Chapter 36: Colliding While Out of Sync (7)
Ainz couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
He had just traveled the long distance from E-Rantel to the capital of Re-Estize using a combination of special flight magic and the local spell Floating Board, making his way to the city at high speed.
Upon noticing signs of abnormality in the royal capital, he descended from 400 meters above the ground with Nabe's flight magic, landing directly at what Sebas had previously identified as one of Eight Fingers' hideouts.
And there, of all things, was Demiurge half-demonized—locked in a contest of strength with their top-priority threat.
Behind them stood a small, robed figure, but it was outside Ainz's immediate line of sight.
"Now then… which one of you is my enemy?"
It was a cool line, but the situation itself was anything but.
Demiurge seemed to be pressing with all his might, while the opponent resisted with equal effort.
Half-buried in the earth up to his waist, the figure was bracing against Demiurge's enlarged arms.
Ainz couldn't begin to guess what Demiurge was thinking from behind his mask.
Someone needed to explain what was going on—but Demiurge clearly couldn't speak right now.
Worse, Ainz had activated Perfect Warrior, which prevented him from using any magic, including Message.
That meant there was no one to explain anything.
He would have to improvise. And to make matters worse, he had to do so with Demiurge right in front of him, expecting him to play the role of a supreme being.
A small wave of panic rose in him—before Emotional Suppression calmed his mind, letting him think.
Demiurge, a fight, and… Monkyspanner? How was he supposed to spin this? Was this a joke? Again, Emotional Suppression settled his panic, and Ainz made his decision. Fine—he would ad-lib and hope Demiurge followed his lead as usual, reading too much into his words.
"First of all—"
"Dark Hero! I am Evileye of Blue Roses! As a fellow Adamantite-class adventurer, I ask this of you—please fight alongside Lord Monkyspanner against this demon!"
His words were cut off.
Still, the interruption worked in his favor. Grateful to the unknown speaker, Ainz seized the chance to ride along with her declaration.
"A demon, is it… very well. Understood."
He raised his greatsword and faced the "demon." From behind the mask, Ainz could almost feel Demiurge's startled eyes on him—but he had no choice but to trust Demiurge would adapt.
"You there, demon. Am I correct in assuming you are the one behind the capital's current state?"
"Kuh…! To think I would be graced with your presence. May I first ask your name? Mine is Jaldabaoth."
"Jaldabaoth…?"
What a strange name, Ainz muttered—just as a grinding, cracking sound echoed.
From beneath Demiurge's pressing arms, the figure—Monkyspanner—had vanished. In his place, stone and soil erupted like a geyser.
Bursting free, Monkyspanner kicked away Demiurge's arm as if in celebration. Demiurge, distracted while conversing with Ainz, couldn't react in time and was sent crashing into a building.
"Tch! That was suffocating. Damn demon… hey, thanks for the help. Dark one, was it? I'll remember that name."
"O-oh… think nothing of it."
Though furious at seeing Demiurge kicked aside, Ainz instinctively adopted a submissive attitude. The casual, domineering tone of Monkyspanner stirred old memories of Suzuki Satoru bowing to overbearing bosses in his salaryman days.
Anger flared, then subsided. Now was not the time.
This was a test of Monkyspanner's strength.
Demiurge had said he would go all out, and clearly he had. For Monkyspanner to fight evenly against a half-demonized Demiurge… he had to be at least level 90.
"Then let's finish this."
But Ainz knew he had to stop things before Demiurge suffered further damage.
Black tentacles suddenly erupted from the wall where Demiurge had crashed, lashing toward Monkyspanner. He dodged with surprising agility for his massive frame, but the tentacles weren't meant to strike.
Instead, they embedded in the ground and spread a dark miasma. From within it, vast, feathered wings unfurled.
"Throne of the Demon: Wings of a Thousand Tentacles… How impressive. Truly, you are worthy of being called the strongest in the world, Monkyspanner El Dragondream, great head of a mighty clan. Your skill is beyond praise."
"Hmph. Not bad yourself."
Though covered in dust and debris, the demon floated into the air, his mask unscathed. His wings resembled feathers, yet stretched like flat tentacles.
"Running away?" Monkyspanner sneered.
"That is exactly right. Even for me, facing the two of you together would be too much. To fall here would be unacceptable. To encounter two such unexpected powers in a place like this… luck is not on my side today."
"Then why… why cause all this?" Ainz interjected.
The demon turned his masked face toward Ainz. His expression was impossible to read—just as Ainz's skeletal one was hidden behind his helm.
"To ask a demon his purpose… fufu, how amusing. But very well, I can share. A powerful item capable of summoning and commanding demons recently entered this city. It is far too valuable to fall into human hands… so I came personally to reclaim it."
"If we were to simply hand it over, would this end?"
"No. Not after the damage I've taken. I cannot retreat so meekly. You'd do well not to underestimate a demon."
"I see. Then die here."
Monkyspanner suddenly appeared behind the demon, soaring upward. His massive body twisted with terrifying momentum, his muscles driving a storm of force around him. With that whirlwind at his back, he unleashed a crushing kick—
But at that instant, the demon's form wavered.
The demon's form flared into fire for a fleeting moment, vanished, and then reappeared higher above.
It was a masterful use of Illusion—an advanced spell so refined it could deceive the senses into mistaking falsehood for reality.
"Tch… such cheap tricks."
"How crude and barbaric your manners are. It's almost pitiable to watch. Wouldn't it be better to return to us? To be honest, I'd like nothing more than to lead you straight to the slaughterhouse myself… but facing that dangerous companion of yours at the same time would prove troublesome. So, I'll take my leave."
"You think I'll just let you go?"
"Whether you do or not matters little. You may not care, but what about that small fry over there?"
The demon's gaze shifted. At the spot it fixed upon stood the masked girl. Ainz, uncertain of the situation, instinctively stepped forward to shield her.
"Well, if that's the case… very well. I'll be going now. Defeating you was never my goal anyway. You're welcome to chase me if you wish—but understand this. This city is crawling with vermin, not just your little minnow. From this moment on, I intend to summon my followers and blanket the city in flame. By drawing down a fragment of Hell itself, I'll cleanse this filthy surface world. If you still insist on standing in my way… then so be it. I promise, you'll be sent to the next life in the fires of Purgatory."
"...You bastard!"
With those words, the demon Yaldabaoth—Demiurge—turned his back and soared into the sky. His body ignited in black fire, and in the next instant, he vanished.
Ainz thought to order pursuit but refrained. Instead, he cautiously suggested that the masked adventurer, Evileye, should give chase—but both she and the hulking warrior dismissed the idea.
Ainz approached the grim warrior, who was scowling to the side.
"Are you unharmed?"
"...I'll live. Thanks to you."
Despite his rough exterior, the man's calm eyes reassured Ainz. Moments ago, he had seemed all fire and fury, but now he cooled just as quickly. Perhaps he was that sort of person.
Ainz seized the chance to study his behavior more carefully—he believed a commander ought to understand the instincts behind his subordinates' actions.
Evileye approached, offering quietly:
"Sir Monkyspanner, if you're wounded, I can heal—"
"No, my thanks, but I'll manage. What concerns me more is…"
His gaze shifted. Following it, Ainz and Evileye noticed two figures lying collapsed as if asleep. No wounds, no breath—they were already dead.
With a grave face, Evileye drew a shroud from her item box and wrapped the bodies. It was the Cloth of Preservation, ensuring the corpses would remain suitable for resurrection magic. Ainz wanted to ask questions, but Monkyspanner's imposing presence restrained him.
'It's not intimidation exactly… but given his legendary reputation, I can't just speak carelessly. I may be adamantite rank, but he's a living legend—a senior. A rookie shouldn't overstep. Still…'
He wrestled with whether to probe further.
Monkyspanner finally exhaled and shook his head.
"So, what about you?"
"Me?"
"You're the 'Dark Hero,' aren't you? The adventurer making a name for yourself. What's your next move? Did you take a request?"
"Yes. A noble family had me guard their estate for several days. But while being transported across the capital skies, I saw this battle erupt and judged it an emergency. So I intervened."
"And now?"
Ainz turned. "Nabe, what's the situation?"
"We can pursue the demon. I can track him immediately."
"That seems to be the case."
Relief washed over Ainz—Nabe had chosen one of the cover stories he had prepared. Perfect.
Still, he couldn't risk Monkyspanner following. He needed to divert him.
"Then I'll pursue the demon. But what about you?"
"Do as you please. Keep the fame, the glory—I don't care. I'll stay and protect the ones who remain."
The man waved his hand dismissively, looking drained.
Ainz noted the lack of energy. Perhaps there was a hidden restriction—time limits, maybe, like a character from some old tokusatsu show?
Ainz tested the waters. "Virtual reality."
"Hm?"
"World War III, Neo-Nazis, economic collapse… No, never mind. A stray thought."
"...Nonsense."
The warrior tilted his head, puzzled, then looked away.
Light flared from Ainz's skull beneath the helm. His suspicion was confirmed.
Those phrases were meaningless to anyone but a player. Monkyspanner hadn't recognized a single one.
The test was complete.
Monkyspanner was no player.
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