Chapter 74: Fight or Die
Ainz took that better than I had expected, I mused as I teleported into the Holy Queen's bedroom inside the palace. No one was around yet, though I didn't want to waste too much time and waved my hand, causing Kelart to appear in front of me. My eyebrows rose as I looked at her raised robe while kneeling slightly.
The teleportation was so smooth that she didn't even realize she wasn't where she was just a moment ago. It was only when her pee hit the carpet that she noticed something wrong. Her eyes opened in confusion before widening as she looked up at me. "Go ahead, let it flow," I said as I created a portal between her legs.
Chaos magic flowed, tearing apart space and time to let a woman pee. If other practitioners of this otherworldly, all-powerful magic knew what I used it for they probably would want to strangle me. Fortunately, no one else was going to witness this.
It appeared that she had held it in for a while already and just let it go after seeing that she wouldn't mess up the place. This woman certainly was shameless. Of course, I could have cleaned the place afterward, but I didn't need to have pee splash against my legs. I leaned on my arms as I sat back on the bed's edge, watching her shudder and bite her lips.
Several seconds passed as the golden water turned into a drizzle and she dried herself with a napkin. I pointed my finger at her and cleansed her body, the air, and the small patch on the carpet with Chaos magic. The portal disappeared and Kelart didn't waste a second to kneel down. "My women don't need to kneel in front of me..., at least if you kneel because you want to show respect. Kneeling itself is something you can do lots of."
"Yes, my Lord. Whenever you feel like it and whatever position you want me in, I'm ready." I couldn't help but smile at her proclamation. She certainly knew how to submit to someone.
"Come here." I urged her to the bed with a curl of a finger. Her reaction was fast. It didn't even take a blink until she stood up and took a step toward me. She gently placed her hands on my knees.
Her robes couldn't hide the sway of her heavy breasts. Her face wore a perpetual smirk and her half-lidded eyes were brimming with desire. I had already given her a taste of an entire day filled with coma-inducing orgasms. Her being addicted and seeking it almost above anything else was almost a given. Okay, I was exaggerating as I had held back quite a lot of my natural gifts during that session- well for the two humans I held back.
Fubuki and Albedo got it almost in full, which was why they had passed out several times as well. Although I wouldn't mind giving Kelart another taste, I was a bit on a timer, now that I was fearing Yggdrasil's arrival. My hands wrapped around her waist before pulling her on my lap.
"So, I heard from Calca that there is an ambassador from the Baharuth Empire..." I started to which she nodded as she tried to focus on my words, though not with much success as her eyes were more drawn to how my lips looked like when I talked. "... well, who is she and what does she want." I didn't say that I would fuck her if she was decently looking, but I didn't need to inform her, right?
"I- eh, she-" I snapped my fingers in front of her face causing her to come out of her trance-like status. I retracted all of my divine energy and all of my passives were deactivated. Only then was she able to clear her mind enough to realize her actions.
She licked her lips as she looked into my eyes. Her hands rested on my chest, subtly feeling it up for a moment as saw the reflection of my golden eyes inside hers. "Concentrate." I reprimanded, causing her to shudder, though it was unclear whether it was because it excited her or because it made her feel bad. If the feeling was unclear then it usually meant it was both and since it's leaning towards excitement, it was clear that she had some masochistic tendencies.
Obviously, I had already noticed that when she willingly let herself be walked like a dog. Calca on the other hand didn't enjoy it as much, but the funny thing about being as powerful and addicting as I was, I could reshape her into liking it no matter how naturally adverse she would be otherwise.
"Sorry, da- Azazel. She isn't the ambassador but acts as the guard. Her name is Leinas Rockbruise and she belongs to the Four Imperial Knights, the personal bodyguard of the emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix. Although she isn't the ambassador, her influence could be said to be greater. She is currently seeking an audience with you and seems like she isn't going to leave before having spoken to you. The ambassador from the Empire had already returned with the rest of his group."
"Hmm." I hummed slightly as my hands wandered to her hips. I remembered the knight since she had been mentioned to have a disgusting-looking face. Half of her face had been cursed, which made me curious enough to search for it. Besides some fan art there wasn't much to be seen, but knowing that it was supposed to secreting pus made me drop it after finding nothing official for a few minutes.
"She wants to talk about a possible cure for the curse that affects one side of her face..." Kelart continued to explain Leinas' situation, and while I listened, I simultaneously thought about how to go about her situation. Leinas had been a young beautiful woman, who gained some fame due to her prowess and ability to hunt monsters.
After an unfortunate accident on one of her monster hunts, she got cursed with this condition and had to live with it ever since. It had been a few years already since her fiance abandoned her and she had been disowned by her family. With basically nothing but her combat capabilities to her name, she attracted the emperor's attention, who she ended up joining as he could give her the resources and the means to search for a cure.
This young woman had put most of her efforts into searching for any lead of a cure be it healers, herbs, potions, or items. With the help of the emperor, she had gained a wider net and more possibilities to search for a possible cure even beyond the borders of the empire. It was also the reason for her loyalty. As long as the emperor helped her to find a cure, she would remain loyal to him, which was also the knack to crack her.
"Alright, let's go see her then," I said while tapping Kelart's lower back, making her stand up reluctantly. She then followed me, while I headed towards the waiting knight. It had already been a few days and while the ambassador was anxious to return to bring the news of my absence to the emperor, the knight was desperate enough to decline returning before getting what she came for.
Obviously, I would give her what she wanted in exchange for a tiny reward in the form of her undying loyalty. I was just hashing out the details on how to condition her and keep her loyal after restoring her beauty. It was probably best to cure her only temporarily, needing reapplying to keep her beautiful face intact.
Once she had her face back and tasted her uncursed form, she probably wouldn't be able to return to it. Like an addict coming back for her next shot, she would be hooked. With these thoughts, I entered the guest room.
The other woman initially had a cold look as I entered the room, clearly dissatisfied with having been made to wait for this long, but the moment she registered who exactly entered Leinas Rockbruise's eyes widened in surprise. This surprise swiftly morphed into a hopeful expression as she abruptly stood up, taking a few steps before directly kneeling in front of me.
Sheesh, this was the first time she saw me and she was already on her knees. This got to be a new record.
"At ease," I called out as if she was my soldier, though the effect was apparent. Her form relaxed slightly as she looked up at me. Her eyes glued on my face as if to burn the image of her savior into her mind while at the same time already begging to be released of that curse that plagued her without saying it. "Sit." I pointed at the couch she had been sitting on before I came in.
Her body instantly moved, clearly fearing that with any delay of my orders, she would be denied her cure. Her body moved quickly thanks to her superior physical capabilities and her desperation to please. It was rather strange to think about as she was already sure that I would be able to cure her condition, not to mention that she was able to recognize me at first glance. I had already retracted all of my supernatural aura, so there was no way she would have felt my powers.
The only explanation as to why she recognized me was that she had investigated my looks and by extension everything else. It was to be expected, I supposed. She was a desperate woman searching for a cure for years, so she ought to have come across numerous charlatans and healers, who had claimed to be able to relieve her curse.
Of course, every visit and attempt had evidently ended up in failure, but she had preserved until now. Her hopes hadn't died as she clung to it with desperation as if her very life depended on it and I guessed it kind of did. The only reason she could live a decent life now was surely because of her strength which would make any person with half a brain and a basic survival instinct think twice of insulting her.
Her position as the personal guard of the Bloody Emperor coupled with her efforts to hide her cursed side must have helped to raise her living standard. Without one of those, her living conditions would have sucked and without either, she might have been killed in order to prevent anyone else from being affected by her curse or at least that was what I expected from this fantasy medieval world.
I looked over my shoulder, glancing at Kelart, who closed the door behind her, and then at Calca, who had walked in just a moment ago. I gave the queen a nod, getting a beaming smile in return. Afterward, the two settled to the side like they were maids waiting for their orders.
After looking back at Leinas, I realized that only now she acknowledged the other women and the only reason she did was because I had glanced at them. I was sure if I hadn't glanced at them, she would have either willingly ignored them or not realized that they were there as well.
"I heard you are looking for a cure for your little ailment." I casually stated as I sat on the couch across from her. Belittling her condition might have come across as indifferent, but it carried two meanings, it was downplaying the curse itself and how much it actually affects her.
I knew she was used to the comments that shamed and insulted her, so she subconsciously ignored the latter meaning. Besides she sought me out with the expectations of a possible cure, me dismissing the curse that plagued her entire life would surely increase her hope and expectations.
Of course, that wasn't enough to be convincing, so I leaked my divine aura as I spoke, enveloping the entire room with it. The breathing of the present humans stopped for a moment before I retracted it again.
"Yes, my lord. I have come all this way in the hopes that you can cure me of this wretched curse." She begged with relief and hope filling her eyes as if the information she had gathered was confirmed. It seemed that the last doubt had been suppressed and her hope was at an all-time high.
Well, who could blame her? A divine being, whose power was enough to affect the sky for the entire continent to see, indirectly admitted that solving her issue would be a matter of fact.
"You must know that I'm currently waging a war against an ancient devil, who would lay waste to the entire planet if I let him be and you have called me for this?" I calmly asked and I could see the color in her face drain with every word I said. After all, she was this close to achieving her long-sought goal, she couldn't mess it up now.
"To be honest, I had thought this was a trap from Jaldaboath to lure me out and so I came here prepared." I glanced around the room before standing up to walk to the window, looking out of it as if to admire the sight. "Yet here we are. I prepared for nothing as no demon waiting in ambush. Tell me why should I lift this curse of yours?" I asked as I turned my back to the window to gaze at her.
It was midday, so the sun shone through, which left my face a shade darker than usual, and with my divine energy leaking out, Leinas felt the brunt of my aura. Her mouth dried and her breath grew labored, her hands were sweaty as they clenched them into fists while her entire body stiffened.
"Are you sure you want to keep silent? Perhaps you are trying to waste my time because of some deal with Jaldaboath?" I mused aloud, causing her visible eye to widen.
"I-I can give you everything you want. Everything." She said as she started to loosen her armor to undress. My eyes lingered on her unsure expression morphing into determination before my gaze flickered toward the spear that she usually wielded. With that short glance, an idea instantly formed inside my mind as I scrapped my initial plans.
"Stop," I commanded and her body froze before she could lay her torso bare. "Is that all you have to offer? Were you really that confident in your body?" My gaze inspected her body and given her status as one of the strongest humans alive, it certainly was top-notch. From what I could see, she also had ample bosom and a beautiful face- at least the half that I could see.
My reaction seemed to be out of expectation as she looked at me with a puzzled look, making me realize something. "Did you really think your body would be all I desire? All you needed to do was sleep with me and I would cure you?" Of course, I would have cured and fucked her, also in that order, but honestly, that wasn't something I needed right now.
Besides, a human that almost reached the limit of her potential wasn't something I could use as I had an entire world for my picking. No one would refuse and even if they did initially, I would only need to crank up my natural appeal so their opinions would quickly change. Perhaps, it would take a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks, but I was confident to bring anyone to fall with my 'charm'.
No, I didn't need her and my desire wasn't the same as the others I had now turned into my harem. I knew Neia and Enri more than I did Leinas. This knight wasn't something at the forefront of my mind when I thought about any human in the Overlord series. She wasn't even in my top five. Despite her strength at the top of the New World's human race, she was irrelevant.
"B-but I went to your church. I heard the preachings. Y-you are an angel of lust that's why-"
"That's why I want you?" I chuckled slightly. With the way her face paled and the tension rising in Kelart and Calca, I couldn't help but wonder if it would have been more appropriate if I had been reborn inside the body of a demon instead. Though perhaps my good alignment made the malice heavier hitting than otherwise. I really wondered how I looked in their eyes right now.
...
Terrifying. This thought dominated her mind. This good-looking angel who had been praised by anyone she asked as kindness incarnate was gazing at her, judging her. He just stood there menacingly, chuckling slightly at her hubris. If she had only paused for a moment in her desperate pursuit of a cure and thought about the angel's situation, she wouldn't have done it so rashly, to demand seeing him was the height of arrogance.
Her words of not leaving until she had met him haunted her. At this moment, she wanted to just get away from this entity, whose sliver of power could paralyze her with its sheer might. Of course, there was no going back. She had to push it through even if it was the last thing she did. It was ironic how terrified she was by this benevolent angel.
"You know that I am an angel of lust, right?" He asked rhetorically. "It is indeed true, and oh how I lust." He said with a smile, but unlike before it didn't bring her any warmth. "However, tell me what you think being an angel entails. Besides our benevolence or kindness that most of you mortals witness from us, what lies at our core?" He asked and at this moment, so overcome with fear she came up blank.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to expect her to answer "What do we do to the reprehensible criminals? What do we do with the sadistic man-eating monsters and beasts? What do we do with the malevolent demons of the world?" He asked as his right hand grasped the air only for the golden light to suddenly form into a spear.
"We slaughter them, each and every one of them." The steel in his voice roused memories of the monster hunts, she had been part of. The blood in the air as her body was filled with adrenaline, ready to confront the evil that lurked in some cave. "We angels are Warriors. Soldiers. Equipped for battle and war to spread our justice. Let's see if you are worthy to be saved." With a flick of his hand, they disappeared into a clearing of a random forest.
In bewilderment, she looked around, taking in the sudden change in environment. Her experience allowed her to quickly take in everything that might be important for any situation that she might find herself in. A shallow creek flowed through the clearing not far from their position. Stones and boulders of different sizes littered the ground and even obscured some of their vision.
The ground was slightly wet, suggesting that the creek might turn into a full-blown river when the weather changed. Perhaps, they were near the coast where the tide would increase the water throughput of this creek?
"You have two options." The angel started in a low voice, making her snap her attention towards him. He stood there, slightly elevated on top of a boulder, looking down on her. Somehow he had already changed to a resplendent full-plate armor befitting for the divine. With the spear in his hand and the red robe swaying gently in the slow wind, his presence was overwhelming. His overbearing presence made him stand out in this idyllic clearing, yet at the same time, he seemed to blend in as if he forced nature to accommodate him.
"You will either die by my spear without anyone able to find your corpse or prove yourself worthy and get a chance on a cure for your curse." As his words finished he pointed his spear at her, only for her spear to appear at her side, suspended in the air and waiting for her to grasp it.
She couldn't help but gulp at the thought of taking up arms against such a being, but this wasn't the first time she faced powerful opponents. Her hands took hold of the floating spear with barely any hesitation. Grasping it seemed to dispel whatever spell it caused it to float as the weight of the spear turned into a familiar sensation.
"At least, she has courage." He stated though she wasn't sure if he meant those words. A deep breath filled her lungs with air as her mind blocked everything out. It was like the entire world turned dark with only the angel keeping it at bay. A golden glowing target in this world of darkness. Of course, it was but an illusion caused by her martial arts.
[Possiblity Sense]
Whatever chance of victory could be glimpsed through her eyes was highlighted while everything else faded away. Unfortunately for her, no path to victory appeared. The martial arts deactivated, giving her nothing. She gritted her teeth. If there was no path then she would make one!
[Ability Boost] [Flow Acceleration]
"So? What's your decision? To die or to fight?" It wasn't much of a choice, a distant thought echoed in her mind, but she too tuned that out since her decision had already been made. She made it clear with her actions.
Without thinking further, she pushed off the ground.
[Pathfinder] A safe path across the stony ground appeared, highlighting individual stones that would carry her weight. Another breath as her entire body flew across the ground.
Energy filled every part of her body causing an unprecedented strength to aid her movements. Unknowingly activating the martial arts [Limit Breaker] and [Greater Ability Boost]. Her feet crushed the stone underneath as she used it to leap towards the angel who stood atop a boulder, looking at her calmly and unwavering.
Her arm with the spear pulled back midair. Then with all her might, her body rotated as her arm thrust forward.
[Thundering Charge Thrust]
Her entire body creaked and strained underneath the power that accumulated. The strike was lightning-fast. From the outside, only a light streak would be seen.
It was the most perfect strike she had unleashed in all her life. She could feel the power, the timing, the distance. It was perfect. The best attack she could have mustered. It was like every practice and every battle had brought her to this moment. She believed that no one would be able to resist it, not even the angel before her.
Her spear's tip closed in on Azazel and just as her confidence was at an all-time high, he finally moved. It was like someone had stopped time with the speed he moved compared to her strike. He leisurely picked up his spear and hammered it onto hers, deflecting it into the boulder he was standing on.
The boulder instantly shattered, exploding into thousands of fragments that shot out in a fan shape. Other stones behind it exploded as well as they were hit by the debris. This was how she got her epithet 'Heavy Explosion'. Every strike of hers was devastating like an explosion and this one had been the greatest display of her might. However, there was no pride in the destruction she created.
She could only look in shock at her spear stuck into the stone dust and the dirt underneath it. A voice from the side brought her out of her daze. "Was this all?" The angel asked surprised by the fact that she was too stunned to move. She gritted her teeth, keeping the martial arts active while ignoring the protest of her body.
[Rapid Gale Barrage]
Leinas executed a series of rapid thrusts and the wind around it seemed to aid her spear. The attacks were rapid, forming afterimages of her spear. It was an attack too fast to block or dodge once she was in range. At least that was usually the case.
The angel's movements were fluid as he deflected her strikes to the side or the ground. The stones around them shattered with a touch and the creek's flow was disturbed as holes formed in it. This lasted for another 3 seconds before her arm, her legs, and her core protested, aching as if they were about to rip apart.
The moment she lost grasp of the martial arts, a spear turned into a streak of light. Her eyes widened as something rocked her body. There was no pain and for a moment she just stared at the angel's outstretched hand, a spear still in his grasp.
She gulped as she hesitantly looked down her body only to find a spear pierced through her torso. The armor didn't even put up a fight, pierced as if it had been armor made out of paper.
So, this was how she was going to die? She wanted to chuckle but only choked on the blood that she coughed up.
"You fought bravely." The angel praised in a surprisingly gentle tone. From the moment, she had met him this was the first time that he sounded the way she had previously imagined. "Rest your eyes. I will take care of you." He soothed her but only a question raced through her mind. Was he truly an angel of lust?
At this moment, as he gently coaxed her into slumber, her armor stained with blood from a wound inflicted by his spear, it seemed more appropriate to perceive him as the angel of death arriving to claim her soul.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone