Volume 4: Re-estize, Chapter 6:
5 Late Fire Moon (September): 2:30 am
Groups of adventurers lined up to wall of flames around the warehouse district. While they were told it was an illusion, many were hesitant to step through the roaring fire in front of them.
Clerics from the Church had formed a support unit for the adventurer groups. Many of them had spent the last ten minutes casting defensive spells to guard against fire damage.
This may have sounded like a waste of time to assuage the fears of men trying to walk through fire but it wasn't. Lesser Demons like Hellhounds often have fire-based special abilities like Fire Breath. These defensive spells could be the difference between life and death.
People still held their breaths when they found their courage to pass through the flames. They were afraid of their lungs burning.
"We told them it wouldn't hurt them though…" This annoyed Lakyus. It was like her fellow adventurers didn't trust her. Like they felt she didn't know what she was talking about.
Or worse still maybe they didn't trust Tri'ade. What they knew of the [Flames of Gehenna] came from what he told them.
"He's a hero! How can anyone not trust him?" Lakyus had heard about his accomplishments before. Renner told her about what happened to Gazef and Evileye told Lakyus about Darkness defeating Zurranon in E-Rantel. And of course Tri'ade saved her.
"No it has to be me. Standing in the back of the line like this doesn't exactly inspire confidence."
Lakyus scanned the teams of adventurers passing through the flames. While she stood back, the first to go in were the orichalcum-rank teams. They served as the lead elements in the four groups assembled and it was their job to serve as an example to the other adventurers.
"But even they're nervous"
For a moment Lakyus considered taking charge of the situation to push them forward but rejected the idea. With Gagaran and Tia still recovering from their death at hands of the Sins, she was the only one there with the other adventurers. She figured she would only get in the way if she took the lead alone and passed through the flames reaching to the other side.
The streets she came to were as silent as a grave. It disturbed her and she wasn't the only one. She overheard one of the Orichalcum parties discussing it.
"We should play it safe and contact Lakyus for orders."
"Then I'll do that right aw-"
"That won't be necessary." Lakyus interrupted him and the group looked back at her wide eyed. They must have been surprised at the timing of her arrival.
"Iron adventurers should stay back and help the copper plates search the houses. And please have a mithril team stay to supervise them in case they get into trouble. Everyone else should keep spreading out and advance. Any objections?"
They shook their heads.
"Then please proceed."
It was only a slight deviation to their original plans of evacuating people from their homes. So it didn't take long for them to begin searching.
But as Lakyus joined the Orichalcum adventures and advanced along the street one couldn't help but notice how eerily quiet it was. It didn't seem any of the teams yet met any form of resistance as they advanced. The demons were probably waiting for them deeper into the district.
Breaking the silence one of the Orichalcum adventurers beside Lakyus spoke up.
"What Tier of spell do you reckon summoned all those Angels?"
"6th Tier maybe? It takes powerful magic to summon multiple creatures at once."
"It's not 6th Tier." Lakyus grinned as he corrected him. "I can cast 5th Tier spells and they are nowhere near that powerful."
"So it's a tier of magic beyond 6th?"
"That exists?"
"It does. At least it does in the old stories of the Thirteen Heros."
"No way, how is that even possible?"
"Look behind you. You think that wall of flame was done by normal magic?"
You're talking about the Demon Gods. That would make Tri'ade and Jaldaboath-"
"Gods. Yes." Even Lakyus herself could hardly believe it. But no one but a god could command so many powerful angels. And that glow she saw, Tri'ade's power. There was no mistaking his divinity.
One of the adventurers quipped
"An adventurer god."
That got a nervous laugh out of some of the men, diffusing the tension somewhat as they continued to walk down the street in their orderly line.
Then the faint sound of footsteps could be heard in the distance.
"Hmm…? Did you hear that?" she asked the arcane caster nearby.
"With no visual confirmation, I'm not sure, but it sounds like a hellhound. Their special ability is Fire Breath. Difficulty probably around fifteen."
"Difficulty hmm… What do you reckon the challenge ratings are for the Lords of Sin."
Lakyus hesitated in giving her answer. She didn't want to give them more to worry about. In the end she decided to give a straightforward answer.
"Two hundred."
"What?! Seriously?"
"Two hundred plus for one of the Lords. Two of my comrades were killed in one strike against them."
The team of orichalcum adventurers around Lakyus were stunned into silence. The difficulty rating most of them had ever faced was around eighty.
One of the adventurers let out an exasperated sigh "So even Jaldaboath's subordinates are crazy strong like Demon Gods."
"By the Great Gods..."
"Could Jaldaboath and his lords be actual Demon Gods? Didn't the Thirteen Heroes seal some of them away?"
" Maybe they freed themselves."
It was definitely a possibility. After all, in the legends the Thirteen Heroes sealed away a few of the Demon Gods they defeated. But if that was the case Evileye would have told her. Few knew this but she was one of the heroes who battled the Demon Gods two centuries ago.
"Enough chatter!" Lakyus silenced them. "It doesn't matter. Tri'ade and his angels will handle the Lords. Keep your eyes out for any lesser demons."
A distant explosion drew their attention. The force of the shock could be felt in the ground beneath their feet. Looking towards the source of the sound Lakyus could see a far away tower collapse into rubble.
It was a clear sign the other groups had started fighting and soon it would be their turn to face the enemy. Cautiously Lakyus's group of adventurers advanced and the sounds of footsteps in the distance grew louder and louder.
Soon the adventurers spotted their enemy. A wave of lesser demons. Dozens of Hellhounds, Gazer Devils and in the back a large Overeater loomed large over them.
"Ready yourselves!"
She yelled the command but no one needed to be told such. The assembled group of adventurers were experienced monster slayers after all. Everyone grew tense bracing themselves for combat with the enemy in front of them. Shields were raised, bows notched and blades drawn.
"[Chain Dragon Lighting!]"
Lighting thundered on high and struck the demons in front of them. The bolt once incinerating it's target jumped to another and another in an instant until the entire wave of enemies were utterly annihilated.
Raising their heads high to see who cast the spell, Lakyus recognized the cherubs flying beside her shone in a bright light that could be seen for miles in the dark sky. Leading the pack though was a figure clad in red and gold armor.
It wasn't difficult for her to make it out who it was. There was only one person who wore such majestic armor. It was Tri'ade.
He did not waste a second to chat or to make sure they killed the demons with their spell. Speeding on ahead, more arcs of lightning thundered out as Tri'ade encountered more demons. Smiting them from on high like a vengeful god.
"Incredible."
Shaking her head Lakyus focused on the job ahead. It was no time to gawk in amazement. People's lives were on the line. Shouting, she gave orders to the other adventurers still staring up in the night's sky.
"Be alert! Remember the plan! Comb out and search for stragglers! We don't know how many demons there."
5 Late Fire Moon (September) 2:52 AM
It was a thrilling experience to fly through the air blasting low level demons into dust. Scanning the streets below trying to find a new group of demons to target and then with three little words reduce them to dust. All the while the wind envelopes your body as you speed through the air. With all this the flight spell instilled in him a varying sense of weightlessness that could change with a thought.
"[Chain Dragon Lighting!]"
He said the incantation and lighting shot forth from his fingertips, reducing another patrol of low level demons into dust.
"Shouldn't you be conserving your mana?"
It surprised Tri'ade how clearly he could hear Evileye as the air rushed past them flying over the city. But he chalked it up to another weird quirk of how this world worked.
"No. It doesn't take much of my mana to cast."
He lied to Evileye. Normally casting so many tier seven spells in quick succession wouldn't be a smart move before facing an opponent like the Evil Lords. Let alone their master. But this wasn't normal. Their master was Demiurge, his loyal Floor Guardian. Regardless of his Jaldaboath alias he was no threat to him. Not that Evileye knew this thankfully.
And Tri'ade wanted to attract as much attention as possible in this fight. Being escorted by glowing angels as he shot lighting from on high was as big of a spectacle as he could make.
It would be impossible for him not to appear as a possible threat to Adventurer's Guild after tonight. But perhaps he could appear too strong for them to provoke a conflict with Ainz Ooal Gown.
If the guild attacked them Tri'ade feared the NPC's would demand their destruction. That would undoubtedly escalate things quickly into a war against the human nations. And if it came to that, Tri'ade didn't know if he should refuse the NPCs when the time came.
While he knew they were absolutely loyal, would that always remain the case? Would Demiurge and the other Guardians grow disillusioned with him as time went on? And given the other women in his life would Albedo always love him? He knew she was programmed to but he knew he shouldn't take anything in this world at face value.
As he was thinking these things, Tri'ade forgot to do the incantation for [Chain Dragon Lighting] to destroy the next group of demons. Realizing it after the fact, he cursed himself for being careless.
Tri'ade looked back at her in a vain attempt to see if the vampiress noticed he didn't need to do incantations for spells. Naturally he couldn't tell with her mask still on.
"If Evileye weren't here I wouldn't have to worry about hiding these things." Tri'ade thought.
"What is it?" She asked with a tinge of concern apparent in her voice.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Just so you know I was known as the cursed being known as Landfall! I can handle myself. "
"Is that how I sound when talking about the past? Talking about things no one has the faintest idea of." Tri'ade thought, reflecting back on his previous conversation with Evileye.
"Right." Tri'ade was still not sure what to think about her.
Turning away from Evileye he could see they were nearing the epicenter of the [Flames of Gehenna]. There was a large warehouse and on it's rooftop stood Demiurge and standing alongside him were the Evil Lords Greed and Lust.
"Looks like they're waiting for us."
The two Evil Lords with Demiurge was something Tri'ade expected, given the overwhelming force he brought down on the summoned demons. But what he did not expect was Demiurge's disguise. He wore a stylish purple mask with gold detailing. But that was all. The guy was still wearing the same orange striped suit as he always wore.
Tri'ade landed on the warehouse rooftop with the Cherubs and Evileye following him. He wanted to criticize Demiurge for his poor disguise but reminded himself they weren't alone.
That wasn't hard with the seven of them standing on the rooftop of the warehouse. Demon Lords on one side, Angelic cherubs with great fiery spears on another. The two groups seen together could be mistaken as a classic standoff of good vs evil were it not for the two masked figures standing with the angels.
Tri'ade was the first to break the silence.
"Jaldaboath is it? "
"What an astute observation. I am indeed Jaldaboath."
Demiurge bowed his head and placed his arm across his chest as a sign of respect. Even when pretending to be his enemy the Floor Guardian refused to show any form of disrespect towards his master.
"May I have the pleasure of knowing the name of one who has so thoroughly decimated my minions?"
"Tri'ade, Guild Master of Ainz Ooal Gown."
Not wanting to appear overly to the one leading the attack on the city, Tri'ade pointed his Holy Moonlight Greatsword at Demiurge and threatened him.
"Re-Estize is under our protection. Leave this city or die in it."
"That's right!" Evileye said getting caught up in the moment.
Jaldabaoth clapped his hands. "That's generous of you. However I'm sad to say I cannot do that."
"And why is that?" Tri'ade asked as a matter of course to drive the conversation forward.
"Apparently, an item with the power to summon and subjugate my kind has found its way into this city. I would prefer it not remain in the wrong hands you understand. "
"Haha ah." Tri'ade chuckled to himself.
The reason Demiurge gave wasn't something Tri'ade expected. It did match what Gazef reported but well... Given Ulbert-san's obsession with playing the part of a villain, Tri'ade had expected a more villainous monologue out of Jaldabaoth. What Demiurge's alter ego proposed seemed almost reasonable. If you ignored all the people who died tonight that is.
"Is something the matter?" Demiurge asked. It appeared Tri'ade's response caught him off guard.
Tri'ade glanced over to Lord Greed standing beside Demiurge. With that he knew just what to say.
"It's funny. What poor judgement people have when they get greedy."
"Indeed. These humans will pay dearly for their sins."
"They're not the only ones."
Tr'ade raised his weapon towards Jaldaboath.
"Angels attack!"
The Cherub Gate-Keepers charged forward with their fiery lances to attack the Evil Lords standing with their master.
"[Aspect of the Devil: Demon Arm]"
Jaldabaoth's arm swelled multiple times its normal size into a large mass of writhing black muscle. As a shapeshifter his skills specialized into modifying his body into a living weapon. With his newly grown massive arm, Jaldaboath pummeled the Cherub, lunging at Lord Lust, hurtling it into the sky.
"Are you alright dear?"
"Yes, let me repay your kindness master."
"[Defensive Inspiration!]
Lust began singing Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You up. Tri'ade was shocked hearing the succubus sing it.
Inspiration was a special ability of Bards which came in many forms that provided buffs to allies for as long as it was active. Normally back in YGGDRASIL, a player with the bard class would opt to have certain songs on their music playlist synced up to the inspirations they would use.
After the ability was used, the song would only be heard for the first thirty seconds. This along with volume control was to avoid people abusing the ability to drown out others in voice chat.
Tri'ade needed to disrupt Lust's singing.
"[Maximize Magic-Shockwave!]"
A shattering shockwave billowed towards Lord Lust. But once again Jaldabaoth shielded her. The shockwave sent Jaldaboath flying backward along with a flurry of roof tiles uprooted by the blast.
A dreadful chorus of terrified screams could be heard coming from the warehouse below them. Looking down to see what it was through a hole in the roof created by Tri'ade's spell, he came to know what made those screams.
There were people in the warehouse. Dozens if not more from what he could tell from a glance. All being kept there by Jaldaboath. A lump began to form in the back of Tri'ade's throat as he began to fathom what Demiurge planned for them.
Tri'ade shouted to Evileye as the sound of battle began around them. "I'll take care of Jaldaboath. Go be a hero!"
With that he soured after the so-called Jaldaboath who had regained his posture in the night's sky.
"[Aspect of the Devil - Razor Sharp Claw:]"
With elongated razor sharp claws the arch-devil parried Tri'ade's Holy Moonlight Great-sword.
"You truly are a strong one. But I'm just getting started!"
"You talk too much!"
Pretending to press the attack Tri'ade continued swinging his great sword at Jaldabaoth to parry. All the while both of them flew away from Evileye and the Cherub's fight on top of the continued to fight in the sky until they were out of sight.
"There it is. Please follow me."
Flying on ahead, Jaldaboath intentionally collided into a nearby building. Through the hole the arch-devil made he could see a door leading further inside. Tri'ade followed him inside the building.
Once inside, Demiurge abandoned his Jaldaboath persona and bowed to his master. "Please there is room we can use further in."
Entering the room he could hear the sound of a grandfather clock. Whoever owned this room was very wealthy. It was definitely the meeting place of rich and powerful people. With a fine oak table, plants flanking the large clock inthe room and even a fireplace near a large cushy sofa. Above the fireplace were ornate vases.
Demiurge sat down at one end of the oak table and took off his mask. There were only two chairs in the room each at either end of the table.
"Just how long did Demiurge spend finding this place just so we could sit and chat?" Tri'ade wondered to himself as he sat down at the far end of the table opposite Demiurge.
"Is this room secure?" Tri'ade asked just to make sure the two of them could speak freely.
"I've seen to it there is no one that can listen in to our conversation, my Lord."
It was as Tri'ade expected of Nazarick's defensive strategist. It was perfectly safe here for them to have a casual conversation. Following Demiurge Tri'ade decided to remove his own golden mask so the two of them could talk face to face as it were.
"Good. First debrief me on what you've done in the city so far."
"Of course, but first allow me to thank you for indulging me, my lord. I'm rather eager to tell you the fruits of my labor. Where would you like me to begin?"
"Let's start at the beginning."
"Very well. First, as you are well aware, I sent the Evil Lords to attack Eight Finger locations throughout the city. The purpose being twofold to gain further information on the group's operations and to acquire much needed resources for Nazarick."
"I see." That much Tri'ade knew. During their last [Message] he found out Demiurge was rummaging in Princess Renner's quarters. He apparently acquired the list of initial targets from her and sent a preemptive attack to get there before the Princess's allies could get there.
"It is my pleasure to report we have had great successes in these strikes. Pride managed to capture one of their leaders in his attack. With some convincing she has turned on her colleagues."
Fantastic! With their connections it should be easy to spy upon the Kingdom. That should free up our Shadow Demons to gather intelligence on other nations. Though we might need to keep Eight Fingers at arm's length. Ainz Ooal Gown cannot afford betrayal.
"Hmm there is no honor among thieves."
"Indeed. Thanks to that, the Eight Finger's will submit to us before sunrise."
"Excellent work Demiurge."
"You give me too much credit."
Pressing the bridge of his glasses with his index finger, Demiurge adjusted his glasses and smiled.
"After all, everything I have accomplished is thanks to your master plan. All I have done is follow your will."
"Right."
For a moment Tri'ade didn't know how to react to Demiurge's humility. On one hand it was hard to doubt the devil's sincerity given what he knew of other NPCS. But with the arch-devil there was always more to his actions than he let on.
And there was something else that bugged him.
"You have done well in executing my plan. But I do have a question for you."
"Oh? What is that, my lord? I will do my utmost to provide you with a suitable answer."
"Why didn't you change your clothes?" It seemed too strange that the otherwise clever Demiurge would make such a poor disguise for himself. It was yet another surprise for Tri'ade in these past few days with Sebas's behavior with Tuare.
"Oh that?" Demiurge looked down at his bright orange striped suit. "The answer is a simple one. My creator Ulbert-samma never gifted me any other apparel. Is this a problem?
Bringing his hand up to his nose Tri'ade rubbed his upper lip before explaining. "Hm. No. Not today, but it might be in the future."
Leaning back in his chair, Tri'ade pointed his hand out to Demiurge to empathize with his next point. "Your suite is unique. Recognizable. It would be troublesome if the wrong people see through your disguise at a later date. A time when Demiurge not Jaldaboath becomes known to the world. "
"Ah! To think you're already planning so far ahead!"
Demiurge slammed his head on the table. " How could I have been so foolish?! This mistake is inexcusable. Punish me whoever you see fit! I deserve the worst for this oversight. But please I beg you. Forgive me lord."
"N-Now it isn't that bad."
"Damn it" Tri'ade thought to himself. Seeing Demiurge flaggalat himself, he regretted bringing it up now.
"Everyone has errors in judgement. They don't become mistakes until you refuse to fix them." Wanting to console Demiurge Tri'ade paraphrase something he had read online somewhere a long time ago.
"We can always dye your clothes a different color to avoid them being recognized. Small changes are often enough to dissociate things from a person's memory"
Demiurge lifted his head from the table to look up at Tri'ade. "I'm humbled by your wisdom, milord. Rest assured I'll take your concerns to heart. My intention with Jaldaboath after all is for him to act as our scapegoat."
"About that. I can guess what you're planning with the warehouses. But I'd rather you tell me yourself what you have planned in regards to them."
Hearing those words Demiurge sat up straight. "As you wish. All the contents of the warehouses in this district have been transferred to Nazarick.
That should help with our supply issues for now. What we can't use from the warehouses we can always put through the shredder for YGGDRASIL coins. Still...
"And with them empty you filled them with humans."
"So you saw. Yes, that did happen. Those were the last; the rest of the humans we've gathered are already secure at Nazarick. There should be more than enough of them for our current needs and any other projects down the line."
Demiurge was referring to Nazarick's need for corpses. Tri'ade had spent some time devising the composition and command structure for a Legion of the Damned, as he called it. Basically an undead legion commanded by the Overlords named after the Five Good Emperors of Rome, the ones made to guard the guild library of Ashurbanipal. Thousands of undead were needed for the Legion but they'd be no low level skeletons, the majority were slated to be Death Knights.
Death Knights might be weak to most players but their special abilities made them perfect cannon fodder. Able to absorb blows far exceeding what their level would allow. If Ainz Ooal Gown could create such a legion, it would secure their place in the new world. Even if they were to confront another guild or god forbid, a World Enemy, the legion could act as a meat-shield. Though the survival of Ainz Ooal Gown would then count on the Guardians working as a team.
That latter part Tri'ade was still unsure of. Team exercises of some sort would need to be done but finding opponents to practice on would be tricky. Having the NPC's fight each other could possibly backfire and cost the treasury a fortune if one of them died. That wouldn't be a negligible risk either since they would essentially be live-fire training exercises.
All of this though was a long term plan. Nothing he expected to be done anytime in the near term. But now? No longer limited by available corpses, they could greatly accelerate the creation of the legion by animating as many undead as their spells allowed. The Legion could be created in short order.
Did Demiurge plan on kidnapping humans as Jaldabaoth after he rejected Albedo's suggestion to massacre those lizardmen villages Aura found? He wanted to avoid needless bloodshed in creating his legion. Such activity attracted undesirable attention and could harm the reputation of Ainz Ooal Gown. As a guild of grotesques surrounded by human nations that was important wasn't it? Tri'ade unlike in YGGDRASIL, Tri'ade didn't want to be cast into the role of a villain.
A negative reputation could turn any other players in this world against Ainz Ooal Gown. While he could count on the NPC's Tri'ade was the only member remaining in the Guild. That would leave him at a disadvantage against other experienced players. He wouldn't know what to do if he had to match wits with a player like Punitto Moe or someone as methodological in his preparations as Momonga was.
The latter type of player was a chilling prospect. If they were a heteromorph they could spend decades, maybe centuries, planning to take down Ainz Ooal Gown. Meticulously gathering and cataloging information on all their strengths, weaknesses and motivations to prepare for Tri'ade's demise. Only engaging in fights to gather more information, feigning defeat to lull opponents in a false sense of security only to deal a devastating blow when fully prepared to do so.
Thinking back on his fears and reservations, it was an incredibly naïve way of thinking. Creating an army of the undead without killing anyone. What a joke. Hell, he couldn't even help his chuunibyou side of himself give his army the moniker Legion of the Damned. It was such a cool name. Tri'ade always wanted to command an army of the dead since he first learned there was a necromancer-class in YGGDRASIL.
To shoulder all the blame on a demon named Jaldaboath, well it was the best solution to his concerns. And he didn't have any viable plans of his own to solve the problem Tri'ade had no place to offer criticism of his methods. All he could do now is accept it.
"Demiurge."
"Yes Lord?"
"Make sure we use absolutely everything. We need only their bones for the legion. Their skin, blood and muscle, all of it. Find a use for it. "
"Of course. We can always use the skin for more scrolls as for the rest. I have a few ideas already."
No doubt Demiurge had a few ideas about taking spares back to his facility in Abeliion Hills. He needed to put a stop to that
If things go to plan the public will think those responsible will be demons under Jaldabaoth's control. While there was no place more secure than the Great Tomb, it did potentially open up witnesses who could debunk Demiurge's cover story. Given the Arch-Devil's cleverness Tri'ade doubted he would ever allow that to happen but it was still a risk. Especially in light of Demiurge's feeble attempts at disguising himself.
Ainz Ooal Gown was surrounded by human nations who wouldn't take kindly to the sort of experiments Demiurge was so fond of conducting. While Tri'ade doubted they were much of a threat he didn't like the idea of rushing headlong into conflict with his neighbors.
Their one advantage was the strength of the NPC's compared to those of the New World. But that relative advantage would diminish the more land they take. One person cannot be in multiple places at once. Without the legion it would take widespread devastation of hostile populations and threats of outright annihilation to pacify them.
But those are the actions of a terror-state. A state of things easily demonized by Ainz Ooal Gown's enemies. Players if they were in this world would likely join his enemies against him. Hell given the fact that the Theocracy might want revenge for destroying the Sunlight Scripture, those religious zealots might be thinking of declaring a holy war against him already. Tri'ade had to hope his letter was effective against the Cardinals of the Theocracy.
"The humans you brought to Nazarick are not permitted to leave alive. Kill them all. You can harvest what we need from their corpses."
"It shall be done, Lord.
With that Tri'ade consigned who knows how many innocent people to death. To his surprise he felt relief upon giving that order. He felt nothing for the well-being of these people, only that they wouldn't cause trouble for Ainz Ooal Gown in the future. One more worrisome thing was nipped in the bud.
There was only one left that merited his concern.
"With that out of the way, how is the battle fairing? I hope none of your subordinates have died tonight."
"Your concern for their wellbeing is touching but no not yet. They are being pushed back quite handily given the overwhelming force you've brought to bear against them."
"Shock and Awe. I want the Guild and the Kingdom to get a taste of our power. If we are going to operate openly from now on they need to respect us."
"I couldn't agree more with you my lord."
"It shouldn't be a problem for much longer though. I plan on unsummoning the Cherubs in a bit. After a few of the Evil Lords retreat, Swing things back around, build some tension for the final confrontation."
"Oh really?" Demiurge laughs "I have some ideas about that if you'll hear them my lord."
"I'm all ears…"
5 Late Fire Moon (September) 3:20 AM
"Be a hero,'' he says. How can I do that when none of my spells work!"
"[Penetrate Maximize Magic: Crystal Dagger!"]
Magic Circle formed in front of Evileye's hand. A large crystal dagger materialized and shot out towards her target. Lust, the Evil Lord.
The crystal dagger went straight for her chest intending to pierce the vile succubus's black heart.
Only for it to shatter and bounce off her large breasts. Lust didn't even flinch. She seemed to barely notice Evileye's attack as Lust was concentrated on the opponent in front of her.
A large flaming lance of a Cherubim thrust towards her. Nimbly, the succubus contorted her body narrowly avoiding the hot tip of the angel's polearm.
Staff in hand, Lust struck her opponent as the Gatekeeper left himself exposed in the lunging forward in his attack. Upon contact with her staff, the angel was knocked back with an explosive force.
"[Hellflame!]"
A small wisp of black flame shot out of Lust's hand to hit the Cherubim. The angel was engulfed in the flames of hell and it grunted in pain as it burned. After the flames subsided the angel flapped its wings to go back on the offensive.
"Annoying."
The succubus was being pushed back, flying backward to try to dodge the Gatekeeper's lance attacks. The same was true for the other Evil Lord called Greed who was fighting on the rooftop of the warehouse below them.
It was fortunate perhaps that the two of them weren't paying attention to Evileye. She could tell from the spells they were casting and how they fought the Angels that they were stronger than anything the former Hero faced before.
Suddenly Evileye heard screams as part of the warehouse's roof was torn apart as Greed missed in his attack on the angel. His scythe cut through the roof like a hot knife through butter creating a large hole.
"Dam it." Evileye said as she saw the huddled bodies of families in the warehouse.
Greed was knocked upwards in the air as Cherub's holy lance found its mark. The conflict between the demons and angels rose to the skies above the city.
This was her chance. Evileye flew through the hole in the warehouse's roof.
"We don't have much time. You lot need to get out of here now."
Afraid no one in the warehouse moved. There were a lot more people in the warehouse then Evileye first suspected. There must be nearly a hundred people crammed into the building, all of them residents of the district.
A clamor of voices from the crowd greeted her.
"Who is that?"
"They took my son! I'm not leaving until I get him back!"
"She's wearing a mask like those demons!"
There were more but it was incomprehensible to her as the crowd's voices began to drown each other out.
She could already tell it was going to be a pain in the ass getting these people to safety. But Evileye knew how cruel demons could be. If she left them here a fate worse than death could await them.
It took a great deal of time convincing the mob of townsfolk to follow her out of the warehouse. The crumbling roof of the building helped quite a bit in that. But once outside the masked adventurer flew over them and began leading them to the parts of the district controlled by her peers.
This was incredibly risky. Her being airborne left her vulnerable from attack from below and visible. But it was only from such a vantage point Evileye could hope to spot demons approaching the townsfolk in time to defend them.
Such an extraction should have been done by a team of adventurers. Evileye had messaged Lakyus but waiting in the warehouse wasn't an option with its roof falling apart.
Every minute guiding the townsfolk through the demon infested district felt like an eternity. Head on a swivel she had to constantly surveill her surroundings looking for demons.
Evileye's head jerked around. She thought she saw a group of hellhounds approach but they quickly moved in another direction.
It was strange. Since the demons took the time to gather the townsfolk together they must have had plans for them.
"Are they toying with me?"
Was what she thought but the next time she spotted a demon approaching they clearly saw her and moved away afterwards. The lesser demons were avoiding her.
"What are they doing?"
It continued on like that as she flew in the air guiding the townsfolk through the district. She had to conclude they were too busy fighting the others to bother with her. Still Evileye remained tense and alert. Lives were on the line and a moment of complacence could kill many of them.
Not only from the demons but what will happen in the ensuing panic. With so many people moving about in narrow alleyways it wouldn't surprise her if they trampled each other trying to flee for their lives. They were only relatively calm knowing an adamantite adventurer was watching over them.
It was going to be a long night.
5 Late Fire Moon (September) 3:20
Upon the ramparts of Ro Lente Castle one could see for miles in every direction. The castle being perched upon a hill in the middle of the capital made it a nearly unassailable position to besiege. One would have to take control of the rest of the sprawling urban landscape and the outer walls of the city first before even thinking of attacking it. There was no place safer in the city than in Ro Lente.
That is if you were dealing with a normal enemy. The enemy attacking the capital tonight could be described as anything but normal.
Even through the wall of flame obstructing his view Gazef could see the devastation unfolding in the Warehouse District. Shattered debris and dust clouds could be seen even here on the ramparts of the inner castle walls.
Bright flashes of multi-colored light shone in the night's sky. The causes of which were destructive spells beyond his comprehension were cast back and forth in the district.
Gazef did recognize one of the spells. From so far away it looked so small but it was unmistakable. A Sphere of black flame appeared outside the wall of flame only to quickly vanish. In its aftermath a small crater was left in the city. Building completely vaporized by the intense power of the spell.
It was the same destructive spell that the demoness first used to demonstrate her power to him. Gazef recalled when he first saw the spell. How helpless he was to watch his men die in front of him. At how he was being toyed with by the succubus calling herself Lust.
As Stronoff watched from the ramparts of the Valencia Palace, he felt a similar feeling of helplessness as felt in that encounter. A thought entered his head. That he, the Warrior-Captain, the so-called strongest man in the Kingdom, could do nothing to help the people of the capital just as he couldn't save his men. His title, his skills as a warrior, everything he had worked for his entire life attributed to nothing.
Shaking his head Gazef tried to banish these depressing thoughts. It was his duty to protect his majesty. If the King died the entire kingdom would suffer. It was just as important as protecting the people of the capital.
One could hear the tap, tap tap of a walking cane hitting stone. Gazef knew who it was from immediately. He turned around and knelt on one knee.
"Your majesty."
It was King Ramposa flanked by magic casters of the royal guard.
"At ease my friend."
Relieved of the formality of rank between them, Gazef stood up. He noticed his majesty's eyes were fixed on the night's sky.
Ramposa took a place near the parapet and stood next to Stronoff.
"Never before today did I believe such terrible magic existed. I know the legends but..."
"It's nothing like seeing it for yourself."
He knew exactly what his liege meant. Anyone would after tonight.
"It reminds me of tales of the Valwa."
The Valwa were the royal family who ruled over the kingdom centuries ago during the time of the Demon Gods. Back when the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Barahurth Empire were one nation.
According to the old tales, the mightiest of the Demon Gods, the King of Demons, came to the Old King of the Valwa demanding an unholy tribute. The lives of thousands of the King's subjects. Who would become the playthings of the demon's minions?
The noble Valwa refused to sacrifice its citizens to the Demon King. For their defiance it was said the Demon King became enraged and cast a mighty spell that summoned fire to rain down from the heavens. The ensuing firestorm burnt the old capital to it's very foundations, killing everyone in the city.
Nearly all of the Valwa royal family resided in the capital and with its destruction the old kingdom shattered into civil war. It was King Ramposa's great grandfather Ramposa the First who united the nobles of the western half of the Old Kingdom to form the Re-Estize Kingdom. While the Baharuthian Warlord conquered much of the eastern lands to form the Empire.
Back then both Re-Estize and the Baharuth Empire were very similar. Both shared a common language inherited by the Valwa, and both were feudal societies dominated by great noble houses. It was only recently through bloody civil strife did the Empire purge the noble houses and consolidate power around their Emperor.
In comparison the kingdom still held onto the traditions and customs left to them by the Valwa. In fact the nobles took pride in it, Most of the Great Noble Houses could trace their lineage back before the destruction of the Old Kingdom. And it was said the city of Re-Estize was built on the charred foundations of the old Valwa capital. It was something many nobles took great pride in with many of the Great Noble Families tracing their lineages to vassal houses of the Old Kingdom.
"I don't think the Valwa ever had angels on their side." Gazef stated trying to reassure his majesty the city wouldn't suffer the same fate as the old capital.
"You might be right. I've seen priests summon angels before. But nothing like what Tri'ade brought forth."
His majesty paused for a moment to survey the chaos raging in the capital.
"My son Zanac. He's out there. Insisted on going out with Marquis's men to bolster morale."
He understood his majesty's concerns. Prince Zanac in particular wasn't prepared for combat. Unlike his step brother Prince Barbro who practiced daily, Zanac barely touched his sword. That would be self evidence for anyone to see because of his corpulent appearance. The better choice in Gazef's opinion If any of the royal family was to be sent was the Crown Prince Barbro.
No, this stank of that snake of a Marquis's schemes. Not that he told his majesty this. The warrior-captain stayed silent about his concerns. After all, his liege knew better than he did about noble politics.
"He's become a brave man."
"The young prince gets it from you, your majesty.
The King paused for a moment to look out to the city surrounding the castle. Besides the sound of battle in the distance there was an eerie quiet hanging in the air. Much of the city surrounding the warehouse district had been evacuated, making the city appear devoid of life.
"All you've done tonight is watch over the city."
Gazef stared at his majesty wondering what he meant by that.
"Tell me, Warrior Captain. Are you to protect this lifeless city, or me?"
"You of course, your majesty."
"As is your duty. Ready your troop. I'm riding out at once to defend my city."
"As you command."
After giving Gazef his commands the King didn't even bother waiting for a reply. He turned his back to the Warrior-Captain and headed back into the palace to get outfitted for battle.
With a renewed sense of pride in his, King Gazef barked orders to his men on the ramparts to get ready and to send word to the Palace Guard. After all, with his men moving to protect the King they would need to shift men to watch the ramparts.
5 Late Fire Moon (September) 3:38 AM
Peter and the rest of Darkness were overlooking the last of the retreating adventurers. These were those wounded from fighting. They were headed to the makeshift field hospital behind the front lines to get patched up. The gap in the barricade made for them was closed off with large pieces of lumber as the last group made it past the defending guardsmen. The barricade was a hastily assembled wall of wooden fortifications erected to defend their chokepoints. The choke points are vital in preventing demons from flooding into the rest of the city.
Darkness was high in the sky equipped with flight amulets. The buildings all around them had collapsed into rubble leaving no place to stand to watch over the retreat. To gain a vantage point that would go unnoticed by those below they had to stay at a high altitude. From this height the adventurers below looked like ants scurrying on the ground.
"What do you see? Lukrut."
From this height Lukrut was the only one among them that could discern anything that was happening below them. After leveling up his eyesight had become even better with the ability [Eagle Sight]. With it he could see for miles around. Hellhounds and other low level demons were making their way to the guard's blockade.
"The last of the wounded made it out and the city guards are about to make their stand."
"Should we help them?" Ninya was getting anxious just waiting up here while everyone else was fighting. She wasn't the only one, they all were.
"I don't see any of those goat skull bastards, just the small fry"
Hellhounds and the like might very well be of little threat to Adamantine Adventurers like themselves; it was a completely different story for the guardsmen below them. Most of the city guards enlisted for the purpose of avoiding conscription and never saw combat outside a tavern brawl.
Heck, back before they met Tri'ade the Swords of Darkness would have had a difficult time facing a pack of hellhounds without serious injury. The fact Lukrut could joke around about them just showed how far they came thanks to their Lord's generosity.
"The Supreme Being ordered us to intercept any Scale Demons attempting to pass."
Naberal reminded Darkness of their mission. They were to intercept any groups led by Scale Demons attempting to break through the rear line.
Lukrut waved dismissively at Naberal. "Ya Ya I know. Just wished we were doing more, you know?"
"But Isn't the point of stopping the flyers to protect the city? If the lesser demons get past the blockade a lot of people will die."
Nina was right. Almost as if to confirm what she said they noticed the light glowing below them. The hellhounds were spraying their hellfire onto the wooden barricade. The muffled screams of men burning alive reverberated in the air.
"Woah! One of those Overeating demons jumped right over the barrier!" Lukrut told the rest of them what he was seeing down below.
They were overwhelmed. It was no time to hesitate, Peter realized.
"Lukrut, Naberal keep an eye out for Scale Demons. Rest of us are going to help them."
Peter, Dyne and Nina descended. The magic of the flight amulets may have allowed them to defy gravity but it assisted them as they plummeted towards the choke point. Falling far faster than they ever did ascending to their vantage point in the sky, they approached the ground rapidly.
"[Call Lighting!"]
"[Electro Sphere!]"
A cloud of lightning appeared over the hellhounds and began raining lightning strikes at each of them. Twin balls of lightning slammed and exploded in a storm of static shock at Gazer Devils approaching the guards.
Both Nina and Dyne could engage the enemy quicker than Peter could. But that was alright. He was aiming towards the fat toad-like demon that managed to jump across the barrier.
"Come one Ramanus! Time to feed!"
"[Gale Acceleration! Grand Power Strike!]"
Speeding down to the ground like a meteor aimed to strike in a solid downward thrust against the Overeater. It was tricky because he had to maneuver in the air to land on his feet yet keep his blade on target. Peter was lucky the demon was such a large fat target.
As his blade Ramanus hit the Overeater it sliced the demon in half in a burst of blood and gore. "Foul demon blood! Main, Kill, Burn!"
Those words from Ramanus resounded in Peter's mind as the rush of energy spread in his body as his vampiric weapon fed upon his opponent. It dulled the pain in his legs as he forcefully impacted onto the ground spraying dirt in the air.
The Overeater was knocked down by the force of the blow. With Ramanus's words still ringing in his ears Peter slashed at the prone demon wildly. Screaming in agony the fat demon died. The telltale glow of the demon's body along with its blood on Peter's black armor disappeared.
Butchering the demon was easy. Frighteningly easy.
He knew he had grown stronger since Tri'ade had that little elf girl imbue them with power but it continued to surprise him with what he was capable of. His heart swelled with pride and gratitude to the man.
No. Peter thought it wasn't right to call him just a man. The Supreme Being considered him worthy of such a blessing. Despite him revealing himself to be some kind of demon, he considered himself truly blessed by everything he was given.
They couldn't afford to disappoint the Supreme Being.
It was then he heard Naberal's voice in his mind.
"Peter, Lukrut has sighted a Scale Demon at the north guard position."
"I hear you. We're moving out. Meet you both there."
He looked over to the shaken city guardsmen and addressed them.
"Do not fear! We are the adventurers of Darkness. You are not alone. Stand fast. Remember you defend your friends and family. We are all counting on you to hold the line."
Peter activated his flight amulet and rose up in the air. They couldn't stay if a scale demon was spotted; it wouldn't take them long to overrun the northern barricades.
"Others need our help. Dyne, Ninya with me!" After waving to his comrades Peter flew into the air with his comrades soon catching up with him.
"What are we heading into?" Dyne asked, unaware of the situation at hand.
"Lukrut spotted a Scale Demon." Peter said, almost shouting over the wind rushing past their ears as they flew across rooftops.
"Right! Let's hurry." Dyne said knowing full well the guardsmen would get easily pulverized by a Scale Demon. He knew they didn't have much time if they wanted to help.
When they arrived Lukrut and Naberal were already fighting the hulking monstrosity in the sky above the city.
"[Triple Shot!]"
Three arrows shot out of Lukrut's bow hitting their mark into the Scale Demon's muscular arms as it tried to instinctively guard itself from the attack.
The demon was closing in on Lukrut, charging at him, chasing after him in the sky. It was faster and once the Scale Demon caught up with Lukrut it swung its great stone maul at him.
Hitting him in his side, Lukrut could hear one of his ribs cracking. The momentum behind the swing hurtled the lecherous archer crashing into the ground. Dirt plumed as Lukrut landed on his back on the walkways of Re-Estize. He would be thankful they werent fighting in the noble district where the roads were paved if not for the fact he was dazed from his hard landing.
"[Dragon Lighting!]"
Lightning in the shape of a dragon shot forth from Naberal's fingertips stunning the demon as it cried out in anguish. The demon's focus was now on the stoic magician as it sought retaliation for the pain inflicted upon it.
"Help Lukrut." Peter said, looking at Dyne.
"Right!" Woodwonder nodded at him and flew towards his fallen companion.
"Ninya with me." Flying towards the Scale Demon, Peter charged headlong into the fight.
"Right." Intuitively, Ninya knew to use support magic when Peter went on the offensive.
"[Magic Shield]"
A green bubble of light appeared around her friend. When the demon swung its great stone maul, the impact of its strike against Peter created a ripple across it but the magic held. This allowed Peter to go all in.
"[Grand Power Strike!][Severing Strike!][Shield Bash!]"
The first strike landed on the demon's abdomen, the tip of his blade Ramanus sinking into its rippling abs, drawing blood. "Hell's Blood! Spicey!" his magical sword's words echoed in Peter's mind.
Pulling back the second severing strike hit the thick arms covered in purple scales the demon gave its namesake. Peter's black shield clashed with the defending demon's stone maul as it was knocked backwards away from him.
The momentum of his shield bash though made Peter become off-balanced while flying in the air. He saw the ground as he lost his equilibrium. Fighting in the air wasn't something Darkness had much experience with.
"[Maximize Magic Earthbind!]"
The Scale Demon tried to charge Peter as he lost his balance but was stopped. Yellow bands of magic rose from the ground and wrapped themselves around the Scale Demon.
It was Dyne! Woodwonder was with Lukrut looking up at him. The magic quickly pulled the demon to the ground below, crashing the demon hard onto the ground.
"Agg!" The Scale Demon yells as it gets off the ground when the yellow bands of magic fade.
"You're a tough bastard but how about this!"
["Rapid Fire!"][Headshot!]
From Lukrut's bow five arrows launched in succession, all hitting the demon square in its goat skull-shaped head. The demon clutched at his head in pain as cracks formed in its head.
"Gotta be kidding me."
The Scale Demon remained standing. It shook its head and charged at the two adventurers in front of it.
["Maximize Magic Dragon Lighting!"]
The spell stopped it in its tracks as it jolted in pain as electricity enveloped the demon's body. Stopping to its knees, the Scale Demon fell down before dispersing into a cloud of magical particles.
"You really do care! Ha ha!" Lukrut looked up to the one who cast the spell. Naberal refused to make eye contact with him.
"Annoying insect. I'm fulfilling the wishes of our master."
"Ya ya. I'll be sure to thank him later." Lukrut said not believing her even for a second.
"That was great! Good job everyone." Peter exclaimed as the fight was over.
It was amazing how quickly that herculean-like demon was felled. Naberal's magic was always impressive. Despite the fact that Ninya could now cast a few of the same spells, the difference in their strength was staggering.
Even Peter, a simple fighter, could see that. This fact reminded him that despite being admanatite adventurers considered to be in the realm of heroes they were still weak compared to others in Tri'ade's service.
As he thought this he heard an eruption of cheering. It was the city guardsmen! Peter looked at the awed expressions of the city guardsmen they saved. It didn't matter to him that he was weaker than Naberal.
They were heroes. That was far more important. And it was all thanks to their new Lord, Tri'ade.
AFTERWORD:
Oh boy its been a long time since I last updated... Apologies about that. Been crazy this past year. Add in my short attention span and writers block I spend most this past year writing other parts of this story. Sadly not the next chapters but more along the line of the next Volume's chapters. Got about 9k words written for two chapters in the next volume and working on a little side story that happens between Volume 4 and Volume 5. 4k Words written involved the first meeting between Fulder and Tri'ade which given the next Arch I might turn into an intermisison chapter. As the next chapter will involve mostly be politics in the Kingdom (Royal Feast) and nation-building in the newly recognized Imperium of Ainz Ooal Gown.
Also beginning to use a Calandar and time system similiarly used in the light novels. With some modifcations to make it more sensible. A path apparently taken also by Yenpress. It makes more since for it to be early mid and late than upper mid and lower months.
1st Month: Early Water Month (winter solstice)
2nd Month: Middle Water
3rd Month: Late Water
4th Month: Early Wind (spring equinox)
5th Month: Middle Wind
6th Month: Late Wind
7th Month: Early Fire (summer solstice)
8th Month: Middle Fire
9th Month: Late Fire
10th Month: Early Earth (autumn equinox)
11th Month: Middle Earth
12th Month: Late Earth
Look forward to this calandar and timing system to be used more often as I switch from more characters perspectives using it as a good marker between them. Also look forward to the next chapter which will end Volume 4 with the final battle between Tri'ade and Jadlabaoth and the epilogue describing the aftermath of this whole affair. I cant promise a speedy update but it will be EPIC and well edited and proofread...
Thank you all for reading my story and be sure to give me feedback in reviews and pms. I love them all. Even the negetive ones :P I hope you all are keeping safe and healthy.