"Is that Tsuare-san?" Climb called out to the woman in the cell. The woman lying on the floor propped herself up. Lily's description was extremely vague: 'she's wearing an oddly revealing priest uniform' and 'you can easily imagine her having wings' and 'her skin might glow a little, yours too if you're lucky'.
However, now that Climb see her for himself, the beautiful woman somehow matches all the description. "Y-yes, are you my rescuer?" she asked in an oddly calm and unlike any damsel in distress.
"Uhh, yes?" Climb said, suspicious.
The woman sighed a little and gave him a sheepish smile. "Can you, umm…" The turned around and crouched down as if to take something. A body suddenly appeared near the wall and Climb put a hand on his blade.
Then, Climb realized that the body is actually Succulent the Illusion Devil. "What?"
Brain chuckled a little and patted Climb's shoulder. "Don't worry Climb, Succulent here probably tried to forcefully strip Tuare's clothes so he can trick us, but…" he gestured at the woman who lifted a grown man with one arm. "Tuare here has been… blessed by Ainz Ooal Gown so now she's stronger than the two of us."
"Then? The reason we're here is?" Climb asked.
"Lakyus sama told me that we're here to help Lily on her Blue Rose entry exam," the thief answered his question. "I didn't get it at first, but now…" he sighed a little. "Obviously, there's no threat in the first place."
Footsteps appeared from around the corner, it's a loud and harsh footsteps not belonging to a certain underage adventurer. "I tempted fate didn't I?" the thief asked.
"Yes, yes you did," Brain replied.
A bald man stood in front of their path. His body bulged with muscles, his face looked like a boulder, and he was covered in animal tattoos.
The man's name flashed through Climb's brain, and his surprise took physical form as a sound.
"Zero!"
This man was one of the Six Arms, and the leader of their Security Division, the mightiest being in Eight Fingers.
"...Indeed, kid. You're that whore's slave, aren't you? Hmph! I've heard that you've beaten the Succulent. But don't get cocky, that magic caster isn't going to help you right now and even then…"
"And even then?" a familiar voice appeared behind Zero.
The leader of the six arms turned around and found himself facing a little girl. She smiled at him with a sweet and innocent look. Yet the tone in her next words spoke of the premise of death. "Even then we won't be able to beat you? Is that it?"
Climb didn't know the full extent of Lily's power. But he knew that in a close quarter combat, a monk has a severely high advantage against a magic caster. "Lily, be careful!" he exclaimed.
"Uwaa, thanks for worrying about-" her words were cut short when the man punched her right in the face. It didn't seem like she blocked it, it looked more like his punch ripped through her head and killed her in one go.
Climb's blood ran cold at the sight of it.
"-me Climb kun!"
Lily passed through the monk's body like a ghost and straight towards Climb and Brain. She then waved at the window at the opposite side of the hallway. "NOTICE ME SENPAI!!!" she squealed and Climb swore he could hear an exasperated sigh coming from somewhere.
After that, Lily turned back towards Zero. "Alright baldy, let's get this show on the road," she said before rushing towards him.
The girl jumped at the last moment and delivered a powerful swipe. It tore open the man's body, but not lethal. He then tried to hug the girl to death only to find that he couldn't lay his hands on her.
"Wh-what is this!?" he exclaimed as numerous cuts started to appear on his body. "What are you!" he tried to block the machete with his hand but the machete cuts cleanly through his palm. "N-no, impossible!!!"
"What is it Zero san?" Lily mocked as she stabbed cleanly through the monk's shoulder. "Never fought an opponent you can't hit before?" she said while lazily stabbing his knees without trying to dodge a fatal strike. "Come on, senpai is watching me, don't embarrass me with your weakness!"
He tried punching her, but his fist just went straight to her. He tried hardening his entire body, but her blade seems sharper than anything. It is an unbeatable foe, unlike anything he has ever fought before.
The curb stomp battle went on for almost five minutes before Zero tried to escape. Only to find out that he's trapped inside an invisible barrier. "Let me go!" he was about to punch through the barrier when the little girl stabbed through his other shoulder, disabling it.
After that, Lily started skinning him, alive. Zero's scream echoes through the entire building as he struggled futilely against the invincible opponent.
"No more," Zero said. "Please no more…" the once proud and powerful warrior turned into a sobbering mess kneeling down on the pool of his own blood. Half of the skin on his upper body is lying down on the ground beside him. "Please… Oh gods forgive me…"
Lily took a step back to look at her masterpiece. "Forgive you?" she asked. "And why should I do that? Is there something you can give me?"
"I-I can- AAAAH!!!"
Climb averted his gaze when the little girl cut off his left ear off.
"Wrong," Lily said. "You can't give me anything. There's nothing you can do to beg for my mercy," she said.
"N-no, please… AAAAH!!!"
"I told you not to beg for my forgiveness," Lily said.
Then, Zero looked at Climb. "For-forgive me…"
The boy has never seen a man looked so broken before. His heart ached at the sight of it. He never thought himself of forgiving someone like the leader of Six Arms. But there he is, begging for his mercy.
"I-I think that's enough Lily…" Climb said just as Lily was about to skin the man's scalp.
"Alright," Lily said before patting the man's bleeding head. She turned towards the rest of the party. "Lead the way leader!"
"Right, let's go, then."
After saying so, Climb led everyone out without waiting for them to reply. He still felt some presence around the building and dared to ask. "Lily sama, do you think there are still enemies outside?"
"Yeah, but they're dying now, don't worry."
That terrifying statement somehow give a sense of liberation to Climb.
Someone tapped Climb's relaxed shoulders. Looking back, he saw that it was the thief. The man's eyes were fixed in a completely different direction. The wide-eyed look on his face was much like the one he had when Lily had slain Zero.
Climb followed his line of sight, and then his own eyes went wide.
"A wall of fire?"
Climb unconsciously nodded as he heard Brain mutter to himself.
Flames would rise up if a house caught fire. Climb would definitely not be shocked by such a blaze. However, that was not what he was looking at; it was a wall of fire over 30 meters tall, encircling a district of the Royal Capital. It looked to be hundreds of meters long.
"OH FUCK!!!" Lily's curse brought them back to reality and also a sense of panic. "What are they doing here?! They're supposed to be attacking the Empire! Shit, shit," she paced around in panic before turning to Climb. "Climb, I need you to get the absolute hell out of here, call Renner, this kingdom is on high alert."
"You know what that is Lily sama?"
"Flames of Gehenna, it's harmless but can buff demons standing within it," Lily turned to Climb. "Yes, a perfect choice for a demon invasion."
Climb shuddered after hearing that. "De-demon invasion?"
"Yeah, Sally and Ainz sama has been preparing for it for weeks now, but…" the girl clicked her tongue. "The fuck are they doing here? They're supposed to be in the empire!"
A figure suddenly appeared beside Lily. Just from her height and posture alone it's obvious who she is. "Evileye sama," Climb said.
"Go, Climb, notify the princess," Evileye said before floating a little. "Lily and I will deal with this matter."
Sensing the urgency in her words, Climb quickly took control of the situation. "Everyone, follow me," he said and at once, a mighty warrior, a veteran thief, and an angel in disguise started following him out of the building.