Chapter 31: New Enemies
"Is that him? Is that the Sorcerer King? He seems like an Elder Lich, just more powerful." Azuth commented, currently hovering in the air, a flying armor accompanying him.
"I am positive. I met him before, together with the vampire he currently has at his side. She is incredibly powerful. For him to have her at his side is disturbing." The Dragon Lord mused, recalling his battle with the crimson-clad vampire. Her armor, similar to the one she possessed then, seemed of even better quality than before. And even then, he couldn't damage it properly with his weapons.
'Powerful servants and powerful equipment. I am sure Ainz Ooal Gown is a player now.' Tsaindorcus surmised as he watched the battle occur.
Arcane runes circled the undead king, then erupted in a bright light, signaling the beginning of the spell.
Suddenly, thousands of soldiers from the Re-Estize kingdom fell lifeless, killed without even having been touched by a sword.
'Impossible! This magic-' He couldn't quite believe his eyes. The one he thought to be a player seemed to perform a rite only thought possible with Wild Magic, or so he thought.
Souls, the essence of any being, escaped the dead soldier's bodies and flew toward Ainz Ooal Gown, sucking them up like a sponge.
Platinum Dragon Lord was confused. He thought the magic of souls was only reserved for Dragon Lords, the highest of beings in the world. Yet the Sorcerer King seemed to break that worldview.
'I shouldn't have been so naive to think players wouldn't be able to utilize souls as well. Yes, that's what it is, probably. Nothing else. He can't possess Wild Magic.' Tsain assured himself, continuing to observe the happenings from a safe distance.
Yet what waited for him next would make even the Dragon Lord reconsider what he was here for.
A ginormous portal appeared, from which the ugliest and most terrifying aberrations escaped, with no other desire but to kill and destroy.
There were exactly three of them, yet their incredible power made up for their lack of numbers.
"W-What are those things? Do you have any idea what they could be?" Azuth stammered with his mouth agape, simply frozen by the monstrosities summoned by the Sorcerer King.
He had thought this was another evil undead, a necromancer who thought to rule the world. Yet this went beyond everything he imagined.
His magical prowess was beyond what he had ever seen from any mage, sorcerer, or wizard. He wasn't very familiar with spells, yet he knew several tiers existed, some deemed unreachable by humans.
Yet it seemed Ainz Ooal Gown possessed magic beyond what was thought possible, magic only they could possess.
"I do not know of these creatures. But they are threats that must be stopped. Unfortunately, we lack the firepower right now. We will need all the help we can get." Tsain stated, watching the abominations bathe in the blood of the remaining living soldiers.
'I will need to talk with the other Dragon Lords about this. A threat this big should bring them together. The Theocracy is probably watching as well. I only hope this monster goes after them first. Then, if he is weakened, we will finish him off.' A conclusion that made perfect sense in the mind of a dragon. He thought of allying with the Theocracy to destroy Ainz Ooal Gown, but he would never do that.
If he were to ask them for an alliance, he would undoubtedly receive conditions for such. Perhaps weapons from the flying city or make it so their secret weapon can travel outside the Theocracy's borders for a mission.
No, that wouldn't even come into question. He wouldn't allow that.
But what if the Theocracy came to him instead? Since he wasn't as close to the Sorcerer Kingdom as them, he could wait longer than the Theocracy to decide to ally with them. Thus he had only to wait until the Theocracy would request an alliance with him.
Then, he would be the one to state the conditions and make the Theocracy stop their hunt of Demi-Humans and beastmen alike. He knew they wouldn't stop out of the kindness of their hearts. No, something would have to force them.
"What is the Warrior Captain doing?" Azuth asked in disbelief, seeing Gazef Stronoff point his sword at the Sorcerer King.
Quickly, Tsain returned from his thoughts to watch what happened. The monsters seemed frozen in time now that he noticed.
"Is he requesting a duel with him? Is he crazy?" Azuth exclaimed, hoping Gazef had something else in mind. Yet everything hinted at the obvious.
"It seems so. We should wait before we make our move. I want to see how the Sorcerer King fares against a warrior." Platinum Dragon Lord concluded.
Stronoff, as it seemed, had a particular ring he had given to Rigrit once. With its help, the user could enhance his strength beyond his or her own limit.
The Warrior Captain executed his attack, the Sorcerer King taking it head-on.
'As arrogant as any player. But he probably knew the Warrior Captain couldn't even damage him.' Tsaindorcus thought as he saw the Sorcerer King standing unfazed in the presence of Stronoff's attack.
"I guess he really is a monster." Azuth remarked.
This battle was already concluded. Gazef had given his best, yet even the strongest warrior of Re-Estize could not even move the Sorcerer King an inch.
And then he fell. Without words, the Sorcerer King had ended the battle. The Dragon Lord wouldn't even have the chance to hear what spell he had used. But he was sure if it was a spell, it would appear in the book he possessed, which could record all spells ever cast.
Tsaindorcus knew its origin yet still used it. The artifact was simply too powerful to overlook, a relict of the Eight Greed Kings.
'Still, I cannot be certain that he is the player. The Sorcerer King could be a servant as well, simply acting as the one in charge. Players are not to be underestimated, their servants as well.' That could be a possibility, Tsaindorcus thought. But he would have time to speculate later.
"We will act now." He said, putting a hand on Azuth's shoulder as they both vanished from their previous location.
They had to act in an instant, or they would lose the element of surprise quite fast.
Platinum Dragon Lord used an ability of his to blind the enemy momentarily while Azuth swooped under him and grabbed the three warriors.
Tsain attacked the Sorcerer King with a swing of his axe, his other weapons ready to counter any attack made on him.
'I presume that vampire will be extremely difficult to defeat. But I am certain she is not a player.' Tsain thought as he continued the strike.
It never connected, instead being intercepted by a girl in crimson armor. He half-expected this, but her reaction time exceeded his anticipations.
'She is the main threat here. I have yet to see the abilities of the one in black armor, but I suppose he could be of similar level.' Before the vampire could strike back, he teleported away, escaping successfully.
'The Sorcerer King. His name says it quite well. Alone, I believe he would not be a problem to me. That vampire. A threat. We will need to immobilize her the next time we act. The one in dark armor. His abilities are unknown. But we have his name. Alucard Ooal Gown.' The same middle and last name as the undead ruler made the dragon think. 'No matter. Their relation to one another should not be important. But that unknown factor is still unnerving.'
If it were so easy, he would have killed the Sorcerer King by now, ending his tyranny in one swoop. Yet, his subordinates made things worse.
'I need to find someone who is willing to fight that vampire. I only know of few Dragon Lords that would match her strength. I suppose it is time to call for their aid.'
"How is she?" The Cardinal of Earth asked, prompting the Cardinal of Fire to make a concerned expression.
"Thousand Leagues Astrologer has decided to shut herself in her own room, declining to speak with anybody. She has not even shown any will to eat or drink. If this continues, I believe it would undoubtedly decrease her health substantially." Berenice replied.
"These are not good news. If she has seen anything that put her in that much of a trauma, it probably isn't anything good." The Cardinal of Light remarked with a hint of disappointment in his voice, for he had hoped to finally have some intel on the Sorcerer King's fighting prowess.
"It is imperative that we have access to that information! Hasn't something been done to bring back her sanity?" The Cardinal of Darkness inquired. He seemed quite agitated. He tapped the table frequently with his fingers, a hint of anxiety showing.
"She has shown resistance to any priest trying to aid her. We could wait until she would return normal, or-" The Cardinal of Wind was cut short by Raymond.
"No, we won't make her show us with force. As you know, the illusion she casts to show what she herself has witnessed depends on how she sees it. Increasing her fear and anxiety would possibly cause her memories to show a different picture." Explained the Cardinal of Earth, earning several nods from his peers.
"And that is the last thing we want. We need true intel that isn't corrupted." Concurred Berenice.
"But is there any way to expedite her recovery?" The Cardinal of Light questioned, to which Raymond had an answer.
"There is, and we have already implemented it. We have ordered some priests to cast a status-clearing spell on her from outside the room without her knowledge. She should soon be up and going." Raymond assured the council of six. Yet their meeting was suddenly interrupted as a messenger entered the room.
"What is the cause of this intrusion!?" The Cardinal of Darkness demanded from the man, who seemed out of breath.
"T-Thousand Leagues Astrologer has left her room! She said she was ready to present what happened yesterday!" The messenger proclaimed, and if his words held promise, the Cardinals would receive intel about the Sorcerer King today. Meaning the wouldn't have to arrange another session.
"Good. Where is she right now?" Raymond inquired of the man.
"She makes her way here right now. She is currently accompanied by two guards. Her mental state still isn't quite the same as before." The messenger explained, still kneeling before their presence.
"If that is all you may leave then." The Cardinal of Light said, the man retreating out of the room.
"It seems our agenda has been shortened. If the 7th seat is ready to portray her memories before us, we might be able to paint a bigger picture about Ainz Ooal Gown." Stated the Cardinal of Darkness.
Moments later, they heard knocks at the entrance door, presumably her.
"Enter." Invited Raymond. Then, a girl in her early twenties entered the room, wearing a school uniform. The girl they once knew seemed gone. The person before the Cardinals seemed a shadow of her former self, trembling frequently.
"G-Greetings… Cardinals." She murmured, her voice empty of any happiness she had left. She was always known to be energetic, yet her character drastically changed after what she witnessed.
"Welcome, Thousand Leagues Astrologer. I hope you feel better than before. Are you ready to show us?" Raymond asked in a kind tone, hoping to not scare the girl even more.
She nodded, approaching the table as she stretched out her hand. An image appeared, still blurred as she tried to concentrate on it. The girl quivered, shook, and even screamed occasionally before finally making a clear picture, overcoming her fear slightly.
"There he is, the Sorcerer King himself." The Cardinal of Wind remarked. The Cardinals began watching the footage without distraction. Yet, still there didn't seem much to happen.
Yet the next event put their jaw to the ground.
"W-What is that magic!?"
"Have we any documents of such a spell?"
"By the gods…"
The Cardinals could not believe their eyes. Their nation wasn't one to ignore magic as the kingdom did. Thus, they had some of the best knowledge about spells and tiers. Yet this was not something they could decipher.
"Have the transcriptionist make written proof about this!" Berenice ordered.
They watched the picture until the arcane runes around the Sorcerer King burst forth, yet nothing seemed to happen. No flaming ball of fire cast, nothing.
"The soldiers stopped their movement." The Cardinal of Darkness noticed, alerting the others to focus on the kingdom's troops.
"It can't be!"
"What madness?"
Mouths were agape in disbelief at the scenery. Some of the Cardinals could contain themselves, but some simply couldn't dwell on the fact that the Sorcerer King ended so many lives with one spell.
"Focus on the recording. It doesn't seem to be the end." Raymond said as he caught the Sorcerer King performing another feat.
"Are those… souls?" Queried the Cardinal of Fire.
"What does he plan to do with them?" Pondered the Cardinal of Light.
Continuing to watch the phenomenon happening, the illusion cast by Thousand Leagues Astrologer seemed to distort suddenly.
"This means the trauma she received comes from this part right here." Raymond commented, at which the girl twitched. She tried her best to give the Cardinals a clear picture, focusing all her willpower not to fail her task.
Yet even the Cardinals weren't ready to see what was coming next.
"It can't be!"
"H-How?"
Creatures dropped from the sky, monstrosities with tentacles, which started to hunt down the remaining army. Their mere appearance gave nightmares even to the bravest men, their faces carved into their very minds for all eternity.
"He is a threat!" The Cardinal of Darkness declared, gritting his teeth as he watched the battlefield.
"On that, we agree. Mmh?" Before Raymond could finish, the recording zoomed in on the Sorcerer King as he reached for his face, or rather his mask. Only with his touch, it disappeared.
"It can't be…"
"A-An undead!"
Thousand Leagues Astrologer screamed in pain. The Cardinals seemed surprised but not as scared as the girl.
"Of course, he is a monster. Only one could pull off such feats." The Cardinal of Wind said, sweat dripping down his head.
"Yes, Ainz Ooal Gown is a bigger threat than we expected. He threatens humanity itself. Now, I believe this was enough for today. You may leave, Thousand Leagues Astrologer." Raymond finally put the girl at ease, allowing her to drop the illusion.
"We will need to inform the Pontifex about this. The nation itself could be at stake here." The Cardinal of Wind asserted.
"Of course. If that monster decides to turn on all of humanity, we must be ready to face it. Praise the Six."
"Praise the six!"
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Small update I decided to release earlier than expected.