I know the Overlord of Death is holding back, but to think a powerful being that wants to fight could be so terrifying.
Even with magic that could suppress fear, the urge to run away still sprung up from within Zaryusu. It was a miracle that the other lizardmen who weren’t protected by such spell did not run away.
Cocytus drew near slowly.
He walked into the wetlands, passing the skeletons with swagger—
Cocytus stopped about thirty metres before the lizardmen, on top of a small knoll. Cocytus then moved his insect like face on his long neck. He seemed to be searching for someone.
Zaryusu felt Cocytus’ gaze rested on him for a brief moment.
“—Alright, Ainz-sama is watching, so show your might. Before that, 「Ice Pillar」.”
With the activation of the spell, two pillars of ice sprouted between the lizardmen and Cocytus, about twenty meters away.
“This might be rude for the warriors who came with the resolve to die, but know this, only death awaits all who cross beyond these ice pillars.”
Cocytus crossed two of his arms, his body language seemed to a signal of him leaving the decision up to the lizardmen.
“Hey hey, he is an unexpectedly a nice guy…”
Zaryusu nodded in agreement when he heard Zenberu’s comment.
He then took a step forth. Zenberu, Shasuryu and the two other tribe chiefs followed.
Shasuryu turned back and told the warriors following them:
“You lot stay here… no, go back to the village. If not… you will die because of us.”
“What?! We want to fight too! It is scary… but even so, we want to fight!”
“There is no cowardice in retreat, living on takes more courage.”
“But—”
“Not all the lizardmen can go back, that’s how it is. As the tribe leaders, we can’t allow others to conquer us without a fight, right?”
“But chief, we also want to fight.”
“Hold it young ones! Scram, get out of here, leave the rest to us old timers!”
The lizardmen pushing their way to the front were old, but not elderly enough to be called an old man. They numbered 57, and the other lizardmen couldn’t say anything after seeing their faces.
If they showed resolved or resignation, the others would had insisted in going with them. But their expressions were pleading them, begging the younger ones to live on.
The speechless warriors reluctantly fell back.
Shasuryu turned to Cocytus once again.
“... Apologies for the wait, Cocytus.”
Cocytus extended one of his arm, bending a thin finger, gesturing at them to come at him. Facing the taunt of the enemy, Shasuryu yelled at the top of his voice:
“Charge—!”
“Warrghhhh!”
The lizardmen who steeled themselves mentally roared from the bottom of their heart and rushed at Cocytus.
Cocytus looked coldly at the warriors charging him.
“... I am sorry to do this to you, warriors, but let me cut down your numbers.”
Cocytus wouldn’t lose even if all the warriors reached him, but he still needed to pick his opponents.
Personally, Cocytus wanted to show his respect as a warrior and fight in a distance where the enemy could strike at him. But he owed a deep debt to his master, so it would be rude to show Ainz a disgraceful fight between a Nazarick's Guardian and unruly mobs.
Cocytus released his sealed spirit.
The ability of the class ‘Knight of Niflheim’— ‘Frost Aura’. This special ability used extreme cold to deal damage and slightly lowered the speed of adversaries. At full power, it would even affect the lizardmen watching from the sidelines. Cocytus didn’t wish for that.
Suppress his power.
Limit the range, lower the damage.
“About this much…”
With Cocytus as the center, the extreme cold covered a radius of 25m.
Affected by the extreme cold, the temperature dropped drastically, making the air shriek.
“... Hmmm, that should do.”
Cocytus sealed his spirit.
It happened in a flash, the incredible cold was already gone as if it was an illusion. But that was definitely not a dream or an illusion. The bodies of the 57 lizardmen on the wetlands was the best proof.
Only five lizardmen could still move, and they were the five strongest people among the lizardmen. They weren’t intimidated by their comrades’ deaths or Cocytus’ ability, moving as one.
A rock flew through the air. A lizardman in full body armor led the charge with two lizardmen following behind. The wetland fairies moved slowly behind the two lizardmen with their bodies that had cracked in the cold. The last lizardman at the back kept chanting spells.
The first strike was the rock aimed at Cocytus’ throat. However, that attack was meaningless because—
“—The equipment on all Guardians could defend against projectiles.”
—An invisible barrier seemed to deflected the rock.
The leading lizardman followed next, wearing one of the four treasures passed down from generation to generation— White Dragon Bone. It was tough enough to block Frost Pain which was also one of the four treasures, the hardest armor known to lizardmen.
Cocytus who was facing him drew a sword out of thin air— as if the blade was already there.
The taichi Cocytus drew— with the length exceeding 180cm, was known as Royal Blade God Slayer. It was the sharpest of among the twenty one weapon Cocytus possessed.
He then slashed at the lizardman before him.
The blade that sliced through the air made the air howl— a calm sound. In a different situation, one might want to listen carefully to this clean sound.
After that sound, the body of the tribal chief split in half together with the armor, falling to the left and right into the wetlands.
Royal Blade God Slayer was not damaged after cleaving the hardest armor of the lizardmen.
The two lizardmen behind weren’t fazed by the gruesome death of their comrade, attacking from either side with their weapons raised.