A disgusting necrotic sight. This lesser vampire just insulted me and, by proxy, the supreme being who created me. I won't let this offense stand, but cooler heads must prevail. I must give him the option to surrender; Nazarick is benevolent toward those who bow and kneel.
"We're what you can classify as heavily armed diplomatic envoys from the Sorcerer Kingdom. As per our policy, we demand the utmost subjugation from any beings of interest within this space. They will be cataloged and treated with respect."
I said, with such a graceful and diplomatic tone. I flawlessly memorized my lines and had Solution Epsilon and Clavu teach me the weights of eloquence and oration.
A sudden spark of energy far from us spiked. It was faint, but it was there. Sebas and I noticed it, and so did this lesser vampire. The vampire's face twisted with displeasure, yet it remained focused on us.
(Whatever that was, it was a different kind of magic. Another point of interest then... I get the feeling someone is watching.)
That lesser vampire stepped out of the coffin, maintaining an impassive expression on his face. He seemed unimpressed or unwilling. He was tall, almost the height of Ainz-sama. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out... two firearms?
They were long and bulky, and I could feel the faint presence of holy magic on them. Sebas noticed it too.
"Lady Shalltear. His ammunition is tipped with holy magic." Sebas said to me, silently using a message spell.
"I know that!"
The firearms were rather unique, unlike the ones I am unfamiliar with. That maid, CZ... er... Delta. She uses firearms, too, but this lesser vampire's weaponry seemed antiquated compared to hers.
This lesser vampire is most likely a ranged fighter with limited magical potential. Sebas should be able to handle him easily.
"Detect Magic." "Life Essence." "Mana Essence." I cast, gauging this lesser vampire's strength. He doesn't seem to have any mana, although he can use magic.
It's powered by something else then, similar to those dragons back when we had our 'tantrums' in the New World. Some dragons used a form of magic called [ Wild Magic ].
It's inferior in some ways, but it runs on souls. This lesser vampire must be using a different source for his magic, too.
"Interesting display of sorcery, vampire. Are you chasing immortality too?" The lesser vampire inquired, half-curious.
"Pursue? Why would I chase something to which I already have?" I answered with scorn.
The lesser vampire took offense to my reply. I seemed to have triggered something inside him. Well, whatever. I have no time for someone else's ego.
I am here to investigate and interrogate.
"What's your answer? We don't have the patience for dialogue. Will you surrender and come with us or defy us?"
The lesser vampire merely cackled. "I see, so that's the route that we're taking. It's your way or the highway. You make for poor diplomats and even shittier servants."
"Resist Break." "Hold Species" "Brilliant Radiance." The first spell is to lower any magical resistance, the second is to hold him in place, and the third is an offensive target-based spell of purifying light.
That lesser vampire groaned as my [ Brilliant Radiance ] struck it. Still, it managed to fire its two firearms, producing a deafening sound as they were fired, sending two magically enchanted bullets forward.
I swatted it away with the long fingernail of my index finger. He kept firing as his body scorched from the [ Brilliant Radiance ].
My fingernail snapped. Tsk.
The old version of me would've been furious, but I must keep my cool and gauge the power of this vampire, then report it to Ainz-sama. Sebas is also intently watching the fight, primed to intercept for any surprises while keeping a close eye somewhere. He's wary of that magical energy spike.
"Force Explosion." An invisible shockwave shot forward from my extended hand, turning the lesser vampire into pure paste. A massive pool of blood and darkness then engulfed the area around the vampire paste as his entire figure regenerated.
"Hail of Stone." A third-tier spell, nothing special, that shoots out a barrage of hardened air. It pierced through the regenerated form easily, but the lesser vampire kept shooting. I easily swatted the bullets away with my pinky finger's nail, but after the sixth deflection.
My fingernail snapped again. Tsk. This lesser vampire, I keep attacking him, but his regeneration is not relenting or slowing; he hasn't used any spells yet, but his rate of regeneration is terrifying. I can't even heal that fast without any equipment or skills.
Not only that, I know this lesser vampire is studying me just as I am studying him. A chuckle escaped from this inferior being's mouth, then a loud laugh.
"There really are bigger fish in the sea, and I was merely stuck in a rotting fishbowl."
The lesser vampire murmured, then his face morphed into a wide smile, maybe frustration, maybe enjoyment? Hard to say.
"First, that brat came out of nowhere, spewing nonsense. Now, I face you? Another brat. This world has a way of handing out punishments." The lesser vampire said before raising his arms, the runes on his gloves ominously glowed red.
Sebas and I primed ourselves for escape if the next fight proves challenging. My heart yearns to fight, but I must not disappoint Ainz-sama again.
"Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems."
"Three..."
"Two.."
"One..."
"Approval of situation 'A' loosely recognized from past order before shift; commencing the Cromwell invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered defeated."
The transformation was terrifyingly amazing. This less-... vampire's form turned into a black, crimson mass with multiple eyes appearing all over him; a piercing gaze was imposed upon us. A lesser being would've been terrified, running for our lives. However, we are the loyal servants of the supreme beings, and we don't know defeat.
"Lady Shalltear, shall we evacuate?" Sebas said, using that message spell again.
"Let's see what this form of his can do first. We need the information."
The cries of a thousand souls permeated the entire room as the vampire grew in size; several heads resembling those of dogs, but gnarly and rabid, formed as it growled.
[ Maximize Magic: Brilliant Radiance. ] The vampire merely laughed as the dogs sprinted forward.
[ Mass Hold Species. ] The vampire and his gnarly shadowy blood dogs were held in place, but they were somewhat resisting it.
We could feel a force pressing upon us. Telekinesis!? It's hardly doing anything, though.
The battle power of this vampire barely exceeds that of the strongest Pleiades maid; he shouldn't be difficult to handle. The power disparity is clear. I don't think this fight should be difficult for me, even if I don't have my entire arsenal.
"The gathering of evil implies the fear of the heavens."
A voice shot out, suddenly echoing from the distance. The voice came from the leftmost side, from that darkened, unexplored corridor. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed throughout the suddenly silent space.
"I do not claim to be the source of purging light but merely the messenger of destruction."
A massive amount of magical energy then permeated from that corridor. A massive amount of mana was pooling, and it was concentrating into a single point. The figure then revealed itself, illuminated by the light.
"A sudden entrance, a sudden power, a sudden blow."
A young man, a human, wielding a sword that was practically glowing in magical energy. The space around us was pulsing in vibration. It was like a massive heartbeat, and it was coming from that human.
"YOU'VE SHOWED YOURSELF AGAIN, BRAT! THIS TIME, YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY." The vampire declared, laughing with maniacal glee, he was excited and practically drooling. I was suddenly dragged into a three-way fight.
"Sebas! Prepare to teleport!" I shouted as I transformed into my battle armor. This concentration of magical energy, only Ainz-sama can pull this off, but this human is effortlessly doing it.
This magnitude! It's Super Tier Magic!
The young man then raised his sword and smiled, his cape fluttering and his hood fully revealing his smiling face.
"I."
"Am."
"Atomic."