The members of the Department of International Magical Co-operation, led by Gringam, bade farewell to their companions and surveyed the desolate graveyard. Silence, darkness, and starlight were their only companions as they prepared to leave. As Gringam took a step towards the stairs, one of his companions spoke up.
"Leader, don't you think this is a bit of a shame? We should have let the other teams search the graveyard, no?"
"Thou art correct. Each team... well, that accursed team aside, the others possess roughly equivalent abilities. Whatsoever we are capable of, Dragon Hunt or Foresight can accomplish as well."
"In that case — "
Gringam cut off his companion, saying, "But we possess priority searching rights for the morrow, thus we shan't be losing out on aught. Besides, we ought to have concluded the surface investigation by then, and if fortune doth not favor them, the last team might find naught and might even be assigned to guard the base camp."
"I see… Say, leader, you don't need to talk in that weird way anymore. We're the only ones here now."
"Umu..."
Gringam's brows furrowed momentarily before a wry smile spread across his face. "Ahhhhh, what a pain, thou this and meanst that, it's all so stupid."
"Thanks for your hard work. Still, he's right; when it's just us, you can speak normally."
"No, I can't! Speaking stiffly and formally like that makes me sound more like a high-profile foreign minister from The Department of International Magical Co-operation. And besides, changing the way I speak here and there is a pain in the ass, so I always speak like that on the job. That's one of my principles; you know that, right?"
Gringam met his companions' bitter smiles with a wry grin of his own. A part-goblin of stocky build, he bore a "dash" of goblin's blood in his veins, which endowed him with exceptional physical and magical prowess. With these gifts, and the loyalty of his friends, he had carved a name for himself.
Yet, as a half-breed, he was not spared the prejudices that plagued others of his kind. He refrained from openly bearing his wand, despite not being subject to the Wand Ban that restricted full goblins. Instead, he wielded an axe and shield, clad in heavy armour adorned with horns, giving him the appearance of a formidable beetle.
This guise allowed the wizards of the ministry to lower their guard around him. The fact was that people laughed at him for speaking in that way. However, it was far better than letting others say, "A team led by a clueless goblin won't amount to much."
This led their team being regularly deployed to contact with other magical species and maintain cordial relations with them.
"Very well, we have tarried sufficiently. Let us be off, gentlemen." Gringam declared, and without further objections, the group proceeded down the stairs.
"We might have missed the chance to discover amazing magic items! What's wrong with betting our lives on that?" one of his companions mused.
"Thou dost have a point. However, behold this neat and tidy graveyard. 'Tis clear someone is maintaining it, which means monsters shall emerge to greet us. Is it not better to let the others observe what manner of monsters there be? Personally, I did not much fancy this task due to the multitude of uncertain factors."
After hearing Gringam grumble, his team members lightly asked: "But you still took it in the end, right?"
"Of course. That is because the other teams did accept it as well. I thought we could flee whilst they sacrificed themselves for our sake."
"That's a very pragmatic approach."
A woman's quiet voice suddenly reached their ears. The only women among the members of this expedition were the two ladies from Hekkeran's Foresight and the three Elf slaves from Eruya's Tenbu. However, the voice did not belong to any of them.
The group immediately raised their weapons, and turned back. As they looked up the stairs they had just descended, they saw a group of women in maid uniforms standing at the entrance to the mausoleum. There were five of them in total.
Each of them was unbelievably beautiful, but at the same time it also made them especially abnormal. The strange thing was that each of them was dressed in an outfit that resembled a maid's uniform, but they were different from the clothes Gringam had seen before; they gleamed with an armor-like sheen.
"Thou... who art thou? I did not see thee just now... ah, so there was a hidden passage after all."
"Women? They're beautiful enough to rival the 'Vampire Princess' of the Lost Country... they're clearly not ordinary people," one of his companions observed.
"They don't seem hostile, but... they can't possibly be people who were hired in addition to ourselves," another added.
"What should we do, leader?"
His comrades dared not be careless. They observed the girls closely as they asked him.
The best option would be to negotiate with them, but it would seem they would not be able to conclude this amicably.
"Our numbers are roughly even... so we shouldst be able to manage it, correct?"
Their opponents' strength ought to be about the same as themselves, or slightly higher.
They had not attacked while the teams were gathered together in order to get them all in one fell swoop. That implied they lacked the fighting power or traps to deal with so many people at once. At the same time, they had chosen to show up and show themselves off and initiate the conversation; that implied they were confident of defeating Gringam's group.
While his stout body hardly sweated any more, at this moment, Gringam felt the hand gripping his axe turn cold and clammy.
"Gotta say, with the shape this tomb is in... these maids have really been slacking."
In the next moment, the friend of his who had tossed off that casual joke was suddenly covered in cold sweat, his face pale and trembling. Gringam thought the temperature around him had plummeted for a moment. However, the goosebumps covering his body were no delusion.
Even with only the light of the moon to illuminate them, he could clearly see murder in the eyes of the maids lined up above him. It looked like their eyes were glowing.
"LeT's KiLL thEM."
"...Have to die."
"We can't just kill them normally. We need to make their suffering legendary."
An intense bloodlust roiled around the maids. Their anger was such that it felt like the air itself was warping.
"Alright, alright," the most senior-looking maid said with a clap of her hands. "Our master has ordered us not to let any of them return unharmed, so we were going to kill them anyway. However, I'm quite pleased to see everyone so motivated."
There was a clang, a sound of metal which seemed to come from the stairs that had been cut from a slab of stone. The sound had come from the greave-like metal high heels which the maids wore.
Shaken, Gringam and company backed off.
Given their lack of wands, their opposition ought not to be magic casters. However, given their unsurpassed beauty, they were most likely magical creatures — like Veela, or some variant thereof. In that case, allowing them to take the high ground where they can easily entrance them with their dance was not a wise strategy.
For Gringam and the others, the ideal tactic for them was to shorten the distance between themselves and the enemy as quickly as possible. The reverse would be to the maids' advantage. However, if they turned to full-blooded Veela and soared into the sky, they could just rain {Fireballs} from above, turning his team to sitting ducks.
Given how angered they were, that might just happen. The maids' blank faces were like a mask, and their movements were as regal as a sovereign as they slowly descended the stairs. Gringam and his group were at a loss for how to respond, but still, they sheltered behind their shields and discussed what to do and what tactics to use.
Clang!
A particularly strident sound rang through the air. The maids had stopped halfway down the steps.
"Alright, let's start with a self-introduction. I... forgive me... this one is the assistant leader of the Seven Sisters (Pleiades), Yuri Alpha. While we will not be together for long, it was a pleasure to meet you. Now then, back to the main topic, while wiping you out directly would be faster, we cannot make a move ourselves for certain reasons. What a shame."
The wind carried adorable, bell-like laughter over to them. The smiles of these stunningly beautiful maidens overflowed with a charm that instantly seized the hearts of anyone who looked upon them.
The best option might be to run, and let the mercenaries — especially Momon — join the fight.
"Then, allow me to introduce your opponents."
Yuri clapped, and the graveyard trembled, as though in response to the echoing sound.
"Come forth, Nazarick Old Guarders."
"What?" Gringam exclaimed in shock.
The earth behind him split open and several Skeletons showed themselves.
A pincer attack? No...
Looking up, he saw that the maids were still hostile, but they had no desire to fight. Perhaps they were in a spectator mode. While they could not be careless, it seemed to be as the maids had just said; they did not wish to attack right away.
Gringam came to the conclusion that the only enemies in their way were the Skeletons behind them, and so he began assessing the new batch of enemies.
Skeletons were hardly powerful opponents. Given the strength of Gringam and his group, they could take on a few hundred of them with no problems. That being the case, the Skeletons that had emerged from the earth — eight of them in total — were no match for them whatsoever.
However, there was a problem. Gringam's companions gulped in unison and unconsciously backed up one step. These Skeletons felt different from regular Skeletons, and their equipment was different too.
They were dressed in grand breastplates, like the sort a country's royal guard would use. Their shields were emblazoned with a Gryphon motif, and they wielded all manner of weapons, in addition to composite longbows on their backs. All this equipment radiated a mystical glow. Yet, the magic emanating from it felt… different. Skeletons outfitted with otherworldly magical gear could not be ordinary.
"What be those?"
"You don't know either, leader? I'm not too sure... but I think they might be an advance form of Charmed Skeleton."
"An advanced form, eh? They dost not resemble Inferi either..."
Opponents one had never encountered before were always unsettling, especially foes outfitted with otherworldly magic items that possessed unknown effects.
"—These numbers should be enough to deal with you gentlemen. Please do your best and show us how far you can run."
"So I messed up the plan and now we're the canaries instead... ah, what a pain. Very well, dost thou think that is all of them?"
"Given how well those undead are equipped, I can't imagine there could be more of them."
"This is a route which invaders would have to pass through, so stationing their best troops here would be the best tactic. That being the case, these Skeletons should be all of them. And since the opposition should have better intelligence than us, they probably aren't dumb enough to split their forces."
"...No, I think there ought to be a few more in the ruins. However the ones left are probably lower-grade undead."
"Leader... we should flee. This is bad. It's very bad."
"We art already surrounded, there's no escape for us! We dost not even have our brooms to fly away. Even if we attempt to flee, they'll shoot us down with bows! Hold fast, lads! Our only path to survival is by defeating them!"
The response to Gringam's shout was a resigned yet surprised voice.
"Well, that's also a valid means of breaking through. We'll cheer for you, so let's begin."
And with that, the Nazarick Old Guarders stepped forward.
X
Yuri and the others had troubled looks on their faces as they kept "cheering" them on. They had been hard-pressed to hide their consternation since the beginning. To think they were actually so...
"Ahhh, this is bad ~su."
"...Did not think it would be like this."
"Cocytus-sama will be shocked."
"If this keeps up It'll end without anything to show for it."
Yuri and the others watched a raised hammer swing down.
"Oh, that looks very bad, he'll die ~su."
Just as Lupusregina muttered to herself, the man in question took a blow to the chest and crumpled to the ground. The sound of metal scraping and a heavy object collapsing somehow managed to fill the air despite the intense battle.
The first casualty was a human warrior, but the Nazarick Old Guarder holding an electrically charged hammer did not seem particularly excited about it, instead looking for another target.
The Nazarick Old Guarders held the upper hand throughout the battle with Gringam's team. At this point, this one-sided battle could be described as futile resistance. Even Yuri and the others could not help but pity them.
At first, they had even laughed and said, "Weren't you very confident in yourselves before the battle started?" but then they had lost all interest and started yawning, and now they were even rooting for Gringam and the others.
"Uwah, the difference in their strength is so great I can't think of anything to say."
"...No trump cards?"
"Leader, what should we do?" One of Gringam's teammates asked.
"Looks like we must needs use that!"
"Are you sure?"
"OOOOOOOAAAAHHHHHHH!" Gringam's response was a thunderous roar.
The air crackled with ancient, corrupted magic as Gringam stepped forward in his new crimson-clad form. His once steel-colored full plate armour now looked as if forged from the darkest metals, gleamed ominously in the moonlight. The large horn protruding from his helmet grew even larger, flames writhing against it. The faceplate bore the likeness of a snarling beast — a creature born of rage and fire. The eyes of which glowed with an unsettling red hue. It was as if the very essence of fire resided within, watching the world with an unblinking, malevolent gaze.
The chestplate, broad and imposing, fit snugly over his powerful frame. It was adorned with ancient goblin runes, pulsing faintly, each symbol meticulously etched into the dark metal. His shoulder guards were large and spiked, jutting out like the fearsome horns of a demon. A dark, tattered cloak hung from his shoulders, its edges frayed and worn. The fabric seemed almost alive, shifting and shimmering with an otherworldly energy.
His gauntlets were more than mere armour; they were conduits for his power. When Gringam clenched his fists, flames licked along the edges, leaving scorch marks on the ground. With these gauntlets, he could shatter stone, deflect arrows, and channel the very essence of fire into devastating blows.
Gringam held many secrets, but the greatest of them all was that he was a descendant of Ranrok, who led the goblin rebellion of the 1890s. This was known only to his teammates, whom he trusted wholeheartedly. Just as Ranrok sought to retrieve Bragbor's last journal, he wrote his own journal with his own insights on ancient magic in case he failed.
That journal eventually came in Gringam's hand, who used it to become stronger. But unlike what Ranrok expected, his heir didn't seek to overturn the world. Gringam used his strength to get a position in the ministry. Since his mind was not as capable as his body, he used his strength to get a job in the The Department of International Magical Co-operation.
Gringam raised his gauntleted hand, and the air shimmered around it. His voice echoed — a blend of forgotten tongues and celestial whispers. His fingers traced sigils in the air, each stroke leaving a trail of ethereal light. The graveyard pulsed with energy, as his comrades held their breath.
Then it happened — his form blurred, his aura merging with the ambient magic. Suddenly, crimson tendrils erupted from Gringam's core, spiralling outward. They wrapped around his teammates' armour, infusing them with raw power. Their eyes flared brighter as their armour crackled with energy.
His purpose became clear: to empower his allies, those friends he held so dear. They gathered around their leader, weapons raised. Their blades glinted with malevolence, and their spells crackled like lightning. Gringam's crimson aura enveloped them. Their eyes widened, pupils dilating. With their newfound strength, their blows would strike harder, their hexes more potent. Their Leader had bestowed upon them a dark gift, binding their fates to his own.
Gringam's eyes blazed crimson. He crouched, muscles coiled, and with a primal roar, he leaped skyward. The air quivered as he defied gravity, axe raised high. With his descent, Gringam's axe swung — a celestial pendulum. But this was no mere physical strike; The goblin channelled ancient magic, a blast that defied distance. The necropolis trembled as the ground absorbed its power. The Skeleton Guarders who took the brunt were sent flying, no shield thwarted his charge.
Seeing the battle quickly turned in Heavy Masher's favour, the Pleiades battle maids who had lost all interest earlier, quickly cheered up in excitement.
"Ahhh, this is great ~su."
"...Ancient Magic."
"Ainz-sama must have expected it."
"If this keeps up, we might have to step forward."
Yuri and the others watched as Gringam took down a Nazarick Old Guarder.
"The thief's firepower is good. I wonder if this is their trump card?"
The thief, fighting to protect the arcane magic caster, now dashed forward with unnatural speed. The corrupted ancient magic flaring from his blade pierced through the shields of his foes — the undead Nazarick Old Guarders. Those who could not be slain in one hit fell to the comet of death. His blade sliced through defenses, unyielding and unblockable.
The Heavy Masher's warrior who had fallen earlier rose up, brandishing his weapon — now a gnarled blade etched with ancient runes. With a primal roar, the warrior charged forward. His blade striking true, cleaving through resistance. Sparks danced along its edge, and the dark aura surged.
"I like how they look now ~su"
"Want to wave to him?"
"I guess waving to him wouldn't hurt."
"Okay ~su"
Lupusregina smiled sweetly and waved to the man.
"...He didn't respond."
"Are you trying to distract him?"
"Ueeehhhh~ Sorry ~su"
"...Mm, they lost their minds. But we can cheer for them... Yay."
"Yes, I do hope they can hang in there a little longer."
The maids nodded at Yuri's words.
Far behind, the ranger emerged — a sentinel of precision and ranged prowess. His crossbow, etched with runes, pulsed with raw energy, spitting flames — an infernal volley.
Beside him the arcane magic caster whispered in ancient tongue. A beacon of crimson surged as ancient corrupted monsters emerged from the searing inferno.
"Uwah, ancient magic is so great I can't think of anything to say."
"I have not seen that summoning spell before."
"Fourth tier?"
"No, that's too weak for a secret weapon. Although, using a summoned monster as a meatshield is a pretty good idea."
"Indeed. As long as they keep attacks from connecting, they might be able to reorganize."
"However, they are just fighting aimlessly. Do they not have a strategy?"
"I don't know… Maybe it's due to ancient magic…"
Despite their unyielding prowess, the members of the Heavy Mashers had lost the will of their own. Now, on course to carve out a path of blood and destruction, they fought endlessly.
In the end, all the Nazarick Old Guarders were destroyed. Finally, Gringam's team moved towards the Pleiades standing atop the flight of stairs. Eyes glowing like twin embers, their purpose was clearer than ever.
Losing their sanity wasn't the only reason for this wanton destruction. Whenever Gringam used this last card, Heavy Masher had to ensure that no evidence of its existence was left behind.
All the witnesses had to be taken care of, either via {Obliviate} or… eternal rest. No one could know the existence of Ancient magic or their connection with Ranrok.
Gringam again shot forth in his
Bones cracked, and the ground trembled as the impact reverberated through the battlefield. Gringam was sent flying from whence he came.
The Thief reached next, relying on his
Was it due to experience that he chose to strike Solution Epsilon, the only assassin among the sisters, to stop her from reaching Heavy Masher's backline?
As he pierced through her heart, he couldn't help but Jeer at such an easy prey. He looked into her eyes hoping to see her shock and misery. But what he saw was that Solution's beautiful face did not change even under this circumstance.
'Has she not even realized her situation?' he thought for a moment, only to realize that this was not the case. The Thief's dagger had literally sunk into Solution's body along with his hand.
"What... what the hell is this?!"
The Thief screamed in surprise and tried to pull his hand back, but he could not budge it. Not only did it not move back, it was sucked further in. It seemed as though there were many writhing tentacles inside Solution which had latched onto the Thief's hand and were drawing him in.
With a swift motion, she twisted her body, and the Thief's arm was wrenched painfully. He cried out in agony as Solution's form shifted, her body becoming more fluid and amorphous as she enveloped him. And so, the Heavy Masher's Thief was swallowed whole, as though he were a python's prey.
The Warrior appeared next, using the spell {Apparate}, he emerged right in front of the supposed mage, Narberal Gamma. In a flourish of unchained wrath, he swung his blazing sword directly at her neck.
"filthy maggot." [Lightning Shield]
In a splendour of arcane magic, a barrier of lightning covered Narberal's form. The moment the warrior's blade touched it, a jolt of electric current assaulted his body.
Narberal pointed a finger at him. [Lightning Blast] A burst of thunder flung the warrior away.
Meanwhile, the Heavy Masher's wizard summoned demonic creatures. As the corrupted beasts charged, the little maid in a yukata-like uniform threw out a few talismans from her right hand.
"[Shikigumo Talismans]!"
The talismans landed on the ground and instantly transformed into huge spiders, quickly taking down the abhorrent beings.
Entoma didn't stop there as she swiftly cast out more talismans with her left hand.
"[Thunderbird Flurry Talisman]."
"[Explosive Talisman]."
They transformed into birds of lightning and went straight for the Heavy Masher's magic caster.
Before the stink of fresh blood accompanied a cry of pain vanished, a loud explosion resounded the graveyard.
"Smells tasty..." Entoma touched her chin. Her fingers made contact with a clear, sticky fluid.
"You can't do that," Yuri chided Entoma.
Their master had issued an order to recover everyone who was incapacitated, whether they were alive or dead. Naturally, they could not present an insect-chewed body to their master. It would be terribly rude.
"We'll just heal them before presenting ~su."
"Kiiiiiyeeeeeart!" Entoma charged forth, her attack accompanied by a shrill cry that sounded like two pieces of foam rubbing against each other.
The two of them shuddered, exposed as they were before Entoma's hungry gaze. They were not afraid of the killing intent she emitted, but this was a trembling born of the revulsion any living being had when a carnivore set its sights on them.
The other wizard, in desperation, quickly chanted a powerful ancient spell from the newfound forbidden knowledge but was suddenly halted when a [Magic Sealing Shot] struck his wand-wielding hand.
"Target Neutralized"
The spell fizzled out as the magic was disrupted, the chant shattered along with any remaining hope.
The archer, despite seeing all this, continued to fight. For, he didn't even had the time to lament his fate as Lupusregina toyed with him.
"Hello ~su. I came to play with you ~su. Can I bother you for a bit?"
The archer didn't hesitate as he unleashed a crimson bolt at her. But the moment the arrow was about to pierce her, she vanished.
[Complete Invisibility]
The next moment, she appeared right behind him and whispered, "Oh my~ You're so feisty ~su."
Every hair on the archer's body stood on end as he lunged forward, quickly creating distance between him and his beautiful adversary.
He released a
"Ahahaha! This is wonderful! What game is this ~su?"
Arrows streaked like comets, each imbued with corrupted Ancient Magic. Yet not a single one touched so much as a hem of her skirt.
"Ahh, this is fun! This is the best! I love it!"
Lupusregina's mocking laughter mirrored what the Archer was thinking.
'There was only one way to survive. He had to defeat his enemies.'
"There's fewer people now, so playtime's been shortened too... well, that can't be helped ~su. On my part, I'm going to have all kinds of fun ~su. I might not have the abilities Sol-chan has, but I can show you a trick or two ~su~"
…Lupusregina walked toward the archer, who had now lost his arm along with the crossbow. It was as though she was taking a walk through a field. The smile which split her beautiful face like a fissure chilled his heart with fear.
And so, Heavy Masher from The Department of International Magical Co-operation vanished that night.