Chapter 13: Goddess of Rot
Stormveil had never been so prepared for war. Its ancient, crumbling walls had been restored, and catapults and trebuchets were now mounted atop them.
On these walls, countless undead stood watch, armored figures ready to unleash arrows and magic upon any advancing enemy.
Yet, there was a flaw in this fortress's design—a vulnerability Stormveil's creators had never anticipated. It was built to withstand a frontal assault, but the approaching army would strike from the rear. The towering and unyielding walls provided defense from behind but with no way to stop attackers from breaking them. One option remained: relying on ground forces along the castle's eastern path. If the east wall were breached, the invading force could seize Stormveil with minimal resistance. Ainz could not let that happen.
The great bridge to the divine tower became the ideal position for his Skeleton Mages, a final line of magical defense.
A winding road led through a narrow mountain pass north of the castle, surrounded by steep cliffs. Ainz had stationed his Death Knights there, forming an impenetrable wall of steel and flesh to halt any advancing troops. On the cliffs above, Radahn's forces waited, ready to pour boiling oil upon any who dared to advance and shoot enemies with their arrows together with Ainz's Skeleton Archers and a few Skeleton Mages.
"I can see them." Ainz spotted the first soldiers marching into sight. Most of the advancing forces were peasants and farmers, yet warriors with better arms and armor stood among them alongside towering trolls and battle-hardened knights. They were outnumbered, but Ainz wasn't intimidated.
But what interested him the most were two figures towering over the rest. Clad in ornate bronze-colored armor, they wielded colossal swords and bore shields adorned with horned crests. They seemed to hold some importance among their troops.
"Those are only the banners of Leyndell. Miquella has not sent his forces, or they have yet to arrive."
Their forces were in the higher hundreds. Most were fodder to the Overlord's eyes. Was this all they could offer?
"Then it will be easier for us. Dealing with them one at a time will let us make repairs in between." Ainz watched as the first wave of enemy troops came within range of his archers and mages. Without speaking, he gave the command, and arrows rained down upon the incoming force while fireballs sent the trolls flying away.
Radahn's archers fired enchanted arrows that penetrated multiple knights at once. The trebuchets hurled flaming boulders, scattering Leyndell's soldiers like leaves in a storm.
"Perhaps we overestimated them." Ainz observed as his forces decimated the incoming army with ruthless efficiency. They did not even have the time to set up their own trebuchets or catapults as magic attacks interrupted or destroyed them.
Radahn's gaze lingered on the two towering knights. "No. Those two Crucible Knights are quite troublesome." While they hadn't changed their pace yet, the incoming arrows did nothing to them while they simply used their shields to block the incoming fireballs. It seemed these warriors possessed abilities that bolstered their defenses or had really good gear.
Opposing them were twenty Death Knights, tightly cornered into the pass that would lead up to the castle. There was no way for them to enter. Unless…
Suddenly, the Crucible Knights unfurled spectral wings and launched themselves into the sky, soaring over the pass to land among Ainz's Skeleton Archers and Mages. With a single swing, they killed one of his undead in an instant, and Ainz cursed inwardly, realizing he had no Death Knights positioned to counter them.
'Deathbird! Attack them!'
He could not them to further diminish his ranged forces, sending in a Deathbird he had waiting on the castle walls.
The monstrous bird descended from the castle's walls, diving toward one of the Crucible Knights. But the knight dodged, leaving the Deathbird to crash into the earth, a cloud of dust rising as it struck the ground.
Not wasting time, the knight went for a lunge, which the Deathbird avoided as its wings lifted it away.
"It should keep them accompanied until the Death Knights arrive there." Ainz saw their health to be rather large, twice as much as a regular Death Knight had or even more. Their multiple abilities gave them even more of an advantage against one.
Meanwhile, trolls began scaling the cliffs, forcing Radahn's soldiers to pour down hot oil upon them. One troll rushed forward, charging into the Death Knights' phalanx. Instead of resisting, the undead shifted away, allowing it entry and then encircling it before impaling it from all sides.
"Still no sign of Malenia…" Radahn whispered. Radahn muttered, his fingers tapping restlessly against his greatswords. His gaze betrayed anxiety, the tension building as he waited for his fated rival. But was he ready to face her in combat?
"Steady. You're not gonna lose. I'm on your side this time. I won't allow it." Ainz advised, producing a simple bronze ring from his pocket space. "Try this out. It will reduce the time of status effect build-ups. If scarlet rot works how I think it does, it should slow down its effect on your body. It will even the odds between you two a little, so you don't rot away again." Ainz handed the ring to the Demi-God, who watched it resize to fit him perfectly. He could feel the magic inside the ring, but not what it did.
"Wait, maybe I have another one for you." Ainz reached into his inventory once more. "This is a ring that makes the wearer more resistant to poison. I'm unsure if scarlet rot counts as one, but if it does, it would help." He handed it to Radahn as well.
Radahn examined the ring, sensing its protective aura, and nodded in thanks "Thank you. I will return these once the fight is over. I won't forget your aid."
"The world has done both of us injustice. However, here we are, still surviving." Ainz replied, his gaze shifting toward the distant Erdtree. Whatever power was out there working against them, he hoped never to meet it. He wouldn't think himself strong enough to face a full-on god in this world.
Suddenly, Ainz's link with one of his Death Knights was severed. His eyes narrowed. While normally he would think of it as an acceptable loss, this was something else. This was a Death Knight he had placed south of Stormveil patrolling the grass plains in front of the castle.
"Something's not right." His attention snapped toward the direction of the disturbance.
A group of knights sprinted toward the castle, their weapons slicing through anything in their path. At their front was a red-haired woman, her presence exuding an aura of deadly grace.
"Malenia…" Radahn's voice dripped with disdain. The sight of his archenemy, moving with lethal elegance, made him remember his old wounds.
"That's her?" Ainz asked, his gaze fixed on the Empyrean as she dispatched Death Knights with effortless precision. She was a tool of destruction, her long red hair flowing behind her like a river of blood. Her sword hand was a gleaming prosthetic, a limb forged of alloyed gold. Her helm concealed her eyes, its wings casting a shadow as ominous as her presence.
Yet beyond that, she wore no extra armor to protect her.
Her sword was a simple blade without a handle, as her prosthetic arm didn't need one.
"Certainly." Radahn's eyes blazed as he hefted his twin greatswords, his magic beginning to work.
"I will stay here and overlook the defense. This way I can keep a good look on you and the Leyndell forces." Ainz proposed. While he wanted to fight Malenia together to ensure her defeat, he didn't think it would be needed. He could always launch a spell from above.
There she stood, atop the tower bridge, her head turned toward the floating Overlord and Demi-God.
Without a second thought, Radahn charged, propelled by his gravity magic, his swords spinning in a deadly arc as he hurtled toward her. His attack shattered the ground upon impact, sending shockwaves through the bridge, yet it still held firm.
Malenia evaded most of the attack in the last second, but the force still struck her, leaving fissures in the stone below.
Not waiting for another chance, Malenia rushed at Radahn, seizing the opportunity to strike at him. But the Demi-God blocked the strike with one of his swords, using the other to strike at her.
As expected, Malenia dodged back.
"Why do you and your brother haunt me? Can he not perform his plan without my needless death!" Radahn raised parts of the bridge into the air as he threw them at Malenia in one-second intervals. She countered, slicing some of the projectiles in half while dodging others.
Her voice rang out, cold and unwavering. "This is Miquella's will. Surrender, and be spared the rot of failure." She went for a lunge. Her attack landed yet failed to pierce his breastplate.
Her words seemed to slice into Radahn's pride, fueling his resolve.
He sent another strike at her, but he missed again and again. If this continued, it would be a game of cat and mouse, Radahn having to catch her while Malenia had to evade until he was exhausted.
He hadn't landed a single hit on her since their fight began. So it was time to utilize his magic once more. Radahn crossed his swords and released a mighty roar, causing Malenia to be pulled toward him.
He slammed both of his swords down on her. She failed to block the attack completely, taking on the blunt force of his strike and making her fall back.
Radahn couldn't let her recover. He cast a barrage of collapsing stars toward her, pulling her toward him again. This was his advantage. While Malenia only had scarlet rot, he had gravity magic.
He wanted to send another swing at the stunned Malenia, but as he prepared to strike, a lance streaked through the air, aimed for his head. He used the broadside of his sword to block it and, on instinct, used his other sword to block the next incoming attack.
"So your rotten knights have followed you." Radahn saw six Cleanrot Knights surrounding him, their overall appearance mocking Malenia.
While he was far better than any of them, they could do some serious damage if combined with their leader. "I thought this time you would fight fair. But you are, and have always been, a coward." Radahn spoke, angering not only Malenia but also her knights.
"When you see the light, you will understand." She answered coldly, then dashed at Radahn with incredible speed, her knights following. They moved with perfect coordination, striking at Radahn from all sides, but he was relentless, dispatching them with brutal efficiency. He knocked back two knights with a sweep of his greatsword, then turned to meet Malenia's sword with a powerful block.
They clashed in a deadly dance, Radahn's brute force meeting Malenia's agility. Blood stained his armor as her scarlet blade grazed him, but his counterattack was swift and brutal. She barely evaded, her Cleanrot Knights charging in to protect her. He cast meteors at them, but it was not enough to stop their attacks.
"Ugh!" He felt one of their spears pierce his leg, forcing him to swing wide behind him. While the knight blocked his attack, the force behind Radahn's strike was enough to send it flying back.
He then did the same to the other side, catching another off-guard. Malenia was forced to block the strike herself to protect her knight, which was rather honorable of herself.
And while Radahn could strike at Malenia right now, he could feel the incoming attacks behind him. Radahn had to react now.
The mighty Demi-God roared once more, and a wave of energy knocked back all of the surrounding enemies, Malenia as well.
He conjured more meteors and let them hover behind him to cover his back.
For the first time, he went for a charge, jumping off the ground as he went straight for Malenia, knowing one or two of her knights would intervene to block him.
The first one took the bait but was cut down by Radahn's second sword, leaving only five left.
At Malenia's command, the incoming knights retreated as she hovered into the air, getting into her famous stance, her blade poised to unleash a whirlwind of death.
Radahn knew he couldn't block every strike, so he prepared to counter with sheer force.
She lunged, her blade a crimson blur, cutting him in countless places. Wounds appeared across his body. But he was undeterred. Just as she aimed for his unarmored stomach, he swung, forcing her back.
She blocked the attack and, on cue, ducked his other strike. She wanted to follow up and go underneath his arms to get a free hit, but Radahn knew better, stomping at her.
Her Cleanrot Knights were upon him once more. Two went for both of his legs, two for his shoulders, and one for his chest. They moved simultaneously, meaning he had one chance to block all strikes, which was impossible.
He went for the three aiming for his upper body. He could always call upon his horse or use gravity magic to move.
Unexpectedly, they didn't dodge or block. The first one fell to his sword, as did the second, but his strike did not have enough momentum to deal any significant damage.
He felt multiple piercing sensations in both of his legs and in his right shoulder. He tried to fend them off, but they clung to his body like lumps of mud.
There was no time left as Malenia went for his stomach, lunging at him as she aimed at a spot that his armor didn't cover.
"[Wall of Skeleton]!"
A deep voice echoed from above, and in an instant, a wall of skeletal warriors burst from the earth, assembling a barrier in front of her. Swords and spears lashed out from within the wall, the skeletons reaching for her, but their strikes fell short as the undead were bound together and could not reach her.
She paused, astonished, never before having seen magic like this. She looked upward, searching for the one who had intervened on Radahn's behalf. And there he was—a figure in twilight-hued robes that seemed woven from the night itself, each finger adorned with priceless rings. His skeletal chest carried a pulsing, crimson orb, and two glowing orbs as eyes watched her with an unwavering gaze. He lifted his skeletal hand and opened his palm toward her.
"[Grasp Heart]"
Before she could react, an ethereal heart materialized in his hand. A crushing force closed around her chest as if his fingers had seized her very soul. She gasped, feeling a surge of suffering, unlike any pain she had ever known. Though she survived, the attack left her stunned and breathless.
"Now, Sword of Miquella, you face me." His voice, cold and distant, yet resonating with a dark promise.
"Who are you?" She spat through the pain, unable to conceal her shock. Whatever power he wielded, it was something completely unknown.
"I am Ainz Ooal Gown! There was a time when everybody recognized that name! Remember it well as you die!" With a sweeping motion, his bony hand extended toward her.
Instant death magic didn't work, meaning he was fighting someone at least over level 70. And as she could keep up with Radahn, she was at least on the same level as him.
"[Call Greater Thunder]"
The heavens split open, and an immense lightning bolt tore through the air, striking her with the punishing force of a god. Her charred clothes smoked, and her hair was a little burned. But she remained standing, focused on her target. Her gaze sharpened as she assessed the distance between them. He hovered high, out of reach. There were limited options as to how she could reach him, and she did not like any of them.
"[Vermilion Nova]"
A pillar of flames engulfed her, heat burning her skin as flames danced around her figure. Enduring the agony, she leaped, her sword raised as she surged toward him.
But as she reached him, Ainz vanished, reappearing a distance behind her. Suspended mid-air with no recourse, she had only a heartbeat to prepare for his counterattack.
"[Twin Maximize Magic: Reality Slash]"
The spell struck in a swift, brutal cross, drawing blood from her as her flesh didn't heal, even defying her regenerative powers. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her wounds in visible agony.
Ainz knew she wasn't done yet. He could see her HP being somewhat half of what she had before.
There it was. A red hue appeared around her, blooming into a scarlet flower three times her size. The battlefield seemed still as petals unfolded, casting a mesmerizing light across the chaos. When the blossom faded, she emerged, transformed. Her armor had decayed, her skin pale as scars of scarlet rot covered her body. Leafed wings sprouted from her back, woven with strands of her red hair, and ethereal butterflies fluttered around her, bound to her movement as if they were an extension of her limbs.
She rose into the air, looking at the Overlord with ill intent.
With a burst of air, she flew toward him, giving Ainz no time to dodge. Her speed had quickened now that she had grown wings.
Her blade struck his ribcage, and a visible cut seared across his chest before it healed, yet he could feel an unnatural sting from the attack.
'This Scarlet Rot can even affect undead! Still, I didn't get afflicted by it, but I can feel that if I do it's going to be a problem.' Without the many resistances he had, Ainz knew it would take less time for him to get damaged by it.
As she prepared another strike, he teleported back, casting another spell.
"[Black Hole]"
A swirling void opened behind her, bending light and sound, dragging her backward. The battlefield darkened as she fought the pull, flying forward with everything she could. There was progress, but it wasn't much. Lucky for her, the spell wasn't permanent.
When the black hole finally disappeared, she dashed forward with unimaginable speed, like an arrow released from a bow.
Yet she didn't expect a purple portal to appear in front of her, and unable to stop her momentum, she entered it unwillingly.
Malenia found herself upside down in the direction she came from. She quickly turned around, but it was too late to react as Ainz's next spell came at her.
"[Maximize Magic: Gravity Maelstrom]!"
Like Radahn's gravity spells, a sphere of purple energy flew toward her. It crashed into her, and she felt herself pressed down, her limbs pinned under crushing force as if gravity itself had turned against her. Seizing the moment, Ainz landed, recalculating his strategy.
'Radahn's still occupied with those soldiers of hers. I'll have to fight her myself.' He turned back to Malenia, the spell having ended. She did not seem like a person to give up. Again, she launched herself at Ainz, but this time he was prepared.
"[Body of Verdant Jade]"
Her attack did nothing to the Overlord; its damage negated. This spell allowed Ainz to ignore one slashing attack, similar to how [Body of Effulgent Beryl] negated bludgeoning damage.
Yet as her attack landed, Ainz noticed something else.
'She can heal like Shalltear!' It came as a surprise as he saw her health pool increase. There was no mistake in it. She possessed the same ability as the Floor Guardian of the first three floors. 'Troublesome.'
Ainz couldn't allow her to hit him, nor could he use summons. They would only feed Malenia with more health. If he wanted to kill her with spells, he had to do it without his undead.
'Another Shalltear situation. Damn it! I need Radahn in this fight!' But Ainz had no time to help Radahn as Malenia rained blows upon blows down on him.
"[Negative Burst]!"
He yelled, sending a wave of negative energy around him, hitting Malenia and bringing her to a stop. But only for a second. Yet that was enough for Ainz to decide his next move.
"[Summon Undead 10th: Doom Lord]!"
An undead creature materialized at Ainz's feet, towering in midnight armor with a tattered red cape trailing behind it. A crown rested on its decaying skull, and its empty eyes gleamed with malevolent intent. Malenia swung her blade, but the Doom Lord met her advance, forming a barrier between her and Ainz.
"[The Goal of All Life is Death]!"
A spectral clock appeared behind Ainz, its appearance mesmerizing as it was dreadful.
"[True Death]"
Those words echoed through the air as the clock struck the first hour in one second. Malenia watched the unknown magic take place, knowing something disastrous would follow. But she could not get to Ainz as his summon stood in her way.
Her clones launched forward, each striking the Doom Lord, each dealing a slight amount of damage. She then clashed against the Doom Lord, its speed too low to block her attacks as she cut the undead from multiple angles.
Three seconds passed, and Malenia had already healed herself completely. The Doom Lord was at half health, and Ainz thought it was time to use its special ability.
Ruinous Night, as it was called, increased the rate at which the black smog from the Doom Lord spread from his body. It would deplete his HP faster but boost all his combat-related stats.
It went for the attack, slashing his scythe against the Demi-God with increased strength. Malenia was forced to go on defense, as these attacks were far from harmless. Not only was it stronger because of Ruinous Night, but also because Ainz had summoned it. Through his various classes, he received certain buffs that would make his undead stronger than their standard form.
Six seconds had passed, and Malenia had still to defeat the Doom Lord, but its HP was already extremely low. A couple of hits and it would fall within no time.
"Radahn! Do not fall to the Scarlet Rot again! Are you not the mightiest of the Demi-Gods? Show them your power!" Ainz shouted at him as he was struggling to fend off three of Malenia's Cleanrot Knights. He had been wounded and infected with the Scarlet Rot again, but he did not allow Malenia's little knights to finish him for good.
With a burst of energy, he knocked all three of the Cleanrot Knights back, drawing his bow as he shot multiple arrows into the air. Evading them on foot and while in heavy armor would almost be impossible.
The arrows rained down on two of the knights, piercing them from above and killing them instantly. The third one survived, but as Radahn prepared for a mighty shot, it saw no possibility of reaching the Demi-God.
Radahn released the string, and a projectile with incredible speed shot toward the last Cleanrot Knight, going straight through its chest.
Radahn took a breath, then stared at the battle before him. Ainz had activated his magic, an ethereal clock floating behind him. Its pointer skipped to an hour every second. He didn't seem to be doing anything else except using his minion to defend him. Yet it didn't survive for long, as another swing of Malenia's sword made it disappear into ashes.
Her next target was Ainz, and he didn't know why, but he had to stop her. Radahn called upon his gravity magic to propel him forward. If he failed, she would reach Ainz and perhaps disturb the spell.
"Malenia!" He shouted. She turned to face him, her expression shifting from fury to shock as he barreled into her, pinning her against a pillar. Ten seconds passed, and Malenia's undoing was already set in stone.
Radahn held her down, knocking her sword out of her hand. "You die here, coward!" He growled as he held her in place.
Her face showed a mixture of emotions, but in the end, she seemed to smile as if accepting her fate. "You only delay the inevitable. If you won't be by my brother's side, I will." She tried one last time, invoking a scarlet flower around her, hoping to take Radahn with her. But before it could manifest, the clock struck twelve, and all sound disappeared as silence reigned over the battlefield.
Malenia's form shimmered in that absolute stillness, fading like dust caught in a breeze. As she dissolved, Radahn took a ragged breath, infected with scarlet rot but alive, gazing after her with a mixture of regret and relief.
"Here, drink this." Ainz handed him a red potion, which he drank, feeling the rot's poison fade from his veins and his wounds heal up.
"Thank you." Radahn said quietly, though his gaze lingered where Malenia was. "She called for her knights in a duel. It felt… hollow. There was no honor." Radahn's face showed disgust. He would never break the sacred rules of a duel. But Malenia was ready to do anything in her power only to kill him.
Ainz glared toward the Leyndell troops, only to see a field littered with corpses. He could tell from the silence that his undead survived and did their duty well. "The battle is over. We won."
For Radahn, it didn't feel like victory. He wasn't able to defeat Malenia by his own hands. The Demi-God wanted to beat her in a straight duel to the death. He felt no satisfaction in her death, only bitterness.
"So it seems." Radahn answered and, with no further words, took into the sky, going god knows where to do god knows what.
"There he goes…"
discord . gg / h6cpJ5d3xh
Join the discord if you want to help progress my stories, give feedback, or just for fun!
Big fight scene, hope you liked it! While Malenia is quite strong, I don't think she survives against Radahn and Ainz together. Also, no way she withstands TGOALID, so yeah, close win.