There is absolutely no way to save them now.
But at least! Before Helanke's lie enraged Ainz, I had to seize control of the conversation!
Otherwise, they truly wouldn't have any chance of survival!
Although the time spent with the Four Strategists Squad wasn't long, throughout this journey, even though Iri was only a newcomer, the members of the Four Strategists Squad had taken great care of her.
Putting other things aside, just in the battle before Iri herself fell into the teleportation trap, everyone knew that Iri was inherently stronger than any of them.
However, Uncle Roba had stood in front of her to protect her the entire time, even though Helanke said he was using Iri as a trump card.
But when facing Ainz, he still chose to step forward and talk himself, rather than letting Iri go. Just based on this, Iri couldn't bear to see their fate.
Although, when Iri was still alive and saw this part of the story, she understood Ainz's ruthless actions, even if they were part of a plan.
But Ainz had given them too many chances before, and Ainz also didn't know the story of what happened to them. Iri was merely looking at this plot from a god's perspective, so she didn't have much feeling about it and even thought they deserved to die for intruding into Nazarick and lying to Ainz. But weak people can do anything when trying to survive! It's not their fault.
However, after personally joining this story and empathizing with them, witnessing how hard the Four Strategists Squad members fought for survival, Iri truly couldn't bear to see them die like this. If the tragedy couldn't be prevented, at least... let them die less painfully.
"Try talking to him?" Helanke's words pulled Iri's thoughts back to reality. She had to step forward now, but what should she do next after stepping forward? Iri had no idea.
At this moment, Iri noticed Imina's gaze. Imina's gaze had been wandering between Aura, Albedo, and Iri.
And when she looked at Iri, she seemed somewhat suspicious. Indeed! Albedo and Aura had appeared, so it was normal to be suspicious. Her appearance was inherited from them.
Hmm? Appearance? Inheritance? This... perhaps? Could it work? Iri immediately had an idea, but it depended on whether Ainz could understand her intention!
Having thought of a method and built various responses based on it, Iri resolutely stepped forward, facing Ainz.
As she passed Helanke, perhaps out of apology! Iri silently said sorry, then stood in front of Ainz.
Ainz waved his hand, and all the Golems in the audience stopped moving. The arena became quiet again. Helanke and the others were all very curious: what would Iri-meimei do next?
Although they knew Iri-meimei was very powerful, the huge skeletal figure in front of them, with the immense oppressive Aura it emitted, and the tiny Iri-meimei in front of it, created such a huge contrast that no one would think Iri-meimei could be the opponent of that skeleton.
"Hoh..." Ainz pretended to admire Iri, looking her up and down.
"Arshe, does Iri-meimei have a chance of winning?" Helanke asked in a tense whisper.
"I... I don't know, I can't tell. I don't feel any magic from this skeleton." Arshe observed Ainz using her special ability and replied.
At this moment, they saw Iri slowly take out the hammer from behind her and unwrap the white cloth covering it. Seeing Iri take out a weapon, Helanke thought to himself, 'Is she going to fight right away? This Iri-meimei is even more direct than I imagined!'
"Be ready to support Iri-meimei at any time!" Helanke ordered, and the others also gripped their weapons tightly.
However, Iri had no intention of fighting. After unwrapping the white cloth, Iri simply held the hammer in both hands respectfully and offered it to Ainz. The Four Strategists Squad was stunned by Iri's inexplicable action. What did this mean?
"Excuse me... do you recognize this weapon?" Iri asked.
Of course... it wasn't just the members of the Four Strategists Squad who were stunned; Ainz himself was also 'baffled.' What was Iri trying to do? Of course, Ainz recognized this weapon; he had given it to Iri. Could this also be part of what Iri had said earlier, that everything was within Ainz's plan?
Uh... when did I come up with this plan! Someone, please teach me!
"Hoh, a fine weapon indeed! Quite familiar." Ainz, not understanding, chose a middle-ground answer, neither saying he didn't recognize it nor that he did.
"Yes, because this weapon is an heirloom inherited from you." Iri looked up, revealing a sorrowful expression.
Inherited? Heirloom? Ainz didn't react immediately. Wasn't this hammer something he had given to Iri to test her?
How did it become some inherited heirloom? Ainz, momentarily unsure how to react, heard...
"No wonder... she looks so similar! Is Iri-meimei connected to the owner of this tomb?" Imina said. From the moment the dark elf boy appeared, to the appearance of the peerless beauty with long hair, pointed horns on her head, and black wings at her waist, Imina had felt very strange.
They were too similar: their appearance, hair color, and those rare heterochromatic eyes. Even the style of the clothes Iri-meimei wore was similar to that of the black-haired peerless beauty. It was hard not to think there was some connection between them.
"Your name?" Ainz asked with full authority. Receiving the hint, Ainz understood Iri's intention, and at the same time, he understood the meaning of what Demiurge had told him before. He couldn't help but sigh at how Iri's thinking was becoming more and more like Demiurge's. Should he let Iri and Demiurge interact less in the future?
"Elizabeth Ooal Gown." Iri replied. Sure enough! This time, she hadn't guessed wrong. Ainz felt relieved.
"Wh- Imina, do you remember what that dark elf just called this skeleton?" After Iri introduced herself, the members of the Four Strategists Squad were dumbfounded again. Helanke, looking at a loss, turned his head and asked Imina behind him.
"Ainz Ooal Gown." Imina, who was the first to realize that Iri-meimei should be connected to the people here, also had a complicated expression. Now, the members of the Four Strategists Squad understood why someone as powerful as Iri would seek them out, why Iri had been acting strangely ever since arriving here, and why Iri had opposed this commission from the start.
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