense power it contained marked it clearly as a World-Class Item.
She aimed it straight at Reinhard.
"Another throwing attack? It won't work."
Reinhard wasn't worried. He could sense the spear's high level, but his blessings gave him full confidence.
"—Wait, what is that?!"
"Shalltear, what are you doing?!"
The Guardians and squad members watching from outside were all stunned.
"Shalltear, calm down! Get out of there first!" Albedo shouted.
"Die!!"
Shalltear shouted softly, activating the weapon in her hands.
[Longinus]
One of the twenty most powerful and unbalanced World-Class Items in YGGDRASIL.
It completely erases its target from existence—but at the cost of the user being erased as well.
Once deleted by this weapon, revival was impossible unless another World-Class Item was used. No magic or artifact could restore the erased being.
Hummmm—
The lance flared with searing brilliance—and pierced straight through Reinhard's body.
This wasn't a simple projectile skill—it was a strike executed on a higher, metaphysical level.
Reinhard's expression shifted—from confidence, to confusion, then to disbelief, and finally, sheer shock.
Boom—!
Rumble!!!
Inside the Depiction of Nature and Society, using a World-Class Item triggered extreme spatial instability.
"This… Wait, what's happening…?"
Vmmm—!
A thunderous roar erupted.
Amid blinding light and violent spatial tremors, both Reinhard and Shalltear vanished completely.
The Blessing of the Phoenix didn't activate.
Both were erased—utterly, literally—from existence.
Bang—!
Yuri Alpha's Depiction of Nature and Society exploded violently in her hands.
Using a destructive World-Class Item inside another World-Class Item—such a phenomenon had never been seen before.
The pocket dimension was obliterated entirely. Fortunately, the artifact itself wasn't severely damaged.
From the void where the two had fought, two objects fell out, clattering onto the floor: Longinus—and the Dragon Sword Reid.
"..."
Albedo stood frozen for several seconds.
Sensing the aftermath, she confirmed that both Shalltear and Reinhard had been completely erased by the spear.
She had prepared countless contingency plans for dealing with the Sword Saint.
Single combat had merely been to gauge his strength—there were many other ways to dispose of him.
But she hadn't expected Shalltear to trade one-for-one with him.
From the current battle's outcome, Shalltear might have become the Great Tomb's only casualty.
—And an entirely unnecessary one at that.
"Ugh…"
Albedo pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
She opened a communication channel with Setsuna.
"Supreme One, could you please revive Shalltear? And… perhaps remind her not to recklessly use that weapon again…?"
...
"Commander, the materials are ready."
Half an hour later, aboard the ship, an Angeloid hauled a mountain of gold coins onto the bridge.
For those erased by Longinus, no amount of paid revival items or resurrection magic would work. Only another World-Class Item could bring them back.
However, for Setsuna—who wielded the administrative authority of YGGDRASIL from the Interdimensional War—the means of revival were far more numerous. Whether through divine authority or artifact use, resurrection was possible.
Of course, such miracles required the proper expenditure of resources.
"So basically, the Guardians of the Great Tomb are truly immortal, huh?" Tohru whistled. "As long as you're around, even if they die a thousand or ten thousand times, they can all come back."
"I'd rather they value their lives a little more. Shalltear isn't cheap."
Setsuna stood before the glittering mound of gold.
He invoked his divine authority, channeling mana into the mountain before him.
"Revive! My lo— cough, no, that's not it."
"Revive! Shalltear!"
Hummmm—
Countless gold coins melted into viscous streams of energy, twisting and condensing upon the floor.
The energy gathered, compressed, and reshaped—gradually forming a human silhouette.
When the last traces of gold and magic faded away, a girl with long silver hair and alabaster skin stood before Setsuna.
"Mm…"
Shalltear slowly opened her eyes, still dazed.
"Supreme One… what happened to me…?"
"Albedo's regular resurrection items couldn't revive you, so I had to do it myself."
Setsuna checked her status panel—everything was fine.
"You should be fully restored, no level or skill loss."
"Eh… The Supreme One personally revived me…"
Overcome with emotion, Shalltear lunged forward to embrace him.
"Cough, cough—put your clothes on first."
Tohru intercepted her, tossing a cloak over her.
When revived, she was in a completely unequipped state.
Shalltear, of course, didn't seem to realize this at all.
"Supreme One, did I win against Reinhard?" she asked cautiously.
"Technically speaking, you both went down together," Setsuna replied. "He was erased by Longinus's power."
The spear's destructive potential had exceeded expectations. As one of the Twenty, even in another world, it retained the power to erase divine blessings.
After all, Reinhard was essentially a maxed-out player—but Longinus was an administrator-level delete tool.
Just how far its true limit went would be interesting to test someday.
"So long as I can destroy the Supreme One's enemies, even a hundred times, a thousand times, it doesn't matter~"
Shalltear rubbed herself against Setsuna contentedly.
"If there's another troublesome foe, just leave it to me. The Supreme One reviving me personally is more than enough~"
"..."
"You treating yourself like a suicide bomber now?" Setsuna muttered, veins twitching.
While Shalltear continued rubbing herself against him—
Suddenly, the Great Tomb team's communication link opened.
"Shalltear, are you an idiot?!"
On the holographic interface, Albedo's expression twisted in frustration.
"I had countless ways to deal with Reinhard, and you actually decided to go down with him?!"
"Waaah—" Shalltear protested tearfully. "But you guys couldn't beat him one-on-one! He was so arrogant! If I lost too, wouldn't that be humiliating…?"
"To end it quickly, Longinus was the most effective choice…"
"..."
"There were many ways to defeat him… I was giving everyone a chance to spar!"
"Because of your recklessness, the Supreme One had to revive you personally—and we wasted who knows how many resources…"
"Supreme One, I deeply apologize," Albedo said, bowing her head. "It was my failure to manage the team properly that led to this… mishap…"
As she continued scolding Shalltear, Setsuna raised a hand—gesturing for them both to quiet down.
"It's fine. Shalltear just happened to serve as a good test for the power of a World-Class Item."
"But next time, don't use that thing recklessly. Follow orders."
He lightly tapped Shalltear on the head.
"Understood—"
Shalltear soon returned to the royal capital of Lugnica to rejoin the Great Tomb army. After a brief rest, they would begin preparations to conquer the remaining nations.
...
Meanwhile—
As the Great Tomb team waged total war to subjugate the world, the Demon Slayer Corps and the Night Raid squad had their focus elsewhere—rescue operations, retrieving individuals from this world.
Unlike the Great Tomb army, they lacked the numbers for large-scale warfare and were more suited to special operations.
Shua— Shua—
In the northeastern region of the Lugnica Kingdom, deep within the Elior Forest—
Two small units, led by Kanae and Akame, trudged through the snow-covered woods.
Unlike other areas, this forest was perpetually blanketed in snow, its climate eternally frozen—thus earning the name "Elior Forest."
"Tch, this must be a magical climate anomaly, huh?"
Kanae looked up thoughtfully.
To maintain such a vast region in permanent frost—this level of magic was rare.
"Mm… If it's lasted for hundreds of years, the caster must've been powerful. But considering this is the northern frontier, it's not too surprising."
"Esdeath could pull off something like this too," Akame observed as she guided the group deeper into the forest, following the designated route.
On the outskirts, a few small villages still stood.
The war between the Kingdom and the Undead Legion hadn't reached them yet, and the villagers continued their isolated, quiet lives.
The deeper they went, the stronger the biting cold became—its source clearly magical in nature.
Along the path, they encountered numerous human-shaped ice sculptures.
Each sculpture contained a real person frozen within.
Some stood, some sat, some still appeared to be running—faces vivid and lifelike.
Clearly, they had been caught by surprise, encased in ice in an instant.
"Whoa…"
Both squads paused, murmuring in awe before pressing onward along the rugged path.
"Let's see… Based on the timeline, Emilia should be somewhere around here…"
Akame checked her holographic map as they advanced.
"Hmm, but she's over a hundred years old by now, right? So… not exactly a loli anymore?"
Near the forest's center, countless crystalline ice pillars and spikes radiated outward like frozen sunbeams.
The teams had to rely on magic to push forward.
"The target is just ahead."
"Everyone, be careful. Don't scare her—Emilia's still very innocent at this stage…" Kanae cautioned.
Boom—!
Crack—!
After shattering several layers of frozen barriers, the group arrived at a small clearing.
Here, the temperature was even lower than before. Frost blossoms bloomed across the trees and ground, coating everything in glimmering ice.
It was like stepping into a miniature ice kingdom.
At the center of this frozen domain—
A girl lay encased in solid ice.
Her long silver hair fanned out behind her. Her eyes were closed, her delicate features somewhere between youthful and ethereal. Pointed ears peeked through her hair, marking her as unmistakably elven.
Within the ice, she had slept for countless years.
If undisturbed, her leaking mana would maintain this ice seal for centuries—perhaps even millennia.
"Uh…"
The Demon Slayer and Night Raid members stared at the frozen girl in silence.
"Uh… looks like we arrived a bit earlier than expected?"
Shinobu scratched her head.
Beep—
She opened a comm link with Setsuna.
"Commander, reporting in—we found Emilia."
"Except… she's frozen stiff."
—
—
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