"Once you die, those villagers will follow. All you've accomplished is delaying their despair."
Nigun Grid Luin gazed down at Gazef Stronoff with open contempt.
The Warrior Captain was still standing—but only just. Blood soaked his armor. His breathing was uneven, every inhale scraping his lungs. The repeated shockwaves of magic had ravaged his body from the inside out.
Yet Gazef smiled.
A genuine smile.
"In this village…" he rasped, blood staining his lips, "…there is someone stronger than me. Someone who can kill all of you. The people he protects… cannot be touched."
Nigun laughed softly.
"The strongest warrior in the Kingdom reduced to delusions? Someone stronger than you? Do you expect me to believe that?"
He raised his hand.
"This tiresome farce ends now. Angels—kill him."
At the command, the summoned angels closed in. Wings beat the air in unison, like the tolling of a funeral bell.
Gazef's vision blurred.
Then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
It's time to switch.
The world shattered.
When Gazef regained awareness, he was no longer on the battlefield. He stood within a vast enclosed space. His subordinates surrounded him. Villagers stared at him in shock and confusion.
Safe.
He didn't understand how—but he was alive.
Outside, chaos erupted.
Nigun froze.
Gazef Stronoff was gone.
In his place stood two figures who had not existed moments before.
One wore the attire of a magic caster—black robes of unmistakable quality, iron gauntlets, and an unsettling mask that concealed his face entirely.
Behind him stood a woman clad in jet-black full plate armor, her presence heavy, oppressive, unmistakably inhuman.
Teleportation.
Nigun reacted instantly.
"All angels—defensive formation!"
The summoned beings withdrew, encircling their casters as Nigun stared at the masked man.
"Greetings," the figure said calmly, stepping forward. His voice was measured, polite—almost gentle. "I am Ainz Ooal Gown. You may address me as Ainz."
Ainz Ooal Gown?
Nigun searched his memory.
Nothing.
"I am accompanied by Albedo," Ainz continued. "I wish to discuss a transaction. Are you willing to listen?"
Nigun swallowed. "What… transaction?"
Ainz nodded, as if satisfied.
"Excellent. Then I will begin with a simple truth."
He raised one skeletal finger.
"You cannot defeat me."
Silence followed.
Far from the battlefield, hidden beyond sight—
Vier's eyes widened slightly as she observed the sudden appearance of Ainz and Albedo.
"Teleportation…" she murmured. "Master, are these the ones?"
"Yes." Lock's voice was calm, almost amused. "If you ever encounter them alone, avoid combat. If battle becomes unavoidable—retreat immediately."
He drew out a prepared disguise cloak, dull gray and shapeless, like a child's raincoat. A grotesque demon mask followed, sealing away his identity completely. Even his presence seemed to distort once he wore it.
"Now," Lock said, his crimson eyes gleaming behind the mask, "break the teleportation seal."
"Yes, Master."
Vier activated the scroll without hesitation.
Magic flared.
The barrier collapsed.
At the perimeter of the battlefield, two Dark Elves stiffened.
Aura Bella Fiora's expression hardened. "The teleportation interference is gone."
Mare Bello Fiore trembled. "S-sister…!"
"Ainz-sama must be warned," Aura said immediately. "Mare, stay here and guard him. I'll deal with the intruders."
She vanished into the forest with lethal intent.
Back on the battlefield—
Nigun's world collapsed.
Every summoned angel—obliterated.
The Observation Archangel—erased.
The Seraphim, summoned through the Theocracy's most sacred sealed treasure, a being that could wield seventh-tier magic—
Consumed.
Swallowed whole by a bottomless black void.
Nigun's faith cracked.
Then shattered.
Ainz paused as a message reached him.
"Mare?" he replied calmly.
"Flying Squirrel-sama! The teleportation blockade has been destroyed! Unknown enemies may appear—please be extremely careful!"
Ainz's gaze shifted slowly.
"…I see," he said after a moment. "Then it seems I've already met them."
He ended the message and looked forward.
A new figure stood there now.
Small.
Completely concealed beneath a gray cloak.
A grotesque demon mask stared back at him—silent, unreadable.
Ainz straightened slightly.
"Nice to meet you," he said, choosing courtesy over provocation. "I am Ainz Ooal Gown."
The masked figure did not answer.
Instead—
He raised his arm.
"Ainz-sama—be careful!"
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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