"Ren Kuroda from War Oni… is he really as strong as you all claim? When he stood before me, my instincts did tell me I wasn't his match.
But at the same time… judging from the aura he gave off, I felt like I might actually be able to defeat him."
This was the first time Gazef had met Ren face-to-face, but thanks to Brian—and the rumors spreading through the capital—he had heard Ren's name many times before.
"Don't judge Ren by the surface-level aura he shows," Brian said immediately, his tone firm. "He's a genuine monster. That's something I can state with absolute certainty."
He crossed his arms, recalling that suffocating pressure from before.
"Even if you and I stood before him together, I doubt we could even push him to take us seriously."
After a pause, however, Brian frowned slightly.
"That said… if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe there exists a demon powerful enough to defeat him. Maybe Ren only said that because he's dissatisfied with the kingdom."
After all, Ren had issued a warning long ago.
And the kingdom had chosen to ignore it.
"Well… not everyone ignored it," Climb quickly interjected, unable to hold himself back when it came to defending his beloved princess. "Princess Rena took action at the time. She even prepared a large supply of holy water and anti-demon equipment."
Brian smirked at that.
"Which is exactly why Ren gave the kingdom another chance—by suggesting they seek help from that other adamantite team, the Black Duo."
He leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful.
"I've never met them myself, but I've heard that the one called 'Hiiro' played a key role in driving back that vampire. If that's true, then he's definitely no ordinary adventurer."
—
As the days passed, the situation in the capital grew steadily worse.
What should have been a single night of chaos stretched into an entire week of unrelenting disaster.
News of the kingdom's plight quickly spread to neighboring nations—the Baharuth Empire, the Slane Theocracy, even the Holy Kingdom.
And yet, not a single one moved to intervene.
Some were simply content to watch the kingdom suffer.
Others, even if they wished to help, knew the kingdom would never allow foreign armies into the heart of its capital.
—
After several days, most of the nobles had already been captured.
Their wealth had been thoroughly plundered.
And at last, the mastermind behind it all stepped onto the stage—
Demihuman overlord Adayamao—the identity adopted by the demon known as Demius.
Alongside him appeared the remaining members of the Pleiades battle maids—excluding Yuri Alpha and Narberal Gamma.
And this time, to ensure absolute dominance, Demius had brought even more terrifying forces.
One of his three Demon Generals—the "Wrath General"—and Shaltear Bloodfallen herself.
The Wrath General was a towering demon covered in crimson scales, its level reaching a staggering 84—enough to plunge humanity into despair.
—
Meanwhile, Azure Rose had their first encounter with the masked adventurer Hiiro.
After he saved Tia, Gagran, and the others, relations between the two teams improved significantly.
Evileye, in particular, had been completely captivated—falling head over heels for Hiiro's tall, imposing figure and overwhelming strength.
But when the kingdom's forces finally assembled to face the enemy head-on…
The difference in power became painfully clear.
The maids standing behind Adayamao—members of the Pleiades—were already known to Azure Rose.
They had fought them before.
And even a single one had been enough to defeat Gagran and Tia.
Now there were four of them.
Each one possessed strength exceeding that of an adamantite-ranked adventurer.
And then there was Adayamao himself.
Just as Ren had warned—his power was overwhelming.
With a single strike, he effortlessly defeated Gagran and the others.
The massive crimson demon—the Wrath General—was judged by Evileye to be even stronger than the maids.
Stronger than her.
And finally—
There was the last figure.
A young girl in a deep violet frilled dress.
At first, no one recognized her.
But the moment Brian saw her, his lips trembled—and a name slipped out before he could stop himself.
"…Shaltear Bloodfallen…"
That was right.
Even with a mask. Even with long golden hair as a disguise.
Brian—the "nail clipper" who had once faced her—recognized her instantly.
And the moment her name was spoken—
The masked Demius shot an irritated glance at Shaltear.
In his mind, this was clearly her fault.
If he'd known, he would have brought a more reliable Guardian instead.
"It's not my fault!" Shaltear protested, her voice tinged with grievance beneath the mask. "I don't even know this guy! Could it be… he's connected to that person… I mean, to the Supreme One's previous opponent?"
She was genuinely confused.
This time, she had followed orders perfectly—no reckless behavior, no disobedience.
She had even disguised both her appearance and her aura.
And yet—
How had this weak human recognized her?
It made no sense.
"Have you already forgotten me?" Brian muttered, his voice trembling—not with fear, but with burning resolve. "I suppose that's only natural. To someone like you… I'm not even worth remembering."
His grip tightened around his blade.
"But this time… I won't run away again. Even if it's just one step… I'll move forward!"
With a roar, Brian drew his katana and charged straight at Shaltear.
His sudden outburst completely disrupted the atmosphere.
On the other side, both Hiiro and Demius—who had been preparing to deliver their grand opening lines—were visibly thrown off.
Originally, they were supposed to be the main actors in this performance.
But now some extra had barged in, shouting passionate lines and stealing the spotlight.
It was infuriating.
"…What an annoying insect," Shaltear muttered coldly. "If you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish."
Raising a single sharp fingernail, she moved to strike Brian down.
But just as she intercepted his ultimate technique and prepared to finish him—
Another figure rushed forward.
Gazef.
The Warrior-Captain.
And that face—
Shaltear recognized it.
One of the humans specifically designated by Ainz-sama… as not to be killed.
Her attack was already in motion.
To pull back now would look suspicious.
But to strike…
"Clang——!"
The piercing sound of her nail colliding with a blade rang out across the battlefield…