Chapter 3

It wasn't a battle. It wasn't a fight. It was a deathmatch. The fight was bloody, cruel, and awes-inspiring. As Ainz watched the devastation through his spell, his jaw dropped. Cocyctus cut, sliced, slashed, diced, and carved the intruder with all his might, but no matter what he did the intruder would reach into his pack and drink an orange liquid, healed to fight once again. Then, without missing a single beat, the intruder would pummel Cocytus with force of a thousand enraged men, breaking Cocytus's armor and his organs as well. Cocytus did not know defeat though and with will (or sheer rage) powered through the pain and attacked once again. Indeed, some would say it was as if a lion and tiger had chosen to go to war.

Of course, each side had begun to gather its fans. Ainz had firmly sided with Cocytus as had Albedo and Aura, but Shalltear and Sebas had begun to ferociously talk between themselves. About what? Ainz had no idea. As for Mare...well he was just sitting on the floor and staring at it like a broken doll. What the hell? Ainz thought. Is this the Devil? What on Earth is happening? His attention turned away from Mare as Aura let out a loud "YES!". Cocytus had managed to stab not the intruder but his flask with the mysterious orange liquid. It broke immediately, and the battle turned to Cocytus's favor. He took the advantage and began wildly swinging at the now retreating opponent, not allowing a spare second for the intruder to regroup his thoughts. Yes Ainz thought Yes, the battle has turned. We are going to win this! But who truly knew what fate has in store for any fighter?

The Ashen One was in trouble. Big trouble. His estus flask had broken and his Rime-Blue Moss Clump had run out. He was stupid, so stupid. If he had chosen to remain at a distance and use his spells, this wouldn't have happened, but of course, he had let his temper get the better of him. WHAM! The blade did not hit him, but the beetle had made sure that his fist connected directly with his helmet. The thought of death and failure were never pleasing to him. CRUNCH! The beetle's blade went through his armor and his gut. It didn't kill him, but now he couldn't move. Something though, something ignited a fire of passion and fury. Something that told him to get up and fight once more. Not for him. Not for honor. But for her. CRUNCH! Another blade, but this time it was through his right shoulder. He could not move it. He had to fight. He had to keep going. Did he not know what they were doing to her? Did he not know that he was her only hope? CRUNCH! Another one. This time in his right knee. Now, he couldn't move it either. Why was he giving up now? He didn't give up to the Nameless King, or the Abyss Watchers, or the Soul of Cinder. Why Now? CRUNCH! Now, his left leg. He was completely immobilized. Yet, here he was. Pinned, Unable to do anything. A failure once more. He was raised up and slammed. SLAM!

No...he thought. SLAM!

No. .he thought. SLAM!

NO! he thought. THIS WILL NOT STAN! I WILL NOT LET IT! SLA- The beetle stopped. He couldn't slam him any further, not with the grip he had on his throat. The beetle tried to move. He tried to break free from the vice grip, but he couldn't. The Ashen One held on not only with strength but also rage. A rage that was more destructive than any spell, than any technique, than any being, than any creature, than any god! His fury was more destructive than a thousand exploding cannons, than the core of the sun, than the strength of the god! With all the strength that he could muster, the Ashen One channeled all his focus into one spell. This will end it! He thought It has to! The beetle continued to struggle. It continued to fight, but it couldn't free itself. Then, the Ashen One looked directly into its eyes and said, "Burn, bug. Burn." He unleashed it, the greatest of all pyromancies: Chaos Storm.

It burned. Burned like thousands of hells and thousands of souls of damned. His flesh cooked within his armor and it turned into charcoal. His eyeballs bled and then melted into slim. His hair burned into nothingness. His brain cooked and popped from his skull, and his armor became charred. Despite this, he held, and he looked into the eye of the beetle, and he saw it. The emotion he knew too well: terror. Not fear, no terror. The feeling when one is staring his death in the face and is unable to do anything other than accept it. And...the beetle did. He closed his eyes and turned his head towards the stars and said, "LORD AINZ FORGIVE FOR I KNOW GO TO LORD TAKEMIKAZUCHI! AHHHHHH..." And he burned. The Ashen One burned. Everything burned, and turned to ash.

Ainz got up and walked.

"Lord-"said Albedo. Ainz held up a hand and walked to a wall of the Throne Room. He proceeded to beat the ever-living shit out of it. The display of anger and strength both surprised Floor Guardians and aroused Albedo. Once the wall turned to the dust, Ainz turned to the people in the Throne Room. "Albedo," he said. "Retrieve Cocytus and Nigredo's body and ask for one of the maid's to repair the wall. Also...bring the corpse of the intruder to-"

Demiurge burst into the Throne Room and immediately went into a kneel. "Lord Ainz," he proclaimed, "Forgive my tardiness, but I was delayed in the farm." Albedo was about to preach to Demiurge, but Ainz said, "It's alright, Albedo. Demiurge was working to defend Nazarick and, by extension, me. This type of commitment should be praised not chided." Ainz told all that transpired, and Demiurge said, "By Lord Ainz! What now, Lord Ainz."

"Now, we get Nigredo and Cocytus's bodies and hope we can resurrect them...somehow," he said, "As for the corpse-"

"It isn't a corpse. He is alive, Lord Ainz," Shalltear said. Everyone turned to her, silent.

"What?" said Lord Ainz.

"Look," she said. She pointed to the spell that Ainz hadn't close, and what Shalltear had said was true. The intruder had risen from the ashes. He was barely standing. Hell, he was barely breathing, but he had enough strength to continue forward.

"ALBEDO!" yelled Ainz.

"Right Away," she said and put a finger to her ear.

Walk. Must Walk. Must get to her. Must save her. Girls. Six girls. Must fight. Must win. Must save- Punched. Punched by Glasses. Must punch back. Didn't hurt her. Lightning! Hurts. Hurts bad. Ponytail casting it. Must get Ponytail. Run at her. Slime blocks me. Must hurt Slime. Can't hurt her. My back. Metal in my back. Eyepatch doing it. Get eyepatch. Slime still here. Don't care. Body hurts. More pain won't hurt. Hands around Eyepatch's head. Hit with something. Redhaired Girl hit me. Must hit her back. Hit by Insect Thing. Attack Insect Thing. Lightning by Ponytail Again. Punch by Glasses. Shot by Eyepatch. Hit by a Red Haired girl. Stabbed by Insect Gir. Being devoured by Slime. Lightning by Ponytail again. Punch by Glasses again. Shot by Eyepatch again. Hit by a Red Haired girl again. Stabbed by Insect Girl again. Still being devoured by Slime. Lightning by Ponytail again. Punch by Glasses again. Shot by Eyepatch again. Hit by a Red Haired girl again. Stabbed by Insect Girl again. Still being devoured by Slime. Lightning by Ponytail again. Punch by Glasses again. Shot by Eyepatch again. Hit by a Red Haired girl again. Stabbed by Insect Girl again. Still being devoured by Slime. Lightning by Ponytail again. Punch by Glasses again. Shot by Eyepatch again. Hit by a Red Haired girl again. Stabbed by Insect Girl again. Still being devoured by Slime...