Oh no! Oh no! This is terrible!
Iri's mind was in a 'mess'; this wasn't right! Wasn't it supposed to be a teleport to Hamutaro's room? How did it end up here?
Shizu shouldn't lie! Iri was more than familiar with this passage; after all, she used to frequent this place for a period of time.
The place where Iri and the Four Strategists Squad were currently located was the passage in front of the Arena on Nazarick's sixth underground floor. In other words, the world-line did not change the Four Strategists Squad's route of action due to Iri's involvement! Instead, it converged! Damn it!
At this moment, Iri was racking her brain, thinking about what to do! Leaving here meant facing Ainz-papa directly! How was she going to protect the Four Strategists?
"This... feeling..." Arshe looked around the passage, looking as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.
"What's wrong, Arshe? Do you have any idea?" Hellank asked.
"No, it just feels very much like the Empire's Arena," Arshe replied.
"It certainly does," Roba-daren also affirmed.
"Then... the one with light at this end must be the Arena, right?" Helanke said, pointing to the passage leading to the Arena.
"Perhaps," Imina said. "Being teleported directly to this place, does it mean they want us to enter the Arena?"
Arshe looked back at Iri, who hadn't spoken since they teleported, and saw that Iri had a solemn expression.
"This is very dangerous! Long-distance area teleportation is a fifth-tier magic! I've only read about such things in storybooks! If we make an enemy of someone who can create such a trap... I... I still suggest we go the opposite way!" Arshe said, also looking nervous.
Helanke also noticed Iri, who had been silent.
"Iri-meimei, what do you think?" Helanke asked. Here, only Arshe and Iri understood magic. Arshe had already suggested leaving quickly, so now it was time to ask Iri.
"..." Iri also didn't know what to do. She wasn't Yuan Fang; an answer wouldn't just appear from a simple "what do you think."
Seeing the silent Iri, Helanke also realized the severity of the problem. The current issue was... it was clear that this teleportation trap was intentionally set by the owner of this place to invite him and his companions into the Arena. If they chose to flee, would it anger the owner and cause him to slaughter the squad?
Although Iri was present, a person who could use fifth-tier magic as a trap might not be a 'character' that Iri-meimei could handle. Thus, they were in a dilemma.
"I think we should still go towards the Arena. Since the owner of this place invited us, perhaps we still have a glimmer of hope. If we choose to flee and anger the other party, I'm afraid there will be no chance at all," Imina said.
"What about Roba? What do you think?" Helanke turned to Roba-daren.
"I agree to go to the Arena. If this is a trap set by the other party to teleport us here, they probably won't let us go so easily," Roba-daren said.
"Then... we'll proceed to the Arena?" Helanke still looked at Iri, asking tentatively.
Iri just nodded. No matter how much you struggle, it's useless. You're already here; you can't escape even if you want to. You have no choice but to move forward.
So, the group walked towards the illuminated area...
When they exited the Arena's entrance, everyone except Iri was stunned. The Arena before them was several times more magnificent than any Imperial Arena known to any member of the Four Strategists Squad.
There were illuminating magic-infused items everywhere, and what surprised the Four Strategists Squad even more was that the Arena's spectator stands were filled with various kinds of Golems.
Iri, of course, knew what those things were. After all, she didn't know how many of them she had dismantled while practicing her skills. The Golems currently in the spectator stands might have been left there by Iri because she found them troublesome back then. But were there really that many? Or was Ainz-papa simply trying to make a 'show'?
These Golems were not just 'those things' to the Four Strategists Squad; the Golems they knew were extremely expensive items.
Because these things didn't need food or rest, they were the best laborers and gatekeepers. However, the manufacturing process was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and even the weakest Golem was something the Four Strategists Squad couldn't afford.
Yet, such precious things filled the entire Arena, and the members of the Four Strategists Squad were naturally dumbfounded.
"Let's... let's go!" Helanke looked at these priceless items, not knowing what to say. Was this to show off his wealth? Or what did it mean?
So the squad members continued walking towards the center of the Arena.
"Is this... outdoors? Were we teleported outside?" Imina looked up at the starry sky and said.
"Then! We can escape using Flying Magic!" Arshe said.
Save your breath! This is the sixth underground floor. Using Flying Magic to escape would only result in hitting an invisible wall. Iri had already done this experiment before.
"It's not that simple. Stop," Iri finally spoke, stopping Arshe, who was about to use Flying Magic.
Just then, a figure leaped out from a place resembling a VIP stand. Iri knew who it was at a glance.
"Hey!" Accompanied by that incredibly light landing, Aura was seen grinning, holding an unknown object like a microphone, and shouting loudly.
"Now, please welcome the challengers!" As soon as Aura's words fell, the Golems, which usually only served as practice targets for Iri, all began to move. They all marched in place, probably just to highlight Ainz-papa's entrance!
Facing such a strange scene, all the members of the Four Strategists Squad looked at a loss.
"The challengers before you are the 'thieves' who dared to trespass into Nazarick Great Tomb! Their opponent will be the Supreme Lord of Nazarick, the Great and Supreme Ainz Ooal Gown-sama!" Aura announced loudly.
Once again, the Golems began to move, and their movements were even larger than before. At this moment... at the other end of the Arena, deep within the passage, a white 'figure' appeared.
There was no need to guess who it was. Following that, the Golems even applauded. The huge figure appearing behind Albedo was, needless to say, Ainz-papa himself.
"It's coming!" Hellank was extremely nervous. He knew very well that the huge skeleton and the stunning beauty before him were definitely not 'characters' that he or Iri-meimei could handle.
As soon as they appeared, his instincts kept warning him to run, but in the current situation, how could he run? Where could he run?
"I'm sorry! It's all because of me," Arshe apologized in a low voice. If it weren't for her lack of money, her squad wouldn't have taken on this incredibly bizarre request. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't have ventured into such a terrifying place.
"What are you saying, Arshe? This request was something all of us decided to take on. It has nothing to do with you, does it?" Hellank said, forcing himself to appear indifferent.
"Yes, Arshe, you don't need to blame yourself," Roba-daren also comforted Arshe.
"Then... Arshe, although it feels hopeless, he seems to be someone we can communicate with. Try to talk to him," Hellank said to Arshe with a smile, also speaking to himself.
Communicate with such a terrifying guy? No... I can't panic. Whether my companions can leave here alive depends on me!
At this moment, Iri, who had been silent, slowly walked forward, silently walking in front of Helanke, directly standing before that terrifying existence.
"Iri-meimei?" Helanke looked surprised, and the other squad members were also very surprised.
"Sorry!" Iri didn't even turn her head, only responding with this single sentence in a very low tone.
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