"Still! I won't let you do as you wish!"
Climb shouted, activating his martial arts to strengthen his body. Though Shido's words had shaken him, he couldn't allow the him to succeed.
After all, the princess he had sworn to protect stood behind him, and Climb would never allow anything to happen to her.
"Martial Arts: Ability Boost!"
Watching Climb's determination, Shido didn't know whether to praise him for his courage or mock his foolishness. If possible, he would have preferred Climb to surrender, but that seemed impossible, given how righteous the young man was. Unfortunately, Climb had no idea he was devoting himself to a twisted princess.
As Shido was in the middle of thought, Climb charged at him when he saw Shido distracted. Taking that chance, he dashed with an incredible speed and arrived in front of Shido in a moment. Leaping into the air, Climb raised his sword high and brought it down toward Shido.
"Martial Arts: Slash!"
Climb's sudden attack caught King Ramposa III and his people off guard. For a fleeting moment, hope flared in their hearts, they believed Climb might actually defeat Shido.
'You can do it, Climb!'
Unfortunately…
Just as Climb was about to swing his sword at Shido, a heavy pressure crashed down on him, forcing his body to collapse against the ground. In that moment, he heard Shido's calm and collected voice.
"Jibakujin."
Climb suddenly felt his body grow unbearably heavy. His organs, blood, and every fiber of his being seemed to be crushed by an invisible force, leaving him unable to even lift his head. He was never a strong fighter to begin with, and under such gravity, all he could do was collapse and grovel against the ground.
It wasn't just Climb. Gazef Stronoff, Brain Unglaus, the soldiers, the nobles, and even King Ramposa III were all forced to grovel on the ground beneath the crushing weight of the immense gravitational force.
The only one unaffected was Princess Renner, who remained perfectly composed, showing not the slightest hint of surprise.
"Now then, Princess, how about we have a little talk?"
Shido smiled gently as he strode toward Princess Renner, ignoring the fearful, nervous, and hateful gazes fixed on him.
"Acheval-san… I didn't expect you to plot against our kingdom." Princess Renner said, her voice tinged with both sorrow and resentment.
"I'm not the only one plotting against this kingdom, you know that, don't you?"
Shido on the other hand simply smiled and thought that this Princess had started her performance. So he shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I'm just faster to act than them."
King Ramposa and the others had no idea what Shido and Princess Renner were talking about. Renner's expression never wavered and maintained a regretful expression.
She understood that Shido was referring to her betrayal of the kingdom, yet she felt no real surprise. What intrigued her instead was what Shido intended to do next. Her own plan had already failed, and with his overwhelming power, any hope of claiming Shido for herself was nothing more than a lost dream.
When Shido arrived before her, his gaze lingered on Princess Renner's graceful figure and beautiful face. She met his eyes in return, after all, this was the first time they had ever been so close. But Shido's next action caught her off guard, sending a jolt through her chest as her heartbeat quickened.
Shido placed his hand on her chin, gently lifting her face so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. The moment Renner's eyes locked with his, she felt an invisible force tugging at her, as if drawing her irresistibly closer to him.
As Shido observed the twisted yet undeniably charming princess, he had to admit her beauty was mesmerizing. Coupled with her sharp strategic mind, he thought that if Princess Renner had chosen to aid her father from the very beginning, those greedy nobles would never have been able to reach so far.
When Shido's hand left her chin, Princess Renner let out a quiet sigh of relief. That brief touch had left her feeling flustered, somewhere between embarrassment and a strange excitement. But just as she began to relax, his hand returned, this time caressing her cheeks causing a hint of pink blush blooming across her face.
"...What are you doing?"
Princess Renner was feeling excited as she felt the warmth on Shido's palms against her, but she concealed it with a glare and scared expression.
"Well..." Shido replied, his hand still gently caressing her flushed cheek, "I just wanted to make sure you're the real Princess."
"What do you mean by that?"
Princess Renner was left speechless by Shido's shameless behavior. She wanted to retort, yet no words would come to her.
Shido, meanwhile, paid no mind to the countless gazes fixed upon him, his attention locked solely on the princess.
Climb, witnessing everything, could only grit his teeth and hurl his hateful shout at Shido. Yet, under the crushing pressure, he was powerless to move, his body refusing to obey his will.
Shido simply ignored Climb, but felt that he had played enough, so he let go of Princess Renner. He turned and walked toward King Ramposa III's side, with Renner quietly following at his side like an obedient wife.
The moment he deactivated Jibakujin, the crushing weight vanished, allowing everyone to move and stand again. Yet, the moment Shido deactivated his ability, Climb grab his sword and lunged at Shido, attempting to slash him down.
Already weary of Climb's foolishness, Shido decided to put him to sleep.
A sudden wave of drowsiness crashed over Climb. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids grew unbearably heavy. In the next moment, his body gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"..."
Everyone was left speechless by Climb's foolish act, yet none dared to voice their thoughts as Shido stood before them, waiting to pass judgment.
By now, the soldiers of King Ramposa III's army were either defeated or had lost the will to fight. Even the nobles and royals on his side were beginning to crumble under the weight of Shido's overwhelming might.
"Your soldiers and men have already surrendered. Do you still wish to continue the fight, King Ramposa III?"
Shido's voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of absolute authority, as though he already commanded every people in the kingdom.
Though King Ramposa III felt utterly helpless, the soldiers and nobles at his side had already crumbled beneath Shido's overwhelming presence.
His aura and voice carried the weight of a true king, one who ruled with absolute authority. Unlike King Ramposa III, however, Shido embodied a cruel and merciless sovereign, the kind who would never tolerate even the slightest betrayal.
King Ramposa III felt it as well, and a heavy sigh escaped him. 'So I have failed once again? I am truly nothing but a failure of a king.'
"I... surrender."
This words was truly hard for King Ramposa III to say, but he have to choice. Even without the crushing pressure from before, Shido's mere presence alone made it hard for them to breathe.
The moment King Ramposa III uttered those words, cheers erupted from Shido's side, ringing with triumph. In stark contrast, a heavy gloom settled over the defeated. Regret weighed on their hearts, for they knew all too well the price of choosing the wrong side, and the consequences that now awaited them.
Shido gave a slight nod at King Ramposa III's surrender. It had been inevitable and there was nothing left the king could do to turn the tide.
Just as Shido was about to issue his first command, a sudden notification from the system echoed in his mind, causing him to pause.
Ding!
[Quest 7 Completed: Conquer the Re-Estize Kingdom.]
Rewards:
Conqueror's Haki [Perfection Level]
Fountain of Youth (S+ Grade)
1,500,000 EXP
500,000 SP
When the notification announcing the completion of the final quest appeared before him, Shido was momentarily stunned. Though he had grown accustomed to these sudden prompts, the rewards offered this time were far more luxurious than anything he had ever received.
Still, it felt only fitting that he should receive such a reward, after all, he had conquered the Re-Estize Kingdom and claimed the throne for himself. Overcome with emotion, Shido's eyes welled up, and he almost wished the system had a body, just so he could kiss it for being so generous.
"..." System.
Just as Shido was reveling in the rewards he had received, another series of notifications suddenly appeared before him.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have completed all quests in the Overlord World.]
Rewards:
Aincrad (S Grade)
Spirit Spear Basquias (A++)
Business Mastery (Perfection Level)
6,000 WP