"Ainz-sama and Ren-sama really do get along well… For a second there, I honestly thought they were going to start arguing."
Aura patted her flat chest, letting out a long breath, her expression clearly showing that the weight on her heart had finally lifted.
"Aura, mind your words."
Albedo's tone immediately sharpened as she stepped forward, carrying the authority of the Overseer of the Guardians.
"Both Ren-sama and Ainz-sama are supreme intellects who stand at the pinnacle of this world. And more importantly, they are close friends. A conflict between them is simply impossible.
"As a Guardian of Nazarick, if what you just said were to reach the ears of the lower-ranking members, it could lead to dangerous misunderstandings… even division."
"H-Hey, I get it, I get it…"
Aura stuck out her tongue playfully and admitted her fault. She knew Albedo wasn't exaggerating—her careless remark had indeed been inappropriate.
—
Meanwhile, on the Kingdom's side, the Adventurers' Guild had just issued a new urgent request.
A powerful vampire had appeared along one of the Kingdom's major trade routes.
Several waves of adventurers had already been dispatched to subjugate it—
But the results were grim.
Whether they were Mithril-ranked elites or the rarer Orichalcum-ranked adventurers… almost none had returned.
In a dim alleyway, a man slumped against the wall, clutching his katana.
His name was Brian Anglaus.
He looked like a defeated stray dog.
Overhearing guild staff discussing whether they should request assistance from Adamantite-ranked adventurers, Brian let out a cold, mocking laugh.
A powerful vampire… appearing near that place…
He was almost certain—
Eighty percent sure—
That it was her.
Shalltear Bloodfallen.
The very same monster who had crushed him into despair.
And that was precisely why he found the Guild's discussion laughable.
Adamantite-ranked adventurers?
Brian knew of them. The highest tier—individuals said to have stepped into the so-called realm of heroes.
But so what?
Even if they had reached that level… what difference would it make?
Against that kind of monster—
They were nothing.
Brian Anglaus had once been hailed as a swordsman capable of rivaling the Kingdom's strongest warrior captain, Gazef Stronoff.
And yet…
When he faced that being—
He had unleashed the technique he had spent years perfecting, the one he had intended to use to surpass Gazef…
And it hadn't even been enough to match a single finger.
No—
Not even a finger.
He couldn't surpass a fingernail.
Just as she had said—
He wasn't even worthy of being a nail clipper.
"Adamantite…?" Brian muttered, a bitter smile creeping across his face.
"To me… they're all the same."
As long as they were human—
There was no way they could defeat that monster.
The so-called strongest of humanity?
In front of her, they were nothing more than toys… to be crushed at will.
—
The Adventurers' Guild had originally planned to request help from the Kingdom's only Adamantite-ranked team, Blue Rose.
However, Blue Rose was currently assisting Princess Renner in investigating the underground organization known as Eight Fingers and simply couldn't spare the manpower.
Just as the Guild found itself at a complete loss—
Two adventurer parties stepped forward and accepted the request.
One was the Mithril-ranked party Darkness.
The other—
The Orichalcum-ranked party War Oni.
These two groups had recently risen to prominence within the Kingdom's adventurer circles.
Especially War Oni, which many already regarded as the strongest team below Adamantite rank, known for completing increasingly difficult requests one after another.
—
When they arrived at Shalltear's location, she was still dressed in her deep violet frilled gown, standing silently—
Like a doll that had been switched off.
However, a closer look revealed the truth.
The area around her was littered with bloodstains and scattered remains.
The fate of those who had come before… was obvious.
"Aurelia Alpha. Nabel Gamma. Secure the perimeter."
After arriving at the designated area, Momonga issued his orders calmly.
"If any adventurers enter the vicinity… eliminate them."
"Yes, Ainz-sama."
With that, Momonga removed his disguise.
The crude equipment he had used to fool humans vanished, revealing his true form—
The Overlord.
A skeletal magic caster.
Against Shalltear, there was no room for arrogance.
He had no intention of fighting her using that flimsy "warrior" disguise.
This battle—
Would be fought with everything he had.
"Just as Ren said… unless I enter her attack range, Shalltear won't activate."
Momonga muttered to himself.
"In that case… I suppose a magic caster making preparations before battle is only natural."
Standing off to the side as a spectator, Ren Kuroda couldn't help but roll his eyes internally.
"Only natural," huh…
That was rich.
This was only possible because Shalltear couldn't respond right now.
In a real PvP battle, what kind of warrior would just stand there and let a magic caster stack buffs like this?
And yet—
Momonga began chanting.
One spell after another.
Like scrolling through a menu, an overwhelming sequence of enhancement magic poured from his lips:
"Body of Effulgent Beryl. Flight. Blessing of the Magic Caster. Infinity Wall. Magic Ward—Holy. Life Essence. Greater Full Attribute Boost. Freedom. False Data—Life. See Through. Greater Intuition. Greater Resistance Boost. Chaos Cloak. Indomitability. Sensory Boost. Greater Luck. Magic Boost. Dragon Power. Greater Hardening. Heavenly Aura. Absorption. Penetration Boost. Greater Magic Shield. Magic Essence—"
"Triple Maximize Magic: Explosive Landmine."
"Triple Maximize Magic: Greater Magic Seal."
"Triple Maximize Magic: Magic Arrow."
The sheer number of buffs was staggering.
Even Ren clicked his tongue in amazement.
To put it bluntly—
With this many enhancements stacked, even a level-one skeleton could probably one-shot monsters above level fifty.
Among the forty-one Supreme Beings of Ainz Ooal Gown, if one were to rank them by MP—
Momonga would undoubtedly be near the very top.
Even Ren, without drawing on the power of This World's Evil and relying solely on his half-demon state and innate abilities, couldn't match Momonga's raw magical reserves.
If translated into another world's power system—
Momonga's mana capacity would rival that of a fully awakened Rimuru.
Of course—
In this world, mana did not directly equal combat power.
Especially not for someone like Momonga, whose build leaned heavily toward support.
—
After layering himself with an absurd number of buffs—
Momonga made his move.
Without hesitation, he unleashed a super-tier spell from long range.
"Fallen Down!"
A pillar of divine light descended from the sky—
Engulfing Shalltear completely.
In an instant, her HP plummeted, forcing her into her special state—
Blood Valkyrie.
And with that attack—
The battle began.
Clad now in a full suit of pink-violet armor, her divine-class weapon—the Spuit Lance—in hand—
Shalltear Bloodfallen awakened.