Chapter 11: Fools End

Rewritten

Marching across plains and woods echoed the thunderous footsteps of an army in the thousands, sending a ripple of fear through the hearts of animals that scattered to find refuge. Yet none would come close to the village called Carne. Some opposing force neglected them to travel near, feeling the creatures around the village were the bane of nature itself.

The army was none other than the kingdom's force sent to retrieve the caster called Ainz Ooal Gown. But why were so many men needed for one mage? That was what the leader of this force asked himself as well.

His name was Prince Barbro, the first prince and heir to the throne of the Re-Estize Kingdom. For him, this was nothing more than a small quest to be completed as soon as possible.

On the way, he could seize some glory for himself, as defeating this magic caster seemed necessary, at least from what Gazef spoke about him. A "respectable" man who defended the village of Carne and saved the Warrior Captain's life. Yet, the audacity of sending demands in a letter to the king irked Barbro, an act he deemed unforgivable. He sought to make an example of this rogue mage, asserting his authority as the future king.

"What a joke." Muttered the Prince amidst the clamor around him. Even he was gradually cursed to hear this tone. He was a warrior, the strongest member of the royal family indeed. Yet the simple marching of his soldiers was something he couldn't bear, not even for less than a week.

He looked forward, seeing nothing but an empty landscape, a wild environment he didn't get to witness very often. Nature held little fascination for Barbro. That was his sister's thing. She, accompanied by her knight, would visit the gardens daily. Yet, there was more to it. He just couldn't figure it out and in fact, cared too less to investigate.

His brother, Zanac, possessed intellect surpassing his own, but strength favored Barbro. And that made him believe only he was worthy of receiving the title of king once his father died or abdicated. Until then, he would strive to impress his father and the nobles with his competence in handling rebellious mages. From the report, the mage seemed to have more to himself than a name. Some sort of horsed swordsmen, maybe even mercenaries he hired. But Barbro didn't mind thinking about such peasantries and focused on marching towards the village. 'What sellswords could even rival the kingdom's armies?'

Only then did something odd happen, a phenomenon most would think could never happen naturally. Just as they wanted to pass a plateau on their left, surrounded by the pure darkness of the forest, at the tip of the marching army, the ground seemed to rise slowly, the sound of rocks scratching at each other tearing apart the ears of the soldiers. Barbro could only do the same, protecting his ears from the quite painful sound. Yet his gaze remained forward.

Seemingly what appeared to be rocks rising from the ground turned out to be liquid fire, soaring to the skies until one vast burst of fire rose into the air around the soldiers, leaving only one passageway free, the one towards the free ground on the left side. Some soldiers weren't lucky enough, burning in the hot flames that erupted from the ground, leaving only ash to be carried by the breeze. Panic arose all around the troops. Many already went in sorrow, thinking this would be their death.

"Soldiers! There is a free path to the left! Follow me!" Barbro commanded. He had to show his troops he could lead an army even if he was frightened.

Soon, one after another, they followed his command, walking behind his cohort of horses through the small passage with unresting fire on each side, waiting for one man to make a mistake.

Carefully, they traversed through the way, just to the last man. Somehow they made it, and with low casualties to their luck. But now they found themselves in what seemed a field surrounded by trees, the darkness of the forest grounds hiding whatever hid in those shadows.

"We wait here until the path is free again!" Barbro ordered his troops, and his command spread even to the last soldier, awaiting until the fire stopped rising from the ground.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah. Seems like marching sounds."

"What's that sound?"

The front row of levies heard a strange sound from around, where only trees could be seen. Yet the sound was indistinguishable. It was the unified sound of an army walking at one pace.

"What is that commotion?!" Barbro questioned, his eyes fixing on a colossal silhouette at the forest's edge. It was huge, easily over two meters tall. But nothing more was visible as the darkness of the dense forest covered most of the being's features. Yet aside from it, more of its kind appeared, walking towards him and his legion of soldiers.

"Prepare for an attack!" The captain told his troops, taking the matter of commanding the forces in his hand, much to the disliking of the Prince.

"Be ready for an attack, soldiers!" Barbro thought it vital to state it himself. Now, soldiers readied their spears, swords, or whatever they had. They formed a square-shaped formation of roughly 1500 men, ready to defend four sides simultaneously as the enemies seemed to appear from all directions.

"W-What is that!"

"M-Monster!"

"No, please, no! Oh god!"

"By the four gods…"

Sounds of terrified men could be heard on the left side, while the right wing didn't enjoy seeing what the foes looked like. Yet as the shadow of the trees couldn't hide their appearance any longer, most faces went pale white from the sight.

Monsters with enormous tower shields and pure raven swords in hand formed a wall around them. Their faces were the most dreadful thing they could offer. Despair. It was nothing they had ever seen. And a darkness that seemed to want to devour all life was hidden behind the rotten eyes of these knights.

Their helmet sprouted two massive horns on each flank. Most of their bodies were covered in dark cloth, with some parts protected by what appeared to be armor. Just as they thought they had seen it all, one of these beings let out a terrifying growl, driving the soldiers to shiver in fear, some drenching their pants or getting unconscious by the mere existence of this dread.

"R-Run!" It took just one soldier to say the word, and slowly the front lines tried to flee from where they came from, the flames behind them long burned out. But just as they turned around, a giant, all-consuming void opened, from which the same kind of monsters appeared, readying their weapons and tower shields for the incoming soldiers.

Now there was only one way to escape, to go forward. Yet screeches of horror echoed through the plateau, making every man look up from where the horrible sound came from.

On the hill came forth creatures similar to horses, yet far apart from those simple creatures, burning in an eternal flame that could consume one's soul just by looking at them. Horns sprouted from their skeletal head, forming an even more cruel appearance. Some could even see beyond the flickering flame to see that it enwrapped pure white bones, no flesh. On these existence-removers rode the same creatures that stood all around them.

"We… We are doomed."

"Am I going to die?"

"No… No. This can't be!"

"May the gods have mercy on our souls."

Once disciplined and resolute, soldiers now resembled frightened children facing a nightmare. They thought this was a simple mission to retrieve a magic caster, but who said they had to encounter such monsters? Facing impossible odds was not something they could overcome with the power of friendship. No, this was real life, one life and one death. They had families, friends, and foes who would never see them again. At least not alive.

"Your Highness! We are surrounded from all sides! What do you intend to do? We can't stand here doing nothing!" Not knowing what commands to give his troops, the captain asked Barbro, who was equally clueless.

The Prince's assistant noble only watched into the horizon, fear deep inside his heart grasping itself around it. He was only sent to aid the Prince, not to be met with such a crisis. He didn't even have any experience in this sort of combat, yet now facing these odds, fights in the court halls of the Royal Palace seemed like childsplay to him. He would have been safe if he stayed home, where his wife and daughter awaited him. Yet he would never see them again. At least not alive.

"Grr!" The Prince, bittered, couldn't believe what was developing around him. Just earlier, he was having an average day, yet suddenly everything turned upside down, and he was now faced with what seemed some kind of legendary undead creatures. Yet, he refused to surrender. The throne awaited him, and he was determined to fight for it. These monstrous entities would not impede his path. He needed to survive!

"M-Men! Prepare yourself! Look at us, and look at them! They are only a few, not even half of our numbers! Even if they are monsters! They think they can trample us down, me, the heir to the throne! Don't let them believe they can commit such a heinous crime against the kingdom! Pick up your weapons and be ready to attack!" The Prince, rallying his troops, managed to boost their morale, even if his motivation was self-serving. "Follow my command from now on closely!" He believed he was prepared, the Prince of Re-Estize, the future ruler of the greatest kingdom in the known world. Yet, a single voice shattered his illusions, plunging him into the grim reality.

"Welcome, Barbro Andrean leld Ryle Vaiself. I hope there was no trouble on your way here. Now then, I am Ainz Ooal Gown, a pleasure to meet the eldest son of King Rampossa the Third, even if we have to meet under such circumstances." His deep, grand, and all-encompassing voice echoed down the hill to Barbro, who could only stare up to see the man he was chasing all along. Ainz Ooal Gown was clothed in an incredibly detailed and expensive robe, likely made by the gods themselves. Two huge pads rested on both of his shoulders, with what seemed two mysterious red orbs on both sides put into the pads.

Nothing else but elegance could be said when looking at the man, yet somehow Barbro felt an ever-encompassing cold dread oozing out of the magic caster, almost as if he was sucking in all light around him. And there was the mask that the Warrior Captain mentioned. Its devilish smile seemed to taunt the first Prince, its sapphire eyes showing the darkness of what lay behind the mask.

Yet the most extreme thing the mage wore was his gauntlets, one showing divinity itself as if it was the hand of an angel, embracing all in its care. The other looked like the hand of a devil, seemingly being able to torment souls just with its touch, sucking one's life force until they would end dead. Two opposite sides, yet both powers in the hands of an unknown caster.

Initially gripped by fear, Barbro's mind raced, bearing an aghast expression on his entire face.

'This man commands such powerful creatures?' He thought. Then, with the bit of courage he had left and the belief that he wouldn't get attacked by these monsters, he confronted Ainz, the figure he had pursued relentlessly.

"You are that magic caster that dared to make a claim on my kingdom?! And you dare to look down on me, the First Prince of the Re-Estize Kingdom! I should cut you right where you stand, criminal! Yet it appears you and your creatures seem more of a threat after all. But still, you are outnumbered! Comply now and come with us! Even if you manage to defeat us, a whole army from the kingdom will come marching here, destroying you and your beasts!" He knew it. Now he had the mage in his palms. Even when the monsters around him seemed like death itself, he knew he could play his cards well and lure the magic caster out of the protection of these atrocities.

'If this Ainz doesn't accept, the whole kingdom will come to fight him, and I know he does not want to face that! And if he were to take me in captivity, the kingdom's heroes would come and strike him down for good!' The Prince was sure he could do it, even with all the odds against him.

"And what would happen if I were to comply, to come with you and stand before your king?" Ainz, playing the part of an ignorant mage, inquired, disrupting the Prince's scripted narrative.

"You will see for yourself! Of course, you will be made responsible for the crimes you committed against the kingdom! Now, what is your answer before I run out of patience!" Focused on Ainz, Barbro gained some clarity. However, as his gaze shifted back to the monsters controlled by the mage, anxiety gripped him, making him aware that survival depended on luck and the mage's compliance.

"What crimes did I commit again? I am not aware of any. Care to elaborate, Prince Barbro?" Ainz, feigning innocence, further infuriated the Prince. Yet, the calm veneer of Ainz's response heightened Barbro's anger.

"You know exactly what you did, mage! Now tell me your answer!" Barbro tensed with each passing moment of Ainz's silence. Eventually, the mage spoke.

"You say crimes, but is it a crime to ask for what is mine? I believe not. You may think it is a crime, yet who allowed you to judge? But I won't get philosophical with you. However, I will not stop until I get what is mine, even if the kingdom must burn before my eyes. That I promise." Ainz answered, emotionless, without a hint of guilt visible from saying such a thing. Barbro could only watch Ainz with widened eyes, just as everybody who heard what the mage said.

"Y-You monster! Then I will strike you down where you stand! Follow me!" With a command given to his horse and fellow horsemen, he rode towards the masked magic caster with the best speed for which a horse could be bought. Now, a broad smile was seen on the Prince's face, and with his sword in hand, he was ready to strike the magic caster from above. He knew if he could reach him in time and strike the mage, he could have a chance of escape.

"Foolish."

One word, yet it carried immense power. But the Prince didn't stop his advance. He heard screams from behind him but chose to dismiss them. Still, they grew ever more, and soon he dared to alter his view to his rear.

And what was left of his fellow horsemen was nothing more than burning corpses, as the last one was torched alive, his hand stretched out towards the Prince himself. Seconds passed, and he still looked at the horrifying scene, his horse taking him ever so far away from it, yet it was still so close.

Shaking his head, he managed to leave his trance, and he dared himself to look up front to see he had already covered the distance, and only about ten meters awaited him until he reached the magic caster.

He readied his sword to cut the man in half, yet suddenly he and his horse were jerked to the ground, his face unexpectedly meeting the floor.

He slowly stood up, looking at his horse to see it devoid of movement, just as a dead animal would be. Soon after, he heard a vicious chuckle coming from the robed mage. Looking at him from the ground made the robed caster even more menacing.

"Forgive me, but seeing a proud man like yourself fall to the ground was too much fun. I couldn't resist the laugh."

"I… I will kill you! How dare you laugh at me! The First Prince of Re-Estize!" Nothing but pure fury came from Barbros mouth, he not even seeing the peril of the situation anymore.

"You want to kill me? Don't make me laugh. Maybe you can amuse me for a minute, but that is all you will accomplish." Still, the mage was mocking the Prince at every turn, not holding back because of his nobility. This only added to the Prince's rage.

With blade in hand, he charged the caster with every muscle stretched to its best capability, trying to get the maximum strength out of his attack. The Prince could even feel the satisfying sensation of the mage's corpse lying on the ground before it actually happened, and when the blade connected, he grinned at the thought of it.

But what happened wasn't even foreseen to happen from Barbro's point of view. The sword did connect with its target, yet it bounced right back. And as Barbro looked at the mage, he saw no hint of damage done to his robes or his body.

"W-What sorcery is this! How did you manage t-" Just as the Prince was about to talk more useless chatter, he was interrupted by the mage personally.

"Simply, you are too weak. You couldn't even lay damage on me. A mage you thought to be weak against a sword, who you would so easily kill with a single stab. Yet you don't seem to understand..." His right hand, the arm of an angel, went up to his mask, slowly removing it from his face. And in one move, the mask entirely disappeared as if it was never there, leaving only horror for the eldest Prince. Ainz then stretched his hands apart, revealing his pure white ribs with an orb emitting dread itself floating inside him, pulsating with power humans couldn't imagine. "I am not human. I am a being that transcends yours. A being that you could consider a god. Now, I believe you said you wanted to kill me, then go on, try it. Or is the eldest Prince, the heir to the throne, a liar, a coward?" The courage that the Prince had moments before vanished as he saw the pure fleshless visage of the man, no, the being before him. He faced no simple mortal but a monster out of legends. Yet he never listened to those stories. He was more busy fighting with swords and knights.

Out of nowhere, a dark force seemed to come from the undead before him, forcing him into even greater dread. It was almost unbearable, making him want to fall to his knees immediately and plead for his life.

The soldiers, too, sensed the change, fixating on the horrifying mage they had sought to detain. The tide had shifted, their lives now contingent on the whims of an undead being.

"This isn't good. If we stay here any longer, we might die!"

"I know, but these undead are too strong, even for the two of us! Better we wait until the right time comes."

Two soldiers conversed, seemingly indifferent yet laden with fear, never having seen a monster like Ainz Ooal Gown before. The information they gathered on Ainz being an enemy of humanity empowered the Theocracy's cause, so they needed to return and report their findings. But the sheer might of Ainz and his monstrous allies instilled existential dread.

One after another, soldiers dropped their arms and ran in one direction or knelt to the ground, pleading with the undead for their lives. Some even tried to run by the shield-wielding undead, but the monsters formed a wall around them, not making any passage for the humans. They knocked on or hit the tower shields only for them to respond with a push, knocking over and killing many soldiers who tried to come too close.

Barbro, too, struggled. He took numerous steps back from Ainz, trying to stop his whole body from quivering. Nevertheless, he couldn't die from such an absurd mission. Yet it deemed itself far more dangerous than he believed.

"Show me, Prince Barbro, that you are no liar and attack me. If you dare!" Ainz welcomed him with outstretched arms as if to give a welcoming hug, but Barbro dared not approach.

"I-I will beat you! And s-show father my w-worth!" Forcing out those words took some real energy out of the Prince, as if he had to open the gates of hell to release any tone from himself. He took a stance again and slowly approached Ainz, yet didn't attack head-on.

"Is that so? And what will your father think of you when he sees how your knees shake at the sight of an undead? Tell me what glory is there to display when showing such a weakness, then tell a different tale about how you gloriously overpowered me. Simple. There is neither honor nor glory in such a thing. But you won't survive to tell the tale anyway."

Barbro looked down to see Ainz utter the truth. He couldn't control it. His knees trembled like he would carry a heavy rock or something similar. He tried to control it, but he could not do anything.

"D-Do not insult me!" He lashed at Ainz, disregarding everything he learned from his sword training and wildly swinging his blade at the Overlord, only for his attacks to leave no trace of harm, not even fazing the undead mage before him.

"We can do this all day. The fact remains that you are too weak to damage me. Even if you are a Prince, you still bleed the same blood as peasants."

The undead taunted him with those words, making him dash even more, speeding up his attacks to a point where he didn't even hit Ainz properly.

"H-How can t-this be? Y-You're just a magic caster! Just a lowly magic caster…" The Prince's confusion was evident, as was it to most in the kingdom. Swordsmen were strong, and mages were weak.

"That is the point. I am no mere magic caster." Within a second, Ainz reached towards Barbro, grabbing his face with the palm of his demonic hand, burning every spot touched, almost peeling his face off his body. Barbro didn't see it coming, as his eyes couldn't even follow the movement of the Overlord. He raised the Prince from the ground, his sharp gauntlet claws scratching at the skin of the Prince that felt like cold, unbreakable, and sharp steel.

"[Paralysis]"

His attempts to free himself from Ainz's grip stopped with a simple word uttered. His body went limp as if a scissor snapped all cords from his brain to his body. Barbro could only stare at the two red dots in the Overlord's skull, brightening up and piercing through his soul.

'No! It shouldn't have ended that way! It shouldn't have ended at all! I don't want to end like this! I have so much to live for!' He screamed inside his head, cursing all for the suffering he received.

With no care, Ainz threw the body of the First Prince to the ground, making Barbro break several bones from the impact alone.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes, to farm some experience points, of course." The army now was somewhat quiet, as if accepting their fate altogether. But that wasn't going to stop Ainz from killing every one of these soldiers.

"Then let us start." He muttered before casting.

"[Greater Experience]"

This 8th Tier spell would simply double the gained exp for a world item or himself. 'Not only does this spell make a 2x boost on the gained exp, the new ring I equipped, [Ring of Greater Experience], makes the same effect, yet endless. And it stacks! This means I gain 4 times the normal exp! I believe this does even work for [Avarice and Generosity], meaning I can gain 4x exp with the world item and then 4x exp with transferring the exp to myself! Because these are two separate beings, me and [Avarice and Generosity], theoretically, it should work! Meaning 8x the normal exp. Still, with the high level of experience points needed to get lvl 100, I would guess I need more than 100.000 points of experience to reach level 101. And then double for the next level...' That was at least what was written in the lore of the ability he selected for the Staff, he would be allowed to gain more levels, yet the experience points needed would be twice as much as before, making the whole leveling up thing even more challenging than in Yggdrasil.

Just as the silence emerged around the area, and the Death Knights and Soul Eaters stood static, the soldiers thought to find a moment of relief, only for it to last no longer than a second.

"[Widen Maximise Magic: Cry of the Banshee]"

From the depths of the Overlord's soul, a cry erupted that destroyed all eardrums in the vicinity, killing all beings not immune to instant death. Once 1500 soldiers stood, now lay 1500 corpses, to be missed by their loved ones as they will never return.

Ainz could feel the experience flowing into the demonic gauntlet on the left, storing the souls of the dead soldiers in it for later use. 'If experience points are souls, how do I double their exp? It seems just an in-game mechanic, but it doesn't fit in the real world. Doesn't make any sense either.'

As the left hand stopped gathering the souls, he used the right hand with the appearance of a pure angel to use the gained experience points on him. He could feel how he gained them, yet no new level was reached by only killing 15 hundred people. 'Seems numbers alone are not going to let me gain much experience. Well, there's always that massive tree Aura spotted. Surely that has some huge amounts of exp.'

It was strange for such a tree to exist here, but Ainz knew there were similar treants in Yggdrasil, albeit this was no new thing to him.

"This matter has been resolved." He said, an imp bowing beside him, yet the creature spoke before he could leave into the depths of a portal.

"Lord Ainz. Demiurge has requested five hundred corpses to be added to his collection. He also mentioned that this was for the "Greater Plan." Of course, if Demiurge had something in mind, he would certainly let him have some weak bodies.

"Sure. And please, bring the Prince to the 5th Floor with the utmost care. And order the Death Knights to bring the rest of the corpses to the 5th Floor." Ainz commanded the imp, who graciously accepted the task.

"Very well, My lord." He flapped his little wings and went to fulfill his orders.

Ainz was already gone from the green landscapes and back in his office, Decrement awaiting him and bowing before the Supreme One. Ainz didn't waste any time to see a letter on his desk, yet not sent to himself directly.

"Decrement? When did this letter arrive in E-Rantel?"

"About three hours ago, my lord."

"Mmh, very well. Then I shall respond to the call for aid by Blue Rose. It seems they require a Hero." He could see the crowds cheering for him, throwing themselves at his hero persona while defeating the criminal organization for good.

'I will gladly help them eliminate 8 Fingers. Still, I thought they would be strong enough to deal with such criminals, or was it simply an act to lure me into the capital? But for what reason would that be? To see my strength, to see that my deeds are true? Possibly, but if I don't answer, my reputation will also decrease. And I'm sure many know by now that Blue Rose asked for my aid. They put me in quite a spot, that band of girls.' Chuckling at what seemed nothing, the maid beside him almost went on to ask Ainz if everything was alright, but she restrained herself, as this was probably him scheming out his 10'000 year plan.

"Decrement. I will leave Nazarick in two days' time to visit the Capital of Re-Estize. This time as Momon." The maid nodded, yet before she could say another word, the Overlord was gone to wherever beings such as him went for free time, the Spa Resort.

Looking over the walls of E-Rantel was a certain man, the Captain of a specific secret order. He and his companions traveled worldwide to detect and counterattack known or unknown risks to humanity. While the kingdom fought itself over gold, the Theocracy defended it and all the other nations secretly. That is why the Theocracy decided it was time for Re-Estize to merge with Baharut, as the corruption of the once great nation was far too deep-rooted to let the ones now in power rule over it.

'Where are they? It's two days since they left, but still no sign...' The Captain of the Windflower Scripture thought to himself, worries overcoming his mind as he feared the potential loss of two good, honest men.

"Captain, still no signal from them!" Reported a nearby Scripture Member, scanning the horizon for any trace of their missing comrades.

"Enough! We will send another troop after them, let's say 10 men. And I want four volunteers to use the ritual and teleport back to the Theocracy, then report everything that has happened until now. This knowledge is worthy enough to gauge the strength of this Ainz Ooal Gown if he truly defeated an army of 1500 men." Still, believing it was like a vivid dream come true. But if he thought about it, he wouldn't have a problem fighting one of the kingdom's levies, then multiply that by 1500, yet the number remains, and the Captain knew he couldn't fight forever.

"Yes, Captain!" The man made his way towards the hideout of the rest of the Scripture, all ready to receive their new orders.

'Still, I don't have any good feelings about what is happening right now. Especially not when I utter that name.' Looking at the rising sun, the Captain wondered what would have happened if he had lived an everyday life. Yet, instead, he chose to become one of the Theocracies' elite forces, leading espionage and reconnaissance missions for humanity.

'I think two days are enough to travel from E-Rantel to the capital, so no suspicion will land on me.' Precision in his arrival time was paramount – not too tardy, yet not precariously early, presenting the illusion of a seamless journey rather than a mysterious appearance. He wasn't an unknown traveler anymore but a somewhat known Adventurer, destined to be traced everywhere.

Ainz directed his gaze toward the imposing gates of the Capital, mindful of the watchful guards who had taken notice of his arrival. Skillfully guiding his golem horse with an air of nonchalance, he aimed to blend seamlessly into the bustling surroundings.

"Halt! What is your business in the Capital!" Demanded the stern guard, sizing up the enigmatic dark knight. Seeing all his gear worth hundreds of gold coins, he expected this to be some sort of adventurous noble, but as he saw the plate around the warrior's neck, he quickly adjusted his behavior. "I-I'm sorry, Adventurer. You may pass into the city." The guard stammered, and Momon only nodded and went past the guards.

Before going any further, he stepped down from his horse and reverted it into statue mode, putting it inside his cloak for safekeeping. From then on, he would travel by foot, assuming it would be more down to earth than riding a golem horse.

'So now I just have to find-' His musings were abruptly interrupted by a voice calling out his name.

"Momon! We're here!"

He looked forward, noticing a girl wearing a strange mask calling out his name. 'This must be Evileye, and that's Blue Rose behind her.' His eyes scanned the team with precision, analyzing from the looks alone what level they would be. "I guess they all are about lvl 20 to 30. I would be surprised if one of them would be stronger."

"Hello there. I believe you must be Evileye and your team Blue Rose. I heard much about your team. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as a fellow Adventurer." He extended his hand to Evileye, who accepted the handshake but took quite a while to let go of him.

"Welcome to the Capital. We quite heard of your deeds as well. Unbelievable as they may be." Lakyus greeted the Adventurer, famous for reaching adamantite in just under a month. "I am Lakyus. This is Gagaran, and these twins are Tia and Tina." She introduced her team one by one, Gagaran saying: "What's up?" and the twins just nodding in Momon's direction.

"A pleasure to meet you all." Ainz, portraying the epitome of a refined gentleman, shows how dignified the Raven Knight really was.

"Now that we are all together let's head to an inn to discuss why we requested for your he-" Lakyus began before Gagaran interjected with a challenge directed at Momon.

"I always wanted to test my strength against another adamantite adventurer on my level! So whata ya say, Momon! Care for a quick duel?" Standing face to face, looking each other deep in the eyes, or at least tried as Momon's visor hid his face quite well, both seemed equal in height, making none look down upon the other.

Yet Momon seemed so infinitely taller when Gagaran stood before him. "I heard you could slice a rock in half just with your pure strength, and I am eager to meet that power. After all, how can I trust you if I don't know your power?" The other girls only waited for what would come. They didn't dare to crash such a moment of two warriors.

'Her suspicions are understandable, or maybe she's just a battle freak. If she sees that I can't fight properly, they will certainly think of me as a con man. But I could also learn from this experience, fighting one of the greatest adventurers of the kingdom. Why not?' To cover up the still moment, he spoke after what appeared to be an eternity. "I accept!" He went in for a handshake, and Gagaran greeted it with her best strength.

This was the first part of gauging each other's strength, looking at who had the greater grip. And Gagaran was quite surprised when she was met with an equal if not better hold than herself, almost making her retrieve her hand back.

"Then where shall we fight? Not on the streets. We could hurt the citizens." He asked.

'He even looked at that detail! He's truly caring, even for the simple folk.' Evileye's vision of Momon went beyond what a normal adventurer was and became more of a hero for her.

"Fine. If you two want to brawl, then we do it in the nearby arena." Lakyus agreed to let Gagaran fight, as she also wanted to see Momon's strength.

All of them found themselves heading to a rounded structure. Inside was a plateau, sand coating the entire surface.

They went on opposite sides, taking great distance from each other.

"I will count down from three. Are you ready?" Evileye asked, getting nods from both Momon and Gagaran.

Momon stood wide. His stance, this time, was not something improvised but a thing he learned from Cocytus. It provided greater stability and maneuverability. If an enemy were to attack, he would just have to take several back steps and defend. If he were to attack, he just needed to do the same inverted. Take steps forward and strike, simple as that. He knew that much even if he didn't have a single level in a warrior's class.

With ease, Momon lifted the two great swords from his back, holding them both with a grip of steel. The light reflected on the shining blade of his swords, back to his black raven armor, absorbing the light never to be seen again.

Gagaran, on the other hand, looked deep into the visor of Momon, not turning her glance away from him. Holding in both hands was a massive warhammer, one that a normal soldier couldn't even lift. With it, she could smash skulls open as if they were walnuts. Her armor also seemed interesting, the red yet violet tone lifting her out of everyday adventurers.

'Now I can learn how an adamantite ranked adventurer fights, and I hope she impresses me. I just have to be careful not to attack too much, or they will see through me.' For now, he would just defend the strikes of Gagaran with his two swords, sometimes countering with a jab or a push.

"Three! Two! One! Go!" As soon as Evileye finished, the fight began. Gagaran rushed at Momon with a glorious war cry, not wasting any time.

"Take this!" She jumped two meters in the air, an incredible feat for a woman like her, and plunged her hammer down at Momon. Her speed was still swift for her size, yet nothing the Overlord couldn't defend.

Seeing what Gagaran was doing, he patiently waited for the perfect moment to counter. Just moments before the impact, he used his swords to redirect her hammer to his left side; himself dodging a bit to the right. Gagaran's hammer went down, hitting nothing but the harsh ground, sand filling the air from the blow. Nothing could be seen through the dust-filled air for a moment, just two silhouettes waiting for the sand to leave their vision.

"That's some strength right there." Lakyus said, her eyes still fixated on the man who called himself Momon.

"To redirect a strike with such ease…" Evileye was surely impressed by what the Dark Hero showed them. Tia and Tina only nodded, not commenting even when witnessing such an impressive feat.

"What a magnificent counter! You just pushed my hammer to the side like it was your everyday thing!" She was clearly impressed by Momon's precision, inclined with his strength.

"It was just pure luck. I am sure if it hit me, I would not be standing at the moment." Trying to feed her ego and remove the thought that he was an all-powerful hero clearly worked on the giant of a woman.

"Then let's see if you can evade this!" She came in fast, swinging her hammer from her hip up to thrust Momon in the air. But again, Momon evaded her strike with ease and pushed her away with his shoulders, making her almost lose her posture.

"Hahaha! I've never seen someone push me away that much! Incredible!" She didn't seem to hate that fact and was enjoying the sensation of fighting a strong opponent again.

'I could defeat her hand-to-hand even in my magic caster form. But let's not test that right now.'

Now, Gagaran was swaying her hammer right and left, making Momon block the strikes with even greater speed. He decided to dodge some steps back, getting some distance from her.

'What should I do?' He didn't want to improvise too much, but Gagaran wasn't getting slower. She swung her hammer at him, raising it from the back of her head and using all her strength in this attack, trying to get a block from him and using the momentum to ram Momon instead of following up with another move.

As predicted, Momon blocked the strike with one of his swords, impressing Gagaran even more. But just as she was about to ask herself where the other sword was, she felt the resistance of his block disappear and an elbow thrusting down her hammer, making her let go of her weapon as it fell to the ground.

Ainz stepped away, waiting for her to pick up her weapon again, just as a respectful hero would do to another honorable warrior. She didn't hesitate and picked her weapon up again, her hands slightly shaking from the impact Momon had caused on her hammer.

"You got some strong arms to play around that much!" She felt to comment on his superhuman strength, a feat only she thought was capable of.

"Only years of training my body and mind made me as strong as I am now." He replied, Gagaran releasing a series of laughter after hearing that.

"No normal human can become that strong! Just who are you, Momon?" Even Ainz knew that, but he found himself quite a good backstory if one were to ask him about his past. It should sound believable.

'Gagaran is right. There must be more to Momon than a name. Maybe a godkin? But from who?' Evileye was aware of the descendants of gods being stronger than normal beings, almost too strong, just as Momon proved.

"Fight me, and you'll find out!" Momon answered Gagaran, pointing one of his great swords at the woman.

"You are just defending the whole time. Are you thinking of me so weak that I can't withstand one strike from you? C'mon, show me that strength!" She wanted to feel him go offensive once, to see what moves he would pack out.

'I tried acting defensive the whole time as I can't use any Martial Arts. My technique is basically slashing and doing what I would think is cool. Still, the lessons Cocytus gave me were truly revealing. I should remember what he taught me again.' Desperately seeking to imitate the stance and the attack Cocytus used on him, he made himself ready to strike Gagaran for once.

"Then, be prepared because I will not hold back." That was a lie. He was going to hold back just not to kill her. He wouldn't want to be branded as a murderer of adventurers suddenly.

The woman only smiled at his remark, awaiting his attack, not blinking any second from now on. He lashed forward with incredible speed, using the momentum to slash at Gagaran from the right side with both swords. With widened eyes, she looked at the blurred image of Momon. She thought Momon to be slower, yet he had already proven his flexibility when carefully dodging her attacks. She used her hammer to block the attacks, trying to deflect most of the damage.

"He is fast!" Lakyus said out loud, the twins nodding. Momon's speed was probably as fast as them running, and they were ninjas, a profession made to outrun targets. If every knight were that quick, their kind would not be needed, yet Momon was not their everyday swordsman.

"That must be some incredible legs of his to let him be that agile and with such heavy armor on." Unconsciously, she imagined what powerful legs were behind his plates, yet she still tried observing the fight while doing so.

Receiving more and more hits from Momon, Gagaran decided to attack him with a Martial Art for once. She tried not to, as Momon didn't use ones as well in this fight. It was a sort of mutual respect from one warrior to another. Yet the warrior's strengths didn't leave her any choice.

"[Smash]!" She raised her hammer quicker than before. Her tool of destruction glowed for a second, and, to her surprise, she hit Momon, even if he blocked her strike with both of his swords. Suddenly, he pushed her with strength coming from nowhere, making her back off and even land on the ground. Before she could stand up again, a sword was pointed at her neck, with a dark shadow over her.

"Do you yield?" Ainz asked. The woman could only sigh at that.

"Yeah, yeah." She raised her hands, Momon retracting his sword to let her stand up. He offered a hand, and Gagaran was not to decline help from a respectable warrior.

"That was some impressive fighting right there, Momon!" Evileye congratulated the dark knight, who immediately thanked her for the compliment.

"I thank you for your kind words, Evileye."

"I can't really believe it. Gagaran defeated. That is truly an impressive feat, Momon, I must say." Lakyus replied. Seeing the warrior's strength in person made her lose some suspicion she had.

"I am sure Gagaran was just holding back on me the whole time. If she were to fight real, I would have a hard time."

"Dont be like that! You beat me fair and square! That's my word!" She was quick to reveal that she was, in fact, not holding back, instead even giving her best to fight Momon. But he seemed just as an unstoppable force as an impenetrable object.

'He doesn't even want to recognize that he beat Gagaran in a fair fight. He's truly humble yet incredibly strong. Like the 13 Heroes once were.' Somehow, she felt her heart beat again. As a Vampire, it should be impossible for that to happen again, but it was true. She was unsure what this meant for her at the moment. She would have to self-reflect on that later.

"Now that this matter was cleared, why not find an inn to discuss why you need my aid?" Returning to the topic, he quickly asked what Blue Rose initially wanted from him.

"Very well. Let us go to the finest inn, then. I'm sure Gagaran is already hungry for some food." Lakyus answered. Momon nodded, and the adventurers left the arena for one of the best inns in the Capital.

Entering the inn, they were given a spot immediately due to the popularity of Blue Rose. Gagaran ordered three roasted chicken as usual. The rest didn't order anything except drinks.

"Momon! You should eat as well! You know, without food, these muscles of yours are gonna decline just in a week!"

"I thank you for your thoughts, Gagaran. But I have my own supply of food which I eat. It is purely made to enhance my muscle growth to the best extend." He said.

'Actually, I'm all bones. The only thing I can eat, I believe, is life energy.'

"I didn't believe you to be an expert in such things! I usually just order the most amount I can eat. Maybe you lend me your died once were finished with 8 Fingers." Gagaran said, making Ainz go back to the topic again.

"Ah yes, you wrote in the letter that 8 Fingers was a plague in the Capital, and you needed my help fighting them?" He recollected what was in the letter. There wasn't much info there, just that they needed a brave Adventurer to defeat the mercenaries of 8 Fingers.

"You are right. For years, 8 Fingers has expanded, and to my shame, its influence is even affecting the kingdom's nobles. But nothing can be done against them, as all investigations are put down instantly. This is why the Princess herself has not only asked us, but more adventurers to help take down the criminal organization without the help of the crown. And with your help, we could surely do greater than alone." Momon put his hand up to his chin. Or where it would be if he weren't wearing a helmet.

"I understand. But I am not superb at reconnaissance or finding out thieves and thugs. I can fight, if that is what you want."

"Right. You don't have to worry about running after criminals. We have information that there will be a festival where most of the top ranking members will meet, even one of their Fingers personally." Evileye explained, getting the attention of the raven-black hero.

"I'm listening." He replied, urging Evileye to continue.

"Now, our plan is to attack the estate from all sides and confront the criminals inside. Maybe we can even capture one of their leaders by chance, but killing them will be fine as well."

"That is our plan. And we could really use the help of a powerful Adventurer like you." Lakyus said.

"Well, I'll gladly help you with that." He replied, getting cheerful reactions from all the members.

"The crown will even reward you once this is over. At least that was what the Princess said." Evileye thought about when the Princess promised to pay all Adventurers who would help defeat 8 Fingers.

'Good. Maybe I can even get away with some gold after all.'

"So, Momon, how did yo-" Before Lakyus could finish her sentence, a woman came in screaming, the horror in her eyes indistinguishable. The paleness of her skin could be easily mistaken to be the one of a vampire.

"M-M-Monsters!" She yelled, panicking the entire inn in a matter of seconds.

"We gotta look what's happening outside!" Gagaran said, and Blue Rose and Momon quickly ran outside the inn. Peasants and soldiers alike were running away, trying to find shelter in any house they could find was open. No brave face was trying to face the enemy. Even gold adventurers sought to hide away.

"What is going on?" Lakyus asked, finding no answer in the confused faces of her teammates. But just about then, a huge shadow flew over them, raising their heads to the source to make them see what was causing all this fear.

The thing that flew in the air was nothing less than horrifying, shaped like a sphere with a dark mist shrouding it. It possessed multiple faces, ever-changing and distorting to its will. Hovering above the adventurers, it looked at them with its many red-colored eyes.

"What is that..." Garagan asked, never having seen such a monster before. Evileye seemed quick about it and raised her hand to the creature.

"Shit! That's an undead!" She was ready to cast, yet Momon quickly put his hand on hers.

"If we attack it now, it will begin to kill us all! Look there!" Momon pointed to the distance to reveal more of those horrible undead. They were everywhere around the city, terrifying even Blue Rose with the number of these creatures.

"This isn't good. So many undead in the heart of the kingdom! What trickery is this?" Lakyus sheathed her blade, ready to strike the being if it were to attack them. But suddenly, the undead began speaking, its voice as horrible as it looked, spreading dread with every tone uttered by it.

"You have displeased the Supreme One, humans! Instead of accepting the terms he so graciously made, you sent an army to destroy him! This cannot be forgiven! Know this! You have brought the wrath of Ainz Ooal Gown upon your land! But in his mercy, he gives you another chance. He wishes not to destroy an entire nation for the consequences of one king! Now, you have one month to release the surrounding region of E-Rantel, and give it into the care of our lord! Your king shall know that if these terms are not met, then see this as a warning and what will happen to your miserable lives!"

Before the people could ask themselves what the warning was, the sky suddenly turned blood-red. First, one drop of red liquid dropped right after the other, slowly falling from the heavens like rain. But this was far from simple water. Slowly after, bodies, limbs, heads, and all sorts of body parts plunged from the sky, crashing down onto the streets and houses of the Capital City, garnishing every part of the town.

For the simple folk, this was like the end of the world. The Apocalypse come true. Out of the sky descended blood and men, mutilated to the point of no recognition of who this person once was. Screams echoed through the streets of the city, children crying from the terrible scenery and men panicking like never before.

In the Palace, it was all the same. The king only watched out his window to see his balcony full of blood and parts of what were once humans. Puking to the ground, he dared to look once more. He thought to had seen something familiar, and just then, he saw it.

His knees gave up on him, his eyes wide as almost falling out. He fell back, shocked by the horror he just saw. On his balcony, there was a head from none other than his son, his heir.

He felt darkness overcome him, and he collapsed unconscious as the pain grew. His weak, old, and fragile body couldn't watch it any longer.

The same could be said for the second Prince. He vomited out whatever he ate this morning, closing the curtains of his room so as not to see the things that happened outside and those horrifying creatures anymore.

Yet his sister was far from sick. She looked upon the scenery outside with a wicked smile, almost welcoming the disaster to come. Who would think the weakest of the royal family to be the most drawn to such a display, even grinning at it? 'It has begun.'

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I took inspiration from the last scene from Castlevania, where Dracula destroys that human town.