In a flash of thought, Albedo's aura shifted suddenly. She was no longer hiding her power. Instead, the heavy pressure of the Guardian Overseer spread out. It only covered the two of them, but it felt suffocating.
"Rubedo!" Her voice was stern and full of authority. "As the Guardian Overseer, I am giving you one last warning! Return to the Eighth Floor immediately! Your actions have violated Lord Ainz's will and threaten the safety of Nazarick!"
Rubedo let out a mocking laugh. She tightened her arm around Albedo's waist. Her fingertips almost dug into Albedo's skin. "Heh~ The Overseer's ego is as big as ever. But..." Her voice turned cold and excited, "Right now, I only want to 'play.'"
Albedo's eyes sharpened. 'As I expected, normal orders are useless. In that case...' She changed her strategy. Her voice stayed icy, but her words changed. "Play? Do you think Lord Ainz and I are just playing house?" She looked toward Ilya and spoke in a low voice. "Look closely. That 'toy' is not like the trash you have broken before. If you are reckless, you might lose the right to 'play' forever."
Rubedo tilted her head. The purple light under her eyepatch flickered. She seemed interested. "Oh? Even you think... she's dangerous?"
"She is an 'unknown,'" Albedo corrected her. She was setting a trap. "If you want to play for a long time instead of being broken instantly, you must understand how the toy works. You need to find its most fragile 'switch.' And right now..." She gave Rubedo a meaningful look, "You have almost scared the target away."
Rubedo was silent for a moment. She thought about Albedo's words. Then, her smile grew wider. She looked like she had found a new game. "So, now is the time to watch and find her weakness?" She finally let go of Albedo. Instead, she patted Albedo's head like a pet. "You should have said so earlier, my dear 'Overseer sister.' This game sounds fun too~"
Albedo wanted to push the hand away but stopped herself. She smoothed her hair and said coldly, "Then control yourself. Until we find the 'switch,' any reckless action is a betrayal of Lord Ainz. I will use my authority to stop you at any cost."
This was a clear threat. However, Rubedo seemed even more excited. She giggled as she walked. As her emotions changed, her black nun's outfit began to turn a strange pink color. "Don't worry~ I'll watch her very closely..."
She stood next to Albedo and stared at Ilya. She licked her red lips. Her voice sounded like she was testing a tool. "She looks so soft... I wonder how many 'changes' she can take before she breaks? I'm looking forward to it~"
Far away, Ilya seemed finished with her street food. She clapped her hands and looked around. She saw a large, luxury hotel at the end of the street. It looked like a castle for rich merchants or nobles. It had a small courtyard and a tower. It looked very fancy compared to the buildings around it.
Ilya walked over and spoke to the guard at the door. Then, she tossed him a gemstone. It glowed with pure mana. Ilya had made it herself, and its power made the guard's heart race. He became very humble immediately. He bowed deeply and led the mysterious girl through the large gates.
Ilya disappeared inside.
In the shadows, Albedo felt a bit relieved. The target was now in a closed building. This made it easier to watch her. But then she looked at Rubedo. Rubedo's eyes were glowing with a bright purple light. Albedo felt tense again.
'The biggest danger has joined the mission... Lord Ainz, your most dangerous weapon is out of control. This will be like walking on a tightrope.' Albedo felt a lot of pressure. She had to watch a powerful "natural disaster" while also guarding against the "chaos" next to her. The mission had become much harder.
Rubedo moved her neck, and her joints made metallic clicking sounds. She stared at the "castle" where Ilya had gone. Her smile became demonic. The pink color of her clothes grew darker. Even her hair and stockings seemed to glow with energy.
"Hiding in a little box? Heehee... 'Hide and seek' and 'opening presents' are my favorite parts."
Rubedo's whisper sounded like a snake. It was full of a desire to destroy. She and Albedo moved like ghosts through the night. They approached the hotel silently. Rubedo was even better at hiding than Albedo. It wasn't magic; it was an instinct. Even the hotel's alarms didn't notice them.
They easily found the top-floor room where Ilya was staying. They used magic to look through a window.
The room was very expensive. It had thick carpets and fancy furniture. But Albedo and Rubedo were not looking at the furniture.
In the center of the room, Ilya had just finished bathing. She wore a thin white dress. Her damp blonde hair hung over her shoulders. She looked soft and warm. She didn't look like the terrifying person from before. She stood in front of a mirror holding different dresses. One was a purple court dress, one was a leather skirt, and one was a yellow dress with lace.
"Hmm... which one should I wear?" Ilya whispered to the mirror. She tapped her chin. Her blue eyes sparkled like a normal girl picking out clothes. She held the yellow dress against herself and twirled. She had a sweet, shy smile on her face.
This scene made Albedo's eyes narrow.
'...She looks like a normal human noble.' The fear Albedo felt before started to fade. It was replaced by a bit of contempt. 'Was that power just a trick we don't understand? Or is she just a child with too much strength? A "giant infant" who doesn't know how to hide her power?'
This thought grew quickly. Albedo remembered how Ilya loved food and cute things. She felt her guess was right. Maybe Lord Ainz was being too careful. A being with such obvious weaknesses would be easy to handle.
Suddenly, Rubedo's metallic laughter broke Albedo's thoughts.
"Heehee... look at that. This is the 'mysterious' person who worried Lord Ainz. This is how she acts in private." Rubedo's voice was full of mockery. "Albedo, tell me again... how did she 'play' before? Tell me about the sword and the power to fix things. I want every detail."
Albedo frowned, but she wanted to keep Rubedo calm. She described how Ilya summoned the giant sword of light. She told her how Ilya destroyed the town and then fixed it instantly. She mentioned the heavy pressure and that Lord Ainz thought she was Level 119.
This time, Rubedo wasn't afraid. Instead, she laughed even louder. She acted like it was the funniest joke she had ever heard.
"Hahaha... Hahahahahaha!!!"
Her laughter echoed inside her [Concealment Barrier]. Her black outfit turned into a bright, eerie pink. She looked unstable and dangerous.
Under her eyepatch, the light flickered between black and purple. She was very excited.
"Interesting! So interesting!" Rubedo stopped laughing. Her grin was so wide it looked painful. Her red lips looked like they were covered in blood. "She has all that power, but she is still a human girl. She has a brain that needs to eat and sleep. She wants to wear pretty dresses!"
She turned to look at Albedo. Even with the eyepatch, Albedo felt the cruelty in her gaze.
"Albedo! My dear sister!" Rubedo's voice shook with excitement. "Don't you see? She is human. She has a fragile nervous system. Her brain has emotions. That means she will be affected by my [Heart-Domain Weaving]!"
Albedo was shocked for a moment. Then, she realized Rubedo was right. A smile appeared on her face.
"Of course!" Albedo laughed quietly. Her worry was gone. She had found a major weakness. "How could I forget! She doesn't have an Undead body like Lord Ainz. She has human weaknesses. She has nerves and desires!"
Albedo watched Ilya in the room. Ilya had picked a blue dress and was humming while she changed. Albedo now felt superior to her.
"Rubedo," Albedo smiled. Her chest moved as she laughed softly. "Perhaps... you really can 'defeat' her." She sounded like she was encouraging a child to break a toy.
Rubedo started to shake with excitement. The pink on her clothes became even brighter.
"Then... let me test this 'ultimate toy'!" Rubedo licked her lips.
Suddenly, the light under her eyepatch turned pure black. Dark energy began to swirl around her. It looked like liquid shadows. Purple lightning sparked inside the darkness. It was beautiful but terrifying.
She raised her hand and moved her fingers in the air. The dark lightning followed her movement. Ilya was busy eating a piece of cake and didn't notice anything. Rubedo softly blew a small ball of black energy toward her. It was only the size of a thumb.
The black ball moved silently. It vanished as soon as it left Rubedo's lips. In the next second—
"Ugh!"
Inside the room, Ilya had just taken a bite of cake. Suddenly, she let out a painful groan. The cake fell onto the carpet. She grabbed her head with both hands. Her face turned white. She looked like she was in extreme pain and very confused.
'What's happening?!' Ilya's mind was racing. 'This attack is hitting my neurons directly?! It's not magic, and it's not a mental attack... it's something deeper. It's interfering with my biology?! How is this possible?! This wasn't in the game!'
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