The breath of everyone present seemed to be frozen.
"What the————?!"
"How could this be... Ghost Leader!"
Lakyus knew the meaning in the roar of Tia and Tina.
In a place that had been repeatedly scouted by the ninja sisters, two figures suddenly appeared. This at least proved that these two beings had completely outmatched the specialized assassins in terms of stealth.
This was to be expected, as both Shalltear and the Envious Demon General could use "Complete Unknowable," and they didn't even need to hide. As long as they stood next to Tia and Tina, the latter would never be able to detect them.
The gap in strength is just that despair-inducing.
"...Who are you people!"
Lakyus swiftly raised her Magic Sword Kirilinaram, and at the same time, the floating sword cluster behind her began to sway.
It was Momon who glanced subtly at her Magic Sword, but Lakyus, who was focused, did not notice.
The two figures who suddenly appeared at the edge of the quarry, one in a pure white dress, seemed like some kind of sanctified being, but the mask on her face, depicting a sly smile, categorically negated that point.
Next to her was a demon—no, was it a demon? With a head like a crow, the figure was slightly less impressive than the white-clad girl, but more towering, with skin of an unsettling gray-black hue.
The one who replied to Lakyus's question was not either of them, but rather—
"How... How could this be! Vampire Brad!! It's you!"
In an instant, the black-clad hero drew his magnificent dual swords, exuding deep hostility.
Judging from this phrase, Blue Rose understood that it must be the last of the two vampires that Momon had been hunting!
Blue Rose had also visited the battlefield where Momon defeated that Herg something.
Although it was impossible to accurately determine due to the destruction caused by the Magic Crystal, the difficulty was at least 200 or more, that was their conclusion.
And now, a being of the same caliber had appeared, accompanied by a demon.
"Lord Momon! Let's join forces—!"
Before Iburiel could finish her sentence, Momon had already sprinted out, then leaped into the air—truly as if he were flying—raising his dual swords high and slashing down at the vampire with all his might.
Brad mockingly blocked with his sharp-clawed hands extended—
No, it wasn't very easy, the vampire actually retreated two steps backward.
(—Hey, you really did use your full strength, Alinz!)
(—What are you thinking? I'm acting now, focus, don't let up.)
After exchanging over a dozen high-speed clashes, with sparks flying and splashing continuously, Brad suddenly exerted force and struck Momon, leaving a terrible gash on his armor. Momon also took the opportunity to jump back to Blue Rose.
Seeing the huge crack on the sturdy armor, Iburiel couldn't help but gasp.
"Lord Momon! Should we retreat first?"
"That won't do, Alinz. Although I have no grudge against you guys, today you must accompany Momon to his grave, Alinz... Use it."
Brad snapped his fingers, and the demon beside him immediately sprang into action.
"「Dimensional Lock」."
With a film-like sense of abnormality sweeping over her body, Iburiel felt a chill in her heart.
"Little one, that's..."
"Ah, Gagaran, that's a high-class demon's skill to block space teleportation."
"High-class demon... So, um, is that bird-headed guy about the same level as Adabaoth?!"
Perhaps recalling that battle, Gagaran's originally taut body seemed to turn to stone, his hands trembling as he clutched his war hammer.
"...Unfortunately, it seems to be the case. We have no choice but to fight...! But we do have Lord Momon on our side!!"
In an attempt to boost morale, Iburiel loudly called out the name that represented hope.
"Hahaha～Ahahaha～"
The vampire let out a laugh that seemed genuinely amused.
"Oh my, oh my, you guys have really worked yourselves up, Alinz. But I'm also prepared, you know?"
Brad glanced at Momon, who nodded slightly, and then continued, reciting the lines they had practiced over and over again:
"Momon has been hiding in the city of the Sorcerer King, and even I find it difficult to deal with that Sorcerer King... Now that Momon has finally come out, I must seize this great opportunity and make sure to eliminate the one who killed my sister, Alinz～"
Spreading false information.
If there was even a one in ten thousand chance that a member of Blue Rose managed to escape, it would only serve to spread false intelligence to the world.
"Then, I shall begin, Alinz～"
Ignoring the panicked crowd, Brad initiated the seventh-rank Undead Summoning.
"「Undead Summoning: Egg of Annihilation」."
It was an Undead that would not attack on its own, but if not dealt with promptly, it would surely spell disaster...
"Hmm, the first phase has reached a decisive moment... huh."
Catching a hint of displeasure in Ainz's mutterings, Albedo immediately reacted.
"My Lord Ainz, if you feel uneasy, please revoke the order to Gront at once..."
Ainz thought, "At this point, why even mention it," and cut off Albedo's speech with a gesture.
"I will proceed as planned. I promised Anoma, and as long as it's possible, I will fulfill my commitments to you... No, I will not allow a situation where I cannot keep my word. I am your sole master, Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"The foundation of managing employees is to keep promises. Especially the small ones, they must all be kept without fail, because they often seem very significant to the employees. A company that fails to keep its promises is no different from one that doesn't pay its salaries." Ainz recalled that this was indeed what was written in the book "Monkey Management for Dummies."
This plan of his was far from brilliant.
The best course of action would have been to trap Blue Rose and then continuously attack with waves of summoned creatures until Lakyus unleashed the power of her Magic Sword, or until Blue Rose was simply drowned in a sea of summoned beings.
Simple and crude, without flaws, zero consumption, and the lowest risk.
But then Anoma would have no chance to shine, only left to clean up the aftermath.
Ainz agreed with the views in "Monkey Management." A promise that cannot be kept will surely become a stain on the company. So after much consideration, he came up with the current plan, which was not very efficient, just to satisfy Anoma.
"...What a merciful and compassionate remark! We guardians are merely faithful servants of Lord Ainz, and yet he speaks of valuing our promises... Ah...!"
Demiurge and Albedo, deeply moved, immediately knelt down, and Renner, although just a second slower, was enough to illustrate the essential difference between her and the NPCs.
"Alright, rise. The true nature of that Magic Sword is about to be revealed."
The entire quarry was shrouded in a deep sense of oppression.
The beautiful girl in white stood on a higher rock wall, like a conductor of an orchestra, gracefully stretching out her arms and opening her embrace.
Her incredibly ample chest, even in such a dire situation, caused a fleeting pang of envy in the mind of the vampire Iburiel.
Then, an ominous spatial fluctuation enveloped the area. Black energy gathered and condensed into shape.
Finally, what appeared before everyone was an Undead from the same series as the "King of Annihilation"—the "Egg of Annihilation."
A giant "egg" nearly six meters tall, with the longest diameter about four meters. The strange thing was that this "egg" was covered with pieces of pitch-black armor, each twisted and inscribed with blood-red patterns, about five to six centimeters thick.
A vast amount of negative energy surged within the "egg," and through the gaps in the armor, one could catch glimpses of the extremely unsettling black light, occasionally hearing the agonized wails of countless undead souls.
According to the lore, this creature was "born" from the union of the King and Queen of Annihilation, two Undead beings. It was a "life" that would never hatch.
Its level was 49. It had no movement or attack capabilities. The sole purpose of its existence in this world was to self-detonate.
Its explosive power and range were much smaller than that of the ninth-rank magic "Nuclear Blast," but it still had a forced knockback effect. It inflicted a combination of negative attribute and physical damage, and could cause a range of negative statuses such as poison, curse, and fear within its area of effect.
After being summoned, it entered a state where it could be detonated after thirty seconds, with the timing decided by the summoner.
If the goal was to eliminate Blue Rose, this monster was clearly not sufficient. But its mission was originally just to play a part in Pandora's act...
—"Brad!! Do you want to involve the entire city of Rasel in the destruction?!"
"What? Lord Momon! Is this thing so dangerous?"
In response to Lakyus's anxious inquiry, Momon first struck the Egg of Annihilation with all his might, then was repelled by its iron armor, staggering back.
Although most of it was for show, with Momon's attack power, it would indeed take some effort to truly destroy the fully defended Egg of Annihilation.
Gagaran also tried with his war hammer, but his hand went numb and he couldn't budge the Egg of Annihilation an inch.
"Useless! Damn it!"
"Lord Momon! What exactly is this thing?"
"—It is a terrifying existence that requires the sacrifice of tens of thousands of people to summon."
Of course, it was a lie.
But the members of Blue Rose immediately gasped and felt a mix of anger and sorrow. Gagaran let out a grinding sound with his teeth.
So it was. Brad had been looking for an opportunity to get rid of his archenemy Momon while secretly preparing this trump card!
Tens of thousands of sacrifices... Normally, it would be difficult to gather so many secretly, but recalling the recent war that destroyed the entire kingdom, it became clear. Brad must have taken advantage of the Sorcerer Kingdom's aggressive advance to secretly collect tens of thousands of commoners from the kingdom. How detestable!... Blue Rose imagined with such bitterness.
"Lord Momon! You said just now that this thing will destroy the entire city of Rasel... What do you mean?"
"Whether you allow me to verify in a somewhat offensive manner, I apologize, but have you personally witnessed the explosion of this monster?"
This question was likely equivalent to reopening old wounds for Momon, so Lakyus's tone was very cautious.
"...Yes. And not just once or twice. I have seen five cities completely destroyed by this detestable thing... in my distant homeland, a place that has long since perished."
Pandora had, of course, anticipated how to respond. She also completed the background setting for the "character" of Momon, because that way the performance would feel more genuine.
His tone was filled with sorrow and regret, and he performed as if trying to control himself but unable to do so, with emotions leaking out from between clenched teeth.
It moved the members of Blue Rose to no small extent.
(Lord Momon... I see. His country was destroyed by these two vampires... How pitiful...)
Iburiel's heart was very complicated. On one hand, she was afraid that Momon would hate her for being a vampire, and on the other hand, she felt that Momon and she had similar "experiences"... Maybe they could find some common ground. Even so, Iburiel felt that she might have found someone she could confide in.
But whether it was because of this vampire body that would cause hatred or because of the similar experiences that could lead to mutual understanding, it had to wait until they got through the current crisis!
Iburiel then mustered her fighting spirit:
"Tsk... Vampire! Are you afraid of Lord Momon that you don't have the courage for a one-on-one duel?!"
Iburiel used a provocation tactic, but she knew the chances of it working were slim to none. The opponent had already summoned a trump card, so it was unlikely to be swayed by such simple taunts.
As expected, the vampire let out a very mocking laugh.
"Ahahaha～I would love to kill my sister's enemy personally, Alinz, but watching him be destroyed helplessly, with thousands upon thousands of people being dragged into the grave along with him, isn't that exciting too, Alinz～"
"But if this thing explodes, you won't escape either, will you?"
"Oh my～What a considerate human, Alinz, but of course I have means to protect myself. You guys should try harder, although it's all in vain, hehehe～"
"Tsk! 「Crystal Knight Spear」!"
But Iburiel's magic attack dissipated into nothingness the moment it touched the Egg of Annihilation.
"Very sorry, but magic attacks are useless. It has the same magic resistance as a 「Bone Dragon」."
"Wha...!"
Physical attacks, which even Momon couldn't break through; magic attacks, with absolute resistance.
"What should we do then?"