Septem: Continuation of the fight (Patreon)

Ainz felt the chains holding him in place fall.

Anger... What a strange emotion.

Ainz was not angry when his Servants were killed. He was not angry when his Servants did stupid things. He was not angry when he fell into a trap and was not angry when he committed his own mistakes.

Until this very moment, he had experienced many emotions - interest, joy, fun, satisfaction, insecurity... But he never felt anger before.

Probably if Medusa had been killed by someone else - Romulus or Altera - Ainz would not have been so enraged by something like that. But Medusa was killed by her own sister.

Her own family…

Oh, that thought hurt Ainz very, very deeply.

“What, who, what the fuck is going on here?” - watching Ainz’s shackles slowly fell through the body of the strong, healthy male magi. The body was slowly being destroyed, as the body of a skeleton came through the disintegrated flesh - it continued to move somehow as Ainz slowly moved forward. Stheno retreated, her eyes wide, watching the skeleton of a creature slowly moving forward, Stheno was looking for some weakness, some vulnerability, a path to victory...

Bone stakes suddenly struck from under the ground and pierced her body, pinning the goddess like a butterfly on a pin.

A muffled scream escaped Stheno's throat at the pain and surprise, but Ainz paid it no mind and slowly took a step forward, then again and again.

The body of the magi was scattered like useless dust. With hands that exposed bare bones, the rib cage, behind which now only ribs remained, the face collapsed, exposing bare skull. Under normal circumstances, something like this would not have forced Stheno to even frown - there were many things capable of something like that. Some of these things were even subject to Stheno’s whim herself. But right now, the figure that is slowly approaching Stheno looked like the inexorable messenger of death, moving towards its goal. No even worse...

Ainz looked as if Death herself had come down to earth to gather her harvest.

Stheno body’s jerked in her haste to escape, causing pain to her broken body. But as soon as she managed to rip off her hand off a bone spike, a new one, which appeared on the ground very close by, immediately sprung up, piercing her hand again, causing the girl to swear in pain.

“There’s no need to run,” despite the situation, Ainz's voice remained quiet, calm, to some extent even soothing. As calming as the call of the grave for the dying, promising an end to their suffering could be, - “You can not.”

Ainz moved with some measured severity, approaching Stheno slowly, as if savoring the time.

Stheno was a Servant. Of course, in reality itself, being one of the Gorgon sisters, she was not a fighter at all. But after the changes introduced by the Grail, Stheno could call herself a Servant that is far from the lowest rung. Her abilities responded to her, rushing instantly ahead with streams of pure magic, taking the form of lightning, flame, ice - all that could delay the monster moving towards her.

Instantly, a wave arose at Ainz’s feet, similar to the one that destroyed Baal’s trap, after which all of Stheno’s attacks scattered into particles of mana before they could even reach the target. Ainz continued to move slowly and inevitably, not even pausing in his steps.

“Stheno...”, taking the last step and reaching his target, Ainz walked up next to Stheno. The body of the goddess was planted on stakes, so that she could not even jerk to the side to dodge any possible attack - “Tell me, Stheno... Will Medusa cry about your death?”

Stheno felt a fit of anger at Ainz's words.

What did he want? To lecture her on the importance of love? To make her feel remorse remorse for what she did?!

Sthheno knew that she had to follow Baal’s commands. She knew what the Master of Baal had in mind. She knew that they had no other choice. She knew that she had committed a grave sin . And she knew that only through this action can they achieve salvation - if not humanity, then at least themselves.

“Haaaah…” - Ainz breathed out calmly, but at the same time with an exhausted air to it, - “Well, I will repeat the question…”

After this, Stheno suddenly felt something touch her mind.

"Charming spell?!" - Stheno felt a fit of panic - “Baal said he was a necromancer! Necromancers don't use charms!”

The very idea that Stheno could be charmed - just as she herself had the ability to charm men with ease - was absurd!

But Stheno felt Ainz’s curse latch onto her mind, slowly drying up any desire to resist answering.

“Will Medusa be saddened if I destroy your body and soul forever?” Ainz asked a question.

‘ Destroying the body and soul?!’ - Stheno's mind made a somersault in her head, but her charmed body only answered calmly, “Yes. Even after what happened, she will be saddened if Euryale and I disappear forever. Can you destroy the body and soul ?”

“Hmm…” - Ainz did not answer this question, only sighed thoughtfully, - “It’s a pity... I won’t be able to punish you with your death... In this case, it’s best to just make you regret what you’ve done for now…”

After a second, the effect of the charm disappeared. Ainz held out his hand, and then calmly placed it against Stheno's stomach.

Is he planning... To rape her?!

“Hm, I must admit, I have pushed back a little from my own principles in this world...” Ainz sighed, after which Stheno suddenly jerked. A painful cry burst from her mouth at the moment she felt the touch of cold bones of Ainz's hand. It felt like corrosive acid had touched her body in the place where Ainz put his hand in. “I usually collect information thoroughly... But there was Da Vinci in this world - I trusted her capabilities. And there was an adventure to be had - and I immediately went along the chain of “quests”, rejoicing at the excitement. I completely forgot that I also have to come up with some experiments myself.”

Stheno throat burst into screams as the strength of the corrosive acid like sensation suddenly increased, after which it began to slowly spread through her body.

“For example...” Ainz looked up into Stheno’s eyes. And despite the fact that now his face was a naked skull with two flickering lights deep in the eye sockets, anyone could still see that anger burned in those two lights. However, Ainz spoke quietly, calmly - and this action was most terrifying - “How do Servants respond to negative energy? And how much negative energy can the Servant withstand before dying?”

***

Zhuge Liang avoided the blade whistling towards him, and then further retreated back the moment when the ground next to him exploded from the force of Tamamo Cat’s next attack.

“Good reflexes ~ woof!” The girl emerging from a cloud of dust smiled at Zhuge Liang with a good-natured smile that was not at all suitable for the current situation that they’re in. “In any other situation, I would like to play catch-up with you ~ woof!”

Zhuge Liang sent a spell - even though he was not the most powerful of magi in the world, he could still use his magecraft to attack - however, the opponent simply playfully avoided the projectile, - “What a pity that this would be impossible now ~ woof!”

“We shouldn’t fight!” Zhuge Liang shouted. “I have information about Romulus!”

“Oh, a distraction!” His adversary only smiled at these words, “It won’t work! Euryale explained to us that you will try to confuse us ~ woof!”

“Euryale?” Zhuge Liang rushed back, dodging the next blow, “Why is she...”

A jigsaw puzzle formed in Zhuge's head, “Your Master is also under the control of Romulus’ Master!”

“It will not work ~ woof!” Tamamo let Zhuge Liang’s words past her ears like water. “Play fair!”

“Listen, I want to help!” Zhuge Liang dodged another attack, and then avoided yet another blow, “Euryale is under control of the BHA!”

A strike with monstrous power behind it, which did not at all match the cute appearance of the girl who appeared in front of him, knocked the spirit out of Zhuge Liang, forcing him to fly away and roll several times.

“An opening!” - the girl rushed forward, striking, - “Caught!”

“Berserker!” - Zhuge instantly understood. The only way to put someone against Zhuge Liang who would not let him change sides in the middle of the battle is to put a Berserker against him, who will simply let his words slip through his ears! The Master of Romulus calculated everything!

“Got you!” Shouting completely childishly, Berserker hit the ground, causing Zhuge to roll, “Still want to chat ~ woof?”

“No...” Zhuge Liang’s attempt to speak with Berserker was automatically doomed to failure. So all that he could do was to defeat Berserker as quickly as possible and escape to the one who would listen to his words.

Berserker smiled at these words, and then began to focus. Her gaze burned in anticipation and her huge fluffy tail dangled from side to side, like a rejoicing dog. Zhuge Liang exhaled.

If only it would have been so easy...

***

Cainabel appearing here was not a surprise to Altera. Her attack did not come as a surprise. The death of Jing Ke was not a surprise. Nothing surprised Altera.

However, the fact that Cainabel was not a surprise to Altera did not mean that she was ready to battle with her. It is very unlikely that anyone existed who was ready for such a clash.

And yet, Boudica was not taken aback.

“Sword of Boudica: Sword Without Promised Victory!” - the blade in the hands of Boudica flashed a golden light, “Chariot of Boudica: Chariot Without Promised Protection!”

The legend of Boudica. The unconquered warrior queen that led the rebellion against the unequaled might of Rome. Guided by her righteous anger, strength and help from those who swore allegiance to her, Boudica led her armies to Rome, inflicting more than one defeat on them. But, in the end, she lost - and died.

The legend of Boudica did not abound in adjectives like “invincible” or “overwhelming”, it did not end in victory and was not a story about a great hero. It was just another historical fact on the page of history. A rebellion, several victories - and then a bitter defeat at the hands of the overwhelming enemy, whom she once swore to take revenge on. For the cunning of the Romans, who annexed the lands that were rightfully hers, for their humiliation, when after her coronation of her rights to the throne, she was only forcibly flogged as a troublemaker. And for her daughters who were raped to death. In the end, this legend did not have a hero achieving their coveted victory.

She tried - but lost.

The essence of the legend of Boudica.

Boudicca knew about it. She knew that her winning move would end in defeat. That her magnificent triumph is just a passing whim of fame.

And yet, still she continued to fight.

“For even if I am destined to fall at the end, my battle will not be in vain.”

The Britons who followed Boudica did not gain any recognition from Rome - instead, their rebellion was brutally crushed, and all the instigators were slaughtered.

“We will lose in the end - but our struggle was not in vain.”

Boudica's life, after all, could easily be described by the word “defeat” or “failure”.

“But we fought for a just cause.”

That was what was in Boudica's mind.

Perhaps in the end we will die. Perhaps we will become a symbol of a failed struggle.

“But we fought and therefore we will not be forgotten.”

Therefore, her blade did not promise victory - in her legend there was no place for such a thing. Her shield did not promise protection - because in the end she could not protect anything - neither her family nor her followers.

She could only give them strength. The power to fight back.

And so Altera and Remus felt a surge of strength.

“Because in the end, even knowing about our defeat, we will fight.”

Cainabel knew what this Noble Phantasm meant. Even if she was not a creature of this world, the Grail from the strength of which she was embodied in this world, gave her knowledge. However, she wasn’t one of those who would cherish a hero who would march to their premeditated death - therefore, instead of congratulations, laughs burst out of her throat - “Noble Phantasms that promises nothing... What a fitting ability for such a failure of a Servant - when even your greatest strength is just a parlor trick that can't even guarantee the effect…”

However, Boudica’s Phantasm acted as it was necessary.

“Teardrop Photon Ray,” Altera’s words, reinforced by Boudicca’s abilities, instantly took shape, “Star of Tears, War God’s Sword.”

The true form of Altera’s weapon, the blade of Mars itself. Although Boudica’s blade was indeed capable of attacking the target compared to Altera’s own power, it was all too insignificant in the end. Besides, judging by the current rank of Boudica’s Phantasm, she also couldn’t reach Cainabel. This situation required particularly heavy artillery.

For example, the manifestation of the Divine Power of Mars itself, the God of War.

Photon Ray - this was not the most suitable name for a blade, suggesting rather thoughts of weapons described by science fiction writers. However, such a name had its own rationale.

Using the power of her own Noble Phantasm, Altera was able to summon all the power of Mars for a brief moment, bringing to reality the power of God of War himself, striking with his blade at the chosen target. However, the times of the Age of Gods, when the figure of Mars himself rising from the horizon could raise its blade and bring it to the ground, have passed, so the power of Altera’s Noble Phantasm has acquired a different form. A form of destruction, a form similar to the blow of the God of War, a form more suitable for the modern world.

And what could be more modern than a barrage of an orbital ion weapon?

In an instant the strike with all the power of Mars himself tore the earth, blasting its target with the likeness of a nuclear explosion, striking a defenseless target, trying to defend itself from the force of nature that is a God - and annihilating the target completely with a slight superior laugh from the God of War.

But this was not the end of their assault.

“Magna Exitium Magnum!” Remus' Noble Phantasm followed.

Cainabel possessed monstrous parameters, powers, and even if she was wounded gravely by Altera’s Full-strength attack - there was nothing that Altera and Remus could do to finish her off. All that remained for Altera and the Servants with her was to strike at their full strength from the very beginning. Using the Noble Phantasm of Boudica, Altera and Remus had to strike with their full power. And if someone possessed the power necessary to breach through Cainabel’s defense, then Altera and Remus were definitely the first candidates anyone would choose for this.

Remus was killed by his brother, Romulus, when they created their blessed Rome together. Neither in history nor in legends were the accurate information been preserved about the reason for such acts - someone had said that they argued about the location of Rome. Someone else said that they fought one another because they did not find a way to share their future power. Truth, as in many cases, was lost in the tides of time and, frankly, was not so important in the end.

Only the facts were important in the end. Romulus killed Remus and built Rome on the ground stained by his blood.

Romulus represented his Rome, the whole civilization of Rome like a big tree - growing upward, stretching its branches - civilizations, leaves - people, and fruits - the movement of mankind forward. But, like any tree, Rome demanded food for its growth. Life-giving water. And that source was Remus' blood.

Blood from his body, on which Rome grew. Rome, from which was the backbone of the history of mankind, of civilization. Rome, whose influence made its way into a thousand different layers of every occupation, empire, and science - from Roman law to Roman numerals, Rome sprung into thousands of branches, which turned into a thousand pillars holding civilization.

And now Remus demanded a tribute for the blood on which these civilizations grew on.

In other words, it was a Noble Phantasm that became stronger the more advanced the world around Remus was. Rome was the cradle of the civilized world, and therefore its overgrown branches only fed even more the greatness of Rome. The greatness that Remus would use against the enemy.

In the time of Antiquity, in the time where Roman achievements was commonly known, this Noble Phantasm was comparable to the power of Remus’ brother, Romulus. However, if instead the reality around Remus was different, if civilization had moved forward - every invention, every outstanding mind, every painted masterpiece, every stone laid in a building would be an additional force for this Noble Phantasm. For this Noble Phantasm brought down the power of civilization itself on the one who dared to encroach on Remus - the one on whose blood the greatest empires grew upon.

A blow from Altera’s blade could level a mountain to the ground - but the blow from Remus would turn the remaining wasteland into the deepest canyon on earth. Even Cainabel could not have brushed aside such a blow.

The strength of the two Noble Phantasms, strengthened further by Boudica, struck Cainabel, instantly turning the ground around her to dust and destroying the earth, leaving a crater kilometers in depth. A deafening roar capable of killing a person arose - however, despite this - there was no dust after an attack of this caliber. Where Remus' blow broke the ground asunder, Altera's blow burned out everything that could fly into the air.

Therefore, blinking several times, trying to calm her head from the roar, Boudica looked at the place where Cainabel was standing upon.

At this place there was only a multi-kilometer deep crater. And there was no Cainabel at all.

“We…” - disbelievingly, Boudica asked a question, - “Won?”

Cainabel was nowhere to be seen.

“We... Won,” Boudica muttered again, after which she turned to Altera, with a smile so brittle as if still afraid to break their hard earned victory, “We won-KHA!”

No wonder she was afraid.

Boudica fell to the ground, leaning on it with all her limbs. A second later, she vomited.

However, it was neither her breakfast nor bile. An unstoppable flow of blood escaped from Boudica's mouth.

“Boudica!” Altera rushed to the girl, but Boudica’s body jerked again, after which her body literally exploded in streams of blood. Every pore of her body, every hole - nose, eyes, ears - oozed blood, draining the girl severely every second. After only a few moments, her body, drained and bloodless, fell to the ground, moving for the last time. All the blood that came out of the girl's body suddenly began to boil, after which it slowly began to stretch upward, ignoring the laws of physics.

“Not bad,” Cainable’s voice, from nowhere, sounded pleased, “But do not forget. Noble Phantasms are not only for you. Lord of Blood - a much simpler and more sonorous name - don't you think?”

The mass of blood rose, and then sharply acquired colors, turning into Cainabel,  with her appearance just as she looked before.

Altera felt her heart stop for a second.

“Lord of Blood,” Cainabel smiled. “A Noble Phantasm that, quite prosaic, only strengthens my existing abilities with regard to blood control. Simple, but very useful.”

Cainabel glanced at Altera, then at Remus.

“You can try this attack again,” Cainabel shook her head. “If, of course, you want to. In my opinion  it turned out somehow stupid and boring…”

“Although,” Cainabel suddenly looked at Remus, “You... An interesting ability... I would even say ... One I’m familiar with...”

Remus only gripped his weapon tighter.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will still find out everything when you fall,” Cainabel shook her head, and then raised her umbrella, “Well..., no one thinks that the time has come for a second bout?”

***

Despite his weak looking appearance, a huge bag of fat hanging on the belly, and a full-cheeked good-natured face, Caesar fought with the ferocity of a lion and an agility which could not be seen in much more athletically built Servants. The Dragon Witch repulsed each of his attacks, but even so, Caesar was not an easy enemy.

“Why?”, Striking another blow, Caesar only asked a question.

“Why what?” The Witch didn’t really like to talk during battle, but because of the situation, the inability of Caesar to reverse the outcome of the battle made her answer.

“Why did you kill Nero?” Caesar spoke coldly, concentrating on attacks and parries, and still spoke calmly, as if not at the center of the battle.

“This shit again,” the Witch only snorted in response, “No one killed her, but you can believe anything you want.”

“You killed Cu Chulainn, your own ally,” Caesar objected calmly, “Destroyed Rome, killing tens, hundreds of thousands of people. You are a murderer.”

“It was necessary,” the Witch answered sharply, while inflicting a dangerous attack. However, Caesar was not easily defeated, fending off the blow.

“Necessary?” Caesar said, clutching the blade in his hand, “How many times have you justified yourself with these words? Is it necessary to kill an ally so as not to die herself?”

“Shut up,” the Witch dealt another sharp blow, “You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Oh, it seems to me that I am,” Caesar countered another dangerous attack. “I see right through you. You hide behind your rudeness and nihilism because you yourself see that you are a traitor.”

“Shut up, I said!” The Witch struck another sweeping blow, trying to force Caesar to shut up, but he parried the predictably directed blow.

“So if I shut up it will change the truth?” Caesar looked up at the Witch. Cold, condemning, as if piercing through her with his eyes, - “Will it change your actions? You even hate yourself for your deeds and think that the fact that I shut up will fix it?”

“SHUT UP!” The Witch rushed forward, opening for a blow. But Caesar did not seize the opportunity again, fending off the blade.

“You gain strength from hatred, but no one will ever hate you more than you do yourself,” Caesar spoke calmly, seeming to completely stop paying attention to the battle, “Self-hatred is the only force that still holds you afloat. While everyone is striving for their own goals, you are striving for self-destruction. You act this way because you realize how low you fell. You savor your own disgust. You move forward only in order to find even more opportunities to prove to yourself how justified your self-hatred is…”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” - The Witch went completely on the attack, striking blow after blow.

‘But he is right…’ - a voice in her head, her skill answered her - ‘Listen and you will easily understand how much he is right…’

“Shut up!” The Witch dealt another reckless blow, completely forgetting about her defense.

Caesar , of course, would take full advantage of this opportunity.

“Crocea Mors,” his blade flashed with gold in his hands, “Veni, Vidi, Vici.”

Perhaps Caesar was not the most powerful swordsman in the world. But his mind and eloquence could not be underestimated.

***

Nero looked languidly at how slowly the blood stretched from the body of Medusa, pouring into the body of Baal.

“Oh, how nice it is to feel that...” - the column of flesh shuddered with pleasure. Nero would have vomited from the sight, if she still had the strength for such manifestations of emotions - “As if I was born anew!”

Nero could have asked many questions to her Master - why did he need the blood of Medusa, what the false Grail in Corfinius really was, what he planned to do now, or who the Master of Baal really was...

But these things in the end did not bother her.

All the power that Nero had, to questions and thoughts had disappeared. There was only a miserable shell, devoid of any emotions.

“Nero, my dear,” Baal smiled at her, “Are you sure you don't want to be summoned as a Rider? Believe me, if you were summoned to such a class, then your potential would increase... Tremendously.”

Nero shuddered. Despite the fact that her emotions had completely left her - this thought still made her body, now looking like an empty shell, shudder.

“No,” Nero answered again.

Nero knew that Baal was trying hard to force her to be summoned as Rider, and in fact her opinion meant little. However, if Baal had forcibly tried to transform her into a Rider - without any desire to obey, she would have attacked Baal - and it was not known who would be the winner in that battle...

Her body now obeyed him because of the power of Command Spells. It was worth summoning her as a Rider - even this barrier could not hold her for long.

A traitor, a destroyer of Rome, an unfortunate emperor who himself incurred all misfortunes and loneliness at the end... Does she want to be remembered as the destroyer of the world too?..

Nero did not entertain herself with the thought that the destruction was done by the hands of other Servants. You cannot blame the blade that cuts your body. Blame the enemy that holds the blade.

But she held this blade herself.

“Oh, well, you understand that only in case of our victory can I return everything to as it was before?” - Baal used the same arguments, slowly undermining her conviction - “Or do you think that Ainz will be able to wave his hands and magically return everything as it was before?”

Nero was no longer sure what she had to believe. Visions of destruction, the words of the Servants, the actions that unfolded due to her one act... Baal hoped to show her how this world actually rotted and how flawed the people are in it - but could only show what mistake she herself had made.

“Servants, Servants, Servants...” - Baal muttered quietly - “Oh... You do one thing, and the result is completely different. I wanted to drive one into a rage, but instead drove her into depression. What are you..."

Suddenly, Baal's speech was interrupted and Nero shuddered.

Echoes of pain, inhuman pain came to her through her connection, pouring out of Baal, just as wine would pour out of an overfilled bowl.

The column of flesh that is Baal's flesh shuddered.

“What... What was that?” Euryale glanced at Baal, but instantly her body was bent over when a wave of pain swept through all her nerve endings again, “What is it?!”

The column of Baal's flesh froze.

For the first time in all the time that Baal was, no one received an answer.

Baal froze for a second, after which he mumbled quietly, almost inaudibly, “Oh...”

Nero looked up, and for the first time ever, in the mass of seething flesh could be traced... Anxiety. Fear.

“Oh-oh-oh...” - the column suddenly shuddered when a crushing burst of pain caused Nero to fall to the ground - “Stheno... Ran into some problems...”

“Stheno?” Euryale looked up.

“And...” Baal continued his thought, after which he was suddenly startled with such force that the ceiling of the cave, to which the column of flesh reached, trembled. In the voice of Baal erupted... Horror - "We, would be going too as well..."

***

Master of Many Resistances

Although Ainz has many of his own weaknesses - fire, holy magic and bludgeoning weapons - he has even more defenses. Some of them were provided by his race and classes - protection from dark magic, cold or poison. Part by his own power - like Ainz's Immunity to Attacks below a certain level, there is additional protection against non-magical weapons. Part of it is also from his equipment, like various kits that protect him from his weaknesses - such as fire damage. And part - due to quests he had completed - such as protection against arrows. Such abilities are not strong enough to deserve their own separate skill like Immunity to Attacks, they are not extensive enough, but at the same time they exist and are quite numerous, therefore they were assigned to a separate skill uniting such abilities.

In other words, this skill rather than a skill of its own is a kind of statement - “if this attack was used at least once somewhere in the world, then Ainz has a way to defend himself against it” - which of course has become a reality.