The surroundings were dreamlike, almost unreal, and the girl in the miko outfit who appeared before them was breathtaking—so impossibly beautiful it made the Four Strategists feel their breaths catch.
For a moment, they almost questioned their own senses. Were they really still inside a ruin?
The girl's hair was the color of cherry blossoms, flowing long and shimmering in the soft light. At her waist hung a long katana, and with every step she took, the ground rippled beneath her feet as if it were water.
"Welcome, travelers, to the Eighth Floor of the Nazarik Tombs—the 'Sakura Sanctuary,'" she said, her voice melodic and serene. "I am Aurelia Omega, the Guardian of this floor.
"My usual duty is to guard the Guild's armaments and monitor the teleportation gates within Nazarik. Though I, too, am a combat maid of the Ascendant Star Cluster, I differ from my sisters. I remain stationed here, rarely venturing outside.
"To have so many visitors arrive at once… it is indeed a rare occasion."
Aurelia greeted the Four Strategists with a warm, courteous smile, her posture and tone flawless, every gesture measured with polite humility. There was not a single flaw in her demeanor.
Even so, the Four Strategists remained tense, their eyes scanning the dreamlike surroundings for potential exits. Since being teleported here, they had been on constant alert.
But the space they occupied, vast as it was, held nothing but starlight. The colossal cherry blossom tree, the shrine, and Aurelia herself were the only discernible presences.
"Nazarik Tombs…? Is that the name of this ruin? And we're… underground?"
The Four Strategists froze, astonished. Their gaze swept over the sword-wielding girl in front of them, and yet their expressions never fully relaxed.
It was clear: this girl was one of the ruin's guardians. And judging by the scale of the tomb and the deadly traps they had encountered before, she was no ordinary opponent.
As top-tier workers of the Empire, their instincts for danger were highly refined.
Since Aurelia appeared, all four had felt as if invisible chains held them in place—a pervasive, suffocating sense of imminent death hung over them.
"She… isn't human, is she? A normal human of this age could never possess this level of strength," Hekkeran muttered under his breath.
Though Aurelia appeared to be a girl, Hekkeran could detect no weakness in her. Moreover, a regular human couldn't possibly exist inside a tomb like this and radiate such danger.
"I'm not certain. But I can confirm she is neither an elf nor an undead," said Robatik, the party's shrine priest. "Instead, she exudes a profoundly sacred aura. She seems to be a faith-based spellcaster of some kind."
Aurelia's lips curved into a small smile. "There is no need for doubt. By race, I am human. But not an ordinary human—I am ageless.
"My creator, the radiant one, believed that through constant training, humans could rival gods and demons and achieve immortality. I am the result of that vision.
"While humans are fragile, their potential and capacity for growth are unmatched. I was designed to retain human traits, yet endowed with agelessness. I am Aurelia Omega."
Ageless human? Hekkeran's mind screamed an internal objection, but his face betrayed nothing. Outwardly, he smiled politely, keeping his composure.
He had already realized something crucial: Aurelia was a negotiable party. And judging by her affinity toward humans, if persuaded carefully, she might allow them to leave.
"Aurelia-san, we really don't need to—"
"Stop," Aurelia interrupted, her voice calm yet firm. "From the moment you stepped into the Nazarik Tombs, your role as intruders was already sealed. There is no need to fabricate further lies. Doing so would only anger me and defile the beauty of this Sakura Sanctuary."
Hekkeran's words died on his lips. He had intended to lie to her, as any seasoned rogue would, confident in his ability to manipulate a young girl.
But to his shock, Aurelia had seen through it. She was a girl in appearance—but astute beyond measure.
"I am not cunning in a human sense," she said softly, "nor am I an ignorant girl. Even if you construct the perfect lie, you cannot deceive me."
Her words left Imina and Robatik dumbfounded. But Hekkeran, standing at the front, froze in horror. His eyes widened as he stammered, "Y-you can… read minds?"
Indeed—what he had merely thought, without speaking, had been perfectly discerned by Aurelia. There was no other explanation.
"Read minds?" Aurelia shook her head. "This is no childish ability. I am a miko, and my creator bestowed upon me the power to foresee the immediate future.
"In short, the words you were about to speak and the actions you intended… I have already seen them in the near future."
She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over the four.
"And in that future, you will all meet your end here. Enough idle talk. It is time I fulfill my duty. I would not wish to disappoint Ainz-sama."
Slowly, Aurelia drew her katana. The blade was slender, pale pink, and gleamed with divine authority. Its name was Falling Sakura, a true artifact-class weapon capable of bypassing defenses, inducing illusions, and self-repairing.
Even her miko robes were no ordinary garments—they were divine-grade equipment, capable of nullifying magic below the eighth tier and absorbing up to three fatal strikes.
Being the sole NPC created by Ren Kuroda, and treated like a cherished daughter, it was no surprise that Ren had spared no expense in outfitting her.
To be blunt: though Aurelia was technically not a floor guardian of the Nazarik Tombs, her strength was on par with, if not exceeding, most of the official guardians.
Her level exceeded one hundred, commanding multiple servants above level eighty-five. Few in all of Nazarik could rival her power and presence.
Facing the Four Strategists, she could have delegated the fight to her servants. Yet, she insisted on acting personally—her Divine Revelation compelled her.