When an Alchemist Fights a Vampire
[Citrinitas's POV]
After culling half the members of the Black Scripture, I stayed hidden using [Perfect Unknowable] to watch them leave the premises without detecting me. I didn't have to wait long. They gathered the dead bodies along with their weak and uninteresting artefacts and retreated to the Theocracy.
After the group left. I came out of the shadows as the spell neared its duration limit. I put away the glorious World Item I held in my hand in my inventory. Before leaving, I took one last look towards Shalltear, who witnessed the ordeal with dull and lifeless eyes.
I don't know how to explain it in words. However, a part of me didn't want to leave her in such a state. 'That must be the NPC side of me caring for the denizens of Nazarick.' I concluded. I could have left the premise and told Ainz about Shalltear's brainwashed state tomorrow. But, I didn't. I kept on looking at the still vampire.
'Should I … try and fight Shalltear?' I thought. The idea just popped into my head from nowhere. Of course, there was no need for me to fight her. Fighting Shalltear, an NPC designed to kill with my alchemic build is frankly, quite stupid. However, if I were a real NPC, it would make some sense if I tested the parameters of my colleague's brainwashed state or tried to snap her out of it entirely.
Testing the magic I've learnt wouldn't be a bad idea either. It would be helpful to experience a real fight so I get used to combat and witness my limits. The idea was quite tempting. 'Once Shalltear detects any attack thrown her way, she'll aim straight for my head.'
I tapped my foot on the ground, thinking about what to do next. 'There are no downsides to fighting her. Except maybe dying. Dying is bad. But, I could always escape the area before anything becomes too dangerous. I could give it a shot. Besides, I'm quite excited to test out new magic.'
However, there is the small issue of Platinum Dragon Lord fighting Shalltear just before she fights Ainz tomorrow. I'm not too sure if my battle affects his battle. Though in canon, the Dragon Lord attacks her once and runs away. He'd most likely do the same in this timeline.
'Screw it. I'll have a quick fight with Shalltear and test out my magic. I do have the perfect test dummy right here. Besides, I do need a cover story to tell the other floor guardians. It wouldn't really make sense for me to not try and measure her brainwashed state.' I concluded.
(A/N: I just wanted to try and write a fight scene xD. Give me your thoughts after reading!)
Deciding to have a quick skirmish and test out my skills, I prepared myself for the battle. Just like Ainz did in the show, I started to cast buffing spells to increase my odds of survival. This was very important because my build wasn't min-maxed for PvP. It was built for alchemy.
That doesn't mean I have no strong or alternative way of attacking others. Maybe I don't compare to Sebas, Shalltear, Cocytus or my 'sister' Albedo in combat. But, I do have the upper hand when it comes to fighting with poison-related magic and powerful debuffs.
I'm not going to be like Ainz in the show and destroy a huge portion of the forest. I'm not equipped enough for a fight on that level. I'm just going in with the gear I have at hand. Taking into account all the variables, I'd probably be able to hold out for a couple of minutes before things get too dangerous or out of control.
"[Body of Effulgent Beryl]. [Body of Effulgent Aquamarine]. [False Data: Life]. [False Data: Mana]. [Blessing of Aristotle]. [Veil of Mystery]. [Quick March]. [Haste]. [Greater Hardening]. [Penetrate Up]. [Unholy Aura]. [Alchemic Veins]." I cast a few of the more useful buffing spells in my arsenal along with a few more just to be safe.
I then took out a few potions from my inventory that increase certain stats and damage along with casting other trap related spells in the area. 'That should be fine for now. Besides, It's not like I want to kill Shalltear. That's too much for me to handle. At least for now. I'll leave Ainz to deal with the mess. I just want to test out some magic while I have the perfect test dummy.' I thought.
"Let's hope that this works." I said to myself before casting a powerful magic spell onto Shalltear. I raised my hand into the air before chanting the incantation. "[Triplet Maximize Magic: Corrosive Bombardment]!" Multiple incantations coloured a dark scary green surrounded Shalltear as I cast the powerful 10th tier spell.
The green incantations suddenly glowed. The dark forest quickly lit up like a light show for anyone that watched in the distance. Beams of powerful energy that emanated a green light shot out of the magic circles with ferocity as they exploded when getting into contact with Shalltear.
While not doing as much damage to the surrounding forest compared to Fallen Down, the area did look like it was freshly bombed. It reminded me of some of the missile strikes I saw in the Russo-Ukrainian war from my previous life. It also reminded me of war footage I saw of the United States fighting in the Middle East.
Targeting Shalltear wasn't the only thing [Corrosive Bombardment] did. Each impact released a small yet deadly pool of acid. Eliminating any weak traces of life in the area and inflicting a deadly corrosion effect on anyone left alive. With the number of strikes that hit Shalltear, the fumes of acid covered a large portion of the area in a green haze.
From the distance I was from, I heard faint coughing and the sound of throwing up. Quickly, I saw a figure fly into the air and away from the acidic mist. It was Shalltear Bloodfallen, now in her crimson red armour. Angel wings sprouted from her back as they flapped in the sky.
The vampire's blood-red armour had traces of corrosion on some areas. I also noticed blood trickling down her mouth, ears, eyes and nose. I thought that Shalltear would laugh or instantly attack me. But, that wasn't the case. She looked at me from the sky with confusion littered across her face.
"Cit … Citrinitas?" She muttered in confusion. "Why … why are you here, darling?" She asked. "You're not in the right state of mind, Shalltear. Snap out of it." I said, getting into character. Of course, I knew that wouldn't work. Mere talking couldn't get rid of the World Items effects. 'Meh, it's not like she'll remember anything once she's revived.' I thought.
"I," The vampire hesitated. "I was ordered to attack anyone who had ill intent. But … why am I attacking you?" She asked. Suddenly, Shalltear's face grew angry. It was like a switch changed her personality. 'This is quite interesting. Her lore and the effect of the World Item are conflicting with each other.' I concluded.
"No matter, I must follow my orders. There are no exceptions." She said, gripping her Spuit Lance tightly. I didn't expect Shalltear to be so fast. She covered ¾ the distance between her and myself almost instantly. Keep in mind we were roughly 100 metres apart.
'I can't let her get so close to me. I must keep my distance if I want to survive.' I thought, conjuring my inventory to my right instantly. I took out a glass vial called [Splash Potion of Swiftness] before throwing it at the floor. The potion took effect immediately as I jumped backwards with immense speed, dodging Shalltear's attack.
"[Triplet Maximize Magic: Forced Deceleration], [Widen Magic: Malignant Force]." I cast two potent spells. One which slowed the acceleration of the incoming Shalltear while the other was a gas that consumed the space between myself and Shalltear. While both were strong in their own regard, using both in effect was a dangerous combination.
While [Forced Deceleration] well … slowed the user to a heavy degree, [Malignant Force] was different. At a base level, [Malignant Force] acted like [Nuclear Blast]. [Malignant Force] didn't carry that destructiveness and destroyed the area between the user and enemy. Hell, at a base level, [Malignant Force] did no damage at all.
However, [Malignant Force] makes up for the lack of destruction with pure debuffs. Corrosion, blindness, deafness, decreased damage output, weakened defences. Any debuff you could think of, [Malignant Force] had. In combination with [Forced Deceleration], the longer you stay in the gas, the worse the effects get.
'FUCK!' Shalltear thought. She tried her best to escape the deadly gas. However, with how heavy she felt due to [Forced Deceleration], she was forced to stay in the gas longer than expected. Shalltear could already feel the minimal effects. Her head felt light and she found it harder to see. Her [Regeneration] skill tried to keep up with the flesh-eating acid but it only prolonged its effects.
"Well played, darling. But, if you think that this combo of yours will do anything, you're dead wrong!"
"[Purify]." Shalltear's entire body glowed a white light as she flew out of the deadly gas. 'She nullified all my debuffs? Probably due to her Cleric class. However, there must be some sort of limit to how many of those she can cast.' I thought, taking note of the spell for the future.
"Darling, you know you shouldn't hurt your beloved like that, right? You need to be punished! [Resist Break], [Tripet Maximize Magic: Vermillion Nova]!" I suddenly felt some of my magic defences deplete as Shalltear cast a powerful 9th tier spell.
"[Protection Energy - Fire]!" I shouted in a hurry as my eyes widened. I didn't think Shalltear would cast a spell of such power so early on. The area surrounding me was suddenly consumed by an intense fire that shot up in a column of flames. Every part of my body felt like I was in boiling water. Even with my previous buffing spells, powerful items and a maxed-out resistance bar, I still felt that much pain.
I didn't have any way of escaping the spell due to the properties of [Vermillion Nova]. I could only endure the pain with all my current resistances. I didn't shout in agony as I took out a few splash potions to restore my depleting health. 'So that's what pain feels like, huh?' I thought.
"Are you proud of my magic, Citrinitas? I'm only this powerful because of you. No matter, you must die." Shalltear said, raising her hand into the air. Shalltear then generated a huge lance that glowed blue. "This skill is called [Purifying Lance]." She said as she hovered in the air.
"Quite the unique skill for someone like you to possess." I replied with politeness. With a thrust, she threw the lance towards my body at a breakneck speed. I immediately felt its potent holy energy emanating from the object as it flew towards me.
Considering my -500 negative karma, if such a spell hit me, I would be gravely injured. "[Beelzebub]." I said under my mask. The dangerous holy object that was about to pierce my heart was consumed by a black void of nothingness.
The skill, which I used on Dominion Authority, worked similarly to Rimuru's Gluttony from Tensura. I was able to consume projectiles and summons or beings up to a certain degree. When consuming something, I'm able to regenerate a percentage of HP or MP depending on the level and amount of things I consumed. If my HP was full, I got more MP and vice versa.
I was able to restore most of my lost HP from Shalltear's previous attack. However, the vampire took advantage of my spells casting duration and dashed towards me. With her Spuit Lance at hand, she trusted the weapon at lightning speeds towards my body.
I was only able to dodge so many of her attacks due to previous buffs. But, she was able to get a hit or two on me, slightly draining my HP. 'In a physical fight, I stand no chance. I couldn't even escape Esdeath's clutches for goodness sake. I need to do something to stop Shalltear from getting so close. A few more well-aimed hits and I'm crippled.' I concluded, planning to gain distance from her.
"[Penetrate Maximize Magic: Withering Wave]." I muttered. I took advantage of how close Shalltear was to me by casting one of the few offensive close-ranged spells I have. Thankfully, the spell was on the more powerful side as it was a 10th tier spell.
A wave of translucent purple energy hit Shalltear at point-blank range. I was already able to see the effects of the spell. Shalltear's armour and exposed areas of flesh slowly started to wither away. However, she didn't stop attacking me to heal her wounds.
'Her [Purify] skill still must be on cooldown for removing such potent debuffs from earlier.' I thought. Her movements slowed down as I saw her eyes frantically move in all directions. 'This is good. My speed buffs are nearing their end. I can recuperate from there.' I concluded, teleporting metres away from Shalltear using [Greater Teleportation].
"You don't have to do this, Shalltear." I stated. "I … I- HACK!" Shalltear continued to cough a fountain of blood as I saw her body slightly spasm. '[Silent Magic: Life Essence].' I was able to see Shalltear's current effects from the useful spell. 'Holy shit! [Withering Wave] did that much damage?! It didn't say it would do that in the spell description. Shitty Devs indeed!' I thought.
The vampire was missing a quarter of her health. But, due to the powerful corrosion attribute affecting her, that number would only go down by the second. "[Greater Lethal]." Shalltear muttered under her heavy breaths. 'Nevermind. All that lost health and sizzling flesh was restored. Fucking Shitty Devs. On a positive note, her armour wasn't repaired.' I thought.
"I must continue to attack you, darling." Shalltear said with clear regret and sadness. "Fighting me will be considered a betrayal to Nazarick. You know that, don't you?" I asked. Shalltear looked away from my gaze. "I … I don't know why I'm doing this …" She muttered silently as a tear fell down her cheek.
"You know that I will have to inform lord Ainz about this." I stated. "Lord … Ainz?" Shalltear repeated my words with confusion. "Indeed. Compared to you, I stand no chance. I must … tactically retreat to drop off the item I took and inform the others." I said.
'I've tested enough of some spells. I at least know what my more powerful ones do.' I thought. "By the time the Supreme One revives you, you'll be back to normal. Though, you won't remember any of this." I reassured the girl as I cast a [Gate] spell back to my personal chambers.
The spell closed right after I entered. Shalltear didn't even try to chase me. 'I guess that's a good thing.' I thought, taking my mask off and putting it on the desk next to me. 'Hmmm, Ainz won't find out about Shalltear's brainwash in 2 days. Tomorrow is when the graveyard incident happens in E-Rantel. Which means that's where Clementine dies. If I recall, Ainz did mention her corpse was missing.' I thought, tapping my foot on the expensive wooden flooring.
'I should be able to think of a story to tell Ainz about why I have a World Item with me about the 'Shalltear is brainwashed' ordeal by tomorrow. Preferably after he completes his quest in the graveyard of E-Rantel. Or, maybe I should give him a visit while he's at the graveyard?'
I shrugged my shoulders. 'I'll probably think of a plan once I wake up. It is pretty late and I haven't slept for days.' I thought. 'What should I do with the lady anyways. I have a few options for her. Ahh, I'm thinking too much.' I moved those thoughts out of my head before going to bed not long after.
[Timeskip - 1 Day]
[Momon's POV]
"Why are you standing there? Ya give up?" Said the woman in front of me. She played with her Stilettos by chucking them into the air. Her posture was uncaring and playful as if she were taunting me. In all honesty, it was quite pathetic.
"I gave Narberal her orders, I thought I should finish up as well." I said. My adventurer armour muffled my voice slightly. But, it didn't really matter. "You serious, bastard?" The blonde questioned, still playing with her weapons. "You don't even have any Martial Arts. Your stance was all over the place and you couldn't swing a sword properly. You really think you can beat me?!" Her voice was filled with arrogance.
"There's a limit to how much you piss me off!" She exclaimed. 'This is so pitiful.' I thought. "All bark and no bite. Let's get this over with." I stated. "At least we agree on something. [Stride of Wind], [Greater Evasion], [Ability Boost], [Greater Ability Boost]!" With each Martial Art, she got lower and lower into her stance. Just like a spring ready to bounce and release its tension.
'She is quite quick for someone of her level.' I thought, analyzing her movements. "DIE!" Clementine exclaimed with hate and fury. She stabbed one of her stilettos into my right eye socket and then twisted it. As she did, a shock of lightning surrounded and tried to fry my undead body.
"I'm not done yet!" She pulled out her second stiletto, doing the same thing to my other socket and turning it. A wave of fire consumed my entire body. Alas, it did nothing. 'These weapons weren't a thing in YGGDRASIL. I should send them to Citrinitas. He might like them.' I thought.
Fed up by her futile attempt, I grabbed her by the waist, locking her in place and making her unable to escape. "No way! Impossible! How are you not dead!" Clementine said in shock. "I guess there's no hiding my identity." I said, using magic to reveal my true form.
"Undead?! Elder Lich?!" She asked. "I guess you're right. So how was it? Fighting a magic caster who only used swords?" I taunted her. "Don't underestimate me!" She exclaimed. "Really? But I didn't even use any of my magic on you. You were so weak I had to handicap myself to such a low level. In the end, you still lost." I said. Watching the despair on her face was really a sight to see.
"Fuck! You've got to be joking!" She said, I ignored her pleas. "Well, let's get started." I said, tightening my iron grip on her. "This can't be happening. No way! Bastard!" Clementine said as I continued to squeeze. "If you were weaker, I would have killed you with this." I gestured to the small sword in my hand. The symbol for the Swords of Darkness.
The group was really a bunch of people I admired and cared for, even if I knew them for such a small amount of time. In honesty, their group dynamics reminded me of my friends and myself going on adventures with low levelled equipment back in YGGDRASIL. It pained me to hear about their deaths.
"Death by sword. Death by broken bones. Death by crushing. In the end, there is no difference. You die either way." Her cat-like eyes widened with fear. The metal of her armour started to creak a horrible sound and slowly fell off bit by bit.
"SHIT! YOU BASTARD!" She exclaimed, using her hands to attempt to smash my skull. She only damaged her hands in the process as they bruised up. "Don't flail so much." I calmly said. I squeezed harder as more adventurer tags from her armour fell to the floor. The lady started to gasp and gag.
"You took time in killing them, didn't you? Isn't it fair if I do the same?" Clementine started to punch my head multiple times in succession, uncaring for the blood that spewed out of them. The fear of death overtook her senses.
In a desperate attempt, she even tried to bite me. However, that only resulted in her teeth fracturing and falling off. Tears of blood had already gushed out of her eyes, nose and ears. More pieces of armour fell to the ground as she kicked her legs with all the remaining energy she had.
I kept on squeezing as she vomited blood and stomach acid all over my body. But, I didn't care. I squeezed harder and harder. It was at this time that her internal organs came out of her mouth. She puked her stomach and intestines all over me.
But, I still didn't care. I kept on squeezing and squeezing. Her movements and flailing had ceased a while ago. Clementine was useless against the dance of death. I brought my other hand to her waist just to finish off the process. Finally, her spine snapped in half as I dropped her to the cold ground.
"[Clean]." I muttered, clearing off all the blood and gore that she covered me in. 'At least that's finally over.' I thought. 'Swords of Darkness has been avenged.' I concluded. From behind me, I heard Hamsuke call out and run to my direction. Only for there to be a loud thud and the muttering of Narberal.
I turned to face my subordinate. "Narberal, I presume you've dealt with the task?" I asked. "It is as you say, lord Ainz. The skeleton dragons and the pest have been dispatched." Narberal informed, bowing after briefing me.
"Good, good. I'm quite proud of you for completing your task dutifully." I said, bringing joy to the battle maid's face. 'Narberal usually doesn't smile. Heh, I've remembered most NPCs' backgrounds and lore to honour their creators. The only other time she smiles is with Citrinitas. The unofficial ladies man of Nazarick, if I recall.' I thought, remembering a past life now long gone.
'If only I read Citrinitas's lore. I'm regretting it now because he's so fucking scary! I only know that he's mysterious and can be thinking of anything. Hell, he probably knows I'm a salaryman!' I thought.
'It does make me wonder what type of gag the boys added in the alchemist's lore. I remember Ulbert lost a bet with Luci☆Fer and had to add 'he has a soft spot for cats' in Demiurges bio. Fun times …' If I had a mouth, I would have smiled from the fond memories of my guildmates.
"Lord Ainz, are there any … issues?" Narberals talking snapped me back to reality. "Uhm … there is no issue at all. Thanks for ch-" My reply was interrupted when a purple swirl appeared in front of me, Narberal and Hamsuke. Narberal got into a fighting position, ready for an attack. But, she stopped when noticing who came out of the portal.
"Lord Citrinitas?" She asked in confusion. A slight blush formed on her face which was only noticeable for a few seconds before disappearing. "Lord Ainz and Narberal. It is a pleasure meeting you." Citrinitas said with his usual politeness. "Hello, Citrinitas." I waved my boney hand at the alchemist.
'DAMMIT! Did I really just say: 'Hello, Citrinitas' to the smart and mysterious plague doctor?! Was that too casual? Considering his polite tone, my simple greet must have been rude! Pull yourself together Suzuki! You're like a CEO of a powerful company! Act like you mean it!'
"Uhm, what brings you here? Did you change your mind about wanting to be an adventurer?" I asked, not wanting the atmosphere to be awkward. From my peripheral vision, I saw Narberal slightly biting her lip. 'The girl really wanted Citrinitas to join her, huh? How does he handle so many thirsty women? I can't even handle Albedo!'
"No, I didn't want to join as my appearance would conflict with your plans." Citrinitas stated. 'Plans?! WHAT PLANS?!?!' "However, something … unforeseen has happened." The mere sentence was ambiguous and could have had many meanings.
'Unforeseen?! Has Citrinitas found out about my identity even though we've had so little contact? Jesus! This man is DANGEROUS!' I thought. However, my emotional nullifier took effect, calming me down to a more reasonable degree.
"Unforeseen? Please, enlighten me about what you're talking about." I said, keeping my tone rich and proper. At least to the best of my abilities. "This place … isn't the best place to talk about the subject at hand. We must go back to Nazarick to safely discuss the topic at hand." Citrinitas informed me. 'I don't even know what we're talking about!'
"But," Citrinitas jumped in before I could speak. "I was wondering what you would do with that … body." He said, pointing at the corpse of the lady I just killed. Narberal looked at the corpse with soul-piercing eyes. But, didn't say anything.
'Clementines corpse? What would Citrinitas want that for? Maybe transmute her into a Chimera? Did he want to investigate Martial Arts?' I could only speculate the different possibilities Citrinitas could use the corpse for.
"I have no need for her corpse. I believe that her death was enough. But, if you have a use for it that can benefit Nazarick, by all means, take it." I said, hoping to please my friend's most beloved creation. Citrinitas nodded, whisking away the corpse into an unknown second portal next to him.
"Please, if you'll follow me. We have some … urgent things to discuss." Citrinitas said, slightly emphasizing the word 'urgent.' I and Narberal nodded, following Citrinitas into the gate before it closed. "Now that we're in Nazarick, what do you want to discuss?" I asked curiously.
Citrinitas created a mini-portal that floated in the air, sticking his hand in it before pulling something out. 'Don't tell me … is that a … World Item?' My jaws dropped. However, compared to Citrinitas's next spoken words, that shock could be considered nothing. "Shalltear … has been brainwashed."
[Timeskip - ??? Hours]
[Scene Change]
[Clementine's POV]
The last thing I could remember was dying. I felt unimaginable pain. A pain so brutal and unbearable I couldn't compare it to anything else. All other ways to pass on seemed childish compared to mine. Blood poured out of every orifice in my body. My organs, ruptured and crushed. My bones broke and shattered. The mere thought of that … monster. It made my skin crawl.
But, how was I thinking? I had to have died. No, I know I died. But, I suddenly woke up in a dark and mysterious place. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkroom as I was able to make out my surroundings. The room I was in seemed to be the size of an average room. However, the walls were anything but home-like. They were ancient as small patches of moss and vines were littered across them.
The floor was no different to. A hard and stony surface that was made of the same material as the wall. The stone was cold. Almost burning my bare skin as I lay naked and exposed. Of course, I tried to move but the chains on my neck and hands prevented me from doing that.
I was about to call out, shout even when the metal door in front of me opened. Three figures walked into the room I was situated in. The first one was a demon in an orange striped suit. The other two behind him … monsters from hell.
"Ahh, you're finally awake. I'm truly glad." Said the orange suited demon. "Where am I? WHO ARE YO-" "[Silence]." My voice suddenly disappeared. "Let's cut to the chase. My name is Demiurge. And I believe you're in no space to negotiate." The demon said.
"Citrinitas has been kind enough to give you a second chance at life. Not only that, you've been given the special privilege to personally help Nazarick. These two demons behind me. Well …" Demiurge gestured to the demons behind him. They stepped out from his shadow, revealing their exposed bodies. "You shall help give birth to powerful Cambions."
'No. No! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!' The demons stepped closer, towering over me. 'PLEASE! ANYONE! HELP ME!'
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