Chapter 35: Strongest vs. Strongest (5)
He raised his weapon.
The Sword of Will — Palanite.
One of the three swords Kaiser possessed before he became Kaiser.
As long as the wielder's will remained unbroken, the blade would never chip, never dull, never break.
But that also meant this:
If someone without will tried to wield it, it could cut nothing.
In fact, if such a person clashed with an enemy blade, Palanite might snap instead.
The reason it had never once broken was because the sword itself testified to the strength of Kaiser's will.
There were two other swords in the set: the Sword of Emotion and the Sword of Resolve.
However, due to certain restrictions, they could not be used together.
It was technically possible—but using them separately was far more efficient.
The blue steel glimmered under the sun.
Within the immaculately polished blade, Kaiser's determined eyes were reflected clearly.
Those eyes held unmistakable intent—the will to win.
"Now then, are you ready? Ready to be utterly ravaged?"
Why had he thrown only a dagger?
As a warrior, part of him wanted to fight Shalltear Bloodfallen head-on.
But more importantly—as a protector, he wanted to measure the strength of the strongest being in Nazarick.
And by killing Shalltear, Kaiser would no longer be "a mysterious, unknown power."
He would become:
"an enemy far too dangerous to underestimate."
Not someone to antagonize.
Someone Nazarick would think twice about before crossing.
He must avoid a future where Nazarick became the enemy of humanity.
Their power, their numbers, their loyalty—all of it made them far too dangerous.
Kaiser cleared his mind.
The being before him was an enemy he must defeat—
as a guardian.
Not necessarily an enemy he had to win against.
Even if Kaiser lost, Nazarick's members would finish the job.
But Kaiser too could end up on their "cleanup list."
Even if they spared him, his evaluation would crash.
He would no longer serve as a deterrent—the leash restraining Nazarick would be gone.
Yet Kaiser smiled calmly.
Ever since becoming a protector, he had adopted this ill-fitting smile.
Saviors must always smile—so those being saved do not feel fear.
If he defeated Shalltear at full power, he would truly become Nazarick's deterrent and shackle.
The warrior inside him thrilled at the challenge—but Kaiser, who had lived centuries as a guardian, needed to kill the warrior within and act only as a protector.
For the sake of comrades who had died—or rather, vanished long ago.
"Shall we begin?"
Kaiser said this quietly—and dashed forward.
TIIIIIING!!
Shalltear blocked with the Spuit Lance.
Kaiser whistled softly in surprise, deflecting her thrust and slashing at her armor—
TIIING!
The metallic ring was identical to the sound from the Spuit Lance earlier.
Shalltear sneered openly.
"That pathetic attack cannot hope to pierce my armor!"
SWISH!!
The lance grazed a few strands of Kaiser's hair as it passed.
Whatever effect the weapon carried, being struck by it was clearly undesirable.
And now it was certain—ordinary attacks would never pierce her armor.
He could break through by striking the same point repeatedly—but that would defeat the purpose.
He needed to win overwhelmingly, to make Nazarick believe he still had strength leftover even after defeating Shalltear.
Palanite began shining faint purple.
Kaiser activated his first original martial art:
"Hardening Aura."
Just as the name suggested, his blade grew sharper, denser—stronger than steel.
With a relaxed smile, Kaiser aimed the blade at Shalltear and whispered:
"Martial Art — Threefold Style…Moonlight Sever.
The same technique used against Cocytus…
SHRAK!!
"W-what…!?"
She noticed him only after he had already closed the distance.
By the time she thought, He exploited my opening—
Kaiser was already behind her, ready to swing.
He was fast.
Though slower than the previous Moonlight Sever.
Meaning: that technique possessed tremendous speed—but could not be used consecutively.
Shalltear retreated and shouted:
"Magic Enhancement: Radiant Burst!"
Light erupted from the ground, engulfing Kaiser.
He retreated, exhaling sharply.
Shalltear observed calmly.
"Holy attribute doesn't seem to do much."
Because of his unusual lifespan and superhuman strength, she had wondered if he might be a transformed species rather than a human—so she tested holy magic.
No effect.
Holy attribute barely harmed him.
It confirmed he was indeed human.
And earlier—his attack had unquestionably pierced her guard.
"Life Essence Recovery."
Preparing for a long battle, Shalltear muttered this as she charged.
Kaiser's Moonlight Sever was extremely fast.
So she would force close combat—preventing him from taking the stance needed to activate it.
As before with Cocytus, he needed a specific posture to use that technique.
If she blocked that—he could not use it.
TING! TING! TING!
Metal rang repeatedly as Kaiser parried and redirected every strike.
A wide swing of the Spuit Lance fired a blast toward the forest—
BOOOOOM!!
Trees and earth were obliterated.
"How irritating!!!"
"I'll take that as praise!!"
KRAAAAAASH!!!
The sound of colliding blows tore the air apart, warping everything around them.
WHAM!!
Kaiser's fist slammed into Shalltear's face.
Her vision blurred momentarily.
It hurt—but pain wasn't what stunned her.
How dare a human strike the face crafted by a Supreme Being?
Rage consumed her thoughts.
The Spuit Lance grazed Kaiser's shoulder.
She clicked her tongue.
This was her chance.
"Magic Enhancement — Crimson Sanctity!!"
Flames wrapped around Kaiser like a mother holding a child.
The shimmering heat made it clear—this was no illusion.
Among non-Super Tier fire magic, this inflicted the greatest damage.
If he blocked this easily—then her magic would be worthless.
"Ghhhk!!"
"Fire works."
Unlike holy magic, the fire attribute visibly harmed him.
Kaiser groaned through the flames—suffering burns that quickly regenerated.
An inhuman pace of healing.
Like a vampire… or something similar.
Was he really human?
Shalltear could not shake the doubt.
With a fluid motion, Kaiser reset his stance.
"Martial Art — Eightfold Style."
Eightfold? Not Threefold?
This wasn't the ultra-fast Moonlight Sever.
Shalltear stepped back, weighing her options.
Stone Wall?
Could it block this?
She doubted it.
Rush him head-on?
Also unwise.
A strange thought flickered—
"Wait… why am I even fighting this man? Didn't Ainz-sama say not to antagonize Kaiser…? But he attacked first so… huh?"
Before she resolved the contradiction, Kaiser finished preparing his stance.
Something wavered behind him.
Not heat haze—but a shape.
For just a moment, Shalltear saw it: A monster with eight arms, like an oni or a yokai.
She didn't know what it was—but her instincts screamed danger.
Shalltear chose to retreat immediately.
A monster—an oni—that was the best way to describe the thing Shalltear glimpsed for just a moment.
She didn't know what it was, but every instinct screamed danger.
So she chose to retreat.
"Greater Teleportation!"
But she did not use Delayed Teleportation.
Whether she was unable to use it while preparing her spells, or whether she simply lacked the option,
Kaiser wouldn't be able to fully track her location this time.
Would she use Crimson Sanctity again?
Or perhaps—Force Explosion to confuse him, then drive the Spuit Lance through his heart?
I'll kill you… and Ainz-sama will praise me!
For slaying the greatest threat of this new world!
As Shalltear prepared her spell—
Kaiser simply turned his head toward her.
Calmly.
Casually.
As though he knew exactly where she would appear.
It wasn't magic.
It wasn't a skill.
Not even a martial art.
Kaiser used nothing.
It was pure instinct—the ultimate sense honed from endless battles.
He had sensed Shalltear's arrival before she even fully teleported.
"Ghost-Hunt — First Strike!"
THWACK!!
Before Shalltear could act, the fist of the spectral oni at Kaiser's back struck her.
She gagged—the hit turned her insides upside down—
but despite the impact, the damage wasn't fatal.
She could counterattack just fine.
"Second Strike!"
After this hit… I'll—!!
CRAAACK!!
Shalltear coughed blood and staggered back.
No—
it wasn't her imagination.
The moment she hesitated, Kaiser was already right in front of her.
He shouted:
"Third Strike!"
And the next blow sent her flying through the air.
It's not my imagination!!
His attacks—they're getting stronger!
Faster!
Harder!
Bleeding, she screamed:
"Negative Impact Shield!!"
A shield materialized—she swung her lance.
A blood-red shockwave erupted, protecting her while blasting Kaiser far away.
She could only use this skill twice per day—but it was incredibly convenient, serving both offense and defense at once.
But Kaiser wouldn't go down that easily.
"Time Reversal. Magic Enhancement: Force Explosion!"
Time Reversal—a technique she could only use three times a day— restored all the damage she had taken.
Since most of the magic she faced inflicted holy or divine harm, it was one of her few reliable methods of healing.
From the direction Kaiser had been blown away, a massive explosion erupted.
The forest was devastated, the shockwave shaking the air violently.
Anyone else would have been crippled or near death.
No… he's not done yet.
She was certain.
And indeed—through the swirling dust, Kaiser burst forth.
He was bleeding, but far from dead.
Vitality radiated from him.
The spectral oni behind him had not vanished—
this was no flimsy technique that broke under pressure.
"Fifth Strike!!"
Shalltear clenched her teeth.
The Negative Impact Shield could only be used twice per day.
It would be wasteful to use it here.
She needed a more cost-efficient method.
As Kaiser charged, she shouted:
"Sanctuary of Strength!"
A pure white barrier constructed of mana—an absolute shield.
She couldn't attack while inside it, but Kaiser wouldn't be able to touch her either.
He would hesitate.
He would second-guess himself.
If he feared another shield like the Negative Impact Shield, that moment of hesitation would kill him.
Shalltear revelled in anticipation, imagining Kaiser's scream—
But through blood-soaked lips, Kaiser calmly spoke:
"Martial Art — Anti-Magic Breakthrough."
"…What?"
CRACK!! BOOM!! CRASH!!
The Sanctuary of Strength shattered like weak glass.
The Fifth Strike connected with full force—far stronger than the First Strike.
Before Shalltear could recover her stance, the next attack came from her flank.
"Sixth Strike!"
"Ghhh!! You insolent human!!!"
"Oh, is that what you Supreme Being–created guardians say? Humans are weak, filthy, foolish, selfish creatures incapable of loyalty—inferior vermin? Perhaps. There ARE humans like that. There ARE foolish humans.But—!!"
KRAAAAAAASH!!
Another blow—no longer even describable as a simple sword strike—tore through the air toward Shalltear.
She managed to dodge—barely.
It wasn't a clean evasion, but it was far better than taking it head-on.
"Personal Time Acceleration!"
"Martial Art — Unique Time Acceleration!"
"…What?!"
There was no way he could keep up with her Time Acceleration.
That was her plan—to slip past his attacks.
Yet Kaiser matched her acceleration with something strikingly similar.
Temporal magic shouldn't interact—that was basic knowledge.
But Kaiser was using something akin to time magic.
Because he was on the same temporal plane—
it worked.
"Seventh Strike!!"
"Gah!!"
"Humans come in all forms. A hundred people—
a hundred colors. If you cannot understand that,
you will never defeat me, Shalltear Bloodfallen."
"K-KAIIISEEERRR!!!"
"Eighth Strike."
Kaiser swung down from above.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Shalltear took the blow head-on.
She flew across the horizon, the attack carving through the landscape—and even slicing through a mountain behind her.
It was a blow that had completely transcended the limits of humanity.
The grudge of the ghost, its lingering obsession,
its hatred condensed into eight successive strikes—
it was said that a ghost's vengeance only grew stronger with time, unyielding, unbreaking, intensifying the more one tried to crush it.
In that sense, Eightfold Strike was the perfect technique.
"Time Reversal."
Staggering, Shalltear rose and whispered the spell, restoring her injuries.
"Haaah… honestly, isn't that a bit too cheap?" Kaiser complained, blood still dripping from his face.
"To a young lady created by the Supreme Beings, such methods are only natural. In this world, equality does not exist."
Her voice was calm, but her mind was boiling.
She—Shalltear Bloodfallen—the strongest Floor Guardian, the one crafted by a Supreme Being,
was being pushed back…
by a single human.
It was absurd.
True, she "remembered" dying once before—
killed by waves of invaders she knew nothing about.
But losing like this, to one man, was humiliation.
Still—she had the advantage.
She could heal.
Kaiser could not.
His wounds vanished, but his stamina did not return.
The damage remained.
This was a war of attrition she would win.
The method disgusted her—but she would accept victory however it came.
"You are quite strong for this world, are you not?" Shalltear taunted.
"Have you ever even tasted defeat? I doubt it.
Most young pups cower when facing a true tiger.
Allow this lady to teach you despair."
Kaiser only stared quietly.
Then he dropped his sword.
The will-blade, Palanite, faded into nothingness.
From the air, he drew another weapon—a pitch-black blade, darker than a moonless night, as if all shadows were drawn into its edge.
Shalltear sensed it immediately—this was no decorative trinket.
CRACK—CRACKLE—
Lightning flickered along the blade—first blue,
then black, then white, and finally blood-red.
The red lightning seared the air and scorched the space around it.
"You should have used your strongest attacks from the start," Kaiser said.
"You should have used your minions. As a vampire, you must possess 'Blood Frenzy.' And judging by your behavior, you still haven't used your trump cards, have you?"
"For a low-born creature like you? I have no reason to," she spat.
"That is why, Shalltear… you will lose."
Shalltear, abandoning her dignified tone, screamed in fury:
"You insect! You still don't understand?! You're finished! In a prolonged fight, you cannot win against me!"
"At the very least, you should have overwhelmed me with fatal attacks before I understood your skillset," Kaiser replied calmly.
"If you had done so, things might have become… troublesome."
Then he smiled—slowly, confidently.
"I'll state it clearly. You will be defeated. You asked if I've ever lost? I've lost so many times that I'm sick of it. So let me ask you something."
His eyes gleamed.
"You, who remain in the depths of Nazarick as a Floor Guardian, have certainly faced many foes. But your memories of those battles are incomplete. You only know that you died."
Shalltear froze.
"Tell me, Shalltear Bloodfallen—do you know how to defeat someone stronger than you?"
"You… you dare imply I'm weaker than you?! I was crafted by a Supreme Being! I guard more floors than anyone! And you—a worthless human—you claim to be stronger?!"
Kaiser's black eyes glowed.
Shalltear's crimson eyes burned in response.
They did not look away.
They could not.
The very air trembled with killing intent.
With the lightning-charged blade in hand, Kaiser smiled with utter calm—the smile of someone who neither feared defeat nor believed himself at a disadvantage.
His composure only enraged Shalltear further.
Teeth grinding, she charged.
"Magic Enhancement: Crimson Sanctity!!"
Flames roared toward Kaiser.
"Magic Enhancement: Force Explosion!"
An explosion erupted inside the flames,
shaking the ground.
Holy fire might not deal heavy damage, but it still hurt.
And then—
Shalltear raised her free hand.
A silver-white spear materialized, shining brilliantly.
She didn't need to see Kaiser.
This attack consumed extra MP—in exchange, it became guaranteed to hit.
"Pure Throwing Spear!!"
BOOOOOM!!
The spear pierced the cloud of dust.
Even Kaiser couldn't ignore that.
Or so she thought.
Still, she did not relax her guard.
She rose into the air, pulling back to gain visibility.
Even with the dust, she needed visual confirmation.
Just then—
A quiet voice whispered near her ear.
"Martial Art — Fourthfold."
"Martial art—!!"
Shalltear gripped her lance tightly.
Fourthfold?
A technique he had not used yet.
Every technique with the name "Fold" had caused her trouble so far.
Her body trembled instinctively.
"Dragon Serpent Lash."
SHRRIP!!—CRAACK!!
Something purple slashed through her side
and shot upward as though piercing the sky.
A ranged attack?!
She smacked it away with her lance, shocked.
Then she looked down—
Through the fading dust, she saw him.
Surrounded by wavering red lightning, his black eyes gleaming, his body wounded yet unbroken.
For the first time—
Shalltear felt the slightest hint of defeat.
She crushed it into rage.
"KAAAAAISER!!!"
"My ears are working just fine…!!"
BOOOOOOOM!!!
Their weapons clashed again with explosive force.
***************
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