Setsuna didn't expect Ainz to be this bold—directly teleporting a squad aboard to engage in a boarding battle.
From the composition alone: four Floor Guardians, the entire Pleiades, and dozens of Soul Eaters.
In this world, such a force could easily unify the planet.
"I thought, based on Ainz's personality, after seeing Cocytus get one-shot, he'd hole up in the Great Tomb and wait for me to come knocking."
"Does he think playing it safe won't win against us?"
Thinking it over, Setsuna could understand Ainz's mindset.
Ainz might be cautious, often playing mind games with small fry, but that didn't mean he was afraid to act first.
In PVP, one had to seize every opportunity to destroy the enemy.
Upon seeing Cocytus insta-killed, he probably realized the vast disparity in power almost immediately.
Since Setsuna made it clear that Ainz was the target, staying holed up in the Great Tomb waiting for death wasn't an option.
So, to gamble for survival, he had to take a bold move.
Judging by the team he sent, it truly was a formidable force.
Had they been teleported into a random shipgirl's cabin, it might have been troublesome.
—Cleaning the deck afterward would be annoying. Those drooling Soul Eaters looked like they had no hygiene.
"Too bad, you picked the wrong target."
After exchanging a few probing blows, both sides pulled back and stood their ground, sizing each other up.
Inside the spacious bridge of the Eternal Snowfall, Setsuna stood at the front of the control console.
To his left was Gudako leading the Chaldea Heroic Spirit squad; to the right stood Mio and several Spirits.
Elma and Tohru, the two dragon girls, along with the Royal Maid Corps, stood guard behind him.
It was their first time encountering intruders daring enough to attempt assassinating the Commander.
Belfast had clearly heard Demiurge's earlier order.
Exterminate everyone aboard?
Capture the Commander alive and present him to the Supreme One?
What a f*cking joke.
Unless they stepped over her corpse, there was no way Belfast would allow these intruders to even touch the Commander—anything less was a failure in her duty.
Her expression bore none of its usual gentleness. Frowning deeply, she radiated a bone-chilling aura.
Dido, Sirius, Hermione, Sheffield, and the other maids manifested their rigging and formed ranks.
They stared coldly at the enemies.
Not far away stood the four Guardians who had teleported in, the seven members of the Pleiades, and around sixty Soul Eaters.
These skeletal, ghost-like undead creatures could devour human souls—an intermediate to high-level combat force.
Useful for wiping out normal humans, but unfortunately, there were no ordinary souls here to consume.
"..."
Demiurge stood at the front, cautiously observing Setsuna and his companions.
Completely unfamiliar foes.
He couldn't understand the shipgirls' rigging, but based on the previous brief skirmish, they were not inferior to the Guardians at all.
The Heroic Spirits and Spirits used moves resembling magic, likely of very high tier.
The two dragon girls were even more terrifying—completely unreadable.
"This will be a tough battle."
Demiurge extended his hand.
"Spatial Lock!"
Crack—
The surrounding space was instantly sealed in a transparent crystalline layer.
He locked eyes on Setsuna, the man at the center of the group—clearly the "Commander."
Also the main target of this mission.
If he escaped, it would cause problems. Better to seal off space in advance for safety.
"Then, human, before we fight, allow me to introduce myself."
"I serve the Supreme One and act under Lord Ainz's command. I have come to take your lives."
Demiurge gave an elegant bow.
"May I ask who you are and where you come from?"
He remained courteous at all times, whether dealing with colleagues or strangers.
It was simply his habit.
Even when slaughtering enemies, Demiurge remained polite—just like when he annihilated the Blue Rose squad in the original story.
Of course, another reason was that he wanted to figure out where this strange group of invaders came from.
Fighting was one thing; intelligence gathering was just as important.
"We're here to conquer this world."
"And to eliminate you, Ainz, and Nazarick."
Setsuna replied casually.
The system had already informed him he could seize authorities. There was no need to hold back in destroying the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"Eliminate Nazarick? A mere human dares to spout such arrogance and insult the Supreme One?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a petite girl with silver hair and red eyes, wearing a black evening dress and lace gloves, flew into a rage.
The Pleiades battle maids behind her also wore fierce expressions.
"You're the Commander here? Tell me your name. I'll offer your head to Ainz-sama."
Shalltear donned a blood-red set of armor, holding her lance-like weapon, her crimson eyes locked onto Setsuna with a chilling voice.
Behind her, the Pleiades assumed battle stances.
"You can try."
Belfast was unshaken, standing with the Royal Maids facing off against the Pleiades.
Hearing these invaders brazenly express hostility toward the Commander, the shipgirls decided to teach them a lesson.
"Commander, may we handle this battle?"
The head maid asked softly.
"They fight for their master, and so do we."
From a neutral standpoint, Belfast had some admiration for the Guardians and Pleiades of Nazarick.
Loyalty was the foremost virtue of a maid.
However, they were now enemies. A life-and-death clash was inevitable.
"...Go ahead."
Setsuna held back Mio, deciding to give Belfast a chance.
"Clearing obstacles for one's master is also the duty of a Royal Maid."
"You will pay for your disrespect toward the Commander."
With Belfast's soft command, the battle erupted instantly.
The Royal Maids and the Pleiades clashed head-on.
"Offer glory and victory to my proud master!"
Inside the Eternal Snowfall, the Royal Maids refrained from using high-caliber gravity cannons or erosion missiles.
As shipgirls, their physical abilities were powerful enough—not inferior to any Guardian in YGGDRASIL.
"I'll take the demon and the vampire. You deal with the two dark elves."
Elma gripped her trident and charged toward Demiurge and Shalltear.
She immediately recognized their true natures. As a dragon of order, Elma had a strong aversion to such evil beings.
"I don't go easy on kids. No—you two aren't really kids, are you?"
Jeanne Alter gave a cold glance at Aura and Mare.
They looked like a pair of cute, young twins.
"Die."
Boom—
Her Noble Phantasm activated, and blazing dragonfire burst from her flag.
"Protect the Master. I'm sending them to hell."
She led a few Heroic Spirits into a brawl with the twins.
Mio and Jeanne d'Arc shielded Setsuna from behind.
"Husband, I'll protect you."
Jeanne d'Arc, still worried, even planted her Noble Phantasm into the ground.
[Luminosité Eternelle!]
Shua—
The Fleur-de-lis banner generated an unbreakable shield around the group.
"..."
"Wait, this is my ship. Do I really need protecting?!"
Setsuna felt a bit awkward.
But it was clear his wives and subordinates cared deeply for him.
His status among the shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, and Spirits was equivalent to Ainz's status in Nazarick.
But still—wasn't he the strongest one here?!
Thinking it over...
Oh well, as long as they're happy.
Let them play it out. The Commander will watch.
Boom—Kaboom!
Inside the bridge of the Eternal Snowfall.
Thanks to Ainz's fearless boarding tactic, four Guardians, the Pleiades, and the shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, and Spirits were engaged in a chaotic melee.
Also teleported with them were dozens of Soul Eaters.
Against ordinary people, Soul Eaters were devastating weapons. Just a few left unchecked could consume an entire nation.
However, the Eternal Snowfall wasn't the kind of ship Ainz and his Guardians imagined—one piloted by helpless engineers and technicians.
Its crew, in a sense, were stronger than the ship itself. In fact, even the ship was part of Setsuna.
The terrifying monsters that could traumatize local natives weren't even worth calling cannon fodder here.
The battle erupted in an instant—and in another instant, became a one-sided massacre.
"EX...Calibur!!!"
Artoria raised her holy sword.
BOOOOM!!
A golden beam of light swept across, creating a golden tornado within the ship's vast interior.
Powerful magic engulfed the entire space, eradicating every undead creature emitting ominous auras.
Only the Eternal Snowfall, a 10-kilometer-long fortress ship with unmatched structural stability, could withstand the use of Noble Phantasms inside.
"Such terrifying power."
"This rivals my own, no—even that of the other Supremes."
Demiurge had taken on his demon form, with wings, claws, and a frog-like visage.
Even so, he didn't dare meet the Heroic Spirits' attacks head-on.
The aura they exuded in combat mode made his heart tremble.
"How can humans possess such power?!"
"Are their weapons... World-Class Items, as Ainz-sama described?!"
Whether it was Artoria's holy sword or Nero's meteoric hammer, none looked like ordinary gear.
Demiurge instantly realized that his understanding of this world might be flawed.
Among the countries surrounding Nazarick, he hadn't found a single human worthy of being called a "strong one."
The Royal Warrior Captain, the Baharuth Empire's Four Knights, and grand mages were famous in human nations.
But to the Guardians, they were nothing more than lowly beings.
These people before him, however, were entirely different!
The power they displayed reminded Demiurge of the top-tier human players back in YGGDRASIL's prime.
"For Ainz-sama! We must annihilate these fools who dare challenge the Supreme One!"
The Pleiades clashed with the Royal Maids.
Boom—Smack!
Belfast had picked a maid in armored dress, wearing a choker and black-rimmed glasses.
Yuri Alpha.
The eldest of the Pleiades and the most skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
"You look like their leader? Come."
Yuri readied herself, signaling Belfast.
The next moment—
BOOM!!
The head maid launched a close-range assault, her strength far exceeding expectations.
Starship shipgirls had speed and power that the Pleiades couldn't match.
Smack!
"Ugh—"
Yuri was slammed into the wall in one hit.
BOOOOM—
Before she could recover, Belfast's rigging fired point-blank, the super-graviton cannon triggering a sizable explosion.
When the smoke cleared, only a scorched mark on the wall remained.
"One down."
The head maid flicked her hair with a sharp gaze, graceful and fierce.
"Yuri!!"
The rest of the Pleiades were stunned by the elder sister's instant defeat.
"For the Supreme One, we will complete our mission even if it costs us our lives!"
"Die!"
They charged at the maids one after another.
"Chain Dragon Lightning!"
Lightning surged from Narberal's hands as she unleashed her most destructive spell.
Crackle—Zzzzt!
Terrifying lightning ricocheted throughout the ship.
This was a Tier-7 spell, a miracle far beyond human magical ability—even a top mage like Fluder couldn't perform it.
Zzzzt!
Multiple energy shields absorbed the lightning completely.
"Impressive flash, but it's weaker than the weapons in the Stellar Base."
"Structural strain doesn't seem to be a problem either."
Sheffield checked the Klein Field's saturation.
It didn't feel as dangerous as... Sky Cloud Lightning.
They'd seen energy-based weapons before. The R&D lolis had studied methods to neutralize them in interstellar battles—like Sky Cloud Lightning and Focused Arc.
Compared to weapons that spanned half a galaxy and could destroy starships in one hit, lightning spells felt a bit... petty.
Solution transformed into her true form, an amorphous slime-like creature, and lunged to engulf Sirius.
"Gross. No one touches me except my master."
BOOM!
Her rigging locked on. A burst of blazing energy from the super-graviton cannon turned Solution to ash.
Back when the Night Raid squad was recruited, the maids and Royal Maids had been somewhat restrained. It was mutual testing.
But now, with Setsuna's full authorization, the Royal Maids showed no mercy.
"In the name of the Commander, I shall annihilate you all."
Bang!!!
BOOOOM!
Not all maids were created equal.
Within minutes, the battle was decided.
The Pleiades, mid-tier power in Nazarick, were no match for the Royal Maids.
After a few exchanges, they were turned to dust.
The fight among the Guardians was slightly more intense.
"Earth Surge!"
Mare placed a magic circle on the floor, trying to unleash a massive nature spell like usual.
On land, this spell could cause earthquakes powerful enough to destroy a city. For a normal ship, it would cause catastrophic collapse.
Yet as he poured massive magical energy from his staff into the floor—it was as if it vanished into a bottomless void. Nothing happened.
He realized his magic was utterly insignificant compared to the ship. He couldn't even budge it.
No—Mare vaguely sensed that this ship wasn't a mere construct. It was something entirely different.
"Earth Surge!!"
Still unwilling to believe it, Mare tried again.
Still no effect.
"Don't be stupid. The Commander's ship can tank Anti-Country Noble Phantasms. You think your stick can poke a hole in the floor?"
Jeanne Alter scoffed.
"This place isn't to our advantage. Let's fight somewhere else."
Aura pulled out a massive scroll.
A World-Class Item.
[Depiction of Nature and Society]
Shua—
As the scroll unfurled, the Heroic Spirits fighting the twins saw a blur.
In a blink, they were pulled into a different space.
Upon reopening their eyes, they found themselves surrounded by lush forest.
Except for Artoria, Nero, and Jeanne Alter, everyone else had vanished.
"Illusion magic? No..."
Artoria and Jeanne Alter paused in realization.
"I remember intel about the Depiction of Nature and Society scroll from the strategy meeting..."
"This World-Class Item traps enemies in an alternate space. The environment drains their stamina over time."
"But there are ways to escape. If we succeed, the item's ownership transfers to us, right?"
"You've done your homework."
Aura sat on a tree branch, whistling.
Roar!
From the forest emerged over a dozen terrifying magical beasts, encircling the three Heroic Spirits.
"These are my beasts. Even for you, it's impossible to defeat this many level-90 monsters at once, right?"
She tilted her head and called out:
"Mare."
"Right here!"
Mare raised his staff.
"Then, here I come!"
BOOM!
Earth magic cracked the ground, splitting it with deep fissures.
The trio quickly dodged.
"So, we just have to figure out how to escape?"
Jeanne Alter clicked her tongue and glanced at the twins.
"Take out the caster and we can probably leave too, right?"
"Better act fast. If Setsuna or Mio has to come pull us out, it'd be too embarrassing."
"I'll handle the beasts. You two take care of the twins."
Artoria gripped her sword, signaling the others.
"Is that even necessary?"
Nero clicked her tongue.
"It's just a field-altering magic, right? I can do that too."
She tossed a rose into the air.
[Let it be built! My Golden Theatre!!]
[Behold my brilliance! Hear the thunderous applause! Revel in the glory of sovereign majesty!]
[Raise the curtain! Let the solo begin in this dazzling Golden Theatre!!]
Shua—
The space around them shattered like glass, then reassembled.
The forest turned into a resplendent golden amphitheater.
Nero stood proudly center stage, gazing down at the twins and magical beasts.
Artoria and Jeanne Alter were momentarily stunned, but quickly understood.
With synchronized motion, they drew their weapons.
"???"
"What the heck is this?!"
Aura was dumbfounded.
It was her first time seeing someone create a new world inside the Depiction of Nature and Society scroll.
Absolutely absurd.
There were only two ways to escape the scroll normally:
A) Defeat the caster.
B) Find the exit route.
Nero had created option C.
Buzz—
"Ugh..."
Mare and Aura felt the oppressive force of the Golden Theatre. Their beasts could barely stand.
This was Chaldea Heroic Spirit territory. The twins were out of their element.
"Open the doors! Let the solo begin!"
Nero drew her red sword with a triumphant shout.
The three Heroic Spirits attacked in unison.
"I shall dedicate this blazing victory to my Master!!!"
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