It had been a fierce battle.
The insect maid finally collapsed, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Evileye's mana was heavily depleted, and her expendable items were almost gone. The cost of this battle had been ruinous.
"We won."
Gagaran, covered in wounds as she was, announced their victory in a panting voice. While she was completely out of healing items, she had not lost as much health as her external injuries would indicate.
"Finish her off."
"Got it."
Evileye approved of Tia's suggestion. The insect maid was on her last legs, but she was not dead yet. The fact that she was still making chirping noises was the best proof of that.
Now that she lacked the ability to fight, it would be best to take her life without hesitation.
Tia stepped forward, sword in hand, and then her body froze in place. Evileye knew the reason for that without having to ask her why.
"I believe that will be all for now."
Unbelievably enough, a man had appeared in front of the insect maid at some point to block her.
He was dressed in strange clothes which they had never seen before in this region. From what Evileye knew, this was a type of clothing worn in the south, known as a "suit". The man wore a mask, and they could not see his face.
However, he was most definitely not human. That was because he sprouted a tail from his waist.
"Oi, you a friend of Evileye's?"
Evileye knew just from his presence alone who this person is. There's no mistaking it, this is Jaldabaoth, the demon emperor.
"—Are you alright? Allow me to take care of things from now on. You should go back and rest.:"
The man did not seem to care at all about the armed and battle-ready members of Blue Rose, but spoke kindly to the insect maid. Though he was an enemy, that act of his seemed quite endearing. However, Evileye did not think so.
The fear she felt from the top of her head to the ends of her toes refused to vanish.
Evileye remembered what Lily has told her. Talk to him, amuse him, buy time. Defensive maneuver only, you cannot hurt him. She knew now why Lily gave her so much warning, the insect demon is nothing compared to him.
"...Run away… idiot, don't look at me. Shut up and listen. That… he's too powerful. He's a monster among monsters. Don't look back, just run with all your might."
"...What about you?"
Gagaran's face was bitter as she asked that question.
"Don't mind me. I will buy as much time as I can for Momon to arrive."
And then, somehow, the insect maid — who should have been rendered immobile by her injuries — rose shakily to her feet. She did not seem to have used any healing magic, nor did she seem to have drunk anything.
An insect flew out of nowhere and clung to her back, and then the maid soared into the night sky. She left only the sound of her going "giii giiii" behind as she flew into the distance.
Although their enemy was getting away before their eyes, Evileye did not care. She could not tear her eyes away from the man in front of her. The other two were like her, covered in sweat and frozen in place.
After watching the maid leave, the man turned back to face Evileye and the others.
"Good evening, Jaldabaoth san," Evileye bowed politely.
"My, young lady, you are a polite one aren't you?" Jaldabaoth said with a smile on his face. "And it seems that you've already well acquainted with my name," he straightened his tie. "Allow me to reintroduce myself."
Jaldabaoth raised his arms like conductor performing a grand orchestra. "I am the Demon Emperor, Jaldabaoth," he said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jaldabaoth san," Evileye said. "Forgive this one for her childish curiosity, but what are you doing here in the kingdom?"
"I was just retrieving a certain, troublesome, magic item that was rightfully mine," he said. "I suppose your friends didn't tell you that my dear maid was attacked unprovoked?"
Evileye froze a little after hearing that. She looked back and saw Gagaran and Tia looking like they just did something horrible.
"She was eating a human arm," Gagaran said.
"A human arm of the troublesome members of what you call, the Eight Fingers," Jaldabaoth pointed out. "Isn't it the purpose of your visit upon this mansion? To apprehend that individual? Please forgive this one for calling you ungrateful and disrespectful for our help."
'So this is the demon emperor huh?' Evileye thought to herself. 'Perhaps that is where the words 'devil's tongue' comes from. This demon made us look like monsters by comparison.'
Then, Evileye did the only thing she can do. "I'm sorry for the foolish mistake on my friend's part, this one begs for your mercy," she said.
Jaldabaoth chuckled a little. "You weren't the one who initiated the battle and you were doing this in hopes of helping your comrades. I can grant you my mercy, however," he raised his arms.
"Run!" Evileye's voice was more of a wail.
The two of them turned like they had been electrically shocked. It was not as though they did not feel guilty for leaving their comrade behind. This was best shown by the fact that they did not retreat right away when Evileye told them to flee. What they felt was trust — trust that Evileye would find a way to deal with this, or that perhaps Momon will come in to save the day.
"[Hellfire Wall]."
A wave of heat crashed into her back. Evileye could not believe it, and hurriedly turned back to look.
There was a foom, and then it seemed as though the night itself had caught fire. Unnatural black flames surged into the sky.
The fleeing Gagaran and Tia were enveloped by the black fire. Their limbs twitched like puppets, and then they fell to the ground like so much rubbish. When the fire had vanished like it had never been, the two of them remained motionless.
'No, no, no…' She clenched her teeth to keep herself from screaming.
"I had hoped to stop just short of killing them, but they were weaker than I had expected. To think they could not even take flames of that magnitude. You have my sincerest condolences."
The man bowed, as though his regret were sincere. Evileye could no longer hold her feelings back after witnessing his fake attitude.
"Striking while sparing your lives is hardly an easy task. And I cannot use you as a reference either… why did you team up with them despite the vast gulf in your respective abilities. If you had not, I might have been able to make a better estimate."
'I'm sorry Lily, Momon,' Evileye thought before succumbing to her emotions.
"—Uwaaaaaahhhh!"
This was not a wail of despair, but a cry of anger. Evileye's howl was full of hatred as she broke into a sprint. No, it would be better to say she flew on wings of magic. She focused her mana into her fist, preparing a touch spell that would be difficult to nullify or resist.
The demon raised his fist and prepared to meet her.
"[Aspect of the Devil — Giant Arm of the Demon]."
The demon's arm swelled up to several times its original size, and it was so long that it dragged upon the ground. This was not pneumatic inflation, but a sturdy arm of muscle and bone that was a weapon in its own right.
Anyone would take a step back just looking at that weapon. Indeed, Evileye had cowered for a moment. But she had resolved herself for this, and she decided to evade the attack of that arm and attack her foe.
The gigantic arm closed in on Evileye. It moved much faster than she had imagined, filling up her field of vision like a gigantic wall. Evileye sensed that she would have a hard time evading and cast a defense spell.
"[Damage Translocation]."
Her vision turned black, and at the same time she felt a massive impact, as well as her body being savagely hurled through the air. Her line of sight spun round and round, and she had no idea where she was. When she hit the floor, the impact was such that she bounced lightly off, like a ball. Then she hit the ground again this time sliding to a halt.
However — she was unhurt.
Evileye used [Fly] to get back up in a way that defied common sense.
She was unhurt. However, had she not used a spell which converted physical damage to mana depletion, she would probably be dying by now.
That blow brought her back to reality however. She looked at the demon whose arms has already shrunk.
'Fight it is, defensive, I still have some MP, I should be able to take three more hits like that,'
Evileye wanted nothing more than to strike down this Demon with all her might. But she's too weak, too fragile. Her power is comparable to that of a mosquito compared to him.
"[Aspect of the Devil: Scything Claws]."
The demon's fingernails grew to a length of over 80 centimeters long. Evileye's instincts told her that they were sharp enough to cut through anything.
'I can't escape with their bodies. Even if the others came, they'd only get in the way against this guy. At the very least, I need to change the battlefield and make it easier for Momon to find their bodies,' It's a bitter thought of a girl who has long accepted death.
"Here I come!"
In the moment that Evileye was about to challenge him, something fell between them with a thunderous crash.
Unable to bear that weight, the stone slabs shattered, and dust flew everywhere.
Before her stood a warrior, still kneeling from the force of his landing.
His jet-black armor reflected the calm light of the moon, making for an oddly beautiful sight. His crimson cape fluttered like a roaring blaze, with the night sky as a backdrop. Each of his hands held an extraordinary greatsword, gleaming with the light of judgement.
Just like fiends would recoil from holy light, Evileye sensed a hint of fear from that powerful demon as he gazed upon that dark warrior. It was as though he had seen something unbelievable.
Evileye heard the sound of swallowing in the silence. It had come from the demon. That unfathomably powerful demon, whose strength even Evileye could not accurately judge, did not dare breathe loudly in the presence of this imposing warrior.
She heard his voice shatter the night.
"It's alright, Evileye. Everything is fine," Momon spoke, his voice harder than adamantite yet as warm as a lovers embrace. "Because I am here now."
The man stood before the demon, hiding Evileye behind his back.
Evileye held her breath.
In the moment that he stood before her, she mistook him for a massive, sturdy wall, the kind that would defend a city. A sense of security and relief filled her to the depths of her heart.
And the demon confronting them actually bowed his head, as though he were a commoner showing due deference to a nobleman. It could not possibly be respect; he must have been mocking him. Was this demon merely playing games?
No, the demon knew about Momon, Lily has told her about the demon.
"My, my, such an honor you pay us this night, Momon san," Jaldabaoth smiled at him. "Was this a back up plan on Ainz's part? To make you stay here in case of my early departure from the Empire?"
"No, I just like this place," Momon said calmly.
'He's not just a kind person,' Evileye thought in amazement. 'In front of his opponent, Momon exercised his iron discipline and kept his emotions from showing.' then she looked down a little. 'And I… even with Lily's stern warning I was overtaken with emotions and attacked him.' she clenched her fist. 'She was right, I couldn't compare to him…'
"Forgive me, Momon san, but I'm afraid I must put up some amount of resistance," Jaldabaoth replied.
"Your resistance is futile,"
"My, how arrogant of you, godkin,"
It was as if a thunder just struck Evileye's heart. 'Godkin? Momon sama is a godkin?' she then shook her head. 'No, it made sense, his and her sister's power, if they're godkin, it will explain everything,' she muttered to herself. 'Then does that mean that Ainz Ooal Gown is also a godkin? Just where have these godkins been hiding anyway?'
"I'm confident that I can win,"
"But the winning condition is against you Momon san, such the feeble nature of a human being. You don't count my death as a victory if the entire kingdom would be destroyed." Jaldabaoth chuckled cruelly. "As for this one, as long as I defeat you, even at the cost of my life, that would be victory."
'He's holding the kingdom as a hostage! Damn you Jaldabaoth, Damn you!!! I hate you!'
"I understand, but the Kingdom will be destroyed whether or not I fight you, wouldn't it?"Momon spread both his arms, and the greatswords which were like an extension of his hands seemed to shine.
Jaldabaoth shivers in delight. "I guess, this is inevitable…"
"Then— here I come."
He stepped forward — no, that was not right. The Momon standing in front of her had vanished. He was engaged in an intense melee with Jaldabaoth.
It had developed into a struggle that Evileye could not describe with words.
The after-images of countless swords, parried and countered by the extended claws of Jaldabaoth.
"Incredible..."
There were many ways to render praise, but at this moment, Evileye, who was entranced by the dazzling swordplay before her, could only offer up that single word. It exceeded the blows of all the swordsmen in her memory. She saw the form of a warrior who would cleave through the darkness that wrapped the world and all its evil in one stroke.
She felt like the princess in the songs of the bards. And the dark warrior before her seemed like a knight come to her rescue.
Evileye's petite frame quivered.The heart of hers that had been still for over 150 years seemed to beat quickly once more.
It has been for the last two days, since she saw Momon as a kind hearted man who would give his own blood to a vampire. And now she saw Momon as a fierce warrior whose power surpassed the realm of humanity.
This is the godkin, Momon the Dark Hero, the man who have captured her undying immortal heart.
"...Please win, Momon-sama."
Evileye clasped her hands together in fervent prayer, hoping that her knight would triumph over the fearsome devil before her.
Clang! Jaldabaoth was blown a good distance away, with a sound that did not seem like it could have come from a body of flesh and blood. Though he remained on his feet, he was still skidding over the cobblestoned floor at a rate that would swiftly wear out the soles of his shoes. After several dozen meters, he finally came to a halt, and dusted himself off.
"Truly spectacular. Crossing blows with a genius warrior like yourself might have been a mistake on my part."
With a great wham, Momon stabbed his sword deep into the stone beneath him. Then, he used his free hand to sweep a chunk of stone away from his neck before calmly replying:
"Enough with the pleasantries. You're hiding your true power too, aren't you?"
It seemed almost unbelievable that neither party was going all-out despite the scope of this battle. But Evileye knew better. She knew from the very first exchange that if they were to go all out, the kingdom wouldn't survive.
"My my, it seems I couldn't hide it from you after all," he straightened his glasses. "Very well, then. Here I come. [Aspect of the Devil: Tentacle Wings]."
Wings sprouted from Jaldabaoth's back, but the feathers covering them were abnormally long, evoking the appearance of tentacles. He spoke evenly to Momon, who remained on his guard.
"You are strong. There is no doubt that your might exceeds my own. Though it is not exactly to my tastes, permit me the use of this method. While your own defense is formidable, can the same be said of the small fry behind you? How will you deal with that, then? Perhaps you should focus on defending her, no?"
With that, he cast forth a hail of feathers. Their tips were razor-sharp, capable of slicing cleanly through muscle and bone.
Evileye was defenseless in the face of this onslaught. She had no more mana to cast 'Crystal Wall'. All she could do was wait and hope for a miracle.
But as it turned out, Evileye had been underestimating the dark warrior.
As the sound of metal rang out, Evileye looked up, and saw a stout shield standing before her.
The shattered remains of the feathers were scattered everywhere. Even though they were capable of shredding a human being to pieces, it was still a beautiful sight.
"It's alright."
His voice was calm and warm. His arm, swinging his sword at incredible speed. His breathing was measured and his tone was calm, even as he furiously deflected the feathers coming at them.
"Ah... ah... Ah! Your shoulder! Are you okay?"
Momon's pauldron had a feather stuck in it. Said feather had fallen powerlessly out of the air after being cut down. It looked like a decoration on his armor.
"That's nothing. Attacks of this level aren't even worthy of consideration. Rather, I am glad that you're all right," he chuckled.
Evileye felt her heart lurch with a badump. Her face was hot under her mask, which felt like it was going to scald her.
"Marvellous! For defending her without letting her sustain so much as a scratch, I, Jaldabaoth, offer you my heartiest congratulations. Truly, a marvellous display," the demon bowed at the Dark Hero once more.
Then, Momon scooped up Evileye in one arm and hugged her close to him.
"!"
Her unmoving heart felt like it was going to burst from her mouth. In her mind, the stupid stories of the stupid bards kept pounding through her brain, over and over again. Especially the ones where the knight carried the princess while doing battle. Any sensible person would realize that carrying a burden while fighting a strong enemy was nothing but foolishness.
But—
'Bards throughout the world, I'm sorry! A true knight does indeed carry the frail maiden in his arms, fighting while protecting her. Uwah, what am I thinking! So embarrassing!'
Evileye once again watched the battle unfolding between Momon and Jaldabaoth. The distance between the two of them had widened further than before, but for the top-class warrior and the super-class demon, it seemed little more than an extra step for both of them.
"Then, shall we begin?"
"No, I believe that will be all for now. Like I said earlier, my objective is not to defeat you. We have already engulfed part of the capital in flames. Once we have established the breach, rest assured that we shall certainly send you to the underworld atop a pyre of purgatorial flame."
With that, Jaldabaoth turned and vanished. His movements did not seem hurried, but in moments the distance between them had lengthened, and he faded into the night.
"No. No, this isn't good, Momon-sama, if we don't pursue him—"
As Jaldabaoth vanished from sight, Evileye began to panic, but Momon shook his head.
"I can't do that. He was retreating in order to carry out his plan. If I pursued him, he would fight with his full power. And if he did that..."
Momon did not have to finish the sentence for Evileye to understand.
If he gets serious, you'll get caught in his attacks and die. Or perhaps the collateral damage from the battle will destroy kingdom.
Momon had risked himself to save her life, and she could not do anything to help him. She hated that. To think she had said such high-sounding things to Climb.
"Now then, Lily. What do you think we should do?"
A certain newly minted mithril ranked adventurer descends from the sky. "Well, we gotta resurrect my senpai first," she pointed at the two recently deceased members of the Blue Rose. They both float from the ground as if supported by an invisible platform. "Let's go!"
Lily winked as she flew away, though Evileye didn't understand that at first.
"Oi! Lily! Wait up! You know I can't fly!" Momon exclaimed. "Ah… there she goes…" he muttered.
'Lily, effective immediately, you are officially a member of the Blue Rose,' Evileye thought to herself after realizing how great of a wing girl she is.
"Ano, Momon san, I can cast the Floating Board spell also," she said.
"Ah, thank you very much Evileye," Momon said while stepping on to the invisible platform. He sat down on to it and let Evileye sit down on his lap. "Is this position alright Evileye san? I always forgot that my armor can be uncomfortable."
'It's perfect!!!' Evileye thought as she leaned her small frame against Momon's body. "Ah, it's alright Momon sama, I don't mind," she said. "I'm sorry I couldn't make a bigger platform."
Momon chuckled a little. "It's alright Evileye san, I don't mind it either…"
The two of them soar through the sky. The stupid stories of the bards about the knight who took his princess flying above the sky rang in her heads. She can see the glimmering light of the city below her, like sparkles of stardust. She can see the roaring flames above her, like a beautiful curtains of fire.
'Bards across all ages, you were right once more, this type of things do happen! Forgive me for my foolishness, I should never doubted you ever again!' Evileye thought to herself.