章節 190: CH. 184: Heads
As Albedo led Akira deeper into the Arena, the air shimmered with magic. A sudden pulse of energy enveloped them, and in an instant, they were teleported to the center of the colossal battleground. The vast Arena loomed around them, the sky above bathed in a dark crimson glow, casting long, eerie shadows on the jagged terrain. The dense, sinister forest that stretched for what seemed like miles encircled the Arena, making the space feel both infinite and claustrophobic.
Standing in the center, waiting for them, were the two Floor Guardians of the Arena: Aura Bella Fiora and Mare Bello Fiore. Aura, with her confident grin, was clad in her ranger's gear, her golden eyes gleaming with energy. Beside her, Mare, timid as ever, held his staff tightly, his eyes flicking nervously between Akira and Albedo, though his power was undeniable.
Aura took a step forward, her voice ringing out through the Arena. "Akira-sama, Albedo, we've been waiting for you." Her grin widened, showing excitement. "The Arena stands ready for battle."
Mare, though clearly uneasy, managed to speak up, his voice shaking slightly. "W-we were ordered by Ainz-sama t-to assess your strength, Akira-sama."
Akira's crimson eyes glowed as he regarded the two Guardians with amusement. His lips curled into a mocking smile. "So, you've come to test me? How amusing." His voice dripped with condescension as he surveyed them. "Let's see if you're even worth my time."
Albedo, standing at Akira's side, gave a cold, confident smile as she gazed at the twins. Her eyes flickered with disdain, already confident in Akira's superiority over anyone in Nazarick. She said nothing but stood ready, her loyalty unwavering.
Aura's grin never faltered as she met Akira's gaze. "We won't hold back, Akira-sama. Ainz-sama's orders are absolute." She twirled her whip, the sound of it cracking through the air.
But just as the tension reached its peak, Aura's expression changed. She straightened up, her grin fading into a more serious look. "However… by the direct orders of His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown, we are to retreat."
Mare nodded quickly, relief evident in his eyes. "Y-yes, we can't fight you. Ainz-sama has commanded us to leave immediately."
With those words, both Aura and Mare disappeared in a flash of magical energy, leaving the Arena empty once again. The sudden retreat was shocking, leaving Albedo blinking in confusion for a moment, and even Akira's smile faltered briefly.
But what came next was far more unsettling.
As the mist from the Guardians' departure cleared, something horrific was revealed in the distance. A row of spikes rose from the ground, each one tall and ominous, casting long shadows on the Arena floor. Atop each spike was a severed head, their lifeless faces frozen in expressions of terror.
It was the Foresight team—the mercenary workers who infiltrated Nazarick with Hiro.
Their heads now adorned the spikes, displayed for all to see. And it seemed like their deaths were very painful...
Well except for one… Arche's head was conspicuously missing.
Albedo's eyes narrowed as she took in the grotesque sight, her gaze lingering on the empty spike where Arche's head should have been. "How strange," Akira murmured.
"Hiro wished to save them. But he failed. And now they're dead... What a waste of entertainment." She shrugged.
With a casual wave of his hand, Akira unleashed a swirling green aura that slithered out like tendrils of dark magic. It wrapped around the lifeless heads of the Foresight team. The air around them became thick with the crackling of dark energy as the gruesome remains began to reform. Bones snapped back into place, flesh reknit itself, and with each pulse of Akira's power, the dead mercenaries were pieced back together.
Termite gasped for air as he collapsed to his knees. His hands instinctively reached for his throat, feeling the warmth of his pulse, the sensation of being alive once again. His voice was weak, shaking with disbelief. "We… we were dead. I know it. I felt everything go dark…"
Imina, the half-elf archer, stumbled backward, her pale face etched with shock and horror. Her fingers traced her neck, the very place where her head had once been severed. "This… this isn't possible. How… how are we here?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Fear gnawed at her insides as her wide eyes darted between her teammates and the ominous figure before them.
Roberdyck, the priest, though usually composed, could barely hide the tremor in his voice. "Some kind of resurrection… but why? Why bring us back?" His gaze lingered on Akira, his brow furrowed in confusion. Something about this dark figure felt off, as if deep down he sensed the faint presence of another, someone familiar.
A sinister chuckle echoed through the Arena, reverberating in the cold, tense atmosphere. Akira, his green aura now slowly dissipating, stood before them, his crimson eyes glowing with malice. He watched their reactions with a sick amusement, his lips curling into a cold smile. "You were dead," he said in a voice that was unnervingly smooth. "But death is so… insignificant... There's nothing interesting there, i'm saving you from internal boredom."
The Foresight team stared at him in horror, their minds still trying to make sense of what had just happened. Termite, still on his knees, gathered enough strength to speak, his voice hoarse with fear. "Who… who are you? What do you want with us?"
Akira's eyes glowed brighter as his smile widened. "Who am I?" He took a slow, menacing step forward, watching with satisfaction as they instinctively recoiled. "That's not important. What matters is that I brought you back because I enjoy watching fear. Your fear."
Imina's breath hitched as she stood beside Roberdyck, gripping her bow tightly, though it gave her little comfort. "He's… toying with us," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Deep down, she could feel something strange—faint, but undeniable. It was as though, somewhere within this terrifying being, there was a trace of Hiro. "Could it be… Hiro?" she thought to herself, but quickly dismissed it. This figure felt far too dark, too twisted.
Roberdyck, his grip tightening on his staff, stared hard at Akira, trying to make sense of the swirling emotions and power he felt coming from the man. "There's something… familiar…" he muttered, his heart pounding in his chest. But even as the feeling lingered, he knew this was not Hiro. This was something else entirely—something far more dangerous.
Akira's laughter rang out again, cold and hollow. "You feel him, don't you?" he said, as if reading their thoughts. "That's right. Hiro is still here, buried deep inside, powerless to stop me." He stepped closer, towering over the resurrected Foresight members. "But I am in control now. And you… are nothing more than my entertainment."
Termite, his face pale, struggled to his feet. "What about Arche?" he asked, desperation seeping into his voice. "Where is she?"
Akira's eyes gleamed with dark delight, his smile twisting into something cruel. "Ah, Arche…" He paused for a moment, savoring the terror in their eyes. "She's being tortured at the moment. If not dead too, so we'll have to hurry up and find her."
The team exchanged fearful glances, their minds reeling from the horror of the situation. They had been brought back from the dead, only to face a twisted, god-like figure who toyed with them for his own amusement. Deep down, they could still feel a faint of Hiro left.
As the Foresight members tried to grasp the grim reality of their situation, the Arena's atmosphere shifted. The ground rumbled softly beneath their feet, and from the darkened entrance, a horde of Lizardmen marched in. At the forefront, two figures stood taller than the rest—Zaryusu Shasha and his brother Shasuryu Shasha, their eyes burning with determination. Heavy chains clinked around their necks, radiating an ominous energy that made the Foresight members uneasy.
Termite squinted, confused and still reeling from their resurrection. "Lizardmen?" he muttered under his breath, his voice full of disbelief. "Why… why are they here? And those chains… what kind of magic is this?"
Roberdyck, the priest, furrowed his brow as he observed the approaching horde. "I've seen this kind of magic before. It enhances experience gain… but to see it used this way… they're being forced into this fight."
Imina stepped forward, her half-elf eyes narrowing as she studied the two brothers leading the pack. "Look at them," she said softly. "They're not just mindless creatures. They're warriors."
As the Lizardmen continued their march, a small yet imposing figure hopped forward, bouncing energetically and yapping loudly. It was none other than Hamsuke, the so-called Wise King of the Forest, his fluffy tail swishing behind him. Despite the serious tone of the Arena, Hamsuke's voice was light, almost playful.
"Oh-ho-ho! The mighty Hamsuke has arrived!" Hamsuke declared, his whiskers twitching as he hopped in circles. "Fear not, for I, Hamsuke, the Wise King of the Forest, shall lead these brave warriors to victory!" He turned towards the Foresight members and tilted his head curiously. "Oh, are these the humans we're meant to face? They seem rather confused!"
Termite's eyes widened as he heard Hamsuke's voice. "What… what is that thing?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "A talking hamster?!"
Imina couldn't help but shake her head. "Is this a joke? Are we seriously going to fight a… giant hamster?"
Roberdyck, still clutching his staff, didn't look away from the advancing horde. "Whatever it is, it's clearly under the control of whoever brought us here. Don't let your guard down."
Before they could react further, Zaryusu stepped forward, his fierce eyes locking onto the Foresight team. "We are the Lizardmen of the Great Lakes!" he declared, his voice steady and determined. His hand gripped the hilt of his Frost Pain sword tightly, its icy aura radiating around him. "We fight not for ourselves, but to overcome every obstacle in our path! None shall stand before us!"
Shasuryu stood by his brother's side, his eyes just as resolute. "The chains around our necks are nothing. We will gain power from every battle, and with it, we will crush all who oppose us."
Termite, trying to piece together the insanity unfolding before him, glanced at his teammates. "They're serious… They intend to fight us."
Imina nocked an arrow, her eyes trained on the Lizardmen. "They don't look like they're giving us a choice. But why fight us?"
Hamsuke, still yapping loudly, hopped closer to the Foresight members. "Oh-ho-ho! You humans look so small and frail! But don't be disheartened! I, Hamsuke, will make sure you learn the value of battle!" He puffed out his chest proudly. "The Great Hamsuke is not only wise, but also skilled in the ways of combat!"
Roberdyck groaned under his breath, exasperated by the creature's antics. "I'm beginning to think the world we've been dragged into is mad."
Zaryusu raised his sword, signaling to the rest of the Lizardmen. "Prepare yourselves, warriors! We fight to the last breath!" His voice boomed through the Arena, and the Lizardmen behind him roared in unison, their chains clinking as they braced for combat.
Shasuryu, standing tall beside his brother, slammed his spear into the ground. "We will show these humans the strength of the Lizardmen! For every strike they make, we will grow stronger!"
Imina, her bow at the ready, glanced at Termite. "We're in for a fight, whether we like it or not."
Termite nodded, trying to steady his nerves. "Get ready, everyone. This won't be easy."
As the two forces faced each other in the looming darkness of the Arena, the tension hung thick in the air. And though the Foresight members were terrified, they could feel Hiro's faint presence within Akira, watching, waiting, as the battle was about to begin.
Akira stood motionless, his crimson eyes glowing with eerie calmness as the horde of Lizardmen, Hamsuke, and the Foresight members braced themselves for the inevitable clash. Albedo, standing by his side, watched intently, her heart still loyal but her mind twisted by Akira's influence. The Arena buzzed with tension, the air thick with the promise of battle.
But Akira, with a small sigh, was in no mood to waste time. His expression remained impassive as he casually lifted a hand, his fingers twitching slightly. "This is tiresome," he muttered under his breath, his voice soft but brimming with disdain. "I don't have time for such trivialities."
Without another word, an invisible force seemed to shimmer in the air. Before anyone could react, a blade—a phantom, ethereal in form—appeared out of nowhere. It moved with deadly precision, slicing through the air with a faint whisper. In an instant, the entire horde, along with Zaryusu, Shasuryu, and even the wise king Hamsuke, were cleaved in two.
There was no struggle, no scream—just silence as the invisible blade severed them cleanly. Bodies fell to the ground with soft, sickening thuds, lifeless before they even knew what had happened. The sheer power behind the attack was incomprehensible, as if the very laws of nature had been bent to Akira's will.
The Foresight members stood frozen, their faces pale with shock. Termite's mouth hung open in disbelief, his knees buckling under him. "W-what… what just happened?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Imina's hands trembled violently, her bow slipping from her grasp as she looked around at the carnage, her heart pounding in her chest. "They're… all dead. In a single move…" Her voice was hollow, as if her mind couldn't comprehend the enormity of the power they had just witnessed.
Roberdyck, usually the calmest, had fallen to his knees, gripping his priest's staff tightly. His eyes were wide, his body shaking with fear. "This… this can't be real. How… how can anyone have such power?"
Albedo, watching beside Akira, felt a shiver of awe and fear run through her. Even though she had seen Ainz in battle countless times, the raw, effortless destruction Akira had just unleashed was on a completely different level. Her voice was low, barely concealing her admiration. "My lord… your strength is beyond words. Such beauty in your destruction."
Akira turned slightly, his expression unchanged, his cold eyes scanning the battlefield, now littered with the bodies of the Lizardmen and their leader. "Strength… is merely a tool. And they," he gestured toward the fallen, "were unworthy to face me."
Termite, still shaking from the display of power, managed to whisper, "Hiro… is that still you in there? Can you hear us?" But deep down, they knew this wasn't Hiro. The boy they once knew had been overtaken by something far more terrifying.
As the last traces of the Lizardmen disintegrated into nothingness, Albedo's gaze remained fixed on Akira, her golden eyes glowing with admiration and something more—something darker. Her heart pounded in her chest, her body trembling, not with fear, but with excitement. The effortless destruction, the overwhelming display of raw power—it was intoxicating to her.
She stepped closer to him, her breath shallow, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and desire. "My lord," she whispered, her voice sultry, almost breathless. "Your strength… it is beyond anything I've ever seen. The way you command such power with nothing more than a thought… it stirs something deep within me."
Akira turned slightly, his cold eyes flicking towards her. He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable as Albedo moved even closer, her arousal barely concealed. "Does it now?" he asked, his voice calm, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.
Albedo's face flushed, her usually composed demeanor cracking as she looked up at him, her lips parting slightly. "Yes, my lord. To witness such destruction… to see you obliterate everything in your path with such ease… I can't help but feel drawn to you. Your power, your presence… it's overwhelming."
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached up, placing a hand on his arm, her touch light but filled with longing. "I've always admired strength… but this… you are on a different level entirely, my lord. I would follow you anywhere. Do anything you command."
Akira remained still, his expression indifferent, though the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Such loyalty," he mused, his voice soft, yet sharp as a blade. "Though I wonder if it's truly loyalty… or something else that draws you to me."
Albedo's breath hitched, her body trembling under his gaze. "It's both, my lord," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your strength, your control… it excites me."
Akira's smirk deepened, but he said nothing, merely turning his gaze back to the darkened Arena as if he had already lost interest. Yet, Albedo remained close, her heart racing, consumed by a mixture of awe and twisted desire for the being who had shown her what true power looked like.
Nazarick, is slowly falling to pieces.
X―x―X—x—X―x―X
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