EeDechi crouched low, moving with silent, catlike steps through the empty marketplace. Not a soul remained in sight—everyone had sealed themselves inside their homes. Yet in this world-ending war against the demon gods, every house might as well have been a stone coffin.
Suddenly a woven bamboo basket rolled out from behind a corner. EeDechi realized at once that someone was hiding behind the wall. With the full-city curfew in effect across E-Rantel, the only people still bold enough to roam the streets belonged to the Sorcerer Kingdom.
She glided forward and swung her giant sword, the blade already whistling toward the wall—and the person behind it—ready to split both in a single stroke.
A head topped with wild red hair poked around the corner. EeDechi planted her feet and wrenched the giant sword to a dead stop. The edge hovered an inch from the redhead's nose.
"Hero!" the red-haired man cried. It was William Scott. He stared up at EeDechi with shining excitement, utterly unaware he had almost been cut in half.
"William, what are you doing here?" EeDechi frowned. "Stop running around like this and find somewhere safe to hide. E-Rantel is far too dangerous right now. My fight with Ainz will sweep over everything—and everyone."
"I came looking for you so I could help," William said, voice tight with worry. "You've already shaken off your pursuers. Why haven't you left E-Rantel?"
EeDechi let out a long sigh. "The whole city has been dragged into an extradimensional pocket by a World Item called [Super] Depiction of Nature and Society. I can't leave this place."
"Is there any way to break it?" William's face turned deadly serious in an instant. "I might be able to help you."
"There are forty ways to break the effect. Finding even one would be enough." EeDechi gave a bitter smile. "But I can't find any. Right now my only choice is to track down Franco first and see if that skilled wizard has any ideas."
A searing spike of psychic pain slammed into her again. Large beads of cold sweat broke out across EeDechi's forehead. She clenched her teeth and braced herself on her sword.
"Hero, are you afraid?" William asked, worry flickering in his eyes as he saw the pain etched on her face.
"I've never been afraid," EeDechi said, drawing a deep breath to shove the agony back down. "Not in the past, and not now."
"Hero, for some reason… I'm starting to feel afraid," William muttered, lowering his head. "I just watched Ainz shatter that sky-piercing statue with my own eyes. One strike, and the whole towering thing came crashing down.
"To tell the truth, this is the first time I've ever seen him act. I used to imagine a thousand different ways to destroy that statue of his. But Ainz simply flicked a finger, and the colossal thing was obliterated. It was like the power of a demon god straight out of legend."
EeDechi watched him in silence for a moment, then spoke softly. "It's normal to feel afraid. This war was never meant for you to fight. I know the flames of revenge are burning hot inside you.
"But if you see the enormous gulf between you and the enemy—that uncrossable chasm—and decide to let go of your thirst for vengeance, there's no shame in it. No one will laugh at you. I certainly won't."
"Yeah, I know," William answered. The usual bright spark had left his eyes. He hung his head, voice heavy with defeat. "I'm scared… but I still can't let it go."
Suddenly a thunderous, magically amplified voice rolled across the sky. It belonged to Ainz Ooal Gown:
"EeDechi, you knew perfectly well that E-Rantel is a city of the Sorcerer Kingdom, yet you still had the nerve to stride right in and bring disaster down on its people.
"EeDechi, I don't know why you've chosen to oppose me. But I do know that at your core you're nothing but a timid, powerless adventurer—a coward who likes to call herself the guardian of humanity.
"Right now I have seven hundred bound humans in my grasp. If you keep hiding and refuse to show yourself, I will cut off one head every minute!
"The moment of your test has arrived. Let's see whether human blood will flow because of your cowardice!"
At that very moment the central square of E-Rantel was packed with row after row of kneeling figures. Their arms and legs were bound tightly behind their backs. Countless death knights stood guard around them, blades gleaming in their hands.
From their clothing it was clear these poor souls were ordinary citizens of E-Rantel. They had cowered trembling inside their homes, yet the death knights had still dragged them out to serve as Ainz's leverage against EeDechi.
Ainz floated directly above the crowd, gazing out over the smoke-filled city as he waited for EeDechi to appear.
"Ainz-sama," Mare said as he flew up, his face deathly pale. He spoke with great care. "Is this method really necessary? After all… they are your own subjects."
Ever since EeDechi had injected him with Justice Value and raised it to 308, Mare had grown far more compassionate.
"If they are my subjects, why should I not be able to kill them?" Ainz replied indifferently, showing neither joy nor sorrow.
"I… I'll go look for EeDechi." Mare could not bear to watch what was coming. He turned and flew away.
...
In the empty marketplace, William's face twisted with shock and fury. "The people Ainz is beheading are citizens of E-Rantel! They're Sorcerer Kingdom nationals! He's actually threatening you with the lives of his own people!"
But Ainz's cruelty showed no sign of softening in the face of William's anger.
"One minute's up."
Ainz's cold, merciless voice rolled across the sky, the magically amplified waves booming over every inch of E-Rantel.
The sound of a woman being dragged forward cut through the air, followed by her terrified screams. "No! Supreme Overlord Ainz! Please! I still have children! I beg you! …"
CRUNCH!
The desperate pleas stopped dead. Then came the heavy thud of a severed head rolling across the ground.
EeDechi crouched on the stone, both hands braced on her sword, rage blazing in her eyes. An undead with Justice Value -500 really was nothing but pure scum!
"Please, stay calm!" William pleaded frantically. "Don't fall for it! If you go out there now, they'll surround and overwhelm you!"
EeDechi said nothing. She clenched her teeth until they ached, fighting through the searing psychic pain that [Super] Depiction of Nature and Society kept pouring into her skull.
"Two minutes are up."
"No! Honored Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown, I worship you more than anyone! Please spare me! I beg—"
CRUNCH! The blade shearing through neck and bone rang out with sickening sharpness.
The begging voice cut off instantly. All that remained were the rolling of the head across the ground, the screams of the crowd, and the wailing of terrified children.
EeDechi fell silent. In her current state, stepping out there would mean certain doom—she'd never come back from it. Yet the torment tearing at her heart hurt far worse than the psychic agony from Depiction of Nature and Society.
"Three minutes are up."
"Mommy, no… waaah… Mommy save me! Mommy! Mom…"
"No! Angel, please spare the child, Supreme Overlord! Please let her go!"
This time it was the shrill cry of a young child, mixed with the mother's desperate pleas as she knelt on the ground.
CRUNCH!
The child's piercing wail cut off abruptly, while the mother's anguished scream swelled into a raw howl.
"AH! MY ANGEL! AINZ! I'LL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH!"
THUD!
The sound of flesh and blood exploding tore across the sky. All of E-Rantel fell silent once more.
In the empty marketplace, EeDechi pushed herself up with both hands braced on her sword, rising with difficulty. Flames of rage burned hot in her chest. "I can't wait any longer!"
"No!!" William stepped in front of EeDechi, his voice shaking. "You can't go out there! If you do now, you might save these seven hundred people—but there are so many more you could never save afterward. Hold on just a little longer. Don't fall for his trap!"
"Four minutes are up."
Ainz's voice was cruel and indifferent. To him, a living human life seemed no different from a meaningless number.
The sound of another man being dragged forward reached them. He wept and begged Ainz for mercy: "Ainz-sama! Great Supreme Overlord, you are the most merciful emperor! Spare this lowly life, I beg you…"
CRUNCH.
The begging stopped dead. The sharp spatter of spraying blood was crystal clear.
In the marketplace, William still stood with arms spread wide, blocking EeDechi with everything he had. And inside EeDechi's own chest, the same fierce struggle raged—furious and unwilling.
"Five minutes are up." Ainz's slaughter had not paused for a second.
The sound of another body being dragged forward cut through the air, followed by a man's desperate, broken plea. "Great Supreme Overlord Ainz, could you change the order? Start killing from the other end first—don't kill me yet. I beg you."
The dragging never stopped. The man's begging twisted into a raw, agonized howl. "EeDechi, you fucking get out here right now! If you don't come out, we're all gonna get slaughtered! You fucking come out, come ou—"
CRUNCH.
The howl that had shaken the sky died instantly. All that remained was the wet thud of a head hitting the ground.
EeDechi stayed silent. With one hand she shoved William aside and walked step by step toward the edge of the marketplace.
"It's not worth it! They're not worth you doing this!" William shouted after her. "They're all subjects of the Sorcerer Kingdom—they have nothing to do with you! Their lives mean nothing to you!"
"They are indeed subjects of the Sorcerer Kingdom," EeDechi answered without turning around, "but they are also innocent people."
She hoisted her giant sword onto her shoulder and strode out with long, determined steps.
William stared blankly at EeDechi's back. Tears suddenly flooded his eyes. The flame in his chest that had dimmed to almost nothing flared back to life, burning hotter than before.
He clenched his fists and shouted after her, "Hero! I want to help you!"
EeDechi still didn't look back. "If you still have the courage, go find Franco! Tell him to figure out a way to break [Super] Depiction of Nature and Society!"