[The Great Tomb of Nazarick - Throne Room]
"It seems Shalltear is more than capable of handling the enemy."
Ainz Ooal Gown sat upon the Throne of Kings, his red-glowing eyes fixed on the floating Mirror of Remote Viewing.
"However, this world is indeed as I thought. It is not just humans; there are other transcendent powers hidden here as well."
Inside the grand palace, all the core members of Nazarick were watching the battlefield. Just as Shalltear had hoped, her performance was fully captured by the Supreme Being. However, unlike the clumsy embarrassment she had feared, Ainz was incredibly satisfied. The enemy's raw strength had been clearly demonstrated by Sebas's brutal struggle. The fact that Shalltear could seize the absolute upper hand the moment she arrived was a testament to her status as the strongest 1v1 Floor Guardian.
"Ainz-sama, as expected of the Supreme Being!"
Demiurge stepped out from the gathered Guardians, his tail swishing behind him. He pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with absolute reverence as he turned to explain the 'true' master plan to those who were still confused.
"So all of this was within your flawless calculations!" Demiurge praised, his voice trembling with awe. "First, build a working relationship with the humans. When they inevitably encounter an enemy they cannot handle, they will naturally come to Nazarick for salvation. Then, you take the opportunity to deploy a Guardian—not just to save them, but to safely test the hidden, transcendent powers of this world from behind the humans' front lines!"
Demiurge bowed deeply, unleashing a stream of excessive, breathless flattery.
"Sasuga Ainz-sama! Your wisdom is truly at a height that we can never hope to reach!!"
'Eh?!' Ainz thought, his skeletal jaw metaphorically dropping. 'Is that how it is? Did I really think that far ahead?'
Amidst Demiurge's effusive praise, a flash of calming green light enveloped the Overlord—[Emotion Override] forcefully suppressing his rising panic.
Facing the wildly over-interpreted speech, Ainz wanted to rub the back of his skull awkwardly. However, seeing the completely adoring, star-struck gazes of the Pleiades, Aura, and Mare, he couldn't bring himself to utter a single word of rebuttal.
"Umu. Exactly as you say, Demiurge," Ainz nodded, shamelessly accepting the demon's speculation.
[New York - Hell's Kitchen]
From the shadows stretching behind Shalltear, countless high-tier summons leaped into the fray.
They clashed violently with Hebe Shikai, who was currently rampaging in his monstrous Fifth-Order Blood Rage. Harassed by the swarm of familiars and completely stonewalled by the [Einherjar] clone, the Dragon Servant had absolutely no way to launch an attack on Shalltear's true body.
Hovering gracefully in mid-air, the Blood Valkyrie did not stop her onslaught.
[Tier 10 Magic: Purifying Javelin]
Spears of holy light flew continuously from her hands, raining down like artillery strikes. Round, sizzling holes appeared one after another on Hebe's scaly, draconic body. Even though his transformation had exponentially enhanced his healing factor, the sheer volume of holy damage was stretching his regeneration to its absolute limit.
Dark blood continuously seeped from the wounds. In just a few moments, his massive form was stained red.
"What an annoying beast," Shalltear muttered impatiently, looking down from the sky. "Despite being so heavily injured, he still hasn't fallen!"
She had accepted the Supreme Being's order to eliminate this enemy. Originally, she had wanted to crush him with overwhelming, instantaneous force to restore the dignity Sebas had lost. However, Hebe's tenacity was somewhat beyond her expectations.
To end this battle quickly, Shalltear folded her pure white Valkyrie wings and went into a steep dive. She was going to end this in close quarters.
[Washington D.C. - Secure Military Situation Room]
"It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. has dispatched new combat forces to the zone."
"An Angel?" a Senator asked, staring at the satellite feed in disbelief. "Didn't Fury say the entity they were negotiating with was an Undead overlord? Why is there an angel?"
"Can that little girl fight that monster?" another politician muttered. "She doesn't look very strong."
Inside the Capitol Building bunker, a burst of chaotic discussion broke out as Shalltear's form appeared on the screens.
Among them, only General Thaddeus Ross kept his eyes fixed on the perimeter of the crater, specifically on Sebas. After seeing the visible look of relief in the battered butler's eyes when the 'angel' appeared, Ross immediately understood.
This newly arrived girl possessed a terrifying strength.
Ross stepped away from the main table and dialed his secure encrypted line.
"Dispatch the armored reserves. Move into Hell's Kitchen now," Ross ordered his subordinates. "I don't care who wins this freak show. We must secure the corpse of the loser. Listen to me—those spoils of war must end up in Military custody!"
Ross didn't know where Nick Fury had found these assets, and he didn't care. The power they were displaying made him incredibly envious. If the U.S. Military could reverse-engineer that kind of biological or magical weaponry, S.H.I.E.L.D. would no longer pose a threat to his authority.
[The Center of the Battlefield]
Every time the grotesque [Spuit Lance] flashed, it siphoned the life force of its target, bringing Shalltear one step closer to absolute victory.
The immense stamina of Hebe's wild dragon body was being rapidly stolen by the Divine Class weapon. Under the flawless pincer attack of the [Einherjar] and Shalltear herself, Hebe had no ability to counterattack.
The more Shalltear fought, the more abundant her vitality became. Conversely, Hebe's body was rapidly deteriorating.
With every thrust of her lance, Shalltear's crimson gaze became increasingly lethal.
"Mongrel!" Shalltear sneered, her voice echoing over the ruined streets. "The playdate is over!"
[Maximize Magic: Hold of Ribs]
Shalltear's pure white wings flared, propelling her backward to instantly disengage from the melee. Simultaneously, a massive, glowing red magic circle expanded from her outstretched hand.
Instantly, giant, ethereal skeletal ribs erupted from the asphalt around Hebe Shikai. The bone cage snapped shut, biting deep into his scaly flesh. A surge of intense, paralyzing pain wracked his body, locking the massive dragon-man firmly in place.
Seeing her trap spring flawlessly, Shalltear pointed the [Spuit Lance] directly at Hebe's heart and charged forward like a bolt of crimson lightning.
SHLUCK.
Blood splattered across the ruined street.
The moment the Spuit Lance pierced cleanly through Hebe's draconic chest, the feral red madness that had dominated his eyes instantly receded, revealing his soul-stirring silver pupils once more.
But his reason had returned entirely too late.
Thick blood continuously bubbled from his mouth. His healing factor, completely overwhelmed by the life-stealing properties of the lance, sputtered and died. The thick dragon scales covering his body began to slowly dissolve and fade away, reverting him to his slender, human-like form.
His trembling, blood-soaked hands reached up, weakly gripping the shaft of the lance protruding from his chest.
Hebe looked up at Shalltear. His lips parted, opening and closing weakly, as if he wanted to impart one final, ancient truth.
But Shalltear had absolutely no desire to listen.
A look of profound disgust flashed in her eyes. With a violent jerk, she ripped the lance out of his chest.
A massive spray of arterial blood erupted from the fatal wound. Losing all support, Hebe Shikai's body collapsed heavily onto the rubble, entirely devoid of life.
"Trash should have the self-awareness of trash," Shalltear spat, looking down her nose at the corpse. "Your last words are worthless to me."
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she snapped the [Spuit Lance] to the side, slinging the filthy blood clinging to the weapon onto the asphalt.
Behind her, the [Einherjar] dissolved into points of white light, its duty fulfilled.
Shalltear looked at the battered, bloody corpse on the ground, her face scrunching up in aristocratic distaste.
"I suppose I still have to drag it back to Nazarick," Shalltear complained, pouting slightly. "But it's so incredibly filthy! I don't want to get my beautiful armor stained with such dirty beast blood!~"
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