A little over a week had passed since Ainz and Aizen had their meeting, and it was 2-days since the Baharuth Empire had invaded the Re-Estize Kingdom in earnest. This was done under the pretense of finally concluding what they started with the annual wars, while in reality it was on orders from the Sorcerer Kingdom.
In addition, unbeknownst to the outside world the army the Empire employed, outside of being supported by magic-casters commanded by the Imperial Court Wizard himself Fluder Paradyne, a Frost Dragon, and several Death Knights and Death Warriors from the Sorcerer Kingdom, had been teleported closer to the Kingdom to cut the time and costs necessary to invade.
This was why a large portion of the Empire's forces had actually come from the Sorcerer Kingdom, under the guise of being allowed passage through Ainz's lands. After all, the Empire was a vassal state. Among those commanding this army was the General of the Second Legion of the Imperial Army, Natel Inyem Dale Carvain who in all his military career had never experienced such a smoothly run operation.
Among the major factors in their favor was that the now Sorcerer King had decimated most of the able fighters that would have immediately been an issue. The late Gazef Stronoff among them. Of course, the power of the undead, dragon, and capable magic-casters were excellent force multipliers that easily swept away whatever opposition they came across.
However, what made their campaign that much easier was the fact the Kingdom's own citizens, mostly those of lower-standing, gave up and even at times welcomed those of the Empire like liberating heroes, freeing them from the callous tyranny of their own ruling class. Although Natel knew the Kingdom's nobles' horrid reputation, never did he imagine things so bad that an invading army would actually be a welcomed alternative.
As he and his garrison stood under a cloudy sky, Natel thought on this even more as he gazed upon what was before him; a small group of peasants who came on horseback to greet him. This was not just a simple welcome however, but also to present him with the head of the noble that had ruled the area they were now trying to occupy.
From what his latest intelligence reported to him, the noble in question called for total, do-or-die resistance against the invasion. Of course his scouts also reported that the noble in question was using the ensuing chaos to flee to the Royal Capital. Clearly, the noble's people learned of this somehow and put an end to him and his plans.
This group of civilians promptly dismounted their horses, and were surrounded by the garrison. Natel came to greet them upon his own steed, followed by one of them presenting a fish-net pouch holding the noble's head.
"F-For our safety." The leading man with the head said, holding it up to the General.
"Hm... It is my understanding that he had a family. What of them?" Natel asked, eying the offering with a stoic expression.
"I... In the confusion, they were also killed." The disheveled man said with hesitation.
"Understood... You and yours can be at ease. This gesture will not be forgotten. Now, I ask you to lead us to this man's former residence." Natel instructed, receiving relieved looks from locals who were allowed back their horses.
Upon their re-mounting, the general handed the head to one of his soldiers, and he called for the garrison to reorganize to resume their march, all the while calling for two of his personal guard to his side.
"I want the two of you to go to the other units and spread word of what has happened here. Tell them to take a more peaceful approach to the locals of this area, but not to let down their guard as some may still wish to resist us."
"Understood."
"Good. Now go."
"The rest of you, advance!"
While this was the first time this had personally happened to him during this campaign, based on reports others gave, similar bloody welcomes have happened elsewhere. Even occasions where all they had found were dead as a result of infighting had transpired. By no means was Natel an amateur new to war and its atrocities, but this turn of events held a certain aspect to it that left him feeling uncomfortable. Perhaps it was due to his position he was somewhat aware of what was going on behind the scenes.
Every combatant on the Empire's side knew about the forces that were teleported to the Sorcerer Kingdom prior to the invasion, but as one of its main Generals Natel had been briefed about certain things unknown to the rank-and-file. For the most part the Kingdom's nobles were to be killed. It made sense given how the "Bloody Emperor" had no use for incompetent and/or corrupt nobles whom were hated by their own people.
However, he and his officers were given lists of individuals to be spared. Some not even belonging to the nobility. Some of these names were, at least to Natel, quite surprising. One such name that immediately came to mind was Marquis Elias Brandt Dale Raeven, and they were given assurances that he would not organized any resistance, and would willingly go into the Empire's custody.
"Tsk! 'Tis bloody unsettling..." Natel groused under his breath.
"Sir? Is something that matter?" An officer to his side asked in concern.
"Hm? Oh, do not mind me. I simply expect something to go awry when things are going well. It is always best to do so in any action."
"A-Ah, yes, sir. Wise words indeed."
"Hm. Indeed..." Natel reassured as he continued to think upon their invasion.
Again, Natel was by no means unfamiliar with war. Nor the scheming and politics behind it, but the fact that some individuals who he imagined to be utterly devoted to the Kingdom were expected to give up, simply went beyond his expectations. And it made him shudder, thinking that this was once again the Sorcerer King's unseen hand moving events like pieces on a board. While Natel and others could theorize all they wanted, there was certainly truth to the belief that the Sorcerer Kingdom was involved.
It was a fact that the one he knew called "Demiurge" and some of his agents had pushed things in certain directions, since it was he who pressed Marquis Raeven to capitulate by threatening his wife and son. However, what they couldn't speculate was the other individual pushing for civilians to turn on their albeit corrupt nobles and freely welcome the Empire into their country.
Unbeknownst to him and any outside of a select few, was that it had been the "Golden Princess" herself who covertly spread word of the good that the Empire, and even the Sorcerer Kingdom, could bring the population, whilst also spreading word of the nobles' misdeeds and decadence.
This joint effort, along with the Kingdom's already present disarray and weakened state, the Empire's surprise invasion and its capabilities made this "war" a trivial affair when compared to the expectations of most in it. With them scoring victory after victory, and the Kingdom's people openly welcoming them, their morale soared ever higher as a result. Repairing some of the damage to it caused by the Katze Plains Massacre.
Now it was just a matter of time until the Re-Estize Kingdom fell to the Baharuth Empire, even if the swift nature of their successes was owed to the Sorcerer King's shadowy hands. Natel knew their Emperor likely detested owing these successes to that undead king in any way. Still, once their final victory took place, which was projected to be a few months from now, perhaps it would cease to matter...
As the conquest of Re-Estize continued in earnest, certain events unfolded in the Elf Country. They were dealing with the aftermath of the sudden appearance of two young and powerful Dark Elves and an undead from the Sorcerer Kingdom. Not only had they killed their King, but also informed those present of the true reasons for the war with the Slane Theocracy. Any one of those would have been a shock, but to a population mostly ignorant of the war's origins, it had them questioning everything.
This trio departed shortly thereafter, but not without extending an offer for their nation to come under the Sorcerer Kingdom's protection as a vassal state. Giving the elves a means to contact them when a decision was reached this offer, along with the many revelations and removal of their twisted and self-serving King Decem Hougan, led to the formation of an elven council of representatives from several of the nation's villages to decide what was to be done.
As they discussed what to do next, others still took the time to process the fact that the King was dead. Among them was Myugi, one of many women that had been at Decem's beck and call for his goal of producing strong progeny. She was currently in what was her room in the capital, sitting upon her leaf/fern bed, with her usual stern and imposing demeanor relaxed for the first time in many seasons.
As she took the time to caress the face and hair of her daughter Rugi, who was resting her head on her mother's lap, the little girl then spoke with an almost empty tone.
"When do I return to the battlefield, mother?"
"...Hopefully, when all of this is done and they come to a decision, you won't ever need to return to the battlefield under a will that is not your own." Myugi replied, passing her hand through her daughter's soft hair.
"What about father? What will he say?"
"…"
Myugi tried to speak but fell silent. This wasn't the first time Rugi asked this question, or the first time it had been answered. It pained her to see how difficult it was for her little one to process what really was a simple fact, but at the same time Myugi understood her perfectly. Despite seeing Decem's body for herself, it still took some time for her to fully accept that he was indeed dead.
While foolish it was only natural. After all, he wasn't just their King. He was a powerful being who reigned unopposed for centuries. Even the few dragons that challenged his rule died by his hand, and for all to see. None could deny his might after so long, even when he so easily made everyone around him miserable. So for Myugi to see him dead, to see the bloodied and broken body with blank eyes rolled back into his sockets, was a shock. And something that took her time to fully process.
Keeping her own circumstances in mind, Myugi could understand why Rugi, who hadn't seen her fallen father, or those who had performed the deed, might still fear in some shape, form, or fashion that he would return and again force her back to the frontlines. Taking a breath, Myugi again caressed her daughter's cheek, bending down to kiss it as she caressed her hair.
"He will say nothing. As I told you, he is dead and can't hurt us anymore. You can be at ease. I saw it. I saw him lying there. Bloodied, motionless, and cold. And if the ones representing us now are smart, no one like that will ever touch you again." Myugi said in a heartfelt tone, trying to hold back her tears.
"...!"
Here, Rugi's body seemed to tense briefly, as the young elf pushed herself up to a sitting position. Looking up at her mother, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as they trickled down her cheeks. Something finally clicked in her mind, and the fact that the monster that had been her father was dead, truly seemed to settle in.
"He is... gone? He's truly gone?" Rugi sobbed.
"Yes, honey. Yes! He's gone, and we're free!"
Mother and daughter embraced, letting their emotions and subsequent tears flow freely as they allowed themselves to be relieved from the heavy weight that had been on their shoulders. Staying like that for a while longer, Rugi eventually fell asleep, and Myugi left the chamber to let her daughter rest. Needing to regain her own composure, she walked down the hallway, its current emptiness allowing her to take a breath, thinking of how well things finally turned out for her daughter.
As she stood in her thoughts, another elf came to greet her. He was one of the former King's guards, and a man that in the past was forced to offer his own wife and daughter to Decem. They greeted each other with a nod as he stopped before her.
"Is there something you need of me?" She plainly asked, wholly disinterested in lengthy conversations.
"If I may, it would seem like a burden has been lifted from you. But more importantly, I came to tell you that a decision regarding the Sorcerer Kingdom has been reached... You can be at ease. It's been decided that we'll become their vassals. As we speak they're working on sending word back to them."
"Truly?" She asked, sounding mildly surprised.
"Well, if we're speaking about facts, it is either join with the Sorcerer Kingdom, or fall to the Theocracy. Despite his many faults, Decem's power kept us safe in a way. With that gone, we need to turn to someone else if we're to keep existing as we are. I understand your sentiments. I'm certain many others echo it. Indeed, we may finally have a road ahead of us, that won't be made from the bodies of our kin." The man replied with a warm, albeit weary smile.
"Indeed. That possibility puts me at ease. What of those on the frontlines? When will they be informed?" Myugi asked in concern.
"They'll be informed in due time. We still need to contact the Sorcerer Kingdom and ensure everything's discussed and set in stone."
"But don't they deserve to know that there's a possible out?"
"Of course they do, but it's been agreed that until things are truly established, word of this cannot get out. Yes, I agree it's a cold decision, but we can't risk showing weakness. Especially with Decem dead. We cannot risk emboldening the enemy." The messenger pointed out, earning him a displeased expression from Myugi.
"Then, make that quick. The sooner this ends the better." she pointed out.
"That's what we're striving for. Now, I must go. I've been tasked with informing others of the current situation."
Exchanging nods, Myugi watched as the messenger left. Crossing her arms, her thoughts drifted to the fact that so many of their people were still in the dark on what happened. Still, despite that she could smile somewhat and even lightly laugh, knowing that finally, finally, better days were coming to Elf Country, and that her daughter might have an actual future worthy of the name.
Meanwhile, during all those events, from a cloud filled sky a few rays of sunlight pierced through, bathing the Katze Plains in its warm rays. This was possible only due to the advent of the Sorcerer Kingdom and its undead King, as their power could clear the area of its perpetual fog and wild undead.
Through discussions between Ainz Ooal Gown and Sōsuke Aizen, a match to settle things between the Primera Espada Rylen Tsezguerra, and Nazarick's Floor Guardian Shalltear Bloodfallen was decided to take place upon these still undeveloped lands. Despite it not being to the death, its isolation was far better suited for them to exert the lion's share of their powers.
Of course while it was isolated, the decision was made to establish a perimeter kept by a mix of duplicates, the Noveno Espada Jaecar Laporin, the Fracción Elsa, and some NPCs from Nazarick. While the location for the match itself still had some ruins around it, a fairly large clearing for the fighters was still present, with the ruins acting as a "ring" of sorts.
Nearby, a large hill overlooked the area with two ornate, almost throne-like seats for the two Kings of Ainz Ooal Gown and Sōsuke Aizen. Flanking the Overlord were the Dark Elf twins Aura and Mare, while Aizen was attended by the Segunda Espada Annika Masador Aenar and the Séptima Espada Jillur Gralik.
From their vantage point, looking upon the proceedings posed little issue for them as they gazed upon the debris that formed the "ring". In the middle 30-feet apart, the combatants of Shalltear and Rylen silently stood. While the fog was gone, the air around Shalltear was heavy and even seemed to be filled with a haze as the Bloody Valkyrie proudly stood for all to see in her full glory, fully equipped in her panoply.
Finally being within reach of the one that humiliated her the powerful, piercing gaze that she emitted bathed the area in a crimson light. Truly, the sheer weight of her hostility and killing intent alone would have ended the lives of normal humans and demi-humans with little to no effort.
Opposite to her was Rylen, whose hair and beard were recently groomed, with a rather calm look to his eyes. In his right hand was the same staff he had used against Shalltear before, made of a dark-blue, crystal-like material with runes and dragon shapes etched into it. The rest of his gear was unfamiliar to Shalltear, and could only conclude that this was his true panoply.
His true gear was the result of work combining Reishi, [Tier Magic], and [Wild Magic], in reinforcing and enhancing the wearer. Visually speaking Rylen's was mostly dark-colored with spike-tipped boots, dark metal knee-guards, dark-colored trousers with armored sections, and metallic weave interconnected with chainmail and a breastplate, shoulder-guards spikes akin to rose thorns, arm guards with similar and finally gauntlets with red cape draped over his left-shoulder.
"Fighters prepare. The match will start on my command." Aizen announced with a calm, almost charming quality.
While this received a slight glare from Aura and Mare, Ainz was unfazed since this was agreed upon by both leaders. Especially when the power to decide where this event would take place had been given to Aizen, so to the Overlord it made sense that it would be the Shinigami making the announcement.
"Come on then~! Prepare your '[Martial Arts]'." Shalltear sarcastically hissed.
"Hmph... As you wish. [Body Strengthening]. [Flow Acceleration]. [Greater Ability Boost]. [Focus Battle Aura]."
Rylen invoked his Arts with calm and composure, yet as the Espada took his stance a faint red aura enveloped his weapon. His eyes likewise seemed to shift into a more crimson color as they glowed slightly, and for all those from Nazarick a presence similar to Ainz's began to truly be felt from the Primera Espada.
While Shalltear wasn't greatly surprised since she faced him once before, for the twins to actually feel this visibly surprised them, and naturally wanted to question Ainz on how this was possible. However, they decided against it so as to not disturb the proceedings. In Ainz's case, he was both surprised and intrigued by this. Again, this was something completely new to him, and was eager to see more of what this Rylen could do.
"Begin."
Upon Aizen's command there were a few moments of silence, until Rylen charged not wanting to waste the [Martial Arts] that he invoked. Quickly closing the distance with Shalltear, Rylen executed a thrust attack with his staff, just for Shalltear to sidestep it at the last moment with a smile, swinging her [Spuit Lance] towards his head. The Espada ducked under this, and again pushing his staff upwards towards the vampire's face, but was rather easily blocked by her free hand as she then grabbed onto it.
"You'll find that I'm not the same vampire you fought before." Shalltear growled.
With a superior smirk Shalltear released the staff, and again swung her weapon towards Rylen. Leaping back, he steadied himself just in time as Shalltear lunged at him again in an attempt to smash her Lance into him. Reacting quickly, Rylen held his weapons in both hands to block the blow, the [Martial Arts] fading just as Shalltear's attack made contact with his staff.
"[Heavy Fortress]."
The Espada managed to activate the [Martial Art] almost simultaneously as the clash happened. This sent part of the impact back at Shalltear who staggered back, but still leaving enough power behind for Rylen to be sent back several feet, before crashing and rolling onto the ground.
"[Instant Counter]. [Shukuchi Kai]. [Strong Assault]."
Immediately returning to his feet, Rylen was a blur closing the distance between himself and the True Vampire, as his red cape flew away with the sudden rush, and landing a clean hit on Shalltear's face. Letting out a hiss, she tried grabbing him with a free hand, but Rylen anticipated this, taking a step back to be just out of reach, and jammed her in the side with his staff.
"Dammit! [Force Explosion]!"
Steadying himself, Rylen took the brunt of her blast, again being sent flying several feet, but this time slammed his staff into the ground and planting his feet to keep himself from going back further. On her end, Shalltear twisted her face in pain, as she had certainly felt the hit to the face, but doing her best to push that aside. She took in just how decent an effort Rylen was making, especially now that he had this new panoply.
"Come on. Don't run away from me, Rylen~!"
With a war cry Shalltear flapped her wings, speeding like a rocket straight towards the 1st-Ranked Espada, who again took his stance and prepared for impact.
"[Invulnerable Fortress]."
However, Shalltear stopped a few inches away from Rylen's staff, allowing the Art to be wasted, and her face twisting with a playfully depraved grin.
"It seems you're more than a mindless beast." Rylen remarked with a perked brow.
"A beast yes, but far from mindless~. [Maximize Magic: Paralysis]."
While the spell didn't affect Rylen, this didn't stop Shalltear, since in her efforts to better her mindset as a warrior, she was taking this battle seriously. She assumed from the first it wouldn't work, or at best not for long. Acting accordingly, Shalltear wrapped her free hand around Rylen's right-wrist, the hand which held his staff, while also smashing her forehead into his face.
Blood gushed forth from his nose as a surprised and stunned Rylen was left vulnerable for the few seconds that Shalltear needed to tighten her hold upon him. With a powerful upward push of her wings, they took to the sky. Her intention was to completely take away Rylen's footing, making him a far easier target.
Regaining his bearings, Rylen quickly understood his situation and his greatly increased disadvantage. Focusing on Shalltear, he saw that she was focusing up, and so did his best to remain as motionless as possible. Opening his right-hand to release his weapon so he could grab it with his left, before he could do so however, the Bloody Valkyrie shifted her trajectory. Laughing with glee, this caused the staff to miss its mark as it continued falling to the ground below.
"Ah~! Do you think I would let you do that? Please~. But it's not like you need it, right? I want to see what you can do with your hands~." Shalltear remarked with a perverse grin, continuing her ascent.
"My, what a frightening thing. Something as powerful as you, can still have such glee in battle." Rylen plainly remarked, as he shifted his right-hand so to grab onto Shalltear's wrist.
"And~?"
"[Greater Ability Boost]!"
Pulling down, Rylen also pulled himself up, managing to get closer to Shalltear, while curling the fingers in his free hand as if he had claws. As he brought it towards her, he invoked additional [Martial Arts].
"[Strong Strike]! [Fivefold Slash of Light]!"
A dark aura wrapped around the hand, before points of light formed at the tips of his tensed fingers. Pulling back, rays of light arched as Rylen rammed his hand into Shalltear's side. Letting out a gasp, the vampire struggled for a moment as her wings seizing, causing the duo to begin falling. This gave Rylen an opening to grab her neck with his free hand as his eyes brightly glowed, and his expression finally tensed with determination and the desire to win.
"[Ga...] Rylen went to say, when Shalltear spoke over him.
"No touching~." She chuckled, transforming into her [Mist Form].
Immediately stopping his action, Rylen felt her form slip through his hands, and gravity pulling him back down. Once he was no longer within range, Shalltear returned to normal, looking down at the falling Espada, and upon where his hand had struck, seeing the five marks left behind by the attack. Grimacing at the sensation, she raised her free hand, gathering mana to enhance a [Purifying Javelin] before throwing it.
"Tsk! [Enhanced Magic Resistance]. [Greater Physical Boost]. [Dull Pain]."
With no way out, Rylen tensed his body and used [Martial Arts], taking the full brunt of the attack in the stomach. Just like the other times he took the attack, he worked through the pain, even as blood freely flowed out of the wound.
"Just like I thought~! You're a far easier target while in the sky."
Deciding to not immediately press her advantage, Shalltear watched as Rylen continued to rapidly descend, until finally crashing into the ground below. Finding himself in the resulting crater Rylen groaned, feeling his body go numb, despite his gear and [Martial Arts] absorbing the impact and reducing the damage. This made him wonder if she silently applied another spell of some kind, or if that [Purifying Javelin] was the cause.
Given what he knew of that [Skill] and its debilitating effects, that was the likely cause of his discomfort. Taking a breath and wincing from the pain of his wound left from the [Purifying Javelin], Rylen crawled out of the crater, just as his senses were warning him to dodge.
Immediately leaping forwards, Shalltear came crashing down exactly where he was, with her Spuit Lance rammed into the earth, creating an exceedingly large dust cloud. Getting back to his feet, Rylen scanned area for his staff, which he saw was not that far in front of him, but at the same time Shalltear emerged from the cloud, and began to unleash a barrage of attacks with her lance.
"Hmph! [Greater Ability Boost]. [Greater Evasion]."
Using his hands, Rylen expertly blocked and parried most of Shalltear's attacks, all the while trying to maneuver to retrieve his weapon. For the most part he managed not to take a head on strike, but still felt her lance scrape past him as his attention was split between avoiding Shalltear and retrieving his weapon. As expected, her lance's special ability to drain a target's vitality was still felt, despite the glancing blows.
As another one of her attacks was parried, Shalltear leapt forward trying and reach for Rylen. When he managed to shift back, the vampire simply smirked, casting another series of spells.
"[Wall of Stone]. [Teleportation]~!"
"...!"
Usually a defensive spell, but given their close proximity, when the wall erupted from the ground, it did so underneath Rylen, actually pushing the Espada upward. With her [Teleportation], the Floor Guardian immediately reappeared behind him as soon as the wall was fully raised, and attempted to impale him in the back. Having heard both spells being cast, Rylen assumed she would try attacking him from behind. Spinning around he then brought both hands up.
"[Invulnerable Fortress]."
The Spuit Lance struck the palm of Rylen's left hand as the [Martial Art] took effect and sent Shalltear staggering back. While she remained airborne, Rylen was sent flying back onto the ground upon his feet as the Espada managed to catch himself. While this was a positive outcome, the negative was that Shalltear stood between him and his weapon.
"Boring.~" Shalltear sighed, floating between Rylen and his objective.
While she was doing her best to hide it, Shalltear was feeling more and more frustrated at how things were going. He was just too weak. Or more accurately, the time she spent training with Cocytus had sharpened her battle-sense to a razor's edge. Her much more serious approach to battle and her full gear, made her realize her full potential as a frontline fighter.
Even if Rylen used surprisingly good quality gear himself, it left her feeling like there was something missing. His hits did not feel as hard as they did in their first meeting, as much as it pained her to admit she didn't feel as overwhelmed, and strangely she didn't feel that certain heat, that pleasure even from the pain inflicted on her and the pain she inflicted on him.
Cocytus had spoken of the "thrill of battle" before in their training sessions, and now she was beginning to grasp the meaning behind those words. Absent that thrill, any kind of satisfaction she would have enjoyed from his exchange now felt hollow.
"Is that polearm really that important to you? Can't you do anything of worth without it? Can't you perform, old man~?" Shalltear mused, doing a rather evocative motion with her pinky finger.
"Do you understand what you're saying?" Rylen flatly asked, taking this time to compose himself.
"Just answer my question, ant. I have prepared myself for this fight extensively, yet this is all there is to it. Why don't you use your [Gate: Release], hm~? Why don't you try and overwhelm me!? Show me that warrior's spirit, oh great First Espada!"
"Hmph... This tells me that you haven't changed at all, vampire. Still a child wanting to get her way."
Rylen's reply was quick, but he could see the frustration build within her. She was clearly disappointed in this match, and while he had yet to fully show his hand, the Espada also wanted to keep the fight within a certain rhythm. As things stood however, it wasn't impossible for Shalltear to simply break that. While she was stronger than him before, she wasn't as focused and disciplined.
That was now present within her, despite her personality not suffering any real changes. Still, that added motivation and drive to her budding warrior mentality made her all the more dangerous an opponent than she was before. He could not help but curl his lips in a small whimsical smirk, realizing that their last exchange brought this growth about.
"If that is how you want it, I don't mind forcing it out of you~. [Greater Teleportation]." Shalltear invoked with a bored sigh.
"[Great…"
Shalltear disappeared and reappeared with even greater efficacy than before. Despite him anticipating her trying something like this and moving to invoke [Martial Arts] to prepare for it, she already attacked him from behind. His own uncertainty on her next course of action caused enough hesitation for her to take full advantage of it, leaving him vulnerable for a split-second. Truly, she had growth to both recognize and use that.
Immediately teleporting again, Shalltear reappeared to his front, performing another thrust with her weapon. This ensured her actions wouldn't bring him closer to his main weapon, and granted a consecutive combination attack.
Honestly, Rylen could not help but be impressed in much the same way a teacher would be proud of their student. He barely had time enough to grab onto the Spuit Lance, and while aiding in stopping any critical damage, the lance's tip still went into his chest, and the rest of the impact pushing him back slightly.
"You were saying~?" Shalltear purred, feeling some of the damage the Espada took translate into healing herself.
"...!"
Rylen tried to speak, when he then felt the lance start to dig in ever slightly deeper, and as Shalltear pushed forward, she went as far as taking a step towards her prey. This pushing her [Divine Class] weapon deeper into the Espada. Keeping his grip tight on her lance, Rylen took advantage of Shalltear's momentum to shift his body and pull the tip of the weapon out of his torso.
As he staggered to Shalltear's right, his body tensed as a dark, hot aura erupted from his body. His eyes turned black with only crimson glowing pupils glowing brightly, and the skin around the eyesockets cracking to reveal something dark underneath.
"[Gate: Release-8]!"
"Finall...~"
Shalltear tried to quib on Rylen having finally used his trump-card, when his right fist thrust forward, making contact with her face. The resulting impact was so powerful that it echoed throughout the area with an explosion of displaced air. With a hiss the vampire staggered back, but Rylen didn't stop his assault as he delivered another blow to her gut, with her bending over in a surprised gasp.
"[Strong Assault]! [Strong Strike]! [Heavy Blow]!"
The aura around his body for a moment lessened, as it gathered in his fist, followed by a powerful punch to the right side of Shalltear's head, blood and even a piece of her armor flying off upon impact, and the True Vampire sent flying onto the ground several feet away.
"[Shukuchi]. [Dull Pain]. [Flow Acceleration]."
In the blink of an eye, Rylen was again upon her, but the Bloody Valkyrie was ready for this with her Spuit Lance. Thankfully, Rylen managed to avoid the blow's full impact, yet the weapon scrapped past his head, scraping his face's left side, tearing away flesh and removing his ear. Yet in his current state, with the addition of [Dull Pain], this did not stop him as his hands tensed, making claws from his fingertips.
"[Focus Battle Aura]! [Grand Power Strike]! [Tenfold Slash of Light]!"
The Primera Espada pushed his hands back as his dark aura gathering in them along with points of light forming in his fingers. With a nearly imperceptible motion, Rylen pushed his hands forwards and into Shalltear's gut. The points of light transformed into crescent-shaped beams as they launched forwards, seemingly being pulled behind Rylen as the dark aura swirled around him, before all of this made contact with Shalltear.
Again a massive shockwave was released with the ground cracking underneath both warriors and Shalltear being sent flying. Blood and pieces of armor came off as she did and past the area where Rylen's staff was situated and further into the distance until she crashed into the pile of rubble that served as the edge of their "ring", and the ruins she crashed into then further collapsing upon her.
Here his [Gate: Release] and all other Arts left Rylen's body, but he had managed to get his staff before this happened. He did this to not only prepare himself for Shalltear's inevitable renewed onslaught, but so he could maintain a vertical position. The backlash from using so many powerful Arts at once, most especially his [Gate: Release] hit him all at once as he fell to his knees.
Rylen was exhausted as his breathing became labored with the fading of his aura, and his eyes returning to normal and were now bleeding. Blood also dripped from his nose and his gauntlets had been damaged from the pressure of the power being channeled into them and having to literally break away portions of Shalltear's own armor. This was a consequence of using his body and armor in place of his weapon, and it would take some few moments for his own items to heal and rejuvinate him in his drained state.
Meanwhile, silence filled the entire area. On the hill from where the match was being observed, Aizen was his usual composed self with a slight smirk on his lips. Annika also shared a slight smirk as she was happy to see Rylen put on such a fantastic showcase, while Jillur remained stoic as usual, even though he too was pleased.
On Nazarick's side, all were either stunned silent, or doing their very best to remain composed. Mare looked between his sister and Ainz to try to understand what the best reaction would be, since confusion gripped him due to what he had just witnessed. He was no warrior granted, but this was well outside his own expectations.
Aura was silently calling Shalltear an idiot after seeing an outsider deliver such powerful blows into her, and their sisterly bond causing the Dark Elf to genuinely feel pained by what happened to the vampire. She thought that surely Shalltear could do better if she wasn't playing around as much. But her instincts told her that Shalltear was fully serious in this fight. Meaning, this "Rylen" and his panoply was simply that powerful.
In Ainz's case, while he looked composed this was only due to his emotion suppression and the sense of presentation he needed to keep on for the NPCs. In reality though, his mind was again in turmoil. First, he was angered beyond belief to see an outsider do what Rylen did to Shalltear, even if it was a fact that it seemed like she was taking some enjoyment from this entire thing confused his sense of anger.
Second, he was in awe, captivated by what the Espada was capable of since, despite the fact that he could tell that Shalltear had the edge, not only was Rylen capable of coming up with such [Martial Arts] combinations, his experience and clear devotion to combat made someone weaker than Shalltear, do to her what took even Ainz himself careful planning and calculation to do in his fight with her.
Not to mention how surprised he was to see that the Espada's gear was able to keep up with the combat, and while the staff seemed like something that possibly came from YGGDRASIL, the same could not be said for the rest. Finally, Ainz was genuinely moved by the growth Shalltear put on display.
Truly, this was an inspired battle. The focus, the fact that she took Rylen into the sky to remove his ability to maneuver, that she had managed to take his weapon away from him and was so seamlessly weaving frankly unique spell and attack combinations with combat, really made the Overlord's non-existent heart skip a bit.
Indeed, he felt tears of pride could have formed in the corners of his eyes if he wasn't an undead. If he didn't need to maintain a certain of type of appearance, he would have clapped for her, seeing Shalltear grow so much. It made him feel at ease that he wasn't leading his friend's creations down the wrong path.
A minute passed since Shalltear had been buried under the debris, before they began to vibrate and then explode outward. What emerged was not only by Shalltear, but also her all-white [Einherjar] duplicate. Accompanying them were also several of Shalltear's familiars surrounding the duo as they finally emerged from under the debris.
As all presented looked upon Shalltear herself, those of Nazarick were shocked to see that a portion of her helmet had been smashed in. The section of her armor around the abdominal area was broken and dented in with some pieces missing, while others were digging into her skin. Her face and stomach was covered with blood in some areas, but as she walked out of the rubble followed by her duplicate and familiars, she began using her lance to kill some familiars to nonchalantly heal herself, still with a grin on her face.
"Not bad~. Got another one in you~?"
"..."
No reply came from the Espada, who upon seeing her did his best to push himself to a vertical position, still needing to use his staff to do so. Shalltear, while angered at the beating she had just taken, was finally feeling it; that warm feeling in her core. She was more than ready to dish out the same pain to Rylen, and her only regret was that due to the nature of the match she, couldn't thoroughly break him down for her pleasure.
"Oya~? I guess not. Honestly, it looks like you're about to die on all your own. No matter. get him~." Shalltear hissed, motioning towards him with her free hand, prompting [Einherjar] to rocket straight for the Espada.
To add insult to injury, Shalltear prepared another [Purifying Javelin] in her free hand and threw it, so that both it and her duplicate would reach Rylen simultaneously. Yet to this the Espada only looked on, until his features tensed and his eyes again shined red.
"Do your best! Rule and Conquer, La Parca!"
"...!"
As soon as the command words left Rylen's lips, a swirling pillar of necrotic energy violently erupted into the sky, hitting the clouds before from this main pillar different strands began to separate and branch off like a kind of twisted tree. The ground cracked and sundered as the necrotic energy ate into the soil. Pieces of it began to wither away, while others floated in place, with a crimson glow intensifying.
The resulting wind whistled violently, to the point that it became almost unnerving to listen to. Especially when after a point it sounded almost like the wailings of the dead. This effect being added onto by the shapes that could be seen in the swirling pillars and branches of energy.
The central pillar that was still focused on a now unseen Rylen, then suddenly expanded in all directions, eating into the air, along with clashing into the [Purifying Javelin] and [Einherjar], overwhelming the spell and pushing back the duplicate. It exploded, sending necrotic energy in all directions, leaving a clear hole the size of the ring in the darkened clouds, before the remaining energy in the sky came down in the form of black rain.
The ring was now a few feet deeper, as the release of power from the Espada had turned what was there before into a cloud of dust. Shalltear and her duplicate stood in the debris that the Floor Guardian was previously thrown into, as Shalltear herself was seemingly unaffected by the blast. Her construct showed some wear and tear from taking the brunt of the blast head-on.
More importantly, Rylen was now fully vertical, holding his staff in his right hand, and from his back hung a shroud of necrotic energy and most noticeably, his head was now a skull with two glowing orbs where the eyes used to be. The texture was almost metallic with several sections of it was adorned with rune-like patterns.
Despite the visible differences between Rylen and Ainz, it was clear to everyone present that Rylen was an Overlord of some kind, and now more than ever, he felt very similar to Nazarick's ruler.
"An Overlord?" Ainz asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.
"Hm. Close, but not exactly."
Understanding that Aizen wasn't likely to give him a complete answer just yet, Ainz took the time to examine Rylen's new form. He understood that at the very least Rylen had recovered some of his HP via the transformation, if not fully healed from it. Still, the fact that Rylen could be an Overlord, or had some Overlord aspects, made Ainz consider the fact that as he was now, he may be able to use magic.
This he promptly confirmed using [Mana Essence], but thankfully the Espada's MP pool was smaller than Shalltear's when at 100%. However, as she was now he had the advantage, while probably keeping the same abilities from before. On her end, Shalltear had a massive grin on her face, finally seeing a true challenge before her, however she was also livid at the fact that he had managed to get her to use a portion of her mana reserves and damage her before transforming.
"Let's resume this~." Shalltear said with an oddly sultry tone.
"[Focused Battle Aura]." Rylen calmly announced, as a portion of his shroud enveloped his staff.
Taking flight, both vampire and duplicate rocketed towards Rylen, who took his stance and waited. Closing the distance with the Espada, [Einherjar] went for his head, while Shalltear went above it, intending on attacking Rylen from behind. The duplicate's Spuit Lance clashed with Rylen's staff, doing little to affect the Espada, but allowing Shalltear to land behind him and attack with her weapon.
"[Greater Evasion]."
Sidestepping Shalltear's attack, Rylen almost caused her to hit her own duplicate, but the Floor Guardian managed to stop herself in time, and turning to face the Espada now both Bloody Valkyrie and construct facing Rylen.
"[Dragon Fang Thrust]."
Rylen unleashed the two consecutive attacks, but his opponents shifted places, so that [Einherjar] took the full brunt of the blows, with the second of the consecutive attacks actually denting in her armor. However, at the same time allowing her to grab the staff with her free hand, at which point Shalltear appeared from behind her duplicate.
"That's it, keep him steady~ [Brilliant Radiance]."
A pillar of holy light fell upon Rylen, and given his newly transformed state, its undead nature would have pained him greatly if not for his gear having already taken that into consideration. As the holy light ate into him, Rylen was attacked by [Einherjar], who let go of his staff and unleashed a barrage of attacks with her Spuit Lance. Jumping back, the Espada reset his footing, tightened his grip on his staff and used it to swat the incoming jabs away, parrying the blows and leaving the duplicate open to attack.
"Ah~hah! Switch~!" Shalltear laughed, as she got in Rylen's way.
Taking a step forwards, Rylen swung his staff at Shalltear, who blocked it with her Lance and tried and grab him once again. Rylen swiftly kicked her in the gut, stopped her with enough force to send her into her duplicate.
"[Dragon Fang Thrust]. [Grand Power Strike]."
Leaning forwards, Rylen unleashed two powerful consecutive strikes, that with gritted teeth Shalltear chose to avoid by returning to her [Mist Form]. Drifting away from the impacts, this meant that her duplicate, which had already taken some damage from the brunt of Rylen's transformation, took the full impact of the blows.
Further cracks appeared on its form as [Einherjar] stumbled back and the 1st-Espada suddenly stopped. Some of the runes on his head started to glow a dim blue, along with other runes on his body, as light could be seen from the cracks in his gear.
"[Rune Array Magic: Astral Slash]."
With another motion from his staff, Rylen unleashed a crescent moon shaped energy blade that went through Shalltear's mist form, causing the vampire to cry out in pain. She was forcefully returned to her normal state as a large bloody slash now decorated her torso.
"D-Dammit~! [Impure Shockwave Shield]!"
Freely displaying her anger, Shalltear's feelings were made manifest by unleashing a reddish-black wave of force that swallowed up the immediate area, including the Espada and her own duplicate. Before the resulting attack could run its course, Rylen was sent flying out of the spell's range, landing on all fours as she came flying in his direction, her face still twisted with anger.
"[Vermilion Nova]!"
"[Flow Acceleration]!"
A pillar of fire came down on Rylen's location, but the Espada ran straight for Shalltear, jumping and crashing into her midair. The Espada's free hand went for her throat as she grabbed onto his wrist, doing her best to keep them both afloat as both fighters then smashed their weapons against the other, the resulting clash sending them both back onto the ground as both retained their footing. Letting out a low growl, Shalltear tried to regain her composure when some of the runes on Rylen's body again began to glow.
"[Rune Array Magic: Lightning Cage]."
From Rylen's hand emerged several bolts of lightning that reached out for and then wrapped around her, trapping and electrifying Shalltear who cried out in pain. As this was happening from the crater that her [Impure Shockwave Shield] left behind, came [Einherjar] now covered in several cracks, who resumed its attack on Rylen by flying towards the Espada.
"[Greater Ability Boost]."
Leaving Shalltear to handle the spell, Rylen charged straight for the duplicate, letting his senses sharpen, his grip on the staff remained firm, yet his body relaxed, with one jump the Espada placed himself above the duplicate, who replied by going to attack with her weapon.
"[Vertical Strike]!" Rylen called out, with a mighty cry.
Bringing his staff down full force, Rylen broke through the duplicate's lance and finally the duplicate's body, as a low gasp seemed to leave its body. The cracks expanded and broke it into several pieces before turning to particles of light. At this point Rylen was still partially midair, when he was struck from behind by Shalltear's last use of [Purifying Javelin]. A gasp escaped Rylen's jaw as the projectile's momentum sent him through the particle and then crashing onto the ground.
As soon as he felt the ground Rylen moved to recover, just to be pushed down by the results of [Force Explosion], halting his progress and giving enough time for Shalltear to land next to him, kicking him onto his back. Shalltear's expression transmitted a strange mix of rage and pleasure, since at this point she was just doing what came to her. With her prey now on his back she began attacking with her Lance, as the Espada proceeded to roll across the ground, avoiding the several thrusts she threw his way.
"[Instant Counter]!"
Forcing himself back to his feet, Rylen parried the next attack with his staff and for a moment they remined with Shalltear trying to push him, while Rylen blocked.
"[Force Explosion]!"
An invisible blast compromised Rylen's footing, leaving him open to Shalltear tackling him, and with a heavy thud the Espada fell on his back. The vampire straddled him, using her free hand to push away his staff, while she brought her head down on his skull for a headbutt.
"I'm going to enjoy this~!" Shalltear hissed, her face growing Flushed.
"[Slashing Strike]! [Iron Fist]!"
Keeping the fingers on his free hand straight, Rylen rammed it into Shalltear's side, before buckling Shalltear away, the vampire falling to his side in a dazed state, allowing Rylen to begin to sit.
"[Time Reverse]."
The blood flowing out of the newly opened wound suddenly returned to her body as the damage vanished, and as Shalltear clenched her teeth she jumped to her feet. Landing a punch on Rylen's face, this threw the Espada back onto the ground and for a moment there was silence.
No one made a sound with how tense and desperate things were now, and as Shalltear stumbled to a vertical position, this allowed Rylen to do the same, knowing that while she had landed a good amount of blows just now, he was in far better shape than her when it came to "HP" and "MP". Not to mention that she was almost out of hers.
"Tch~!"
"Are you done?" Rylen plainly asked.
"No~! I'm far from done! I'm open to let this reach it's climax~!" She hissed, earning her a confused head-tilt from Rylen.
"Uhm... I agree with the sentiment. It would be best to end things now."
"So don't hold back on me old-man. Let it all out~!" Shalltear demanded, her wording again perplexing the Espada.
"Indeed. Also your last chance to show how much you've matured."
"Hmm~! Right~."
Here they stopped, standing just a few feet away from each other, still well within range of a melee attack, everyone in the audience watching on intently, seconds passed and then both attacked. Rylen swung his staff at Shalltear, while she jabbed at him with her weapon, just for him to sidestep it avoiding the blow.
"[Focus Battle Aura]. [Grand Power Strike]. [Vertical Strike]. [Sixfold Slash of Light]!"
Bringing his staff down on Shalltear's right arm, the one that held her Spuit Lance, Rylen gathered most of the aura that hung from his shoulders like a cape. The wind breaking around the blow and seemingly formed an unseen blade that the six beams of light gathered around and then, it went through her arm. An agonizing cry escaped Shalltear's mouth as a gasp left Aura's lips, with blood gushing everywhere as the Floor Guardian was effectively and literally disarmed.
"[Time Reverse]!"
In a matter of moments the arm reattached itself, the damage was undone, but more importantly Rylen was open. With an almost desperate cry, she rammed her Lance into Rylen's sternum with enough power that she almost lifted him up from his feet. Her lips curled into a triumphant grin, seeing the lights momentarily flickering in his eye sockets, along with the healing currently going into her.
"[Rune Array Magic: Dimensional Move]." Rylen mumbled, certain runes on his body flickering.
"...!"
Suddenly the Espada was gone and before Shalltear could react, she was struck in the side of the head from behind her. Stumbling to the side, blood dripping from the impact, Shalltear wildly tried to hit Rylen with her weapon, but her amateurish efforts only made it so that he could easily grab to her Lance.
"[Strong Strike]."
Smashing the end of his staff into Shalltear's face, more blood erupting from the wound, Rylen then brought his weapon down on her head and with that Shalltear was brought to her knees, her head low.
"Do you yield?" Rylen stoically asked.
"Hah~! I like it rough, old man~! [Negative Impact Shield]!"
Unleashing a wave of reddish-black energy, Shalltear managed to push Rylen back, freeing her weapon in the process and with a smile on her face. Steading herself she went back on the offensive, consequences be damned. An intent Rylen clearly picked up on.
"[Gate: Releas..." The Espada began to invoke with glowing eyes, when he was suddenly interrupted.
"That's enough! I command you to stop Shalltear!" Ainz exclaimed, having raised from his seat, lifting a hand in her direction.
Hearing the Supreme One's command, Shalltear stopped in her tracks, and while she looked less-than-pleased, she relaxed her body and sighed, relenting. This display in turn allowed Rylen to also relax, understanding that the match was over.
Back on the hill, the Dark Elf twins were in stunned silence. Looking at Ainz, they didn't want to question the Overlord's decision, but at the same time saw this as a defeat. Even more so when Ainz himself put an end to things.
"Are you comfortable with this? She clearly still had fight in her." Aizen asked with a curious tone, also rising from his seat.
"She has spirit perhaps, but at this point she was about to go wild, and that was not the point of this match." Ainz firmly replied, enough to where even Shalltear could hear.
"And Rylen was also going to instinctually reply in kind... Agreed. This was a good point to end it."
"Let's go see how they are doing, and what their reading of the outcome is." Ainz calmly suggested.
While this was going on, Rylen and Shalltear hadn't done much to move from where their match had ended. Yet they were now looking at each other, the vampire tilting her head slightly, before spitting out some blood.
"If you had transformed from the beginning, things would have gone differently." She bitterly remarked.
"Hrm... That is certainly possible. I admit that by no means the result was set in stone. However, by starting in my human form, by making you use resources, get frustrated, bored, and even confident, I was certainly able to stack the odds in my favor." The Espada matter-of-factly said, earning him an eyeroll.
"Tch! I should have gone all out from the start." Shalltear mumbled.
"Perhaps, but you were certainly more serious now than you were before."
"I spent a lot of time preparing for this. To get better acquainted with that 'warrior mentality'. Next time will be different." She firmly pointed out, causing Rylen to chuckle.
"Indeed. It'll be far more straightforward since you know I can transform."
"Ara~! Not only that, but despite all of your experience and skill, I gave you a good fight, even after you transformed. So I'll only be better the next time~."
"I agree with the sentiment. You're indeed very capable and not someone I think I will ever be able to take lightly." Rylen pointed out.
"It's good that at your age you're still so quick on the uptake. It really makes me want to know how you perform...~"
Shalltear was cut short by the arrival of Ainz with the twins, along with Aizen and the other Espada, who came down from their spot on the hill to personally greet them.
"Ainz-sama, my apologies that I..." Shalltear quickly went to say, when Ainz raised a hand to silence her.
"We will discuss this at greater length later. But for now just be aware that I was, for the most part, pleased with what I saw." Ainz regally explained.
"T-Thank you, Ainz-sama. I am unworthy of such praise." The True Vampire said with a deep bow.
"That aside, we came here to ask you what your stances are regarding the outcome of this match." Aizen coolly informed.
"It wasn't my win... And it probably wouldn't have been if we hadn't been stopped." Shalltear said, looking away from the group.
"Agreed." Rylen added.
"Then we are of like mind. The win goes to Rylen. I hope that this is enough to settle things." Aizen said with his usual calm, charming demeanor.
"Umu... Indeed. I hope this puts you at ease, Shalltear." Ainz added.
"Uhm, yes. I mean, of course, Ainz-sama. After this, things are clearer for me." The Floor Guardian said with deference.
"Good. Then, let's move this meeting to a close."
Healing both combatants on the spot, along with Shalltear returning to her usual dress and Rylen returning to his normal "sealed" form with a swirl of reddish-black smoke, the group exchanged final pleasantries, before the Katze Plains were abandoned once more.
Whilst Aizen and his party departed via that strange portal, Ainz and his group returned to Nazarick via [Gate], appearing in the Throne Room shortly thereafter. There Albedo, Demiurge, Cocytus, and Sebas were waiting, with the Guardian Overseer standing by the empty throne, and the rest standing in a line before it. Upon Ainz's arrival all present kneeled, with Shalltear and the twins joining the line. As Ainz took his seat as the ruler of Nazarick, he motioned for everyone to rise.
"Before we move on to Shalltear's thoughts on the match, I would like to make it clear that while I would have certainly preferred a clear victory, I am not displeased with how things went. So for all of you that watched things unfold here, please keep that in mind before you pass any judgements. Now, Shalltear, tell us why you think you lost." Ainz announced.
"I underestimated him far too much. It never crossed my mind that he could have been hiding just how powerful he truly was, or that he would be able to transform into... that. Because of this, despite all the time I spent training with Cocytus, I underestimated him and took things lightly, so that when he showed me his true power I had already wasted many of my resources." Shalltear said with a downtrodden tone.
"Umu... I see. While you're not wrong, at the same time I don't agree when you say that you took 'things lightly'. Yes, you underestimated him. A fatal mistake, especially given how your first encounter with him went, and your lack of imagination given anything he might have been hiding allowed him to drain your resources before he showed all of his cards. But I don't think you were taking things as you normally would. You were showing great amount of foresight and technical skill during your match with him. Examples? You took him into the sky where he would be an easier target, combined spells in unique ways to catch him off guard, and finally the zeal and cunning to keep pushing to the very end. I think that you took this very seriously, despite the aforementioned shortcomings."
The Overlord's words resonated through the chamber and almost drove Shalltear to tears. With a hand covering her mouth, her head lowered slightly to hide the pure joy that came from being acknowledged as she graciously bowed.
"Ainz. Sama. I. Would. Like. To. Speak." Cocytus announced, in a low and respectful manner.
"Hm? I suppose that is fitting, given how you assisted Shalltear in her preparations. You may speak, Cocytus."
"I. Believe. That. Was. An. Inspired. Battle. Even. If. It. Was. Not. A. Contest. To. The. Death. I. Had. Not. Seen. Such. Ferocity. And. Display. Of. Skill. In. Some. Time. Indeed. I. Can. Only. Say. That. Shalltear. Has. Developed. Admirablely. I. Also. Must. Remark. That. I. Had. Never. Imagined. The. Espada. To. Be. So. Skilled." The Floor Guardian pointed out with awe clear to see.
"If I may, I agree with Cocytus. Thanks to this match, it was possible for us to get a better idea of what one of their number one can do. Even if we weren't able to see all that he could do." Albedo added, briefly eyeing Shalltear who promptly eyed her back.
"Agreed. While we didn't attain a victory, we certainly saw more of what Rylen, and by extension the Espada, can do. Especially with this ability to transform. An unexpected turn to say the least." Ainz mused as a bony finger tapped his left temple.
"Perhaps this is another showing of Aizen's knowledge and capabilities." Demiurge said as he pushedhis glasses up.
"More than likely. Aizen didn't deny that Rylen was, to some extent, an Overlord. But from what I could tell, the same did not go for Annika and Jillur. Correct, Aura?" Ainz asked as he shining eyes went to her direction.
"Uhm, just so, Ainz-sama~! From what my senses could tell, there was something almost demonic to Annika's nature, while Jillur's was more like a demi-human's."
There was a pause as the guardians looked at each other, pondering on the fact that the Espada were clearly more than human, and managed to keep this hidden for such a long time. This also meant that if pressed, in theory all of them could transform, upgrading to a larger grade of power. This was obviously concerning, taking into account Rylen's gear, and that after his transformation, his HP was completely full, and became a Level-100.
"Meaning that they all can probably transform. This more than likely applies to all of the ranked Espada, as they are the ones that usually take to the frontlines." Demiurge analytically said.
"We mustn't forget about Nazz. While not ranked, he's always taken to the frontlines. From what we can tell he's among the group's original members, paired with a ranked Espada. So his strength and ability to transform cannot be questioned, if we assume the others can do that. We should also keep in mind this ability for their Fráccion, just in case." Ainz pointed out with a cautious edge to his voice.
"Of course. And if I may, with this information in mind, would it not be possible for Nazz to be more than he seems, Ainz-sama? As you said, he's one of their original members, and from what we can tell, he is the partner of the 3rd-Ranked Espada. Yet he doesn't seem to have a rank of his own. From what we know of Aizen, what if this is just another ploy to hide the fact that Nazz is stronger than one would assume him to be? Perhaps he is stronger than this Rylen... The 0 Espada if you will."
'"...!"'
This earned open surprise from all those present, outside of Albedo and Ainz. The NPCs turned their heads to look upon Demiurge, because having seen via scrying what Rylen could do, and how he did get the win over Shalltear, to think that Nazz could be stronger than him started to raise some genuine concerns. If Rylen was able to fight Shalltear, the strongest overall Floor Guardian, just what could Nazz be capable of then? And how strong would he be transformed?
As these questions went through their minds, Ainz did his best not to show surprise at what Demiurge just said. He honestly had not considered that, and was now greatly concerned, considering how the Espada's rankings seemed to work. As someone above Rylen, Nazz might already be Level-100, so what could happen if he transformed?
This was a real cause for apprehension because, in terms of a fight, what could be done? It made Ainz think on Nazarick's own trump-card, and Albedo's and Nigredo's younger sister Rubedo, with just how strong she was, and the power that she could bring about if deployed. Not even Nazarick's strongest member in Touch-Me could beat her without a [World Item] to back him up...
"A good point, Demiurge. I am gald that you brought this possibility up." Ainz said in a genuinely grateful tone.
"Ah, I am unworthy of such praise, Ainz-sama. I'm certain that you had already considered it." Demiurge humbly argued.
"Hehe... Not at all. This was something that went well beyond what I had considered." The Overlord openly remarked with a whimsical chuckle.
"I…" The Floor Guardian went to say, when Ainz lifted a hand to silence him.
"I am not underselling your abilities, so take my word as truth, Demiurge."
"To think that I would be able to think of this before you, Ainz-sama... You humble me." The demon said with an emotional tone that the rest would have shared.
"If I may ask, Ainz-sama. What does this mean for our current course of action?" Albedo asked in a professional, business-like tone that frankly impressed Ainz.
"First, I want Shalltear to tell me if she thinks like things are settled with Rylen." Ainz frankly replied.
"Y-Yes~! Despite my defeat, I do feel I was able to work through most of the rage and frustration that built up within me. Although, I do wish to fight him again. If I may be honest, I have admit that I never expected an outsider to make me feel such things~." Shalltear informed, with a clearly mischievous tone.
Because of the proclivities written in by her creator, there were few things that could actually turn Shalltear off. So despite her still wishing to fight Rylen, she felt a certain kind of attraction towards the Espada. There was something about the pain and the forcefulness and his skeleton form that certainly got her going. And now she fantasized about being able to do the same things to him.
"Uhm... Umu. Good to see that your stance on him changed. Ahem. With this in mind, I say that we are to continue cooperating with Aizen and his people, as we have been until now. But I tell all of you to keep in mind what has happened when Shalltear faced the 1st-Espada. Despite everything there was a defeat and while I will not condemn her for this, I want everyone one to keep this knowledge in your heads; that their power is noteworthy." Ainz firmly announced.
'"Understood, Ainz-sama."' The NPCs acknowledged with a bow.
"Good. Now, you are all dismissed."
Rising to their feet, the NPCs again gave the Overlord a waist-bow before making their departure. Shalltear used [Gate] a place to be alone and relax on her floors, pondering on what had happened and just how surprised she was to have faced an actual opponent in this world. Whilst everyone dispersed to ponder on recent events in their owns ways, each was forced to confront one undeniable truth; Aizen had others in his service that were a threat, much they were in the Supreme One's service.
Left alone on the [Throne of Kings], Ainz thought back on just how much of his curiosity had been piqued by what he had seen. He wanted to see more of what the Espada could do, know more about where Rylen's gear came from, and most importantly, he wanted to know more of what Aizen could do.
Indeed, Shalltear's match with Rylen turned out far better than he originally considered, because there clearly was so much new to them that could be learned and gained, just like what he had gained from the Dwarves. For now though, all that Ainz had to do was wait and hope that no one would mess up this agreement between himself and Aizen.