"Uwaaaahhhhhh!!! Th–The world is over, we're doomed!!!"
"H-Hey, wait—where are you going—!?"
Peter's voice fell uselessly into the air as Pinison collapsed backward in terror and scrambled into the forest.
She bolted like a terrified hare—
and no one there could blame her.
"…hii—"
A small, strangled cry escaped from deep in Peter's throat.
The magical tree, Zy'tl Q'ae.
The colossal monster—estimated to exceed a hundred meters tall—had burst from the earth, its immense body shedding sand and chunks of rock as it continued to rise higher and higher into the sky.
Running was natural.
Terror was expected.
Even Swords of Darkness wanted nothing more than to flee like Pinison.
But their legs refused to move.
Not only were they shaking too hard to stand—
the greater fear was that moving would draw the monster's attention.
Yet amid this choking terror,
one warrior stepped calmly toward the magical tree.
—The adventurer Momon.
She steadied her stance on the trembling ground,
drawing the greatsword strapped to her back.
The resolute aura she radiated was anything but ordinary.
Without turning, Momon addressed the Swords of Darkness:
"Please protect Carne Village."
…Quiet, parting words.
They were not foolish—
they understood exactly what those words meant.
When Momon took another step without looking back,
a powerful hand suddenly seized her shoulder.
Nearly losing her balance, she turned—
and saw Lukrut, wearing an expression of pure anguish.
His trembling hands were shaking so violently that Momon could feel it even through her armor.
He stared up at her, voice quivering:
"…H-Hey, Momon-chan.
Where do you think you're going?"
His voice was thin, shaking uncontrollably.
Even so, he refused to release her.
"W-What… what the hell are you trying to do…?"
It was nearly a cry—
a scream so full of despair it hurt.
He gripped both her shoulders, digging his fingers in,
his eyes shining with the will—
I won't let you go.
I won't let you die.
Everyone in Swords of Darkness understood.
Momon was going to confront Zy'tl Q'ae.
Not to defeat it—
but to buy time for them and the villagers to escape.
To sacrifice herself,
challenging the monster alone.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
After all—
anyone could see it:
a creature like that could not be beaten.
Swinging a sword no thicker than a toothpick at that thing—
inevitably, she would be crushed.
So Lukrut could not allow her to go.
He clung to her armor desperately.
"I won't let you go.
I'm not letting these hands open.
I'll knock you out if I have to—
I'll stop you no matter what."
Momon looked at him curiously at first.
Why are you so desperate?
She wondered—
But then she understood.
And warmth filled her chest.
(Ah… he's worried about me.)
She looked toward Zy'tl Q'ae again.
Even if she were not special—
if she still had Suzuki Satoru's human body—
she would surely have been terrified.
A monster of that size would make any rational creature want to curl up and hide.
If she were still Satoru,
she would have been more pathetic than any of the Swords of Darkness.
Momon looked back at Lukrut.
His hands were trembling.
His eyes were red, on the verge of tears.
Despite every instinct screaming at him to run—
he stayed, clinging to her.
His determination moved her almost to the point of awe.
And Lukrut wasn't the only one trying to stop her.
"Momon-san! Let's run away together!"
Peter shouted, voice cracking.
"There is no shame in fleeing to save your own life!
You are strong, yes—
but facing that thing alone… what can you possibly do!?
You have every right to choose your own life first!"
"Indeed!
Momon-dono!
You must abandon such foolish thoughts at once!!"
Dyne's voice followed.
All of them—
terrified by the tremors and the monstrous aura—
cried out to her.
Momon felt genuine gratitude in her heart.
They cared for her.
Truly cared.
"…Momon-san…"
Ninya finally managed to stand using her staff.
She looked straight at Momon, voice trembling:
"We… w-we may be cowards.
We may be nothing compared to your former companions.
We may want to run away this very moment.
But still… your spirit of self-sacrifice, like a true hero…
it blinds us with admiration."
She continued, voice about to break into sobs:
"But… even so,
right now, during this request—
we are your companions.
We cannot simply abandon you to die.
We refuse to watch our companion be sacrificed."
"…Ninya-san…"
…Companions.
Momon flinched slightly at the word.
To her, the only beings who could truly be called comrades
were the members of Ainz Ooal Gown.
Hearing anyone else call her a companion felt… uncomfortable.
And yet—
She felt a faint warmth at Ninya's words.
A small, undeniable joy.
She didn't know if that made her a failure as the guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown…
But she couldn't deny the feeling.
Ninya sank to her knees, almost in prayer:
"Momon-san…
Please.
Don't throw your life away.
Don't go seeking your place to die."
Her trembling pleas stirred a tender emotion within Momon—
but also a profound disconnect.
(…Of course.
This is how they see me.)
To them, Zy'tl Q'ae was a terror no human could defeat.
A monster of fear itself.
And she—
a lone warrior walking willingly toward death.
A tragic hero, seeking her final battle.
(Well… yeah, I guess that's how it looks.)
She gave a faint, bitter laugh inside her helmet.
Please stop…
she thought.
Don't look at me with those heroic, worshipful eyes.
(I'm not that kind of person…)
A heavy sigh escaped beneath her helm.
She was not someone who derived pleasure from admiration.
Especially not admiration for a lie.
"…Thank you for worrying about me, everyone.
But it's not as though I have no chance of victory."
"Huh?"
"This."
She reached beneath her cloak
and pulled out a brilliant fist-sized crystal—
a shimmering iridescent jewel.
Before they could react, she explained:
"This is a Magic-Sealing Crystal containing an Eighth-Tier spell."
"E-Eighth Tier…!?
T-That's… the realm of legends!" Ninya cried out.
Momon nodded.
"Yes.
This is my ace card.
And Ninya-san—
do you know what happens if a Magic-Sealing Crystal containing such a spell is destroyed?"
"Eh—?"
"The power inside erupts,
unleashing a destructive blast that annihilates the surrounding area."
"S-Seriously!?"
It was a lie.
But no one in this world would dare test it.
With no way to disprove it,
a lie could easily become truth.
Rolling the crystal in her hand, Momon continued confidently:
"This is my winning move.
If I can throw this into the monster's mouth,
even it will not endure the blast."
She stared up at Zy'tl Q'ae.
The magical tree's tentacles swept the forest,
shoveling entire trees into its enormous maw.
Gluttony incarnate.
If left alone,
it might devour the entire Tob Forest within a day.
And if it moved toward populated areas…
even a child could imagine the devastation.
"If we can kill it here, we must.
If it heads toward E-Rantel or the capital next—
the damage will be unimaginable."
"Then let us help!
At least let us throw that thing into the bastard's mouth with you, Momon-chan!"
Lukrut stepped forward.
But Momon shook her head sharply.
"No.
You would only be in my way."
"W-What!?"
"Whether your strength increases a thousandfold or ten-thousandfold,
nothing will change.
You will die meaninglessly,
and you will hinder me."
Her tone was cold—
but gentle.
Like scolding a child.
Lukrut's throat clicked shut.
He knew she was right.
A single strike from the magical tree would pulp them instantly.
"Carne Village is in danger.
Monsters may flee the forest.
I need Swords of Darkness to protect the villagers."
"B-But—!"
"I cannot handle both the magical tree and the village at once.
Please—
in my place, protect Carne Village."
Her voice was calm,
yet absolute.
She trusted them.
That was why she entrusted the village to them.
Ninya stepped forward, eyes burning with resolve.
"…Then, Momon-san—
please make a promise with us."
Gripping her staff tightly, she continued:
"Promise us…
that you'll live—
and come back."
"…Yes.
I promise."
She nodded firmly.
The tremors grew stronger.
The magical tree was preparing to move.
"Then when we return,
let's go to a place with good food, Ninya-san."
"Of course!"
Their exchanged gazes were enough.
The Swords of Darkness nodded heavily,
their resolve set.
"Thank you."
Momon readied her greatsword once more
and stepped forward.
"Go."
At her command,
the four adventurers sprinted away like bullets toward Carne Village.
At that exact moment—
a massive roar exploded from the magical tree's gaping maw.
The air trembled.
The forest rippled.
Pure killing intent.
Zy'tl Q'ae had acknowledged their presence.
It spat eight gigantic seeds toward the fleeing adventurers—
each one larger than Dyne himself.
"Th–This is bad!!"
Dyne shouted.
The seeds cut through the sky with crushing force.
If even one hit, they would be annihilated.
Death loomed—
But before it reached them,
a black figure leapt between them and the incoming projectiles.
Her crimson cape billowed.
She thrust her greatsword forward and roared:
"Skill activate—
Walls of Jericho!"
With her shout,
a colossal fortress-like wall erupted from the ground.
Swords of Darkness fell backward in shock.
The massive wall took the full brunt of the eight projectiles—
each impact like an exploding powder barrel—
and remained unmoved.
"Go!!"
At her sharp command,
they bolted desperately.
The wall faded—
and next came a titanic tentacle.
With a whip-like motion,
it struck Momon at near-sonic speed.
The blow sent her flying into a massive tree trunk.
"MOMON-SAN!!!"
Ninya's scream tore her throat raw.
Everyone thought she had died—
But the black-armored warrior rose smoothly.
"Do not turn back.
Do not stop."
Still holding her shield and sword tightly,
she stood firm.
Swords of Darkness ran,
never looking back.
Looking back would insult her resolve.
"…Momon-san…"
Ninya prayed as she ran.
Please be safe.
Please smile with us again.
Biting her lip,
she gripped her staff tightly.
MOMON — ALONE
"Gone…?"
Once she sensed that Swords of Darkness had completely left her range,
Momon—Momonga—dropped her greatsword arm limply.
The tension she had been projecting melted.
She no longer resembled someone facing a world-ending monster.
Instead—
"…It's huge."
She stared up at Zy'tl Q'ae,
expressing the most natural reaction imaginable.
What came to mind was the giant monsters from the tokusatsu movies Touch Me had once recommended to her.
This thing was probably several times bigger.
Large things inspire primal fear.
Humans are wired to fear the massive and unknown.
But—
"…Hmm."
Momon felt… nothing.
Facing the towering monster,
there was no fear.
No dread.
Only mild curiosity.
Why?
This unbelievable creature—
felt no different to her than a twig on the ground.
She didn't need to check its stats.
The moment she saw it,
she knew it wasn't worth taking seriously.
(Ahh… I really am a monster, aren't I…)
A crushing sense of alienation weighed on her.
To look at something this big and think,
"How tiny"—
it frightened even her.
The tentacles brushing at her were merely annoying.
She had idly swatted at them with her sword, slicing several apart already.
Zy'tl Q'ae's estimated level: 85.
Not even half of her total level.
If she had been level 100,
she might have found it a bit interesting—
but at level 200,
its massive size was nothing but paper.
Stats, levels, skills—
none of it mattered.
Her instincts,
her biological strength,
told her she did not need to fear it at all.
Could anyone understand the loneliness of becoming such a creature?
Ninya.
Peter.
Lukrut.
Dyne.
She thought of Swords of Darkness—
and smiled sadly.
"Thank you."
—For calling me a companion.
But deep down,
she knew a monster and humans could never truly be companions.
Seeing the difference between their reactions to the magical tree—
she understood painfully well.
They would never believe she was more terrifying than Zy'tl Q'ae.
And when she thought about how excited she'd been after becoming level 200—
she felt ashamed.
She now understood the truth:
I am the very thing I feared—
a World Enemy.
She felt a quiet sorrow.
"…Well then.
You're a monster that can supposedly destroy the world, right?
Then let's get along as monsters."
Did the magical tree feel emotion?
Regardless,
Zy'tl Q'ae clearly trembled at her.
Momon dismissed her conjured greatsword,
sending it back into the ether—
and instead summoned a bardiche from the void.
The meaning was obvious.
"…I've been wanting to test something on you."
No—
this was simply a test swing.
Red flames gleamed within the slits of her helm.
She spoke the name of the spell:
Perfect Warrior.
The Perfect Warrior.
Level 200.
Every point of her stats magnified into that of a pure warrior.
The moment her presence surged,
the magical tree froze in terror.