The Dark Warrior

by Kugane Maruyama

  Khajit glanced at the foolish disciple who’d said his name. “What’s your name?”

  “Tell me something first. There’s someone besides you guys, isn’t there?”

  Khajit shot Ainz an icy stare.

  “We’re it.”

  “It’s not just you guys! You must have someone with a stabbing weapon…so you’re trying to hide him? Or is he hiding because he’s scared of us?”

  Suddenly a woman’s voice came from inside the mausoleum. “Aha, so you investigated those corpses, I seeee. Nicely done.” She slowly moved into view, jangling with each step.

  “You—”

  She heard the harshness in his voice and smiled guiltily. “Ehhh, they figured it out already. There’s no point in hiding. Plus, I can’t use Conceal Life, so I really was just hiding.”

  Even though Ainz had told them what he was after, they weren’t holding Nfirea for ransom. He was considering the possibility that he’d already been killed when the woman spoke to him.

  “So, hey, can I get your name, Mr. Guy? Oh, I’m Clementine. Nice to meet ya.”

  “…I don’t think there’s any point in you hearing it, but it’s Momon.”

  “I’ve never heard of him…have you?”

  “I dunno him, either. I collected all the info on high-ranking adventurers in this town, but there was no Momon. How’d ya even find this place? I left ya those dying words about the sewers!”

  “The answer is under your cape. Let’s see it.”

  “Whoa, pervert! You dirty lech.” Having said that much, her face twisted into a grin that sliced across her face ear to ear. “Just kidding. You mean these?”

  Clementine flipped open her cape to reveal something that looked like gleaming scale armor. But Ainz, with his superior vision, saw what it was right away. Those were not the tabs of metal used to make scale armor.

  She was wearing countless adventurer plates: platinum, gold, silver, iron, copper. There were sparkles of mythril and orichalcum among them. These were the marks of all the adventurers she had killed, her hunting trophies.

  The rubbing of metal on metal was almost like innumerable resentful voices.

  “Those told us where you were.”

  Clementine pulled a face that said she had no idea what he was talking about, but Ainz wasn’t in an explaining mood.

  “…Nabe, you take Khajit and the rest of those men. I’ll get this lady.” Then he dropped his voice and told her to keep her eye on the sky.

  “Understood.”

  Khajit’s face was something between a bitter smile and a sneer.

  Narberal shot him a chilly look that implied how bored she would be.

  “Clementine, how about we go kill each other over there?” He strolled away without even waiting for her response. He was sure she wouldn’t object, and the footsteps following leisurely after him confirmed it.

  After they’d taken some distance, an explosion of lightning flooded the area near Khajit and Narberal with a blinding glare. As if that was their cue, Ainz and Clementine stared each other down.

  “So were the adventurers I killed in that shop your friends? Are ya mad ’cause I killed your buddies?!” She continued in her mocking tone, “Ah-ha-ha-ha! That caster really cracked me up—believing to the very end that someone would come. There was no way to survive my attacks until help arrived with that flimsy physique! …But maybe you were the one who was supposed to save them? Sorry—killed ’em all!”

  Ainz shook his head in response to Clementine’s taunting laughter. “Eh, there’s not really any need to apologize.”

  “Oh? Bummer. Getting people who are all pissed, like, How could you?! to surrender is hilarious! Why aren’t you mad? That’s no fun! They weren’t your friends?”

  “…I might have done something similar under certain circumstances, so it’d be pretty hypocritical to come down on you for it.” Ainz slowly moved into a fighting stance. “However, they were tools I was using to build my reputation. They were supposed to gossip about my exploits to other adventurers when we got back to the inn—about how I’m a hero who, with just one other party member, repulsed the Wise King of the Forest. The fact that you upset my plans is extremely displeasing to me.”

  Perhaps picking something up from his tone of voice, Clementine grinned. “I see. Oh noooo, you hate meee! By the way, coming over here was a mistake. That pretty lady’s a caster, right? Then she’ll never beat Khaj. Maybe if the pairings had been reversed she’d’ve had a chance, but… Well, nah, she wouldn’t be able to beat me, either!”

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure Nabe could beat you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! A caster couldn’t win against me! I just swoop in and shoonk! That’s how it ends! Always is!”

  “Ah, so you’re a very confident warrior, then…”

  “Ya, of course. There aren’t any warriors in this country who can beat me! Well, almost none, anyway!”

  “Okay, then, I have an idea. I’ll give you a handicap. That’ll be my revenge on you.”

  Clementine narrowed her eyes; it was the first time she looked uncomfortable. “According to the intelligence gathered by the Flurry gang, there are only five people who could put up a decent fight against me: Gazef Stronoff, Gagaran from the Blue Roses, Louisenberg Arbelion from the Drops of Red, and then Brain Unglaus, and Vesture Kloff Di Laufen, who’s retired. But ya know, they don’t really have a chance—even if I did throw away the magic item my country gave me…” She looked at Ainz with her lips drawn so far back her smile was disturbing. “I dunno what kinda piece of shit ya got for a face under that helmet, but Clementine doesn’t lose! I’ve entered the hero realm!”

  Compared to Clementine’s fury, Ainz was infinitely calm. “That’s why I’m giving you a handicap. I refuse to take you seriously.”

  4

  “Twin Max Electrosphere!” Two electrospheres double their normal size appeared in the palms of Narberal’s outstretched hands. She fired them simultaneously.

  —Impact.

  The electrospheres with increased destructive power swelled to scatter their electric shocks over a huge area. The graveyard was illuminated with a dazzling white light. The magic shocks disappeared a moment later, but their destruction was absolute. Khajit’s underlings were all sprawled on the ground. In their midst stood a single shadow.

  “Argh. If only you were as easy to squash as the caterpillar you are… Did you cast Electric Energy Immunity or something?” As soon as she asked, she noticed a scorch mark on his cheek. That meant it must have been something weaker than Electric Energy Immunity, maybe Electric Energy Protection.

  Narberal was a little disappointed she hadn’t wiped them all out in one shot but comforted herself by deciding the offense was forgivable. Besides, ending it all at once would be no fun.

  “So you’re not just an idiot, you’re an idiot who can use tier-three magic!”

  “…An idiot? A human mite like you dares to call me an idiot?!” Her eyebrows twitched.

  “What’s wrong with me calling the fool interfering in my plan an idiot?! But you’re going to be dead before you can even recognize my strength for what it is! My preparations are already complete! I’ve gathered enough negative energy—behold the power of this supreme jewel!” Khajit held up the stone in his hand.

  It was a plain jewel with a gleam like black iron, neither polished nor cut. Raw ore were probably the words that came closest to describing it. Narberal thought she saw it pulse.

  Suddenly, six of the leading disciples who should have been burned to a crisp sluggishly stood up. These motions were not willed by life but ruled by death. They moved on unsteady feet to stand between Narberal and Khajit.

  Narberal looked on quizzically. “You’re making me fight zombies?”

  “Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s exactly what I’m doing. That will do! Attack!”

  Zombies were the lowest tier of undead and had no magic ability. The former leading disciples came clawing at her, but she cast a spell. “Elec
trosphere!”

  Another sphere of white light scattered shocks throughout the area, swallowing up all of the leading disciples. When the electric flash died down, the disciples collapsed to the ground once again. Although she had mopped them all up with ease, Narberal’s face was somber.

  Create Undead didn’t have the power to turn multiple corpses into undead at once. Did he use some kind of supporting skill? Her eyes flicked to the black lump in his hand. It was probably that item that allowed him to create and control multiple zombies at once.

  Wasn’t that language a bit presumptuous for such a wimpy effect? The Forty-One Supreme Beings who ruled the Great Tomb of Nazarick and created Narberal and the other NPCs were the ones worthy of the word supreme.

  Those were the unpleasant things on Narberal’s mind when Khajit shouted with joy. “That’s plenty! I’ve absorbed enough negative energy!”

  The black lump in Khajit’s hand looked like it was absorbing the darkness of the graveyard and giving off a faint glow, and it was pulsing more obviously than before, beating quietly like a heart.

  There’ll be trouble if I let him do much more, Narberal decided. Just as she was about to make her move, she heard something—something slicing through the air. Remembering her master’s words, she jumped clear.

  Something enormous buzzed the spot where she’d been standing before pulling up to hover in front of Khajit and landing slowly.

  It was an agglomeration of human bones around ten feet tall. Made up of countless pieces, the form it took on had a long neck, four legs, and wings—a dragon. Its tail, composed of innumerable bones, gave the ground a heavy whack. It was a monster called a skeletal dragon.

  Level-wise, it wasn’t so strong compared to Narberal, but it did have one trait that was potentially fatal for Nabe. For the first time in this fight, her face registered surprise and annoyance.

  “Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Khajit’s unhinged laugh echoed throughout the area. “Skeletal dragons have absolute resistance to magic! Casters are helpless against them!”

  Nabe’s magic wouldn’t be able to do anything against the skeletal dragon. In that case—

  She took out the sword her master had instructed her to carry, still in its sheath. The sword was bound to the sheath with a cord, so it wouldn’t come out so easily.

  “—I’ll clobber it to death!” She charged.

  The dragon tried to counter by stomping with its front legs, but she slipped neatly past them. Her hair waving in the gust of air created by the attack, she dove for its chest. She took a focused swing using every muscle in her body.

  The skeletal dragon may have been ten feet tall, but it went flying. A moment later the vibrations of its impact reached them with a giant thud.

  “What?!” Khajit was astounded.

  Skeletal dragons were lighter than they looked, since they were made of bone. That’s still lighter, though. Knocking it back was not the type of feat a caster who had spent their days in the pursuit of magical-type magic should be able to perform.

  Hastily moving behind the skeletal dragon for cover, Khajit screamed, “Wh-who are you?! A mythril—no, orichalcum—adventurer?! I didn’t think there were any in this city—are you after Clementine?!” He gnashed his teeth so hard it seemed like they would break.

  Narberal sighed. “It’s ’cause you get all worked up like that that you’re a click beetle!”

  “Wh-why you—” He’d used up a huge amount of negative energy and spent two months performing a huge ritual to create this skeletal dragon. Was it going to be defeated this easily? In the final stretch of his multiple-year plan?

  As Khajit’s face grew blotchy with rage, the skeletal dragon slowly creaked and squeaked its way to its feet. There were large cracks in the bones making up its chest, and broken pieces were crumbling out. He couldn’t let her hit it again.

  “No! You can’t! I won’t let you! Ray of Negative Energy!” A black beam shot out of Khajit’s hand and hit the skeletal dragon, rapidly healing the wounds with negative energy.

  “You were talking so big about its absolute resistance to magic, but you can still use magic to heal it, huh?”

  Khajit ignored her quip and cast a series of spells. “Reinforce Armor! Lesser Strength! Undead Flames! Shield Wall!” All of them were buffs for the skeletal dragon. Its bones grew harder, its strength was magically increased, and its body was enveloped in black flames that would drain life energy. Then, an invisible wall formed to cover one side of its body like a shield.

  “Two can play at that game! Reinforce Armor! Shield Wall! Negative Energy Protection!” Narberal cast a handful of defensive spells.

  Once they had both protected themselves well enough, they returned to fighting as if the bell for round two had rung.

  Narberal brandished her sword. While beating on the skeletal dragon’s front legs, she furrowed her brow. Things had gone well before, but she couldn’t call the present situation good. She wasn’t built for physical clashes, and her weapon was lousy.

  Since the dragon was made of bones, stabbing and cutting weapons didn’t do much damage. A battering weapon would’ve been the most effective, but Narberal didn’t have one. That’s why she was using her sheath. But although she was on the offensive, she wasn’t balanced well when she swung, so it didn’t seem like she was dealing damage very effectively. An actual warrior might be able to keep their balance, but Narberal was a caster—she wasn’t performing very well in that department.

  The skeletal dragon swung a front leg and missed as Narberal ducked. Part of her caught the dragon’s black flames, but Negative Energy Protection blocked them and they disappeared immediately. If she hadn’t defended herself, she would’ve probably taken damage despite dodging the attack.

  “Ray of Negative Energy!” Khajit sent a beam to heal the dragon’s wounds.

  This was another cause of Narberal’s brow furrowing. Even if she managed to hurt the monster, Khajit would just heal it from his position in the rear. Why didn’t she attack Khajit first? She couldn’t because of the skeletal dragon he’d stuck right between them.

  Even if she used a piercing spell like Lightning, the dragon’s absolute magic resistance would block it. An area-of-effect spell like Electrosphere would have almost no effect because of the defensive spells Khajit had cast. Then how about mind control? Barring resistance, it would let her win in one shot.

  “Charm Person!”

  “Undead Mind!”

  Narberal and Khajit both cast at the same time—Narberal, a spell that would charm humans on Khajit; Khajit, a defensive spell that would block psychic magic on himself. The result? Khajit flashed a triumphant smile, and Narberal frowned and practically clicked her tongue in disgust.

  Was she too distracted by Khajit’s smile? A shadow fell over her face.

  Her entire field of vision was taken up by a white mass.

  Evasion seems difficult.

  Her mind was immediately racing—she brought the point of her sheathed sword to her opposite shoulder and held the whole thing across her body like a shield. The impact sent numbing vibrations through the sword to her hands, shoulders, and whole body—which went soaring into the air. A tail attack aimed right at her face had sent her flying.

  “Hup, okay.” Balance intact, Narberal nimbly landed on her feet and retreated farther away.

  It would have been the perfect time for the skeletal dragon to follow up its attack, but it didn’t. It had to protect Khajit, so it couldn’t stray too far. Keeping an eye on the dragon, Narberal tried to shake the numbness and pain out of her trembling hands.

  Then, Khajit peeked out from behind the monster. “Acid Javelin!”

  “Lightning!”

  His green spear went flying straight at Narberal. Normally she would have been wounded by the spray of acid, but it was repelled a couple inches away from her body and disappeared. At the same time, the bolt of lightning that sprang from Narberal’s finger was nullified when the skeletal dragon moved to block it.
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br />   The two adversaries glared at each other.

  “…You cast a defensive spell? What a pain.”

  “…A pain? That’s my line, bagworm moth. Why don’t you quit hiding and come out here?”

  “Why should I have to do that?”

  “Won’t your plan go haywire if you’re tied up fighting?”

  She was right. Khajit narrowed his glare while Narberal just smiled.

  “…I see I have no choice.” Having made up his mind, Khajit squeezed the strange sphere once again. Then, he held it up high. “Behold the power of the Jewel of Death!”

  Narberal lost her balance—proof that the ground was shaking. It was a sign that something big had arrived. A moment later, the ground cracked open and something white slowly climbed out.

  “…Another one?”

  “Hmm! I’m already out of negative energy. But if I kill you and your friend and then spread death throughout town, I should be able to get quite a bit back!”

  Narberal was unfazed, but Khajit was yelling furiously. She exhaled sharply and broke into a run—a run far faster than any normal person could run. Khajit was caught off guard and didn’t have time to react.

  As Narberal entered the skeletal dragon’s range, it tried to attack her with its front legs. She twisted her body to slip past the stomps on her right, but then the other dragon’s tail came to sweep her feet out from under her.

  She jumped clear and not a second too soon. Right below her, the tail plowed noisily through the spot she’d been standing. Then, it changed directions and whipped into the air to swing down at her.

  The tail strike shook the ground, but Narberal had managed to dodge to the left, except the dragon on the right closed in to hit her with a front leg.

  “Guh!” She took the forceful hit with her sword. It was not very light, but she stopped the foot and then shoved it back. The attacking skeletal dragon retreated, creating another brief interlude in the fighting.

  “What are you?! To be able to block those attacks without using a martial art… How did you get so strong?”

  “I was created by Supreme Beings whose powers surpass even the gods!”