Overlord

Part 4

After wiping out the Beast Zombies, the Lizardmen rounded their shoulders in fatigue and breathed sighs of relief. There was anguish on their faces, but at the same time there were faint smiles there.

It was true that they had taken many casualties, but they were lucky only to have sustained that much. If the Swamp Spirits had not joined the fight… no, if they had come in just a little later, their formation would have collapsed and it would have turned into a rout.

"We're moving out," shouted the Head Warriors. It was an announcement that they were heading into battle.

Their bodies were weak from fatigue, and just raising their weapons consumed a great deal of effort, to say nothing of actually wielding them. They were bone-tired, but the battle was not yet over.

They had to beware the enemy's reinforcements even as they eliminated the distant Zombies.

"All right, get the heavily wounded back to the village, the rest of you form up on us—​"

The sound of roaring fire interrupted him.

Searing heat engulfed the surroundings, and the Swamp Spirits at the center of the blaze wavered.

As the flames vanished like they had never been there in the first place, the two Spirits were in terrible shape. A single gout of fire had half-destroyed them.

Before the Lizardmen could cry out in surprise, the fires raged once more. The Spirits could not endure the attacks and disintegrated into the roaring inferno.

As the Swamp Spirits —​ who had demonstrated incredible power against the Beast Zombies —​ disappeared without a trace, the Lizardmen's faces went blank, unable to keep pace with what was happening before them.

They knew that the Swamp Spirits had been destroyed, but they were desperately trying to deny that reality. That was because if the Swamp Spirits really had been destroyed, it meant that there was a more powerful monster headed their way.

The Lizardmen looked around in confusion and also to hide their fear. Just as they spotted an undead being in the distance, a fireball once more flew from its hand.

The head-sized ball of flame soared through the air in a straight line and flew into the leader squad of the Lizardman troops.

Under normal circ.u.mstances, flames would vanish upon contact with water. However, this fireball was a magical phenomenon and defied that logic. When the fireball touched the water, it was as though it had struck a hard surface. A roaring cyclone of flame blossomed from the point of impact.

The fiery explosion consumed several Lizardmen —​ and then faded away.

Was this an illusion? —​ that thought vanished in an instant. The smell of charred meat wafting in the air and the bodies of Lizardmen slumped on the ground was real enough.

The undead creature advanced with unhurried steps, so elegant that one might take it for arrogance. That was the stride of a mighty being, fully confident in its power.

As the Lizardmen hesitated about whether they should rush it with an all-out attack, just like how they had destroyed the Skeleton Archers, another fireball flew at them.

The fireball exploded violently, claiming the lives of all the Lizardmen around it in an instant.

"Uooooohh!"

The Lizardmen shouted to clear the fear from their hearts. Just as several Lizardmen charged recklessly ahead, a cold, clear voice spoke from what seemed like an unthinkably great distance:

"—​Utter foolishness."

That was all their foe said. The onrushing Lizardmen were incinerated by a ball of flame before they could scream.

The undead being took a step forward, and over a hundred Lizardmen immediately took one step back. The disparity between their powers was like a high wall which forced the Lizardmen to retreat.

"Run away!"

A strident, electrifying cry filled the air. The voice belonged to one of the Head Warriors.

"That one's different from the ones before him! We can't take him!"

That much was true. The majestic sight of the Elder Lich slowly advancing by itself was an awesome one. It made the Lizardmen feel as though a mighty wind was blowing across their skin.

"We'll try to buy time!"

Another fireball exploded, and several more Lizardmen lay upon the ground.

"Run! Go tell them!"

The five Head Warriors ordered the Lizardmen to flee, and at the same time they judged the distance between them. They were spacing themselves out so even when a fireball burst, at least one of them would be able to close the gap to the enemy. It was a suicidal tactic designed to accomplish that objective.

After spreading themselves out, the five of them looked at each other, and then sprinted.

The enemy was roughly one hundred meters away. They despaired at the distance separating them, but even so, they ran with all their might. That was because even if they perished halfway, their deaths would still give the chiefs and Zaryusu information they could use.

♦ ♦ ♦

The Lizardmen who had effortlessly held off the enemy came running back like a flock of frightened birds.

Zaryusu calmly observed that sight. No, ever since that powerful foe appeared, he had been scrutinizing its every movement. His attention was focused on the undead being that could cast the killing fire.

As the undead creature closed to within one hundred meters of the five Head Warriors, it began using 「Fireball」 to execute area-of-effect attacks. This forced them to scatter, and it seemed intent on burning the Head Warriors to death during their run.

"Looks like it's time for us to take the field."

Zaryusu nodded at Zenberu's words. Crusch signalled her agreement as well. She was aware that this might well be a battle where they might all meet a glorious end.

"Yes, it's time for us to go. Its power is shocking. Our foe might well be the personal subordinate of that Supreme One, or the commander of this army… Even if it's not, it must surely be a trump card of some sort."

"Indeed. Nobody can control multiple undead of such a level. But how shall we make our move? It seems a bit too far away for us."

Crusch's question gave Zaryusu a headache.

They were not fighting to die, so they had to plan around that.

Zaryusu and Zenberu could not attack at range, so they had to close in for a melee. The problem now lay in the one hundred meters between them and the enemy.

Zaryusu and the others could probably take one or two 「Fireballs」 with ease, but they would probably take more than just one or two such hits before reaching their opponent, and the true struggle would begin once they got to it. It was not hard to see how the enemy would repulse them if they tried a frontal assault while taking fireball attacks.

"Yeah… you got that right. To think a hundred meters could feel so far away…:"

Zaryusu and friends wondered how they could reach the enemy with no or minimal damage.

"How about burrowing through the ground?"

"If we used priestly powers… it'd still be hard. If we could use 「Invisibility」…"

They could probably close the gap instantly by going invisible and using the 「Fly」 spell. However, druids could not cast such spells.

"Then how about making a shield and advancing with it held before us?"

"Making a shield would take too long."

"How about tearing one of the houses down and using it as a shield?"

Zenberu smiled bitterly as he realised the futility of the words he had just spoken. The enemy attacked with explosive fireballs. Even if it was blocked, the searing temperatures would still scorch them from the side. There was no time now to make a full-body shield which could withstand high temperatures.

"What is it, Zaryusu?" Crusch asked nervously, feeling a little afraid. Is my face so scary, Zaryusu wondered. Still, it could not be helped. After all, he was so stressed-out that he wanted to scream.

"A shield, you say… I think I just found one.."

♦ ♦ ♦

Igva nodded, pleased with himself and the present situation.

Things were going very well. The Bloodmeat Hulks were still fighting, but he had successfully advanced to the village.

Several stupid Lizardmen had tried to attack him, but after seeing the power of his 「Fireballs」, they realized that resistance was futile. The most successful attackers were the five who had split up to rush him, but even they had only managed to get within fifty meters of him.

Igva walked on in silence, like he was strolling through an empty wasteland. While he pitied the weak Lizardmen —​ albeit in a mocking fashion —​ it would not do to be careless.

He was close to the village, his objective. Once there, he intended to continuously launch 「Fireballs」 to destroy the Lizardmen with their village.

However, the Lizardmen would probably try to stop him from reaching his destination. That would mean it was about time for the next counterattack.

Igva looked to the village, and his suspicions were vindicated.

"…Oh, I see."

Igva saw a Hydra coming at him.

If that was their ace in the hole, then the Lizardmen would lose the will to fight once he crushed it with overwhelming force. If that happened, he would be able to destroy the village more easily.

For safety's sake, Igva looked around, then checked the sky, and halted only after verifying that there were no traces of the enemy. He leisurely waited for the Hydra to enter his attack range.

As the Hydra reached the edge of said range, it began to sprint. As expected, it was heading straight for Igva.

"How foolish. Did you think you could crawl all the way to me with that slothful speed of yours? Well, beasts will be beasts."

With a mocking smile on his face, Igva conjured a 「Fireball」 in his hand and launched it at the Hydra.

It flew in a straight line and struck the Hydra dead center. The searing fires which emerged consumed the Hydra.

However, the Hydra continued forward, albeit a little shaky on its feet. It continued running, though it was wreathed in flames… no, the flames had gone out in an instant, so Igva must have been seeing things. That said, the sight before him spoke of the Hydra's extraordinary willpower.

Igva frowned in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. The fact that it could withstand one of his magical attacks was a blow to his pride.

While it was true that the Hydra seemed to have been enchanted with a defensive spell to reduce the damage it had taken, said defensive spell was not of a high tier and could not completely nullify his magic.

…If I recall correctly, Hydras have the ability of fast healing… but it shouldn't be able to withstand flame attacks. In any case, it's a beast, so it should be full of vitality. In that case, it makes sense that it could take a hit.

That reasoning comforted Igva somewhat, but it could not douse the flames of rancor within his heart. Igva was a special monster who had been personally created by the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown —​ the fact that this creature had not died in one hit was an insult to his master.

With cold eyes that were the polar opposite of the anger smoldering within him, Igva studied the oncoming Hydra.

"…How displeasing. Die!"

He cast another fireball at the Hydra, and the roaring flames engulfed its body. For a moment he even thought he could smell its flesh charring from the distance. Even if his foe had not taken a fatal wound, surely it would hesitate over whether or not to continue forward.

However—​

"—​Why is it not stopping? Why does it persist?"

Part 5

Rororo continued its single-minded sprint forward. Its body was large, but it was running in the marsh, so its speed was about the same as that of a Lizardman. Water splashed in all directions and a liquid cacophony echoed all around it.

Its amber eyes had turned cloudy from the great heat, and two of its four heads hung powerlessly.

Even so, it continued sprinting forward.

Another 「Fireball」 came, striking Rororo's body. The thermal energy contained within the 「Fireball」 exploded forth and washed all over it. The pain was like being beaten all over its body; its eyes felt drier than ever before, and the superheated air seared its lungs.

Its entire body was burned, and the agony that had been wracking Rororo from just now told it that if it continued, its very life was forfeit.

Even so —​ it continued running.

It ran.

It ran on.

It continued forward, never stopping. The high temperatures stripped the scales from its skin and causing blood-spurting blisters to blossom upon it, but even so it carried on, straight ahead.

An unintelligent beast would naturally have turned and fled, but Rororo did not do so.

Rororo was a magical beast called a Hydra.

There were many kinds of magical beasts. Some possessed greater intelligence than a human being and some were little wiser than an average animal. Frankly speaking, Rororo belonged to the latter category.

The fact that Rororo —​ who possessed the wits of an average beast —​ would continue forward, on the verge of death, towards Igva, the source of its pain was entirely unexpected, nearly impossible to understand.

Indeed, even its opponent Igva found it difficult to understand. He wondered if Rororo was under the influence of some magical control.

However, that was not the case.

Indeed, that was not the answer.

Igva would not be able to understand it.

Rororo —​ possessed of an animal's intelligence —​ was running with all its might for its kin.

Rororo had never seen its parents, yet Hydras were not the sort of creatures to abandon their offspring. Beasts of their kind would live with one of their parents until a certain age, learning how to survive in the wild. But then, why did this not apply to Rororo?

That was because Rororo was a mutant. Normal Hydras had eight heads when born, and as they grew older, they sprouted more heads, to a maximum of twelve.

However, Rororo only had four heads at birth, so its parents had abandoned it, taking its siblings with them.

Without the protection of its parents, even a young Hydra —​ who might someday grow into a powerful creature —​ would surely perish in the harsh environs of nature.

That is, if a certain Lizardman had not passed by and picked it up.

—​And so, Rororo gained kin —​ a father, a mother, and a close friend, all rolled into one.

As Rororo's mind was about to break under the agony, it recalled a question it had always pondered in the past.

Why was its body so big? Why did it have so many heads?

It occasionally thought that as it looked at the dear parent who had raised it. As a result, Rororo had also thought of something else.

Perhaps one day some of its heads might fall off, and its body might slowly sprout limbs like the way grass grew, and it would look like its parent.

And if that really happened —​ what would it ask for?

Yes. They had not slept together in a long time, so perhaps it would ask to curl up and nap together. It had always felt lonely because it had become too big and they had to sleep apart.

The flames felt like they were burning away Rororo's thoughts. They filled his vision and the agony shot through his body once more. It m.o.a.n.e.d in pain as the anguish washed over it. It felt a comforting warmth from behind, but it was nothing compared to the fire consuming Rororo.

Rororo felt as though it were being smashed by countless iron hammers.

It hurt so much that it could no longer think.

Rororo's legs seized up, signalling to the rest of the creature that it should stop moving forward.

However—​

However —​ was that really enough to make Rororo stop?

—​No. It did not stop.

Rororo continued advancing. Its pace had slowed. Its muscles were burnt and stiff, and it could not continue running at its usual pace.

It suffered with every step it took.

It was difficult to breathe. Just drawing breath was hard. Perhaps its lungs had been seared.

Even so, it did not stop.

Now, only one of its heads could still move. The other motionless heads were little more than dead weight. The sight of the undead creature conjuring another fireball in its hand was a blurred scene in Rororo's cloudy vision.

Its animal instincts allowed it to realize something.

If it took another hit, it would die. However, Rororo was not afraid. Without stopping, without ceasing, it forged bravely ahead—​

This was a request from its father, mother, and friend. Therefore it would never stop.

Just as Rororo desperately —​ and tiredly —​ dragged itself forward, a crimson ball of fire flew forth once more from an undead hand. It soared through the air and headed straight for Rororo.

There was no doubt that this last attack would consume Rororo in flames. It was an undeniable fact.

It would die.

It would be the end of everything.

However—​

Indeed —​ that was only if the aforementioned Lizardman did not step in.

How could he watch Rororo die before him?

How could he permit such an injustice to take place?

That was impossible—​

"—​「Icy Burst」!"

Zaryusu shouted as he leapt from behind Rororo, swinging Frost Pain as he ran beside it.

The air before the swing froze in an instant, forming a wall of white mist. This was a gout of supercooled air; the frozen wind of Frost Pain.

That was one of Frost Pain's abilities.

That was a special move which could only be used three times a day —​ 「Icy Burst」. It snap-froze everything in an area in front of it and caused massive damage.

The wall of frozen fog was solid, and it blocked the oncoming 「Fireball」. The orb of ardent flame met the wall of chill mist —​ by the laws of magic, allowing them to collide was the wisest choice.

It hit—​

The scorching flames burst forth, warring with the frozen mist of ivory.

It seemed as though two serpents, one white and one red, were trying to consume each other. After a moment's resistance, both powers vanished.

The undead creature was shocked, and its surprise showed on its face. That was a natural reaction to seeing the dissipation of the spell it had discharged.

There was still some distance between both parties. However, they could already see each others' faces —​ and movements. Rororo's effort and determination had crossed the seemingly untraversable distance between them and brought the three of them unharmed to this place.

"Rororo…"

Zaryusu choked up. In the end, Zaryusu picked the most appropriate words he could think of from his vocabulary —​ a simple, easily understood phrase.

"Thank you!"

As he left those shouted thanks with Rororo, Zaryusu charged forward without looking back, trailed by Zenberu and Crusch.

An almost inaudible croak answered him. It was the sound of encouragement for its kin.

♦ ♦ ♦

Igva stared in silence. His 「Fireball」 had been countered, and he could not stop himself from expressing his disbelief in words.

"This cannot be!"

Igva prepared to cast another spell. Naturally, it was still a 「Fireball」. He was not prepared to acknowledge that the Lizardmen charging at him had actually neutralized his magic.

The launched 「Fireball」 streaked at the three Lizardmen.

The leading Lizardman swung its sword and blocked the 「Fireball」 with a wall of freezing mist, and both vanished together. Yes, the same thing as just now had happened—​

"Bring it on! I'll cancel out everything you throw at me!"

The Lizardman's furious cry entered his ears.

Igva went "cheh" in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

To think a mere Lizardman could deflect a spell from me, a creation of the Supreme Being Ainz-sama!

Igva worked to suppress his boiling anger.

It was quite likely that he could not use 「Fireball」 any more. However, the fact that his opposition had taken shelter behind the Hydra and approached meant that there was a probably a limit to the number of times that ability could be used. Still, he did not know if it could be used ten times, or if every use would only deplete stamina —​ meaning that with the appropriate recovery, it could be used without limit.

How should I deal with this? I'd like to verify his words, if possible…

Igva could still discharge 「Fireballs」, but he could not tell how much of the Lizardman's words were truth or bravado.

Less than forty meters separated Igva from the Lizardmen.

In addition, the Lizardman charging him looked like a warrior. As an undead magic caster, Igva did not wish to be drawn into a melee.

Therefore, his 「Fireballs」 could no longer be used. He was not stupid enough to actually test how many more times his opponent could block his techniques under the circ.u.mstances. If only they had not hid behind that Hydra —​ that is to say, if they had not yet closed the gap —​ he might have attempted to verify their claims. However, that damnable Hydra had ruined that chance.

"Damn… a mere Hydra."

Igva cursed, and decided on his next move.

"—​Then, how about this?"

By coincidence, his foes had strung themselves out into a straight line. Igva extended a ginger and pointed at the three Lizardmen who were pressing in. Electricity crackled around that digit.

"Taste my 「Lightning」!"

A stream of white electricity flashed forward, and then—​

♦ ♦ ♦

Zaryusu was still some distance away, but he could see the white light coruscating around Igva's finger —​ 「Lightning」.

Frost Pain's 「Icy Burst」 could defend against cold- and fire-elemental attacks, but Zaryusu had never used it against lightning strikes, and he did not know if it would work.

Then, would it be wiser to take a risk, or fan out to disperse the enemy's targets and minimize the damage taken?

Zaryusu gripped Frost Pain tightly.

He could feel the electrical surge in the air, the proof that the lightning strike was aimed at him.

"Leave it to me—​!"

Zenberu acted faster than Zaryusu could, and leapt forward with a great cry. The spell discharged at the same time.

"—​「Lightning」!"

"Uooooh —​ 「Resistance Massive」!"

Just when it seemed that the lightning bolt was about to pierce Zenberu, his body instantly pumped up. In the end, the electrical discharge which should have pierced him and the two people behind him was scattered and deflected.

「Resistance Massive」.

This was a monk ability, which discharged ki from the entire body to reduce magical damage.

It was a technique Zenberu had learned during his travels, after losing to Frost Pain's 「Icy Burst」 in the past. The technique could be used to defend against any spell which did damage, even if it did so in an area..

Both sides gasped in surprise, but Zaryusu and Crusch —​ who believed in their comrade —​ were not overly shocked by this. Thus, while the undead magic caster reeled in surprise, the Lizardmen drew ever closer.

As he dashed forth, Zaryusu suddenly realised something.

If he had used 「Icy Burst」 during his duel with Zenberu, that move would have been countered by this technique, and Zenberu would have used the opening to defeat him. Perhaps that was why he had been trying to get Zaryusu to use that move on him.

"Haha! Like falling off a log!"

Zaryusu smiled at Zenberu's confident voice, but his face tightened up almost immediately afterwards. That was because Zaryusu could hear an undercurrent of pain in his voice.

If even a Lizardman like Zenberu could not hold back his pain, that implied his wounds were not light. In addition, if that technique had no weaknesses, he would not have agreed to the plan of hiding behind Rororo.

Zaryusu looked ahead. Less than twenty meters separated them from their enemy. The great distance between them had shrunk that far.

♦ ♦ ♦

As they drew closer, Igva realised that the people before him were powerful opponents, not to be taken lightly. The fact that they could counter his spells was worthy of praise. Of course, he had other ways to attack, but now he had to give some consideration to defense.

"You are excellent sacrifices; perfectly qualified for me to demonstrate my power."

Igva smiled coldly as he cast his spell.

"「Summon Undead 4th」."

Amidst a spray of bubbles, four skeletons emerged from the marsh to defend Igva, each holding round shields and curved swords. These undead were called Skeleton Warriors, and they were in a completely different league from regular Skeletons.

While he could have summoned other undead, he had chosen the Skeleton Warriors in order to resist cold attacks. Igva and other skeletal creatures like him were immune to cold damage.

Protected by his bodyguard squad, Igva looked down upon the approaching enemy. It was the attitude of a reigning champion awaiting a challenger.

The two of them finally drew near each other.

Only ten meters separated them now.

They were only that far apart now. Yes, that was all the distance separating them. After making sure that the undead would not immediately launch an attack, he glanced behind himself.

He looked at the distance they had travelled. It was very close if all they had to do was run it, but that one hundred meters was a killing field without any cover. Without Rororo, Frost Pain, Zenberu, or Crusch, he would never have been able to come this far. One could say it was as difficult as trying to ascend into the heavens. However, he had crossed that distance, and he was within reach of his foe.

They had overcome that distance together.

As Zaryusu saw the Lizardmen take Rororo back to the village, he breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Then he chastised himself for his moment of laxity, and looked back at the undead before him.

Zaryusu could frankly admit that they were fearsome foes.

If he had encountered them under different circ.u.mstances, he would have immediately elected to flee upon sighting them from far away. Just by standing before them, his instincts were screaming at him to flee, and even his tail was standing on end. From the corner of his eye, Zaryusu noted that Zenberu and Crusch's tails were exhibiting similar reactions to his left and right.

The two of them must be thinking the same thing as Zaryusu. Indeed —​ they were fighting the urge to flee as they faced the undead before them.

Zaryusu swished his tail, swatting them across the back.

The two of them looked at Zaryusu with looks of surprise on their faces.

"We can beat them if the three of us work together," Zaryusu said simply.

"Well said, Zaryusu. We can win."

Crusch used her tail to c.a.r.e.s.s the spot on her back where Zaryusu had swatted her.

"Ha, now that would be something, wouldn't it!?" Zenberu laughed, a look of pride on his face.

And so, the three of them travelled the final stretch to their enemy.

—​The distance between both sides was eight meters.

On one hand were Zaryusu and gang, who had run all the way here and were panting. Facing them were the undead, who did not breathe. Their eyes met, and the enemy spoke first.

"I am Igva, an Elder Lich under the banner of the Supreme One. Bow before me and I will grant you a quick and painless death."

Zaryusu could not help but smile, because this undead being called Igva knew nothing.

No matter how hard he thought, there was only one answer.

Zaryusu was smiling, but Igva was not displeased. Instead, he quietly awaited their answer. Igva was knew his strength, and he was confident that he could eliminate Zaryusu and his companions. That was why his attitude was one of superiority and even a bit of gratitude —​ after all, they had come all this way to deliver themselves to him.

"Tell me your answer."

"Kuku, well, if you really want to know…"

Zaryusu raised Frost Pain and gripped it tightly. Zenberu raised his fists, taking a special fighting stance. Crusch made no special movements, but she touched the wellspring of mana within her, prepared to cast a spell at any moment.

"Then, here's my answer —​ dream on!"

The Skeleton Warriors considered that response to be hostility, and they raised their swords while covering themselves with their shields.

"Then prepare to die in incomparable agony, knowing that you have rejected my final mercy!"

"I was about to say, the dead ought to get their asses back to the underworld, Igva!"

At this moment, the curtain rose on the climax of the battle which would determine the outcome of this conflict.

♦ ♦ ♦

"Get him, Zaryusu!"

Zenberu charged before anyone else, striking at a Skeleton Warrior.

He did not care that the Skeleton Warrior blocked his blow with its shield; he simply shoved it back with sheer brute force. The shield buckled inwards, and the backpedalling Skeleton Warrior collided into the other Skeleton Warriors and they lost their balance. He also attempted to swat at another Skeleton Warrior with his tail, but it failed to connect.

The formation of Skeleton Warriors buckled under Zenberu's onslaught, and Zaryusu immediately filled the gap they had vacated.

"Block him!"

Two Skeleton Warriors swung at Zaryusu with their curved blades as they heard Igva's command.

He could have avoided them if he wanted to. If he wanted to take the blows head on, he could have blocked them with Frost Pain. However, Zaryusu did neither. Evasion meant that he would slow down, and he did not want to make such a pointless move in front of Igva.

Besides, somebody else had already made a move—​

"「Earth Bind」!"

The mud lashed out like wh.i.p.s, entangling the two Skeleton Warriors. Said wh.i.p.s of mud seemed like iron chains; they immobilized the Skeleton Warriors as Zaryusu took advantage of the opening.

Yes —​ Crusch was there too.

Zaryusu was not fighting alone. He could entrust himself to his comrades.

Even Crusch's magic could not completely seal off her enemies' movements. The Skeleton Warriors' blades grazed Zaryusu. However, those injuries meant nothing to him; the boiling hot blood within his soul disregarded the concept of pain.

Zaryusu opened up his steps with flying strides.

He rushed at Igva, who was pointing at him. Even if he was hit by an attack spell, he was determined to eat the hit and keep running.

"You fool! Know fear! 「Scare」!"

Zaryusu's vision shuddered. He began to wonder where he was as a nameless terror bloomed within him, and he felt as though something was going to lunge at him from the side.

He stopped in his tracks. The 「Scare」 spell had shaken his heart and kept his legs from obeying him. His mind told his legs to move, but his heart would not allow his body to take a step.

"Zaryusu! 「Lion's Heart」!"

As Crusch shouted those words, the terror melted away in an instant, and in its place was a rekindled fighting spirit. The spell that bestowed courage had exorcised the fear from his heart.

Igva glared unhappily at Crusch and pointed a finger at her.

"Interfering busybody! 「Lightning」!"

There was a flash of white—​

"Gyaaah!"

—​And Crusch wailed.

Zaryusu's heart wavered; it was nearly consumed by an intense hatred, but he managed to control himself in the end. Hate was a useful weapon at times, but against a powerful enemy, it might end up working against him. When faced with a mighty foe, one needed fiery passion and ice-cold logic.

Zaryusu did not look back.

After Igva attacked Crusch, it meant that Zaryusu had an opening with which to draw closer. A look of dismay came over Igva's face, and he knew that he had made a mistake. That, in turn, brought a mocking smile to Zaryusu, whose beloved had been hurt.

"Cheh! 「Light-"

"Too slow!"

Frost Pain slashed in from the side, knocking away the finger Igva was planning to extend.

"Gah!"

"You let a warrior near you, magic caster! Don't even think of casting spells any more!"

Legendary spellcasters aside, most magic casters who allowed an enemy to get close might find their spells disrupted during the casting.

Even a powerful monster like Igva was no exception.

Zaryusu narrowed his eyes, confused by the sensation running up his arm. Slashing him felt weird; Igva must have had some kind of resistance to his weapon.

Still, he was not unhurt. Yes, if he could resist damage, then all he had to do was inflict more damage.

That being the case, all he had to do was keep hacking away at him.

Of course, it was easier said than done, and Zaryusu knew that as well. However, that was all a warrior like Zaryusu could do.

"Don't look down on me, Lizardman!"

Three arrows of light appeared before Igva and shot at Zaryusu. He reflexively parried the unannounced bolts with his sword, but the magic arrows went straight through his weapon and pierced his body, sending a surge of throbbing pain through him.

This was a 「Silent Magic – Magic Arrow」. There was no preparation needed for silenced spells, so they could not be interrupted. In addition, Magic Arrows were unavoidable spells; not even by someone like Zaryusu.

Zaryusu grit his teeth and swung Frost Pain at Igva.

"Kuh! Son of a bitch! You're just a mere Lizardman!"

「Magic Arrows」 were an unavoidable spell, but conversely, they did poor damage. Someone like Zaryusu, with a body honed through hundreds, if not thousands of battles, was not weak enough to be rendered incapable of fighting by such a spell.

The magic missiles struck Zaryusu again, evincing bolts of bone-jarring pain from him. Zaryusu took the pain and countered with a sword swing.

After several rounds of this back and forth, Zaryusu's movements began slowing down. The severe throbbing hampered his otherwise nimble movements, clearly ill.u.s.trating the difference between himself and the undead, who knew no pain.

Igva and Zaryusu both realised this, and their expressions were dramatically different as a result.

The strong would live, and the weak would die. That was an unalterable truth. It had been clearly ill.u.s.trated in Zaryusu and Igva's one-on-one fight. However, it was also true that the weak could contend with the strong if they banded together.

"「Middle Cure Wounds」!"

Zaryusu's pain vanished with those words, and his vitality returned to him.

That magical healing from the rear aggravated the hitherto aloof Igva, and he cursed loudly:

"Damned Lizardmen!"

Zaryusu was fighting with his trusted companions; Crusch, Zenberu, and—​

"Rororo… I won't lose!"

"Such foolish delusions… as if I, a creation of the Supreme One, would be defeated by the likes of you! How stupid you are!"

Igva glared malevolently at the three Lizardmen. He had not used summon magic because the undead he had called up were still around. He could not summon new undead as long as the old ones were still around. Therefore, their battle was a monotonous back-and-forth of Igva casting silenced 「Magic Arrows」 while Zaryusu hacked at Igva.

It felt like it would never end.

That being the case, the deadlock would have to be broken by the backliners. If reinforcements turned up for either side, the battle would soon be decided in their favor.

Zaryusu and Igva both knew this.

♦ ♦ ♦

The stroke of lightning made Crusch hurt all over, but she bit her pain back and cast 「Summon Beast 3rd」.

A huge —​ roughly one hundred fifty centimeters —​ crab with an enormous right pincer appeared from the surface of the water, as though it had always been sleeping there and just woken up. Needless to say, it had been conjured by the 「Summon Beast 3rd」 spell.

The giant crab waddled up beside Zenberu and pinched at the Skeleton Warriors with its massive claw.

Zenberu smiled at this unexpected ally. Considering that he had to defend Crusch and ward off attacks from all directions, the help had arrived just in time, and it was a great reassurance for him.

"All right, strange and giant crab! I'll leave those two to you!"

The giant crab — a Snap Grasp — wiggled its smaller pincer​ as though in acknowledgement and turned to the Skeleton Warriors.

The situation is dire now… but I can't help thinking that they look very similar.

Crusch smiled, despite the circ.u.mstances. However, she immediately wiped it off her face and focused on the battle. At the same time, she breathed hard, to get her panting under control.

She had cast warding spells on Rororo and healed him before coming here, and she had also been casting support spells on Zenberu. She had been overexerting herself.

In addition, she had cast a summon spell on top of that. Her body was in an exhausted state and she was having trouble standing.

She even lacked the strength to heal herself. In addition, Crusch had also calmly decided that the mana would have been wasted on doing so, given that she was slowly losing the ability to fight.

However, if she felt here, it would demoralize Zenberu and Zaryusu, who were fighting on the frontlines. Blood flowed from the corner of Crusch's mouth as she bit at the inside of her cheek to keep herself conscious.

"「Middle Cure Wounds」!"

She cast healing magic on Zaryusu, who was engaged in a melee with Igva.

Her legs felt powerless and her vision was shaky. She felt a liquid sensation all over her body..

For a moment, Crusch had no idea why she had ended up like that. When had she fallen into the mud?

However, she immediately realised the reason why. She had not taken additional wounds, so she must have passed out for a moment and collapsed.

Crusch breathed a sigh of relief, not because she was still alive, but because she could still fight.

She did not plan to force herself to stand. Rather, she had no strength left to stand, and she felt it would be a waste of energy to do so.

She saw the forms of Zaryusu and Zenberu fighting hard in her blurred vision; the forms of the companions she had travelled with for a brief period. Zenberu had taken on four Skeleton Warriors at once, and Zaryusu had endured Igva's onslaught of magical attacks. Both of them were covered in wounds.

Crusch got her breathing under control, and cast a spell.

"「Middle Cure Wounds」!"

And in addition to healing Zenberu's wounds…

"「Middle Cure Wounds」!"

She healed Zaryusu's injuries.

"Huu…"

Crusch was panting.

Her breathing felt strange. She was breathless, no matter how hard she tried to take in air.

This must be a symptom of magic overuse. Her head ached like she had been clubbed. Even so, Crusch tried her hardest to force her eyes open.

So many people had died so far —​ how could she be the first to leave the battlefield?

As she forcefully opened her heavy-lidded eyes, she continued casting:

"「Middle Cure Wounds」!"

♦ ♦ ♦

Zenberu's clenched fist struck home on the Skeleton Warrior's skull. He felt the bone crumple, then shatter under his fist, and so another Skeleton Warrior bit the dust.

"That's two — ​gahahahahh —​"

He exhaled like he was breathing out all his fatigue and then eyed the remaining Skeleton Warriors. The giant crab Crusch had summoned was nowhere to be seen, but thanks to its help in dealing with two of the Skeleton Warriors, Zenberu could wipe out the other two.

The situation had developed in this way thanks to Crusch's support.

Two more. After those were deal with, Igva would be next.

He flexed his thick and powerful right arm —​ it was still working.

His left arm was covered in wounds and almost useless. Zenberu had gone a bit overboard in using it as a shield. He glanced briefly to the limp, sagging limb.

"Forget it, it was a worthy sacrifice."

Zenberu eyed the annoying thing and tried to move it. An intense pain filled his body —​ it hardly seemed as though it could come from moving his fingers.

Still, is this a big deal? Just now, one of my friends refused to stop moving even after his heads became useless. How could I, Zenberu, do any less?

Zenberu could appreciate how strong the Skeleton Warriors were after fighting them for this long. They were strong enough that two of them were enough to match him.

Therefore, dealing with four at once meant that his chances of victory were very slim.

After this, I'll stop eating mud crabs for a while to show my thanks.

With that silent gesture of appreciation towards his favorite food, he glared murderously at the two Skeleton Warriors who were pressing in.

He clenched his fist.

He could still move. He could still fight.

Frankly speaking, he was quite surprised by the fact that he could continue fighting.

"Hah! There's no point thinking about such stupid things!"

There was only one reason for that, right?

Zenberu laughed at himself.

He observed Zaryusu's form behind the Skeleton Warriors, how he stood tall against that foe whose power overmatched his by far.

"Looks pretty heroic, doesn't he…"

Indeed—​

He could keep fighting because he had been struggling together with Zaryusu, Crusch and Rororo.

"Oi oi oi, Zaryusu, you're pretty damn beat up, aren't you? Worse than how you were in that fight with me."

With a ferocious backhand, he smashed away one of the incoming Skeleton Warriors. However, he could not block the curved blade of the other one with his left arm, and he earned another gash on his side, near the wound Crusch had just closed with magic.

"…Crusch is having a hard time herself, but she's still helping us. Good on her."

Crusch's magic healed Zenberu's wounds once more. He could not turn back to verify, but it would seem her voice was coming from somewhere very close to the surface of the water. He could imagine the posture in which she was casting her spells —​ but even so, she was still casting them.

"…What a remarkable female."

If he had to take a wife, he would pick someone like her.

Zenberu was slightly envious of Zaryusu now.

"I won't show you the disgraceful sight of me going down first!"

He feinted with his massive arm, and then swiped with his tail. Then he laughed coldly, commenting that he was older than either of them.

The two Skeleton Warriors slowly drew closer, their shields raised. The way they blocked his view of Zaryusu angered Zenberu.

"Get lost, I can't see his manly back!"

With a roar, Zenberu strode forth—​

♦ ♦ ♦

Igva and Zaryusu's evenly-balanced back and forth continued. Zaryusu's eyes were focused on the battle, and he noticed Igva glancing elsewhere. The Elder Lich's undead face contorted in a savage grin, and Zaryusu's heart seemed to freeze as he heard what came next.

He heard the sound of splashing as someone collapsed into the water.

"Look! Your friend has fallen!"

He could not look back. Perhaps one of his comrades had collapsed, or perhaps not. Zaryusu's heart ached like he was having his scales flayed off him, but he was facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, and he did not have the luxury of looking away. His defeat would be sealed in the moment he turned to look. Zaryusu had not come here to lose in such a foolish way.

He had come here to win.

However, if Igva spoke the truth, then it might be possible that enemy reinforcements might have come from behind them. He had to think of a way to deal with them, or things might get ugly.

Just as Zaryusu was steeling himself to endure an attack spell, he heard the sound of someone splashing as they stood up, as well as the sound of several bones cracking.

"Zaryusu! We're done here! The rest is up to you!"

"…「Middle Cure Wounds」."

A great splash followed Zenberu's pained cry.

Crusch's incantation sounded more like a groan, but Zaryusu's wounds slowly mended themselves.

"Muuu—​~"

Igva was clearly unhappy at this. Even without looking, he could tell that the other two had done their part. That would mean that after this—​

"My turn!"

Igva blocked the slash from Frost Pain.

"Kukuku… I, Igva, am an Elder Lich, but don't look down on me because I'm not a melee fighter!"

♦ ♦ ♦

Despite his tough talk, Igva had already surmised that his chances of victory were slim.

Given the difference in their strength, he might be able to win in a one-on-one battle. However, the white Lizardman had been healing his wounds all this time, so now Zaryusu had the advantage in vitality.

In addition, he could only block one out of every three strikes made at him. That meant the other two would hit him. While Igva was resistant to slashing weapons like Skeletons, and he was not worried about the additional cold damage Frost Pain inflicted, his situation was still quite dire.

He panicked.

He was a creation of the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown and the commander of this army. He could not afford to lose here.

Igva wanted to summon a few more undead soldiers, but he needed time to cast the summoning spell. Therefore, it was difficult to get the spell off while his enemy was right in front of him.

If this kept up, victory would go to his enemy.

With that in mind, Igva fell back to his last resort. It was not an ideal method —​ it might even be the worst course of action if things went poorly —​ but it was the only card he had left to play.

Zaryusu was confused by Igva turning to run, but he pursued regardless. Igva took a full-power hit from Zaryusu square in the back and wavered, but did not fall. Zaryusu clicked his tongue at Igva's seemingly inexhaustible vitality and immediately gave chase after the fleeing Igva.

Igva turned, his face distorted with an anger that seemed unbecoming on an undead being, but his expression was tinted with shades of delight.

Sizzling in his hand was a crimson light —​ a 「Fireball」.

Confusion filled Zaryusu's mind as he drew close.

Does he plan to use an area-effect spell at such close range? Is he prepared to sacrifice himself —​ no!

A thrill of fear ran through Zaryusu's heart as he realised Igva was not looking at him. Igva's eyes were directed behind Zaryusu —​ at the fallen Crusch and Zenberu.

—​What should I do!?

Zaryusu racked his brains.

Igva was leaving himself wide open. If he ignored the two of them, he could finish off Igva. But if he wanted to save them, it was hard to predict how the battle would turn out. Both of them were badly hurt, and a single misstep might prove fatal.

Had they not come so far for this objective —​ to beat Igva? Many people had died for this cause as well.

In that case, he ought to abandon them. They would probably smile and forgive him. Zaryusu would probably do the same in their position.

—​However.

Zaryusu would not choose to leave comrades he had fought and bled with to die.

In that case —​ he would help them, and then destroy Igva.

After making up his mind, things became very simple.

"「Icy Burst」!"

Zaryusu erected a wall of freezing fog which billowed up from his feet.

"Gwaaaargh—​!"

The frozen vortex froze Zaryusu solid for a moment; the pain filling his entire body was beyond words.

Zaryusu fixed his eyes intently on Igva to prevent himself from losing consciousness, struggling against the pain.

As he grit his teeth and wailed in pain, the icy mist enshrouded them and drifted in all directions.

As Igva saw the spreading white mist he grinned, his expression seemingly saying, "Just as planned." His foe could have won if he had abandoned his friends, but yet he had done this.

Igva was immune to cold and electrical damage, which was why he could stand tall amidst the current of freezing air. He crushed the 「Fireball」 in his hand back into mana, because allowing it to touch the wall of white which now surrounded him was a self-destructive gesture.

Once this white mist cleared, he could finish off the other two Lizardmen. First, he had to eliminate the one that was still standing. Igva looked around, and snarled. That was because he had missed something.

"…All right, where's he gone to now?"

His vision was blocked by walls of white mist.

Igva possessed darkvision, but he could not see through environmental conditions which impeded visibility. Therefore, he had lost track of his enemy's location.

Still, there was no need to worry too much. Judging by that pain-filled cry, his opponent ought to have been badly hurt. Come to think of it, given that the cold was powerful enough to repel a 「Fireball」 he had projected, he ought to have taken cold damage comparable to being hit by a 「Fireball」 himself.

Taking a hit like that while being so badly wounded might be fatal. That being the case, he could take his time and torment him slowly afterwards.

His goal now was to get out of this bank of fog.

As the idea came up, Igva immediately discarded it.

—​Right now, moving would expose his position.

Rather than retreat, he ought to summon more undead. As long as he had meat shields in place, victory was his, even if the Lizardman was not dead yet.

Just as Igva was about to cast his spell, he heard a sudden splashing.

♦ ♦ ♦

Frost Pain.

It was one of the Four Treasures of the Lizardmen, passed down through the generations.

According to legend, Frost Pain was made from the ice when the lake had frozen over for the only time in its history, and it possessed three magical powers.

The first was the cold aura wreathing the blade, which inflicted additional cold damage on every successful blow.

The second was its trump card, 「Icy Burst」, usable only three times a day.

And the third was—​

♦ ♦ ♦

The sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears

Before he realized what was going on, he saw the point of a blade before his eyes.

A great impact rocked Igva's cranium.

The blade that had pierced his left eye rattled his head. Igva howled in surprise as he finally realised what was going on.

"Guwaaargh—​! Why aren't you dead—​!?"

As Frost Pain sank deeper into his left eyesocket, he felt his vitality draining away in torrents—​

The fog steadily dispersed, revealing Zaryusu, whose body was dusted with a light coating of frost. He stood before Igva, who was unsteady on his feet given that he had a sword sticking out of his head.

Igva could not understand how Zaryusu was still standing after such a powerful cold-based attack.

♦ ♦ ♦

That was due to the third power hidden within Frost Pain.

It was a defensive ability which imparted resistance to cold attacks.

♦ ♦ ♦

Of course, even Frost Pain could not completely cancel out the power of 「Icy Burst」. It was hard enough for Zaryusu to stay on his feet after taking that cold damage. His breathing was ragged, his movements were sluggish, and his tail was sprawled limply on the ground. He was barely capable of fighting on. In fact, that last blow of his had not been aimed at all. He had simply acted on instinct, fuelling that blow with the last dregs of his strength.

One could say that it was a lucky shot.

Zaryusu struggled to keep his almost-closed eyes open.

The strike he had launched with the remains of his strength felt like it had been enough to finish off Igva.

No longer able to fight, Zaryusu looked at Igva, an expectant look on his face.

Igva shook and struggled.

Perhaps Igva could no longer sustain his bodily integrity, but the skin of his face tore and his bones fragmented, while his clothes fell into tatters. It was only a matter of time before he was destroyed. Just as Zaryusu thought he had won a miraculous victory —​

—​A bony hand seized him by the throat.

"I… I am a vassal created by the Supreme Being… how can I die… like this!?"

Igva's stranglehold was not strong, and he could have shrugged it off. However—​

"—​Guwaargh—​!"

—​Agony surged through Zaryusu's body, and he cried out in pain.

That was because he was being infused with negative energy, which ate away at his life force. Zaryusu was trained to withstand pain, but he could not bear the terrible anguish that turned his veins to ice.

"Die, you damned Lizardman!"

Igva's face began to crumble, and the fragments disintegrated in mid-air.

Igva's life was fading away, but his loyalty to his master kept him clinging to this side of the line between life and death.

Zaryusu tried to resist it, but fear filled him as he realised his body no longer responded to commands.

He too was on the verge of death. Igva's negative energy infusion was snuffing out the last of his lifeforce.

Zaryusu's vision wavered and turned cloudy.

It seemed as though the world was slowly filling up with white mist.

Igva was also trying desperately to stay conscious, but he smiled in victory as he saw Zaryusu's resistance flagging.

He had to kill this Lizardman and the two other Lizardmen who had joined the attack. They ought to be the strongest among their race.

That being the case, killing them would be an offering to his great master —​ the best possible present he could give to his creator.

Igva's expression spoke more than his words could, but that look in his eyes made Zaryusu realize that he felt the same way as well.

"Go to hell!"

His body no longer responded to him, and he could feel his body heat dropping slowly, like a slow poison spreading through him. Even breathing was difficult. Only his mind remained sharp under these circ.u.mstances.

He could not die yet.

Rororo, who ran with all his strength.

Zenberu, who had made himself his shield.

Crusch, who had depleted her mana.

And then, there were all the Lizardmen who had died fighting this war.

As Zaryusu thought about how to fight on, he heard something.

—​Crusch's gentle tones.

—​Zenberu's cheerful voice.

—​Rororo's playful cries.

He could not have heard them.

Crusch was unconscious. Zenberu was comatose. Rororo was far away as well.

Had his mind imagined those voices because his mind was clouded? Had it made up the voices of friends he had not even known for a full week? The cries of his kin?

No.

Indeed, that was not correct.

That was because everyone was here—​

"—​Oh…oh—​!"

"—​!? You still have this much strength left!?"

The semi-conscious Zaryusu howled, drawing a cry of surprise from Igva.

Zaryusu's eyeballs swivelled and locked onto Igva. His eyes were clouded, but it was hard to believe that he was not looking directly at him with a smoldering intensity. The sight made Igva freeze up.

"Crusch! Zenberu! Rororo!"

"—​! What are you trying to do—​!? Just die—​!"

Where had he gotten that vitality from? The massive surge of negative energy pouring into him should have been steadily dissolving and consuming Zaryusu's life force. And indeed, Zaryusu's limbs felt heavy, and his body seemed frozen.

Even so, every time he cried their names, Zaryusu felt a flicker of warmth within him. This warmth did not come from his life force.

Instead, it sprang from a place within his c.h.e.s.t —​ the heart.

He could hear the sound of muscles tensing. That sound came from Zaryusu's right hand, from his tightly clenched fist. He was infusing all his strength into that fist.

♦ ♦ ♦

"Impossible—​! How are you still moving!? You monster—​!"

He was actually capable of moving. That was a truly unbelievable sight.

Emotions raged within Igva's heart, but he strove to suppress them.

He was Igva, the overall commander of the forces of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick during this expedition, and most importantly, he was the creation of the Supreme Overlord of Death —​ Ainz Ooal Gown.

A mighty being like himself could not possibly be defeated like this—​

"Die—​!"

"This is the end for you, monster!"

He was faster.

Yes, the speed of that full-power strike was faster than the rate at which Igva was infusing negative energy—​

The tightly-clenched fist struck the hilt of Frost Pain—​

—​And Zaryusu's knuckles bled. Struck by such a heavy blow, the blade pierced clear through Igva's skull.

"Ohhhhh—!"

As one of the undead, Igva did not feel pain, but he could still understand that the negative energy which animated him had vanished.

"This—​this… how could this… Ain…z…sama…"

The full understanding of his failure dawned in Igva's eyes. As Zaryusu collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, there was a loud splash—​

"…Please… please… forgive… me…"

—And ​Igva's body fell with him, accompanied by the apology to his master.

♦ ♦ ♦

The interior of the room was silent. Nobody could believe what they had just seen, and so nobody spoke. The sole exception was the maid —​ Entoma.

"Cocytus-sama, it seems Ainz-sama has sent for you."

"—​Understood."

Cocytus turned to face Entoma, his head lowered.

He bit back his shame as his vassals looked upon him with unease.

But on the other hand, he wanted to offer praise.

After all, that had been an exciting battle.

To think the foe had actually turned the impossible into the possible. Granted, the Elder Lich had made some errors in judgement, but under normal circ.u.mstances, the Elder Lich should still have won, despite his mistakes.

"…Amazing. Truly. Amazing."

Cocytus repeated those words to express his heartfelt opinion.

They had hurdled that incredible obstacle.

"…What. A. Shame," Cocytus breathed as he watched the Lizardmen dancing and singing in triumph through the mirror.

The warriors it showed were extremely weak, but they had kindled Cocytus's fighting spirit.

"Ah… What. A. Shame."

Cocytus hesitated. He picked out the most frightening scenario from the many in his mind, thought on it, and made a decision.

"—​Let's. Go."

Part 6

Zaryusu felt like he was being carried out of a world of darkness. It felt good.

After he opened his eyes, the blurred scene before him reminded him of what he saw when he woke up.

Where was this place? Why was he sleeping here?

Countless questions rose within his heart, and then he realised there was a weight resting on him.

—​White.

Zaryusu looked toward the ball of white. Having just woken up, the word "white" was the first thing which came to mind. As he slowly came to, he realized what it was.

It was Crusch. She had fallen asleep on top of him.

"Ah…"

I'm still alive.

Zaryusu was so relieved that he nearly spoke those words out loud. Yet, he bit down on them. He could not bear to wake up Crusch, and so he resisted the urge to touch her. Her scales might be pretty, but he still could not touch a sleeping female at his whim.

Zaryusu struggled to chase Crusch's form out of his mind, and started thinking about other things.

There were many things to ponder.

To begin with, what was he doing here?

He searched his memories, thinking back onto what had happened in the past. The last thing he could recall was the sight of Igva's defeat, and then there was nothing. However, the fact that he had not been taken captive but was sleeping here meant that the tribes had won.

Zaryusu gingerly breathed a sigh of relief, careful to avoid waking up Crusch. It felt as though the burden of the past few days had finally lifted off his shoulders, but in truth, there were still some weighty issues remaining.

However, he wanted to let his heart rest for the time being. Zaryusu savored Crusch's warmth, and quietly sighed.

After that Zaryusu experimentally tried his body. He was fully mobile and there were no notable problems. He had thought that he might be crippled in some way, but it would seem he had been very fortunate.

Just then, he thought of the other friend who had fought by his side. There was nobody else in the room besides Crusch. That being the case, what happened to Zenberu? He felt quite uneasy, but at the same time, a powerful male like Zenberu should be fine.

Crusch seemed to have been woken up by Zaryusu's movements, and her body shifted. It seemed as though her soft, limp body had been infused with a soul. She must be about to wake up.

"Mmmn…"

Crusch made an adorable noise, and then she looked around with sleep-clouded eyes. Soon, she realised that Zaryusu was underneath her, and smiled in delight.

"Muu—​"

After a sleepy-headed Crusch embraced Zaryusu, she began rubbing herself on him. It was as though she was an animal trying to mark him with her scent.

Zaryusu went stiff and let Crusch do as she pleased. In fact, there was even a wicked voice inside him which said, "It's not like I'm the one doing it."

Her slick white scales were cool and icy. In addition to being very comfortable, they also gave off an alluring aroma of herbs.

He could hug her too, right?

Just as he was about to lose control, Crusch came to her senses, and she locked eyes with Zaryusu underneath her.

—​Time froze.

Zaryusu scrabbled to think of what to say to Crusch, who was holding him in silence. Finally, he decided on something which ought to be all right:

"—​Can I hug you too?"

Well, his surging emotions felt that it ought to be all right.

Crusch yelped in surprise, and her tail thumped over and over against the ground. Then, she practically rolled off Zaryusu, until she hit a wall.

He could hear a soft m.o.a.ning from Crusch as she curled up on the ground, going, "stupid stupid I'm so stupid," or something along those lines.

"…In any case, I'm very glad that you're all right, Crusch."

Those words seemed to restore Crusch to some semblance of normalcy (her tail aside), and she looked up and smiled at Zaryusu.

"You too, I'm glad you're safe."

An untoward thought popped up in Zaryusu's mind as he looked on Crusch's gentle face, but he struggled to resist it and asked a more proper question.

"Do you know what happened after I collapsed?"

"Yes, a little. The enemy retreated after Igva was defeated, and it seems your brother defeated the monsters successfully, and then the three of us were saved… that happened yesterday."

"Then, Zenberu… he's not here…"

"Yes, he's fine. He probably recovered faster than you; he regained consciousness after being magically healed, so now he's taking care of the post-battle cleanup. I seem to have overworked myself, so I passed out after hearing all that…"

Crusch stood up and took a seat beside Zaryusu. He wanted to get up as well, but Crusch gently stopped him.

"Don't force yourself to get up. You were the most badly hurt of us, after all."

Perhaps she was remembering the circ.u.mstances then, but Crusch's voice had gone quiet.

"I'm just happy that you came back in one piece…:"

Zaryusu gently c.a.r.e.s.sed Crusch —​ whose eyes were downcast —​ to comfort her.

"I won't die before I hear your answer. I was worried for you too."

The answer. That word made them freeze.

Both of them said nothing. The silence in the air was so thick that one could almost hear their hearts pounding.

Crusch's tail moved slowly to twine around Zaryusu's. The way those black and white tails tangled with each other looked like a pair of mating snakes.

Zaryusu stared at Crusch, and Crusch stared at Zaryusu. They could see themselves in each other's eyes.

Zaryusu spoke quietly —​ no, that was not speech, but a call. It was the same call he had made the first time he had seen Crusch.

—​A mating call.

Zaryusu did nothing besides making that call. No, it would be better to say that he could not do anything. The only thing that moved was his heart, pounding violently within his c.h.e.s.t.

Soon, a similar sound came from Crusch's mouth —​ a call. It was a similarly high-pitched cry, warbling near the end —​ the sound of a mating cry which had been accepted.

There was an indescribably entrancing look on Crusch's face, and Zaryusu could no longer tear his eyes away from her. Crusch lay down on Zaryusu, the same way she had when she had fallen asleep earlier.

There was nothing between the two of them now. Their breath and their warmth mingled together. Their heartbeats synched up through their touching c.h.e.s.ts. In this way the two of them became one—​

♦ ♦ ♦

"Oho! Doing it already?"

—​And then Zenberu flung the door open and barged in.

Crusch and Zaryusu froze like a pair of ice statues.

Zenberu looked down at them —​ at Crusch, straddling Zaryusu —​ with a look of bafflement on his face, and tilted his head:

"What, you haven't started yet?"

As they realized what Zenberu was talking about, the two of them separated from each other, then slowly stood up and approached him without a word.

Zenberu looked thoroughly confused as he bent down to look over the both of them.

"—​Guwaaargh!"

The two fists in his gut knocked the wind out of him, and Zenberu's massive body keeled over onto the ground.

"Uuu… those were good punches… especially Crusch's… ugggh… that really hurt…"

Zaryusu aside, even the female's fist of fury was enough to defeat Zenberu. While punching him once was not enough to quell her anger, the mood in the air had vanished without a trace and it would not come back even if she kept on hitting him.

The way they held hands —​ as a substitute for beating Zenberu up even more —​ was also quite puzzling, but Zaryusu decided to clear up the worries in his heart by asking Zenberu a question.

"Let's leave that aside for now. I have a lot of things to ask you. I asked Crusch just now, but can you tell me what kind of situation we're in?"

Zenberu ignored the way they were holding hands and answered:

"Don't you know? The tribes are all celebrating."

"And my brother is leading them, I assume?'

"Yes. In any case, the hunters have gone to check, but they didn't find any signs of the enemy, or any trace of reinforcements left in ambush. After all, mobilizing that many people would grab a lot of attention. Therefore, we've decided to stay alert, but your brother has already declared victory. In fact, I'm here on his orders."

"Ani-ja's orders?"

"Oh yes, your brother told me —​ Gahahaha, let them rest a little. For all we know they're probably f.u.c.k.i.n.g like rabbits now. Gahaha, I feel a little bad about interrupting, but I was kind of curious, gahahaha'"

"Bullshit! What's with that 'gahaha' laugh, anyway?"

"Oh… oh, come to think of it, I don't think he actually went gahahaha when he laughed…"

"As if Ani-ja would actually laugh like that, really…"

"No, it was just a figure of speech…"

"—​Disgusting."

The words from Crusch's mouth were frigid enough to rival the sub-zero temperatures of 「Icy Burst」. Even Zaryusu was frightened by that terrifying noise. Naturally, Zenberu —​ as the target of those words —​ froze up in an instant.

"So, why are you here?"

"Oh, I came to…"

"If you came to stick your nose into our business, I will let you taste the magic you wanted."

Crusch was not kidding. Zaryusu and Zenberu were keenly aware of that.

"Er… how shall I say this… I came to invite you two over. We were the key figures in the victory, right? Can't have you absent. Also, we need to plan for the future together…"

"I see…"

Crusch smiled bitterly after hearing Zenberu's explanation and understanding what it meant. In short: they had to plan for another battle in the future, and now was the best time to show their strength.

"Understood. Can you go too, Crusch?"

Crusch had puffed up her cheeks in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, and she looked like a mutant frog of the kind that lived in the marsh. She's far cuter than one of them, however, Zaryusu thought.

"Then, shall we?" Zenberu asked the pair —​ who were gazing at each other —​ in a casual tone.

"Ah… mm. Yes, let's."

After they agreed, the three of them headed outside. Just as they walked down the steps to the hut and set foot onto the marsh, Zaryusu vanished from Zenberu and Crusch's line of sight. That was because something massive had hit him.

—​dongorogoropashpash—​

That was probably what it sounded like.

Replacing the disappeared Zaryusu was Rororo's body. Its four heads writhed energetically, and it nosed at Zaryusu, who had fallen into the marsh.

"Rororo! You're all right!"

The mudstained Zaryusu rose to his feet and gently stroked Rororo's body while examining it. It had apparently received magical healing, because the burns from earlier were completely healed, as though it had never been hurt before.

Rororo cried out and wrapped its heads playfully around Zaryusu. They bound his entire body, and they seemed to be squeezing quite tightly.

"Oi oi oi, Rororo, stop, please,"

Zaryusu jokingly begged Rororo to stop, but Rororo simply cried out in joy and refused to let go.

Pasha, pasha, pasha.

Zaryusu suddenly heard the rhythmic sound of splashing. He was baffled when he realised its source.

Those splashes had come from Crusch, She was smiling gently as she looked at Zaryusu and Rororo, but her tail struck the marsh like a metronome.

Zenberu —​ who had originally been standing by Crusch's side —​ was now distancing himself from her, with a stony look on his face.

Rororo stopped playing around. It had probably sensed something strange.

"What is it?"

"No, nothing…"

Zaryusu looked at Crusch, who was quite confused. He did not understand. No matter how it looked, Crusch seemed to be smiling at Rororo and Zaryusu's reunion, but for some reason it sent a chill down his spine.

"How strange—​"

Crusch smiled again.

Rororo let go of Zaryusu, who was thus liberated, while Zenberu looked on nervously. Perhaps he was unable to bear the creepy atmosphere any further, but Zenberu hurriedly decided to change the topic.

"Okay, Rororo, come with me."

Rororo could not understand what the Lizardmen were saying, but it looked like it did. After Zenberu mounted up, it immediately dashed off with surprising speed.

After the two of them left, the same sinister air hung between Zaryusu and Crusch.

She grabbed her head, and shook it.

"Ahhh, really, what am I doing, it feels like my heart doesn't belong to me any more. I know it's a small thing, but I can't control myself. Mm, it's like a curse."

Zaryusu could understand how she felt. Indeed, he had felt the same way when he had first met her.

"Frankly speaking, Crusch —​ I'm very happy."

"—​What?"

Pasha! A splash that was louder than usual rang out. Then, Zaryusu went to Crusch's side.

"Listen, can you hear it?"

"Eh?"

"The things we've protected, and the things we have to protect in future."

The wind carried a joyful noise upon it. There must have been a wine feast going on. It would be a feast to send back the ancestral spirits, celebrate their victories, and to give the dead their due.

Under normal circ.u.mstances, wine was a very valuable commodity. The fact they could host so many feasts over these few days was because Zenberu and his tribe had brought one of the Four Treasures along, which was why they could enjoy unlimited alcohol. In addition, the almost unbelievable festive mood now was because everyone from the tribes was gathered here.

Zaryusu laughed to Crusch as he heard their revelry:

"Maybe it's not over yet. Maybe that Supreme One guy will attack again. Even so… let's relax a little today."

With that, Zaryusu put his arm around Crusch's waist.

Crusch allowed Zaryusu's strength to hold her close, and then she leaned her head on Zaryusu's shoulder.

"Shall we?"

"Mm…"

After saying that, Crusch hesitated briefly before quietly adding, "…Darling."

Leaning against each other, the two Lizardmen vanished into the commotion