Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord, all credits to Kugane Maruyama.
Wildebranch: I believe that [Wish Upon A Star] would be able to pull off a more permanent change, however I just don't see Momonga wanting to be a full-blooded human permanently. The advantages for an undead body are numerous, though I think a compromise can be made for him wanting to experience things from the lens of a living being. One idea that I had was the 'High Tiered Illusions.' discussed in Volume 12, where Ainz was explaining to Neia how high-level illusionists could deceive even the world itself. If you're curious, it's the scene right before Ainz meets the Orcs. As for [False Life] I thought of a few implications and uses. Though I think he would need to test it out eventually, especially if he plans to head to any major cities. Thank you for the question!
Awareness Bringer: The rest of the NW will definitely catch wind of this 'dark hero,' but how they will react will most definitely differ. I think there is a lot of potential in Re-Eztize to help build up both his reputation and character, but worry not, he will step foot in the surrounding regions in time. I think either being an adventurer/mercenary/worker or as a merchant would permit Momonga the most freedom in travel. As for him being a human, I think there are definitely pros and cons for it. Though I think [False Life] would be a decent middle ground for him to benefit from his undead status, but not neglect all the new things he could experience in NW. Thank you for the question!
NoelRahlis7: Thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying this project!
delta4873: Some of my favourite parts of the LN have been him in his persona of Momon. Him being free to explore the world and to see what it has in store for him. Thank you for your comment!
Guest: Thank you!
Lord FTW: I did enjoy Momonga playing the role of 'villain' in the LN, but to be honest I think he was more apathetic than downright evil in most circumstances. In this project I am just exploring the possibility of Momonga seeing the NW through a different set of eyes. I can see the similarities between the Evileye side story and this project, but don't worry. It's not just going to be a copy and paste of what Maruyama has already written. Thank you for your comment.
Dialogue Tags:
[Spell/Martial Art]
'Inner thoughts'
{Message}
Gazef Stronoff and his warrior band quickly arrived at the entrance of a frontier village. Gazef was relieved to see that the village had not been burned down as were all the other villages he had seen. At the entrance stood two people. One looked to be a middle-aged man who looked weathered by both the elements and by age. The other was a towering figure clad in raven-black plate armour. Just by looking at him, Gazef could feel goosebumps breaking out on his skin.
'It would be wise not to provoke this dark warrior.' Gazef thought to himself. Gazef called his men to a stop a few dozen meters away from the pair as he approached alone towards the pair.
"My name is Gazef Stronoff! I am the Warrior-Captain of the Re-Eztize Kingdom and I am responding to the reported attacks by the knights of the Baharuth Empire!" Gazef made sure that his hands could be seen in plain view, and that he was not reaching for his sword. He looked at the dark warrior beside the chief and was relieved to see that he had also not reached for his own greatswords. Though even with that assurance, Gazef had a feeling that the dark warrior could cut him down in an instant, not even allowing Gazef to draw his blade.
Momon studied the warrior before him. The man named Gazef had bulging muscles that could be seen underneath his armour and his skin was tanned from countless hours in the sun. His face was laced with wrinkles with black hair and black eyes. He had keen eyes, fit for a warrior. To Momon, this warrior was weak. However, in comparison to what he had just seen, this warrior would no doubt triumph over the knights that had attacked this village prior.
"I am Momon, a traveler. I noticed that this village was under attack and I stepped in to save it," Momon spoke with confidence as he swept his arm out to indicate the chief. "This is the chief of Carne Village."
Gazef hops off of his horse and begins walking towards the pair. When he got within arm's reach, he bowed his head toward the dark warrior.
"I thank you on behalf of the Re-Eztize Kingdom, for saving this village, Momon-dono. I also offer my personal thanks and gratitude for saving the citizens. Please, just call me Gazef."
Momon was taken back once again. This warrior named Gazef likely was a famed person within the kingdom, and likely serves the king personally. Yet someone of his status and position was bowing his head to someone whom he had never met before. Momon's opinion on this Gazef rose several notches.
"Raise your head, there is no need to go so far. I only did what needed to be done. It is only right for the strong to protect the weak." He spoke in his regal tone of voice.
Gazef raised his head in surprise. The way this dark warrior spoke was similar to how the king Rampossa himself spoke. 'He said he was a traveler? I dare venture a guess that he is of noble birth.'
"May I ask a question?" Gazef ventured with caution
"You may, however, I may not be able to answer."
Gazef nods respectfully before continuing.
"You said this village was under attack? Was it the work of the Baharuth Empire?" He asked as he looked around. Gazef did not see any signs of battle here, just a few doors that had been smashed in with force and a few houses burnt down. There was no blood, as if all the villagers had been taken away.
Momon noticed the wandering gaze of Gazef and put his worries at ease. "Worry not, the villagers are all safe. They have been gathered at the village center along with some of the knights who I have taken captive," Momon spoke calmly and paused before continuing. "As for their identity and motives, which I am sure you are curious of, you may ask them yourself."
Gazef smiles at the good news. "You have my thanks once again, Momon-dono." He turns his gaze towards the village chief who had been silent so far. "Village chief-dono, may I ask that my men are allowed into your village? I do not wish to undermine Momon-dono by any means, but my men can help with the cleanup and help maintain security." The village chief responds kindly with a warm smile. With the approval of the chief himself, Gazef shouts orders for his men to move into the village. Gazef is led to where the knights had been held captive and he braces himself for the headache that would soon come.
...
Aba, the eldest son of Ah, stands on top of the wooden gate that serves as the entrance into the village. His father, the chieftain, felt the most responsibility for the well-being of the tribe and had spent hours on watch. He felt pained because his father lacked the energy of his youth, yet still strived to work himself to the bone. Aba cursed his lack of strength. Had he been stronger, his father would not need to exert himself as he had. And if he had been stronger, he would have been able to protect his home. As it stood now, he and half of the tribe would face annihilation.
Gigant Basilisks were beasts that by themselves could destroy entire villages and settlements. Aba was certain that only those vastly fortified human cities in the plains could withstand the onslaught of a single Gigant Basilisk.
He looks beside him and towards the dozen warriors who were on watch with him. As the eldest son of the chieftain, he held authority over the warriors but Aba preferred to lead by example, just as his father had.
Aba knew that it was not the time to be distracted, but he could help but worry about his youngest brother who had been evacuated. Agu was the one of the more intelligent goblins of the tribe, and despite being adopted, Aba cared deeply for his overly serious younger brother.
Aba supported his father's decision to pass the title of chieftain to Agu instead of himself. Aba lacked the sharp mind of a leader but was blessed with an able body. He was a fine warrior who could even rival the ogres in physical strength.
Aba felt something was off and ordered silence among the warriors that stood watch with him. He honed his senses and managed to pick up sounds of rustling in the wind, but that was not all. The evening breeze brought with it a strong odour which he would never forget. It was the scent of blood and gore. The lingering stench of death washed over Aba and he quickly raised the alarm. He felt his hairs stand on end as he shouted out orders to the warriors and ogres below him.
Goblins and ogres possessed night vision, thus the slowly fading sunlight did little to impede his vision. Even so, he knew it would not be long before the Basilisk would reach the village. As various goblin warriors scrambled to their positions, Aba had one lingering thought in the back of his head. The sounds that he could not have been made by one single basilisk. Originally, he thought he was just mistaken, a trick of his nerves, but as the sounds became louder, and the stench of death grew ever stronger, his worst nightmares were about to come true.
It was not even a moment later that he saw 'them'. Aba's face contorted in both surprise and horror at the sight before him. He saw the enormous bodies of twelve Gigant Basilisks with one that was larger than all the rest with scales that were as white as snow.
It was impossible. Gigant Basilisks were solitary creatures. Even the single basilisk spotted earlier in the day could potentially wipe out the sixty warriors currently defending the village. Aba was currently faced with a dozen beings that each could annihilate the village single handedly.
Aba calmed his breathing and called out to the warriors who were panicking around him. He did not blame them for losing their nerve at this impossible sight, but they had to regain some measure of calm. Aba's gaze went from basilisk to basilisk, hoping to see some sort of injury or weakness to take advantage of, but there was none. They all seemed to be in good health, and unfortunately for his tribe, they also appeared to be hungry.
His gaze finally landed on the large albino male and the basilisk seemingly returned his gaze.
Aba could feel his limbs turning stiff as he looked into the eyes of the basilisk. He cursed himself as he mistakenly fell victim to the petrifying gaze, but he soon felt his limbs loosening as the basilisk breaks eye contact to roar with excitement.
As if energized by his roar, all the basilisks began to charge towards the wooden wall that separated them from their prey. Aba quickly called for the warriors on the walls to brace themselves but it was a fruitless endeavor. A tsunami of muscle and hunger smashed into the wooden wall as if it were little more than a bunch of sticks.
The gate collapsed in an instant and Aba only barely managed to jump off of the collapsing gate before it crushed him. The warriors with him on top the wall weren't as fortunate. Half of them had been crushed by the gate and the other half had broken and mangled limbs. They cried out in pain before they were quickly scooped into the mouths of the behemoths who had crushed their first line of defense in an instant.
Aba cursed as he picked up his sword and began charging towards the albino male. The basilisk lazily swiped one of his forelimbs at Aba as if he were an annoying pest. It took every ounce of his physical abilities to dodge the claws that would have torn him to shreds. Aba knew that his sword could not penetrate the scales of the basilisk and sought another option as the forelimb slammed into the ground, forming a small crater beside him.
Aba immediately started to climb up the now immobilized limb and aimed his sword directly at the basilisk's vulnerable eye. His sword was only inches away from connecting with the delicate tissue when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and was lifted into the air.
Aba was fast but the movements of the basilisk far exceeded his. In his pursuit of striking the vulnerable eye, he had completely missed the other forelimb positioning itself to strike. The claws of this particular basilisk rivalled orichalcum in hardness and easily tore through his leather breastplate, ribs and flesh. Those very claws had skewered Aba and left him hanging in the air. He coughs up blood as he feels his grip loosening on his sword until it finally slips from his grasp.
He is then raised above the open mouth of the basilisk as he freely bleeds into the gaping maw. With every second that passes, he could feel both his vision and strength fading away. Every breath he takes brings him great pain as he watches the carnage before his eyes. Homes were being levelled by the huge bodies of the basilisks who sought to catch the few who attempted to hide.
Groups of goblins could be seen wiped out in an instant before the razor-sharp claws of the basilisks. His fading gaze finally sets on his home. Outside of it he could see his two younger brothers and father preparing to fight a basilisk that was rampaging towards them. With the last of his strength he wishes for their safety before his consciousness finally fades into oblivion.
Ah cursed as he watched his eldest son die. Tears threatened his eyes when he saw the body of his beloved son finally drop into the mouth of the basilisk with snow white scales. Ah knew the battle was lost when he had heard Aba's shouts. Before the walls were overrun, he quickly sent out two warriors who hopped off of the walls with ropes. Their destinations would be the lairs that belonged to rulers of the forest. Ah could accept if his village were to be annihilated by a single basilisk, but this herd could threaten the existence of all in the forest of Tob.
Ah snaps his attention back to a basilisk that approached them. He could see the blood of his tribesmen all over its face as it approached. Without warning his third son rushes forward and throws a spear he had been carrying. It bounces off the scales and does no harm but the action alone draws the basilisk's ire. His son then runs off in the opposite direction daring the beast to follow him. The basilisk happily complied to kill the weakling who had attempted to harm him.
The actions of his son brought Ah valuable time as he sought to rally the remaining warriors and ogres still alive. He now had two dozen warriors and three ogres by him. He was shouting out orders when the albino basilisk walked down the wide street towards him.
Ah felt fury erupting within him as he stared at the beast who had murdered his son. He whispered a prayer for the safety of his three remaining sons as he orders all to charge towards the albino basilisk.
Ah had no doubt in his mind that it would be impossible to fend off this onslaught. He hoped only for a chance at revenge and to buy as much time as possible for the news to reach the rulers of the forest.
With each step the basilisk took he felt the blood in his veins boil, until it reached a breaking point. The three ogres shouted a war cry and charged at the basilisk with their clubs raised high. The basilisk despite being much larger was more agile than it looked. It nimbly dodged two of the clubs and the third that did land appeared to do no damage. The basilisk swiped its claws in retaliation and it tore through both club and arm of the ogre who had struck him. The ogre wailed in pain and clutched the ribbons of what had once been his arm. The basilisk then swung its tail in a wide arc and it struck all three of the ogres in the head. One fell back stunned while the other two had their necks snapped. Ah took advantage of the distraction the ogres provided him and climbed up one of the creature's forelimbs. He raised his sword and struck down with all his strength. He had hoped to cripple the creature by striking a vulnerable tendon but his sword shattered upon making contact with the scales. Similarly, the other goblin warriors surrounded the basilisk and began striking with their weapons to no avail. The basilisk seemed to seethe with rage that such weaklings would dare oppose it. He stomped his many limbs and countless goblins were crushed under his weight.
He swiped out his claws in a frenzy and a dozen goblins who were unfortunate enough to be struck turned into ribbons of meat. Ah attempted to stay on top of the body of the basilisk but it was a fruitless endeavour. He was flung from his spot and crashed onto the ground.
Before he was able to rise, he felt a strong grip over his body as the basilisk had him in its grasp. The basilisk tightened its grip and Ah felt his ribs cracking and breaking under the pressure. The ribs that had once protected his torso were now stabbing his own lungs and with every breath he drew, he was coughing up blood.
Ah could do little as he watched the last of his warriors die, without even a shred of mercy. The last surviving ogre had raised its club and struck the basilisk while he was distracted. That seemed to enrage the basilisk even further as he then pounced onto the ogre and began to tear its limbs off. The ogre wailed in pain as blood began to pool around his body. White bone could be seen in the stumps that had once been his arms and legs. As the ogre lay dying the basilisk tore open his stomach and began to eat him alive. His cries of pain subsided when the venomous saliva finally worked its deadly toll.
Tears began to form in the eyes of Ah as he desperately searched for signs of his second son who had been fighting with him. He wanted to cry out his name, but every time he opened his mouth, the blood would drown out his words. He knew deep down that his son had either been crushed underfoot or torn into ribbons of flesh and bone.
Ah struggled against the iron grip of the basilisk but that accomplished nothing. His eyes shined with hope as he saw his third son in the distance, but that hope quickly faded. His third son was quite athletic but even he would eventually tire. Behind him was the very same basilisk whom he had lured away before. Ah watched helplessly as his son finally ran out of breath and turned to face the basilisk chasing him.
His son raised a spear and thrust it at the forelimb that was coming straight towards him. The spear shattered like a stick and the claws shredded his torso. His now decapitated head fell to the ground and rolled towards Ah.
He watched the light fade out of his son's eyes before his head was squished like a grape under the forelimbs of the basilisk. That was the final straw for Ah. He had watched three of his beloved sons die before him. Ah wanted to curse this world for its cruelty. It was far too cruel to have a father watch his own children die before him. Why had this occurred? Was it because they were weak? Was it because they were goblins? There were no answers to his questions as his home was being destroyed all around him.
Goblins were entitled to their own lives just as any other living beings in this world, yet by sheer misfortune had they crossed the paths of beings that only saw them as prey. Ah came to this realization as death finally claimed him. His dying wish was hoping that Agu would find safety before his consciousness fell into the abyss. He would no longer be alone as he would have his three sons for company.
The albino basilisk noticed that the weakling in its grasp went limp and growled in displeasure. He had wanted to savour that one, but he had been too focused on tearing the ogre apart. He tossed the body of the goblin like it had been garbage and moved deeper into the village looking for more live prey. He would return for that meal later but living prey always tasted best.
The annihilation of the goblin tribe of Gigu lasted no more than twenty minutes. Within that short amount of time the village had been completely levelled. Wooden splinters lay everywhere that were the remnants of the once proud wooden walls and of the various homes and buildings. Blood along with chunks of flesh and bone lay scattered all over the ground.
The basilisk herd had reveled in their bloodlust and consumed every living being that had been inside the village. The fortunate ones had died instantly but many had been eaten alive. It had been a long time since the herd had eaten like this and now, they all lay sprawled across the village deep in slumber. It is unknown if beasts can dream, but if they could, it would not be hard to imagine what thoughts swirled within their heads.
...
Gazef felt his face relax as he walked alone towards the entrance of Carne Village to collect his thoughts. His men were doing their tasks of providing security while he was questioning the 'Imperial' knights who had attacked this village. There were a dozen knights dressed in the armour of the Baharuth Empire and all were willing to speak except for one who was a broken shell of a man. Gazef paid the man no mind, but he was intrigued at what had happened. The knights revealed that they were actually operating on orders from the Slane Theocracy. Their objective was to destroy a string of villages leaving only a handful of survivors. Carne was to be their last target before pulling back to the Theocracy. That was all they knew, and when questioned on the state of their commander, they said that the dark warrior had pointed a finger at their commander and he lost his will.
'This raises more questions than it answers.' Gazef's mind raced to come to some sort of conclusion. 'Still, their leader must have just been a weak-minded coward. Though why was he given the order to attack innocent villagers? What is their objective?' Gazef was pulled out of his thoughts when one of his men rode up to him. "Warrior-Captain! We've spotted people approaching, and they're surrounding the entire village! They are closing in as we speak!
…
Momon had just finished healing the wounds of the villagers that had been lightly injured. Miraculously few villagers had died, only some of the elderly who had been cut down cruelly by knights too impatient to wait for them to gather in the village center. The amount of mana he expended was no small amount, but thanks to his innate mana regeneration and vast mana reserves, it was negligible.
'Even so, it would not be good to use up too much mana in this situation. I do not know if they will be more threats, not to mention I am in unknown lands. I cannot let my guard down.'
Momon reflected on all the information he had just obtained. He spent considerable time healing and conversing with the villagers and occasionally some of Gazef's men who were curious as to what he was doing. He learned much about life in the kingdom and a bit about the world around him. Technologically speaking, the world seemed to be around the medieval ages of his old world, but there were also quite a few technological breakthroughs thanks to magic. Magic items that provided continually light and continuous flowing water helped to make lives easier in areas that had access to magic items. This piqued Momon's interest. He would look into said items should the chance arise but this village lacked access and the capital for such items.
Gazef's men gave him more insight into the inner workings of this Re-Eztize Kingdom. They swore their loyalty to King Rampossa III and currently there was a power struggle between two main factions. That being the Royal faction, led by the King, and the Noble faction, led by one of the six Great Nobles.
The soldiers under Gazef expressed their concerns over the struggle for power that was weakening the country internally and combined with the Baharuth Empire's yearly wars, the future was grim even for soldiers who served the king personally.
Momon listened to all they had to say, but it did strike him odd that for soldiers, they were allowing a stranger to learn more about their political situation. Momon reaffirmed it to being public knowledge when the villagers were also able to attest. 'I see a lot of similarities here in this country as with my old world. Still, as I originally thought, I need more information.'
Momon briefly thought that it might have been a bad idea to help this village as that might put him at odds with the most powerful human nation in the area, the Slane Theocracy, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He was not opposed to killing other humans, so long as it further his goals. But even so, mass slaughter did not please him.
{Please excuse your humble servant for disturbing your rest, Momonga-sama.}
A raspy voice could be heard inside his head as he thought about his next course of action.
"It is fine, what is your report?" Momon immediately snaps to attention to see Gazef's men moving around anxiously.
{We have spotted multiple humans approaching with angels in their ranks.}
Momon pondered the report he had just heard, but he quickly came to a conclusion.
"Remain undetected, but continue to observe and surround the approaching humans. Do not engage in combat unless they attempt to flee." The wraiths all indicated that they understood and Momon soon found the village chief at the village square. 'This is about to get complicated, isn't it?' He thought idly.
All the villagers of Carne were gathered once again in the village square. They were accompanied by Gazef's men as Gazef, Momon and the village Chief decided on their next course of action.
"Gazef-dono, who is approaching and what is their objective?"
"I believe they are operatives of the Slane Theocracy. The Sunlight Scripture, to be exact. As for their objective, I can only think of one."
Momon reaffirms his words. "Yes, I do believe you are hated, Gazef-dono."
Gazef smiles bitterly. "It is as you say, Momon-dono. But I have a request, could I trouble you to hear it?"
Momon motions Gazef to continue. "My thanks Momon-dono. I ask that you protect these villagers. I know it is shameless of me to ask of you another boon after you have already done so much. I will ride out with my men to confront those who are approaching but I fear that in our absence, the villagers will be put in harm's way."
Momon looked to be in deep thought as Gazef continued. "I swear that I will repay this debt, however, as it stands right now, I have nothing to offer but my words. Allow me to beg for mercy on behalf of the villagers."
Gazef began to kneel but was stopped when Momon laid a hand on his shoulders. The grip was tight but not painful. Gazef had a feeling that even if he wanted to, he would not be able to break free from the grip of the dark warrior.
"Gazef-dono, there is no need to go so far for someone like myself. You can rest easy. I will protect these villagers; I swear it on my name. You can fulfill your duty, as I will mine."
Gazef smiles warmly and extends his hand. Momon extended his own and they grasped arms. "I am truly grateful, Momon-dono. I believe that none in this world are safer than those who are under your care." Gazef leaps on his horse with athletic ability that should not have been possible with his large frame and signals the advance. Momon called from behind as the men on horses advanced. "I wish you luck in battle, Gazef-dono."
Momon pondered briefly on his exchange with Gazef. He quite liked the man. He was strong yet humble. He would fight against all those who would endanger his king and his country and Momon could not help but to respect that loyalty. Momon had spent considerable time in his old world as a businessman. Studying people was something of a second nature and yet he could not feel any sort of ill-will from Gazef. He turned to face the Village Chief at his side.
"Village Chief, gather all the villagers into the village storehouse. I will cast some protections on it. Do not allow anyone to leave before I come to get you. Oh, and also take this."
Momon handed two unassuming horns to the Village Chief.
"These are 'Horns of the Goblin General', you can summon a troop of goblins to defend yourselves while I am gone, but I suspect it would not be needed. I believe young Enri would make good use of it."
The Village Chief went to do as he was told and when he encountered the Enri, he handed over the horns to her. He did not understand why their saviour had chosen her to wield the magical items but he trusted both Enri and Momon completely. He would not go against their saviour's decision. Soon after all the villagers had locked themselves into the storehouse, Momon cast his spells.
[Anti-Life Cocoon] [Wall of Protection from Arrows]
Satisfied, after seeing that the entire building was encased in a green sphere, Momon sent a message for a wraith to be stationed by the storehouse. He ordered it to remain hidden but to engage anything that approached that was not himself or Gazef. With the promise of the villagers' safety fulfilled, he finally turned his attention to the battle that was to take place.
Momon had positioned himself a dozen meters from behind Gazef. He had cast [Perfect Unknowable] and was observing everything with a keen eye. Gazef and his men were riding their horses full speed towards the figures that looked to be magic castors. Floating around them were dozens of angels, but they looked eerily familiar.
'Aren't those Archangel Flames? Those are from Yggdrasil! Doesn't that mean there are more influences from Yggdrasil than I first thought? Considering that my avatar is also here likely means that I might not be alone.'
Momon's thoughts went ablaze as he considered that he very likely was not alone in this world. Or at the very least, even if he were alone, there was clear evidence that Players had existed in the past. 'In Yggdrasil, Archangel Flames were low level angel summons. I do not know of their strength in this world. I must proceed with caution as angels are tricky to fight as one of the undead. Oh? What's this?' Momon's thoughts were interrupted as he saw something of interest.
…
It was a desperate melee for Gazef's men. They stood as human soldiers of flesh and blood, with their weapons of unenchanted steel that could not penetrate the bodies of the angels. Archangel Flames had bodies that resisted physical attacks of weapons not imbued with magic. Only Gazef with the use of his martial arts had any chance of inflicting fatal damage to the angels. With the help of martial arts, Gazef was able to cleave angels in half, but it was not without a cost. His body bore the burden of their continuous use. His thinking was getting clouded and his arms ached with every strike. Even so, Gazef continued to push forward.
'How could I, the Warrior-Captain of this Kingdom possibly fall before expending everything I have? These bastards have slaughtered so many innocent villagers and this cannot not go unpunished!'
This thought pushed Gazef to confront yet another group of angels in his way. "Out of my way! [Sixfold Slash of Light!]"
With the speed of light, that one stroke managed to hit six angels in front of him. Their bodies dissolved into particles of light. Gazef had no time to celebrate or even catch his breath as even more angels appeared to fill the gap he had created.
Not good, I am almost at my limit and I have lost half my men. If I do not take down their commander then this will never end!" Gazef was indeed correct in his judgement, however he severely lacked any sort of decisive factor. He was effectively defanged as he did not have access to the treasures of the kingdom. As it stood now, he and his men would eventually be massacred.
Nigun knew this as well. He had well over thirty magic castors under his command, along with dozens of angels and Principality Observation against a now exhausted Gazef who had only a dozen of his warriors under his command. Nigun grinned savagely as he called out one final order.
"Finish off the caged beast, but keep your distance. Then we will clean up the village behind him."
His offhand remark left Gazef with a smile. Nigun was annoyed at the arrogance of the warrior and barked a question. "What's so funny?"
"Someone far stronger than me is protecting those villagers. You have no hope of touching them." Gazef's words were firm and unwavering even in the face of certain death.
Nigun could only scoff at what he heard. "Stronger than you, who is known as the strongest warrior in all the kingdom? Don't make me laugh."
Gazef kept smiling as the angels approached, but before they could kill him, the two closest to Gazef instantly vanished into particles of light. Everyone was shocked at what they had just seen.
'Where did those angels go? Was it some sort of Martial Art?' Nigun had his doubts but he was correct, for it was not any mere martial art. A towering figure in raven-black full plate armour now stood in front of Gazef.
"Momon-dono…?" Gazef tried to speak but Momon motioned him to save his strength.
Momon raises one of his swords and points it towards Nigun. "I give you one chance to call off your angels and surrender. If not, we will have to do things in a more difficult manner. Let me make myself clear. You have no chance in defeating me." His regal voice carried his words across the vast field that separated the two forces.
Nigun was angered at this interruption but he was cautious. 'Where had this man come from? And what martial art did he use just now? I could not even see his movements!' Nigun calmed himself before he spoke. "Who are you, and why are you interfering?"
The dark figure seemed disinterested in his question and asked a question of his own. "I assume you wish not to surrender then? Utter foolishness. Your ignorance will be your downfall."
Nigun's temper could no longer handle the jabs of this interfering busy-body and he shouted an order. "Angels, kill him!"
Over two dozen angels flew towards the dark figure but before they could reach him, the dark warrior leaped into the sky and swung his twin greatswords in one wide arc. Every angel within his sword's reach instantly disappeared into particles of light.
'Impossible! Such a thing, it's impossible! Those angels could resist physical attacks if the weapon is unenchanted! And what of his speed? How did he move like that!? Not even a God-kin is capable of slaying two dozen angels with a single blow!"
Nigun lost all sense of reasoning, as did his men. His men were trained killers who followed orders, but in the face of such madness, they lost their will and resorted back to the magic that they were more familiar with.
"W-what the hell?"
"I-Impossible!"
"Oh gods, we're doomed!"
[Charm Person] [Iron Hammer of Righteousness] [Hold] [Rain of Fire] [Emerald Sarcophagus]
[Holy Ray] [Shockwave] [Confusion] [Charge of Stalagmite] [Open Wounds]
All manners of spells rained down on the dark warrior but they all seemed to disappear before making contact with his body.
"Oh? First Archangel Flames, and now all these spells I am familiar with? It would seem I now have many more questions to ask of you."
Nigun could feel the dread crawling up his spine. He could not comprehend what was happening but still shouted for an order even as his men continued to rain down spells with no effect.
"Principality Observation! Crush him!"
The massive angel that had been on standby until now began to move. It was substantially larger than the Archangel Flames and it carried a small shield along with a mace. Nigun had kept it passive as to activate its ability. Principality Observation could strengthen the defenses of all its allies so long as it stood still and had line of sight. It was more defense oriented than the Archangel Flames but it could still be a threat when on the offensive. At least, it should have been.
The silver mace came crashing down with the force of a battering ram but the dark warrior only raised a single hand to block the swing. Nigun expected the arm to completely shatter. He would rejoice as he expected to hear the sounds of bones breaking, but instead he could not believe his eyes.
The dark warrior caught the silver mace and held onto it. The angel struggled to free its mace but to no avail. The scene was akin to watching a child fighting over a toy against his parents.
The dark warrior then pulled the mace towards himself and with his free hand swung one of his greatswords at the struggling angel. An angel that could only be summoned by 4th tier magic disappeared in a single strike, and by a sword no less.
Nobody could believe what they had just seen. Gazef and his remaining men who were in a struggle for their lives a few minutes before were staring wide eyed at this impossible sight. A man out powering an angel many times his size and killing it in a single blow. They were watching a legend in the making.
Nigun had obviously been watching as well, but instead of the awe that Gazef was feeling, Nigun could only feel dread. He could hear his men crying out in panic but he yelled at them.
"Get it together and protect me! We haven't lost yet! We still have an artifact of the gods!"
Nigun's men cheered weakly as he brought out a spell-sealing crystal. He would summon an angel of the highest order to vanquish this dark warrior.
The dark warrior on his part seemed to be on guard. He readied his swords and looked as impregnable as a mountain. Nigun gulped as he stared at his stance but still called forth his trump card.
"Behold the glory of the gods! The angel of the highest caliber! Dominion Authority!"
A white angel covered in white armour rose to the sky proudly. It showered the area in holy white-blue light. This was something that mankind could not defeat. This was an angel capable of slaying the Demon Gods and capable of using 7th tier magic, which no man could wield. This warrior would have no chance in defeating it.
The dark figure had seemingly deflated. His swords dropped and his stance lowered.
"This is your trump card?"
Nigun did not detect any sort of fear in the warrior's voice, but chose to ignore it.
"It is only natural to call upon the highest of all angels. You are a foe most worthy of it, rejoice!"
The smile on Nigun's face died as quickly as his confidence.
"This is a joke. I was on guard for this?"
"Wha-"
Nigun was interrupted as a shockwave blew him back a few steps. The dark figure had launched himself like a bullet and with his crossed swords, decapitated the highest of all angels. It too, like all its predecessors, vanished into the light.
"A foe that no man could defeat? Impossible! Who are you!?"
"You may refer to me as Momon, but I suppose I can learn a lot more from you later."
Nigun felt the sweat dripping down his back as he spoke those words. He should not have crossed this warrior.
"M-Momon-dono! No, Sama! Please spare us, no, just me is fine! I can offer you a fortune for my safety!"
His desperate plea for mercy left a bitter look on the faces of Gazef and his surviving warriors. Nigun's own men looked at him with disgust, but he did not expect the dark warrior's reaction.
He laughed; it was a hearty laugh that carried itself across the vast field until it stopped abruptly.
Seemingly annoyed, he spat out his next few words. "I will not kill you, for you have much to answer for. Quite frankly, I'm looking forward to our future talks."
The next chapter sees the rulers of the forest reacting to this new threat. Do they come together to survive it, or does their pride blind them from doing what's needed to be done?
Thank you for reading! This part went through quite a few re-writes, so I apologize for the delay. As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to share them.