It was an incredible technique where the window of timing between the blade entering the arm and cutting through the flesh was less than a second.
“An opening!”
With his sword restrained, Ainz had no way to avoid the Spuit Lance.
Shalltear, who was about to swing her Spuit Lance with the speed of light, saw a surprising scene.
Ainz threw away the Divine Class katana, one of the strongest in its class, and drew one of the many wooden rods that he wore around his belt.
“Hah! How foolish! You’re going to try blocking my Spuit Lance with something like that?! And you even threw away your weapon, you’ve made the wrong choice!”
Not clinging to the Divine Class item Takemikazuchi Mk 8 was wise, but there was no way to win without it.
With a jeer, Shalltear, determined to inflict as much damage as she received in her left arm, thrust her Spuit Lance with all her strength and— was repelled with a metallic sound.
“Eh?”
Shalltear let out a stunned noise.
The wooden rod in Ainz’ hand was no longer there. In its place were two kodachi. The weapons held a brilliant radiance like the sun, a serene light like the moon.
Smoke rose from Ainz’ hands that were holding the weapons, as if they resented being touched by an undead.
“Where is this opening, Shalltear?”
“Ehhh?! What? H, How?”
The weight of the weapon that was supposed to be in Shalltear’s left arm was no longer present. As soon as Ainz pulled a new weapon, it disappeared, as if it couldn’t exist in the same world. Shalltear vaguely understood: It had returned to where it originally belonged.
“Not knowing how to feint, even if I held a sword in each hand, it would be better for me to just use one… was it?”
As if recalling a memory, Ainz’ muttering seemed to be directed at a person who was not present.
“Maybe, but what about the present me?
Without even a chance to ponder the meaning of those words, the kodachi seeped in moonlight flashed towards Shalltear.
Despite looking as if it was heading for her neck, the trajectory skillfully changed course and headed for her shoulder. Such an attack was just barely deflected by the Spuit Lance.
Aiming for this, Ainz deeply stepped into the gap in Shalltear’s opening. The larger the weapon, the weaker they become in close quarters. Understanding this thoroughly— those were the movements of a veteran.
The sun kodachi in his other hand— penetrated the Spuit Lance’s defences and lightly dug into Shalltear’s body.
“AAAAAHHHHHHH!”
A voice filled with pain exploded from the space between her lips.
The pain from the actual sword was nothing. However, pain from the holy attribute of the blade seeped into her body like a toxin. This she could not endure.
With the blade still lodged, Ainz moved the sword to the side to try and widen the wound.
“Get away!”
Because it was not a distance where she could freely swing the Spuit Lance, Shalltear threw a kick. Although Ainz blocked it with his kodachi, he could not completely absorb the force of the impact and was blown backwards. Then Shalltear saw it; the figure of Ainz letting go of the kodachi and grabbing a small wooden rod.
And the moment the rod shattered, it covered his hand and revealed a dreadful, huge gauntlet. Large enough to touch the ground even while standing, the gauntlet—
“Haah!”
— cleaved through the air as Ainz stepped forward and charged with a yell.
Although she unwittingly blocked it with her lance, the fearsome impact rode through the weapon and struck Shalltear’s body.
“Gueh!”
The impact from being rammed by a giant fist forced an embarrassing noise from Shalltear and sent her flying. The damage from the shockwave was insignificant, and the physical attack itself was blocked by the Spuit Lance. However, the knock back effect of the shockwave penetrated the magic defenses of Shalltear’s equipment.
Although her stumbling balance was quickly restored with the help of a magic item, her head was dyed red with anger.
“Y, You, how dare you make me utter such a disgraceful sound! Before I tear you to pieces I’ll pry the same…. same?”
As she turned around, Shalltear’s vision was met with a huge light and she felt her temper instantly vanish.
In Ainz’ hand was a bow covered in the light of the sun. The arrowhead that was giving off a brilliant resplendence, needless to say, was pointing directly at Shalltear.
“N, No way. No, it’s a lie…. That’s, Hou Yi?”
A story passed down in a distant land called China*, a weapon named after the hero who was said to have shot down the sun. It was the main weapon of Shalltear’s creator.
*(Author’s Note: A legend from the time of Emperor Yo. The sudden appearance of ten suns in the sky burned the land and crops. It is said that a man named Hou Yi shot down nine.)
Almost all of the Guardians had established measures against ranged attacks, so an arrow was nothing to fear. However, that arrow did not deal physical damage; instead, it was a mass of elemental damage. In other words, it was regarded as magic and unblockable.
Damn it! I don’t have any MP! I could block it if it’s magic! Even a skill would be fine! I should’ve saved a bit if I’d known… No, that’s not right!
The fact that she had no MP, nor any skill uses left, everything was a result of the earlier battle. In other words, everything was a result of the scheme of the man known as Ainz Ooal Gown.
With her eyes dyed red, Shalltear let out an angry cry. It was the appearance of one who understood what was to come next, the struggle of one who did not want to admit defeat.
“You bastard! Peroronchino — sama’s weapon! Everything was part of your plan! How did you prepare that weapon?! Where were you hiding it! Was it a skill triggered by breaking the wooden rod?!”
Just what sort of trick was it?
It was as if his actions were favored by the world itself.
“A magician does not reveal his tricks.”
“How is that a magic trick! How did you pull out Peroronchino — sama’s weapon with something like that!”
“….. Indeed, you are right. This may have been rude to him. Well, the answer is that it was a cash item. Rather, did you finally come to understand? That everything was within my plan?”
The sphere of light, with its charging complete, flew towards Shalltear. Despite knowing that it was useless, she held her lance diagonally to block and— the explosion of light covered the surroundings.
While her whole body was burning within the divine light, Shalltear judged that it was dangerous to retreat back. If things continued like this, she would be overwhelmed without being able to do anything.