E-Rantel, Former Merchant's District
Touch Me watched over the flock of humans as they were slowly but surely shuffled out of the warehouse, Gazef's men doing their best to keep order amongst the scared and disillusioned.
Those lucky enough to "live" through the horrors of their city's destruction found themselves in nothing more than scraps for clothing, with dirt sullying what little they had on to create some sense of modesty.
The city guard were no better, a rag-tag group of haggard, poorly equipped men with dented armor and dull weaponry. The paladin held no doubt in his mind that if it weren't for the Adventurer's Guild supporting their numbers, they would've fallen long ago.
Crying and the moaning of the sick and dying filled the air, creating a choir of the damned. A light rainfall began to come down on all their heads, the gray clouds blackening to an oppressive shade.
How curious…To know that something else other than acid rain existed. I'd heard in some of the recovering countries that it was becoming more common, and even in some parts of Japan, but to see it like this is something else.
The weather had been like that the entire day. It would suddenly shift from a torrential downpour to a light sprinkle. Very rarely did it ever cease all together, which amazed him at just how similarly volatile the weather could be.
There were some major differences in the rain of his old world and of the new world, but given how quickly it could shift, that remained the same at least. Perhaps it was a sign that things were slowly healing back home.
If he were able, he'd take off his helmet and lean his head back to catch some water droplets on his tongue. He'd close his eyes and allow the moisture to soak in between the plates of his chitin.
Despite the current situation, he found peace in the constant plinking of the rain drops on his armor. His cape would likely get soaked through, but he didn't really care at this point. He didn't really care about a lot of things for a bit, until recently that is.
Thunk!
Touch Me looked down, seeing one of the surviving civilians accidentally bump into him. It was a portly man, having fallen straight onto his bottom when walking into the towering warrior.
"Ay', Ye'r a tall feller alright," the man grumbled, standing back up. "I rememb'r meetin' some like ye a while back. They mus' feed ye real good back where ye' come from."
"I suppose so," the paladin said, "I will admit, I ate rather well, though I couldn't say the same of everyone else back home."
"Wha' else is new?" The man replied, ambling off to rejoin his portion of the herd. The moment his thinning hair left his sight, he vanished from Touch Me's mind. He returned back to enjoying the water dripping onto his armor.
Another presence came to him then, this time not bumping into him, but rather setting themselves up right beside him. He spared a glance down to see that Gazef himself was there.
"Are you doing alright, Sir Sebastian?" The chief warrior asked amicably, watching the procession. "You're not sore or suffering from negative energy sickness, are you?"
A hollow chuckle rang from him. "Hardly. My gear is too well made, and I've never been one to get sore from such an easy fight. I've faced much worse than some undead."
Gazef grunted. "Yes, I suppose you taking down that death knight should've been a better indicator of your capabilities, but I make it a habit to check up on all my comrades regardless."
The "fight" in question was no more than a skirmish, at least for him. It'd been a long time since his glory days in Yggdrasil, but even he could remember that the undead that plagued E-Rantel were nothing more than filler.
Touch Me, Gazef, his men, and those of the Adventurer's Guild had to fight their way to the Merchant's District to be able to start evacuation efforts, with the holy warrior leading the charge to protect as many of the soft and squishy humans as he could.
His shield was stashed away in his inventory, so that he didn't need to constantly carry it while he walked. His armor would do much of the protecting if something managed to slip past his guard and tried to attack him.
Not that he needed to do much anyways.
Just activating [Holy Warrior's Aura] was enough to set the lesser undead ablaze, crumbling into dust piles that he stomped beneath his boots. Anytime they dared to come close, they were instant charcoal before him.
Much more durable undead like Flesh Juggernauts were able to last a few more seconds than their smaller brethren, to which he struck them down with a single slash of his blade. He was on autopilot most of the time, hacking and slashing whatever enemies approached and weren't incinerated by his power.
At one point, they came across another death knight, though this one looked much different from the one he saved Gazef from. Its helmet had horns like a bull's, but it wielded all the same brawn as its counterpart.
It roared at the group, clanging its sword against the tower shield it held. It stank of festering rot and decay. Already, the heavy armor it wore steamed from his presence.
With a charge, the death knight instigated the fight, a bull-dozer of certain death for anyone below level thirty. All he had to do was hold his sword out in front of him, its tip ready to meet his foe.
The moment the beast had the sense to look up and see his weapon, it was already too late. It tried to skid to a stop, but the momentum propelled it chest first onto his sword. Touch Me's fabled weapon slid in as easily as though through butter.
There was a brief struggle where the death knight attempted to pull itself off his weapon, wildly swinging its own sword and shield. It was crumbling before his eyes, pieces of itself falling off from his innate power.
He flicked his wrist, twisting his sword and slicing it in half horizontally. The force he exerted doing so was enough to fling its disintegrating parts into a nearby building. Pieces of mortar and brick flew everywhere, the men and women with shields behind him having to scramble and protect themselves.
He was walking past the impact site before the dust could settle, paying no mind to the excited and terrified whispers from his tailing group.
"He barely had to stab it to kill that thing!"
"By the Four! His strength truly is that of a god!"
"This guy should've cleaned up the city weeks ago with power like that!"
An equal amount of cheers and jeers at him, but their opinion didn't matter. His mission was to make sure the citizens of E-Rantel got out alive, if not well. He dealt with plenty of that kind of behavior from his time in the force.
Save for that one specific instance, just about every undead that crossed his path was swiftly annihilated, mostly using his strength for the few sturdy enough to make it closer.
Never once did any of them ever actually touch him. That was the irony of his name, after all.
Back in the present, the paladin simply watched as the civilians filed past, those of any authority directing them towards their would-be guides out of the city. The teams were six adventurers and two of the Chief Warrior's men, to make half a dozen teams.
Each team was assigned around two dozen or so civilians to escort out of the city at a time. They were to take the most direct path from the Merchant's District to the Guard's Quarters, which they would only take once Touch Me went back and double checked to be clear. The adventurers still at the guild house would be watching the backs of those groups, fending off anything that came up from the rear.
Without a Caller of Darkness to round up the horde, the undead were aimless once more, roving in bands of ravenous monsters. That being said, that didn't mean everything would go off smoothly.
"Sir Sebastian, if you might sate my curiosity, what are the Sirs of Ainz Ooal Gown like?" Gazef suddenly asked, grabbing Touch Me's attention.
The paladin thought for a moment. "They're some of the absolute best and worst people I've ever met so far, but I wouldn't replace them for the world. We've all known each other for a very long time, and they're my best friends."
"I see, so you've spent time with them personally. One of your caliber I imagine would have many tales to tell of your homeland, and the sorts of adventures you went on together."
Seems he's fishing for information, Touch Me deduced near immediately. The tone was casual enough, but given Gazef's impassioned plea when they first met, he wasn't surprised the other warrior was trying to discover all he could about him and his friends.
He sensed no nefarious intentions, thankfully, though he guessed that about the human from when they spoke. Likely, he would try to remind him of his promise to tell the others about what was going on in Re-Estize once they successfully transported everyone out.
"I do, but those are tales for another day. When we have the time and if we cross paths again, I'll be sure to tell you all about them," he said.
A glint appeared in Gazef's eye, who caught on to the deflection attempt. "I'll be sure to buy the drinks then. It would be the least I could do given what you're doing now. There are many fine bars in Re-Estize, or if you prefer, I have some good wine from King Ramposa himself."
"That…sounds good actually. You know, that form of fighting earlier, where you were able to attack simultaneously six times, what was that?"
An honest question, but one that caught the Chief Warrior by surprise. "Do they not have such techniques in your homeland? Given your strength and natural skill, I was certain that you possessed Martial Arts even greater than I."
Shit.
"Where I come from, our martial skills take on a different form than what I observed. I'm recently new to these lands, you see, so it's likely we do but that it's not extremely similar," he replied quickly but calmly.
While his guildmates weren't technically barred from exploring the outside world due to what happened in the Forest of Tob, it was still encouraged they remain in Nazarick to gather more information on potential threats looming on the horizon.
That didn't exactly appeal to Touch Me, who'd hardly come out of his own room for nearly the entire time they first came to the new world. After he made his amends with Sebas, he knew that if he wanted to become better, he had to take his fate back into his own hands.
So what did he do? Rather than try and explain to his friends what exactly was going on, he chose to have the dragonoid butler cover his absence to sneak away. They may have been his friends, but he didn't want that kind of fanfare around his feelings.
No, what he needed was just to get some peace and quiet away from Nazarick, to adjust to his new body and see what lay outside. At least, that was his excuse for when the others eventually discovered he was missing.
Sebas would gladly take the fall when that happened, but it was not something Touch Me would let him take alone. He may not fear the newspaper like the rest of his guildmates did, but he'd be damned if he let someone else suffer for his sins.
He also felt bad enough about the holes in the wall of his room he punched in his grief fueled rage. He didn't want to burden the maids with any more of his stupidity.
Gazef raised an eyebrow at his answer, but took it nonetheless. "I would be happy to demonstrate what I know once we escape this nightmare. If you so wish, you may also invite your friends and allies to come see as well."
"I'm more than certain they would be happy to, knowing some of them," Touch Me said, giving out another hollow laugh.
Both of them stood in comfortable silence then, letting the rain shine their armor while they waited for the last of the civilians to come out of the warehouse. A guard near the entrance shouted that it was empty, and then slammed the doors shut.
"I suppose that's my cue. I'll return as soon as I make sure there's nothing along our path," the paladin said, readying his sword.
Gazef gave him a cordial grin. "Time to put that speed to good use. We'll be waiting for your all-clear."
As soon as he said that, Touch Me took a deep breath in, flexing his muscles with supernatural strength. He held it a moment, and took the first step.
Immediately, the rain that pelted him slowed to a crawl, his reflexes working overtime to keep him aware of everything in real time. He took another step, restraining himself just enough that the floor didn't crack when he set his foot down.
Speed was a universal trait among the forty-one, from lesser to greater extremes regardless of how it was. Even Tigris Euphrates, the Mongolian death worm, was able to traverse at speeds near invisible to the naked eye.
For someone like Touch Me, for all his might, he found himself in the greater extreme of attainable speed. The only ones possibly faster than him were those like Takemikazuchi, Jo-Bro, Nishikienrai, and Flatfoot.
To him, he took off at a light jog, quietly admiring the way the sluggish light refracted through the even slower falling water droplets. They were like chandeliers, illuminating his path and dazzling him with all colors of the rainbow.
From the Merchant's District, he traveled along what he could consider the "suburbs" of the city, where the poor struggled to live. A pit of disgust welled up in his chest looking at those slums.
There were no undead there, so he continued on. He made it to what he guessed was the main marketplace in its time. Very few undead were there, and he quickly culled them.
The main road proved to be far more lively, the zombies, skeletons, juggernauts, and other lesser beasts congregating towards the open space, made even wider by the collapsed buildings on either side.
They never knew what struck them down, for it happened in less-than-a split second to the external observer. In no time, the main road was cleared of all hostiles. He also made sure to check the alleyways, to ensure nothing lurked in their dark corners.
Alright, looks like that was the last of them. Now all I have to do is return and-wait, who are those people up there?
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a group of people crouched along the perimeter of the wall surrounding the city. From his position, it looked to be closer to the southern wall.
Like all of reality at the moment, they hardly moved, their eyes uncomprehending to his motions. He trotted to a stop, while still maintaining his reflexes. He counted eleven of their number, all of them wearing…odd clothing.
In fact, their appearances were so distinct and unique that they wouldn't look out of place among the players of Yggdrasil. His eyesight was easily the best it'd been in years, but something inside him prompted him to go and study them more closely.
Without anyone else around to get caught in the crossfire, he applied more strength to his step, moving far faster than before. The ground shattered, and he practically flew through the air. Gusts of wind blew around him and eventually stopped all together once he passed.
Once the wall came within reaching distance, he grabbed onto the wall and hoisted himself up, now standing directly next to the curious individuals who watched. He traced their line of sight, coming to see they were staring at where the civilians were being evacuated.
The most interesting of them were the three who led in the front. They were a woman and two men, with gear that definitely would've fit in with Yggdrasil's loot pool.
The woman had hair that was split directly down the middle color wise, with the right being silver and the left being black, her heterochromatic eyes following a similar scheme but on opposite sides of her hair.
She wore what appeared to be a sweater, with a short, armored skirt and black leggings. Spiked plate mail covered her left arm and right leg respectively, leaving the other limb bare. Ribbons trailed along her slender, pale body, adding a flare of decoration.
A cross-shaped scythe rested easily on her shoulder, complemented by the semi-bored visage she adopted.
Both of the men looked to be fairly young, but the taller one had sharp, red eyes and andrygonous features. He couldn't have been any older than twenty, maximum.
His armor was ornate, seeming more suited to ceremonial wear than field work of any kind. In his hands was a humble spear, nothing out of the ordinary really. His stature bore the look of a commander, regal with his flowing, onyx hair.
The shorter man clearly needed to spend a few more years in junior high with how young he appeared. His outfit was even more outlandish, wearing a cape with clock patterns on the inner side. His green suit with pink tie and miniature top hat made him look ready to go to the ball with the Mad Hatter.
His spiral shaped rapier, with its design, seemed more fit for jousting than any real-sword play. Overall, Touch Me would say his brown hair and green eyes gave him a youthful appearance that would make someone want to pinch his cheeks.
Are these people…players? No, that can't be right, could it? They're certainly dressed for the part, but if they were, then they wouldn't be affected by how fast I'm moving. Maybe I should stand off to the side a bit, blend in a little and see what they want.
He walked off just enough that unless they were directly searching for him, they could not see him, but still close enough that the paladin could hear without disruption. He took another deep breath, and then slowly released it.
His muscles relaxed, and time sped up.
"-see no reason to really interfere," said the red-eyed man, gesturing with his spear towards the group of civilians down below. "Cardinal Raymond's heart is in the right place, but we appear to be beaten to the punch."
"I agree," said the shorter man, leaning on his rapier, "Let the peasants be saved by their own kingdom. What I'm really interested in is that knight down there-"
He choked on his words, his compatriots turning to him with confusion to see why he now looked so startled. When they all saw the spot where Touch Me once was, their reaction was more or less the same.
Well, save for the dual-haired girl, who simply raised an eyebrow from what the paladin could tell. He almost genuinely chuckled from how flabbergasted they all were.
It quickly vanished once they hefted their weapons and gear, their expressions changing to ones more professional and stern. The red-eyed man frantically looked around, his gaze finally landing on the holy warrior.
"We may have bigger issues than pondering how best to handle E-Rantel," Red Eyes said, deathly calm but tense in his posture. Those around him also turned to face the new arrival.
They're a little on edge. Maybe I could try and diffuse things before they escalate.
Touch Me held up both hands, sheathing his sword beforehand as a show of peace. "Sorry about that. I was making the rounds when you all caught my eye. I didn't mean to startle you like that, but I wanted to investigate closer who you were."
"Not sure where you come from, but people don't usually move in the blink of an eye just to 'make the rounds'," said a muscular, gray haired man with an oversized battle-ax. Tattoos were inked all across his body.
"Nor do they wear armor or wield weapons fit for the gods," said another, an old woman wearing a tight, white and gold dress with the image of a Chinese dragon embroidered on it. It might've been flattering if it were worn by anyone else younger than sixty.
The rest of them grumbled, glaring at him cautiously but making no aggressive movements. The dual-haired woman definitely was glancing at him with interest now, tilting her head.
"What is your business here? What nation do you hail from?" Demanded Red-Eyes, his grip tightening on his spear. "If you're with the Slane Theocracy, we were never informed of receiving any sort of backup, nor was it requested."
Slane Theocracy? Like Nigun and the Sunlight Scripture's home territory? Why would they be here of all places? There's nothing here really, unless they came to help evacuate the people as well.
"Nothing of the sort. I'm just a traveler giving aid to this ruined place. The people suffer and are in need of rescue. Please, you may refer to me as Sebastian Tou-Chi," Touch Me replied.
Rapier, the shorter man, huffed. "Really? A Good Samaritan in these parts? Don't make me laugh. You fit the theme of a high-end mercenary, but I wonder now if you robbed the Re-Estize treasury to afford that fancy armor of yours."
"Please, I assure you, I'm not here to disrupt your work, unless it actively harms the people I've given my oath to protect. Let's just walk away from this and consider it a chance encounter."
His plea seemed to calm the rest of the group a bit, glancing at Red-Eyes for further orders. The insectoid player guessed him to be their leader from the way he carried himself and how the others deferred to him.
Save for the heterochromatic woman, who continued to stare at him with a mounting emotion he didn't understand.
Red-Eyes bore a contemplative expression, thumbing the shaft of his spear while he considered his options. His black hair clung damply to his armor.
"…You're certainly an interesting character, Sebastian. I can sense something powerful about you, especially after witnessing you nearly teleporting to our location with the speed you have. If it were any other day, I might let you go."
The others of his posse immediately hefted their weapons, giving him a mixture of excited grins and cold indifference. One disheveled woman wearing an oversized wizard's hat in the back yawned.
"But you're too much of an unknown variable to let roam free. You'll need to come with us now. Given your courtesy and polite demeanor, I ask that you come willingly. I'll ensure you're treated well," the spear wielder said, twirling his weapon to point it at Touch Me's Chest.
Touch Me sighed, lowering his hands but not unsheathing his sword. "I'm sorry, but I have obligations to fulfill. Won't you at least let me finish what I'm doing here?"
"That was the most generous the captain was going to get with you!" Shouted the old woman, her dress starting to glow. "You'll come with us, now, before we decide to drag you kicking and screaming."
There were eleven of them there on that wall, all ready to lunge at him and take him down for their own purposes. The paladin had no doubt in his mind that he was fast enough to take them out nonlethally before they could launch a counterattack.
And yet, something felt off about the entire encounter, especially with the older woman in the dress. The way it pulsed with power made his instincts scream Danger! the longer he was in its presence.
An unknown variable? The same could be said of both sides, but he was at a severe disadvantage not knowing what exactly it was. Based on his gut feelings, he knew it involved the old woman, which meant he'd have to take her down first.
Better safe than sorry, and while he would do everything in his power to ensure he used as little force as possible, if it came down to it, it was either him or them.
They stared at one another, the mood unusually quiet except for the rain that pelted them all. No one moved a muscle, impatiently waiting to see who would strike first and begin their duel.
In a way, they simultaneously sized each other up, those of the Slane Theocracy likely believing themselves at an advantage because of their greater numbers. But Touch Me knew better. Already they revealed a weakness of theirs in being unable to keep track of him when he moved, which meant he'd be able to deal his blow before they could do anything about it.
He kept his sword sheathed, but he was ready to unleash its full wrath if needed. He could take no chances when it possibly came down to the last second.
A finger twitched near the handle of his blade, and that was all the trigger needed.
Raindrops slowed down to a crawl, his superior reflexes coming into action once more to serve his needs. As he expected, most of the opposing force was in the same predicament as the rain.
Except for the leading three. Red-Eyes placed himself right between him and the old woman, raising his spear to jab at him. He deflected the blow with the back of his gauntlet, using the extra force to shove him aside.
The other two came out from both his sides in a three pronged attack. He ducked to avoid the scythe aimed at his neck, while turning his body to miss the rapier pointed at his abdomen.
He rushed past the rest of them, taking care not to brush or shove to cause undue harm. He reached the old woman and got behind her with a spell charged in hand.
"[Sleep]," he invoked, yellow rune circles going up his arms as he used up precious mana. Because of how time continued along at a snail's pace, he wouldn't see it take effect until he resumed back to normal.
Better to check and make sure than trust that I didn't somehow botch up my magic. It's possible that since I'm more of a warrior that it works slightly differently here than it did in Yggdrasil compared to the mages.
While he thought this, time resumed to its default state. The glowing after effects of his magic faded away with him no longer there.
Rather than slump over, the woman swiveled her head in alarm. "Where'd he go?! He vanished again! I need to have him in sight for the power to work!"
She resisted it! Granted, it was not a powerful spell, but at my level it shouldn't have been so easily brushed aside. Does she have safeguards of some kind against magic?
Again, that unease welled up inside him at the sight of the dress. It didn't sit right with him. Seems he'd need to take more drastic measures.
Time began to slow again, but before it could fully take effect, the dual haired woman jumped over all of her comrades, trying to bring down her scythe upon his head. He stepped back to dodge, having to move slightly more to do so successfully.
It cut through the air with gusts flying out, buffeting his helmet while he got out of the way. It sank into the stonework with little resistance and a harsh scraping noise.
Touch Me sidestepped her, reaching the old woman and raising his hand to chop her neck. He did it as lightly as possible, aiming for the brain stem to get his desired result.
This time, the old woman collapsed like a sack of bricks, though he took care to grab her head and let it down easily so she suffered no permanent damage.
"Lady Kaire!" Yelled one of the men, who bore a massive shield like a mirror on his arm. He lowered it and prepared to rush Touch Me, who just barely managed to walk out of the way with time to spare.
Another swing of a familiar scythe forced him to dodge much more efficiently, using his whole body now to avoid the attack. They were getting faster, and the dual haired woman got more excited from her downright animalistic grin.
He jumped back along the wall, giving ample space between him and the others, only for the Captain, Dual-Hair, and Rapier to catch up to him with player-like speed. They left the rest of the group behind, who now focused on keeping an eye on the fallen "Lady Kaire".
Rapier caught up with him first, his eyes alight with savage delight while he aimed his weapon at him.
"It's been too long since I've seriously been able to use my skills! Let's see if you're more than just a speedster!" Rapier shouted, stabbing towards him multiple times at his vital areas.
Several of the blows he was able to avoid outright, but with each miss they kept growing faster and faster, inhumanely so. Even in his slowed down perception they seemed to be catching up with him.
While he didn't want to use his sword on the young boy, he knew he had no choice now. He yanked it from its scabbard, swiftly blocking the jabs with the sharp screech of metal on metal.
Gales of wind blew out from each connection, blowing away the moisture in the air and drying them off. Touch Me was able to block the rapid attacks with his own power and skill, but he found himself growing slightly concerned with just how quick the small man was able to keep up with him.
Dual-Hair reached him in his defensive position, coming at him from his right and raising her double-headed scythe for an overhead strike. He clenched his fist, grabbing the handle of his shield as it materialized into existence to block the woman's strike.
At the same time, the Captain caught up to him, thrusting his spear directly at his heart. The paladin shoved away his other two assailants just so he could block with his shield.
They were immensely strong, far stronger than anything he'd encountered native to the new world. Again, the idea that at least these three could be players, albeit lower level ones, crossed his mind.
They're well coordinated and have equipment that's able to fight me. The Sunlight Scripture had something that also seemed to be from Yggdrasil too, so maybe these people aren't players per se, but rather supplied by them? Has another rival guild made its home in the Slane Theocracy?
"I implore you again to come quietly," the Captain said, sweeping his spear to which Touch Me leaned backwards. "Comply and we will finish our business here. You've done enough, so let Captain Gazef complete his duty to his country. You have no allegiance to them, if what you say is true, so why put up such a struggle?"
The paladin caught the edge of Dual Hair's scythe on his sword, twisting it and sending her flying over his shoulder. She landed behind him gracefully, rushing forward with a hungry gleam in her exotic eyes.
"I have principles to adhere to. The people here are in need of help, and in need of justice to be served to their superiors for leaving them to die. I won't leave until I've fulfilled my promise," Touch Me replied, stomping his foot to send several stones jettisoning from the wall as makeshift shrapnel.
Rapier took a stand in front of his leader, striking down the stones that sailed towards them both with that same inhumane speed. An ugly smear ruined his youthful looks.
"Why bother him with this, Captain?" The man asked while reducing a particularly large stone to dust. "I say just let Zesshi have him. She's been eye-fucking him this entire time. Perhaps if we bring him, her hormones will finally calm down when he puts a bastard in her belly."
Maybe it was a ploy of some kind, some sort of trick, but Rapier's words were so out of left field that he momentarily froze in a combination of shock and denial.
"I'm sorry, what?" He asked dumbly. A shadow darkened the sparse light, revealing who he assumed to be Zesshi coming down at him with her wicked weapon.
He blocked her, carrying her entire weight while she basically squatted on his sword and pressed down with her mighty scythe. He finally recognized the look she wore, all too familiar with it because it was the same exact expression his wife would have when she was "in the mood".
How he didn't realize it sooner, he guessed at. It was likely because he'd never seen such an intense stare on any other woman's face except his wife's. It almost terrified him more than being besieged by potential players.
Zesshi did not deny or confirm that statement from her comrade, but her actions and overall behavior were answer enough. She pressed down hard enough that she could get close to where his ear was and whisper in it.
"I think you might be the one I've been waiting for," she growled seductively in his ear, "Won't you at least come with us for a bit of fun? I promise to rock your world just as much as you'll rock mine."
Alright, that's enough!
He flung off the depraved woman, who landed between her teammates and giggled like a schoolgirl. She batted her eyelashes, giving him another sultry smile.
It was ignored in favor of reorienting himself. Her words and hinted proposal threw him off far more than any blow or magic could. His cheeks actually felt somewhat hot as his mind raced.
"I-I am flattered that you find me so attractive, even if you haven't seen my face," he managed, "But I am happily married to the most beautiful woman in all the world already, with a daughter of my own and another on the way."
Zesshi scoffed "Oh? I couldn't care less what you look like, as all I want is a strong man to give me an even stronger child. Of course, I'm more than willing to share with your wife to get you."
"Absolutely not! I am faithful to her and only her! We're not looking to add anyone else to our marriage."
Amusement was present in Rapier's face, and exasperation in the Captain's. But in both there was a sort of acceptance to their peer's behavior, like they had to deal consistently with how she spoke of the matter at hand.
Eugenics most likely was at play in Zesshi's plea for the paladin to sleep with her, given how she responded to him. A stronger child? He wasn't exactly sure how the genes would translate over, given he wasn't even human anymore.
That was a rabbit hole he'd rather not jump down, especially not when in the middle of a fight. That would be something to ponder once he got back to Nazarick safe and sound.
Although, now I'm starting to wonder if I should even leave with these people in the city. They may not be after Gazef like the Sunlight Scripture was, but they have a purpose here. The civilians may be in danger.
Others of the trio's group arrived, with the mirror shield man carrying the still unconscious Kaire in his arms. Save for the first three, all of them glared at him with murderous intent.
Touch Me sighed, "Okay, look. I've no proper quarrel with you, despite your desire to try and capture me. Please, just let me get the civilians out of here. Maybe we could come to some sort of arrangement?"
"I find my patience and generosity wearing thin, knight," The captain remarked, "I've already explained that you cannot be allowed to roam free as you are. You either come with us willingly or in chains, but you will make up your mind soon, less you face the full wrath of the Black Scripture."
A dire situation now. Three of them proved able to match his agility, but not exceed him. If he had to guess what level of power they were, he'd assume they were closer to the equivalent of a level ninety player for the woman, and level seventy-five for the captain. Rapier was harder to gauge, as his abilities stemmed from his power to adapt to his speed.
Mostly competitive levels, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Zesshi's weapon was more than meets the eye. A player's weapon perhaps? It wouldn't surprise him, given that there was evidence of other players arriving before his guild did.
But he let this encounter continue for long enough. It was time to end this.
"Then you leave me no choice," the holy warrior threatened, assuming a stance. "I hoped to evade this situation without major collateral damage, but you've backed me into a corner here."
There was no room for error here. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't so carelessly use such a powerful ability like he was now, but he needed to create distance and potentially scare off his opponents. Unfortunately, he exhausted trying to appeal to their empathy, so perhaps they'd respond better to a show of raw force instead.
His sword started to vibrate and hum with energy as he prepared the skill he'd use to escape. The members of the Black Scripture gave him odd looks when he put away his shield and grasped his weapon with both hands.
It continued to charge up, radiating a pure and divine light from its golden cross guard. The hum grew so loud it started to make his ears ring. When the noise reached a crescendo, he knew it was ready to unleash its full power.
Channeling all of his indomitable might and strength, he swung his blade down, letting loose a tidal wave of golden energy into the wall they all stood on. "[World Break]!"
Instantly the stone cleaved in two, and massive cracks appeared all across the section of the wall they stood on. The ground rumbled from the force of his power and the massive scar carved deep into it, causing some of the Black Scripture members to stagger.
The cracks didn't just stop where they were standing. No, rather it spread like a system of spiderwebs all along the perimeter of E-Rantel's defenses, shaking the very city itself with the raw domination of his class.
Had he aimed directly at the entire group, he could've cleaved them in two with one blow, given that [World Break] was essentially able to ignore defenses and strike right at the target. Not only that, but the attack would continue to grow bigger and more powerful the longer travel time it had.
Since he aimed at the ground, however, the attack would slash through everything in its way until it reached the very foundation of the city itself. From there, the attack would spread that same golden energy to annihilate everything around it until his target was completely destroyed.
The captain fell to his knees, using his spear to steady himself. "What-what did you just do?!"
Touch Me gazed coldly at the red-eyed man while he held his sword down. "I unleashed one of my strongest attacks, if not the strongest! Where I come from, I have another title that I used to go by. One I earned to be able to wield this sort of power. I am the World Champion of Alfheim!"
A sound like an avalanche cut him off, thousands of tons of rock crumbling all around the city's outer perimeter. A nearby guard tower careened towards them, taking a portion of the wall and separating the two parties.
Touch Me raised two fingers in a salute. "Until next time."
He jumped downwards, allowing his reflexes to heighten his perception and avoid most of the larger stones that rained down. He hopped from one stone to another, making his way back down to the ground floor.
"Don't think you can get away so easily from us, knight!" A shrill voice called after him. He looked up behind him to see Rapier trailing after him, using his pathway of midair stones. The fact that he was also moving in real time to Touch Me while he perceived everything slower meant the diminutive man reached his state of velocity and awareness.
Rapier raised his blade to eye level, falling with style towards him and a near demented look about him. "You've proven to be close to our equal, so let's see how you handle this!"
POP!
Something in the air, no, the world itself changed at that moment. Everything took on a dull, lifeless tone, even grayer than the clouds above. The rain completely stopped, as did the falling of the rocks from the wall.
Not just slowed down, not just perceived differently, but entirely and wholesale stopped. Not a single centimeter more was gained tumbling down. Touch Me recognized immediately what happened, for a hazy glow enveloped him from a defense interwoven into his very armor.
That boy… I really didn't think it was possible that someone from this place could do it, but he actually managed to use [Time Stop]!
Both he and the man continued to move normally, with Rapier thrusting his weapon towards Touch Me's eye. His own sword rose to block the stab, catching its point with the flat of his blade with ease. The strike wouldn't connect until [Time Stop] ended, given even players couldn't attack during the powerful spell, but the distance was so negligible they were still practically touching.
The look of delight and glee vanished from the man's face once the paladin showed he could move. "You anticipated my attack!? Wait, how are you still moving?! I stopped time itself! How? HOW?!"
Rage and another emotion contorted his boyish appearance, while time resumed with a deep thrum. It was no more than a few seconds at most. It was possible that was as long as Rapier could freeze time for, or how much he thought he needed to end the fight. He was willing to bet on the latter.
Their swords clanged as they were finally allowed to connect. Like before, all he had to do was shove him away to create distance, to which the smaller human fled into the growing dust cloud from the shattered wall. A cacophony of broken architecture assailed his hearing, making it difficult to detect what was what.
When he took a gander to where he was previously, he noted there wasn't even a place to stand anymore. Just a pile of rubble and debris to mark where the former outer wall of Re-Estize once towered.
The Black Scripture was gone as well. Likely they jumped to safety to escape their quickly disintegrating surroundings. There was no guarantee that they'd be gone for good, so now he'd need to return to Gazef and get the people out of there, pronto.
As much damage as he caused already, he removed the thought of holding himself back for the time being, going all out in getting back to the Chief Warrior and the remaining civilians.
While he ran back, he noted how it wasn't just the wall that was falling apart, but the entire city itself. More and more of the cracks from [World Break] spread along the buildings, causing the taller ones to topple over and block off entire roads.
Houses and stores alike blended together in their destruction, crushing the smaller undead and trapping the larger ones beneath their smothering embrace. He sprinted even harder, sending pieces of the road flying with each step.
Gazef came into sight, shouting orders to his men and the adventurers to get to higher ground, if there was even any left. Pluton was there as well, surveying the massive amounts of damage that continued to accumulate.
"There you are, son!" The guildmaster shouted, waving over the world champion. "We began to grow worried, but it seems like we have bigger problems to worry about! What the hell is going on?"
Touch Me shook his head. "I'm sorry, this is my fault. I got held up while doing recon by the Black Scripture. They tried to capture me."
The Chief Warrior stopped giving orders with a jolt. "The Black Scripture is here? Why would they be coming to this city, now of all times?"
"That doesn't matter anymore," the paladin said, waving it off. "What matters now is getting the people out of here. With the way the city is crumbling, our main way has been cut off. This isn't going smoothly anymore."
Both guildmaster and Chief Warrior glanced at each other, pondering how else to proceed. There was no way they could make an exodus without having mass casualties, not with an outside force also hounding them at the same time.
No, there was another way to leave, far faster and quicker than their original plan. He just hoped he had a scroll left.
"Don't worry, I have something that will be able to help us," he reassured them, raising his voice so the other soldiers, adventurers, and civilians could hear him. He reached into his inventory, grasping the item he sought.
Those who watched him gasped a little when he pulled the scroll out, unfurling it for all to see. "What I have here is a [Gate] spell scroll. I'm going to use this to get all of you out of here. It should lead right to the gates of Re-Estize."
The warehouse that the civilians were stored in previously collapsed, causing some of the humans to scatter to get away from the wreckage. More cracks snaked along the outlines of the building and spread to where they stood.
"[Gate]," the paladin incanted, his scroll burning up in a wave of blue flame. Right behind him the air sucked in, creating the obsidian portal. All those in attendance stared with awe and fear of the new object.
"Come on! We're running out of time, the city is collapsing!" Shouted Gazef, who ushered in as many people through as possible. Pluton stood next to him, also working to get the people through as neatly and orderly as possible.
The entire process took only a few seconds, as the [Gate] was wide enough to accompany several groups at once. Given how harsh the conditions of the city were, only several hundred civilians and a few dozen adventurers lived to see the other side.
Touch Me, Gazef, and Pluton were the last ones on E-Rantel's side of the portal, checking and double checking to make sure no one was left behind. Pluton nodded his confirmation that he saw no one.
"My adventurers all made it through, as did the people. You can bet Re-Estize will be getting a piece of my mind after everything that's happened here," the grizzled adventurer muttered. He inclined his head to Chief Warrior and world champion, and passed through.
"Are you certain you shall not come with us?" Gazef asked once more, though his tone of voice made it evident he knew the answer to his question already.
"I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to," the insectoid player confirmed, "But they're no longer personal. No, now I'm going to try and mobilize my friends, and return to Re-Estize with help. You have my word as a man of the law."
Another set of buildings crashed to the earth, billowing clouds of dust choking the air and obscuring the light. Before Gazef had the chance to respond in some way, Touch Me placed a hand on his back and pushed him through.
"See you on the other side, Captain Gazef," he said as the portal swirled shut. The earth shook with a resounding boom as more of the city fell to pieces.
All around him, his power wiped away the rotting corpse of E-Rantel, cleansing it of the undead that still lurked the streets. Old buildings were finally demolished, mountains of rubble denoting their existence.
Cobblestones sank beneath his feet, the beginnings of a potential sinkhole. That was his cue to finally make his way back home. He held two fingers close to his right ear.
"Nubo, do not ask me how or why, but I need a gate. Do you have a read on my location?"
There was a crackle of static, and then a reply. "Huh? Yeah sure, but I don't see why you'd need a gate just to leave your room-"
Silence filled the message, as the ophanim scryed the paladin's position. A [Gate] opened up behind him without another word.
Time to face the heat for this, but I don't think I regret this one bit. Gazef, I'll be coming for you and the others, just you wait.
He passed through the vortex just as the last of the city's foundation imploded on itself, causing everything to sink into its own crater.
Outside the City of E-Rantel
Parvus ran alongside his teammates, getting as far and away as possible from the quickly self-destructing city. They found cover under the canopy of the forest that surrounded the former city.
Damn that knight! Damn his self-righteous arrogance and damn his power! Damn his ability to resist my [Time Stop]! Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!
All those curses rampaged inside his mind, the rapier wielding warrior constantly checking over his shoulder through the brush to make sure nothing, or no-one, was after his team and him.
He was the second seat of the Black Scripture! He was Time Turbulence, mincer of men and women with his daring and exquisite rapier, Dolin's Guard! He was a living prodigy, fit to stand amongst the best of the best of humanity and even above them in some aspects.
Save for his peers, he was unrivaled! Untouched by anyone who dared to cross blades with him. He didn't waste nearly his entire life studying the blade and developing his abilities just to end up pushed aside by some nobody!
Next time they crossed paths, Parvus would be ready for him! There would be no escape for that knight, nor would he be given the same sort of hospitality the captain offered him the first time.
When he got his hands on him, there'd be Hell to pay-
"May I go back to bed? I did what you wanted, Captain, so I think I'll be taking a nap right now," said a tired, feminine voice. Just the sound of it made Parvus snarl.
The eleventh seat was a listless, irresponsible woman with long, aqua blue hair tied into two intricate braids that went past her waist. An oversized wizard's hat obscured most of her face, but what could be seen clearly were the dark bags under her burgundy eyes.
Her thin, sagging robes were so open one could see her underwear, any care for modesty thrown to the wind. Her socks were mismatched and one dangled loosely off her right foot, a pair of male shorts that did little to hide her panties was the only other clothing she had on.
"Is that really all you can think about right now, Regina?" The second seat demanded of the eleventh, "We just had to flee the city with our proverbial tails between our legs because of an unknown knight. To think that we were bested by a nobody…"
"Well, I definitely wasn't to blame for that," the woman, Regina Amata, answered with a yawn. "I'd hate to be out in that kind of situation, personally fighting someone like that knight. What was his name again?"
"He called himself Sebastian Tou-Chi," said the Captain, "And I have the sense that if he so chose, he likely could have killed us all."
That declaration created a minor uproar amongst the Black Scripture, but they eventually quieted when they reevaluated the fight that went down.
Parvus's boyish features scrunched up, his mouth pressed into a tight line and his fists clenched. "He was able to completely negate my [Time Stop]. My ultimate trump card, stomped on like some second rate talent. He even blocked my sped-up attacks, and ignored my attempts to slow him down."
A molten core of rage burned away at his sense of being, while the full weight of his statement crashed down upon him. While he knew some like the Captain and Zesshi were able to account for the effects of his [Time Stop], they still dealt with the consequence of being frozen briefly and him taking the opportunity to move in closer when they could do nothing.
But the knight not only negated it, he managed to move as naturally as through real space. There was no stopping him, or his chance to strike down the shorter man if he so chose.
Yet, he was still left alive. Was he really so worthless and a waste of time to the knight that he didn't bother with slaying the second seat? No, no that couldn't be!
He was Time Turbulence! If he couldn't have that title and all that came with it, then who could he be? There was no way he'd ever return to his family home, not after everything he'd done to get to where he was now!
If his father saw him as he was now, if he saw him beaten so swiftly…
He shook his head. Father never would find out just how low he'd been brought. So long as this incident was kept between his teammates and his superiors, then his reputation was assured.
A distant BOOM! caught his attention, from the same direction as the now destroyed city. He trudged to the edge of the tree line to assess the damage.
His jaw dropped once he saw just how far gone the city was now, if it could even be called that. Where once there was the crumbling, decaying stonework of the circular walls of E-Rantel, now instead was a massive hole in the ground.
Earth upturned and boiled from the energies the knight released from his attack, swallowing every last piece of rock that comprised the former fortress city. A crater formed and stretched out as far as the perimeter of E-Rantel itself.
The scar from Sebastian's attack was an ugly reminder of just how badly he'd been routed. The opportunity to strike and finish the fight was handed to him on a silver platter, only for that silver platter to smash him over the head for his eagerness.
"Mmhm. He's definitely the one," Zesshi purred, peering over his shoulder. "All that destruction, being able to manhandle me like he did me and the others. Oh, I can hardly wait to get my hands on him. To think of the children we'll be able to produce."
Groans of disgust and annoyance came from the other Black Scripture members, but it helped to offset the more grim mood that enveloped them.
"We'll need to report this to the Cardinals. They'll want to know of this new development," Captain said, deep thought etched onto his mask of a face.
The tenth seat, Hercule Dominous, grunted. "Sure wish I could've gotten to fight that knight. He looked like he would've made a good sparring partner. Just who was he?"
"And how could someone like him have the dexterity to evade most of us and take out Lady Kaire so easily?" Asked Cedran, the eight seat, "If we hadn't moved to protect her while she was down, would he have finished her off?"
Said woman slept soundly in his arms, snoring rather obnoxiously. None of the other members paid it any mind, so Parvus stamped down his building frustration.
"Who can say? I don't think so, but if I thought anymore about it I'd just get bored and fall asleep," Regina said, punctuating her statement with another yawn. The crystal orb she sat on bopped, as if gently rocking her. It probably was, knowing her.
The fifth seat, Quaisse Hazia Quintia, turned the rings on his fingers over. "That knight's very aura was unlike anything I've ever experienced. It was so pure, so divine, so beautiful. I do thank you for imploring to come with us, Captain, for I would've loved the opportunity to speak with a god."
Quaisse was a man who bore a striking family resemblance to his traitorous sister, Windstride, with his short blond hair and similar facial structure. His pink eyes were a unique shade not seen commonly among the people of the Slane Theocracy.
His attire consisted of a large cloak with a high collar and several buckles at the neck. Black and red cloth wrapped around his arms, while a belt wrapped around his narrow hips. Beneath his cloak were several items which housed his prized pets, as well as the rings he wore on each finger of his hands.
The man's impressive collection earned him a nickname from the others, born out of his tactic of using those creatures as partners in battle. It cemented him as the "One Man Army" of the Black Scripture.
"A god? You speak of sacrilege," said Angela Benedictus Pollux, the fourth seat of the Black Scripture. Her winged helmet rustled with clear agitation. "How could you speak of such things? There are only six gods, the true gods of this world. Everyone else is either a pretender or of their bloodline."
If anyone could be described as truly "pious" amongst the Black Scripture, it would have to be Angela. Her clothing entirely placed her as one of the priestesses of the temples of the Six, but rather than the pure white of traditional robes, hers was more pastel in its color scheme.
Her long, blonde hair and porcelain skin made her stunning image of beauty, as did her piercing blue eyes. The half-lidded look made her look as if she was always in prayer, ready to bestow the blessings of the gods on any who asked for it. Her hood, interestingly enough, had a pair of wings that fluttered in the wind.
"Oh? Then you imply that this being did not possess strength far beyond our own? He was a force of nature, Divine Chant, able to annihilate us all in the blink of an eye. We are lucky he chose to be merciful," Quaisse shot back.
"I don't know, Angela, Quaisse's got a point," Hercule said, crossing his bulging arms. His oversized battle-ax leaned against him. "It's possible he could've done in the Captain and Zesshi. Hell, he might even have done me in if I chose to jump in and we went all out. Pretty sure godkin don't have the power to cross a city off the map."
Their theories stung at the second seat's pride, who sat against a tree and fiddled with his top hat. He gnashed his teeth while he stewed in his self-misery.
That knight, a god?! Please! All he did was show off some fancy slash of his! I'm sure someone like Zesshi could easily replicate that. He just caught us off guard is all. Yes, that must be it.
Even in his own head, alone with his thoughts, he didn't sound convincing. Something would have to be done to mend the gaping wound in his pride. He'd need to speak with Commander Rufus, get some advice on how best to proceed.
Commander Rufus was one of the very few who he himself actually deferred to. The undead filled a spot in his life that he couldn't quite describe, though he'd been present nearly Parvus's entire life.
Not quite an uncle, a little better than a father, his father especially. Cardinal Raymond could also feel fatherly at times, but their relationship was strictly professional. Best to go straight to Rufus, he'd have the answers he needed.
"No matter what Sebastian was, his presence only confirms that others like the Sirs of Ainz Ooal Gown are also in these lands. They're a grave threat to national security," Captain said, "We'll need to make our way back to the Slane Theocracy with due haste."
The others grumbled but complied with his command, getting ready for the trek back to their home country. Parvus stood up with a sigh from his tree, putting his top hat back on.
"I find that Astrologer will have much to mull over when we get back, the damn bookworm," the smaller man said, "Then again, she has been rather withdrawn lately. And positively up to her nose in dusty old scrolls!"
"One who wishes to immerse themselves in the holy teachings of our lords is to be commended, Time Turbulence," Angela responded, "You create too much friction between yourself and others for no reason at all."
"And the preacher does as she always does. Babbles on and on and on."
She frowned at him, but said nothing else. She then turned away, raising her chin and reciting a small prayer that he couldn't hear. He rolled his eyes.
"Come, little man. It's a long way back home, so be sure to at least play nice with the women on our team, will you?" Hercule walked by, smacking him upside the head. Parvus's chin hit his chest from the force.
He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a knot form. "Alright, alright! Don't need to be so forceful. You nearly took my head off. And don't call me little!"
Hercule barked a laugh, carrying his ax over his shoulder. With nothing else to add, all of the Black Scripture began to walk in the general direction of the Slane Theocracy.
For the whole trip, they either nursed wounds of the physical kind, or those inflicted upon them mentally.