Miner49ner: You're going to drive me crazy... If you understand why I present the point of view of a person immersed in the New World, why do make me waste my time explaining it?
Tuhin: Since it's so SIMPLE, EVIDENT, and EASY, I'll give you the task of drafting the battle plan for the next fight. Number of allied troops: unknown. Type of units engaged: unknown. Terrain: not yet known. Enemy numbers: unknown. And of course, you must convince me that your plan is good. You'll see it's EXTREMELY easy.
leonsion: unfortunately, they have not yet left the Dungeon, it is still too early to rejoice.
Gabo1701: Muchas gracias.
The Battle
Of
Salanc
(Second Part)
Nazarick Dungeon, Sorcerer Kingdom
Grey clouds drifted in the sky. It had rained for some time in the morning, but the sun was timidly appearing this early afternoon. Under the sun's rays, the droplets that the storm had deposited on the grass branches sparkled like a river of diamonds.
In the middle of the vast plain where the wind waved grasses a hill rose ... an artificial hill created by Mare Bello Fiore to camouflage the walls of Nazarick.
The part of the Dungeon that was on the surface was a cemetery where there were rows of gloomy tombs, crosses, and statues worn by the rain. Some mausoleums appeared among the tombs, but these buildings were like children's toys compared to the majesty of several Greek-type temples grouped in the middle of rows of Corinthian columns.
Before the great Parthenon, a strange phenomenon formed suddenly. A circular pool of darkness floating above the ground. A kind of vertical disc crossed by liquid ripples of a dark red.
Three individuals came out of the [Gate]. Two of them were young Dark Elves, the twins Aura and Mare, the third was much bigger than them. An undead, a skeleton dressed in a wizard dress with some kind of horns as epaulets. Open on the front, his robe uncovered his chest and a sort of red and sinister orb floating in place of the stomach.
He was of course Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King.
Sebas Tian bowed before the Supreme Being. The Pleiades lined up behind the butler imitating his polite bow (1).
"Your Majesty Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, 6th Floor Guardians Mare Bello Fiore and Aura Bella Fiore, welcome to Nazarick. Did you have a good trip?"
The Overlord had left Nazarick two days earlier. He first visited Dravale, the capital of the Dragonic Kingdom. He had signed an alliance treaty with Queen Daudillon Oriculus but did not linger. The Sorcerer King immediately moved to the Troll Kingdom but left several thousand skeletons and other undead to Dravale to strengthen the army of the Dragonic Kingdom in its fight against the Beastman Country.
"I'm exhausted, Sebas... I spent a whole day summoning mid-tier undead to strengthen Cocytus's army," the mighty undead king replied.
Not a muscle moved in the face of the Iron Butler, yet his voice became slightly anxious when he answered.
"May I ask you for news of the war against the trolls, Ainz-sama?"
"There is not much to say... Trolls are hiding in marshes and hills' caves, only coming out to attack patrols. This guerrilla war is putting us in trouble. However, if the Trolls' losses slowly erode their combat force, we will never run out of undead to replace our troops. The situation is different for the Lizardmen and the Toadmen who are part of Cocytus' army. Not only are the losses starting to accumulate, but morale has become a problem because this sort of fighting is exhausting." Ainz pointed to the Dark Elves twins. "I brought back Aura and Mare because they are at breaking point."
Aura crossed her hands on the back of her neck to flash a lot of teeth.
"I would have stayed," she said. "It was fun to hunt the Trolls. It was my brother who couldn't keep up."
Sebas turned to the second Dark Elf. Although dressed in a (too) short skirt, it was definitely a boy. Designed by Bukubukuchagama to be the opposite of his sister, he was shy and almost mute in normal times. But to see him grinding the bottom of his garment with one hand and pressing his knotty stick against his chest, Mare appeared more agitated than usual. He blushed and turned his head away, before answering with a barely audible voice.
"It's not my fault; I spent the whole month chasing after enemies who disappeared before I arrived."
Sebas bowed deeply before the young druid and his sister.
"The maids of Nazarick will see to it that your stay is restful, Aura-dono, Mare-dono."
Ainz shuddered as he remembered that he had not come back to read the books in the library or walk around the 6th Floor's Field of Flowers. Rest was not on the agenda. He had to go back to E-Rantel, Albedo was waiting for him. During his absence, a pile of documents had to be stacked on his desk... Documents, all extremely important and urgent, that require his signature for application!
The Overlord barely held a sigh of despair.
If he had realized that a king was merely an overrated public servant, Suzuki Satoru would have firmly refused this promotion with all his might. In addition, the problems that accumulated far exceeded his competence as an office employee (or rather Corporate Slave). In his life on Earth, Satoru had never had the opportunity to learn natural resource management or to solve a nation's economic problems, not even mentioning domestic politics or diplomacy. Nine times out of ten, Ainz merely approved of Albedo's actions and signed the documents she laid on his desk; he was hopelessly racking his brain to find something to add but rarely dared to propose ideas that were likely stupid or naive. Fortunately, Albedo believed he was testing her, letting the Guardian's Overseer do the bulk of the work to teach her the role of prime minister. Ainz also abused the excuse of having to devote his 'superior intellect'*cough, cough* to his plans world conquest's plans to entrust the Pure-White Devil with much of the paperwork.
"What happened in Nazarick while I was away?"
"In Nazarick itself, nothing important, Ainz-sama. However, Demiurge engaged in a battle against the army of the Holy Kingdom. The combat has been going on for two hours."
The orbital cavities of Ainz (normally empty) lit up with a red glow.
"Oh? And who wins?"
"The Roblians are in prepared positions and slightly more numerous, they have repelled all the Demi-Human Alliance's offensives. We have heavy losses on both sides...which is the very purpose of the Creator of the Blazing Inferno, obviously."
Even though the Iron Butler spoke in a neutral tone, he managed to convey his disapproval to the Overlord.
The Sorcerer King caressed his chin and then touched the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"I'm going to teleport to the 10th Floor. Meet me in the Throne Room with the Mirror of Remote Vision."
... this battle gave him a good excuse not to go back to E-Rantel. After all, the Sorcerer King had a duty to inform himself about an ongoing battle if one of his subordinates was involved, right? And it would certainly be more exciting than office work. Sorry, Albedo, just take a little longer on the bureaucratic tasks. You must understand that it is a case of force majeure…
Nazarick's Throne Room was an exquisite piece of work. It was a wide, high room, like the nave of a cathedral, large enough for hundreds of people to gather. The high ceiling and surrounding walls were predominantly white, with golden decorations as highlights.
Hanging from the ceiling were numerous chandeliers made of precious stones of all rainbow colors, and emitted a fantastic, dreamlike radiance. Numerous flags emblazoned with the symbols of each Supreme Being hung from flagpoles embedded into the walls.
At the end of this immense hall was a silver and gold staircase of ten steps. Atop these stairs was a gigantic throne, carved out of a single piece of crystal, whose back was high enough to touch the ceiling above it. A huge red banner hung down behind it, proudly displaying the symbol of the Ainz Ooal Gown's guild.
Sitting on his throne, Ainz gazed at the scenes displayed on the mirror's surface floating before his eyes. Occasionally, he moved his hands to adjust the mirror and change the view.
The mirror zoomed in on the charge of the Holy Knights of Roble. Crossing the battlefield, they displayed their banners and lowered their lances, violently striking the Zoastias—centaur-like creatures that were part saber-toothed tiger and part human. The Zoastias wielded weapons consisting of a central shaft with crescent moon-shaped heads on both ends.
Initially, the cavalry charge was devastating, and the Knights penetrated deep into the ranks of their enemies, slaughtering hundreds of Zoastias. However, their advance gradually slowed. The Beastmen proved to be much stronger than the humans, allowing them to turn the tide. With great dexterity, they wielded their double axes, cutting the legs of the steeds and finishing off the Knights as they struggled to rise from the ground.
Quickly losing interest in this confused scrum, Ainz directed the mirror to visualize another scene.
Puri Un (Ogre-like creatures) were advancing towards a still intact section of the ditch and earth rampart reinforced with wooden stakes. Behind this primitive fortification, poorly armed peasants nervously watched their terrifying enemies preparing to attack. Fortunately, they were not alone in defending this front's section. Crossbowmen began to fire on the Half-Humans. The Puri One who advanced in front were quickly transformed into pincushions by the bolts. However, only two or three collapsed because a bolt hit a weak point. The Puri One were incredibly strong. Bolts were just as harmless to them as thorns are to humans.
When the first cousins of the Ogres arrived at the field fortifications, they used their innate talent to control and move earth... Leveling dams and ditches.
They then rushed to the other side. The peasants did their best to resist... alas, they were just a levy of amateurs. Those who were on the front line fell like wheat under the harvester's scythe and the others lost all courage. Dropping their weapons, they fled, running to save their lives.
While a reserve troop (professional swordsmen) attacked the Puri Un, Ainz lost interest in this part of the battle and unzoomed to get a general view of the confrontation.
The Sorcerer King realized that the place where the battle was most violent was a sector of the front around a breach in the earth berm.
He zoomed at the scene to see a group of Holy Kingdom's soldiers dressed in white clothes stained with blood and mud. Some had bandages on their arms or head. Their dented Chapel-de-fer and their broken chainmail were proof of the violent attacks they had already defended against. They were surrounded by corpses (mixed humans and half-humans) and the tips of their pikes were bloody scarlet.
A new wave of opponents was coming to their positions. It was Armats, some kind of biped rats covered with fur made of iron pins!
Nevertheless, the defenders were an elite force, and they handled skillfully their seven-meter-long spikes, aiming at the eyes or hands of their enemies who were not protected by iron fur. Unable to approach, the monsters trampled around this wall bristled with spearheads and died one after another.
Unfortunately, the officer leading this battalion was not an Armat... it was a much more terrifying and disgusting creature. Its general appearance was that of a fat baby with ridiculously short arms and legs... but the monster was over four meters tall. Its skin was red marbled with black... and everywhere, as if randomly sown, eyes appeared on his body, allowing the demon to see in all directions.
The Demonic Baby grabbed several pikes, breaking or ripping them from the hands of the Roblians while advancing inside the defensive formation.
Two Clerics accompanied the battalion. Seeing that the demon was able to break through the wall of pikes, they concentrated. Raising their divine symbols, they whispered prayers to the Four Great Gods.
A wave of golden energy passed through the ranks of humans, then the second miracle took the form of a black aura that briefly enveloped the Armats and the demon.
Their courage strengthened, their enemies weakened, and the pikemen focused their attacks on the demon. Although individually inferior to the creature summoned by Jaldabaoth, they coordinated effectively as a team, launching simultaneous attacks on the Demonic Baby from all sides. After several minutes of struggle, the pikemen managed to destroy it... even if many died to accomplish this feat.
As the demon dispersed in a purple, insubstantial vapor, the demoralized Armats fled.
Ainz nodded thoughtfully.
In some places, the battle turned on behalf of the Holy Kingdom, elsewhere the Demi-Human Alliance advanced... When observed from a distance, it became evident that neither side held the upper hand.
Although the Nazarick's NPCs believed their leader was a genius of strategy (and administration...) Suzuki Satoru had little illusion about his real skills. Everything he knew about strategy, he had learned from listening to discussions between the most intellectual members of the guild such as Punitto Moe, Bellriver, Shizyuutensuzaku, or Luci Fer. Nevertheless, even for him, it was clear that the Demi-Humans had to change their tactics. Frontal assaults would only result in heavy losses without any tangible results. The Roblians had carefully chosen the battlefield, making it difficult to circumvent their defensive positions. They held the invaders at bay while their archers, crossbowmen, slingers, and siege weapons unleashed widespread destruction upon Jaldabaoth's forces.
Ainz oriented the mirror so he could observe the forest painted gold and rust by autumn. To the north and south of the battlefield, trees stretched for miles. To initiate a flanking attack, the Demi-Humans would have to enter the woods. While a regiment in battle formation could enter a forest, what emerged was a disordered throng. Ainz had often played shoji with Shizyuutensuzaku, enough to know that attacking in disorder would only lead to defeat.
It was true that if Demiurge had fought for the sake of the Demi-Humans, he could have easily used a powerful spell, such as [Meteor Fall], to obliterate the Roblian resistance. However, the true intention of the Arch-Devil was to weaken both sides so that the Sorcerer Kingdom could effortlessly conquer the Holy Kingdom as well as the Abelion Hills. He therefore allowed the massacre to continue.
Briefly, Ainz experienced a kind of intellectual discomfort as he watched the carnage unfold. These people were dying because of him; by allowing Demiurge to manipulate their lives, he had essentially set the stage for this tragedy. This battle was a tragic farce, with the 'Demonic Emperor' orchestrating the conflict between both sides. Humans and Demi-Humans were fighting for the wrong reasons, and their deaths solely served the interests of the Sorcerer Kingdom...
Suzuki Satoru would have been horrified to see such a spectacle. And to learn that these people died because of him would have made him desperate.
But Ainz felt no emotion. He didn't pity them; he was not horrified. He was not even disgusted. He was no longer Suzuki Satoru. He had neither flesh nor blood. All that remained were bones.
As an undead, his emotions were restrained. He continued to watch the battle without intervening.
At the same time, Salanc Battleground, Roble Holy Kingdom.
Ainz Ooal Gown was not wrong, if regiments crossed a forest, the scattered trees would break the soldiers' formations and it would be an unruly crowd that would emerge from the other side.
But the problem was different if a troop had been hidden from the beginning of the fight, waiting for the moment to intervene. Except for two hundred Paladins who protected the Holy Queen Calca, all others were gathered in the woods south of the battlefield, well out of sight, hidden by the first rows of trees.
A few minutes earlier, Remedios Custodio had come to join them. The Grandmaster of the Roble Holy Kingdom's Paladin Order put her armet helmet on her head, rode up, and took her heater shield from her squire's hands before brandishing her sword towards the invaders' army.
"For the Holy Kingdom and Queen Calca!"
The Paladins unanimously answered this battle cry by their own cri de guerre. The banner bearer deployed the Paladin's war standard while a trumpet player blew into his instrument at the top of his lungs.
The heavy riders trotted, passed the trees, and gathered in the plain before gradually accelerating. They had appeared on the flank of the Zoastias. The Centaur-like creatures were already fighting against the Roble's Knight and did not notice the arrival of enemy reinforcements.
The trumpet sounded the charge, and the Paladins lowered their spears before launching their steeds at full speed. The horses' hooves struck the ground with a noise reminiscent of thunder, and the sun that appeared between the clouds reflected on the armor and the spearheads. The banners clattered in the wind. And, below them, each Paladin had colored crests on their helmets and ribbons on their spears. It was epic and breathtaking, and nothing seemed to be able to resist such a deployment of fierce bravery and nobility... Taken by surprise, the Zoastias remained frozen, their eyes widened with horror. Few of them had time to get into a defensive position.
The shock was violently overwhelming and hard to put into words.
Several thousand Paladins armed with spears charged at full speed. The horses, their armor-clad riders, weighed a half a ton... each!
It was like a river in a flood breaking on a dam of pebbles... the first ranks of the Zoastias were swallowed up, pierced by spears, trampled by horses.
Spearheading the attack, Remedios wielded a powerful magic sword. Safarlisia was a Holy Sword considered the first treasure of the Holy Kingdom. At each blow of her sword, the genius Paladin cut an enemy in two, nothing seemed to be able to stop her.
Great Tomb of Nazarick, Throne Room.
The Sorcerer King leans avidly over the Mirror of Remote Vision.
On one hand, he was happy to have been right. Only a flank attack could change the balance of power... but he did not expect that it was the Roblians who prepared this kind of trick.
The battle had reached its climax. What happens in the next few minutes will determine who wins the fight. Probably…
Was Demiurge caught off guard?
Salanc Battleground, Roble Holy Kingdom.
Remedios Custodio didn't even realize that she shouted every time she hit. In her right hand, Safarlisia sparkled by smashing the weapon brandished by a Zoastia. The Demi-Human didn't even have time to sketch a defensive gesture before the Grandmaster finished him off by cutting his head. Raising her shield, she blocked the attack of another centaur-like creature before piercing him in the chest.
Around the Grandmaster, the Paladins advanced like a steamroller and all enemies who opposed them were massacred in just a few seconds. The surprise effect had worn off, but the momentum was still in their favor.
Enjoying a moment of calm in the battle, Remedios raised the visor of her helmet and waved her sword to gather her allies around her.
"We must go east! We must join the Knights!"
If the Zoastias were encircled they would perish and the right wing of Jaldabaot's army would disintegrate. Aided by the Knights, the Paladins would have only to push towards the center of the enemy army and repeat the attack that had allowed them to win on the right wing... With higher staff.
Remedios's heart was bursting with joy in her chest. She had attacked at the right place and time, triggering a landslide-like chain reaction. The enemy battalions would disintegrate in front of the advancing Paladins. The terrified survivors were retreating in disorder on their reinforcements, sowing confusion and fear in their ranks.
Another few minutes and the assault would become unstoppable.
Just a few minutes and...
A volley of [Fireball] crashed into the Paladins 'ranks. Blown by the explosions, thrown to the ground by their dying mounts, the victims were contorting on the ground, burned alive in their armor…
Jaldabaoth was not caught off guard.
It should be noted that traitors and Doppelgangers had infiltrated the highest levels of the Roble Holy Kingdom. The Demonic Emperor learned of the Roblians' battle plan just minutes after it was communicated to their staff headquater!
Hearing wings flapping above her, Remedios looked up and saw a group of Imps pass by. These small winged-demons cast spells like [Lightning] and [Acid Arrow], killing and injuring other Paladins.
But they were not alone in the sky! Right next to the Paladin's Grandmaster, she saw an enemy torn one of her allies from his saddle. Remedios recognized the aggressor, a Pteropus, a type of humanoid pterosaur that was one of the Demi-Human species from the Abellion Hill that was invading the Holy Kingdom. His fellow beings hovered above, released by the winged demons that had carried them from the ground.
Other winged demons, including War Devils, Scale Demons, and Gazer Devils, were also involved in the attack. They flew over the riders, harassing them and retreating whenever they encountered trouble. The Paladins found it more challenging to defend themselves against these demons than against the Pteropus.
This counterattack had completely halted the advance of the Paladins and allowed the Zoastias to regroup and take back the initiative. They joined the assault alongside the demons, threatening to encircle the troops commanded by Remedios Custodio.
A skilled tactician might have been able to turn the tide, but Remedios was more brawn than brain, incapable of improvising a new strategy during battle. The formidable Paladin focused solely on eliminating every enemy approaching her—and he was quite successful. That was until a cruel laugh made her raise his head.
The Demonic Emperor Jaldabaoth was flying over the battlefield. The Arch-Devil was true to the descriptions read and heard by Remedios Custodio. A humanoid with a silver tail and dressed in an orange formal suit with a colorful mask hiding his face. Nevertheless, the demon also had bat wings on his shoulders. Like many demons, he must have been a shapeshifter.
"You didn't think your pathetic battle plan could win a battle against the Demonic Emperor, would you?"
Furious, Remedios raised Safarlisia.
"We were a hair's breadth from beating you..."
Demiurge laughs while tilting his head back, a hand resting on the top of his mask.
"A moment of silence for this poor soul's intelligence" replied the Arch-Devil in a derision tone. You still don't understand?! I let you do it! Yes, Remedios Cusodio, I let you get here!"
The Grandmaster looked around. The horses that were circling, eyes rolling in their sockets, blinded by terror, the bloody corpses, and the dying who groaned on the ground. Everywhere Humans and Demi-Humans suffered and died
"I... I don't understand! Why? Why this carnage if you could stop us from the start?!"
Jaldabaoth put his mask back on and crossed his arms over his chest. Though he pretended to respond reluctantly, he was pleased to have an audience. He relished the opportunity to demonstrate how great he was and how superior he felt to the humans who swarmed far below him… as it suited simple insects.
"Unlike a primitive brute of your kind, I am a refined aesthete. What greater pleasure is there than to let your enemy believe in victory... and take it from him at the last moment? The greater the hope of victory, the more intense the despair that replaces it. Before you died, I wanted you to understand that you are just an ant running around in the palm of my hand. I've been manipulating you from end to end. You've never done anything but follow the script that I had imagined for you."
Remedios Custodio never really shared the egalitarian ideals of Calca Bessarez. Certainly, out of loyalty to her queen and friendship with Calca (whom she had known since childhood) the genius Paladin had always defended (at least in words) respect for the Demi-Humans. But deep down inside, Remedios was deeply racist, convinced of the superiority of humans over other creatures.
Yet, at that very moment, Remedios felt pity for all the people on the battlefield, humans and Demi-Human alike.
All were reduced to being the involuntary actors of a theatre of absurdity and horror whose director was flying just above her head.
Unable to devise a plan to counter Jaldabaoth... and just as unable to let this monster triumph, Remedios Custodio did what best suited her.
Brandishing her Holy Sword, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Demonic Emperor Jaldlbaoth, I challenge you to a single combat! Unless you want to be proclaimed coward in all the states of the New World you are obliged to fight me»
Under his mask, Demiurge smilesd.
... That brain-dead idiot was so predictable.
With a hand on his heart, Jadalbaoth bowed with an ironic politeness.
"Nothing could please me more. »
In a wide circle around the two protagonists, the fighting had stopped. Momentarily forgetting the ongoing war, the eyes of the Roblians, demons, Pteropus, and Zoastias were turned to Remedios and Jaldabatoh.
As the Arch-Devil flew ten feet above the ground and didn't seem to want to approach, the Paladin's Grandmaster appealed to her silver armor's power and rose from the ground using a limited version of the spell [Fly].
Aware of having only one chance to win, she mobilized her Martial Art and Paladin's skills one after the other.
«Flow Acceleration!»
«Fortress!»
"Strong Strike!"
«Evil Slayer!»
Her reflexes and offensive and defensive abilities buffed; Remedios rushed on Jaldaboth. Still, the demon did not make a gesture to stop her.
The young woman did not expect so much. The arrogance of the Demonic Emperor was going to cause his fall. Safarlisia was a powerful Holy Sword, a national treasure, which inflicted damage proportional to the target's Karma. If someone with positive karma did not suffer any harm, a being as evil as a demon could be defeated instantly! In addition, the [Evil Slayer] skill allowed to amplify even more the strength of Remedios attacks
Just before striking, Remedios used one of her Paladins' powers:
"Holy Strike!"
This Skill channeled divine power into a weapon to explode into contact. Safarlisia amplified this energy exponentially igniting a golden flame of almost two meters in length.
All the evil beings who watched the duel began to moan in pain and raised their hands to protect their eyes, blinded by the intensity of the light emitted by the Holy Sword. Oddly, individuals with positive karma did not feel any negative effects.
Unable (or unwilling!) to block the Holy Sword, Jaldabaoth was attacked at full force.
The explosion shook the battleground, and the shock wave threw the negative karma spectators like pins hit by a bowling ball.
Thrown away by the deflagration, Jaldabaoth crashed into the forest, breaking down trees in his fall.
There was a moment of silence.
Floating in the sky, Remedios looked at the crater dug into the forest floor. The hole was half hidden by broken tree trunks and dust clouds, but nothing moved.
It... it worked! She had managed to kill the Demonic Emperor! She had won!
The Grandmaster was jubilant.
She had saved the Holy Kingdom. She...
A broken tree was lifted by an arm almost as huge as the trunk. Exiting the crater caused by the Jaldabaoth's crash, a monstrous demon emerged before taking off.
It was an Evil Lord (Wrath Variant). A colossal humanoid with a red body streaked with burning golden lines. Its tail was aflame, and its wings seemed made of golden flames.
The Evil Lord stopped about ten meters from Remedios and smiled.
"Oh, look at you. Attempting Greatness? Pity, it's just attempted."
Then he continued to speak using a more casual tone while massaging his neck.
"It's been a long time since I morphed into my combat form. I've lost the habit of using it."
Remedios did not want to understand. She refused to admit the truth. Yet…
«Jaldabaoth?»
"Of course, it still takes you too much time to understand what should be obvious." The Evil Lord extended his arms like an invitation. "This is my true body, and I warn you right now, I am much more powerful in this form."
Remedios opened her mouth, wanting to ask the demon why he had not dodged her attack... but the Paladin realized she already knew the answer. Once again, the Demonic Emperor wanted to see her moment of triumph turn into despair. Jaldabaoth was a sadist.
With a wrathful shout, Remedios threw herself forward. The young woman understood that she lost her only chance of winning, but what else could she do?
Jaldabaoth blocked the first attacks with careless hand movements, never ceasing to smile. He seemed to want to chase away a fly. Suddenly the demon struck. Remedios just managed to block the attack, but her heater shield broke into a thousand pieces as her armet helmet was torn from her head and struck the ground ten yards down. Wobbly, the Grandmaster backed back and wiped the blood that flowed from the forehead to her cheek
Her teeth were crackling from frustration, and her eyes were burning with impotent rage.
Jaldabaoth, however, began to laugh sinisterly.
"Watching you fight is like witnessing a dance of clumsiness and confusion! In hands as weak as yours, even a powerful Holy Sword can't do anything against me. I'm getting tired of playing with you, Remedios Custodio. And when I get tired of a toy, I break it!"
With another shout, the Grandmaster of the Paladin Order returned to attack, raising his sword above his head in both hands.
But, just as the genius Paladin was about to strike, she stopped and opened her mouth…
"Holy Stri…"
… but choked on a stream of blood before she could channel her power into the Holy Sword. Remedios looked down and saw that the devil had pierced her belly with his claws. Neither her magic tabard emblazoned with the Holy Kingdom coat, nor her silver plate armor had given her more protection than a thin piece of paper.
Stripped of any strength, Remedios Custodio let go of Safarlisia and the Holy Sword fell to the ground far below.
Jaldabaoth threw her away with a half-hearted flick of his wrist as if the Paladin was just a bag full of garbage. She might still be alive, but he didn't care. For the Demonic Emperor, she was just an insect that no longer deserved his interest.
With a formidable roar, he turned to the battle that was continuing below him.
"Men of the Holy Kingdom, look at me! I am Jaldaboth, the Demonic Emperor. Tremble before my majesty. Look at my true form and understand that until then your people were only my plaything. But the game is over, the time has come for the killing. Run to the world's end and you'll give me the joy of chasing you. Fight and you will give me the joy of exterminating you. But understand this: no victory is for eternity beyond your grasp. You are sinners abandoned by your gods and I am your punishment! Behold the face of your demise»
Great Tomb of Nazarick, Throne Room.
In the Mirror of Remote Vision, Ainz Ooal Gown was watching the end of the battle... if one could still call this a battle. Butchery would probably be a more appropriate term.
The front lines were collapsing everywhere. Humans who were not killed while trying to defend a position already submerged by the Demi-Humans were caught in their flight by winged demons.
Jaldabaoth was leading the assault. He held a strange bludgeon weapon... The corpse of Remedios Custodio became as stiff as a piece of wood and much harder. The Evil Lord slaughtered enemies by the dozen at a time. His disgusting weapon went right to the left among the fighters' row, smashing heads and chests, and throwing corpses far away... Moreover, the shaky morale of the Roblians collapsed when they recognized in this horrible weapon the deconsecrated corpse of their captain.
Ainz turned from the mirror to look at the Floor Guardian who was kneeling at the foot of the steps that led to the throne.
"I was very surprised by the appearance of this new Jaldabaoth, Demiurge. Well done!"
The Creator of the Blazing Inferno looked up and smiled.
"Oh... I don't deserve such praise, Ainz Sama. It was nothing more than a simple prestidigitator's trick. I have stirred up the anger of Remedios Custodio so that she will strike and cast me away. Before the dust dissipated, I summoned the Wrath Lord and teleported to Nazarick. As the Evil Lord claimed to be 'Jaldaboth' and that he came from the crater where I had fallen, they thought it was me. What idiots!" He sighed. I'm still a little sad that I can no longer play the role of Demonic Emperor but... it's time for the Bad Guys to lose. »
Demiurge remained pensive for a few seconds.
"While we're on the subject, Ainz-sama, how many Roblians have to survive this battle?"
The Overlord rubbed his chin.
"A third will do, I think."
"Ainz-sama, do you want me to spare some specific people?"
The Floor Guardian answered by straightening his glasses with one finger, a usual tick. Typically, this meant that he was pleased with himself. He must have had an idea horrendously Machiavellian and wanted to hear the congratulations of his master. Ainz focused more, knowing from experience that at this kind of moment, the Arch-Devil could ask him a tricky question... Involuntarily, of course... Demiurge was convinced that his leader had a superior intellect and already knew all the answers.
"I am glad to hear that you have become aware of this problem," said the Sorcerer King... as if he had studied the question long before the Foor Guardian.
Demiurge stood still for a moment as his face reflected a sort of ecstasy.
"Oh, wonderful... as always you are ahead of me. The Sorcerer Kingdom is blessed to have a sovereign... no, a god... as wise and far-sighted as you Ainz-sama."
"That's easy for me, Demiurge," replied Ainz Ooal Gown... although he panicked inwardly because he had no idea what he was supposed to have understood. "Nevertheless, I would like to hear the details of your plan... perhaps I have overlooked something."
The demon bowed deeply.
"I doubt you can make a mistake unless, of course, you want to."
The Overlord wanted to cry with despair... the Nazarick's NPCs did not realize the pressure they were putting on him by forcing him to act as an omniscient and omnipotent leader.
"You overestimate me, Demiurge, even I sometimes get it wrong. So, what is your plan?"
"I plan to let Queen Calca and Kelart Custodio escape."
Saying this, the Creator of the Blazing Inferno fell silent, throwing a glance full of expectation to the Sorcerer King.
What the hell had Demiurge in mind? What was his new plan? 'Satoru thought' Ainz admonished himself... It was a complete change in Demiurge's plans. Until then, the 7th Floor Guardian wanted the queen and the High Priestess to die quickly so that Doppel-Caspond could seize power. Ainz dug into his memory, trying to remember everything he knew about Queen Calca... she was very popular with small people and... oh... it must have been that.
He nodded calmly as if Demiurge had just confirmed something he had always known.
"Exactly, if Calca Bessarez were to die in the battle, she would become a martyr, a heroine. I congratulate you for thinking about the negative consequences for the future reign of our puppet, Doppel-Caspond."
Demiurge smiles, happy that his master confirms his strategy.
"As always, you understood long before me what I should have seen from the beginning, I thank you for your patience with me. As always you are right, Ainz-sama, if the queen flees by abandoning her army her reputation will be tarnished."
'Phew' sighed inwardly Ainz... 'That was the right answer'...
"I have not yet decided how to eliminate the Holy Queen Calca Bessarez and the High Priestess of the Four Great Gods" continued Demiurge "but I intend to make the people blame them for everything that went wrong in this war so that their death and Doppel-Caspond coronation will be welcomed as a relief."
Remedios Custodio was right. For Demiurge, the whole world was a theater for the bloody tragedies and the horrific dramas he directed.
Important note: starting with the next chapter, any mention of 'Jaldaboth' will refer to the Wrath-type Evil Lord invoked by Demiurge.
Author's note: This time, I don't think anyone will blame me for portraying a stupid demiurge.
I hope you enjoyed the depiction of the Battle of Salanc. Telling this story took me a lot of time, especially because of the upstream research (particularly on tactics and medieval weaponry) and I had to find the right tone to describe the character's behaviors and events.
(1) Except Yuri Alpha safe... or rather supposed to be safe in the Great Abellion Dungeon) the «Pleiades» who fight with Demiurge are Doppelgangers. On the one hand, replacing the Battle Maids with Doppelgangers is understandable because of what happened to Entoma during her fight against Evil Eye but... this decision is absurd at a more fundamental level! As a result of the presence of Doppel-Pleiades in Jaldabaoth's army, the people of the Holy Kingdom will hate them for all the evil they have done... and as these demons have taken the Pleiades' appearance who will be hated? The Pleiades! And, in the first place, why send the Peiades to the Holy Kingdom? To have reliable generals to control the Demi-Humans? Let's admit it... but in the end, they don't even participate in the fights since they are replaced by the Doppelgangers. That's... absurd...
(2) Traditional Japanese game, something like chess.