Chapter 11: The Graveyard Incident (Part 1)
Why?
This was the one word that continued to pound in Ninya's head. Yet, many of the questions that it stemmed from, she knew the answers to. It was an unconscious denial of her current reality, the poor girl couldn't even trust her own mind at this point.
She knew why they had been attacked. The terrifying woman with orange hair had announced how she was going to kidnap Nfirea, and slaughter the rest of them. Ninya's comrades had immediately stood to defend their employer, urging him to escape while there was still a chance. They even insisted on Ninya getting away with him too, and if she hadn't hesitated, perhaps she could have at least saved Nfirea. Even if her teammates had never known her true gender, they did know of her tragic past, and how she had a dream of finding her estranged older sister, who had been taken by nobility and sold into slavery.
Was I trying to act brave? Or was I just frozen from terror…
No matter the reason for Ninya's inaction, once the two sinister men had walked into the room and blocked their remaining exit, any chance of changing her mind had vanished. Despite the belief she held in her team's capabilities, the Swords of Darkness had been cut down in the blink of an eye. If not for the fact that Clementine had decided to torture her instead of killing her on the spot like the other's, she never would've had a chance to use the《Angel's Feather》that Diablo had given her.
Even after being healed by the Demon Lord's potion, Ninya could still feel the sadistic woman's stiletto piercing into her abdomen. The surgeon-like accuracy that she had used meant that most of Ninya's vital organs had remained intact, but the profuse blood loss would have caused her end if not for encountering Diablo and Momon. She knew they were on their way to the guild, and had used the feather to teleport there, but was forced to walk a few blocks before finding them.
Those people are probably long gone by now after they saw me vanish… Nfirea is going to be used in some evil ritual that they had been bragging about, all because I couldn't act in time… I couldn't even honor my team's sacrifice by keeping him safe…
With such an extreme level of trauma and guilt, the only thing tethering Ninya's psyche to reality was her older sister. She couldn't imagine what kind of suffering she had been forced to endure, if she was even still alive at all. As long as her body was functioning, she had no choice but to overcome her circumstances, for the sake of rescuing her childhood protector.
"Ninya? Can you hear me?"
The traumatized adventurer had been completely zoned out, a result of the torrent of grief and regret that wracked her mind. Coming back to her senses, she saw the concerned face of a man knelt down in front of her.
"Yes? Sorry, I don't want to worry you, I'm- I'm fine…"
A newcomer to the E-Rantel adventurer guild, Emile Bichel Berger was the one who had scooped her up off the street and brought her inside the guild. Despite being a new face, Emile had already garnered enough respect from the other adventurers that he was able to keep them from approaching Ninya and possibly startling her. Several of them still watched on with concern from a distance, though.
"Miss, I couldn't begin to imagine what you've had to go through, but based on your injuries from when I first saw you, there is little chance that you are truly ok. I don't wish to overstep my bounds, but please ask of me anything that could help you at this moment."
The intense nature of her situation up until this point almost made her gloss over a small detail in what Emile had said.
"Miss? Wh-Why do you think I'm a girl?"
Glancing down, Ninya saw that her taped chest was now covered by a simple robe that she never remembered putting on. However, her actual clothes had been shredded to a point that they did little to cover her upper body.
"Before I got you a robe from another kind adventurer, you were unfortunately, ehm- slightly exposed… Fret not though! I made sure to have any onlookers avert their eyes!"
Flashing the now blushing girl a toothy smile, Emile's ever-present enthusiasm managed to lift even her abysmal mood.
"If you wish to hide your womanhood, I won't question it. But as someone who considers himself a defender of all women, I couldn't help but address you as such."
While the blonde man's unusual attitude made her take pause, she was able to recognize the genuinity of his promise, and his good nature as a person.
"Th-thanks, but… the only reason I ever hid being a girl was to not cause issues for my adventuring team… Now that they're gone, I guess there's no point in keeping up the act…"
This comment caused a somber silence between the two, as Emile sighed and stood up from his kneeled position.
"It is your decision to make, but please don't say such morbid things. It's not good for the mind, but especially the soul. Believe me though, I only say this as someone who also once felt useless in the face of a grave threat."
Ninya thought she could see a slight crack in Emile's assuring smile as he brought up what was his greatest personal failing. She was hesitant to inquire more about it, but sensing this from her, Emile continued his explanation unprompted.
"When the Demon Overlord Modinalam attacked my home city, my team and I stood at the front lines to defend it. We had all been so confident, but a powerful minion of the invader cut us down like it was child's play. In the end, I couldn't do anything to prevent their deaths, and I have to live with that fact. The decision you must make now, is what you do in response. You can shut down and give up on life, or you could use it as motivation to grow stronger. To become a person who can protect those they care about. Personally, I recommend the second option."
He was right. The thoughts of her older sister that willed her on, she would use them to crawl out of the seemingly bottomless pit that had taken her mind captive.
"Thank you for sharing that… I really needed to hear it. But… I just don't see how I could ever get strong enough to stand up to the people that did this to me…"
Emile pondered for a moment, but as a warrior, he had little knowledge in the ways that magic casters leveled up.
"If you were a warrior I'd recommend training with the Master Swordsman, but if there's anyone who could help you, I would ask Diablo. He's the most impressive elemental sorcerer I've ever seen, surely he has some good insight on the matter."
Ninya had seen Diablo's prowess with magic firsthand, yet at the time she felt too embarrassed to ask a question like 'how do I get stronger'. Any hesitation she may have had before though, had been violently taken from her.
"Of course! I can't expect any more favorable treatment from him, but I'll never know unless I try!"
The silver ranked adventurer had little to offer Diablo in exchange for his tutelage, but she was willing to do anything if it meant becoming stronger.
"That's the spirit! And don't worry, Diablo might seem like an unapproachable guy at times, but once you get him talking, he's surprisingly thoughtful. I don't see him being able to deny someone with a determination like yours."
Her fractured psyche would persist, but just as the man before her had, Ninya would attempt to overcome her trauma, and grow from it. Before she could reply though, everyone's attention was drawn to the front door of the guild bursting open.
"Everyone! My grandson has been kidnapped, and the perpetrators are unleashing hordes of undead from the city graveyard! Momon and Diablo are already on their way there, but they'll need all of you to help protect the city!"
Desperately pleading with the gathering crowd of adventurers, was the grandmother of Nfirea, Lizzie Bareare.
"If those two are involved, that means this is serious. Hey, listen up people! Those of you who are combat ready, come with me! We've gotta stop any undead from getting into the city, let's go!"
Not forgetting the person he had been entrusted with, Emile knelt down and placed a hand on Ninya's shoulder.
"I hate to leave you here in such a state, but the circumstances are dire. I promise once this is dealt with, I'll be back to check on you."
Ninya couldn't possibly make a fuss at the man's desire to save someone who had been put in danger because of her mistake. Instead, she'd use this time thinking of ways to persuade Diablo into teaching her how to be a better magic caster.
"It's fine, really. But please, be careful out there, Emile."
Confidently nodding as he fastened his sword on his hip, the golden warrior ran out of guild office, leading a pack of adventurers towards the graveyard.
I know Diablo and Momon are strong, but I can't help worrying about them… If anyone can stop the people who did this, though, it's those two and their companions…
Thus, Ninya sat back in her chair, and began planning her new future.
…
Stepping into the room that had been turned into a slaughterhouse mere minutes ago, Diablo scornfully began to examine the three bodies that were haphazardly slumped against the blood-soaked wall. The inhumane level of cruelty that was used in dispatching his former comrades made it difficult to maintain his concentration, as thoughts of vengeance continued to creep up from the back of his mind.
As he started to reach down, however, the corpses suddenly came to life, except they lacked any semblance of who they originally once were.
"They've been turned into undead?!"
Before Diablo could even retrieve the《Tonnerre Empereur》from his hip, Rose had already moved to dispatch the unexpected threat.
"《Krios》!"
Using the double-headed blade that she kept fastened on her back, Rose delivered a perfect side swipe that severed all three of the undead's heads in half. The grisly sight of exposed brain matter would have been more off putting if not for the already ghastly state of the room. Spinning her weapon to remove the blood and gore, the magimatic maid then gracefully fastened it to her back. Up until this point, her miniature version of 《Asterismos》had been covered by cloth, and its unusual design piqued the interest of Ainz.
An untrained eye would have missed it, but each blade on that weapon of hers is covered in extremely small serrated edges that move along a track, almost like a chainsaw…
While it was an interesting gimmick, he knew that it wasn't the true weapon of Diablo's companion. According to Albedo, the last surviving Hanzo of the group had perished before he could describe the weapon that Rose had apparently "pulled out of thin air". There were always multiple possible explanations, but it sounded eerily similar to how his inventory functioned after being transported. He hadn't considered it until now, but with his confirmation of their origins, there was a chance that Rose was a player as well.
It's unlikely, though. Her personality seems far more in line with those of my NPCs than someone who was originally human. Not to mention her role as the overseer of Diablo's dungeon… Depending on how this all plays out, I may get a chance to see this mysterious weapon in action…
Just as Diablo was doing, Ainz knelt down and examined one of the now truly dead corpses.
This was Lukrut… I can't say I liked him, but he didn't deserve a fate like this… None of these people did…
Ainz didn't feel any deep connection to the Swords of Darkness, but the human side of him that remained couldn't help but leer at such unscrupulous methods.
How interesting though, all of the bodies seem to have small circular pierce wounds… What kind of weapon leaves a wound like this?
"There were at least two different assailants involved here. One of them is capable of casting 「Turn Undead」 as we've now seen, and the similar wounds on the bodies indicate a warrior of some kind, although it could be an assassin as well."
Standing up from his brief examination of Peter's corpse, Diablo mostly agreed with Ainz' theory. Additionally, while undead monsters did exist in his original fantasy world and game, there was never a necromancer type class that could summon them. It was possible that like many instances he had encountered thus far, this was something that was a planned feature for Cross Reverie, but seeing as this was an entirely different world, he couldn't be sure. Turning his attention back to Momon, he relayed the info he had gathered from the cadavers.
"It's the same case with Peter, yet his body has a wound that's different from all the others. It's a stab wound in his chest, but it doesn't look like it's from the same weapon. Almost like, it was from a spear…"
Diablo couldn't help but momentarily recoil as he was reminded of his own spear caused wound. Putting his hand over his chest, he recalled the moment when Battuta had stabbed him through the heart with the《Rising Spear》martial art. If not for the effect of his《Curtain of Dark Clouds》, it would've been a fatal blow.
I just hope whoever did this isn't nearly as capable as Battuta was… Despite his strength, it was his battle intellect that proved to be a challenge, I only came out alive thanks to a gamble…
Noticing something at the corner of his eye, Diablo's painful reminiscing came to an end. Amidst the disturbing amount of blood that coated the wall, there was a clearing that contained a few letters, the rest blocked by the slumped body of what used to be Peter Mauk. Shifting his co-worker's remains to the side, the full word was revealed.
SEWER
Was this meant to be a message from Peter before he died? That doesn't make sense given the way in which they were killed, not to mention the clear level of experience that the killers possess… That means this has to be a red herring, a deliberate attempt to throw us off their tracks…
"Momon, take a look at this. I'm curious if you'll arrive at the same conclusion that I have."
Walking over to Diablo, the hulking form of the dark warrior crouched down beside him, and elicited a curious hum.
"It's good to know that a peer of mine is able to think critically like this. We both know Peter couldn't have had the time or energy to write this out with the killers present. Based on how the bodies became undead, it's also clear that they didn't leave before everyone was completely dead and subsequently turned. There is a chance that this is a double bait, and they truly did escape into the sewers, but we can eliminate that possibility with more information."
At the mention of gathering further intrigue, Diablo had noticed another oddity with the corpses. None of their weapons or armor were stolen by the attackers, but something else was missing from each body.
"Their rank plates. They're all missing their adventurer rank plates!"
Unbeknownst to him, Ainz had picked up on the same clue, yet missed the chance to voice it out loud first.
"You're right. One of them specifically took the plates as trophies, meaning they have a lengthy experience with killing adventurers…"
All three of their unknown enemies were clearly skilled, but knowing that one of them had a history of claiming the lives of adventurers made the situation that much more unnerving.
"It doesn't matter who they are. They've killed far too many, so there's only one path for us to take. We tear them out by the roots and stop anything like this from happening again."
Diablo had managed to compose himself since entering the room, but as more information revealed itself, and the twisted nature of his new enemies became more apparent, he was starting to lose himself.
I can't be weak. There isn't any peaceful resolution to all of this, I have to be willing to go all the way…
Up until this point, Diablo had attempted to spare most of the human adversaries he had come up against. Whether it was Galford after he decapitated Prince Keera, or Battuta after failing to complete his death knell ritual, he still relied on his modern moral framework and tried to preserve human life where possible. Interestingly, this philosophy had served to both help and harm him throughout his travels. Sparing Galford had provided a powerful ally during Modinalam's assault on Faltra, yet his hesitation to finish off Battuta had nearly resulted in not only his death, but the deaths of his companions.
This time is different though… The people that did this, there's no other way of stopping them… I just have to lean into the demon lord persona and go all out, they've earned the consequences that come with that!
"I agree, but before we do anything, we first have to locate them. Do you have any spells capable of tracking Nfirea or his captors? Perhaps Rose has some kind of capability that could help too?"
In the midst of his anger, Diablo had neglected to think much about their immediate next step. Unfortunately, he was an elemental sorcerer, and had no such spells that Momon was implying. While Rose had exceptional senses, she lacked any specific ability regarding long range tracking.
"Er- If I had access to all my belongings, such a task would be trivial. However, as things stand, I would appreciate it if you took the necessary measures."
Ainz eyed the demon suspiciously. Given his current motivation, he knew Diablo wouldn't grandstand in a moment like this. So for whatever reason, he didn't have access to information gathering spells like Ainz. Admittedly, most of those spells required him to make use of scrolls, as he was far from specialized in divination magic, but he did still have easy access to it.
"I see. Very well, I'll take the lead on this one. Just remember that you owe me, and don't go talking to others regarding what you're about to see."
Making his way over to a table, Ainz pulled a map of the city off the wall and sprawled it over the tabletop.
I don't see it being much of an issue if Diablo learns of our usage of scrolls… It might provide an opportunity to see if he's familiar with such a mechanic, but at the very least it will be a learning experience for Narberal…
"Nabe, my things please."
Rushing to her master's side, Narberal quickly took the large sack off from her back and placed it in front of Ainz. It looked like it could hold a fair amount of items, but in reality, it was an 「Infinite Backpack」 and functioned similarly to his inventory. Removing the string that tied it off, he reached his gauntleted hand into the bag and began pulling out scrolls one by one.
"This is 「Locate Object」. I shouldn't have to tell you what we're looking for. Also, there's a chance the enemy is using 「Detect Locate」, so using 「Fake Cover」 and 「Counter Detect」 is the basic of the basics."
Along with the ones he described, there was now a stack of nearly a dozen scrolls sitting atop the map.
"Alright, this should be enough for our enemy. Nabe, you may begin."
Nodding to her master, Narberal began activating the scrolls in the order he described.
"「Fake Cover」."
As she tossed the scroll in front of her, it unfurled in the air, before being consumed in a blue magical flame. Diablo stood by acting like it was all trivial, but in reality he had a great interest in these magic scrolls.
Scrolls existed in Cross Reverie and my previous world, but their usage was pretty rare… Yet if they could contain useful magic like this, I'm sure they'd be way more popular…
By nature of the fact that they came from two different points in time, Yggdrasil had a more extensive magic and skill system compared to Cross Reverie. While the attack potency of these abilities are relatively similar, there were simply more mechanics at play in Ainz' original game world. Thankfully for Diablo, despite this deficit, he had his own favorable circumstances that Yggdrasil natives didn't benefit from.
"「Counter Detect」."
One by one, the scrolls proceeded to burn away as Nabe diligently activated them. While the quantity that Ainz had chosen could be considered overkill, he wasn't taking any chances given the growing number of anomalous factors he continued to encounter.
When collecting information with magic, you must take measures to protect yourself well… To do a player kill, you have to collect as much info as possible, then attack hard and swift! These are the basics from the document 'Anyone Can Easily PK' that Punitto Moe created… Even if the chance of one of my enemies being a player is miniscule, I have to apply the same logic… The stakes are higher now then they ever were in Yggdrasil, not only is my life on the line, so are the lives of all the NPCs…
Ainz knew that resurrection magic was a real phenomenon in this world, but how it would affect a player like himself was something he didn't want to risk testing out.
"「Locate Object」!"
With all of their counter-spells and other magical defenses in place, Nabe used the final scroll, which immediately revealed the location of the missing plates to her. The sensation could best be described as a sort of 'Eureka' moment, a sudden revelation that allowed her to point out the exact spot on the map of E-Rantel.
"It's here."
While neither of them were thoroughly familiar with the layout of E-Rantel, both Ainz and Diablo recognized the location from their brief travels in the city.
"That area is a cemetery, if I remember correctly. Alright, now cast 「Clairvoyance」 and 「Crystal Monitor」 simultaneously so we can see what we're dealing with."
Handing Nabe two additional scrolls, she tossed both of them into the air, everyone watching with anticipation for the spells' activation.
"「Clairvoyance」! 「Crystal Monitor」!"
Not a moment later, what appeared to be a portal tinged with a green magical light manifested above the table. This was not a portal for travel, but a one way visual feed on their desired location.
"I see Nfirea! But why is he surrounded by undead? They even seem to be ignoring him, it doesn't make any sense…"
The 「Crystal Monitor」 showed a dire image. Standing in the center of a horde of low level undead was Nfirea, dressed in a strange translucent white gown, and adorned with a circlet that seemed to exude magical power.
"There's only one explanation, Diablo. I don't believe you ever learned of this, but Nfirea has an extraordinary talent that allows him to use any magic item regardless of their restrictions. It's merely a theory, but the group that orchestrated all of this must have needed a suitable person to make use of a powerful artifact of some kind, likely one that aided them in summoning this sheer quantity of undead."
With the newly acquired information in mind, everything started to click for Diablo. As someone who was well aware of class and level restrictions and how they applied to certain weapons or items, he immediately recognized the value of a person like Nfirea, especially for those with evil intent.
I've heard a few mentions of these things called 'talents', yet I had no idea they could produce phenomena like this… The only comparable innate ability I could think of would be how Sasara can negate the damage from a single attack each day… For a warrior, it could be considered the perfect skill, but in terms of general utility, something like Nfirea's could allow for endless possibilities…
Now that he really thought about it, with a talent like his, Nfirea could easily powerlevel his way up using high level gear that would normally be inaccessible to him. Of course, most people didn't have access to equipment like Diablo, but if he felt generous, the young potion master could truly utilize his talent to the fullest. Before any of this could be considered though, they still had to save him, and with a confirmed location, their rescue operation was ready to launch.
"Momon-san, should we teleport and attack at once?"
Ainz felt a pulse of nervousness run through him with Narberal's mention of teleportation, as he had yet to reveal their capacity for such a thing to Diablo and Rose. Thankfully, the others took this as an implication of making use of something like an《Angel's Feather》, as Diablo countered the battle maid's idea before her master could respond.
"Unfortunately, the《Angel's Feather》is restricted to places that everyone in the party has been to before. Perhaps you and Nabe have visited the graveyard, but Rose and I haven't, so it wouldn't work. My other teleportation magic is similarly limited."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ainz had won out in this conversation in a few different ways. Not only had he avoided suspicion, but Diablo also revealed the fact that he had means of teleportation besides the usage of an item. He could only speculate, but perhaps the demon lord didn't have access to teleportation spells with an accuracy similar to 「Greater Teleportation」, let alone 「Gate」. Regardless of how accurate his spells were, they both had the limitation of teleporting to locations that they had traveled to previously, or that were within their range of vision. Ultimately though, Ainz had never planned on using teleportation even if it were just him and Narberal. He wanted to use this opportunity to increase his fame as an adventurer, to create a mythos surrounding the mysterious 'Dark Warrior'. Saying that outright in front of Diablo would make him seem conceited, so the current circumstances that eliminated teleportation as an option worked out perfectly for him.
"As Diablo says, teleportation isn't viable. In addition, we don't know the full scope of what these people are carrying out. Depending on the amount and level of the undead, the residential districts could be quickly overrun. We have to confirm that the city's defenses haven't been breached yet, and then we can work our way towards the graveyard's center."
Nodding in agreement, both Diablo and Rose were on board with Ainz' plan. While the demon lord resonated with the goodwill behind his plan, Ainz was operating for purely self serving reasons. Human lives would be saved in the process, but this was merely a byproduct to the undead overlord.
"Let's get moving then. Since we aren't sure of the exact scope, every moment we waste could be crucial."
However, before Diablo could make it to the door, a familiar face came into view as they entered the shop.
"Oh my, if it isn't Diablo!"
The unmistakable form of the short and elderly Lizzy Barreare suddenly froze as her eyes adjusted to the unthinkable state of her workshop.
"Wha- What happened here?! The- The adventurers I hired, why… why are they all dead?! Where is Nfirea?!"
Admittedly, the scene before her looked convincingly incriminating. If not for the overwhelming concern for her grandson, the elder Barreare would have fled in a panic.
"Miss Barreare, you must calm down. We didn't do this. The Swords of Darkness and Nfirea were attacked here after we split up to head to the guild office. Your grandson is alive, but he was taken by the people responsible for this. We were about to leave in pursuit of him before you arrived, so I suggest you find some place safe to wait in the meantime."
Speaking up from the other side of the room was Ainz, his booming voice and threatening physicality quickly putting an end to the woman's frantic state. As he moved to join Diablo at the entrance, the demon lord gave Lizzy an urgent request, and more importantly, a way for her to help her grandson.
"Put your faith in us, I promise we will return with Nfirea. As Momon said, you should head somewhere safe, and the best place for that is the adventurer's guild. I need you to alert the other adventurers that a dangerous group has summoned a massive amount of undead in E-Rantel's graveyard, and to get there as fast as possible so we can keep them from spreading into the city itself."
Having been rattled to the core by the rapid onslaught of unsettling information, Lizzy Barreare used all her willpower to get her body moving.
"A-Alright! Just please, please bring back Nfirea!"
As the shop's owner hastened out the door, the remaining adventurers her grandson had hired followed suit. There was no time to be more gracious with their exit, everyone understood how dire the scenario was. While the powerless grandmother headed towards the guild, Ainz, Diablo, and their companions sped away in the opposite direction, towards the epicenter of this brewing disaster.
I won't let anyone else die because of my mistakes, especially not someone whose safety I'm responsible for…
Whether Diablo's resolve to kill would be borne out in his actions was yet to be seen, and it would soon be put to the test.
…
Meanwhile, at the western gate of E-Rantel's inner wall, a tenuous silence hung over the area. The typical background noise of the outdoors had vanished, something that wasn't completely unusual on the outskirts of the city's massive graveyard. Perhaps it was some kind of innate sixth sense, but animals and even insects were repelled by the negative energy emitted by the undead. While it had grown eerily quiet in the past, it had never been completely silent. The few guards on duty had grown complacent due to the abject boredom of being assigned to this post, and after standing guard for nearly half the day, they failed to notice the sudden change in their surroundings. None of them could have imagined what would follow in the wake of this unnatural silence.
"Another quiet night."
"We haven't fought the empire lately, and less undead are appearing, right?"
The two guards positioned right behind the gate quipped at the decreasing difficulty of their careers, unaware of the fact that they had managed to jinx themselves.
"Hm? What's that sound?"
Breaking the tone of their conversation, one of the guards could have sworn he heard a distant rumbling. His friend's skeptical reply continued to derail his train of thought, though.
"Hey, don't try to scare me like that."
"Quiet! I actually heard something."
Trying to focus using the extended period of silence, his suspicions were confirmed. Perhaps his fellow soldier didn't have senses as keen as his own, because they refused to acknowledge the sound.
"It's just your imagination."
Suddenly, one of the sentries standing atop the wall noticed the source of the disturbance.
"Hey! Look over there!"
As the other guards on the ground hurried to get to the wall's top, everyone else gathered around the veteran with the most experience of their unit.
"That's…"
In spite of his many years in the Kingdom's military, the sight before him brought about a loss of words. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of undead were pouring out from the graveyard, all headed straight towards the inner city.
"An army of undead?!"
One of the other soldiers finished the vet's incomplete thought as he continued to try and shake off the shock that was setting in. Even if this was an unprecedented scenario, his experience with facing death time and again pushed him into action.
"And there's way more than just one or two hundred… About a thousand?!"
His estimate of the undead force only continued to grow as he looked further into the distance. The army driven by a hatred for the living seemed to be endless, especially under the poor visibility conditions of a foggy night.
"Notify the soldiers at the station! We have to keep them back until help arrives!"
It was career soldiers like the grizzled vet who could effectively lead his men in impossible situations such as these that allowed the Kingdom's military to stand up to its neighbors. While it was true that Re-Estize boasted a larger headcount amongst its soldiers, compared to the knights of the Baharuth Empire, or the magic casters of the Slane Theocracy, the primarily conscription based army was severely lacking. The only silver lining in this trichotomy were the soldiers who served beyond their compulsory service, the ones who could build valuable experience through ceaseless combat and exemplary leadership. In any world or time period, these veterans are what make fighting possible for those serving on the front lines. However, despite this man's ability to rouse his comrades to take action, their small force stood little chance in even delaying the encroaching threat.
"Keep them back! Don't let them reach the top!"
All the guards were now firmly planted at the edge of the wall, relentlessly working to keep the growing tidal wave of undead from cresting over their fortifications. Even though most of the opposing force was composed of mere 「Skeletons」, their racial resistance to piercing damage was enough to make the thrusting spears of the guards largely ineffective. For every attack that did manage to ring true, another undead would take the fallen enemy's place, and it didn't take long before the insufficient guard detail was overwhelmed.
"R-Retreat!"
Despite their allegiance to defending the city even if it cost their lives, everyone present understood that dying here would be pointless. The best possible outcome was escaping further into the city and grouping up with reinforcements from the station. As the last of the guards descended the wall's stairs, their attention was drawn from the unrelenting creaking of the gate by a terrifying guttural groan. Rising above the gate itself, a massive amalgamation of undead came into their view. Before any of the guards could relent at the nightmarish sight, four figures emerged from the fog laden woods behind them.
Is that a 「Necroswarm Giant」?
Standing at the front of the group of newcomers, the heroic looking dark warrior Momon remarked at seeing an undead he was familiar with.
"It's adventurers, we're saved!"
"No wait, look… They're copper plates…"
The grandiose appearance of the newly arrived adventurers had them believe they were high ranked, but upon seeing the copper plates hanging from each of their necks, the guards lost hope.
"All of you need to get out of here immediately."
Ignoring their dismissive comments, Ainz was ready to give a proper demonstration of his power. Just as he was about to ask Narberal for his sword though, Diablo stepped up beside him, grabbing his《Tonnere Empereur》from his hip.
"We can't let that thing destroy the gate. Get reduced to ash,《Explosion》!"
Pointing his otherworldly wand outwards, Diablo unleashed a low level fire spell, but it was more than effective enough for a 「Necroswarm Giant」. As the hydrogen collected from the surrounding atmosphere was ignited, the swarming mass of undead was blown to pieces, as the remains of what wasn't vaporized were sent catapulting across the area.
This guy always has to have the spotlight, doesn't he?
The guards looked on in awe at the brilliant display of magic power. They had a feeling that these adventurers weren't normal copper plates, but after seeing Diablo decimate a monster of such proportions, that feeling became fact.
"Just who are you people?"
Normally both Ainz and Diablo would take this opportunity to confidently introduce themselves, albeit for different reasons, but they didn't have the time to spare.
"Open the gates!"
The dark warrior's demand of the guards caused them to freeze up for a moment. They didn't want to offend someone of his caliber, but his request was insane in their minds.
"D-Don't be so reckless! There's an army of undead on the other side!"
Such a reaction was to be expected, even after Diablo's demonstration of his power. The men standing guard were just normal humans, they could never look such a grave threat in the eye and remain steadfast.
"Is that a problem for me, Momon? Fine, have it your way then. I hope you'll be more accommodating of the other adventurers once they arrive. Let's get to work, Diablo."
Crouching down into a squat position, the dark warrior launched himself into the air, easily clearing the gate that stood between him and the undead horde. Diablo used his《Empty Sky's Dance》boots, and Nabe cast the third tier spell 「Fly」, as each of them followed Momon in close pursuit. Rose hopped the gate in a similar fashion to Ainz, albeit much more gracefully. As soon as the adventurer team had disappeared from view, the raucous cries of the undead began to grow quiet, until…
"Hey, do you hear that? The voices of the undead…"
What had previously been a soul crushing torrent on their ears a mere minute ago had faded into near complete silence. There was only one explanation for this sudden change, but it was unbelievable to all of those present.
"No way! Going against that many undead… It's impossible."
"Just who are those people?"
Even in the distance, they could still hear the sound of blades sweeping through flesh and bone, and even feel the shockwaves from the unfathomable magic of the《Sorcerer of Annihilation》.
"That man, he called himself Momon. And he referred to the magic caster with horns as Diablo."
"Those two were copper plates? Impossible."
This was the main fixation of their confusion. How could such obviously powerful adventurers be the lowest rank? Even if they came from another Re-Estize city, or the Empire, their rank would carry over. For all intents and purposes, it seemed as if they had shown up out of nowhere.
"Hasn't there been rumors of a new adamantite plate?"
The barren field scattered with the remains of eviscerated undead that they gazed down on was more than enough evidence to support this rumor. However, it wasn't only one figure with rumored adamantite tier power now.
"We may have just seen a legend, no… two legends. A raven black warrior, nay, a raven black hero, and a horned caster of destruction."
…
"《Heaven's Fall》!"
Floating above the graveyard, Diablo pointed his《Tonnere Empereur》towards the dwindling crowd of undead, and unleashed a level 100 Earth spell. A barrage of countless meteorites began to rain down on his helpless low level enemies, and the large AOE of the spell caused a sizable dent in their remaining forces.
It shouldn't take too long to wipe out noob tier monsters like these, but there's no telling how much longer Nfirea has… We've gotta keep moving and leave the stragglers for the other adventurers…
Locating Momon slightly up ahead, Diablo began to fly towards him, yet he noticed an odd peculiarity on his way over.
Maybe I'm just seeing things, but it almost looks like the undead aren't attacking Momon… He's cleaving through them at a speed that they don't have much time to resist anyways, but I can't shake the notion that they seem to be avoiding him…
It was possible that Momon had a skill that managed to stun nearby enemies, especially with a large level difference, but undead tended to be resistant or outright immune to status effects like that. However, Diablo knew that differing rulesets were possible if not certain given the existence of alternate worlds, so he'd have to inquire about it later.
"Momon! Let's keep heading for the center, we'll leave the rest for our reinforcements. Surely they should be able to handle a few skeletons, and we have to find Nfirea as soon as possible."
Stopping his stride as he bisected a skeleton that was unfortunate enough to be in his way, Momon, or more accurately Ainz, had already arrived at a similar thought as Diablo.
"That's what I was thinking. We don't know what kind of ritual they have planned, and if this is just the start of it, we can't let it spiral out of control. I'll lead the way, I assume Nabe and Rose will catch on quickly."
As Momon resumed his sprint, Diablo turned his head to the side in order to locate Rose. The magimatic maid was in her element as she moved through a horde of undead like a river's current, dismembering all that fell in her path. Perhaps she could sense the gaze of her master, as Rose swiftly made her way towards Diablo, still leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.
"We're making a beeline for the Mausoleum, make sure you clean up any of the undead that make it past Momon."
Nodding in response, she took off in the direction Momon was headed, as Diablo poured more mana into his boots and accelerated onwards.
Nabe, who had been raining down her own spells nearby, also followed suit as she flew slightly behind the demon lord.
I can see it up ahead, even with all this damn fog… It's time to focus up, I've gotta remember who I'm dealing with here… These people murdered the Swords of Darkness, and kidnapped Nfirea to use as some kind of vessel… Just like I freed Rem from her curse of housing the Demon Lord Krebskulm, I'll save Nfirea from whatever terrible fate they have for him!
As he began to approach the Mausoleum, a group of figures came into view standing just outside of it. It was a circle of people in hooded black robes, with a man in the center wearing a distinctive red robe who held an orb that exuded magical power.
Diablo and Nabe descended until they landed next to Momon and Rose, as the whole group confidently approached the occult looking enemies.
"Lord Khajit, they've come."
Okay, one definite idiot here…
After seeing the ringleaders of this whole disaster standing out in the open and carelessly revealing the name of their mastermind, many of the fears that Ainz had prepared around going into this began to dissipate. Obviously a lower threat was to be preferred, but he couldn't lie that a part of him wanted to have a challenge, especially after his brief duel with the Master Swordsman.
"Hello there. It's a nice night, isn't it Khajit?
The decrepit looking man who was known as Khajit gave a glance of annoyance to his subordinate for the careless slipup, as Diablo stepped forward with anger resonating in his voice.
"Forget the small talk, what have you done with Nfirea?! Tell me where he is, or I'll atomize you where you stand and find him myself!"
Khajit and his followers couldn't help but be taken aback as they had a magical artifact of immense power pointed towards them.
"Keh! Do you think I should fear you when I have the power of the 「Orb of Death」 at my disposal? You've taken leave of your senses if you thought you could just stroll up here and make demands of me!"
With his patience far past the point of entertaining the arrogance of a wretched person like Khajit, Diablo nearly activated his spell on the spot, but was stopped by an interjection from Ainz.
"One of your allies had a piercing weapon, and there was another who used a spear. Were you planning to lay low? Or could it be you're scared of us and hiding on the sidelines?"
On cue, the sappy hum of Clementine could be heard from the entrance to the mausoleum, as she poked her head into view.
"You examined the corpses, huh? You're good!"
Khajit was clearly annoyed at the fact that she had made her presence known, but Clementine reassured her co-conspirator before he could complain.
"Oh forget it, Khajit. It seems they've already got things figured out, no point in hiding now."
As soon as she had stepped into the light, the collection of rank plates that made up her armor were front and center for the new arrivals to see.
"Well, it was thanks to you that we were able to find this place. Surely you didn't think we would fail to notice how you pilfered the Swords of Darkness' rank plates?"
Clementine clearly wasn't finding the current circumstances to be that unnerving, as she stuck out her tongue and pointed at her face, as if to say 'Whoops, did I do that?'.
"Aw come on, it wouldn't be much fun if we didn't leave the wannabe heroes a little breadcrumb trail."
At this point, Diablo was almost confused with how nonchalant his enemies were acting despite being faced with an incredibly powerful team of adventurers. Neither Khajit or Clementine appeared particularly impressive to him, but the reasoning behind their confidence was the last thing he could have expected.
"Of course an unhinged amateur like yourself would think that way. Thankfully, you've managed to deliver exactly who I wanted."
Stepping out into the moonlit entrance, was a weathered, yet robust, old man.
There's no way…
Diablo could never mistake that paladin uniform, the well kept beard that reached down to his chest, and most importantly, the fiery gaze of killing intent that he had experienced once before.
"B-Battuta?! What kind of trick is this? I killed you myself… I saw you burn up in my《Darkness Cannon》!"
The dangerous ex-paladin laughed raucously, as he walked further out from inside the mausoleum, confirming without a shadow of a doubt that it was him. His half missing arm that he had as a result of Diablo's《Absolute Zero》was obscured by the sleeve of his undershirt, but it was obvious enough for the one who caused it to notice.
"What a pitiful Demon Lord you are. You couldn't begin to understand the forces at play here, and despite clearly having been influenced by them, the idea of my resurrection still confounds you!"
While Diablo obviously had a past history with their newly appeared enemy, Ainz and Narberal were at a loss for who this elderly man was. Regardless of his unknown origins, it was clear to them that this man was several tiers beyond their other opponents.
Diablo was ready to obliterate Khajit and Clementine where they stood, but the appearance of this man has put him on guard… Even if he supposedly defeated him once, it must've been a close fight for someone like Diablo to consider him a threat…
"Seems like Diablo left you in quite a state from when you last fought, yet you seriously think you can beat not only him but myself as well? You've got quite the ego for a geezer past his prime."
Battuta turned his attention to the dark warrior that he had ignored up until now. As far as he was concerned, Diablo was the only real threat currently present. Yet he saw this as an unlikely opportunity to truly crush his sworn foe's spirit.
"I won't take criticism from a warrior who hides behind full plate armor like yourself. A real man can look his enemy in the eye, but I digress. I'm the last person who should be rattling off about honor. Well then, I have unfinished business to attend to with a certain head priestess, so unless you have any other one liners to get out, I'll be taking my leave."
Before Batutta could even take a step, Diablo began charging after him. The demon lord immediately understood who the paladin captain was referring to, and that he couldn't be bluffing about such a claim. If Lumachina had been brought to this world too, of course luck would have it that one of his greatest foes had found her first.
"Momon! Follow me, we're taking him on together!"
As Diablo rushed into the mausoleum, past a smirking Clementine who knew she shouldn't interfere, Ainz began to follow suit.
"Nabe, you and Rose can work out who takes on who. If it comes to it, don't hesitate to use your full power, and don't worry about me, just complete your part of the mission!"
The echoing steps of Battuta and his pursuers slowly faded until they could no longer be heard. Now it was a proper two versus two, although both female companions knew they wouldn't be fighting together.
"I think I'll leave the gross old man to you, Nabe. I'm much more interested in dismantling that woman."
Walking away from the mausoleum into an empty stretch of the graveyard, Clementine couldn't help but follow her confident challenger.
"What can I say? I love a girl who knows how to speak her mind. I'll leave the other one to you Khajit, I hope you don't mind that arrangement."
Grumbling to himself as his supposed ally made her choice of opponent without even considering his wishes, Khajit turned to face Nabe, whose face was plastered with a look of sheer annoyance.
"Let's get this over with, you disgusting human worm."
…
Hello everyone, sorry for the slight delay in this chapter. As I said, I'd be taking more time on ironing out the next chapter or two, and I decided to split the graveyard incident finale into two parts so I could provide a timely update. The arc will be fully concluded in the next chapter, so be ready for that. Also, my patience with the FFN tech support team is growing thin as it's been almost a month since I've had any traffic stats for my stories. Please make sure to follow and/or favorite, as it's the only kind of data I can get until FFN decides to stop slacking on fixing their website. Reviews are always appreciated as well, so until the next one, happy reading.